Horta: Tower Trail

His arm was dislocated.  Horta tried his best not to show his opponent just how painful that was.  It was certainly a good thing it was his right arm.  The edge of the tower's roof was just behind him as his hand went up to his shoulder unbidden.  'Yield,' ordered Mantar as he flung another blasting spell at him.

Rolling away, he returned fire with one of his own spells, mist slowly sank over them, making the battle almost impossible to be seen by any of the onlookers.  Well, for the non-magical ones, anyway...but they weren't important.  He was aiming to impress the magic users in the crowd, not mere peons!  'Yield, I say!' insisted Mantar again, 'I don't want to hurt you, Brother.'

Concentrating for just a moment, Horta sent a spray of vines at the younger boy.  His green hair wiping about him so feverishly that a distinct crackle came as he started his onslaught of spells.  He heard the unmistakeable grunt from Mantar that he'd taken the blow full on.  In a matter of moments, Horta, one of the youngest apprentice mages in the academy, stood over the wood-bundled form of his opponent, his arm hanging limply at his side.

The mist vanished with a quick flick of his hand and he went over to the bundle of vines and leaves, 'Yeild, Mantar,' he echoed the boy's earlier words, 'I don't want to hurt you either.'

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'You are quite rash,' commented the woman as she brushed a few remaining wisps of fog out of her way.  '...Far better qualified to study Potions than Illusionry....'

Horta crossed his arms and looked at the woman.  She couldn't be much older than himself, 'It would keep me from the field of battle and you are not looking for potionmakers.'

She nodded quietly as she motioned for him to come with her, 'We have been watching you for longer than you know, young Horta.'

They made their way towards the narrow stairs that led back down into the tower.  It seemed rather mundane for them to take such a walk, but Horta wasn't going to say as much to her.  It could jeopardize his chances at this job.  '...So do I get the position or not?'

Laughter came for the woman as she gently nudged him as they slipped down the dangerously narrow walkway.  Horta stumbled in surprise and his feet landed on nothing.

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It took all of Horta's will not to retaliate as he sent a wind behind him to bowl him back onto the steps.  To his surprise, the woman was watching him in a complete different manner than what she had been.  'Resourceful.'

She handed him a small scroll and walked away, not even bothering to apologize.  'So...' There was no one that he was speaking to as he slowly made his way after the woman, '...did I make it?'