Series: The Mountain: Book 1: The Awakening

Finishing The Fight

Wisps of cold air slithered over the earth as a puddle of darkness erupted on the far side of the arena. Attention, immediately grabbed by the unmistakable phenomenon, Samuel ceased his rant as an expressionless Liam exited its shadowy embrace. Raising his guard even higher after his opponent's sudden appearance, Samuel licked his lips nervously as he studied the unfamiliar aura. He, who had spent his younger years all the way to his current age on the Mountain, had never seen an energy so volatile and dangerous as the one before him. Maintaining his barrier of flames, he glued his eyes on the boy, determined not to lose sight of him a second time. 

Liam, who despite the immense power he harbored within, decided not to rush, intending on testing out his newfound abilities to its fullest potential. Flipping through his mind once more, a wave of surprise flickered momentarily on his face as he soon stumbled upon a spell he himself had been affected by in the past. Staring up at the already overcast sky, a smile threatened to spread across his lips as the memory of the late Elystrucian mages lingered at the edge of his mind. Confused by his actions, Samuel chanced an upward glance, observing the dark grey clouds whilst leaving one eye trained on Liam. 

Still unsure of the meaning behind his odd movements, his confusion turned to horror as his opponent pointed towards him shouting a singular word, "Strike!"

Raising a palm to the heavens, Samuel frantically called out, "Flame of Protection!" in response.

Without any warning, white hot flames appeared out of thin air, surging upward as it raced towards a descending bolt of lightning. Sending a tremendous crash throughout the entire plateau as the two energies collided, an explosion, greater than those present had ever before witnessed, catapulted miniature shockwaves in every direction. Gripping the armrests tightly as they sat on the edge of their seats, the entire crowd awaited the result with bated breath. Although they remained confident that a member of the council would never falter to an outsider, the forceful nature of Liam's attack left doubts buried deep within their hearts. Straining their eyes as they waited impatiently for the dust to settle, a cheer simultaneously escaped from their lips as Samuel stood mostly unscathed amidst the rubble. Standing directly opposite to him, Liam showered his opponent with genuine applause, surprised at how well he'd received the devastating blow. 

"You're not as bad as you look," Liam began sincerely, a slight drizzle of rain cascading onto the field, "I half expected you to dodge rather than meet it head on."

"Not as bad as you look?" Samuel repeated in an offended tone, "It seems you really are in need of a lesson."

Veins pressing itself against Samuel's neck as his anger rose to new levels, the encircling air turned misty as heat emanated in a misshapen bubble around him, turning water droplets into vapor as it fell. Letting out a scream somewhere in between a roar and a shout, the young councilor flung his arms at Liam, spewing what appeared to be molten lava in his direction. Surprised by the unexpected nature of the attack, Liam slipped into the void, easily avoiding the viscous projectile.

Quickly regaining his composure, he searched his mind hurriedly, before shouting, "Fire Spear!"

Unlike what he was expecting, a twin pair of jagged spears of flame, materialized four feet above the ground before launching itself at his enemy. 

Smirking at his counterattack, Samuel casually batted the flaming missiles aside before shouting, "You would dare to use fire against me, the master of flames?"

Ignoring his remark, Liam broke into a run as he contemplated Samuel's words, "The master of flames you say? Sounds like a very pretentious title to me. Why don't we see just how proficient you are?"

Without breaking stride, Liam waved his arms to and fro forming distinct trails of shimmering, heated wind as he shouted, "Fire Wave!"

Just as before, a wall of red hot flames were conjured out of thin air, launching itself at Samuel, who now wore a panicked expression. Recognizing the approaching strike as a threat, the young councilor re-summoned his Flames of Protection, bracing himself for another impact. As the two slammed into each other, an explosion rivalling the first echoed through the plateau, kicking up another cloud of dust in its wake. The crowd, already expecting their colleague to survive, shouted words of encouragement through the still clearing arena. Murky clouds dissipating, the amassed onlookers hollered words of encouragement at their ally as his form became partially visible.  As opposed to his first encounter however, Samuel was not as lucky as he was earlier. Gasping as the respected councilman kneeled as he clutched an open wound, the crowd's cheers soon turned to murmurs of concern as Samuel bled freely from several cuts whilst nursing multiple burns. 

Realizing that Samuel, although still conscious was in no shape to continue, Liam walked slowly up to the man before raising both his hands as he faced the various viewing platforms, "This match ends here!"

Shocked by the unexpected outcome, the crowded stands immediately grew silent as their councilor sat defeated in the arena. Turning away from them, Liam began journeying towards the edge of the arena with a smile tugging at his lips. 

However, Samuel, who had yet to accept his defeat, slowly climbed to his feet before calling out to Liam, "Where do you think you're going?" 

Pausing as the words entered his ears, Liam looked back at the injured man, "You're in no shape to continue, just let it go."

"Let it go?" Samuel muttered angrily before shouting, "Let it go! I'll never let this stand. You may have won now but this...this is only the beginning. After today, I'll make your life a living hell. Any family of yours had better not cross my path or they will be snuffed out like a candle in a rainstorm."

As Samuel spoke those final words, Liam's hands balled itself into fists, rage building like never before into his heart, forcing his mind to teeter on the edge of madness. Amidst the councilor's threats, the rain, which had subtly cascaded onto the flattened peak earlier, finally began to batter the land as it descended from the sky in full force.

"What did you just say?" Liam asked, anger clearly laced within his tone. 

"You heard me!" Samuel responded, "Whether it be your mother, your father, your brother or your sister. It doesn't matter if it's a distant cousin. As long as they're related to you, they shall face my unending wrath."

"You know," Liam began, black aura encompassing his entire body as he retraced his steps, "I was asked not to take your life-"

"Ha," Samuel cut in, somewhat amused by his opponent's words, "Even if you could kill me, everyone here present would instantly become your enemy. You wouldn't be able to escape."

"As a man of my word, your life will not end by my hands," Liam said holding up a hand, "however, your threats towards my family cannot go unpunished."

Swiveling his head towards Isabelle as the rain drenched both his skin and clothes, Liam stared coldly at her, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Aura flaring wildly as his anger burned within him, Liam's left eye turned completely black as his aura surrounded Samuel's entire body. Hidden from the audience, Samuel's screams overshadowed the tumultuous clamor of the downpour as an unspeakably, torturous punishment was bestowed onto him!