《Aeroth: The Arrival of the Beasts》 The Sky Castle A strong gust of wind shook the wooden walls of Fareth¡¯s home, the windows rattling in its howls. He lived in Haven, a small town perched on top of a hovering rock in the sky, meaning there was nothing to block the air currents. His hand hovered over the doorknob shaking; once he stepped foot outside it would mark the beginning of his journey towards the tournament - a trial in which he would face the expectations to follow in his family''s footsteps as proficient Staffwielders. ¡°I can do this,¡± he said to himself and exhaled. ¡°No, I have to do this.¡± He swung the door open and a powerful blast of icy wind invaded the warmth of his home. His white robe fluttered in the forceful winds, arm straining to keep the door open, and body shivering as he ventured into the snowy streets. He braced his body, walked down the pathway and breathed into his hands before placing them inside his robes. He sighed at the mundane repetition of houses; they were like his own home, small and quaint. Two great white flags with dragon insignias rustled violently at the end of the pathway. Wide open silver gates stood between these flags and marked the exit of Haven, with a sheer drop into the clouds and a plummet to the lands beneath. The closer he got to them, the more crowded it became. Those in the crowd were carrying leather bound books, others grasping onto scrolls and some were like him carrying nothing but a staff. It was still hard for him to believe that they would choose someone as young as him to be counted among these honoured individuals clad in Haven¡¯s white robes. The closer he got, the more restless his finger became, fiddling with the carved dragon head atop his white staff in a nervous fidget. He quickened his pace, passed through the gate and felt a spring beneath his feet as he placed his foot on top of a levitating golden step. These steps lead off the cliffside of Haven and ascended directly into the heart of Azurean, the sky castle above the Blue Mountains. Men and women made their journey up the golden steps and arranged themselves into five separate lines, each shadowing the next. Fareth followed suit and reflected on his strategy. He would have to beat those from his house in three separate duels to make the final eight. It would not be that simple though because he would not be able to overpower them in a fight. He would have to find a way to outsmart them or if it came to be¡­ his hand hovered over the waist of his robes. Beneath it was the secret that he kept. A secret that he might have to reveal in order to pass the tournament. The secret of a rare magical art known as Hiltwielding. He let out a vaporised breath and regained his focus. As he approached the top of the staircase, the landing up ahead became clearer and so too did a familiar sight that was bouncing up and down. ¡°Fareth!¡± The man said, waving in his direction, ¡°Fareth, over here!¡± As if jumping up and down wasn¡¯t enough to make him noticeable, he was the only one in a sea of white wearing the distinct dark green robes of Naxen house. ¡°Gaia?¡± Fareth said as he stepped onto the open landing above, pleased to see his old childhood friend. ¡°What are you doing hanging around the top of Haven staircase? You look like you¡¯re about to burst open.¡± ¡°Because¡­ I just am, okay?¡± Gaia said, but before Fareth could question his odd response he grabbed Fareth¡¯s arm and whisked him away through the landing. ¡°Wha- what are you doing?¡± Fareth said as the two weaved their way through the waves of white robed individuals. They were heading in a hurry towards an immense stone archway that lead inside the castle. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Not here.¡± Gaia said, his usual cheery tone was brief and low. Together they approached the looming archway, passing by small hovering balls of flame above them. It served as both a temporary relief from the cold and as a light for the landing. They passed under the archway and entered the hallway inside the castle. Gaia twisted his head, his eyes darting around until he dashed to a quieter part of the hall, bringing Fareth with him. Satisfied with this spot, Gaia leant in towards Fareth and said, ¡°I found something odd in the library yesterday.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Fareth and nodded his head slowly, ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°It was a book.¡± Gaia said. Fareth raised one eyebrow, ¡°A book, in the library, well that is odd.¡± Gaia¡¯s eyes lit up and he gave a short firm huff, ¡°No! You don¡¯t understand, this was no ordinary book.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Fareth said, his eyes glancing up and down at Gaia, ¡°do you have it with you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s back where I found it, inside the library.¡± ¡°This book you found¡­ it isn¡¯t going to get us into trouble, is it?¡± Gaia stammered for a bit. ¡°Well, no¡­ probably, yes.¡± ¡°Gaia!¡± Fareth protested. ¡°I promise you, it¡¯s not going to be like the time we borrowed Housemaster Zaran¡¯s staff.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you tricked me into taking that.¡± Fareth said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you fell for it so easily,¡± Gaia said, chuckling before returning to a flat tone, ¡°But that¡¯s not the point I¡¯m trying to make. This is serious, alright?¡± Fareth nodded his head, ¡°Alright, alright. What was strange about this book?¡± he said. Gaia¡¯s eyes searched the bustling hallway again before his gaze met with Fareth¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s too crowded to tell you here. Let¡¯s meet on the fifth level inside the abandoned garden after our trial today.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Fareth said, ¡°but is there anything you can tell me now?¡± ¡°All I can say is that after I read the book I went searching for more information in the library.¡± ¡°And? What did you find?¡± ¡°Nothing. This book was the only one containing information on ¡­¡± he paused and let out a sigh. ¡°... on a fifth town, Xaven.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not possible, there are only four towns.¡± ¡°Shh! I¡¯m not comfortable talking about this anymore. I¡¯m not answering any more questions, alright?