Facing an endurance test as the last of the six rounds didn’t look promising for the mage group based on comments as we walked away from the agility station.

  “And following this, we still need to be ready for the free-for-all.” Connor was saying to anyone who’d listen.

  All conversation among us stopped as we entered the last station. My appointed master was waiting for me. I was paired with a Captain Lawrence from the Marines. Despite being a marine, which means he was tough as nails, he was young and amiable. In fact, he wasn’t far removed from my age, which meant he had to be what my dad liked to call “a real shiner!”

  We all walked into the station, which was quite large. As the first task materialized, I had no idea how I could have missed seeing it when the other guilds entered this station. A giant wheel, maybe a hundred feet high, based on its comparison with the Arena, which I knew stood at two hundred feet tall, was magnificently revealed. It had a width of at least fifty feet, and its inside surface was covered in different types of terrain. There was grass, dirt, sand, pebbles, jagged rocks, and even water.

  Using some quick math, if it were a hundred feet tall, that meant the inside circumference was as long as a football field, or further than a straight run from home to third base in baseball.

  I’m not sure why my mind reverted to sports, but there you are. It was a little shy of a football pitch for my European friends.

  And that was just one cycle. Given that it was turning around on a central axis, I had a very bad feeling about our first task, and we would all take it together. There were no hidden and blurred spaces to protect the innocent, or wisecracks from fellow mages.

  I looked around and saw that my concern was reflected on pretty much everyone’s faces.

  Somehow, that made me feel better.

  “This is the first task?” The sage champion, Jakar, asked nobody in particular. He had not been thrilled by the physical challenges we had been faced with so far, other than his skill at the carnival booth. His slumped shoulders suggested he may have already given up hope.

  Bido seemed to know him and clapped his shoulder, saying something to him. It was probably kind words like he shared with me outside of the knowledge tasks.

  He was a good friend. I’d try not to trip him up on what had to be a really unpleasant run we were about to join together.

  “What is it with running?” Connor complained quietly.

  I know how he felt because I know how I felt. And I felt tired. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.

  “It’s almost over,” Bido added in his typical, positive attitude.

  “Gather around, champions.” An older warrior called. “Your first task is called the Endless Circle.” He pointed behind him at what I was thinking as the Ferris Wheel of Doom.

  “It’s pretty straightforward. When the bugle blows, you run. When it blows again, you stop. We count your cycles.

  “Bugle?” Connor whispered ot me.

  “Military trumpet,” I whispered back.

  He smirked.

  But something seemed off. My enhanced senses were trying to tell me something, but I wasn’t getting it.

  “Okay, all champions mount the circle!” The warrior bellowed.

  We climbed up onto the wheel and took positions apart from each other. I was in the middle this time.

  The wheel was huge, but it was more sturdy than I expected.

  The trumpet (or bugle) blew, and we took off at a run.

  And that was when my brain caught up with my senses. The wheel was stationary. As we ran, our heads were always pointed toward the center, and our feet were on the ground. From an outside observer, it looked like we ran on the walls and ceiling of the magical construct.

  The view was pretty cool from our vantage point and several people hooted as we ran. I was one of them, I admit.

  And then I hit the first water feature.

  So, let me lay this out for you. We started on a flat surface, like packed dirt. We moved into grasslands, and then over some rolling hills. That led into a water feature that spread out from edge to edge. Looking beyond, there were some more hills, some jagged mountains, shrubs, more grassland, a second water feature…you get the idea.

  Bido did a shallow dive, thinking that the water would be deep.

  It wasn’t.

  I think he scraped his knees on the bottom but at least he did not hurt himself. We ran through the water at about knee deep.

  As we ran and the different terrain began to work on us, the line of mages began to thin out.

  The hidden sandy beach after the mountains nearly twisted my ankle. But I was in the top three. Cecil was leading the way again. Bido and I were neck and neck with Connor, a slightly distant fourth, but he didn't look like he was struggling. Given his strategic mind, he may have been watching us for cues to reduce his energy output, allowing us to struggle a bit, and then choose the better path.

  I completely understood how Addie had mixed feelings about the guy. He was generally uncensored, egotistical, brave, complimentary when deserved, funny at times, and seemed protective of friends.

  Yeah, he was complicated. Guess that made him human. The jerk.

  I also figured he was in the running for top mage champion. I was in the mix, as was Bido, Cecil, and, despite Jakar’s frustration, I thought he could be, too.

