Eli stood motionless.
Steam drifted from the jagged black armour encasing his body, curling into the air in faint wisps. He looked less like a boy and more like a knight forged from iron itself.
The uneasy feeling twisting inside Ester disappeared the moment she looked at him.
The silence hanging over the field shattered into cheers.
"...W-what is that?" Saphy whispered, unable to look away.
Ester heard Kris muttering to himself as he stared at Eli. Something about him not going down the full bonding route.
The only person that didn't seem even remotely shocked was Vanessa, who regarded him as if everything now clicked into place. As if she was looking at an interesting specimen.
"So that's what you were trying to do…"
Eli slowly drew in a breath, his gaze sweeping across the remaining conjures before settling on the real Lucius, who hovered silently above them, as expressionless as ever.
The clone Eli had kicked away stood back up in an inhumane way. Even though it's left arm bent at an unnatural angle, it still lunged toward him.
However Eli didn't move. He didn't even blink.
The instant its fist came within, reach, Eli caught its wrist. Before it could react, he lifted the conjure clean over his head and drove it into the ground, the impact echoing across the arena as the earth dented beneath it. Without giving it the chance to recover, Eli calmly planted a foot through its head, causing the conjure to burst into a brilliant golden light.
The clone that was blown back into the trees exploded from the treeline almost immediately, Flo swirling violently around its fist, warping the air around it.
The conjure never reached him.
Iron spikes erupted from beneath Eli's feet with terrifying speed, impaling it mid charge leaving nothing but scattered golden light into the air. The conjures that had forced Eli onto the defensive moments ago had become fodder.
Above him, the final offensive spell continued growing. The hovering clone had nearly finished weaving it, a blazing sphere of flames now hanging overhead, enormous enough for everyone present to feel its heat pressing down on them.
Even with Vanessa reassuring them that the field was protected by a barrier, Ester couldn't stop staring at the attack overhead. She could only imagine the destruction something like that would cause.
Eli never looked away from the sky. He lazily raised one hand, and an iron rode tore itself free from the ground beside him. He weighed it for only a moment before throwing it, the motion effortless as the rod disappeared through the air.
The barrier stood no chance as the rod burst through. With a CRASH the rod drove straight through the conjures body, exploding it in light. The spell unravelling back into the air.
Only one remained.
Eli simply stretched out a hand, and iron thorns erupted from the ground beneath it, skewering it instantly. The final conjure dissolved , leaving silence in its wake.
Eli slowly turned his attention toward Lucius, who remained floating, cross legged as he observed.
"Wow." He slowly clapped. "You can beat conjures with simple instructions… Congratulations!"
Eli's face twitched as his feet shifted and he lowered himself into a stance.
Lucius was faster. He casually raised one hand, and Eli's body jolted in place.
"...Hmm." Lucius tilted his head slightly. "I'd rather not deal with you up close."
A grin spread across Eli's face. "...Y'scared?"
Lucius just regarded him.
"How much pressure can you take?"
Eli's smile faltered.
"Ten times..?"
His knees bent as the ground beneath his feet groaned.
"Twenty..?"
The earth cracked. Soil split and sank, the field giving way beneath Eli as though an invisible mountain had settled on top his shoulders. All he could do was grit his teeth.
"Who is this kid…?" Kris stared at the floating thirteen year old with an expression Ester had never seen before. As if he was staring at a well with no bottom.
Ezekiel grinned nervously.
On the field, Eli's groans grew louder, his muscles straining beneath the black armour as he fought against Lucius's attack. His armour covered hands slammed against the broken ground, trying to hold himself up.
Lucius remained suspended above him.
"...You done?"
No response.
"I don't think you can beat me…"
The groaning morphed into a maniacal laughter that silenced any noise in the field.
Lucius's head snapped to the side as something tore through the air past him.
The iron rod Eli had thrown earlier was now embedded deep into the ground directly beneath him.
The attack, as minor as it was, proved enough of a distraction. Lucius's attention shifted for only the briefest moment, but it was all Eli needed to escape his hold.
He was already in front of Lucius before Lucius could fully react. A hand shot up instinctively, hastily forming a barrier.
Eli was still grinning, laughing as his fist crashed through the barrier like it was nothing.
Lucius barely dodged the next attack that whizzed past him, the force behind it bursting the air with a deafening crack. Lucius barely hand enough time to drift backwards before another barrier replaced it, only for that one to suffer the same fate.
Abandoning the exchange altogether, he closed one hand and Eli froze in place. His other hand flicked upward causing the ground to close around his feet.
By the time Eli tore his feet free and broken from Lucius's hold, Lucius was already in the sky, looking down at him.
"...Come down here."
Lucius simply watched him.
Something in Eli's face twitched. The smile he'd worn moments ago faltered ever so slightly.
"I said…"
His voice rose.
"...COME DOWN HERE!"
The roar echoed throughout the HoS and the field was torn between screams and fear. Ester remembered stifling her own breath.
Realising Lucius had no intention of descending, Eli began straining against himself, as though desperately trying to achieve something. His body trembled under the black armour. When nothing happened, frustration over took him.
He stretched out a hand.
Jagged iron thorns burst violently from the earth, twisting through the air as they reached for Lucius. He glided between them with effortless grace, weaving through every spike before they could reach him.
When they failed to catch him, Eli began stamping his foot on the ground causing tremors to be felt throughout the field. The earth caving beneath him.
