The Celestars crested the final hill into Gladefen as the sun dipped low, painting the town's ivy-covered rooftops in hues of gold and rose. Gladefen was a lively hill-town, its winding streets alive with the scent of magical herbs—lavender that hummed softly, sage that flickered with faint embers. Traders bartered over glowing bundles in the bustling plaza, where a rune-carved dueling platform pulsed with golden light, enchanted to absorb harmful spells and ensure safe, friendly matches. Novice guilds gathered here, resting between journeys or testing their skills in spirited duels.
The boys, dusty from their trek through Whispergrove, felt the town's energy wash over them. Tofu, Iuro's glowing bug, flitted around his head, casting tiny sparks. Rick stretched, his blue hair flopping over his violet eyes. "Food. Beds. Actual people. I'm in love already."
Iuro plucked a stray leaf from his green hair. "Smells like a garden had a party. I'm home."
Yuuv yawned, his bell wand swaying loosely. Ding~. "It's… cozy. Like a blanket made of light."
Ishi's dark eyes scanned the crowd. "Too many wands. Stay alert."
Lui adjusted his ruby-hilted sword. "He's right. Novice towns breed bravado. Let's keep it low-key."
Izumi, flipping through his travel log, nodded. "Gladefen's herb trade is unmatched, and its dueling platform is famous. Safe, but the rivalries aren't."
They settled at a food stall under a patchwork awning, its counter piled with herb-stuffed flatbreads and crystalized honey tarts. The boys sprawled on benches, bags at their feet. Rick grabbed a tart, grinning. "This is my soulmate now."
"Already cheating on Sir Crumbs-a-Lot?" Iuro teased, tossing Tofu a crumb.
"Sir Crumbs was a snack. This is a lifestyle," Rick said, biting into the tart with a dramatic flourish.
The plaza hummed with activity. Novice guilds mingled, some practicing spells, others swapping tales over spiced tea. Nearby, a group in amber cloaks—Ambergrove Tides, their badges read—lounged at a table, wands tucked into belts. One mage, a lanky boy with a mop of brown hair, twirled a wand carved with swirling grain patterns, looking more like a baker's rolling pin than a mage's tool.
Rick, mid-chew, snorted. "Yo, is that guy's wand ready to bake bread or cast spells?"
The mage's head snapped up. "Say that again, blue-hair?"
Rick grinned, undeterred. "Just saying, your wand looks like it's kneading dough for the festival. Got a loaf recipe to share?"
Iuro stifled a laugh, Yuuv's bell chimed softly, and the Ambergrove mage's face flushed. "This is grain-carved amberwood, punk. What's yours, a fishbone?"
"Pure aqua finesse, my friend," Rick said, twirling his sleek blue wand. "Bet it could out-drench your bakery stick, haha just kidding, nice to meet you."
The other Ambergrove Tides members stood, some smirking, others glaring. Their leader, a tall girl with sharp amber eyes and a wand etched with tide-like swirls, stepped forward. "Back off," she said coolly. "You don't know who you're mocking."
Rick raised his hands, still smiling. "All in good fun, boss lady. No beef here."
Lui stood, his red eyes steady. "He means no harm. Let's keep the peace."
The crowd began to murmur, sensing a spark. Before anyone could cool things down, a flash of feathers swooped onto the dueling platform—a bird-like mage in iridescent robes, his voice amplified by a charm. "Oho! Trouble in Gladefen! Challenge registered! Duel guild match—Celestars vs. Ambergrove Tides! One round per member!"
The crowd erupted, clinking mugs and shouting bets. The platform's runes flared, casting a warm glow. Rick blinked. "Uh, did I just start a war?"
"You started a show," Izumi said, snapping his logbook shut. "Hope you're ready to back it up."
The Ambergrove leader, Kaelis, crossed her arms. "Six rounds, one-on-one. Platform rules—no lethal spells, runes handle the rest. You in?"
Lui glanced at his team, then nodded. "We're in."
As the Celestars approached the platform, a girl in a green cloak with a silver ribbon in her violet hair stepped forward. She carried a wand tipped with a tiny crystal that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. "You're the Celestars," she said, her voice calm but curious. "I'm Liora, daughter of Gladefen's head. That was… an interesting entrance."
Izumi tilted his head, his gray eyes meeting hers briefly. "We didn't plan on a duel, but we'll see it through. You a duelist too?"
Liora shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "I prefer watching. Keeps me out of trouble." She gestured to the platform. "Good luck. You'll need it."
Yuuv's bell chimed softly. Ding~. Liora glanced at him, amused, then nodded at Izumi. "Your friend's wand is… unique."
"He's unique," Izumi said, a faint warmth in his tone.
Liora nodded, stepping back into the crowd, her cloak blending with the herb stalls. The platform's runes pulsed, signaling the first round. The bird-mage announcer flapped dramatically. "Round one! Celestars' Iuro vs. Ambergrove Tides' Vren!"
