Note: Thanks to Valerian for catching that particular error. Wouldn't do to have them mysteriously realize who Max is, would it? :D
Chapter 13
Light broke over Guardiana as dawn broke, slowly penetrating the night mists. Only a few hardy souls were awake during this time. Mae was one of them. She had always been one to be up at the crack of dawn, preferring to get a head start on the day. Indeed, she had a special reason to be up today. The Tournament was at hand, and she wanted to get an head start in getting warmed up. Mae had always been tough, and saw no reason to rest, or relax beforehand, like some others were doing. However, when she stepped out onto the front courtyard in Guardiana castle, she realized she wasn't alone.
Two figures, a young girl, small, and seemingly fragile, but who moved with a speed and quickness that belied that image. She moved through a quick, rapid sword kata. A young man, dressed in the most bizarre outfit Mae had ever seen, complete with mask, watched her, stopping her occasionally to offer advice, or to correct a stance or thrust. Mae could tell he had the expertise of a master swordsman, although he seemed fairly young. Mae wandered over to them.
"Greetings," said Mae, in a friendly voice. She tried very hard to be friendly. In the past, she had always had problems when dealing with other people. During the war to eradicate Darksol, she had remained cold, and aloof, too overcome with grief and rage. Now that Varios could finally rest, she was trying to become a member of society again.
The girl ignored her completely. Mae almost felt hurt, until the man offered up a conciliatory explanation. "Sorry. Serena always gets like this when she's training. She hates to be interrupted."
"Ah," said Mae, in understanding. "The sign of total concentration, I suppose. I'm Mae."
The man nodded. "Ah. THE Mae?"
"Yeah, that's me," Mae said, embarrassed. She, along with the rest of the Shining Force, didn't enjoy the attentions lavished upon them. Except for maybe Arthur.
"Indeed. Nice to meet you, I'm Peregrin, and this is Serena," the man said, gesturing to the girl who had finished, and was now quietly listening. Serena nodded her head in response.
"It's a pleasure," Mae said, shaking hands with them briskly. Her brows furrowed in concentration. "I know your name from somewhere, don't I?"
"Well, we've never met before, but..."
Mae snapped her fingers. "Ah yes! You're the one who took care of Adom, and his nasty gang. I have to extend my thanks for that, by the way. I was just about to send aid, fearing we would be too late."
Peregrin smiled, embarrassed. "Well, no big deal, really."
"Too modest. Anyway, what are you two doing here? No, wait," Mae interrupted herself, "I know. You're here for the tournament right?"
Peregrin nodded. "That's right. Say, are you..."
Mae anticipated the question. "Yes. So are several of my friends, in fact."
Peregrin coughed, once. "Which ones, if I may ask?"
"No problem," Mae said. Peregrin seemed to be growing nervous, for some reason. Perhaps he was just worried about his chances? "No problem. It's all public information anyway. Let's see, there's me, of course, representing Guardiana, and the surrounding area. Earnest is here as well."
"We met him last night," said Serena.
"I see. Luke, also from Guardiana, is coming. Zylo has come representing Bustoke. Oh, and there's Balbaroy and Arthur.
"Balbaroy and Arthur are entering?" Peregrin asked. He looked surprised.
"Yes," said Mae thoughtfully. "I guess Balbaroy wants to train as an warrior. Arthur's just here because it's something to do I suppose. I don't know why Anri sent an invitation to him, that lazy oaf." Mae grinned.
"Anri, I mean the Queen, picked the contestants?"
"Yes. Yours was the last name added to the list I believe, since there aren't that many fighters where you hail from, in the south I believe? Certainly none of them were noteworthy. But when Anri heard your story, she decided to extend an invitation to you in order to ensure fair representation."
"From this side of the world though, right?" Serena asked.
Mae laughed. "We don't even know where Hanzou or Musashi are right now. Plus, it's a fairly long journey, so I doubt many people would be interested.
"Is that all the participants?"
"No, there's a few other warlords, and captains that we invited. Therios, that runny-nosed lordling, for example, and Ulag the Brave, or whatever. The total amount of participants amounts to 16."
Peregrin bowed. "Thank you very much. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Mae smiled. "Actually, there is. Can I fight you?"
Peregrin blinked. "What?"
"Not to the death, no, nothing like that," Mae hastily reassured. "Not only would it mean an inconvenience for one of us, it would really upset Anri's plans. No, just a friendly sparring match."
Peregrin nodded slowly. "Sure, why not. But why?"
Mae shrugged. "I just want to get warmed up before my matches. I figure this is the best way, both mentally, and physically. I assume you're out at this time to train as well?"
"I like to get a head start on the day," Peregrin said. "I try to get my students to follow the same principles."
"Trust me, he's a fanatic when it comes to these kind of things," Serena said dryly.
"I can imagine. Oh, and don't worry about getting hurt, I'll go easy on you," Mae said grinning.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Peregrin, smirking. "Besides, I'm sure Lowe or someone could heal us from the brink of death."
"Do you know Lowe?"
"Last night. Well then, shall we get on with this?" Peregrin drew his sword from it's scabbard.
"Agreed." Mae pulled out her Halberd. Each took a position directly opposite each other, separated by a distance of 5 meters. Serena backed off to a safe distance. They each bowed to each other, both keeping their eyes on the other.
"Ready?" asked Mae. Peregrin nodded, as he took up a one handed stance.
