For the select few who had managed to retain their health during the explosion, they all seemed to hesitate. More than a few pairs of eyes flinched as I glanced their way.
“Almost makes you feel special,” I said with false cheer. “Could get used to this.”
“Could you really?” Sereza retorted.
“No,” I admitted. “Scary face is effective. This persona is fun to cut loose in, but not something I’d want to stick around. It’s too…”
“Cocky? Over the top? Wild? Chaotic?”
I slapped my hand over my chest and feigned heartache. It was all theatrics, and it conveniently helped slow our descent across the sand pit to the surely waiting grumpy arena master. Though… There was a brief blip of something in Sereza’s words. So faint, I almost dismissed it; if it wasn’t for how attuned my mana senses currently were. Not when it came to my body with my channels still repairing themselves. Not while I still rode the adrenal high of a battle that ended only moments ago.
Still, I didn’t probe it. Whatever the something was, it wasn’t malicious, more like a niggling of understanding in the back of my head. More akin to breaking through a mental roadblock, or surpassing the last little piece of a barrier that barred you from your next skill rank.
Whatever it was, it could wait. At least until we returned to the booth where I could relax.
Sereza followed in my steps, matching my pace. When I slowed she slowed, so when I paused atop a slab before the entrance of the exiting tunnel, she too paused with me.
“Something wrong?”
I didn’t answer right away, instead crouching and sliding my hand across the stone. Unlike those closest to the explosion, the slabs along the outskirts were unharmed barring the ones stained in blood.
The slab beneath was untouched, looking almost brand new beyond the random grains of sand hidden inside its grooves. Yet, an itch scratched my senses, drawing me to it. Empowering mana through my eyes, increased the spectrums of color usually blended into the background. It was then that I noticed the haze of mana radiating off the stone in swirling lines.
Except, the lines weren’t swirling and seemingly sprouted jagged edges of condensed energy throughout the stone and the air above. Gold glitter flowed between threaded brown and silver mana. The rune for enforcement flashed along its center followed by a four-sided blockade of connecting glyphs.
There was another rune meshed with the enforcing rune, but I couldn’t make out what the symbol meant.
“Hey, do you mind watching my back for a second?” I asked.
“Sure. Should I be prepared to stab something?”
“Doubtful, but you never know.”
She smirked and thumbed her daggers from their sheaths. Without fully drawing them, her glare had almost the same effect as mine toward the other contestants.
With her screening my actions–not that I thought I was hiding them, not from the thousands of eyes watching me, nor the arena master–I closed my eyes and delved into an untapped skill.
In the soul realm, the skillwisp floated lazily by, coming to a stop around my head without dropping into arm’s reach. I willed it closer but found it elusive. An intense staring match and an extended hand helped hone my focus and brought it closer.
The damn thing was elusive at the best of times. Now that it rested above my palm, the gentle fog around the wisp gave way and revealed rainbow lines shimmering inside the orb. They flashed red then brown to green along with a myriad of impossible colors I could never identify. Not as someone who used to be human at least.
Further staring revealed patterns in the shimmering, giving way to smaller glyphs making up the larger ones. It was beautiful, and frustrating. Runes, I could recognize–what few I had studied. The runes inside the wisp where impossible to decipher. The long I stared, the more the edges of my vision started to strain.
Color drained followed by the crisp clarity as the corners broke into static. Forcing the wisp away, I blinked the flashing images out of my eyes and started to channel my mana.
Absolute Authority was my skill that had to do something with runes. It evolved from Rune Skald into something grandstanding and oh so edgy. Usually, I treated it more like a passive skill than an actual active, but now I wanted to try something different.
As the thin thread touched the wisp, the shimmering blinked, freezing the mixing colors into a spiral of complex sigils that made up its entirety. From the size of my hand down to the smallest grain of rice and even further, the runes tried to burn itself into my thoughts before the wisp pulsed and my skill broke its momentary pause.
It started to spin, increasing rotation as mana filled the wisp. In the physical world, wet droplets landed on the back of my hand, bringing me out of the meditative realm.
I watched the pink blood slip from my fingers and onto the slab, glistening in the sunlight.
“I’ve barely put any mana into you and I’m already straining myself? What the fuck?” I muttered.
Sereza glanced over, her eyes widening. “Your nose is bleeding. What happened?”
“Skill strain,” I spat. “Which is ridiculous.”
“What skill?”
“Later,” I said, shaking my head. “When we’re in the booth.”
“Fine. But hurry up and do what you’re going to do. The announcer is starting to stare at us.”
I gave a muffled reply and collected myself. One breath in, one breath out. Slowly, as the skill was allowed more room to flood my mind, instinct guided my hand. It reached for the golden line fraying above the stone and pinched.
The thread shuttered as if trying to squirm free but a snarl burst from my throat as anger flooded my thoughts.
Stop!
As I thought the command, the connecting runes quivered and I pressed harder with my fingers. It felt like grabbing air, except for the faint impression of electricity dancing beneath my digits.
Finally it stilled, and a flood of satisfaction filled my chest. Pushing aside the emotion, I cocked my head and leaned forward. The runes were similar, uniform, and perfect copies of the other runes amongst the slabs.
