Mischief

"Are you certain of going through this?" Odin asked from outside the golden squared ring.

"Yes, I think I will forfeit now." Ysmir said, surprising Odin.

"Really? You want to back out now?"

"Oh what? Did you not expect my answer to be different?"

Odin realized it was just one of Ysmir's fun with words and logic.

"Maybe you can get some true sense when you get your head knocked out in this fight." Odin grumbled out.

"Me? Haha, knocked out. Please be serious."

Ysmir's opponent soon entered the fight ring and They took a close look at each other.

Ysmir not being able to hold it snickered at his opponent, not from real amusement but for the fact that all these scary warriors watching and the one they picked to fight him was possibly the scariest Aesir.

Even his jaw was clear of any mighty beard.

"Isnok." The old man who officiated the fight spoke out loud from the seats. It wasn't loud but everyone can hear it. "He is low in the fighters rank and started out not too long ago. Ysmir if you can defeat this man than you are qualified to fight in my colosseum with everyone else even if you are a brat that hasn't even had his coming of age ceremony."

Ysmir stretched. "Heh, easy peasy."

Isnok stood there holding himself back as his pride has been constantly been shaken down by a teenager and a few old veterans.

He was the quiet type which was almost rare in Asgard.

As they prepared Odin came to Ysmir's corner and presented him with a metal axe.

"Isn't that overkill? You know I'm a monster with an axe in hand." Ysmir said with no shame.

"I suggest you take this seriously and seize your foolish wordplays Ysmir."

Ysmir chuckled and grabbed the axe which had had an incredible weight on it, not enough for him to struggle but rather aware of it.

Aesir bodies are dense and many times heavier than the average human, and holding onto a human weapon would be like holding a feather, no challenge.

But to feel the weight of a weapon as an Aesir means the weapon was the big deal. Ysmir didn't ask where Odin got the weapon, it was either from the colosseum weapons room or one of his magic princely privileges.

"Yoo may begin." The soft voice of the old man sounded again.

And as Ysmir focused fully on his opponent's Isnok he realized the scrawny man was unarmed, or rather will use his fists as weapons.

Wanting it to be fair, Ysmir threw the axe to the side where Odin stood. "Don't need it."

"You fool!! I told you to take this seriously!! This is not like those childsplay in the academy!!" Odin yelled out in fury.

"Hush now princess, watch how Ysmir, me, make quick work of this."

Ysmir lowered himself into a stance Odin had seen him used many times, something no one knew about.

At some point Ysmir explained to Odin that it was something he called "Mixed Martial Arts" which even has some of the Aesirian combat arts added onto.

Seeing Ysmir ready, Isnok rushed at him soon to collide and begin this honorable battle.

Ysmir was excited to have a battle like this, this might be more than a challenge but fighting against Sigrun and her girls just wasn't enough anymore. He was in the big leagues now.

"HAHAHAH HAVE A THEE-!!" Ysmir started out with a jump and maneuvered in midair to do a swiping kick but he didn't feel the intended target.

Next thing he knew was a simple fist bump onto his face and nothing.

*******

*Fwoosh*

Ysmir jerked up from his sleep in his bed dreaming that he was drowning, and simply enough a man with a red beard and a bald head stood over him.

Previously plugging up his nose from his sleep.

"Uncle!! For Buri's sake wake me up normally for once!" Ysmir shouted.

"Waking you the old way does not work anymore." His uncle said.

The man is Yontar, the brother of Ysmir's biological father, Yohr. Someone Ysmir doesn't know about since Yontar doesn't like to talk about his dead parents.

The story is that they died fighting in one of the many wars in Asgards past.

Apparently the family is obsessed with the letter 'Y' considering every male has one in their name.

For the past 15 or so years, Yontar has taken care of Ysmir as best he can along with his lover Mion. And though the three in the household are not children and parents, they act just like a family.

Mion was caring towards Ysmir and had always treated him as her own while Yontar acted as father, mentor and teacher.

