Chapter 29 A GAME OF BRASS
Chapter 29 A GAME OF BRASS
Although I have been training here for quite a while, I have never realized how massive it actually was. All the students were gathered in a cacophony of chaos and cheers on the seating areas that surrounded the arena.
The seats surrounding it housed the three thousand plus students comfortably and the other dignitaries that visited numbering up to a thousand. Different kingdoms sent out scouts and all. This was why this event was actually important, because everyone wanted to watch for talent and make sure they secured them a palce by their side.
I smiled, realizing that I was wrong about coming to the school, of course my first few days were met with series of backlashes but I held on and for the first time I felt like I had prospect.
I felt someone nudge me and It was Zephyr, he handed me a headband. I shook my head but he insisted. I inhaled heavily, I am stating to realize that I don't really like doing anything important with boys. They play too much.
I tied the headbancd on my head and Payten burst into laughter, I glared at him and even laughed more when he looked at my face. I bit my lip, feeling a little sad that he’d grown bolder over the past few months.
Ciora also had a headband tied to her forehead. The boy actually put a lot of details into it. It had a simple symbol of a vine tree engraved on it. “What does the symbol mean?” Ciora asked.
“I don't know. I just like plants. But I felt it could represent vitality,” he said with a shrugged shoulders. “But with this we will be able to identify each other, trust me, we would need it in this first round!”
Ciora and I gave each other a look. “You know what we will do?”
“Yes, Zpehyr replied without much effort. “It's going to be chaotic,” he chuckled. “I hope we finish quickly though, the last one took roughly twelve hours to complete.”
“Ah,” I muttered. “How did you even know?”
“I attended it, as a stoaway in one of my dad's carraigrs, don't ever mention this, no one knows till date!” He warned. “Aseryn was in his first year then,” he added after a while in a more solemn tone.
I looked at him with a forlon expression. “Are you doing alright?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, I am. He wasn't necessarily that much of a good brother to me, just sad he won't be able to watch me win all this!”
Ciora smiled. “At least you are awfully confident,” she nudged him with her elbow.
“Why wouldn't I be! I have the best teammates with me and I also have a little knowledge of how this goes down. Oh, come on, we are so going to make them eat dust.”
We all stood at the center of the arena, arranged team by team and class by class. A large piece of earth cracked of right in front of us and a gurgling sound filled the area as someone's head slid into the arena from underground.
The crowd cheered loudly. Standing in front of us was none other than our combat class teacher. He tapped the mic, while making weird poses that sent the crowd into hysteria. “My name is…” he paused. “You all don't care, do you?”
“No!” The crowd cheered.
I felt my heart begin to beat faster as the crowd answered. “Oh, Malek, save me,” I muttered.
“What?” Ciora said.
“There is…” i said. “They are all going to be watching us?” The realization hit me like a wave but before I could break down into panic, I saw Ciora frown angrily at me.
“So what? You will run again?” she asked.
The question hit me right in the nerves and it straightened me up. “No, I was just noting,” I said, shaking my head.
“Good, cause you are here for the four of us, not the goddamn crowd.”
I nodded. Due to the conversation we have missed almost half of the teacher’s announcements. “The rules are simple. There are three classes on this arena today and fifty three teams. One of the team has only one single student, that's a new one is it not?”
I frowned as I turned in the direction of everyone to see a single girl standing among us. She was slender, and tall. Her legs looked like they were shaped for an antelope, but the way she stood made her feel like a bulwark.
“Yes, the lone daughter of our school’s proprietor, Queen Seraphine herself!” the crowd yelled. “Give it up for Katerina Flameborn!”
The crowd cheered but the girl didn't even shift, she just stood, her eyes relaxed, without expression. No one needed to tell me that she was going to be a huge opponent for me to know.
“Waoh, she looks scary,” Zephyr admitted. “She is strong, crazy strong!”
“Have you seen her before too?” I asked.
“No. I can tell!” Zephyr was frowning completely; there was no hint of his usual carefree nature. The way he regarded Katerina was different from the way he has ever regarded anyone. At last he smiled. “This wouldn't be a competition if it was too easy right?” he smiled.
“The students are to eliminate each other until only five teams are remaining. The teams are going to be scored points with how fast they were knocked out. The last five standing teams get fifty full points!”
The crowd cheered on. “Teams are going to be handed a brass medallion and they are to secure it as much as they can, once they get their medallion stolen and destroyed, they have been knocked out. Each team's medallion has been connected to their names that are currently being displayed on that huge black board!”
I glanced back with the other students to see our names had been listed on black obsidian wall. Each team had the names of the four members etched into the obsidian stone with white printed letters. I wondered how they were able to get everything together in just minutes because it wasn't there when we all trooped in.
Each team had zero default points. I turned back to the announcer who had continued to speak. “When a medallion is broken, the names will have a point appear beside it and after that it will disappear until the end of the games.”
Several attendants walked towards us carrying different trays filled with huge brass coins and headed to different classes. A fair woman handed Ciora our medallion, whispering softly. “Goodluck!”
The announcer continued. “Now, there are no illegal moves in this competition but you should be careful, don't try to kill your fellow students. However, in case someone gets carried away, our head healer, Lady Nesari is here and she has already placed several artifacts that will teleport players out of the arena before they are inflicted with fatal damage.”
“Also, if you look up, you will notice a legendary hero who has volunteered to watch over the entire event!” We all glanced up to see Kael floating in the sky and just staring down with a rather mean gaze.
“Finally weapons are not allowed in this arena. Any outside material is classified as a weapon. So for those of you who have headbands or armbands on, don't use them as a weapon, you will be disqualified.”
“Do we all understand!” He yelled and the students screamed positively.
“I was afraid you would say that,” the man nodded, then threw the wand he’d used to increase his voice away.
He then crouched and placed his hand on the ground. A loud rumbling filled the entire arena, then suddenly he folded his hand into a fist and the entire area began to change shape.
“Let the games begin!!” He yelled and cheers followed as different structures began to forge themselves in the arena.
“Come on, let's go!” Zephyr called and we dispersed ourselves from the other team. “We need to find a place to strategize!"
I inhaled as my heart began to beat faster. This was a dream moment for me and also a terrible one,but I still felt happy being here and I would give it my all.