Panic erupted in the room as the temperature plummeted. Potent magic had just been cast, and these people knew. Already, someone was bolting out the door.
"Everybody, don't—" I tried to shout a warning. “Don’t get past the fence!”
But my voice was drowned in the chaos. The person had already crossed the front lawn. She cleared the fence with a facile hop.
She only took two steps on the other side before falling over. When she rolled across the cement streets from momentum, I saw it. Out from her chest, from where her heart ought to be, jutted multiple dagger-like spikes of ice.
The room went still. All eyes turned toward me.
If only I had been clearer in my warning.
"I-I've seen it used before," I muttered. "This ice rink—it traps you. If you leave, it'll kill you."
A stranger, a man wearing a leather robe, stared and pointed a finger at me, then at my hat. "You did this!" he spat. "You're an ice mage!"
Oh no. My Magus Battlehat. He must’ve noticed the small shard of magical ice adorning it, and he assumed the worst.
“Listen! This isn’t me,” I replied, trying to stay calm, even as several people in the room began raising their weapons. “This isn’t my technique. I know what this is. This is someone from the Bounty Hall.”
"Her magic doesn't look like this," Hal added.
“How do we know you’re not both Bounty Hall plants?” a man in plate armor accused.
“I know her,” Saber said. “We just arrived recently from Silver. Plus, we have no more reason to trust you either.”
Jack cleared his throat aloud.
"Everyone. Listen. We got to figure out who we can trust," he announced in a low voice. I’m glad he spoke up. At the moment, I was thinking the same thing, but certainly these people wouldn’t be quick to trust me.
“How about this,” Jack continued. “All of you, say who you know here. And I don't just mean who you recognize. I mean who you can vouch for. And ask them personal questions, make sure it’s really them. In case we have a shapeshifter that’s infiltrated us."
Shapeshifting. Could that be one of James’ powers? Was he among us?
There was a murmur of assent from the group, followed by wary glances. I hadn’t know Jack could be an effective leader like this. He moved to close the ajar front door. It’d be inconvenient indeed if the perpetrator slinked away without us noticing.
A trio of warriors came forth. They confirmed themselves to be part of the same team, said they had been since Bronze. And Hal, in turn, verified that he knew them all as well.
A quick count confirmed there were ten people left here right now. My group was a team of four, between Saber, Jack, Hal, and myself. If these three warrior were genuine allies, we already had a massive numbers advantage. Seven against three, at worst. So far so good.
The doorbell rang out of nowhere.
I jumped. I looked to the door, my nerves on edge. Everyone else had turned to look too.
One of the three warriors ventured to look out the peephole.
“No one’s there,” he shakily said. Even so, he had his grip around the handle of his sheathed sword.
He slowly, cautiously opened the door. As he said, there was nobody outside. But as the door swung open inwards, we all saw a paper notice taped to the outside face of the door.
SPECIAL CHALLENGE IN PROGRESS
1 HOUR TIME LIMIT
OBJECTIVE: KILL SABER
Panic erupted in the room as the temperature plummeted. Potent magic had just been cast, and these people knew. Already, someone was bolting out the door.
"Everybody, don't—" I tried to shout a warning. “Don’t get past the fence!”
But my voice was drowned in the chaos. The person had already crossed the front lawn. She cleared the fence with a facile hop.
She only took two steps on the other side before falling over. When she rolled across the cement streets from momentum, I saw it. Out from her chest, from where her heart ought to be, jutted multiple dagger-like spikes of ice.
The room went still. All eyes turned toward me.
If only I had been clearer in my warning.
"I-I've seen it used before," I muttered. "This ice rink—it traps you. If you leave, it'll kill you."
A stranger, a man wearing a leather robe, stared and pointed a finger at me, then at my hat. "You did this!" he spat. "You're an ice mage!"
Oh no. My Magus Battlehat. He must’ve noticed the small shard of magical ice adorning it, and he assumed the worst.
“Listen! This isn’t me,” I replied, trying to stay calm, even as several people in the room began raising their weapons. “This isn’t my technique. I know what this is. This is someone from the Bounty Hall.”
"Her magic doesn't look like this," Hal added.
“How do we know you’re not both Bounty Hall plants?” a man in plate armor accused.
“I know her,” Saber said. “We just arrived recently from Silver. Plus, we have no more reason to trust you either.”
Jack cleared his throat aloud.
"Everyone. Listen. We got to figure out who we can trust," he announced in a low voice. I’m glad he spoke up. At the moment, I was thinking the same thing, but certainly these people wouldn’t be quick to trust me.
“How about this,” Jack continued. “All of you, say who you know here. And I don't just mean who you recognize. I mean who you can vouch for. And ask them personal questions, make sure it’s really them. In case we have a shapeshifter that’s infiltrated us."
Shapeshifting. Could that be one of James’ powers? Was he among us?
There was a murmur of assent from the group, followed by wary glances. I hadn’t know Jack could be an effective leader like this. He moved to close the ajar front door. It’d be inconvenient indeed if the perpetrator slinked away without us noticing.
A trio of warriors came forth. They confirmed themselves to be part of the same team, said they had been since Bronze. And Hal, in turn, verified that he knew them all as well.
A quick count confirmed there were ten people left here right now. My group was a team of four, between Saber, Jack, Hal, and myself. If these three warrior were genuine allies, we already had a massive numbers advantage. Seven against three, at worst. So far so good.
The doorbell rang out of nowhere.
I jumped. I looked to the door, my nerves on edge. Everyone else had turned to look too.
One of the three warriors ventured to look out the peephole.
“No one’s there,” he shakily said. Even so, he had his grip around the handle of his sheathed sword.
He slowly, cautiously opened the door. As he said, there was nobody outside. But as the door swung open inwards, we all saw a paper notice taped to the outside face of the door.
SPECIAL CHALLENGE IN PROGRESS
1 HOUR TIME LIMIT
OBJECTIVE: KILL SABER
