Aster

  The meal ended quickly after that announcement. The third plate I held off on eating, and after getting approval from Roslin, I stored it in my storage for later.

  As we made our way out, all of us in a group, I was surprised to have the elven queen stop and turn to me as she finished speaking to Lira.

  “May we talk for a moment?” She asked, smiling. Her tone was the same as Kulni’s when I had no choice but to talk. She walked on the other side of me, Roslin falling a step behind next to Baldwin, talking to him.

  “I was told this coin was from you. How many more do you have, and are you willing to trade?” She produced the coin I had given Baldwin and showed it to me.

  I hesitated in telling her. From what Roslin had told me, queens and kings had a lot of power. Would she somehow force me to give her all the coins if I showed them? I almost turned to look at Baldwin to ask him what he had said to her but then slumped my shoulders. She already knew I had some more, at least silver ones. I know I had said I had gold ones, but I had never shown them, so maybe I could get by with just them.

  “Don’t look so glum. I wanted to see the coins because if they're authentic, they're worth a lot to us elves, not just as mana coins, but their history to us. The runes on this coin are old elvish, and I’m willing to pay. ”

  I nodded, took out the bag of silver coins, and, after a moment of hesitation and thinking about how many books I could get with them, passed the pouch over to her. She took the coins, smiling at me, and flicked through the bag. “Give me a moment to check them,” Sinoa said, her eyes flicking from coin to coin and glowing slightly.

  I walked with her into the next room, following her as she went to a row of seats, and sat down beside her, my eyes turning to Rosilin pleadingly. I understood very little about what was happening and didn't want to make a mistake. She rolled her eyes but sat in the next closest chair.

  The room we were in was big and open. In the middle of the room, a round pit made out of sandy stone with sand layered around it was lowered into the ground at a slight angle before it flattened, making it a half-bowl shape, giving everyone above a view. Stairs opposite of each other were the only easy ways I saw of getting in. I was so interested in the pit and the magic I felt from it that I nearly jumped when a heavy chest appeared an inch off the ground in front of the queen, landing with a thump. She governed her mouth, and I could hear a chuckle from her. “Apologies, I should have warned you, Lady Aster.”

  She straightened and continued speaking a second later.

  “They're real coins, and I’m willing to provide three gold per silver mana coin,” Sinoa said.

  I turned to Roslin, looking for advice.

  She looked surprised but nodded her head. “It’s way above average trade price for a silver coin. You wouldn't get a better offer.”

  “If it’s okay to ask first, why do you want these mana coins so bad?” I knew they were elvish, but if the price was that much more, I had to be missing something.

  “Oh, I apologize, Lady Aster. You will likely learn this in the academy or in a different way later on, but I want the coins because they are elvish, and the mana infused into them is old. It’s likely to make for good enchantments related to our race, which are naturally nature aligned.” She leaned back in her chair and looked at the sand pit. “The Claw Wood forest is densely filled with quite old mana because of the wide range of beasts, but there are stories of elvish ruins there.”

  The explanation gave me more questions than answers, but if the trade in gold were that high, I definitely would take it. I had gold mana coins and copper mana coins for trying enchanting in the future, so I wouldn't be giving up my chance to learn. After a bit more thought, I nodded, asking, “If I get more of them?”

  Sinoa smiled knowingly. “Then I would buy those as well.”

  We made the change, and I ended up with three larger bags she pulled from the chest. I stored them. She placed the smaller one into the chest and then closed the lid. The chest disappeared with a pop of displaced air. Sinoa, appearing satisfied, turned her attention fully to the sandy arena. The fight hadn't started yet as both of the sibling pairs had gone to rooms near the pit to change. Lucky them not having to wear something like this.

  While we waited, I nudged the bond. Roslin was talking with Baldwin and Cassin, and Sinoa appeared to be thinking of something. Glancing to the other side of Sinoa, the King and Lira seemed to be talking to each other, so I didn't see a reason not to speak to Umbra.

