Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Riverford Crucible

 The Crucible at the edge of the city of Riverford was unlike anything Darien, Damien, or Tessa had ever seen. It was enormous, a flat, metal circle with bleachers surrounding it, where thousands of spectators sat.

"We've drawn quite a crowd," said Tessa.

"I guess so, if they want to see the people who killed their lord die get either crush, or sliced to pieces, or frozen to death," agreed Darien. Tessa had only volunteered to fight alongside them because she sensed no deceit from either of them when they pleaded not guilty to the last Lord Ingram. She was fighting for justice, and the boys were fighting for their freedom, even if it cost them their lives.

"You realize that a crucible battle always ends in someone's death, right?" asked Damien.

"I've been in enough to know that for a fact, Trickster," Tessa mocked. "I still haven't heard a 'thanks', you know."

"If we survive, you will get one," Darien promised, as Lord Ingram's chosen Knights came into the arena. Each of them chose exactly which one they would take on. Darien would fight the one with the daggers, Damien would fight the warhammer Knight, and Tessa would try her chances with the mage.

"When you said we have our work cut out for us..." said Damien. "I'm starting to agree." All of them were intimidated by their combatants, but they weren't deterred. Damien began to loosen himself, bouncing up and down and breathing in and out as the countdown to the duel started. The horn blew, and the match began. Before they charged, Tessa held one of her sais into the air, and a white, glowing aura surrounded her, Darien, and Damien.

"What's this?" asked Damien, drawing Lightning.

"Protection," said Tessa. "They have their own." The Ingram mage tapped his staff to the ground, and an aura of snowflakes surrounded the three of them, and they charged.

"Ours is stronger," Tessa assured, and they charged forward. Darien raised Thunder as the dagger Knight pulled out his small blades. Darien made a swing with his warhammer, and the Knight ducked under his attack, then made a thrust with one of his daggers. Darien dodged to the side, then made another swing. He seemed to surprise the Knight with his speed with a heavy weapon. The dagger Knight stepped back, possibly thinking about what his next move would be. Darien had to think carefully, too. One mistake could mean the death of either one of them. Suddenly, the dagger Knight charged, swinging one of his blades at Darien's head, then his chest. Darien quickly blocked both of his attacks with the shaft of his warhammer, then slammed it down. The speedy Knight sidestepped, and Thunder cracked the ground it struck, then Darien made a swing to the side, and smacked the Knight in the chest. He went sliding across the ground, but he jumped to his feet. The frost aura that the mage cast on him must have worn off from Darien's strike. There weren't snowflakes falling from him, anymore.

Now I got you, Darien said to himself, rushing at the dagger Knight again. He raised Thunder, with its electricity crackling around its head, and the Ingram Knight jumped into the air, flipping backward as he slammed it onto the ground, with a thunderbolt from the air following the hammer. It would still take a single strike to crush the fast Ingram Knight, if Darien could catch him. The Knight rushed towards him again with his glass daggers. He made a stab at his chest, and the glass blade bounced off Darien's aura shield that Tessa cast on him, then jumped backward as Darien made a swing with Thunder. The Knight then rushed Darien, and kicking him in the chest before he could raise his hammer, and launching himself off of him, kicking him in the face. Darien fell to the ground, and a cheer roared from the spectators as the dagger Knight pinned him to the ground. He raised both of his daggers, and thrust them at Darien. Darien grabbed both of his wrists, and threw him to the ground, finding himself on top of the Knight, then he punched him in the face, knocking every one of his teeth out. The dagger Knight seemed barely conscious after the punch, so Darien grabbed him by the head and began to squeeze with his inhuman strength. The Ingram Knight scream as his head was squeezed harder and harder, until his skull popped, drenching Darien's face with blood.