"En Garde!" they both shouted, as one.
Peregrin seemed to be hanging back. All the same for Mae, it meant now was a good time to test out his defenses! She cautiously trotted over toward him, and took a few quick jabs with her lance, which he deftly dodged, and parried.
"He's pretty good," Mae thought. "Let's kick up the pace a little!" She began to attack twice as fast. Still, Peregrin managed to dodge and parry every one of her attacks. He never attempted to riposte. Starting to get frustrated, Mae went almost full out, striking hard, and fast. Peregrin started to stumble, to give ground. He looked like he was tiring. After pushing his guard back with one blow, Mae decided to end the match here with an hard overhead strike. Mae brought the lance down hard. And missed completely.
Peregrin had gone into a tuck-and-roll, bringing himself under her strike. She had over-committed with that attack, using up too much strength. He didn't have the slightest sign of weakness now, Mae realized belatedly, as Peregrin held his sword at her throat.
"Do you yield?" Peregrin asked, soberly.
Mae sighed, accepting her defeat. "Yes." She sheathed her lance. Blinking, she noticed that the sun now hung in the sky. Their battle had lasted a good part of an hour. "A good fight."
"Same to you," Peregrin said, smiling. "You don't know how close you came with some of those blows. I haven't exerted myself like that in a while."
"You got me in the end though." Mae said. "By the way, your style..."
"What about it?" Peregrin asked.
"It's fairly reminiscent of...well, Max damnit. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I think my teacher was taught by Lord Varios." Peregrin said thoughtfully. "That is who taught Max right?"
"Yes, that was him." It still hurt to think of Varios.
Peregrin bowed. "If you'll excuse me, I believe I'll go in for some breakfast now. Wouldn't want to fight on an empty stomach, would I? And Serena's probably ravenous by now."
"I could eat a horse, or at the least, a very large boar," Serena said.
Mae smiled. "I guess I'll be off as well. I promised I'd Earnest and some others for some breakfast, before the start of the Tournament today."
"Ok, then. See you there! Bye!" Peregrin said. He waved, and he and Serena departed, heading toward the castle entrance.
Mae stared after him. His fighting style was so eerily similar to Max's that it was downright disturbing. That tuck-and-roll had been vintage Max. Could it be? But no, she must be delusional. He seemed a little darker in skin tone than Max had been. Also, he seemed more muscled, though Max had never been slender. Plus there was the fact that Max was dead, stupid.
"I guess I just miss Max so much that I see him everywhere I go." Mae laughed out loud.
"What's this about Max?" Earnest said.
Mae jumped six feet in the air. "You...don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I approached you with all the grace of a stampeding Golem."
"It's the sign of total concentration. The ability to shut all other concerns."
"Of course. Anyway, I thought we were meeting for breakfast. Can't fight on an empty stomach, right?"
"Sure." They headed off.
*
"Peregrin, can I ask you a question?" asked Serena. After eating, they were now wandering about Guardiana. Excitement was high. The Tournament would begin on this day. Spectators were already flocking to their seats in makeshift, temporary stands.
"Besides this one? Go ahead," replied Max, smiling.
"Why didn't you fight back?" asked Serena, in a puzzled tone.
"Huh?"
"There were several points in which you could have riposted, and start up some offensive pressure of your own. Yet you remained in a defensive stance, and let her control the pace. You only won with a lucky trick," said Serena, in an thoughtful, and analytical tone.
"I thank you for your heartfelt support," Max said, lightly.
"So why?" Serena pressed.
"Just...overwhelmed, I guess. I was too cautious." Max couldn't bring himself to tell her that he simply hadn't had the heart to strike back. He couldn't bring himself to attack a friend like that.
"Stupid," Max thought to himself. "You're going to be fighting a lot of your friends over the course of the next few days. Don't want to embarrass yourself, do you?"
As Max and Serena continued walking, they got held up by a crowd, who were lined up in front of a building simply marked "Bets." Serena held out an arm, stopping Max.
"Hold on," said Serena, grinning.
"You can't be serious," said Max. "What would your father say?"
"My father doesn't have to know, does he," said Serena, winking. "Just think of it as a little incentive for me to cheer you on."
Posted directly on the building was a huge sheet with the word "Odds" at the top. It read as follows:
(Ok, this part doesn't come out correctly, most likely. Sue me, I'm using Wordpad to write this.)
Mae 3:1
Earnest 7:2
Ulag 8:1
Balbaroy 8:1
Zylo 12:1
Therios 13:1
Arthur 15:1
Luke 25:1
Myrinna 30:1
Dowan 40:1
Alano 50:1
Sekae 60:1
Clen 60:1
Sirra 100:1
Vlada 150:1
Peregrin 300:1
"I like my chances" said Max, amused.
Serena shrugged. "To be fair, everyone on this list, excepting you, are combat veterans of the War. They've been in the thick of things, and they're well known. You on the other hand..."
"Excuse me miss," said the bookie. "Are you placing a bet?"
"Yes, 20 gold pieces on Peregrin."
"Peregrin? Not even an outside shot, but it's your money." The bookie wrote her name and the bet on a slip of paper, and handed it to her.
"Thanks." Serena checked the sun. "Around 11:00. Better get over to the preparations." They made their way over to a large, colorful pavilion with a sign above the entrance that said "Warriors." Two guards blocked their way.
"Sorry miss, but the seats are over that way." The guard pointed over toward the stands.
