The clearing erupted into chaos the moment Thalen's vial shattered
A thick cloud of green poison gas spread rapidly across the ground, rolling through the firelight like creeping fog. Thalen didn't wait to see the effect. He sprang backward immediately, boots scraping across the dirt as both daggers flashed into his hands. His movements were sharp and practiced, his body already shifting into a defensive stance as the two men across from him advanced
Korr attacked first
Lightning burst along the length of his sword with a sharp crack, blue-white arcs crawling across the metal as he lunged straight through the thinning edge of the poison cloud. His blade cut forward in a fast, precise strike aimed directly at Thalen's chest
Steel collided with steel
Thalen caught the strike with one dagger, the impact rattling through his arm as sparks and lightning scattered across the metal. The force pushed him half a step back, but his other dagger snapped forward immediately, slashing toward Korr's throat in a swift counterattack
Korr jerked his head back just in time, the blade passing inches from his neck
"You're really doing this?" Thalen snarled, his voice sharp with disbelief
Korr didn't answer. His eyes burned with anger as lightning surged again along his weapon. He stepped forward and swung a second time, faster than the first, forcing Thalen to duck low beneath the strike and twist away
Behind them, Draven approached at a steady pace
Flames curled lazily around his hand, reflecting in his eyes as he watched the exchange with cold focus
"You should've known this would happen," he said
The fireball formed instantly in his palm before streaking across the clearing
Thalen barely had time to react. He threw himself sideways just as the spell struck the ground where he had been standing. The explosion tore through the dirt with a thunderous crack, sending burning soil and embers flying into the air
Heat rolled across the clearing
Thalen hit the ground hard and rolled to his feet again, already reaching toward the small vials hanging from his belt
Across the campfire, Soren remained seated
He watched the fight unfold with quiet attention, his bound hands resting loosely in his lap as flames flickered across the clearing
'Wow, so this is what most mage fight look like'
Soren's eyes now focused on every minor detail
'Korr and Thalen both of them are Rank 1s. They fight differently from Draven who is a Rank 2'
'Both of them mostly rely on their weapons using short bursts of spells to exploit or create gaps, but Draven uses his magic more wildly. Hopefully they don't bring the fight over here it'd be more fun to just watch from here than be involved with all that'
Thalen hurled a vial toward the ground between them
The glass shattered instantly
A burst of purple vapor erupted outward, spreading low across the clearing in a thick poisonous cloud. Korr immediately halted his advance, stepping back as the toxic mist crawled across the ground
Draven reacted without hesitation
Flames surged outward from his palm in a sudden wave, burning through the poison cloud and scattering the vapor in seconds
Soren's eyes followed the motion carefully
That is the difference, he thought
Draven raised his hand again, fire already gathering in his palm as another spell formed.
'Rank two'
The fireball launched forward and slammed into a nearby tree trunk. The blast split the bark apart and sent splinters raining down across the clearing
'Thalen will eventually lose. How can a Rank 1 mage fight a Rank 2 like this in a direct fight and not even mentioning he is outnumbered. Deeper mana reserves, faster processing speed and therefore more power output when preforming spells. This is the difference between a Rank 1 and 2 mage'
Thalen darted behind the shattered tree, using the broken trunk as cover as he tried to steady his breathing. His eyes flicked rapidly between the two men closing in on him
"You idiots!" he shouted suddenly. "Use your brains!"
Korr stepped around the burning tree, lightning still crackling along the edge of his sword
"We did," he snapped. "Right before you tried to poison us"
"I didn't poison anything!" Thalen barked back
Draven approached from the other side of the clearing, flames dancing lazily across his fingers as he watched the poison mage retreat
"Then explain the poison," he said flatly
Thalen's jaw tightened
"That prisoner set this up!" he shouted, pointing back toward the camp
Neither man even glanced behind them
Soren still sat quietly near the fire, his expression calm as he observed the fight
Korr scoffed
"You expect us to believe that?" he said
"He's a prisoner with sealed mana," Draven added, his voice calm but edged with irritation. "He can't even absorb magic from the air"
Thalen's grip tightened around his daggers
"He's been manipulating both of you since the moment we caught him!"
Korr lunged again
Lightning flashed as his blade slammed against Thalen's guard. The impact forced the poison mage backward another step as sparks burst from the clashing metal
"You're getting desperate," Korr said
Draven lifted his hand once more
Flames surged outward
Thalen barely managed to throw himself aside as the fireball slammed into the ground beside him. The explosion ripped through the dirt and knocked him off his feet, sending him skidding across the clearing
He rolled across the ground and scrambled back to his feet, breathing harder now as the two hunters advanced again
The fight was shifting and Thalen was already beginning to falter
Thalen staggered back another step as Korr pressed forward again
Lightning flashed across the clearing as Korr's blade cut through the air in a relentless series of strikes. Each swing was fast, precise, and filled with barely restrained fury. Thalen blocked the first with one dagger, twisted aside from the second, and barely managed to deflect the third before it could split his shoulder open
Steel rang again
The force of the exchange shoved Thalen backward across the dirt, his boots sliding as he struggled to keep his balance
Draven didn't rush
He circled slowly from the side, flames curling lazily around his fingers as he watched for an opening. Where Korr fought with speed and aggression, Draven fought with patience. Every few seconds another fireball formed in his palm, forcing Thalen to move again just as he tried to regain his footing
The pressure never stopped
Another blast erupted beside Thalen, the explosion tearing apart the ground and forcing him to dive sideways through the dirt and scattered leaves
He rolled once and came up on one knee, already reaching for another vial
"You idiots!" he shouted again, his voice hoarse with frustration. "You're doing exactly what he wants!"
