'Woosh'
Blue fire sailed by my head. I just barely dodged it, rolling in the sandy floor and being rewarded with another mouthful of sand, my arm throbbed slightly. It doesn't hurt as much as it did a few hours ago, I've gotten used to the pain. The fire is so hot that some places the sand has melted into glass. I don't know how long I've been sparring with my father for. It has to have been at least a few hours. It's like walking through hell. Well maybe not but it would be just as hot. He won't let me use my normal fire, says I need to get used to using my blue flames but it's so tiring. Will I even have strength for the tournament after this?
"Sarah! Focus!" I dive out of the way of another blue fireball from my father. This gave me yet another mouthful of sand. I have to stop eating this stuff. I try to counter with my own blue fire but all that comes out is a tiny blue spark.
My father sighs but then chuckles, "I was expecting more but now that I think about it you've done even better than I did when I first started training with intense flame. We will break for lunch and start other training after."
I groaned in relief and sunk to the floor. I gratefully accepted a water skin, a monsters organ made into a container for water. Don't worry, it's washed a lot before being used. I first rinsed the sand out of my mouth, spitting it out beside me, and then drink the water.
My father came over and sat down beside me. He chuckled as he grabbed a scrap of my clothing, "I guess you should have just worn the armor."
I looked down to see my destroyed clothing. My red T-shirt was now burnt black in places and flaking off, there really wasn't much of it left. My black track pants were either torn from the rough sand or burnt and flaking from my father's fire, there wasn't much of them left either. At least my under armor is fire proof and doesn't get damaged by the sand.
We ate some fruit my father had brought for lunch, neither of us talking. He didn't even break a sweat but I think he was letting me rest, which I was grateful for. Unfortunately it didn't last long.
My father stood up, "Alright, now that we've done some endurance training for combat let's do something more practical, out of combat skills training." I climbed to my feet, nodding my head. My father brought his hands up facing each other, I copied him. "I'm going to teach you how to make a good light source that can also be used as an explosive." He created fire between his hands but then formed it into a ball, "Create a flame, round it out and then compress it."
I did as he said, creating a flame between my hands. I rounded it out, curling my fingers to help and moving my hands closer together to compress it. There, a perfect sphere of fire sat in my hand.
My father looked very surprised, "Even so tired you managed to do it with just needing hand motions for assistance. How did I produce a child so talented?" I blushed at his comment. Am I really that good?
Just as I was thinking this my little ball of fire exploded. I hissed as it burned my hands and arms slightly. Fire elementals might have higher fire resistance but that doesn't make them fire proof. High intensity heat and fire still burns us.
My father chuckled, "Maybe you're very talented but you do still need practice and training. Here, let me see your burns." He took my hands and looked at the red and pink marks on my arms. "Not too bad. It's a good thing it was only your first try. As you get better they become more powerful." He pulled a container of burn ointment out to place on my burns so they would heal faster and wouldn't blister. The only reason I haven't gotten burned until now is because my father kept aiming for my under armor. He didn't want to burn me with his blue flames.
After the ointment was applied my burns looked less angry and red. My father then put the ointment away and took a few steps back, putting distance between us. "Alright Sarah, let's see you do it again but use more fire and compress it tighter. And remember, stay focused. If this fails then you'll get more than some small burns."
I gulped at the thought but then steeled myself for my second try. I brought my hands together and created a flame but this time when I spun it into a circle I kept adding more fire to it as I compressed it. I could see the concern in my father's face as the ball would get bigger then small as I added fire and compressed it, causing it to grow brighter and brighter. Just as he was about to tell me to stop something amazing happened.
The ball of fire in my hands ceased to be fire at all and became a ball of yellow light. If I had looked at my father I would have seen pure astonishment on his face but I was too busy wondering at the ball of light in my hands. As I stare at it I got a feeling to do something, so I spread my arms and that one ball of light multiplied. Soon the whole dome which could hold a couple hundred people was lit up completely by the balls of light that were floating at my command.
It felt so easy, so much easier to control than fire. It felt so light to manipulate in comparison. It was much more difficult and taxing to create in the first place though. So much so that when Elder Titan appeared from the wall to let us know the sun was setting and was astonished himself by the light, I collapsed into the sand, out like a light and so were the lights I had created.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up to pitch blackness. Judging by the familiar dips and bumps in the mattress I'm laying on, I'd say I'm in my room. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim light of the moon filtering through what little spaces it could I confirmed that it was my room.
