Mark of the Fool

Chapter 584: Not so Harmless

Lets go, Harmless, Kybas shouted, We're ahead by four points, now lets bring it home. Go high! the goblin pointed to the sky and his familiar shot from the fog like a ballista bolt.

Harmless soared back to Kybas side of the arena, climbing to the top of the cage.

After him, Violante! Warren shouted. Be careful, dont do anything reckless!

Aaaaahhh, a mistake, I am afraid, Aksuma sighed, smiling. Perhaps it is the folly of the elderly.

Sinope looked at him curiously, then glanced at Khalik who was already nodding.

What does he mean, my mighty oak flower? she asked.

Queen Ishtar twitched.

It is simple, King Aksuma said. In games of strategy, when one is beginning to lose, it is quite natural to recoil and become cautious. That is not the correct way: after all, when one is losing, they cannot win by caution alone, so it is better to push into calculated risks instead. Warren has been surprised by Kybas, and now knows Harmless strength. He is unsure if a risk will simply open him up to another pin. But look.

He nodded at the battlefield.

Warren had cast flight magic on Violante and sent the thorncap after Harmless, but the plant-monster was playing it safe. Rather than pushing forward and trying to bind Harmless, it was lashing out with its vines, blasting beams of sunlight from a distance.

Harmless simply took the beams head on.

Each time the crocodile turned, ready to charge the thorncap, Violante retreated, raising its vines defensively.

See? The king gestured toward the battle. By flinching away, Violante defends itself from losing pointsand placing itself further behind for the next roundbut caution will not close the gap and erase the disadvantage. And in the end, a loss by four points or six points is still a loss. As you can see.

And that ends the round! the announcer cried. With two pins, lets see what the judges say! Aaaaandyes! The decisions are in. 10-6, 10-6, 10-6 for Harmless! Thats one round in favour of the young goblin and even younger crocodile!

Most folk in the arena stomped their feet, screaming, and whooping, swept up in the action.

But some were none too pleased, booing, hissing and jeering at Warren, cursing the man thoroughly.

Alex wondered how many of them had placed bets on him.

I guess Khaliksrelative, Thundar said carefully. Was right. Caution kinda bit him in the you know what there. He looked at Selina, editing his language. He tied up the first round but Kybas won the second. Our boys got the lead now.

And all Kybas has to do is keep it, Alex said. Warrens losing, so I bet hes going to be a lot more aggressive in this final round. Harmless just needs to keep flying around and avoiding him, then boom: victory.

Hah, Grimloch scoffed. Kybas wouldnt do that. Hes a warrior. Hes a predator. Harmless too. Theyre not gonna just stand around or run away like prey. The sharkmans grin was monstrous as he watched Kybas and Warren square off again. And the fights gonna be all the better for it.

Its the final round of this exciting match between former champion, and young challenger! Kybas and Harmless are ahead for now, but will they keep their lead? the announcer shouted. Not if Warren has anything to say about it! But can he stop the unstoppable croc-apocalypse? Theres only one way to find out! And thats to get to fighting! Final round of the middleweight division of the duel by proxy beginsright now!

Kybas immediately sheathed Harmless in flight and haste magic, and the crocodile threw himself across the arena.

Grimloch was right, there would be no waiting around buying time until the round ended.

No, Kybas and Harmless were going to fight until the end, giving it their all.

But, it seemed Warren wasnt about to go down without a fight either.

With a powerful incantation, the skilled wizard raised his hands.

Air shimmered, followed by a burst of flame; a firewall erupted across the middle of the arena, blazing between Harmless and Violante. But Warren wasnt finished.

The instant the last syllable of his spell left his mouth, he unleashed another.

Tornado blast, Alex murmured. Oh crap.

A gust of hurricane-force wind rushed from Violante, striking the flame wall.

The crowd gasped.

Wind fuelled the blaze, blowing it forward, filling half the arena floor in a wave of fire. Burning wind battered Harmless, shoving the crocodile back as Warren uttered another illusionary duplicate spell.

