I pushed my way into the crowdâŠâŠeveryone was craning their necks to see, but I could not get through.
Finally I pushed and crawled my way to the crowdâs apex and looked out onto the vast, dirt-covered arena.
Lightning bolts darted past directly overhead I could hear a thunderclap and yet the sky was clear and blue.
âWhat is it?â I cried amid the thunder to the woman next to me.
âA witchesâ Duel!â she replied loudly.
I had heard of these, but had not imagined anything as great as the spectacle I now witnessed.
A Witchesâ Duel is simpleâŠ.the witches stand within the arena of combat. They are allowed to use each element, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit two times, which means each witch gets ten turns. They have to attack each other with elemental majick until a witch is either exhausted and can duel no longer, or forfeits victory in defense of honor. Most arenas were the size of a small corn field, perhaps a hectare in size.
This arena was huge! I wondered at the immense power these women must have, to have drawn such a tremendous crowd.
Suddenly, where a lovely young woman in the arena had stood, a menacing cyclone arose from the sand. Swirling and spinning, it gathered in speed and size as it pulled up the sands from where it had arisen.
Its massive body carved a great furrow as it sped across the arena towards the other side, the sound of its roar was deafening.
From the other side I could hear a woman scream as the great sandstorm pounced upon its prey. There was silence, and then the lovely young woman appeared again, running as she returned to the spot from where the sand storm had arisen.
The cheers from the crowd followed her in intensity as she returned to her circle. The cheering came at me from left and right and threatened to crash upon me like great, colliding waves.
The excitement caused me to raise my fist and cheer as they cheered. It was incredibly exhilarating! There was a pause while everyone began to silence themselves as if they were holding their breaths, waiting in anticipation. Suddenly, it began to become warmer, and a deep red glow bathed the faces of the crowd as a flaming river of molten rock creeped closer and closer to the young woman.
She stilled her body, bowed her head and hummed, deep in meditation. Then, standing upright, she drew the shape of a star in the air with her right thumb, and cried out;
âElement of Water, shape me in thy purest form!â
The lava pulled together, rising up like a great, molten wave. It crashed down onto the woman; just seconds after her body fell away, transformed into a small pool of water. The lava hissed and spit as it pounded into the water, which hissed back, as it was boiled, and evaporated into a wisp of steam.
Again the crowd fell into its eerily silent attitude, and waited to see the results of the last attack. The rising steam gathered itself togetherâŠgrowing in size and beginning to take on a womanâs form. Slowly she took on color, and she settled gently to the ground in her true form, as the molten lava receded quickly away, leaving her. Just three steps back, and she was again poised in her circle contemplating her next move.
She thought carefully and paced around in her circle, arms folded across her chest, chin in hand. She looked down at the dirt, passing her toe through it in contemplation of Earth. She looked up at the blue sky, and the faint wispy clouds in the Air, while tipping her head back, allowing the Fire of the bright sun to surround her, and warm her body.
She brought her head up and stared out into the blue voidâŠ..she turned slightly, and the barely visible full moon greeted her gaze. She smiled, and thought evilly as she looked down the length of the arena to where her opponent stood waiting for her hit. She drew with a fingertip in the air, and if drawing out a game plan, and talked to herself as she thought.
Suddenly we heard her say âYes!â, and the pretty young witch composed herself within the circle and went into a deep meditation. The crowd was silent, riveted to her meditating form as she prepared to attack.