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t answer anymore of my questions?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You just did.¡± Gaia playfully punched Fareth on the arm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just fell for that.¡± A smile crept over his face and Fareth relaxed upon seeing his usual cheerful friend return to him. ¡°Fareth, where¡¯s Housemaster Geroth?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Fareth said, ¡°Father had to attend an early meeting this morning.¡± Gaia uttered a slight humming sound. ¡°Hmm, curious that. You know, Housemaster Zaran has been absent around Naxen lately, too.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a Housemaster, they both are, it¡¯s busy time of the solar cycle for them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right. Maybe I¡¯m just reading into it too much.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Fareth narrowed his eyebrows. He tried recalling a time in the past when his father was getting ready for the annual trials. His memory was hazy, shrouded in a veil of ambiguity. He struggled to remember if what was currently happening to his father was similar to the past. As of late, he arrived home deep into the night, hardly getting any sleep and left long before the sun woke up. Perhaps there was merit in what Gaia had said. ¡°What are you thinking about, Fareth?¡¯ Gaia asked. Fareth cleared his throat. ¡°Oh, nothing, really. It¡¯s just, I thought maybe you were onto something.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Gaia said. ¡°That¡¯s rare of you to agree with me!¡± ¡°I said maybe. Don¡¯t get carried away here.¡± The congestion of people had dwindled in the main hallway and the sound of a deep horn blasted around the castle, alerting Gaia to the time. ¡°Oh no,¡± he said, his face looking as if all blood had drained out of him, ¡°I¡¯ve got to go!¡± ¡°Where are you going? The doors to our trial won¡¯t be opening for another couple of blasts.¡± Fareth said. ¡°That¡¯s exactly where I¡¯m going! Housemaster Zaran said he wanted me there early.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fareth said with a puzzled expression as Gaia turned around and sprinted away from him, weaving between people. ¡°Something, something, troublemaking, I couldn¡¯t make it out!¡± he called, turning the corner into the main hall. Fareth rolled his eyes and smiled. He walked at his own pace, joining the few that were passing through the hallway and entered the main center hall. The ceiling was high and had suspended levitating fire lamps illuminating the room. A large spiralling staircase went up and up, higher than Fareth was able to see and it branched off at various levels. The ground level floor had four different hallways extending to the north, south, east and west. At the end of these hallways were the steps that lead down to each of the small towns. Fareth had entered in from the southern hallway that connected to Haven. Fareth stood in awe of the stairwell, admiring that it lead to so many wonderful things about Azurean. For one, there was the Great Library on the third floor. Perhaps this morning the Haven¡¯s that carried the leather bound books would place them on top of a library shelf where they¡¯d collect dust. The stairwell harboured another great feature, but this one lay deep within the bowels of the stairwell, where a hub connected the castle to the surface below through the use of a portal. A messenger would return to Azurean with sightings of creatures terrorising the different races and it was the duty of Fareth¡¯s kind to respond with arms. This was what Fareth had dreamt of since he was a child. This was his purpose for being here. To join those that would serve as the guardians of Aeroth. A young and powerful voice broke his concentration and said, ¡°Fareth.¡± Fareth turned around and recognised the voice as his older brother¡¯s. ¡°Taranth?¡± Fareth said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here! I thought you¡¯d be busy with work!¡± Taranth wore a similar white robe to Fareth except his had a silver dragon insignia on the front and back. Just like his younger brother his eyes were white. Unlike him however he had long, brown hair that lay straight against his neck. Taranth approached Fareth and gave a slight ruffle of his hair. ¡°I couldn¡¯t miss the big day that my little brother went off to the tournament!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Fareth said, grabbing his brother''s arm and attempting to put it into a hold. Taranth removed his hand away from Fareth and gave a slight sigh. ¡°Where has the time gone? It¡¯s hard to believe that you¡¯ll be joining me in the Wizarding Guard after you finish your trials.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only if I pass the trails.¡± Fareth said. ¡°You worry too much!¡± Taranth said, ¡°Of course you¡¯ll pass them. I remember my first time taking the trials. I was excited and ready to prove myself. It was a great time.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you end up in the healing ward for a month afterwards? I can¡¯t remember what that was for.¡± Taranth chuckled, ¡°Ah, yes. Broken bones, all of them,¡± he said wincing, ¡°Pain was awful. Food was good, though.¡± The two brothers were interrupted by the sound of two deep horn blasts echoing around the castle. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re out of time.¡± Taranth said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take my leave here and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be seeing you until after your trials.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fareth said, feeling his heart drop in his chest, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being sent off on an investigation that will last a few days.¡± ¡°Investigation?¡± Fareth asked. ¡°Anything interesting?¡± In an instant all cheerful expression on his brother¡¯s face had washed away, ushering in a new look of dread. Taranth wet his mouth, ¡°Perhaps, brother,¡± he said, changing his tone to match the serious topic. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to Tal¡¯thorn, the village of men, there are some questions that need answering.¡± ¡°Tal¡¯thorn?