Violante multiplied, the illusions weaving between each other in a confusing clot of bodies. Even if Harmless fought through both fire and wind, hed have to eliminate illusions to find which one was his real opponent.

Kybas shouted. Harmless, hold on! Just hold on!

Beams streaked through the firewall.

Solar energy struck, strafing Harmless through wind and flame, bent on wearing him down.

So thats his plan, Alex thought. Pull out the big spells to make sure Harmless is completely spent, then go for as many pins as he needs for the win. Hows Kybas going to get out of this one?

The goblin cast fireball again, shooting a bead of flamefrom Harmless mouth as he flew through the firewall.

But, Warren was ready.

The older wizards head was tilted to the side, one ear cocked, listening intently for Kybas spellcasting. He smiled, catching the spell for fireball tumbling from the goblins mouth, and shouted a warning.

Violante! Move to the right!

The thorncap and its duplicates skittered to the side, ducking away as the fireball exploded.

Ooooo! the crowd cried.

Warren seems to be pulling out every tool in his spellbox, folks! the announcer shouted. Two rounds down and one to go in the final match of the middleweight division of the Duel by Proxy, so our competitors have no reason to hold back! Prepare for a nail-biter! A tear-jerker! A heart-pounder! AWait, whats this? Kybas is chanting a spell!

The little goblin wizard was indeed chanting a spell, his mana flaring.

Warren waited, listening for the words of Kybas spell, then shouted a command at Violante.

Jump!

Another fireball flew through the wall of wind and flame, striking the ground where the plant monster had just stood.

Ooooh! Another fireball and another miss! the announcer cried. Kybas will have to change his strategy to

He already has, Alex whispered, watching the little wizard.

As the fireball explodedfilling the air with a crackling flame that merged with the roar of Warrens tornado blastKybas voice dropped, barely a whisper, soft enough for his words to hide beneath the raging noise of the inferno.

Despite the magic used to raise the volume of the competitors voices, Warren could no longer hear what Kybas was saying.

The older wizard paled and began whispering his own incantationbut he was a step too late.

Kybas finished casting his spell first.

The goblin pointed his fingers in the direction hed last heard the thorncaps movements coming from. Air wavered, magic reached for Violante and as Warrens rockskin enwrapped his familiars form, Kybas spell seized the plant monster.

Insectile legs scrambled, reaching for the ground.

The thorncap and its illusionary duplicates rose.

And the crowd gasped.

Aggressive Levitation, Alex murmured. Thats a tricky spell. I didnt know Kybas had learned that one.

Yeah, well it doesnt last long, Thundar grunted. Its really only good for making an opponent lose its feet for a few seconds.

Yeah, I know its not a great spell, Alex admitted. But, whatwait, he's still casting!

Kybas cast again, masking his words under wind, flame and the clamour of spectators.

Warren began casting flight magic on Violante butby the time he was done, Kybas spell was complete.

Another fireball shot through the wall of wind and flame, sailing past Violante, exploding behind the thorncap as it tried to right itself in mid-air.

The backblast propelled it forward.

No! Warren cried.

Violante spun into the wall of wind and flame, screaming, shooting forward.

Kybas grinned. Now, Harmless!

The thorncaps body flailed, only stopping when it struck a gaping object.

Harmless waiting jaws.

The crowd leapt from their seats as he turned, slamming Violante against the bars.

Warren was swearing, cancelling his spells, but Violante was between Harmless jaws, and the croc was already barreling toward the arena floor. He hit the ground, momentum dragging Violante along, thenshearing a piece of mushroom from its shellpressed the familiar to the earth.

A count of ten found Violante winded, barely able to resist Harmless.

Another pin.

The crocodile edged away from his opponent, while Warren bristled.

Alright, Violante, were behind, but

His eyes went wide.

Wait, no!

Warren realised his error. His strategy had been sound, butas King Aksuma had pointed outit had also been too cautious. And nowthough the crocodiles mouth hung open from fatigueHarmless was ahead and Warren couldnt save himself and Violante.

The round was ending.

No! the former champion cried.

