TS5: Chapter 21 (Patreon)

As the team hurried through the streets, Thorn learned from Imoset what had transpired to move the challenge a day earlier. According to the Magister, that morning the council had been convened suddenly, and when Imoset had arrived, he had been surprised to see that all five of the guardians were present. Any time the five guardians were together, it indicated some deeper issue, and this time was no different. The guardians had informed the Council of Magisters that the group who was going to the puzzle had to leave as soon as possible, and as a result, the challenge had to be moved up, though they had not stated explicitly why. Technically, it was the Council of Magisters' responsibility to set the date for events like this, but with the five guardians unified in asking for the challenge to be held sooner, the Magisters had no alternative but to agree.

Thorn and his friends were not the only ones caught off guard and as they headed toward the main temple where the competition would be held, Thorn saw many other groups hurrying through the streets as well, giving the normally well ordered temple a faintly frantic feeling. The competition was held outside of the main temple where five large stone platforms had been erected. Each was close to a hundred feet across and they had been arranged in a circular formation, with a smaller platform in the center, presumably for whoever was going to be officiating the event. The ascendants were all gathered around the smaller platform, and it was there that Vesna and Thorn headed once they arrived while Velin and the others found seats on the stands that had been set up around the large stages.

More and more people gathered, and the area soon grew packed until the stands were completely full and there was standing room only. Still, people packed in, filling up any empty space and within a short space of twenty minutes, Thorn estimated that there were at least a few hundred thousand people all jammed into the same area. Considering how many people were there, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm and despite the lack of seats for those arriving a few minutes late, there weren’t any altercations that Thorn saw. Around the smaller platform there were close to a hundred ascendants. Most were not actually going to compete for a spot, but were instead there to represent their families or sponsors.

Thorn stood among them, feeling a bit like a crane in a flock of chickens. There were plenty of strong ascendants, but he still stood out like a sore thumb thanks to his height and the impressive black wolf armor he wore. He wasn't the only tall ascendant, as there was another burly man with long, black flowing hair, who was almost seven feet tall, but apart from him, nobody else even came close to Thorn's height. Whispers traveled through the stands as more and more people noticed Thorn towering above the other ascendants. It didn't help that nobody had seen him before, let alone, knew who he was, and the speculation around his identity soon grew rampant. Even the other ascendants were looking at Thorn, curiosity mixed with wariness, as they tried to figure him out. Vesna, who was standing next to Thorn, did his best not to show his nervousness, but the more people who looked in their direction, the harder that became.

“Excuse me.”

Hearing a voice at his side, Thorn glanced down and saw a young woman with a priest’s robe standing next to him. Behind her stood an awkward looking Ascendant Lesior, who Thorn had last seen in the Renith Ruins.

“Are you Ascendant Thorn? My name is Tolariah, and I wanted to thank you for helping my friend Mara. She has told me about how you saved her from a god beast ambush, likely saving her life. Mara, you should say thank you as well.”

Embarrassed, Ascendant Lesior stepped forward and bowed to Thorn.

“Thank you,” she said in a small voice.

“You’ve already thanked me,” Thorn said, waving his hand, “and there is no need to dwell on it. I’m sure anyone would have done the same.”

Covering her mouth with her hand, Tolariah giggled and shook her head.

“If I didn’t already know that you were different, I would be sure of it now, Ascendant Thorn. You hold a perspective that is as unique as it is wonderful. I hope that should the need ever arise, you are able to step up to my defense as you did with Mara.”

“I think it's unlikely you’ll need my help,” Thorn said, his expression even. “You have more than enough power to protect yourself.”

Though Tolariah barely came up to Thorn’s chest, he could feel the thick divinity she held, and could feel a pureness to her aura that spoke of an absolute elemental affinity. Based on what he observed, she was probably a mage of considerable strength who focused on light based spells, and apart from the seven foot tall, black haired warrior, she seemed to be the strongest ascendant present.

“You never know what will happen,” Tolariah said, shrugging. “I look forward to seeing your challenge.”

