The following morning, Norok and the rest of his squadron stood in front of a crystal blue lake. The glistening water lapped at his boots. The clear sunny sky hung over him like a warm blanket, comforting with its soft blues.

  Pultz and Judith stood between the two squads, locked in a deep conversation just out of Norok's range. On the other side, the rival team looked abysmal. Bash struggled to keep her eyes open, slumped on the ground next to Frode, who was passed out entirely in Leka's lap. Zia leaned on Rik’s shoulder, while Rik gave the longest stare across the lake.

  Something about their sleep deprivation felt eerily familiar. Anyone else would chalk up to poor sleep-- who wouldn't sleep horribly in a cold, drafty tower-- but Norok recognized the signs of his sister's magic at play. The eyes forced open until they physically couldn't hold it anymore, the profuse sweating, the traumatized looks-- he had endured the same torment every time he had offended Daimona growing up. He glanced at her suspiciously. Daimona was in the middle of some arbitrary contest with Irina, kicking the water back towards the lake and laughing hysterically. Noticing her brother's stare, she shrugged innocently.

  “Don't be nervous,” Kell said cheerily. “You're probably sitting this one out.”

  “You really think Will’s that pissed about the relay?” Norok sighed.

  “No! No,” Kell laughed. “This is the Weakest Link Exchange. Each team picks one person from the other side to face off. Obviously you don't want your guy to lose, so…”

  “You pick the weakest link,” Norok finished. “That's kinda funny. So who’re we picking?”

  “Avsten,” Will replied, stepping forward. He crossed his arms with a newfound confidence, staring down the rival squad. Kell’s eyes widened.

  “You wanna pick Rik?!” he squeaked. “Why? He's their strongest defense right now!”

  “Because it's pretty obvious who they're picking,” Will said. “All of my weapons are ranged, I have no experience with healing magic and I’m primarily a backline fighter. It makes the most sense to choose me.”

  “Big of you to admit you suck,” Norok chided. “But then, why pick someone who'd beat the shit out of you up close?”

  “Rik’s magical range is short,” Will explained. “The most he can do from afar is summoning those spears, and even that has a delay. I'll use the difference in our speed to knock him out before he closes the distance between us.”

  Norok nodded, turning his attention to Rik. He was still gazing far off, and Norok saw the faintest trail of drool seeping down his chin. Limited and vulnerable, surely Rik’s state alone could give Will a chance at victory. But something still sagged with doubt in Norok's mind.

  “Don't look so skeptical,” Will said with a scowl. “I've got this. Have some faith in your captain, both of you.”

  Kell offered a bashful smile. “Sure thing, Captain. Whatever you say.”

  “That's more like it.”

  “Alright, alright,” Pultz called. “Gather in, kiddos. We're gonna get started.”

  An ice imp stood in the center now, closer to human height than the others Norok had seen before. This one appeared to be carved in a suit and tie, with a tablet of ice being offered in both hands. Will and Bash took each one respectively, with Bash almost dropping hers immediately. They both began tracing names with their pointer fingers into the surface of the tablet. Finally, when they finished, Judith nodded to Will to announce his choice.

  “We choose Erik Avsten,” Will said. His eyes exuded nothing but pride as Rik stepped forward with a yawn. Pultz raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment on the choice.

  “F-f-for Squad 57, w-we choose…” Bash stumbled, the ice tablet almost slipping from her sweaty palms. She caught it roughly, before turning it around to reveal the name. “We choose K-Kell Prodikor.”

  Will’s jaw dropped. Norok tried not to laugh as he watched the blood drain from Kell’s face, turning him a ghostly white that shone brighter than his uniform collar.

  “But, but I thought--? I was under the impression that-- Really?” Will uttered in disbelief. Bash's eyes widened.

  “D-did you really think I was going to pick y-you again? After l-l-last year?”

  “I mean, yeah I,” Will’s face flushed in embarrassment. “Yeah I did.”

  “I underestim-m-mated you back then,” Bash replied thoughtfully. “Y-you’re an incredibly skilled and ad-adaptive fighter. That's not something I'll f-f-forget ever again.”

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  “Wow, I didn't know you thought about me like that,” Will replied sheepishly. “Thanks, Lotsvatinus.”

  “O-of course!”

  Norok turned to Kell. “You're going to die.”

