...Chapter Two: Nothing Personal...
"Alright, kiddies!" Instructor Caito called over the din of the two hundred students. "The trials would have been explained to you already, but let me reiterate. You will be split into groups based on your skill set and ability level. The teams were decided at the last tests in your combat classes. General ed has no deciding factor." Julianus couldn't help the chuckle building in his throat as several students sighed in relief. "And it goes without saying," Caito continued, "that how you preform here today determines your placement in the advanced courses."
Donati stepped forward with her hands folded behind her back, "Now, on to the rules of the matches. First and foremost, use restraint. Permanently maiming an opponent will get you disqualified, and if it is severe enough, kicked out of the program." Her dark eyes turned steely as a few students groaned. "Need I remind you that murder is a hanging offense?" In the harsh florescent lighting and with her dark hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, the jagged scar over her right eye was in sharp relief. That scar was why the rule was stressed every year. The other girl was no doubt rotting in a jail cell right now for blinding Donati in that eye, and Donati herself had to give up her dreams of joining the palace guard.
"Secondly, this will be a game of survival. The team with the most members out of five standing at the end of fifteen minutes wins the match. What this means is, if you are knocked out of bounds you are no longer a part of the match," said Caito, his bass voice resonating off the walls.
Julianus stepped forward as well, smiling at the crowd of teens, "And lastly, don't forget that scouts for the various branches of the military will be in attendance, myself included. This would be the time to get a little flashy. Just please know your limits." With his final words said, he waved to the Instructors and jogged out to the entry halls. Citizens of Insomnia were swarming into the staircases, the elevators out of commission for the day. A general air of excitement permeated the space, and Julianus smiled as he made his way to the king's private box, his superiors and the royal family already seated, as were the scouts of the other branches.
"Hey again," Prompto grinned at the older blond as he moved to stand behind the prince. Julianus smiled back, but said nothing as he set his feet shoulder width apart and folded his hands behind his back. From this moment until he was dismissed, he was on duty as guard to the king and prince.
"D'Agostino," began Bellona, "while we wait, can you tell us a bit more about your cousin?"
His smile returned at her interest, "Well, to start, she began training at twelve-"
"Isn't that a tad young?" asked Cor Leonis, the current head of the royal family guards, his expression disturbed.
"I started younger. My family tends to go to extremes. She's had it even tougher since her mother left." Cor seemed to understand that it was a sensitive topic and dropped it, turning back to the arena in the center of the coliseum.
"Please, continue," said the king.
"Of course, Your Majesty. She may be smaller than her fellow students, but she uses that to her advantage, and is quite a bit stronger than she looks," here he rubbed his left side, where threes ribs were still healing from being dislocated. "And she has already achieved a Limit Break." The entire group in the box turned to him in shock.
"Impossible!" yelled one of the guards behind him. "Limit Breaks take years to achieve, and some never do! How could a runt like her-"
Julianus whipped around and cut him off with a glare that could melt ice. "Need I remind you that is my cousin and student you are referring to?" He was itching to take out the daggers from his boots, "Did I say it was stable?"
"N-no. No, you didn't... Sir," the guard backed up several steps, much to the amusement of Julianus.
"Well, it's not yet, and it happens to have several restrictions."
"How so?" asked Bellona from directly in front of him.
He laughed without any real humor, "Let's just say her opponents are very lucky there isn't a storm system nearby today."
My fists clenched as I waited for my name to be called again, this time along with my team. I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Caius, the boy who had tried to start a fight with Marcus earlier and wound up with a bloody nose. He'd been glowering at me since he'd gotten it to stop, and so were his 'friends'. They were all in the top of their classes, but I knew they didn't get there through the right means.
While I waited, I fiddled with the chains on my arm. They were thin, but made of some alloy that allowed them to be flexible but not break. All in all, each was about twenty feet long at full extension, and had a weighted clasp that provided me with a way to attach my knives to them, or use them as a means of escape. I unhooked one of the clasps and pulled the chain tighter, just as my name was called. I jumped slightly and ran over to my new team. Except for Marcus and a girl named Isadora, I knew none of them.
