Male 1: Shadow Sage Nikolai Aerie

No entry

Male 2: Shield Wizard Naven Aerie

No entry

Male 3: Space Wizard Centurauri Asterios

Is in a book by kingmarcda1st 

Male 4: Fire Mage Kalen

No entry

Male 5: Healer Wizard Eiridan Stormblessed

"Hurry up!" Jaeyria snapped, pulling on him. The ruins of the castle and the fighting tributes were still visible. Tiny dots could be seen fleeing in other directions, and they watched for a moment in pensive silence. "We aren't far enough away from the other tributes and the fighting yet. There isn't time to sight-see, Eiri."Sunlight poured down on them as Eiridan looked around, wondering if any of the herbs he used would be present. Forest sprawled out behind them, and a thick jungle bordered the meadow to their left. The trees towered into the sky like dark sentries, leering at the companions as they veered off to the right. Sunlight seemed to be sucked in and choked by the gloom of the place. It was as if a wall blocked all light out past the first few feet into the forest.Despite the punishing pace Jaeyria was setting, he also gathered that the ground was becoming increasingly sandy with less grass and more dunes. To their left, the sand and beach grass gave way to rolling, golden meadows. The sun slanted down onto the wheat-like fronds as the wind rustled through them. Eiridan smiled as he watched the yellow fields ripple like waves in the wind. High above, he saw the forms of Pegai wheeling in the sky. Their equestrian shapes and wings were barely visible from the ground, but he could tell what they were from the faint sound of neighing and snorting that carried on the wind.A quick tug from Jaeyria pulled him back to reality. She pointed ahead to a stretch of beach. They splashed through a shallow stream and another little outlet as she squinted to see what it was. Then she exclaimed, "It's a lagoon!" Her voice rose, echoing across the valley like a pure, haunting note rendered from a flute.His gaze switched to the body of water before them. It was, as she'd said, a lagoon. Sunlight glinted on the water as the breeze sent the waves toward shore. With a grin, he headed off at a run. His bare feet dug into the warm sand and then slapped on the wet stuff near the shore-line. Jaeyria followed with a laugh, letting go of his hand.For a few precious moments, they forgot that they were in a bad situation. Instead, they reveled in the warm breeze and balmy weather. Like little kids, they chased each other across the beach and waded waist deep into the water, splashing each other and laughing as they tumbled onto the wet sand, waves washing over them both.As they lay there, Eiridan picked up a flash of scales and dark hair a few yards out. He pointed to it with a grin. "Look, Jae! Mermaids!"Jaeyria sat up, shaded her eyes with her hand, and squinted in the direction he was pointing. She smiled widely when she saw the glint of red scales and gold hair. "You grew up with them, right?"Eiridan nodded, waving to the Mer. "We should see if they'll talk to us."Her smile faded, and she looked about them nervously. Empty beaches of pure white sand surrounded them on all sides, and the right was fenced in by a steep bluff. Nothing threatened them, but she still didn't calm down. "Maybe we shouldn't... They could be vicious." She swam to a large, flat rock and hoisted herself out of the water, staring at the approaching Mer pensively.Eiridan followed with a sigh. "Well, it's a bit late for that..." They couldn't really be vicious, could they? Unless I've mistaken them for sirens. But I can't have. Kaolin taught me the difference between their kinds."We should've been more careful!" Jaeyria crossed her arms. "Why did I have to be such an idiot?" She smacked the rock and snapped, "Weren't Kyren and the others enough? He had to add this?"Eiridan grabbed her arm. "Calm down. Being mad isn't helping anyone."She quieted, but her aura stayed a dark, brooding black. Red laced it with fiery sparks, and Eiridan sighed, staring at the water lapping at his chest and contemplating joining her on the rock. Why won't she just relax? I know we're not in a good situation, but worrying will just make it worse. Her anger was making him feel antsy, though, so he spoke up. "Please stop being angry... It'll make you bitter."The mermaids drew alongside them, swirling around him and the flat, polished rock."What are you doing here?" The brunette eyed them with curiosity. "Are you with Vaxon?" Her green eyes flashed bronze in fury as she spat his name out like a piece of contaminated fish.The other mermaids bared their teeth, hissing at the mention of Vaxon. Their eyes also flashed from their normal colors to bronze, and they churned the peaceful water of the lagoon into froth with their tails."No. We're Magi; Vaxon wants us dead." Eiridan raised his hands. "We don't mean any harm."The Mer tossed their hair, and then stilled, pondering that for a moment."Well, what do you want, then?" the blond one asked, her eyes going back to their ordinary grey color. She cocked her head to the side as her hair fanned out in the water like a golden halo. Her red tail flashed in the water.Eiridan stopped Jaeyria from answering with a shake of his head. She didn't know how to deal with the Mer folk; he did. "First, are you friends?"Depends on your disposition."He sighed. "We're friends, and we're looking for somewhere to hide, rest, and find food and fresh water. Can you help?""Maybe. What will you give us if we tell you?" the brunette said, flipping her gold tail as she pulled herself up onto the side of the rock opposite Jaeyria. The movement sprayed water over the two Magi and Mer."We have nothing to give to you," Eiridan said, smiling. "What would you have us do to receive your aid?""Well..." She gave her companions a sly look.The blond grinned at them, crossing her arms over the shell and bead top she wore. Her slender, raven-haired companion smiled shyly and flicked her bangs out of her face.Eiridan shifted nervously, not liking it. Maybe Vaxon had done something to these mer. None of the ones he'd met acted this way. They were quite the barterers, though, and an extorting nature came with that. "Could you introduce yourselves?" he asked, smiling.They shrugged."Very well... I'm Coralane Watersong," the brunette said. "The blond is Pandora Nightblessed, and the black-haired one is Wyxal Windsent."Pandora nodded with a smile, and Wyxal waved, shifting nervously.Eiridan gave them both a warm smile, but Jaeyria eyed them with stony silence. When he realized she wasn't going to introduce herself, he stepped in. "This is Jaeyria Lightwood. I'm Eiridan Stormblessed."Jaeyria glared at him, but kept quiet."Now for your task... There are sirens guarding the supplies in this section of the arena," Coralane said. "The men who took us didn't know the difference between the Mer and Syrenae." Her lip curled in disgust, contorting her elfin features with rage. She slapped the water with her tail. "Idiots."A shiver went down Eiridan's spine. Why does it have to be Syrenae? I hate those things. They'd tried to kill him in his own backyard once."Kill them, and we'll hide you..." She twirled her hair around her fingers with a flirtatious grin. "And tell you where Vaxon's son is camping."Jaeyria perked up at that. "You know where Kyren is?"They laughed and nodded."Of course. But we won't tell you until you bring proof that the sirens are dead," Coralane said."What proof?" Eiridan asked, swallowing down his fear."Bring us their amulets. Syrenae would never part with those."The other two mermaids nodded.You know they need help. Syrenae are vicious, and they hate the Mer, his conscience whispered. Eiridan sighed and stuck his hand out. "It's a deal."Coralane slid closer and took his hand with her webbed one. "Well met, Eiridan Stormblessed. Your course lies to the East. The Syrenae are hiding at the far end of the cove in a cave behind the waterfall." "Until we meet again, Coralane Watersong," Eiridan finished, tugging Jaeyria in the direction the mermaids indicated.***"Are you crazy? How are we supposed to kill three Sirens?" Jaeyria snapped, giving him a gentle slap upside the head."We'll have to manage," he said, feeling sick. I can't believe I agreed to this. It was stupid. How are two Magi supposed to fight Syrenae?"What's wrong with you, anyway? You look sick." She didn't sound very concerned."Umm... I just don't like sirens." He waved a hand vaguely.She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. "Who does? Let's just do this the easy way, shall we?""Easy way?""We take a portal." Jaeyria walked toward the cliff."Oh..." Eiridan frowned but followed.She grinned, choosing a shadowed nook of the towering cliff that surrounding the beach. Once there, she called the shadows, drawing a series of runes in the air. They glowed and flashed before forming the portal with a dark whoosh of power. Eiridan let it wash over him as he stood there."Well, don't just gawk!" She pushed him toward the portal. "Move."They came out on the other side of the vast cove under an outcropping of rocks. The roaring of the waterfall overwhelmed them, and cold spray misted over their skin as they looked around. Shivering, Eiridan recalled that Coralane had mentioned a cave.It was dark in the area where they'd landed, and he spun in a slow circle, realizing they were in a cave just as Coralane had said they should be. The place was mostly abandoned, but there were signs of life in the corners. Water dripped from the ceiling, and puddles covered the slick rock floor. The waterfall thundered, echoing through the cave and drowning out all other noise. Sunlight danced weakly on the pool between the waterfall and cave mouth.He swallowed hard. It wasn't good if the Syrenae weren't here. They'd have to find the cursed creatures. But in the back of the cave, hidden by a bunch of seaweed, a pile of crates were stacked against the rock wall."The supplies!" Jaeyria headed toward them. "We don't really need to go back or kill the Sirens, do we?""Syrenae, not Sirens," Eiridan corrected, distracted. "And yes, we do. They won't let us take the supplies, first of all, and secondly, we want to know where Kyren is."Just then, the temperature in the cave dropped several degrees as the smell of jasmine and vanilla filled the cave. Eiridan turned, resigned. I hate dealing with Syrenae. But too late now, he reminded himself.A woman stood at the mouth of the cave. Her long silver hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back to her waist. Her cat-like eyes glowed in the light that suddenly illuminated the cave. The walls pulsed with blue light as the waterfall turned to ice. Her two companions pulled themselves out of the water. They wrung the water out of their thick, glowing silver hair as their tails turned to legs and turned to look at the two intruders. Smiles broke out among the three.Eiridan examined them carefully, knowing it was dangerous. He couldn't help it though. They possessed a beauty that was, literally, deadly. Long black lashes fringed their beautiful, bluish-silver eyes like smudged charcoal. Their skin was smooth and milky alabaster, and their bodies were supple.The lead Syren approached him with graceful strides. Her silver skirt flowed around her ankles and shifted to reveal her long, sleek legs. The slit ended inches below her hips, and the outfit left little to the imagination. The top's neckline was daringly low and covered in blue and violet mother of pearl. She put two fingers under his chin, forcing him to look at her when he tried to drop his gaze to the slippery floor of the cave.Her scarlet lips parted slightly to reveal a row of straight, pearly white teeth. Another advantage. The Syrenae could mask any features that might give them away. "What have we here?" She threw a crooked smile to her two sisters. "A soft-hearted healer with a shadow Mage who's burning for revenge? Vaxon knows how to make things interesting, doesn't he?" she purred, pressing against him and running her thumb over his cheek lightly.Her sisters laughed and got up, going toward Jaeyria. Eiridan stayed still, watching the being before him. He was oblivious to anything else as the Syren's voice wove a spell around him. He was aware only of his enemy.But is she truly my enemy? Is she? I doubt it.She gave him another charming smile and pressed her lips to his neck. He barely breathed as she whispered in his ear, "You're the first healer I've encountered. Your essence is so sweet." She nibbled on his ear and sighed.He didn't speak as she kissed his lips lightly, teasingly. She ran her hands through his hair, laughing airily. She too seemed oblivious to anything around them, and Eiridan smiled back, placing his hands on her waist. A jolt traveled through him, and his magic flared defensively as the Syren kissed him again, more demanding this time.Stop... Stop kissing her, his mind hissed insistently. She isn't Jae. But when he pulled back and opened his eyes, it was Jae he saw before him. Something lurking in her green eyes wasn't quite right, but the magic swirling through him stifled his defenses and pushed away the concern.He pulled her back toward him and kissed her this time, forgetting that her behavior was strange. Time blurred together, and he had no idea how long he was standing there in her embrace, kissing her and letting her touch him.A high-pitched wail suddenly filled the cave, startling him from his trance, and she pulled away, clutching her stomach. Eiridan's body went numb.No. No, no! He dropped to his knees beside her and pressed his hand against her stomach.Someone dragged him away, and when he spun to face them with an anguished cry, he saw an irritated Kyren. "Let me save Jaeyria!" he pleaded.Kyren laughed darkly. "You're lucky I decided to intervene, healer. Given another minute, the Syren would've killed you. Your girlfriend's fine. She dispatched the other two while you were letting the third slowly kill you."When Eiridan didn't respond, Kyren pointed his ichor-coated sword at the place where Eiridan had seen Jaeyria fall. It wasn't her. The Syren lay on the cave floor in a puddle of her own silver blood, gasping and clutching her stomach as she bled to death. Her silver hair tumbled into the dark pool as the waterfall roared back to life.Jaeyria threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as he stared at the now still form of the Syren. "You idiot," she whispered, squeezing him closer. "Do that again, and I might just kill you myself."Her eyes met Kyren's over Eiridan's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.He watched the two of them as Eiridan freed himself from Jaeyria's tight grip to thank Kyren. Pain lurked in the older man's eyes as he watched Jaeyria wrap her arms around Eiridan's waist. Eiridan felt a pang of sorrow as he put an arm around Jaeyria. "Yes, thank you," he echoed, sighing.Kyren shook his head. "Don't. I'm not going to spare you next time. Take what you came for and leave. Oh, one last thing, there's a group waiting for you on the beach where your first portal came out."Eiridan smiled. He was watching, but he didn't attack? I wonder why. Maybe I can still save one royal after all.Jaeyria nodded. "We'll be careful." She began drawing runes in the air, but Kyren stopped her, pressing his blade to her throat."What are you doing?" Eiridan cried out in alarm."What is she doing?" Kyren snapped."I'm portaling us out of here, thank you very much!" Jaeyria shoved at his wrist, forcing the sword away from her throat and Eiridan's face. "Can I return to that before the runes sap my energy for no reason?"Kyren stepped back as she created the portal and gave Eiridan a handful of supplies and the amulets. She quickly packed her own bag of stuff and stepped through the portal, dragging Eiridan after her again. The two materialized just behind the group Kyren had warned them to avoid.Jaxon, Zentra, and Jaei stood on the sand just outside the cave. Eiridan watched them for a while in silence. "I doubt they'd actually hurt us.""Then why are they standing outside the cave? They're expecting to have to fight the three of us, or at least Kyren," Jaeyria said, waving at the three in annoyance. "Come on.""But they're not like that, Jaeyria," Eiridan protested."Of course they are..."The group turned in their direction as though alerted by an invisible voice. Zentra pointed to them, and the three broke into a dead run."Obviously they're not here to make friends!" Jaeyria tugged on his arm. "Come on, Eiridan!"It was too late. As they turned to run, the world spun out from under them, and they found themselves flying into the air as gravity suddenly reversed itself. Eiridan shut his eyes as a wall appeared above them. Any moment, they'd hit and be done for. "Jae..."She was rapidly drawing runes in the air. The wall vaporized as they flew through it, and he relaxed with a sigh. The runes flashed brightly, and a portal sucked them in, sending them to a place just behind the three. Before any of them could react, Jaeyria was drawing again, and runes were glistering, sending a hail of shadow arrows hurtling toward the others.Suddenly Jaeyria yelped and then growled. "Oh, it's so on now!" she hissed.Eiridan grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?""Zentra! Ugh! I'm going to kill that witch," she spat."Why?""First, she's trying to kill us. Second, she's a jerk."Confused, Eiridan hung back as Jaeyria began drawing more glyphs in the air. They glowed brighter, and an explosion suddenly sent the three Magi flying. Zentra crouched on the sand, and she seemed to be drawing things too.Two clones of the red-head showed up. All three began sprinting towards them. Jaeyria bared her teeth and started tracing the lines of yet another set of runes. They too flashed and disappeared. Eiridan frowned as all three Zentras ran right past.As they went by, Jaeyria sent a set of shadow daggers flying with a hastily drawn glyph. The blades struck true, and the two copies of Zentra winked out of existence as the last dropped to the ground.Blood bloomed on Zentra's shirt, and she didn't move again. The other two ran up, shaking her, and Jaei broke down in tears. Eiridan wanted to go to her and try to help, but Jaeyria caught his wrist and dragged him into the shadows with her."We're not helping them, Eiridan. I'm tired, and I can't beat both of them with the energy I have left. We need to leave now." With that, she nimbly drew another set of jagged lines. They all glowed and flashed out. Then, before he knew what was going on, Jaeyria shoved him hard, and he went flying through the portal.

