Begin! The Contest of Power! (Part2)

I, with the other nine contestant, was entering the arena, looking carefully at each of them, trying to evaluate their strengths and weakness. I couldn't find any particular ones, but the thing I noticed, was that, the only person concerned about others was me and me alone. Everyone had those eyes of a heartless murderer, unfazed by everything happened in those last rounds, as if it was completely normal for them. I felt a little embarrassed by the fact that I was the only person to be concerned more about others' strengths and weaknesses than my own. I lacked in self confidence. The ten of us positioned ourselves and we're ready for the round to start. And the bell was struck hard, indicating the start of that round. I embraced myself, ready to defend from anyone, from any direction. But, weirdly, I didn't needed to do anything to defend. No one charged at me, it was far from a round of five pairs of one on one. It was more like eight versus one, while I was feeling like a bystander, not even a part of that.

The one who was charged by the other eight didn't have the looks of a strong, monstrous warrior, but instead was an old woman, an old hag! Probably in her 80's if not 90's. She wore a dusty, old looking purple robe with an old looking wooden staff. Her looks suggested her more to be a magic user, a witch, than a warrior. Her face didn't had even faintest of strain of fear, or surprise. It was as if she knew that everyone would attack her. She was as calm as the sea before the storm. Unfazed by the sight of eight fighters, charging at her with the intent to kill, at the same time. The witch looked straight at me, dead in the eye, as if she was saying, "look at me." She pulled a scary smile and the contestants charging her stopped, started to fall on their knees, holding their heads, like they were in severe pain, no, they actually were in pain, a severe one. They couldn't move, as if their body was not obeying them, they were lying on the ground, holding their heads. She was one of the 'will users' like Scarlett Willwood from previous round.

What is this 'will'? What is she going to do now? These thoughts clouded my mind, I was scarred of her. Scarred of her and this 'will'. She started walking towards me, approaching me, closer and closer, she was getting with every step. Each of her step added to my fear, as if with each of the steps, she was pushing me down, more and more. But on the other hand, she, the witch, in a calm, kind voice said, "Thou are wondering what is happening to those folks, am I c'rrect?" in a thick Italian or greek something accent. At this point, my brain was no longer working, I couldn't process any of the information my eyes and ears were providing me. Her language was old, and that also with an accent?! "Felleth not in the abyss of fear and doubteth. What thee has't witness'd wast a phenomenon, hath called as 'will'. T'is the technique of transf'rring thy soul in oth'r's corse and manipulating their being itself." One confusion taken care of. Now what? Who the hell is this old hag? And is she reading my mind? "I pref'r thee not to useth such expressions f'r me, form'r celestial mage. I has't been leaving thee till anon just because thee w're afeard the most." We're her words before using that bizarre technique on me. I could feel something invading me, deep within me, almost like my soul was being invaded. But this feeling lasted only for a few seconds. She stopped! But why?! I didn't knew, but was relieved of the fact that she did, was scared a little that she might do something more scary, but for the movement, I couldn't move.

Her calm faded, now she had a face reflecting expressions full of surprise, worry and doubt.

"Impossible! Wherefore has't thee did get the White Mana?!", she said.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about. What is whi-",

"Haaa?!?! Thee has't did get nay idea?!", she interrupted hastily. With a sharp look, she continued, "T' doest not behold likes thou art falsing. Well enow." And she stretched her arm straight upward and shouted ,"STALEMENT." It was an ancient rule, one of the realm laws, for the Colosseum that the first king made, and forbade anyone in future to change. Very few were known of this. The announcer, who has to know all those rules, was one of those, and struck had the Bell band declared the round a "Draw". So, by rules last one remaining able to spar, both of us preceded to the next round. The crowd was surprised, naturally, as this was a result no one imagined, not in the faintest.

We were told to leave the main arena, the guards and other staff of the Colosseum entered to clean and move the other contestants to medics, if alive, only to find that none was hurt! The witch, was with me. She was interested in this "white mama" I possessed.