  “The nobles are going to get into a fight, a duel. Did you want to watch?” I asked her. The bond wasn't perfect for seeing through each other's scenes, but it could work vaguely, and I knew Umbra did enjoy watching the wolves play fight, which seemed close.

  “We already are watching. Feel the bond.” I did, following the pull on the bond, and almost laughed as I realized that the middle of the roof wasn’t there. Instead of a solid stone ceiling, stars from the sky showed through a circular hole, probably for natural lighting. I could make the outlines of the four forms above and the glow of their eyes. No one else seemed to have noticed them or at least not paid them any mind.

  “Are all of you up here? How has the roof not fallen?” I asked with the bond. There had to be at least a few tons worth of dragons on the roof.

  A chuckle was the response I got through the bond for a moment until Umbra answered, “Silt says that the stone is enchanted for strength, but still, she says it's wise to stay spread out.”

  Looking over to Roslin, I almost asked if she knew the dragons were above us but then realized the question wasn’t needed as her eyes flicked upwards. Then she turned and grinned at me. “They're quite sneaky when they want to be, surprisingly.”

  “Oh, Look, there they are,” Umbra said, and I felt my attention dragged to the arena.

  Princess Holly Lennox

  “They really can’t think they can win this fight? They’re humans.” Yarran spoke, looking at Holly.

  Checking her sword, Holly didn’t respond. All they were allowed in the duel were weapons provided by the armory in the room they’d just been in. The weapon was lighter than she was used to and a foot shorter than she would have preferred, but it would do.

  “I mean, they can't even be above level thirty-five.” He continued, seeing she wasn’t going to, “And you’re what, forty?”.

  Holly rolled her eyes, sighing. “You aren't even level thirty-five. You’re thirty-four.” She wanted to shake her brother. Like her, he had spent his entire life living in the elvish lands. She had reality about other races checked last year in the academy, and he’d yet to go. He would figure out that elves weren’t superior in every way, only most.

  That didn’t mean she thought the humans would win, but she wasn't going to be arrogant. Taking a glance across the arena, she looked at the two. Lucan had a bow and arrow, and Alica had a sword matching Holly’s. Yarran was a mage, so they did have a slight advantage in terms of power. Mages were always good if they could get going, but the twins were clever in using their skills and worked together better than anyone I’d seen. She looked at Alica. she may have spent a year in the academy and earned her fair amount of skills, but she wasn't built for this type of fight like she was.

  “Please place the bands on and turn on their enchantments,” Baldwin said, walking up to the area’s edge at the top. “The rules are the same as in the academy, so this will be a good learning opportunity for the three of you and a reminder for Holly.”

  Yarran snorted, rolling the staff he held, looking bored, but thankfully he didn't speak.

  “Fight freely. The band will stop all hits deemed strong enough to cause damage. Each attack will take a portion of mana and stamina from you. Once you reach lower than ten percent in either pool, the band will flash bright red, strong enough for anyone to notice. If you choose to ignore it, you will be disqualified, and if you choose to keep attacking someone after their band has gone off, you will be disqualified. The punishment at the school is more stringent and includes expulsion and possibly fines. There is mana in the band to stop any attacks after it deems you don't have enough mana left, but it is only for protection after the band’s light has gone off. Are there any questions?” Baldwin listed off the rules as if he’d done it hundreds of times.

  Looking down at the item, Holly mentally willed the band to activate. Selecting yes once the screen popped up. The itch of mana went through her as it turned on. With a lack of any response to his question, he nodded. Looking back at the king and queens, he received three nods and turned around. “We will start in sixty seconds,” Baldwin said, stepping a foot back.

  “Yarran, we really should have come up with a plan.” Holly held her sword out in front of herself. The steel was weird compared to what she was used to, but it was balanced. In a two-on-one, a plan wasn’t essential, but having some idea of what to do was preferred.