¡± Fareth repeated. There had been rumors circulating the castle of an unprecedented darkness lurking nearby Tal''thorn - the sightings of a strange man clad in black robes. Whispers here and there say that the man might be a Dark Mage. It couldn''t be a coincidence that this was where his brother was being sent to investigate. ¡°Wipe that worried expression off of your face, brother. Concentrate on your tournament. I¡¯ll be fine and so will you.¡± He leant in to give one last ruffle of Fareth¡¯s hair but Fareth was ready for it this time. Determined to put his older brother''s arm in a lock he reached out to grab it. Taranth was quick, too quick and in a fluid motion he swept his arm away wrapping it around Fareth¡¯s neck. ¡°Taranth,¡± Fareth said struggling in his brother¡¯s grip. ¡°Promise me that you will return in one piece.¡± ¡°Do not fret, Fareth. They did not award me with the title of ¡®Mentor¡¯ because of my good looks. I promise you that I shall return home.¡± Fareth sighed. ¡°Good,¡± he said, raising his hands up to where his brother¡¯s arm was wrapped around his neck. He attempted to pry his brother¡¯s arm away but his grip was too strong. ¡°Do you yield?¡± Taranth asked. ¡°Yes, I yield!¡± Taranth smiled at his victory and released his younger brother.¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few days when I return,¡± he said. He turned around, walked over towards the spiralling staircase and raised the back of his hand to signal goodbye as he disappeared down the staircase. His brother had told him not to worry, but how could he not? He shook his head and regained his focus. ¡°There''s no time for this,¡± Fareth said to himself, "I''ve got a trial to win." Fareth took a few steps forward and began his climb up the spiralling stairwell heading towards the first floor. As he walked up the stone steps he noticed the gaze of others in his direction. As they passed him by a few of them struck up a smile and some offered him words of encouragement. "Oh, I heard you''re participating in the tournament this year! Good luck, Fareth, do our house proud!" "This is it, huh? The big day! I can''t wait to hear of the brilliant accomplishments you¡¯ll make!" "Keep your wits about you, Fareth. I hear Siren has quite the Gladiator this year." Fareth pushed his lips into his mouth and gave an abrupt nod in the direction of those that were encouraging him. He moved his hands towards his staff and tightened his grip, keeping his head low as he exited the stairwell onto the first floor. He quickened his pace and passed through a large, clay coloured brick corridor. The corridor was brightly lit by the wide windows lining either side of it. Fareth instinctively shivered at the frozen tundra outside. His eyes lit up and a smile crept over his face as his home town of Haven rotated into view outside the rightmost window. He wondered how long it would take before it rotated out of sight. Over at the left window the edge of Myren''s floating rock crept into view. Dark green trees covered with snow glistened in the frosty breeze. Fareth shivered again and averted his gaze away from the window as if continuing to stare outside would give him a cold. At the end of the corridor stood a large group of individuals, each clad in different coloured robes. They waited outside a pair of great wooden doors. They were each from one of the four houses; Haven, Naxen, Myren and Siren. The coloured robes they wore were white, dark green, dark blue and dark red respectively. The crowd arranged themselves into groups from their respective houses. A few of them stood together and whispered amongst themselves. The rest however stood on their own, wearing a restless expression as they fiddled with their fingers or tapped a foot on the floor. Those from Haven stood closest to hall doors. Fareth made his way towards them and as he passed one of the other groups he turned his head briefly towards them and scanned the group of dark green robes. His eyes searched each of the individual faces that were in his vision but none of them were Gaia. He let out a sigh and continued walking towards the Haven group. ¡°So, it¡¯s true then.¡± A strong and determined female voice said as she broke the low whispers of the crowd. Fareth turned his head to see who the source of the noise was. It was a girl from Siren. Her hair was long and crimson in colour and her eyes were a fiery red. She forced her way through the stagnant crowd and approached Fareth. She stood uncomfortably close, he could feel her breath on his face. He instinctively took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s true?¡± Fareth asked. The girl took a step forward, ¡°A Fresh Wizard in their early twenties really did make it to the tournament.¡± The onlooking crowd began to whisper to each other. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s him? That¡¯s Fareth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s who everyone in Haven house has been talking about!¡± ¡°What an honour it is to be taking the tournament at the same time as him!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s taking it at such a young age.¡± Fareth felt his face flair up and his heart began to race. She stood in front of him, eyes narrowed, lips unmoving and a stare that never wavered. What was her deal? Had he wronged her in the past? The Sky Castle: Part 2 A man from Haven house broke the whispering chatter and approached the Siren girl, pushing her away from Fareth. ¡°Step away, Celina. He¡¯s the son of Housemaster Geroth and his brother is Mentor Taranth. It¡¯s no surprise that he¡¯s here.¡± Celina kept her gaze fixed on Fareth. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m perfectly aware of his heritage.¡± Fareth hovered a wobbly hand over his robes to the spot where his staff was hidden. ¡°Is there a problem with my being here?¡± he said. ¡°Not at all.¡± Celina said. ¡°Just don¡¯t expect to pass on your first try. It¡¯s my second attempt this year and everyone is expecting me to be the most promising young student.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Fareth said, swallowing a lump in his throat. ¡°Good luck then.