Kasumi Mahô Minarai Teiruzu Disclaimer: Ranma ½, Darkstalkers and others belong to their creators. Geez! I would think everyone would know that I’m not making any money from any of this. < >: Thoughts << >>: Telepathic message Chapter 3 Fire, Earth, Air, Water and Metal! Bring it all together, Kasumi! Diary Entry May 8th, Well, I can say without any hyperbole that yesterday was full of surprises. From the preliminaries with Lord Belial himself, to meeting with someone who knew of my mother from long ago; would have been more than enough to leave me trembling with excitement for days. However, it seems that Fate had decided to throw one more surprise into the mix. My sister Nabiki is here in the Makai, and she’s a werewolf. Well, actually it would be more accurate to call her a Secondary Lycanthrope, since she cannot control fully control her transformations. She is only able to do so in the Makai, due to the overwhelming amount of mana available. Apparently, due to an accident some time ago, her boyfriend Matthew Talbain had to bite her, in order to save her life. Now it seems that they are searching for the pieces to an ancient artifact in order to turn her into a true werewolf. I can certainly understand now why she had been somewhat vague in her letters and not giving any details to her whereabouts this past week. In another lifetime, I would have found this development to be quite frightening and I can only imagine what Father and Akane would say if they were to know about Nabiki’s current situation. However, after what I have experienced in the past few days, I can only accept things as they are. After all, Nabiki is still my sister, even if she sprouts a tail and fangs every now and then. And I have missed her for the last few weeks. We spent most of last night catching up, and it will be good to have at least one member of my family cheering me on during the games. What has really shocked me was the fact that Matthew Talbane... I mean, Matthew Talbain was once Ranma Saotome. Thought I strive to not lose my temper and composure, I cannot help but feel... angry at Mr. Saotome for lying to us all this time. However, due to my Blood Oath, I find myself unable to act upon this knowledge for the time being. I am sworn never to speak of the Old Races and their secrets to those who are not under the same pledge. My family, (except for Nabiki), and my father’s ‘friend’ certainly do not qualify. Furthermore, Father would certainly ask me as to where I got the information about the false Ranma, and I cannot truthfully respond without revealing the existence of the Old Races. However, now is not the time to dwell on such things as I must prepare for the first day of the Apprenticeship Games. I am grateful to Jason and Lady Shidori for giving me some pointers yesterday. I can only do my best, as I have always done. Just as she had finished her diary entry, there was a knock on her door. “Come in.” The door opened to reveal Henry and her sister Nabiki. “Hey Kasumi, ready to go?” Her werewolf sibling asked. She was in her hybrid form and was now dressed in a kind of halter top, split skirt ensemble with leather anklets. Kasumi would have chided her younger sister on her more daring wardrobe, but then thought better of it as normal human garb wouldn’t have fit her bigger, muscular frame. The apprentice sorceress also noted that Nabiki’s clothes gave off a familiar magical wavelength, much like her own. “Excuse me Nabiki, but I was wondering... who made your clothes?” “Oh, these are really my regular clothes, but since I kept ripping them whenever I transformed, they were all modified by Castle Talbain’s seamstress.” “Really? She wouldn’t happen to be a woman with eight eyes and spider legs on her back would she?” The younger Tendo nodded as she pointed to Kasumi’s outfit. “Is Arana the same one who made your clothes?” “You got good eyes, Lass.” Henry commented. “Just like your sister. Now then, are we all ready to get going?” Both girls nodded as they headed out of the inn and toward the Wizard’s Coliseum. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as they neared the huge structure. As per the rules, all contestants had to report in at dawn or be disqualified. Despite having talked late into the night with her sister, Kasumi had used a spell on herself and her sibling, in order to sleep for a half-hour, yet still achieve the same amount of rest one would receive over an eight-hour period. The downside to this spell was that she could only use it on herself or another person once a week; else she would badly disrupt his/her normal sleeping cycle. As they walked, Kasumi couldn’t help but notice how natural her sister looked as a lycanthrope. “You seem to be very comfortable in that form, Nabiki.” The middle daughter shrugged. “I’ve learned to go with the flow. Besides, I really like this werewolf body of mine. I’m stronger and faster than I’ve ever been. I can see, smell and hear things like never before. It’s such a rush that I just can’t see myself going back to being plain, old Nabiki.” She gave her sibling a smile. “But look at you! You’re learning actual magic! You’re competing in the Apprenticeship Games! That’s pretty cool too!” Kasumi blushed a bit at her sister’s admiration. “Well, I must admit that it was quite... exhilarating to learn that I had the gift for sorcery.” She looked down at the Halfling. “I am very thankful to you, Henry.” “It was my pleasure to assist you in your magical training.” The storekeeper said. “So Henry was the one who trained you?” Ksaumi’s sibling asked. “Well I helped this Lass get started, but I can’t take all the credit.” Henry admitted. “The Grimbard Sisters were the ones who polished this diamond in the rough.” “The Grimbard Sisters? You mean those little old ladies from Salem? They’re said to be among the most powerful and skilled users of general magic.” “You are acquainted with them?” “We haven’t met personally, but I do remember Matthew telling me about them when I first came to Castle Talbain.” “Speaking of Matthew...” The eldest Tendo sister said. “I was very surprised when you told me that he was the true Ranma Saotome, and not that false one that has been living with us at home. Why hasn’t he or his father told anyone the truth?” Well, we BOTH know one reason behind that, Sis.” Matthew’s girlfriend pointed at her sister’s left arm, where her Blood Oath scar was located. The eldest of Soun’s children nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes of course.” Nabiki then shrugged her shoulders. “Besides, as far as Matthew is concerned, that phony can keep the name of Ranma Saotome. He certainly doesn’t want it, and he DEFINITELY does not want to get tied up in that Unite the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts nonsense, that Daddy and Mr. Saotome wants.” “Not that it matters, Lass.” Henry pointed out. “My old friend Happosai told me about that pledge during one of our drinking sessions. It does not apply to Matthew since he is TRUE SON of Jon Talbain, and he made NO PROMISES to Soun Tendo.” “Although we’re going to have to do something about what’s happening at home.” The second Tendo child pointed out. “That will have to wait until at least the end of the games. Speaking of which, you’re in for a treat Nabiki Tendo. We have been given the privilege to watch all the Apprenticeship Games from the Blackstorm’s Private Observation Booth!” “Whoa! How did we get such good seats?” The middle daughter of Soun Tendo asked. “I suppose it helps that Lady Shidori knew our mother from high school.” Kasumi pointed out. “What did she say about Mom?” Before Kasumi could answer, Henry cut in. “Kasumi needs to focus on the games. If you have questions about your mother, I suggest that you ask Lady Shidori herself. When she invited us into her private booth, Argus Blackstorm’s wife did tell me, that she was looking forward to learning more about Kimika Tendo’s children.” “Really? I can’t wait to talk to her!” Nabiki’s mind raced with all the questions she was going to ask Shidori. Just like Kasumi, she barely knew their mother. She then addressed her sister. “We’ll be cheering you on Sis.” “Thank you. It means a lot to me that you’re here.” The eldest of Soun’s daughter said as they approached the main entrance to the coliseum. Just as they came within sight of the gateway, Kasumi was surprised to see a group of competitors waiting for them. She brightened up as she recognized them. “Kasumi!” Serena called out as she stood with Clea and Jason. Beside them was another familiar face, Meala the Magikat. Kasumi nevertheless greeted them warmly, even though they would all be competing against each other eventually. “Hello everyone!” The reptilian girl quickly embraced Nabiki’s sister, nearly crushing her with her Lizardman strength. “Kasumi! We were so worried about you after that blowup yesterday!” The eldest Tendo daughter was hoisted up into the air as she felt herself being compressed. She let off a gasp as she responded to the Reptyl female. “I’m... fine, Clea! Really! Uhm... could you please... let me go? I do need my ribs!” Clea relented and released their friend, allowing her to breathe again. It was then that Kasumi noticed another familiar person. “Meala! It’s good to see you again.” The Magikat gave her a warm smile, and then leaned forward to rub her cheek against Kasumi’s. She pulled back and nodded. “Very good to see you again, friend Kasumi. You are feeling well?” She nodded as she tried to explain yesterday’s events. “I’m so sorry I ran off and...” She never got to finish as Jason interrupted. “No need to explain yourself. My Mom cleared up that little matter with the judges yesterday.” “She did?” “Oh yeah. My Mom can be VERY convincing when she wants to be.” ---------- Flashback... “Are you accusing ME of playing favorites?” Shidori said in a quiet, yet deadly tone as she faced off with the Elder Council of Wizards. “Oh no! Please do not misunderstand us!” Lucius said quickly as several of his peers began to get edgy. The fact that Shidori was already considered formidable with her vast Holy Power, would have made any sorcerer or wizard watch his manners. However, she was also the wife of the Great Devastator, Argus Blackstorm. The last thing anyone wanted was to earn the wrath of the Number Two Demon Lord. “Just so that you do not misunderstand ME...” Argus’ spouse continued, “... I am here simply to clear up the matter of Kasumi Tendo’s eligibility to compete in this year’s Apprenticeship Games. I have heard some rumors that she may be prevented from participating, due to the question of her novice status in the field of magic. I can assure you that she is no expert and will not have an unfair advantage over the other competitors.” “Well, yes it is most reassuring for you to say that, Lady Shidori.” Lucius responded. “But there is still the matter of Miss Tendo’s unusually high amount of mana reserves. The last time we’ve had such powerful novices was when Grimbard Sisters competed three hundred and fifty-four years ago.” Argus’ wife smiled at the thought of her son’s godmothers. “I, myself did not consider Miss Tendo’s mana reserves to be of any consequence to her performance in these games. However, we must consider the safety of the other competitors and the spectators. Kasumi Tendo’s... ah, outburst caused quite a bit of commotion, and taxed the protection spells nearly to their limits.” The Miko shrugged her shoulders. “Oh? Is that all? Well then, I’m quite certain that I can strengthen those barriers before the games begin.” She then began emitting her aura, causing the entire room to light up as if bathed in the dawning light of the sun. The other members of the council brightened up at her suggestion. Shidori’s protection and barrier enchantments were among the strongest in the Makai, and just about the equal of the Grimbards. It was said that her binding abilities were powerful enough to hold any demon lord, including her husband and perhaps even Belial himself. “Well, if that’s the case, then I see no reason why we should not let Kasumi Tendo compete.” Lucius remarked. “Then the matter is settled.” ---------- End of flashback... “You don’t have to worry about not being able to compete.” Jason assured Kasumi. “Mom smoothed things