Mark of the Fool

Chapter 578: Khalik's First Match

Khalik stood on his side of the arena with Najyah perched on his arm. As hed done the previous year, he stood confident, waving to the crowd like he was on his way to a coronation. Najyah looked poised today, like a symbol atop a kingdoms banner with all traces of her usual mischievousness gone.

She looked at King Aksuma as Khalik looked at Sinope and his mother.

He blew his partner a kiss before turning to his opponent.

Once again, he faced the second year wizard, Leia, and her falcon familiar, Solo. The pair had been his final opponents in first year and they looked resolved, determined, and with every intention of unseating him and Najyah to claim an early victory.

And a measure of vengeance.

By the hard look on Leias face, Alex could see shed come prepared to do both.

Solo was swift last year, but now she moved through the air with more grace. She was also faster on the wing, turned quicker and flew with more confidence than before.

It was clear the falcon had gained a fair amount of experience since the last Games, as her master had, from the look of it.

Doesnt matter how much experience you have now, Alex thought. Youd better lose! Ive got a lot of coin riding on my friend!

The announcer raised his hand. Who will come out on top? Lets find out! Ready? Set! Begin!

Leia immediately cast haste magic on Solo, the bird shot forward like an arrow in flight. The falcons speed was monstrous.

Khalik merely smiled.

Najyah shrieked, soaring upward, her wings spread.

The prince whispered a single spell.

A wave of sand blasted from the eagle's chest in a wide cone, spraying the air, lashing solo mid-flight. With another quick spell, Khalik transformed theflaying grit, congealing it into stone shackles around Solos wings and ankles.

She shrieked and plummeted.

Najyah didnt waste an instant.

One beat of her wings sent her forward, talons grabbing Solo mid-fall.

Leia began uttering an ice spell, but Khalik spoke his incantation with greater speed and precision. A wave of sand erupted from Najyahs chest, battering the falcon she had in her grip, andwith another spellKhalik transformed the sand to clay. It hardened on the raptors body.

Najyah shrieked, releasing her.

The smaller bird hit the groundonly saved from disaster by the magics cloaking the arenastruggling against her bonds. But, she was going nowhere.

Najyah pounced, posing victoriously on her back for the pin.

Leia bit her lip as the announcer called pin after pin while Najyah kept the weighted familiar in place. Covered in stone, clay, and grit, there was no way for Solo to continue.

The second year wizards face reddened. Iyield, she said, between clenched teeth.

Cheers erupted.

And the winner by way of submission, Khalik Behr-Medr and his Harpax eagle familiar, Najyah! the announcers voice boomed across the stadium.

Yeah! Go Khalik! Go Najyah! Selina shouted, as his other friends cheered.

Alex let out an immense sigh of relief.

This is way too stressful, he thought. I dont know how people gamble for fun. But, after these Games, Im never gambling again.

Sitting in the VIP box, Aksuma and Ishtar clapped politely, smiling, pleased at their son's victory.

Sinope looked at them for a moment, raised an eyebrow, then leapt from her seat.

Goooo Khalik! she shouted, you were wonderful, my mighty oak blossom!

Alex froze: he could never imagine calling his partner mighty oak blossom in front of her parents, but the dryad showed no hint of embarrassment. Others in the VIP box reacted; some smiled, some cheered, some did both, while some raised their eyebrows, giving her measured looks as she applauded enthusiastically. She didnt seem to care, and just celebrated her partners triumph.

Her cheering only grew louder as the competition went on.

After duelling Leia and Solo, Khalik and Najyah devastated the rest of their opponents.

Najyah covered Yo-boo in rock until Stan surrendered, cursing and muttering to himself. They shifted the soil beneath a small golems feet, burying it in the arenas packed, dry earth. Against a summoned demon, the prince had Najyah pour sand and rock down, before finally encasing the monster in a clay and stone shell.

Their opponents fought hard, determined to win, but Khaliks swift spellcasting and tacticshoned to an edge against demons in the hellscombined with steady coordination with his familiar, demolished all competition.

As the final round approached, Alex began cheering as loudly as Sinopewhich he told himself wasnt because of all the coin Khalik was about to win him.

That certainly couldnt have anything to do with it.

When Sinope showed enthusiastic support for her partner though, some in the box eyed her, looking more and more scandalised as if they found her enthusiasm unseemly.

Khaliks parents, however, seemed not to care either way.

His father continued clapping and politely cheering his son and Najyah, as did his wife. The queen, however, seemed to be dividing her attention between watching the competition and her sons partner.

Looks like shes forming her own opinion, Alex thought. Makes sense, seems the kings more focused on Najyahhuh.

It was then that he noticed something about Khaliks father.

King Aksuma continued clapping, appearing to be only focused on the beasts below. He was chattering on and on about what sort of creatures they were, seemingly fascinated by every last one.

But, his body language told a different story.

A very subtle story.

Alex noticed the slight tilt of his shoulders and how he held his head at an angle. His eyeswhich looked to be scanning the arenawere actually centred slightly to his left.

Which allowed him to watch Sinope, and Alexs group from the corner of his eye. For all the world, he looked to be a simple man who had a great preoccupation with beasts and monsters. But, all the while, he was observing his sons partner and friends in the same way Alex read body language when he was studying people.

Huhhe smiled to himself. It seems the kings a far shrewder man than he lets on.

Alex decided to watch him in turn, subtly reading his body language as the final match of the Duel by Proxy: Lightweight Division was announced.

