“That all depends on the rules and what is on stake.”
Another smile deepened on him. “The rules are quite simple. All items are allowed, but they must be wrapped so that no one is seriously injured. We will have a four on four battle, but I will have one of my men fighting atop a horse just to even the odds against Shade here.” He thumbed to his right. “We will also need to cover his sabers and claws.”
He began talking more about the unique rules he obviously thought up on the spot for them to work together. Once he was finished explaining, each of the group thought it would be a good idea. Shade was thrilled about fighting, but not about covering up his prized sabers. He was most proud of them.
Then the general ended the discussion by saying “I have had a pleasurable meeting this night, but I still have work to accomplish before retiring. I shall meet you all early in the morning. Have a pleasant night, sleep well and be prepared for the coming hours.”
Everyone in the mess hall quieted as General Rakkian stood. He soon left with his other men, trailing close behind. Soon they were out of sight and everyone in the room began speaking again, with renewed vigor. Those who were eavesdropping on the conversation stood from their tables and began explaining to their friends about what was said at their table. Soon the groups were buzzing about the fight that was going to occur in the morning.
“Alex, I believe we had better get some sleep.” Lily requested as she stretched her arms forward across the table.
They were all exhausted from all the travels of the day so they cleaned up. They put all of the trays and bowls together and Marlin took the large stack of dirty plates and trays, over to the woman again.
Once he came back they all left the suddenly silent mess hall, The Pack had caused an entire city to notice them, but they expected no less.
At the very least I could pit myself against the best Freelan had to offer. Uncle Gambit would be laughing if he knew about this. Alex thought humorously.
It took over an hour, but with some guidance from the local residence they managed to make it back to the barracks. It was dark outside and the torches helped light their path. There were very few people down in the social hall, but those that were still looked at them with caution.
They made it to their room on the seventh floor and walked inside.
Chapter 19
Inside the barrack’s new room Alex felt tired from the day’s events, but too awake to fall asleep. The worry and anticipation kept him too riled to achieve a peaceful dream state. Shade didn’t have any problems, once he crawled into his bed. He grunted and groaned, laying down, and loved the softness of his bed. Because of his monstrous size he curled into a ball so he could fit his entire body onto the bed. He made it work, but only just. From the calm and silent breathing sounds of the other companions, they were also awake.
It was extremely dark inside the room because there was only a small window and it was a cloudy night. Normally Alex could see at night almost as well as he could during the day, but now he could only see three dark shapes in the room. It is a little disorienting for him not being able to see.
“Alex, are you still awake?” Lily asked in a whisper.
He sat up and looked down at her in the corner of the room. “Aye, I’m awake. Are you worried about tomorrow?”
“I know that I am.” Marlin added while remaining flat on his back, arms wrapped behind his head and ankles comfortably crossed.
“I think we should come up with a plan on how to win tomorrows match.” Lily started saying. “I’ve been contemplating about our strengths and weaknesses and I’ve come up with three scenarios that would work in our favor. We all know that whoever we are to face will be the elites of Freelan’s warriors and we don’t have a clue about all of their abilities that they possess or their tactics, but they don’t know about us either. That will be an advantage for us I believe.”
“Tell us what you’ve thought up.” Marlin asked quietly.
She began stating each of her three scenarios and they were very detailed. Marlin and Alex then added certain ideas to what seemed pertinent to her calculations and they would implement any one depending on tomorrow’s debut. It would be a match worth remembering.
Alex’s only concern was why were they invited to a match so suddenly? It didn’t make any logical sense. There was more to this, but what? Maybe there is a catch to the sparring session or maybe the general truly wished to see our capabilities. Sighing, it didn’t do any good worrying about what could turn out as being a harmless competition, but still, something didn’t sit well…
“Since this is all we can do for tonight I believe we should sleep, while we still can.” Neither of them disagreed with Alex’s assessment. He leaned back down on the bed and eventually drifted into a deep sleep, relieved to have some kind of plan they could implement in the next few hours.
In the morning Shade woke each of them with a push of his paw against their sides. It was a gentle push.
While everyone stretched he opened the door to the room. On the side of their wall were four large pails of clean water along with deodorizing soap and sponges. Several more pails were also resting beside the other occupied doors, where other people slept. Alex smiled because they could finally clean themselves up after their long travels. He turned around and saw everyone busy doing something in their packs. He grabbed two pails of water and brought them into the room. All three of his companions smiled, knowing a clean body was exactly what they needed to start their day off right. Marlin grabbed the other two while Lily brought in the soaps and sponges.
“Alright, all of you boys out. I need some personal space.” All of the males stepped outside the room and Lily shut the door. After all, she wanted to be first in just about everything. And they knew it wasn’t proper to keep a lady waiting.
While Lily was bathing Alex explained to Shade the scenarios that were created from her expert battle experiences and assessment. All three plans had Shade doing the same thing, but the humans had a different approach. Shade knew he would win regardless of what or who his opponent was.
