Cursed: Immortal

Chapter 11: Test of Patience

~Scarlet~

Leaving Ian on the balcony had been cruel of me, but I knew that it was in his best interest to face this on his own. I would have told him, making the tests null and void; I just hope that he will survive. He needs to survive this...I cannot bear to lose another one.

His first test, beginning promptly at the crack of dawn, would be conducted by Hecate. The council would all be there, mostly to make sure that she doesn't go easy on him. She will push him to his magical limits in a specially thought up duel, and whether he wins or not, the first test will decide how much we drain him.

He will go through the same process with each member of the High Council to establish his points of power. These will then be used on the day of his birth to bind his energy to seven stones, which will be hidden away until such time that he can handle the magical energy.

My own powers, when they were taken, had to be put into obsidian gems, due to lesser jewels breaking on only a fraction of the energy.

It takes almost a hundred years for the initial energy to disperse through the body until the next can be used. Another benefit of being Immortal, you can live long enough to harness your own magic.

As the council encircles the main floor of the amphitheatre, my eyes never leave him. He just looks so alone and unsure, I want to hug him. But having Morgana and Marcus blocking me from both sides, I am forced to stay where I am, without being able to help him.

Hecate enters at the end farthest from her son, making a point not to look at him even once. As the magical pressure builds on both sides, I cross my arms, hoping to appear nonchalant, even if I don't actually feel that way.

As she moves to her first stance, my hands clench in anticipation. Morgana takes that for a move to interfere, so she increases the pressure on me, making it impossible for me to move.  Sighing, I cross my arms and shift to my left hip, my eyes never leaving the small battlefield.

With a small flash, magical arrows rain down on Ian, taking him by surprise, but he summons a shield quickly, blocking them. Less than a moment later, he sends his own attack, leaving Hecate to retaliate.

This goes on for hours, the attacks becoming ever more dangerous than the last. When Hecate's pressure increases again, a wind picks up, and I can feel Sapphira's whining more than hear it that her 'hair is being ruined'. The lower council are all around us, protecting us as well as the grounds from the influx of magical energy.

Nevertheless, we do not move, though I suspect Marcus and Morgana are tiring of holding me back, I may or may not be siphoning away their energy as a punishment for prohibiting me. Shifting to my other foot, I keep my gaze locked on the duel before me, the first of many for Ian.

Though the various Originals have different methods for drawing out the powers of Ian, he will have to duel all of them to be able to pass to the next test. Hecate's may be physical, but Morgana's will most likely test more than his magical capabilities.

My attention is drawn back to the battle, the playing field has tilted in Ian's favour, and somehow he has tapped another source, increasing his magical strength incredibly. Smiling more to myself than anything else, I sit down in a way reminiscent of the Tibetan monks I studied with for a few decades.

Marcus sighs and lowers his shield around me, as does Morgana. Resting my head on my palm, I can't help but admire the tattoos on Ian's arms once again, his shirt seems to have disappeared in the hours we've been here, not that I'm complaining.

At about noon, it seems as if they will never stop, so my mother summons food from the villa. As the platters are handed around, I still do not stop watching him, even while I eat. Silently, I wish for something stronger than fairy wine, but I know Morgana would never allow me to get drunk in public if she could help it.