Rise of the Devourer
Book 4: Chapter 14 — Tournament Pt. 1

As they stepped out of the royal halls and into the Grand Colosseum, the roar of the audience hit Noah like a wall. The ancient amphitheater was in front of them in all its magnificence. There were layers upon tiers of stone seats filled with thousands of people, their voices rising in a deafening roar of enthusiasm that made the air quiver with expectancy.

Noah has been among crowds before, but not like this. The colosseum was built into the natural curvature of the mountainside, and the highest seats were carved right into the rock. In the early air, banners and flags flew, showing the colors of many kingdoms, guilds, and noble households. The floor of the arena was a flawless circle of polished stone with protection wards carved into it that gleamed softly in the dawn light.

"Oh my God," Seraphina said, her typical intellectual calm breaking for a minute. "There must be twenty thousand people here."

"More," Valeria said, his voice tight with a mix of pride and fear. "Kaelan said they had to open the overflow seating. This is the most people at a tournament in over a hundred years."

Noah's stomach tightened as he took in how big everything was. It was one thing to fight for his life in dark tunnels or forests full of monsters, but it was another thing altogether to perform for this many people.

Aurelia put a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Just think about the fights," she murmured softly. "Act like they're not there."

Noah grumbled, "Easy for you to say," yet he was thankful for her help.

The sixteen qualified participants were taken to a staging facility under the arena, where they waited for the opening ceremonies to start. Noah looked around at the other competitors and saw some faces he knew and some he didn't.

In addition to his friends, he saw a few Drakonians he recognized from the trials. They were tough-looking fighters who acted like they had been in the army for a long time. Some of them had the marks of great houses on them, and their gear was brand new and expensive. Some of them looked like they had fought their way up from nothing, and their gear showed signs of wear and tear but still worked.

He noticed one person right away: a woman with pale blue complexion and white hair that seemed like it was covered in frost. Around her fingertips, ice crystals formed and evaporated without her knowing it, showing off her magical skill. She nodded once to show that she saw him looking at her. It was respectful but not friendly.

"That's Lyralei Frostborn," Aurelia stated, seeing where Noah was looking. "She's from the Northern Reaches and is an expert in ice magic. She came in third in her kingdom's winter trials. Don't underestimate her."

Noah put the knowledge away. Every little bit of help counted in a tournament like this.

A loud burst of horns that resonated through the colosseum started the ceremony. When King Draxius himself stood up from the royal box, the crowd went quiet. His presence demanded everyone's attention. His voice, magically boosted, could be heard all throughout the arena.

"People of Drakonias! Guests from all over the realms! Today we see the continuation of an old tradition—the Tournament of Dragon Warriors!"

The cheers from the throng appeared to shake the very foundations of the colosseum. Noah felt the sound flood over him, both overwhelming and exciting at the same time.

"Sixteen warriors have shown they are worthy through trials of fire and will. Today, they fight for the greatest prize of all: the Dragon's Heart!"

More cheers, and this time they were louder.

"Let the warriors come forward!"

They were summoned up one at a time to stand in the middle of the arena. The name, kingdom of origin, and important achievements of each contender were read out loud. The crowd reacted in different ways. Some names got a loud ovation, while others got quiet nods.

"Windrest's Aurelia Fauter! A seasoned adventurer and amazing fire mage!"

Aurelia came forward with graceful confidence, and for a brief moment, embers danced around her fingertips, which got cheers from the crowd.

"Erwest Ivan, Paladin of Hellion! The divine light's champion!"

People clapped politely as Erwest was introduced, especially a group whom Noah thought were temple sympathizers. The paladin himself stayed calm, but Noah saw that he straightened his shoulders a little as Noah spoke something.

"Seraphina Starwrought , Scholar-Mage of the Celestial Academy! Master of the mysteries of the arcane!"

This is how Seraphina was introduced... Interesting. The crowd didn't seem sure how to respond to her; their polite but cautious applause showed that. She made a small light show of swirling magical symbols above her head in response, which at least got some people to murmur in appreciation.

"Valeria Stormwind, Valkyrie of the Northern Kingdoms! A legendary warrior-poet!"

People were really excited by Valeria's name, especially the women in the crowd. She raised her sword in thanks, and the blade caught the light in a way that looked almost heavenly.