I cringed as Caius and his friends were put on the same team, and they snickered as they passed us on their way to the pits of the arena. The rest of the teams, forty in all, followed our instructors to our seats as the first two teams of mages were called out. I flinched again as the crowds in the seats above began cheering, and the shouts were amplified by the shape of the arena.
I peeked out from the pits, groaning as I took in the sheer number of people in the crowd. I knew the coliseum could seat at most 25,000 people, and from where I was, it looked like every seat was filled. I could also see the king's private box from here, but not who was in it. At least I knew where the people who were deciding my future were sitting.
I heard a particularly loud shout from the arena, and looked to it just in time to be pulled out of the way by Marcus. One of the kids from the first team of mages had gotten blasted out of the ring by a fire spell, and he landed with a grunt right where my feet had been two seconds before. I smiled sheepishly, and he gave a toothy grin in return.
"Consider that my thanks for saving my butt back there," he motioned with his thumb to the door we had come through.
"Er... Thanks?" It wasn't supposed to be a question, and he smiled again as he lightly punched my shoulder. I made a big show of rubbing it and glaring at him, and he laughed at my fake fierce look, slinging an arm over my shoulders.
"No need to thank me," he hugged me tighter for a second, "teammate."
I rolled my eyes, and the next two teams of mages were called into the ring, to a roar of approval from the stands. "Right, teammate." I elbowed him in the ribs, earning a light grunt. "I can still kick your ass, honey."
He let me go, holding the sore spot, and laughed lightly, "Wouldn't doubt it." We both sat back against the wall of the pit, watching what we could of the match from where we were. Our other teammates, whose names I now could remember, eventually joined us, and started up a commentary on the matches.
"Oh, Fire spell right to the backside!" Emidius, a stocky boy with close-cropped back hair, laughed while cringing, "That's gotta hurt!"
"Not as much as that Water Whip to the head," Geordian, a tall and thin eighteen year old, pointed out, nodding to the girl who was flying out of the ring, landing with a wet thud.
"Will you two shut it?" barked Isadora, a girl around my age with chin length brown hair, glaring at them. "Clearly the best tactic used so far was Earth-shaker." Both boys waved her comment away, rolling their eyes.
"You're just saying that because it was your sister, Isabella," I poked her side with a small, joking smile.
"Well, of course!" she joked back, placing her head in her hands and staring out at the ring, where said sister was walking back to the pits, victorious. The two fist bumped, and Isabella walked out of the pits to the locker rooms under the stands. Next, the first teams of summoners was called up.
I zoned out after that, although I was pretty sure someone mentioned Leviathan at some point, and there were a few gunshots at another. Before I knew it, Marcus was tapping me on the shoulder while the other three climbed the steps into the arena.
"Hm?" I looked up at him, confused.
"C'mon, it's our turn," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.
"Bu- What? I thought the hand-to-hand-students were before us?" My brows pulled together as he tugged me to the arena.
He laughed and tussled my hair, "You're so oblivious sometimes." The 'You're cute' was pretty obvious in his tone. I rolled my eyes and let him pull me to the center of the arena, where our opponents were standing. I stared around at the maze constructed in the center, the sprawling structure battered from the previous battles.
My gaze flicked to our opposing team, and my heart fluttered for a moment. It just had to be Caius, didn't it? He and his goons were glaring and snickering at us as we neared, and I saw Caius himself lean in to say something in his teammate's ear. From where I was, it looked like, 'Get the girl.'
I was pretty sure they weren't referring to Isadora.
Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I stepped up to where the rest of my team stood and readied my sword. A single gong sounded, and both teams rushed forward. The sounds of blades meeting was drowned out by the roar of the crowds, and I flinched as the sun slanted into my eyes. My opponent, a much taller, older boy, took advantage of my momentary lapse of focus, and aimed a kick at my ribs. I grunted as it connected, but rolled with it as I fell.