  Yarran opened his mouth to reply, but a shout across the arena drew our gazes.

  “Try not to get out too fast. We at least want to warm up!” Lucan shouted. He grinned big and wide, waving his bow. Next to him, his sister laughed a little too loud to be authentic.

  It was an obvious taunt, and Holly let it roll off of her, but Yarran stepped forward, shouting back, “We’ll see who falls first, Lucan!” His grip tightened on his staff.

  We’d known the human royalty as friends since they were both little, and that meant they knew their ticks. However, Lucan was an expert at getting on Yarran's nerves. She moved to stand a few paces in front of her brother. She wouldn’t be caught off guard, as the time they had ran short.

  While her brother was a hothead, he wouldn’t rush to Alica in a duel, but that didn't mean the human princess wouldn't take advantage if she saw one.

  “Begin.” The word from Baldwin was like a cannon shot from a ship.

  Imbuing her sword with Nature’s Strength, the sword gleaming green, and Holly moved forward. The skill she used was simple but effective. Any hits would drain stamina from whoever it hit at the cost of a minor stamina upkeep. It also had the effect of making the blade stronger while the skill was active.

  Alica moved forward faster than Holly, a white trail following her that matched the color of the sword she held. Roots sprang up in her path, forcing her to weave around them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Yarran focusing his staff glowing green. It almost distracted her from the incoming blur. Holly raised her sword as an arrow tried to fly by her, aiming for Yarran, splitting it, and then blocking another with the flat side of her blade. The move had been a mix of training and a passive skill, Quick Reflexes. She had spent the better part of a year evolving and ranking up.

  “Yarran! Walls!” Holly called out, deflecting another arrow.

  In response to her words, thick roots sprouted from the ground, forming quickly into two angled walls blocking Lucan’s sight. It was just in time as one arrow slammed into the wall a bit further away than Holly would have been able to reach, getting stuck halfway through the dense roots.

  Holly didn’t have time to think of arrows any longer and had to raise her sword to block the first strike from Alica, who had closed the gap. The blades sparked as they met. She could tell by the first hit that she still had more strength than the human did, but as Alica moved, Holly noted her opponent was faster, and the skill she was using made her blur as they exchanged multiple blows. Only taking multiple steps back kept her clear of the edge of the blade.

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  Putting the shouts and jeers that Yarran and Lucan threw at each other out of her mind, Holly focused on Alica and surviving the fast attacks. Holly knew her skills were all nature-related and concentrated on endurance and survival rather than one-on-one. Speed like Alica’s was more suited for this kind of fight.

  For a moment, Holly wished she had picked up a shield as she ducked one of Alica’s blows aimed at her arm. Even still, she wasn’t quick enough for the next swing that came at her. The sword scraped against the white barrier around her leg, and she had to step back to avoid it doing more damage. She grunted and raised her foot, slamming it into the ground, using another skill she’d grown fond of: Tangle.

  It wasn’t perfect for this, but it would work. The floor below the pair slightly shook as vines shot out of the cracks in the stone, sending sand everywhere. The roots reached for the black-haired princess. She managed to cut down the first few that sprouted but was forced on the defensive as more showed up. Holly took the advantage and pushed forward. The skill was a significant mana drain, and she wanted to use it only for a short time. If it could catch Alica, she could end this fight fast, and the duel would be as good as over.

  That wasn’t to be as Alica jumped and then took a second step in the air, hopping over the cluster of roots that reached for her.

  “Come on, Holly, you know you can’t touch me.” She called out tauntingly as she leaped over me, landing clear of her vines.

  I canceled Tangle. The duels we’d had before had allowed Alica to get a rough distance of how far her vines could stretch from me, so there wasn’t a reason to keep it active.

  “You only won last time because I didn’t know about that skill.” Holly raised her sword at her. “It was a dirty trick, and you know it.” she took a step forward, making sure to keep the root wall between herself and the noises of the other fight. Alica laughed, bouncing on her feet. “It was a fair move.” She grinned at me as she started forward again.

