Chapter 26 - Gronaan
This morning while we were all eating all of us remaining in the tournament that is, everyone else was kind of battered a bit too much, the earth began to shake as it felt like the moon crashed into it again. Everyone without so much as a word rushed to the windows to see what had happened. Two warships, one Fillideshi, and one Mangoran parked themselves above the city. The two monstrous creations, one the Fillideshi, that's wat the instructors claimed at least, looked like a ship, one that sails through the ocean but golden and orange sails surrounding it seem to catch every ripple of wind and float it hundreds of feet above our heads. The Mangoran craft looks like nothing I have ever seen before, a long metal body every edge appears as sharp as a razor, all except two cylinders with strange blue glows leaving them each held out by fins of some sort toward the rear of the ship; something else of note on the shit, pipes of all sizes, its weapons Liz's mom explained to us pointed out in every direction she called them cannons or guns. It is something like that. The massive chains they lowered to the mountains around the city were what caused the rumbling and vibrations in the air and the earth this morning. Sheila is doing okay, albeit a little sore, Liz did a number on her with that sword, four cracked ribs two more broken, bruising from her shoulders all the way to her lower abdomen the medical unit didn't want me to disturb her, so they only let me in for a moment. Now to support my friends.
Snows 45
The instructions we have been given are simple, we are not to interact with the Fillideshi and Mangoran forces unless an instructor is present to monitor for any sort of foul play from either force, accept all gifts but immediately report them to the closest instructors, and finally ignoring the show of force is recommended because we have much bigger things on our plate today like winning the fights in the final part of the tournament. Sheila said, 'kick everyone's ass for her, and give Lizbeth a good beating too.' Her words always find a way to put a smile on my face.
I push myself from my desk and feel out to Avernous, the squirrel is resting under my pillow, and he has earned each and every second of the sleep he needs. However, I reach my will out to him, and the pillow began stirring softly until wind shot it at my face like a raging bull. The smack of the small cloud became a violet flurry of feathers and a shadow erupted from them landing on my shoulder. Thankfully, I know he is grumpy in the morning usually, so I leave him to rest most of the time, but we have to go. As I step into the hall a blast of wind surges around the air, the tension and excitement filling the air has every bound and their chosen on high alert and the air becomes tangible with this much power condensing in one area.
As I flitter down the hall toward the stairs, yes dwarfs of air flitter because skipping isn't manly, I see everyone moving in unison a long line of people steadily taking each individual step, shuffling past the line of people I find myself actually hovering down the stairs more excited than nervous. Each flight of stairs taking me one jump closer to the exit, I find other people of air that made it through the first-round tailing directly behind me. The crumble of stone and rushing of water not far behind either. No one here wants to be last.
Okay I froze a little bit when I saw Aven Liz and Rowan standing at the doorway with several instructors stopping them from leaving the building. I pulled my hood off like them and strolled up to their sides as the cacophony of people behind me stumbled bumps and almost turned into a giant pile from the sudden stop. Laughter filled the staircase behind me, and the chuckles drew the attention of the five or six people who had already made it down to the bottom. "What's wrong Sky Dwarf, did you get nervous, at the last second," a burly voice called out filling the corridor behind me. I turn to find Red's Blaze standing there a smile resting on his face. The only interactions until this one I have had with this man seems hostile or aggressive, but I think he was just worried I would become a softy or something because I had never seen him smile in my presence before its always side long glances and grumbling in my direction, or just bold insults about my mother being a cow.
I turn over my shoulder putting on my best smile in reply saying, "Now I think I am up one on us fighting, you'd best not be a disappointment today, Red." A chuckle and a solid slap on my shoulder as he steps past me ensures me that my feeling was right. He might not be a bad dwarf after all. I fix my gaze back to where my friends are and everyone has put on their hoods again, the group beginning to fill in as the stairwell empties out into the lobby of the Council Tower. The only deciding factor in finding my friends was actually quite obvious, Aven is a titan of a man.
I just found the giant and strolled over to him, and then it was quite easy the rest of the way to identify Lizbeth and Rowan. Lizbeth's eyes are a dead giveaway, no tainting from the elements, and the bunny rabbit resting atop her head, Artemis likes sitting there and it is adorable even though Liz is in complete battle gear a new belt with empty slots added to her ensemble. Rowan the only obvious identifying trait is the weasel I have come to very much enjoy having around, he is quite mischievous, Machina, resting on her shoulder eyes alert.
To match everyone else I pull my hood back over my head and the cloth that covers the face shifted up to cover mine above the nose and seal tightly around my face. The sashes or masks, whatever you want to call them are almost like air themselves, they don't impair breathing at all and are more like an illusion which I think is more the case with them. I speak to the few of them as the look around the crowd, "Hey you guys, good luck today."
Lizbeth was the quickest to reply, her arms shoot around both sides of my head and pull into her, "You too Gronaan, and I won't hold back against anyone." First how can someone so bubbly and lighthearted as her, be as terrifying as she can, second a furnace is heat burst into existence as my face met Lizbeth's chest. Look I have grown a lot, partly due to Sheila making it hurt when I have been a little more, how should I say this, fresh; but air's influence it has changed me more than I could ever imagine being changed. With that being said, I am still a man, and I am glad I'm a dwarf right now, and that my mask conceals all facial features and expressions.