Korr didn't even slow down
Lightning burst along his sword as he lunged again, the blade slicing toward Thalen's chest
"Still blaming the prisoner?" he snapped
Thalen barely caught the strike with both daggers, the impact rattling painfully through his arms
"Yes!" he shouted back. "Look at him! He's just sitting there watching!"
For a brief moment, Korr's eyes flicked past him toward the camp
Soren still sat exactly where he had been the entire time, illuminated by the faint glow of the fire
Calm
Silent
Watching
Korr's attention snapped back instantly as Thalen shoved him away and hurled another vial
The glass shattered against the ground between them
A thick cloud of green poison gas exploded outward, forcing Korr to retreat two steps as the toxic mist rolled across the clearing
Draven reacted immediately
A wave of flame blasted outward from his palm, burning through the cloud and scattering the vapor into the air.
"Enough of this," Draven said coldly
He raised his hand again
Fire gathered faster this time
Soren watched carefully
'Rank two mages convert mana into spells faster', he thought
The fireball that erupted from Draven's hand was larger than the previous ones. It slammed into the ground just behind Thalen with a deafening explosion, the shockwave knocking the poison mage completely off his feet
Thalen hit the ground hard
Before he could scramble back up, Korr was already there
Lightning crackled violently across his sword as he drove the blade down, forcing Thalen to roll desperately aside. The strike split the dirt open where his chest had been moments earlier
Thalen scrambled backward on his hands and feet before forcing himself upright again
His breathing had grown heavy now
Soren noted the change immediately
Rank one mages exhaust themselves quickly under pressure
Thalen threw another vial, but this time his aim was rushed
The poison gas spread unevenly across the clearing
Korr pushed through the edge of it regardless
Lightning flashed again as his blade slammed into Thalen's guard. The force of the blow nearly knocked one of the daggers from Thalen's hand
Draven stepped forward at the same moment
Another burst of flame erupted from his palm
This time Thalen had nowhere to go
The explosion struck him directly, throwing him backward across the clearing. His body slammed into the ground near the edge of the camp, the impact driving the air from his lungs
Before he could recover, Korr closed the distance
The lightning mage grabbed the front of Thalen's cloak and slammed him back down into the dirt
Korr's sword pressed instantly against Thalen's throat
Lightning crawled along the blade, humming softly in the night air
The fight was over
Thalen lay pinned beneath him, breathing hard as dirt clung to his clothes
Draven approached slowly, flames still flickering across his hand as he stopped a few paces away
For a moment none of them spoke
Then Korr leaned down slightly, pressing the crackling blade closer to Thalen's neck
"Any last lies?" he asked
Thalen glared up at him
"You idiots…" he muttered
Korr's grip tightened
"Yeah," he said. "We've heard that one"
"You're blind," Thalen snapped
Draven folded his arms
"This should be good," he said flatly
Thalen turned his head slightly, looking past them toward the camp
Toward Soren
"That bastard did this," he said
Korr frowned
"Just accept it Thalen! You lost! Give up! How could you treat us like this even in the end? Was all the time we spent together nothing to you?!?"
Thalen's voice rose, desperation creeping into it
"Him! The prisoner! Stop accusing me it's al him! I had this growing suspicious for so long so unless you two have just plotted against me it has to be him!"
He lifted his chin slightly, pointing toward the fire with his gaze
"You fools have been dancing in his palm since the moment we captured him! Look at him what kind of person reacts so calmly when suddenly captured. He's weird I've been telling you this the whole time but both of you never listened!"
Draven didn't even turn around
"Still trying that?" he said
"You're being manipulated!" Thalen shouted
Korr's expression hardened
"By a man with sealed mana?"
Thalen's teeth clenched
"He doesn't need mana channels!" he snapped. "He's been planning this the entire-"
"Enough"
Draven stepped forward
"Finish it," he said
Korr hesitated
Only for a second
The lightning blade remained pressed against Thalen's throat
Behind them, Soren watched quietly
Two rank one mages exhausted, he thought
One rank two mage still with considerable reserves
The outcome was becoming clear
Thalen had lasted longer than expected
But his role in this situation had reached its end
Soren slowly rose to his feet
Neither Draven nor Korr noticed
All of their attention remained fixed on the man pinned beneath the crackling blade
Soren looked down at the metal restraints around his wrists
Mana-sealing cuffs
A clever device
They prevented the user from drawing mana from the air
But they did not stop what already flowed within the body
Soren's magic bypassed this rule
Pain was irrelevant
Freedom was not
He closed his hands slowly
Inside his veins, mana surged violently through his bloodstream
The pressure built instantly, gathering in his palms
Bones creaked
Flesh strained
Then Soren detonated the mana inside his hands