It was in a small market with a stage set in the middle, usually where children shop around the area. The only thing out of place was the young man standing in the middle of the stage yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Attention people of the Yurik area." the boy yelled. When no one turned he sighed, and then with a stomp of his foot the earth around his feet rose, raising him above the people in the market. Then with the wind powering his voice, he spoke again, though this time his voice easily overpowered those in the square. "Attention people of the Yurik area," everyone turned to the noise, which made the boy smile. "I propose a challenge." he held up a small bag. "If any of you can beat me in one-on-one combat then you can have all the money I have here."
Some had already lost interest, this was a common tactic of young street mages. The mage would propose a challenge and then be beaten horribly because they overestimate their power, but then the mage said. "If I win you only have to pay me half." Which in turn brought people's attention back to the stage, either the kid was extremely desperate or extremely stupid, he was no noble, and as such had no bloodline, he couldn't beat anyone who knew how to fight. Now that the kid had people's attention he decided he seemed almost manic, which in turn only made people more interested.
"I'll fight anyone and permit that person to use any weapon at their disposal. Of course, I will not be using any weapon myself." At this point, people started to become suspicious of what they were rather unsure about.
Somewhere in the crowd, a young man around the age of the mage walked up onto the stage. He was likely a noble with blonde hair and an immaculate blue jacket with pants to match. He pulled a thin side sword from its scabbard and dramatically swished it in the air before pointing at the image on his earthen tower. "I'll fight you, but if you win I won't only match your wager but give you my sword as well."
Suddenly the small towner sunk into the ground as the mage walked up to the noble and put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "And what shall I call you my well-dressed friend?"
In response, the noble boy spat at the mage before rasping, "Get out of my face you urchin. I am Gatrem Hemra. If you make it out of this exchange walking you are indeed a lucky man."
"I see you're not one for small talk. I assume you just want to get to the fighting."
Without saying a word Gatrem growled as he swung the sword at the unnamed mage's face, but he had already jumped back out of the way. The mage's clothes and hair swept upward as the wind rushed around him like a self-contained whirlwind. What once was a smile was now a face of extreme concentration. The contrast in his face now and before was in a couple of ways, shocking, as if simply looking at someone would kill them.Â
Gatrem was caught off guard for a second but quickly brushed it off. He charged, swinging his sword recklessly, but as he drew near the mage he jumped soaring above the Hemra, and landed on the other side of the stage. Gatrem responded by growling as he spat, "You have to fight me to win."
The mage almost smiled as he responded, "And you need to hit me, but if you want me to go on the defensive I'll gladly oblige." He shifted his stance as the ground beneath him shifted into the sand. The sand climbed up his leg and moved around his arm before forming a glove of earth.
For the last time, Gatrem charged, thrusting his sword at the mage's chest, but before it reached its mark it was stopped by the mage's hand. With a flex of strength aided by the sand, the sword snapped upwards. "I think we can consider lethal blows off limits, but if you want to play the way I will oblige." The sand on the mage's hand fell to the ground as energy started forming around the hand, blue charges arcing between his fingers and up his arm.
At the simple sight of his broken sword and that blue energy Gatrem fell back in fear, scooting back in fear, anything to get away from that power.
****
Lt. Uelas looked at the fight very intently. The boy was very talented, many combat mages in the department would struggle against him, but he was untrained, and the time it took him to switch elements was slow at best. The most interesting thing about him was the energy now covering his arm. It was rare to find someone able to create a charge so quickly. If he was from a bloodline he was either in disguise or illegitimate, though the latter was probably more plausible.
While The Lieutenant was analytical, still only mildly interested, his companion was rather different. Sargent Rien Yeria had an almost crazed expression on her face. With a sigh, the Lieutenant confronted her, "I know what you're thinking and I advise against it."
She was briefly removed from her trance and looked at him, "I'll go easy on him."
"No, you won't, just try not to kill him." He knew Sergeant Yeria for long enough now to know she would fight this boy no matter what, and that he might have to step in before things get too far.
Her grin returned as she turned towards her unexpecting victim. "I won't." She walked up to the stage while the boy was facing the other way and overlooked the sergeant walking up to him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a shot."
When the kid turned around, the second he saw the uniform of a militia officer he started to run until she said. "Wait, I am not here to charge you." The boy stopped in his tracks as he turned around, summoning flames to cover his right hand. "I don't want to charge you, I want to fight you."
The boy took a step back shifting his stance into a very well-structured blaze stance. "How am I supposed to trust you won't still charge me after."
"I don't think you can, but I would like to propose a deal."
The boy's eyes sifted at the last word, "I'm listening."
"It's simple if you win I set you free with no charge, and I'll give you this charm." She pulled a charm out of her pocket, it was a simple pendant with a dark stone in the middle. "I assume you know what this is."
He nodded, he looked very interested now. "And what if you win."
Her smile only widened, "If I win you have to work in my services for one week." That got the lieutenant's attention, and he was very impressed by the sergeant's resourcefulness but he still did worry for the boy's safety.
The boy himself seemed conflicted, but after one last look at the pendant, he nodded. The now-forgotten Hemra noble gets to his feet and runs away down the street. "I agree to the terms." the boy said as the fire in his hand burned anew. "Shall I start?"
"Feel free."
With a blast of fire, the young mage shot forward bringing his burning fist forward toward the sergeant's face, but the fist was stopped by a hand covered in water. The water surrounding the lieutenant's hand condensed into a small orb, and as she sifted a stance she shot the ball into the boy, launching him back to the other side of the stage. The boy regained his balance as he redoubled his firepower shifting into a distance stance.
In response, the sergeant shifted into a defensive stance as she raised the earth around her which caught the first volley of fire. The boy then dropped his fire as the wind picked up, throwing him high above the stage. Rocks were thrown after him but the wind caught them, spinning them around the boy and shooting back at the sergeant. The boy continued his flight as he spun, catching the wind and launching a blast toward her. The wind did catch her as it shot her back against her makeshift barricade. Instead of being taken off guard or angry at the successful assault she only smiled. "You're too good for a normal street kid, are you illegitimate?" flames burst from her hands as she sent a spirling blast of fire towards the boy.
Then the boy's stance changed, it wasn't a stance the lieutenant knew of but it seemed well practice. He stretched his hand out, fingers straight as crackling blue light arced through his fingers and up his arm, the sleeve of his shirt tearing. Once the fire reached his hand the flames cut around him. Flames shrouded the boy obscuring him from the now-evacuating observers. However, when the flames dissipated he stood untouched, almost. The arm, still covered in that blue energy, dripped with blood as the energy cut into the boy's skin. His face showed no pain but only cold determination.
The sergeant's smile grew inhumanly wide as the boy stood there. "Please tell me who you are?"
The boy didn't respond but instead charged toward Sergeant Yeria, going way too fast with an explosion as the energy no longer surrounded his arm but his whole body as cuts appeared on his skin. He jabs towards his opponent's chest. In the nick of time, the earth in front of the sergeant stopping the boy's hand as it sunk into the wall.
The energy in the young mage disappeared as blood pooled at his feet. "I am Arzin Tarnum, and I am no one of consequence."Â