Champions challenged

Surprise wars with anger on Halid’s face. “You! You dare return and challenge me? A traitor claiming to be champion?”

Trevor holds his sword steady. “I am not what I was, but I am more than you could hope to overcome. Accept, or yield?”

Halid growls, then grins. “Here is your answer, traitor.”

He waves a hand, and there’s a snap and a hiss as a crossbow bolt hits Trevor in the chest. He staggers, gasping.

You sigh. “Really? Fine. Kali? A little help?”

You hear wings flap, and Kali lands beside Trevor. Yanking the bolt free, she lays a glowing hand on his wound. Trevor straightens, and Kali steps back.

Halid can only stare. “Wait, Kali? As in the Lilim?”

You chuckle. “The very same. Now, let’s try this again. I believe you have a question to answer.”

Halid looked at the sword as Trevor picked it back up. He looked at Kali, standing tall with her arms crossed, glaring at him. He looked at you. You smile and put you hands in your pockets.

You see an idea flash into his head, and he grins. “Very well, I accept. But you won’t be fighting me. I have a champion you can fight.”

Halid points, and from the shadows steps a lean figure. Sighing, he steps in front of Halid. Trevor eyes him and shrugs. “Fine. I will do what I need to.”

A space clears out, and there is chatter amongst the crowd. What you hear is encouraging. People are muttering about cowardice, and having others fight in his place.

You’re struck by an inspiration. “Trevor. Can you beat him?”

Trevor shrugs. “Possibly. He’s not a fighter. Mages are harder, but doable.”

“I have another idea. Make me your champion. A mage has little chance against me here. With the magic in the old world, I can stop most spells, and if I can get close I can muzzle him completely.”

Trevor thinks, then nods. “A good point.”

Lowering his sword, he addresses Halid. “If you’re not going to fight your own battles, then I have a champion as well.”

You step in front of Trevor, and the slim man looks at you. He stands straighter, and glances at Halid. Halid ignores him. “Fine. Either way you’re going to rot in a cell after this.”

Amused that Halid still underestimates you, despite his mage champion obviously recognizing the danger, you smile. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

You lift a hand, summoning your shield, and twist your spells to summon a flaming blade.

Your opponent eyes you, and slowly lifts his hands, arcs of electricity appearing between his fingers.

You move forward, trying to close the distance. The man backs away, hurling a bolt of lightning as he moves. You let your shield absorb the hit, gauging it’s strength. It’s strong, but not enough to break your shield. You let the shield drop regardless, making a show of dropping your hand as if in pain.

You stalk towards him, and you hear the crowd starting to talk, and even a couple cheers, though mostly from your girls. The mage pauses to gather another bolt, and you get closer. When he hurls it, you simply absorb it, and he stares, aghast as the spell dissipates.

Another twist in your mind, and you summon a lightning blade with your free hand. The mage looks panicked now as he backs away.

He attempts another bolt, and you simply let it hit your lightning blade, harmlessly countering it. The spell allows you to close in, however, and you dismiss your new blade to grab him by the wrist. Instantly, his magic is sealed, and you rest the tip of your flame blade against his throat.

You smile at him. “Do you yield?”

The tip of the blade is starting to sear the skin of his neck. Quickly, he nods. There’s a snap as you dismiss your blade. Releasing the mage, you turn to Halid. Using your telekinetic power, you simply lift the crown off his head and hold it in front of Trevor.

The whole thing took less than a minute. Trevor pauses, then reaches out and takes the crown. Amazingly, there’s cheering as he places it on his head. Halid cowers in the throne. Trevor looks at him, disdainfully. “Put that thing in a cell. We will decide what to do with him later.”

He turns to you. “As always, your planning is impressive. Thank you, master mage. My kingdom will support your cause.”