¡± She raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t be needing it,¡± she turned away from Fareth to face her group of friends. Fareth watched her walk away until the moment they were far enough apart that she couldn¡¯t hear him. He let out the breath he had been holding, ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to the man that had spoken up. He turned to face him and recognised that it was Daloran. Fareth did not have many friends other than Gaia but he considered Daloran to be one of them. ¡°What¡¯s Celina¡¯s problem with me?¡± Fareth asked in a low whisper. Daloran turned his head towards Celina, watching her talking with her group of friends and then he turned back at Fareth. ¡°She¡¯s just jealous,¡± he said. ¡°Jealous?¡± Fareth repeated, ¡°Jealous of what?¡± ¡°Of you.!¡± ¡°Why would she be jealous of me?¡± ¡°Well, a couple of years ago there was talk of a promising young student from Siren. She had the praise of everyone and excelled in every way, except for one.¡± ¡°What was that one?¡± ¡°She failed the final trial.¡± Fareth lowered his brow. ¡°Oh. But what¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± he said. ¡°Nothing, really. It¡¯s just, in her eyes, you¡¯ve stolen the spotlight.¡± Fareth looked at Celina and wondered. Could that be the reason he felt her malicious gaze or maybe¡­ maybe there was a more sinister reason behind it. ¡°Daloran, if she is so great, why did she fail the final trial?¡± ¡°Ah, now there¡¯s a story I¡¯ll never forget. Curious the way she failed her final exam. I¡¯ve never seen it happen before and this would be my¡­ sixth time¡­ so I¡¯ve seen a lot of attempts.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Fareth asked. Daloran leaned in towards Fareth making sure that only he could hear him. ¡°She used her comrade as bait and left him.¡± ¡°She¡­ what?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was horrible. I mean, strategically it was brilliant. Her group was the only one to defeat the final trial that year. But Housemaster Thaine was not happy.¡± ¡°How could Celina do that¡­ that¡¯s heartless!¡± Fareth said. ¡°Yes, it was, it caused quite a bit of controversy actually¡­ you see, Grandmaster Balon was okay with it but ultimately the decision was left with Housemaster Thaine.¡± ¡°Hmm, If Grandmaster Balon was okay with it then why didn¡¯t he intervene and grant her the victory?¡± Fareth asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Daloran said, exaggerating his hands, ¡°It¡¯s strange! In all of my trials I have never seen a victorious group that Grandmaster Balon looked so... impressed with.¡± Fareth paused momentarily before replying to Daloran. He wondered just what kind of a person Celina was. But then, the thought occurred to him, he didn¡¯t actually know what kind of person Balon was. ¡°Daloran,¡± Fareth said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about Grandmaster Balon but I¡¯ve never actually met him.¡± ¡°Just between you and me¡­ It would have been better if you could have kept it that way.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Fareth asked. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t be sure, but I¡¯ve always felt that Grandmaster Balon holds some animosity towards our house.¡± Farerth was about to ask Daloran for more information when he was abruptly interrupted.by the sound of the door in front of them began to creak open. Everyone turned to face the great hall doors. A few gulped, some hearts raced and others began to perspire. They knew that once they stepped foot into the hall, the tournament would soon begin. Fareth and the other Wizards climbed up the small steps that lead into the examination hall and they walked through the door. Once they stepped foot inside they saw a large open area directly in front of them. To their left and right was a small stairway that lead up to a low angle viewing balcony that had seats ready for them to sit on. At the far end of the hall, standing on top of a hovering rock in the air, was a group of five Wizards that were waiting to examine the Wizard prospects this year. These group of five Wizards were the four Housemasters and the Grandmaster of all houses, Balon. The students walked forwards into the examination hall and they stood in the centre. They had split up into their respective house groups and sorted themselves out into group of eight by eight lines side by side. Haven house was on the far left, next to them was Myren house, then Siren and Naxen house. The students looked up towards their superiors waiting for them to speak. On top of the floating rock above the students stood Housemaster Geroth at the far left and he watched on with an intense look on his face. Next to him was Housemaster Miloran (Myren house), then Housemaster Thaine (Siren) and Housemaster Zaran (Naxen). Each was clad in respective robes similar in colour to the students except they all had the golden dragon insignias on their fronts and backs. In the middle of all the Housemasters stood Grandmaster Balon. Balon was a relatively lanky man. He had long straight black hair that reached his back and his eyes were a white iris. The robes he wore was different to every other Wizard. His robes were golden in colour and had a black dragon insignia on his front and back. Balon walked forward slightly and looked down to the students below ready to address them. He spoke in a slow and confident manner. ¡°I trust, that I do not need to remind you, that this is the tournament part of your Wizarding Trials.¡± A few of the Wizard prospects looked towards each other in eagerness. A couple of Wizards started whispering to each other. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Silence,¡± Balon ordered raising his hand, ¡°There are some trivial matters that I must go over before we begin. First, everyone that received the letter of approval here today has obtained at least an ¡°M¡± (Mediocre) in each study of magic. There are some exceptional candidates here and other¡­ disappointments.¡± Fareth couldn¡¯t help but notice that Balon looked over towards him as he said that. ¡°Of course, it is one thing to understand and practise magic in a test situation, and it is another to use it in a practical one. Thus, from today forth, you shall no longer be restricted to any specific type of Magicwielding. You will be free to use what you see fit.¡± Fareth listened carefully to Balon¡¯s words. He knew that Balon was saying them as a formality to everyone but he wondered about the possibility that they were being said strictly for his own benefit. Fareth felt an anxious shiver go down his spine. ¡°And of course,¡± Balon said, ¡°This rule will apply for tomorrow¡¯s final trial as well.