over for you.” “That’s good to hear.” The first child of Soun Tendo said, and then gestured to her sibling and the Halfling. “Oh, where are my manners? I would like all of you to say hello to my friend Henry and my sister, Nabiki.” “Hi there!” Henry greeted cheerfully. “Hello.” The werewolf girl said as she was more than happy to see that her sister had made some friends. After spending nearly all of her life at home and at the markets, it was good to see her make some acquaintances outside of her secluded lifestyle. “How’s it going?” Clea said warmly as she shook Nabiki’s hand. Serena nodded as she also greeted Kasumi’s sibling. “Wow. Kasumi told us she had two sisters, but I didn’t know that one of them was a werewolf.” “Well, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know either until yesterday.” Kasumi admitted with a bit of a laugh. The group talked among themselves as they approached the main gate. They all stopped as they were confronted by two large golem guards. One seemed to be made completely out of white crystal, while the other was made of ruby. Kasumi and Meala stepped forward and presented their Gold Griffin badges. The ruby golem nodded and pointed past the gate toward a hallway marked with the same symbol. After giving her werewolf sibling and Halfling friend a hug, and bid her friends good luck at the tournament, Kasumi and the Magikat started to make their way towards the indicated area. “See you all at the finals.” Jason said as he and Clea showed their badges and were directed toward another hallway. Serena was pointed toward her division’s area. After a short walk, Kasumi, Meala and a few others, arrived at a very large room where some two hundred constants were seated. Just after they found the seats corresponding to their badge numbers, the doors behind them closed, indicating that they were the last of the expected competitors. Among the assembled novices was Alexis Val Karas VIII who noted the presence of her biggest rival. At that moment, everyone’s attention was drawn toward the podium at the front as a flash of light suddenly appeared. When the light died away, a bearded man in sorcerer robes stood before the mass of magic-users. He was wearing a pair of spectacles and had short brown hair with streaks of gray. In one hand, he held a very ornate magical staff that was about four feet long. He addressed the novice magicians in a loud and booming voice that needed no amplification spell. “Greetings, Gold Griffins! I am Kalan, Master Wizard and Primary Judge of this division. Welcome to the Apprenticeship Games! Out of all the thousands of applicants, only you few have proven yourselves worthy to participate in this branch of games. You have been considered to be the best among the novices who practice all forms of magic equally! Magic is not a constant thing and one MUST adapt to its many forms and changes! That is what we shall test you to your limits! And out of the two hundred present here, only the two BEST competitors shall win the right to compete in the finals!” Kalan twirled his staff in an intricate pattern as he began invoking a spell. Kasumi was especially impressed by his control as he made a very detailed illusion appear behind him like a holographic projector. He then began to explain the rules of the first day of competition. “Today, you shall be tested on the basic elements of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Metal! Behold the country of Myalla!” The illusion he projected was that of a vast forest near a gigantic mountain. A huge river flowed through the forest as various creatures and birds roamed the land and the sky. Near the top of the mountain was the finish line, marked by twin spires of gold. “You shall be placed in groups of ten and transported to the starting line. From there you shall make your way to the finish near the peak of Mount Valan. You will not be permitted to use any long-distance teleportation spells or artifacts. You must follow the markers as they guide you. Each group will follow a different path to the finish and each path will have a series of elemental challenges in which you must use your own knowledge and skills to overcome. You have the option of working together within your group or alone.” The Master Wizard made another series of magical gestures, causing all the badges of the competitors to glow briefly. He then continued with his explanation of the rules. “I have charged each of your badges with two ‘Token’ spells and one ‘Concede’ spell for today’s competition. Should you encounter a challenge in which you cannot complete, you may use a Token to skip it. Simply tap the badge and say the word ‘token.’ The checkpoint will allow you to continue on. However, should you run out of Tokens, or find yourself in a situation in which you cannot continue, or if your life is threatened, you may tap your badge and say the word ‘concede.’ Keep in mind, by using Concede; you will be disqualified from the competition. Furthermore, those who do not reach the summit of Mount Valan before sunset shall also be disqualified. For those who do reach the finish, you shall be able to move on to the next round.” Kalan then ended his illusion spell and spun his staff with a flourish. “Good luck to you all! Let the first round of the Gold Griffin division commence!” At that moment, the entire room glowed with a golden light as a massive teleportation spell was invoked. Kasumi and all the others disappeared in the blink of an eye. ---------- The Ruby Dragon Divison... “Greetings my fellow warriors!” A large, muscular, horned man with red skin bellowed as he addressed the two hundred competitors before him. “I am Sajaki, the Warrior Mage! I see that we have a fine crop of fighters this year and I expect to see you all do your utmost to win the Apprenticeship Games. In this division we value strength above all else! However, it is not just physical strength that we will evaluate. We shall test the strength of your minds, your determination and especially your battle magic!” Sajaki pulled out a huge, broadsword which had magic runes inscribed on its blade. With several swings, he made an illusion appear before the audience, depicting a desolate wasteland with thunderstorms happening all over the area. Steaming geysers erupted periodically all over while tremors constantly split the ground. Pools of acid and other substances were scattered about. “This is shall be your first battlefield! Behold the Wasteland of Bedoka! This area is considered be a cauldron of chaotic elemental forces that were cast off from other realms, including the Makai. From these forces, powerful beings of elemental magic are formed. You know them as Giga-Golems. They are but mindless shells of potent magic. However, one should never take them lightly as they are as fearsome as the forces of nature themselves.” The illusion switched to display a variety of Giga-Golems and demonstrated how dangerous they were as they rampaged throughout the wastelands. “Your task today shall be a simple one.” Sajaki declared. “You are to go and defeat three of these Giga-Golems. However, you may only use the elements of Fire, Wind, Water, Earth and Metal.” Some competitors became a bit edgy at the thought of facing off against these monsters, especially since the average height of a Giga-Golem was about the size of a Gundam. Many were already considering forfeiting their matches. As for a certain demi-demon, he simply shrugged and made a comment to the Reptyl beside him. “Have you ever been to the wastelands?” Clea nodded. “My uncle took me there a couple of times and he showed me how to take down one of those things. How about you?” “My Dad and I used to spend our summers there until I was ten.” The Reptyl gave him a strange look. Who would even consider taking a little boy to a place that was considered an extreme danger zone? Then again, the most dangerous being in that place would have been Argus Blackstorm. The Primary Judge continued. “Do not take these beasts lightly. They have become far more powerful as of late. As proof of your victories, your badges shall record your wins. I shall give you one hour to achieve this goal. If you fail to do so within the allotted time, you will be disqualified. And of course, your badges do have a Concede spell within them which you can use if you cannot defeat an adversary. And now, let the games commence!” With these words, the warrior-wizard activated the spell to transport the contestants to their destination. ---------- The Jade Sea Serpent Division... Iliane the Philosopher smiled as she looked upon the assembled novices. As the Primary Judge of Serena’s division, she was impressed by the number of witches, alchemists, and seers this year. During last year’s Apprenticeship Games, it was one of the Jade Sea Serpents that won the finals. She was hoping for a repeat of that victory with this batch of novices. In crowd, Serena looked upon Iliane with awe. The famed Philosopher of the Elder Council of Wizards was said to be a living library of the most ancient of spells. Iliane was a tall, willowy woman, dressed in dark, green robes and was wearing spectacles. She had long, silver hair and looked to be in her late eighties. However, she spoke with a voice that both commanding and compelling. “For this fist day, you shall use your knowledge of the elements of Wind, Water, Metal, Fire and Earth to create this!” In a puff of smoke, she made an intricate statue of crystal and metal appear. It was incredibly well-made and gave off a myriad of colors. It was in the shape of a multi-faceted star on a very ornate pedestal. “You shall be given points on creativity, speed, efficiency and the methods on how to shape your statue. However, you may only use the materials that you collect from here!” Iliane made an illusion appear behind her, depicting an area of crystal, metals and a variety of other minerals. There were multiple caverns and ravines, all full of exotic materials. “What you see before you are the Fabled Mines of Meralla! You can only create your statue with the elemental principles I had mentioned. Those who complete their statue within 3 hours shall move on to the next round. However, your statue must be an exact duplicate of mine within 1% tolerances. Any flaw greater than that will automatically disqualify you! And now, let us begin!” Serena and the rest of the division were teleported away. ---------- The White Pegasus Division... Conrad Blanchet sat uncomfortably in his seat. He was still feeling quite a bit of pain from the Ogre Soul-Twins as he listened to his Primary Judge’s instructions. The person in question was Ordorlon the Shield. He was kind of a humanoid turtle, with a large shell on his back and reptilian features on his face. He was a quiet fellow and didn’t really care much for violence. However, he was a firm believer of protecting others and preached the ideal that the best attack was a strong defense. He gestured to the illusion behind him. “Here you see the Labyrinth Hedgerows of Calliser! You must navigate these pathways and overcome the Elemental traps that are scattered about the maze. However, due to the laws of this country, offensive spells are forbidden! You may only use elemental spells to defend or circumvent the dangers. This will be an exercise of control, and wisdom. Any use of magic for attack or destruction will result in automatic disqualification. As with the Gold Griffin Division, your badges shall receive two Tokens and one Concede spell. You must reach the exit by sunset! Those who do not finish shall be eliminated from the competition. Let us begin!” Conrad was taken by surprise as he and the others vanished from sight. ---------- In the private observation booth of the Elder Council of Wizards, the four Primary Judges for the divisions appeared and took their seats beside Lucius. Before them was a myriad of illusions, each depicting a different area of the Apprenticeship Games, like an array of high-definition television screens. “And so it begins again.” The Grand Spellmaster commented. “So my friends... which division do you think will be the final victor this year?” “Hah! I think that would be obvious!” Sajaki commented. “The Ruby Dragons are especially strong this time around. I would