The White Eagle clan had only two apprentices to face them— a water magi and an earth magi. They weren’t prepared for Jenn. With the two magi focused on Gregory and Yukiko, Jenn infused her legs with aether and covered the distance to her opponents faster than they anticipated.
The exchange was quick and brutal. A single earth spike shot out at Jenn, but her mule kick shattered it. Her first strike took the earth magi in the gut, doubling him over. She spun to the right, the spear from the water magi missing her. Her hand came down hard and the spear shattered. Following up, her kick sent the water magi flying backward to land at Gregory’s feet. He tapped the man with his naginata as Jenn tapped the earth magi with her wakizashi.
That fight ended in even less time than it’d taken them to defeat the Shining Light clan. The audience had cheered, but it was decidedly lackluster compared to some of the other fights.
After helping the two magi back to their feet, Gregory and his wives bowed as they should before leaving the arena floor. They didn’t go far— just down to the preparation area under the arena where Hayworth and his clan were getting their things together.
“Couldn’t have given us another few minutes?” Hayworth asked jokingly.
“We didn’t know you’d need time,” Jenn replied. “After your last match, we figured you’d still be ready for a fight.”
“Well, I can’t argue that,” Hayworth admitted. “Not many of the other clans will be ready for all of us. Honestly, I’m sad we’re doing this. I would prefer even match-ups that would be a challenge.”
“Conflict is almost never fair,” Yukiko said. “You and the Eternal Flame have sheer numbers to swarm your opponents, if nothing else, though I wonder if the match-ups haven’t been slanted?”
“Because this fight and the next for you are against vastly inferior foes?” Hayworth asked. “Not that I have much room to speak.”
“While the Eternal Flame beat both the Han Merchant Exchange and Yamato Shipping,” Gregory said. “I don’t expect many to have unblemished records tomorrow, but it won’t do us any favors, as only the Shining Light is going to have been a challenge.”
“I’m sure favors were called in,” Hayworth shrugged. “It’s the nature of the empire. One day it might change, but the clans would need to spearhead that change.”
“True,” Gregory said. Mindie called for the Swift Wind clan, and Gregory gave Hayworth a nod. “Good luck.”
“Not that we’ll need it for this,” Hayworth sighed, “but thank you. Also…” he paused before exhaling slowly. “I’ve come to accept that it doesn’t matter where a magi comes from if they strive for advancement. I have rarely had call to apologize and reexamine my position, but you’ve made me do that. I’m sorry for my early stance about you, fringer.” He said the last word in a friendly tone instead of the mocking one it had once been.
“I’m sorry for thinking you were an elitist prig,” Gregory replied similarly.
Hayworth just stared at him before laughing. “Well, you weren’t wrong. See you after we win.”
Yukiko and Jenn stood beside Gregory as Hayworth led his clan up the stairs and down the tunnel. Yukiko made a thoughtful sound. “That was unexpected.”
“I didn’t know he knew how to apologize,” Jenn said. “I feel a little bad now for thinking he was as bad as Nick.”
“He was never that bad, even if I wanted to punch him the first day that we met,” Gregory said. “Hayworth, for all his faults, never pretended to be a friend when he clearly wasn’t.”
“He’s grown,” Yukiko said. “Hayworth’s time here has taught him things he didn’t expect to learn. I was against your fight with Jenga last year, but I think that helped him change. Your dignity and grace in accepting Jenga’s defeat stuck with him.”
“Perhaps,” Gregory said. “Let’s sneak up and watch them from the tunnel. We might end up facing them tomorrow or on the last day, and more information is always good.”
“Yes,” Jenn and Yukiko agreed.
Hayworth and his clan rolled over the single apprentice of the Swift Foot clan. While the magi they faced was physical enhancement, in the end, it didn’t matter. Hayworth had his allies engage the apprentice and, once combat was joined, he slammed his blade down. The rift in space brought the point of the sword directly down on the top of the magi’s head.
Yunlo called the bout over and Hayworth checked on his clan, some of whom had received injuries during the brief fight. When it was over, Gregory and his wives retreated back into the waiting area while Mindie rushed out to heal.
Hayworth led his clan members back into the room. “It seems we finished our fight even faster than you did, fringer.”
“I’d say so.”
