Balance. Fear. Duty.
Old friends. Everyone has an old friend from the past, someone who they'd had fun with, got in trouble with, been almost killed by, and laughed all the time with. I have a few, but I regret being friends with them. But I'm not suppose to. They are still my friends no matter what I think they are or who I think they are. Changed or unchanged they still are. Even if they have certain features you wouldn't want in one. I think I prefer it that way. I must be mad then.
Chapter 3: Lyla, how sweet.
"Rumors? What kind of rumors?" Leo asked leaning in close. "There's a tough team to beat, they say this team has certain features that let them win." Sean said, looking over Ava's new armor. Lance looked at her sword before handing it back. "Like what?" Leo continued, asking in an annoying tone. "Like, well, there changeling is a bear for one. There Jouster is a knight. There swords man is the prince of Galta. And well, there other member she's unusual. Her blades are her nails. No one knows what or who she is." Sean finished.
They reached the stadium and separated for there events. Leo's event was first. Jousting. "How fun." He said slamming his helmet down, charging at his opponent, almost knocking them off but hitting them in the head causing their helmet to be bent against the head. The next few rounds Leo lost. Until he was disqualified for losing to often. "Well, it's my event. Time to rip them to shreds." Sean said entering the stadium battle field. His first opponent looked sinister, creepy. "Ready?" he asked, turning into a huge eight legged, hairy spider. Sean gulped, stepping back before running at the huge thing and transforming into a wolf. His coarse fur, white fangs, sharps claws seemed to zip past. A huge screech came from the spider, as the small wolf seemed to be gouging out its eyes. Clawing and snapping at the spider, the wolf was hit off by one of its huge legs. Giving a yelp of pain as it hit the wall it regained strength and attacked again this time the spider was bitten and rip. Turning back into a human, the spider started screaming. The wolves' mouth full of blood, hovering over the man before returning to Sean's human form. "I was ready, but you weren't." He whispered whipping his mouth, clearing it of blood.
"Powerful." Ava said looking upon the young changeling. "Eh?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "He's powerful, as a wolf. I think I know him." she said smiling. "Oh, hey, the next rounds going to start. A small man walked out, his face all smiling. Sean walked out, stared at the man before transforming into a wolf and snarled. The man's eyes widen. "Oh my -" he fainted. "Well, that was short and Sean didn't have to eat him" Leo laughed, holding his ribs. Lance laughed too. Ava smiled as she watched the next contestant walk over to the ref and talked to him. She was a girl a little overweight, frizzy hair and toothless smile. "FORFEIT!" the ref yelled, echoing around the stadium. Sean had won.
"My turn, you know, I
am pretty good at archery" Ava smirked walking out onto the
field. There were more opponents this round, all men. "What's
a pretty thing like you entering a tournament like this?" one
asked winking. "Oh, I just want to win the prize." She said
fixing her bow. "What prize?" another said standing beside
her.
"Myself." She smirked aiming at her target and let
the arrow fly right into the target beside the bull's-eye. Their
eyes widen as they launched their own arrows and began to shot. It
was narrowed down to two in only a few seconds. Ava and Jack. Jack
aimed and got a bull's-eye, smiling and blowing a kiss to her as
she set up and aimed. In no less then 5 second his arrow fell to the
ground, her arrow pierced the target, half of it sticking out. She
blew a kiss and went back to the stadium seats, leaving Jack in a
fit.
"My turn." Lance said walking down to the open field filled with men only wielding swords. His eyes closed, he waited, hand on his sword waiting to draw. One man finally did attack him. Opening his eyes, drawing his sword, blocking the man's attack and knocking him out on the wall. The other men seemed to be afraid or too confused to attack. Standing around looking at the ground before falling to it yelping in pain. Lance won and they were into the finals. "Great, so we have to fight?" Leo whined "We'll get her back after a night. That's all we prized her for, right?" Lance shook his head "We prepare to fight. And I expect you to fight well". Sean nodded, cleaning his wounds from the giant spider he'd just noticed. Ava practiced with her sword. Leo was praciting dodging and advancing with her. "Hold your sword high, block higher if your opponent is taller. Block mid if they are around the same size and-" she was interrupted by Leo rolling his eyes "Block low if your opponent is smaller then you, I know." Ava laughed, praciting more "You've learned what I have not taught you, who taught you?" Leo looked at her wondering why she wanted to know "Well, I guess, my master. My old master, Sir Reizeno, brave knight. He always said I was good at learning things and helping people." Ava smiled stopping and pausing. "He was a great man, an immortal man. He always said to me in battle "You fight for a reason you can only understand, I fight for a reason you don't understand, now what does that say about us?" he improved my sword fighting. He was my greatest opponent, almost defeating him once giving him mercy as he gave Me." she said softly "A great man, a great teacher." Leo looked at her like she was human.