"We know. My name is Peregrin. Here's my invitation." Max said impatiently, handing the guard his card.
The guard took a quick glance, and paled. "Oh, uh, sorry, sir. This young lady..."
Max decided to save himself some time. "She's my squire."
The guard turned a few shades paler. "Oh, uh, right this way then." He gestured toward the entrance. Sighing, Max and Serena entered.
Max looked around. Scattered around the tent was a selection of the finest warriors this side of the world had to offer. Squires and assistants were helping to strap on armour, massage tense muscles, sharpen blades, and making many last minute adjustments. Max saw a huge warrior, carrying an giant double bladed axe, dressed in various animal hides. He saw an startlingly handsome man, with long, blond hair, dressed in an outfit that rivaled Max's for ridiculousness. He saw a tall female, heavily muscled, carrying a spear. An Amazon from the Southwest, he supposed. And in an corner-
"Hey, Peregrin, Serena! Over here!" Mae waved them over, smiling. Standing in the corner was, well, the Shining Force segment. Mae and Earnest were going through some light exercises. Luke was practicing some sort of elegant kata. Zylo was practicing roundhouse kicks, that would knock a tall man's head from his shoulders. Balbaroy was nowhere to be seen...until Max heard an loud gust air as something large ripped by, above the pavilion, and he realized where Balbaroy was. Arthur looked deeply engrossed in conversation with one of the female participants. She merely looked bored.
"Isn't this exciting!" said Luke, enthusiastically. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself have I? Luke, of Guardiana, at your service."
"Control yourself, or you'll burn out before the match even starts," Zylo said, in a low gravelly tone. "I am known as Zylo."
"Uh, hi, Luke, Zylo. I'm Peregrin, and this is Serena. She's agreed to help me as my squire today."
"Pleased to meet both of you," said Zylo, smiling. Or at least, attempting to move his muzzle in an approximation of a smile. The effect was still friendly, though. "I'd introduce you to Balbaroy, but he's too busy on a joyride up there, that I don't know when..." Zylo's statements came to a sudden stop as Balbaroy landed swiftly, and stalked over to them.
"I heard that," said Balbaroy. Max supposed he was amused, although he saw no change of expression. Months of dealing with the Birdman had taught him to recognize Balbaroy's moods. Or at least, he thought he knew how.
Balbaroy turned to Max and Serena. "I am Balbaroy, guardian of Shade Abbey." He curled his wings in front of him, and bowed deeply.
Max and Serena both returned the bow. "Peregrin, and this is Serena. Glad to make your acquaintance."
"Any idea when we're getting underway?" asked Luke.
At just that moment, a beautiful young woman stepped into the room, dressed in regal robes, and carrying herself with a stately air. It was Anri. She was followed by Tao, Lowe, Khris, and...Domingo.
"When did Khris get into town? And why the hell is Domingo here?" whispered Luke.
"Shut up," growled Zylo.
"Why does everyone tell me to shut up? I have feelings too you know." Luke complained.
"You shut up or I will make you shut up!" said Zylo, exasperated.
"And how will you do that?"
"Ever try speaking with a crushed windpipe?"
Luke gave Zylo a dirty look, but shut up. Max ignored them. His attention was entirely focused on Anri. Max felt blood rushing to his brain. He took a deep gasp, and the spots in front of his eyes cleared. Had he just forgotten to breathe?
Serena shot him a concerned look, but he dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Anri cleared her throat.
"Welcome, to the first Champion of Arms tournament. I thank you all for coming so far."
Everyone applauded politely. "Me and Mae excluded, of course," muttered Luke.
"Shut up!"
"The rules are simple. You will fight each other in single combat. The winner will stay in the tournament, while the loser will be eliminated."
"Now, as you know, tournaments such as these have been lethal in the past, resulting in many casualties."
"Huh?" said Arthur, blinking.
"We're trying to avoid loss of life, so..." Anri looked at the piece of scripture she was reading from suspiciously. She looked toward Tao. "I don't remember dictating this."
"Let's just say I added my own improvements," said Tao, mischievously.
"Come on, do I have to?" Anri complained.
"Yes, you promised!"
"Fine." Anri cleared her throat. "...the Beautiful, Charming, Exotic, and Spectularly Single Tao, and I, the Regal, Stunning, Somewhat less beautiful but still single Anri, have devised a spell." Anri shot Tao an evil look. She pointed toward Tao, formed an crystal of ice in the palm of her hand, and crushed it brutally. Tao didn't look put off in the least. Mae, Luke, Max, and the rest of the Shining Force tried to hold back laughter. They failed utterly.
Anri blushed, and continued to read. "It will enchant your weaponry, so that any lethal force will be nullified. Instead, an electrical shock to the nervous system equal to the amount of force that the blow would have caused will be administered. If you get hit in the arm, the functionality of that arm will be slowed accordingly. This system is mainly in place to prevent the kinds of damages that healing magic cannot fix, like decapitation, or a blow through the heart.
"Lowe and Khris will be on hand in case of any emergencies." Anri gestured toward the two healers behind her. They nodded.
"Now, if you don't mind, we will begin the enchantment process." The participants began unsheathing, unwrapping, or generally presenting their weapon of choice. Anri and Tao worked their way through, Anri offering personal greetings, and Tao making suggestive remarks to the more attractive men. Together, they would touch the weapon proferred by the competitor, lift their staffs, and bring it down. The weapon would then glow brightly with a white light, then just as suddenly as it appeared, the light would vanish. Tao and Anri worked their way over to Arthur.
