Chương 109: [The Tournament Begins]

The area around the arena filled up quickly as people scrambled for the best views. Leo could feel the anticipation rolling off the crowd; conversations were everywhere, people predicting winners, whispering about "dark horses," and even mentioning his own name from time to time. It was a surreal feeling—all these people ready to watch him fight, when not two months ago he was just an overweight guy spending his life in front of a PC. The thought made him smile. He'd come a long way in a few weeks.

Torren led them along the outer wall, away from the main flow of people, to an arched entrance set low into the stone. Tall enough for Torren to walk through without ducking, which made sense to Leo; his normally tall height of 6'4' was nothing compared to Torren and more than a few others he'd seen while walking round Stonehall.

"Rika," Torren said, stopping and turning.

"This is where you and Parmo will need to find your seats."

"I know," Rika said, her wings giving a brief, impatient flutter. She had already spotted something above the arena wall that Leo couldn't see.

"Come on, Brandon."

"I'm coming, I'm c—" Parmo started. She had already grabbed his sleeve and was pulling him toward the main entrance. Parmo looked back at the group and managed an eye roll before he gave a small resigned wave, and let himself be dragged off.

"She's going to get seats that let her shout directly at us," Sam said.

"Parmo will have more eyes on him than us with all the noise she's going to make." Torren gestured them through the arch. The waiting area was a stone room that ran the width of the arena's south end. Broader than Leo had expected — long wooden benches along the walls, hooks for gear, a few low tables, and a section at the far end partitioned off with a heavy curtain for changing.

The ceiling was low but not uncomfortable, lit by torches in iron brackets and daylight coming through two narrow windows set high in the wall. It was already busy. Fighters and trainers in pairs and small groups, the sound of conversation, wood knocking against wood as people checked their weapons. The smell of leather and stone. Shai moved ahead naturally, Torren alongside her, nodding at people as they passed. Leo followed with the others, taking the room in.

"Good to see you, Kael," Shai said, stopping near the far wall. The wolf beast-kin looked up from where he was seated on a bench, running a thumb along the edge of his training sword. He was young, somewhere around his early twenties. Dark ears, one with a small notch in it, and he stood when Shai spoke.

"Captain." He nodded, not quite formal but close.

"Good to see you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm Phil's Trainer." She glanced back at the group.

"These four are some of the men we've been training from Monkhaven. The town that appeared on the plains." Kael looked at them with open curiosity before he stood up and offered a hand.

"In that case, names Kael. Nice to meet you all."

"Same," Leo said, taking the offered hand.

"Names Leo." Kael looked down at the hand with confusion. Shai noticed and laughed which was followed by Torren.

"That's a handshake, Kael. Leo, Kael was expecting you to clasp his wrist." Leo chuckled.

"Fair enough." Leo released the grip and followed Shai's lead, grasping Kael's forearm.

"Leo, is Kai's student. He's also a quick study and has managed to impress Kai. I'm sure you know what that means so be wary if you meet him in the arena." Kael grinned.

"I look forward to the opportunity." Leo smiled back.

"This is Sam, Nessa's student. She should be round here somewhere. Phil is my student and Luka is Torren's. All four are yet to lose a spar." Kael looked at the four of them, interest growing in his eyes.

"Well anyway, best of luck, go show them what I taught you." said Shai. She smiled again then turned and lead the group towards a bench just past Kael. They settled and pulled their armour from storage. The leather was familiar, they'd used it in the sparring pit for the last two weeks so it went on easily. they also had bracers and greaves to go with it. Luka was buckling his bracers when he noticed a dwarf getting ready across the room.

He was short and broad, had a thick black beard with dark eyes to match, and a thick mane of hair braided down his back, an axe on the bench beside. He caught Luka looking and gave a look back, not hostile or calculating, more assessing, and then his eyes went to the maul and his face split into a wide grin.

"You use that?" he asked, his voice carrying easily despite not raising it. Luka looked at the maul.

"Yeah."

"HAH, Good man," he said, and turned back to his gear. Phil leaned over to Luka.

"I think you've made a friend."

"Might be wondering why a dwarf wouldn't have a beard. He might think you're a weird looking dwarven woman or something dude," said Leo with a grin. Luka laughed, and kept buckling. They were still sorting themselves out when an elven fighter crossed the room toward them. He had a trident across his back and a coiled net at his hip that Leo immediately took note of. His ears poked out from beneath long blonde hair, and his bright green eyes caught the flickering reflection of the torchlight.

"Never seen you four before," he said.

"I'm Ivaran. From Pinehollow. Did you move here recently? Oh and hello again Captain, lovely to see you as always." The lads took turns clasping the offered wrist and giving their names.

"Nice to see you again too, Ivaran," said Shai, as she and Torren exchanged the familiar border-greeting.

"Yes, these four moved into the area recently. We've been teaching them alongside Kai and Nessa." Ivaran smiled.

