An anticipated defeat

The fight we had all been waiting for did not last up to a minute, for while the dark mage used her experience in battle against the Xaj, the latter had overwhelming power breaking through her defenses like they were nothing.

From the start of the fight when she attacked with her shadows to the end where he swamped her with enormous force the fight kept us all on the edge. By the time the fight was over, she was on the ground weakened and defeated.

The Xaj straightened from his offensive stance with a satisfactory smirk, "You had no chance of winning Joan and we both knew this was a waste of my time."

"At least I had you on the ropes," the mage grunted with a smile. "And I gave the people hope."

Dreyfus looked at the audience who had beams of faith on their faces, "I guess I'll need to crush their convictions then."

"Darn it," hissed Aaron. "I can't believe she lost."

He laid back in dropping his head in his palms, the look he gave was depressing but he wasn't alone, everyone in the crowd stared in horror at what had transpired between the two mages.

"It was a close fight," I gave off reassuringly, immediately wishing I hadn't said that.

"There was nothing close there baby, did you see how she got tossed around the box?" he yelled out in frustration before straightening up to correct his mistakes. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and the pet name I gave, I..."

"Hey, there's no need to apologize, I totally understand. Plus I love the name, no one has ever called me that before so it's nice to have that for a change."

We smiled at each other, my eyes taking in his features. His left eyelid had a scar above it which made it appear smaller than the other. His chocolate brown skin which was complimented by his pearly whites gave me the chills anytime he smiled, not to forget his golden colored eyes glimmering under the dimly lit hall.

"What are you doing, the fight is over!" I heard a man scream from amongst the crowd taking my attention to the box. The Xaj had created three fireballs which he was preparing to drop on the weakened mage. The crowd got angsty with some of the mages screaming out in protest at the scenerio before them.

I looked onto the high table expecting someone to disapprove, however no one did. Aaron got to his feet with a start, lurching himself into the air over hundreds of spectators. Within seconds he dropped into the box, standing between the mage and the Xaj.

"Stand down Dreyfus, you've won."

The Xaj chuckled in an evil way, his hands held up keeping the flaming balls in the air, "I'm not done with her yet."

A girl jumped into the box beside Aaron creating iron weapons out of thin air, "You still think you can take on a Dark and Iron mage?"

The fireballs grew bigger the Xaj not relenting on his attempted attack, "Oh please. A couple of inexperienced children in the field with me? Give me a break."

"How about now?" an elderly man levitated in the air with five balls of water moving around him.

The crowd gasped in terror as the man lands beside Aaron taking up an offensive stance.

"Sir Gillfidorr!" Dreyfus exclaims in shock dissipating the flames into nothingness. "You're back."

"Yes I am, only to find you here going against the treaty that was signed," the man's baritone vibrated throughout the hall sending chills down my spine. He dropped his stance letting his guard down before levitating towards the Xaj.

"You were supposed to be at the border..."

"You sound surprised," the man went on, stopping five meters away from his opponent.

"I just wasn't..." the Xaj started before recollecting his composure. "You left your post open. That's a punishable offense."

"And what you're doing isn't!?"

"She came at me, what did you expect me to do?"

"The fight was over Dreyfus," he dropped onto the ground. "But you proceeded to finish her off with more attacks."

"A statement had to be made."

"You're a disgrace to the world of magic," Gillfidorr rumbled angrily, turning away from the Xaj. "You should retire and let someone else take over your place as Lead sorcerer."

Those words from the man seemed to stab the Xaj in the heart, for his anger turned into sadness. Dreyfus stood away from the other mages wondering how he had lost even when he had won. It was unfair how everyone was against him meanwhile they were nice to the weak. Maybe he was used to being treated like a god because of his powers I thought.

Aaron moved away from Joan when Gillfidorr joined in, the nature mage using his powers to heal the woman's wounds.

"I hope her wounds are not that serious," Aaron whispers.

"She's going to be fine. If she had not used her shadows in time to evade those shards, she would have been history," the nature mage explained before pushing his powers beyond his limits.

***

From his body I could see faint auras emanating, covering the entire hall in a blanket. For a moment I had not seen the weapons he had conjured, but when I did I knew what he was about to do.

Looking around, I found the crowd oblivious to the fact that he had created hundreds of sharp shards, pointing towards Aaron, Joan, Gillfidorr and the iron mage.

The Xaj had hypnotized everyone in the hall, blinding them from seeing his attacks and somehow I was the only one exempted from his trickery.

He waved his arms around preparing to launch the sharp weapons to the mages who were helping Joan up. Even if I screamed to get their attention, it would be too late. I had to act fast or there would be no one left alive in that box.

Standing up from the seat, I blitzed through the crowd gathering enough speed to push myself forward, reaching him just in time before he could will the weapons to his targets.

"Oh no you don't," I grunted, punching the Xaj across the jaw which had him flying into the high table, smashing it in the process.

Everyone jumped to their feet in reaction to my deed, glaring at me in shock.

"What did you do?" Aaron asked in disbelief.

Pointing to the mage who laid on the rubble bleeding from his face, I explained what he was trying to do.

"And your first thought was to hit an elder?" Joan spoke up from the ground.

"I was trying to protect you," I whispered. I didn't understand why somehow I had turned into the villain of this story but from the looks of things, I had committed a heinous crime which had harsh punishments.