Mark of the Fool
Chapter 583: Kybas' War

Alex leapt to his feet, “No!” He screamed at Violante.

The bright yellow ray arced toward Harmless, silent but mighty. The croc struggled, trying to free himself from vines holding him in place. Some slid away, but not quick enough.

Kybas’ wide eyes narrowed. “Death roll!” he shouted.

The crowd gasped, recoiling and shading their eyes from the extreme bright light.

“Damn, that buys him a little time, but now he’s all tangled up!” Thundar cried.

“Trust,” Grimloch growled. “Trust Harmless. Trust Kybas.”

The crocodile struggled with vines now wrapped around his body, writhing in their grip as more whipped out to restrain him. Another bolt of power gathered within Violante’s jaws.

“Did you know that a crocodile’s mouth has enormous strength when it bites down?” Warren asked, turning to the audience. “But the same jaw muscles leave much to be desired when the beast tries to open its mouth?” He laughed at the irony in what he was saying. “I’m no strongman, but even I could hold a crocodile’s mouth shut.”

“Harmless isn’t going to be able to dodge again,” Theresa said.

Another beam of light blasted from Violante’s mouth, arcing for the struggling crocodile. This time, he was too tangled in vines to roll anywhere.

“Fish in a barrel,” Warren said.

The beam struck Harmless in a blinding flash of power.

Folk screamed.

“No!” Khalik shouted.

Professor Salinger yelled something from across the arena.

Light enveloped the thrashing crocodile, and even Kybas was forced to close his large eyes against it. But even as he squinted against the blinding radiance, Alex saw something playing on his lips.

Beneath those squinting eyes…the goblin unexpectedly smiled.

Violante shrieked.

Harmless shot through the blinding light—his eyes shut against the beam—and dove at the thorncap.

“Oh shi—” Warren stopped himself from swearing.

The young crocodile struck, slamming with full force into Violante’s side. The long, insect-like monster flew, tumbling through the air, landing in a great heap half a dozen feet away, legs scrabbling.

“Your puny beams can’t hurt Harmless!” Kybas cried. “All you did was blind yourself and hide what he was doing! Now it’s pain time! Death Roll!”

“Death roll! Death roll! Death roll!” the crowd chanted as Harmless climbed back into the air, starting his spin.

“Violante! Let go!” Warren shouted.

The thorncap’s vines slithered free of the crocodile’s long body, but tendrils wedged inside his mouth could only thrash wildly, struggling to get free.

Kybas’ ears twitched happily. “No, no, no friend!” he grinned. “You said it yourself! Crocodiles have trouble opening their mouths, so you can hold their jaws shut! But they bite down good, so good luck trying to get them open! Especially when I do this!”

He cast a strength enhancing spell on his familiar, who was now spinning like a corkscrew in the middle of the arena, building speed. His grip tightened on Violante’s tendrils, only growing stronger, soon the thorncap was dragged from the left of the stadium.

Harmless spun, whipping Violante around like a flail, then letting go. The thorncap soared through the air, slamming into the cage and bouncing off, plummeting to the arena floor.

“And there’s our second knockdown, taking two points away from Violante!” the announcer cried.

And the crowd screamed.

Across the arena, Professor Salinger pumped his fists, drawing shocked looks from his family.

Warren’s expression grew troubled.

“What in the name of the elements…Harmless just took on the beam?” Isolde said. “Every other opponent that ray struck was at least dazed, blinded, discombobulated, and stunned! If it were not for the arena’s magic blunting the lethality of the contest, I am quite sure it would have ended several lives already.”

“Trust,” Grimloch said.

“Trust, but that doesn’t mean I’m not shocked too, though it makes sense,” Alex said, watching the crocodile in amazement. “Harmless is stronger and tougher than he looks—we saw that earlier—but I think he’s even tougher than most of us thought. He can take a lot of punishment.”

“But he dodged the first beam.” Selina pointed out.