The sole reason Ysmir was able to become as strong and durable as he is today was because Yontar has taught him basic combat and how to cultivate the Seidr in him.

When Ysmir started out his path in battle and sorcery the one thing he hated was the pain, sure it was there to remind him how alive he is and he also had a monstrous recovery due to his Aesir genes but the pain was just too much.

And so when he was capable he directed his Seidr into natural durability and such and it made fight become easier and fun.

It didn't make him stronger but rather more enduring than most in his level, but now the only ones who could grant him pain is none other than Odin and the adults.

His path in defense has been discouraging but he was still focusing on it, fortifying natural inner energy barriers and experimenting on making his bones and tissues more denser than they already were.

Though most of it started when Odin started handing him books.

He started out his fights with Yontar but after a few years Ysmir tried his best to avoid those lessons now for the sole reason that it didn't satisfy him.

Unlike other spars and duels, his uncle took it upon himself to not only make it hard but target every weakness Ysmir had.

For example; the last time they fought, Yontar would retreat whenever Ysmir would decide to go on the offense and whenever he was caught off guard or in a difficult position his uncle would attack.

And unlike most fights Ysmir had, his uncle would be the most wary and would definitely be a master of patience, or in some cases a God of Patience.

Others would always be straight forward, at least so far but Ysmir had a hard time dealing with cautious fighters like Yontar, and he didn't have big attacks that affected the area like Odin or strong attacks.

All he has is defense.

And apparently it doesn't work when he needs it the most, or in fact not against Aesir's that are many times stronger than him. He knew the gaps between him and the older civilians and warriors but he never experienced it like he did.

Even his uncle Yontar never took any time to show him the gaps rather than letting him know the gap.

If he was to guess, then his uncle Yontar may be stronger than at least half of the colosseum warriors. And his uncle along with his dead father were 7th generation children of Buri.

The 1st generation are Buri himself and the Aesirs he created with his godly powers.

And after the many millenia's of war on Asgard and the surrounding realms, the warriors are bound to die leaving children.

But unlike most family lines, the current King Bor is a second generation while Odin a third, his children would be the 4th generation in the line of Buri.

The earlier generations are guaranteed to be strong since they lived longer and survived most, but they would also be older and less capable at certain times in their life.

Ysmir is an 8th generation child of the first Aesir created by Buri. And that is considered an early generation, but remembering how he was easily knocked out by the scrawny Isnok he jumped out of his fancy bed.

"You wonder how you appear back in bed?" Yontar questioned as he leaned against the door looking at the embarrassed Ysmir. "Prince Odin himself had to drag you back home, and said you basically challenged the whole colosseum."

He stood there watching his nephew, the surprising action was fearless and brave but stupid.

The colosseum itself was in a way the second defense line for Asgard whenever there were invaders. And a child who still drank milk challenged these warriors? Even the bruises haven't healed up on his face yet.

"I understand not why you would do such a thing, care to explain?"

"Simple uncle, I have no more challenges in the academy."

There might be for the 16 to 19 year olds but he wasn't gonna bet his money over a bunch of youngsters. Plus he is not yet in the 3rd grade in academy, a few moons and he will take the test for worthiness before entering.

"And the warriors in the colosseum are enough to challenge?"

"Well maybe I overestimated my might, but even now I still want to fight in the pits." Ysmir said unwaveringly.

"If you wanted a good challenge you should have told me, I have trained you since you could walk."

"I have uncle, many times yet you still see me as a weak child, and you're too frustrating to batte. I need fighters who can fight certain ways so that I can improve on myself."

"And you don't think I could do so?"

"You're too soft on me unc."

"Fine, we'll change up our routine. Usually your aunt has been adamant on me going easy on you, but we'll go elsewhere so that we could train as we please." Yontar said as he straightened up and smirked.

"Really?"

"Yeah, so don't go complaining to Mion when I wipe your face repeatedly on the floor."

"Hah, we'll see about that."

Later that day Ysmir rushed to a giant gold building that is a registration building for the colosseum.

