The Ruby Magician

Faye flipped a gold crown into the air, a smile plastered on her face. She snatched it and added it to a small coin purse laying on her lap. “Thanks again, Brett! Maybe instead of climbing this week I should just keep betting you.”

Brett scoffed and scooted away from the Druid. He didn’t make it but a few inches, as the stadium seats they were sitting in were packed. All of the guilds interested in new members were sitting and watching the trials, and their section of the Twilight Blades was just as curious as everyone else. None more than Faye, who took a special notice for the climbing group they met in Alistair.

Two of the group members were personal friends of hers, but the rest were all rookies. Close to being veterans, but still new. Brett knew they were decent watching them climb, but he didn’t expect them to amount to much more. He was being proven wrong over and over. Worse, Faye kept taking advantage of his lack of perspective.

“Ha-ha,” Brett said, his voice monotone. “There was no way you could have known that Ruby Magician was going to do that.”

“Yea, Faye, that wasn’t really a fair bet,” Nigel said, turning around. He sat in the row in front of Faye and Brett with his own group to watch the trials.

Faye leaned down and patted Nigel on the back. “I know you’re all interested about that other Squire, John, but you didn’t see them climb. Brett did and he still refuses to acknowledge that they’re better than just decent. And the Ruby Magician’s name is Wyn, by the way.”

“It’s clear he has skill,” Brett said. “I’ll give you that. But I didn’t expect him to completely embarrass that Duelist! Does he have some passive skills that give him some advantage? It’s not like any of us know the intricacies of his class. You were the only one who got a look!”

“Not at all,” Faye said. “He has a speed skill, a mana recovery skill, a basic Fighter skill which is kinda strange, one that gives him two more spells, and one that is honestly a bit unfair but won’t help him in the trials. Oh, and he can use light armor. That’s all.”

Nigel and the Climbers sitting beside him all turned around. They looked at Faye with varied expressions, but Nigel was the only one to speak. “For an upgraded class those are his only skills? He should have closer to ten, if not more.”

“He has the spell casting skill, but anyone who can use spells has that. The point is that he doesn’t have any passive skills like other combat classes. Or, honestly, any magically enhancing skills like the mage classes.”

“What about his spells?” Brett asked. “He can use magic, at least. Surely he has enough of those to make up for the lack of skills?”

Faye smiled. “Cedric, their Lightning Wizard, mentioned that he didn’t have the same upgrades like other Magician classes get when they advance. That his spell list still looks similar to a base Magician. Even a Sorcerer has more options than him, apparently. He mentioned Wyn has six or seven spells total? Something like that.”

The Climbers around her were quiet, questions waiting on the tips of their tongue but unsure if they should ask. They had already stopped paying attention to the current matches. But Faye was both one of the guild’s founding members and part of the lead group. Offending her by asking the obvious question wouldn’t be the smartest move.

“I know what you’re all thinking,” Faye said. “It’s good that you don’t say it. Probably.”

Everyone sat up a little straighter. That wasn’t like Faye to be so foreboding.

“Come on, Faye,” Brett said. “Can you blame them? No one really knows about Ruby Magicians. I don’t think there’s another active Climber here with the same class, let alone one who’s advanced. Of course they’re curious. We all are.”

Faye looked at each of them before slowly shaking her head. “You’re right. I understand being curious, because I am too. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to question his ability. Not when we saw firsthand how good he is.”

Brett folded his arms and looked back at the matches. Another one was just starting, though the Climbers around them still weren’t paying attention. “We actually can question him right now. That’s the whole point of these trials! If we’re looking to bring in another two groups, we need to question everyone. Critically. And if you’re so adamant about Marcy and Cedric’s group, well… that’s why we’re curious.”

Faye huffed but didn’t look at Brett. She couldn’t. She hated when the man actually made sense, which was unfortunately a lot. It was infuriatingly annoying. “Acknowledged. I guess you’ll see more of him as the trials go on, then.”

Everyone seemed to relax except for Brett. A smile slowly started to form on his face.

“But I’m still going to bet on them as the trials keep going, and I’m still going to win,” Faye added.

Brett’s smile quickly fell apart.

Nigel leaned back to the Druid and tried to subtly point to the upcoming match. “You said you personally knew the Lightning Wizard and Ranger, right? Cedric and Marcy?”

Faye didn’t answer, but nodded at him to continue.

“Well, what about them? I’m sure a Ranger could advance into something great. You were a Hunter, too, and still did. But how has Cedric done with only one arm?”

The other Climbers around them turned their heads to the conversation, curiosity again rising about the group Faye was supporting. Everyone knew that Rangers weren’t a popular choice for a Hunter’s second tier advancement, but considering Faye herself used to be a Ranger, they weren’t about to say that out loud. But a Climber with such a handicap as only having one arm was nearly just as ridiculous of a thought as someone climbing as a Ruby Magician. At least Nigel phrased it in a way that wasn’t accusatory.

