Algernon Black

(Chapter 61) The Tourney of Fall

"Students, practitioners, legacies of the great King Leviathan!" The headmistress loudly addressed the entire population of Attwood assembled at the ceremony grounds.

"Together we gather in the sight of the last good king during our god of destruction cycle so that we may praise their gifts and prove ourselves loyal warriors of their will." She radiated a smile down at her students. Some of which she was actually proud of producing.

"During these days, I recall one of the great questions proposed by the last good king, in times when everything is taken from you, what is it that you hold onto? Your traditions, your beliefs, hope?" Sylvia offered up to the hesitant students. "The answer is different for all of us, but one we must find out for ourselves, because life will always have destruction, but you can always rebuild with the wisdom and values you hold too."

The students beamed up at the headmistress as the teachers led the applause. Pecilia used her hands more appropriately and crossed her arms. She would have called the speech tacky but that was giving it too much credit.

Professor Ulmonwood, the fifth-year teacher of light magic, took position over the podium next.

"Now, all of you come forward and take one stone and one necklace." Each of the five years were separated into two rows facing the stage. Two teachers handled each row with a basket of stones and the other an armful of necklaces.

Lucy grabbed one of the rocks from Opperwood. She could feel the power of the transportation stone even though it was as small as her thumb, which meant they weren't traveling far. When she saw Brickwood was the one to hand her the necklace she smiled.

The professor leaned in to lock the clasp around Lucy's neck and took a second to speak with her. "Can you do me a favor Lucy?" Brickwood asked as he freed her hair held down by the necklace.

Lucy's eyes and ears opened.

"Try your best to make it until the end. I want everyone to see how wrong they are about you. And how right I was to believe in you." His smile was as eye-catching a sight as his handsome face and Lucy blushed as she peered up at him and nodded in a promise.

As Lucy walked back she inspected the necklace. It was a simple chain with a closed dragon's eye pendant that fell to her lungs. It had a heavier weight to it than just the metal and when she tried to raise the dragon's metal eyelid to see what was so heavy, it wouldn't budge.

"Now for the rules," Ulmonwood announced. "The dragon's eye awakens at sunset. Until than you won't know if your necklace is one that contains a life crystal or not." The professor held up a glowing yellow stone the exact size that would fit into their pendant. "But if any necklace in your control has a life crystal in it by sunrise you make it to the next round." The students started to look at each other as if they could spot who had one and who didn't.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheeks as she thought about what the rules meant. The best chance of making it to the next round was collecting as many necklaces as one could. Which meant it would be every man for themself.

Sylvia took back her podium position. The headmistress gaze swept over the crowd to the one student who was sure to make this year's games the most exciting one she had ever conducted. Algernon made eye contact with the headmistress for only a second before clenching his jaw and jerking his gaze away.

"May the gods look down upon you, and the last good king grant you his grace," the headmistress spoke, and then in the old language of a time long forgotten lifted her hands and announced the start of the game, "Perdaium."

Lucy felt a tingle in her hand and her hair lifted off her shoulders as the light of the transportation stone burst out. The next time her eyes opened she was in the middle of the forests behind Attwood with no one in sight. Though that peace wouldn't last long for the girl considered the easiest target of the games.