A minute after the explanations were finished Lily walked out of the room. She looked stunning. Her pure white hair was damp and brushed like sea-foam on a breezy day at the beach. Her focused purple eyes and expression were making Alex’s heart leap with joy. She was a stunning woman in her own right. She wore her clean clothes that she has been saving for awhile. Her light red sleeveless tunic was fitted snug against her developed contours. Her womanly aspects sent his thoughts in every direction. She is all female, no matter how boyish she tried to appear or acted to be. Their eyes met and she said it was their turn to clean up. Her smile tightened his throat so that his only answer to her was in the form of a nod.
Splashing the cold water on his face woke Alex quickly and helped clear rampant thoughts. He used the bucket to wash himself thoroughly and then shaved with his knife that Kallel bought back in Greeton. He slid on a newer and cleaner outfit and eventually walked out of the room. Lily smiled genuinely once she saw him cleaned and refreshed. Marlin took his turn and since there wasn’t enough water in Shade’s bucket for a bath, he decided to drink his pail.
After everyone had finished looking their best they dumped the dirty bucket of water down the cylinder at the end of the hall. It reeked, but they poured the used water down the hole as quickly as possible.
Before they left the room they each grabbed their weapons. Lily slid each sword into her belt’s modified loops. Marlin slid his collapsed rod between the belt loops of his right hip. Alex grabbed the unmarked staff and held it securely in his right hand. Shade didn’t need any weapons because his are all part of him.
The Pack then walked downstairs and out of the building.
The sun had just begun to rise, filling the sky with red and gold streaks, and the air held a cool breeze. General Rakkian said he would meet at the barracks, but he hadn’t arrived to the courtyard yet. Lily, Shade and Alex waited on the bottom step for their escorts to
arrive. Marlin walked over to the stables and met Clift again to greet each other. Clift and Marlin wrote back and forth, telling each other about their nights. It seemed Shade’s teaching lessons had paid off.
About a half hour later the sound of a small group alerted them to someone approaching their position. Alex shifted his gaze straight ahead to see four men. There was General Rakkian, Captain Maiot, Gyro and a new person walking toward them. They each wore a green and gold tunic, black pants and brown leather boots. The three men they met at the mess hall looked the same as last night, but the new person carried a lance close to twice his own height. The lance held a fine point and the head itself was barbed along the tip’s four blades. His item looked like an enormous arrow, but without the fletching at the base.
So these men will be our sparring partners, General? Alex asked silently.
Marlin saw them approaching too and walked back over to Shade and the others. The four each stood and walked to them. They walked in a line, but shoulder to shoulder.
They met their guides about halfway in the courtyard. Marlin looked at Gyro, Lily at Captain Maiot, Shade stared at the new person quizzically and Alex looked at General Rakkian.
“I see each of you are ready for today, ya?” General Rakkian started.
“We are, but I was wondering who will be your forth man.” He grinned down at Alex and it wasn’t difficult to catch on to his meaning. “Wait… You are going to participate?”
“Of course I am. I haven’t had a decent fight since your uncle beat me senseless twenty years ago. I also need to wash the rust off of my item or else I’ll become lazy should my skills be needed. My men don’t need to see an indolent general. They need to see that I’m still the best.” He then lifted his chin slightly. “Plus I wish to see firsthand how good your team fares against my elite men.”
“You will see for yourself soon enough.” Alex grinned, brilliantly exposing his perfectly white teeth.
The general introduced them to his expert cavalry commander. His name was Quinn. They each introduced themselves to Quinn and he was accepting his role as an opponent as he and Shade met. Shade eyed the lance playfully. Alex knew he was thinking about playing fetch.
Once all pleasantries were exchanged, they followed the general and his men through the city. There were several early morning people and they didn’t balk at their approach because some already began accepting Shade. Most put a fist to their heart once they realized that the military leader traveled in their presence. While they walked, General Rakkian asked Alex questions, mainly about his uncle. He explained how Gambit raised him after his mother passed. He listened to Alex mournfully as he explained how Gambit was killed. Rakkian gave his sincerest condolences. They continued turning down different roads, but Alex had already memorized most from yesterday. They passed the mess hall and continued heading towards the southwest of the city. Only glimpses of the main castle could be seen, the other buildings were obstructing a direct view of the grandest palace in the city.
“Here we are.” The general announced happily.
Before them stood the smallest of the five buildings, but upon closer inspection Alex realized it wasn’t exactly a building. It was an arena. It was eleven stories tall and oval shaped. Where it lacked in height it made up in width. It was the longest of the five structures. There were two entrances at either point of the oval stadium. Its walls were made of cut stone and there weren’t any deformities nor were there any holes or windows. The entire building was surrounded by a small courtyard, so it could be completely walked around. The sounds inside the structure were weakened, but battles were already waging inside. Clapping and cheering could also be heard.