As my fingers moved, I threaded the fraying edges together, forcing them into a single strand before shifting the meta-physical noodle into a replica of the same runes. Knowledge and instinct kicked in as I lined the rune along the stone.
Enforce. Connect. Disperse.
With a repeat of the words, it was like putting on glasses for the first time. The frayed lines and hazy light sharpened into crystal clear focus. Suddenly, the runes I failed to recognize from before revealed themselves and a twinge in my soul drank a chunk of mana from my pool.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I wanted to dive into what changes had just occurred within Absolute Authority but the skill urged me to complete the task. With the runes aligned and shaped exactly as I wanted them there was only one thing left to do.
My hand flexed into a fix and I willed the energy to squeeze together, compressing and to sink. The runes landed atop the stone and sank below it, joining the network of enchantments inside the slab. As the final piece of the puzzle connected to the rest I released my mental grip and sighed.
Elation.
Satisfaction and superiority mixed with my emotions adding a prideful euphoria to Sturmrorex’s influence.
It was unneeded, but a second glance at the slab revealed a fully functioning enchantment. And now that it was whole, my shoulders relaxed and my muscles unclenched.
“Alright. Either I’m about to be banned from the tournament or praised. I say we get this over with.”
“You know you don’t have to do potentially dumb things? Right?” Sereza teased.
I slapped her tail with mine and took her arm as I dragged her toward the tunnel.
“I’ll explain when we’re in the booth, but I think I learned something about one of my skills.”
“No fair. Now I’m curious.”
“How is that unfair?”
“If you get banned, they might make you leave the arena. Which means you won’t be allowed into the booth. You can’t tease a girl and leave her with nothing.”
“Haa. Haa.”
She stuck out her tongue and we enjoyed the growing quiet of the tunnels. Without the thousands of eyes and intense chatter, it was almost peaceful.
That peace lasted long enough for us to make out the glowing form of Myol standing at the end of the tunnel with her arms crossed. She looked decidedly unhappy.
“Quick, reveal your secrets,” Sereza urged.
“Piss off. She’s grumpy, not angry. And is it me or the person behind her being restrained by a bar of light?”
Sereza shrugged and turned to examine the robed figure behind Myol’s left. Shorter, and with the hood up, it was impossible to see their features. What wasn’t unnoticable was the extended bar of glowing golden light wrapped around their waist, restraining them.
The robed figure pressed against it, almost desperate to rush toward us. I would have been worried, but Myol didn’t seem too concerned.
As we neared, I released Sereza’s arm and slapped a smile on my mask. “I didn’t destroy the arena this time.”
Myol’s eye twitched.
Hmmm. Let’s be humble and nice today. She might bite me.
“You almost did,” she growled.
“It was a single fireball.”
“You broke the enchantments and removed more than half of the competition.”
“That can’t be that strange. Surely you’ve had people try similar things in tournaments.”
She clenched her jaw and the light around her shoulders increased in intensity. “Not from a tier one. The mana was configured for tier one fighters. That attack surpassed the limits.”
“Would it help if I showed you the number on my status screen?” I sighed.
“Yes.”
Configuring the notification to allow only my tier, I sent the connection over and watched her eyes glaze over. She promptly blinked back into clarity and huffed.
“You are dangerous. Reckless. And suicidal.”
“That’s not-”
“But that is permitted at your own peril,” she continued, raising her voice. “What isn’t allowed is the tampering of the arena enchantments. Doing so is enough to have you arrested. The only reason I haven’t thrown you to the guards is because of the eyesore behind me. Now answer truthfully. Did you tamper with the enchantment?”
I straightened and looked Myol directly in the eye, matching her gaze. “No. I repaired it. The runes should be an exact copy inscribed into the other slabs.”
“Not a liar, that’s a first,” she snorted. Her shoulders relaxed but a sigh escaped her as the robed figure behind her increased their efforts at breaking free. It was only then that I noticed the familiar sound-suppressing barrier surrounding her. Even more, the barrier extended past Myol and around us, having constructed it without me noticing. She started drumming her fingers along her bicep and stepped to the side. “Tell me, why that stone in particular? Why at all?”
Rather than replying immediately and with something flippant, I chewed the thought. Why had I fixed it? The simple answer was that I wanted to. Deeper than that, it more of a curiosity that grabbed hold of my attention and subtly demanded I explore it.
“Because I wanted to…” I started. Myol’s gaze narrowed but I held up a hand to hold off the lecture. “I have a skill that I won’t reveal but it involves runes. Usually I forget about it, but it demanded my attention this time. I don’t know why that slab, there wasn’t anything special about it other than it existing near me.”
“More truth. At least you’re honest. Don’t do it again…”
“You have my word.”
Myol grunted and fully stepped to the side, allowing full sight to the scrambling figure. With a nudge of her chin, the partition separating the sound-barrier fizzled away, revealing a woman’s voice.
“Myol! Release me! I have to talk to him! He has to reveal what he knows! Let me go! Let me- Oh. The barrier is gone. Good. Now release this infernal restraint this instant! And you! Don’t move! No wait! Come closer! Myol!”
