Zandria Reclaim - Battle Royale

By noon the next day, they strode up to the platform usually reserved for swordplay demonstration. The Asmi were dressed in their ethnic fur-decorated garb with their short spears in tow. Taye and Ikrah had their own battle gear dressed in green-dyed suede tunic over pants and leather belts. Their weapons were mixed: Squire short sword, Page double-daggers. Master Boleran stood on the pulpit with a green flag for Falshire in his right hand and a blue flag for Asmi. "This is Battle Royale. Battle Royale's simple rule is to win three rounds or keep trying until either side forfeits. The weapons are real. Fight your opponents with all your training. No death blows. But in case of heavy injuries, we have mage-healers ready for you. And now, " he brought the two flags up high, "BEGIN!" He waved the flags apart to commence the battle. The drums were rumbling as the drummers began to beat them into rhythm. Both duo teams ran toward each other and clashed center stage. Taye parried Mogren's thrusting spear as Ikrah slid on her shins arching back to strafe past Boot's swing. That made the crowd roar wildly as they waved in pandemonium. Ikrah rolled back onto her feet like a cat planting her feet to the floor dancing on her toes lightly spinning as she kept up with the continuous jabs. Taye grabbed hold of the staff with one hand, pressing down on it with the cross of her blade at the hilt, and kicked Mogren in the gut and retracted fast enough to stick the heel into her opponent's chin, too. She went for Boots with the newly acquired weapon. As they were engaged in strikes and parries, Ikrah tackled Boots from behind the legs causing her to fall flat on her face. THAT was round one. Total pandeomonium. The drums stopped so that they could rest briefly. Aquine brought them water and towels. "Be careful now. They will change formation." He said between mopping their sweat and massaging their muscles, Taye first, then Ikrah. "Could be two on one or hit you in a blindspot." Back on the fighting arena again, they had to watch their opponents with double the attention than before. The Asmi went for confusion, approaching them by strafing interchangeably. Sure enough, Mogren attacked Ikrah this time while Boots distracted Taye. She drop-kicked Ikrah into side-stepping her just so she could double back with the end of her spear into Ikrah's ribs below the plate of the shoulder blade. With a grunt on impact, Ikrah was immobilized. She fell hearing a ringing in her ears. Mogren stepped off her body to attack Taye. Ikrah staggered to sit up feeling numb all over. Rage built up inside her, filling her vitals with renewed adrenaline. The crowds were completely riled up in excitement, but she didn't hear them. She was focused on the fighters, seeing a great opportunity with the back of the Asmi girls facing her. They were pushing Taye farther and farther toward the edge. Ikrah inhaled a huge breath and stood on the balls of her feet, pulling out the darts from her vest. In practiced perfection, she spun and launched them laced with Wind for maximum impact and accuracy. Mogren received one each in her arm and leg, Boots got one hit in the buttock. They retracted in yelping pain freeing Taye to beat them in a wide spinning scissor kick. Round Two ended there. Taye and Aquine both had to lend their support to get Ikrah off the stage. The mage-healers came charging in to serve both sides. Aquine quickly refused their services. "She's fine. Right, Ikrah?" "I'm fine!" she snapped fiercely. The healer backed off. Aquine was particular in keeping them off of her. She took a long draw of water, putting her eyes on Mogren. Next round, she will have her revenge. "Ikah!" Aquine slapped her face. She directed her eyes on him without flinching. "Drop it! Whatever anger you have in there, drop it!" "I can't drop it, Brother! She stepped on me while I was still down!" "You have to, if you want to live!" Taye reacted to his vehemence, but said nothing as she rubbed on Ikrah's back, who bit a lip sulking. He grabbed hold of that sour face roughly making her lips funnel like a fish mouth and turning it toward him. "Now focus, Ikrah!" he commanded as he forced her to look at him. "Taye will be your shield. You are slow now because of the last round. But with coordination, you two will take them out!" He pressed his face to her ear. "I know you cheated," he whispered. "If they discover how you used those darts, you will be taken to the Academy." She shook to the core upon hearing what he had to say. He drew back to look at her again. "Let them come at Taye. You have to dodge for an open spot. Don't do like before, but aim to disarm your opponent when under attack." She nodded adhering to his words. "Good, remember that." This time, she was cautious. Taye was gripping a short sword in defensive position with the hilt up, blade down. Ikrah did the same with her twin daggers holding them up in the butterfly form. She narrowed her eyes seeing Mogren was smirking smugly. She was disgusted by the way Boots looked at her, especially with the way how she traced a finger across her neck mocking death. Ikrah was aware that they were going to bury her in this round in order to cripple Taye's victory. The blunt pain was beginning to come out of the numbness. She could feel it affecting her arms, especially on the left side. And then, both Asmi girls had their eyes wander off to the side watching Aquine who was pacing around the stage. The crowds screamed in a rioting raucous. Ikrah noticed Taye didn't bother to look, never taking her eyes off their opponents. Although he had said for Taye to be her shield, apparently he was their shield before the round even began. When they engaged in battle again, she was surprised to see they doubled on Taye with their spears, but the Zandrian Squire was limber enough to block them with her sword and bracer. Then, in the