  Holly smiled at her words. She knew they both enjoyed these bouts. It was uncommon to find another person almost the exact opposite in style so close in level when dueling. It made for good practice. It was a perfect opportunity for both to improve.

  The subsequent dozen blows had Alica coming out on top until a well-placed hit on her stomach caused her white barrier to quaver.

  Her forced backstep gave Holly another opening, and she tried to slam her shoulder into her, aiming to move her onto the ground.

  As a response, Alica brought her hand up and out, and it glowed. From the palm, a wind pushed Holly back multiple feet and sent her feet sliding against the stone. Grunting against the force as it tried to pick her up, Holly thought fast as her feet started to leave the ground. It was a new skill Holly hadn’t seen before, but she was quick with a solution. Using Tangle again, she let the vines wrap around her leg, keeping her in place. Then, a battle of mana pools and swords started as Alica closed in again.

  Holly knew she’d be at her mercy and would lose in seconds if Alica could get her into the air and keep her there.

  The wind grew stronger, and she felt the vines start to rip, letting out a snarl. She willed more mana into the skill, the vines growing tighter and thicker, sending Alica back with a quick jab after praying a strike aimed at her shoulder.

  But before Holly could do more than raise her sword, Alica approached again. She blocked a blow aimed at the vines, but the girl’s second swing blurred and cut cleanly through one of them. Holly could see sweat forming on her brow as she blocked another swing, the cost of using three skills taking its toll on her and her mana.

  However, a glance at Holly’s own mana and stamina told her it was going to be close. Her stamina was fine, not even near half, but all of the minor cuts she made were adding up fast to drain her. She never had a big mana pool, and the cost of the Tangle wasn’t helping.

  Alica's swings started to grow slower, but being forced to stand in one place allowed her to land multiple hits. It was mostly luck and only a bit of skill at the end that gave Holly the opening she needed.

  A vine unwrapped from her leg at a mental command, the last one on her left foot latching on to Alica’s as she went in for another attack, getting too close.

  She cut it nearly instantly, but when her sword moved, making the cut, Holly brought her own down in an arc using the flat side like a stick. She sent Alica flying backward, landing on the ground with a painful-sounding thud. The red flash from her and the wind stopping its upward pull told Holly that Alica had hit her limit first and was out of mana or stamina, giving her the win, but not by a lot. She let both of her skills drop, heaving for breath and stumbling a step in the sand. She turned in time to see another red flash on the other side of the wall.

  From Yarran’s laugh, she could tell who had won.

  “That’s the end of the duel!” Baldin called, “The win goes to Yarran and Holly.” Moving forward at those words, Holly rested the sword against her shoulder, holding out her hand to Alica, who was still catching her breath on the ground.

  Alica grinned, and Holly took a moment to speak as she pulled her up. “You definitely have gotten faster. I can’t wait to see how fast you are after a year at the academy,”

  Alica gave her a smile as she dusted herself off. “You’re still as easy to hit as a tree but as tough as a stone wall, and you’ve gotten better with the vines.”

  “If we were even on level, you’d definitely win. I’m made for fighting beasts and with groups, not one-on-ones.” Holly responded honestly. Alica was a nightmare to fight, and it would have been a lot worse if she had been allowed to use that enchanted sword she had stored away.

  “Haha! I didn’t expect that last spell.” Lucan’s voice sounded as he came around the root wall as he walked around. ”Next time, I’ll be ready.”

  Yarran grinned. “I was just getting warmed up and still have over half my mana. I could have gone for an hour longer. I could do a whole other duel at the point!” He boosted, raising his voice, and the staff. He looked way too pleased to the point Holly nearly whacked him on the head with her sword. This fight had done the opposite of calming his ego.

