Prodigy Warrior
Wake up... wake, it's time to wake...
Ugh... leave me be.
Shss... wake. You must wake up.
A cold burst of air threw the curtains on the window to the sides sharply, letting in the sound of music and laughter from the dark streets of the city into the room, as well as cold slap of air that made Talim open on eye.
Her body felt so heavy, and the blankets so very warm and soft that she didn't want to get up, it would take too much effort...
However, it was undeniable that she was awake as it were already and so she pushed herself up sharply, her body complaining against each movement.
Outloud she complained, though quietly. "What? What could be so important?'
There was a knock on the door, and Killik's voice drifted through the wood to her ears.
"Talim? Are you awake?'
Irritation bloomed as the sound of merry laughter in her head and she stood, sighing. How was it that she had always had to be wrong and 'she' always had to be right?
"I'm up! You can come in!" Talim cried out softly, pulling her hair out of the messy braids.
Killik stepped inside and leaned against the door idly, not wanting to invade into her private space as soon as she had just woken. Warriors and fighters were a paranoid bunch and waking was a time when they felt the most disoriented. The last thing he needed were those elbow blades stuck in his gut because he had frightened her.
"Hello... You rested?" he asked, cocking his head.
Talim stiffled a yawn and nodded. "Yes... very well, actually. I must thank your friend Cornelius." she murmured.
Killik grinned. "Oh good, because the first test to enter the contest is in one hour."
Talim stared. "Oh... but, I don't know.." she murmured, looking out of sorts.
Killik panicked, having already raved about her to several men downstairs and the soldiers who had been wary of allowing him to sign up a 15 year old girl.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure, if fighting in that contest is such a good idea. I'm not that great a fighter, and I haven't really-"
"But I already signed you up!" Killik cried, his panic getting the better of him. Talim stopped and stared at him.
"What? Why!"
He turned a bit red and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I just thought it'd be a good idea, I don't know... I think you could get far, that's all." he muttered, not adding the fact that he had bet on her several times already.
Talim sighed, hearing the laughter in her head once more, it was teasing more than mocking, but irritating none the less.
Now what do I do?
Why, fight of course...
Disturbed by the fact that the voice was starting to earn some sort of an attitude she stood and nodded to Killik, though unhappily.
"Fine, okay. What about you? Are you fighting?"
He smirked. "Of course."
To her surprise, he had Cornelius had found out about her getting signed up for the tournament and had run around worried about his guest and what he should do and so had ordered a bath to be prepared for her, and new clothes to be found... Which she was rather surprised at.
Two women came in and began to measure her every inch, while Killik laughed at her awed slightly confused expression from the corner.
"He's taken a liking to you. I think you remind him of his little girl..." Killik said while a maid held a band around her waist.
Talim looked down, watching them work, and then said. "Oh... I see." It was the only answer she could come up with at that moment.
He smirked and pushed off from the wall, walking over to her blades and beginning to quietly examine them. Talim's eyes flickered to him at that moment and she stared, a silent warning.
"I won't do anything." he promised. She nodded, as if she had known all along and then turned back to watching the maids fumbling with her clothes.
"They might have weapons there for you to choose from if you get high enough in the rankings." Killik said suddenly, looking up.
Talim blinked slightly and glanced back at him, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the fact that all she was wearing were her under clothes in front of him while the women went around her putting on a light blue and white outfit she had yet to see properly.
"Oh?' she managed as the maids pinned and pricked her skin.
He nodded. "By the fourth win, they give you different weapons to choose from. Though, I don't know if they will have any elbow blades, this style of weapon is rare."
Talim blinked at him a moment longer before turning back to the maids, thinking.
She had had those blades for a long time, and if she was planning on being in a tournament then perhaps she should get them to someone who could quickly fix them up a bit... They were beginning to grow dull, it took more effort for her to do real damage...
Sighing, she blinked in surprise as the women moved away suddenly, pins and needles sticking out of their mouths as the looked back on their handy work.
Talim looke down at herself and then back up at the mirror.
The style was light and the cloth breathed, making it feel almost like an egyptian silk she had bought when a trader had gone to her village a time long ago.
It was white with light blue designs. The tank top was covered by a sort of sash that fell from around her neck and down her back and front.
She cocked her head and moved lightly, feeling it shift with her form. "Huh.." she said happily, breaking into a smile.
the women gave smiling satisfied nods of their own and took their things, leaving without another word.