"We begin in two minutes" Lance announced, grabbing his sword and leaving. The rest followed.
This fight. This fight collided with my past. And proved I wasn't the only one to be brung into the future.
"There they are. The ones in the rumor" Sean said stepping out onto the grounds. Ava's eyes looked at them each different, each strangely familiar, but one she knew. "Ava-Lee, the great Dark Knight!" the girl hissed, her solid nail metal blades clanging. "Lyla." Ava said calmly, bowing her head. "You little bitch cost me my army, and brung me here! I promise you, you'll not leave this stadium alive" Lyla snapped. Her long black silk hair, fiery red eyes seemed to be as angry as her voice.
Lyla...
How to describe Lyla. Ruthless, beautiful, evil, demonic, murderous, sadistic and anything else that involves killing another person for a purpose or none. As lovely as she was, she tried to kill me on several occasions. Instead, I ended up putting her in a lot of pain.
Lyla and Ava at 14
"Lyla..." Ava whined "Why are we taking this way? And what are you carrying?"."Just wait, as soon as we reached that dark space I'll tell you." Lyla snapped, hauling a huge bag over her shoulder.Huffing and puffing they made it to a dark area, little light to see. "Okay, now I'll tell you, better yet, show you" Lyla smiled opening the bag and showing Ava small swords "Lets fight! We can you know, if Bulbous thinks he's all that, wait till he sees us." Ava looked at the swords curiously before picking one up and drawing it from its scabbard "Whoa... Awesome!" she said looking at the bright, reflective metal. "Come on, Attack me!" Lyla said, picking up and drawing her own sword. "Okay!" Ava said slightly attacking to be blocked by the small dark haired girl. There clanging swords and there girlish giggles echoed causing people to run to where they were. The fight between them became fiercer, Lyla's expression becoming blood thirsty. "Lyla?" Ava asked, backing off a bit. Lyla then struck, stabbing Ava's shoulder. Ava screamed.
"Lyla!" A man yelled, his presence scared Lyla who let the grip go on the swords. Ava closed her eyes and grabbed onto the blade, pulling it out. "Ava..." Lyla said in awe. Screaming out in pain, Ava successfully removed the deep blade. It landed on the floor covered in her blood. Ava, now standing, walked away. "What? No revenge, Ava-Lee! You pitiful Light seeker!" she yelled as Ava walked away, her wound bleeding. "My dear, do you not know what the rules are? Or are you ignornant to my power?" The man screamed. "Torah, you're the all powerful and she's weak, we must rid ourselves of her" she snapped. The man merely smiled and nodded "My child, she's not weak; any girl who can pull a blade and walk is stronger than any knight I've known. She is, my dear, more powerful than you" he said, stroking her face with the back of his hand "Now, go, you'll be come a captain."
"You know her?" Sean asked looking at Ava in shock. "Of course, we're old friends." Lyla yelled, twisting her fingers, creating a flow effect with her solid nails. Ava took her stance, eyes closed, sword horizontal with her shoulders, arm straight. Leo and the rest stared, waiting for something to start. "Let's finish this!" She yelled. Lyla charged attacking with her nails; Ava's swords went from left to right blocking Lyla's killer nails. One of the three left drew his word and attacked Lance. Sean turned into a wolf and attacked one who turned into a bear, roaring and growling at each other. Leo looked at the last one; he was carrying an axe and looked at Leo with a hungry glint in his eye. Leo gulped and ran "Get bak ere' ya foo" he said charging after the thin boy.
Ava and Lyla's girl fight raged on. Ava swiftly blocking and kicking Lyla at vulnerable moments. Finally Lyla landed a decent blow to Ava, stabbing her with five blades in her left shoulder. Ava screamed before sliding them out and fly kicking the black haired girl into a solid wall "You want to fight then lets fight!" she yelled walking over the wobbling black haired girl who seemed to have peeled herself out of the wall. Lyla attacked, aiming her blades at Ava's face many times. Dodging and blocking her attacks, Ava quickly spun kicked her sending her once again against the wall. Punching and missing. She quickly grabbed Lyla's hands and shoved them into the wall, trapping her. "You bitch!" she screeched trying to pull her nails free.