I continued rolling until I was back on my feet, and held a low stance as he advanced again. He was six feet from me when Caius came up behind him to push him out of the way. The other teen glared, but backed down and ran off to another section of the maze. As Caius neared me, the noise from the stands was drowned out by the rush of blood in my ears.
"Sorry, girlie," I heard him say as if through water, "it's nothing personal. Can't be upstaged by a little girl, now can I?" That tipped my anger over the edge. Growling, I shot forward, swinging my sword in a wide arc. Time seemed to slow as he brought his own blade up, and the two rang as they met.
Right as an explosion ripped through the air and knocked me back through a wall.
Julianus joined the others in idle chat and laughter as the matches progressed. He would wince whenever a student was knocked out of the ring, but smiled nonetheless when a team would wave at the judges after a win. He paid particular attention to those that showed the most promise, as did the others.
"Ah! There she is!" Prompto said excitedly as Azrael was dragged into the arena, and everyone laughed at her rather confused expression. Except Cor; he looked more than slightly annoyed.
"Daydreaming, was she?" he grumbled, glancing over at Julianus on his right.
"Forgive my bluntness, sir, but she is still a kid, and this is a rather big day. I don't blame her for being a little dazed; I know I was," countered Julianus. Cor grumbled something to himself and turned back to the arena as the gong sounded. Prompto and Gladiolus watched in rapt attention as the two teams rushed at each other. But something immediately stuck out to Julianus, and, it seemed, Cor and Bellona. One of the members of the team opposing Azrael's picked up the other girl after disarming her by the throat, threw her a few feet into the air, then sucker punched her out of the ring.
"That was an illegal move!" shouted Bellona, standing and moving to the railing, leaning out and looking for the referee.
"As was that," growled Cor, motioning with his head to another tussling pair. This time, Emidius was sent flying by the pommel of a sword to the face, and the other teen brought his sword back around to slash him across the stomach.
"Why are the refs not calling this?" yelled Julianus, panic creeping into his voice as he looked for Azrael.
"Where are the refs?" asked Noctis, the first thing he'd said all day. And for the first time, he didn't look bored, joining Bellona and his friends at the rail.
"That's it, this match is over," Cor turned on his heel and made for the door. As he was placing his hand on the knob, an explosion from the ring forced him to brace himself against the door. "What the hell?!" Prompto began to hold his ears as the shouts from the stands turned to screams of fear.
"The little creeps sneaked in explosives!" Julianus finally broke position and moved to join his superior, searching through the dust and smoke for his cousin. He noticed Cor right himself and make for the door again, but froze as the king's calm voice called back.
"Wait," Regis said, remaining seated and tenting his fingers, staring over them to the ring.
"But- Your Majesty, the children-" Bellona began, gesturing to the settling dust cloud, cut off by Regis raising a hand.
"With all due respect, Miss Nerio, I believe the children are handling themselves well." He smiled and nodded calmly to the arena. The commander's brows pulled together as she turned back around and squinted through the dust, catching sight of two figures near the very edge of the maze. Or rather, swinging from the ruins near the edge. As the dust settled further, it became obvious what the figures were.
Azrael held onto Marcus with one arm, the other hand holding one of the chains from her wrists as she swung them back into the ring. The crowd in the stands went silent in shock.
"Did I just see that right?" Prompto raised an eyebrow as he stared at Julianus, who was staring intently at his cousin as she rolled to a stop. Prompto was even more confused as the girl looked up directly at her cousin, who nodded silently. Azrael turned back to Marcus, whispering something that they were too far away to hear. He nodded, readying his blade and crouching into a fighting stance. Azrael unhooked the other chain from her left arm and hooked a dagger onto both, then let them both hang from her hands, swinging them in slow, steady circles.
The one in her right hand snapped forward as the opposite team's leader charged, the chain wrapping around his sword and tugging him forward, then landing a roundhouse kick to his jaw and knocking him back several feet. His sword clattered to the pavement as Marcus managed to knock one of the other four out of bounds.
