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Vi glared across the battlefield at her opponent. It had been a long competition. Dozens of other summoners had come before, gathered their and put up defences beyond imagination.
Lord Jayce of Talis had marshalled his forces of holy knights, only to see them driven before a horde of fire breathing drakes.
The forest witch Mel, had summoned the most powerful beasts of the land, but even her swarm of enhanced squirrels had been no match for Vi's army of goblins and fire elementals.
In this tournament of champions, even Vi couldn't let her sister be granted mercy. The dread necromancer, Jinx, seventh of her name, had been a difficult challenge, but even her mastery of the dead became a mastery of ash as waves of fire burned down every zombie as soon as it crawled from the grave.
It had all brought her to this.
To the Fay Enchantress, Lady Caitlyn of Piltover.
***
“You're doing it again.”
“What?”
“You're getting all caught up in your narrative and forgetting that it's your turn.”
“I am not!”
***
Of all the casters in this competition, the Enchantress was the one to watch, her mastery of magic had meant that at every turn, she dictated the terms of battle, she alone was the one who had final authority of any spells cast before her.
Well no more. On countless other occasions, Vi had tried her best, but her mastery of fire and the elements had been defused and sent back by the woman before her. Today would be different.
Casting her armoured fist before her, Vi sent the command to one soldier among her army of goblins. Knowing her will implicitly, the goblin conjured its own ball of fire and hurled it up to the High Enchantress, standing regally amongst her floating waterfalls.
***
“In response, your Goblin Fire-lobber gets sent back to your hand.”
“What- Why?!”
“Dissipation Field.”
“Fuck!”
***
The Pyromage glared as the goblin evaporated into the wisps of mana it had been called from. Of course the Enchantress controlled her battlefield with spells that lingered, triggered by Vi's every move or plan of attack. That was fine. Vi had known it would come to this, and she had purposefully handicapped herself with her spell book today, just because of the chance of facing her rival again.
Looking up, Caitlyn still had two of her waterfalls unchanneled, dripping with magical energy that she could use to counteract Vi's magics. The red headed woman only needed a little of her own reserves of power. Summoning fire from the volcanoes and mountains at her back, Vi started crafting the arcane energies into the shape of a vast fire breathing dragon, one that was a threat to the small gathering swarm of Caitlyn's flying sprites.
***
“Counterspell.”
“But-”
“Yes, I know what you were going to do, I'm not going out like Jayce did. Counterspell.”
***
The last of the blue haired mage's energy was used to disrupt Vi's summoning, just as the flame haired mage had planned. Now that she had no reserves left, Vi's plan could kick in. She drew some of the remaining natural magic from the two volcanoes behind her and let the mana shift and crystallise until her own enchantment flittered in the air before her. One that would slowly force the Enchantress to either sacrifice her spells, or take damage from Vi's spell instead.
***
“You've not played that one before.”
“I haven't?”
“No. I think I'd remember you having an 'Enchanter's Bane' in your deck.”
“Huh, must have been a spur of the moment thing.”
***
The blue haired mage was frowning, snapping through her spell book as she tried to come up with something, anything she could do about Vi's enchantment. The Enchantress was so used to duelling Vi the fire tempered, that the idea that Vi could strategize, or come up with something she hadn't expected, seemed to frustrate the Enchantress more than the spell itself.
***
“Fine, I'll get rid of my Field”
“Aww, sorry to see it go.”
“You'll be sorrier when I cast Temporal Cleansing and bounce- “
“Counterspell.”
“What?!”
***
Vi had known it had been worth it. It had been worth suffering the indignities of an early lead from Jayce, or the sympathy from Mel, or the mocking laughter of her sister. It had been worth going up against all of those mages with a spellbook designed purely to confront and challenge one other summoner.
Her spell slinging had prevailed in the end, and the Druid, Mel, had given the Pyromage a very knowing look when they'd been having a discussion after their duel. Vi was sure the other summoners were already mocking her for her focus, but it was worth it for the look of shock and outrage on her rival's face as Vi conjured a bolt of pure fire energy and shot it forward, shattering the complicated spell Caitlyn had been crafting.
***
“You really ran Red Elemental Blast?”
“Yup.”
“Even though I'm the only mono-blue player in this tournament.
“Yup.”
“So you put that in there just to fuck with me.”
“Maybe.”
“I hate you.”
***
Vi watched as her rival began channelling the remaining mana from her islands, drawing up more sea spirits and sprites. The Enchantress looked frustrated. Frustrated, but still one of the most beautiful people Vi had ever duelled.
They'd been doing this together since they first had encountered each other at the duelling club in their arcane academy. While their studies had been stressful, and they had started off as rivals, constantly battling for the number one spot, over time their matches and fights had become a source of comfort for the flame haired mage and, much to Vi's surprise, it had seemed to become a source of enjoyment for the Enchantress too.
They now found themselves duelling alongside each other as much as they did against each other, frequently defending their reputations against any who would come before them.
