Chapter Seven
I stare at Molly blankly, completely baffled. I could of sworn she said she was going to cheer me up earlier, but obviously her idea of fun was radically different than mine. I mean, was this really her whole plan? Really?
I let out a sigh, my shoulders sagging under the sheer amount of torture. At least the other three hadn't noticed my mood before we split up. Their constant prying and attempts at comfort would have been much worse than this.
Although, I was beginning to seriously wonder about that.
"At least try this one on before we go!" Molly says, holding up a beautiful, red, backless dress with lots of frills on its very short skirt. "It looks like something you'd wear to a ball, doesn't it? Or maybe a party… well, I guess I'll figure out which one when you put it on, right?"
"We're already late as it is," I say, exasperated. "They'll start getting worried if we don't leave soon."
"Come on," she pouts, dragging out the words. "You don't have to be so shy. We're the only customers here anyway."
I take another look around the store. She was right about no customers being here, but the owner was standing behind a counter trying to conceal laughter at Molly's outbursts. I had been refusing Molly's choices for almost two hours now, but the owner didn't seem to mind the entertainment, which only made this even more embarrassing.
"Alex, Seth, and Xander are waiting for us at the magic shop I told them about," I say, ignoring the heat building in my cheeks. "We were supposed to meet them an hour ago."
"Pssh, they probably got just as sidetracked as us," Molly says with a wave of her hand. "Besides, you haven't tried on any of the clothes I found for you! As your fashion designer, I am highly offended."
"You were the one who wanted to buy some clothes, not me," I point out flatly. "And I don't remember ever hiring you."
"But it's no fun if you don't try stuff on too!" she says, pushing the backless dress towards me with a gleam in her eyes. "Be risky! Show a little skin! No one will ever know!"
"You sound like those advertisers at the marketplace," I mumble, my face hot.
"I'm doing that good of a job, am I?" she asks, her smile brightening. "It's not like you have to buy it, just try it on! You'd look sooo good."
The giggles coming from the shop owner distract my thoughts as I furiously try to think up an excuse not to. Even if I did get Molly to settle on a more conservative dress, her version of conservative would still be more than a little embarrassing. Why is she so obsessed with trying to get me to try things on, anyway? If she thinks it looks pretty, she should just put it on herself.
I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously. Now that I think about it, she hasn't been trying on anything revealing, she's just been trying to get me to put them on. Maybe she's more conservative than she lets on. If that's the case…
"Fine," I say, holding up a finger as her face lights up. "But only under one condition."
"Name it," she says, her eyes shining.
"You try it on first," I say, keeping my voice flat.
She begins nodding her head vigorously only to stop a few seconds later as she actually begins processing my words. Her eyes widen, and she opens and closes her mouth a few times before she finally manages to say something.
"Eh?" she asks, surprised. "B-but…"
"What?" I ask innocently, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you like it? I mean sure it shows a lot of skin, but no one's here anyway. There's no reason to be embarrassed."
Molly blushes as she looks at me, and after a few seconds, she lets out a defeated groan. "Well played."
"Come on," I tease, imitating her voice. "Be risky! No one will ever know!"
She gives another quick look around the shop, her face turning a deeper red with every second. Taking a deep breath, she looks at me, her eyes full of resolve. "You know what? I'll do it. It'll be worth it to see your face afterwards."
My jaw drops open as she pulls the dress to herself, a smug smile on her face. I start sputtering, desperately looking for some way to back out when the door to the shop behind us opens loudly. We both turn, and I see Xander standing there with a stack of books in his arms and an annoyed look on his face.
"There you two are," he says, walking over to us. "We've been looking everywhere for you two."
"S-s-sorry," Molly says, fumbling to hide the dress behind herself. "We were just finishing up."
I force myself not to smile. A little bit of revenge might be in order.
"Molly just has one more dress to try on," I say nonchalantly, trying not to react to the panicked look in her eyes.
"I do not!" she says, flustered, shaking both hands back and forth at Xander in denial. She must have forgotten she was still holding the dress in her hand, and Molly freezes as she ends up inadvertently holding the dress up right in front of herself, giving Xander a look at it. Her eyes twitch back and forth between the two of us as her face heats up, and I step next to Xander, looking at the dress from his perspective.
At least it looks like it would fit her well.
"O-oh. That's, ah, quite…" Xander fumbles, clearing his throat after a few seconds. "Are you sure there's not another piece to it?"
"Pretty sure," I say as Molly stares at the both of us, completely aghast.
"Well, thats… err, what's the word…"
"Revealing?" I suggest, tilting my head innocently.
Xander's face heats up, turning a bright red and somehow making him look just as embarrassed as Molly. "N-nice. I was going to say nice."
We all stand still in the stunned silence that follows, Molly as scarlet as her dress, Xander shifting on his feet uncomfortably as his blush intensifies, and me with my mouth partially open, any words I was about to say stuck in my throat. Molly and I turn our heads to each other, both of us trying to process what he just said.