Bowing slightly, she turned and left, and after quickly bowing to Thorn once more, Ascendant Lesior hurried after her. As the minutes ticked by, and the top of the hour approached, the air grew charged and the excitement grew almost tangible, like an electric current was running through the crowd. While waiting for everything to start, Thorn looked over the crowd of ascendants, trying to pick out those who would be his greatest obstacle in taking one of the four available spots. He saw a number of ascendants apart from the black haired warrior and Tolariah who had considerable strength, but before he could ask Vesna about them, he heard a commotion, and saw five powerful individuals making their way up onto the main stage.

"Those are the Guardians," Vesna whispered, pointing them out to Thorn.

The first was an ancient-looking priest, whose back was bent with age. He leaned on a cane as he made his way to the rightmost seat, a congenial smile on his wrinkled face.

"That's Cassius the Eternal," Vesna whispered, "the first Guardian."

"The eternal," Thorn asked, raising an eyebrow. "How long do you have to live to get that title?"

Chuckling, Vesna shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not sure, but all I know is he's been around since before my family became a member of the Magisters."

Behind him strode a large man with a square jaw and a hard look in his eyes. He walked like a military man, and the armor he wore was well-worn from thousands of battles. On his back he carried a shield, and a set of short swords, and in his hand was a long spear with a pennant that waved despite the lack of wind. While Cassius the Eternal’s power was subdued, this man’s power was like a stone wall, giving the feeling that nothing could move him.

"Who's that?" Thorn asked.

"Petra the Immovable, leader of the Temple Guard, and Cassius's shield," Vesna replied.

As the two Guardians sat down, Thorn's attention turned to the third, a woman he recognized. It was Guardian Artaith, the elderly woman who had stopped Thorn's master from killing Magister Sartorius' disciple the first time they had arrived at the temple. For the briefest moment, Thorn felt as if she looked in his direction as she made her way to her seat, but then her gaze passed on, and she sat down in her chair. Behind her was a gentle-looking man who looked almost out of place among the other powerful Guardians. He wore a simple robe and a pair of spectacles that rested on his nose and he took his seat quickly, opening a book he was carrying.

"Demak Adini," Vesna said quietly. "He's the Scholar Guardian. Don’t let his harmless look fool you, however, he is one of the most dangerous since he is in charge of the temple’s research."

[That means that he is probably the one leading the project to create the false deity.] Eve said, speaking in Thorn’s mind. [It’s the quiet, research types that are always the most dangerous. I mean, just look at Alph.]

The last of the five Guardians was another warrior, but seemed to be the exact opposite of Petra the Immovable. He wore no armor and instead bared his chest for all to see, displaying his large, well-defined muscles. A massive, jagged blade rested in a sheath across his back, and his blonde hair was divided into a dozen tight braids, falling nearly to his waist. His aura reminded Thorn of a predator, and as he looked over the gathered ascendants, Thorn felt a stinging sensation. Rather than sit down, the bare-chested warrior stepped to the front of the platform, lifting his hand and causing silence to spread across the crowd.

"Who's he?" Thorn asked.

"Zahar Tuma, the Bloody Blade," Vesna said under his breath. "He's the fifth Guardian."

"Welcome," Zahar said, his voice echoing over the crowd. "We appreciate you gathering at such short notice. We had originally intended to hold this competition in a day's time, but circumstances have forced us to accelerate our selection. As you know, every time Urmag’Tal's puzzle opens, we select the five most qualified Ascendants to send into the puzzle, competing against the evil god beasts. And this year will be no different. However, we have discovered that the puzzle will actually open earlier than we thought, and in order to seize the most advantageous position, we must be swift. I would invite our five prime Ascendants to take their positions."

Out of the crowd of Ascendants standing around the center platform, five moved, making their way to the platforms. As each stepped forward, Zahar gestured to them, introducing them to the crowd.

"On the first platform," he said, "we have Muras, disciple of Petra the Immovable."

A loud cheer rose from the crowd as the stoic seven-foot-tall warrior Thorn had seen earlier strode up onto the stage.

"On our second platform, Tolariah Artaith."

Hearing a familiar name, Thorn saw the young woman who had spoken to him walk up onto the stage, her expression serene.

