Nessa was the first of the novices to fight. She’d given Mindie a nod in passing, as her focus was on the fight to come. She was breathing slow and easy when Walun walked out onto the sands of the arena floor. The crowd started cheering louder, clearly favoring him in the fight. Exhaling, she glanced at the white leather gloves on her hands, reassuring herself they were there.
Walun gave her a bow of his head as he got closer. “You are friends with Lyall?”
“She’s my best friend,” Nessa replied warily.
“Would you—?” Walun began.
“Enough chatter,” Yunlo cut him off. “You know the rules. Bow to the boxes.”
Walun’s lips thinned, clearly upset that he’d been stopped from talking, but he did as the grandmaster had told him. Nessa was curious about what Walun was going to ask, but she pushed the curiosity from her mind— she had to focus.
Straightening from her bow to Walun, Nessa adopted a defensive position. He can only project from his hands… at least, we think so. I just need to control his hands.
Walun straightened and, seeing her defensive posture, took an aggressive one. Wind magi… I’ll have to be ready for grit to the eyes, but if I can get my hands on her, I can win. I hope Daciana won’t be too upset with me for hurting her friend.
“Fight!” Yunlo called, suddenly two dozen feet away.
Walun came forward in a rush, his eyes mostly closed as he anticipated the sand. His brow furrowed when he closed the distance and no sand came for him. Just before he reached her, Nessa shifted from defense to offense.
Walun’s hands came up to block her punches. Fire burning, he expected her to cry out and flinch back as she burned herself. He did not expect the fire on his hands to flicker, nor the edges of cold that landed with each hit he blocked. Eyes wide, he backpedaled, trying to figure it out. He was so intently focused on the attack, he missed the sound of wind and the tugging on his kimono.
Nessa was so focused on the fight that she didn’t hear the shock in the crowd. As Walun gave way before her, she was relieved that her enchanted gloves had overcome the fire on his hands. Pulling wind up behind him to whip some sand into the air, she kept the pressure on— she wanted to drive him into it, as he had opened his eyes in surprise.
When he stepped back into the weak dust devil, he closed his eyes and turned his head on accident. He knew he’d made a mistake and did what he didn’t want to do— he’d wanted to keep it a secret until the final match.
Nessa’s lips ticked up when she drove him back and he turned his head, eyes closing against the sand. I’ve got you now! she thought, letting the wind die so she could grab him.
No one expected the burst of fire when Nessa reached for Walun. She cried out and stumbled backward as small blisters formed on her face, her eyes dry and pained. Yunlo blinked, but as the fire had been weak, he didn’t stop the fight.
Both Walun and Nessa managed to regain their footing and sight a few seconds later. The crowd was roaring, clapping, and stomping their feet, clearly loving the fight.
“Enchanted gloves?” Walun asked as he steadied himself. He knew he was fresher physically than Nessa, but his aether was now low.
“A gift from my parents,” Nessa said. “That was unexpected, but you likely can’t do it again.”
“How long can your gloves last?” Walun asked as he circled her. “The moment the chill ends, I’ll win.”
“And the moment your fire ends, I’ll win,” Nessa said. “I’m sorry, but my friends will be waiting for me in the finals.”
Walun slowed his pacing and nodded. “I need to win for the clan I will join. Apologies.”
“My clan would prefer it if I won, as well,” Nessa said.
With that said, she rushed him. Walun met her halfway, the fight underway again.
The two of them clashed time and again. Her strikes chilled him and slowed his reflexes, but his burned her and made it painful for her to move. They both knew that the first one to lose their edge would lose the fight. Walun’s aether was nearly spent and instead of succumbing to exhaustion, he stopped using it. The moment he stopped using his aether, Nessa took the lead. A half-minute after that, she had him on his knees, wheezing.
Shivering in place, Walun raised his arm. “Yield,” he chattered.
“Break!” Yunlo called to her.
Nessa stepped back and bowed to Walun before moving over to offer him a hand up. Walun looked at her glove for a moment before taking her offered hand. Shivering, he nodded, then turned with her to bow toward the boxes and Yunlo as Yunlo declared the winner.
Mindie was there the moment they finished. She placed her hands on Walun’s shoulders. “Minor frostbite in a couple of places… and the edge of hypothermia.” She pushed healing into him, but only enough to take the edge off. “Go see the healers in the hall so they can do the rest,” she told him.
“Thank you,” Walun said, bowing to her. By the time he’d straightened up, Nessa was already leaving the arena floor, and Walun sighed. “I didn’t get to ask her to introduce me to her friend.”
Mindie shook her head. “You can approach her yourself later. Go see the healers now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Walun said, making his way to the other exit.
Nessa gave Daciana a hug when she found her friend already in the waiting room. “Your turn.”
“Yes. I’ll be facing Vicky tomorrow.”
“Don’t treat him lightly,” Nessa told her seriously. “He’s going to be a hard fight.”
“I’m ready for what he can do,” Daciana replied.
“Like I was for the fire?” Nessa asked.
