A Virtual Temptress Ch. 16

Dan was impressed with how well the man's voice carried.

"All magic is allowed - the barrier protects us from lethal wounds. The first to lose consciousness or cross the barricade loses. Ready?"

"I mean..."

"Begin!"

Dan reviewed his options as Kip began channeling, blue-white fire gathering around the other man's hand. Pyromancer? Probably. That made things easier. But the starting gap was miserable; Dan's arsenal was entirely close-range magic. He began walking forward, ready to dodge the gathering flames.

Kip's voice boomed through the burning silence. "Where's your bluster now, professor? I'd wager this is the first you've seen of Ember rank V, am I right?" The flame began to rotate, spinning up into a blur of light before lancing across the grounds.

Dan lunged to the side, coming up into a crouch only to dive again as a barrage of fire snaked toward him. Two bolts clipped his side, and Dan watched his hitpoints plunge as his body flared with simulated pain.

Blaize Firewilde rolled through the air, landing and spinning as Dan tried to think. Players hadn't even unlocked Ember rank IV yet, so Kip's playstyle was something new. Dan could keep ahead of the blasts if he kept moving, now that he knew what to look for, but he wasn't closing the gap; his Agility just wasn't high enough to weave through oncoming fire like that.

The onslaught stopped momentarily as Kip began channeling a second barrage, and Dan took the opportunity to cast his own spell. "Flamewake, tamp down the damage and impact," he muttered, "Amplify the exhaust..." Smoke began spilling from his hands, roiling clouds that obscured the field.

The next volley of Embers went wild, firing at random into black fog. "Show yourself, coward!" Kip shouted, unsure of where to look. He stepped away as the smoke spread, stopping just before he reached the arena's barrier. "This is not how a gentleman fights!" Sweat beaded his brow as the oily gloom crept closer, fiery bolts vanishing into the smoke. "Very well," Kip declared. "If you wish to hide like the coward you are, I will flush you out." He began to chant, hands moving as heat and power gathered before him.

From within the smoke, Dan listened to Kip's chanting. Meteor Shower, he thought. Smart choice. Hit the whole field at once. But it took time to cast, and Dan was only 10 meters away. He began to sprint, bursting from the smoke as he charged his own spells.

Cannonade, fired backward, propelled Blaize forward until the two combatants were close enough to touch. Fan of Cinders to blind Kip and disrupt his channel, Furnace Blast to slam him into the barrier. The spells flowed with practiced ease, a routine Dan had perfected through hundreds of practice duels. Geyser lifted Kip off his feet, blasting him with superheated air. Forced airborne and unable to recover, Kip was juggled painfully as Dan pinned him in place with repeated Flame Blasts. Their damage was low, but the fight was already over. Kip was chain-stunned against the wall, forced to watch as his health dropped to zero over the next 15 seconds.

When Dan stopped, both men were covered in soot and sweat. Kip lay unconscious on the ground. No one cheered. Rain began to fall, heavy drops that splattered against the arcane barrier overhead.

Dan turned, looking for Professor Hangrave in the crowd, but the man had disappeared. One by one the other students filtered down from the stadium and left, hoods drawn against the downpour, until Dan and Kip were alone. Dan exhaled slowly. "Shit." He rummaged around for a healing potion, forced the liquid into Kip's mouth, and waited.

Kip woke with a coughing fit, sat up quickly, looked around, and glared. "You - you cheat!" he blurted, pushing himself up.

"Cheat? You said there were no rules!"

"Disreputable," Kip muttered to himself, pushing through the barrier and continuing to walk. "I should have known. When mother hears of this... the gall!" Steam sizzled from his clothes where droplets fell as Kip stalked, furious, toward the nearest lecture hall.

"You challenged me!" Dan started to shout, then realized no one could hear him. He looked around at the arena, watching the last of the smoke dissipate. "I don't..." He sighed heavily, sat down on a viewing bench, and buried his head in his hands. "He challenged me. What was I supposed to do?" He stayed there for a while, waiting out the remainder of the class period. The storm shambled overhead. No one interrupted.

Should he have lost? Gone easier? Was the smoke too much? It was a pretty common tactic in Saga, using cover to close distance against a ranged attacker. Maybe they were all impressed? They hadn't seemed impressed. Frightened? A likelier possibility.

It's just a game, Dan thought to himself. Not a big deal. But it didn't feel like a game at the moment. It felt like he had screwed up something important, and no one would tell him how.

The clock began to chime, signaling the end of the hour. Dan rose. He shook his head. Maybe he could complain to Lexi about it - bitching about work was a nice, neutral conversational topic, right? If Dan was honest, he was nervous about the beach date. Trip. It wasn't a date because they weren't dating.

Would she make another pass at him? Probably. He wasn't worried about that. Lexi had seemed like she wanted to talk about something more than her usual banter. Something serious. Dan wasn't sure what that would be, or if he was ready for that kind of conversation. He approached the teleportation circle, splashing through puddles illuminated by blue light, and absent-mindedly activating the rune sequence. Blaize Firewilde disappeared in a nimbus of displaced water and irritation.