.Elementals.

-25-

(As you see I did drawings of the monsters so you could see how I saw them in my head along with the mage herself. I had soooo much trouble uploading the picture I needed to take a small weeping pause before trying again)

Standing in the field that was once in fallow and now turned into a grassy field was still impressive even tho I knew how it grew so dense and so fast.

Right now I was hold a shovel and digging holes in which Em put small bush saplings in, these would delimit the area and it was really big, a whole-ass field, a few acres! Just to be sure all the trials could be held in the same place without overlapping and so the competition had place to set up their tents.

Some passer-by's watched on in might wonder 'why a shovel and not magic?' when they knew we were mages from our uniform and they always got the same answer: It wasn't a need.

I might be advanced but it still is tiring to use magic plus the fact that I hold back, it creates a backup of magic and could end badly for me and everyone around me, last time it did it was that big creature tattooed on my chest that suffered, one hit kill and over kill and in addition it was accidental because I didn't know I had magic and was terrified.

And in addition to all of that, physical strength is also important, if you did all with magic you'd be weak and exhausted all the time, in that bandit ambush my reflex wasn't to instantly go for the magical attacks either.

Even as a mage you are taught to not always rely on magic, imagine once getting a spell cast on you and you can't gather your magic, what could we do if we only knew how to use magic?

"I can dig if you want."

"I am fine Em."

"Okay but like you got your inside all scratched up only three days ago if not less because you don't wanna go into details."

"I am fine, the elves are good at what they do."

"Alright, this is the last sapling I'm going to go get a new batch."

"I'll wait here."

I watched him leave as I sat on to ground with a yawn, it was tiring to do this and it wasn't even midday.

I looked at the last planted little sapling and scooted closer, its soul young yet so frail, what caught my 'eyes' was that the others soul was almost more.... Peppy.

"You little guy didn't get enough water did you?" I said softly, bushing my hand through the leaves as they became vibrant and healthier, not by much or Em would have also noticed it being unhealthy.

"There you shouldn't be thirsty anymore." They would be grown into mature bushes with the help of our magic before reverted back to their original age of small saplings at the end of the tournament.

I sat there and leaned my head back to look at the sky.

Another reason this place was made so big is the presence of a dragon was awaited to see who would be wedded to the heir chosen by them, it is said there was once a trial where the dragons disagreed completely with who won the tournament and killed the man on the spot.

Dragons are stronger than many races so why humans almost died out even if they helped was mostly due to our own nature as humans. Dragons are strong, wise and an can judge people easily, that's why they are the ones to decide who'll rules our queendom.

"I am back!" Em called, pulling a cart with many more saplings on it over to me.

"Belladonna." I sighed, standing in the same field but this time under the moon light, standing a few feet away from the saplings.

"We both know you can do this so we'll stand here until you do it." I sighed and unclasped my hands from my back and hovered one over the saplings and snapped my wrist upwards, a small a fast movement.

And as a ripple in the water, the saplings started to sprout and grow to waist level, feeling my magic race through all of the perimeter made.

"Dear gods." I let myself fall back on my back, limbs apart, the further away a sapling the more magic needed to reach it and the more energy it used and I was already tired.

"You see my dear, you are getting better. A whole field of flowers you can bloom and now we know saplings are a thing too, you are getting closer to my level." But the undertone was clear to me, as always, she doubted this was the extent of my magic and knew I was keeping many secrets.

"You taught me well." I said, accepting her hand to help me up, neither bringing up my tendencies to secrets, that being a secret itself, both of us knowing the other knew what we thought of the situation.

"Do try to be careful when the trials are too come Mystery, all the races nobles will try their hand at this possibility, you never know what could come and I do not wish for you to die." It wasn't only us that saw her as our second mother, she also did raise and teach us the basics of life we didn't learn from being so young so we were her illegitimate children.

"I will be."

"More careful then you'd been until now."

"I will die for the Highness if needed." I walked passed her, back towards the castle, it would be a bit of a walk but I feared not the dark roads of the queendom.

"I know it was you that drowned all those man." I heard her voice in a whisper as I didn't stop or acknowledged her... Thirty-ish people drowned.... I beat you by like twenty Belladonna.