"Is that so? Well, I hope we get to fight, Anyone trained by you two or Masters Kai and Nessa are sure to be great competition," he said, with a pleasant smile. Then he nodded once and moved back to his own space. Leo watched him go. I wonder if he fights like a Roman Retiarius? That should be interesting. I bet it's a pain in the arse to face though.

"Anyone nervous?" Sam said, finishing with his armour. Leo and Luka both nodded.

"It'd be weird not to be," Luka said, working the buckle on his second bracer.

"You won't notice it once you're out there," Phil said, pulling his chest piece into place.

"Just focus on the fight. Everything else disappears." Leo nodded. Made sense — footballers talked about this sort of thing, the tunnel nerves, the way they vanished once you crossed the white line. He was still nervous. Footballers built up to this over careers, not six months of training. But there was something in Phil's certainty that was helped. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He was still getting his last greave on when someone across the room spoke up.

"Shai." Shai turned. The man crossing the room was broad across the chest and had clearly been using the glaive on his back for years. He was smiling at Shai, and there was a fraction more warmth in it than there had been with Kael.

"Klaus," Shai said.

"Good to see you."

"You too." He stopped, easy in the space.

"How come you're down here?"

"I'm not competing until tomorrow. Acting as a trainer at the minute."

"Of course." He glanced at the group.

"Yours?"

"Phil is." She nodded toward Phil.

"The other three are entered as well." Klaus looked at Phil. Phil nodded towards him.

"He thinks he's going to win the whole thing," Shai said.

"Make it look easy. His words." Phil grinned.

"They were." Klaus held the look for a moment, then glanced at the bracket posted on the wall nearby.

"Right." He found what he was looking for.

"Looks like I'll get you in the semis. If you make it that far."

"You'll need to get through Leo first," Phil said, nodding toward him. Leo gave Klaus a nod. Klaus looked at him with the same assessment he'd given the bracket, then looked back at Phil.

"You know Rika?" Phil said. Klaus blinked at the subject change.

"Yeah?"

"She's got a seat out there somewhere. You could find her after you lose, watch me beat Leo in the semis." He paused.

"Or just watch from in here, I guess." Klaus grinned. It was the same grin Phil had.

"Oh no," Sam said, to nobody in particular.

"Now there are two of them." Klaus laughed. Then he turned back to Shai.

"Are you busy after this? Thought we could walk round the festival."

"I've got other plans," Shai said.

"Thanks though."

"Shame." He turned back.

"I'll see you later. And I'll see you two in the arena." He looked at Phil, then at Leo, then walked back across the room. Phil watched him go.

"I like him."

"You like him because he's you," Sam said.

"Yeah," Phil said.

"cool guy." Leo looked at the space Klaus had left, then at Shai, who had already turned back to check Phil's armour. She didn't look his way. Leo smiled. I'm looking forward to it.

A couple of minutes later someone appeared in the doorway. A half-orc, a head shorter than Torren, bald, with mutton chops and eyebrows thick enough Leo wasn't sure he'd be able to see much if he looked up. When he spoke his voice filled the room without him raising it.

"Right then. Five minutes. Viewing area is open if you want to watch before you're called." He looked across the room.

"First fight is Locke vs Ren. Locke, you're that way. Ren, thats your entrance. Follow the path until you see the arena." The room began to move. The viewing area was a narrow stone passage that opened onto a wide step overlooking the arena floor. Enough room for a dozen fighters side by side, with a low wall at the front to lean against. From here Leo could see the full arc of the tiered galleries opposite, already filling up, and the sand of the arena floor below.

The half-orc was already in the centre of the arena. A ripple of recognition moved through the crowd above, people who knew him, and that his appearance meant things were about to get started. The half-orc let the crowd settle on their own. He didn't rush it. When the noise dropped to the level he wanted he spread his arms slightly.

"Another year, another festival." He paused.

"And another year where Grimgar over there has to stand in the sun all day watching people hit each other." He gestured toward the tunnel judge without looking at him. A ripple of laughter moved through the galleries. From where Leo was standing he could just make out Grimgar, a broad, expressionless bird beast-kin man who gave no indication he'd heard.

"He loves it, don't let him tell you otherwise." He waited for the laughter to settle, then changed his tone slightly. Still easy, but with more weight behind it.

"For anyone here for the first time, bouts are first to three hits. Clean ones." He looked across at the viewing step where the fighters stood. Leo felt the sweep of it.

"Marcus has enchanted the weapons so I wouldn't bother arguing about whether it counted. Everyone will be able to see where the hit landed. Glancing blows or hits with nothing behind them won't show up, so make sure to strike true." A murmur moved through the crowd. A few of the fighters around Leo shifted their weight.

"Grimgar is watching closely for any foul play. Kicking dirt in someone's eyes, that sort of thing. It'll count as a hit against you." He paused.

"Don't test him. I've seen him do it." Another laugh. Grimgar remained unmoved.

"When your name is called you'll be directed to one of two tunnels. Don't get them mixed up." They laughed loudest at this. Someone near the back of the galleries called something Leo couldn't make out and the half-orc pointed at them without missing a beat.