next moment, Mogren was retrieving a hidden dagger from Boots' bracer. Ikrah wasted no time lunging into the fight dead on, scaling the duo by stepping onto Boots' upper thigh, hopping on the spears to bounce into Mogren. Her target barely had the chance to see the looming silhouette of her attack, eyes wide in surprise by her speed. She stabbed that big wide open shoulder just as the arm below was stabbing out at Taye. She flung her weight forward holding onto the hilt scoring the blade across the chest as she dragged that body down with her. Blood spilled on the floor shocking the whole world in horrendous silence for but a moment before the outraged Asmi in the audience shrieked in terror. The mage-healers ran on stage to huddle over Mogren who was still breathing, though her eyes were glazed with a blankness as her body twitched from the gaping wound. Aquine rushed into the scene and grabbed hold of Ikrah pushing her face into his chest to keep her from witnessing further. The others were still staring at the mortally wounded, including Taye and Boots. Taye turned to look at him, seeing her page in that strangely tender embrace of his arms, though the two only met for a few days. The mage-healers did their work. They waved to Master Boleran with nods that Mogren survived. He raised the green flag, waving it victoriously. "Squire Taye of Zandria defends in glorious battle! The Battle Royale Medal of Honor shall be added to her name!" The crowd from the non-Asmi sections went wild in whistles and pandemonium. Some of Taye's fellowship broke through the barricade, swarming the stage to hold her arm up in victory. Through that wave of full-blown fanfare, Aquine looked at her with pride, though his eyes were red with tears. He looked down and snuck away with Ikrah in his arms.... ....He kicked the door shut behind him and brought Ikrah to her own bed. Her feet were propped up on her pouch of study notes. Smoothing back her hair, he wiped at the sweat on her forehead with a quiet sigh. She was battle-worn from her first combat experience. The bruise from that other day was black and blue by now. Weakly, she reached up to touch his hand, then stopped upon seeing the dried blood on her own having caked underneath the nails. She began to cry, trembling in terror over what that may have meant. He hushed her with a soothing voice. When she was calm enough, he gave her warm whiskey cream. She drank obediently, taking small swallows. He nursed her head with a warm towel after that. As he was about to leave, he could hear the throng of people cheering raucously in the hallway. Looking around, seeing there was no other way out, he ducked behind Taye's bed for cover. Taye turned everyone away at the door and bid them well for the rest of the afternoon as she needed rest. They begged her to show up for dinner in the Mess Hall. She promised if she woke up in time, she would. And then, in the door, she entered the room, shutting the door with a nicking sound to the latch. She saw Ikrah laying there still in her clothes with the towel on her head. Walking over there, she placed the retrieved daggers on the desk. Turning to the side, she found Aquine who was standing up from his hiding place. He met her gaze warmly at first until her stoney expression made him realize she was upset with the fact that he had left her at the scene. She placed a fist on her hip as she walked up to him, tightening her jaw between gritting her teeth. "Taye, I---" She slapped him straight off across the face. "You want to humiliate me after all I've done for you?" "You've won the Battle Royale. What are you talking about....?" He glared curiously briefly, then ran his eyes over to Ikrah and back at Taye. "Oh my stars by the gentle moon! You think...no, Taye, you're mistaken." "Am I? Did you...did you come to me to get to her?" she grated out those words, her eyes telling on her with tears. "Gentle Goddess, no!" Ikrah could barely open her eyes, though she managed to see through the slit of her eyelids. They were so loud, she came out of the effects of the hazy brew that had yet to fully settle in. She watched and listened where she lay. "Taye, I swear to you, I don't own the same feelings I have for you with her." "Of course not! Every woman is different, you love different---" "Oh for the love of Gods' sake, she's a child!" clamped his tone down to a whisper. "Lower your voice with such ugly things to say." "Then, why?!" Taye snapped. "Taye, wife, swear to you, I can never feel that way about her." "You swear," she sneered, "your words are worthless if you had acted." Something in her tone changed him. He straightened with a stolid face, champing his frown. "Wow, Taye. I guess that's how you've always thought of me." His tone was dangerously soft. "I didn't make you a woman. I made you an honest woman. You of all people should understand what happened today. All this time, you've been with me, neglecting this page of yours. Do you realize what she did in her first taste for combat? She almost killed for you." For a moment, Taye stood there, stunned by what he had to say. She looked back at Ikrah who quickly shut her eyes. Then, she looked at him again. "Never?..." she asked. And he shook his head confirming that fact. "Are you certain?" "Taye," he drew her toward him, enveloping her in his arms. "I love you. I will die for you. See if you can find the next man willing to do that?" She let out a sigh of relief as if a great burden came off her shoulders. "But I'm still hurt." "From battle? Where are you injured?" "Right here," she placed two fingers pointing at her heart. He looked at that bruised heart with a great deal of interest. "Um," he swallowed staring at that spot, "heart troubles are usually cured with your heart's desire filling it with love." She chuckled, undoing the leather jerkin's laces while he ungirdled the belt to the sheathed short sword from her hip....