Once I got up and dressed, we quickly ate breakfast, not really stopping to talk. It seemed like my party was ready. Lysandra had slight bags under her eyes, but I guessed she had been practicing her spells all night long with Altaria. I just prayed that we all made enough progress for it to make a difference. Since these students practiced full time, I wondered if our crunch time with Altaria would be enough. Our match with the school elites gave me some confidence, but maybe they were holding back. I thought our main threats would come in the form of the teachers, and we really had no idea what to expect from them.
Altaria led us to a room in the back of the school. It appeared to be an indoor gym, likely where they held events. I heard plenty of cheers throughout the building, and my heart raced as we walked in the middle of the auditorium. Wooden seats lined the outside of the room, and it seemed there were plenty of people here to watch today. Students, teachers, and people from town filled the seats. They had really made a spectacle of this event, and I had no idea it would be such a big deal.
On a balcony on the eastern side of the massive room, I noticed the king seated in a silver chair. He had two knights beside him, both with silver hair to match their silver armor. A voice boomed throughout the academy as a blonde-haired woman with red eyes and a white dress seemed to be center stage. She was pretty, and looked young, she walked around the stage with vigor as her long blonde hair followed a a second behind.
The charismatic-looking woman with a wooden megaphone and white high heels yelled out, "Welcome, one and all, to our annual grand mage tournament. Only the best of the best of our students can compete, so I hope you are all ready. I am your host for today, Eris York! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause to our founder and your principal, the great grand mage Altaria Mysteria!" The clapping hurt my ears a little as Altaria waved at her students in front of us. Once she reached the center, Eris smiled at her and stuck the megaphone in front of her so Altaria could say a few words. Altaria smiled brightly, "Welcome! We are happy to have you all today! It should be an exciting tournament!" Eris smiled, adding on, "We had to have the tournament early this year as we seem to have some special guests! Our own Altaria has decided to host a special tournament with people outside of the school this year. Better yet, it would appear that they are being endorsed by Altaria herself, so give them a round of applause!"
The crowd erupted in excitement, and it seemed they were all focused on us. I'll admit, it was pretty nerve-wracking, but I wouldn't let a crowd stop me from performing at my best. Eris put the megaphone in front of Altaria again, "Please tell us about this group. It seems like this event was started in a rushed manner this year. You have the crowd at the edge of their seats. Who is this mystery group that has stirred this year's tournament?" Altaria laughed, "Right, I'm sure you're all curious since this is also the first time I have personally endorsed a team in all the years we've done this. These five are a very special team called the Grin Reapers, and they are already a guild started in this very town. You may not have heard of them yet."
Altaria then removed her glasses, "Their name will be known across Eldoria before long, and I need to stress this: they are the strongest-looking team I have seen in all my years here. They will be the team to beat this year, as I have personally seen to their growth from behind the scenes. Their potential is limitless, and I hope you all are ready for the most exciting tournament this school has ever seen." Wow, she is really hyping us up out there. I had no idea she had stuck her neck out for us this much, and it made me feel proud and embarrassed at the same time. The crowd erupted with yells as Eris clapped, "You heard it here, folks: a mysterious new team personally endorsed by Altaria herself. I think this could be our best year yet! Let the Annual Institute of Arcane Arts Tournament begin. I must ask, though, the prize for students is recognition and extra points towards graduation to becoming a full-fledged mage. What will this mystery party get if they win?"
Altaria responded smugly, "Frankly, nothing. The only thing they will get is that they will win me a bet, take my students down a peg, and gain notoriety for their guild. Let my students try their hardest this year because if they don't bring their best, they won't beat the reapers!" Cheers flooded in from the stands, and people were getting hyped as my heart pounded in my chest. Finally, Eris stated, "Alright! With that, let it begin. I will introduce the other students and teachers competing and the matchups of the day. As you all know, it is a bracket system here, so let us draw lots later to see who each of our six wonderful teams will be facing!"
One by one, teams walked in as Eris called them. Eris spoke up, "Please come in Team Stormsurge, Team Phantasm, Team Starlight, Team Pyrotechnics, and lastly, this year's favorites, Team Dream!" Each of the teams made their way to the center of the gym, and Eris began hyping up each team one at a time. Eris explained, "Give it up for Team Stormsurge, last year's runner-ups who have come back for vengeance, with the lovely Professor Berkely!" The team consisted of four guys and one girl. A big man with a brown mustache, middle-aged, plump with overalls on, and a fancy suit equipped with a cane stood in front.
