The dawn had barely begun to break when Torrack awoke in a cold sweat, his body racked with pain. His stomach churned violently, and he doubled over, throwing up on the floor next to his bed. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, and every muscle in him ached as if he had been through an intense battle. He clutched his abdomen, feeling as if his insides were twisting into knots. His head throbbed with an excruciating pain that made him dizzy. This wasn't the aftermath of a dream—something was deeply wrong.
He groaned, his voice too weak to call for help. The room around him swayed, and he fought to keep his focus, but his body refused to obey. He knew Kaelith and Eleon would be waiting for him; the second battle was today, and they were up against Ashenmoor,. But Torrack couldn't move. Every attempt to rise from the bed only sent a wave of nausea crashing over him, leaving him helpless.
In the distance, he could faintly hear Kaelith calling his name, her voice echoing in his mind. Torrack couldn't muster the strength to answer. His mind screamed to get up, to fight through the pain, but his body was betraying him. He felt sick, broken, and helpless and with this he feel out of consciousness.
The Arena
Kaelith, was trying to reach Torrack with her mind, but he wasn't responding, this was not ok, there was definitely something going on with Torrack.
"Where is he?" Eleon approached, looking equally concerned. His tall figure loomed over her, eyes scanning The battlefield "We can't delay any longer, Kaelith. The match starts in less than an hour."
Kaelith nodded, biting her lip. They were supposed to be heading into the arena, but now they were one fighter short, and there was no way to know what had happened to Torrack. Her heart pounded with anxiety. Leaving him like this felt wrong, but they had no choice. "We can't wait," she said, her voice laced with regret. "But what are we going to do? It's only the two of us."
Eleon ran a hand through his hair. "I'll talk to the referee. Maybe they'll allow us to substitute someone else in Torrack's place. We need a third, or we'll be outnumbered." His eyes flicked toward the arena, where the crowds were already gathering, their excited voices filling the air.
Kaelith sighed, nodding as she followed him. They didn't know much about Ashenmoor's fighters, but they were renowned for their strength and ruthlessness. Without Torrack, the odds were stacked against them. As they reached the arena grounds, Eleon hurried off to speak with the officials, while Kaelith lingered near the entrance, glancing back toward the direction of Torrack's quarters. A deep sense of dread gnawed at her.
Eleon's Plea
"Is there any way we can bring in a temporary fighter?" Eleon asked, his voice calm but tense as he spoke to the tournament referee, a man with a stern face and an air of strict authority. "We're down one of our team members—he's fallen ill."
The referee shook his head immediately, his expression uncompromising. "The rules are clear. Each team must enter the arena with the same members they registered at the start of the tournament. No substitutes, no exceptions.
Eleon clenched his jaw, frustration building. "But this is an unexpected situation. We're not asking for an advantage, just a fair fight."
The referee gave him a cold stare. "I understand your situation, but the rules are the rules. You fight with the team you have, or you don't fight at all."
Eleon turned away, his hands balled into fists. "We're doomed," he muttered under his breath, walking back toward Kaelith. "There's nothing they'll allow. We're stuck with just the two of us."
Kaelith looked at him, her eyes wide with concern but also with a hint of determination. "Then we'll fight with just the two of us," she said. "We can't give up now."
Eleon frowned. "Two against three is suicide, Kaelith. We don't even know what they're capable of. One of their fighters is a high-tier magician, and the others are seasoned warriors."
Kaelith's brow furrowed in thought. She felt her magic stirring within her, the familiar connection to the earth, to nature, pulsing through her veins. An idea began to form in her mind, and though it was risky, she knew they didn't have any other options. "I can call for something," she said quietly. "A beast, a guardian from the forest. It can act as our third fighter."
Eleon blinked in surprise. "call a beast? You've never mentioned that before. How is that even possible?"
Kaelith hesitated. I've felt the presence of the creatures in the forest. Some of them are powerful, ancient even. If I can call one to our aid, it might give us a fighting chance."
Eleon raised an eyebrow. "A fighting chance? That sounds like a long shot."
Kaelith met his gaze, her voice firm. "We don't have another choice."
After a moment's pause, Eleon nodded. "Alright. Let's give it a shot."
