Realm of Monsters

Veronica notched her arrow back on her bowstring and released. The arrow flew through the air straight at Gilgard. The orc’s hand scribbled through the air with a quick snap of the wrist. A red wall suddenly appeared in front of him. The arrow smashed into the ward and snapped in two, and fell harmlessly onto the ground.

“Right… you’re a Red too,” Veronica muttered, slightly annoyed.

Gilgard shrugged, “I have decent wards, but my potion brewing is a far cry from your own. I really did mean what I said, you’re an incredible Red.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Sure you did.” 

Veronica quickly grabbed another arrow and notched it. But before she could fire, Gilgard raised his hand and released a bolt of lightning. Veronica dropped her bow and dove to the ground as the blue bolt of magic screeched through the air and scorched the ground, leaving a small black crater where she had stood.

Gilgard didn’t hesitate and tossed another lightning bolt at her. Veronica quickly moved her fingers and wrote the ward sigils for lightning protection in the air. A red dome emerged around her and met the full force of the storm spell. The lightning streamed around the shield, searching for a way inside. The red dome shuddered under the force and began to crack. Veronica screamed in exertion as her hands trembled, trying to hold the wards together. The branches of lightning suddenly flared brightly before quickly dissipating.

Veronica gasped and fell to her knees. It had happened so quickly, the blue bolt had only existed for a second, and yet she could already feel her Red mana reservoirs dwindling.

His storm spells are stronger than Calex’s, she grimly realized.

Gilgard raised his hand, a third bolt of lightning from around his fingers.

She wouldn’t be able to hold back another attack, her wards would fall apart. There was no time to hesitate, she needed to move!

Veronica released the ward shield and channeled brown mana into her legs. A faint bronze sheen covered her shins and thighs with vigor magic. In the blink of an eye, she vaulted high up into the air, evading the lightning bolt entirely. The crowd gasped in surprise as her figure soared over twenty paces into the sky.

Gilgard looked up, startled at the sudden movement. 

“Try blocking this!” Veronica yelled and unclasped her satchel. A dozen different bottles of explosive potions slipped out and fell down. Each potion was made from a different red spell, each requiring a different ward to stop them. There wasn’t enough time to block them all.

Gilgard pointed his arm up to the sky and stretched out his fingers. Blue tendrils of lightning arched out in a dozen different branches, shattering each bottle and exploding the potions in a cacophony of light and smoke. Veronica screamed and covered her face as the waves of magic blasted outwards and pushed her away. She fell onto the arena’s hard-packed dirt with a loud thud. 

Veronica groaned weakly. Her arm was twisted at a strange angle underneath her. She couldn’t feel the arm, but she guessed it was broken. Her ribs on the other hand were clearly broken. Her lungs stung every time she took a breath.

“Dammit,” she cursed softly.

How could she have been so stupid? She had underestimated Gilgard. Of course, he could use advanced storm magic. Someone of his caliber wouldn’t be limited to simple direct storm spells. In her rush to end the fight quickly, she had given him the perfect target.

“Wow,” Gilgard whistled. He looked up at the sky filled with smoke, “I’m glad I didn’t get hit by that.”

With her good arm, Veronica grabbed her necklace and pulled out the small vial attached to the string. She bit the cork and pulled it out with her teeth. The black liquid inside the vial smelled putrid and her nostrils flared in disgust. She closed her eyes tight and downed the oily liquid in one gulp. Her specialized potion burned as it slid down her throat, but after a few seconds, the pain in her body faded away.

Veronica gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself up. The potion had two effects and neither was healing. Most healing potions were quite difficult to brew and were only really effective for slow long-term healing.

Her specialized potion’s first effect wasn’t healing, but it did keep the pain from incapacitating her mind. 

Pain was a mage’s worst enemy, it clouded one’s focus, and prevented them from casting. Few mages could reliably cast while in terrible pain. Though there weren’t many who could reliably cast with one arm either.

Veronica sighed with a wry grin. She’d have to make do.

“What was even in those explosive potions? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like them. Were they your own homemade concoctions?” Gilgard asked as he nonchalantly walked towards her.

