Chapter 8: The Duelling Competition

Lena and Jasmin woke up in their dormitory, feeling refreshed and energized. They got dressed and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. As they were eating, they overheard some older students talking about a duelling competition that was going to take place in Castlehaven.

Lena and Jasmin were intrigued, then Jasmin points towards the Wall behind them where other students were gathered around a board with a Wand flying above it sparking colourful sparks into the air, visually promoting the duelling competition.

As they approached the advertisement, they noticed several names already written on the sign-up sheet. After further analysis they also spot the rules and Lena starts to read them. "students can compete alone or in duo's and can use any spell that doesn't leave permanent damage that cannot be healed back by known magic."

Lena's eyes light up with excitement as she reads further, "there will be one round each and the winners advance and the losers are eliminated from the competition until only one student or duo remains and wins it all. Only students of the same year can compete against each other."

Lena looks at Jasmin excitedly and asks her if she wants to sign up together and Jasmin nods instantly "sure why not?" Jasmin says.

They added their own names to the list and turned around, only to bump into a tall, confident-looking girl with bright brown hair.

"Hey there," the girl said, grinning at them. "I see you're signing up for the duelling competition. My name is Rachel, and I'm a sixth-year student from the Earth House. I love seeing young first-year students like you compete in these events. It's always exciting to see new talent emerge."

Lena and Jasmin smiled nervously at Rachel, feeling a bit intimidated by her confident demeanor.

Just then, another student approached the group. He was tall and muscular with spiky black hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Hey there," he said, nodding towards Rachel. "I'm Daniel, a sixth-year student from the Storm House. I heard you were signing up for the duelling competition. You're brave to take on such a challenge as first-years."

Lena and Jasmin looked at each other, feeling even more nervous now that two older students had taken an interest in their participation. But they also felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of learning from more experienced students.

"Thanks for your encouragement," Lena said, trying to sound confident. "We're really looking forward to the competition, I'm just a bit scared, we haven't been educated about anything more than Protego and Expelliarmus."

Rachel and Daniel exchanged a knowing look, as if they could see right through the girls' nerves. "Well, we'd be happy to help you prepare," Rachel said, a glint of challenge in her eyes. "We've got a few tricks up our sleeves that we could teach you."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "That's true, we do have a few secrets up our sleeves. We could show you how to use a stinging curse on your opponent, or a hex to incapacitate him mid-duel. You might think it sounds scary, but trust me, once you get a grip on the basics and worked your way up, you'll find yourself duelling like a pro."

Jasmin couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of learning new spells. "That sounds amazing," she said eagerly. "When can we start?"

"How about tonight?" Rachel suggested, lowering her voice to ensure she wouldn't be overheard. "We could meet in the room behind the sleeping mage in the west of the castle after dinner. It's the perfect place to practice without being disturbed."

She added, "To gain access to the room, you'll need to say something with 'dream' in the sentence, like 'Am I dreaming?' or 'You must be dreaming,' or even 'I had a dream...'. This will wake up the wise mage from his eternal enchanted sleep, allowing the portrait to open and grant you passage into the Dreamweaver's Room."

"Sounds intriguing," Jasmin said, feeling a bit more confident now. "We'll be there, behind the sleeping mage's portrait."

"Just be careful not to be seen when entering. We want to keep this place as secret as possible. If you can, try to slip in unnoticed." Daniel mentions with a serious face before they parted ways.

Lena couldn't resist taking one more look at the sign-up sheet. She gasped when she saw Rachel and Daniel's names together on the list.

"Hey, Jasmin, look!" she exclaimed, pointing at the sheet. "Rachel and Daniel are competing as a pair."

Jasmin looked over and her eyes widened as she was inspecting the Leaderboards of the previous years. “Wow, they're a really strong team," she said, impressed. "They were on the top of the leader board in the 5th year, and the year before in the 4th year too."

They decided to go outside the castle again as they had no classes this morning. As Lena and Jasmin sit on the grassy area outside the castle, they talk excitedly about the upcoming duelling competition and the opportunity to learn from Daniel and Rachel, who must be quite skilled. They can't help but feel a mix of anticipation and nerves, wondering how well they'll perform under the guidance of the two sixth-year champions.