¡± Balon eyed down the prospect Wizards in silence for a moment before he spoke up again. ¡°Now then, I shall go over the rules before we begin. First, you shall be called up to the duelling stage for your one-on-one duels. Should you succeed, there will be a total of three rounds. You will be facing only the Wizards from your own house. So for today, they are not your allies, but your competition.¡± Fareth could feel his heart in his chest beat rapidly in excitement and anxiety. He could tell that the other students were just as anxious as he was. ¡°There are a few ways in order for victory in a round to count,¡± Balon said, ¡°First, if your opponent cannot regain their feet in ten seconds. Second, if they are knocked outside of the duelling circle. Lastly, if your opponent has been disarmed and their hands bound in any form of sealing magic. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandmaster!¡± The students chorused together. ¡°Good.¡± Balon said, ¡°And my final message is to the students that seek true glory. I look forward to the traditional final round where the best elected Wizard from each house will battle it out and take home the victory cup.¡± There was a moments silence as the Wizards waited for the trophy to be presented. Housemaster Zaran nudged Housemaster Miloran and gestured his head towards the cup in his hands. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Miloran said and walked over towards Balon handing him the cup. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking the cup back to Myren house again this year!¡± ¡°We shall see.¡± Balon said as he watched Miloran take his position behind him again. Balon snapped his fingers and the trophy in his hands levitated up and hovered above him. ¡°It is time to begin the first of the three rounds. We will begin with Naxen house. All other Wizards, head to the viewing platform to your left and right.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandmaster!¡± The students echoed back. The Wizards from the houses of Haven, Myren and Siren all exited to the viewing balconies on their left and right. Fareth climbed up the steps and took his seat as he looked down on the Naxen house Wizards. There were eight duelling circles on the hall floor and the Naxen students had been directed to take up each of them with a duelling partner. Fareth watched as Zaran, the Naxan Housemaster, perched on the rock hovering above the students snapped his fingers signalling the commencement of the eight duels. The duelling students mostly used the same magic since the most common form was Staffwielding. In Wizarding history there were notorious Staffwielding Wizards, known as Expert Staffwielders, which is the highest ranking honour a Wizard can get in the categories. The most famous of the Staffwielding Wizards was Fareth¡¯s older brother and father. Of course, they were not the only Expert Staffwielders but they were amongst the most well-known. The Wizards that used Staffwielding magic all used spells from their respective houses. The spells were emitted from the tip of their dragon headed staff in some kind of form that they chose. The Naxan Wizards worshipped the Earth goddess, hence naming their house after her. As such, their spells were all earth related. Inside of the duelling circles the students would cast offensive spells such as ones that would shake the ground beneath the feet of their opponent, unearth the ground hurling rocks or fracture the ground with a fast propagating crack. In response to the offensive spells, some of the Naxan Wizards were forced to use defensive spells such as one that would unearth rocky walls and deflect the attacking spell. As Fareth watched the duels he tried to maintain his concentration, but he could feel it starting to wane. It didn¡¯t take long before he wasn¡¯t sure how many duels had been fought or which round they were on. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was suddenly feeling so tired. He wasn¡¯t sure why his eyes were starting to feel heavy. But most of all he wasn¡¯t sure why he was hearing voices. ¡°Fareth¡­¡± A voice whispered to him. Fareth sluggishly looked to his left and right and tried to strain his eyes to see if the other Wizards could hear the voice too. They didn¡¯t look as if they had heard anything and his head started to spin. ¡°Fareth¡­¡± The voice said getting louder. Fareth¡¯s vision blurred completely and suddenly he blacked out. Fareth was no longer in the examination hall. His surroundings were fuzzy and he was confused but he could make some things out. He was standing in a grassy patch in the middle of a dark and cold night. The wind howled and rustled his hair. Fareth tried to concentrate on his senses to make out more of what was happening. He could see the silhouettes of the Blue Mountains in the distance and a cloudy night sky above him. In between some of the clouds he saw the two moons of Aeroth shining down on him. Fareth heard a muffled voice but he couldn¡¯t make out what it was saying. He turned around and tried to concentrate even harder on his surroundings. He saw the sign that read ¡°Welcome to Tal¡¯thorn!¡± but he quickly realised that something was amiss. He could hear the sound of fire crackling and the intense heat on his back as he turned around. The village of Tal¡¯thron was in flames but it was not that sight that frightened Fareth the most. It was the man lying on the grass just outside of the burning village. ¡°Fareth!¡± The voice said and this time it was much clearer to the horrified Fareth as he realised his father Geroth was lying on the ground in a bloody beaten up heap surrounded by flames. ¡°What?¡± Fareth said out loud as he stumbled and fell down on his back. He began to pant. His face was sweating. His heart was racing. His eyes darted around trying to make sense of everything. All of a sudden he heard crunching footsteps coming towards his father through the grass. His heart began to race even faster. He couldn¡¯t see who was approaching but he knew that whatever was coming carried a sinister aura. There was more crunches as the footsteps grew louder and closer to his father. Until they suddenly stopped and Fareth watched in fear as he saw a dark cloaked figure standing before Geroth. The clocked figure had a hood up and all that Fareth could see of his face was two bright red eyes. The cloaked figure reached into his robe and he pulled out a black flaming scythe. ¡°No!