“Can you shut up already?” she groaned.

“Hm?” Gilgard stopped and cocked his head to the side.

“You keep trying to act all innocent and nice, but no one believes that shit,” she glared at him. “We both know you’re a Morrigan. Your people are cold-blooded murderers, that even kill their own children if they’re born weak.” She spat a glob of spit and blood at his feet, “And you’re no different.”

Gilgard narrowed his cold eyes, “Is that so…?”

“What do you think, you orc bastard?” Veronica taunted.

Gilgard clenched his fists and a bronze sheen emerged around his arms. “That vigor leg spell was quite something. I don’t think I’ve seen another adept jump so high with Brown. I wonder how it’ll compare with my arm spell.”

Before she could retort, Gilgard dashed at her, his arm pulled back for a strike. Veronica roared and thrust her open palm forward. A blanket of black shadows swept over both of them and formed a dark dome at the center of the arena.

Giglard’s legs halted to a stop and he stumbled back. He cursed under his breath and swung his fists frantically around as he tried to make his way through the pitch darkness. Veronica opened her eyes and smiled wide.

The specialized potion’s second effect gave its consumer temporary night vision. With quiet and measured steps she slowly made her way behind the fumbling orc. She silently pulled out the dagger strapped to her thigh, raised it up, and plunged it down at his unsuspecting back.

Gilgard’s arm shot out and grabbed her wrist before the blade made contact.

Veronica gasped in shock, “H-how!?”

He looked straight at her and smirked. Dark wisps swirled about the whites of his eyes.

The crowds watched the dome of shadows with mutterings of anxious uncertainty. Abruptly, a figure flew out of the dark dome and skidded across the ground in a painful tumble of limbs. The crowds winced at the streak of blood left behind.

The shadowy dome fell apart in tatters, leaving only Gilgard standing at its center. In his hand, he held a bloodied dagger, but he seemed entirely unharmed. The orc crowds of Murkton cheered with delight. A scream of terror pierced the cheers. Gilgard glanced up at Lord Sientia’s tear-streaked face. His wife, Lady Sientia grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back into his chair as the other aristocrats stared at them with disapproval.

Gilgard stared at the emotional outburst with calculating amber eyes, before he made his way to the motionless body across the arena. 

“UM, FOLKS…” Mark Stemme muttered from the Herald’s Tower’s enchanted trumpet. “IT SEEMS VERONICA SIENTIA HAS BEEN UTTERLY DEFEATED BY HER OPPONENT.”

“NOT THE MOST UNEXPECTED RESULT, BUT ONE WE STILL HATE TO SEE,” Jane Stemme winced.

Gilgard stood over Veronica and tossed the dagger to the ground beside her. “Oi, I know you’re awake,” he said quietly. “One’s breathing changes when they're unconscious.”

Veronica slowly opened her glazed blue eyes and looked up at him. She couldn’t feel the pain, but she could feel the warm blood flowing out from the stab in her gut. It was strange, the blood soaking her shirt felt so warm, almost scorching to the touch, and yet she felt so cold.

“Y-you’re a black mage…” she mumbled numbly.

Gilgard scratched his cheek and shrugged, “I suppose your spies didn’t know that little bit of information. I made sure to keep that part of my magic secret, until now…”

“Did you know that a black mage with sufficient skill can cast a shadow spell to see in the dark?” Gilgard said. “It’s quite uncommon, even among master black mages, but I find the spell quite useful.”

Veronica couldn’t help but laugh, though it came out as a bloody cough.

“Hm?” Gilgard looked at her expectantly.

“You… you have all of my colors… and you’re better at them too…” Veronica smiled, her teeth blood-stained. “I already lost before we fought…”

“Don’t say that,” Gilgard said coldly and kicked her in the chest. 

She gasped from the force of the blow as her body rolled backward.

“OOF, AND HE’S STILL GOING AT IT! THE POOR GIRL!” Mark yelled.

“WHEN WILL IT BE ENOUGH FOR THIS BRUTE!?” Jane cried out.