While they chat, they observe the scenery around them, taking in the sights and sounds of their magical surroundings. They notice the old tree in the distance, and their eyes are drawn to a group of students gathered near it. Among them, they spot Dante, his broad figure unmistakable even from afar. As they watch, a girl with long black hair joins the group. Lena and Jasmin can't quite make out her face, but there's something intriguing about her presence.

Later, as Lena and Jasmin enter the great hall for dinner, they are greeted by the warm, inviting atmosphere and the mouth-watering smells of the evening's meal. They make their way towards the Mist table, taking their seats and eagerly beginning to fill their plates with the delicious food. As they settle in, they glance across the hall and notice Dante at the Storm table.

As they ate and chatted with their friends, they couldn't help but overhear Dante's voice from the nearby Storm table. He seemed to be talking animatedly about something, and his friends were listening intently, occasionally nodding or responding with a comment.

Curiosity piqued, Lena and Jasmin tried to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation without being too obvious. They could only catch snippets of the discussion, but it seemed to revolve around the old tree, some recent discoveries they had made there, and the upcoming duelling competition.

The girls exchanged a look, wondering what Dante and his friends could be up to and if it had any connection to their earlier encounter at the old tree. They knew that they would soon be learning duelling spells from Daniel and Rachel, two skilled 6th-year duelling champions, in preparation for the competition. For now, they decided to keep their distance and focus on their own lives, but the curiosity about what was happening with Dante and his friends lingered in the back of their minds.

After dinner, the two girls got up and walked past the duelling competition board.

“Let me see quickly.” Lena says and walks towards the signup list.

“Belladonna Rosethorn is the partner of Dante in the duelling competition.” She explained as they left the dining Hall and made their way to the Dreamweaver's Room, a place that would become their secret spot for studying and practicing magic. They walked through the dimly lit corridors of the west wing of the castle, searching for the portrait of the sleeping mage as Rachel had instructed them.

Upon finding the portrait in a small room between two corridors, they exchanged a glance and Jasmin whispered, "Am I dreaming?" The wise old mage in the portrait stirred from his eternal enchanted sleep, his eyes opening just a fraction. As the portrait swung open, revealing a hidden entrance, Lena and Jasmin stepped swiftly through the doorway after making sure nobody was around to see them.

As they entered the Dreamweaver's Room, they were amazed by what they saw. The space was massive and had been transformed into a magical arena, complete with all the equipment they would need to practice duelling and offensive spells. The dream-like ambiance added an extra layer of enchantment to their secret practice space, with softly glowing lights, floating objects, and murals of mythical creatures adorning the walls.

In the middle of the room, Rachel and Daniel were waiting for Lena and Jasmin. They were both dressed in their duelling robes and had their wands at the ready.

"Welcome to the practice arena," Rachel said with a smile. "This is where we come to hone our skills and prepare for the competition. Now, let's get started."

They start with the Stupefy spell, showing the girls how to properly cast it and explaining its effects. They then move on to other spells like Confundo, Levioso, and finally finish off with Depulso.

During the lesson, Lena and Jasmin are able to see first-hand just how powerful Rachel and Daniel truly are. But they also realize that the pair know truly little about duelling, which makes them eager to learn more. But they all decide that it was enough for today and finished for the night.

Jasmin and Lena head back to their common room and talk about what they've learned.

"I can't believe how much power those two have," Jasmin says to Lena. "And they don't even seem to be using their full potential!"

"Neither do I," Lena answers, shaking her head. "they are really experienced and I enjoy learning from them a lot."

"Me too," Jasmin adds. "Daniel and Rachel have this ability to make you feel comfortable and relaxed around them, but at the same time they are super strong and knowledgeable. It's amazing! Also, I'm glad that you're interested in duelling because I want to become a great dueller like them. And we have to work hard if we ever hope to reach their level." she says and Lena smiles while agreeing with her. "We truly are Mist students. We are born to dedicate a lot and grow from it."

Lena and Jasmin are sitting together in their common room, talking for a long while about the duelling lesson they had earlier that evening before finally deciding to head into their dormitory and lay down on Jasmin's bed.

"I can't wait to start practicing with them," Lena says. "To be honest, I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to match their skill."

"Together we can achieve anything, Lena," Jasmin replies and pulls Lena close and moves the bed sheet over them.

The two girls are lying down, cuddling each other and talking until they fall asleep.