So as everyone knows, I have a plan for the ending. So far, I'm sticking to that plan. However, the end of this little snippet sort of... added a twist to this plan that I didn't see coming. D: Be afraid.
Day five ended on a rather good note, considering all the bad that had taken place lately. The ball and festival of the day left the citizens in wonder and awe. Though many of the participating Magi were exhausted after a long day of obstacle courses and stretching their strength, most of them felt relaxed and at peace for once.
Nine guilds remain in the competition. Some of you are embarrassing yourselves in the competitions, such as Guild Valkyrie's Alastair, whereas others continue to honor these long-engrained traditions of the Republic, such as the Knight's Watch, Miria, Black Dragon, and Dragon Claw.
Guild Valkyrie competed against Crimson Shadow who managed to dominate the obstacle course today. Despite Alastair's unfair cheating for the second time today, Crimson Shadow's Vance managed to hit the water after Alastair did, thus winning it for Crimson Shadow in an impressive feat.
Knight's Watch and Miria had quite an intense and honorable match, one that we Gamemakers enjoyed to watch. Though Sha'Kil and Kesie were nearly evenly matched, Kesie managed to pull ahead for the win.
Black Shadow and Iscariot Sin were an intriguing pair. Both Crystal and Sayid seemed more interested in the obstacles than each other and neither one used a single magic attack in the battle, leaving the crowd stunned by how unique the battle was. It became a race and Crystal managed to finish it first.
Black Dragon against Silent Phoenix was another one of the most intense battles of the day and it was nearly a crowd favorite. Greo and Tuluk, two orcs, definitely put on quite the show with some advanced magic techniques and even better strategies for evading said magic. In the end, they both tied, leaving the crowd demanding a rematch.
Dragon Claw had been awarded a break for today, one that they took and decided to break the rules and fight with another guild on the streets. We Gamemakers are not happy with their behavior.
Seven Acolytes, despite enjoying the festivities at the ball with the prominent citizens of the Republic and the invited Guilds as well, had to hurry away from the ball for reasons unknown to the other guests.
The leader of Seven Acolytes, a human by the name of Ra'gir, had been approached by a Magi Legend known only as Tyro the Limitless.
"Is it truly you?" Ra'gir's eyes widened at the Legend standing before him.
"Yes, but we have not time for flattery now, Ra'gir. You and Seven Acolytes must come with me now, for I need your help." If Ra'gir didn't know any better, he would have thought that Tyro's expression had that of fear writ upon his face.
"You, a Legendary Magi need my guild's help?" Ra'gir's voice rose in panic. His Guild was one of the best sure, ten-time winner of the Magi Games, but that had nothing upon the power of a Magi at a Legend level.
Tyro nodded. "Yes, something is coming that we have never fought before and they have - "
Green Mathanos rose from the ground beneath Tyro's feet and exploded. Ra'gir had enough time to place up a Mathanos shield around himself, but the green Mathanos ate it away. "What is this?" To him, the strange energy felt like death itself. Mathanos that Magi used was blue in energy - pure and powerful - yet this was...
Evil. Pure evil.
"Can't have anyone spilling our secrets, Magi!" a husky voice snapped.
Ra'gir poured Mathanos into his hands as he chanted a spell into his mind. Lightning formed into his hands, but the green energy surrounded him. Instantly, his magic was eaten away by whatever evil surrounded him.
Collapsing onto his knees, Ra'gir stared into the eyes of a creature he never thought he would encounter.
"Zhol," he spat, hissing as the green Mathanos energy of the Zhol sizzled against his skin, beginning to eat it away.
"You're right..." the voice whispered. It belonged to a being in front of Ra'gir that had once been a man. No, worse, it had once been a Magi. There were rumors of Magi who had given into Dark Magic and become a Zhol, but no one had ever seen one, let alone believed they were real.
"I am not alone and we are allied with the most powerful force in the galaxy. An empire so vast... It will swallow the Republic whole..." the Zhol murmured as if the mere words made him elated.
His evil energy finished eating through Ra'gir's skin and his body vanished. The Zhol sighed in pleasure with a smile. "The Republic will fall... Only a few days now," he murmured just before he vanished into a cloud of green smoke.