Lance still blocking attacks. Attacked slashing upwards, and then tried attacking. His opponent strong and talented. He continued, in a repeatative state. Leo was having trouble. "Argh! Get bak ere yer monkeh, I wun't hert yer" he yelled holding his axe level with his own face. "That's total bullshit! And I'm not a monkey, you stone aged moron!" he yelled running away, poking his tongue out at the guy making him charge after him. Leo tried to avoid the guy. Instead, he knocked over barrels, tripping the man and sent his axe flying. The man lied on the ground before moaning. Leo quickly picked up a stick and started beating him. "Ah ha! Not so thought are ya, monkeh man!" he laughed.
Sean was having trouble, being throw around by the huge hair covered creature. "Brave little wolf, aren't we?" The bear cackled. "At least I'm not a performing circus act" Sean snapped at his feet, growling trying to back him into a corner. The bear roared before grabbing the wolf and pinning it against the wall making it howl in pain. "How's the wolfy now?" he cackled again. Sean laughed before turning human falling out of the bears paws and drawing his sword. "Wolfy's just fine" He said charging slashing the bear causing it to fall to the ground. Sean quickly slipped his blade back into its scabbard. "Little do people knows that we changelings could do magic" he laughed. "Gyrate-Typhlose!" He yelled a symbol appeared, amazing the crowd. The symbol started to spin, getting fast, picking up speed. Picking up more, until it exploded, coating the bear with fiery debris.
With Lance still fighting and most of there opponents down. They'd already won. Ava grabbed her sword and ran towards the two fighting; quickly she blocked Lance and kicked the other back, sending them flying. "This is not your fight, Ava" he yelled. "Yes, it is." she said before stabbing him in his right shoulder, wounding him, making him unable to interfere with what she had planned. The other recovering, standing up and removing his helmet. "I guess we finally meet dark knight. My name is Prince San, you never destroyed us, and you gave me pity. Scaring my father away." He laughed. His face dashing, handsome. "The thin little guy with the men i killed. I knew he was the heir. Why i did not kill him? Who knows, i may have a heart after all" she nodded and bowed. "Yes, and might i say what a beautiful girl you are to have such ugly power, but i guess someone has to have It." he said, stepping forward. "Your majesty, if you do not already know, you've already won this. I forfeit for my team." she bowed. "Ah, yes, but they are welcome to join me at the ball and feast tomorrow. With my prizes, are you not one of them?" he said standing in front of her, sending her head mad with thoughts, he smelt of ash and coal, and clean sheets. "I am. Does that please you?" she teased. Lance narrowed his eyes at the sight, the prince and her standing right in front of each other.
"My, yes, it does. Come join me!" he laughed, arms opened, leading the four off and to the palace. Its huge walls, delicately put together of the finest colored glass. "Welcome to castle Galta!" he announced arms wide. "More like castle glass-does-hurt-yknow" Leo narrowed his eyes. Sean laughed looking around at the water features and green grass "It sure looks different from the sand buildings in Galta". "Yes, you see, we're lower so we get more water." San said leading them through the main doors. "Uh, you sure this place doesn't have leaks or something." Leo asked walking up the winding stairs cases. "No, all the glass is melted together and if you look up now there's a wonderful sight, milady" he said leading her to the railing along the stair case. "Wow, it's amazing" she said looking up before she looked down and thought she saw a dark figure. "Hurry now, I'll get you rooms." he pushed them into a corridor and gave them two rooms. "Milady, here with Sir West here" He said pushing them into a room and closing the door. And opposite her opened a door and left. "Guess that's our room" Sean said looking confident as he walked in. his jaw dropped at the sight of the room. Majestic, luscious and simply fit for a king.
Ava and Lance quickly settled in. It became dark and they needed sleep. They laid down in the one bed which was given to them, backs turned, avoiding each others faces, as a bigger silence grew between them. "Good night" she said, he stayed silent for a bit before saying "Sweet dreams" before they both drifted off. Leo and Sean had separate beds. Leo kept talking about how he hated the place and that he figured something was wrong. "I don't like him, he seemed to keen to have Ava as a prize." he huffed. "Everyone did, so, good night!" Sean snapped. Leo sighed and closed his eyes and drifted off. Sean stayed awake pondering what Leo said but soon fell asleep.
Like others, I felt like something was wrong. I didn't know quite what but I knew that I'd find out. Sooner or later.