The Tournament

Nelo woke early and came to my bed.

"Did you sleep any Chen?"

"No."

"That's unfortunate. You would've needed the rest to fight at your fullest."

"Fight what?"

"Whoever your opponents in the tournament may be."

"What?"

"I signed you up for the tournament last night. Luckily I caught Mikyel just as she was closing up. She was pretty hesitant to sign you."

"For good reason Nelo! What were you thinking? I never gave you permission to…"

"Chen, listen…the way you took on that giant on your own was incredible. I think it may have been a sign of who you were. Something inside you kicked in when you were in danger. Maybe you used to be a soldier. If that's the case, I think this tournament would be the best chance we have at more clues. If you win here, you go to Saint Morning. It's a larger city, and this tournament will help get your face and name out there. I wouldn't have done it if I thought you couldn't handle it, or if I thought there were a better alternative."

"I understand you're trying to help, but, a tournament? Do you expect what happened to me in that forest to kick in every time I fight?"

"No, of course I don't. However I do expect to bring some of it out. When I took you to the nyangs, I expected you to do far worse than you did. Not only did you win, but you barely got hurt. With some training before the tournament, I think you can at least qualify to go to Saint Morning." Nelo paused, holding his hand out to me to help me out of bed then continued. "The choice is still yours Chen."

I was reminded again of those months past, when he first held out his hand like this. I wondered just how many time I would put my life in this man's hands. At least once more apparently. I grabbed his hand and we left the base to train.

We arrived in Market Square several hours later, just as the tournament was under way. Many ships circled the flying fortress Bobor, and several platforms were carrying people from the ground upward into the behemoth in the sky. Nelo and I stepped onto a platform full of people and rode it skyward.

As large as the fortress looked from the outside, it was nothing so massive when compared to the interior.

"Incredible!" I said.

"Yes. No matter how many times you may see this place from the inside, it always manages to take the breath away."

"With good reason too." I thought.

Even though the whole interior was a deep purple, there was an occasional pulse of prismatic color that would travel through the walls and ceiling like a wave. I placed one hand on a nearby wall just as the wave passed and felt it grow warm for a moment.

"Chen, let's go." Nelo said tapping my shoulder.

There were several people that looked like soldiers directing and channeling the flow of people to upper sections of the fortress. Nelo and I must have gone up at least five more floors by the time we arrived at the main lift to the top.

"This is where we part for now Chen." Nelo said.

"Wait, why?"

"Fighters stay down here until it's their time to fight. See this last big lift is also the fighting circle. It's just being used to carry up the spectators until the tournament really starts. Just go ahead and tell that guard over there that you're an applicant, and he'll tell you what to do from there. Don't worry Chen, you'll be fine."

With that Nelo was on the platform and I lost sight of him. Just as he said the guard directed me to where I needed to be. The room he took me to was one not far from the main lift. In the room with me was about 20 or so other people that must have been entries in the tournament. Some were off by themselves, preparing for the fights in their own ways while the others were mostly grouped up socializing. I decided to just rest against the nearest wall, still tired from the training Nelo had put me through. Soon enough it would become clear just how beneficial it really was. Suddenly I could faintly here some music coming from above. Moments later a guard entered calling a name, and one of the other fighters followed him out. The sound of the lift was followed by the sounds of many cheers. Some time after that, the lift could be heard again, the same guard from earlier entered, announced a name, and it all happened again. This continued for about half an hour, my stomach becoming tighter with each fighter called before me. Some returned to this room, even ones that I hadn't seen start here. Finally, the guard arrived to the room again.

"Chen?" He asked.

I got to my feet and followed the guard to the lift. Once there, I saw another guard leading someone out of a room across from the one I came from. My opponent. We stood at the far opposite ends of the platform facing each other. The lift began to rise and as we came up I began to catch my first glimpses of the crowd.

Cheers boomed out through the air as the lift came to a stop. I looked around at more than a hundred, and several ships circling the air around us as well. There was even that large ship from long ago, flying the red shield on the golden banner. Lady Cerand and Sir Yob must've been watching from there. At four points of the fighting platform, stood robed men carrying staves. Simultaneously their voices calmed the crowd.

"Let the next match of the tournament proceed. Zeioz Lesur will be fighting Chen. Begin!"