wager that we shall see one of them on the first place podium.” “One does not win by strength alone.” Iliane pointed out. “May I remind you that it was a Jade Sea Serpent who won the finals last year?” “That was LAST year and we are now talking about this year.” “I don’t suppose your confidence is stemming from the fact that Argus Blackstorm’s son is competing, is it?” Kalan mused. “And may I also remind the two of you that the Gold Griffin division has won the majority of these games in the past?” As the three continued their discussion, Lucius addressed Ordorlon. “And what of you my friend? How is your division this year?” The large turtle man took on an expression of deep thought before responding. “I do believe that the novices will put up a very good showing this year. Who knows? One might JUST make it.” “Well then, shall we begin our duties as judges then?” Lucius said as he made a wave of his hand and began to focus first on the Gold Griffin Division, where one of the contestants was summing up her first experience in a magical competition in two words. ---------- “OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH MMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!” After Kalan had explained the general rules of the first round, Kasumi and other contestants had been expecting that the teleportation spell would place them somewhere within the forest or near the river. They did not expect to appear in the sky some 20,000 feet above the ground! The Grimbards’ apprentice was shocked to find herself falling toward the ground at terminal velocity. She looked about in desperation and saw that everyone was in the same predicament and flailing about. At that moment, a young novice fell past her while screaming. “I DON’T WANNA DIE! I CONCEDE!” As soon as he tapped his badge, he disappeared in a flash of light. Kasumi noticed that many others were doing the same and were safely transported back to the Wizard’s Coliseum. She looked down at her own badge and began to consider following their example. Surely this was a mistake to have them falling to their deaths, right? Just as she was thinking about using the Concede spell, the matter was taken out of her hands as one of the gifts the Grimbard Sister had given to her activated itself. The cloak she was wearing immediately spread itself out and began slowing her down with its levitation magic. She let off a sigh of relief as she started to float down toward the ground. Then she noticed a flash just at the bottom of her vision. She looked down and saw in horror as a Magikat was tumbling helplessly toward the ground. “MEALA!” Without a second thought, she used her cloak’s other abilities to dive down toward her. In addition to saving her from a fall and making herself invisible, she was able to maneuver through the air while descending to the ground. She caught up to her friend and grabbed her around the midsection, stopping Meala from tapping her badge. “DON’T DO IT!” The brown-haired girl held on tight as her cloak strained to slow the both of them down. However, this proved to be too much for it to handle as the levitation spell gave out, causing the cloak to become an inanimate piece of cloth again. Meala tried to push her off as the ground came closer. She knew the cloak would reactivate to save its primary user. “LET ME GO! SAVE YOURSELF KASUMI! DON’T THROW AWAY YOUR CHANCE!” Kasumi shook her head as she tightened her grip. “NO! THERE MUST BE A WAY!” As the ground was less than 1,000 feet away, Kasumi’s training took over as she thrust out one hand and pointed her wand downward. Releasing three of her limiters, she chanted her spell. “Olympus spiritus of rabies, EGO voco thee!” (1) A huge gust of wind was summoned up like a miniature tornado, slowing down their velocity considerably. However, as they neared the ground, Meala knew that they were going to land hard, and break quite a few bones. Even if they survived, the injuries would put them out of the games. Thrusting out her right arm, she started chanting her own spell. “Tripudio, tripudio, parvulus of Matris Terra!” (2) Kasumi noticed that her friend didn’t use a wand, but wore a gold bracelet with Rune symbols. A blast of green energy fired downward and struck a sapling oak tree. It immediately began growing at an accelerated rate, achieving a height of 150 feet in seconds with a wide canopy of leaves and branches. The pair crashed into the natural safety net and kept on falling. The Tendo girl shaped the wind around them, creating a kind of air cushion to prevent them from being scratched. Once they passed through the canopy, they had slowed down enough for Meala to act. “HOLD ON TIGHT!” Kasumi clung to the Magikat’s waist as she turned about and reached out with her hands. Her feline claws extended out and dug hard into the tree’s bark. She dug long nail ruts down the length of the tree trunk. Halfway down, she thrust out her legs. Unlike humans, she didn’t need any kind of footwear, so the claws on her feet were able to dig into the wood as well. Just as they were about two feet off the ground, they finally came to a stop. After a long moment of silence, Kasumi released her grip on Meala’s waist, while Meala let go of the tree. Both fell on their backs and lay exhausted on the forest floor. At that moment, they heard a high-pitched, voice with a bit of tinkle in it. “Bravo! Bravo! I must admit that wasn’t the most graceful of landings, but like the humans say, any landing you can walk away from is a good one.” Both sat up and looked up to see a tiny fairy flitting about. She was about eight inches tall with gossamer wings, and dressed in a kind of cute outfit that reminded Kasumi of a Barbie doll. She had short, blond hair and looked a lot like a certain Disney character. She and Meala both noticed that the fairy was wearing a badge with the symbol of the Elder Council of Wizards, meaning that she was an important official. “May I offer my congratulations to contestant number 437 and 639 for passing the first challenge?” The two novices glanced down at their badges then replied. “I am Kasumi Tendo.” “I am Meala Kitarola” The fairy nodded as she introduced herself. “I am Kryoli Kassat. I am one of the field judges for this event. Once again, I congratulate you both for passing the first trial.” “What trial?” Meala exclaimed. “Coming down here safely of course.” Kreoli said with a shrug. “You do remember Master Kalan telling you that you will face a number of challenges between the starting line and the finish at Mount Valan, correct?” “Yes, but if that fall was one of the trials, then where was the starting line?” Kasumi asked in confusion. “The Wizard’s Coliseum of course. Where else would it be?” The sprite answered nonchalantly. She noted both contestants’ expressions of shock and began to explain. “You must know that the Apprenticeship Games are not just a series of competitions to prove who has the greatest potential in the field of magic, but it also serves as kind of in-the-field training. Master Mages can only do so much in the classroom and all novices must be able to deal with different situations. In this way, both apprentice and free-study novices can gain the experience they need to be more prepared in the future. That sudden fall you had was a test to see how you would react. Unfortunately, a great number of you panicked and are now out of the competition.” “How many?” Meala asked. “According to the telepathic messages I have received from other field judges; out of the two hundred Gold Griffins, fifty-five had dropped out when they were... dropped out, so to speak. They were dropped in groups of ten and out of your particular group, only you two are left.” Both girls gasped at how close they had come to being omitted from the competition. “A pity since they could have used a Token spell rather than the Concede spell. No one would have died since the badge would have automatically brought them back safely if their lives were in danger, but they all chose to concede.” Kryoli then addressed the Magikat. “You should be very thankful to your human friend. She stopped you from using your Concede spell.” Meala nodded. “I am very thankful, though if she hadn’t used that wind spell, I would have had no choice. I couldn’t save myself with wind, since I am very weak with the Air Element. I can barely whip up a gentle breeze, much less a gust powerful enough to slow my descent.” She turned to Kasumi with a smile. “I am grateful to you, friend Kasumi.” The sprite then addressed the human. “And you should consider yourself very lucky, Kasumi Tendo. If you had floated down using that enchanted cloak, I would have disqualified you the moment you landed. Remember that you must use ONLY the five elements that Kalan had mentioned during this round. However, since you did employ Air in combination with the Earth spell that Kitarola used to make that tree grow; I shall overlook this one transgression. However, you cannot use that cloak again for the remainder of this round. Understand?” Kasumi nodded as she quietly took off her cloak and neatly folded it, before storing it in her handbag. Kryoli nodded as she pointed in a western direction. “I have wasted enough of your time. Please make your way towards the river and the next marker. Another field judge waits to evaluate your performance on your next challenge. Good luck!” Both females got up and bid the fairy goodbye as they ran off toward the river. ---------- Meanwhile, in place known as Castle Tabain, a certain seer and a friend were watching the Apprenticeship Games from a huge crystal. One being had the wings of a crow and wore the clothes of a Japanese prophet. The other was a tiny fellow with green clothes, who was sitting on her right shoulder and smoking a small pipe. Kismet the Tengu nodded as she spoke with Shamus O’Shea the Leprechaun. “Kasumi Tendo was indeed very lucky. In fact, I would say that she had the ‘Luck of the Irish,’ wouldn’t you agree?” She gave the Irish imp a knowing smile. Shamus smiled back and took a long drag from his pipe. He made an impressive smoke ring before replying. “Well now, I’d say it was good thing that I donated some coins from me pot to Grom. If the lass hadna seen that flash from that wee belt buckle, she wouldna had seen her friend in a spot of trouble.” “Yes, and she wouldn’t have tried to save her with her cloak, thereby causing it to fail, and force her to use an elemental spell. Thus she was saved from being disqualified. Quite a stroke of luck wouldn’t you say?” “Aye, Leprechaun Gold does have that effect.” “Isn’t that cheating?” “What cheatin’? Don’t be daft now. The contest allows for the element of metal and Leprechaun Gold certainly counts as such.” Shamus blew another smoke ring before continuing. “But the Lass best be on her toes for the rest of the round. Me gold be givin’ her only one very good stroke of luck a day, and it has been used now. If she be wantin’ more good luck, she’d best be makin’ it herself.” ---------- In the private observation booth of the Blackstorm family, Nabiki let off a sigh of relief after seeing her sister land safely. The room was equipped with an array of viewing crystal projectors, which would allow her to see any event of the Apprenticeship Games. She was currently sitting in a very comfortable easy chair beside Jason’s mother Shidori and Henry. Matthew and Jon would join them later after taking care of some business with Lord Belial. “Whew! She made it!” The werewolf girl said as she sat back in her seat and addressed Shidori. “How could they do that to Kasumi?!” The Miko gave the daughter of her old friend a gentle but firm expression. “Keep in mind Nabiki, that the Elder Council of Wizards didn’t do that just to your sister; they did it to EVERYONE in the Gold Griffin Division.” “Aye, that they did.” Henry agreed. “This is NOT like those Olympic Games back on Earth. The competitors here have abilities that FAR exceed that of mere mortals, and therefore the challenges they face must also equal to their potential.” “Remember what that field judge told Kasumi.” Argus’ wife pointed out. “This is not just a competition to see which novices have the best skills, but it also meant to give all competitors some practical experience in using those skills. That first