Chapter 1: Healer In Armor

As I stand here knowing it's not possible to return to my normal life. I can't help but feel quite ... excited about this whole thing. Maybe I am really out of my mind. I would have expected to feel a little bit scared by all of this. But instead of that, I get this constant tingling sensation that won't go away. The feeling that I am closer to my dream than ever before in my life. All I can think about now is that at the end of the tournament, when I win this regardless of the terrible dangers, I'll finally become a mage.

There is an explosion maybe a few miles from my location. The fights have already begun and one of them is closer to me than I would have hoped. There's no way I can get in a fight with any of the mages at this point. I need to avoid combat for as long as possible if I'm to survive until the end.

I move the opposite direction from the explosion. As I'm heading towards the end of the forest, I start hearing voices. There are two mages talking in a clearing just ahead of me. I hide behind a tree and take a quick look at them.

It seems they have just finished fighting. One of them appears like an ordinary thug. He's wearing a simple stained white shirt, leather pants and a belt full of throwing knives. His uncut beard hides a wicked smile. Just by seeing his confidence, I can clearly tell that he's the victor. The other mage is wearing heavy armor, but his shield lies on the ground beside him and he is barely holding his sword anymore.

Taking a closer look at the mage in armor, I noticed his head is bald, he's skin is dark, he's likely in his mid forties and he has a scar on his face, shaped like an "X". I've read about a mage matching his exact description who went by the name Damien, and he was quite legendary, but why would he lose to some common thug?. The mage in white answers my question as he speaks to the one in armor, while playing with one of his knives.

Thug Mage: The legendary mage Damien! Savior of the Eastern continent, Healer in armor. They say you've traveled the world, saving countless cities from destruction. That you once fought ten rock golems by yourself, only to save a small child. That is why one should never really trust legends, aye?. I always knew all those stories about mages as strong as giants were just nonsense. Hell, if all those 'legendary' mages that joined this tournament are as weak as you, I'm gonna win this by sundown!

He starts laughing loudly but he stops suddenly.

Thug Mage: Wait, who's there?

I quickly pull my head behind the tree and press my back against it, trying to breathe as silently as possible

Thug Mage: I know you're there coward. Show yourself or I'll have one of my knives come find you.

I breathe in deeply and try to appear as calm as possible as I step out into the clearing, facing the mage with the knives directly

JÒN: Who are you calling a coward?

Thug Mage: A stillborn, eh?

The mage pauses for a bit as he measures me up and down. His sudden change of attitude towards me is not completely unexpected.

Stillborn are a very rare breed of mages that are known to be incredibly powerful. One of them is said to have destroyed an entire city twenty years ago, with just the flick of his fingers. The city of Valhalla was said to be one of the greatest cities on the continent, but it was wiped off the map just like that in a split second such is the power of a stillborn.

But what is even more interesting about stillborns is that you can't differentiate them from normal humans. Normally you can sense the magic flowing from every being, you don't need to be a mage to do it. By sensing their magical energy, you can tell how strong mages are before engaging them in a fight.

Stillborns however, have the same energy as normal humans. And if you were to run into someone that seems to have almost no magic in the middle of what is essentially the greatest mage tournament in all of history... What would you believe? That an average human was somehow stupid enough to join the tournament only to get killed? Or that you're facing one of the strongest and rarest kinds of mages that exist in the world?

Thug Mage: You don't scare me, stillborn! I'm going to fill you up with holes and you'll end up begging me for mercy! I bet your legends are more true than they were for this sad excuse of a mage standing next to me

JÒN: That's funny. That's almost the same thing the people of Valhalla told me. Before I burnt their city to the ground

The mage was about to go for his knives, but now stopped. He's looking at me quite seriously, without averting his eyes even for a second.

Thug Mage: You're bluffing

JÒN: I guess there's only one way to find out (heart beats faster).

Thug Mage: You're in luck stillborn. I'm feeling a little merciful today. I'm going to be out of your hair just as soon as I finish this guy here.

JÒN (without thinking): You do that and you'll regret it.

Thug Mage: What, are you kidding me? You're going to defend this lowlife?

JÒN: If I have to. Do I have to?

He reluctantly puts his daggers back into his belt and spits on the ground next to Damien

Thug Mage: I'll remember this stillborn. Don't think I won't. I never forget a face. You'll regret the day you messed with a Cutthroat named Tzotzil. And the same goes for you healer in armor. I'll be seeing the both of you again soon.