Arthur winked at Tao. "If you're looking for the perfect male, you've come to the right place."
Tao just stared at Arthur, contemplating what the best way would be to kill him. Torch the house he lived in? Burn down a tree, and cause it to fall and crush him? Maybe just strike him with a Blaze spell directly, that would probably be the best way. Tao detached herself from her fantasies, finished with Arthur (who had shut up after seeing that look in Tao's eyes) and walked over to Anri, who was puzzling over what to do with Zylo. They finally settled on enchanting those gloves he wore, and forcing him to wear a pair of boots, so they could enchant those. They worked their way over to Max.
Max felt his throat constrict. He swallowed, hard. Tao smiled, in welcome. Anri made a short bow. "Peregrin, right?"
"Ye..Yes."
"Pleased to meet you. My congratulations on stopping Adom, it was a noble task, and took a courageous heart."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Please, call me Anri." Anri tilted her head, in thought. "You know, even though we just met, I feel like I've known you forever."
"Hehe.." Max fidgeted. "Yeah, people get that way around me sometimes."
"Well, anyway, good luck in the Tournament." Anri and Tao enchanted his weapon, then headed over to Luke.
"You could have fried an egg on your face Peregrin," Serena said, amused.
Anri and Tao finished with Balbaroy, then headed to the front of the podium, where they could address everyone. "Thank you," said Anri. Anri procured a big bix, with a round hole on the top. She shook it. Max could hear something rattling in there.
"This box contains balls, numbered from 1 to 16. It will determine your placement in the tournament. Number 1 will fight 2, 3 will fight 4, and so on. The winner of the 1 and 2 match will fight the winner of the 3 and 4 match, until there is only one person left. Do you understand?"
Everyone nodded. Tao walked around, handing out the box for everyone to draw a ball.
When it was his turn, Max reached in, and came up with a ball with the number 3 on it. Meaning...
Arthur smiled at him from across the room, happily waving his ball, with the numeral 4 painted on it. "Tough luck pal, being matched up against me so early. I'll go easy on you, don't worry."
Max smiled. "I feel so reassured."
Arthur grinned, then tried to strike up a conversation with Clen, an small, wiry warrior. She moved with an deceptive grace and ease, and looked to be schooled in the art of stealth, and assassination. If he was aware of this, Arthur didn't show it.
(I'd like to put in a nice little bracket type thingee, but I don't know how, since 1.I'm typing this on frigging Wordpad, and 2.I dunno if fanfiction.net even accepts these kinda things anyway...anyway here are the results, work them out yourselves, okee?)
1. Balbaroy
2. Sirra
3. Peregrin
4. Arthur
5. Earnest
6. Ulag
7. Myrinna
8. Dowan
9. Zylo
10. Alano
11. Vlada
12. Luke
13. Mae
14. Therios
15. Sekae
16. Clen
Anri cleared her throat, interrupting the mutterings between contestants and their entourage. "Please return here in a 4 hours time. The first matches will be held then. Thank you."
Everyone left the tent, scrambling to make last minute preparations, and to grab something to eat. Excluding the Shining Force, Max, and Serena, that is.
"Khris!" Luke exclaimed, wrapping Khris in a bear hug.
"You're...crushing...me," Khris said, wincing.
"Oh uh, sorry about that," Luke put her down. "When did you get in? Why are you here?"
Khris smiled. "I was supposed to be here a few days earlier, but I was delayed," she explained. "I'm here to lend my healing talents if needed, since, as everyone knows, all Lowe here is good for is applying bandages and making squealing noises."
"I know, but you don't have to be mean about it," Lowe said, ruefully.
Arthur smirked. "Domingo, why on Darksol's grave are you here?"
"I'm the cute, cuddly mascot," Domingo explained. "Don't you just love this adorable face?"
"Uh, you don't have a face, per se," said Tao.
Domingo started to argue, then stopped. "Hey, you're right."
Arthur sneered. "What do you expect from a creature with a brain as small as a walnut?"
"You're just asking to be thawed out of a block of ice," Domingo countered.
"You know, your stuffed body will make a fine display over my fireplace."
"Bring it."
"Boys, and um...creatures." Anri injected hastily. "I need Arthur for this tournament. Afterwards, you can bash each other over the heads as much as you want."
Max yawned. "All this arguing is giving me the munchies."
Mae nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's eat! Can't fight on an empty stomach!"
"I know this place a few blocks from here, it has great Waral seafood," Lowe suggested.
"What are we waiting for then!" everyone exclaimed. Together, as one, they rushed off.
Max smiled. "Just like old times..." he thought.
Author's note: Yeah, it's been a while...but I have an excuse this time! And not my lame-ass excuses I've had before! You see, I've been in Korea for the entire month of August, sight seeing, getting bit my mosquitos, and wondering why Japanese food is so cheap over here yet so expensive in Canada. To compensate, I've busted my chops writing a chapter that's fairly longer than usual. Rest assured, I WILL NOT QUIT ON THIS! I'm seeing this through to the end. I thank all the people who've given reviews so far, and yet again welcome feedback at strider_yoshi@yahoo.com, everything welcome, feedback, fan mail, flames, even links to hardcore pornography ;) BTW, if I've mistakenly misnamed things, tell me, will ya?
