Zenith OCT Round 2: Aeren VS Tyra

Kiseki Senmonka found Aeren in his quarters busy at work on one of his experimental contraptions. Glaring at his back she authoritatively called his attention, “Burning Water, your battle is within the hour shouldn’t you be on your way to the fields?”

Spinning on his heels, Aeren turned to return her glare pointing the tool in his hand her aggressively, “I told you before, my name’s Aeren Blanc.”

She lowered her head deepening her glare, “Are you really so determined to disobey your superiors?” She sighed reaching for a bag that hanged by her side “Fine, Aeren Blanc, as I said last time my contacts wish to sponsor you in the tournament and given your recent success they intend to keep sponsoring you.” Tossing the bag onto his desk she lightened her gaze. “You surprise me Aeren, you’re the only contestant who doesn’t seem to be spending the hours before the contest preparing.”

“And you underestimate me Senmonka,” he replied in an agitated tone turning back to his project, “innovation is preparation, sharpens the mind.” Turning back towards her he grinned sharply, “And there is no preparation better for a Wizard than a sharp mind.” As he spoke his voice raised in a crescendo and a spark ignited into a small sphere in his hand.

‘Wizards and their over-confidence.’ She thought stepping towards the door. “Regardless, you’re short on time, I suggest you get moving.”

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As soon as Aeren reached the Orchards he began to try and push the workers from their posts; however, unlike at the library those working at the orchard were largely unwilling to cooperate with the fledgling mage, most citing their need to work. “Just keep things quiet,” “It’s not our struggle, settle it silently.”

As the time came Aeren got desperate, and not wanting to actually endanger those civilians working there, took it upon himself to take more, drastic measures to ensure their safety. Making his way towards the center of the orchard he conjured a large pool of water to each side of himself and set it spinning around his feet. Faster and faster it rotated about him until it began to dig into the dirt encircling him. Making his arcane gestures he released the water from its tight spiral. The water, already moving at frightening speeds lashed outwards from his epicenter and fed by his Mana grew into a fearsome wave.

Orchestrating the waves with his hands he kept the water low and kept it pushing outwards sweeping up worker and overseer alike and carrying them, to the outer reaches of the orchard. With a contracting gesture he caused the waves to reverse and rise into a wall surrounding the orchard. Between his approaching hands he focused his Mana. Again he lashed out his arms and released the Mana turning surging wall of water to ice. He exhaled largely and all at once.

‘Not much time left… need to rest…’ Aeren thought, ‘I hate to make it so obvious that I use water and ice… but I’ll just have to work that to my advantage.’ He scanned around to try and catch sight of his opposition’s arrival. ‘No telling when they’ll arrive, or if they’ll make themselves known.’ He thought not even considering that he might have locked them outside of the orchard with his recent wall.

Aeren heard a rustling and saw something drop out of the corner of his eye. A plainly clothed, though by no means poorly dressed… girl? Yes definitely a girl, had dropped from one of the trees not 60 feet away. He looked her over, she seemed to have a spear but no other readily visible pieces of weaponry. ‘Another fighter?’ Aeren thought to himself.

She let out a whistle. “Impressive.” She said curtly, if she thought as much her inflection didn’t imply it. “But a tad wasteful don’t you think.” Though phrased as a question her inflection made it seem to be more of a statement.

‘No time to reset then,’ Aeren thought flourishing an arm to either side of himself. “Aeren Blanc, Water-Wizard.” He said while conjuring an orb of water in either hand. With a flick of his wrist he set them to spin around him in slow circles. Bringing his hands to his front he siphoned water from each orb—though neither seemed to change in size—until he had a sizable pool of water that he likewise set to rotate about him as a ring.

“Tyra… Tyra Zarate.” She said gritting her teeth, awaiting the sound of the city’s clock tower to signal the official start of the fight.

“Dong, dong, dong, dong, dong,” neither contestant budged as the bell rung its announcement. “Dong”

The bell’s final ring echoed silently but still neither contestant moved each still sizing up the other, trying to anticipate the path to victory. Each wanting to take advantage of the others oversights.

Aeren’s patience snapped first, grabbing ahold of one the rotating orbs he spread it out in front of him and with a wave like motion of his hands caused the water to surge forward. It was a test of course, as Aeren’s first spells often were, he wanted to see how Tyra would react to his offensive; however even this test carried with it a dangerous threat.

Tyra for her part stood stock still until the wave was just upon her flipping backwards out of the initial crash of the wave. Aeren grinned his sharp grin and with a swooping motion caused the wave crash faster thinking to catch Tyra in the water as she landed; however, just as Tyra’s feet touched the turbulent waves she jammed the butt of her spear through the waves and into the ground. Doing so she pulled herself into the air once more just as the water that she would have been knee deep in froze.

The smile momentarily left Aeren’s face but quickly returned, happy to see Tyra wouldn’t be too easy of an opponent.

White flames left from her hands as she grasped he spear heating and freeing it from within its icy cage. One hand holding firmly to her weapon she used her other to sling herself back into the branches of a nearby tree.

Losing sight of Tyra among the foliage Aeren moved forward with his plan. With a simple flourish the frozen wave reverted to its liquid state. Aeren then proceeded to guide the water around the orchard, covering much of the ground in a thin film of water.

