We all began walking to our assigned event station. The stations were spread out around the Arena along one side to provide distance, but also to allow the best viewing of the events. Most of the audience sat on the side of the Arena where the guildmaster stood, since that location gave the best view. But some small groups were scattered everywhere. Groups of younger apprentices all began running around the Arena to get above the stations where their guildmates would be located. They would not be able to see as well from those seats, but if they clustered around the walkway rails, they could have prized positions.

  I know that I did that when I was younger.

  The stations were draped all around, and so from ground level, we could not see anything inside. But the people in the stands would have a clear view of the stations, some better than others based on the angle and height of their seats.

  The ten of us mages walked over to one of the middle stations where ten master mages from our guilds stood waiting. The masters would pair off with the champion apprentices in no particular order, the only convention being that no master would pick up his or her own guild champion.

  Bido walked at my side, but we didn’t speak. Connor gave me a nod, but he was focused on what lay ahead of us. I was halfway across the Arena before realizing I had not wished Thomas or Biff good luck. But then, neither had they. We were all worked up, I’m sure.

  As we neared, Bido slapped my shoulder lightly and said, “Stay calm. There are always answers. The trick is to relax and let your mind find them.”

  I appreciated the words of encouragement.

  We all split off with masters. I had the misfortune of getting a blue-robed sorcerer. His eyes did not quite focus on me, and he seemed both mildly distracted and more than mildly peculiar. He had a tic that caused his left cheek to twitch. That was not so bad. He had very sweaty hands when he reached out to shake my hand, something no other master had done with their champion, and he cleared his throat every ten to eleven seconds.

  I know because at some point I counted them.

  So much for being calm and focused.

  He led me to a crude table with one chair. Two flags in stands rested beside the table. One flag was black, and the other white. I saw other champions sitting, so I asked, “May I sit down, Master Sorcerer?”

  “Hmm?” He asked.

  I repeated, “May I sit down, master?”

  “Yes, of course, young champion. I was just a little distracted by your unusual aura.”

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

  He stood before me and pointed at a small wooden bucket placed upside down on the top of the table. “What lies beneath is your first task. We will begin at the trumpet’s call. I will remove the bucket and explain the task.”

  I noticed that several of the other champions had risen from their chairs and lifted the white flag. When they touched the pole, its flag changed ot the color of their robes. They lifted the flags high and held them there. I could tell that others were talking, and while none of us sat near each other, I could not hear any voices other than the sorcerer’s and my own.

  The masters prepared these events well.

  “Umm, master sorcerer. Should I lift the flag ike the others?”

  He never introduced himself, so I contented myself with referring to him as 'master' or 'master sorcerer.'

  “Oh yes, where was my mind?”

  I presumed that was not a direct question, so I did not offer my opinion. But I had a few ideas.

  “Lift the white flag, nice and high. Once they see everyone has gotten in place, the trumpet will blare. You will then replace the flag, sit in your chair, and I will explain the task to you. At the second blare, I will lift the bucket and give you the directions here on this card.”

  He began to search through his pockets.

  I sighed and slowly walked to the pole, lifting it high.

  “Ah, here it is.” He said, just as we could all hear the trumpet blast. I presumed that all stations would start at the same time.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I replaced the pole and sat down quickly, taking a deep breath and calming my mind.

  He cleared his throat again.

  I sighed mentally.

  “Under this bucket are two objects, one on top of the other. You must remove the bottom object and place it in the top object. You may not touch either object. You may not touch the table.”

  He had a gleam in his eyes as he put the card away in a side robe pocket. I made a note of which pocket in case he forgot where it went when the second task came up.

  A few moments later, the second trumpet blare sounded, and the sorcerer bent over and carefully lifted the bucket. He placed it on the ground beside the table.

  All around me, the space where the other apprentices had been sitting became blurry. I could not see any details, and I still could only hear the sounds of the master sorcerer and myself.

  In my case, it was heavy breathing as my heart began to race again.

  In his case, it was clearing his throat.

  I stared at a silver coin resting beneath a clear glass jar.

  My task was to put the gold coin in the jar, but I could not touch the coin, jar or table.

  Above the blur, I saw a brown flag raised. The sage champion already solved this task.

  A moment later, Bido’s red thaumaturgist flag was raised.