Gilgard glared down at Veronica, “Don’t you dare give up now. I won’t let you. I’ll kill you before you manage to scream ‘I surrender.’” 

“F-fuck you…” she scowled, blood dripping from her lips.

“...I know you can’t feel the pain, your potion helped with that, right?” Gilgard noted quietly. “So get up, Veronica. Don’t let your final moments be that of some craven quitter. If you are going to die in front of thousands, then let it be a glorious death that they’ll never forget.”

“...W-what… What are you saying?” she muttered.

“It’s not complicated. Are you a coward or not?”

“I’m an idiot for coming here…”

“Maybe… but are you a coward?”

Veronica remembered Plum’s plea. She remembered how her friend begged her to not fight this monster. “...No… I’m not…”

Gilgard smiled, lightning crackled at his fingertips. “Then get up, Veronica Sientia. Get up and show them who you truly are.”

Veronica clenched her teeth and placed her hands on the dirt. Her arms trembled, and her vision was already beginning to blur, but she pushed down with what little strength remained, and she rose to her feet, broken, bleeding, but a warrior still. She panted in quick shallow breaths and stared at her enemy with a steel gaze.

Gilgard’s smile broke and for the first time, Veronica saw the pain lingering deep in his amber eyes. “I really wish we had met under very different circumstances,” he whispered.

“...Too late…” Veronica took a deep agonizing breath and stood up straight.

“You were right… I am a Morrigan,” Gilgard said solemnly.

He flicked his hand in a downwards motion, a crackling beam of lightning streaked out and stabbed Veronica in the chest. She flew back and slammed into the ground with a hard thud. Smoke rose from her clothes and burnt skin, but she did not move. Gilgard turned around and walked away.

“I THINK… I THINK THAT’S IT…” Mark said sadly.

“THE 4TH DUEL OF SPELL & STEEL IS OVER…” Jane muttered. “GILGARD MORRIGAN OF MURKTON IS THE VICTORY.”

“EVEN SO, MISS SIENTIA WAS ONE OF THE BRAVEST MAGES I’VE HAD THE PLEASURE TO WATCH IN A LONG TIME. SHE FOUGHT BRAVELY TO THE VERY END, EVEN AGAINST THAT RUTHLESS ROGUE. MISS SIENTIA WAS A TRUE UNDERGROWTHER,” Mark said proudly.

The crowds cheered at the heralds’ words and began to chant Veronica’s name over and over in defiance of the victory.

Lord Gregor Sientia ignored the chants and jumped down the coliseum’s wall. He stumbled as he landed from the high drop, but he quickly pushed himself to his feet and rushed towards his daughter’s body. Lady Sientia jumped down behind him and followed a moment later. But before either had made it to their daughter’s side, Plum had reached Veronica’s body.

Plum hugged her lost friend tight and cried hoarsely, “You stupid idiot! Why didn’t you surrender!?”

Plum suddenly stiffened, “...Huh?” She looked down and frowned. Slowly, she pulled up Veronica’s shirt just a bit.

“What are you doing!?” Lady Sientia screamed. “We must get her body out of this damned arena. It’s the least she deserves!”

“The wound…” Plum muttered. “It’s been cauterized.”

“W-what?” Gregor knelt down next to her and stared at Veronica’s stomach. He traced his fingers carefully over the surrounding area and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure, but… I think the stab wound avoided any vital organs… And since the bleeding has stopped…” He reached out and checked his daughter’s pulse. After a few moments he exhaled with relief, “It's weak but there’s still a pulse.”

Lady Sientia’s legs buckled underneath and she cried with sheer happiness. “Thank the gods,” she whispered as she cried over her daughter.

“...What are the chances a Morrigan fails to kill their opponent…?” Plum muttered.

“None of that matters right now. We need to get Veronica to the healers immediately,” Gregor said.

“Right…” Plum nodded, but she looked over her shoulder and across the arena at the orc who walked quietly away. He didn’t turn around, nor did he stay to bask in the glory of his victory. He simply walked back into the coliseum’s dark tunnel and faded from the view of the crowds.