trial not only forced the competitors to think on their feet, but also to keep a cool head. Sadly, the Gold Griffin Division lost more than a quarter of its number because those novices lost their nerve. Your sister was nearly one of them, if it hadn’t been for that cloak and some extraordinary Irish Luck.” “Irish Luck?” Nabiki repeated in confusion. “You did notice her belt buckle sparkling didn’t you?” “I thought it was just the sun glinting off its surface.” “Nay Lass.” Henry shook his head while smiling. “She was facing away from the sun when it flashed. What you saw was the work of Leprechaun Gold.” “Leprechaun Gold?” “That’s right Nabiki.” Jason’s mother affirmed. “Of all the types of gold in existence, none is more prized than the gold belonging to the Faerie Folk of the Emerald Isle. You’ve heard of the expression of the Luck of the Irish? Well, it is said that Leprechaun Gold is the physical embodiment of that expression, since it can ACTUALLY affect the odds of a bad situation in your favor. That is one of the reasons, aside from its monetary value, that leprechauns guard their pots of gold so feverishly.” “Really? Whoa, that’s incredible!” Shidori then addressed the Halfling. “Since Kasumi got her outfit from the seamstress Arana, I assume that the gold belt buckle came from Shamus O’Shea?” With Henry’s nod, Shidori took on an introspective expression before addressing Nabiki again. “Hmmm, that’s interesting. I’ve never known any leprechaun to part with his gold so easily. Perhaps he saw something special within your sister as I did.” “Aye, I think he did, even though he never met Kasumi in person.” Henry affirmed as he turned to Nabiki. “However, your sister had best not depend on that belt buckle too much, especially now that she’s used up her only stroke of good luck for the day.” “What do you mean?” The middle Tendo daughter asked. “Leprechaun Gold can affect the odds of a bad situation in your favor, but it can only do so once a day. Kasumi’s belt buckle prevented her from being eliminated from competition. She is now on her own for the rest of the first round, and I assure you that it will get more difficult.” “That’s to be expected with all the divisions.” Shidori added. “Speaking of which, I believe I will see how my son is doing in his division. We shall check back on your sister later on.” Nabiki nodded as Shidori made a wave with her right arm, and changed the main projection. All were taken by surprise as they saw Jason flying through the air and slamming hard on his back against the rocky wall of a small mountain. The impact was so great, that it caused a small earthquake within the immediate area. “Oh dear!” Jason’s mother said with some concern. ---------- The Ruby Dragon Division... Jason Blackstorm could sum up his situation with one word. “DAMN!” As soon as he and the other competitors had been transported to the Wasteland of Bedoka, each person separated to find and defeat three Giga-Golems. There were at least two dozen field judges scattered about to observe the matches and disqualify anyone who broke the rule of using Elemental abilities only to beat their eneimies. It didn’t take long for Jason to find his first opponent. However, he soon found out that the challenge itself was a lot harder than he expected. His goal was to defeat three of these monsters within an hour and his first foe was NOT cooperating. As he pulled himself out of the indentation he had made in the rock wall, he looked up at the Giga-Golem he was facing. The monster was over sixty-feet tall and was made of semi-molten rock. What made this enemy even more formidable was the fact that it was able to absorb all heat and flames, making it even stronger. This meant that continuing to use his Hellfire abilities worked against Jason and he was feeling every blow. Too bad the Giga-Golem didn’t feel any pain. Shidori’s son knew that he was wasting time and he had to put this thing away. He couldn’t chip at the Giga-Golem so he would need to finish it in one final attack. A normal battle mage would have used a water spell against such a foe. The main problem was that Jason didn’t know any water spells. Looking about, he saw an enormous cave, which gave him a flash of inspiration. He powered up his aura and started running toward the cave entrance. Enticed by the surge of Hellfire flames, the Giga-Golem followed. On a nearby ledge, the field judge, (who happened to be a satyr), wondered why the son of Argus Blackstorm was running away from his adversary. Surely it wasn’t out of cowardice, was it? The judge watched with interest as the Giga-Golem entered the cave. Then he heard a shout. “EAT THIS! DEMON-RAGE!” There was a MASSIVE explosion as a torrent of flames erupted from the cave entrance like a sideways volcano. A few seconds later, the Giga-Golem stumbled backward out of the cave, its flames completely extinguished, leaving only a figure of blackened, smoking rock. After a moment, it toppled backward and broke apart into a pile of fragments. Jason emerged from the cave with his clothes in tatters and his face dirty with soot. He looked up at the judge and gave him a thumbs-up. The satyr looked down at the defeated Giga-Golem and nodded as he marked down Jason’s first victory on a notepad. “Winner... Jason Blackstorm.” ---------- In the Blackstorm’s private booth, Nabiki stared in disbelief, and then asked the Miko beside her. “How did he do that?” Shidori nodded in understanding. “I have to compliment my son’s ingenuity. Have you ever heard of an oil well fire?” “Yes.” “Well, from what I remember from my life on Earth, an oil well fire is more difficult to put out than a regular fire, since the flames use the crude oil as fuel. That causes the flames to be more intense and harder to put out.” Kasumi’s sibling nodded as she remembered her science teacher teaching her about it at Furinken High. Then her eyes widened in realization. “Hey wait a minute! I get it! Oil workers use explosives in order to drive out the surrounding oxygen the flames need to burn.” “Precisely. My son led that Giga-Golem into that cave and in that confined space, he caused an explosion, thereby forcing all the air and flames to be driven out in one direction, namely the cave entrance. He literally snuffed out that Giga-Golem’s fire with fire, or rather a fiery explosion.” Nabiki nodded in agreement as they continued to watch Jason search for his next two opponents. He only had twenty minutes left to succeed or be disqualified. -------- The Jade Sea Serpent Division... In Serena’s division, the apprentice witch was finding out just how hard the challenge really was. Trying to duplicate an intricate crystal and metal statue in less than 3 hours would be difficult enough. The real trick was gathering the right materials using only Elemental spells. And fighting the other competitors for those materials threw a considerable monkey wrench into the works. Some were so busy battling each other, that they hadn’t even begun their statues. Iliane’s sample statue was made of some of the rarest crystals and metal ores found in the Makai, and it was cut so finely that it looked as if she had used a laser beam. The competitors had to copy the cuts and shaping as close as they could. They were also being closely watched by the field judges for any violations of the Elemental-only rule, as well as scoring their progress. If a judge decided that a trainee didn’t have a reasonable chance of duplicating the sample statue, he or she would be disqualified. Within the first half hour, forty-five contestants had already been removed from competition. Two hours had elapsed by this time and the total number of Jade Sea Serpents eliminated had risen to seventy-five. Serena ran back to the place where the sample statue was and took another mental note of its upper structure and how its crystals were cut. This was an exercise in memory, attention to detail and precision. The judges would eliminate any competitor who exceeded the 1% tolerance limit, even if it happened to be one small stone of the wrong size, shape or material. As soon as she got a good mental picture of what needed to be done to complete her statue, she ran back to the cave where her entry was. However, as she approached the entrance, she got a shock as another competitor was preparing to destroy her only chance to the next round. Due to the fact that the challenge was extremely frustrating, several of the competitors had opted to sabotage their rivals, either by destroying their projects or stealing them and claiming them as their own works. Serena immediately reached into her cloak and took out a small vial of potion, which she hurled at the intruder, just as she was about to throw a fire spell. The vial spilled its contents over the would-be saboteur, immediately exploding in a mist of freezing gas. She was encased in a block of ice, just as one of the field judges came by to check on Serena’s work. The field judge was a dwarf with a notepad. He looked up at Ravenwing with a questioning gaze. The witch could only shrug her shoulders and truthfully answer his unspoken question. “Hey, she was going to melt my project so I reacted in self-defense with an Instant-Ice Potion.” The dwarf nodded as he marked down on his notepad the following. “Contestant number three-twenty-five defended project with water-based magic potion. No violation of Elementals-Only rule.” He then walked up to the immobile competitor and casually addressed her, not even blinking an eye at her frozen state. “Contestant number five-sixty-six, I have checked on the status of your project and your error tolerance was at 1.00000001%. You are hereby disqualified. Oh and trying to sabotage contestant three-twenty-five wasn’t very nice either. Concede.” As soon as he spoke the word, the badge on the frozen contestant activated, transporting her back to the Wizard’s Coliseum. Once she disappeared, he turned to assess Serena’s work. He nodded and marked down his analysis. “Very nice, though your error tolerance has risen to 0.89%. You have one hour left to complete this project and remain under the limit.” As he left the cave, Serena gulped as she had to work fast, yet still remain as accurate as she could. ---------- The White Pegasus Division... “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!” Conrad Blanchet thought that running was beneath a man of his station unless it was absolutely necessary. FWOOSH! “YEEEEOOOOOOOW” Being chased by a twelve-foot tall, 900-pound, fire-breathing Demon Hound counted as such. The traps of the Hedgerow Maze of Calliser had already claimed fifty-eight of the two hundred in the division, and were now seeking to add the heir of the Blanchet family to that number. Just as the hound was about to catch up to Conrad, he immediately rounded a corner and took cover in the first hiding place he saw. The beast came to the spot, only to find a dead end and no novice in sight. The enormous canine sniffed about, trying to locate its quarry. It considered a certain spot, but thought that the prey wouldn’t try to hide in THAT. Finally, after five minutes of looking about, the Demon Hound went off in search of new targets. A minute after monstrous dog left, Conrad emerged from his hiding spot... a BIG pile of Demon Hound poop leftover from canine’s dinner the night before. “AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH! HOW DISGUSTING!” At that moment, one of the field judges appeared and his nose scrunched up a bit at the smell. Blanchet looked up to see a leprechaun, (who incidentally was a distant cousin of Shamus O’Shea) floating about. “Ach! That be one FOUL stench about ye! I was expecting ye to be usin’ an Elemental spell to defend against that hound, but hidin’ from its nose is a kind of defense. And using a part of the Earth element, (a very disgusting part mind ye), does count, so I will not be sendin’ ye back to the Wizard’s Coliseum. Ye better get a move on though. Ye be only one-tenth of the way to the exit.” With those words, he put a finger up against the side of his nose and winked out of sight, leaving Conrad to dig himself out. ---------- From within the Blackstorm Private Booth, Shidori changed the settings of the projection crystals again. “I believe my son will be all right for