While Caius was still dazed, Azrael caught another opponent by the ankle, sending him flying. One of the last three charged her in a blind rage, and she ducked his too wide swing, again catching a blade with the chains, ripping it out of his grasp and into her own. She dropped the chains, holding the tip of the stolen blade to the other teen's throat. The boy glared at her for a moment, then kicked out at her ankles. She jumped over it easily, then kicked him the last few feet over the edge of the arena. His teammate that Marcus fought soon joined him.
Caius began to stand, and Marcus started towards him, stopped by Azrael placing a hand on his chest. She said something again, which could now be heard in the shock-induced silence.
"Marcus, I'm begging you, stay out of this," she said, and he reluctantly nodded. Azrael dropped the sword and strode over to where Caius now stood, stopping about five feet from him and raising her fists to protect her face.
"You sure 'bout that, girlie?" Caius snarled, laughing at his own sick joke.
"Is she really serious?" Prompto asked Julianus, who bit his lip in worry, his hands tightening on the railing. The blond teen's gaze whipped back to the arena as Caius's sword again clattered to the cracked paving. The two teens stood motionless for a tense moment, then darted forward at an unknown signal.
Caius swung first, aiming for Azrael's face. It looked like it would hit, but she darted under it at the last second, throwing her own punch at his gut, then pushing him back with a kick to the knee. He stumbled back, almost over the edge to the pits, but her hand darted out and grabbed his collar. Azrael yanked him back into the arena, and while he was still off-balance kicked him again, this time in the stomach. He landed flat on his back, his head two inches from the pits.
Azrael leaned down, grabbing his collar again and pulling his face close to hers. The group in the king's box waited with bated breath, straining to hear what she said. "Sorry buddy. Nothing personal." She smiled calmly for a moment before grimacing and punching him in the face, electricity arcing from her rings and sending him over the edge.
The crowds finally broke out of their shock, roaring in approval as Azrael stood and walked back to where Marcus leaned against a wall, the picture of serenity. Azrael grabbed his hand, holding it as high as she could, much to the crowd's enjoyment. The refs finally decided to show up, and Cor snorted in disgust as he yanked the door open and stomped down the steps, quickly followed by the prince, his friends, Bellona, and Julianus. They made it to the foyer quickly, and began searching for Azrael. They could hear thousands of feet on the steps near them, and stuck together to avoid getting lost.
"Father!" an excited voice called, and they turned to see Azrael waving and running to a tall, severe looking blond man, followed by two older teens who were obviously his other daughters.
"Bring the car around," the man barked at a servant, who nodded and followed the three out.
Azrael slowed to a stop, her hand slowly lowering and her expression falling. She kicked at the ground, turned, and began to walk through the growing crowd to the locker rooms. Julianus looked pleadingly to Bellona, and she rolled her eyes.
"Go. Give her the praise she deserves." Bellona pushed his shoulder, and he took off after his cousin, not knowing that the prince and his friends followed after him. As she was about to tug open the door, Julianus caught her in a headlock and mussed her now loose ponytail even further.
"There's my little champ!" he yelled, drawing a few eyes of those exiting the coliseum.
"J, why?" she yelled, tugging on his hand to try to pull it away, but he just held her tighter.
"'Cause, A, you did amazing, and we gotta celebrate! I happen to know it's 16 to 20 night at your favorite club tonight, and we're going!" He placed his other hand on his hip, grinning at the still struggling girl.
"I'm gonna have to wear heels, aren't I?" she asked, and Julianus laughed, ruffling her hair again. Grimacing, she stomped on his foot, and while he was distracted ducked out from under his arm, yelling over her shoulder, "Race ya to the car!"
"You little snot!" he yelled back, chasing after her with a slight limp.
"Think we should follow them?" Noctis asked, glancing at his friends.
"Sure, sounds like fun!" Prompto began bouncing on his heels and rubbing his hands together. Gladiolus rolled his eyes but shrugged in agreement.
"Your father will not approve," Ignis began, sighing when Prompto turned to him with pleading eyes, "but I suppose a night out couldn't cause too much trouble."
Thank you once again for reading! Please leave a review, or send in a comment on Tumblr! I love hearing what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own any part of the Final Fantasy series.