A nod was sent Hal's way as Talus parted from the rest of the group and headed towards the Arena.
The thing wasnt really impressive, at least not compared to the stadium that was built in the center of
Vel Anir. Still, it was built well enough. Wooden stands and large fences lined the whole place, and in the center he could see two massive stone statues that seemed to loom over everything. They did not move, but their bodies were decorated in heavy carved runes.
Golems.
His gaze narrowed for a moment as he turned the corner and headed towards the Arenas entrance, hearing the reverberation of someone calling out his and
Kara Orin's name. His step quickened, and thus he didn't see the man walking his way as he turned the corner. Before he could stop himself Talus crashed into the stranger, bumping his shoulder.
The impact should have sent the man falling, but instead it was Talus who went tumbling to the ground. He landed with a thud, his head nearly smashing into the mud as he opened his mouth in anger.
"Hey what the fu-"
Instantly his mouth clamped shut as he spotted a small pin on the man's cloak and then noted his face.
He recognized the man, and the moment he did Talus could feel a surge of adrenaline pump through his veins. Every muscle seized up, his face tightening as he fear gripped his heart. He could feel his breath catch, his lungs ceasing to cooperate as he waited for the man he'd bumped into to simply immolate him.
"Get up."
His voice was like muted thunder in his ear, the command ringing so powerfully that Talus scrambled to his feet in a near instant. It was like his body wasn't even listening to him.
"Apologies Archon."
The man standing before him was none other than Idrig Crane, one of the most powerful and feared
Dreadlords alive. Talus had never seen him in person, but he recognized him from posters and drawings in the great Archives. Idrig was a man to behold. It was said that twenty years ago when he neared his graduation he single handedly slaughtered his entire class simply as a way to ensure his proper placement among the ranks. Since then his list of accomplishments and atrocities ran longer than most merchant's debt books.
His reputation was such that apparently the
Elves of the
Falwood had a standing edict to kill him on sight, despite the tentative peace between Vel Anir and Fal'Addas. His magic was a deadly one, and Talus couldn't help but wonder why he was here.
For most, being this close to the man was a recipe for death.
"Yours is the first bout, Apprentice? "
Talus nodded weakly, quite unsure what the Archon was getting at.
"Good. Perform well. Give nothing of your abilities away if you can help it. Don't lose."
With that the Archon turned to the left and walked away from Talus, leaving the young Apprentice shaking in his boots. He could feel a pressure in his palm, his eyes looking down to find that he'd been grabbing onto his gauntlet so tight the blood had left his fingers. A breath finally filled his lungs, hand releasing as his head slowly shook and thoughts returned to him. His eyes swept towards where the Archon had gone, trying to find the man though only spotting a crowd.
Did that just happen? Had the Archon threatened him? Talus felt his stomach rumble slightly, churning as though he were about to spew on the ground. After a moment he took in another deep breath, then stepped forward towards the edge of the ring.
There the announcer spotted him, apparently aware of what both he and the other contestant looked like. The man's voice boomed out, some sort of magic propelling the sound much farther than it should have.
A cheer erupted from the gathered peasants of Terin and the collective students, teachers, Proctor, and whatever else that sat in the crowd.