***
“And that's my turn, Vi?”
“She's doing the thing again.”
“She's been doing it all game, Powder.”
“I told you! It's Jinx! The dread necromancer queen!”
“And you wonder why she still plays like this.”
***
Their rivalry had bloomed even more once they both graduated, both of them finding that their friendship had evolved beyond rivals, beyond friends, into something that warmed Vi's heart more than any volcano, more than any fire pit or lava pool.
Years after their first meeting, they now shared a lab, testing magical spells with each other, learning from each other, but sharing their lives together as well, each of them savouring the time they spent with each other.
But even years later, even after more duels than VI could count, the Fay Enchantress was still her rival, still the goal, still the one she aspired to beat. An official tournament like this would be the perfect opportunity to catch Caitlyn off guard.
With the winds of magic at her back, Vi once again called on the fires and mana of the volcanoes surrounding her, bringing forth a small horde of angry creatures, each of them chattering loudly, but with only one goblin who mattered, only one who the fire mage's entire future relied on.
***
“So finally coming down to swarm me?”
“Hey, whatever works, Cupcake.”
“That's never worked and you know it.”
“You always underestimate red decks.”
“Then surprise me.”
***
With her magics conjured and creatures still readying themselves to attack, Vi watched as the Enchantress once more let her carefully crafted spells fade from the battlefield, rather than taking the damage from Vi's earlier spell.
The flame haired mage had exhausted all of her summoning spells, she had a storm of volcanoes behind her, enough that if she could survive this next wave of attacks, she could channel the three spells she had remaining in her book. It all depended on if she could survive this next strike.
“Do your worst Enchantress, I am ready for anything you can throw at me! This shall be the day I defeat you!”
***
“You are such a nerd.”
“You love it.”
“You're lucky I do.”
“Bring it on, Cait”
***
The Enchantress was not one to lose easily, she never had been. Even when they'd first met, when both were early in their journey to becoming the formidable spell casters they both now were, Caitlyn's skill with precise spell craft and timing had been one that had won her the respect in many of their duelling societies. When she and her liegeman, Sir Talis, were often teaming up against Vi and her sister, the Dread Jinx (Who was far too young at that point to be a member of the spellcasting society but made up for it with enthusiasm.) It had almost always come down to the Pyromage and Enchantress. They alone were left at the end, battling with a fierce determination that had become the thing of legend in their duelling club.
To hear Jinx's young squire, Isha, tell of it. Stories of their duels were still told at the club and were the stuff of legend.
Before Vi, the Enchantress began conjuring magics, burning through almost all of her reserves of mana and water magic to enhance her small army of sprites, birds and watery creatures. In a straight match, the Enchantress' thralls would be no match for Vi's army of drakes and goblins, but with Caitlyn empowering them, it would be closer.
As the wave of attackers surged towards her, Vi started directing her forces, sending almost all of her creatures out, blocking any of the swarm's damage from reaching her. Vi's minions matched each of Caitlyn's except for one. The flame haired mage cast a look down at the field before her.
The red headed woman could stop the last of the attackers, she could nullify this swarm, but doing so would ruin her plan, it would mean sacrificing the goblin she had worked so hard to hide from the Enchantress' attention. And if it meant that Vi had to take the damage herself, then so be it.
***
“Okay, so all of those are blocked except for your Elusive Otter. So I take, shit, 6 damage, taking me down to 1 life point.”
“You're not blocking with your Bazaar Trader?”
“Crap, I forgot I had him.”
“I keep telling you that you get too deep with your fantasy version of this. You need to concentrate.”
***
Vi's plan was secure and the Enchantress had no idea. Everything she planned had brought her to this, not only did she have to battle through her rivals with a deck specifically built to target the Enchantress, but she'd had to do it with this combination of extra cards-SPELLS! Extra Spells in her library so Vi could finally surprise the Enchantress once and for all.
With a dismissive wave of her hand, the Enchantress passed the turn over to Vi. Now was the moment, now was what she'd done all this for.
Conjuring the magic from one of her smaller volcanoes before her, Vi shaped the energy until it became a small ring of fire, perfectly formed, little bigger than the palm of her hand. A Sol Ring. An ancient spell, one almost forgotten by time. One which was only allowed in her spell library today due to the rules of this destined duel.
Vi released the small flaming ring from her hand, letting it float in the space between them.
***
“A Sol Ring? Why?”
“All part of the plan, Cupcake.”
***
The Enchantress frowned. It looked like this ancient magic had confused her, caught her off guard, a state Vi knew from experience that Caitlyn hated to be in.
The flame haired mage cast a glance down at the remaining goblin. It held a palm outstretched and was waiting patiently. Casting one last look at the azure haired mage opposite, Vi laid the ring in the outstretched palm and gave the goblin a gentle tap on his head, sending him scurrying over to Caitlyn.
***
“I don't understand.”
“Bazaar Trader, Tap, target player gains control of target artifact I control.”
“But why are you giving me your Sol Ring.”