"ELI!"
Burnad's voice thundered through the field.
"...Is that form making him act like this?" Ester quietly asked, turning towards Vanessa.
Vanessa simply nodded, her eyes remained fixed on Eli.
"He should conclude the fight now." Se'raf noted.
"Why?" Ezekiel never looked away from the field. "The fight's not over."
Before anyone could answer, the iron spikes snaking through the sky slammed harmlessly against the barrier surrounding Lucius, who continued floating above Eli without a trace of concern.
Eli paused, suddenly throwing something high into the air before lowering himself into another stance.
The object twisted as it climbed. Then it separated, growing into enormous iron lances that hovered directly above Lucius.
Before Eli could launch himself, Burnad was already there.
He caught Eli's wrist in a single motion.
"That's enough."
Turning towards the crowd, he raised his voice.
"I've deemed Elijah unfit to-"
Eli violently tore himself free, growling as he staggered backwards. His eyes had become almost draconic now.
"NO!"
He bent his knees, preparing to launch himself skyward.
Burnad moved faster.
In one clean motion, he caught Eli again and forced him into the ground.
Eli gasped before thrashing violently beneath him, every muscle In his body straining against Burnad's overwhelming strength. Something beneath the armour shifted.
"Let...me...GO!"
His elbow crashed into Burnad's cheek with a crack that echoed across the field.
Burnad didn't even blink.
Without so much as acknowledging the blow, he looked towards the crowd.
"Vanessa."
She was already moving.
Rushing onto the field, she knelt beside Eli and gently cupped his snarling face in both hands. She uttered a single word with closed eyes and he immediately went limp.
All the aggression he had just shown, gone. As if it was never there in the first place.
The black armour surrounding him glowed with brilliant golden light before dissolving into countless particles. Moments later Kilisk reappeared, letting out a long stretch before nudging Eli's face.
A few seconds passed before Eli slowly opened his eyes.
He looked up in confusion, rubbing the back of his head before his gaze drifted upward.
Lucius descended quietly to the ground, much to Kilisk's dislike.
Eli scratched his chin before glancing towards Vanessa, who answered him with an annoying smug smile. Ester caught the brief flicker of guilt crossing his face before he awkwardly looked away, relying entirely on Burnad to help him back to his feet.
After dusting himself off, Eli wandered over to Lucius and held out a hand while striking the back of his head with the other.
Lucius made no effort to take it.
"...Y'gonna shake my hand?" Eli sighed.
Lucius regarded both the dragon and Eli before slowly raising his own hand. Eli reached out to meet it, with an aggressive shake.
"Just so we're clear…" Eli started. "Y'didn't beat me."
Lucius withdrew his hand instantly hearing the comment with a loud, exhausted sigh. If his face hadn't been hidden behind a blindfold, Ester was certain he would've rolled his eyes.
"What a sore loser…" Ezekiel muttered beneath his breath.
Eli's head immediately snapped toward him.
Burnad solved the situation by flicking the back of Eli's head before clearing his throat.
"The fight between Lucius and Elijah will unfortunately have to come to an end." His voice boomed. "Please… Give them a round of applause."
Some protested. Some applaud. Some protested whilst they applaud and most of the Starless simply stood there, still processing everything they'd just witnessed.
Burnad looked up, studying the sun's position before looking back towards the crowd.
"You're all free to do as you like for the rest of today… and tommorow."
His attention shifted towards all the Starless present.
"We'll begin training for your upcoming trials."
Lots of oooo's could be heard from the older students.
Ezekiel slowly raised a hand.
"...And no," Burnad interrupted. "Starless are not permitted to leave the HoS."
Ezekiel lowered his hand with an exaggerated groan.
Burnad clapped one.
"Dismissed."
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Some older students stretched as they walked towards the training grounds, exchaning words with Eli and others headed back inside towards the dormitories or dining hall. A handful surrounded Lucius almost immediately, bombarding him with questions until he finally pointed towards one of his ears as if he couldn't hear them.
He left them all confused as he walked off.
Se'raf and Arthur were the first to meet him, Arthur bombarding him with questions and compliments.
"Yeah, yeah…" He said waved his hand. "But I'm hungry now…" He glanced around. "...Which way is the dining hall?"
"I can show you." Se'raf offered.
"I'll come too." Arthur said.
Lucius just shrugged, "Suit yourself."
Arthur turned around, "Any of you guys hungry?"
"...Ester, Sapphire, Kris and Ezekiel." They all turned to Burnad and Elijah looking at them all. "...Can you all come with us?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"...I'm guessing it had something to do with what you saw in the marketplace?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Witnesses, we were, In the end."
She paused for a second, pursing her lips.
"...Nonetheless, we did not reveal the full truth to him."
I cocked my head.
"Ezekiel made us all promise when we returned from the Banquet," she said. "He did not want her to face punishment for sacrificing herself to save him."
"...I see."
"Her abilities…" she continued. "We merely claimed we could not discern what we witnessed." A slow smirk graced her lips. "Burnad could tell we were concealing something, but for some reason, he did not press."
"How exciting… The feeling of keeping a secret for someone else."
She paused for a moment.
"...Do you harbour many secrets?"
I couldn't reply.
"Why?"
I watched her smile before stretching softly as she got ready to share her preparations for the Chimera Cross trials.