They continued following the general and approached the entrance. Several people were exiting the arena, covered in dirt and sweat from their training and hard work. Even more people were walking inside, ready to watch or participate. Most had stopped to look at the eight as they made it to the open arched entrance. While they walked through a short tunnel, most people moved aside to give them a generous amount of room. The sounds of skirmishes became louder and louder. Then they made it inside the structure.
Inside the stadium were many stone rows that looked to be recently cleaned. The rows moved in a wedged, forty five degree angle and would seat the spectators. The flooring of the arena was made of soft brown sand that has been heavily trampled. Thousands upon thousands of prints dotted the loose soil. The arena had been divided into three sections. One held hay dummies for those who used or specialized in ranged items. The middle held those who fought with items and the one closest to them was for those who fought hand to hand, because their items weren’t a weapon. The instructors were easy to spot because they were showing how things were done and continually shouting to their many pupils. Smaller classes were also available for children and women. Every person inside the arena was working to their limits. People were panting, sweating and some dropped to their knees when they couldn’t go on.
Under the king’s rule, one may only do a job that is befitting of their item and can support the people. There wasn’t a choice you could truly make for yourself except to join the Royal Guard, but most of the time you were forced to enlist. Marlin was one of the lucky few who were saved from such subjugation. If your item was in the utility classification, you could only do things befitting of your item. It has always upset Alex when a person wanted to strive for something they wished to do, only to be forced into doing only what the king or his followers decided. All for the sake of sacrifice, one could not be nor do what they wanted.
While Alex looked around the arena in wonder, General Rakkian spoke. “Unlike under King Runkamon’s rule we allow our people to do as they like, regardless of their item. But everyone must be strong or else we will lose the war. It doesn’t matter if you have a utility item or a special one, you must know how to defend yourself at all costs. Every man, woman and child takes special lessons so if the time comes, they will have a chance at surviving.
“Each person in this city must take at least one hourly lesson every three months. Some come every day and some come every three months. We keep things relaxed yet durable, and that includes everyone under my protection. We do not force people to do anything against their will, but they also know that we could be attacked at any given time. For that reason we made the three month rule. Any time longer than that one will forget the basics of combat…”
Alex didn’t realize Maiot had left the general’s side until he casually walked back. “General, we must hold our exhibition off for another hour. That will give the instructors time to finish their lessons. Also I’ve heard that many are to come see our event. The instructors too wish to see us in action. Will you have problems with what they have said?”
“That will be fine. We will watch from over here until our time comes.” The general pointed to a row.
Each of them walked over to the first row, in the middle section of the arena so that they could see all of the action the building had to offer. The general sat to his right and Lily to his left. Shade had walked in front of Alex and lay at his feet. Alex then began watching the morning instructions.
Everyone was talking, but he wasn’t paying any attention. These events captured his interest.
Each field was individually unique and eventually he settled mostly on the central part of the arena. That section was for those who fought with weapons. There was this one middle aged woman who had a pole staff and she was practicing with it off by herself. The perfect shaft lengthened and contracted as she moved, giving the comparison to Marlin’s rod aided his understanding. The natural state of the staff item was uncertain because of how skilled she is at using it. He couldn’t help himself as he studied each of her many forms. He watched as her body moved and how she spun her item in an almost blinding speed. When she would strike, her pole would lengthen almost immediately and once the strike ended, in constricted. She then would spin her wrists to change the trajectory of her item’s mov
ement. Each move she made catalogued in his mind. He could easily implement some of her moves with his knotted staff.
Then her last move sent a chill up Alex’s spine. There was a large panel of wood standing in the sand. She stood only two paces away from the squared object. She took a semi-relaxed stance with her item clutched in her right hand. The pole butted into the ground and the flat tip came up to her eyelevel. She then took a slow breath and lifted her pole. She turned it from vertical to horizontal. She took a half step back with her left foot and also brought back her right arm, keeping her right foot locked in place. It could easily be seen that it was going to be a thrust, but it was something else too.
In a single instant there was almost a perfect hole in the wood. Alex expected the panel to fall over from the impact, but it didn’t. The move was so quick that a nonlethal weapon had become truly deadly. He had to break down her individual movements to understand what exactly just happened in that instant.
It wasn’t truly a single movement, but multiple and happening almost all at once. Her back left ankle twisted in a counterclockwise motion and the movement continued to travel up her leg. Then her hip twisted slightly and it made her torso spin as well. During this spinning movement, her right arm was bringing her staff towards the intended target. During the explosive spin, she rotated her shoulder, forearm and wrist. The staff had gained an immediate burst of rotational speed plus the momentum from the thrust. The result was seen from her wooden opponent.
This was a technique that he’s never seen nor dreamed about. It was also one he could use for himself since they are both staff users.
Once the woman finished her routine and left, he realized Lily was watching him intently. Her arms were crossed under her breasts and her legs were crossed together. She looked guarded and a little perturbed at him studying the other woman and not her like she’s used to. There was a little ice to her flat tone. “Did you like what you were looking at?”
Untamed Gift (Book One of the Items Trilogy) Page 40