Male 6: Shapeshifter Sage Faun Asterios 

In a book by kingmarcda1st-

Male 7: Metal Mage Mordzar Malthus

HHURROO! The sound of the horn knocked Mordzar out of his dreamless sleep. He woke to find himself freed of the chains and was surprised to see the gates of the castle he was held in were open. Am I free? He wondered as he stepped outside cautiously. As soon as he left the building, the gate shut behind. Mordzar looked around with alarm. What the hell is happening? He scanned the area and noticed different ecosystems around him. Among them were caves, forests, and mountains surrounding them like a bowl. As he saw other magi running off toward different ones, the realization hit him like a brick. They were in the arena! Looks like he would have to fight to stay alive if he wanted to lead his rebellion. He sprinted toward the marshes to see what he could find. He had noticed fellow magi literally at each other's throats over what he noticed were packs of some sorts. So this is Vaxon's plan eh? He thought. Watching us kill each other for him as a cruel form of entertainment. However, the magi were not alone. A large yellow scorpion materialized from the ground between the 2 feuding magi. Mordzar could only cringe in terror as its barbed tail pierced who he recognized as the female fire mage Vala while its massive claws crushed the shadow sage Nikolai Aerie. Zounds! Two people he spent half is life with gone in a heartbeat. Shit just got real already! Already feeling sick, Mordzar did not stop to watch the Sporkion feed on its kills. I need to obtain one of those packs, he thought. He noticed Centauri the Space Wizard sneak up on an unsuspecting Naven Aerie, Nikolai's brother, and behead him with a sword, raining blood. He saw Centauri pick up the pack and take out rations of food and medical supplies and examine them." Hey, do they all contain the same thing?" Mordzar called over. Centauri looked up at him suspiciously."It's ok, I don't intend to harm you.I just want to know what is in those packs I see everywhere." Mordzar assured his fellow magic user."I think they all have the sam"- he didn't get to finish his sentence as a brown Arachne ,which had lowered itself from the web it was dangling from while they were distracted, had snatched Centauri and pulled him up the tree. The last thing Mordzar heard was Centauri's bloodcurdling scream and the pack was back on the floor. Zounds! When he recovered, Mordzar wasted no time in taking the pack for himself and was about to head out of the marshes when he spotted Zentra hiding behind a bush making runes of blood. He turned and saw the Sporkion from earlier fighting Kyren and then knew he had a chance to take her out now. His father had told him that you can't gain something without giving something else in exchange which was why Mordzar had a pebble with him. Mira Morder Mortis, he thought as the pebble materialized into a mace and he snuck behind her. As far as he knew, he was on top of her hit list so he could not keep her alive. This was his chance as she was busy fighting Kyren with a Sporkion. Before he could even move a step forward, he sunk to his knees into the earth. " What the hell do you think you are doing?" he heard.He turned and saw Faighnra Covei appear next to him. Zentra turned. Initially, she had a look of shock, but it quickly turned into a sneer as she recognized Mordzar. "Mordzar, am I glad to see you." She said in a mocking tone. "You just saved me the trouble of looking for you." "You want me that bad, don't you?" Mordzar mumbled. "Your dreams of a 'rebellion' against Vaxon end here and now." Zentra cackled as she drew her dagger and made her way toward Mordzar. "D'arvit!" Mordzar swore. He must not die, no he couldn't die! What would happen to his rebellion? Out of nowhere, a bright flash lit the area, causing Mordzar to cover his eyes. He saw Zentra, who had been blinded by the flash stagger backward toward the wetlands. Faighnra, deciding to finish Mordzar for her ally, had materialized a brick from the mud and had advanced toward Mordzar when she let out a sudden yell and was dragged onto the floor. Mordzar saw dark tendrils wrapped around the earth mage's leg. Zentra, having recovered her vision, charged at Mordzar with her dagger drawn, but as she neared him, it was as if she ran into an invisible wall. "Ack!" she fell back on the ground. " Mordzar, there you are!" a familiar voice shouted. He turned to see Eris, Asawake, Jaeyria, and Eiridan standing at the edge of the marshland."Come back for me, I see." He grinned."Just keep in mind that I am helping you because you represent the hope we need to get out of here." Jaeyria dryly told him."Quick Mordzar!" Eris called out. " Get yourself out of there before my shield dissipates!"Mordzar did not need reminding. He turned his mace into a spade and dug himself out of the earth. His companions had went over to help him out of the ground." It looks like I will have to take you all out as well." Zentra hissed, her eyes clenched in fury.She bit her left pinkie and used the blood to draw a rune. In no time , a Sporkion's tail popped out of the earth behind Jaeyria." Jaeryia!" Eiridan shouted. Wasting no time, the healer wizard tackled Jaeyria out of the way before the barbed hook on the monstrous tail could impale his friend. Faighnra, having freed herself from the shadow tendrils , started to engage Asawake. The Sporkion struck at Jaeyria and Eiridan, but Eris had put a shield over them. Mordzar, seeing the strains take hold on Eris , turned to confront Zentra. He touched the ground and thought a phrase which caused tiny spikes to pop out from the ground. Unfortunately for him, Zentra had anticipated his attack and leapt onto a nearby tree. "You are going to have to do better than that, metal mage!" Zentra scorned him. "It looks like I don't have to hold back with you." Mordzar snorted.Mira Morder Lomis, he thought as his spade turned into his signature double-edged scythe and he bounded onto the tree to fight Zentra. They fought furiously as they both began to tire. Suddenly, Zentra threw her dagger at Mordzar, scraping his shoulder. He gritted his teeth in searing pain as it began to bleed. " It burns, does it not?" Zentra snickered. "That's because my dagger was encrusted with Sporkion venom." Mordzar's breath left his body. Damn, if I don't get myself healed, I could die! He started to take the medical supplies from the pack, but before he could use them, he was kicked by Zentra, sending him flying to the ground. The wind left Mordzar as he lain there. Then, a huge shape was over him. Mordzar gasped in terror when he realized the Sporkion had found him. It grabbed him with its claws as he heard Zentra laugh. " This is the part where you beg for mercy." Zentra smirked. "I can't wait to hear your screams of agony as this big boy tears you apart." Mordzar desperately hacked at the claws with his scythe, but it didn't seem to faze the creature as it tightened its grip on him. "Mordzar!" Eris screamed. The pressure in his chest started to grow, nearly causing him to black out, but then it let up as the Sporkion let him go. Mordzar hit the soft grounds of the marshland and looked with awe. The Sporkion was pierced by a dark and pointy pendulum which had killed it instantly. Standing on top of the dead creature was none other than Kyren himself. " This is the last bug I kill today." He sighed. Behind him, there were piles of dead Arachne and Sporkions laying with gaping holes in their bodies. " I would love to play with you all, but I have a prior engagement with Jaxon Steele at the meadows." Kyren told everyone with a grin. " Hold up, you are not going anywhere!" Zentra had leapt down the tree to approach him, but Kyren was long gone."Damn you!" Asawake growled.Asawake! Mordzar had forgotten about him. He turned and saw that a smiling Faighnra had trapped him chest deep in the ground." Any last words?" she cooed. His blood boiling at the sight of his friend being mocked, Mordzar grabbed his scythe and ran toward Faighnra. Before she could finish off Asawake, Mordzar threw his scythe like a boomerang and it struck a stunned Faighnra from behind. Gurgling blood, the earth mage fell onto her knees and face forward onto the ground. Her breathing became shallow when Mordzar went over and pulled out his bloody scythe. As he cleaned her blood off his scythe, he noticed her eyes go glassy. Faighnra was no more. Feeling ecstatic about his first kill, Mordzar then noticed Eiridan's sorrowful expression."I'm sorry dude, but I had no choice!" Mordzar patted him on the back."I guess you didn't, but let me heal that wound of yours. It looks infected."He had a point. Mordzar was starting to feel like he had one too many jugs of ale and could barely stand on his legs for long. What did Zentra say about the dagger again? Something about Sporkion venom. Seven Hells! It's a good thing he was letting Eiridan heal him otherwise he would have been dead. When Eiridan took his hand off Mordzar's shoulder, the wound was miraculously gone. It was as if the wound had never been there at all. Feeling as if he had woken from a long nap, Mordzar picked up his scythe and looked around."Thanks Eiri, I owe you for that." He praised his ally. "Now, let's get Asawake and get out of this area!" "Mordzar, he is not here!" Eris shouted. She was right! He scanned the area Asawake was trapped in, but where he was moments ago, there was just a gaping hole in the earth. "Looking for someone?" Zentra's cold voice cut through the air. Mordzar turned and saw Zentra holding a dagger to Asawake's throat. "Let's make a deal."Zentra continued. "In exchange for this worthless waste of flesh, you let me finish you, Mordzar!"D'arvit! Zentra had pulled a fast one on him. He was now in an ominous position. He could not let his friend die, yet he couldn't sacrifice himself. What to do now? Suddenly, he heard footsteps speeding to him and turned to face...Faighnra?!This can't be happening! He swore he saw he had killed her not too long ago! He sidestepped her and sliced at her with his scythe, only for it to go through her! Seven Hells! Is she a ghost or something? "Aren't you forgetting something, Mordzar?" He turned and saw the pale form of his former master perched on a nearby tree. " Mathas! What are you doing here?" Mordzar called out, while dodging a blow from Faighnra. " You are wondering why you are fighting a 'ghost' right?" Mathas asked. "Well, take a moment and look around." " I can't, if I let my guard down, she'll kill me!" Mordzar replied, still dodging blows. "She won't hurt you, just look." Mathas assured him. Mordzar obeyed and saw his fellow magi minus Asawake fighting or dodging an invisible assailant. Then he looked at Zentra and saw her sneering, but behind her he saw some runes written in blood on a tree. Wait, isn't Zentra an Illusionist? " Everyone stop!" Mordzar warned. " Zentra is messing with your minds!" Everyone stopped, confused. Mordzar saw Faighnra strike him with a knife, but he knew it was an illusion as he felt nothing when he was stabbed. Now how would they liberate Asawake without getting themselves killed? He then remembered something about Zentra. " Zentra, look at the size of that Arachne!" Mordzar pointed behind her. " What?! Where?!" Zentra let go of Asawake and looked around, hyperventilating. As soon as Asawake escaped, they used the chance to flee while Zentra was preoccupied."Where do we head to next?" Asawake came up and asked Mordzar. " Let us tr-" Mordzar began, but some paper flew into his face. Srartled, he pulled it out and read it. He noticed that it was addressed to him. It turned out to be a codex explaining the creatures in the arena. He read through vampires, goblins,elves, werewolves- Wait! Werewolves!? He remembered Shurkan tell him about Warwik the Bloodhunter, a former acquaintance of his. Maybe Warwick can help him. "Guys, we need to find the tundra."Mordzar informed everyone. " Why there? It is infested with werewolves!" Jaeyria informed him. " Which is why I need to head there." Mordzar explained. "I don't know wh"-Jaeyria protested. "Let's trust him on this. He knows what he is doing." Eiridan assured her. " According to this map, the tundra is just across that field." Eris pointed while looking at a map. "Where did you get that map?" Mordzar asked. " It just flew into my hand from above." Eris shrugged. "Do you suppose Mathas's spirit is handing us information essential to surviving this?" Mordzar inquired. "I mean it is strange that stuff like these appear out of nowhere." " That could be a possibility." Eiridan chimed in. They made their way across the open field, littered with the bodies of their fellow magi and stained with their blood. Mordzar began to fill nauseous. It was surreal how these people who grew up with each other were forced to cut each other down. Anyhow, it was night fall when they arrived to their destination and Mordzar noticed a full moon fastened to the sparkling blue sky. The perfect setting for a werewolf's world. " Damn you!" a voice had shouted.Mordzar turned and saw 2 magi locked in combat with one on the floor, impaled by a large metal screw. Running to get a closer look, he knew that was a work of another metal mage." Mordzar, what are you doing?" Eiridan had ran after him. Mordzar had recognized Ogygia, his fellow metal mage, gloating over who he had barely registered as Evian, who looked mortally wounded." You are a fool, water mage." Ogygia snickered. "Water can never take out metal!"Mordzar saw her materialize a metal pike and was about to finish off her foe. Thinking quick, Mordzar immediately materialized a metal wall in front of her. Startled, Ogygia turned and her eyes narrowed when she saw Mordzar."Mordzar Malthus, where were you all this time?" she growled. "I don't know what you are talking about, but if you value your life, you would stay away from Evian." Mordzar responded in a tone as hard as metal. "Very well, I will kill you instead." Ogygia smiled. Mordzar quickly ducked as metal shards sped at him. "Quick! Go help Evian!" he ordered Eiridan as he engaged his female counterpart. Mordzar swung his scythe at Ogygia who responded in kind with her pike. As they struggled to strike each other, it became apparent that they were evenly matched. Both of them were huffing and puffing now. Mordzar sent metal spikes out of the ground, but she saw it coming and countered by creating a metal carpet on the ground. "Not bad Mordzar, however one thing you should know about me is that I have grown stronger over time." Ogygia smiled. Metal clasps then caught his arms and legs, making him immobile. D'arvit! How did he not see this coming? He struggled violently, but to no avail. Ogygia was grinning like a madwoman as she approached him, drawing her pike. "It all ends here, Mordzar." She crooned. " Sadly, it has to end like this. We could have made a great team." Mordzar sullenly watched her raise the pike, but then a loud howling noise caused her to drop her weapon. Looking behind her, Mordzar saw 3 of what he deduced to be werewolves surround them. One of them was all white with glowing red eyes, another was all black with eyes the color of coal, and the last was grey with brown eyes. One thing they all had in common was that they stood on their hind feet and were 7 feet tall. Mordzar watched Ogygia try to engage the snarling canines, but they were too much for her already. Mordzar felt his clasps snap and he saw another werewolf, this one taller than the others, with dark blue skin and glowing red eyes free him with his massive, Vraal-sized claws glowing in the moonlight. It immediately picked him up like a child and raised its claws."Wait, are you Warwik the Bloodhunter?"Mordzar asked.The wolf looked startled."You know my name, boy?" Warwik growled."Shurkan told me a lot about you.I am Mordzar, by the way." Mordzar informed the towering werewolf. "You know Shurkan?" he growled its amazement. As soon as Mordzar told him his backstory, Warwik let him go and went over to grab a fallen Ogygia." Prove to me your power." Warwik snarled. Mordzar thought a phrase and soon a guillotine encased a frightened and bloody Ogygia."Mordzar, please.."she begged, tears filling her eyes. " I'm sorry Ogygia." Mordzar sighed. He snapped his fingers and the guillotine cost Ogygia her head. "You have done well."Warwik praised him. "Now bring you and your allies to the pack's den for an urgent meeting." Mordzar nodded and turned to see Evian healed with Eiridan out of breath."Nice to see you again Mordzar." Evian grinned."I didn't forget about you ,you know." Mordzar returned the smile.