“Excuse me,” Dia called from the stairway to the rest of the arena, “I need to converse with my juniors for a moment.”
“Of course, Magus,” Hayworth said. “Come on, we’ll go take our seats. Our last fight is after the novices.”
“Against who?” Gregory asked as they headed for the door.
“The Shining Light,” Hayworth said. “This will give them two losses and possibly keep them from tomorrow’s fights.”
“I’d prefer not to face them again,” Gregory said. “Best of luck.”
“We’ll win,” Hayworth said. “See you tomorrow.”
“Hopefully not,” Gregory chuckled.
When Hayworth had left, Dia stepped into the room. “I have word from Elder Lightshield— Saito has a single apprentice, a water magi, who has barely reached into the apprentice ranks. He wanted me to tell you,” she cleared her throat, “‘do as you think best.’”
Gregory bowed his head. “Understood, Dia.”
“I will return to the stands and see you there shortly,” Dia smiled at the three of them before leaving.
“He wants us to send just one of us?” Yukiko asked.
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” Jenn nodded.
“I’ll go,” Gregory said. “Head on up. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Why you?” Yukiko asked.
“If it’s going to be just one of us, it should be me,” Jenn said.
“You’ll hurt him, even if you hold back,” Gregory said to Jenn. He turned to Yukiko. “And you’re best at hit and run. I’m going to give him the chance to surrender. Then, if needed, I’ll dismantle him as quickly as I can.”
Yukiko considered it, then nodded. “Foresight, at least,” she told him, not asking him.
“Aether sight if you can, too,” Jenn added. “Just in case.”
“If he says ‘no,’ I’ll use everything and end it as painlessly as I can.”
They leaned in and kissed his cheeks.
“We’ll see you soon, dear one,” Yukiko murmured.
“Don’t keep us waiting,” Jenn added.
“I won’t. Lightshield wouldn’t have sent us the message if he didn’t want just one of us to go. Strong, but honorable, is how I’d like the clan to be seen, like it used to be in Lionel Lighthand’s time.”
His wives kissed him again, then left.
“Aether’s G— where are the other two?” Mindie asked from the hallway to the arena floor.
“In the stands,” Gregory said. “I’m ready.”
Mindie shook her head. “Why?”
“There’s no reason to bury him.”
Blinking as Gregory walked past her, Mindie fell into step a few paces behind him. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of them all not fighting when she stopped at the end of the tunnel.
Yunlo frowned at Gregory when he walked out by himself. “Alone?”
“Alone, Grandmaster.”
Yunlo snorted and turned his attention to the other tunnel. Average in every way, the other apprentice looked surprised when he saw only Gregory. His pace slowed a little, as he was clearly trying to understand.
“The Saito clan is young and honorable,” Gregory said when the apprentice got close enough to hear him over the background noise of the crowd. “I am here to offer you the chance to back away to save yourself and your clan the burden of losing.”
Yunlo’s head snapped to Gregory. “What?”
“There’s nothing in the rules against offering your opponent the chance to surrender,” Gregory said, his eyes still on the other apprentice. “When faced with a superior foe, it’s sometimes wiser to retreat and come back with greater numbers or allies.”
The apprentice blinked at Gregory before smiling. “As our teacher has shown us in tactics class. I will fight. I only ask that you do not maim me.”
“I never try to. We’re here to learn, not injure each other or hurt the empire.”
Yunlo was glaring at them both. “Are you done?”
“Yes, Grandmaster,” Gregory said, bowing to him. “I apologize, but I felt the need to try. My home is in the Saito province, so I feel some kinship for the clan.”
Yunlo snorted, then raised the glowing bronze disk to his mouth. “Aether’s Guard clan will fight Saito clan.” Lowering the disk, he looked at both apprentices. “You know the rules. Bow to the box.”
With their bowing done, Gregory triggered aether sight and foresight as soon as Yunlo’s hand went up. Seeing a minute into the future, Gregory turned both off and waited.
“Fight!” Yunlo commanded.
Gregory rushed his opponent, who raised the shield and sword he had with him. The contact was brief, but decisive. Gregory let the apprentice guide his weapon up and over his shoulder. As the magi stepped in to stab Gregory, he let go of his naginata and ducked, sweeping his leg out. With a startled sound, the other man lost his footing and, as he fell, dropped his sword. Gregory grabbed it out of the air and brought it over to tap the man’s neck.
