R'lissea and Selena took to opposite sides of the fields, both holding their staff in hand. Fable padded next to R'lissea, sitting down on his haunches. His tail wagged, flattening the trim, ankle-length grass. He was still brimming with energy from the gate, and from our bond, I could tell he was anxious to let loose.
The sparring ground was bordered by a small grove of fruit trees. Shaded beneath their boughs was a fountain encircled by an arc of stone benches with a good view. Elise, Korra, and I sat together, while Aerion, the mages, and a dozen other elves who had somehow heard of the duel watched from the sidelines.
Selena changed a seventh-circle spell, erecting a translucent green barrier around the thousand-foot sparring field. Once it was finished, she nodded to Aerion.
