Chapter 34 - Finals: Part 1
A day passed after the captains of the two teams went each to his way.
Now they were standing facing each other again in the arena, glaring and sneering that's all these two exchanged.
Everyone one of them was at the head of the other, reading each other's thoughts and playing who acts first loses.
The line-up was Jon who stood in the middle holding no weapon and wearing a scaled cuirass on a mage robe.
Wulfur was wearing his full armor for the first time on the arena, a heavy steel armor with his 'High Dam' shield, in his hand was not the flail but Jon's hammer 'Agni-Ra'.
Battle-Born was wearing the same scaled cuirass as Jon's, it has a good resistance to magic so it will be of use this match, he surprisingly was holding a bow, and his sword was sheathed.
On the other side, Rusning and his team were on their top readiness. They didn't just wear robes, they also brought staves.
They wanted to go all out and crush the hurdle known as 'White Wolves'.
As most of the 'White Wolves' were warriors, Jon could guess that these staves were 'Ice Spick' staves.
He was really not worried, he has already enchanted Wulfur's shield with 'Resist Magic' enchantment and gave Wulfur and Battle-Born capes of 'Frost Resistance'.
He already foresaw every move the opponent will do, and also was hoping that they will surprise him.
As the mages of around the arena made their barrier, and the judge said instructions, 'White Wolves' and 'Aracana Wisdom' stood on the arena three to three.
Team White Wolves, as usual, had the two Jons and Wulfur.
Team Aracana Wisdom had Rusning as the leader and the one who could use Adept level destruction magic, Svefna the girl who can charge spells for long times, Svadall the boy who can aim magic to two different directions with his two hands without missing the two targets.
Outside the arena was Jolma the machine-gun and Holman the healer and the ward master.
After one falls Holman will come in to equalize then Jolma to put pressure on the White Wolves, that was the strategy and Jon saw through it.
As the judge gave the signal, team Aracana Wisdom took their formation and aimed their staves, it was a normal formation, team White Wolves were Jon at the front casting his ward with his left while Battle-Born stood on his back and looked cool.
As the judge said "Fight!" and jumped away, Rusning shouted "Fire!" and the team fired 'Ice Spikes' from their staves just as Jon predicted.
Jon was just standing and casting his 'Quadrant Ward' with his left hand and his right hand was behind his back with a lightning spell being charged on it.
A barrage of Ice Spikes fell on the ward and as the Frost Element was being dispersed by the ward, mist was forming from the way it was being blocked with.
Few seconds of firing Ice Spikes should be enough to put pressure on Jon but the only mist was forming more and more.
As mist blocked the view, Rusning signaled for his team to stop the casting, they kept looking at the mist as it was depressing waiting to see how their surprise attack would work on team White Wolves.
But what they saw made their jaws drop, Jon was standing the same as he was and his team was still the same, no one even moved once.
Sybille Stentor and Faralda opened their eyes wide, Jarl Idgrod laughed softly, these three were the most well versed three in magic between the spectators.
One must know that to block a spell with a ward, one needs to overpower this spell with his own Magicka, and Jon did overpower three staves with his Magicka alone, this was hard to be puffed by an artifact as it was connected to the nature of Magicka itself and Jon was a Nord and a human, however, his Magicka nature appeared to be on the level of elves.
Only these three could comprehend that, Rusning knew that Jon's Magicka wasn't something he can go alone against yet not this scary point, he devised the first move especially to put pressure on Jon.
Jon smiled and moved his right hand to his side and pushed it forward in a casting pose, fierce lightning broke out and headed towards the opponents.
The spell struck Svadall but it was too much for him and he shouted from pain, the spell didn't just do that, it bounced from him to Rusning and struck him hard, then it bounced at Svefna who screamed from the shock.
This was no 'Lightning Bolt' spell, this was 'Chain Lightning' spell, unlike the game where it only bounces on one target, in real life, it can bounce for any number as long as it was charged with enough Magicka, and Jon just mastered it two days ago.
"Damn! That guy is a monster!" Svefna said, she could speak as she took the least damage from the spell, Svadall, on the other hand, was already on one knee.
"No time to chat, next phase quickly!" Rusning gave orders and made the next spell.
They took distance from each other and started with next spell which was already being cast, every one of them has summoned a frost atronach.
"Let's move." Jon called to the heavily armored Wulfur and the light armored Battle-Born.
