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My ears were still ringing with Sneik’s taunts, but Ashale’s voice, strong and unwavering, broke through. “Erys! The support!” he shouted, his eyes fixed on the stranger beside Sneik.
I followed his gaze and focused on Erys, recalling Ashale’s mention of him earlier.
He wasn’t large or imposing, but there was a calm certainty about him that unnerved me.
I felt a sudden chill, despite the pit’s heat.
Acting on instinct, I summoned my bird spirit.
It took the form of a dazzling hawk, its feathers iridescent in the artificial lights of the pit.
With a swift motion, it soared high and dove straight at Sneik’s support, a silver streak against the backdrop of the arena.
The crowd’s murmurs rose in anticipation.
But just as swiftly, Erys raised a hand, and an unseen force halted the bird in mid-flight.
I heard the soft thud and felt the fleeting touch of feathers on my skin as my bird plummeted lifelessly to the ground.
The invisible barrier that stopped it became palpable as a shimmering cage wrapped around my falcon, trapping it within.
My heart sank.
Desperation welled up in me.
The tangy sweat forming on my forehead made everything seem even more surreal.
I needed to break those cages.
Focusing on my tiger, I willed it to attack its confines, but every attempt met with sizzling sparks and a chorus of agonized roars.
The bars appeared to be made of pure energy, reacting violently to any contact.
Surprise, I thought. Erys can’t form cages if he’s taken by surprise.
I summoned my octopus spirit behind Sneik’s support.
The creature’s tentacles, dripping with ethereal water, surged forward, ready to ensnare the man.
But Ashale had the same idea.
His octar, larger and more menacing than mine, emerged from his side, silhouetted against the brightness of the pit.
Together, our octopuses reached out, their tentacles intertwining as they attempted to overpower the psychic barriers of the support.
For a fleeting second, there was hope.
Erys’s face registered surprise, a hint of uncertainty clouding his features.
I felt the cool, slippery touch of the octopus tentacles in my mind, and my ears echoed with the squelching sounds they made.
But it was short-lived.
With a sweeping motion, Erys gestured, and two new cages snapped into existence, trapping our octopuses just as effectively as they had our other spirits.
The ethereal water dripping from them evaporated, leaving behind a dry and oppressive heat.
I could hear the gasps and whispers from the crowd, their excitement palpable.