Pulling back from the hug I laugh a bit, and speak again, "I won't hold back either." Though I can't see anything but Rowan's eyes a knowing glance shoots through the mask, "You'd better not dwarf." Aven turns to us all and his tree branches for arms lifts all of us far from the ground in a tight hug, "Thanks, you guys," his voice a cheery tone. Rowan's voice was the next to come out, "Alright you gorilla you can put us down now." Once again, my face was in a pretty good spot, I was standing between Liz and Rowan in respect to where Aven was. Thank you, my friend.
Before I knew it, we were all standing in the tunnel of the stadium, the walk lost to nervous tension in my mind. That is until the voice of an angel filled my head, her voice was smoother than honey, "Welcome our visitors, the diplomats send to us by Fillidesh and Mangora you are welcome to be here and enjoy the time you get to spend in the heart of Valorous after this evening's festivities. Today we have a wonderful evening's events to conclude the earlier shows," The crowd surrounding the arena sounded as if there were an explosion of force going off in the stands above us. "The Tournament of Time, these bound of ours have been tested and tried and only time has moved them above and beyond any of their peers, time and time again we see a group of people more advance than others, but we will provide you with the 20 of the best from this Petal's choosing. They will fight until one final chosen is standing."
The roar of the crowd was drowned out because it is our time to roar, the bound of air take to the front of the tunnel all in unison and look to each other the three of us remaining, our voices booming out the entrance of the tunnel, the tunnel magnifies the sound to louder than I had ever heard any of us produce except when we were first learning to keep our voices in check, maybe we got a little carried away. All that was left after the scream we gave them was air so frozen in time and place that it could be pushed aside, the crowd was speechless, good. The woman's voice filled the arena and our heads once again, "Welcome our twenty chosen the three of air have already seem to have shown off a little bit," this time a small hint of a chuckle slips into the air.
Stepping out into the Arena it is not like anything I have ever seen it set up as a center pillar forty feet high or so surrounded by stone walls covered in vines, the sound of rushing water and dancing flames coming from the other sides of the walls. Looking to the top of the pillar a goddess, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen stands proudly atop it with a staff of some sort held up to her lips as she speaks. I look back to Liz and she places her face in her hand at the same recognition I have, her mom. Elaine Demore, Lizbeth's mom, is dressed in an all-white flowing gown a silken sash of what looks like the golden material of the warship's sails hanging above gently hovering above her shoulders. A golden chain sinks low onto her chest the amulet at its bottom resting against her breasts. The large cat, not doubt her bound contrasting against the gown, directing eyes too her thighs equally tan as the rest of her. That is what one day Liz will look like, and I can't help but feel a small pang of jealousy toward Rowan in that moment.
"With the announcement of the tournament, I will now hand it off to our Viceroy to give the speech and to commence the tournament's beginning. Her final words are met with a brief applause, and she steps off the ledge of the tower as a bolt of lightning shatters the top of the pillar leaving the man feared and respected by all three nations, the strongest bound in the world.
Viceroy Vincent Mercer, one of Liz's uncles I think, he is dressed in formal robes of midnight black, the sleeves instead of being colored like our formal gowns are laced with electrical power, the lightning buzzing from him popping and snapping in all directions. His bound a massive Lion its mane glowing a bright blue and white surging with electrical potential, stands next to him on the ruined pedestal the four foot around tower now about ten feet shorter the smoke clearing from the impact the town having been vaporized along with any stray stones.
"I give my welcome and will keep it short and sweet, our guest must be excited," a single scream a girls voce called out to the air followed by the rest of the crowd. "Will our bound take their places at each of the small stone circles surrounding the labyrinth, grab the knifes found outside each and place a drop of blood in the center and then proceed into the arena. Don't worry footage will be played into the air for all to witness thanks to equipment brought by both Fillidesh and Mangora so they can more easily see today's festivities." With his words completion everyone from the chosen myself included rushed out as controlled as possible to find a circle nearest to us.
Leading the pack, I reached the one directly in front of myself, it was raised a bit off the ground, so it is quite easy not to miss. I picked up the dagger and gently cut my finger a single drop of blood spilling forth from it with ease, falling onto the rings center as I stood in it. I almost fell off the sides as what actually turned out to be a ten-foot-tall pillar shot into the air, a light blue flame blazing around it's perimeter. The flame doesn't let off even a hint of heat and most have something to do with the circle and out status of health and current condition, well that's what Avernous showed me.
"Step into the ring my challengers, once you do you cannot leave until you are the victor, or your flame is put out by you becoming unable to fight on further. Good luck and may the element's guide you," The Viceroy's voice fills the air without the assistance of the staff Liz's mom was carrying. And I see the first forms launch themselves into the area elements already in the works and rashes throwing up dust with their landings. "Well, here we go," I say matching everyone else's pace.