  The run was pretty bland, but we needed to keep focused. It was a clever idea and symbolized our journeymen travels, I’m sure. Not that any of us planned to go too far from Keelwell, I imagined. The other big cities that sometimes attracted new journeymen were the capital in the northeast, of course, the City of Splendor, which was also northeast but half the distance. In fact, as I thought about it, pretty much everything was north and east of us since we were in the southwest corner of the kingdom…Port Departure due east but pretty far, and Two Keeps, the stronghold in the Halfling Barronies, which was, of course, northeast.

  As I ran, I also thought about the Elven woodlands to the north and west, Dwarven mountains to the east, and even the city of Nox, which was probably the furthest human city from Keelwell. It was a dark city where cults thrived and giant spiders replaced the use of horses and oxen.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The trumpet blew, and we ended the task in pretty much the same order we had been running. Each time Connor made a move to get closer, Bido and I sped up.

  The warrior in charge of the station marched us over to a magical wall that we would be required to climb. It didn;t look too bad, but it would be a workout.

  We lined up beneath our starting places with a black flag at the top that we would need to recover and climb back down.

  “No magic, just skill against your own!” The large warrior bellowed.

  The trumpet blared ,and he had one final word. “Beware the weather!”

  We all discovered what he meant by that when a magical storm crashed against us. Jakar slipped, but Connor caught him and swung him over to a fresh handhold.

  See what I mean. Nice guy.

  The jerk.

  The wind and rain were intense. The handholds began to get very slick. My enhanced senses came in really handy this time, and I was the first to reach the top.

  When I grabbed the black flag, it turned yellow in my hands. I waved it for a second and got a round of huge cheers from my guild apprentices.

  That was when I discovered that heading down was far harder than climbing. That is, unless I slipped. Then I guessed it would be very, very easy. Fast, too.

  A lightning strike sent a charge through the entire wall because of the wetness frm the rain. Nobody lost their grips, but a few yelled out in surprise.

  I won’t name names.

  Cutting to the chase, I ended up at the bottom first, followed by Connor, Bido, and then Cecil. The wizard had stopped partway through to assist a fellow mage and did not rush things after that.

  My fingers were sore, as were pretty much all my other muscles as well. I just wasn’t used to sore hands and fingers.

  A neat effect of the magical wall was a drying effect as soon as we landed. My hair was still messed up, but my robes were dry, and that was more comfortable than the soggy boots I had been running and climbing in over the past two tasks.

  The warrior bellowed again, “Follow me, champions. One more task to go and then you get to play war in the free-for-all!”

  I think he pretty much bellowed everything he had to say. I’d hate to be one of his neighbors. Or his kids. Or, I thought more seriously, one of his apprentices.

  It made me appreciate masters Sundance and Glimmerblade a whole lot more.

  We marched, or quickly walked, over to a stage and climbed it.

  “Each of you choose a stone to stand on!” He, you guessed it, bellowed.

  The stones were not very large, just big enough for someone with large feet to stand on without toes or heels falling over the edges.

  My guess was that we would have to perform something on the stone, but at least it was just a foot above the stage.

  “You will each remain balanced on the stone from bugle call to bugle call. You will not fall. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, master!” Came the immediate responses.

  “Hang on!” He cried as the trumpet sounded.

  “What does he-” Connor could be heard asking, followed by “Ohhhh!” As the stones shot up into the air.

  Keeping my balance was not easy. The movement up was smooth, but it was fast, and the air began pushing me around.

  That’s when I discovered it wasn’t just the air.

  Air elementals began to flash in and out of sight. They would dodge around us, through our legs, and around our outstretched arms.

  I quickly pulled mine back in close on the off chance they decided to grab an arm and pull.

  “They are Elemental Pets!” Connor yelled to us. “They can’t harm you! Much.” He added.

  “At least there’s no rain!” Bido laughed.

  He was enjoying this.

  I was not afraid of heights. Or so I thought. But being up, a hundred feet, with pesky pets thinning that our robes were their playgrounds was not my idea of fun.

  Based on a couple of cries, some of the other mages seemed to have it worse.

  Balancing back and forth was tiring and nerve-wracking. My legs began to tire faster than they had when I was climbing.

  I forced my mind to calm and used my martial arts and senses to detect changes in the wind and the attacks by the pets. Keeping myself loose and bending like a willow.

  That was the plan.

