“Man, this guy's a total loser,” Norok remarked. “Pulling off all that flashy rock stuff just to get rid of it.”

  “Kell only needs one hand anyways!” Daimona agreed vigorously. “He'll just burn him up.”

  But the air around them in the bleachers was thick with sudden tension. As soon as Rik finished his incantation, Pultz jumped up with an urgency unbefitting of his nature.

  “Did you know he could do this?” he growled, angrily looking over at Judith. The other sergeant shook her head silently. Her mouth was drawn in a firm line, eyes still locked on the ice. Pultz threw his hand out, pulling the iceberg closer to the bleachers.

  “Avsten!” Pultz barked sharply, startling Norok. “That was an illegal move!!”

  “I don't get it,” Norok whispered to Will. “Why's everyone freaking out?”

  Will leaned forward in his seat. His fingers dug into his knees, and Norok could see sweat beading down the side of his face. “Rik just cursed Kell.”

  On the iceberg, Kell rose to his feet. He reached down to pick his knife back up. But as his right hand wrapped around the hilt to pull it towards him, the chain shone faintly around his neck, and the knife sank to the ground cracking the ice under it. He stared at it in disbelief.

  “A curse isn't like other kinds of magic,” Will explained in a low tone, watching Kell suffer with a pensive frown. “It's an outlawed practice that binds an incantation directly to the target’s body. The only thing that can undo it is death.”

  “Disqualify him,” Pultz turned to Judith with a dark, threatening look. “He's your responsibility. Deal with him accordingly or I will.”

  Judith opened her mouth to reply, but Bash stumbled forward and interrupted. “R-Rik’s ability is t-t-temporary. It's not a f-full curse, just a form that looks like one, s-so you can't disqualify him.”

  “The vedma would know her curses,” Irina spat viciously. “You bring famine to our cattle and call it diet. Disgusting.”

  Bash flinched at Irina's words, but held her resolve. She looked earnestly at Judith, wringing her hands frantically. “H-he can undo it. I've seen him use this b-b-before.”

  Judith turned to Rik. “Is this true?”

  “True as the sword, Sergeant Judith,” Rik grinned. “And, if it's any consolation Prodikor, I've got the same problems. All I can do is share the burden I've been given.”

  He reached down into the space before Kell, picking up the knife delicately and sending it flying over his shoulder. The impact sent tremors through the iceberg, leaving behind a massive hole in the cracked surface as it sunk below.

  “First is Curse of Sloth,” Rik said airily. “Any weapon I bear gains its weight a hundred times over. Hope you weren't too attached to that knife, by the way-- since we both touched it, that thing is definitely long gone.”

  “Sounds like it was going to be useless against you anyways,” Kell grunted.

  “True,” Rik chuckled. “You'll get used to it.”

  “Hey!!” Daimona shouted, eyebrows furrowed. “You said first-- does that mean you gave him more?”

  “Sit down, loud mouth, I'm getting there,” Rik yelled back. He raised three fingers. “There's three in total. Sloth, Avarice and Pride. Avarice doesn't really matter here but,” Rik paused, looking to Frode as he held out his empty hand. Frode reached out in perfect sync, and a small pouch appeared in his hand. Norok could just barely make out the distinct face of an ice imp sewn into the front, stifling a laugh as Pultz's hands immediately flew to his pockets. The scruffy sergeant glared at Frode. Frode quickly ducked behind a snickering Zia.

  Rik dumped the silver pieces out, a chorus of succinct plinks following Pultz's agonized groans. He caught the last one, and as his bare fingertips made contact with the piece, it dulled to a gray, worthless rock instantly. “No currency that passes through your fingers holds value.”

  Kell's eyes followed the former coin’s descent as it plummeted to the ground. “What does Pride do?”

  “You'll like this one, Prodikor. You already fight like you bear it,” Rik replied. A rock spear pierced the ice from below. He wrapped an arm around it, patting the stone lightly. “All magic you cast must come from within-- that means nothing but true magic for us.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  “So Sparkboy’s only weapon is his worst feature,” Irina lamented. “Wonderful.”

  “See, Sergeant Judith?” Rik turned with a flourish, tossing his hair elegantly. “It's nothing my good friend here can't overcome.”

  Judith rolled her head from side to side, clearly weighing the decision. Her eyes lowered to Kell. “If I disqualify your opponent it won't count as a win. Both teams will have a neutral score this round. Far from a loss, but just as far from victory.”

  “I understand, ma'am,” Kell replied with a thoughtful nod.

  “Good, because I'm leaving the decision to you,” Judith said sternly. “A real soldier is built by his choices. Turn away and leave intact, or risk the fight for glory.”