I moved to sit up, my head spinning slightly as I do so. It doesn't last long before I'm up and moving towards my door. I peer out into the hallway and notice an empty bedroom door open a crack. That must be the room Alex is in. He always stays the night when I black out, even when we were little. Even if he wasn't there to see it happen he always finds out about it somehow.
After thinking this I remember why I had blacked out. I moved towards the door and slipped inside. I knew he would be awake, waiting for me to wake up. Once inside I could see him in a sitting position on his bed, hunched over as he tries to fight off sleep. He hadn't noticed me so I brought my hands up, creating a small ball of light. It was much easier this time, I guess I just need more practice.
Alex jumps at the light, not used to seeing light in the middle of the night. He shields his eyes with his hand until they adjust, "Sarah? How are you doing that? It doesn't look like fire."
I smile and let the ball of light float around the room. I shut the door all the way before moving towards Alex, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's not fire Alex. It's the pure light advancement." I might have blacked out before being told but I wasn't stupid, I knew the difference between fire and light.
Alex gapped at me, "Pure light? There hasn't been someone with that for hundreds of years!" I chuckled softly at his reaction. I reached my hand out and the ball of light moved to hover over my hand. Alex stared dumb at it and I tried to hold back the laugh bubbling in my chest. He reached his had out to touch the ball of light, "It's warm."
I was about to say something but as soon as his fingers passed into the center of the ball I started to feel warm. I started to get a feeling... was that love I'm feeling? I can't be sure and the next thing I know it's gone. Alex had removed his hand. I don't know exactly what happened but Alex is looking at the light with fear now. "What happened? Are you okay, Alex?"
He seemed to shake out of his daze and stood up, "I'm fine. I should head home. The second round of the tournament is tomorrow and no offense but the beds here just aren't as comfy as mine." He laughed softly as he headed for the door.
My ball of light disappeared. Wait.. tomorrow? "I WAS OUT FOR A WHOLE DAY!"
Alex jumped at my raised voice and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, well gotta go. Bye!" And with that he rushed out of the house.
Why didn't anyone wake me? I don't even know what's going to happen! I started pacing around the room, so not expecting the second round tomorrow. Wait... I've been training for this for days, weeks and months even. Hell I've been practically training for years. I can do this!
And with that I left the room and began heading downstairs. Wait... it's still night... crap. And back up the stairs I went. I went into my room and sat on my bed. Now what? I sat there looking around my room with peeling walls before I realized. Everyone in the tournament has probably already packed their things. After the top six are chosen they leave the very next day so there isn't much time to prepare.
I walk over to the closet on the far side of the room and notice a bag already partly packed inside. My father must have packed it. Inside was wrapped dried meats, fruits and vegetables, those will be handy for when we can't find food. There's also two water skins full of water, filtering water is a pain in the ass so it's good to carry lots of already clean stuff. There was also a skinning knife, the handle made of some kind of bone and engraved with flowers. Probably my mother's. I also found rope and medical bandages. It's too much to hope for a healer to be chosen. They are the rarest advancement besides pure light.
I went to grab my under armor but realized I was still wearing it from my training. Glad to see I wasn't stripped in my sleep. Instead I grabbed what few clothes I had left, my brush and a sketch of my mother I had drawn just before she died. I went to put it in the bag but then I noticed an odd seem. I pulled at it and found a secret pouch. Inside was a vile of green liquid and a note.
Sarah,
This vile contains Marusia anti-venom. I don't know if you will encounter any Marusia but I feel you will need this more than me. If someone is bitten just have them drink it, hopefully they will recover within a few days as long as you give it to them quickly. The pouch it is in is very durable and safe so if you have any small possessions you care about then put them in there too.
Phoenix, your proud, worried, loving father.
I smiled and placed the note and vile back in the pouch carefully. I also put the sketch of my mother there as well. I looked around my room to make sure I had everything I needed before closing the bag up with draw strings and a flap that tied on. I left the bag in the closet for now.