Cheers!
Chapter 13
Light broke over Guardiana as dawn broke, slowly penetrating the night mists. Only a few hardy souls were awake during this time. Mae was one of them. She had always been one to be up at the crack of dawn, preferring to get a head start on the day. Indeed, she had a special reason to be up today. The Tournament was at hand, and she wanted to get an head start in getting warmed up. Mae had always been tough, and saw no reason to rest, or relax beforehand, like some others were doing. However, when she stepped out onto the front courtyard in Guardiana castle, she realized she wasn't alone.
Two figures, a young girl, small, and seemingly fragile, but who moved with a speed and quickness that belied that image. She moved through a quick, rapid sword kata. A young man, dressed in the most bizarre outfit Mae had ever seen, complete with mask, watched her, stopping her occasionally to offer advice, or to correct a stance or thrust. Mae could tell he had the expertise of a master swordsman, although he seemed fairly young. Mae wandered over to them.
"Greetings," said Mae, in a friendly voice. She tried very hard to be friendly. In the past, she had always had problems when dealing with other people. During the war to eradicate Darksol, she had remained cold, and aloof, too overcome with grief and rage. Now that Varios could finally rest, she was trying to become a member of society again.
The girl ignored her completely. Mae almost felt hurt, until the man offered up a conciliatory explanation. "Sorry. Serena always gets like this when she's training. She hates to be interrupted."
"Ah," said Mae, in understanding. "The sign of total concentration, I suppose. I'm Mae."
The man nodded. "Ah. THE Mae?"
"Yeah, that's me," Mae said, embarrassed. She, along with the rest of the Shining Force, didn't enjoy the attentions lavished upon them. Except for maybe Arthur.
"Indeed. Nice to meet you, I'm Peregrin, and this is Serena," the man said, gesturing to the girl who had finished, and was now quietly listening. Serena nodded her head in response.
"It's a pleasure," Mae said, shaking hands with them briskly. Her brows furrowed in concentration. "I know your name from somewhere, don't I?"
"Well, we've never met before, but..."
Mae snapped her fingers. "Ah yes! You're the one who took care of Adom, and his nasty gang. I have to extend my thanks for that, by the way. I was just about to send aid, fearing we would be too late."
Peregrin smiled, embarrassed. "Well, no big deal, really."
"Too modest. Anyway, what are you two doing here? No, wait," Mae interrupted herself, "I know. You're here for the tournament right?"
Peregrin nodded. "That's right. Say, are you..."
Mae anticipated the question. "Yes. So are several of my friends, in fact."
Peregrin coughed, once. "Which ones, if I may ask?"
"No problem," Mae said. Peregrin seemed to be growing nervous, for some reason. Perhaps he was just worried about his chances? "No problem. It's all public information anyway. Let's see, there's me, of course, representing Guardiana, and the surrounding area. Earnest is here as well."
"We met him last night," said Serena.
"I see. Luke, also from Guardiana, is coming. Zylo has come representing Bustoke. Oh, and there's Balbaroy and Arthur.
"Balbaroy and Arthur are entering?" Peregrin asked. He looked surprised.
"Yes," said Mae thoughtfully. "I guess Balbaroy wants to train as an warrior. Arthur's just here because it's something to do I suppose. I don't know why Anri sent an invitation to him, that lazy oaf." Mae grinned.
"Anri, I mean the Queen, picked the contestants?"
"Yes. Yours was the last name added to the list I believe, since there aren't that many fighters where you hail from, in the south I believe? Certainly none of them were noteworthy. But when Anri heard your story, she decided to extend an invitation to you in order to ensure fair representation."
"From this side of the world though, right?" Serena asked.
Mae laughed. "We don't even know where Hanzou or Musashi are right now. Plus, it's a fairly long journey, so I doubt many people would be interested.
"Is that all the participants?"
"No, there's a few other warlords, and captains that we invited. Therios, that runny-nosed lordling, for example, and Ulag the Brave, or whatever. The total amount of participants amounts to 16."
Peregrin bowed. "Thank you very much. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Mae smiled. "Actually, there is. Can I fight you?"
Peregrin blinked. "What?"
"Not to the death, no, nothing like that," Mae hastily reassured. "Not only would it mean an inconvenience for one of us, it would really upset Anri's plans. No, just a friendly sparring match."
Peregrin nodded slowly. "Sure, why not. But why?"
Mae shrugged. "I just want to get warmed up before my matches. I figure this is the best way, both mentally, and physically. I assume you're out at this time to train as well?"
"I like to get a head start on the day," Peregrin said. "I try to get my students to follow the same principles."
"Trust me, he's a fanatic when it comes to these kind of things," Serena said dryly.
"I can imagine. Oh, and don't worry about getting hurt, I'll go easy on you," Mae said grinning.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Peregrin, smirking. "Besides, I'm sure Lowe or someone could heal us from the brink of death."
"Do you know Lowe?"
"Last night. Well then, shall we get on with this?" Peregrin drew his sword from it's scabbard.
"Agreed." Mae pulled out her Halberd. Each took a position directly opposite each other, separated by a distance of 5 meters. Serena backed off to a safe distance. They each bowed to each other, both keeping their eyes on the other.
"Ready?" asked Mae. Peregrin nodded, as he took up a one handed stance.
"En Garde!" they both shouted, as one.