The Battle Begins
The arena was packed with spectators, eager to witness the match between Brightwater and Ashenmoor. As Kaelith and Eleon stepped into the arena, the crowd fell into a hushed silence. It didn't take long for the murmurs to begin—Brightwater had only two fighters. Where was their third?
Across the field, the three fighters from Ashenmoor stood, smirking confidently as they sized up their opponents. Their leader, a tall, muscular man named Kaden, crossed his arms and laughed. "This is going to be easy," he said. "They couldn't even find a third fighter? Pathetic."
His two companions, a swordsman and a mage, exchanged grins. "We'll have this done in no time," the mage said, cracking his knuckles. His aura pulsed with dark energy, a clear sign of his magical prowess.
But Kaelith wasn't paying attention to their taunts. She stepped forward, her hands glowing faintly with green magic as she knelt and pressed her palms against the ground. The earth beneath her began to tremble, and a vine shot out from the ground, curling through the air before disappearing beyond the arena walls.
Eleon watched, uncertain of what was happening, but he trusted her. He drew his sword, readying himself for what was about to come. "Let's hope this works," he muttered, his eyes scanning the Ashenmoor fighters, who were now advancing toward them.
The battle began with Ashenmoor making the first move. Kaden barked orders at his two companions, directing them to focus on Kaelith. "Take out the girl first," he growled. "She's the weakest link."
The two warriors charged forward, swords gleaming in the sunlight. Kaelith stood her ground, summoning a seed from the earth and growing it into a towering spiked tree in seconds. The tree's bark was hard as stone, and its branches twisted into sharp, thorny spikes that formed a barrier between her and the advancing enemies.
The swordsmen slashed at the tree, hacking at its bark with relentless force. Kaelith knew it wouldn't hold for long, but it bought her precious time. She could feel her magic growing weaker as the battle wore on, and the wound from Torrack's absence gnawed at her focus.
One of the swordsmen broke through the barrier, swinging his blade with deadly precision. Kaelith barely managed to dodge the first strike, but the second found its mark. The sharp edge of his sword slashed across her side, and she felt a burning pain as blood began to pour from the wound. She gasped, staggering backward and clutching her side, the world around her spinning.
Eleon rushed forward, his sword clashing with the other warrior's blade, but he could see Kaelith was in trouble. "Kaelith!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.
Kaelith fell to her knees, her vision blurring. The pain was unbearable, and she was on the verge of giving up when suddenly, the ground began to shake. A low rumble echoed through the arena, and the air grew thick with tension.
Before anyone could react, a massive beast burst through the arena wall with a deafening roar. The stone wall crumbled into dust and rubble as the creature made its entrance, sending shockwaves through the ground. It was one of the ancient beasts that had once roamed the Forest of Valdrum—the same beasts that had guided Kaelith and Torrack to safety when they first crossed the forest's dangerous depths.
The crowd gasped in awe and terror as the creature revealed itself. It was enormous, towering over the fighters, its fur black and thick like the darkest night. Its eyes gleamed with a fiery red glow, and its tusks, long and curved, looked sharp enough to cut through stone. This was no ordinary beast—it was a legend, a creature feared by all who had heard tales of its wrath. No man had ever defeated it in battle.
The Ashenmoor fighters froze in their tracks, their confidence shattered in an instant. The mage stumbled backward, his hands trembling as he tried to summon a spell, but his fear overwhelmed him. "I… I quit!" he screamed, dropping his staff and fleeing toward the edge of the arena. The two swordsmen followed, their pride forgotten as they scrambled to escape the monster that now stood between them and victory.
"I quit! I quit!" they shouted in unison, running for their lives.
The referee, wide-eyed and speechless, quickly declared the battle over. "The winners are Brightwater!" he called out, his voice shaking.
Kaelith, still kneeling on the ground, looked up at the beast in disbelief. It had come to her aid, responding to her desperate call for help. Eleon rushed to her side, helping her stand as she winced in pain from her wound.
The crowd erupted into cheers, the victory more spectacular than anyone had expected. Brightwater had triumphed against the odds, and their mysterious ally had left an indelible mark on the tournament.
Kaelith glanced at the beast one last time before it turned and disappeared into the distance, vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. Though she hadn't fully understood the power she had summoned, one thing was clear: their victory was not just a stroke of luck—it was a reminder that even the oldest legends held truths.