Male 8: Lightning Mage Kalix Leanour

In all of the time Kalix had spent as Vaxon's prisoner, this was the first time he'd been chained. The rest of the time he'd been locked in a cell made with the same kind of rock that bound him now, rock that prevented him from being able to use magic. He wished he was back in the cell, and that Vala was still on the run. At least then she'd be free, instead of trapped in her worst nightmare.Kalix watched as Vala struggled to remain calm in the small, dark room they and the other 32 Magi were chained up in. He tried to comfort her like he had in the cell, but his words had little effect, and he winced in sympathetic pain when Vala began to struggle in her chains, trying desperately to wriggle out of them. She only succeeded in making her wrists and ankles bleed; the sight made her squirm even more. A heavy sigh left him as he watched her, and he cursed Vaxon for doing this to her, to all of them. Kalix tried to calm Vala down again, but he knew it would useless. Eventually he stopped talking, his voice hoarse. Kalix studied the room they were in for the hundredth time, occasionally glancing over at his sister.It was dark, and filled with dust that made him cough every once in a while. Stone walls surrounded them, cramming too many people in one room so it was uncomfortably hot. They'd been locked up for hours, and it hadn't taken Kalix long to start hating the chains binding him to the wall. His wrists were rubbed raw where they touched the rough chains, and his arms felt like they were going to fall off if the chains ever released him. His legs danced the line between asleep and awake, and a foreign object was poking his leg.He shook his head, the agonizing feeling of worried anticipation boiling in his stomach, like a tea kettle about to boil over. If I stay like this for much longer, Vala's not going to be the only claustrophobic one, he thought to himself.He turned his head to check on her when a sudden stir of movement in the corner caught his eye. The shadows in the corners of the room drifted towards each other, forming a dark sphere of energy before reforming into a tall, dark haired man. Kalix stared at him with a mixture of shock and suspicion that was confirmed when he heard one of the other Magi whisper the man's name. Vaxon. The word made Kalix's eyes narrow with anger, and he wished that he could electrocute the man right there. Unfortunately, his chains restricted him, and he had no choice but to hang in silence and listen to the king's words."It's taken me ten years to track down all of you, but now that I have, let me remind you of one thing: I am in control. Outside of this castle is an arena, a cage that I am the supreme ruler of. I have created an arena, where you will all die... eventually. If you're lucky, you'll find supplies, and some of you have even been given hints to help you. But not before fighting each other." His lips curled upwards in an expression of cold satisfaction, and Kalix gaped at him. Fight the other Magi? Seeming to sense the reluctance in the room, Vaxon's smile twisted into a cruel sneer. "And remember Magi, choose not to fight, and I will hunt your families, friends, everyone who knew you and kill them." His voice was clear and final, leaving no room for doubt. The feeling of disgust and shock Vaxon's previous words had brought Kalix twisted at this new announcement, hardening into a resolve to do whatever he needed to protect his family. Even if that meant the deaths of his fellow Magi.The chains holding him captive released Kalix, and he fell to the floor in an undignified heap. Scrambling to his feet he looked for Vaxon, but he had disappeared. Beside him, Vala was already running towards the door and he followed her."Hurry," he urged her, and she flung the door open. The two of them ran through the door, leading to a large, open room richly decorated with another door right ahead of them. Vala took off towards it."Vala wait!" he called out to her, and she whirled around to face him."Why?" she demanded."We have no idea what's outside and-" "Vaxon wants us dead. I'm not going to just lie around in a castle and wait for him to find me here. If we go outside, then we might be able to live. I don't want to... I don't want to die Kalix." His sister's voice cracked on the word die, and Kalix felt a flurry of emotions go through him. Anger, guilt, annoyance, more guilt. He sighed heavily."Fine, we'll go outside. But-""Later Kalix, come on!" Vala tugged his hand along with her as she pulled him towards the door. No sooner had they passed the gates of the castle then they closed. Kalix turned in a quick circle, finally taking in the other Magi, who were scattering throughout the valley they were in. As he did so, the object in his pocket poked him again, and he pulled it out of his pants.It was a piece of paper. Loopy black script covered it, and as he read the words on it his eyebrows drew together. The paper was divided into two columns, one listing various magical creatures, the other holding instructions on how to communicate with them. At the very bottom of the page there was a royal seal, accompanied by the name Nassia, written in a pretty calligraphic style.This came from Nassia? The thought didn't make sense, but who else would it have been? For that matter, who would have wanted to use the spoiled brat's name instead of their own? Kalix glanced up at the sky, noticing it was oddly shimmery for the first time. He squinted, and he realized it was force-field of some sort, no doubt meant to keep them all in one place. Gods above, Vala is going to hate this.Vala. Kalix's head snapped up and he looked around frantically for his sister. When he spotted her, he could see that she was on the verge of panicking again, and he called out to his sister in an attempt to distract her.Vala looked relieved at the distraction, and she jogged towards him. "What is it?" she asked, gesturing to the paper in his hands. Her voice was taut, and Kalix threw her a worried look. He refrained from mentioning it though, instead choosing to say, "It looks like a list of creatures and how to communicate with them."He watched as Vala's features shifted, turning into curiosity. Her eyes studied the paper in his hands more intently as she asked, "What creatures?""A lot." Kalix listed off a few and stared at the paper thoughtfully. There were griffins. He'd met some before, but he hadn't been able to speak to any of them. He could now though; maybe he could convince one of the griffins to help him and Vala.Beside him, Vala's mind was elsewhere as she suggested going to see the phoenixes. Kalix hesitated, torn between his sister's wishes and his own. When he stayed silent Vala asked, "Where else would we go?""The griffins. I met some when we were traveling and-""Great, then I can go to the phoenixes and you can go to the griffins," Vala stated, cutting him off again. Before he could protest she said "Meet back here," and ran off. Shock rooted him to the ground, and he watched with in a surprised daze as Vala's figure disappeared. By the time he started to move again, Kalix knew it would be near impossible to catch up with her.Frustration and worry churned in his stomach. Why couldn't Vala just listen to him for once? She was going to get herself killed. Kalix's blood went cold at the thought, and he shoved it firmly in the back of his mind. No. She was going to be fine. He would make sure of it. Stuffing the paper back into his pocket, Kalix ran off in the direction Vala had, his eyes searching for a hint of dark hair or red and orange flames. As he ran, the sounds of the world narrowed to the fast thump-thump-thump of his heart and the heavy thuds of his feet against the ground. Around him, he caught sight of other Magi, some running like him, others still on the ground. Flames erupted in his periphery, and Kalix turned abruptly, running towards the source. Shouts and the smell of burnt grass permeated the air, prompting Kalix to move even faster. When he finally reached the source of the fire, disappointment mixed with relief filled him as he realized it was Kalen, and not Vala controlling this fire. Before he could leave, a terrified shout caught his attention, and Kalix turned to see a small girl standing beside Kalen. Her brown curls and sweet, innocent face identified her as Lydora, the healing wizard. She was hiding behind Kalen, fear etched into her features as the male fire mage fought with a silver haired boy that he vaguely recognized as Sigel. Even from where he was standing, Kalix could tell that Kalen was growing weary, his control over the fire slipping as he fought Sigel's magic and sword. For a moment, Kalix looked away, taking a few steps backwards to go find his sister. Vala is who I need to protect, he thought to himself. Then Lydora screamed, and Kalix closed his eyes briefly. He had to help them. Cursing himself, Kalix turned back and headed to where the trio was. As he got closer the reason for Sigel and Kalen's fight became clear. A single bag of supplies lay on the ground between them, firmly trapped behind a wall of thick grass that Kalen kept trying to burn away. Kalix joined the fight by summoning a large bolt of lightning that struck Sigel on the arm. An immediate decrease in energy followed, and Kalix made a mental note to avoid using any more magic if possible. The smell of singed clothing filled the air, and the other two boys froze in surprise for a few seconds. Taking advantage of their surprise, Kalix visualized another bolt of lightning striking Sigel's sword. It connected with a satisfyingly loud crackle, and Kalix smiled with grim satisfaction as Sigel twitched uncontrollably, his sword conducting the electricity from Kalix's lightning. Darting forward, Kalix snatched Lydora and pulled her away from the chaos, blocking out the sounds of insults being hurled behind him. "Go," he ordered, and she looked at him with wide eyes before running off. He watched to make sure she was gone, stiffening reflexively when he felt a sudden burst of heat behind him. Turning, he watched as Kalen manipulated the flames in his hands to create a sheet of flame that wrapped around Sigel in a burning embrace. Screams of agony emitted from behind the wall of flame, and Kalix could feel bile rise up in his throat at the sight. This was wrong. This should not be happening. Again, Kalix cursed Vaxon for turning them all against each other. He didn't say anything to Kalen though, simply darted forward silently and grabbed the bag Sigel and Kalen had originally been fighting over before slipping away quickly. He ran as fast as he could, the bag slapping against his leg until he finally stopped and looked inside. The first thing he saw was a short sword, and he pulled it out with wide eyes. He lifted it slowly, staring at with critical eyes before attaching the now much lighter bag to his waist and starting to run again, searching once more for his sister. "Come on Vala, where are you?" he muttered, running steadily ahead. His breaths came in heavy pants, and he slowed, searching the surrounding area desperately for Vala. Instead, he spotted a large golden brown griffin, lounging lazily in the sun. Kalix hesitated, and then he stepped towards the griffin slowly. "Excuse me?" His voice was shaky, and he jumped when the griffin slowly stood up. "What do you want?" The griffin's voice was deep and rough, but filled with an undeniable power. Sunlight glinted off of his talons, specks of gold on obsidian black. Thick, brown fur covered its body, a beautiful coat that practically shone in the sun. He stepped closer, eyes wide with awe as he took in the lion's body that smoothly morphed into an eagle's head. Dark eyes glinted, filled with inquisitiveness. "I want to find my sister." The words came out in a rush. Kalix grinned, a disbelieving excitement trickling through his veins. He was talking to a griffin, a real griffin. "Then why don't you find her?" The griffin's voice was solemn, without emotion. "I don't know where she is." Kalix licked his lips. "Can you help me?" He waited with bated breath for the griffin's answer. Minutes passed as he waited for the answer, and Kalix had begun to lose hope that he would answer when the griffin moved. Quicker than Kalix could see, a talon darted out towards his shoulder. He jumped sideways, barely avoiding it. He fumbled for his sword, but his hands were slippery with sweat and it took him too long to detach it from his waist. In the few seconds it took, the griffin had swiped at him again, this time grazing his arm. Blood dripped from the wound. He shifted his hold on the sword, trying to get a better grip. Kalix raised it, the blade heavy in his hand and swung at the griffin. It was inches from the griffin's shoulder when a talon intercepted it swiftly. The griffin tugged it out of his grip, letting it fall to the ground. Kalix backed up, fear licking through his body like flames in kerosene soaked grass. The griffin chuckled, the sound low and throaty. Then it stalked forward. "Not bad, lightning mage." Kalix blinked in surprise. "What are you doing?" The griffin's beak opened slightly in something that might have been smile on a human's face. "I will help you find your sister lightning mage." The griffin then kneeled down, and Kalix hesitated. "Am I...""Yes." Kalix tentatively stepped towards the griffin, placing a careful hand on its back. When the griffin made no move to throw him off he slowly clambered onto the griffin. Once he was on, a slow smile crossed his face. Then, without warning, the griffin took off. Kalix grabbed a hold of its fur, sudden fearful that he'd fall off. Soon enough he'd regained some semblance of balance. "Do you see your sister, lightning mage?" Kalix shook his head, before remembering the griffin couldn't see that. "No." He paused, and then asked, "Why are you helping me? And how did you know I was a lightning mage?"Another chuckle went through the griffin, the vibrations resonating throughout Kalix's body. "I can smell the lightning on you lightning mage. I used to sense it before, when I was free of this prison." He waited for the griffin to continue, but he seemed disinclined to continue speaking, so Kalix let it drop. Instead, he began searching the ground for his sister's dark hair or flashes of fire. At last, he spotted a tiny red dot among the green of the grass. "Down there!" he shouted, and the griffin glided down gracefully. He clambered off, and before Kalix could say anything he took off. Turning back to where his sister was, Kalix let out a sigh of relief that disappeared as soon as he saw the blade coming down towards his sister. A shout stuck in his throat, fear blocking it from coming out, and he doubled his speed. The sword at his hip clanged against his leg uncomfortably, and he prayed to the gods above he would get to his sister in time. Some of the worry filling him dissipated as he saw Vala avoid the blade, a fire ball held in her hand. Then she caught sight of him, her features brightening as she caught sight of him. A familiar, bright laugh escaped her as she threw the flames at her opponent, but it missed. Kalix was now close enough to see who her opponent was. Kyren, the king's son, here in the arena. Why? he wondered, but the curiosity left him as he realized Kyren was raising his sword again. "Vala, close your eyes!" he shouted, and his sister nodded. Calling the image of a lightning bolt to his mind again, sparks formed in his hands, creating a lightning bolt that he aimed right in front of Kyren. It landed mere inches away from the blonde, temporarily stunning him, and Kalix took the opportunity to run over to his sister. "Just like with Mathas, right?" Vala asked him, a delighted grin spreading across her face. Kalix shook his head at her, but Vala only shrugged, summoning another fire ball. Kalix looked away from her to where Kyren stood, now recovered from the lightning. Tendrils of darkness shot towards both of them, and Kalix dodged them quickly. He turned to check on Vala, who wasn't as lucky to have avoided the attack. She tried to burn them, but there were too many, and they made a slow, steady progress up her legs. Vala looked up at him, her eyes filled with panic. I have to help her. Kalix charged straight for Kyren and swinging the blade towards the dark mage. Kyren blocked the blow easily, responding with one of his own that Kalix deflected less easily. Twisting, Kalix swung repeatedly at Kyren, trying to distract him enough to free his sister. Each blow was weaker than he would have liked, his energy depleted from his previous displays of magic. He had to end this soon, before he or Vala got seriously hurt. He looked over at his sister, who had broken free of the inky chains, and he locked eyes with her. Backing away from Kyren, he made a quick zigzag motion with his free hand, and he watched as her eyes lit up with understanding. He stood still, waiting for Kyren to strike. Just before the other boy's blade hit him, he dodged it and summoned a large bolt of lightning less than a foot away from Kyren. Kalix immediately ran towards Vala, almost doubling over as he tried to catch his breath. "Now," he muttered, and Vala nodded.He watched as Vala closed her eyes, making the small fire his lightning had caused into a large blaze that formed a wall surrounding Kyren. As soon as the fiery wall had been erected, Vala fell against him, her weight heavy on his shoulder. "I can't hold this long," she warned, and Kalix nodded. "Can you keep it going and run at the same time?" he asked quietly. Vala hesitated and then nodded. "Yeah."Okay, let's go!" he said, pushing Vala gently. His sister ran in the opposite direction, her movements slower than normal. Kalix was grateful for the slow pace; he was tired too. Vala turned, heading towards a small group of trees, and Kalix followed her into the hiding place. As soon as they had entered the small cluster of trees Vala exhaled deeply, dropping to the ground. Her eyes drooped with tiredness, but she managed a smile and a weak, "That was fun." Gods above, I'm going to die of worry, not the other Magi, Kalix thought. Aloud, he said "Only you would think almost dying is fun." Vala laughed tiredly, her head dropping to lay on her shoulder. "But we didn't die, did we?" Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing evened out before Kalix could answer, and he shook his head again. Waves of exhaustion rolled through him, and he dropped to the ground beside his sister. He looked at his sister through weary eyes, and wondered how long they would both survive in this new hell.

Male 9: Air Mage Morrow Endelen

The land was massive. Through his unenhanced vision alone, Morrow could see an outline of mountains and the color green, spreading and spreading until blurred. It felt as if he could reach his hand out, fingers outstretched, and caress the papyrus surface of an outstanding sketch. Observe as the strokes of an elegant brush underline the shapes and geometric curves of such landscapes, coloring then in with various shades. Blue went to the water, white to the tundra, a mix of orange and brown for the den to the north, and when he finished the circulation, a mass of grey stone towered over him. The shadow of the castle lurked over his head, yearning to go even further as the sun peaked over the roof, stopping the silhouette a few yards from where he was standing. A steel gate- vertical bars, like a jail cell- had closed mere moments earlier, and most were still recuperating from having had a sack over their heads for a time unknown.

He was tired. Not physically- his legs were prepared to run, arms prepared to fight. But mentally- the darkness had been with him for far too long, and the fleeting thoughts of crimson ponds had enough power to endanger him entirely. And the vastness of the world around him made him feel diminished past his already incapable self.

He yawned; his arm rising to cover the slow exhale, eyes squinting, heart alert to everyone else's action. What were they to do? There wasn't an instruction manual of and kind- no first page that says "Stab here! Run there!" So, most stayed still, an unwilling aura of loyalty laying on each of their shoulders, preventing them from killing. Nothing physical blocked the way, Only the emotions of a neighbor, family member, a friend.

Someone coughed. Someone yawned after Morrow. Eyes averted gazes and feet shuffled back and forth. The first cough turned into a hacking fit of dry laughter. The yawns trailed like bread crumbs, while the chorus of tapping feet foreshadowed that of falling, thudding, dead bodies. A forced cough preceded a voice...

"Well, shall we fight then?"

It was an Asherex. The smile on his face contrasted the jagged color of the scar, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who looked directly at him. Meet his gaze, and he made you feel lower. Everyone, ironically, did just that, turning their heads and bodies to face his voice. Exactly three screams arose as soon as they saw Kyren, and his hand around the throat of a girl already dead. The joy of his eyes was half the morbidity he tried to present; his irises flashed from man to man as the girl fell to the ground. Thud. Dead.

As if the one sound deceived memory and stole devotion, fights broke out as relationships tore looser than the limbs of those fleeing. Morrow, the air with his heels, ran towards the castle, flustered. He grabbed the bars, looking through the indents, mouthing and yelling. The sound was too quiet against the battle.

He turned around, back flat against the castle, eyes widening when he saw a man coming near him. Morrow's hands clenched into fists, readying his stance as to blow the man's fire as soon as it's released. Though the man was attacking with the obvious want to kill, his shoulders were slouched as if defeat became an oracle of the future. Morrow raised an eyebrow at him, quickly focusing as more steps were taken.