Daciana hesitated. “I’ll be careful and attentive.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting for you in the tunnel.”
“We’ll both be in the boxes for Vicky’s fight,” Daciana said. “They have her going last.”
“Yeah, and after that, we’ll head to dinner, since our friends already had their fights.”
“The only one even remotely challenging for them was the first one. I don’t know why Greg went alone into the last fight. I want to ask him.”
“And we will,” Nessa said. “Just focus on your fight for now.”
Daciana kicked one booted foot against the other. “I’m not sure these will help much, not like your gloves.”
“I’d give them to you, but the enchantment is exhausted.”
“Lyall, it’s time,” Mindie called down to them.
Nessa hugged her friend again. “Go on. I’ll be here.”
Daciana was wearing a grin as she walked up the stairs.
Mindie fell into step beside her, wondering if she should tell Daciana about Walun’s interest. Shaking her head minutely, she kept silent— she didn’t want to be the cause of a loss.
The magus leaving the arena floor paused in the hall as the two of them approached. “Novice Lyall, I’m Magus Anita Alon of the Saito clan. I’d like to speak with you later, if possible.”
Daciana bowed to the magus. “I’m sorry, honored Magus, but I have a clan I will be joining already.”
“A pity. Very well. Have a good match,” Alon said before she continued on her way.
“She shouldn’t have stopped you before your fight,” Mindie said softly.
“They all want me now that I’m here,” Daciana barked a laugh, “but my goal is already set. I won’t deviate from it.”
“You mean to join Aether’s Guard? I’ve seen you in the stands when they trained.”
“Yes. Greg is there… as are my other friends,” Daciana quickly added on the second part.
Mindie’s eyebrows went up and stayed there even when Daciana hastily added the addendum. “He already has two wives,” she said a little primly.
“Then a third will be fine,” Daciana grinned. She inhaled sharply, and her smile grew. “Or more, if they’re good enough.”
Mindie’s face started to heat, but Daciana left her standing there. “But… I’m…!” Mindie said to no one, clearly flustered.
Daciana heard the muttered comments and her grin got wider as she waved to the cheering crowd. She looked toward where Aether’s Guard sat and her smile sharpened. She had a goal, and this was just the first step.
The crowd grew louder and Daciana looked at the other tunnel where Franklin Buddiz was. Buddiz gave her a nod as he crossed the arena. He’d dismissed her because of her heritage before, but after her display of martial and aether prowess, he had to respect her.
When they came to a stop before Yunlo, he nodded. “You know the rules. Turn to the box and bow.”
Exhaling slowly, Daciana triggered her new boots. The brown leather had subtle feather images imprinted on them, but they couldn’t be seen unless you had your nose nearly pressed to them. She didn’t know what tricks Buddiz might have, but she doubted he was ready for hers.
“Fight!” Yunlo thundered.
The crowd yelled in anticipation, having been eager for this fight. Daciana dashed forward, her feet gliding over the ground. Buddiz grimaced and ran backward, his hands claws as he jerked them from his waist to his chest. Daciana had known he’d have to do something to stop her, so when he moved, she triggered the last few seconds of her aether barrier.
The crowd went crazy when they saw the sudden onslaught of dozens of hard-packed earth balls come flying from all around Daciana. The fervor grew when they saw the barrier spring up at the same moment. Buddiz had been backpedaling the entire time the barrage happened, and his lips twisted in anger when Daciana kept coming.
“Fine, you did this!” Buddiz snapped when he saw the barrier fall.
Daciana felt a spike of fear in her gut as Buddiz fell to his knees and threw both hands up. That fear was justified as twin spikes of earth shot up from the ground. A second of recognition was all anyone got before the impossible happened.
Daciana’s foot came down on one of those spikes when it came up, but instead of impaling her as it should have, she rose into the air with it. The second spike, that was a half-step behind her, missed her entirely. She leapt forward, airborne, with her fist pulled back, wearing a snarl of fury as she came down at Buddiz.
Face slack in surprise and fear, Buddiz never even got his hands up before she came down on him. Her fist hit him in the jaw and she plowed into the rest of him a second later, driving them both into the ground.
“Break!” Yunlo shouted. “Healers!”
Daciana whimpered slightly as she pushed herself off Buddiz. Her right hand ached like she’d hit a wall, and her ribs were tight. Staggering to her feet, she stepped back a little unsteadily. Klim and Mindie were already sprinting for them.
Yunlo was beside Buddiz a moment later and exhaled when he saw him still breathing, if with difficulty. He stepped aside as Klim reached the novice. The crowd was nearly wild with excitement from the fight. Raising the glowing disk to his mouth, Yunlo announced Daciana as the winner.
Mindie grabbed Daciana’s shoulder and breathed easier when she understood what her injuries were. “Sprained wrist, bruised rib… you’ll be fine in a second.”
“This one has two cracked ribs and a shattered jaw,” Klim said. She motioned to the tunnel she’d been in and some men with a stretcher came jogging toward her. Klim looked at Daciana. “Considering that he tried to impale you, I can’t blame you for hitting him that hard.”