“On the third stage, from the Adini family, Kitsek Adini."

The third stage was held by a young woman, who wore glasses and armor and carried a long staff that was brimming with power, and Thorn could see the resemblance between her and the fourth guardian. Onto the fourth stage stepped a man who was the spitting image of the fifth guardian, Zahar Tuma. He carried a carbon copy of the guardian's jagged-looking blade on his back and stared at the other ascendants with a nearly fanatical gaze.

"Joresh Tuma, on the fourth stage," Zahar said, giving the young man a hard look. "And on our fifth and final stage, we have Garin Vakatora of the Vakatora family.”

The crowd cheered loudly as he finished speaking, clapping and shouting until he lifted his hand for silence.

“These are our five prime ascendants, and should they remain, as is our tradition, Muras, who holds the position of the first ascendant, will automatically gain one of the seats and is not available to be challenged. The other four, however, will have to hold their positions by the strength of their arms, and each is open to challenges," Zahar said, gesturing to the four platforms where Kitsek, Joresh, Tolariah, and Garin stood. "Any ascendant who wishes to challenge may do so by making their way to the platform. All fights will continue until one party is either incapable of fighting anymore or has been removed from the platform. Whoever remains on the platform when the bell tolls for the second time will officially become one of the prime ascendants. Let us see some good fights."

As Zahar sat down in his chair, Thorn turned to Vesna.

"Who are we targeting?" he asked.

"The Vakatora family," Vesna replied. "They're the only ones who we can afford to antagonize."

Chuckling, Thorn nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed the other families all have guardians.”

“People will still challenge them," Vesna said with a wry smile, "but only to lose. But you do need to be careful—"

Before he could finish his warning, he realized that Thorn was already gone. Over at the fifth platform, Garin Vakatora was surveying the nearby ascendants, as if daring them to step up on his stage. A few looked like they might make a move, but before they could, Thorn appeared at the edge of the stage. Placing a hand on it, he vaulted up and walked forward to face Garin. Instantly, a hubbub broke out, but Thorn ignored it, bowing to Garin as he introduced himself.

"My name is Thorn," he said, "Ascendant of the Temple of Man. I'd like to challenge you for this platform."

"It looks like we have our first challenge," Zahar Tuma's voice boomed over the platform.

Trying to hide the fury that flashed across his face, Garin glared at Thorn.

"You think, because I am not of the Guardian families, that I will be easy prey," he said, the tip of his longsword drawing a figure eight in the air in front of him, "but you will soon find that that is far from the truth. Still, the nice thing about eliminating someone your size is that it'll keep the other fools from bothering me."

As he finished speaking, a surge of blue light rose from him, surrounding his body with a thick aura that reminded Thorn of water. Thorn responded by assuming his stance, carefully watching Garin's every move. After a second of hesitation, Garin suddenly shot forward, his feet moving with bewildering speed as he attacked. His first attack was a simple stab, and as soon as Thorn saw it, he knew that he was in for a serious fight.

The tip of his halberd fell to intercept the strike, knocking it to the side. Before he could make contact, Garin slipped to the side, moving like a fish darting through the water. Maintaining his position, Thorn's wrists rotated, his halberd shifting to block the new angle. Yet even as he did, Thorn's mental sense caught a flicker of movement, and he felt something stab towards his shoulder. The attack came from above, stabbing down into his pauldron and forcing him to retreat a step to avoid it. There was a sharp crack as the ground shattered where the attack landed, and had Thorn been any slower, he would have missed it. A bright blue drop of light shot back toward Garin, merging back into the thick aura around him.

On guard against other surprise attacks, Thorn stepped forward, his halberd slashing towards Garin, who once again slipped away. Not wanting to let up, Thorn tried to follow, but more of the rapid piercing attacks shot toward him, forcing him into a defensive stance. He blocked two with his halberd, dodging the third narrowly. As the drops of light flowed back toward Garin, the swordsman gave Thorn a mocking look.

"You shouldn't underestimate the Flowlight Sword Art," he said, leveling the tip of his blade at Thorn. "If you do, you'll regret it."