“A…trick…” Claygon said. “Kybas was…trying to make it look like the beam could hurt Harmless…which let him catch Violante…by surprise since Warren…thought he’d gotten in a good hit.”

“Yeah, that made him overplay his hand,” Alex said, “And now Warren’s behind on points. Well done, Kybas.”

“He’s a warrior,” Grimloch said with pride.

And like a warrior, Kybas wasted no time in following up on his advantage.

The crocodile swooped down, jaws open, ready to pin the thorncap.

Warren uttered a familiar spell.

“Oh no!” Thundar shouted.

Violante’s form shimmered, suddenly splitting into four illusionary duplicates.

Harmless snapped his jaws on a thorncap, which simply vanished. The real Violante sprang, landing on the crocodile’s back, wrapping its legs and vines around him.

Warren uttered a body enhancement spell, increasing the thorncap’s strength. Violante held on, struggling with Harmless, straining against him, but soon secured the pin for a full count of ten.

“Agh, he closed the lead!” Selina cried.

Before the crocodile could surge away, the round ended.

“What a wild one, folks! The judges are getting their scores in…and yes, it’s tied 8-8 from all judges!” the announcer shouted. “What a contest: youth and vigour versus experience! What will happen next is anyone’s guess!”

“This…is exciting…but I wish Kybas had won already…” Claygon said.

“Yeah, I know it’s more exciting when there’s a back and forth, but I’d trade an exciting contest for Kybas just crushing his enemies and seeing them driven before him,” Alex said.

“No arguments there,” Thundar agreed. “Would’ve been nice if Warren just laid down and gave up. Still, I think Kybas is gonna take it.”

“Yeah, I think so too,” Alex said. “He’s got tricks up his sleeve: Warren’s got experience on him, like the announcer said, but Kybas defended Professor Salinger from bloodthirsty demons that are probably older than all of us combined. Experience really helps, but that also depends on who you’re up against.”

“S’truth,” Grimloch growled. “And Harmless is better than that overgrown weed.”

Alex snorted. “Professor Salinger would kill you if he heard you say that.”

The sharkman shrugged. “Dunno. He ain’t rooting for the weed right now, is he?”

To Alex’s surprise, the professor was leaning forward—almost falling out of his seat—shouting advice at Kybas, though his instructions were lost in the din. His wife frowned, looking at her husband like she was wondering where the man she’d married had gotten to.

She shook her head, the crowd’s voice swelled, and Harmless and Violante squared off.

“Round 2!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the arena. “Let’s go! Begin!”

The crowd noise was so deafening that Alex could hardly hear Kybas’ voice—magically augmented by the illusionists—as he empowered Harmless with flight magic and greater force armour.

Hissing, the crocodile took to the air, jaws parted and poised to clamp down on Violante. He dove for the plant-monster, fangs gleaming.

Warren watched the crocodile for a moment, then cast a spell on his familiar.

“Earth glide?” Prince Khalik cried in Tekish. “No! Harmless, get it before it—”

Before his sentence could finish, the thorncap dove into the arena floor like an earth elemental sliding into rock. Stone rippled, thorny vines whipped out, weaving through the air at the crocodile.

Its jaws rose from the stone, gathering power before unleashing beams of solar light at Harmless. The crocodile, ignoring both vines and the blasts striking his scales, swooped low, looking to rip Violante from the ground.

But, the thorncap slipped away, sliding beneath the earth before Harmless could reach it, vines striking the crocodile’s flanks. Beams hit scales in rapid bursts, determined to wear him down.

Harmless seemed not to care.

Kybas shouted another spell, once again bark armour sheathed the reptile’s body, vines writhing.

“Go after him, Harmless!” the goblin wizard shouted. “Get on the ground and chase him down!”

The crocodile lashed his tail, diving to the arena floor among Violante’s tendrils.

