[Overdriven]

“You’ve gotten us lost, haven’t you?” Cassandra said, her tone making plain the number of choice words she had neglected in her accusation.

“Of course not, your Royal Highness. I am merely utilizing another route.” Aiden replied, a smirk of mischief upon his face.

“Right. We’re lost.” The Princess sighed. “And I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Isn’t it your title? Or would you prefer perhaps Divine Princess? Perhaps Your Holy Majesty? Oh, I like that one!”

“Do you never shut up?”

“Thank you, I’ll be here all night!”

The Spellsword would be shocked to find out that his words would not carry an ounce of truth to them soon enough.

They had entered a rather large copse of trees just as the second sun set over the country of Aeslia. Together, The Princess and the Sorceror, they had journeyed for just over a week, and had complete most of the trek to safe land. There had been assassins and soldiers on their trail the entire time, but they hadn’t yet come close to being captured. If nothing else, they were a resilient pair.

Aiden led the way, cutting and bashing his way through the underbrush with a short sword. They still had quite a walk left before they would exit the forest and get some rest, and already darkness was descending on the land. The mage picked up the pace. Chopping and driving ahead in silence now, he was aware of sweat glistening on his forehead. They traveled in silence for a spell, concentrating on their footing and navigating through the growing dark.

Until it was no longer dark, and there no longer woods to struggle through.

“Aiden?” The Princess asked, in an uncharacteristic use of his first name.

The Spellsword turned in a complete circle, sword in hand, to take in their new surroundings. They were in a room of the purest white he had ever seen. The likes of which no amount of cleaning would bring about. The only explanation for such a sudden transportation was one Aiden was quite aware of, and one he felt none of here.

“I feel no residual Arcana.” He said suspiciously. “We weren't brought here by any magical means I am aware of.”

“I don’t feel it either. But how else? And where are we?”

“You are here.”

Aiden jumped a little at the disembodied voice, eyes darting left and right in search of the source. He saw nothing but white. Cassandra drew up closer to him, her hand resting on the handguard of her rapier. Both were always ready for a battle.

“Where is here?” Aiden asked, eyebrows narrowed.

“A better question would be ‘Why are we here?’”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why are we here?”

“You’re here to fight.”

Aiden glanced at Cassandra, who in turned nodded, all bantering gone between the two for a moment. He smirked at the slightly younger girl, before turning his gaze toward the pure white ceiling.

“Very well then. Come out and we’re happy to oblige.”

A sharp, twittering laughter surrounded them, its quality almost childlike. Aiden lowered his body slightly, eyes searching the room for an evidence of an attack.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The voice came, still chuckling. “You are not here to fight us. You are here to entertain us. Welcome to the Tournament of Arms.”

“We don’t have time for this.” Cassandra said to Aiden, before shouldering past him and repeating herself, louder this time. “We do not have time for this.”

“You must make time, Princess.”

“How do you know me?”

“We know a great deal. We know you care more for your people than anything else. We also know you wouldn’t dare let them come unto harm.”

“You couldn’t…”

“We had no problem bringing both of you to us. It would be just as simple to pull a kingdom into the stars.”

“Why would you do that?”

“There must be blood, Princess. Shed by the two of you, or taken from your people. In the end the choice is yours.”

For Cassandra the choice was simple. She had no problem sacrificing her life for her people. It was a fate she had prepared herself for since birth. Of course, she would much rather live. The one factor in the equation these beings didn’t count on, however, was her companions willingness to risk his life for her and her country. Cassandra cast a glance back at Aiden, her eyes making plain her intentions. He met her with a genuine smile and a glint in his eyes.

“Let’s do this.”

As he said it, the mage began a series of small movements in the air in front of him. The drawing of such sigils in the air required a deal of concentration that required him to sheath his short sword. He was efficient at it though, and was halfway finished before they were once again moved instantly from one point to another.

From white room to blue sky.

Aiden was concentrating so hard on his sigils that he didn’t even have a chance to take in their new surroundings. However, Cassandra was acutely aware. Even as the Battle Mage completed his runic drawing in the air, the Princess dropped to a crouch, one arm instinctively snaking around his right leg for support.

Glancing down, Aiden was quite surprised that they were on what could only be a cloud. He had never seen one from anywhere but on solid ground, and the view from atop one was stunning. They were high enough in the air that his breathing suffered slightly, but not enough for discomfort. As the young man took in the amount of clouds, and the strange fact that they could stand on them with no difficulty, he smirked down at the woman he was tasked to protect.

“Uncomfortable with heights Highness?”

“Only when I’m at a height no human should reach.”

“Again, I sense no Arcana in this.” Aiden said, frowning. “In fact, I am quite sure we’re not in Aeslia anymore. I don’t feel The Spark here.”

“Does this mean you can’t use Arcana?” Cassandra asked, as she tentatively rose to her feet, testing how solid the footing on the clouds was.

“No, I should have no problem. I draw most of it out of myself."

Cassandra turned away from Aiden, and he could tell by the way she stiffened that they weren’t alone. He turned slowly, not wanting to come across as openly hostile, and was quite shocked at what he saw. A man stood a distance away from them, on the cloud as well. He was dressed in clothes the like Aiden had never seen, and looked grizzled and strong. However, it wasn’t this man that drew his attention.

Floating not far from the stranger was a large sluglike creature, held up by means that Aiden couldn’t decipher. The creature didn’t look menacing, but the Spellsword felt that underestimating such a strange beast would be his downfall. Putting on a genuine smile, Aiden nodded directly at the man across from him.

“Would I be correct to assume you were transported here as well,” Aiden said, letting his left hand fall onto the hilt of the longsword at his left side. “And that you’re our first opponent in this “Tournament?”

Aiden knew what he had to do, and was fully prepared to do it. He’d let them say their peace, and then he’d have no choice but to fight on. Eloquent as he was, the young mage much preferred to settle things with actions instead of words. If taking out this man and slug-thing meant he and the Princess would get back to their own world, he would no hesitate. Not for an instant.