Aevoltaire

  "BEGIN!"

  Selia rushed at him, sword gleaming, and–

  Tripped.

  The sand below her left foot shrank away and she fell directly onto a raising pilr of sand. The sand ignored the filing body falling. Encasing her completely except for the tops of her wings.

  With a fsh of intent, Vicktor hardened the flowing sand into unyielding sandstone, a muted scream barely audible from within the unmoving pilr.

  A moment passed gazing at his creation, relishing in the muffled gasps echoing from the encasement.

  Another fsh of intent and the sandstone around the dragon's softened, the tiny grains of sand falling away, revealing her head and hair. The tips of Selia's horns remained stuck in the smooth stone, restraining the movement of her head. The small scales on her face had turned from their usual ptinum to a rose gold.

  She struggled against the rock, face strained. Selia was clearly trying to break free, but as strong as she was, even with the powers of her god, she remained helpless, her head a yard above the even sand of the arena.

  In between strained breathing, Selia stopped her adorable squirming. "Fine, you win. I'd still kick your ass in a fair fight."

  He strode over to her exposed head, he released more of the sand around her head and neck. She strained her head up to look. He began to adjust his robe, She really was close to his–

  "Probably, I assume your boon is more about personal blessings than range attacks, most Chosen are. There's a near hundred percent chance that I couldn't hurt you with a mundane swing from my staff right?"

  Selia attempted to nod, lowering her head and–

  With a lunge of his hips, he teabagged the adorable restrained woman, his robed balls spping against the top of her head between the horns, numerous chuckles echoed from the observers. Vicktor thought some of them must've come from Selia's team. Ar hooted and Nora cackled.

  He was happy his charade and trap had worked as intended. It was clumsy, and it couldn't be relied in all fights, especially those who could fly like Selia. He doubted this would ever work against her again. He need additional tactics and strategy.

  "Those are so heavy, what the fuck!"

  "They'll be a bit lighter and around your neck ter" he grinned.

  "Fuck you!"

  "That wasn't part of the terms of the deal. I refuse. I'm a man of honor after all."

  Selia's red cute nose huffed, "I'm getting that information out of you."

  "Your team does have five to our three, definitely better odds."

  "Release me"

  A flick of intent and the sandstone disintegrated. Grains of sand tumbled to the arena floor. He set to reforming arena floor, filling in the unused pitfall trap he has set. After several moments, it was like nothing had happened except for the unnatural smoothness. His dispy of power and control had needed a fifth of his reserves.

  'huh, I might have to work on that. I might need to hide something better. Nothing screams "dig here" than a smooth patch of soil'

  His and Selia's companions joined them on the arena as Selia rose from her prone position, her greatsword never leaving her gripped hand.

  "Fighting Mages is nothing like fighting Chosen" Meryl said nervously, pying with the sides of her mask. "None of us can do battlefield magic like that. It's a good reminder of why we keep each other around."

  "Yeah" Lav said less nervously, "I've been Selia's friend since before either of us remember, I can count the number of duels she's lost on one hand." She showed a hand with three extended digits then meaningfully added a fourth. Then, she put her hand back into a hidden pocket on her simple dress.

  "Yeah we are more evenly matched during training because she isn't trying to chop through my fil." Gralgra said with a tone of indignation. "Plus her boons are way more suited for one on ones. Mine are for crowd control"

  "Havn approve of cheap trick!" Havn spoke in a pleased androgynous chant. "No need for sneaking or skulking when enemies are already dead in dirt."

  Nora and Ar nodded their agreement, but did not speak.

  After several moments of awkwardness, Selia finally spoke up.

  "Well I already have one embarrassing thing to do and I have to pay for his dinner, I don't want to have to pay for his drinks."

  Vicktor mimed drinking a full keg, complete with arched back and wiping off his mouth.

  "We're ready when you are, don't worry we can still have our date, even if you won't get the juicy stuff"

  "Sounds fun! I'll get you drunk on your own coin too."

  Ar piped up. "Everyone agree that Lav gets to 'revive' two people after 15 seconds?"

  Team Shallot nodded.

  Vicktor grinned, "Alright then, LET'S DANCE!"

  "BEGIN!" The non-combatant healer said. He was clearly interested, but not particurly amused by the childish antics.

  Nora drew her greatbow and released, sending an arrow straight towards Selia, who pivoted just time to dodge the arrow.

  Ar flung his two turrets down to either side of Vicktor and took to the skies, barely avoiding Havn's knife passing by his left talon. His voice echoing across the field.

  "Three left, one right, Selia straight. Sixty, fifty" The man pirouetted, rotating out of the way of a second knife this time almost shredding his right wing. "Fuck this, I'm going higher!"

  'Selia first' Vicktor though as he threw up a semicircle of trapped walls around him, pulling from the sand in front of the walls and hardening them in an instant. It had used half his mana, but he was safe with the turrets for now.

  Vicktor watched the turrets as they rotated opposite of each other towards the edge of his semicircle. They were tracking the closest magical being that wasn't tagged. They continued rotating until they suddenly whirred backwards and up. Selia was here and closing fast. The winged woman flew over the walls and–

  BANG BANG

  The two turrets fired nigh simultaneously, shooting their marble sized projectiles into the silver breastpte. She tumbled backwards over the wall as the force was distributed throughout her. After a second, Vicktor heard a loud thud paired with a sickening snap.

  The turrets swung around to the edges and pre-fired, smming into Havn on the left and Gralgra on the right. Havn soared onto their back a yard away moaning in the ground. Gralgra took the bullet to the chest and barely shifted back a few inches, easily catching herself and stayed standing.

  The two that Ar had indicated on the left did not appear from around the sandstone pilr. He spared a gnce at the turrets, they had stopped glowing and were motionless. Ar had been taken out somehow, maybe the woman with the bone mask, Meryl? Did the Chosen of Maiden Calva had some trick up her sleeve? How could she have hit Ar from the ground?.

  Vicktor realized he was utterly fucked if he didn't do something immediately.

  With a flick of intent, he dropped into the arena, the sand around his feet feeling sharp along the tops of his bare feet. His head was almost under the sand when his strength failed him utterly and completely. His muscles refused to respond as he sunk deeper. He couldn't even breathe as the muscles in his lungs refused to work.

  Unable to move the muscles in his eyes, his eyelids began to sink, his field of vision disappeared.

  He wasn't going to win, that much was obvious, but maybe he could take the others out? Give Nora a chance to win?

  He waited, painfully as his heart coursed the useless blood to his brain and limbs. Using the mage sight on his feet to try and see where team shallot was, he could barely get the positions above him. His already pounded head felt like it might rip his skull to shreds.

  With a burst of will, he sent up pilrs to where he thought Team Shallot were and hardened them. He held it for two loud pounding beats in his chest then released the hardening.

  With his st fraction of consciousness, he pushed all the sand away from him, hoping that someone would save him.

  Vicktor's st thoughts before passing into the void was a hard scaly something pushing against his mouth and feeling his chest rise...