“What will Warren do?” the announcer called. “Neither he nor Harmless have a lead from the last round! This game of keepaway keeps Violante safe, but no knockdowns and no pins means no points! And how will Harmless score against an opponent he can’t reach!”

Warren watched the crocodile closely, looking for any sign of weakness, while Kybas eyed the thorncap’s flailing tendrils.

The older wizard spat a command. “Wrap him up! Pin him then let go! Stay away from those jaws!”

Violante’s head rose from the arena floor, firing a beam into Harmless’ face, snaking its tendrils in from the side.

A blinding flash of light released.

And the vines reached for the crocodile.

Harmless’ jaws snapped open, clamping on writhing shoots.

Kybas grinned. “Hey Warren, I cast Shield of Darkwater on Harmless right before that beam hit! Cuts down on sunlight! No blinding for Harmless! No escape for you or your pet!”

Vines on Harmless’ bark armour tangled with Violante’s tendrils, knitting together as the thorncap fought to tear them off. The crocodile shot toward the sky, tugging on the vines.

Violante struggled against him, and—no matter how hard it tried to match Harmless’ strength—the reptile pulled it from the earth. The thorncap floundered, dragged skyward, struggling in the air until Warren spat another spell.

Lightning flashed through Violante, running along its tendrils, coursing across Harmless’ bark armour. The crocodile shuddered, his muscles contracting, forcing him to let go.

Violante dropped like a stone, seeking to bore into the ground.

Kybas cast Haste Magic.

Harmless blurred, suddenly shooting downward at the thorncap, grabbing vines in his jaws before it could flee into the earth. He dragged Violante back into the air, whipping it around like an out of control windmill.

“Kybas, you clever, clever man,” Alex said.

“Why? What happened?” Selina asked.

“He didn’t use Haste Magic before, right? her older brother pointed out. “Warren wouldn’t know what spells Kybas could cast: so by waiting until the right moment, he caught him by surprise.”

The crowd chanted, “Harm-less, Harm-less! Harm-less!” as the crocodile slammed the thorncap into the arena floor with tremendous force.

Violante let out a chittering groan, rolling along the ground in a daze.

Harmless wasted no time in pouncing.

“And Harmless gets the pin!” the announcer cried. “Here we go! Count with me! One…two…”

The crowd joined in.

Meanwhile, Warren cast his spell that sent electricity coursing through Violante again, shocking Harmless. The crocodile trembled, contracting, but—this time—he wasn’t letting go.

“And ten!” the announcer shouted. “Harmless gets a pin, and the lead!”

Warren’s face fell, turning to a deep scowl.

The older wizard cast another spell.

“Solid Mist,” Alex said, “It conjures a fog as thick as quicksand and just as hard to move through. Can’t see through it either…but thorncaps can sense tremors in the air. Damn, he’ll still be able to sense Harmless, but Harmless won’t be able to see him.”

The thorncap disappeared in the fog, and the crocodile hissed, trying to swim through the thick mist. Whips struck from all directions, aiming for Harmless’ eyes and snout.

“Hide from this,” Kybas challenged Violante, grinning and raising his hands, he cast a familiar spell.

“What’s this one?” Selina asked.

“Fireball,” Alex said.

A bead of orange light emerged from Harmless’ maw, driving into the thick fog.

There came a flash and a roar of flame as an explosion ruptured the mist.

Violante shrieked, its form outlined by a shimmering blaze.

Harmless went in for the kill: instead of fleeing the mist, he moved through it.

“Dive!” Warren shouted.

But, it was too late.

The crocodile tackled the thorncap, seizing it in his jaws, keeping it from burrowing into the earth. Violante thrashed, struggled and fought to get free while Warren sent lightning coursing through its form.

Harmless’ jaws clenched, his body spasmed, his bite locked, and the count of ten ended with another pin for the crocodile.

“He’s ahead by four points!” Alex cried. “Now, he just needs to bring it home!”