¡± Fareth cried out realising what he was about to do. ¡°No!¡± The black hooded figure raised his scythe in the air above Geroth¡¯s body and with one swift swing he brought it down on him. ¡°Fareth!¡± A voice said suddenly bringing him back to the examination hall. ¡°Fareth! Are you alright?¡± ¡°No!¡± Fareth said breathing heavily and not completely realising that he was back in his seat. ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± He quickly realised that he had said this quite loudly and some of the Wizards around him were looking at him. Thankfully the noise of the ongoing duels had prevented too many Wizards from noticing what had happened to him. ¡°You looked ill and fell asleep.¡± Daloran said. ¡°I thought it might have been stress related so I wanted to let you rest for a bit¡­ but you started saying things in your sleep and you looked awful.¡± Fareth tried to calm himself down taking in deep breaths. ¡°What happened?¡± Daloran asked. Truthfully, Fareth had no idea. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had just imagined it, fell asleep or if he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have. He was sure however that sharing this in the middle of the tournament was not a good idea. ¡°Just a bad dream¡­ probably from the stress.¡± Fareth said lying flicking his gaze up towards his father. Fareth noticed that his father was looking directly at him and he gave Fareth a warm smile. It didn¡¯t seem like Geroth knew the extent of what had happened to Fareth but he clearly had a worried look on his face before he turned his gaze back to the duels. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Daloran replied. ¡°Just because your father and older brother are both expert Staffwielders doesn¡¯t mean you have to be as well. You just be the best you can be.¡± Daloran¡¯s words had meant to be helpful and to a degree they were. He was partially right. That was what Fareth was stressed about. Of course, it was now no longer the only thing he was worrying about. He took in a deep breath and turned to Daloran. ¡°Thanks, Daloran.¡± He said. ¡°Well, don¡¯t thank me just yet.¡± Daloran replied. ¡°It¡¯s almost our houses turn.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fareth said stunned. ¡°But we just started and we¡¯re usually the last house.¡± ¡°You were asleep for quite some time.¡± Daloran replied. Fareth looked over at the duelling Wizards and he confirmed what Daloran was saying. Myren house was now on the duelling circles and the final duel had just concluded. The Sky Castle: Part 3 [Final] Housemaster Miloran eyed down his students with a smile on face. ¡°It¡¯s a challenge to make it to the final eight,¡± he began to say, ¡°but it is also a challenge to remain humble in defeat. I thought my house exemplified this here today. So, a congratulations for all is in order.¡± The Wizards from Myren house all gave a round of applause. ¡°Now,¡± Housemaster Miloran said, ¡°I¡¯d like to welcome Housemaster Geroth and Haven house to the duelling stages.¡± The Myren Wizards began to disperse from the hall floor and they walked over towards the viewing platforms that Fareth had been sitting in. The Haven Wizards got out of their seats and made their way to the hall floor. Geroth walked to the front of the floating rock and passed by Miloran. ¡°Better luck on winning the victory cup next year, Geroth.¡± Miloran said with a smirk as he walked by, ¡°The candidates for Myren house this year are all outstanding.¡± ¡°I think my students may just surprise you this year.¡± Geroth replied. ¡°Especially when they are holding the victory cup.¡± Miloran gave a slight chuckle as he took his seat behind the table. The Haven students arranged themselves into eight rows of eight in the middle of hall and they eagerly awaited their Housemaster to begin speaking. ¡°My students,¡± Geroth said, ¡°Welcome, one and all, to the tournament. I¡¯m sure many of you are anxious, and a good many more are excited. This is an excellent opportunity to gauge how far along your training has come.¡± Geroth paused momentarily and eyed over each of his students before he spoke again. ¡°Now, there is simply the matter of the draw. As per each year, you have been seeded according to your academic results from the theory trial yesterday.¡± Geroth reached into his robes and withdrew his white headed dragon staff. He momentarily raised it into the air before bringing it down, gently tapping the ground beneath his feet. At that moment, small white trails of light appeared from the top of each student''s head, they flew over towards where Geroth was standing, arranging themselves into a glowing open bracket. Each student could see their own spot in the draw, and they knew exactly who their opponent was without the need to ask. ¡°We shall begin with the top left side of the draw.¡± Geroth said referring to the highest seeded eight duels. ¡°Yes, Housemaster!¡± The Wizards said. ¡°Good luck.¡± Geroth replied. Fareth was amongst the Wizards not involved in the first eight duels, so he took his spot over at the side lines. He had managed to score relatively highly in the seeding order at number nine (out of a total of sixty four). Daloran on the other hand was seeded at number four, and he stood in the duelling circle in a confident stance as he awaited the arrival of his opponent. The resulting duels went just as Fareth had expected. It was a one sided fight, as the top eight seeds fought against the bottom eight. Whilst the greater the intelligence of the Wizard did not necessarily mean that they were the superior fighter, it did indicate a greater dedication to one''s skills. It was that discrepancy in dedication which was on display in this opening duelling round. Fareth watched as the final of the first eight duels came to a conclusion. His stomach twisted and turned knowing that he was up next. Fareth took a deep breath in as the winners and loser of the duels bowed to each other, and left the duelling circles. Fareth had been so concerned with his own upcoming performance that he hadn¡¯t payed any attention to Daloran¡¯s. As if on cue, Daloran nodded his head in the direction of Fareth, indicating that he had both won his duel and that he had faith in his friend. A wave of relief overcame Fareth, but it was short lived as the Housemaster cleared his throat. ¡°Next up,¡± Geroth began to say, ¡°are seeds nine through sixteen, and seeds forty nine through fifty six.