‘You look better,’ Samuel stated.
‘I think they want a better show this time. My cell is not nearly so dismal any more. I even have a bucket. What about you? Have you found the Empress?’
‘No, but I am learning more, slowly.’
‘We cannot wait forever, Samuel. We need to act.’
There was a commotion from the crowd as two Paatin wizards emerged from the opposing gates. The crowd did not cheer, but a murmur ran amongst them. These wizards donned grey,wrap-around cloaks of light material, in the Paatin-style. They seemed powerful and the two of them immediately began gathering power from the pattern around them.
‘Trouble,’ Eric noted.
‘I still don’t have my ring, Eric. Can you handle them?’
Eric was worried, but he made his best attempt to hide the fact. ‘Without a doubt,’ he lied, and he, too, began filling himself with magic.
Samuel felt his heart racing and forced his eyes shut, even reducing his magician’s senses to nothing in attempt to shut out the presence of the two readying wizards. His lips trembled as he recited his mantras of centring. He tried all the mind-calming exercises he knew, but still his power was distant and feeble,too pathetic to even reach.
‘Samuel,’ he heard Eric say beside him, but he did his best to ignore his friend. ‘Samuel!’ Eric called again, with more urgency. ‘I hope you’re ready. They’re coming!’
Samuel opening his eyes to see the two wizards working at their spells. They had already made their shields and were now readying their offensive magic, moving their arms in gestures of casting.
‘Are you ready, Samuel?’ Eric said, having thrown his defences in place.
Two blasts of magic shot out towards them and Samuel dived for cover. The Paatin magic thundered into Eric’s shields. Both spells were heavy, but Eric skilfully deflected each of them aside.
‘No, I’m not ready!’ Samuel called out, quickly picking himself up from the sand.
‘Then leave it to me,’ Eric said. ‘I will try to end this quickly, before they have a chance to learn our weakness.’
Eric gathered magic from his own pool and worked it into a spell. The two Paatin stood patiently and awaited its completion, hoping to measure his strength in return.
‘Make it count, Eric. We don’t want to give them a chance to retaliate.’
With that, Eric unleashed his magic and the spell shot forth with fury. It was a beam of fire wrapped in lightning, and it surged from his hands teeming with wrath. It careened wildly into the ground like a writhing serpent and sent up a great spray of sand as Eric struggled to direct it. It struck the Paatin defences with a roar and the wizards reacted in turn. Their shields squealed, but the brunt of Eric’s spell was turned aside, churning up more sand and scorching the walls.
Stray fragments of magic flew towards the crowds, but the Paatin observers were not caught unprepared. Wizards were sitting in the front row of the crowd and they already had a net of spells in place to protect the audience.
‘You need to do better than that,’ Samuel said, but Eric was not deterred.
‘I’m not finished yet,’ he said and released a second knot of magic that he had readied behind the first.
The beam of fire bloomed to twice its size and beat at the Paatin shield with twice its vigour. The two wizards were barely visible amongst the sparks and fire, but Samuel could see that they were standing calmly as they defended themselves, unfazed by Eric’s effort.
He was disappointed, but Eric was still not finished. With determination,he unleashed another spell, low in power but complex in crafting. It shot out laterally, striking the arena wall at their side and then raced around like a scampering monkey upon the wall, following it towards the wizards. When itwasbehind the men, it sprang out towards their backs, ready to grip hold of them.
‘Yes!’ Samuel declared, a moment too soon, for they had been ready for just such an attack. With a flick of his wrist, one of the wizards easily dispelled Eric’s attempt to catch them unawares.
Eric ceased his efforts and the roar and noise of his spells immediately ceased. ‘I think we’re in trouble,’ he noted. His forehead was glistening with sweat. ‘These two are strong.’
The two wizards left the spot where they had made their stand, and moved in opposite directions. They circled around the wall of the arena, sidestepping and keeping their dark faces to the two magicians.
‘What now?’ Eric asked.
‘They’re flanking us. Let them. Eric, gather more power. You must do all the offensive work while I try to distract their attention.’
‘How are you planning to do that?’
‘Just do it, Eric. I will take care of my part and you take care of yours. I know you still have much more power inside you. This is no time to be coy. We need it now, or we’re dead.’
Eric nodded solemnly and set himself to the task, dropping into Fathoming Stance with his fingers to his temples. The sand shuddered as he pooled more power, but the Paatin wizards leapt into action before he could complete his work. Spells shot out from both of them and Samuel’sheartwas in his mouth. Eric was busy and he knew it was up to him to defend themboth. He heard himself scream with effort as he spread out his arms to each side and called for a spell. The Paatin magic fell upon them from both sides and, incredibly, was stopped short by a barrier of magic. Samuel was astounded and was wondering why his magic had chosen that moment to return, when he realised it had not,for it was Eric who had saved them.
Eric had broken from hisSummoning stance to save them and was now standing defensively, surrounding them in protective barriers.
‘Damn it, Samuel!’ he swore. ‘Do I have to do everything?’
Samuel brought his empty hands back before his chest and looked into them. His magic had failed again. He had hoped that sheer need and desperation would be enough to lure his power from its slumber, but he was not so fortunate.
More spells shot out from the Paatin wizards: quick probing spells that harassed Eric’s shields and tested them for openings. One Paatin then eased back, saving his power,while the other continued to attack them, hoping to wear the Imperial magicians down.
‘Very well,’ Samuel said. ‘Perhaps I can do something else that may be of some use.’
He vaulted past Eric and left their bubble of protection. He began sprinting towards the wizard who had eased his spells, running at the man full pace. The wizard was surprised and cast out his magic, but Samuel had already turned aside and began darting away with the spells at his heels. He heard the wizard curse after him and he only hoped that Eric would act quickly. He had only scant moments left before the Paatin wizard would second- guess his evasive movements and then his luck would run out.
The second wizard ceased his attacks upon Eric and he, too, took up the opportunity to attack Samuel. It was a critical mistake for them and a stroke of luck for the Order magicians for,in the time it took for the man to redirect his spells, Eric had sprung into action.
As the Paatin magic raced out towards Samuel, Eric pulled down his shields and tossed all his power at the distracted wizard. The spell shattered the man’s defences and slammed into him. The impact threw the wizard against the arena wall and left him hanging at the centre of a deep depression on its cracked face. The force of the spell must have been considerable, for a length of seating above that spot fell in and the audience scrambled as their chairs caved into the hole beneath them.
As the force of the spell subsided, the Paatin wizard fell from the wall and crashed limply onto the sand, perished.
Samuel continued his frantic steps until he realised that the other wizard’s spells had ceased behind him. The remaining wizard was now directing his spells at Eric, whom he took to be the greater threat, and who now had no shields in place. Eric saw it coming, but he had precious little time to assemble more defences. His first hastily rebuilt shields tumbled beneath the wizard’s onslaught.
‘Eric!’ Samuel called in alarm. He was powerless to help, so he did all he could do, and began running at the Paatin wizard with all the strength and speed he could muster.
Eric’s spells collapsed before Samuel could get anywhere near the wizard and Eric disappeared amidst a fountain of sand as the Paatin spell exploded in upon him. Samuel continued running, painfully aware that his steps