the moment. Why don’t we check up on your sister’s progress?” Nabiki nodded as she reclined in her chair and was handed a tasty beverage by one of the Ogre Soul-Twins. It looked like a strawberry smoothie, but as soon as she took a sip from the straw, she was amazed at the variety of fruit flavors that assaulted her taste buds. “Wow! I’ve never tasted anything like this before! It tastes like ripe apple, kiwi, mango and pineapple, one after the other! It’s not like they’re mixed together. I actually taste separate flavors, in varying amounts.” Henry took a sip of his own glass and nodded. “Ah yes, one of the Makai’s special treats, Melody Fruit Smoothie!” “Melody Fruit?” “Yes, my dear. Melody Fruit is prized for its miraculous flavor and sound.” “Sound?” “Indeed. The Melody Fruit tree grows in very remote areas. This is what it looks like.” He tapped a nearby crystal control causing a small image to appear before them. To Nabiki, it looked like a mulberry tree, but its leaves were shaped like those found on a maple tree. The only difference was that each leaf had four, oval holes in them. The fruit itself were about the size of large cantaloupes and were colored blue. “One of the reasons why this is called a Melody Fruit tree is because the leaves actually play a very soothing tune when the wind blows through them. The wood itself is also prized because of its musical tone quality. It makes excellent flute and drum material. However, the real prize is the fruit itself. As you have just tasted, the fruit gives off several different flavors in row, strung together in perfect harmony like a melody.” “Wow. That’s incredible.” “What’s even more incredible Lass, is the fact that the biggest Melody Fruit orchard in the Makai happens to belong to the Blackstorms.” Nabiki turned in surprise toward Shidori. “Really?” Shidori sipped from her glass and shrugged her shoulders. “For some reason, Melody Fruit trees seem to thrive in soil near the Hellfire Pits. And my husband has a weakness for Melody Fruit.” She took another sip before changing the main projection to the Gold Griffin Division. And the scene wasn’t a pleasant one. ---------- The Gold Griffin Division... “What do you mean I’m disqualified?!” The field judge at the second marker looked down at the insolent novice. And when he looked down at somebody, he REALLY LOOKED DOWN. The judge towered over normal folk, as he was an imposing giant that was sixty-feet tall. He wore huge trousers, leather boots and a roughshod shirt. He had long black hair and had a hard expression on his face. And when he spoke, he voice boomed like minor thunder. “You heard me, rookie. I don’t care for whiners and I do have the right to disqualify anybody who complains.” “You’ve got to be kidding me!” The apprentice wizard shouted. “Do you have any idea what you’ve already put me through?! You drop me out of the sky! I had to stumble through this stupid forest to get to this marker! I had to fight off some wild beasts while getting here and...” “Concede.” In a flash of light, the upstart disappeared from sight. The giant snorted as he turned to the others who had arrived at the marker, including Kasumi and Meala. “He was the twenty-fourth person I sent back who whined about how hard this round was. Any one of you can easily become number twenty-five! Anybody ELSE have any complaints?” All of the novices, ten in all, shook their heads vigorously. The judge nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Rookies should keep quiet when their elders have something important to tell them. Otherwise, they’re not gonna grow to be elders themselves. Now, I’ll explain the challenge.” He pointed at the river. “This river is full of Elemental Mirror-Fish. Your challenge is to each catch a fish using ONLY elemental spells. You can’t use any shamanistic or divination spells to find them. I’ll disqualify you if I see any kind of fortune-telling. Oh and also keep in mind that you must remain dry. You cannot get wet.” There was a lot of murmuring and gasps among the group, after the challenge was explained to them. “What did he say?!” “He wants us to each catch an Elemental Mirror-Fish, with just elemental spells!” “How can we do that without a divination spell?” “That fish can blend into the elements, it’s almost invisible!” “It’s impossible!” Kasumi looked over to her partner with a bit of a confused expression. “What’s an Elemental Mirror-Fish?” Meala licked her chops as she replied. “Really tasty fish when deep-fried. The problem is catching them. You’ve heard of chameleons changing the color of their skin to blend in with their surroundings, right?” Kasumi nodded as the Magikat continued. “Elemental Mirror-Fish take that idea one step further by changing the texture and color of their skin to actually ‘mirror’ the elements around them. You can BARELY see their outlines in the water, even when they’re moving. Their skin is CONSTANTLY changing to adapt to whatever environment they’re in. That’s why fishermen use divination spells to locate and catch them. They’re fiendishly fast and you normally would need to use divination to stay one step of them.” The eldest Tendo sister nodded as she understood the complexity of the challenge. Without divination, the competitors would be reduced to randomly fishing about. Use the wrong elemental magic and the fish would be alerted to hide in the muddy bottom or swim further away. At that point, the giant’s voiced boomed as the contestants talked about how hard the challenge was. “IS THAT WHINING I HEAR AGAIN? DO YOU WANT TO CONCEDE NOW?” Everyone immediately went silent as the giant judge pointed downriver. “If this challenge is too much for you, then you may use a Token Spell to skip it, if you have any, and head downriver to the next marker. If not, I expect you to either concede or catch a fish under the rules I have laid out for you. So what will it be?” Almost at the same time, eight of the competitors announced their decision while tapping their badges. “TOKEN!” Their badges glowed in acknowledgement, signaling that they could leave for the next challenge. In less than a minute, only two were remaining. The giant looked down at Meala and Kasumi and smirked. “Well now. It seems that you two will be fishing for your lunch.” Meala gave her companion a worried expression. “Maybe we should have used a Token? I mean, I don’t know of any other way of catching an Elemental Mirror-Fish without divination.” Kasumi could only gaze upon the river and wondered if she should have used one of her Token spells. With the rule of not getting wet, she certainly couldn’t reach in and feel for the fish. Using a fishing pole with bait would be too slow and they needed to get going soon. She didn’t like the notion of skipping a challenge as it was against her nature to leave something unfinished, and they may need those Token spells for any harder challenges ahead. However, there seemed to be no option. Just as she looked down at her badge and reached up to tap it, she suddenly got an idea. She called up to the judge. “Excuse me? You did say that we’re allowed to use the elements, right?” “That is correct.” The giant counted off on the fingers of his right hand. “You may use Earth, Water, Wind, Fire and Metal; though I don’t think Fire would help you in this case.” “That’s all right; I’m not going to be using Fire, since I have a little trouble with that.” She addressed her Magikat friend. “How are you with Water spells?” “I’m pretty fair with them. Why?” “I have an idea.” The human girl said as she unsheathed the dagger from the scabbard on her belt. “If I’m able to locate the fish, would you be able to catch them with a water spout?” “I suppose I could, but the real trick is to find them at all. Elemental spells will only HELP the fish hide from our eyes even better.” “Which is why, I’m not going to use my eyes.” Kasumi walked over to a nearby tree and cut off a long, thin branch. She then affixed the dagger to the end of the branch, and tied it with a piece of string from her handbag, making a very crude spear. “Are you going spear-fishing?” Meala asked. The gentle girl shook her head. “Not exactly. However, this will help me find the fish.” “How?” “I’m going to use the elements of Water, Wind and Metal, in a little spell I like to call... echolocation.” With those words, she dipped the head of the spear into the water and began chanting her spell. ---------- Back at the Blackstorm’s Booth... “Echolocation?” Henry asked in confusion. Nabiki cocked her head in thought, and then brightened up in understanding. “Oh yeah! I remember my science teacher telling me that some animals like dolphins and whales use sound waves to find their prey. Come to think of it, I think Bob uses echolocation too.” “Bob?” “That’s the name the Talbains use to call the Loch Ness Monster.” Shidori explained as she addressed Kasumi’s sister. “So she’s going to use sound to find the fish?” “I guess it makes sense, though I’m a little surprised that Kasumi would take a scientific approach to the problem. Then again, she did get straight A’s in science and math in high school.” ---------- Both the field judge and Magikat watched in amazement as the dagger glowed in the water. Kasumi then said one word. “Seek.” Her soft voice was magically imbued into the dagger, and then spread out into the water in repeating waves. A moment later, she cried out to her friend and pointed toward a large, half-submerged rock on the opposite riverbank. “Over there! Cast your Water spell there!” Meala nodded as she raised her hand and directed her bracelet toward the rock. “Unda spin quod tripudio ut divum” (3) The area in front of the boulder swirled about for a minute before shooting upward in a stream of water. Kasumi followed through with a Wind spell to capture whatever was within the top of the spout. The giant was very impressed as three fish were blown toward them. Once out of the water, Elemental Mirror-Fish were easier to see as their scales did reflect sunlight. Each was about the size of a large catfish. Kasumi gently landed the three fish on a clear spot on her side of the bank and looked up at the field judge. “Would you care for some brunch?” ---------- Ten minutes later, the three were enjoying Elemental Mirror-Fish sushi as Kasumi had some prepared vinegar and rice in her bag. To both Kasumi and Meala’s surprise, the giant magically shrunk himself temporarily to enjoy the snack with them. He was still considered tall at 7’6” but he wasn’t as imposing as he was before. “Delicious! What did you call this Earth cuisine again?” “Generally it’s called sushi, but in my country of Japan, we call this particular dish nigirizushi.” “Yummy!” Meala said. “Very good! I must remember to visit your country the next time I come to Earth.” The field judge remarked. “However, I am most impressed at how you found the fish. I have never heard of a spell called echolocation.” Kasumi shrugged her shoulders. “Well, it’s something that I learned in science class back in high school. Sound travels better underwater, so I just sent my voice into the river through the metal of my dagger to find the fish. My voice does count as a property of the Wind, correct?” “Indeed. I can certainly say that you and your friend passed this trial and are free to move on to the next.” After finishing with his snack, he stood up and pointed downriver. “Your next challenge awaits the both of you. Even though I am not allowed to tell you the exact details of the trial, I will warn you that it is VERY difficult and you may want to use one of those TOKEN spells. Good luck.” With those words, he took several steps back as his shrinking spell wore off and he returned to his normal size. He resumed his watch for newcomers as Meala and Kasumi gathered their things and bid their goodbyes. ---------- Just after they had completed their challenge, Shidori had decided to check on her son’s progress. It was near the end of the competition as Clea the Lizardman was polishing off her last opponent. Her first two Giga-Golems were made of rock and wind, which took her quite a while to dispatch. Her third and final enemy was a huge giant of iron. The golem was so massive and dense that Clea couldn’t hope to cut through its armored hide with her steel sword. So she