Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 7] Ch. 7 Quick Game

Dova

How did I get roped into this?

I stood beside the volleyball court as the referee and flipped a coin. It looked like Hyde and Julie's side was going to be serving first. Behind me the others cheered, and Flint bet on Sable and Minerva's side against... well nearly everyone else who cheered for Julie. She was very popular after all.

Hyde was up to serve first, so he took off his jacket and stretched his arm. When he took off the light jacket he was wearing to serve the ball, there were several cat calls from across the beach and from Constance, Nerys, and Hazel. Well... Constance told him to "take it all off" and she was swiftly dealt with by a whack from Raven's sheathed katana.

I'll admit that Hyde was handsome, but he didn't hold a candle to my Vlad...

Uhhh... did I just call him 'my Vlad'? I really like the sound of that. But I shook my head and went over the rules one more time.

"Okay, I want a fair game. Strengthening magic only, and it is allowed but only on yourself. No attack magic or using anything to influence your opponents or the ball. Hyde serves. Begin." I announce and Hyde nodded.

Hyde took a deep breath and threw the ball into the air. With a single peerless leap, he slapped the ball in the air in a perfect spiking serve.

Immediately after the serve the atmosphere and the opposite side changed completely. Minerva began steaming and her skin slightly flushed as her hair began waving from the heat coming off her body. Sable also changed as her body shimmered with red circuit lines that pulsed along her arms and legs. Sable moved with a splash of sand to receive the ball. Minerva set it while also kicking up some sand and then Sable hung in the air as a crater appeared between Hyde and Julie.

The ball spun inside the hole.

Faster than the eye could follow Minerva and Sable had perfectly received the ball and scored the first point.

"Um, one point to Sable's team." I announced.

Flint was the only one to make a noise as he whooped in victory.

Minerva and Sable high-fived creating an intentional shockwave.

"So that's how it is." Hyde smiled with an irritated vein popping in his forehead.

"That's how it is." Sable announced smugly.

"So much for holding back." Julie ran her fingers through her hair changing it from pink to white. Her ears also became longer and sharper while her tail split into three and they became fluffy.

"Damn, I really didn't want to do this." Hyde sighed. He held out his and an ice spike shot from the water into his hand... he didn't catch it. It skewered his hand and all he did was flinch slightly. There was a gasp from the crowd.

"No attack magic." I called.

"It's ritual blood magic, lady. The ball isn't even in play." He looked at me darkly. "My master taught me this in the southern ice caps. Excuse me, if I left my ceremonial dagger in my other pants." He pulled the ice chunk out without breaking eye contact. "The sorcerers love blood magic so this shouldn't be too shocking." He slapped his bloody hand against his chest and focused on drawing a circle around it with several symbols.

"That's the Advanced Acesed Rune." Nerys announced solidifying his claim. "We've learned it, but we don't actually cast blood magic with blood." She narrowed her eyes. Condemning his act. Is not all blood magic... blood magic?

"That's the nature of the beast. The only problem is that I have weak blood so it isn't as strong as it could be if I had Constance's blood." Hyde said as he marked his arms and legs with blood and then healed his hand with a flash of green light. "But I don't like being covered in other people's blood. Too many stupid questions."

Minerva was up to serve next she hit the ball so hard it steamed and created a shockwave. Hyde received it while creating two craters in the ground where his feet were standing. Three Julies chased the ball, but only one of them struck it as she spiked it straight down from the net.

"Hyde's team scores a point." I swallowed... was this entire match going to be like this?

I was a magus, sure, but these kids were putting me to shame with just their body strengthening magic. What the hell was with this generation?

*

"Sable's team wins." I announced.

Both sides were hot, sweaty, and drawing an audience. Just keeping up with how fast they were was a feat in and of itself, I guess the sharp vision I got from my avian heritage helped. Fortunately, it didn't last more than twenty minutes.

"Okay, as agreed. I'll let you hire me. But I don't come cheap." Hyde placed a hand on his hip and wiped the sweat from his brow with the other.

"I'm ready to negotiate." Sable pulled off her eyepatch and tried to shake out the sweat. After she seemed satisfied, she grabbed the net with both hands to hold herself up as she gasped for air but smiled triumphantly all the same... not as brightly as Flint who was smiling as he collected his winnings. I can't believe he bet against his own girlfriend.

"I want the Magic Knights to formally recognize the Sovereigns as an organization that are peers to the traditional ranking system at Hearthroam. I also want Sorcerers to be respected and recognized with the knightly orders. That's just the authorized back payment for this little game to draw out my potential. It's also the cost for revealing signature magic under the Warlock's code. As for the task involved, since I'm already contracted, I'll keep it simple and charge by the hour based on how long I'm required to be away from my prior master. Thirty silver per hour from the time the moment the contract is past from my current master till it's returned." Hyde recited his price like it had been practiced.

Sable's jaw dropped as she paled. "Isn't that a little unreasonable?"

"I don't think so. You're the only one who could possibly pay this price." Hyde answered in a matter of fact tone. "You won the ability to hire me. I warned I was expensive and named my price ahead of time which is more courteous than most warlocks. I'm truly at a disadvantage here." He shrugged his whole body as if he wasn't completely taking advantage of her.

"It's hard to believe you when you sound so smug." Sable sighed. "I think you overestimate my influence over the magic knights. And why do you want the Sovereigns and Sorcerers to be recognized, what does that do for you?"

"Explaining myself was never been part of the deal." He explained as he took all the wind out of her victory.