“I don’t think that you know exactly what you’re asking little girl. If we go through with a reading and there’s nothing to prevent us from killing you, then your execution will be held immediately. Be sure that you are in the right, or at least able to defend yourself.” Lord Vadam was laying down the gauntlet and daring me to pick it up in defiance.
“I’ve already said it once, but if it takes two times to get it through your thick skull, then I’ll be more than happy to repeat myself. I want a reading.” Once again, the people could not believe the audacity of a woman taking a stand like this. I felt empowered and I stood tall and proud with a grin on my face that was making Lord Vadam a little nervous.
“Very well, you have asked for it, so you will receive it.” He turned to a young man with a bald head and glowing green eyes. He came forward with the book in question.
“What exactly am I looking for?” He was wearing some kind of white ceremonial robe with a black cross in the middle with what looked like blood dripping from the ends.
“You’ll find what you’re looking for on page 77 section two paragraph one.” I don’t know how I memorized this, but it came to me like a flash of lightning in my eyes. I could see that the guards were itching to use their weapons and they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. “I want you to read it verbatim and for everybody to hear. This is not just for Lord Vadam and the reading is to be public.”
He went through the pages and he came to the specific location and began to read it out loud for everybody to hear. “The Tournament of Dragos is open to everyone, including any race, creed, color or….gender.” This was the word that I was waiting for. Lord Vadam was on his feet in a flash to look at the evidence for himself. “Apparently, this addendum was put in many years ago by the queen of the black castle. There was no Lord at the time and it wasn’t until her death that a man took over the rule. It has never been excised from the book and can never be, unless agreed upon during a three day trial for information.” I stood their triumphant. I looked towards the guards to see that their weapons had now slipped back through their fingertips.
“I will not tolerate this kind of outburst during the Tournament of Dragos. If a woman feels that she is worthy of the title of being one of my guardsmen, then by all means give it your best shot. It’s not like you stand a chance anyway. After all, you are just a woman. Your gender is the weaker inferior member of our species. You’ll fall and you’ll cry and everybody here will laugh at your expense.” He didn’t have to worry about me crying and if I were to fail, then I would fail on my own merits.
“I appreciate your openness, Lord Vadam. I will do my best not to let you down. I will show that courage and strength comes in many forms. I will walk the path that was meant for man and I will do what others have not been able to do in the three times that they have been allowed to take on the Tournament of Dragos. I believe that the first game is the flying of the arrows.” He nodded his head and I stepped away to allow the two warriors to continue what they had started.
Those energy arrows took aim and fired at will. Each man rolled to prevent certain injury. This continued and you could tell that eventually one man was going to lose the stamina to keep up with the pace that was set.
“As the Lord, I have since decided that two arrows are better than one.” This was when everybody’s eyes were now glued on the spectacle that they were witnessing with their own two eyes. The two men fired two arrows and continued to fire two at a time. The one in the gray helmet was now losing steam and you could see that he was struggling to keep up with the demands that were set on him.
The other guy looked like he hadn’t even gotten his second wind. It was obvious that he was superior and he would vanquish this man eventually. It came in the form of two arrows flying from both of their quivers at the same time. One contacted with the other and canceled it out, but the other one sailed right by, sparking along the edges, before embedding itself into the armor of the man that wore the gray helmet. He fell dead on the ground with a thud that could be heard for miles. I did not realize that it was supposed to be life and death. Now that I had broached the topic, there was no way that I could take back what was said.
“The first to move on is Claudius. Let the games continue.” Each member was taken out one at a time, until finally Braden was standing toe to toe with a man that was two times his size. I did not know that that was even possible and Braden was blotting out the sun as it was. This guy was a planet of rock and he knew how to intimidate with just one look. I wanted Braden to stand strong, but I’m not sure I could if I were in his shoes. This guy was obviously the pride and joy of Lord Vadam. You could see him beaming with a smile from above. He was counting on his number one to do what was needed with efficiency and precision.
“Braden, you’ve stuck your nose in my business for the last time. You were lucky the last two times. My arrow took you down, but I only eliminated you from competition. This will be different and I assure you that the third time is the charm.” It was obvious that he was trying to get in Braden’s head and corrupt him enough that it would distract him and make him a little careless in his approach. “I will kill you and then I will do the exact same thing to the woman. I will stand victorious and the others will soon fall during the competition phase.” I found out from one of those that were standing beside me that his name was Camden.
He was feared amongst all those that had come before him. He was already one of the guardsmen and he was now protecting his position by fighting one on one against the competition. It was allowed, but it was rarely done. He was changing the perception of the rules and it was painfully clear that he had his sights set on taking Braden to task.
“I don’t think that you understand, little girl. You may have weaseled your way into the tournament, but there is no way that you will survive it long enough to hold court with one of the guardsmen. Your fate is sealed and you may as well kiss your loved ones goodbye.” He was very convincing and I was starting to doubt myself. I didn’t want to admit that I had made a mistake and I wasn’t even sure if I could, even if I wanted to.