needed to get creative. Calling on her mother’s side of the family, she began to focus her fire magic. Though not as powerful as Jason, the reptilian girl’s ability to create heat and flames was nothing to sneeze at. Her mother was a Salamandra, a species of Lizardman that was able to generate magical flames. Clea’s scales turned red as her tail began to emit flames from the tip. She then took a deep breath and blew a very intense blast of mystical fire onto her sword. She charged at her foe with a shout. “DRAGON-FIRE SLICE!” By getting close to one of the Giga-Golem’s legs, she slashed at the knee joint, melting through the more flexible area. A second slash took out the other knee as she dove for cover. The monster toppled forward and slammed facefirst into the ground, breaking apart on impact. Clea was breathing hard as her scales turned back to their normal green and her tail’s flame went out. She looked up to see a field judge mark down her third victory, thereby guaranteeing her a spot in the next day’s round. At that moment, there was another massive explosion as a pillar of flames erupted in the distance, followed by an equally massive cloud of steam. A couple hundred feet away, in a gigantic pit that was lined with glass, Jason Blackstorm stood with a slightly daze expression on his face. That was the first time in a long time he had let loose with near-full intensity without releasing a limiter on his Level Ten Seal. Then again, he hadn’t counted on taking out two Giga-Golems at once. Standing nearby, a field judge nodded as he marked down Jason’s simultaneous victory over two Giga-Golems. He had to admit, he had not expected Argus’ son to win over one WATER-BASED Giga-Golem, let alone a pair of them. And he had managed to accomplish the task before time ran out. In the distance, a horn was sounded; indicating that that challenge was over and any contestant who had not defeated three Giga-Golems were considered as disqualified. Jason sank to his knees in exhaustion. It had been both fortunate and unfortunate for him to face off against two foes that were the direct opposite to his main element. After defeating the Fire-Golem he had immediately gone searching for his next adversary. That was when he ran into a pair of Water Golems that tried to drown. After ten minutes of ineffective fire blasts, Jason had to pull back and rethink his strategy. Then he realized that the only way to beat those things was to set a trap for them. So he used the remaining time to dig out a pit in a sandy area and used his flames to transform the sides and bottom into glass. Just as he finished, the two Giga-Golems found him at the bottom and dove into the pit, hoping to extinguish his flames. That was when Jason let loose. The intense heat was amplified by the glass as the Giga-Golems tried to climb out of the pit. However, the sides were too smooth and they could not soak into the surrounding area. With nowhere to go, the two monsters were BOILED away. The first round of the Ruby Dragon Division was over, with 125 remaining competitors, which included Clea and the son of Argus Blackstorm. ---------- Castle Blackstorm... The Great Devastator nodded as he watched the judges declare his son’s victory from a viewing crystal in his private contemplation chamber. At that point, he heard a knock at his door. He bid the person to enter. A servant, who was a dark elf, bowed as he handed his lord a report, and then quietly left Argus to consider its contents. ---------- The Blackstorm Booth... “Mom! You don’t have to baby me so much!” Jason complained as his mother tended to his injuries. After being transported back to the Wizard’s Coliseum after his division’s challenge was over, he had decided to go to his family’s private observation booth. Shidori gave her son a light swat upside the head. “As your mother, I reserve the RIGHT to baby you. Now hold still.” Since Jason was half-demon, he was considered to be extremely resilient by human standards, taking hits that would have sent a normal person to the hospital for months. However, that didn’t mean he was invulnerable. He had quite a few cuts and bruises, which needed to be attended to. Fortunately, he had a mother with enough Holy Power to heal an army. With a mere sweep of her hands, nearly all of his superficial injuries were taken care off. The more serious damage would be reversed within the hour. As the Miko was tending to her demi-demon son’s wounds, Clea and Nabiki decided to check on Serena’s progress in the Jade Sea Serpent division. ---------- The Jade Sea Serpent Division Serena was wringing her hands as she stood in line with her finished project, along with the remaining competitors. After fighting off four more attempts to either steal or destroy her creation, she had managed to finish the statue with less than ten seconds to spare. She could only wait and hope as the Primary Judge and her assistant were inspecting each entry. So far, very few had passed her extremely high standards. She had already flunked twenty projects. Iliane the Philosopher and her aide, a gnome by the name of Jerset, calmly walked by the line of competitors, barely giving each of their attempts a glance before assessing their error tolerances. “One-point-six percent... fail... one-point-zero-nine-nine percent... disqualified... one-point-four... out... one-point-seven... not good enough...” Then she came to Serena’s entry. This time, she paused and took a longer gaze at her statue. She then addressed the young witch-in-training. “Contestant number three hundred twenty-five, may I have your name?” “Uhm... S-Serena Ravenwing... Ma’am!” Kasumi and Clea’s friend swallowed hard. In addition to worshipping the Grimbard Sisters, she also held the legendary Philosopher of the Elder Council of Wizards in very high regard. “Well then Serena Ravenwing, I must say that I am impressed. You have an error tolerance of point nine-seven percent. Congratulations, you are moving on to the next round.” She then continued on assessing the others, leaving Serena in a totally stunned state. Then she realized that she had passed. Then she fainted. ---------- In the White Pegasus Division... Conrad Blanchet strutted arrogantly through the Hedgerow Maze. He really didn’t know the reason why he was having such an easy time, but he assumed that the Goddess of Good Fortune was smiling down at him. He was a member of the prestigious Blanchet Family, an elite magical family after all. Although the start of the challenge could have gone better... ---------- Flashback... Conrad looked up at his first test of his skills as a huge Demon Hound blocked his path. He knew from his lessons that this was a creature of fire, so the obvious defense would be... The heir to the Blanchets put up a decent wind barrier that would have staved off moderate flames of a normal nature. However, that didn’t mean much against magical flames coming from a very ferocious supernatural beast. The Demon hound let loose with a huge torrent of fire which seemed to harmlessly pass over the conceited novice wizard. Then his nose caught something. “YEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!” Conrad did a quick stop, drop and roll as he discovered that the seat of his pants had caught fire. After putting out his posterior, he looked up and saw the Demon Hound snarling at him, showing off a very dangerous set of sharp teeth with wisps of flame coming out of its nostrils. “Ah... heh, heh heh... BYE!” He ran off at a speed that would made an Olympic sprinter proud... if he didn’t have a fierce, fire-breathing canine hot on his heels. ---------- End of flashback... That incident led to his hiding in... er, strategically camouflage himself with the Demon Hound’s... excrement. However, since that time, Conrad had been riding the easy train in this supposedly difficult challenge, passing each encounter with no trouble at all. At that moment, a huge, batlike monster appeared and landed in front of him. The uppity noble tensed up to do battle, and the situation didn’t look good. That question was immediately answered as Conrad was downwind of the Banshee Bat. It let of a painful screech, and then flew off immediately, leaving a puzzled Blanchet. He pondered over the situation, before he smirked in realization. Conrad continued to make his way through the maze, confident that none would dare stand in his way. However, he didn’t notice that the nearby hedgerows that he passed by were wilting. ---------- Blackstorm Castle... Argus groaned as he watched Conrad’s outright stupidity. After finding out that one of the hated Blanchets was competing in the Apprenticeship Games, he had been watching the White Pegasus Division in the hopes that the heir to that family of idiots would be eliminated in the first round. No such luck, or rather the infamous Blanchet Fool’s Fortune. It was also known the Ultimate Dumb Luck. Like all families of magic, the Blanchets had one characteristic that distinguished them from the others. In this case, it was their ability to get out of the most severe of situation by sheer coincidence or accident. Like the power of Leprechaun Gold, the Blanchet Fool’s Fortune would turn a situation’s odds to their benefit, but only if the situation was life-threatening and it didn’t happen once a day. The luck occurred at very random intervals. Unless one happened to be a top-notch seer, (such as his wife), one couldn’t predict when the next stroke of good luck would occurs. Sometimes it took years between incidents, other times it happened within minutes of each other. However, this trait was more along the lines of a curse, rather than a blessing as they never got out unscathed and they ALWAYS suffered a total loss of dignity each time. Things such as finding themselves nude in a crowded area, uttering an insult at the wrong time, or even getting covered in something disgusting, (such as what happened to Conrad). Some say that it was due to their contract to a minor luck imp two centuries ago. That could have been the reason where they got their fortune, but also the reason why every male Blanchet seemed to luck out in some embarrassing way. Conrad’s situation was no different. By all accounts, he SHOULD have been caught and roasted by the Hell Hound. However, by diving into a pile of poop, he not only hid himself from his pursuer, but the stench that clung to him also worked like a beast repellent. Hell Hound waste was among the smelliest and foulest of stenches and that was the reason why the other beasts in the maze were steering clear of him. Inadvertently he was winning with a disgusting property of the element of Wind. Argus growled again as he remembered the last time the Blanchet Dumb Luck had gotten them out of a dire situation. ---------- Flashback to 13 years ago at Blanchet Castle... “HOW DARE YOU KIDNAP ME?!” Shidori exclaimed as she was led to the main observation balcony. Standing at the entrance was Conrad’s uncle, Charles Blanchet. Like his nephew, Charles had the classical, European looks with blonde hair and high-nose profile, but unlike his relative, he also had a small mustache. He wore the traditional pompous clothes that all the men in the family wore. They were expensive and gaudy, which didn’t impress the wife of Argus Blackstorm in the least. Charles couldn’t help but gaze at the Japanese beauty he had spirited away from the Great Devastator. Even in her anger, she was absolutely breathtaking. She was the most splendid woman he had ever seen and was far too good to be the wife of a demon lord in the Makai. She belonged here on Earth, as HIS wife. He just needed to convince her of that fact. “TAKE ME BACK TO MY HUSBAND NOW!” The arrogant noble put on his most debonair look as he approached the irritated Miko. “My dearest Shidori, I would think that you would be happy that I rescued you. Why would anyone wish to go back to a beast such as Argus Blackstorm?” “Rescued me?! And how did you come to that ridiculous conclusion?!” “I would think that would be obvious that you were forced into the marriage with Argus and you were under some kind of spell.” “Obvious?! I cannot believe how dense you really are! What was obvious that I was happily married with a loving husband and son!” “What was obvious that you were under