Faye looked forward and saw that the Lightning Wizard was about to start his match. It was the Mage trials for the second tier group. Cedric’s opponent was a cocky Divine Wizard, someone who looked like a noble dressed in elegant clothes with an attitude that said he thought he was heads above everyone else.

It was perfect.

“Cedric’s adapted,” Faye said, choosing her words carefully. “But how about a bet?”

Everyone either laughed or groaned but Nigel just chuckled. “What’s your wager?”

“I’ll bet cleaning duties for next season and a purple cloak.”

One of the Climbers in their group nearly choked on their snack as the rest stared in shock. Nigel simply wore a look of confusion. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

“Not for my friends, I don’t.”

“Fair enough. How about -”

“The Nimbus Smoke item drop you found last week,” Faye said. “That’s what I want.”

Nigel furrowed his brow but extended a hand. “I have no idea why you’d want that, but fine. It’s a deal.”

*****

Tasha took a deep breath before settling herself behind the dummies in her makeshift arena. Her opponent was a lanky man, taller than most men but nearly as thin as a bean pole. The match board that set up the entire trials had his class listed, and said that he was an Earth Wizard. Apparently just about every offensive Magician class chose their elemental Wizard upgrade, and she didn’t notice any of the ones participating in the trials from the large board being anything different. For that matter, she only saw Divine Wizards, too, except for one Cleric.

That was a shame. From what she remembered in her studies, an Earth Magician would have gotten the Geomancer option for tier two. That would have been a fun class to see. But nothing was said to be as powerful as the Wizard classes, and Mages wanted to be powerful. The Mancer-type classes offered more utility than pure damage, but what was the point in that if their role was only to kill monsters?

Tasha sighed as she took her position. She believed in Wyn’s cause to break free from the stereotypical class structure. Her entire reason for becoming a Climber was to break free from the expectations set out by her family. Why not try and help enact change at Alestead, too? Seeing other classes would offer new group possibilities. And not everyone fit into the standard class expectations.

But that involved showing value. And she was set on showing hers now.

Sonya asked both Tasha and the Earth Wizard, Erik, if they were ready. Tasha nodded. She didn’t need to hear the instructions for the match. She already had a plan and a backup plan ready after seeing her opponent’s class. Winning in the mage trials wasn’t her goal. She knew that would go to one of the Divine Wizards, who had the exact class benefits needed for the setup of these tryouts. Instead, she wanted to show how choosing another class could be just as helpful, which required their group to do well in the group trials and for her to do well in the individual trials.

Still, that didn’t mean she would willingly lose.

As the match started, Erik waited a breath to see if Tasha would make the first move. She simply settled her racing heart and waited. Her plan didn’t involve protecting the dummies with Arcane Aura. That would use too much mana. Instead, she’d block each attack with a well-timed Shell. She didn’t have the same benefit as Wyn did, who could block both magic and physical attacks with one spell, and instead she needed to use the right spell to block the right attack. After seeing how useful Shield was in the tower, she immediately added its magical counterpart to her list. Now that she couldn’t change her spells, she was glad she did.

Erik waved the staff he carried and a large, light green glyph appeared in front of him. There was only one circle of runes surrounding the glyph, so it was a first tier spell. A flurry of fist-sized rocks flew from him, all scattered and heading towards the dummies. Tasha pointed her simple wooden wand and cast Shell. A soft hum of magic radiated from the translucent barrier that curved around all three dummies, though it was quickly drowned out by the loud and dull thuds of the rocks slamming into it. They each glanced off or fell to the ground, completely missing the dummies. As soon as the last rock fell, Tasha released the spell.

Confidence swelled within her. She could do this. As long as she stayed calm, then -

Erik stomped on the ground across from her, interrupting her thoughts. It was a quick movement that caused another light green glyph of magic to show up in the air. The moment it showed up, a wave of rumbling earth cascaded from him to the dummies. Tasha was too slow to react, and the moment the wave hit the first dummy the ground lashed up in chunks of earth and pelted all three dummies in a heavy shower.

The spell was over right away, but she could tell it damaged the wooden mannequins a fair amount. Cursing herself, she used her Multi-Target Spell skill to cast Cure on each of the dummies. The skill she gained when she upgraded to Templar was one of her best ones - it allowed her to cast one of her first tier support spells on up to three target allies for only twice the mana cost. It was a mana efficient skill and perfect in this trial. She hated the fact that she already needed to heal the three dummies, but she didn’t want to lose her focus.

Erik raised his staff to prepare another spell. He launched another of the wide earth spells that fired about a dozen rocks, and she blocked them with another Shell. Right after, he cast his earth wave spell again, and this time Tasha tried to block them with another Shell aimed at the ground.

The defensive barrier simply hovered over the ground while the spell continued under it, firing the blocks of earth at the dummies like before. His spell completely bypassed her barrier, and she was forced to heal them again.

Erik smiled and relaxed.

Taking a moment to think, Tasha wondered what her opponent was doing. If anything, it looked like he felt like his victory was secure. Which, in a way, it was. He likely had more spells available to use but were saving them - these mage trials were setup to maximize mana usage. Without utilizing gear or using potions to replenish mana, and having this portion of the trials finished in one night, it was a strategic game. Using all of your mana in the first round to win would all but ensure you’d lose in the next round.