Ding! The bell rang.

Theeeeere it is, folks! the announcer roared. A pin seconds before the round ended! And now we look to the judges for confirmationand yes, the pin is good! 10-8, 10-8, 10-8 for Kybas! Which means, gentlefolk, Kybas of the Clan Chulu and Harmless are this years winners of the middleweight division of the Duel by Proxy!

Alex and friends leapt from their seats, shouting until their voices were hoarse. Everyone, except Grimloch, was shouting.

He simply clapped his hands in that steady drumbeat of a clap, but his grin was worth all the cheers in the stadium.

As for Kybas, between jumping up and down, hugging Harmless, and laughing madly because hed erased his loss from last year, he pumped his arms in the air, celebrating on the stadium floor as his friends and the rest of the cheering crowd did in the stands.

Hed triumphed in the Games of Roal.

Hed crushed his enemies.

Hed driven them before him.

The goblin wizard had won first place in the middleweight division of the Duel by Proxy, taking a golden medallion, the prize purse, and a fortune from the bet hed placed on himself by proxy.

For all these things, he only had one thing to say.

Pumping his fists high, the goblin wizard raised his face to the sky and cried out the name of his tribe: Chuuuuuluuuuu!

And the crowd shouted it with him.

####

Well, that was badass. Thundar clapped the goblin on the back, nearly sending him tumbling off a bench. You killed out there.

Harmless killed out there! Kybas insisted. He was wonderful! He was perfect! He stomped that plant monster to pieces!

Grimloch chuckled as he leaned over the bench in the dining area of the tournament grounds. People were everywhere, milling about, sharing meals together, laughing and talking about the Duel by Proxy.

After the competition, Kybas had been mobbed by admirers and lots of folk asking for advice on how to raise their own familiars. Theyd taken his answer of with love and a lot of mushrooms at face value at first, before marked confusion had appeared on their faces.

The goblin wizard looked uncomfortable answering so many questionsthe admiring crowd had overwhelmed himso he was very relieved when Alex, Grimloch, Thundar, Claygon and his other friends had rescued him, parting the crowd and shoving food into his hands for him and Harmless.

This is the best day, the goblin said dreamily. Best day! A good day to go out on!

Go out on? Alex asked. What do you mean?

Kybas pat his familiars back, lovingly rubbing his scales. This is the last Duel by Proxy for Harmless and me. At least for a couple of years, and Ill be graduated then.

Wait, why arent you competing next year? Alex asked.

Yeah, you killed it this year, man, Thundar agreed.

Harmless was powerfulpeople will look forward to his return. I know I will, Claygon jumped in.

Well, the thing about that isHarmless will be too big for the middleweight division next year, Kybas said.

It would seem like a simple matter to enrol in the heavyweight division instead, Isolde said.

No, Harmless would lose, I think, Kybas admitted. Hes at the limit for the middleweight division this year. But the heavyweight division goes up to four thousand pounds. Thats a lot, and I dont think Harmless will grow to be big enough to compete with such big ones in a year. So I want to let him grow until hes huge!

He spread his arms out. But that will take maybe two years. And I dont know if well be around, then. Lots of stuff to think aboutand besides. This fighting is good. But not enough blood! Not enough guts! Harmless was so disappointed that he didnt get to eat Violantes mushroom!

The crocodile hissed sadly.

So, I want fights that will actually be fun for Harmless. Fights where he gets to kill and eat his opponents!

Hmmmm. Alex scratched his chin, exchanging a look with Theresa. Maybe we could have a chat about that after the Games, Kybas. Theres something you can do with Harmless that would make you a lot of coin, give him all the fights he wants, and get rid of a bunch of monsters for a good cause.

I like the sound of that! Kybas cried.

It would be goodfor you to be with us Claygon agreed.

Yes, yes! Id like to fight by your side, Claygon! And you too, Grimloch! Oh, and what about Claygons fightingare you ready for your duels tomorrow? Kybas asked.

Iam the golem said. Father and Iwill face whatever we face. And like you? We will crush it.

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