The man opened his mouth, sticking both of his hands out, a burst of red and orange escaping his palms and covering Morrow's view. The flame nearly caught the tip of Morrow's nose, but with a one-worded thought, his skin was saved.

Blow, Morrow stated within his mind. The fire before him parted, arguing with the wind, telling it to ask for help because they were apparently lost. Both the flame and gust sporadically floated in opposite directions. Morrow met the gaze of Kalen, seeing his pupils had dilated and a blueness had taken over the man's skin. The redness in the air disappeared as Kalen fell, the slithering of a vine retracting from his throat and crawling towards its commander. Like a snake, the vine disappeared with a hiss.

Morrow didn't care to follow it up to the eyes of its mage. Instead, he shifted his body to face the left, feeling a rush of warmth from the fire's aftermath. His hand trailed the castle as he ran, refusing to look back and see who had fallen.

He heard the slither again. The gliding sound of a thin, narrow strip of nature against the ground, littered with the footsteps he was leaving behind. He ran, simply, never turning around to risk being slaughtered by the plants. The sound crescendoed with every step, the vibrations of his stomps and the high-pitched hiss of the vine wearing him out as fatigue trapped exhales in the chambers of his heart. He could feel his lungs shrink, capsizing as his speed prevented substantial air from entering his throat. He felt trapped without air, speed decreasing.

Then, a realization hit him. One that caused a single thought of "Seriously, I should just die while I have dignity," to impose his mind as he thrust his elbows back and forth at his side.

Gust, he thought, positioning his hands behind him, palms facing the direction of the slithering vine. He wondered what senile bitch was after him, but he thought that to be mean- they had been neighbors at some point. Still, he felt attacked, hurt, a part of his nonexistent ego bruised to no return.

An invisible wind was caught in his feet, soles feigning flight as his speed increased dramatically. Exhaustion settled in at the same rate, whether from running or using his magic. Slowly, he even recognized the drop in temperature, the lasting heat of a fire mage deepening to a natural frost.

He slowed his pace, letting the wind dissipate, body turning to see the vine gone. He took in a breath, feeling dignified, yet ashamed of escaping death. He had only lived because of his sense to avoid the fight altogether. He wondered if meeting death caused more satisfaction.

The wind under his toes turned a pale blue, the ice of the current air converting Morrow's. A sudden appeal of frostbite threatened the surface of his feet, the skin already receding one shade. He stayed still for a few moments, breathing in and out, watching as the cold clouds that exited his mouth floated and disappeared. His heart rate remained where it was, but he managed to gather his exhales and pack them away to a safer place.

He put his hands on his hips, blowing one more breath before starting to walk again. His feet lifted with a weird sensation; Morrow had to look down to realize he had come across snow.

He figured the quiver in his hand was because of the cold.

The tundra brought distress. The emptiness of the land and the way his raspy breathing echoed through his head both placed duress on his soul, frustration lodging itself in the pit of his chest.

The mention made him notice his chest was shaking. His hand had stopped.

Slowly, his chest stilled, the quake continuing through his body and staying in his opposite arm. He could feel the blood splash against the walls of his body, organs avoiding the touch of whatever was inside him. The freezing temperature had placed a chill beneath his skin, confusing him as he heard the first origins of a creature- something alive, other than him.

His head perked up, a trickling sensation trailing his arms and legs. Hair stood on edge, mindless fear causing his feet to keep their steady pace. The frozen hills around him curved and fell, making a natural path for him to follow.

A bridge came into view, ice adorning the brown stepping boards. It swayed absently, as if it was dreaming of someone to cross, letting it serve its purpose. A couple snowflakes whirled here and there; it was an ethereal showcase. But what came next made Morrow desire a leap into the valley the bridge superimposed.

"Come here, little darling, I wait for you.

Step here, little friend, it's really nothing new.

Cross my bridge, but pay a price-

Get across, I'll slay you thrice...

Don't worry, foe!

Don't you fret!

I'm merely a troll,

I am no threat."

The sounds entered his ears as he halted, inches away from the bridge itself. The swaying was more noticeable than before, Morrow feeling rushed as he looked frantically for the source of the voice. He put both hands on the posts that dug into the ground, the edges of the ravine.

When he touched the bridge, a blue figure appeared at the other end.

The singer of the song.

"Come here...I am no threat."

He felt the pulse reestablish itself inside his body. The resonation wasn't cold, however, and he suddenly realized what was trapped inside of him. Air.

The troll at the other side of the bridge seemed smaller than Morrow, but he shrugged it off as the distance's fault. From across the ravine, Morrow still felt the piercing blow of the troll's eyes and voice.

It was a stand-off. Neither moved. Morrow simply listed to the song over and over, feet nearing the desire to just walk and see what comes of him. He expected the troll to move at any moment, so he readied his palms. A word stuck to his head, nonexistent, but equipped to fall forward and be created verbally.

"...I'll slay you thrice."

The frustration Morrow had felt grew, his eyes matching the intensity of the troll's, toes inching off the ground. He stopped his foot before it touched the board, but the troll wasn't as intelligent; he ran forward, arms outstretched, song transforming into a battle cry.

Breeze, he thought to himself, watching as his hands pushed him back, a wind erupting the boards and flipping them over, causing the sway of the bridge to cultivate. It seemed like forever before it reached where the troll had ran to, but in a flash, he was falling, the song echoing against the valley's walls. It ricocheted and then disappeared into nothingness.

Morrow felt the same; like nothing.

Male 10: Illusionist Sage Arvidell Milagras

No entry

Male 11: Gravity Mage Jaxon Steele

Ugh. I don't think I've ever felt a level of this pain before. If I have it's been quite a while. Maybe that's it. That's the weird thing about pain. You seem to forget about how bad it is once the moment's over.

Right now, in this moment, I wish it were over. I want to say I regret fighting Vaxon's. Actually...I don't. I don't want to say that. And I don't regret it.

I wasn't going to let them torture me or my cell mates in that prison. And that little girl was in my cell. I certainly wasn't going to let them lay a hand on her. She's too innocent for any of this. It tears at my insides to know that her, among the other young ones, have to be put through this.

I try yet again to pull myself free of the chains. No use. I grunt in frustration. I don't want this. I never asked for any of this. I didn't ask for magic!

My arms are getting tired of being held up in the air. I guess if I want to be optimistic, it could technically be worse. I could be forced to stand.

I glare at Kyren who is sitting conveniently beside me. If my hands weren't chained, I would love to hurt him somehow. This is his fault. His father did this to us all. I know he's a part of this mess somehow.

"Were things getting just a little lonely as a slave?" I ask Kyren with malice. I know my anger is very likely misplaced but at the moment I don't have anyone else to throw my rage at.

"Excuse me?" he asks like a pompous brat. Inwardly I roll my eyes. Royals.

"I know your dearest daddy didn't find us all on his own."

Kyren doesn't miss a beat, all while keeping his face and expressions impassive.

"And so what if I helped?" he asks a little too smugly. I'd love to remove that sarcastic mask from him. Then I'd see how truly weak he is. Magi don't turn on each other. Ever.

"You took us from family. Not only are we in danger," I sneer, "but so are they."

For the first time, his stony expression falters and I see actual feeling behind his eyes. "It doesn't matter," he says. "We're both here now.Both of us. We're equals."

I breathe out a laugh. Yeah. Equals. Equals he says.

"Hardly," I reply.

I close my eyes and focus on increasing the gravity around him. I could squash him like a bug, I know it. I just need to focus.

"Um," Kyren sounds slightly alarmed. "You are sort of glowing."

I curse under my breath. I forgot about that. I can't use a lot of my magical energy without my skin glowing. So much for a surprise attack on him.

Oh well. It's not really like me to try and harm someone, anyway. Maybe it'll save me from some physiological issues later in life.

A rat scurries across the floor and stops on my leg.

"How much longer are you going to keep us here?" I scream up to the ceiling. I know Vaxon has some sort of way of watching us. Maybe he's afraid to let us out because he knows we're much stronger than he'll ever be.

As if he wanted to directly answer me, our chains all open simultaneously as the castle gates begin to lift with a loud groan. "Very convenient," I mumble.

The bits and pieces of the crumbling walls that have fallen to the ground tremor and bounce as the iron gates lift, shaking the ground. I'm honestly surprised this ivy filled castle hasn't crumbled in on us yet.

"So it begins," Kyren mumbles, still next to me. I take that as my que to run out of this castle and out as much distance between all of the magi as I can. I have to fight for Darian. She's all I have.

Anger and pain radiate through, mixing into a dangerous concoction of emotions. They push me forward faster and faster until I'm out of the forsaken castle. The area around me brings me to a halt.

Is it possible that this is all an allusion? There's a river with crystal clear streams stretching out like fingers through the valley. While the area seems beautiful, I'm not stupid.

This is not a safe place. We're here to die. Besides, there is no way that the beauty of this place can mask the complexity of it all.

There's a loud thud and I quickly whirl around to find its source. Great. The gate to the castle is closed. There's no returning now. I'm stuck living with whatever nightmares are lurking in this godforsaken place.

Stop this stalling¸ I scold myself. I break out in another sprint and pick up some items scattered along the way. One thing I pick up is a little messenger bag that I sling over my shoulder and drop my items in to.

I keep running forward while I check behind me. There's a vast amount of magi running in my direction. I make eye contact with Jaei, the female gravity mage.

There's a split second where I consider teaming up with her. Our magic would be very strong combined. My thought ends before I can even finish it because she shoots me a wicked grin.

I push myself faster and I can feel my footing get weird. That little freak is switching up the gravity on me! I didn't even do anything to her.

Before I know it, I feel her push the gravity on my and I fall down a deceivingly rocky hill. It looked so green and lush. Of course it would be rocky...

I fall and tumble head over heels. I grunt and yell out. This certainly doesn't tickle.

I make myself ignore the pain. I ignore my situation. I clear my mind and imagine myself getting lighter. I imagine my blood being replaced with helium. With a deep breath, my body stops falling and I sail into the air.

Not wanting to waste any energy, I quickly return my feet to the hilly terrain. My relief from ending my fall is short because I see Jaei leaping towards me effortlessly. I groan.

How much energy does she have? I know I don't have enough. Between falling and saving myself, I'm worn. There's that and the fact that I'm still recovering from the beatings I received from Vaxon's army and guards.

Running is my last my defense. Unfortunately, Jaei is faster than me and I land hard on my chest with her on top of me.

"You're done pretty boy," she whispers in my ear with too much joy.

"No," I yell. I slow my heart beat and lift the gravity around her and push it back as far as I can. She goes flying backwards.

I take this opportunity to get away. I don't care how I live. I just know that I have to. I have to get back to Darian. She deserves better than what I've given her. I won't let us end on this note. I love her too much for that.

I hear screams and look behind me. I see the bodies of Kalen and Jaei laying with Aelia looking mortified above them. I don't care to know how she did it.

I take a hard right, running straight through a stream to get between to massive peaks. I curse at my now wet feet. They're going to be really sore if I don't get to stop and air them out before the day is over.

It isn't very long before the pretty green grass tapers off into gray monotonous rocks. I decide that I'll probably be okay to move on a little more slowly. I need to build my energy back up. I can't be running around this giant death trap without my magic.

My magic is my weapon. If I don't have that, I'm not leaving this valley with blood pumping. That's not an option.

The further along I get in this dull landscape the more I realize that it's sloping upward. It goes from a hardly noticeable slope to something I have to start climbing. So much for conserving my energy...

On my trek, I hear the sounds of chirping and clicking. It sounds like a bird, but not exactly. The sounds get more intense the further I walk.

What is that?

I rack my brain for anything at all that will give me answers. It's not a bird. I know that.

A conversation Nassia had with me sits in the forefront of my mind.

"The arena is full of creatures," she whispered to me through the iron bars.

I hadn't really listened to her. She was an annoying child who got everything she wanted at the wave of her hand. I detested the thing.

"I'm only telling the really hot ones, though." She winked at me.

I wondered what it would take to get her to leave. Maybe I only had to play along with her petty little games.

"Oh," I said with fake curiosity. "Well I'm very honored, Princess."

She giggled and toyed with the material of her extravagant clothes.

"So tell me, your highness...What kind of creatures are we talking about?" I figured if I was going to torture myself and talk to her, I might as well weasel some information out of her.

"I don't know if Daddy would want me telling." She turned her eyes away from me as if she were ashamed.

I knew she'd be weak if she looked in my eyes. That's how she is with guys. They are her weakness.

I reached my hand through the bars, much to her guards dismay. She told them to hold back. I touched her chin to draw her eyes up.

"A pretty little face like that...Your father could never be mad at you." I wouldn't be that lucky.

Again, she giggled her high pitched laugh. She's likely the most obnoxious person I've ever dealt with.

"Okay, but you can't tell anyone. Promise?"

I nodded my head. I was going to tell her whatever she wanted to hear. If I was going to be thrown into a death match, I wanted to squeeze all the information I could out of her.

"Well they aren't all bad. Some are just...temperamental."

That wasn't the information I was looking for. I didn't care about temperament. I wanted real information.

"Interesting. Is there anything else you can tell me, your highness?" A little piece of me died with every word the spilled out of my mouth. I really wanted to tell her how ridiculous she was. I wanted her to know that she had zero chance with any of the magi. Everything happening was just as much her fault as her father's.

"Well...I suppose I could inform you on communications with the creatures. For a small price."

She gave me a dirty little smirk that made my skin crawl. Our age difference is far too vast for any part her comment to be okay.

"Princess, forgive me." I bowed my head to show give her the respect I don't have. That respect she never deserves. "I don't think what you're thinking would be appropriate."

She sighed and even tried to beg a little. I held my ground and refused to grant her wishes. She finally gave in and told me about how to communicate with certain creatures. She never did disclose what creatures I would be facing.

The clicking gets louder and my steps get slower. I heavily contemplate turning around. Not that I plan on dying, but if I do I'd rather die by a person.

My heart begins to race harder and faster with each passing moment. I don't like facing the unknown. I've done it enough in my past. A break every now and then would be great.

Not only has the sound of the clicking increased, but I'm pretty sure that there are more of them with each passing moment. I dart to the left and hide underneath a pathetically scrappy bush. This will have to do.

I see claw like talons scrape across the gritty earth. They're still too large to be a normal bird. I want to peak through the branches to see this creature. I can't bring myself to do it. I'm scared. Why am I so scared?

C'mon, Jaxon, I scold myself. You're twenty. Act like it!

I take a shaky breath and follow the talons up to the body.

A griffin.

How do I communicate with these? In my inner panic all of Nassia's information rolls into one muddled mess.

Think, think, think!

I grunt in frustration. I just need to clear my head.

The griffin turns and looks to me. A gasp catches in my throat. Griffins are supposed to have eagle heads. They are part bird part lion.

This one is part lion and part...gargoyle, I think. How is that even a possibility?

Knowing that's it part gargoyle, I instantly calm. We raised gargoyle when I was little. They're usually pretty kind creatures. Gargoyles are good protectors, too.

I scurry backwards on my stomach and stand from the bush. Surrounding the griffin gargoyle—gargriff?—are regular griffins. Well, there goes my heart rate again.

They all start to squawk and growl at me. My feet carry be backwards and I pinch my eyes shut trying to think of how to communicate.

It finally comes to me. Nassia told me that to communicate with griffins, I had to concentrate all my energy as if I were using my magic. She said we would have to communicate telepathically.

As the creatures start to encircle me, I shut out the world around me.

"Clear your mind," she said. "Focus on the attitude you want them to pick up on."

I want to be calm. I want them to not attack. How do I communicate that? With a deep breath, I hope.

When I open my eyes, I see them all charging at me. A scream rips out of my throat without permission. So much for acting like a twenty year old. I'm acting like a little girl.

Relax.

I push myself off the ground and bound over their bodies. The second my feet hit the ground I take off in a sprint.

The jagged mountains seem to be closing in, giving me an increasingly smaller running space. Behind me, I hear the claws of their talons scraping the stone and dirt. Some of them fly above, too.

The ground beneath my feet is about to end in just a few short feet. I'm on a freaking cliff! I am dead. This is it.

My feet skid to a stop and I face the monsters before me. I focus on sending them a message.

"I mean you no harm. I'm only trying to escape the others that are after me."