The four robed men picked up their staves lightly and then slammed them on the ground. Suddenly the platform my opponent and I were on had formed a dome of yellow light. I looked at the other man who had begun to charge. I dodged a wide swing he made with an axe. As he continued swinging wildly, I found that it was easy to see and anticipate each coming attack. I continued to back up while avoiding swing after swing, until my back hit something. I had backed all the way up to that translucent wall of light. Apparently though, Zeioz also misjudged distance and ruined this opportune moment by overextending his next swing, causing his axe to be deflected off a portion of the field above my head. It was my turn to attack. I gripped the sword Nelo lent me tightly and swung hard at Zeioz's arms, the pain causing him to drop his axe. The next attack was aimed directly at his head sending him to the ring's floor. As I stood over him, a shield now appeared around his body. I stepped back and saw one robed man make several gestures with his right hand and light enveloped the fallen fighter's body. The field of light around both him and the platform fell away as he got back to his feet. Zeioz walked to me smiling and held out his hand.

"Good fight Chen." He said.

I took his hand and shook it. The crowd began to cheer. Zeioz just continued to smile and then wave to the crowd, before stepping out of the ring to join them. The lift shifted and began to take me back down. The tournament continued on like this for three more matches. I was in the finals. The training I went through with Nelo was seemingly a great help. I began to wonder if perhaps what my friend had told me about being a soldier was true. Before I could delve into it further, the guard entered and I followed out to the lift. I was slightly surprised to find that I was fighting a woman. The lift brought us up and the robed men spoke.

"The fourth round of the finals will begin now. Chen versus Rusep Reque. Begin!"

I lifted my sword, preparing for an attack just as the light field covered the platform. Then, she winked at me. I lowered my sword slightly and she struck, making gestures in the air with two battle axes within an instant a ball of flame materialized and shot out knocking me back. Before I could recover, I was blasted again. A third ball came, but I rolled out of the way and it crashed into the light shield, sending a small ripple through it. She continued to launch one fireball after another as I charged her, narrowly dodging each blast. Finally I was close enough. She was just about to cast another spell when I swung out my sword, gripping from the bottom of the hilt. She easily dodged, but interrupting her casting got me closer to the point where we were then exchanging steel. She was skillful with her axes, but it seemed as though casting all the magic had worn her down enough to give me an edge. I forced her to the end of the platform, her back against the wall of light. My attacks began to get through her defenses and she visibly weakened. When she dropped to one knee I backed off slightly. She just looked up at me with intense anger in her eyes.

"It's not over yet fool!" She screamed.

She quickly made motions before her as I stepped forward preparing to swing at her, but all too late. The two of us were swallowed up in her spell. A giant vortex of wind picked us both up into the air. I felt like my limbs would be pulled from my body when suddenly the vortex flung Rusep and me in opposite directions, slamming us both into the shield. I staggered to one knee, feeling nauseous and sore. I looked over to where Rusep was, and noticed she was not getting up. The tornado began to vanish and so too did the light shield. I began to feel a strange warmth over take me, and my body no longer felt worn from the battle. The four cloaked men surrounded Rusep. After a few moments she stirred and began to rise, ignoring the pleadings of the robed men. The platform began to descend as she started to walk toward me. Once we were back down, three other men began to approach.

"Don't count on this outcome again." Rusep said before leaving.

The three other men gathered around me smiling. One of them grabbed my hand and shook it enthusiastically.

"I never would have thought a newcomer would beat Rusep. Congratulations Chen!"

"Yeah, I was relieved when I found out I wouldn't be fighting her." One of the others commented.

"This would be the first time she hadn't made it to the main tournament. I don't know how you got away from her tornado alright." The third added.

The platform began to rise with the four of us on it, and we were greeted by cheers from a standing audience. The four cloaked men raised their hands and the crowd gradually grew silent. The four spoke in unison once again.

"Here stand the four champions that will represent Flaris at the great tournament in Saint Morning. Weneibo, Sefton, Dawelien, and Chen, fight well and bring honor to our glorious city!"

There were cheers again and we all waived to the crowd that was soon out of the stands and rushing the center of the ring to hoist us onto their shoulders. I looked up at the surrounding ships as they began to fire balls of light into the air that exploded, sending multi colored streaks in all directions. It was incredible. I was going to Saint Morning. The rest of the night continued on in a celebration the likes of which I had never witnessed in Flaris. Nelo and I returned to the base in high spirits. We stayed up for hours after, discussing the tournament and things to come. The next day we used Nelo's ship in convoy with Lady Cerand's flag ship, and several other guild ships. I rode on the deck as usual. This would be the first time I've been to another country and was amazed to find that the nations were separated by a sea of clouds. I wondered what lay beneath these lands, if anything at all. My train of thought broke as I spotted in the distance, partially sunken in the clouds, what looked like two giant gears. There was a pop and I could hear Nelo's voice.

"You'll be able to see Saint Morning pretty soon Chen."

I moved toward the front of the ship and squinted through the clouds until the cover broke and the city opened up before me.