"Vion Ashscale, a mysterious warrior of Drakonias!"

She went forward with serene grace, and little flames danced around her feet, which made the crowd yell loudly. Noah could see why—she looked like what the crowd wanted to see: a real daughter of Drakonias with strength in her blood.

"Noah Brown, The mysterious Outerworlder from beyond this realm!"

The response to Noah's entrance was... not the same. Some people applauded for the fact that an Outerworlder was competing, while others appeared unsure. He moved closer nevertheless, and a little show of his void-lightning crackled around his fingers. You could tell that the crowd was unsure, but they were also genuinely interested.

The remaining contenders were also unveiled with a lot of fuss. When frost spread across the ground under Lyralei's feet, some clapped politely and a few people whispered nervously. Neal Harth , the young guy with the Chaos Primer route that Noah had met after the first trial, waved happily at the gathering. His effortless confidence made him an instant favorite.

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After the introductions were over, huge magical screens all over the colosseum showed the competition brackets. Noah looked over the pairings, feeling both relieved and concerned.

Noah Brown vs. Lyralei Frostborn

"Well," Aurelia commented as they all waited in the contestants' area, "At least we're not fighting each other in the first round."

"That's about the only mercy we're going to get," Valeria said with a frown. "After this, anything goes."

Noah nodded, knowing that they had come to an unsaid agreement. They were buddies, yet they were also rivals. None of them would hold back when it was time to face each other.

"May the best warrior win," Erwest stated in a polite way, and the others nodded in agreement.

Aurelia and Korren Stormwind were the first two players to face off.

The candidates were taken to a fancy viewing box that had a great view of the arena floor. With magical amplification, they could hear every clang of weapons, every spell being cast, and every grunt of exertion from the fighters below.

Korren Stormwind was just what his name said: a tall, thin Drakonian warrior who moved like the wind. His scaled skin had a deep bronze color, like that of the noble houses, and he was a master at using a spear. This wasn't a local champion or someone who had just graduated from an academy. This was a professional warrior who had earned his place through blood and talent.

As soon as the match started, Korren used wind magic to accelerate himself and hurl himself forward. His spear moved so quickly that it struck from angles that should have been impossible, and gusts of wind changed the direction of his attacks in mid-thrust. Aurelia barely made it through the first fight. Flames shot out of her hands to block blows that would have pierced her.

"Shit," she said, rolling away from a push that was made stronger by the wind and left a groove in the arena floor where she had been standing.

Korren took advantage of the situation, and his spear moved in complicated patterns that Noah knew were expert Drakonian martial arts. Wind magic didn't simply make him faster; it also made his motions hard to predict. He could shift course in a flash or use compressed air blades to reach farther.

Aurelia tried to get away by throwing fire bolts at Korren, who used his spear to spin them away. The wind magic around him kept her flames from getting too close. When she tried to make a wall of fire between them, he just jumped over it, with the wind carrying him higher than he should have been able to.

Noah said under his breath, "She's in trouble," as he watched Aurelia slowly give up. "He's in charge of the speed."

The Drakonian warrior attacked in a planned way, using his longer reach and better mobility to keep Aurelia on the defensive. He was already going, and the wind carried him out of range of her flames every time she tried to attack back. His spear work was like poetry in motion: quick, deadly, and based on years of training.

A particularly nasty mix almost took Aurelia by surprise. Korren faked a high attack with his spear, then swept low with it as wind magic made a second, unseen blade of compressed air. Aurelia was able to hop over the spear, but the air blade hit her in the ribs, whirling her around and making her stumble.

The wind slashed her, and blood flowed through her combat gear.

"Come on, Aurelia," Vion said quietly.

But Korren wasn't finished. He pushed on with even more force, and his spear moved through the air in ways that left behind visions of wind. Aurelia had to back off, and her flames flickered around her in a defensive way as she sought to get back on her feet.

That's when she changed her mind.

Noah saw it first: how her shoulders set and how her flames started to burn hotter and more focused. Aurelia had been battling to protect herself, trying to match Korren's graceful style with her own. But that wasn't who she really was.

Aurelia didn't try to dodge the next time Korren came at her with his elegant, wind-powered attack. Instead, she walked right into his attack, and flames shot out in a sphere of superheated air that completely stopped his wind magic.