I meet the eyes of the one that seems to be leading the pack. It's the largest one. The claws protruding from its talons are easily twice the size of my fingers and he stands about three people taller than me.

He bows his head and steps forward. I take a tiny step back, minding how close my feet are to the edge of the cliff.

"Young one."

A deep voice rumbles through my head and I startle back. I take a wrong step and lose my balance. My body tips and starts to fall backwards.

"No!" The bird's voice rings as he lunges forward and tries to latch onto my shirt with a claw. It's too late. I'm already in a free fall.

I try to use my magic, but I can't. I've used up all my energy trying to escape and communicate. I scream even though I know it's pointless. I feel helpless. There's nothing I can do to save myself.

The time seems to slow down and I fall in slow motion. It's worse than falling quickly. Now I have more time to have images of my past to haunt me in my last moments.

When I hit the ground I hear something crack and my arm is immediately in an immense amount of pain. It's gut wrenching. For a moment there is so much pain that I can't do anything at all. There is so much pain that it hardly exits.

I'm in so much agony that I don't think it could get worse. Tears stream from eyes the longer I lay here.

I was wrong. It can get worse and it certainly does. The pain sets in fully and I scream as loudly as my body will allow me.

I lay on the small shelf screaming and crying. I feel like such a baby. If Dar could see me right now she would probably second guess ever dating someone so weak. I'm embarrassed of myself. But the pain...it's so unbearable.

I don't know how I survived that fall. I feel like I should've died from the impact. Considering my pain, I almost wish I had died. I certainly won't be any good during this thing with a busted arm.

but with the amount of torture I'm in now, I wish I hadn't.

It's so excruciating that I'm starting to sweat. Every passing second is like an agonizing hour to me. Specks begin to cloud my vision. I welcome them. If this is the end, I welcome it.

I begin to feel numb and forget all the pain I was in only moments ago. That's the weird thing about pain. You seem to forget about how bad it is once the moment's over.

My moment's over.

Male 12: Water Mage Evian Damini

The old, abandoned castle reeked of dust and death. Evian sat with his back against the cold, stone wall that they were all chained to, replaying in his mind the events of the night before. His limbs still ached from the powerful attack he had attempted. In fact, he was surprised that he hadn't killed himself. Now, however, he almost wished that he had. He was most likely going to die soon anyway.

Whenever Evian was in a hard situation, he always tried to look first for anything that could be a source of hope. This time, however, he found nothing. There was no hope, no glimmering promise of escape. They were stuck here to die.

Some of the other magi talked quietly amongst themselves, but Evian kept silent, wallowing in his thoughts. He didn't think he could speak even if he wanted to. If he tried, he worried all his anger for Vaxon would explode out of him. Instead, he brooded, trying not to think about his fury. However, it kept rising up, like bile that he couldn't choke down. Nearly his whole life, he had been running away from Vaxon. Now, he had finally been caught.

Was he afraid of Vaxon? Yes. He knew that hiding his fear wouldn't do anything to aid him. It was what Vaxon expected. But his fear of Vaxon wasn't because he knew that Vaxon could kill him. He had learned that death was not something worth fearing. The reason that he was afraid of Vaxon was because he knew that he wouldn't stop the bloodbath, even after the magi had been killed. His lust for murder was too great. He would destroy innocents, tearing them apart until everyone who dared oppose him was completely rid of.

Deep inside him, Evian knew that Vaxon's evil reign would end eventually, but what would come of it? Who would follow him to the throne? Surely not Kyren. Nassia, maybe?

He dismissed the thought. Vaxon spoiled Nassia, but not enough that she would become queen. There was too much ignorance in her.

But then Vaxon has no heir, Evian thought. If he were to die, his line would end.

The thought gave him only the slightest bit of hope, not enough to lift his soul.

A whisper to his left interrupted him from his thoughts. "Evian..."

He turned his head to see Leo, chained to the wall as he was. He felt a twinge of sorrow in his chest. Leo was just a boy, and yet he was being forced to go through the same trials as they were, with the same levels of pain and suffering as if he were a man. "Leo," he whispered back, "I swear, no matter what they do to us, I will protect you with my life. You shouldn't have to go through this."

"None of us should," Leo replied quietly and thoughtfully. "Why would you choose to protect me over them?"

Evian struggled to find the right words. He didn't want to upset Leo by making him seem inferior to the other magi, that he might need more protection than any of the others. He finally settled on saying, "Because you're my friend."

Leo nodded. "All right."

Without warning, a door off to the side of the room opened, and a group of guards marched in, looking like they meant business. This is it, Evian thought. They're going to kill us right now.

However, he then noticed that none of the guards held weapons. Then what's going on?

They began to go down the row of magi, undoing their chains one by one. Confusion washed over Evian. Were they really being set free?

When one of the guards bent over to free him from his chains, he pushed a small piece of paper into his hands. "What's happening?" Evian whispered. "What's this?"

"You'll see soon enough," the guard whispered back. He paused for a moment, then whispered, "I'm very sorry about all this. Personally, I think King Vaxon's out of his mind. Your kind don't seem to be all that bad. He's just paranoid, he is." He looked to the sides for a second, then whispered again, "Don't tell anyone I said that."

Evian smiled. "You have my word."

Deep inside, he knew that Vaxon would find out about this man's treason and have him executed. He somehow knew things like that. Still, Evian admired the man's bravery to speak his thoughts out loud, and he envied that quality.

Evian stood up, stretching cramped legs. The other magi were doing the same. One of the other guards, not the one that had spoken to Evian, stood up in front of the group and began to speak.

"Magi, the time has come for you to pay for your crimes against Vaxon. One by one, all of you will fall. This is your first task: find the supplies scattered all around this arena. To do so, you must be willing to fight, and kill, your fellow magi. It is the only way you can survive."

Evian looked around at all the magi around him in dismay. Some of them were his friends. They been together for ten years, since they were merely boys trying to get along in a world full of men. Now, he would have to fight them? It would be too much for him to bear.

"This is all the information you will receive." The guard nodded to the one who had spoken to him, and he began to turn a crank mounted on the wall. The large doors at the front of the room opened slowly, creaking as if they hadn't been used in a very long time. Gradually, yet surely, they parted to reveal the bright sunlight streaming in, lighting up the gray hall of the castle. Evian blinked a few times to get used to the light.

Suddenly, the guard shouted, "Begin!" and suddenly everyone was rushing out the doors. Evian followed them out into bright daylight. A cool breeze was blowing, and the day was actually fairly nice. He wouldn't mind dying in this weather.

The first thing he did was slip behind one of the castle's turrets and pull out the piece of paper that he had been given by the guard. It appeared to be a map of the arena. There were words scrawled at the bottom in messy handwriting, and he squinted to read them.

The message read: There is a pack of supplies in every different section of the map. They are all guarded by different creatures. You must hurry to get to them, as there is a limited amount. There are only three others who have a map; the rest are running around blindly. This gives you an edge, but you still must make haste. Good luck.

There was no signature, so Evian had no idea who the map was from. He didn't stop to think about it, though, but heeded the written instruction to hurry. Quickly consulting the map, he noticed that one of the sections was simply a giant lake, and he decided to head in that direction. Being a water mage, he would have an advantage in that area.

Breaking into a sprint, he sped off towards the lake. He didn't know how far it was, as the map had no scale marked on it, but he knew he needed to get there fast. As he ran, he drew his sword, in case he encountered anyone he would need to fight. At times he passed others and he was forced to briefly stop to fight them. He tried to bring himself to fight his hardest, but something inside made him hesitate. It was physically impossible for him to strike them down, simply because they were his friends, so instead, he merely wounded them, enough to force them to stop following him, but not enough to kill. The only time he could bring himself to fight harder was when he briefly sparred with Kyren, Vaxon's son. It was easy for him to take out his anger on Kyren. It was because of his family they were here. That battle was harder, as Kyren was well trained in magic, but Evian was able to get through it mostly unscathed. Unfortunately for him, so did Kyren.

Finally, he reached the lake. It was a pure, crystalline blue, surrounded by trees with vines hanging from their branches. Misty rainbows hung in the air as sunlight reflected off the water. The whole place looked so magical that Evian had to stop and catch his breath.

After a moment of resting, he began to search the area around the lake for the supplies. There was no one else around. Nothing moved. It was as if even the trees were holding their breath as Evian looked restlessly for the items he needed to find. He hunted vigorously, not leaving any stone unturned or leaf pile unsearched. Still, after looking at the entire area around the lake, he found nothing.

So he turned to the lake. He began to search the mossy stones that rimmed the waters, moving reeds and upsetting fish. Nothing. He peered into the shallow waters, hoping to catch a glimpse of something. Nothing. He walked around to different areas. Nothing. Whatever he was searching for wasn't on the outside of the lake, so he would have to search further in.

Solidify, he commanded, and then stepped out onto the surface of the lake. He could feel his energy draining from him, so he knew he would have to hurry. Sweeping the lake's floor with his eyes, he searched for something that could be the supply kit. He saw many creatures--fish, mermaids, naiads, and even a dhale or two--but no kit. His energy was draining fast, but he knew he had to push on...

Wait. He looked directly below him. What had he just seen? A flash of silver?

He got down on his hands and knees to look more closely, and there it was: a leather bag filled with supplies, protected from the water by a bubble of air. However, it was thirty feet below him, and there was no way to get to it besides by swimming.

I'm going to have to risk it, he thought. He didn't know how, seeing as his energy was already falling rapidly, but he knew he would have to try. Taking in a huge breath, he prepared to lower his magic and swim to the supply kit.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the leaves of one of the trees, trees that were now quite far away. Instinctively, Evian's hand went to his sword, when out popped the girl from yesterday morning. He gasped quickly, and the surprise was evident on her face also. Even though they were far away from each other, he could still see so much of his mother in her, and it saddened him.

At that very moment, his magic energy finally gave way, and he fell straight into the water. He quickly tried to swim upward, but two mermaids had come on either side of him and were pulling on his legs, trying to keep him down. He attempted to kick them off, but his strength was weakened from holding up the water and their grip was like iron. His lungs burned for air...

All of a sudden, a hand reached down from above the water. He reached for it, but it was just out of his grasp. His lungs were ready to burst. Quickly, he gave one final kick and the hands connected. He was pulled up out of the water onto a log floating in the middle of the water. Sitting on it was the girl, looking at him in a frightened sort of way. He expected her to speak, but she said nothing.

Quickly, he used what energy he had left to push the log towards the shore. He knew that he was moving away from the supply pack, but he told himself he'd come back to it. The girl's safety was more important.

Once they reached the shore, he sat down on the soft grass, and expected her to do the same. Instead, she kept walking around the lake, away from him. He scrambled to get up. "Wait!"

She whirled around and looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't answer, but instead turned around and kept walking towards the opposite tree line.

"Wait! Stop!" Evian was desperate. He needed to talk to her. "If you're looking for a supply kit, I can help you! I know where one is!"

She stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around, looking him in the eye as if to ask where.

"It's at the bottom of the lake."

She whirled around again and began walking. What's up with her? Can't she make up her mind? Evian wondered. "Look, I don't know how to get it yet, but I'll think of something! I just need your help!" His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I can't do it alone."

Slowly, but surely, she turned around again, walking back toward him reluctantly. Evian cheered internally. It was true, he wouldn't be able to get to the supplies alone. He had formulated part of a plan in his mind, and he could already tell that he would need someone else to help him accomplish it. It wouldn't work with just one.

"You see those vines over there?" He pointed towards the trees. "I need you to find a bunch of those and start tying them together. Make it as long as you can, at least twenty feet. . Got it?"

She nodded and walked towards the trees. He, meanwhile, walked over to where the log was still floating in the water. Quickly, he set it in the water and tested it one more time to see if it would still float. It did.

A tap on his shoulder startled him. He turned around to see the girl, holding a long stretch of vine. "That was fast," he said, impressed.

She looked at him smugly, still not saying a word. Can she talk at all? Evian wondered. He didn't ask, though, but instead went on to tell her the plan. "We're going to go out to the place where the pack is on this log. Once we're above it, I'm going to swim down with one end of the vine tied around my waist. It's quite far down, so if I pull on the rope three times, it means I'm about to black out from lack of air. If that happens, I need you to pull me up, regardless of if I have the pack or not, all right?"

She nodded.

"If I make it all the way down and get the pack, I'll pull on the vine twice, unless I barely have any air left, in which case I'll pull three times. If I'm in some sort of danger, such as with the mermaids, I'll pull four times. Do you understand?"

Nodding again, she grabbed one end of the vine and handed the other to him. He quickly tied it around his waist in the most secure knot possible, then got onto the log, motioning for her to follow. Once she was on, he used his magic to propel the log towards the spot where he thought the pack was. After relocating it, he hopped off the log and into the water. He breathed in as large of a breath as his lungs could hold, then slipped under the water and began to swim towards the pack.

Current, he thought, creating a swift current that would help push him towards the supply kit. His ears began to pop from the pressure, and his head began to spin from lack of air. Twenty more feet... fifteen... ten... five...

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his leg from behind. It was another mermaid, her silver hair billowing around her head like a cloud. She laughed an underwater laugh and gestured for her friends to join in the fun. Evian swam desperately for the pack. His hands were only a few inches away, but he couldn't grab it. He kicked desperately, trying to make progress, but he was held fast. He was tempted to pull the vine four times, but he was so close to the supplies that it would be a waste. Kicking as hard as he could, he finally managed to close his hand around the strap of the pack. His vision blurred from lack of air, and his lungs cried out.

Then he remembered the bubble of air around the pack. If he could just get his head inside it, he could take a breath then come up. However, the mermaids still held him fast. Thinking quickly, he sent a fast current of water behind him, pushing the mermaids away from him for just a second. He took advantage of that second and swam into the bubble. He took a few breaths, letting the air flow into his lungs. Almost no sooner had he entered the bubble, however, when the mermaids yanked him out again, pulling him away from the air. Quickly, Evian gave four strong yanks on the vine.

For one horrible moment, nothing happened, but then he could feel the rope being pulled towards the surface. He attempted to kick the mermaids off, but they held fast. The girl was slowly pulling them up, but at the rate he was going, he would run out of air before he broke the surface. His legs were useless for propelling him, but he still had his arms and what little magic energy he contained. Summoning a current behind him, he used his arms to push himself forward. His lungs burned, and his energy fled from him quickly. The surface was getting close... closer... closer...

He broke the surface with a gasping breath, clutching the supply pack. 

Male 13: Earth Mage Atreyu Coen Demarcus

No entry

Male 14: Warrior Sage Telex Silverblade

Telex woke when the horn sounded. His hands flew in front of him to break his fall.

He felt dizzy.

"Telex!" He was vaguely aware of someone bending over him.

"Are you okay?" Myla asked.

"Uh yeah." He slurred. "What happened?"

"You fought the guards when they came for us, so they sedated you." Myla answered.

"And now everyone's leaving without us, come on." This was Kandi.

Telex struggled to stand, Myla assisting him. He smiled at her. "I'm good."

They followed the crowd out of the building they were in and through some gates.

"We were in a castle?" Telex remarked as the gates closed behind them.

"You would've known if you weren't unconscious." Kandi rolled her eyes.

A scream erupted from behind them, black jets were shooting at the crowd. The Magi started fighting each other, shoving, pushing, and killing.

Myla screamed as she was separated from Telex and Kandi.

"We have to help her!" Telex shouted.

"We have to fight!" Kandi screamed back.

A strange plant exploded from the ground and formed into a sword, Kandi rushed forward and joined the battle.

Telex sighed. It was times like these that he hated being a sage. He could create runes in the air but he needed to draw one on the ground to get him started, and he had no chalk. Not even a bloody stick.

He crouched on the field and began to draw a rune with his finger. Fehu, Uruz, Thursaz.

No, they're in the wrong order. He wiped them away, and looked up to find a willowy woman with a shadow axe in her hand rushing at him.

Telex sprang back as her axe slammed into the ground. Yelping as her weapon shifted into a sword and grazed his cheek.

His eyes flamed and he smiled at her, dogging another blow. "Okay then, playtime."

She just swung a whip at his legs.

He jumped into the air and thought, fireball. Still in the air, he threw fire at her face, and he knew it hit home as she screamed. He landed in a roll and when he stopped, he grabbed a rock. The blonde woman was holding her face, and he felt a bit sorry as he ended her suffering.

He was lucky though, he probably wouldn't be able to survive the next attack. He turned to find Kandi finishing off a tall man.

"Kandi!" Telex bellowed, she didn't hear him. He threw a fireball in her direction and she spun around.