When he arrived there, Odin was hanging there as if knowing Ysmir would be there.

"Princess? What are you doing here? Were you competing?"

"Yes, but I was also waiting for you." Odin said before annoyingly correcting Ysmir. "And either call me Odin or nothing at all."

"Sure, alright let's go." Ysmir followed by Odin stepped onto a round disk big enough for each of them and they started to float until they were out through an opening up the building.

The goal this time for Ysmir was to convince the old officiator to give him a chance, because the colosseum can bring him improvements greatly.

Sure his uncle promised a different kind of training, a more effective one but Ysmir wants to enter the colosseum ranks just like Odin and get some might out of it.

Odin who was following behind already knew what Ysmir wanted and he was just there to observe and leak out some of his privilege to Ysmir.

Entering the floating giant bowl, they saw that the place was filled almost to the brim and the pits were full of fighters.

Ysmir bee lined straight to the judge seats where the officiator sits with the veterans and such.

Seeing Ysmir, many of them turned to the two and waited for an amusing conversation.

"I see you are back, young Ysmir. And Prince Odin, how may I be of service." The officiator said with a smirk.

"I want another chance."

Odin who was behind Ysmir just shrugged his shoulders letting Ysmir take the lead.

"I'm glad to see you are still persistent…" The old man spoke up with a smile before dropping it. "...but you are far too young and weak for this level of battle."

It wasn't a secret or surprise to know that Ysmir was the mightiest around the new generation, of course right after Odin, but the Aesirs at the age of 20 and older are ones that already went through the coming of age ceremony and even the weakest of them can slap down Ysmir.

And his might and reputation now is expected to only soar from this moment on. The next few generations will go through the coming-of-age ceremony and will be the new mighty Aesirs, while someone with innate talent like Ysmir will also rise and his strength will be stronger than everyone else just like he is now to the younger Aesirs.

But it seems to the veterans and older generations that Ysmir is much too in a rush for more challenges and power.

Sure it was admirable for such a young warrior to have this determination, but it's way too early for a kid to come into the fight pits. The ones who are capable of doing such things are the royal bloodline, descendants of Buri himself and those who are truly monstrous.

But to the old man and a few are amused, because Ysmir might be on to something here.

"I can do it, I just need time to get used to the pits, Lord Logros." Ysmir pushed for the chance.

"You are still so young, why do you not go and run around like the other children? When the time comes for your ceremony I doubt there would be many who could break your defense.

After your 20th name-day, you are more than welcome to try again in my pits. I will be looking forward to it." The old man rubbed his long beard with excitement.

"So that's how it is." Ysmir turned to the side to do some 'thinking'. "Maybe the fighters are cowards, afraid to be beaten by a child who hasn't yet seen his first century. Or my 20th name-day to be precise."

Again, many eyes turned to him. From fighters to spectators who are just looking for entertainment.

"I understand Lord Logros." Ysmir turned back to the old officiator. "I won't ask again for a fight against these 'so-called' fighters anymore, fare thee well." Ysmir said as he put his hands up and did air quotes with his fingers.

He then turned around and started walking off towards the exit. The many who saw this didn't know what Ysmir meant by the term 'so-called' or what he did with his fingers, but they're instincts told them that he was mocking them.

"Wait." Old Logros called out followed by a defeated sigh.

'The boy sure knows how to stir to get what he wants.'

"I hear that the year's test of spirit will be your generation, am I correct?" Old Logros asked to which Ysmir nodded.

"Then I will give you a chance...IF you are able to impress me in the trials and slay the mightiest of the caged beasts then you will be allowed to enter the pits by your choice." Old Logros said as he stood up and faced the boy.

"If you are unable...then you will cease yourself from belittling the might of the colosseum champions!!" Old Logros' previous amusement has disappeared and he donned an expression that would represent the very definition of bloodlust.

Ysmir felt tamed, but he smirked. And from that smirk came a smile and then a full wide smile.

"Fine by me."