"Happened twice last year," he said.

"Both of them from the same village. You know who you are." Phil leaned toward Leo.

"I like this guy."

"Shh," Sam said. The half-orc let the last of the laughter go, then smiled.

"Try not to lose in the first round." Another pause.

"I hear it can be hard to find a dance partner tomorrow if you do." The laughed loudest at this. Leo heard Rika's laugh from somewhere in the galleries above, distinct from everything else. The half-orc raised his voice.

"LET THE COMBAT COMMENCE!" He stepped aside. Kai appeared at Leo's shoulder. Nessa was already at the far end of the viewing step, arms folded, positioned where she could see Sam's face and the arena floor at the same time.

"Anything you want to go over?" Kai said.

"I'm alright." Kai looked at him.

"You'll see things from up here you wouldn't see from the floor. Use it." Leo nodded. He already had his eyes on Klaus, who had moved to the far side of the viewing area and was waiting with his arms loose at his sides, watching the first two fighters take the floor below. The fight lasted four minutes. Not because Locke was slow. Leo understood that within thirty seconds of the first exchange. The man who'd spent the waiting area looking like he might fall asleep crossed the arena floor differently.

Still unhurried, but the pace had changed underneath it, like watching a current you hadn't noticed until it caught you. The weapons moved in ways Leo hadn't expected. He'd known what they were the moment he'd seen them in the waiting area, tonfas. Same basic principle, handle mounted through the shaft rather than at the end. Practical for blocking and striking at the same time. He'd known that in theory. Watching it was different. He leaned toward Shai without taking his eyes off the floor.

"What are those called?"

"Kolven," she said.

"Not common in the empire, they're another beast-kin favoured weapon. Single one is a kolv." He nodded and watched. Ren, a Stonehall fighter with a longsword who'd looked comfortable with it, found out the same thing Leo was working out from above. The first time he committed to a strike Locke stepped inside it, one kolv catching the blade while the other came around. The red mark appeared on Ren's shoulder. One.

"Hm," Kai said beside Leo. Quiet enough it was mostly for himself. The second hit came faster. Ren tried to create distance, which was what Locke seemed to want. He closed it before Ren finished resetting, blocked the defensive response and struck clean to the ribs. Two. Phil muttered something behind Leo that he didn't catch. Sam answered.

"Watch the footwork," Nessa said, further along the step. The third took longer. Ren had worked something out and made Locke show more before committing. It took the full remaining three minutes, and when the hit came it wasn't as clean as the first two. Locke threw a sweeping blow at Ren's head. Just short. Ren swung back in his own horizontal arc and it looked like it would connect — then Locke dropped low and punched forward, the reach just enough to leave a red mark on Ren's stomach. Three. The crowd cheered.

Locke stepped back and gave Ren a nod. Ren returned it.

"He's going to be a problem," Leo said.

"For you," Phil said.

"Not for me."

"I know that." Beside him, Shai had drifted slightly away from where Kai and the others stood. Just enough that when Leo shifted his weight against the low wall they were standing close rather than with the group. She watched the arena as Ren walked back to the tunnel. Leo turned his hand on the wall until his fingers found hers, the same way he had during the ceremony. She didn't look at him. Her tail curved once, briefly, and was still.

Klaus saw it from further along the viewing step. He'd been watching Locke's footwork, something in the way he closed distance that Klaus wanted to understand before his own fight, when his eyes moved and found Shai and the Monkhaven fighter at the wall. He saw how they stood slightly apart from the group. Then the fighter took Shai's hand and she didn't push it away. Klaus froze. He'd known her for years. Watched her earn the captain's position young and not let it change how she treated people.

Everyone in the village loved her and she'd never used that, never been vindictive with it. She was an amazing fighter and leader. He'd never understood why someone like that seemed to have such a hard time meeting someone. He looked back at the arena, the thoughts of footwork now gone from his mind. When he'd seen her earlier, he had told himself this would be the year. He'd ask her to dance with him. Last year's festival, he'd seen her across the square and backed out before he found the words.

Seeing the two of them together put a harder edge on that memory than it had carried before. He set his jaw and watched the next fighters being called to the floor. Fine. He glanced once more at the Monkhaven fighter, the height, the stance, the way he was watching the arena the same way Klaus had been. Just wait Shai. I'll win. I'll beat that guy and win the whole tournament. When you see how much I've improved, I know you'll realise I'm the better match.

The second fight came and went slower than the first. Closer too, the crowd reacted twice to hits that nearly landed before either fighter got on the board, and the final point took long enough that people in the galleries had stopped talking. It wasn't as clean as Locke's win, it seemed more evenly matched. Leo watched without taking much in.

Locke felt like an opponent he'd struggle with, he hadn't face a kolven fighter yet and his mind was playing the fight back in an attempt to glean what little information he could. When the second fighter walked back through the tunnel the half-orc's voice came down from the arena floor.

"Leo. Meira. Leo, left tunnel. Meira, right." He let go of Shai's hand and pushed off the railing.