Eris announced next, "Let's hear it for Team Phantasm, your team of freshmen! They enrolled this year and have quickly proven themselves to be this year's dark horse, led by the ever-vigilant Professor Makov!" At the front of this group stood a sleep-deprived woman with black hair. She stood tall, her hair flowing freely down her back, and she wore a black, skin-tight outfit that made her look ready for a race or gymnastics. The way she dressed clashed with her appearance for sure.
Next, Eris clapped her hands, "Next we have Team Starlight. They are your oldest group and will be graduating this year. They are sure to catch your eyes with their bright magic, led by the man with the plan, Professor Rosewald." The teacher in their group was a bald man with shades and black robes. His gaze was intense, and he looked like a tough, no-nonsense teacher. He looked like a gang leader, not the type you would expect to find in a classroom setting.
Eris yelled out, "Next we have the wonderful Team Pyrotechnics! Their dazzling fire magic is sure to leave you shaking with suspense as they light up the room, led by the dazzling Professor Castweaver!" A woman stood in front, her red hair braided and falling down her back. She did a backflip as her name was called and wore jade robes that fell over her legs. She looked like she cast all her magic from her hands and appeared ready to fight with her fists, much like Lysandra. Her playful green eyes looked directly at us, and she gave us a playful wave.
Eris smiled more widely this time, "Last, but certainly not least, we can't forget about the Institute of Arcane Arts' finest! You know them when they won last year, but this year they are once again coming for the title of the institute's best. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Team Dream! With their leader and teacher, the academy's pride, Professor Princeton!" Princeton walked out, still injured, but his demeanor made it hard to tell. He was wearing more traditional mage robes this time and had replaced his cane blue show cane with with a larger bright red one. It seemed he intended to go all out this time, with his dirty blonde hair combed neatly, and his stance leaking out his confidence.
The students behind him were recognizable; Gwen, Arthur, and Kaiser. However, one student remained unseen. Eris stopped, "What is this? It seems they are missing a fifth member. Has the Dream died out already? Professor Princeton, please explain this sudden turn of events." Professor Princeton walked up to Eris, and she held up the megaphone to him as he began explaining. Professor Princeton cleared his throat, "Yes, we have a new addition to the team this year—an exception amongst exceptions. He is not currently enrolled at our academy, but the king has graciously allowed us a special treat this year. Please welcome Prince Sorbek Whiteford! The prince himself was very excited to compete with us this time around!"
A man jumped down from the stands, creating a loud shockwave as he landed. The crowd went wild as I heard a few woman shouting his name with glee. He looked a decent bit younger than his brother, with the same silver armor shining in the natural lighting. He had intense, pale red eyes and a cape that flowed off his armor. He immediately turned his eyes towards our group, giving us a vicious glare. His long silver sword shined as light blue magic pulsed off his body. The room seemed to drop a few degrees as he pointed his long silver sword at our group. He seemed to mutter something but quickly turned away, giving the feeling that he didn't like us very much.
Eris chimed in again, "Alright, let us get started! Plenty of twists and turns this year, but I, for one, can't wait to see some action! Well, as per tradition, let us have our beauty Altaria draw the first matches out of my little bag here. Then she can move to her seat. As you know, we have a winner's bracket and the loser's bracket for a total of four rounds here. Now, Altaria, please draw our round 1 matches." Eris held out a small bag for Altaria. Altaria drew out a piece of paper and announced, "Team Dream." She drew another, "Team Phantasm." Eris yelled out, "Did you people hear that? Our first match should be exciting. Let's see if these freshmen can keep up with their elders!"
Altaria drew more, "Team Pyrotechnics and Team Starlight." Eris exclaimed, "Oh exciting! We have a grudge match, folks. Last year, Pyrotechnics knocked Starlight out of the runnings. Will we see a repeat of last year?" Finally, Altaria drew, "Grin Reapers and Team Stormsurge." Eris smiled brightly, "Oh, very interesting. We have the runner-ups from last year versus the new, mysterious Grin Reapers. Will Team Stormsurge wipe the smiles off these newcomers, or will they ride the wave out of here?" With the stage perfectly set and our rivals ready to face off, the true test of our magical skills and teamwork was about to begin. It was our moment to show everyone why we were the only ones who could pursue the covenant.