  Fortunately for me, it was working. Unfortunately for the illusionist, it wasn’t. With a cry of terror, two pets struck her at the same time from behind, billowing out her robes like a sail, and over the side she went.

  Without hesitating or thinking, I used my only SUS Leviation ring remaining and cast it on her.

  She fell maybe fifteen feet before my spell caught her, but she was lowered to the ground safely.

  I, however, flashed a bright yellow color and was marked for elimination.

  The trumpet blared, and we were lowered down as rapidly as we were raised.

  The illusionist came over and gave me a hug. “Thank you, and I am so sorry.”

  Captain Lawrence walked over to me and said with a serious look on his face, “Come with me, apprentice.”

  We walked over to the warrior in charge, who was already standing with the bard guildmaster and another warrior I did not recognize.

  I was marched up to them, and Captain Lawrence stepped away.

  I bowed, but did not speak.

  “Rise, apprentice.” The Master Heartstrings said. “Do you understand the seriousness of what you did?”

  “I do, master.”

  He pursed his lips. “Clearly, you do not, apprentice. Violating the rules, for any reason, can mean immediate expulsion and shame on you and your guild.”

  “I understand, master.”

  “But do you? Why did you break the rules?” He asked.

  “My friend was falling, master.”

  She was not really a friend per se. I did not know her, but saving someone’s life was the act of a friend, whether I thought it through or not. So, friend, she is.

  He sighed. “Apprentice, do you think that the masters who created these games would not have considered such an action? Hmm? Do you think we would send an apprentice, even talented ones such as yourself, up a hundred feet without a way to safeguard you?”

  My mouth opened, but nothing came out.”

  No, I hadn’t thought about that.

  “Now do you understand, apprentice?” He emphasized in frustration.

  “There was not a single rule break in this Guildfest until your foolishness.”

  It dawned on me that this entire discussion was occurring in front of a thousand people in the Arena.

  My face flushed red. I couldn’t help it.

  “It is regrettable, but I see no other action possible than to expel you from Guildfest.”

  There was a rumbling among the crowds, but the guildmaster was unmoved.

  I bowed and said, “I understand, master.”

  “Then, if that is the case, we-” The bard guildmaster was interrupted.

  “If the Enchanter Guild Campion is expelled, then I resign from this competition.”

  I looked up and Bido had taken a step forward. I tried to shake my head no at him buty he refused to back down.

  “And I, Guildmaster. I, too, will resign!” Connor said, his face set and stormy.

  The jerk. Okay, not a jerk. Exactly.

  “And I. It was my fault!” The Illusionist stepped forward.

  And in one voice, Cecil, Jakar, and all the rest stepped forward. “And I!”

  My eyes teared up.

  These mages, all representing competing guilds and who had been struggling against one another this whole afternoon, all stood as one.

  I guess the free-for-all will be a little quicker this year,” The warrior standing next to the guildmaster said, loudly enough that the magical speaking wand picked it up.

  The Arena, such as it was, burst into boos and shouts.

  The guildmaster pulled the other two masters standing nearby closer to him. He must have shut off the device because we could not hear what was being said.

  After a few moments, and as the crowds began to really make noise, led by the colored apprentice robes of mages, began to reach a fever pitch, he raised his hands and announced, “In consideration of the circumstances, where the life of a champion was technically at risk and with no iontended benefit to yourself, it is agreed by three witnessing masters that you shall not be removed from Guildfest.”

  The mages and crowd cheered.

  “However, you shall get no points for the task.”

  Earning a 0 out of 10 meant there was no way I would win Mage Champion. But, it was a fair compromise, and I got to keep my guild’s honor.

  I bowed again. “Thank you, masters.”

  The guildmaster announced loudly, “All champions return to your first station to meet with your masters and prepare for the final event. The Free-For-All!”

  The crowd cheered again loudly, and we headed back toward the knowledge station.

  There was still a lot of grumbling among the mage champions, but everyone came up and patted my back. We were united in a way we had not been the entire day. And that was good timing, given where we were about to end up…

  The AI whispered into my ear. Enchanter Gwydion earns a spell or skill point to be placed as desired for completing the Guild Champion Six Rounds quest. You have earned a bonus ability point placed into vitality for saving the life of a friend despite risks and consequences. Spell and skill points must be reclaimed at a guild hall or sanctuary. Ability points may be claimed immediately. Additions and notes have been added to your Book of Quests that remain unread.