Wulfur nodded and walked to the atronach on the left, Battle-Born started running to the side.
Battle-Born started harassing the other team with arrows, and Wulfur clashed head-on with a frost atronach.
Jon made two spells and summoned two Fire Atronachs.
The people were cheering for the show, the amount of magic they saw during the last few days made them able to identify the magic on their own.
Now, there were 11 figures on the arena clashing and shooting spells at each other, Wulfur was standing his ground against a frost atronach alone and hitting it with a fire enchanted weapon, he was doing good on his own. Battle-Born shot arrows and pushed the mages from their ground.
Jon started using 'Lightning Bolts' and fought with three mages on his own.
They started changing the element against him from Ice to Fire as it would do more damage, Jon dodged and shot lightning again and again.
Rusning started targeting Wulfur and Battle-Born on his own, he wanted to eliminate someone then focus his team's power on Jon.
As Battle-Born ran out of arrows he switched to sword and ran to Jon and hid behind him, team Aracana Wisdom could finally take a little breath. Jon's fire atronachs were focused on the other frost atronachs.
Jon could find a clear way to run forward with Battle-Born behind him, then he cleared the way for Battle-Born.
Battle-Born ran and dodged nimbly, he was fast, so fast that people started to wonder, he could jump and do moves like Jon too.
Actually, Jon started teaching Battle-Born some moves to dodge while rushing forward to avoid arrows and spells.
Battle-Born could make his way through spells under Jon's cover fire, he reached Svadall and attacked him with a body clash.
Svadall was carried by Battle-Born's push and was sent to the air, there was no mercy as it seemed the Jon thought him how to strike the head with a knee.
Svadall fell unconscious to the attack and Battle-Born escaped back, Wulfur has finished a frost atronach on his own and was moving to the next to find it crumbling and being unsummoned, he just ran to the next one.
The pressure on Aracana Wisdom increased and Rusning called for Holman. As Svadall was being carried back, Holman ran in and conjured a frost atronach to lessen the pressure.
Holman healed Svefna and Rusning who were firing spells at Jon, Jon hid behind the barrier and retreated slowly.
"We are being pushed!" Rusning was annoyed by the situation.
"Give me time!" Svefna said and returned behind, Holman took her place and started spamming spells.
Rusning looked at her and saw what she was doing, he knew her specialty and didn't talk, he can't dishonor the determination of his teammate.
Svefna charged an 'Ice Storm' spell and dual-casted it on both hands, she then started to overcharge it.
'Overcharging' was a technique used when a mage starts to put more Magicka than usual in a spell, in a destruction spell that was dangerous as one could lose control and the spell would explode yet that was Svefna's specialty.
"Now cover me!" She said and started running to the side, Rusning and Holman could already see what she was thinking and ignored protecting themselves to provide more cover.
Jon could see the change in phase and noticed Svefna's moves, She lined herself to face the three opponents of White Wolves at once, then she let go of her spell.
Jon opened his eyes wide from the size of the spell, he was busy blocking Rusning and Holman who started casting magic like madmen and now a spell that size was heading for him.
It was too late to manipulate the ward to block it, the best way was to avoid it.
"Incoming! Avoid!" Jon warned Battle-Born who was behind him and Wulfur who was busy with a frost atronach.
Svefna saw the situation and smiled "You think I'll let you have your way!" She shouted.
It appeared that the frost atronach Wulfur was fighting was hers, she controlled it and made it throw its all weigh on Wulfur to pin him down.
"Wulfur! Avoid!" Battle-Born Shouted at Wulfur but it was too late.
Jon and Battle-Born could already avoid the Ice Storm yet Wulfur who was pinned down took the full force of it.
Jon knew that Wulfur's shield and cape should save him in this kind of situation but to see his best friend take a spell like that made blood rush to his brain and he called a 'Lightning Bolt' spell and fired it on Svefna.
Svefna's last attack was a suicidal one to damage team White Wolves and let Jolma in, sure enough, she was ready to be attacked.
Jon's 'Lightning Bolt' struck her body and sent her to the ground, yet she was still controlling the frost atronach to not let it off Wulfur.
A breath later, the frost atronach on Wulfur exploded and a hammer could be seen coming from it, this was 'Agni-Ra' at the hands of Wulfur dealing the last blow to the frost atronach.