¡± Fareth walked over towards the duelling circle closest to the Housemasters. The circles was wide and reflected the colour of the house battling in it. Since Haven house was now using the circles they were made up of white stones. In the middle of the circle was the painting of four dragons, each a different colour (dark blue, dark red, white and dark green) swirling around each other. At the far outer edges of the circle was golden incantations that¡¯s purpose was to activate at the end of the duel and restore the duelling ground to a good condition. Fareth watched as his opponent stood ready at the other end of the circle. ¡°Battle stance!¡± Geroth shouted out to his students. The students all split their legs apart and reached into their robe in preparation to take out their staffs. ¡°On the count of three you shall begin.¡± Geroth said, ¡°One¡­¡± Fareth¡¯s heart was racing, it felt as if his it would burst out of his chest at any minute. He wondered if he had always been this nervous. ¡°Two¡­¡± This was it for him. He was going to have to think of a way to outsmart his opponent because he knew that he would not be able to out muscle him with superior Staff magic. ¡°Three!¡± Geroth said signalling the start of the duel. Fareth¡¯s opponent quickly drew his staff out and he raised it into the air shouting. ¡°Light, pierce!¡± The tip of his staff began to glow brightly and then a beam of light came shooting out of it, hurling towards Fareth. Fareth was about to withdraw his staff and cast a defensive spell when the sudden image he saw of Geroth lying on the ground crept into his mind. Fareth shook his head and attempted to regain his focus, but it was too late. The beam hit him directly in the chest and sent him toppling backwards. He spun in the air and landed on his back just inside of the duelling circle. All of the student Wizards on the viewing platforms let out a gasp of disbelief. ¡°Did you see that?¡± ¡°Yeah! I can¡¯t believe he actually hit Fareth!¡± One of the whispering Wizards was Celina and she turned to her friends in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s who everyone has been talking about?¡± She said in an irritated tone. ¡°How pathetic do they think I am?¡± Geroth looked down at Fareth with worry in his eyes. He knew his son was capable of much more than that.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Fareth stumbled to his feet and his opponent, realising that he had made the mistake by not finishing Fareth off while he was on the ground, readied himself to cast another offensive spell. Fareth carefully studied his opponent and considered the position that he was in. Now that Fareth was close to the edge of the duelling circle, and his opponent was standing near the center, it would be too difficult to win by forcing him outside of the arena. It would also be too risky, as even the slightest spell would force Fareth outside of the duelling circle. He also knew that catching him off guard to cast a binding spell would be tricky. Fareth¡¯s opponent raised his staff and took aim at him. Fareth had to think quickly, if he was in his opponent¡¯s position what type of spell would he cast? Would he disarm his opponent? No, no there should be an easier way than that. All his opponent needed to do to win would be to nudge him a bit farther to push him outside of the duelling circle - of course, that¡¯s it! Fareth smiled to himself. He had figured out what type of spell his opponent would be casting, and knew exactly how to counter it. His opponent took a powerful step forward and shouted out, ¡°Dragon wall!¡± The tip of his staff shone brightly until there was a sudden burst and a large dragons head came forth and flew towards Fareth. Fareth had already taken the time to position his spell at the staff in his opponent''s hands. ¡°Slice!¡± Fareth shouted out and his staff emitted a powerful beam of light that looked like a sword. The sword crashed into the dragon¡¯s head and split it open in two different directions away from Fareth. The sword did not stop there though, it kept going after the impact and hit his opponent¡¯s staff sending it flying out of the duelling circle. His opponent was briefly stunned and he reached into his robe to try and pull out a different weapon, but it was too late. Fareth had already taken the time in which he was stunned to cast a sealing spell that bound his hands in shackles preventing him from taking out his other weapon. Fareth had won the duel. Geroth let out a sigh of relief and smiled, Celina sighed in disgust at Fareth¡¯s victory, Daloran shook his fists in joy and Balon furrowed his eyebrows. Fareth walked over to his bound opponent and he tapped his staff on his shackles, freeing him from the spell. Fareth bowed slightly and his opponent did the same. ¡°Nice move.¡± His opponent said. ¡°Thanks.¡± Fareth replied and he walked over towards Daloran on the sidelines where they would wait together for the next rounds to begin. Daloran welcomed him over and he pat Fareth on the back. ¡°You had me worried there for a second!¡± He said. ¡°I was worried myself.¡± Fareth replied. ¡°All for the drama, was it? It certainly was exciting!¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I had intended.¡± Daloran gave a half smile, ¡°You seemed distracted at the start of the duel. Try and keep your focus next time, I¡¯m not sure if my heart could take much more of your showmanship.