"I need a stick!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Kandi shook her head in confusion. A plant shot up in front of him with a wide opening, she put her ear to her end and Telex understood. He restated his request.

A stick about five feet long shot out of the ground and the tube-like plant curled back into the ground.

Telex wrote the correct letters into the ground. The circle turned blue and he brought it up to a level with his chest, making separate runes in the air. They spun over his body and his stick. The vital parts of his body turned to diamond, but not all, this allowed him to save energy. The stick had been turned into alloy, with sharp ends.

A man appeared on his right and Telex swung his spear into the man's stomach. Blood sprayed and a smile crept up Telex's face.

Most warrior sages fought like regular people with enhancements. Some channeled their anger into their magic to give them energy and power. For Telex, it was an art. The art of conflict.

Sound. The sweet music of weapons clashing, screams of agony filling the air.

Smell. The smell of splattering blood and death.

Savor. The taste of blood, sweat and dusty air.

Sensation. The feel of a weapon in his hand, pushing it into someone's heart.

And the sight. Fire and smoke billowed in the air. Lightning flashed, shooting down in huge bolts.

Balls and tendrils of light swirling in the air after green vines and trees.

Portals of black and rainbow, appearing and disappearing, boulders flew at people.

Blood swirled on the ground in lovely strokes.

This was beautiful.

A wolf sprang at him, and he swung at it, but it disappeared. An illusion.

Something hit his stone neck and Telex spun around. Smashing his spear into a woman's stomach, then he whirled it, shattering her skull.

He lost himself in the battle, wielding his spear and scattering blood. He eventually began to laugh, blood splattering his black suit. Fire, smoke, blood, screams, lightning, wind. His world began to spin.

Then someone seized him by his medallion and it flew away from his neck. He spun around and grabbed the man by his head, slamming him down to the ground and driving a spiked fist into the guy's face.

Telex scrambled for the medallion and found it, he held in in his hands, the sign of a warrior sage was engraved on it.

"You must never lose yourself in battle. Channel your power, and focus."

Mathas's words came back to Telex, and he realized that his energy was only half full.

Stuffing the pendant into his boot, Telex ran to find Kandi and Myla. They weren't hard to find, and asking them to run wasn't hard.

They fought their way towards open land. Almost there. Telex grinned and then stopped.

Sigel. Where was Sigel? Was he dead?

Telex spun around to meet a black fist as big as a boulder.

"Whoa!" He shouted, hurdling back and landing on his rear.

The black monstrosity flew over him and vaporized. Telex scrambled to his feet.

"You were pretty rude to my sister."

Telex froze, and he was looking into Vaxon's eyes. No, they were Kyran's.

"I don't blame you, but I did hear that you threatened to kill her." Kyran smirked. "That was bold."

"Well I hope this is too." Telex snarled, he tried to smash his stick into Kyran but the prince vanished, and a spiral of black knocked Telex down. He groaned, this was the first hard hit he had received.

Kyran loomed over him, then a strange look crossed his face. He turned to something else, leaving Telex. He forgot it and ran after his friends, they ran for at least two and a half miles before stopping.

"I... can't... go... on." Myla gasped.

They halted and sat for about half an hour in silence.

"We need to keep going." Telex rose.

"Since when are you in charge?" Kandi snapped.

"I guess that was a wise suggestion then." He mumbled.

Kandi glared at him.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?!"

"I'm still mad at you for getting us kidnapped, idiot."

Myla sighed. "Come on guys, we need to keep going."

They followed her, Kandi still giving Telex dirty looks.

They eventually came to a stream and Myla created balls of water for each of them. They resumed walking after their drink, crossing over the stream and into a forest.

Telex and Myla talked but Kandi ignored him completely. Telex quicken his pace so he was strolling next to her.

"Why do you blame me for getting us captured?"

"Are you kidding me?!" She snapped, and then froze, placing a hand in front of him.

There was a boy running through the woods. He was coming from the right, and running straight ahead. He wasn't a Magi.

"An Elf." Kandi murmured. "Stay here."

"Why?" Myla asked worriedly.

"I'm going to follow him and see where he goes. Go back to the stream and stay there so I can find you."

"But, but why can't we come?" Telex kvetched.

"You're not exactly a genius when it comes to stealth." Kandi fizzed. "One person can get in and out of there faster.Go."

Telex and Myla opposed it, but found themselves walking back anyway. The forest seemed regular, with pines and thorns. Though it was strange that they never came across any brownies or nymphs.

"I wish she hadn't been so determined to leave us." Myla pouted as they sat by the stream.

"I wish she wasn't so angry with me." Telex scowled.

"I wish that you two would shut up for once!"

"Kandi!" Myla cried as if seeing her friend for the first time in centuries.

Kandi smiled at her but then sat, serious. "There's an elven encampment. We could try and talk with them, but I can't say I'm an expert on communication skills. Especially with such, eh, obsessed-with-formality-types? And they may be aggressive towards us if they're from Vaxon."

Myla's brow furrowed. "So should we avoid them or try to parley with them?"

"Avoid. Unless you excel at swaying the wills of elves." Telex intervened.

"Why can't you talk to them? You look like an elf." Kandi pointed out.

Telex furrowed his eyebrows. Sigel was the one good at collaborating, Telex was more into disruption. Could he do this? Maybe if he thought like Sigel. Telex put his fingers to his forehead and bent in concentration.

"Are you okay?" Kandi asked.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to become Sigel for a moment."

"Please don't. One is too many already." Kandi groaned.

"You don't even know him." Telex said, still straining.

"Yes, actually I do. In case you forgot, I'm a plant mage, so I trained with him."

Telex stopped. "He's never talked about you before."

"I don't think he would talk about anyone who wasn't part of a big scheme he set in place, if he talks about anyone at all." Kandi sighed. "It doesn't matter, let's avoid the elves and go that way." She pointed towards her left and down.

"But I think I almost got it."

Kandi and Myla grabbed his arms and they continued travelling. The woods seemed peaceful as they travelled, and they didn't come across any other Magi.

Soon, the woods became darker, but not because of the time, it was more murky and humid. The vapor obscured everything and the ground melted into mud and swamp. They ultimately found themselves in a quagmire.

"Careful." Kandi warned. "There may be sinkholes."

"This was a bad idea." Myla gasped, placing a hand on the nearest tree.

They were knee-deep in sludge and water, and it was hard keeping up a good pace. Telex was almost fine, but Kandi was used to climbing around trees, not sloshing through mud, and Myla wasn't used to trudging along for long hours.

"Well we can't go back. Foreword seems like our best bet." Kandi replied, pausing.

"What's the white stuff?" Telex asked.

The two women glanced around. There were masses of white ropes of something swathing trees around them. Myla's hand was resting on some at this moment.

She pulled her hand back, struggling. "It's sticky!" She gasped as her hand came away, white threads sticking to her fingers.

Myla stood in front of the tree, trying to pull off the white mess, when something behind her moved.

Telex froze as eyes appeared, enormous eyes, and massive fangs. At first he couldn't process what he was witnessing.

Abruptly, a huge spurt of silver shot at them and collided onto a tree next to Kandi's face. She yelped as she dodged it, tumbling into Telex.

He heard Myla scream in rage. The furious woman bombarded water into the saucer eyes of the behemoth and it screeched.

An Arachne. Larger than any Telex had seen before.

The beast reared back and huge spear-like units shot out of its abdomen. Kandi avoided a bolt, while Myla strained to find a weakness.

Telex hated spiders. His mother had been afraid of them, and she always called him to kill them. He hated them because they upset her, and he still hated them.

The Arachne crashed back down and venom dripped from its fangs.

Telex drew a rune in the air and felt the branch he had snapped off in his hand form into a sword. He ran at the Arachne, swinging underneath its head as Myla made liquid spears. He tried to stab the monster underneath its head but the result was that he got shot at with the toxin spears.

"Whoa!" He ducked and fell underneath the water of the marsh. It was dark and cold, and a sudden force on his abdomen pushed him farther into the mud. The air rushed out of him, the pain burning his lungs was worse than the pain in his abdomen. If possible, the blackness became darker.

Telex gripped his sword and swung it through the water violently, hoping it would hit something, and it did.

The pressure lifted and he sloshed out of the water, choking for air. He was still beneath the Arachne, Kandi and Myla were screaming at him, but his head was full of fluid.

A current unexpectedly dragged him through the water and away from the dripping spider. Myla.

"Get up! Run!" The two women screamed at him as they helped him up.

"But we can beat it!" Telex yelled as the Arachne pursued them. The scream of another monster sounded. Okay, running sounded good.

The marsh became less marshy and it was easier to run, this still didn't give them the upper hand. They ran, legs burning as spears were shot from the grotesque.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Kandi yelled, freezing.

A gigantic boulder stood in their way. But as they watched, it turned to meet them, with huge claws and a tail as big as a small tree. A Sporkion.

Kandi swore and they began to run away from the Sporkion and the Arachne, the ground shook behind them.

"Guys! They're not chasing us!" Myla called after a moment.

They stopped and saw that the Arachne and the Sporkion were fighting each other. Making hideous sounds, the Sporkion drove its tail into the face of the Arachne, who in turn shot spears and snapped at the other monster.

"I bet on the Sporkion!" Telex gasped.

"I dunno, the Arachne has the venom!" Kandi hooted.

"Stop betting and run!" Myla screeched at them furiously.

They ran in circles and backtracked until they were back at the stream near the elves.

"I thought Vaxon was killing off the Arachne's or putting them on some island." Telex deliberated as they sat in a triangle.

"Well now we know that he was gathering them for his mini hell, and making them bigger." Kandi huffed.

"Why did they give us these empty bags?" Myla asked.

Kandi and Telex glanced at Myla peering into her bag. They all had one.

"I dunno." Kandi said after checking her bag.

Telex opened his bag. "I have something."

It was a leather-bound book with his name on it. Something was written on the first page.

Hey Telex!!! This is a book from me to help you with different creatures in the arena so you don't die easily. If you live, daddy says I might be able to keep you, so stay safe cutie!

Hearts and kisses,

Nassia

"Help me build a fire." Telex groaned.

"Why?" Myla asked.

"I'm going to burn this."

"What is it?" Kandi asked.

"A book from Nassia on the creatures here, but I'm not-"

"Are you freaking crazy?! That thing is priceless!!" Kandi screeched as Myla reached over and snatched it.

"But it's from-" Telex stopped when he saw how tired Kandi looked, and her eyes were a bit glassy. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's just cold. And my head is killing me." Kandi sighed.

"It's not cold." Telex replied.

"Your arm!" Myla exclaimed.

Kandi's arm sleeve had ripped and bloody pink puss was pooling out. Telex rushed to her side and placed his hand on her arm, biting his lip as pain shot up his arm. He groaned and the edges of his vision blackened.

"Telex! Telex stop!" Myla screamed.

He pulled his hand away.

"You're going to hurt yourself, don't try. We need to get her to the elves." Myla said.

"How? We-"

"We'll wing it, come on!" Myla lifted Kandi's feet, but Telex pick her up himself.

"You take the book and the bags, I'll carry her."

They walked as fast as they could, hoping Kandi would be alright. The first elves they saw appeared to be a sentry.

"What are you doing here?" They asked.

"Our friend is hurt." Myla pleaded. "We need help."

The guards were about to respond when an old woman nudged past them.

"What are you standing around for idiots?!" She croaked. "Take her to my tent! Along with those two!"

"But Lady Wood!"

"Do what I say sir! Or I shall beat you!" She poked her cane at the guards and they responded, taking Kandi and gesturing for the others to follow. They walked into the elf encampment with eyes glaring.

"We're uh, grateful for this." Telex said, trying at politeness.

Lady Wood just led them into a tent and gestured for them to sit. She bustled about as the guard placed Kandi on some furs.

"Here, give her his." Lady Wood handed Myla a flagon.

"And you clean her arm with this." She handed Telex a cloth and water.

Kandi slept peacefully with her arm bandaged about an hour later, and Telex's severely bruised chest was healing with an herb paste.

The elves had been very suspicious, but Lady Wood had been kind in her own brisk way. She had insisted that they sleep in the tent and discuss "matters" in the morning.

"Telex?" Myla asked as they curled under furs on mats.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Kandi will be okay?"

"Yeah, she'll be sparking in the morning." Telex smiled reassuringly.

Myla smiled. "I'm glad we met you." She closed her eyes and turned over.

Telex smiled, but inwardly he worried. Not about Kandi or even getting out of the elf encampment alive. No, he was worried about his brother.

Where are you Sigel? Are you okay?

Telex sighed and closed his eyes.

Sigel would be fine, he always was.

Male 15: Plant Mage Sigel Silverblade

Definition:

Traitor/Treason –

1. One who betrays one's country, a cause, or a trust; one who commits treason.

2. Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign.

Definition:

Nobleman/Nobility –

1. A class of persons distinguished by high birth or rank.

2. The state or quality of being exalted in character.

Growing up, Sigel had always taken for granted that he would fall under the second definition. He had been the son and heir to one of the King Leoron's advisors, he had wealth, power, and education all laid out before him, and on top of that, he was a mage. As a child, the thought that he may someday fall under the first definition, had never crossed his mind.

He had run from this for so long. Sometimes he was captured by soldiers who found him suspicious, but he had always gotten away, he broke the chains, but not now. Now the chains appeared to hinder the magic of the Magi. It was especially seen in those who struggled against the guardsmen.

That afternoon guards had put them on dragons and took them to a timeworn citadel, Sigel saw that the other Magi were chained with their hands above them in cages like he was. They were chained in a half-circle, a huge opening to the dome they stood in was located directly across from where he was imprisoned.

The dome was ancient and crumbling, vines had crept up the walls, but it was beautiful in its own way. Light flooded through the spaces where gigantic stain glass windows might once have been.

Though he couldn't see any of the Magi on his side of the room, he could see the ones somewhat across from him. He was able to identify a few, a boy named Leo, Eriswen Faervel, or Eris, as they used to call her, a guy called Damini.

Sigel had no idea how to feel about seeing people he had once known, or at least, known of. Was he supposed to be happy? Angry? Sad? Remorseful that he hadn't come close to any of them? Or grateful that he hadn't? He sighed, there were other Magi, but he didn't have time to identify them.

A horn sounded and the chains released, cages swinging open. The Magi filed out of the dome, moving out of the gates ahead of them, and turning to watch them close.

"Now what?" A girl asked.

Sigel turned to look ahead and his heart skipped. A tall man stood facing them, his sandy brown hair fell to his shoulders, his face was clear-cut and handsome, disfigured only by a scar crossing over his eye.

Kyran Asherex stood in the same suit everyone surrounding Sigel had been dressed in, but Kyran's had no lining, his suit was completely black.

Kyran lifted his hands, and tendrils of darkness shot at them. That's when the battle began.

Magi blocked the darkness, some charged at Kyran, others disoriented, frightened, or angry began to fight each other.

Sigel didn't want to kill anyone, he needed to find Telex and get them out of there. The Magi could be left to kill each other, but he wasn't going to kill unless they came after him.

Telex, where are you?

There was a flash of red hair, but it was only that kid, Leo. He appeared to be conjuring up something, but someone was coming up behind him, going for a death blow.

Block.

The person was flung back as a vine pulled their foot into the ground. Sigel left it like that as Leo ran, completely oblivious.

Sigel felt someone coming up behind him. He whipped around to see a girl with short black hair charging him, but then she was gone. He turned back to see that she had teleported herself behind him, and a fist was racing towards his face.

Sigel grabbed her hand and spun her down to the ground with her overbalance. He started striding away, but she appeared on his left, a sharp rock in her hand. He sighed and dogged the rock.

The woman's face froze, and she dropped to the ground like a ragdoll.

Sigel had used a plant poison, one that killed within seconds, and all he used was one brier. He shoved through the fighting, most Magi were occupied so no one attacked him. He inwardly sighed when he saw Leo lying on the ground, his brain spilling out of his head.

He moved on, looking for Telex. So many were fighting, and some lay dead. A man was bent over a woman, healing her, then someone with silver lining on their suit stood behind him, electricity livid in their hand. They grabbed the healer's head, killing both him and the woman.

Vines whipped up and grabbed the attacker around his head, dragging it underground. Lightning flashed as he struggled, his head stuck under the ground.

A smirk crossed Sigel's lips.

Then he felt cold.

He saw his father, the furious face he'd had as he turned on Sigel. The burn of electricity as shock filled his brain. How everything had been white, no whiter than white, and it sparked.