Peregrin seemed to be hanging back. All the same for Mae, it meant now was a good time to test out his defenses! She cautiously trotted over toward him, and took a few quick jabs with her lance, which he deftly dodged, and parried.
"He's pretty good," Mae thought. "Let's kick up the pace a little!" She began to attack twice as fast. Still, Peregrin managed to dodge and parry every one of her attacks. He never attempted to riposte. Starting to get frustrated, Mae went almost full out, striking hard, and fast. Peregrin started to stumble, to give ground. He looked like he was tiring. After pushing his guard back with one blow, Mae decided to end the match here with an hard overhead strike. Mae brought the lance down hard. And missed completely.
Peregrin had gone into a tuck-and-roll, bringing himself under her strike. She had over-committed with that attack, using up too much strength. He didn't have the slightest sign of weakness now, Mae realized belatedly, as Peregrin held his sword at her throat.
"Do you yield?" Peregrin asked, soberly.
Mae sighed, accepting her defeat. "Yes." She sheathed her lance. Blinking, she noticed that the sun now hung in the sky. Their battle had lasted a good part of an hour. "A good fight."
"Same to you," Peregrin said, smiling. "You don't know how close you came with some of those blows. I haven't exerted myself like that in a while."
"You got me in the end though." Mae said. "By the way, your style..."
"What about it?" Peregrin asked.
"It's fairly reminiscent of...well, Max damnit. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I think my teacher was taught by Lord Varios." Peregrin said thoughtfully. "That is who taught Max right?"
"Yes, that was him." It still hurt to think of Varios.
Peregrin bowed. "If you'll excuse me, I believe I'll go in for some breakfast now. Wouldn't want to fight on an empty stomach, would I? And Serena's probably ravenous by now."
"I could eat a horse, or at the least, a very large boar," Serena said.
Mae smiled. "I guess I'll be off as well. I promised I'd Earnest and some others for some breakfast, before the start of the Tournament today."
"Ok, then. See you there! Bye!" Peregrin said. He waved, and he and Serena departed, heading toward the castle entrance.
Mae stared after him. His fighting style was so eerily similar to Max's that it was downright disturbing. That tuck-and-roll had been vintage Max. Could it be? But no, she must be delusional. He seemed a little darker in skin tone than Max had been. Also, he seemed more muscled, though Max had never been slender. Plus there was the fact that Max was dead, stupid.
"I guess I just miss Max so much that I see him everywhere I go." Mae laughed out loud.
"What's this about Max?" Earnest said.
Mae jumped six feet in the air. "You...don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I approached you with all the grace of a stampeding Golem."
"It's the sign of total concentration. The ability to shut all other concerns."
"Of course. Anyway, I thought we were meeting for breakfast. Can't fight on an empty stomach, right?"
"Sure." They headed off.
*
"Peregrin, can I ask you a question?" asked Serena. After eating, they were now wandering about Guardiana. Excitement was high. The Tournament would begin on this day. Spectators were already flocking to their seats in makeshift, temporary stands.
"Besides this one? Go ahead," replied Max, smiling.
"Why didn't you fight back?" asked Serena, in a puzzled tone.
"Huh?"
"There were several points in which you could have riposted, and start up some offensive pressure of your own. Yet you remained in a defensive stance, and let her control the pace. You only won with a lucky trick," said Serena, in an thoughtful, and analytical tone.
"I thank you for your heartfelt support," Max said, lightly.
"So why?" Serena pressed.
"Just...overwhelmed, I guess. I was too cautious." Max couldn't bring himself to tell her that he simply hadn't had the heart to strike back. He couldn't bring himself to attack a friend like that.
"Stupid," Max thought to himself. "You're going to be fighting a lot of your friends over the course of the next few days. Don't want to embarrass yourself, do you?"
As Max and Serena continued walking, they got held up by a crowd, who were lined up in front of a building simply marked "Bets." Serena held out an arm, stopping Max.
"Hold on," said Serena, grinning.
"You can't be serious," said Max. "What would your father say?"
"My father doesn't have to know, does he," said Serena, winking. "Just think of it as a little incentive for me to cheer you on."
Posted directly on the building was a huge sheet with the word "Odds" at the top. It read as follows:
(Ok, this part doesn't come out correctly, most likely. Sue me, I'm using Wordpad to write this.)
Mae 3:1
Earnest 7:2
Ulag 8:1
Balbaroy 8:1
Zylo 12:1
Therios 13:1
Arthur 15:1
Luke 25:1
Myrinna 30:1
Dowan 40:1
Alano 50:1
Sekae 60:1
Clen 60:1
Sirra 100:1
Vlada 150:1
Peregrin 300:1
"I like my chances" said Max, amused.
Serena shrugged. "To be fair, everyone on this list, excepting you, are combat veterans of the War. They've been in the thick of things, and they're well known. You on the other hand..."
"Excuse me miss," said the bookie. "Are you placing a bet?"
"Yes, 20 gold pieces on Peregrin."
"Peregrin? Not even an outside shot, but it's your money." The bookie wrote her name and the bet on a slip of paper, and handed it to her.
"Thanks." Serena checked the sun. "Around 11:00. Better get over to the preparations." They made their way over to a large, colorful pavilion with a sign above the entrance that said "Warriors." Two guards blocked their way.
"Sorry miss, but the seats are over that way." The guard pointed over toward the stands.