***
Vi stayed silent, watching the bafflement on the other mage's face. The Enchantress was staring down at the offered artifact, at the goblin, then back at Vi.
The Pyromage had been duelling for close to ten years now, she'd gone against mages that people referred to as champions, ones whose names were known throughout the world. She'd gotten to the finals of other championships and won, and none of those had ever made her heart beat like this spell, like waiting to see what the Enchantress would do.
Cackling around her, the mad laughter of the dread necromancer Jinx echoed through the skies above, almost shaking Vi's concentration.
***
“You fucking nerd. This?! This is how you're doing it?”
“Shut up, Pow.”
“I knew you were bad, but this!?”
“I don't understand.”
“Caitlyn, she's offering you a fucking ring.”
“Oh.”
***
The Pyromage stared up at her beloved. It felt like every part of her body was frozen, like she was locked in stasis, waiting for the mage's reaction, waiting to see if the Enchantress felt the same way.
With delicate hands, the blue haired mage reached down to the goblin and plucked the flaming ring from his palm. Vi watched as the goblin scampered back to her side of the battlefield, she could imagine the nervous look he was sending her, but in the Pyromage's head, nothing existed but the Fay before her.
The Enchantress stared at the conjured ring for long moments. To Vi, it seemed to stretch forever. Then, for the first time in all of these mental battles, the Enchantress herself spoke.
“Pyromage, in our many battles over the years, as rivals, as enemies, as friends, and as lovers.” There was that cackle on the wind again. “In all the times we've had together, on the duelling field and off it, I never dreamed there would be one so brazen, so brave and so loving, that would capture my heart in such a way. On the field, and away from it, you make my life more interesting, you bring chaos to my order in a way I never knew I needed.”
The Pyromage had always wondered what the Enchantress' voice would sound like, but in the end, nothing in her wildest imagination could prepare her for the slightly lilting, delicate voice that almost seemed to lean into an accent from long ago.
“With this, you grant me the means to your destruction, and you grant me my greatest hope and wish. And for once, these are two separate things, and not one and the same.”
***
“Oh my god, she's just as bad as Vi!”
“Powder, please shut up, don't spoil this.”
“Mel! I told you! It's Jinx!”
“Shush!”
***
“You have been my rival, my ally, my friend, my everything.” The Enchantress had tears streaming down her face now as she clutched the ring of fire tight in her hand. “Of course I will accept your ring, and all that it entails.”
Vi felt like releasing a breath she'd held for years, a rush of hot air from her lungs as she gazed across the battlefield at her beloved.
“Then, I think there's one more spell I should cast.” Vi said as she began conjuring more of the firey magics around them. With a flick of her wrist, the redheaded woman cast another spell, twisting the magic until her familiar flame magics became the white light that Sir Talis favoured. It wasn't a school of magic Vi practiced at all, but for this moment, she would have spent centuries to master it.
Weaving the magics, Vi expertly crafted a jewelled ring, a large diamond, with rubies and small sapphires surrounding it. As it manifested for her, a matching one materialised on the other side of the battle field, another of the Wedding Ring artifacts, this one just for the Enchantress.
“May I say something else, my beloved?” The Enchantress asked, marvelling at the two rings she now held.
“Anything, my heart. “
***
“So, In response, I'm going to tap your Sol Ring, giving me two mana, then another island to cast Psionic Blast “
“Wha-”
“That will do you 4 damage and I think, win me the game.”
“She didn't-”
“Oh she fucking did-”
“Cait-”
***
The blast of magic from the Enchantress struck Vi in the chest, knocking her down to her knees, her creatures, her mana pools all fading away around her, until all that was left was the barren battlefield, and the beautiful Enchantress opposite her.
Vi looked up as the blue haired mage stared down at her. The Pyromage hadn't really expected to win, that was never the goal of this duel, nor this entire tournament. It was all for her, all to show Caitlyn, the Enchantress, how she felt and offer a lifetime partnership.
Slowly, as her creations faded away too, the Enchantress walked towards Vi, stepping closer until they were a hair's breadth away from each other. Delicate long fingers reached down beneath the fire mage's chin, tilting her head up so that Caitlyn could capture her lips in a kiss, pressing those chilled, icy lips against Vi's red hot ones, devouring the fire mage entirely.
“To the victor go the spoils, my prize.” The Enchantress whispered.
***
“Fuck, she's doing it as much as Vi is now! Is this what all tournaments are going to be like from now on?”
“I think it's rather sweet, Powder.”
“Oh you say that now, just you wait until we're having to organise a wedding for these nerds and you have to have booster packs at every table!”
“Do you think they still remember we're here?”
“Yes, Jayce. We both know you're all still here. But we won't be. See you later everyone. I forfeit.”
“Yeah! Me too! Bye!”
“Did they just.. both forfeit and leave?”
“Looks like.”
“Well.. obviously that means I'm the winner.”
“Like hell, Talis!”
“I really don't see how that is possible, Jayce.”
“Rematch?”