Chapter 25: The Trials Start, (2)

Tansen looked out over the crowd, soaking in the glory of all of his wondrous achievements. He currently sat at in a chair with several other patrons of the arena. The guild master, Mason, sitting to his right was an older man with an array of wands on his belt and two daggers holstered on his hips. He had slightly graying flecks in his black hair with two thick lamb chops for sideburns. This accentuated his dark brown eyes and muscular frame to go along with the scar running over his right eyebrow.

To his immediate left was Agatha, her blond hair flowing over a brown leather jacket and white undershirt with tight black pants. On Agathat's left was Ryan's father, Leeroy. His attire was a fantastically embroidered jacket and pants. The black coloring holding up a large assortments of gold inlaid lions and pads at his shoulders. The new crest of his family, a mountain with a bejeweled blue sky, was put over his heart.

'It's a minor miracle he can support all that gaudiness considering his skinny frame. Although if the rumors of his reveling in the various taverns of late are true, he may yet fill out the clown suit' Agatha thought. She was looking at him with a hint of disdain but fortunately his hair blocking his right eye prevented him from catching this.

All three sat in chairs under a large roof protecting them from the shining sun with small tables to their sides holding various refreshments, which were kept cool and rotated by a small team of servants. They were treated to an open view of the rest of the arena, their VIP section having a front row and center position. The whole thing, like the arena, was in a white seamless style but with gold bands around the columns and a fantastic array of gold inlay in the walls of leaves and vines.

"It never ceases to amaze me how much a little vision can do for the world." Tansen said. He was going over how much this place had changed with the introduction of the academy, reliving every grueling negotiation and painstaking detail of construction planning in his mind. This all used to be a big guild hall not even a third the current size, but with their agreement and some tax incentives from the government they turned it into one of the largest entertainment and magical craft testing areas in all of Palantia.

"Indeed" Agatha agreed apathetically.

"We aren't here for a class on architecture. We are to settle the superiority of earth magic. More wine, stupid girl." Leeroy growled out putting up his wine glass impatiently.

"Sorry milord" A maid said hurriedly as she filled his cup. Leeroy sent her away with a swat on the butt.

Agatha scoffed.

"Oh please. Waters flexibility and grace put it leagues ahead of whatever rock throwing troll dance you mistake for magic" Agatha shot back.

They both exploded into an argument at this but Tansen just sat back and enjoyed the surrounding monument to his achievement. He had no idea if earth or water was superior or if any of the elements could be called better than the others. But he suspected that hot headed assholes didn't need magic to be themselves. For a moment Tansen wondered where his assistant Aki had gone too, it wasn't like him to be gone for long on a bathroom break.

After a few more minutes of lounging about and bickering the time finally came.

Tansen got up and an assistant cast a wind spell that sent the air waves of his speech bursting throughout the stadium.

"Ladies and gentlemen. While we will get to our main event shortly, we have a special announcement from a special guest." Tansen waved gave a slight bow and moved off to the left as Dior the elf came up from the back onto the center of the chairs. He was dressed in a more casual manner compared to his first visit having a green under sheet with another light brown robe covering his body. The small silver crown on his head told of royalty. Agatha and Leeroy scooted back at this legend made flesh.

"We come with a request of assistance. My brother is a black haired elf, believed to be in this region but went missing several weeks ago. A reward of this mana crystal will to go the one who finds him" He held out a mana crystal the size of his fist. The tide of greed swept through the crowd with no resistance as the spectators practically salivated at the thought of acquiring this great treasure.

"In the coming hours his likeness will be on every board of every hall and inn. We expect this to be a quick affair." Dior said. Then he simply left, no ceremony or elaborate magic, just turned around and walked out the back entrance to the VIP section.

But if he had stayed for a second longer his keen ears may have heard the phrase that would have drastically cut short his work here. Off to the left of the VIP open suite was a silver haired man whose words were drowned out by the sea of furious chatter to all but the most sensitive of ears:

"Oh shit"