After all this light begin to filter in my window so I quickly changed the bandage around my arm, It's healed quite well. I then headed downstairs to make breakfast for everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~
I'm within the halls of the stadium once again, making my way towards the arena. My heart feels like it's in my throat and I swear there's at least a thousand butterflies in my belly. I'm so nervous. I wasn't old enough to watch the second round of the last tournament and I was out all yesterday so I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is all the competitors must enter the arena before it begins. Doesn't help my father wouldn't say a word about it this morning, barely said anything at all.
Light momentarily blinded me as I entered the field. Once my eyes adjusted I noticed most of the competitors were already there. I quickly counted, twenty-six. Plus me is twenty-seven, so three are missing.
Less than a minute after I entered the field I heard an elder call out in a feminine voice, "Welcome competitors of the second round in our beloved tournament! I am wind elemental Elder Crystal! It is a pleasure to have you all here but unfortunately I have sad news. There were two severely injured and one fatality beyond the north wall so there will be only twenty-seven competitors."
My heart drops. Another death and that's just in the competitors, how many more died in the last three days? This has to stop. As I was thinking this Alex appeared at my side, "Are you okay, Sarah?"
Before I could reply I heard a new voice from the elder's seats, this time male, "Again, thank you all for participating. I am the human Elder Scott. I know I don't have much say in the way of the elementals but every tournament I make a speech. Some of the older competitors may have heard it already and others have not. You all know that we are mortal, we die. Many have died just in the last few days. But as a whole, as a race, we can become immortal. If we have generation after generation and continue on with our children and their children and their children's children, we essential become immortal as a whole. We continue on in them and become immortal. This tournament and all the ones before it are for that. To continue on with our race, to find a place where our children can survive, to find a place where we can preserve our immortality. These tournaments and the journeys after are for our immortality! The immortal games!"
Everyone begin clapping and cheering after the speech but I just felt confused. Yeah I get that finding a place where humanity can continue is important but how does that make us immortal?
Before I could confuse myself more Elder Crystal gave the word to begin, wishing us all luck. To the right of the doorway I came in I heard a click and a big door began to swing open. Three more opened at different points in the arena. Everything was quiet except for a low growl. I saw a flash of red as something crashed into an elemental close by me. So fast. Once it was on top of the elemental I realized why it was so fast. A Tri-tailed Fox, like it's name suggests it has three tails and they are the fastest monsters we know. Out of one of the other gates comes a Terratortoise and a Lupus from another. Are they trying to kill us?
Before the Fox could take a bite out of the elemental the earth opened up and swallowed the elemental, leaving the growling fox behind. Must have been Elder Titan. "Kill the beasts to win!" I don't know who said it but it started up a frenzy.
That lasted until a roar that even made the monsters flinch that came from the last gate. Out bound a Cerberus. The dog like beast with two heads and two tails scanned the clearing. It's great heads reaching five feet but it's size wasn't the scary part. Just as it sized everything up you could see the muscles rippling beneath it's short jet black fur. How did they even contain a creature that can almost smash through the outside walls?
The Cerberus howled and that's when things became chaotic. I found the same sense I did with the panthers, watching for stray fire from elements as well as attacks from monsters. Right now I was closest the the Tri-tailed Fox which, unfortunately, had noticed Alex and I beside it.
My arms lit up with blue flames from my finger tips to my shoulders. My father's training payed off, I don't even notice the strain. The fox hesitated before deciding to go after Alex. Good.
The fox became almost just a blur as it lunged for my best friend but Alex was ready, sucking moisture from the air to create a wall. The fox splashed into this wall and got stuck. My turn. I rushed forward and wrapped my blue, flaming hands around the fox's neck. It howled in pain as its fur melted, then flesh, then bone, dying somewhere in between. The stench of burnt hair and flesh filled our area, making me gag.
I dropped the dead, half cooked fox on the ground but as I did so my hands touched the water wall, sending steam in every direction. As the steam filled our sight I let my fire die, using my senses to feel where things are.
"Sarah? Sarah! I can't see." I could feel Alex moving blindly beside me.
I reached my hand out and grabbed his, "It's okay, Alex. Just follow me, I can see." I led him through the steam, telling him when to duck and when to run. We were almost out of it when we heard a deep growl behind us. I really hope that's not the Cerberus.