"We know. My name is Peregrin. Here's my invitation." Max said impatiently, handing the guard his card.
The guard took a quick glance, and paled. "Oh, uh, sorry, sir. This young lady..."
Max decided to save himself some time. "She's my squire."
The guard turned a few shades paler. "Oh, uh, right this way then." He gestured toward the entrance. Sighing, Max and Serena entered.
Max looked around. Scattered around the tent was a selection of the finest warriors this side of the world had to offer. Squires and assistants were helping to strap on armour, massage tense muscles, sharpen blades, and making many last minute adjustments. Max saw a huge warrior, carrying an giant double bladed axe, dressed in various animal hides. He saw an startlingly handsome man, with long, blond hair, dressed in an outfit that rivaled Max's for ridiculousness. He saw a tall female, heavily muscled, carrying a spear. An Amazon from the Southwest, he supposed. And in an corner-
"Hey, Peregrin, Serena! Over here!" Mae waved them over, smiling. Standing in the corner was, well, the Shining Force segment. Mae and Earnest were going through some light exercises. Luke was practicing some sort of elegant kata. Zylo was practicing roundhouse kicks, that would knock a tall man's head from his shoulders. Balbaroy was nowhere to be seen...until Max heard an loud gust air as something large ripped by, above the pavilion, and he realized where Balbaroy was. Arthur looked deeply engrossed in conversation with one of the female participants. She merely looked bored.
"Isn't this exciting!" said Luke, enthusiastically. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself have I? Luke, of Guardiana, at your service."
"Control yourself, or you'll burn out before the match even starts," Zylo said, in a low gravelly tone. "I am known as Zylo."
"Uh, hi, Luke, Zylo. I'm Peregrin, and this is Serena. She's agreed to help me as my squire today."
"Pleased to meet both of you," said Zylo, smiling. Or at least, attempting to move his muzzle in an approximation of a smile. The effect was still friendly, though. "I'd introduce you to Balbaroy, but he's too busy on a joyride up there, that I don't know when..." Zylo's statements came to a sudden stop as Balbaroy landed swiftly, and stalked over to them.
"I heard that," said Balbaroy. Max supposed he was amused, although he saw no change of expression. Months of dealing with the Birdman had taught him to recognize Balbaroy's moods. Or at least, he thought he knew how.
Balbaroy turned to Max and Serena. "I am Balbaroy, guardian of Shade Abbey." He curled his wings in front of him, and bowed deeply.
Max and Serena both returned the bow. "Peregrin, and this is Serena. Glad to make your acquaintance."
"Any idea when we're getting underway?" asked Luke.
At just that moment, a beautiful young woman stepped into the room, dressed in regal robes, and carrying herself with a stately air. It was Anri. She was followed by Tao, Lowe, Khris, and...Domingo.
"When did Khris get into town? And why the hell is Domingo here?" whispered Luke.
"Shut up," growled Zylo.
"Why does everyone tell me to shut up? I have feelings too you know." Luke complained.
"You shut up or I will make you shut up!" said Zylo, exasperated.
"And how will you do that?"
"Ever try speaking with a crushed windpipe?"
Luke gave Zylo a dirty look, but shut up. Max ignored them. His attention was entirely focused on Anri. Max felt blood rushing to his brain. He took a deep gasp, and the spots in front of his eyes cleared. Had he just forgotten to breathe?
Serena shot him a concerned look, but he dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Anri cleared her throat.
"Welcome, to the first Champion of Arms tournament. I thank you all for coming so far."
Everyone applauded politely. "Me and Mae excluded, of course," muttered Luke.
"Shut up!"
"The rules are simple. You will fight each other in single combat. The winner will stay in the tournament, while the loser will be eliminated."
"Now, as you know, tournaments such as these have been lethal in the past, resulting in many casualties."
"Huh?" said Arthur, blinking.
"We're trying to avoid loss of life, so..." Anri looked at the piece of scripture she was reading from suspiciously. She looked toward Tao. "I don't remember dictating this."
"Let's just say I added my own improvements," said Tao, mischievously.
"Come on, do I have to?" Anri complained.
"Yes, you promised!"
"Fine." Anri cleared her throat. "...the Beautiful, Charming, Exotic, and Spectularly Single Tao, and I, the Regal, Stunning, Somewhat less beautiful but still single Anri, have devised a spell." Anri shot Tao an evil look. She pointed toward Tao, formed an crystal of ice in the palm of her hand, and crushed it brutally. Tao didn't look put off in the least. Mae, Luke, Max, and the rest of the Shining Force tried to hold back laughter. They failed utterly.
Anri blushed, and continued to read. "It will enchant your weaponry, so that any lethal force will be nullified. Instead, an electrical shock to the nervous system equal to the amount of force that the blow would have caused will be administered. If you get hit in the arm, the functionality of that arm will be slowed accordingly. This system is mainly in place to prevent the kinds of damages that healing magic cannot fix, like decapitation, or a blow through the heart.
"Lowe and Khris will be on hand in case of any emergencies." Anri gestured toward the two healers behind her. They nodded.
"Now, if you don't mind, we will begin the enchantment process." The participants began unsheathing, unwrapping, or generally presenting their weapon of choice. Anri and Tao worked their way through, Anri offering personal greetings, and Tao making suggestive remarks to the more attractive men. Together, they would touch the weapon proferred by the competitor, lift their staffs, and bring it down. The weapon would then glow brightly with a white light, then just as suddenly as it appeared, the light would vanish. Tao and Anri worked their way over to Arthur.