Suddenly, Korren's spear thrust lost its magical boost and went wide. Before he could get back to his feet, Aurelia was inside his guard, her fist on fire and aimed at his midsection.

The Drakonian warrior twisted in a panic and took the strike on his armored shoulder instead of his bare body. The impact made him slide back, and the armor where her flames hit him glowed red-hot.

Now it was Aurelia's turn to assault.

She came toward him like a force of nature, and her flames were no longer the controlled, meticulous ones she had been using. These were the fierce, hungry flames of her berserker heritage—fire that sought to eat and kill. Her fighting style changed from defensive to sheer aggression, and every punch and kick sent streams of superheated air flying behind them.

Korren tried to get away, but Aurelia wouldn't let him. She chased him without stopping, and with each conversation, her flames became hotter. He tried to use wind magic to make space, but she just blazed through it. Her fire was so strong that it made its own wind patterns.

The heat made the floor of the arena start to crumble. As the temperature rose over safe levels, protective wards sprang up.

"Now that's more like it," Seraphina said with professional attention.

The turning point occurred when Korren, in a fit of desperation, tried one of his most advanced moves: a spinning thrust with wind that should have been impossible to stop. Aurelia, on the other hand, didn't try to fight it. She didn't do that. Instead, she seized his spear with her bare hands, and flames sprang out of her palms to heat up the metal weapon.

Korren shouted as the spear burnt his hands. He had to let go of his weapon or lose his fingers. Aurelia turned the spear around and hit him in the solar plexus with the butt end, making him double over.

Her next uppercut, which was surrounded by flames that blazed white-hot, knocked the Drakonian warrior off his feet and into the wall of the arena. The defensive walls flared up, absorbing the blow and stopping Korren from getting hurt badly. However, he fell to the ground unconscious.

Aurelia was in the middle of the arena, breathing hard and sweating from the heat of her own flames. The spear she had caught was still red-hot, and the floor of the arena was covered in burn marks.

The crowd cheered because they liked how skilled and calm she had been. People here liked good bouts, not just violent wins.

A few minutes later, Aurelia came back to the viewing box. Her combat gear was burned and her face was still red from the heat of battle. A physician had taken care of the wind-cut across her ribs, but she moved with only a little stiffness, which made it seem like it wasn't a big deal.

"That was too close for comfort," Aurelia said as she sat down and winced. "I've never seen spear work that precise with wind magic before. His technique was perfect."

"You looked like you were in trouble for a while there," Noah replied, sounding worried.

"Yes," Aurelia said honestly. "I was trying to fight his fight—technique against technique, precision against precision. That's not who I am." She flexed her fingers, which were still warm, and miniature flames danced between them. "Sometimes you have to go through the problem instead of dancing around it."

"That last combination was brutal," Vion said with professional respect. "You were smart to use his own weapon against him."

Aurelia responded with a sad smile, "Desperation makes you creative." "He earned every bit of his reputation. If I had kept trying to copy his style, he would have worn me down."

"Don't flatter me too much," Aurelia said with a smile. "You might have to fight me again next time."

Quickly, the arena floor was fixed and ready for the next match. Once more, the voice of the announcer echoed across the colosseum:

"Match two of the first round! Noah Brown, the Void Walker, fights Lyralei Frostborn, the Ice Maiden of the North!"

As Noah stood up, he felt his heart race. This was it: his first true test in front of this huge throng. He looked at his friends and saw that they were encouraging and determined.

From where she sat with the other onlookers, Snow whispered gently, "Good luck." He looked into her pale eyes and saw complete trust.

"Don't die," Seraphina said.

"Show them what you can do," Aurelia added in a more serious tone.

Noah nodded and looked over his things one more time. He felt comfortable and strong holding his spear, and the red surface was already starting to warm up with excitement. His new powers throbbed under his skin, yearning to be let go.

Noah could hear the crowd getting more and more excited as he walked toward the entrance to the arena. Some people were cheering for him, while others were cheering for his opponent. But everyone was excited to see what the mystery Outerworlder could do against the famous ice magic of the Northern Reaches.

The doors to the arena opened, and Noah stepped out into the bright sunlight and the deafening noise of twenty thousand voices. Lyralei Frostborn came out of the other entrance across the arena, leaving a trail of frost behind her like a winter carpet.

The tournament was on.