Mathas, his bloodied head on a spike at Komesen.

The way his scars would sometimes hurt even if nothing was touching them.

Pain, anger, sadness, avoidance.

Sigel's eyes grew wide. He wanted to make it stop, to destroy whatever was brandishing his past. For a rare moment, Sigel forgot about calculating his movements, his powers went wild. Whipping vines, poisons, plants enclosing anything they reached and dragging them down, jagged wood shooting out.

Sigel realized that he was cutting down black coils.

"You're fast, you almost nicked me." Kyran's voice materialized behind Sigel.

He twisted and glared at Kyran, but the man smirked. "You have to be pretty evil, or at least, have the potential of becoming sadistic, if my father is interested in you."

Sigel formed a plant dagger in his hand and charged Kyran, but he hit nothingness as Kyran suddenly emerged behind him again.

Terrific, Kyran could use his dark arts to teleport. Just peachy.

He whipped around once again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sigel returned coolly.

"Don't you?" Kyran scoffed. "Besides your famous talent to survive no matter what by overcoming all obstacles, what have you done so devious, that my parents would be interested? Can you really be just as bad as my father? Truly Sigel? Or as bad as yours?"

Sigel had been absorbed with Kyran's words, and tired. So weary. Pillars of fatigue collapsed on him, and he realized that darkness was surrounding him. He wanted to fight, but his body was so drained.

"Oh dear." Kyran drawled. "Have you already used up your energy? I thought you were smarter than that."

Sigel fought to stay awake, words forming in his mouth.

Energy come, energy stay

Take my weariness away

Give me strength to fight

Through the day, and through the night

His head cleared and his body grew stronger, but the darkness was still enveloping him.

Without warning, light rushed from behind him, and he saw Kyran, staggered back with a stupefied

look on his face before he smirked and disappeared.

The light ceased after the last wisps of black were gone.

Sigel turned to see a skinny girl, light closing into her hand. She barely glanced at him before running off.

He hardly saw her, he just spun and ran, memories racing, words echoing. Telex would be fine, he was always good on the battlefield.

Sigel watched three more Magi fall dead. Blood soaked the ground, but he kept running.

"You have to be pretty evil..."

The battle disappeared behind Sigel.

"Can you really be just as bad as my father? Truly Sigel? Or as bad as yours?"

Sigel ran, trying to push the thoughts away, but it didn't work. His father. Something he had regretted. Truly regretted.

He had never regretted murdering his father, but he'd later been ashamed of how he'd killed him. It was dishonorable... but then, who was to say what was honorable or dishonorable? Who was the judge?

I am. I am the only judge of my actions. And I killed him for myself.

That was the only death he'd ever taken for himself. The other times he'd killed people was only when they threatened his or Telex's lives. That still didn't justify that one death, the one that was his fault. Horribly, his first kill had been his father.

He'd avoided the reality of his past by running, but now there was no running and surviving, only surviving. Kyran had reminded him.

The past, Kyran's words, they filled Sigel's chest until it physically hurt. Was he truly evil? Was he sadistic with no reason? Kyran words burned into him.

They burned.

Sigel ran over to a tree ahead of him and leaned against it, gasping. He then realized the burning wasn't just from his emotional mayhem.

Kyran was fast. He reflected as his hand found a bloodied spot on his suit. It was healing, but he had to stop moving and allow his body to fully take care of it.

"Are you alright?"

Sigel spun around at the voice.

It was the woman who had stopped Kyran from suffocating Sigel, using light. A light mage. He had mistaken her for a girl at first because she was so small and skinny, but in reality, she was probably in her early twenties.

Sigel felt a smidgeon of heat in his cheeks. Yes, light magery was powerful, but his pride as a man had been wounded when he considered the fact that he had been saved by a small woman.

He realized he was staring. "Who are you?"

"Oh, yeah." She walked forward and extended her hand. "I'm Chiara Gonzolas."

He took her hand. "Sigel Silverblade. Thank you for watching my back."

She smiled. "I was looking for someone when I saw you were in trouble. I didn't find the person I was looking for so I followed after you to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine. Who were you looking for?"

"Nikolai Aerie." Sadness flashed in her brown eyes.

Sigel remembered Nikolai from the times he and Telex would visit Mathas. Niko and his brother Naven had come a few months before Mathas was taken. Sigel had only seen him a few times and found that Nikolai was a bit of an airhead, but he didn't say this to Chiara.

"It's dark down there." Chiara murmured.

Sigel turned to see that the tree supporting him was the first tree leading into a forest, an exceptionally dark forest.

"Sigel, are you alone?"

The question made his brow furrow. "No, my brother is here somewhere."

"Oh. Well, can we travel together? At least until I find Niko?"

"If you wish, but don't expect me to stick around if you hinder me."

"Yeah, of course." Chiara nodded.

The wound in his side was healed, so he nodded to her. "Well then we should go into these woods, it's dark so not many people will follow us, if any."

Chiara's eyes widened. "I... I could create a ball of light, but I don't know how long I could-"

"We don't need any light. I'm a plant mage, I can tell where we're going through the plants."

"Won't that use up energy?"

"No, it's more of a sixth sense that I have." Sigel replied.

Chiara didn't look too convinced.

"I could leave without you."

"No! I mean, we should check the small bag they gave us."

He'd forgotten about those.

Chiara slipped off her pack and began opening it, Sigel followed suit. There was a note in it, folded in half.

I might be persuaded to save your fool-hearty brother if you do what is necessary. If you truly wish for you both to survive, then prove your loyalty to me. It is the only way to save both of you. If not, you will both die. Show this to no one. It's your choice, but I know you have it in you.

It was signed by Vaxon.

"What is this?"

Sigel looked up to see Chiara holding up a round device. "It's an anti-magic grenade, careful with it."

"Oh, anyway, did you get something?"

"No." Sigel felt a vine pull his note deep into the ground. It was written in the forbidden tongue, but Telex could also speak it, and Sigel didn't want him to find it.

"Come on, let's go." He straightened and headed into the wood, Chiara behind him.

The farther they journeyed, the more the wood became a jungle, and he found that he had to help Chiara through the darkness. There was some light, but it was a dense green light, the jungle was so packed the sun couldn't be seen, but their eyes soon adjusted.

"What was that?" Chiara whispered after they had travelled far into the maze of plants.

Sigel had heard it too, or at least felt it. Someone was coming after them.

Chiara let out a cry and pulled back into Sigel, a pale hand could be seen in the dim light, clamped around her wrist.

Light flashed and the person who had grabbed her screamed, shrinking back. A pale woman covered her face with her hands.

"Who are you?" Chiara chocked in a voice filled with shock.

The woman whimpered before suddenly turning, screaming at them. Red eyes, black hair and long fangs flashed at them before she stumbled away.

"A vampire." Sigel mused.

Chiara winced and her light faded. "We're sorry about the sudden light, we didn't know who it was."

A voice hissed at them in a strange tone. "You isss tresssspassssing, you issss, you issss."

"Trespassing where?" Sigel asked.

"Why are you among this Coven?" This was another voice.

"Kill them." Called another.

The speakers started to close in on them.

"I got your back." Chiara whispered, and Sigel attacked.

The first vampire went for his head and froze mid-air like the Jindai wolf had. More came at him and he deflected nails and teeth, feeling bodies hit the ground and rise.

Their necks, he had to take off their heads.

A few vampires screeched as they clawed at their neckline, liana choking them. Heads rolled. A blast of light from behind and more screams came.

They hate the light. Perfect. Make a path of light.

Sigel whipped around and pulled Chiara to his side, feeling the leaves and branches above part. Soon, there was a circle of light pooling around Sigel and Chiara from above. Screams filled the air and the vampires abruptly pulled back.

"You know," Chiara panted. "I thought they sparkled."

The headless vampires lay on the ground, pale and lackluster.

"Well now you know it's just a myth." Sigel turned her around to face him. "I need you to cover your ears and close your eyes. Do not open them no matter what."

"Why?"

"I'll have to kill you if you don't."

Chiara's eyes amplified before snapping shut, her hands finding her ears.

Sigel focused. "Let us through, and we'll leave you alone."

A vampire gave a mad laugh. "We can't just give you the supplies so easily."

"We can't, we can't." Chanted some others.

Sigel's head started to spin as vampires screeched and gasped. The headless bodies rose, and stood in front of him.

"He is death. He brings death." One hissed hysterically. "Only death controls the dead."

"Let us through." Sigel commanded placidly.

"Give them the supplies. Make them go away." Cried another.

"We'll leave right now if you give us what we want and show us the way out." Sigel's eyesight began to

blur and clear with every heartbeat.

"Turn to your left and keep walking to the heart tree, you can deal with the fairies there." A voice instructed.

Two huge travelling bags landed on the edge of the circle of light. Sigel didn't take any chances, bushes rose and placed the two bags in front of him.

"Leave us alone while we're here, even if we have to spend the night somewhere in these woods. If you come after us, your dead will rise and kill you."

"Yes, yes, just leave." The instructing voice ordered.

Sigel let the bodies drop and found Chiara's shoulder. Her eyes opened and she reached for the bags, handing one to him.

"They're going to leave us alone. Don't look back, just walk." Sigel whispered.

She obeyed and they walked for a good many hours before the forest grew so dark that their eyes couldn't adjust any longer.

Chiara wanted to keep going, using her light, but Sigel refused. The vampires wouldn't come after them, and they needed rest if they were going to encounter any of the "fairies" the vampire had mentioned.

The supplies provided food, bed rolls, blankets, and weapons, even a flint and steel, but they didn't light a fire.

"I'll take the first watch." Sigel said as he selected the longsword that had been strapped to a bags.

"Okay." Chiara lay on her mat, pulling up a blanket. "Sigel?"

"Yes?"

He couldn't see her face, but her tone sounded nervous.

"Um, never mind. Goodnight."

Sigel let it go and found a boulder to perch on. He thought about the note.

I know you have it in you.

To kill. To survive. But what for? Kyran's confrontation had made him wonder. What did he have to live for?

If he had been a smart child, he would've killed himself, and even Telex when Vaxon demanded their presence.

But he hadn't, he had chosen life. For himself and for his brother.

Not this time though. He would do what Vaxon wanted, he would earn his trust, and he would kill him. Eventually, not right away. He would find someone who could rule justly over Castre first, then the Asherex family would be destroyed.

This time, Sigel would survive for Castre.

And Kyran would never make him lose himself again.

Male 16: Conjurer Wizard Leovarettan Maverson 

  My hands were held at a cruel angle above my head, my arms stretched and the muscles cried out in pain. The manacles dug into my wrists, and when I tried to rise onto my toes in an effort to alleviate the pain, I discovered that my ankles were also shackled so tightly that I couldn't even do that much. I struggled for a moment, before quickly stopping as the pain increased. I felt exposed with my arms shackled away from my body like at. Naked, almost, like a bird in a cage. I looked up, noticing that I was not by any means the only Magi they had captured. I performed a quick head count, and my breath caught when I came up with thirty-four.

I could see Evian to my right, and what I was pretty sure was one of the Asterios to my left. "Evian." I called, my mouth feeling like sandpaper.

"Leo,"He croaked back. "I swear, no matter what they do to us, I will protect you with my life. You shouldn't have to go through this."

I didn't respond immediately. Evian was definitely one of the Magi I'd most want to ally with. Steady is the word that comes mind to describe him. He never wavers, I'd trust him. But, it's him I'm concerned about.

I need protection. I've no doubt of that, but I'd probably get Evian killed, and I can't do that. I also don't want his pity. Finally, I answered him. "None of us should. Why would choose to protect me over them?"If his answer is 'because your the youngest', I decided, I'll tell him no. Age didn't make me more worthy of life. A pain stabbed at my heart as I realized that my naivety was why we were in this mess in first place. His answer soothed it.

"Because you're my friend."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "All right."

We lapsed into a silence, and I again counted the other Magi. They were all there. I could see Ashni, her thin frame looking worn out, she looked angry, but it's hard to tell with her.

Isanabella, too, was there, just on the edge of my vision. She's always made me nervous. Her attitude is so sharp and full of rough edges, that I find I have trouble talking to her, but she has a good heart.

I could also make out Kandi. She's just as direct Isanabella, but somehow softer in the delivery. Plus, she puts up with lot from me. The first time I showed up at her house, I stayed for half an hour and then left. Hardly spoke a word. To be fair, I was only six at that point in time, but still. It was probably one of the weirder things I'd done.

Lydora was the last person I could clearly make out, her brown curls limp and dirty. She should be the one the others protected, but I supposed she probably had plenty of allies. She and I may be the same age, but I could tell everyone liked her better. Not that I blamed them, she was cute and friendly, two things I'm not. Heck, I liked Lydora better than myself, and I'm maybe just a teeny bit jealous of her. She has a family, maybe they aren't biological, but they're all she knows. I could never have allowed myself to be adopted, not with the memories I still have of my real one. Unlike Lydora, who really doesn't remember her first family, I remember mine in perfect detail. Unceasingly perfect detail. But, her family was nice. I had spent some time with them over the years. Her alive, adopted brother reminded me of my dead, biological one. One time I got into a fight when I was in the area, and long story short, got hurt pretty bad. So, I randomly showed up at Lydora's house, seeking shelter. I can't imagine what her parents must have thought, a bleeding eleven year old appears with a broken arm and a black eye, drips blood all over their carpets, asks their Magi daughter to heal him, accepts a bowl of hot chili and then leaves, all in the span of about thirty minutes. Amazingly enough, they didn't bat an eye, but I was still too embarrassed to go back for almost a year and a half.

The incident at Lydora's wasn't the only time I ever broke my arm. It had happened once before, when I was very little, only about three and a half.

"Come on Leo!" A familiar voice called, I looked up catching Uthian's eye, the blue of them glinted back at me. "I'll take you into the market with me."

I squealed with glee, pushing myself to my feet to run(though toddle is perhaps more accurate) after him. He gripped my hand in his, and we began to leave, walking the path through Tuniv, snow landed lightly on our shoulders, and there was the sounds of Rivnas clinking in his pocket. He walked in silence, but I chattered the whole way there. Mostly nonsense, to be fair.

Then, they came out of nowhere. The boys, three of them, all slightly bigger than my brother. "Magi," One of them jeered. If I had been told of Vaxon's beginning to round the Magi up, I would have felt a fear jolt through me, I know Uthian did, for his hand stiffened in mine.

"Leave us alone." He warned the boys, his voice taking on a tone I hadn't heard him use before, but I realize now was fear. He released my hand and held his out in front of him, preparing to summon lightning. I couldn't conjure much of anything yet, but I too, held my hands out, mimicking his fighting stance. The boys laughed at me. Uthian said nothing, so I didn't either. The largest of the trio took a step forward, and there was a glint of metal as a knife slid into his hand.

"How about you come with us, and in return, we'll leave your brother alone."

Uthian never wavered. "How about you leave, before I'm forced to hurt one of you very badly."

The three of them converged on my brother. I rushed at them, without really any plan, truthfully, I hadn't gotten that far yet, but I wouldn't let him face them alone. I was pushed back by one of them as I approached, thrown across the street, landing hard on my arm, and a searing pain burst through it. I tried to sit up, but couldn't put weight on it. A panic filled me, encompassing my chest and crushing my lungs. It was the first time I'd ever truly felt fear.

Then they stabbed my brother.

I watched as the knife entered his chest, cleaving the flesh easily, and a bloom of red began to seep through his shirt, and then something amazing happened. Lighting struck, a bolt shot from the sky, hitting the blade, and racing through both ends of the metal, it surged through both Uthian and the knife owner, flickers of light arcing around their arms and chests, the boy screamed, but my brothers eyes seemed to come back into focus, taking on a new intensity, as the lighting burned on. When it finally died away, my brother was the one left standing. The boys body was blackened, crumbling, away. The other two boys ran. The sight made me sick, and I realized for the first time that being a magi wasn't necessarily a good thing, and magic could do a lot more than I'd ever known.

We were chained for hours and the sun was high in the sky, when my chains released suddenly, I fell to the ground from the sudden lack of support, I probably bruised my knee, but that didn't matter. Everywhere else was bruised anyways. I looked up to see that it was Jahad Asherex who had released me. He was almost as intimidating as Vaxon. Almost. He was just as well-built as the king, perhaps more so, and his face held cruel scars, but there was a softness to his eyes. Almost indiscernible, for there was a hardness there also. But I sensed it was the kind that crumbled with the right pressure. I scrambled to my feet.

