Chapter 27 - Lizbeth

I find myself questioning why I want to win this tournament so badly, as I am writing this. Is it to make my mom proud or is it to push myself even further than I thought was at all possible? I am terrified of fighting Rowan, they are my person, but I also know they won't pull their punches if the time comes to it. The two massive ships that are hovering over the arena and it almost made me jump out of my skin when their anchors, which laid down in the mountains slid across the ground, felt as if the earth itself was shaking and about to fall out from under our feet. I am excited to meet the newcomers that have traveled here for the tournament, well, at least see the different cultures.

Snows 45

Looking around from my small tower I can clearly see the crowds, the Fillideshi crowd all dressed in the exact same this as each other, a tight necked jacket of all white and pants of the same, assorted colors over their left breast in neat and orderly lines. And the hats they wore looked like they did nothing for the chill in the air, a slim envelope almost of deep blue rests onto their heads giving them almost a uniform pointy head. It is kind of funny in all actuality. Mangora looks almost no different the only major difference is they looked as if the slightly edgier little brother of who ever designed the Fillideshi suits. Black suits and similar lines of color over their left breast as Fillidesh, and their hats were more of a flat top and a circle leaning back over their head with a bright red symbol on the forehead above the hat above the brim. They are weird they all look the same.

I felt my feet slam into the ground before I realized I was moving around in the field. The walls of the building made of stone would come to my advantage, but the floors are all lined with warm water running down each wall and flame is held in torches and in massive bowls at the end of each hall as I can see. Explosions of fire and the crashing of water start almost instantly, and the pressure of their attacks seem almost like they are trying to tear the place apart.

I reach out to the smooth marble walls and form three swords placing them in three holders I have for them, it is kind of a clever idea, I won't have to make new ones every time I shatter one on someone. I'm also going to steal this idea from Sheila that she tried on me yesterday, a Warhammer began forming from the marble wall. Its handle protruding inch by inch and its head has a flat side around four to five inches wide by tall tapering back to a multi pointed rear section.

I twirl the hammer around as rapidly as I can and use my influence over earth from Artemis to move it even more rapidly, the hammer must be around eight pounds or so, but the bond of earth makes it feel as light as a feather to my hands. This weapon will do. I continue my slow and steady pace through the maze and three of the fights that I could hear steadily coming to an end. And my mother of all people's voice bursting through the ear wit the conclusion of each, "And contestant number three, and fifteen are defeated, two pillars we entered from, one's flame bright crimson and the other's a deep blue, go out. So that's how they know when each of us are defeated.

I hear my mom's voice another couple numbers of people defeated and the pillars, around the arena, fires dwindle down astronomically, about 12 people left in all. I hear the rushing of wind coming from an archway smashing into water over and over and hear Harpy's Scythe's voice fill the air malice ever present in the words, she is trying to provoke who ever she is fighting to drop their guard, "come on, a giant such as yourself can't be all that calm to just defend forever!" There is only one giant in the group, and to bad for harpy's scythe he is my close friend, and I have the drop on her because her feet are on the ground. I feel her presence though light and blurry about ten feet on the opposite side of the wall I am standing across. "Okay, Artemis you ready to show off a bit," I say looking down at the bunny the lines of power surging through him brighter than I have ever seen and a chitter from the rabbit kin to him roaring tells me exactly what I want to hear, "Alright buddy move me under her, through the earth," she won't feel my movements through the earth but everyone left of earth will definitely know what I am about to do. I look to the flames on the pillars before my eyes sink under the earth, 9 left.

I feel her and Aven's presence in almost the same exact spots they were before the fight had started. As I move through the earth a couple feet to behind Harpy's Scythe. I send my will through to Artemis and I shoot out of the earth like a whale from the sea, and the war-hammer works just as well as I thought it would, launching the girl ten feet slamming her into the nearest wall.

That's when I was reminded most everyone has a way to fly, and I bounced off the wall next to Aven and in my flight of almost twenty feet through the air I saw the one person of air's eyes someone I can to find out was another demon like myself, tyrant ruler his eyes a deep black, with white flecks spread though out the iris, almost like his bound a great horned owl, it is so cute by the way. My shoulder slams into the wall next to Aven, and his water catches me from hitting the ground with my face and pulls me closer to his side.

"They both jumped me when I came into this room, I can defend it off, but I was starting to get worried I wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight," Aven says a sigh of relief filling his voice. "Don't relax just because I am here, Tyrant Ruler is Airs nightmare himself, Rowan is the only person that has been able to beat him," I reply to him feeling the war-hammer's handle as I stood from the crouch Aven placed me into. "I need the offensive while Harpy's scythe is still recovering drop the water in front of me so I can move."

Aven understood clearly what I intended to do as I called forth stone to my sides, the three stones swirled around me softly, each the exact replica of the Warhammers current head. I pressed my foot onto the earth bracing myself for the immediate shock of dashing forward. The stones at my feet rippled and almost felt if the became liquid under my command. Aven's wall of water cleared from in front of me and I stood behind Tyrant Ruler, I have trained with Gronaan enough to know how to counteract air's most annoying feature dodging with air pressure changes, or as Gro calls it, "going with the flow." I bring the first stone forth and smash the flat side of the hammer in my hands to its and the hammerheads speed fourth to either side and one to the top of him as I took my second step directly at him the three stones prevent him from moving either to the left right or up as they begin whooshing past him, and I am hot on their trail a sword drawn before me the hammer left behind. It is easy for air to dodge a blunt object or body when it pushes air in every direction, but if something is actually cutting through the air it is a little bit harder.

My first slash connects solidly against his torso and I feel the wind in his chest get crushed out sending him crashing into the ground I pull the hammer heads back into my influence and fuse them into a solid footing in the air and take my third step, sending me crashing onto Tyrant Ruler, my last-minute flip letting my foot slam onto his chest. The crunching of bone and agony in his eyes sent a chill through my spine, and he took a small breath as I pulled my foot from his chest. My mother's voice filled the air with the snuffing of his fire. I look around to the pillars 8 left and turn mortified as Harpy's Scythe pressed a fresh aggressive against Aven. The last thing I could see was Harpy's hand slicing across Aven's chest and a shower of blood raining from shoulder to shoulder, his scream filled the air and sent my blood boiling.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the last deep blue flame, Aven's, snuffed out and the earth I called forth would have been enough to level a city if I let it, three things happened the earth swallowed Aven moving his body out of the arena where I fought, I did not do that, Harpy turned my rage must have been a tangible thing, and finally ten weapons, all swords erupt from the ground around Harpy and begin tearing at her defense. But those were just the distraction, I took slow cool steps toward her and stood behind her as she continued to step back from the flurry of stone blades continuing chase her down as she dodged each individual slash.

A few seasons ago Gronaan taught me how to not resist the wind in my movements, slow and calm movements, I lift my hand fingers spread as Harpy's back slams into my outstretched arm my hand taking a hold on her robes as the ten blades of earth slam over and over into her chest and stomach. With a flick of my wrist and a gesture of my will I spun Harpy Scythe to me, and the swords too her back, holding her in place against the blades dull edge. My foot leaves the ground pulling a stone the size of a watermelon with it, the high kick misses but the stone lagging behind my foot doesn't, the stone erupts as it makes impact with the side of Harpy's head sending her sprawling to the ground, limply bouncing.

With the ultimate action of that fight, my mothers voice once again fills the air, and the second to last white-blue flame goes out. 5 left. Three of fire, one of air, and myself. Good, I am not quite done, and I hope Aven is alright.