Braden took his position and he stood firm and at the attention of a warrior in training. He was ready and I could see his resolve and this time Camden would have a real fight on his hands. There was no telling which side was going to win, but my fervent hope was that Braden would stand tall over his enemy. I would hope that he wouldn’t resort to the same measures, as others have apparently decided to do. I would hope that his blood lust for competition would not overshadow his good judgment and character. I didn’t want him to carry the blood of others on his hands. I didn’t want that for him. I didn’t want him to look at himself in the mirror each and every day and know that he had killed in cold blood. There were ways to vanquish a foe without killing them. If anybody could do it, it was him, but I don’t think that Camden was going to play by the same rules. His determination and his eyes for the kill was quite evident by the way that he was staring down his opponent.
“I’ll tell you what, Braden; I’ll give you the first one for free.” This was met with a chorus of laughter and applause at the way that he showed his immeasurable ego. “I won’t even try to fight back. If you can make your mark, then by all means make it true.” This was his way of breaking down the defenses of Braden and making him think that he didn’t have a chance. I knew that there was no talking with other members of the tournament, especially when they were in the field of battle at the time.
“If you expect me to turn down the opportunity to strike you down, Camden, then you’ll be waiting a long time.” Braden pulled two arrows and fired them with the intention of taking down Camden and wiping that look off his face once and for all. The first arrow barely missed, but it did scratch the surface of his ear enough that he would need medical attention. The second went a little wide and at the last moment, Camden reached out with his red gloved hand and extinguished it in flight.
Braden was beside h
imself and I could tell that this had seriously made him rethink his position. He was going to make a mistake, unless of course he could look at me in the eye and know that I believed in him. I wasn’t allowed to say anything, but that didn’t stop me from waving my arms. He must’ve caught something in his peripheral vision, because he turned and we made eye contact for that split second.
The slouch in his posture that I had seen became more rigid and he was ready to fight back with everything in his power. “That was pretty good, but it wasn’t good enough, Braden. Remember, I only gave you one free one and you took advantage of that by shooting two at the same time. I applaud your effort, although I do not appreciate the method in which you decided to pursue me.” This was the kind of smack talk that was meant to disable your opponent and give them something else to think about, but the task at hand.
“What makes you think that I missed?” This made Camden smile and then he laughed, so loud that the entire crowd joined in. They were following the leader and you could tell that a lot of them were not impressed by his need to pump out his chest.
“You can’t possibly think that I’m going to believe for a second that you fired that shot on purpose. That you meant to miss your target and just nicked me enough to draw blood. You must have known this was not going to be enough to make me fall at your feet. You must know that this is a losing battle and that every opponent that I’ve come up against since becoming a guardsman has not got past the first round. You’re lucky that I did not kill you the first two times, but this is your third and final attempt. That can not go unanswered.” It was then that he moved his hands in a blur of motion that almost made it difficult to see what he was doing. His arrows took off at a speed that didn’t seem possible and Braden barely moved in time, so as to not become impaled on one of those energy arrows. The second one skinned his cheek and left a permanent reminder of just how deadly these games really were.
Chapter two
I watched with trepidation and worry in my heart, but outside, the exterior was hardened steel to give him the strength and courage to go further than he had ever gone before. He stood there leveling his gaze on Camden and neither one was moving. It appeared that they were waiting for the other to strike. It was that awkward silence that was making it very difficult on everybody that was witnessing such a meeting of the minds.
“If you do not shoot an arrow in the next 5 minutes, both of you will be disqualified.” Lord Vadam had decided to take a stand and I knew that the rule book was now being force fed into every decision that he was making. He was reading it intently and he had no interest in being surprised again. This time, he would be prepared and I could see that I had rattled him slightly.
“You heard him, Braden and if you don’t take the shot, then I will.” Braden was waiting and I could tell that Camden was itchy to send that final arrow into his chest, as a warning to others that he could not be beaten.
When Camden reached for that final arrow, he was not the only one. Braden pulled his out at exactly the same time and they fired simultaneously. It was like watching a boxing match with two opponents that weren’t going to go down by a right jab or left hook that came their way. Once again, everybody was on their feet and that final arrow from both of their quivers was making the trajectory towards their intended target. It was mostly a flash of light, but somehow I had slowed it down in my mind and was able to perceive in vivid clarity each of the arrows.
I didn’t know quite how I was doing it, but it was fascinating to watch nonetheless. The arrows contacted each other and exploded with such a flash of light that everybody had to shield their eyes. When they turned around, both men were standing, but then Camden fell to his knees. A piece of the energy arrow had embedded itself in his shoulder. The rules stated that the arrow had to pierce a victim, but it did not say that the entire arrow had to be present. I knew that Braden had made the only decision that he could make. He had drawn first blood and now was waiting for the decision to be made from Lord Vadam.
