Book 2: Chapter 32: Exhibition Match

  The training ring’s marble floor still glistened with the dew of early morning, despite the fact the ring had been swept clean for the occasion. Palace guards lined the ring’s perimeter in tight formation, set in place and ready to contain and coral the coming audience in case the need would arise. The fight happening today was theater, a ritualized display as much as it was true test of skill and might. And the audience had already begun to gather for their show.

  Kate stood beneath the arch of the training arena’s eastern gate, arms crossed, her gaze tracking the slow approach of the Azure Vault.

  They came in quiet rows of blue and white robes rippling in harmony, like wind across a line of flag poles. Their steps were perfectly timed, their expressions unreadable. At the front walked Master Halraen. He bore sigils, or emblems, only the weight of very presence.

  At his right was Jael Korshan.

  The Azure Vault’s chosen warrior was younger than Kate expected, perhaps nineteen, maybe twenty. His frame was tall but lean, like coiled rope stretched taut. Short dark hair, sea-glass-green eyes. He wore the barebone dueling garb of the Sect, a half-tunic, pants, and gloves all marked with enchanted thread lines. His bearing was calm, controlled, unshaken by the pressure of the fight ahead of him.

  Henry stood beside Kate now, arms tucked behind his back. “Early-stage Adept,” he murmured. “Trained in wind-step and brute-flow water elemental forms.”

  Kate’s eyes narrowed. “So he’s offensive?”

  “Yes. Fluid movement,” Lance answered, joining them with a wrapped water flask in hand. “He can shift styles mid-flow from evasive long-range counters, to full pressure aggressive bursts. He will be very hard to lock down. And with your element…”

  “Water douses fire,” Kate finished dryly.

  “Not always,” Henry said. “But often enough that you will need to plan for it.”

  Across the ring, Halraen lifted a hand in greeting, the faintest motion of acknowledgment, but in the Sect’s rigid structure regarding duels, it might as well have been a warm embrace.

  Kate returned it with a sharp nod.

  “We didn’t go over the different rounds before, so pay attention.” Lance continued, “A formal duel involves three rounds of combat. A skill round, where only your physical weapons and body can be used. A true martial round, when you may incorporate your Martial Fighting Style and its effects into your fighting. Lastly is the round of deathly intent. Everything is allowed, spells, martial skills, enchanted items, all of it. The only limit being an items must be at or below your own cultivation level, so for both of you, early stage Adept.”

  “That’s a lot to have forgotten to go over, Lance,” she glared at him.

  Lance held up his hands in defense, palms out, and smiled sheepishly. “We didn’t exactly know these things until yesterday after talking with some of the sect warriors at the garden. Then there was the whole Eric thing…”

  “Fine, fine,” Kate flicked her hair over her shoulder. She had prepared it into a singular long braid for this fight instead of the free, long locks she normally let fall around her shoulders. “So first round is just a brawl with weapons?”

  Henry nodded and clasped a hand on her shoulder. “That one you are most likely to lose. But you do have a better chance in the next two rounds.”

  She only scoffed in response.

  “You bought a kick ass martial Style in the dungeon, we know that, so you are probably a shoe in for the second round.” Lance added.

  “Kick ass? Please, its the best one any of us have, by far.” She smirked proudly.

  Lance wavered his hand at chest level. “I don’t know, Alex gets a demonic arm to help him smash shit. And the horns are pretty sweet.”

  “Shut up, and go away, I need to get ready.” she said.

  Both men chuckled and backed away slowly, leaving Kate to her meditation.

  Observers began trickling in now, taking their places among the stands around the arena. House Caerwyn arrived with delicate grace, Lady Thessalia dressed in steel-threaded blue silk, watching with veiled interest. A few minor noble retainers clustered near the far edge from her. The church came two cloaked clergy, silent and solemn. Gossip bloomed in hushed circles around them regardless.

  “This’ll draw attention,” Lance said, taking another drink from his water flask. “Might’ve been smart to keep this private.”

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  Henry shook his head. “Public means pressure. And pressure’s what we need to force them to make a choice, like forming a diamond.”

  “Poetic,” Eric muttered as he limped up beside them, his movements slow but steadier now. “You sure she’s ready for this?”

  Lance raised an eyebrow. “You were poisoned yesterday and you’re here. She’ll be fine.”

  “I meant mentally. Not physically.”

  Holly shrugged as they looked to her for an answer. “Kate’s always been a little… crazy. Being mentally ready isn’t really in the cards.”

  Eric just snorted.

  Cole, Devon and Allie moved toward the edge of the dueling square, checking the enchantments and medical supplies. Allie tapped her fingers along a potion line at her belt while Devon traced faint detection glyphs into the stone.