Arthur winked at Tao. "If you're looking for the perfect male, you've come to the right place."
Tao just stared at Arthur, contemplating what the best way would be to kill him. Torch the house he lived in? Burn down a tree, and cause it to fall and crush him? Maybe just strike him with a Blaze spell directly, that would probably be the best way. Tao detached herself from her fantasies, finished with Arthur (who had shut up after seeing that look in Tao's eyes) and walked over to Anri, who was puzzling over what to do with Zylo. They finally settled on enchanting those gloves he wore, and forcing him to wear a pair of boots, so they could enchant those. They worked their way over to Max.
Max felt his throat constrict. He swallowed, hard. Tao smiled, in welcome. Anri made a short bow. "Peregrin, right?"
"Ye..Yes."
"Pleased to meet you. My congratulations on stopping Adom, it was a noble task, and took a courageous heart."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Please, call me Anri." Anri tilted her head, in thought. "You know, even though we just met, I feel like I've known you forever."
"Hehe.." Max fidgeted. "Yeah, people get that way around me sometimes."
"Well, anyway, good luck in the Tournament." Anri and Tao enchanted his weapon, then headed over to Luke.
"You could have fried an egg on your face Peregrin," Serena said, amused.
Anri and Tao finished with Balbaroy, then headed to the front of the podium, where they could address everyone. "Thank you," said Anri. Anri procured a big bix, with a round hole on the top. She shook it. Max could hear something rattling in there.
"This box contains balls, numbered from 1 to 16. It will determine your placement in the tournament. Number 1 will fight 2, 3 will fight 4, and so on. The winner of the 1 and 2 match will fight the winner of the 3 and 4 match, until there is only one person left. Do you understand?"
Everyone nodded. Tao walked around, handing out the box for everyone to draw a ball.
When it was his turn, Max reached in, and came up with a ball with the number 3 on it. Meaning...
Arthur smiled at him from across the room, happily waving his ball, with the numeral 4 painted on it. "Tough luck pal, being matched up against me so early. I'll go easy on you, don't worry."
Max smiled. "I feel so reassured."
Arthur grinned, then tried to strike up a conversation with Clen, an small, wiry warrior. She moved with an deceptive grace and ease, and looked to be schooled in the art of stealth, and assassination. If he was aware of this, Arthur didn't show it.
(I'd like to put in a nice little bracket type thingee, but I don't know how, since 1.I'm typing this on frigging Wordpad, and 2.I dunno if fanfiction.net even accepts these kinda things anyway...anyway here are the results, work them out yourselves, okee?)
1. Balbaroy
2. Sirra
3. Peregrin
4. Arthur
5. Earnest
6. Ulag
7. Myrinna
8. Dowan
9. Zylo
10. Alano
11. Vlada
12. Luke
13. Mae
14. Therios
15. Sekae
16. Clen
Anri cleared her throat, interrupting the mutterings between contestants and their entourage. "Please return here in a 4 hours time. The first matches will be held then. Thank you."
Everyone left the tent, scrambling to make last minute preparations, and to grab something to eat. Excluding the Shining Force, Max, and Serena, that is.
"Khris!" Luke exclaimed, wrapping Khris in a bear hug.
"You're...crushing...me," Khris said, wincing.
"Oh uh, sorry about that," Luke put her down. "When did you get in? Why are you here?"
Khris smiled. "I was supposed to be here a few days earlier, but I was delayed," she explained. "I'm here to lend my healing talents if needed, since, as everyone knows, all Lowe here is good for is applying bandages and making squealing noises."
"I know, but you don't have to be mean about it," Lowe said, ruefully.
Arthur smirked. "Domingo, why on Darksol's grave are you here?"
"I'm the cute, cuddly mascot," Domingo explained. "Don't you just love this adorable face?"
"Uh, you don't have a face, per se," said Tao.
Domingo started to argue, then stopped. "Hey, you're right."
Arthur sneered. "What do you expect from a creature with a brain as small as a walnut?"
"You're just asking to be thawed out of a block of ice," Domingo countered.
"You know, your stuffed body will make a fine display over my fireplace."
"Bring it."
"Boys, and um...creatures." Anri injected hastily. "I need Arthur for this tournament. Afterwards, you can bash each other over the heads as much as you want."
Max yawned. "All this arguing is giving me the munchies."
Mae nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's eat! Can't fight on an empty stomach!"
"I know this place a few blocks from here, it has great Waral seafood," Lowe suggested.
"What are we waiting for then!" everyone exclaimed. Together, as one, they rushed off.
Max smiled. "Just like old times..." he thought.
Author's note: Yeah, it's been a while...but I have an excuse this time! And not my lame-ass excuses I've had before! You see, I've been in Korea for the entire month of August, sight seeing, getting bit my mosquitos, and wondering why Japanese food is so cheap over here yet so expensive in Canada. To compensate, I've busted my chops writing a chapter that's fairly longer than usual. Rest assured, I WILL NOT QUIT ON THIS! I'm seeing this through to the end. I thank all the people who've given reviews so far, and yet again welcome feedback at strider_yoshi@yahoo.com, everything welcome, feedback, fan mail, flames, even links to hardcore pornography ;) BTW, if I've mistakenly misnamed things, tell me, will ya?
Cheers!