“If the first one had impaled your foot, the second one could have severely damaged your left leg,” Mindie told Daciana. “How did you do that?”
Daciana gave her a grin. “My parents gave me boots. They called them ‘Wind Step Boots’ and said I could step on anything, even the wind, and it would support me for a time.”
Klim’s eyebrows shot up. She knew those boots would be difficult for a novice to wear if they hadn’t reached the fifth rank, but Daciana had managed to use both them and an item that conjured a barrier.
Mindie had the same thought. Leaning in, she whispered, “What rank are you?”
Daciana grinned and shook her head. “Am I healed?”
“Yes,” Mindie said, stepping back.
Daciana bowed to Buddiz, who was being lifted up and taken away. As she straightened up, Mindie caught sight of the medallion inside Daciana’s kimono. Shock was written across her features as Daciana bowed to Yunlo. Mindie looked at Klim, flashing the fingers on her one hand twice. Klim’s mouth fell open slightly when she saw the number Mindie showed her.
Daciana bowed to the academy box and walked away from the shocked healers, not knowing they knew. She was smiling as she made her way toward the tunnel above which her friends in Aether’s Guard sat. They whistled and cheered for her as she walked off the arena floor.
Nessa met her in the hallway, grabbing her and hugging her tightly. “I nearly fainted when those spikes appeared.”
Daciana hugged her friend back. “So did I, but I won.”
“Because of the boots,” Nessa sniffled, her hands shaking on Daciana’s back. “They saved you…”
“Yes,” Daciana agreed. “We’ll pay them back, though, by joining them.”
“Yes,” Nessa sniffled, pushing back and wiping her face. “We will.”
“And Vicky, too,” Daciana said.
Nessa smiled and nodded. “All of us together.”
“Come on. We can make it up to the box and see her before she comes down to wait.”
~*~*~
Victoria waited near Grandmaster Yunlo, breathing slowly to quell her nerves. She could feel their eyes on her as she waited, and it was comforting and nerve-racking at the same time. He’s strong, brutal, and has had a chip on his shoulder since he lost… He doesn’t know what I can do, nor what I’m about to try. I have no idea if this will work or go horribly wrong, but I’m going to try it.
Seymour Xandia was staring at her as he left the tunnel. The anger and determination on his face were easy to read. The crowd was loud, but he raised his voice for her to hear him, “You stop here! I have a rematch with that bitch who humiliated me!”
“Silence!” Yunlo commanded, glaring at Xandia. “You will keep the taunts for the match.”
Xandia bowed to Yunlo. “As you say, Grandmaster.”
“You know the rules,” Yunlo said. “Turn to the boxes and bow.”
Having finished her bow to Xandia, Victoria exhaled slowly one more time. She set herself into a defensive stance and prepared to do the one thing she could. If it didn’t work, she’d have to forfeit the match before he broke her bones.
“Fight!” Yunlo shouted.
Xandia’s legs flared blue and he rushed her. He closed the distance in just a few breaths, his arm pulled back, glowing with blue flame and intending to end the fight quickly. Victoria dropped into a crouch and punched out short of his knee. Xandia stretched a little more to bring the blow down on top of her, then gagged.
Yunlo’s eyes had gone wide at what he’d seen, unsure if anyone else saw it.
Xandia struggled to draw a breath, his throat nearly crushed from the unseen blow. Staggering back, he tried to get his aether to fix his throat enough to breathe, but Victoria wasn’t having any of it. She came out of her crouch in a rush, catching Xandia just above the hips. Her hands wrapped around his thighs and she lifted him, driving him into the ground under her.
Climbing onto Xandia, she raised her black-clad fist before bringing it down. Xandia’s flame-covered hand tried to deflect it— it should have swatted hers aside and possibly injured her hand or arm, but that didn’t happen. Her hand drove past his block and into his jaw. The sensation of bone breaking made her wince, but she drew her fist back for a second blow.
“Break!” Yunlo called out from beside her. “Healers!”
Victoria inhaled sharply and pushed off the unconscious novice. Her right hand ached, and she wondered if she’d broken it. She bowed to her foe, then to Yunlo, before finally bowing toward the box.
By the time she finished, Klim was checking Xandia, and Mindie was checking on her. Mindie sent her a little energy before rushing to help Klim. “Her hand had a couple of small fractures. She’s fine now.”
“This one has a shattered jaw. I’ve already fixed his throat, which was nearly crushed, but I never saw her hit his neck.”
“Spatial magic,” Yunlo said, having declared Victoria the winner, “but a novice shouldn’t be able to do that during this tournament.”
Victoria pulled her medallion out and showed him the six illuminated rings. “I’m past the mid-mark, sir. I also had aether storage earrings, which are now empty.”
Yunlo’s eyebrow went up and he glanced at the academy box. “I see. You have won and will be moving on.”
The men with the stretcher were loading up Xandia as Victoria headed for the exit, her eyes going to the people sitting in the front row. Her smile grew wide when she saw them cheering for her.