  “Can I have a fight then?” The voice wasn’t as loud as Yarran’s but carried in the open arena, and as a group, the four all turned to see who had spoken. It was the girl from the forest, the one who had the wolfish ears and tail. It took Holly a second to remember her name. Aster. She was currently sitting next to the queen and the rider with red hair she had come with.

  Could the girl even fight? She had said she had fought beasts in the Claw Woods, but a level thirty-two killing something in the seventies, it had to be a lie. The way she was dressed didn’t help Holly’s opinion of her chances either.

  “That’s if it’s okay?” She said into the silence, casting a glance at the rider, who had a slightly disapproving look.

  Her ears twitched in a way she would have thought was cute if not for the earlier declaration. What would happen if this girl got hurt?

  “I think it’s a great Idea.” Holly’s own mom said to her sister, but she could tell from her tone that she was also getting tired of Yarran’s boasting. However, she couldn't believe this girl would win, could she?

  Yarrnan looked disdainful at the prospect but sighed and nodded. While he was probably thinking that the fight would be too easy, he knew not to go against their mother when she had decided.

  The king spoke up, “I should think there is no reason she couldn’t duel. She has heard the rules and will be attending the academy. This will be a good chance to see the challenge you will be facing.”

  Now looking excited, Aster, at a nod on where to go from the rider she was next to, went off to change and get a weapon, and all of us except Yarran went to sit down. He stayed in the arena as it started to mend, removing any sign of the last fight.

  Instead of sitting next to Alica, she sat with her mother where the girl had sat, wanting to talk with her mother. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” Holly asked. She wasn't necessarily too worried about her getting hurt with three riders watching the fight, but losing had to be embarrassing in front of so many high-ranking people after just meeting them.

  “I don’t know, but I’m not too concerned. She doesn't seem to mind the idea in the least, and I’d like to see how she does. Her mother is said to be Kulni, and that is enough to interest me.” Mom said, and Holly noticed her messing with a coin in her hand.

  Frowning and looking out to the arena, Holly voiced her thoughts. “Yes, but being raised by a large wolf who can speak shouldn't mean much. We have the same wolves back in our forest, right?”

  “I think you have it backward.” The rider on her opposite side said, letting out a snort. She was lying back in her chair, appearing relaxed, almost bored. “From what I know, that wolf can talk her way out of a war, and big is an understatement. It's not that I’ve ever seen her; no one has for a while, but that wolf is the sole reason this kingdom is still standing.”

  Holly turned, looking between her and her nodding mother. “I’ve read of the history, but the guardian can’t be that strong.” she crossed her arms. “And she’s not the only guardian Arilon has. We have the tree spirit, and I’ve seen him.”

  The rider laughed. “Princess, that spirit was born less than a decade ago. Cassin’s bond could win a fight against it. I’m not saying it’s not strong, but the Claw Wood Guardian is two whole grades higher than most guardians we know of. Being raised by her has implications. There’s a reason her race class isn’t wholly human anymore. I’m here watching over her, not the royal family.”

  Holly wanted to argue, but a short cough from Mother spoke before she could. “Holly, as much as I wish to agree with you because you’re my daughter, as it stands, everything she has said is true. Look, there she is. Your questions are likely to be answered soon.”

  Holly watched the girl walk out of the room, taking the moment to move over to Lucan and Alica. Sitting next to them, she could see the girl had changed into loose clothes and had a bow but lacked a quiver; instead, she had a strap on her back with only a handful of arrows hanging from it.

  “Have you ever seen anything like that?” she asked Lucan, and he shook his head, seeming to perk up at the idea of watching another archer fight. Few, like Lucan, could properly fight with a bow without a group backing them up. Holly understood why. It was the same with her when other people fought with swords; she figured he’d be more interested in the skills and movement she used than the overall fight.