  “We don't know that,” Kell replied shakily. Rik dunked his face into the lake water, bloodshot eyes lasering in on Kell.

  “You're definitely going to die.”

  Kell didn't reply, giving Norok a very resigned pat on the shoulder before stepping forward.

  Pultz clapped his hands, and the lake began to shake violently. An iceberg began to emerge from the depths, with a matching bridge floating up to connect to it from the shore. He led them across the slippery terrain, and Norok held to the frigid rail for dear life as he took each step.

  “Does everything have to be ice themed?” Daimona shouted from the back.

  “It's cheap,” Pultz retorted flatly.

  “You mean it is easy,” Irina added with a snort.

  “Tell you what, next time, you two can proctor and I'll complain about your methods,” Pultz huffed. He ushered them onto the iceberg, then summoned a set of connecting bleachers. Once everyone else was seated, the bridge collapsed back into the lake, and Pultz severed the connection between the seating and the stage.

  Rik and Kell stood alone on the iceberg, each near the edge opposite from one another.

  “Keep it short, Rik!” Frode shouted from the sidelines. “My ass is cold up here.”

  Rik laughed, a velvety embellished noise. He bowed gracefully towards his team. Then, he bowed again to Bash. “For you, my liege.”

  Bash bowed her head back respectfully. Daimona stood up, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Woooo, go Kell!! Make him eat shit!”

  Irina screamed with her, and even Will joined in on the cheering. Kell still looked incredibly miserable, wearing his cap low to hide his dismayed expression, but his face brightened ever so slightly as Norok shot him a silent thumbs-up.

  “The rules of this exchange are simple,” Judith announced. “This is a combat with no barred weapons or forms of magic. Victory will be determined by knock out or knock off.”

  “Either beat him up or throw him in the water,” Pultz clarified, leaning back. Judith nodded along, as though he had said something useful.

  Rik shrugged off his uniform jacket, launching it into the empty bleachers. Standing in the navy undershirt, he shouted across to Kell. “I don't have any questions. Do you?”

  Awkwardly, Kell followed suit. “No, I don't think so.”

  “Sounds like we're good to go, Sergeant Judith.”

  “Then let the battle commence.”

  In an instant, the iceberg rumbled, and great, jagged stone spears came shooting up from the water. They formed a barrier around the ice, locking it in place. Norok had to stand to see over the sides.

  On the inside of the stage, Rik stood, pressing his right fist into his left hand. Kell tried to surge forward, revealing an unsheathed hunting knife in his right hand, but the stone formed a maze of walls preventing him from moving forward.

  Rik's voice began to echo out from his corner. There was a melodic tint to it, and Norok felt chills crawling up his spine as he spoke. “The Stone which confines all without direction beckons. The Stone which covers the Earth beckons you.”

  “That's … Some kind of incantation?” Will murmured. The stones around Rik began to glow, a golden hue emanating off the rock.

  “What's an incantation?” Norok asked in a hushed whisper.

  “It is trait of species,” Irina answered sharply. “Bears have one thing, elk have another. We have incantations. When we speak our magic it becomes strong.”

  “It's a little more complicated than that,” Will lectured. “But… Basically, yeah. It's an advanced form of casting. Something way out of our league… or so I thought.”

  “A-a-actually, incantations are a common standard for any p-potential Foreign Operations squadron,” Bash corrected. “Th-that's why we practice them.”

  Will cursed under his breath. Pultz chuckled. “So much for all that camaraderie from earlier.”

  Back on the iceberg, Kell was stuck scaling one of the walls, coming to the top just in time for Rik to finish the incantation.

  “All is equal under the authority of the Stone. Under the Stone we are one and the same,” he opened his eyes, stretching out his hand toward Kell. “Stone Shackle, Equivalent Burden!”

  A chain of golden light shot out from his hand. It moved through the air, until finally, it swung around Kell’s neck and disappeared into his skin. The maze of stone walls crumbled, leaving a new field of rubble under their feet.

  Kell shouted in agony. His hunting knife fell out of his hand with a loud clatter, and he was clutching at his wrist desperately. Looking more closely, Norok caught a flash of bone and blood.

  Rik walked across the ice, kneeling down to Kell’s level. Kell looked up at him with venomous eyes, but Rik only smiled benevolently in return.

  “Now,” he said deviously. “We play by my rules.”