"General Asherex." I said, my breathing coming slightly panicked now. I didn't know what he wanted from me, but I couldn't imagine a scenario where it was good.

"Leovarettan." He answered, his voice was deep. "Our king has given his family permission to sponsor tributes of our choice, to give them a leg up. I have chosen you as one of mine."

I froze for a moment as I studied him, sure this was some cruel prank. Why would Vaxon show mercy to some of us? And why would Jahad sponsor me, of all the Magi? It was my fault we were here. "With all due respect, General, I really don't think I deserve a sponsorship."

A small dash of surprise crossed his face, casting his scars into a different light. "Why not?"

"This is all my fault." I said, a sick feeling rising in my stomach. "I trusted Roque, and he betrayed me. It's my fault King Vaxon has all of us, so please, help someone else."

"Leovarettan, it was not your fault. Do you think that Vaxon would not have found you anyways? Kyren alone had plenty of information to give. You sped us up a month, maybe a month and a half." I believed he was telling the truth. Though to be fair, I may not be a very good judge. My mistake with Roque proved that much. I studied him, and then I walked forward, gripping the bars of my cage to look at him.

"I can't win this. You have to know this, I'm not strong enough. The others will kill me as soon as I step foot into the arena. I'm not powerful enough to fight most of them, and not all of them like me." I warned him.

His face turned stern. "Don't let Vaxon hear you say that. I sponsored you because I believe you may survive this. My advice to you, lay low. Don't pick fights. Most won't hunt you down. Stay strong Leovarettan Maverson." He said, pressing a folded piece of paper into my hands. "Don't give up." And then he was gone, walking away from me, and stopping to speak to Evian as well.

I looked down at the paper in my hands, not understanding his decision. I unfolded the paper, and saw that it was covered in ink, a map. A very useful map.

***

The rattling noise jarred me from my thoughts as the bars were lifted quickly, no warning or ceremony. Though I suppose those things weren't necessary, we all knew why we were here. I wasn't about to wait around, I darted out of the cage, among the first, as most of the others were still in chains and took a moment to regain the feeling into their limbs. Evian was close behind me. As I left the crumbling castle behind, the gates closed, effectively trapping me and the other magi outside. The fighting grounds were beautiful. Wide valleys of grass that stretched a long ways, only to be cut off by mountains, their peaks stretching so high I couldn't see anything past them. We were also ringed by forests, containing all sorts of creatures if Jahad's map was accurate.

For just a moment, all was silent. The thirty-four of us stood there, watching, unsure of what to do. It was surreal, these were the people I had grown up with. They'd almost all taken me in at some point or another, were the only reason I hadn't died when Mathas did. How was I to kill them?

And then the silence evaporated. I heard the Wizards voices fill the air, and the sound of flames and metal clanging. A flash of light blinded me from Asawake, who was fighting Nikolai. A gust of air came from Morrow, who was holding his own against Kalix. They surprised me, neither of them seemed the type who'd fight if given the option, but their families were at stake. I guess I was lucky that my parents and brother are dead. Or maybe I'm not.

All I know is that my family is in the arena with me. They're the men and women I'm going to watch die. The fighting is chaos, and at the center of it is Kyren Asherex. His magic is unbelievable, unlike anything I've ever seen. He can control the darkness.

It doesn't move like you'd expect it to. It isn't a liquid or smoke, not a covering of light, but a lack of it. He has only to think, and portions of the valley are devoid of light, a darkness so black, that even a starless sky couldn't mirror it.

He set his sights on me. I can see from a distance away as he snaps the neck of Zentra- a sight that makes me sick to my stomach. The darkness descends upon me, and there is a painful twinge in my eyes as the light is ripped from them. I force myself to calm down. Light is what I need, but fire is the closest thing I've ever conjured."Rewqut itroin, yoturi lytrena quapz sownyt asyteru ashrno ahea"

Burning flame

Bringer of light

As it became

The hero of the fight

A flame flickered on the ground, casting a blue light, for a moment it was the only thing I could see until I pushed harder, forcing more of my magic into the spell. The flames flickered, and then grew, throwing off the darkness, until I could see again, and Kyren came into view, a strand of his tawny hair flopped over his scarred eye.

He began to move towards me, his stride was easy, he was confidant I would fall. He had no weapons, but neither did I. I forced my flames higher, but could feel the energy draining from my body. A Conjurer is not meant to be a Fire Mage. So, I did something I'm not proud of, I turned and ran. I flew past the other magi, barely noticing that Nikolai and Kalix had both fallen,in addition to several others, I cast a glance over my shoulder to see Kyren was now occupied with Kandi, but I didn't stay to see who won.

I was headed East, to the centaur fields. They had given me shelter once before, when a bounty hunter got a little too close while I was in the woods I felt confident they would help me again

Male 17: Light Mage Aswake Coveni

 We had spent a day in this castle chained to the walls, not knowing where we were, and unable to move. Vaxon had us blindfolded, and moved here in the middle of the night. That is all I know.

After torturous hours spent in this prison, the guards undid our shackles and we were released into an open valley. I was the first one out, and being a light mage, it took me no time to get adjusted to the sun. The only thing I could see keeping us in here were the mountains, which were to high to climb. There had to be some way of keeping us in here.

Thinking up a spear of light, I threw it straight into the air. After flying about three miles up, I saw it start to fizzle out, and finally dissipate.

"There is an anti-magic shield. Depending on how high it is, the shield probably goes about fifty to a seventy-five miles in each direction. No form of magic can get through it, and anyone who contains magical essence in their bodies cannot pass through it either." I stated as the rest of the magi either appeared or got adjusted to the light.

"How would you know that, Asawake? Anti-magic shields aren't common, and the only people that know about them are the royal family and the Hissite farmers." Kyren asked.

"It was about a year after the war. I wandered into one of these shields. If it wasn't for Aliquin, I probably would have been dead by now. I would stay away from it if I was you." I said turning to the south. I got ready to run like never before. This was going to be the longest battle I've ever been in. Thirty four other Magi, thirty three of those old allies. Already it looked like there were alliances forming. Siblings with siblings, old friends with each other. I have no idea what is out there, but I have survived many of the dangers Castre has to offer. This will just be another thing to survive. Looking behind me, I saw some of the others have started to go off. I take off in a complete sprint, heading south, but eventually turning west a bit. I could see the start of a forest there, so I could at least start there.

I was coming up to the forest when it started to get dark. This could be a problem. I have my training, but I have no armor or weapons. I don't know what is out here, so I should try to find some shelter. Staying out in the open field isn't smart as creatures could find me, or even the other Magi. I started to walk into the forest, not knowing if there was any danger. "Come on Asawake. What could be here that you can't handle? Just find a cave, or a small overhang. Cover yourself, and hope that nothing finds you. Survive until you can find some supplies, or at least something you can make a weapon from." I said to myself. Great now I am talking to myself. What's next, am I going to start arguing with myself.

Even though it was night, I could feel the air around me getting cold. There was definitely something out there. I thought tried to form a ball of light over my hand, but only a small weak orb appeared. "Even with it being night, I should be able to manipulate the light. So what is stopping me?" I asked myself.

"This forest is so thick, that light doesn't enter through the canopy. You made a mistake coming here, light mage." a voice hissed from behind me. "You walked into the home of creatures that thrive in the darkness. You will die."

There were only three known creatures that thrived from the darkness in Castre. Werewolves, shades, and vampires. Shades don't speak, and werewolves would be too big to be able to sneak up on me. "Vampires! Show yourself before I have to do something drastic." I yelled into the darkness. Only once have I ever fought vampires. They aren't common in Castre, mostly staying in the caves in the mountains. There wasn't anywhere else that was free of sun light.

"You show promise for a new vampire, and the light magic in your blood would make you immune to the sun. But that same advantage would destroy me if I bit you. Your free to go, for now." the vampire stated appearing before me. She could have been considered a beautiful young women, but now she was an undead monster of the night. She barely came up to my shoulders, and could have been about twenty when she was bitten. "If you are wondering, there are multiple places you could hide out for the night. And there is a small supply pack about a mile down that way. The soldiers that brought it are now our newest recruits. Purest blood I have had in a long time." she said licking her lips.

"I need a companion, so why don't you show me this supply pack." I said walking in the direction she had pointed out. The girl looked at me like I was crazy. And of course, most people would. I grew up with a griffin as my best friend. I befriended almost every creature I met, or tried to anyway. "So what is your name? Mine is Asawake." I asked as I heard her walk up.

"My name is Verilla. And how did you hear me before. I move lighter than most of the other vampires. And you aren't afraid of me. You are not a normal man." she said when she caught up to me. She is right. I am not a normal person. But where is the fun in being normal.

"I grew up in a world where I am different. And then I am cast out when Vaxon took over. He tried to kill all of the people who were like me. It's probably this that causes my difference." At least I know this woman was telling the truth. I saw many small overhangs I could use as shelter, and I even saw a small bit of light. "Hey, quiet down. I hear something approaching."

I saw the supply case sitting at the bottom of the cliff I was on. There were a few torches surrounding the pack and a rock pile, somehow keeping the vampires outside of it. Verilla started to look as if she was burning. That is when I realized those were sun torches. "Verilla the light from those torches will kill you. Get outside of the range." I couldn't see anyone down there, but I heard a voice down there.

"A bow, arrows, a sword, a spear. Some food, a container for water, and all these torches. Everything except these weapons are good for me." the voice said. Sounded like a female, but I couldn't identify it. I decided to jump down to the valley below, and see who it was. Jumping down I made almost no noise. I pushed off of the cliff to give myself extra leverage, and hit the ground with a roll. I was now on the other side of the pile from the female. I looked over one of the larger rocks, and saw Lydora. She was a healer wizard, and very young. I decided I wasn't going to kill her unless the need was there.

"Well if you don't want the weapons, I will take them." I said walking out from behind the pile. I must have scared her because she ran outside of the safety of the torches. I turned away, but I couldn't block her screams as the vampires converged on her. There was noting I could have done to help her. Well everything she had said is here. A recurve bow and two quivers of arrows, a short sword and a sabre. There was a yari with both points properly made. The weapons all looked good; sharpened, and ready for battle. Inside the circle of light, I check to see if my magic works. I let the light envelop around the edges of the sword. I covered my weapons in light to conceal them. I tried to pull the light from a source, and watched the light pull towards my palm. At least I know that my magic still worked.

There was enough food to last me for a while, and there was a container for water so there must be a river or stream somewhere in the arena. The contents are really good, so I put everything the food and the water container back into the pack and slung it over my back. I went around picking up the torches. Some of the vampires looked at me weirdly until one of them decided to attack me. Before he was even close enough to hit me, I used the torches to make the light I needed. I formed a spear out of light, and stabbed him right through. I let the spear dissipate, and watched the body disintegrate. "Anyone else want to try me?" I asked into the crowds. No one stepped forward so I went back to collecting the torches. I was on the last one when I saw Lydora again. She was now up and about, but she was a vampire. There was no way to help her now. "I am so sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to harm you."

"I know, but it is too late. What has happened, has happened." her voice was now rough, and it would take some time for her to get her voice back.

"Asawake. It is getting close to morning, and we will have to go deeper into the forest. I did see a few men running by going into the Pegasus plains." Verilla warned. She seemed fine after the little burns she had received. It was then that I noticed how the other vampires bowed as she walked by.

"You are the leader of this group, aren't you?" I asked. It hadn't been able to see her that well in the dark, and now saw that she didn't look like the other vampires.

"Yes, but actually I'm not even pure vampire. I have vampire blood running through my veins, but I am also human. Now you better get going before the rival group appears." she said. I started to walk away when I heard her voice again. "If you ever need somewhere safe to stay you are welcome here." she said. "And please be safe." she mumbled hoping I didn't hear her.

It's been about three hours since I left the forest, and I haven't seen anyone or anything. I started heading through the pegasus plains hoping to see the people Verilla had warned me of. I decided to break for lunch when I came to a river. I took a small bit of meat from the pack, and realized that it had already been cooked. That isn't normal of Vaxon. That is the first time I heard the fighting. I had just finished the meat when the yelling started. I climbed up the small hill hiding the battle, and saw at least four magi fighting over what looked like a pack. I could identify Kalen, Kalix, and Jaxon. The fourth one had her back turned to me, but I think it might have been Ogygia. It didn't look like any of them had weapons, but they all had their magic. It looked like they were about to attack when a shadow lifted from the ground, and impaled Kalen through the heart. The shadow shot forward, and hit Ogygia and Jaxon before they could respond. Kalix saw what happened, and ran for his life. But that didn't stop the shadow from following him, and his scream was heard a minute later. That is when I notice the presence standing behind me.

"Kyren, if you wanted to kill me you would have done it already. So, what do you want?" I asked not even turning around. I was still looking at where the four magi were just killed. That is five already gone. Maybe even more. I need to keep a mental count of the number of deaths.

"I'm just here to warn you. You are more like my father than you think. I have watched you for some times. There are things that push you over the edge, and send you into a killing frenzy. All it would take is a touch by the right person, and you could be the next Vaxon. You and I are two of the most qualified fighters in this arena, and I would like to meet you in the final battle. Now we had better get out of here. I have heard these pegasi change after dark." Kyren stated as he disappeared. Could he really have been there, or was it just an appropriation? Could it be that I am really that close to being Vaxon?

Kyren wasn't wrong about the pegasi. I had just gotten out of their territory when I watched them divebomb Myla. The once gentle pegasi tore the girl to pieces. I tried to drive them off by throwing rays of light at them, but I only killed a few and made the rest mad. The herbivore turned to a carnivore by the light of the moon. Probably not the weirdest thing in this arena. The count is now up to six deaths.

The next territory I found was the mermaid cove. I didn't go near it because of the uneasiness I have with mermaids and their counterparts, sirens. I have heard stories of mermaids dragging a soul out to sea during the night, and leaving them there for the sirens. I saw some griffins and hippogriffs flying around the cliffs above the cove. I decided to climb up there, and see what I could see from there.

I was near the top when I noticed the first griffin. He seemed bigger than some of the others, and for some reason he shone like he was made of metal. The griffin I was looking at turned its head, and looked right at me. It got up from its position and walked towards me.

"Who are you human that you carry the griffins blessing?" he asked. I looked him over, and saw that he did have a lot of metal on him. His talons and claws were metal, his beak, and his wings were lined with metal.

"My name is Asawake Coveni. My sister and I saved two griffins a long time ago, and they became our companions and friends. They are named Aliquin and Levini. Maybe you have heard of them." I noticed that some of the other griffins were starting to congregate. The hippogriffs flew above the gathering, viewing, and probably enjoying, the situation.

"Yes I knew them. They were my children. And you say you saved them. Then you are welcomed into our flock." he said. The whole congregation seemed to be happy about what was happening.

It was a few hours later as it was getting dark that I noticed the person. He looked like the earth mage Atreyu. He had been trying to wring the neck of one of the younglings. I wouldn't have had time to reach him before it happened. Even with the magic. One of the griffins caught my gaze, and saw the intruder. Atreyu didn't have enough time to react before the griffin grabbed him and flew straight into the sky. When the griffin got close enough to the shield, he let go of Atreyu. I watched as he hit the shield and his body disintegrate. Seven dead.

After the event, the leader sent me to check the borders. I cast orbs of light to check the shadows. I didn't notice anything except a few wild animals run off into the distance. There was one moment when I thought I noticed a person, but there was nothing out there. I went back and reported everything that happened, and then went to medicate in the center of the flock. Three days and nights gone by and seven people have already died. These are going to be some rough times. But at least I have allies.

"Asawake, what has happened to my children? Have they been tracked down yet, or are they still safe?" Endir asked.

"Truly, I don't know. Levini traveled with my sister. I haven't seen them that much. Last time was about four months ago. Aliquin is still good. I made sure to tell him to escape if I was to be captured, and as you can see I was captured. He has probably already found his way to Levini and Ava." Even though Endir was old and tired, he was one of the strongest beasts I have ever seen.

"It's good to know my children are still alive." Endir said as he fell asleep. The next guard went and took his position. I finally decided to go to sleep. It is surprising fighting and running for your life can tire and energize you at the same time. No sooner than I had closed my eyes than I was asleep.

"Asawake Coveni. Friend of griffins and vampires. If it wasn't for your barrier around your mind, I would already know your thoughts and memories. I was barely able to change your mind about checking out my hiding place. You really aren't normal are you."