¡± Fareth gave a forced chuckle as he watched the remaining duels - his mind was elsewhere and not on the tournament. His thoughts were focused on the vision he had seen, what was the reason for it? Was it simply a dream, or it could have been a prelude to something more sinister. The second round of the tournament came and went by Fareth in a flash as he continued to not pay attention. In his second round he had managed to retain enough of his focus to beat his opponent. His winning move was faking a long windup spell that gave him an opportunity to quickly cast a repulsive spell and sent his opponent flying out of the circle. Daloran has also managed to win his second round duel and now all that was left was the third round and the traditional round to decide the Victory Cup. In the third round of the tournament Fareth had a difficult time in beating his opponent. It was not as easy to catch him off guard like the other two, and as a result they had a great back and forth duel. They had been battling for such a long time that they were now the only duel left to be completed - that was until Fareth saw an opportunity to incapacitate him by binding his legs. His opponent was tied up on the ground and was unable to get up after ten seconds. Fareth had won the duel and made it to the final eight that would go on to the last trial tomorrow. Fareth walked over towards Daloran on the sidelines and the two high fived each other. ¡°I¡¯m glad we both made it!¡± Daloran said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that this year you¡¯ll be my lucky charm in the final trial!¡± ¡°I hope so too because you¡¯re definitely going to need it.¡± Fareth said jokingly. Daloran lightly punched Fareth in the upper arm and they watched as Geroth took the stand ready to address Haven house. ¡°My students,¡± he began to say, ¡°well done to each of you! It is one thing to fight your enemies and it is another to fight against your friends. You have all shown great potential here today, but alas only eight of you will go on to the final round tomorrow.¡± Geroth looked over at Fareth and gave him a nod in acknowledgement of his achievement. ¡°Now then,¡± Geroth said, ¡°All that is left is the traditional round to decide who will take the Victory Cup.¡± The students cheered at the mention of the Victory Cup and Geroth had to quieten them down. ¡°Quiet, quiet,¡± He said politely, ¡°It is exciting but we must first decide who our gladiators will be and for that I pass on to Grandmaster Balon.¡± Geroth walked away from the top of the floating rock and he took his seat behind the table with the other Housemasters. Balon walked up to the front and prepared to speak. ¡°Now, let us decide. Who is your chosen gladiator from Naxan, Housemaster Zaran?¡± Balon asked. Zaran stood up out of his seat behind the table and he cleared his throat. ¡°I nominate, Gaiafeld.¡± He said to the applause from all the Wizards in his house, taking his seat again. ¡°Yes, Housemaster!¡± Gaiafeld said standing up out of his seat. He made his way down to the hall floor and stood at the edge of a duelling circle. ¡°Who is your chosen gladiator from Myren, Housemaster Miloran?¡± Balon asked. Miloran stood up out of his seat. ¡°I nominate¡­¡± he paused for dramatic effect and his fellow Housemasters all rolled their eyes. ¡°That makes it fifty three years in a row he¡¯s done that.¡± Geroth whispered to Thaine and he chuckled. Miloran had decided that his dramatic pause had gone on for long enough and he finally said. ¡°Ray.¡± His house erupted into a cheerful applause and Ray made his way down to the duelling circle opposite Gaiafeld. Miloran took his seat and Balon spoke up. ¡°Who is your chosen candidate from Siren, Housemaster Thaine?¡± Thaine stood up and cleared his throat. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure this will come as no surprise to everyone, but I nominate Celina.¡± Celina stood up and she shouted out proudly, ¡°Yes, Housemaster!¡± and she made her way down to the final duelling circle waiting for her opponent to be known from Haven house. ¡°And finally, who is your chosen candidate from Haven, Housemaster Geroth?¡± Balon asked. Geroth stood up and his eyes swept over the Wizards from his house before he spoke up. ¡°I wish I could pick many of you but I can only pick the one who I believe has shown great determination and skill throughout all the duels today.¡± The students eagerly awaited his decision. They did not know who Geroth was going to pick but they had a feeling his decision may be bias towards a certain Wizard. ¡°And so, I have picked the Wizard who I saw win all three of his rounds cleanly and elegantly. The Wizard that I nominate¡­ is¡­ Daloran.¡± Daloran jumped out of his seat in excitement. ¡°Yes, yes, Housemaster!¡± He said barely able to contain himself. Fareth slumped in chair in relief. He had not wanted to be the gladiator for Haven house. He had been lucky to defeat his opponents by outsmarting them, but the gladiators were the best of the best. Simply outsmarting them would not be enough, he would have to overwhelm them too. The other students all spoke to each other in surprise, but Balon interrupted them all. ¡°Silence! I must intervene.¡± He said. Geroth looked over at Balon with a puzzled expression. ¡°Grandmaster, is there a problem?¡± ¡°Truthfully, Daloran hasn¡¯t impressed me as much as another Wizard from Haven has.¡± Balon looked over at Fareth with shining eyes. ¡°Fareth, you are to be the gladiator for Haven.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Fareth said his heart sinking, but he quickly corrected himself. ¡°Apologies, I mean, yes Grandmaster.¡± Fareth walked down to the duelling circle and he stood opposite Celina. Meanwhile Geroth spoke with Balon. ¡°I do not understand. Daloran cleanly won all three of his rounds. My son is a great Wizard, but he struggled to win in each of his matches.¡± ¡°Geroth.¡± Balon said calmly, ¡°Stop pretending. I think you understand perfectly that Fareth is most suited to be Haven¡¯s gladiator.¡± Geroth scrunched his face up, but he had no choice otherthan to obey his superior. ¡°Yes, Grandmaster.¡± He said taking his seat. Celina looked at Fareth standing in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± She said. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± Fareth said miserably. ¡°Don¡¯t think I that didn¡¯t notice what you were doing in your duels.¡± She began to say. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you if you go easy on me like you did to the other Wizards. I¡¯m not going to hold back and neither should you.¡± Fareth gulped. It was not her threat that scared him. It was the fact that other than Fareth¡¯s most trusted friend Daloran, she was the only other person that had seen straight through his own guise.