After he finishes, he turns away in disgust and heads into the woods on the other side of the clearing.

Once I can no longer see the mage, I let out a big sigh. That was close. I can still feel my heart beating rapidly

JÒN (to himself): You do that and you'll regret it? What was I even thinking? Was I trying to get myself killed? This is a life and death tournament Jòn not time to start playing hero.

As I calm myself, the mage in armor sheathes his sword, picks up his shield and starts walking towards me.

Damien: You had no obligation to save me, but you did anyway, risking your own life. I cannot let such selflessness go unrewarded. I Damien, vow this day that I will offer you my protection from this moment, and until the end of this tournament. Tell me brave soul, what is your name?

JÒN: It's, uhh... It's Jòn. My name is Jòn

Damien (laughs uncontrollably): Now that's the weirdest name for a mage I've heard in my life. Especially for a stillborn.

JÒN: I'm not a stillborn, Damien. That thug just assumed I was, so I took advantage of the situation.

Damien: But you're not one of the locals either. Otherwise that spell of theirs would have alerted us the moment we sensed your presence.

He is talking about the spell the organizers of the tournament cast on each of the participants before teleporting us here. We aren't allowed to hurt the humans that live in this continent, so their spells warns us when one of them is near. If what they say is true, their spell should stop us even before we try hurting any local. If it's by accident, it would stop us before we do it, if it's intentional it eliminates us from the tournament and sends us back.

Damien: So you must be a participant then. What reason in the world would you have to participate in a tournament against the most powerful mages in the world?

I'm after the prize that's to be given to the winner, The Eyen.

Nobody knows how it looks or what it's made of, but everyone knows that it's the source of all magic in the world, and and that it can only be found on the continent of Avalon. All mages hunger for it. They are certain that if they have access to it, they can increase their powers a thousandfold and become living legends. My researches has led me to believe that the Eyen is so extraordinary that it can turn a normal human into a mage.

I've searched very long for a way to get into Avalon, but the only way one can travel to their continent is by receiving direct invitation. But when all hope seemed lost, a worldwide announcement by the kings of Avalon that they were organizing a tournament where every single mage in the world is invited. I knew then that there wouldn't be another chance like this.

Damien: Why did you join this tournament Jòn?

JÒN: I'm after the same thing as you Damien, the Eyen that is. It's been my childhood dream to become a mage and the Eyen can grant me that wish

Damien: Come on, Jòn. You're gonna have to make up a better lie than that if you want me to believe you!

He stops and looks me dead in the eye

Damien: By the gods... You're being serious! Jòn I admire your grit and determination but... You do realize that you can't win this entire tournament just by bluffing, don't you?

JÒN: Of course I know that! That's not the only trick I have up my sleeve. But what about you? They say you are one of the strongest mages in the world. So how does one as strong as you get beat so easily by a Cutthroat named Tzotzil?

Damien (embarrassed): Oh that... You see, Jòn. I may be powerful, but that doesn't mean I don't have weaknesses. It turns out one of those weaknesses is that I never really managed to master the shield spell properly...

JÒN: Is that the one that cast an invisible protective layer around yourself? But isn't that one of the first spell any mage learns?

Damien: It is... But it's not like I can't cast it at all... I can defend from magic just fine. It's normal weapons that I have a problem with. This is why I always wear armor also why I use a sword and shield. Soon I started weaving my magic around them and my fighting skills. I also found a master that would teach me with weapons, and I used my magic to enchant them. Then after every fight, I'd just use my white magic to heal my wounds. Like so...

He demonstrates as he waves his hands in the air and making a white light appear all around him. As it shines, his injuries start healing and the blood fades.

Damien: The Cutthroat's knives had a life of their own and there were many of them attacking me at once. If I knew the shield spell to defend myself against them, beating him would have been very easy. But defending against all those knives with a shield and sword is impossible regardless of my fighting skills. All armors have their weaknesses, all he had to do was go for the joints, till he wore me out.

JÒN: Why are you telling me all of this? Shouldn't you be at least a bit worried about revealing your greatest weakness to someone you just met?

Damien: Hey, you just saved my life! So you can't be that bad, right?

As we talk a footstep approaches from behind the trees

Lady: Forgive me for interrupting. But would you by any chance be Damien, the legendary Savior of the Eastern Continent?

>>>End Of Chapter 1<<<