Iuro stepped onto the platform, his green hair catching the sunlight, wand raised. Vren, the lanky boy with the grain-carved wand, smirked. "Ready to get flattened, plant boy?"
Iuro grinned. "Only if you've got good compost."
The whistle blew. Vren struck first, his wand glowing golden. "Grain Pulse!" A swarm of glowing wheat-like motes surged forward, each one humming with kinetic force, like tiny hammers aimed at Iuro.
Iuro's green eyes glowed, his passive ability tracking the motes' paths. "Verdant Shield!" Vines wove from his wand, forming a dense barrier that absorbed the motes with soft thuds. The crowd cheered as the vines shimmered, their leaves pulsing with green light.
Vren twirled his wand. "Flour Burst!" A cloud of glowing dust exploded outward, obscuring the platform and stinging the air with static. Iuro coughed, but his vines twisted instinctively. "Bloom Lash!" A glowing vine whipped through the dust, wrapping Vren's arm and tugging him forward.
Vren stumbled, his wand sparking. "Not bad!" He slammed his wand down. "Rye Surge!" Glowing stalks shot up, their tips sharp as needles, aiming for Iuro's legs.
Iuro leaped, vines coiling around him like a living cloak. "Petal Storm!" A flurry of glowing petals swirled from his wand, slicing through the stalks and enveloping Vren in a disorienting cloud. The platform's runes flared, signaling a hit.
"Winner: Iuro of Celestars!" the announcer squawked.
Iuro waved, Tofu buzzing proudly above him. The crowd roared, and Liora, from the sidelines, clapped lightly, her eyes flicking to Izumi as he nodded approvingly at Iuro.
"Round two!" the announcer called. "Celestars' Rick vs. Ambergrove Tides' Myra!"
Rick bounded onto the platform, twirling his wand. "Time to make a splash!"
Myra, a short girl with braided hair and a wand etched with shell-like patterns, smirked. "You're all talk, blue-hair."
The whistle blew. Myra's wand glowed pale blue. "Clam Bind!" A stream of pearlescent bubbles shot forward, each one hardening into a clamp-like shell on contact, aiming to trap Rick's arms.
Rick's violet eyes gleamed, his passive ability reading the bubbles' flow. "Jet Veil!" A spinning disc of water erupted from his wand, shattering the shells into harmless mist. The crowd gasped as the water sparkled under the platform's runes.
Myra pressed forward. "Pearl Barrage!" Glowing orbs, like polished pearls, launched from her wand, each one bursting with a concussive pulse on impact.
Rick dodged, grinning. "Fancy marbles, huh?" He spun his wand. "Cascade Bloom!" A swirling pillar of water rose, catching the pearls and redirecting them into a dazzling spiral. Myra faltered, her wand wavering, and Rick clapped his hands. "Wave Pulse!" A rippling shockwave of water surged, pushing Myra to the platform's edge. The runes flared.
"Winner: Rick of Celestars!"
Rick bowed theatrically, winking at the crowd. "Told ya my finesse beats bakery wands!"
Liora, watching from a nearby stall, laughed softly, catching Izumi's eye as he adjusted his katanas. "Your friend's got spirit," she said, passing him to grab a tart from the stall.
Izumi nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Round three!" the announcer shouted. "Celestars' Ishi vs. Ambergrove Tides' Torren!"
Ishi stepped onto the platform, shadow daggers forming in his hands. Torren, a stocky boy with a wand carved with honeycomb patterns, grinned. "Let's see if you can dodge this, shadow boy."
The whistle blew. Ishi vanished into a shadow pool, his black eyes glowing. Torren's wand flared golden. "Honey Trap!" A sticky, glowing syrup sprayed across the platform, hardening into amber-like threads that clung to everything.
Ishi reappeared, his daggers slicing through the threads. "Fang Pierce!" A beast-shaped shadow lunged, but Torren was ready. "Nectar Swarm!" A cloud of glowing, bee-like sparks buzzed forward, each one stinging with tiny shocks.
Ishi's passive ability let him track the swarm's chaotic paths. He melted into the shadows, reappearing behind Torren. "Shade Claw!" Shadow talons grazed Torren's arm, forcing him to drop his wand. The runes flared.
"Winner: Ishi of Celestars!"
The crowd went wild. Liora, now holding a tart, nodded at Izumi. "You've got a sharp team. My father will want to meet you after this."
Izumi tilted his head. "Your father?"
"Head of Gladefen," she said, taking a bite of her tart. "He loves a good show. And you're giving one."
As the Celestars regrouped, Kaelis approached, her amber eyes narrowed but respectful. "You're tougher than you look. But we've got three more rounds."
Lui nodded. "Bring it."
The sun sank lower, casting long shadows across Gladefen. The duels were only half done, and the plaza buzzed with anticipation, the air thick with the scent of herbs and the hum of magic.