I saw him panicked and going through the book with one page after the other. He finally stopped and I would say from the look on his face that he had seen the truth and it wasn’t pretty. This must’ve been the first time that they had ever used the rule book. I had set a precedent and I was hoping that that would follow from one tournament to the next. Everybody was waiting and Braden was now standing with his hand against his chest with his hand formed into a fist. I knew from reading the books that this was his salute to a fallen warrior and that once given the decision, he would raise it in honor of his own victory.
“The ruling states that the arrow has to be inside the opponent. It does not say if the arrow needs to be intact. Since this is a gray area, I have decided to judge in the name of the rule book. The victor is Braden. It does not mean that Camden has been usurped and his role as my guardsmen taken over by another. It only means that he is no longer eligible to fight for his position. He’ll have to wait like everybody else to find out if his position has been taken. I believe that there are two more opponents to take the stage. This will determine the final 12.
Braden came over and put his two hands on my shoulder. “I don’t know what you intend to do, Shana. I sense that you might be more than meets the eye. Do what you need to and I don’t want to come back here, unless you are victorious. I know that you can do it and I believe in you.” I did believe in me, but now standing a few feet away from a man that was hell bent on destroying me had seriously made my confidence wane. “I think that deep down I’ve always known that there was something different about you. We’re going to have to talk about that at some point. I’ve been hiding from it long enough and it’s about time that we shed some light on where you came from.” I should’ve known that my questions would raise some suspicion in his mind.
“Braden, I’ll tell you anything that you want to know, but not until after this tournament. I don’t want either one of us to be distracted and it might come down to the two of us.” The final 12 would fight till the final six and then those final six would move on to the feat of agility. I had no idea what that would entail, but I wasn’t sure if I was up to the challenge.
“I understand your need for secrecy, Shana. We both know that you don’t come from around here. Your interest in the looking glass only confirmed to me that you’re looking for a way to go home. We’ll talk about that later.” I felt a little sideswiped and I wasn’t expecting him to lower the boom in such a way. “You go out there and give him everything you can bring to bear. Show him that you are a woman and that you can fight any battle that comes your way. Be courageous, be true and don’t let him intimidate you like I almost did with Camden.” At least my opponent was not five times my size. He was only two times and he was looking at me and then at Lord Vadam like he was thinking that this was some kind of joke.
“You can’t be serious. This is not a test of my talents. I want real compet….” He didn’t get a chance to say anything else, before the arrow punctured his suit of armor. The rules did not state when the arrows had to fly and I decided to take a proactive stance. I fired before he could even finish his sentence and now he was looking at me dumbfounded, as he fell onto the ground. He was injured severely, but if I did my job right, he would live to fight another day.
There was a stunned silence and then they finally pulled themselves out of their shocked expressions to give me an applause that was worthy of a warrior going into battle. They were confused and I only had to shoot one arrow and I sensed that this was not common or even expected.
“As your lord, I decree that this flying of the arrows has been completed. Those 12 that stand ready will go now into the forest and complete the cycle of Offus. The first six to bring back one of these elusive animals will be declared the winner. The one that does it first will have an advantage over the final five. That advantage will be revealed to them before the next competition.” I knew all about the Offus and how fast it could be on its feet. It hid during the
day and only came out when it was ready to feed. This meant, we were going to have to flush it from where it was hiding and hope that we could get a clean shot.
“Braden, there is nothing in the rules that say that competitors can’t work together.” He looked me incredulously and then he smiled with a bemused smirk on his face. “I think that between the two of us we can easily take down one of these things together. Then we can take down one more and walk back to the black castle as one of the six” I don’t think that he was expecting that answer.
“That has never been done before, Shana. You really have changed things around here. I am sure that Lord Vadam is now wondering how to get you out of the tournament, as fast as possible. He’ll reach into his dirty bag of tricks and come out with something that is suitable to throw at you. He’s hoping that he won’t have to, but I can see that he is ready and willing to make an example out of you to others.”
“As it is well known, after each competition, there is a resting period of one night. Tomorrow, at the crack of dawn, those competitors will embark on bringing in the Offus. We all know that it’s not easy and not a lot of people are prepared for how tricky this animal is. This will give the competitors a fair chance to ready themselves for going after a suitable prey. I will leave you with one thought. A woman has never won this thing and I don’t think this year is going to be any different.” He was obviously referring to me. He wanted to make sure that I was well aware of his displeasure over this latest turn of events.
“I do believe that you have got underneath his skin. That doesn’t happen very often and there’s a reason for that. I’m behind you, but I think it’s time that we finally talk about the Offus in the room.” that was not how I would put it, but once again, it was close enough to reality, as it was ever going to get. I sensed that there was somebody out there and they were looking out for my best interest. I didn’t know how I could possibly know that, but something was nagging at my consciousness. There was a feeling that there was a benefactor that was making sure that I was going to be a viable opponent. The arrow that I shot should have wounded him, but instead it killed him. My intention was to go for the shoulder and not 5 cm from where I intended. It could only mean that my arrow was knocked off it course. I had no idea how that was possible, but I had a feeling that whoever was my benefactor wasn’t going to remain a secret for long.
Another Uoria Holiday: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Holiday Romance Page 58