  I studied the table. I got out of my chair and walked around. I looked under the table.

  Nothing.

  I was sure there was great amusement by those watching, but I had to solve this. But I was not allowed to touch anything.

  Wait. I was not allowed. Did that mean…

  “Master, are you permitted to touch the coin and jar?”

  “Yes.” He replied.

  “Master, please pick up the jar and place the coin in it.”

  He took a step forward and did as I requested.

  I moved over to my flag and lifted it high.

  “Oh yes, I forgot to mention you were to do that if you successfully completed a task.”

  My flag had just beaten out the summoner’s golden flag for third place. I felt that was respectable given that sages were always favored in these events and Bido was a master of riddles and puzzles.

  “Have a seat, young champion. Once time is called for this task, you will have the next task. I will need your help removing the top of this table and setting it off to the side. Your second task awaits beneath.”

  He did not need to refer to his card for that task, which gave me hope.

  If the rounds were the same length as previous years, the trumpet sounded again at five minutes. I noticed that not all of the mage flags had been lifted, although Connor’s gray flag did make it in time, not long after me and the summoner.

  I got up and helped the master list the top of the table off and set it aside. It revealed a sliding block puzzle game. There were fifteen blocks, one white and fourteen black. The blocks were arranged in a 4x4 grid, with the white block in the upper left corner and an empty space in the lower right corner. The blocks could slide, and I figured that I would need to move the white block to the empty space.

  “You must move the white block to the empty space. Begin.” He said.

  I grinned. I liked these puzzles and had played many different varieties with blocks, wooden pins, or other shapes over the years with my father. Dad called these “Escort Puzzles” because the off-color block can’t move to the location alone and had to be “escorted” along the way. He had a mathematical formula to do this, but this pattern was very easy. More challenging games usually had numbered blocks, and you needed to put them in order.

  I quickly began sliding the outer blocks so that I basically began moving them all clockwise. Since the origin and destination were opposite and the distance was equal each way, it didn’t matter if I went clockwise or counter-clockwise.

  The blocks moved smoothly, and I completed it in maybe half a minute. I jumped up and raised my flag. I saw Bido’s red flag ahead of me, but I beat the sage by five or six seconds. All the other mages got theirs pretty quickly as well.

  I guessed that these puzzles were also challenging thieves, priests, and warriors, so they had to be solvable by anyone. Mages used our minds all the time, so puzzles came naturally. That gave me hope that the strength and agility tasks would not prove impossible down the line.

  The other mages began to lower their flags, and so I did as well and took my seat.

  “Well done, champion. The last task will be a riddle which I shall read to you after the trumpet blares.”

  He began looking around the ground. “Now where did I put that card?” He mumbled to himself.

  “I think it is in your lower, left robe pocket, master.”

  He reached in and pulled it out. “Indeed, it was! Well done. You must have a bit of the sight!”

  I kept my expression neutral.

  There were four minutes remaining, and I decided to just relax my mind and fill my thoughts with positive thinking.

  He cleared his throat again. It seemed louder than normal, but maybe that was just me.

  I sighed and practiced my meditative breathing.

  The trumpet blared twenty-two throat gargles later.

  “The riddle, young champion, will be read twice. Once slowly, and a second time at normal speed. It will not be read a third time. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, master.”

  He read:

  The answer seemed pretty easy, and it fit well with the warriors that would be tested by it.

  “A sword, master,” I replied.

  He did not respond.

  I saw flags going up.

  “Please repeat it.”

  He did so, and I saw my mistake. The riddle specified a short sheath.

  “It is a dagger, master,” I said confidently.

  “Well done!”

  I leaped and raised my flag. I counted five others ahead of me. If I hadn't rushed it, I would have finished in the top three again. Ah, well, the knowledge task is over. Even though it would probably be the easiest for me, it was also the one I had been most worried about since mages were expected to do well.

  I relaxed and wondered what the next task would be. If our group of mages went clockwise, we would go to a station that none of the other champions had gone to yet. That meant it would be endurance, or magic/skills-based.

  Magic seemed like it would be interesting, but I didn't have a terrific feeling about testing my endurance. It did not sound like much fun. Previous years had some nasty tests. The warriors even complained about them.

  The trumpet blew.

  I guess I was about to find out…