some foul spell and I have freed you from it, so that you may marry your true love... me!” Charles said with confidence. “Once again, I ask how you came that ridiculous conclusion?! I’ve been telling you for months that I don’t have the SLIGHTEST bit of affection for you, and I have been constantly reminding you that I’m ALREADY married. Happily in fact!” “Ah, but you will realize in time that I am your true love.” Conrad’s uncle insisted. “And keep in mind that you were married in the Makai. There are no records of Shidori Maseraki’s marriage on Earth, ergo you are NOT married.” He then went into a dreamy state. “Ah, I can see it all now! We shall be married in front of France’s most elegant cathedral and our honeymoon shall be in the country chateau and...” WHA-BOOM! His imaginary wedding was cut short as a fireball nearly incinerated him. There was a big, charred gap in the balcony railing beside him. He looked toward Shidori, with an arm raised and her fingertips slightly smoking. Her beautiful face had a DEADLY SERIOUS expression on it. “Take me back to the Makai... NOW!” “But my darling...!” “No buts and I am NOT, nor will I ever BE your darling! Take me back to the Makai! If you don’t, then you have just signed your family’s DEATH WARRANT!” “W-What?!” “Do you actually THINK that Argus Blackstorm would just let someone kidnap his wife?! He’s not called the Great Devastator for nothing! I’ve only begun to break him out of some his more brutal habits, and he still favors the process of skinning people alive! He will come for me, and when he does, he will INCINERATE all of... AAARRRRGGGHHH!” In mid-sentence, Shidori felt a great amount of pain as her aura flared uncontrollably. She collapsed to the floor in agony as the Blanchet maids came to her aid. Charles Blanchet stood in total shock as his intended bride became extremely pale. ---------- Ten minutes later... “What do you mean she’s DYING?!” Charles exclaimed in shock. Currently, Shidori was being cared for by several maids and magical healers in the Master Bedroom. His butler Edgar shook his head sadly and sighed. “The healers cannot explain it, but her life essence has become extremely unstable. It’s almost as if her magical aura is rejecting the Mana Fields of Earth.” “That doesn’t make sense! She was born on Earth. Why would her aura reject the planet’s Ley Lines?” Edgar thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion. “It is possible that she has some sort of spiritual connection to the Makai after spending so many years there. Taking her out of the Demon Realm so suddenly has caused her to go into a kind withdrawal state.” Though the servant’s hypothesis was reasonable, it was incorrect. The real reason was the fact that Shidori was forbidden by Lord Belial to leave the Makai, in order to marry her true love Argus Blackstorm. This was the condition set by him to save from execution, since she had originally entered the Other Realm without a Blood Oath. As a result, she was spiritually linked to Makai and unable to leave it. Charles became desperate as Shidori’s condition worsened. “Can’t the healers stabilize her? That’s what I’m paying them for!” “They’re doing all they can, but she’s growing weaker by the hour. The only logical way to save her is to bring her back to the Makai.” “No! I will never let her go! SHE WILL BE MY BRIDE!” At that moment, a booming voice was heard by all inside their minds. <> The voice sounded so terrifying that several servants fainted. Shidori’s eyes opened glowed with a bright light as she too had received the telepathic shout. “The Great Devastator is coming.” ---------- A few minutes later, Charles was in the castle’s strategic command center and bunker. He also had Shidori moved there as well. He ordered a tech to bring up the long-range scanners as he watched a large viewscreen. The tech worked the console and gulped as the image displayed a very angry Demon Lord. Behind Argus, the portal to the Makai closed. “Scanners have his coordinates at about one mile from the castle.” The tech announced. He looked down at his console and paled at the readings he was getting. The sensors were actually tuned to measure mystical energy output and there were about to overload from Argus’ aura alone. Jason’s father pointed toward the castle and telepathically bellowed his demand again. <> Thinking he had the upper hand since his opponent was alone and unarmed, Charles turned on the loudspeaker system and replied. “I’ll have you know that you are TRESPASSING on my land and therefore, I am in the right to defend what’s mine!” “Shidori was NEVER yours!” “She is now, and I will give you one final warning! Leave in peace, or I shall have you removed from this area, IN PIECES!” Argus snorted in disgust as he telepathically replied. <> “This army!” Charles declared as he pressed a button on the console. Almost immediately, hidden doors opened up around the area as the Blanchet private forces were instantly deployed. Tanks rolled out from concealed positions. Assault helicopters buzzed overhead. Hundreds of crack troops all trained their weapons upon their lone opponent. Surely with this much firepower on display, even the Great Devastator would know to back down. The tech stared in total disbelief and turned to ask his employer. “Uhm, pardon my insolence sir, but isn’t that considered as overkill?” Argus telepathically heard the subordinate and answered for him. <> With those words, Blackstorm’s aura flared like a miniature thermonuclear warhead, causing a major earthquake to the surrounding area and engulfing the majority of the forces within the blast. Those who were caught in the center of the conflagration were the luckiest, as they were instantaneously and painlessly vaporized, along with their vehicles and the surrounding vegetation. Those who were further from the center caught on fire and burned horribly to death. Tank armor proved to be no protection as it melted like butter, incinerating those within. The helicopters exploded like firecrackers. The foot soldiers were all reduced to piles of ashes. With just one attack, the bulk of the Blanchet’s private army had been wiped off the map and half of the surrounding land was a devastated and scorched ruin. After letting his aura die down, the Number Two Demon Lord levitated himself off the ground and flew straight toward the castle. Like a high-speed cruise missile, he plowed through the stone walls as if they were made of tissue paper. The security forces inside the Blanchet family home opened up with a withering barrage of small-arms fire. However, considering that Argus’ demon skin could withstand artillery shells at point-blank range without a scratch, the bullets were about as effective as throwing cotton balls. With a wave of his arm, he sent a deadly spell of cutting winds, which decapitated a dozen defenders on the spot. Bones were mangled and blood spilled freely as Argus retaliated against the fleas that dared to annoy him. The only ones who were spared were the house servants as they vacated the premises, and did not earn the Great Devastators wrath. In his bunker, Charles was in a petrified state as he watched his home being casually destroyed. Then the cameras displayed Argus at the entrance to the bunker. Conrad’s uncle immediately activated the bulkheads and put the bunker in lockdown mode. The structure was built to withstand a multi-megaton blast. Surely it would stop him. Then there was a dull thudding noise as the entire room shook. The massive doors that had been built to stand up to a nuclear detonation shuddered from the impact. Then another impact caused the metal to deform. A third hit threatened to wrench the doors from their hinges. Finally, a fourth hit caused the doors to fail as they caved in on themselves. Argus Blackstorm calmly strode into the bunker, his crimson eyes fixed on his target. Charles brought out a magic staff and tried to invoke a defensive spell, but his adversary blurred forward and his right hand was on Blanchet’s throat. Nearly crushing his windpipe in a grip of iron, Shidori’s husband hoisted the egotistical noble up three feet above the floor, causing him to gag and struggle about. His staff was in Blackstorm’s left hand which he crushed into splinters. Then he addressed his helpless opponent. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip out your intestines, make a noose out of them, and HANG you by the neck with it over the Hellfire Pits?” “HUSBAND!” Everyone looked over to the bunker’s sleeping chambers to see Shidori standing unsteadily on her feet at the door, and leaning against the shoulder of a maid. “SHIDORI!” Argus immediately let go of Blanchet and went over to embrace his wife. Charles landed hard on his rear while gasping for air. As the two shared a kiss, a flash of light appeared behind them. Everyone gasped to see Lord Belial standing before them. “Well, quite a mess you’ve made my loyal vassal.” The king of the Makai stated as he turned to address the other noble. “You realize you are in BIG trouble, aren’t you?” At that moment, Charles peed his pants, losing a great deal of his dignity in the process as a large puddle formed on the ground. ---------- End of Flashback... Argus Blackstorm snorted again as he remembered how easily Charles got off after his wife insisted that enough blood had been shed that day and that her kidnapper was unaware of her lack of a Blood Oath. Belial had concurred and decided that the loss of Blanchet’s army and the devastation to his castle, not to mention embarrassing himself by urinating in front of his liege was punishment enough. Though Shidori was fully healed once she was returned to the Makai, Argus still had to chalk up his escape from death to that stupid Fool’s Fortune. If his wife and lord had not intervened, the Blanchets would have been short one member or even become extinct. However, there was something to be said about such an unstable and near- unpredictable streak of dumb luck. Whatever good fortune the Blanchets would receive, would also cause an equal or even GREATER amount of embarrassment and pain to them. It was a sort of an unbalanced yin/yang situation, as they couldn’t receive any light without getting lot of dark as well. FFFFFTTTTT! THOK! “YEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWW!!!!” Argus chuckled a little bit, as Conrad’s rear end got punctured by an arrow after triggering a hidden tripwire. Apparently, covering him in Hell Hound poop was not enough to give him an easy passage through the labyrinth. The smell may drive away the guard beasts, but the concealed booby-traps weren’t going to be bothered by the stench. And Blanchet was considered the perfect booby. CLICK! “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Case in point as Conrad dropped through a trap door into a deep pit. Hopefully he would land in something disgusting. SPLURTCH! “OH GROSS!” Bingo! ---------- In the Blackstorm Booth... “Matthew! Glad you could make it! You too, Mr. Talbain!” Both werewolves waved to Nabiki as they entered the booth. Jason would have gotten up and properly greeted his childhood sparring partner, but a firm glare from Shidori put a stop to that idea instantly. “So how was your business with Belial?” Nabiki asked as the Talbains sat down. “It went well enough.” Jon replied. ---------- Flashback to Lord Belial’s Private Observation Booth... “As the head of Castle Talbain, I speak for my clan and all those who reside there. My son and I are honored to be in your presence, King Belial.” Both Jon and Matthew were kneeling in respect before the ruler of the Makai. Both were in their hybrid forms. Belial sat on an elaborate throne of dark rock, encrusted with precious and magical gems. He bid the lycanthropes to stand. “It is good to see you again, Jon Talbain.” Belial said as he gestured toward Matthew. “And I do believe, that this is the first time I am meeting your son. Step forward my boy; let me have a look at you.” With a look of encouragement from his father, Mathew moved up and stood before the ruler of the Other Realm. Remembering his manners, he bowed and put on his most respectful attitude. “G-Greetings... King Belial.” “Don’t worry young pup, I do not bite, unless you give me a reason to.” The Number One Demon Lord