“Break!” Yunlo shouted with a grimace. Raising the disk, he announced that Gregory was the winner.
Gregory stood up and offered his opponent a hand. “It was a good try.”
The magi snorted weakly as he got hauled to his feet. “No, it wasn’t. Thank you for being merciful. I know you could’ve done much worse to me.”
“I apologize,” Gregory said with an awkward smile. “I can’t recall your name.”
The other magi laughed once before he turned to bow to the box. “Fin Worrel, apprentice of Saito clan.”
“Is Fin okay?” Gregory asked as they both turned to bow to Yunlo.
“Is Gregory?”
“It’s fine with me,” Gregory grinned.
“Then, yes,” Fin replied as they bowed to each other. “Good luck tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I hope your clan finds more magi this year.”
“Me, too,” Fin chuckled. “Being a lone apprentice in this tournament is not fun, but we do as the clan wills.”
~*~*~
Gregory took his seat in the stands and Dia gave him a nod. “You gave him a chance to surrender?”
“I did. He thanked me but refused, then asked me not to maim him.”
“It was over with quickly and painlessly,” Dia smiled. “Many would see you going alone as foolish. What if he had an item or two that could have significantly harmed you? Our chances of you all taking the top spot would plummet sharply if that had happened.”
“I did worry a little about that,” Gregory admitted. “With Lightshield’s message and what I would do with it, I found it unlikely he would have sent the message if that had been the case. I also used everything I could to ensure that didn’t happen.”
“Good,” Bishop said. “Always do everything you can. Doing more doesn’t hurt, but a lack of doing might tip the scales the other way.”
“We’re glad you’re alright,” Jenn said.
“You did well in handling him,” Yukiko added. “The before and after talking was good. It showed you as reasonable to the crowd. They know you’re not like others who crush everyone without thought.”
The eleventh bell began to chime, and they stopped talking to focus on the arena. Yunlo stood there, waiting for the hour to finish. When the last notes died away, he raised the glowing circle to his mouth. “We pause now to announce the final eight in the novice tournament. Our fighters, like you, are present and waiting to hear who they will be facing this day.”
Two large banners, which had been securely tied up on either side of the arena, unrolled so everyone could clearly see the brackets. Gregory’s eyes darted to find his friends’ names. He was happy none of them faced each other in the first round, but their opponents were not going to be easy.
Nessa was pitted against Kyle Walun, and Gregory felt his gut tighten. Kyle had burned his opponents with the fire on his hands. Daciana had tricked and defeated him, but Nessa couldn’t do what Daciana had done.
The other side of the bracket held their other friends. Daciana would face Franklin Buddiz, pitting earth magi against each other. This match-up had a lot of people talking excitedly, especially since Daciana had pulled her trick with the flurry of earth balls against Novice Walun.
Victoria was matched up against Seymour Xandia. The brutal physical enhancement magi had badly beaten and almost maimed every opponent he’d faced after Daciana had beaten him.
That match-up made Gregory’s throat tighten, as he could only imagine what Xandia would do if he got his hands on Victoria. Jenn’s hand tightened on his knee for a second when she saw the same thing.
“It could be worse,” Yukiko said softly, “but it could have been better…” Seeing their expressions, she explained, “They don’t face each other, at least. Victoria’s fight worries me the most of the three, even with the secondary gifts their families gave them.”
“Still disappointing that any of them have to face him in the first round,” Gregory said. He looked at the last pairing and pursed his lips. “I don’t recall either of those names.”
“Neither of them was in the main arena on the first day, and each had a loss on that day,” Bishop said. “They won every other match, only losing to Xandia and Walun.”
“Novice Frederica Ferentini is a physical enhancement magi,” Dia said. “She is more like Jenn than Xandia— controlled force, not crushing force. As for Novice Charles Ball, he’s a fire magi. He can conjure a few small balls of fire, and not many.”
“Nessa will have even more problems if she wins the first match,” Jenn sighed, “and possibly face fire twice in a row.”
“We can only hope for them,” Gregory said. He looked down at the arena where the last match before the novices was about to start.
