//------------------------------// // Ch 52: Trial by Combat // Story: Level Up! // by RisuUmbra //------------------------------// Chapter 52: Trial by Combat Lucky Harvest’s Pov: It’s finally happening, the moment I was training towards is about to come to pass. Arcane Hope, the savior of my home, the main catalyst to the largest change in my life, the strongest adventurer of his tribe, liberator of the downtrodden… is currently cooking my friends and I dinner. I couldn’t snuff out the flash of embarrassment I felt at my hastiness, I had interrupted the meal Arcane had prepared for Falling Star and his beasts. Speaking of the beasts… I felt my eyes finally be drawn from Arcane’s cooking ‘Stop Staring!’ to the magical beasts he surrounded himself with. He had introduced us to his firebird named Calcifer but I had no idea he commanded a Thunder Lion! Stories involving the fierce beast are still told to foals today to keep them from wandering off to the forest to play. The delicious smell of vegetable stew made me flinch and quickly look down at the bowl of stew that was being offered to me. I followed the hoof back and felt that flash of embarrassment grow into a bonfire just as hot as the one behind me as I met the questioning silver eyes of Arcane Hope.  “T-thank you… “ I immediately took a gulp of the stew in an effort to throw off the embarrassment… then proceeded to almost spit it back out as I burned my tongue on the still hot broth. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! You’re acting like a starstruck foal in front of your… your… whatever Arcane is to me! Pull it together mare, control yourself… I looked back up from the bowl and saw the various amused looks everypony was sending me. I saw River out of the corner of my eye gesture slightly at my muzzle. I quickly brought up a hoof and wiped the few rouge streaks of stew from my lips. “It’s delicious. Thank you again Arcane Hope” Composure fully in place, I once again thanked Arcane for the meal. He gave me a nod in return before turning to the young Falling Star, he was adding something out of a vial to Falling’s bowl. Conversation started to pick up again after my words and for once I was thankful to have the chatterbox that is Dark Root around to fill the silence. “ A duel against my rival is sure to push you to even greater heights Lucky, though I must warn you to take care against a practitioner of the esoteric arts like Arcane Hope! Clearly he has become much stronger since we parted ways, which is only expected if he’s going to keep up with the likes of I!” It was almost foal's play to tune out Dark Root after all the time I've spent hearing him go off on his… tangents. I did share a moment of sympathy and comradery with Arcane as we traded a look as we pretended to listen to Dark’s prattling. The tension I was carrying melted away quickly after that and for a moment, a very quick moment, I forgot about my challenge to Arcane. That moment was shattered like a fragile glass being dropped onto stone as Falling Star spoke up and interrupted the umpteenth fake exploit Dark Root had concocted.  “Are you and Lucky really going to fight?!” His voice echoed slightly in the dark night and caught the attention of a few Thestral guards that hadn't settled down for the night. I could almost feel every set of eyes on me, waiting for my response. I met Arcane’s silver eyes again from across the fire and felt something inside me clench slightly at the look he was sending me. He was excited, there was no other way of translating Arcane’s look. He was looking forward to this duel just as much as I am. I could feel it starting again, that fire in my chest that I was becoming oh so familiar with. The thrill of a true challenge, of another step towards the goal, I felt a rare smile grow on my face. “Yes… yes we are” In unison the two of us stood, Arcane turned and gestured with his head for me to follow him. He started to trot off to an open area away from the camp and everypony followed him. When I say everypony, I mean everypony. Every Thestral guard that heard of my challenge stood and followed the two of us at a distance. They didn’t matter to me, I focused on checking my armor’s straps, making sure my spearhead was secure and that I had my backups within reach on my sides. Arcane and I won’t have to worry about having enough light to see, our spectators bought plenty of torches.  “So, first to give up?” I nodded my agreement as Arcane stopped a few yards away and waited for me to get into position before him. It was time. I locked into my stance and leveled my spear, sitting firmly in the crook of my right leg. I leaned forward slightly and readied myself to sprint towards Arcane the moment the duel began. I still remembered the way Arcane fought during the invasion of my home, firing powerful spells into his opponents and using his environments to his advantage. I must close the distance quickly before he has a chance to set the pace.  Hollow Root stepped forward from the sidelines and raised a leg, he would be starting us off. The silence was almost deafening as the two of us watched his leg, the moment it fell I snapped my stare at Arcane. He stared back as still as a statue, not a single glimmer of magic on his horn. While I stared Arcane down, I felt something. That pressure that I had felt following Arcane Hope grew stronger… then stronger. I felt the pressure grow larger and larger around me as I was exposed to the full extent of Arcane’s attention, it grew to the point that I couldn’t stop it. The blink. A split second, I had blinked for only a moment and opened my eyes to see Arcane only hooves away from me. I dodged left out of his direct charge and put myself on the back hoof, something he capitalized on almost immediately as I saw his horn light up and I had the breath pushed out of me as a wall of force sent me flying back. I grit my teeth and forced myself to stab my spear into the ground to stop myself. I couldn’t help the feral grin that took over my face, it was heartening to know that Arcane was taking this duel as seriously as I was.  “I guess I should respond in kind then?” I ripped my spear out of the ground to punctuate my words, then I focused on Arcane’s Gift. That familiar ember of warmth that sat just at the edge of my senses, I poured my will over the ember and watched it burst to life. The spearhead burst into magical fire, the flames themselves almost sharper than the actual blade. I pointed the weapon at Arcane and mentally thanked him for waiting so patiently. I didn’t wait this time, I felt the ground crack as I kicked off the ground in a dead sprint around Arcane’s right. My focus split as I saw Arcane pull the water out of the very grass around him, leaving it floating in a ring around him. I didn’t have to wonder long what its purpose was as a ball of ice shot out of the ring at me. Smashed by a swing of my spear, I had to quickly move into a roll to dodge the next two before popping back up to my hooves and streaking towards Arcane. Slip by one, crush another, slide under another. Leap above the following two and pull back my spear to stab down, only for the ring of water to become a shield of ice between us. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice dome from the first hit then completely shattered from my following stomp. I stomped down onto dead grass and went for a wide sweep of my spear after it rebounded after the first hit only to finch as Arcane was suddenly right in my face again. I didn’t get a chance to pull away fast enough as he latched out my spear hoof, I didn’t even get a chance to shake him off before my every muscle locked up. I was barely able to throw him away before the strongest sparks got to me, I reset my stance and launched myself at him before he got too far away. I didn’t throw him far, Three thrust, three slices of fire streaking straight for him. I kept up my chase, I didn’t expect those to do much. Arcane rolled to his hooves and caught sight of the blasts as I launched myself up into the air. Ever since Dark Root explained to me what a ‘Dragoon’ was, this move had become a staple of mine. Directly above Arcane I pointed my spear down and put all of my strength behind it to stab down as he was occupied with my blasts. I was expecting him to block them like my last attack, instead the three fire blasts froze in the air much to my surprise. I watched Arcane look up and meet eyes with me, that was my only warning to abandon my attack and bring my spear up to defend. Instantly my attack changed course, streaking up into the air and slamming into me. Twice now was the breath knocked out of me and twice now I was trying to land safely and return to attacking.  Fire wouldn’t be my ally in this fight and I was a fool to think so, I crashed to the ground behind Arcane in a cloud of dust and tried to shake off the damage inflicted to me. I was covered in minor burns and bruises from the fall, I pushed through the pain and charged forward. Arcane’s eyes widened seeing me charge out of the dust cloud so quickly and I capitalized on it, a flurry of burning jabs was sent his way. The first was sidestepped, the second was ducked, the third was deflected off of a conjured shield, the fourth was where everything changed. My spear reached him, he had sidestepped again but not far enough. I could see it almost in slow motion, the tip of my blade slowly approaching his withers. I even started to see the barest hints of his coat being singed… then all I saw were the stars. I blinked in confusion… I don’t remember lying down.  “Are you awake? I hit you a bit too hard there, I'm sorry… “ There leaning over me was Arcane Hope with a roll of pink tinted bandages floating nearby. Awake? Weren’t we in the middle of our duel! I went to push myself up only to stop immediately from the aching pain in my head. I felt Arcane put a hoof to my shoulder as he gently helped me back up to my haunches, I felt him wrap some of the bandages around my head. I felt my thoughts getting clearer, I had lost… hadn’t I? I can’t even remember how it happened, it was so… instant. I felt my chest tighten, I knew I most likely wasn’t going to win but…  “Lucky… are you alright?” I slowly looked back up at Arcane Hope, the whole reason I'm even here, and wondered why he looked so concerned for me? “ … You’re crying” I brought a sore hoof up and felt my face. Huh, I'm crying…  so that’s what the tightness in my chest means. I’m disappointed in myself. I had trained so hard, fought so much, dragged my new friends out to the middle of nowhere all to chase… him. I didn’t stop the self deprecating laugh that came out following those thoughts. My disappointment quickly turned to anger, not pointed at Arcane but at myself. For even thinking that the ponies who fought by my side, ate beside me, supported me even when I was being single minded and cold would ever consider joining me to follow my goals was an issue. If I already wasn’t in pain then I would hit myself for even daring to feel this way. I felt my mood do a quick about face as I really felt the gap in power and skill between Arcane Hope and I. I was quick to wipe the remaining tears from my eyes and looked up to see Arcane offering me a hoof up, I took it. Arcane looked happier seeing me in better spirits and this time… this time the words came naturally. “ I may not be strong enough yet, but I will be. I may not have enough power yet to stand by your side, but I'll have it one day. With my friends by my side I’ll continue to grow until the day we have our rematch and I can earn the right to be with you… but until then… I guess this will do” I kissed him, a small quick peck on the lips, but a kiss nonetheless. I ignored the gasps behind me as I pulled away and watched Arcane’s surprised expression. I felt a bit of pride there, the first time I caught Arcane Hope off guard. The warmth in my chest overpowered my soreness as I turned and grabbed my spear off of the ground before trotting my way back to camp. I may have lost our first duel but I walked away feeling more driven than ever, now I know what Arcane Hope is to me. I locked eyes with Lunar Glory on the way back, she had seen everything and was far from happy about it. He’s my future, one that I’m more than willing to fight for.