Killik tossed her her belt and blades.
"Looks like you're almost ready. You should eat something light before you go out there, you know." he added.
Talim wrinkled her nose and said rather unhappily. "But... I need to get these-" she started, motioning to her blades. But Killik would have none of it. If he was going to loose a bet, then it wasn't going to be because the girl had decided to faint from lack of food on stage.
"Come come, I'm sure Cornelius has something or other around here..." He interuptted, shoving her out the door.
Talim stuttered endlessly, trying to get him to listen to her, but it was no use, and within five minutes she found herself settled at a table with fruits, cheeses and breads of many kinds laying out before her.
Cornelius fluttered in through the doorway to check on her quickly. "Ah! I see the seamstress did a good job of your outfit!" he grinned, taking her in.
Talim smiled and stood, offering her his hand again, but this time taking it into a handshake.
"Thank you very much for all this, sir... I truly appreciate it-" she began, but Cornelius waved it away. "Nonesense! Don't make anything of it... You remind me of someone, that is all. And I couldn't hold back my help anyway. It's not often a young prodigy walks into my inn." he nodded.
Talim blinked. "Prodigy?'
"Why yes! Child, if you can keep off Killik, I'd say that's a prodigy." he laughed, as if she were joking.
The girl blinked in confusion, but that went unnoticed by the little man, who was already buzzing out the door.
"Eat! And I'll see you after your battle!" He called and left.
Talim sat back down, frowning as she chewed on the nearest piece of dragon fruit.
"Prodigy?' she wondered outloud. And the wind sing songy voice in her head laughed once more.
But of course...
The priestess ignored it sharply and decided she had had enough to eat. Standing sharply, she headed for the door, determined to find Killik and a swordsmith. The city seemed large enough, there must be a swordsmith around somewhere.
Killik popped up beside her suddenly, having just finished talking to Cornelius.
"Done? Excellent! Because we're late! Come!" he cried, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out the door.
Talim was beginning to get dizzy, being dragged one way and then the other without being told where she was going, nor why.
she found herself once more in the city streets, which were no longer crowded in the messy way that it had been before.
The night had come, and yet light was everywhere. Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, and the streets were heavily decorated with banners and conffetti that floated down through the playful breeze.
Music and laughter assaulted her poor ears, as did the explosions of light and color from the fireworks above.
The people were all dressed in bright colors, making her dizzy as well. Smells of all kinds, some that made her mouth water attacked her nose viciously, but she had no time to savour the merriment that seemed to be all over the place.
Killik dragged her through the crowd, which was moving to the rhythm of a lively tune from pipes and drums somewhere on the street.
"Hurry hurry! We cannot be late!" he cried, and began to sprint. Talim gasped and followed, running as fast as she could.
She dodged men carrying heavy looking bottles of spirits and women with breads, spits of cooking meat that had been setup right in the middle of the street.
The confetti kept on raining down on them, making everything fuzzy and hard to see, but Talim refused to loose sight of Killik among everything.
Panting, she found herself at the gates, the gates she had been sure would kill if they were climbed.
The palace stood enourmous before huge and unmoving to the music and laughter that surrounded it.
Killik dragged her in, past the guards, who only had to see Killik to remember that he was the one that had boasted about his young friend.
And so they stared at her as she went by, wondering if the little one really was as capable as the rumours said.
Killik dragged her a bit more, past the palace music which was playing the same tune as outside, with the drums and the flutes.
He stopped in fron of a huge man holding up what looked like a giant scroll.
"Talim and Killik." He said.
The man scanned the list and said. "You need a more elaborate name, orders of his majesty the emperor." he added.
Killik blinked. "Right..." he said rather disturbed. Talim blinked, trying to think of one quickly, it seemed they were the last people to sign in, she had to come up with something fast...
Wind Dancer...
Wind Dancer- but...
Quickly!
"Uh... Wind Dancer." Talim stuttered out. The giant man blinked at her past his bushy brows and beard. "Good enough, go on, you're the youngest therefore you are first up." he said, shoving her.
Killik lost his grip on her wrist. "But- Killik!" she cried, giving him a worried look as she was taken by the crowd moving in to see the stage.
He waved at her. "You'll be fine!"
Talim frowned worriedly and turned, not bothering to fight the surge of people. Another man caught sight of her and pointed. "You! With the blades? Are you a fighter?" he asked, grabbing her by the arm and pulling.