  Everyone watched the girl as she messed with the enchanted bracelet for a moment until it covered her with a thin white sheen before it turned invisible. As she inspected it, Holly noted her head was tilted to the side the way a curious animal would be. Her tail, however, was swaying excitedly as she looked up to Yarran, who stood on the other side of the arena, and she waved, smiling at him. He ignored her, but she didn't seem bothered by it.

  “We will start in thirty seconds, prepare,” Baldwin said, and Yarran started to prepare a spell.

  “Who do you think’s going to win?” Alica whispered to us.

  Holly shrugged. “I would think Yarran, but my mom seems to think differently, so she doesn’t know.”

  Lucan suddenly perked up. “She’s not an archer.”

  Both girls turned to him, and their confusion was evident. “What?” Alica asked, and Holly echoed her question with an “Oh?”

  Lucan grinned, rubbing the back of his hands. “Well, sorta is. She uses a bow, but just by how she’s getting ready, she doesn't plan to stay far away like she would. She’s angled forward to move, look.”

  Holly turned and had to really look to see the slight forward bend the girl had, but it was there. Lucan had good eyesight, as Holly would expect from a ranged weapon user.

  “I don’t see why she couldn’t be an archer still. What's the difference?” Holly asked.

  Lucan rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s not a big difference. Mostly, archers are only one type of class that uses a bow, and they tend to stay as far away as they can from a fight. She’s what most would call a skirmisher, I think. The big difference isn’t in actual classes but instead is in attributes, skills, and how they fight.”

  I crossed her arms and shrugged. Anyone who uses a bow should stay a reasonable distance away. She looked towards the arena, resting her head in her hand.

  “Begin,” Baldwin spoke the word, and Holly’s eyes widened at what happened.

  Aster disappeared, not running fast enough to be a blur. She simply seemed to disappear, reappearing dozens of feet away, her bow drawn back and moving in a line, momentum still carrying her even as her feet slowed her down.

  A few seconds later, roots erupted from the ground where she had just been, a spell Yarran must have held ready. There was a cracking noise as an arrow hit his barrier. It bounced off, but where it had hit, the barrier stayed for a moment, frost spreading over it. Then a second arrow hit it a second later, and a third a few moments after that, all in rapid succession, the frost started growing rapidly.

  Then Yarren’s shield flashed red before breaking. Another arrow that had been loosed continued another inch forward before stopping in place and dropping as Yarren’s shield thrummed red.

  The girl stopped, seeming confused, and paused while drawing a fifth arrow. “Is it over?” she asked, looking up at Baldwin, her eyes round with confusion. She seemed to be more confused than any of us. Looking up, Holly could see that even Baldwin had an eyebrow arched.

  The rider took a second to answer before nodding. The girl’s shoulders shoulders slumped, her ears drooping. It was in an odd way that made me want to comfort her. Idly, Holly wondered how the ears felt. They looked soft, but considering what had just happened, she resisted the urge.

  “That's not fair! My mana wasn't full when we started.” Yarran sputtered as he picked himself up from where he had fallen in surprise.

  The other spell he had been trying to cast had dispersed in the few seconds it’d taken Aster to shatter the barrier the mana drain it caused, probably breaking it.

  “Let this be a good lesson then,” Baldwin said. “A duel isn't always the best show of strength. A mage is best when they have a party to back them up and protect them. In the last fight, Lucan would have had the upper hand if he had targeted Yarran first at a better angle. I would recommend all of you learn from this.”

  The girl seemed to be more put out than Yarram as she made her way out of the arena, tail hanging low.

  Seeing this, she couldn’t help but give her a wave. After all, she beat Yarran so fast that it didn't leave room for him to call it luck, and she would make sure to rub that in.

  “When you get into the academy, you can duel me! I’m much harder to hit. It'll be a proper fight.” Alica offered from Holly’s side.

  Aster looked up then, after a moment, nodded and smiled, her ears twitching back up.

  Grinning down at her, Holly couldn't help smiling. A duel with her would be interesting. She did want to know what skill she had used to move like that.