  Kell’s face paled, the perfect portrait of uncertainty. His gaze helplessly flicked to meet Norok's. Here he was, propped against odds he couldn't compete with and an enemy with the ego that had already won, looking to Norok for guidance. Norok wanted to laugh. He wanted to point to Rik and shout, “Look at the monster you're facing, not me!”

  Even worse, Norok realized, was that he didn't just want Kell to stop looking at him for an answer. He wanted Kell to run, before he got hurt. Before Norok would have to watch him get hurt.

  But that second voice inside his mind lingered, pressing against Norok's temples with a glimmer of hope. Looking back at Kell, all he could think was, if I were you, I'd run. But I'm not you, am I?

  “If it's up to me, then I'd like to fight,” Kell finally said. Pultz shook his head, slumping back in his seat. Judith gave a solemn nod.

  “In that case, gentlemen, you may continue. But proceed with caution, Private Avsten. We'll be watching.”

  Rik bowed deeply in response. Kell tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of his left pant leg, pulling it taut around his wrist with his teeth.

  As soon as Kell looked back, Rik had closed the distance between them, his fist slamming into Kell’s gut with enough force to lift him off his feet. Kell staggered back, trying to get his footing, but Rik pulled him in by the collar and landed another devastating blow.

  Kell shoved his boots into Rik’s chest, pushing with all his might and launching himself out of Rik’s reach. He slid backwards on the ice. Rik came barreling towards him, summoning a stone pillar through the ice behind Kell. Kell slammed against it, but ducked as Rik threw another punch. Rik’s fist left a brutal crack just above where Kell’s chest would've been.

  “Punch him back Kell!!” Daimona screamed.

  “He can't,” Will chided, pulling her back into her seat by the shoulder. “Rik’s range is deadly up close. He'll lose for sure if he doesn't get some distance between them.”

  Kell skidded across the ice, kicking aside Pultz's emptied pouch. Rik chased after him.

  “You said you wanted to fight, Prodikor!!” Rik taunted. More rock structures emerged. Now, the incredibly dense ice was starting to break apart, creating an uneven surface littered with holes and cracks. Kell hopped from one raised ice float to another, narrowly dodging Rik’s onslaught. Norok watched closely.

  “Well just blast him, then!!” Daimona shouted again. This time Leka leaned forward to interject, scowling at Daimona.

  “Obviously,” she seethed, “Rik will obliterate him if he stops moving, which Kell has to in order to aim.”

  “But Zia doesn't do that with her shots,” Frode yawned, nestling his head into the crook of Zia's shoulder.

  “Well--”

  “--Sparkboy stops to think,” Irina interjected. She didn't say it with the usual malice, Norok realized. Her tone was soft, her eyes still following Kell’s every movement. “He is tactical. Poor shot, yes, but good head on shoulders.”

  Leka snorted. “Now you're giving him too much credit.”

  Irina smirked, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat. “Look. The battle is over.”

  As Kell rounded a newly formed pillar, something caught Norok's eye. On Kell’s arm, in the folds of his wrappings, a collection of silver pieces gleamed. Gingerly, he plucked one with his ungloved hand, and with a loud crack, he sent it shooting across the space. It ricochetted off of Rik’s formations before finally hitting Rik at the base of his neck.

  Rik hissed in pain. He tried to run towards Kell, but another silver piece was already slotted between his fingers. He threw it, this time hitting Rik directly in his left eye. Rik stumbled, clutching at his bloodied face. Kell took the opportunity to throw two more rocks, the last of his silver pieces, towards Rik’s knees. Rik fell, hunched over the ice.

  Kell strolled over, standing just a few feet in front of Rik. They were both breathing heavily, and the ice float they shared rocked with their slight movements.

  Kell struggled to speak between breaths, clutching his broken wrist again. Slowly, he managed, “Was… Was that enough of a fight for you?”

  “Not nearly,” Rik laughed. He raised his fists, revealing his gouged eye with a toothy grin, then slamming them into the ground. Cracks spiraled beneath him, and in an instant, stone spears began violently piercing the ice all around them. The lake shot up like a geyser as the spears moved up and down, shaking the ice bleachers and completely concealing Kell and Rik.

  Suddenly, a white flash from the iceberg blinded Norok. It lasted for only a moment, but by the time he was blinking back the present, the lake had started to settle back. He squinted at the remnants of the arena.

  He could see someone floating in the water, face down, obscured by dark, wet hair. His heart sank at the sight. But as the second figure staggered forward, Norok's eyes widened with shock and awe.

  Kell appeared before the silent crowd. His uniform was damp with water, but most of him was dry with victory. With a nervous grin, he called out, “Does someone want to come get Rik? I'd do it, but uh… One hand and all.”