I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves as I watched Lachlan gesture for me to move closer. He motioned for me to take the center of the circle as the others spread out around the perimeter, creating a defensive formation. My heart was pounding in my chest as I nervously looked around at the wagons, wondering what kind of monsters were inside them.
The first wagon suddenly opened up, revealing a small creature, usually no larger than a rat. Its small frame and delicate wings made it look almost harmless, but it's bright yellow eyes glowed with an intensity that betrayed its true power. Almost immediately, I could feel the air start to thicken and waves of energy radiating off of it as I felt some kind of power build up in strength. It began to flutter about the arena, taunting me and trying to confuse me. I had to act fast if I wanted to stand a chance against this creature.
"This is a Nisse. It is a fey creature with the power to create illusions and mislead its opponents," Lachlan explained as the Nisse, and I circled each other.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on the Nisse, pushing away any doubts or fears that threatened to overtake me. I held my ground, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, its wings suddenly stopped flapping, and it seemed to be distracted by something else. Taking this opportunity, I leaped forward and grabbed hold of the creature's fragile body. It struggled in my grasp, but I tightened my grip and began to chant something that I had never heard before.
The Nisse shuddered as the words coming from me started to take effect, and soon enough, it fell asleep in my hands. One of the men came over to me and took the monster from my hands, and Lachlan grinned at me in approval. I was still in shock by the words that came out of my mouth.
"Very good, monster," he said with a smirk, "You seem to remember how to use magic, but let's see how you do against a Duwend. This is a small, dwarf-like creature with the power to create obstacles and manipulate terrain."
"A what?" I asked, but the next wagon opened to answer my question. The Duwend emerged, and immediately the ground beneath me started to tremble. I knew that this was going to be a difficult battle since it could manipulate the terrain itself, so I had to come up with something fast.
Taking another deep breath, I closed my eyes and concentrated on my surroundings. As I did, I noticed a few large rocks nearby that I could use as weapons against the Duwend. I quickly prepared them and then threw them at the creature, hoping they would strike their mark. My aim was true, and soon enough, the Duwend was stunned by my attack.
I rushed forward and grabbed the creature again, repeating the spell from earlier once more, and the Duwend fell asleep in my arms, but I suddenly felt drained. Lachlan's smirk grew even wider as he nodded his approval before motioning for me to move on to the next challenge.
"Wait! Why am I not killing them?! Don't get me wrong, I am happy not having to do it, but I don't get the point?!" I wheezed out and then doubled over to catch my breath. It felt like I had just run a race, and I had to prop myself up on my elbows. "Also! I need a break! I am exhausted!"
"Why not kill them? Because they are not real threats, as much as it irks me to say. To have you kill them might have adverse effects," Lachlan said and then turned his nose up at me. "In real combat, you will not get breaks. You are going to have to learn to use every ability that you have at your disposal," Lachlan said coldly and then motioned for the third wagon. "This is an Ice Dumpling. It is a small, round creature with the power to manipulate ice and water. Its abilities include creating strong gusts of wind, freezing objects in place, and healing wounds. You will need to be careful with this one as it can use its powers to heal itself as well."
The Ice Dumpling emerged from the wagon, and it looked at me and paused. It really didn't look that bad. It had a round, fuzzy body, and short legs. Blue fur covered its entire body, and its ears stuck out from the sides of its head. Its most peculiar feature was the ice-blue crystals that seemed to form all over its body, making it look like a furry snowman, sort of.
I knew this one would be tricky as I was not sure about its ability to heal itself. I had to think fast and come up with some strategy.
Suddenly, it got really cold, and the ground beneath me began to freeze. I was starting to feel tired, so I knew that trying to use magic or whatever again was not going to work. This all seemed like so much, but Lachlan clearly didn't care about me, just the results.
Thankfully, I had an idea. Taking a deep breath, I ran towards the Ice Dumpling and jumped onto its back. It struggled to get me off, but I couldn't seem to manage it. With my free hand, I started to break away small chunks of ice and threw them out of the arena. I was not really sure why I was ripping them out, but my body knew what to do, and it seemed to be slowing it down. Eventually, I managed to tire it out until it finally fell forward and then passed out.
Lachlan nodded his approval once again, this time with a hint of surprise on his face. "Well done. You handled that situation better than I thought you would. Now only one more task remains - besting the Spark Gremlin."
I got up as two of the men came over and picked up the Ice Dumpling. I watched and tried to mentally prepare for the last creature. It was clear that this was going to be the most dangerous of the four, but whatever the source of my magic was, it seemed to have recharged some. If I could just get in to grab whatever this creature was, I should be fine, even if I feel tired after.