  Kate crouched, adjusted the tightness of her shoe, then stood again and rolled her shoulders. Everyone thought she was insane to be fighting in heels. Granted, they were short heels, but still. Kate compromised with everyone by altering her black footwear to have straps that laced and crossed up her calves, tightening around her thighs, to ensure stability and that she wouldn’t simply trip.

  The rest of her fighting ensemble resembled a battle-dress. A cherry red and black gown, inlaid with metal protection along her mid section and arms, as well as thin plates along the hem and skirt of her dress itself. It was something she picked out herself, flashy, yet practical in a way that made a point.

  She drew her sword, checking the blade for any damage despite already knowing the enchanted blade was still immaculate. She had spent half her points in the dungeon shop on the weapon, it wouldn’t fail her here.

  She peered out over the crowd, catching the eye of her teammates watching in the stands, Holly, Allie, Lance, Cole, everyone was there, she even saw Peter and Zach arrive with Garret. They all had easy smiles, letting her know that Peter’s little plan must have worked. But where was he?

  ***

  Alex and the others left the suite and headed directly to the dueling arena after their small chat with the house Vaelros servant. It was a short travel, and they arrived just a couple minutes before it looked ot begin. The stands were already filling up, the crowd listing about slowly as the people trickled up to find their seats.

  He waved The others off toward the stands as he made he way for the fighter’s preparation rooms. Alex could already guess that Kate was ready, but he couldn’t help but want to give a bit of a pep talk beforehand anyway.

  Kate was looking at her sword when he found her. Obviously the weapon was fine, she was just trying to find something to do. Nervous then. That’s understandable, last time she fought a human, I broke her face, after all.

  No sound was made as he slunk into the room and set himself just behind her, “Hey.”

  A blade cut through the air above his head as he ducked down, sliding to the left as the follow up swing passed by as well. Kate’s eyes widened, then narrowed as she realized who had snuck up on her. She jabbed forward once more just good measure, forcing Alex to dodge yet again, palming her blade away with his hand. A choice he regretted, as she had angled the edge to cut his hand as he did so.

  “Fuck, that hurts,” he said.

  “Serves you right, sneaking up on someone is how you get killed.” She cleaned the blade with a small rag before sheathing it.

  He simply stepped back, raising his hands in peace.”Sorry, my bad. How you doing?”

  Kate scoffed before turning away to look over the audience once more. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

  Alex moved up to stand beside her. His eyes went across the arena, to see her future opponent. Even through his aether sight, he could tell that the man was dual elemental attuned mage. Air and water, they picked a good opponent for her.

  He looked back to Kate with a sincere smile. “Don’t burn too hot, too fast. Water’s about control. He’ll try to smother any aggression with patience defense. Force him to over-commit before you release.”

  Kate gave a sharp nod. “I’m know how to win, but this fight isn’t just about me winning. I’m here to send a message, we need to send a message. So it’s got to be a show.”

  “To who?”

  “To everyone watching.”

  Across the ring, he could see Jael begin his warmup, flowing into a low water-stance, fingers rippling in sync with his breath. The humidity in the air already seemed to shift around him, droplets of ambient aether and dew misting in slow circles near his feet.

  Movement at the edge of the ring caught Alex’s eye and he realized their time was up.

  A court mage strode into the ring, his voice magically projected. “By permission of the Royal Family and under sanction of the Martial Sects, an exhibition duel shall now commence between Jael Korshan of the Azure Vault and Kate Locke of the Worldstriders. The match will best of three rounds.”

  Halraen raised a hand and stood. “This duel is one of honor, growth, and observation. Let its outcome serve to teach each fighter to walk further along their path.”

  A Kate exited toward the ring, Alex left the fighter preparation room and quickly made his way up and around the inner construction to rejoin his friends in the stands. They all waved him over, and he found a seat between Holly and Eric. He had just gotten to his seat and managed to sit down when the announcer finished his declarations for the audience.

  He watched as Kate stepped lightly into the ring. The way she walked caused the hems of her battle gown to barely brush across the marble floor in slow, precise sweeps. Her rapier’s sheath gleamed cherry-red beneath the harsh light of the noon sun, the weapon’s fire-infused metal handle-guard catching and bending the light with every subtle twitch of her wrist.

  In the ring across from her, Jael Korshan rolled his shoulders, his body fluid and languid. His battle stance was casual, but not careless. A dagger in a reversed was held in his left hand, and a wodao sword in his right, the blade angled low and wide. His weight shifted back and forth with a slow, natural rhythm, as if a river reed waiting for the wind to decide which way it wished to blow in any given moment.

  The two combatants starred at each other from across the large square marble slab that was their arena. Even from where he sat up in the stands, Alex could smell it, the wind across the arena tasted like long over-cooked stone, sweat and dust.

  The duel moderator raised his hand. “First Round; No spells. No arts. Only metal, skill, and bone.” Then he dropped his hand. “Begin!”