Adrian

Adrian got back to the Melee Grounds where he found his bed comfily awaiting him. He put his equipment to the side and flipped off the lights.

Today was exhausting. he thought. Maybe tomorrow will be better once i get my last test out of the way and go to the Academy to practice magic.

Adrian smiled at the thought. Magic was, after all, his favorite thing to study.

Ever since he was a kid, he had wanted to learn more about magic, which is how he knew more magic than anyone in the melee grounds.

Any free time he had, he pulled out a spellbook from his begginners magic class and studied, he had even made his own spells, like the one to freeze time.

He also studied more advanced magic in the library every once and a while, which is how he learned to make his own spells.

Adrian's eyes got heavy as he drifted off into sleep. His eyelids came down and darkness became his vision. His hearing was his prime instinct to know what was going on around him.

Then, nothing.

********************

Adrian woke up the next morning and put on his equipment and gear; right on time for breakfast. He was used to getting up around 7 every morning for his warm up sessions with his melee teacher, Eclaven, since he had been doing it for 10 years.

Adrian took some of the fried ham and bacon and went to an empty lunch table to sit down and eat before his warm up sessions like usual.

The ham melted in his mouth for he hadnt had any supper the day before and was starving, and the greasy bacon crunched in his mouth as it produced a bit of a salty greasy flavor.

Adrian took up his tray and headed off towards the warm up grounds.

Beside the warm up grounds he looked to see an elf from the female part of the academy fighting a her human trainer, who seemed to have less endurance than her for the human was sweating.

The elf slashed upward with her katana and the human fell to the ground, very thankful for his protective gear.

"That's enough Nanisha! I can not keep up with you!" the human trainer announced to the female elf.

Nanisha sheathed her sword and walked off, leaving her trainer panting on the ground.

Adrian looked ahead to see his teacher Eclaven waiting for him to join in.

"Are you ready to fight me, Adrian? It seems this is to be your big day; the day you pass your final test and finally join the Academy." Eclaven said.

"I don't know, I am a bit nervous still, but that will be enough to subdue you." Adrian joked.

Adrian finished putting on his protective gear and he took his padded sword and quickly started slashing at his awaiting teacher.

Eclaven started blocking all of Adrian's quick slashes and started going over all the rules of the warm up round, since he was required to.

Adrian started to move faster once Eclaven was finished with telling him the rules once again. His padded blade came down to collide with Eclaven's blade.

Eclaven side stepped after the parry and jumped up into the air, slashing downwards.

Adrian took his sword high and blocked, he went into a crouch and then disappeared from Eclaven's sight.

Eclaven landed and put his sword behind his back like knew that Adrian had come up behind him due to his extreme agility.

Adrian came in a crouch still and sliced upward instead of his usual downward and caught Eclaven by surprise.

Eclaven felt the pressure on his knee, then it was too late.

Adrian downed Eclaven and brought his padded sword up to his neck.

"That's how it's done!" Adrian told Eclaven.

Adrian brought his sword back up from his teacher's neck.

"Very unexpected, and lucky." Eclaven told him. "If any other enemy were fighting you they surely would have seen that comming, but you usually attack me from the back which is why I blocked from the back. I did not expect you to change it up a bit."

Adrian shook his head.

"You're just jealous that I tricked you so that I could subdue you faster, there's no remorse in winning faster so that I can take my test sooner!" Adrian stated.

"True, but you need to warm up before your final test, it may not be as easy as it seems. Your last test will of been easier than your next. That, I am certain." Eclaven said. "There are no rules for your next match."

Adrian thought about it for a moment, he truely did not know what could be more powerful than a lizard creature. Maybe this one could do spells?

"I am ready, Eclaven." Adrian said.

Eclaven nodded slowly and escorted him to the Melee grounds, they entered the arena and Adrian took off his padding and took a couple practice swings on a dummy.

The announcer came on and said a few words to make the crowd cheer as Adrian started walking towards the arena doors to await his cue.

"Welcome one and all to the arena! This match will determine an outcome which will lead to the victor's advancement to the academy!" the announcer said. "Today, we will be trying a new tactic, we will be having two students fight each other; this will be a fight to the death!"

Adrian laughed as he waited for his door to open.

This will be a piece of cake, none of the students are as good as I am, Adrian thought to himself with confidence. They probably won't even last one minute before I destroy them.

The announcer finished explaining to the crowd about there not being any rules.

"Now, let the students fight." the announcer finished.

The crowd started cheering extremely loud as the door to the area opened, waiting for Adrian and the other contestant to enter.

Adrian's instinct kicked in as his keen senses started to block out all unwanted sounds and only listened for his enemy.

Adrian took a step into the arena, and on the other side, he saw his enemy.

His enemy was Nanisha.