assured as he gave Matthew the once-over and nodded his approval to the Elder Talbain. “You’ve raised a fine, young lycanthrope Jon. He will bring further greatness to your family. Now then, I believe that you have some business to discuss with me today.” Jon nodded as he reached behind him and took out a sparkling object, which was an incomplete medallion. “Do you know what this is?” Belial considered the artifact, and then nodded. “Ah yes, I know of it. In fact, I know that a piece of it is my possession and is stored in the Royal Vault. Am I to assume that you are collecting the other fragments to complete that medallion?” “Yes, my Liege. I am willing to pay any sum or perform any task that you ask of me for that fragment and...” The Demon Realm king raised a hand, stopping his noble in midsentence. “Please Jon; there is no need for that. Aside from Argus Blackstorm and his family, I have considered the Talbains to be my most trusted allies and friends. The fragment is yours at the end of Apprenticeship Games.” “I thank you my Liege.” “May I ask why you are assembling an ancient Moonbeam Talisman?” “Is that what this is?” Jon asked. Belial nodded. “Indeed. That is a medallion used in a very old ritual by ancient wizards. It is said that the medallion can fill a subject with the pure power of the moon, thereby allowing a person to gain the true power of the lycanthropes, without having to be bitten by one. However, I am curious. Why would you want such a thing? You and your son already possess that power by birthright. The medallion is worthless to you.” “It is not for me or my son.” Matthew’s father explained. “Due to certain... circumstances beyond our control, my son was forced to bite a girl to save her life. Her name is Nabiki Tendo. She is traveling with us now as she is trapped as a Secondary Lycanthrope. As a result, she cannot return home until she is able to transform back to her human form at. She can do so in the Makai due to the higher Mana fields, but she cannot remain here forever.” “I see. I can understand why you need the Moonbeam Talisman now. With the pure power of the moon, she will gain enough magic to transform her body on Earth, essentially becoming a Primary Lycanthrope. And it would be a good thing to increase the number of true female werewolves in existence.” “I thank you again for your generosity my Liege.” “Not a problem, my old friend. However, I must tell you a few things about that trinket.” “What are they?” “Keep in mind that you have the LAST remaining Moonbeam Talisman in existence. There weren’t that many to begin with, since the wizards who created them were afraid that they might fall into the wrong hands. You can imagine how an unscrupulous person might be tempted to seek out the power of your family for his own selfish ends.” Jon nodded in understanding. Though he didn’t fault the Chinese Amazons for wanting to induct the Talbains into their tribe to increase their bloodlines, he could only guess how a greedy person might abuse the power of the werewolves. One could easily use those abilities for monetary gain or conquest. Belial continued on. “To prevent this from happening, the wizards incorporated a safety measure within those artifacts. Each medallion, once assembled, has only three charges after it is exposed to moonlight. As soon as the third charge is used, the medallion will separate into its thirteen pieces and scatter itself all over the Earth and the Makai. It was only by sheer luck that one of my servants found a fragment and brought it to me a hundred years ago.” “So why is there only one left?” “According to the ancient text, a great war was fought against a being that desired to consume the Earth and the Makai. Many of the Old Races and even those from Earth fell before him. His destructive power was so great that Argus Blackstorm himself would be considered as a minor annoyance to him.” Both Talbains were in a state of shock at that statement. There was actually someone that was even MORE destructive than the Great Devastator? The king of the Makai noted their expressions as he finished with his tale. “In desperation, the ancient wizards who had created the Moonbeam Talismans banded together to defeat the Ultimate Destroyer (4) as he was called. Using the power of the medallions, they were able to banish him into the deepest regions of space. However, nearly all of the Talismans were destroyed in the process, leaving only the one you have in your hand.” He pointed to the medallion in Jon’s possession. “It was hidden away as the wizards blanked out the memory of the Ultimate Destroyer from the general populace of Earth and the Makai. Very few even recall the events of that dark time. I count myself among them, as are you and your son now. I do trust that you will keep this information to yourselves?” “But of course my Liege.” Jon gave a nod to his son, who nodded back in assurance. “So how did the last medallion end up in pieces on Earth and the Makai?” “A thousand years after the Ultimate Destroyer’s banishment, it was discovered and stolen from its hiding spot by a greedy demon who didn’t know the medallion’s true power. After it had inadvertently turned three unsuspecting people into Lycanthropes, it scattered itself over the Earth with one piece ending up here in the Makai. So now you know the story behind that artifact.” “Yes. And I thank you for placing your trust in me. I assure you that once I have transformed Nabiki Tendo into a True Lycanthrope, I shall have this medallion locked and hidden away to keep it safe.” “I know you will. By the way, Jon...” “Yes?” “Even though there will be no charge for that fragment, I was wondering if you and your son would do me a favor?” “Name it, my King, and it will be done.” “I knew I could depend on you. Now as for the favor, there has been much conflict within recent years among the higher-ranking nobles and I may need your strength to keep things under control. The Apprenticeship Games have strained all security forces to their limits and there is the matter of Jedah Dohma's forces moving closer to Ala Maron.” “And what would you have us do, Lord Belial?” “Keep a subtle eye on things and report to me on any suspicious activity on Jedah’s part.” “As you wish, my Liege.” ---------- End of Flashback... “So we’ve got the medallion fragment?” Nabiki asked as her boyfriend sat down beside her. “It’s a guarantee.” Matthew assured. “Belial will give us the fragment he has, right after the Apprenticeship Games. We just have to do a small favor for him, but for the most part, all we can now is cheer your sister on. By the way, how’s she doing?” Nabiki filled her beau in on the details of Kasumi’s first two challenges, in which he was impressed at the courage, skill and ingenuity of the eldest Tendo daughter. The projector crystals allowed for instant replays like a DVR. At that moment, two more people entered the room. Since they were friends of Kasumi, they were given invitations to enter the private Blackstorm Observation Lounge. “Clea! Serena! You made it!” Nabiki called out to them. The young witch was in a very excited state as she clutched a small notebook to her chest. Beside her, Clea smiled as she waved to the group. “I got it! I got Iliane the Philosopher’s autograph!” Serena said proudly as she held out her notebook. “Ah yes, Iliane is a very good friend of mine.” Shidori said as she stood up and greeted the newcomers. Both girls gasped in amazement and awe and immediately knelt down in front of her. “It is an honor to be in your presence Lady Shidori!” “We’re not worthy!” Clea exclaimed. Argus’ wife let off a tired sigh and bid them to rise. “Please stand up. I consider any friend of Kasumi Tendo’s to be mine as well.” She then noticed Clea’s injuries. “Child, you are hurt. Allow me to heal you.” “Oh no!” The female Lizardman said as she held up her hands. “You don’t have to! They’re just some small scratches and bruises I got from the challenge today and...” “You better let her do it.” Jason pointed out. “When it comes to healing, Mom doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, not even from my Dad.” Seeing Shidori’s gentle, yet determined expression, Clea nodded and allowed the former shrine maiden to work her miraculous Holy Magic. In less than a minute, all of the reptilian girl’s injuries were gone, leaving her feeling healthier than she’d ever been. It was at that time that the main crystal projector tuned in on the Gold Griffin Division. ------------ The Gold Griffin Division... Kasumi could say only two words for the next challenge. “Oh...my!” In which her Magikat companion responded. “Ditto.” After following the giant’s directions, the pair came to a spectacular sight. The river came to a huge drop in elevation, which caused it to spill over the edge in a magnificent waterfall. The bottom was more than two miles down, easily dwarfing Niagra Falls. What was even more amazing was the fact that the water itself swirled and changed colors as they plummeted downward. “Welcome to the Mayallan Falls!” The next field judge said. Both looked over to the side and saw a water nymph standing nonchalantly on the surface of the fast-moving river without being swept away from current and over the falls. She looked to be made of living water, in the general shape of a woman, but with no features other that her face and hair. She nodded as she noted the badges on the two girls. “I must say, you two are the first who haven’t used a Token Spell yet. I had ten contestants who came here earlier and they decided to skip this challenge after I explained it.” “What is the challenge?” Kasumi asked. “The giant told us that it would be difficult.” Meala said. “Well, actually the goal is quite simple.” The nymph admitted. “It’s GETTING to that goal that will be most difficult. You see, the river goes over the falls and flows down to an underground lake, in which the bottom contains a very large deposit of Makai Transfer Stones.” “Transfer Stones?” The feline magical novice asked. “I’ve read about them last night.” Nabiki’s sister said. “Those stones, when gathered in a certain pattern, can actually open natural dimensional rifts, allowing you to traverse a limited distance in an instant.” “Correct.” The aqua-being confirmed. “Many cities use these stones as a kind of mass-transit device, allowing commuters to reach distant areas quickly. The lake has a preset pattern of Transfer Stones which will send you to the next challenge. Now all you have to do... is to get there. Simple, don’t you agree?” “You don’t mean we have to...?” Meala couldn’t bring herself to say it. “Ride down the falls, (by the way, that’s two miles), avoid getting smashed at the bottom, brave the fast-moving rapids down the tunnel and fight off whatever beasts you may encounter along the way? All with just Elemental spells? Yes, I do mean all that. Oh, and by the way, I will not permit using any kind of levitation or wind spells to fly down the falls. You must be ONE with the water throughout the entire journey to the lake. If you leave the water for more than 10 seconds, I WILL know and I will disqualify you. Now that I’ve explained the challenge, this is what you will be riding in.” She pointed to a set of wooden canoes and paddles that were placed in a line on the riverbank. Each craft could hold about 4 people. However, they were not considered to be sturdy enough to survive a 20-foot drop, let alone one that was two miles. “Now you have a decision to make. Will you be taking the challenge, or will you be using a Token Spell?” Both girls gazed at each other for a long time, before nodding as Kasumi spoke for the both of them. “To paraphrase a famous quote from an American movie I once saw... Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” To be continued... Author’s notes Sorry I’m leaving you hanging here, but the chapter needed to be cut off somewhere. In the next chapter, we’ll see the end of the first round of the Gold Griffin Division, plus we’ll see some returning Darkstalker characters and more intrigue in the Makai. See you then! 1) Heaven’s breath of Fury, I summon thee! 2) Dance, dance, child of Mother Earth! 3) Water spin and dance to the sky! 4) You know who I’m talking about, right? If not, go read The Beast Within.