Chapter 17

As Nick thought, his training with Keith, and increased physical energy, allowed him to swiftly dispatch each first year that faced him. However, he was starting to realize he had one disadvantage compared to the others. While he had been using his powers for a week, the other first years had been using theirs for the past three months. As such, by the time he got to the final fight, he could keenly feel the strain from using so much physical energy.

"It's that time boys and girls, the final two fighters stand before you!" Keith was again in the ring with Nick. Across from him, the giant first year.

"For those of you who may have taken a hit or two too hard to the head, I'm going to reintroduce these two amazing first years!" Keith was energetic, he seemed to enjoy these fights. "To one side, this hulking mass of.... rippling muscles," he took a moment to look the giant up and down. "Marcus King!" The first years broke into cheers.

"And on this side," he motioned to Nick, "much easier on the eyes, in my opinion ladies," a wink from Keith, "my boy Nicky!" Silence. The first years really didn't like Nick. "Try not to get hit Nicky." Keith whispered as he started to walk towards the edge of the ring. He paused before exiting, waiting for Nick and Marcus to head to their corners.

Be careful Nick. Dagr's warning, so shortly after Keith's was a bit unsettling.

"Let's have us a show!" Keith jumped out of the ring, landing next to two females, and arm around each.

Nick! Dagr pulled his attention back in the ring, just in time. Even with his body coursing with physical fire, he barely had time to dodge Marcus's punch. The giant's fist passed where Nick's head had been moments before. Nick's head was still pulled to the side from the very force of the strike, and he quickly leapt away, knowing a punch from Marcus would end his hopes of placing first.

Marcus followed him, moving just as fast as Nick. He was different from the other first years Nick had fought. To make matters worse, he could feel the physical energy within him beginning to fluctuate, his body couldn't hold on much longer.

"I don't think I can win this." All he could focus on was keeping his distance from the giant, dodging each attack that came. The next attack came, a double fisted overhead smash, and Nick desperately pulled at his physical power.

For a moment, it seemed the fire within him roared, and Marcus's movements seemed to slow. As the double handed strike came, Nick moved underneath it, dropping to a knee as he formed a fist of his own. Then, pushing up with all the energy he could, he lifted his body and drove his fist into Marcus's elbow. It felt like Nick's fist hit a wall, but after a second, he could feel the poor first year's bone shattering. The shock wave from the connection caused the clothes of those outside the ring to ripple.

The giant first year stumbled away from Nick, his face a cross of pain and confusion, as his right arm hung limp. Even full of physical energy, a shattered bone would take time to heal. Nick had sustained injuries during that attack as well, but his were lesser, and they were already healing. The fire within him raged.

Without giving Marcus time to recover, Nick used his momentary surge of power to rush the fighter, raining down a flurry of blows upon him. Even though Marcus couldn't use his right arm to block, his left was doing a good job, and the hits that Nick was landing didn't seem to be doing much damage. He needed a strategy.

Nick remember how Naomi had attacked the giant from behind, and he tried to recreate that attack. However, Marcus circled with him as he tried to get past the giant's defense, and the second Nick thought he saw an opening to take, he realized it was a trap a moment too late.

Marcus shot forward, his right arm snaking out, and the giant gripped Nick's arm in a steel-like grasp. The brute smiled a wicked smile and squeezed. Nick's bones shattered.

"This is for Trent." Marcus growled, and Nick felt fear. At that moment, the thought to surrender crossed his mind, but even as he started to open his mouth, Naomi's face flashed before his eyes. He wanted to make her proud.

In that moment, the grip on his arm tightened, and suddenly, Nick's body was off the ground. Marcus whipped him around and flung him with terrifying speed towards the ground. There is a saying, that your life flashes before your eyes before you die, but to Nick, the world simply seemed to slow.

His eyes scanned the crowd, noting a bored look on Keith's face, like he wanted more. Naomi, standing next to him, seemed to be starring at Nick, urging him to do more. The pain in his arm was excruciating, and he could hardly feel the fire within.

"More power..." Nick uttered, his mind clouded, conscious fading as the earth approached. He tried to pull more, but something was blocking it.

Don't! Dagr's cry was urgent, but distant. In Nick's current state, he pushed it aside, and pulled down the wall. Light flowed inside of him, a swirling cascade of relentless power, and something in the back of his mind knew he had made a mistake.

A torrent of energy rushed through his body, and unable to contain it, it began to jump from his limbs. He could see energy crackling around him. At the same time, he became able to see the energy flowing through Marcus, a wave of blue seeming to wrap around the beast. Above him, Dagr glowed bright green.

Nicholas! He knew this energy was dangerous. Knew it would kill him, but he couldn't stop the flow. The energy continued to race into him, and as he fought it desperately, as the ground approached, he knew he was going to die one of two ways here.

In a moment of desperation, Nick summoned all the willpower he could, turning his fear and pain into resolve, and forced the energy from his body. For a moment the power seemed to refuse, but then it bent to his will, and it erupted from his body.

Nick felt fire, actual fire, engulf his body, followed by an invisible force that seemed to erupt all around him, and the energy that had once threated to consume him, exploded out of his body, sending Marcus flying away, and stopping Nick's rapid descent.

The moment the blast happened, Nick felt empty, as all his energy had been released in that moment. His body landed with a thud in a crater that had not been there a moment before. Nick closed his eyes, suddenly wanting nothing more than to drift into the darkness that was beckoning him.

Nick! Nick! Dagr's voice pulled him back from unconsciousness, and he opened his eyes lightly, watching the green dragon soar down to him.

"What.... what happened?" Nick's whole body hurt. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey him.

Never do something like that again! You and I are one! Dagr's voice was filled with frustration and pain.

"I'm sorry." He tried to move again, but he couldn't. The silence around him disturbed him, and he had to know what was going on. "Is the fight over?"

Yes. An image filled Nick's mind, and he realized Dagr was sharing it with him. He could see his body, scorched and bent in an awkward way, crumpled in a crater. The entire ring was blackened, and Nick could see Marcus's body, unmoving, on the other side of the ring. Smoke was rising from his body, his chest barely moving. At least the giant had survived.

"You my friend, are full of surprises." Keith was suddenly above him, a grin all the way across his face.

"What," Nick coughed, "what do you mean?"

Keith started laughing, picking Nick up as he did. "Whatever that last thing you did was buddy, you won." Pain shot through Nick as Keith started to move him, overcoming any joy he would have felt about that fact. "We can chat later though...I think you need to see Alanna before you go and die on me." Keith's laughter was the last thing Nick heard, before the darkness finally swallowed him up.