The Ether-Knight's Lessons

19

.^^ the Cards in Use ^^

— Idun —

I laughed and tossed Glass a Platinum Coin. "Place that on Either Me, Jon, or Eliza winning the entire tournament."

He smiled and tossed it to Orissa. "Treasurer! You heard the lady... and you, Little Prince? Any bets to declare?"

Pashas tilted his head, and then nodded. "I would like to make a wager that a first-year will win, not an Upperclassman."

I chuckled and gave him a second Coin, which he offered to Orissa.

She smiled and took it, setting it in a purse. A message, written in flame, appeared, spelling out his bet, then faded, until the same bet appeared on the large set of four screens in the middle, over the ring.

"Interesting... you've managed some intricate magic, here." I murmured.

Glass shrugged. "It's nothing. Took Eleven years to get as polished as it is now, but it looked basically the same when I started it."

"You performed in a circus, didn't you? Before coming here?" I decided to ask what I'd been curious about for a while, now.

He blinked. "Very good guess, dear, but no. I worked in a fighting-house."

"Ahhh, a criminal! How wonderful!" I chuckled.

Orissa laughed softly, and then began taking bets amongst the other people in the VIP seats.

Glass nodded. "Well, it's time for the Contestants to go down to the pits to ready up, eh? Shoo shoo." He waved, and I suddenly sat on a metal bench in a giant locker-room, with Bergen and Weiss squeezed in behind me.

The other women looked between us, and sighed slowly. "The other Dragon is sunning out back." One girl pointed at the open back door, and Aurelius laying on his back lazily.

Bergen tip-toed around everyone as best he could, and only knocked one bank of lockers, which we caught quickly, and righted as he escaped the captivity.

Weiss laid on top of the bench, and batted at one girl's hair, instantly alerting everyone to the adorable kitten. I got dressed in my armor, located in the locker with my name on it, while they mobbed her, petting and stroking her soft fur.

Her purrs were loud enough to rattle cages, but no one seemed to mind, though most of them went back to dressing. The ones who were already ready didn't need to leave, so they continued to love on my Familiar.

A screen appeared, showing the stage, and everyone crowded in front of it, laying on Bergen, Aurelius, and Weiss, who had formed a cuddle-puddle near the entrance.

The two men who were up first, the Russian and Latin, were being introduced by Glass, who now stood in the ring, much bigger than I'd originally thought, as he and his little microphone were dwarfed by it.

After re-announcing the rules, the two men were given the go-ahead.

I watched, amused, as they threw basic magic at each other, using little tricks in an effort to be clever.

"So this is what you meant, hmm? About prodigies and... everyone else?" I asked Eliza quietly, looking at the girls who were dazzled by this pathetic start.

She nodded. "Exactly... so why'd you bet on me, instead of yourself alone?"

"Beeecause... I'm not a cocky cunt?" I asked/explained.

She snorted, and covered her mouth, smothering her laugh when someone shushed her.

I snapped back loudly. "There's nothing to hear, ya dumb bitch, it's a fight, not a lecture!"