Every Climber here had potential to damage stationary dummies or protect and heal them. The way to win was to outsmart your opponent or just be more efficient than them. It was a good trial in the art of planning and reacting well, and likely was created to see how Climbers both approached challenges and responded to them.

So, Tasha knew Erik came in with a plan to use only two spells in a way that allowed him to advance with only spending minimal mana. What he didn’t plan for, though, was that Tasha knew she wasn’t going to win this part of the guild trials. Instead, she wanted to show off her abilities while pushing herself in the other parts.

She didn’t mind spending more mana to conserve her pool for the entire trials. To her, this match was the entire trial.

In the time when Erik paused before his next attack, Tasha began summoning a Calling. The man looked at her curiously, wondering what she was doing. Using a Calling wasn’t like a normal spell - it took longer to cast, showed more pronounced runes on the ground, and was generally more flashy. He was caught along with a good number of the crowd, curious at her unfamiliar runes.

When she finished a few seconds later, a small, yellow, fluffy being hovered in the air in front of her. Some people in the crowd gasped. Others squealed in delight. Erik just smirked arrogantly before casting another spell.

“Alright, Mongano, you’re up,” Tasha said. She stepped back and took a deep breath. The Called creature would likely be able to handle this part of the trial on its own.

A large runic circle appeared under the three dummies as Mongano twirled in the air and chirped in delight. It was one of the most adorable things Tasha had ever seen, and her and Marcy nearly lost their focus every time the creature was summoned. It was just so damn cute. The crowd obviously felt the same way, as Tasha could hear sounds of appreciation and admiration from the audience.

All three of the dummies glowed with magic as a yellow aura heavily coated them. Just in time, too, as the earth spell Erik cast flew in the air in a spray of rocks and stone. Each of the dummies were quickly pelted. Tasha decided to see how Mongano’s defensive spell stood up to Erik’s earth spells.

For all of its cuteness, Mongano had two primary abilities it used. One was the ability to heal a group of people at one time, even better than her Multi-Target Spell Cure. The other was similar to Arcane Aura, where a protective layer of magic coated up to four people. The aura had the added effect of boosting the person’s energy and endurance, almost like a shot of coffee. That part didn’t do much for the dummies, but even John started loving the little creature every time Tasha brought it out.

To her delight, each of the dummies still had their aura intact and didn’t look to be affected at all. They were dimmer than before, but still active. Mangano could cast that spell two more times or one more time with one cast of his wide healing spell before his magic would be used up and he would disappear.

Immediately casting the other area of effect spell, Erik’s smile shifted to a frown. The stone of the training hall floor rumbled and undulated like a wave moving to the dummies, but when it struck they stayed firm. The aura was completely gone now, and the dummies didn’t look to be affected.

Now it was Tasha who smiled. If Mongano’s support ability could block both of Erik’s spells before needing to be replaced, then she had four more rounds of nullifying his attacks without her spending anymore mana. Or, really, without her even needing to pay attention. The creature’s magic was independent of her own, and the only mana she used was the mana needed to Call him.

Mongano applied another aura on the dummies while Tasha made a show of inspecting her nails. The crowd’s noise picked up with soft laughter and cheers while Erik scowled.

The next attack was a more powerful rock blast where three large bucket-sized stones launched through the air at a high speed. Tasha cast a Shell in front of the dummies but it shattered after slowing down their trajectory.

Still, it worked as intended. She only wanted to reduce the force of the attack, not completely stop it. She knew that the defensive aura on all of the dummies would be enough to protect them along with her barrier. They likely wouldn’t be able to absorb another hit, but they could stop this more powerful spell.

Sure enough, all of the dummies remained standing with the faintest glimmer of the yellow aura still around them while large pieces of rubble was haphazardly strewn around their match area.

Their back and forth continued a few more rounds before the time of the matches were over. Tasha was pleased with her performance but didn’t expect to advance after it was all said and done. Still, she forced Erik to use more mana and spells than he planned, and she was able to show the power and utility of her Callings.

That would be enough. For now. She couldn’t wait until she brought out the others.

As the final results were tallied, Sonya announced that Tasha had barely won, surprising both Climbers. The crowd clapped and celebrated as Tasha did her best to keep her bubbling excitement to herself. Erik couldn’t hide his frustration, but he still bowed slightly to Tasha as a show of respect. She bowed back deeper.

She returned to her friends to celebrate the unexpected victory. Like Wyn, she didn’t plan to go very far in this portion of the guild trials. But showing one of their cards would work to both win over the crowd and hopefully impress the guilds.

Their full display would be far more shocking. They had big plans for the group trials where the entire team would showcase their skills against dummies in a mock climbing display. The individual trials, which was the next phase, was also exciting, but since Tasha’s role was support she felt more comfortable showing off in that role.

Overall, Tasha was ready. Her class upgrade wasn’t the most popular pick but she was determined to show it was not only effective but powerful. She still had two other Callings to show, after all.