Mindful of his opponent’s whereabouts Aeren kept an eye on the trees, looking for any sign of activity or rustling among the tree limbs.  “There’s little point in hiding Tyra! You’re just going to let me recover you know.” He waited but his taunt seemed to do little to rile her into action.

Catching a brief glimpse of her figure hiding among the trees he saw her throw something his way. Thinking quickly he spread the remaining orb in front of his concentrating the water in to a thin but dense barrier. Though minimal the barrier proved to slow the incoming daggers to the point where they fell harmlessly off of his robes.  Looking for her among the tree again he failed to spot her, but know that he couldn’t afford to risk that kind of attack often he began to fashion his shield into a sort of dense whip.

Lashing the whip wildly into the trees he initially though he would find nothing but leaves, fruit, and branches. But within moments he was rewarded as Tyra fell from her perch to the ground below spear still in hand. Hand outstretched Aeren began to clench his hand around his vision of Tyra drawing the water that he had spread throughout the orchard to her prone form.

But again the white hot flames burst from Tyra almost instantly vaporizing the water gathering about her. As she rose to her feet her flames doubled in strength covering her in a cloak much like an aura and then with a simple gesture of her spear the flames burst forth towards Aeren.

With little time to act Aeren pulled of the ring of water that had been spinning about him into a fresh barrier. The water barrier seemed to buckle under the force of the oncoming flames but ultimately held fast sending a cloud of steam hissing into the air. But the fire persisted, growing stronger as Tyra began to slowly approach Aeren.

In something resembling a panic Aeren began to draw at the surrounding water to reinforce his barrier, growing it thicker and wider. “What now Wizard?” Tyra called out above the roar of the flames and the hiss of the steam. “Your Mana is limited but my faith fuels mine.”

“Which do you think will give first? Your mana stores or my faith?” She had almost reached his barrier now and Aeren knew that he was forcing far too much of his Mana to maintain the rudimentary barrier.

He needed an out, and quick.

Teleport? No the range was too close if he dropped the barrier he might not endure the flames long enough to make it out.

The Mana-Trap? No it was far too early, to use it now would be to admit defeat.

Dive out of the way? No that’s worse than teleporting so what if he avoided the flames he would be too easy a target.

Ice! That will hold, At least long enough to teleport out of sight.

Shifting from gathering water Aeren hastily froze what remained of his barrier in an instant. Bringing his hands together he began to focus for his teleportation spell.

All at once the flames cut out and Aeren faltered, surprised by the change from his opponent. If she had caught on to his plan it might prove safer to stay in place, let he search for him elsewhere. No, a spear, wreathed in flame cut through the barrier separating the contestants like a knife through butter and melted the ice above its cut as it went. He fell in shock

‘It’s like Grihori’s flames…’ Aeren thought as the last of the flames dissipated and Tyra stepped over the remaining stump of ice dividing them. ‘No, not quite, it’s more controlled somehow, more calculated, more aggressive.’ He sat there in the puddle that remained of his barrier gazing up at Tyra too stunned to act.

“What’s the matter Wizard, out of tricks?” She said with an almost disappointed tone.

‘Hardly, I always have another trick.’ He thought cocking his sideways grin at her again. A clicking sound signaled the opening of his Mana-Trap and a purplish haze wafted into the air between them. Tyra made to cover her mouth and nose with the cloth of her sleeve, believing the discoloration to be a poison.

Aeren grinned all the wider, “No Tyra, I have another trick I’m just dying to show you.” He jeered as the released Mana quickly siphoned to his hands. And emanating out from his hands the water that he way lying in, the water that Tyra was standing in, began to catch fire. In the span of seconds the greater part of the orchard and caught alight still soaked in Aeren’s arcane water.

Caught aback, Tyra stumbled back onto the stump of ice that had once been Aeren’s barrier. Even as his robes began to burn Aeren sat up and turned the ice to water beneath her. With a yelp of surprise Tyra fell into the water which turned back to ice just as quickly as it had liquefied trapping her half in ice and half in flames.

Raising to his feet Aeren stripped of his outer cloak and went to stand over her. Due to her position her hair had fallen back revealing the scarring of his missing eye. He face was contorted and her teeth gritted harshly whether from the pain or anger Aeren didn’t know which. “Yield.” He said sternly willing the waters to swell towards them.

Her expression didn’t alter for some time before she finally relented. Her face still contorted in that mixed expression of pain and aggravation she uttered a hoarse, “I yield.”

With an open palmed gesture Aeren pushed the waters away from them and melted the ice holding Tyra in place. Looking her over he saw her hands and feet, which had been outside the icy prison were bare and badly burnt. Moved to pity he knelt down and made to offer her a shoulder but Tyra rolled to her side away from him.

“C’mon, I can’t just leave you here.” He said scooping her up.

She flailed wildly at first but finding the burns too painful to keep moving quickly became still. “I don’t need your pity Wizard.” She said dejectedly.

“Maybe not, but I’ve already burnt one opponent and left them for dead. I don’t plan to add you to the tally.” He said calmly, his legs aching to not buckle as he made his way to find the medics, Tyra in tow.

‘Next time I need to not be in the water when I ignite it.’