Talim frowned and pulled out of his grip. "Yes." she muttered.
"What's the name?' he asked, scanning another scroll. "Talim... Wind Dancer." she muttered.
"Oh, the prodigy." he said, making her blink. "You're up first. Go up those stairs, someone will tell you where to go from there." he said, stepping out of the way of a stairway.
Talim blinked, but was shoved rather rudely into the dark staircase.
Grumbling, she made her way upwards and stopped suddenly, seeing light.
She was high above a stadium looking place, with a circular arena at the center. Hundreds of seats were arched up looking down on the center arean, filled with people talking and laughing, all of them nobles by the look of it. She could see the decorated place where his majesty would probably sit.
A young man came up beside her, blinking at her in surprise. "You're fighting?' he asked in shock. The girl started and nodded. "Yes..."
"Okay..." he said, as if he wasn't sure that was a good idea. Then he continued to say. "Bow to his majesty when he greets you. Bow to your opponent, the emperor will countdown from three from his seat and then the battle will start. you are disqualified if you are killed, thrown off the age or unable to fight any longer. There are no rules other than that, understood?"
Talim was confused. Killed? Had he said killed?
The young man nodded towards the place where the emperor would be soon. "As soon as he steps up the music will end. Make your way to the arena on that plank over there." he said, pointing to the thin bridge that was the only connetion to the arena. It was just a stub of rock in the middle of a lot of water. The stadium faced outwards towards the sea beacuse it was in a sort of huge cave. Beyond, Talim could see the hills and mountains surrounding the city... and the moon.
She sighed. "All right." she murmured. And then the music stopped.
A figure came up to where the young man had pointed. It was a sort of balcony on th estadium, shadowed by coverings on all sides. She could hardly see the supposed emperor. He was surrounded by people, servants, soldiers and advisors.
"Go." the young man said, giving her a push.
As soon as the stadium crowd got a look of her they began to scream and shout, Talim could almost feel how hoarse their voices must be getting.
She listening to the utter shouting, she carefully made her way on the curve like edge of the stadium seats, ignoring the jeers and calling from the people sitting right beside where she had to walk.
She made it to the plank in time and looked up to see the young man nodd at her. Silently, she crossed it and made it safely to the arena, swallowing her fear.
Everyone was looking down at her, laughing, screaming with excitement. This was their entertainment, to see her squirm...
This isn't such a good idea...
Trust me.
The emperor called from high above, her name, his voice was loud, so loud she heard it even from down there with all the screaming people.
"Wind Dancer!"
She turned sharply to face towards his general direction and bowed, lifting her eyes only when the crowd had gone silent.
"Best luck to you." he said. She nodded her thanks, because her voice box was not working, and stepped back to see her opponent come out.
She froze at the sight an sheer magnitude of the man... or thing that stepped out from the darkness of the staircase.
She let out a soft sigh of shock. The monster was huge, carrying a giant club in one hand. His face was distorted and gray, a mass of mush that looked hardly like a face.
(A/N: No, not an actual character.)
Taking in a frightened breath she held her place, watching as he stumbled along the plank and as it bent low under his weight. For a moment she thought it would break, but it didn't and he made it to the arena, making her feel very small indeed.
He growled at her, letting his stinking breath throw her hair back away from her face as she winced visibly.
The emperor was silent a lot longer with him than with her. After a long moment he finally said.
"Mound!"
And the creature turned to look at him, raising up his giant club. Talim stared at the thing, feeling sick... it was easily bigger than she was, made of solid rock... his arm alone was bigger than she was. How was she supposed to take the thing down?
"Good luck!" The emperor finally managed, and the creature grunted loudly in response.
Unlike with Talim, the stadium was silent, not a soul said a word.
I am going to die...
Shss... be calm. Trust me.
Without much of a choice in the matter, Talim decided she'd go along with 'her' this time and swallowed, bowing to the creature with her heart in her throat.
It seemed to bow back, but the disgusting rotting smirk that he gave her as he did made it a little void.
From high above, she heard the count down that made her ears buzz.
"3, 2, 1..."
And the creature screamed, shattering the silence like glass, launching his massive weapon at her.
Talim gasped, frozen at the sight of the mamoth creature waving a club in her direction.
"Goddess!" she screamed, her voice higher than she ever remembered it being.
Trust me!
She had not choice.
Cliffhanger! Haha, i will continue the battle next chapter. Ah, this was fun.
Please R&R!
- White Scribe.