Svefna saw that and said "Dammit!" then lost her consciousness as her Magicka ran out and she was beaten up badly.
The judge made a fast announcement and signaled for healers to get her out, also Jolma was running in.
Wulfur was panting from exhaustion and was standing on one knee leaning at the hammer.
There were no atronachs left so Jon said "Rest now!"
As Julma reached her teammates, they tightened their defense and made preparations to make an attack on their opponents with Jolma's speed casting and Rusning's powerful spells.
Jolma cast a spell and another atronach appeared, Luckily her team was short on Magicka and they can't afford to conjure more, Jon now had Battle-Born and two flame atronachs, and Wulfur was resting.
"We need to surround them, an atronach will follow you and fire at them, another will face the new atronach and draw it away, I will take a side, you go right I go left." Jon made a plan and said, "Once you take their attention, move out of the way, I'll do a big one."
"Good luck!" Battle-Born said and moved.
The people cheered from the strong exchange between the teams, this time team White Wolves was facing a strong opponent and made their best moves, even if that was a mage's match, it was an excellent match, no one could move their eyes away even the Jarls of Windhelm, Winterhold and Dawnstar who hated magic.
Team Arcana Wisdom had Holman as the ward caster in the front to protect them from Jon's spells, Rusning was on the right of Holman and Jolma was on his left.
Jon ran to the left at Rusning's side, Battle-Born ran to the other side and started dodging and jumping with nimble acrobatics, Jolma was spamming spells at him and he would throw stones at her if he could while trying to get close.
Jon, on the other hand, was controlling two atronachs, holding Holman in place with one, drawing away the new atronach with another, and he was exchanging spells with Rusning and pressing him bad.
Faralda, Sybille Stentor and Jarl Idgrod were admiring what they were seeing, the level of control was hardly achieved by anyone in that age, he was managing all his team and summons while attacking. If Jon heard them talking about that he would say 'Playing Fifa was harder!'
Rusning and his team looked like some heroes from a certain movie who were defending each other backs while taking attacks from all sides. [A/N: Avengers: Age of Ultron, the last fight scene around the device thing.]
"Holman! I am running out of Magicka, a hand here" Rusning shouted.
"That fire atronach is so annoying I can't face it with a hand." Holman complained.
"Jolma?!" Rusning asked.
"This guy is too slippery, I can't hold him or leave him be!" Jolma who reached a deadlock with Battle-Born shouted.
Rusning thought and made a decision, he said "Move!" as he backed away from his confrontation with Jon and aimed at Battle-Born, then he cast a big fire magic squeezing the last of his juice with it.
A 'Fireball' flew at Battle-Born who was not making a good footing and exploded right next to him, his defense was not up and Jolma could damage him a few times from their last exchange.
He could see the fire turning from a spell to explosion, he barely looked at the guy who carried the same name as him and shouted "You turn!" while getting blown away and falling unconscious!
Jon saw that and hardened his resolve.
He had to make a move now, he moved like a ghost nearer and nearer to the three opponents.
Jolma was focusing her attention on him and was readying a spell.
Jon who has rolled and reached a far location was standing three meters away from team Aracana Wisdom.
Too close, too daring, mages like Jolma can be dangerous at that range as their accuracy will be better.
Some started shaking their heads from the bad decision.
Some started thinking about how Jon's mistake costed his team its first loss.
Some were happy or sad for their bets that was confirmed right in front of their eyes.
Some were really worried at Jon.
Yet what Jon did was speaking two words.
Two words, made the time stop.
Two words, made everyone lose their senses.
Made everyone wish to question their own sanity, yet they didn't have the chance as the words they heard were loud and clear.
Elisif hugged Torygg from the shock.
Idgrod jumped back from the scare her gifts couldn't foresee.
Ulfric couldn't hold his goblet and it fell from his hands.
Balgruuf opened his mouth and an egg could pass through it.
Even the cool-headed Skadi was struck-dumb and couldn't believe what she saw or heard.
None of these reactions were overreacted.
They all were on spot.
The two words said by Jon just were too scary that everyone was struck with fear of what they saw after them.
Jon spoke and the world obeyed.
Space was moved and power was unleashed.
Half of Solitude heard those two words.
They were "FUS RO!"
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[A/N: A bounce chapter is ready, edited and all. Give up all your stones on the way out if you want to see it today. once we break into the top 20 again, I'll post it along with another few announcements.]