Despite the fact that I never thought I would be able to dominate the solo arena battles I somehow was able to be ranked number two behind Adam for the first year students. The rankings were listed on their usual wall which displayed Arcanum as the number one sixes, as well as the number one trios. This meant Adam and myself would be the first year trifecta's something that hasn't happened in over a century, or so I was told.
Adam and I were on cloud nine with the new armor thinking we both were going to be fighting each other in the finals of solos and then winning the other two events as a team. We had this new gear that boosted us even more so than ever before. The first day of competition was at hand and the entire arena was full with students from eight different academies of ten grades.
"Ladies and Gentle beasts, boys and girl plants. We have a change of rules announcement for this year's event and going forward for the annual beast master academy tournament. This only affects a few individuals but it has been determined that beast masters can only participate in one event meaning if you are on a sixes and trios you will have to select one or the other and the back up will be selected. Also previously sixes would be first followed by trios and then solos, this year and going forward solos will be first and sixes will be last." A chorus of boos went up as the implications started to be figured out.
Adam and I were dumbfounded, we both had worked so hard to be the first dual trifectas in a century that we never expected to hear this news. We both couldn't believe it, neither of us even considered the fact that we wouldn't be dominating in all three events. We both didn't even know what to say or do, we now had to let down the trios, if we picked sixes then our third place trios would have to fight. But if we fought solos then the sixes would be the third place and the trios would be our second best.
Adam and I had been off to the side when the announcement was made so we weren't with our teammates to make a decision so that was our first move was to find them. Travis and Joey were already looking for us and had seen us from across the way and were walking over to us to talk when Abby's voice startled both of us from behind.
"Well this sucks that we can't win multiple events but what are you two going to do? I guess my dreams of a Trios win will have to wait another year. I just hate the fact you two worked so hard and I was convinced the two of you were going to be the trifectas on the podium." Abby stood standing in obsidian armor similar to ours but had lightning yellow energy flowing through it.
Maddy stood next to Abby wearing obsidian armor as well but green energy that had a blue mix to it was flowing through her armor. The realization that the prince just gave the four of us some of the best gear known to the kingdom hit me at that moment. The token I could bring to get my gear updated or upgraded free of cost from a king's forger.
"Would you believe the armor we got?" Travis exclaimed as he approached us.
"Yeah this is pretty incredible, we are going to dominate, too bad you guys can't do the trios and solos like you planned!" Joey pointed out.
"Who said we were going to be doing sixes?" Adam then stated which caused all of us to stop. I even thought, wow we all got new armor then you're going to go solo?
"This armor says we are doing sixes you dunce!" Maddy exclaimed with her hands on her hips.
Adam's smirk was one I knew he meant he was joking around but Maddy hadn't figured it out quite yet. Abby realized the situation might get out of hand and changed the subject.
"This armor is nice, did anyone get anything new from their armor?" Abby inquired as apparently she learned the spell lightning storm being able to call down lightning bolts to randomly drop within 10 yards of her. I once again didn't use words but bright arcane light as Wispy popped out to say hello.
Wispy flew around Abby then Maddy then over to Travis and finally to Joey doing a little circle around each of them. "Wispy!" Maddy shouted as she was ecstatic to finally see my elemental wisp. Suddenly a small green faery similar in size to Wispy appeared and I realized then I didn't know Maddy's beast's name.
Wispy and the green faery flew in circles several times changing directions and the circles changed from horizontal to vertical to horizontal again. It was as if they were chasing each other, taking turns on which was in the lead and which was chasing. Then suddenly Wispy and the green faery collided causing Maddy and myself to shout "Ouch!"
'I just learned from Missy, life mend is now a skill you can use. I believe you can shoot it with your bow to heal your allies if needed.' Wispy informed me in my mind. I was completely in disbelief but then Maddy put her hands on my shoulders and was looking in my face completely confused.
"I can create a life barrier skill now. Missy just learned from Wispy how to create barriers with her magic, how is this possible?" Maddy had a desperate look in her eyes as she was confused and excited all at the same time. I looked at her and instead of responding with words I thought of the new spell life mend and Maddy's hands that were touching me suddenly were encased in healing. She lifted her hands and it went away and she knew all my spells so she was confused.
"Looks like I learned life mend from Missy. Not sure what just happened but I would say it's a win-win for both of us." I looked at the princess contemplating what all of this meant. We just learned new skills from our beasts interacting together in some way, were there other beasts that my Wispy could interact with to teach me more.
I asked Adam if he could bring out Dante and I told Wispy to see if they could interact. Dante appeared and had the most eager look I had ever seen, for whatever reason I think Dante saw it happen or knew what was going to happen because he leapt towards Wispy like a desperate puppy launching into its food bowl.
Once again intense pain in my head and I am assuming Adam's head as whatever was happening with Wispy was working again. Adam's eyes were wide as he then blurted out "Arcane orb! What in the world is an arcane orb!" Dante then shot out an arcane orb at the wall in the distance and a massive ball of arcane energy shot out to travel ten yards then exploded into a massive burst of energy. The explosion caught everyone's attention as we were in the back.
Our armor being obsidian black at an academy event stood out like a sore thumb. The explosion made by the orb caused everyone's attention to snap to them. All eyes on me was all I thought at that moment as every eye in the arena had transfixed our position.