And now we have a couple of familiar faces stepping into the final match in the light-weight division! the announcer boomed. We welcome them back! Khalik Behr-Medr and his Harpax eagle, Najyah, have shown incredible experience in combat, fantastic coordination, and power! The wizard and his familiar have been vanquishing their competition all day, showing no sign of slowing down! But, will their reignreign supreme? He belly-laughed at his own joke. It might be that their tyranny ends here!

Tyranny, pfeh. King Aksuma frowned.

The announcer continued. Their opponents have also had a devastating winning streak that brings them here to the finals! Lets hear it fora talented third year studentJasminerepresented by her familiar, the firestorm pseudo-drake, Terris! One pair of these competitors will walk away with a prize today, and the other will reach the epilogue of their journey! Who will come out on top?

Gooo Khalik! Sinope cried. I believe in you!

Alex shouted too. Yeaaaah, Khalik! You got this!

The othersincluding Claygon whod shifted his voice, now sounding like the announcerscreamed their support.

Ready? the announcer called, raising an eyebrow at Claygon. Begin!

The contest was vicious.

Terris was a powerful familiar, having his own innate magics of fire and lightning. Jasmine was a fierce opponent with a lot of power to throw around, who wasnt afraid to use it.

They began with a blistering assault, blazing with lightning and flame spells, trying to utterly overwhelm their opponents. But what they had in power, they lacked in experience. The instant the match began, Najyah shot away, flying in complex patterns, making herself an elusive target.

While Terris and Jasmine focused on power, Khalik focused on protecting Najyah and increasing her speed. He conjured sand storms that sprayed from her wings as she flew, laying down a screen of grit that threw their opponents aim off.

Najyah had dodged crimson lightning from hell-beasts and demons; avoiding magic from inexperienced challengers was no contest.

Alex watched the contest, remembering a particular bar fight at the Lu family inn.

Back then, a traveller had come through town and found himself in an argument with a group of local farm hands. They were big, young men with fists the size of blacksmiths hammers, and the temperaments of bulls in mating season.

He was half their size and twice their age, but was meaner, more experienced andmost importantlyhad hit first. After he sucker punched the first man, Alex watched in awe as he ducked and weaved, avoiding the farm hands brutish, clumsy swings.

Using a bottle like a cudgel, hed battered down two more with graceright up until the fourth came in from the side and hit him so hard that the floor ended up with more of his teeth than his mouth did.

The kicking theyd given him had been so awful, that Mr. Lu booted everyone from the inn and called the guardswhen Alex last saw the manhe was hobbling away from town on crutches with more bandages covering him than skin showing.

Still, in those earlier moments of the fight, his experience had truly shown its worth.

Mr. Lu had told himin no uncertain termsthat he was never to fight like that when he grew up.

How time makes fools of us all, he thought, watching Khalik and Najyah take apart their opponents.

As the arena floor swirled with floating sand, the prince abruptly transformed it to stone, turning the grit into solid images of bloodthirsty demons. One could almost hear soul-tearing growls coming from them, and they looked so life-like that Terris and Jasmine flinched away.

Najyah vanished in the dust.

Alex smiled, remembering Ikarrashs three demonic, jackal-headed sons.

The element of surprise and his teams trickery had brought their terror to an end.

This was no different.

Terris snapped at the false demons, neither he nor his master saw the stone shards Khalik had sent cascading from Najyahs beak.

They streaked through the sand, pummelling the drakedriving him to the ground. He tumbled along the stadium floor like a ball. Najyah was already claiming victory, soaring overhead, spraying the drake with clay that quickly coated him.

Sand hardened, forming stone shackles, trapping Terris; clay smothered his flame and the stone grounded his lightning. Jasmine needed a quick and decisive response, instead, she showed her inexperience: in past matches, Terris had easily destroyed their competition with his superior power.

Hed never been pinned, not once.

Now, they were in danger of losing, and the third year student panicked.

Terris, try She started. No wait She stammered an incantation, but changed her mind and cancelled it, giving Khalik all the time he needed to take the match.

Najyah dropped a barrage of earth magic, burying Terris in so much clay and stone, the drake could barely move.

Jasmine hung her head. Iyield. Was all she said.

The announcer beamed. Gentlefolk, the winner of the Duel By Proxy Lightweight Division for the second year, is Khalik Behr-Medr and his Harpax eagle familiar, Najyah!

As the audience cheered, Alex and his companions jumped up and down and cheered with themthough no one cheered louder than Sinope.

Khalik and Najyah were awarded the golden medallion and the purse of 350 gold in the ceremony following the match. Alex and Thundar were dancing in the stands and laughing hysterically as the prince took his first place prize while also securing some nice winnings for everyone from the bets theyd placed. Theyd won far more gold than the prize for winning the contest had beenby a wide margin.

Theresa grabbed Alexs arm, kissing his cheek. Were rich!

He smiled, kissing her twice. Were richer.

Thats true, she giggled. By the Traveller, I cant wait to buy my parents the most amazing birthday gifts theyve ever had. And for Claygon and Selina tooplus, Ill be able to spoil you plenty for your birthday.

Yeah, Alex said. And I can spoil you too.

Again, the proposal bloomed in his mind, he shook away a surge of nerves.

His eyes fell on Brutus, the cerberus was whimpering with excitement.

The young wizards project was progressing nicely, and would be finished soon.

The results were going to be life-changing.

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