I tried to take a step back but found myself against a solid wall. I turned to see Myol’s barrier having shrunk and now blazed against Sereza and I’s back.
“You created this mess. Deal with it,” was all the arena master said before another barrage of questions and demands sprouted from the incessant woman.
In the scrambling the hoodie came loose revealing a shock of white hair styled in short braids. Dark skin a shade lighter than Eodyne’s glistened with jagged tattoos made of orange and gold lines–similar to runes except for being incomplete. Her eyes flashed gold and I spotted rotating sigils swirling within her iris.
The rapid-fire nonsense was loosely thrown my way with the other half being directed at Myol. Myol closed her eyes and looked off into nothing, adding a sinking feeling in my gut.
“Myol! Release me at once! That man needs to be questioned! Restrain him, not me! I’ll pay you! The guild will pay you!” The woman paused long enough to suck in a deep breath and squeeze the bar of light immobilizing her. “No! Myol release me, or the guild will remove its contract with the arena! Seriously, how dare you! Look at him! He’s doing nothing! Myol. Myol!”
I rubbed the sides of my head, as Sturmrorex sent over an image of picking up a mouse in its claws and swiftly tossing it off a cliff.
“Myol, I will-”
“Shut up!” I yelled.
The woman froze, her head slowly turning to face me with wild eyes. “You-”
“No. Shut it. Please. I need a second.”
Closing my eyes didn’t help, I could still hear the echoes of her voice overwhelming my train of thought. She squeaked again and I audibly cracked my neck.
“Okay, I’m willing to listen.”
“Good, then I-”
“Aaaah. I’m willing to listen, and then be on my merry way. You’re from the enchanters right? I don’t remember seeing you inside the arena, but your robe is the same. Is this because I fixed one of the slabs?”
The woman nearly snarled as she flung herself at the bar. “Fixed?! You shouldn’t be able to see the runes, let alone mess with them. You fixed them! How? Why? Tell me. Explain it to me!”
“I think I have a poison that can calm her down. Maybe that will help?” Sereza whispered.
We turned to Myol, and for a second she looked like she was seriously considering it. Alas, she shook her head. “No poisoning. But Yvonne, you will collect yourself. Am I understood?”
Yvonne’s face scrunched, but she ran a hand through her hair, and slapped her cheeks. “Fine. Fine. But I want answers.”
“One at a time. And if I’m not willing to reveal the answer, I won’t.”
“You are in no position to bargain, Mordred.”
“No? I’m pretty sure if I get arrested, I’ll be broken free by a pair of crazy nobles.”
Her eyes widened. “So you’re backed by nobles. And I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself. Noble or not, the arena is the kingdom’s interest.”
“The nobles are the kind to break into the royal castle and steal a bathtub as they dash through the courtroom and sail off the cliff while cackling like madmen,” I said, deadpanned.
“I… I see,” Yvonne slowly nodded. “One question at a time is doable. Myol. Release me. I’ve collected myself, as you demanded.”
A flex of her index finger saw the bar unfold and disperse. Yvonne straightened her robe and fixed me with an intense look eerily similar to someone I knew.
“She looks like Celenae,” Sereza chuckled. “Scary.”
“Very,” I sighed. “Alright, first question.”
“What’s the name of your enchanting skill?!”
“Denied!”
“But-”
“Not revealing my skills, lady. Ask a different question.”
“Can you at least confirm that it's an enchanting skill?” she asked, exasperated.
I shrugged. “It’s not confined to enchanting. That’s all I’ll say.”
The sigils in her eyes rotated, and she tapped her thigh. “Runic then. Interesting. Good. Then tell me if it was the work of one skill or multiple used to break through the cipher.”
“Cipher?”
“Of course the cipher. Don’t pretend you didn’t read the runes. I’ve worked a decade on perfecting my signature and my skills show me exactly what you did. To copy my runic signature entirely is no easy feat. So go on, only the truth!”
“Listen,” I said. “I didn’t know there was a cipher. Believe it or not, I’m not that well studied in runes. And they weren’t that complicated.”
“Not that complicated… You-” she shook herself. Her next words came through gritted teeth. “I see. Then who is your master? Would I be able to meet them?”
Master? I guess the closest thing I have is Eraztis since he gave me the book… Nah, it’d be funny, but no need to reveal to Myol I’m connected to divinity in any way.
“No master. Self taught. I’m not an enchanter, it's just a skill I picked up not too long ago. That’s it.”
Yvonne snapped to Myol who rubbed the back of her neck.
“He’s telling the truth,” Myol said.
Yvonne looked bewildered. Then pissed off. Whatever she thought of me, her eyes sharpened and searching fingers clawed the air.
“If you’ve no master… As preposterous as that is…” She exhaled. “Then… Then…”
“I think we try to run,” I whispered to Sereza, nudging her side.
“Stop trying to get us killed,” she nudged back.
“No fun.”
“Not trying to be.”
Yvonne stepped closer, her hand outstretched. Mania exuded from her eyes, and her target was me.
“Then… You… Join the guild!”
“What?”
Her hands grabbed my collar. “Apprentice under me!”
What the fuck?