Nice? I mean, it was nice, but for Xander to say it when Molly was clearly embarrassed…
We hear the shopkeeper start laughing uncontrollably from where she stands, and Molly raises her other hand to cover her mouth as she starts shaking with silent laughter.
"What?" Xander asks meekly, his eyes curious behind the growing embarrassment. "Was it something I said?"
Molly's shakes turn to full blown laughter along with the shopkeeper, and I find myself grinning too. Xander takes it well, letting out a groan as he looks up at the ceiling to hide his face.
"Girls," he utters with a sigh, shaking his head slightly.
That does it, and I laugh lightly, joining in as warmth finally begins to work its way back into my chest. I'll have to make sure not to underestimate Molly's planning skills from here on out. The pain in my chest isn't gone, but it certainly hurts less, and I'll take that.
Well played, Molly.
Our group of five walks back towards the academy, the three boys slightly in front of us talking about the different books they carry in the bags we picked up for them at the store. Molly also has a few books they found for her in her own bag, but what really catches my eye is the folded scarlet dress resting on top of them.
"I can't believe she let you take the dress for free," I say, and Molly gives me a surprised look. "I guess it was pretty funny, though."
"Y-yeah," Molly agrees halfheartedly, looking back at the books in her bag.
I take another quick glance at her. She looks lost in thought, or even bothered by something. She catches my look and smiles at me, her eyes flicking away after a few seconds.
"What's wrong?" I ask with a frown. "Did they not get the books you wanted? I know a few other places we could stop at."
"N-no, these are great, it's just…" she trails off, pausing for a few seconds before she begins again, this time in a whisper. "Are you sure it was okay for you to tell us to get these books?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, lowering my voice to match hers.
"You said that these books are ones you've read, right?" she asks, staring at the ground.
"Yeah, that's right," I answer slowly. Molly looks guilty, almost, and with every gesture and word I become more convinced something is seriously bothering her.
"Molly, what's wrong?"
"Well, I don't want to sound cold, but right now, you have the advantage in magic. But by giving us books that you learned from, isn't that just making it harder for you to beat us? D-don't get me wrong, I like those other three, but by helping us, you're just making it harder for yourself later. You're hurting yourself, Aria."
"Molly…" I whisper, stunned.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I understand if your mad at me for not pointing this out before," she continues, looking at the ground. "I know we're friends, but I don't want to take advantage of you. I don't want to win like that."
We walk in silence for a few seconds as I try find the right words to use. I turn to Molly slowly, and she all but flinches away, obviously scared that I'm angry.
"You're making me feel bad, you know?" I say quietly, and Molly turns, surprised at my tone. "Of course I'd help you out. You've already been so nice to me, so how could I not pay back the debt?"
She stares at me in shock and almost trips over a cobblestone. "B-but what about what I just said? I doubt I will, but what if one of them becomes as strong as you because of your help?"
"Then it'll be my fault," I say, looking back to the road in front of me. "I knew what I was doing. Besides, they may have books to learn from now, but I still have more experience and training. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but I'd be surprised if any of them caught up. It's not like I plan on letting my skills stagnate, so I'm not too worried."
"But it'll still be harder to beat them," she points out, her eyes searching my face questioningly.
"Meh," I say with a shrug. "It's a small price to pay, and I can afford that much, at least."
I don't tell her about my other motives. Like the fact that I was hoping my kind action would build a little trust in them. I doubt I'll ever truly trust any of them, even Molly, but them trusting me was something I needed. They would be less likely to attempt to betray me that way. Was it a kind thing to do? Yes, but it's not like it was an entirely pure decision. Maybe that's just how it is though, and no decision is entirely black or white, just grey.
Or maybe that's just what I've become.
"You're amazing, you know that?" Molly asks, smiling at me. "Thank you."
"Pssh, it's no big deal," I say uncomfortably. "Besides, I should really be thanking you. You know, for the whole cheering me up thing."
The empty feeling in my chest becomes noticeable again as my thoughts return to my family, but I force myself to keep my mind in the present, something I've gotten pretty good at. The feeling doesn't disappear, but it becomes bearable. Thanks to Molly.
"That was no big deal," she says, brushing a strand of hair absently. "I've had my fair share of experience in the family issues department. Whenever I did, a friend of mine always would take me out shopping and cheer me up. I just thought I'd do the same."
"Still," I say, insistent. "Thank you."
"No problem," she answers with a mischievous smile. "Besides, now I know the true reason my friend always was willing to hang out with me in my bad moods."
I raise an eyebrow at her as her eyes glitter.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asks, holding up the bag. "You get to go shopping."
I grin back at her. "Oh? So the truth comes out at last. And here I was thinking that the look on Xander's face made it worth it."
"That was just a bonus," Molly laughs, drawing the attention of the other three.
"Someone say my name?" Xander asks curiously, while Alex just looks back with a relaxed and content look on his face.
I give a noncommittal shrug. Molly on the other hand, gets a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Sorry, yeah," she says. "We were just discussing the books you got for me. they certainly are… nice."
Xander's face turns red, and he shoots a weak glare at us, causing Molly to grin and give me an encouraging look.
"Very nice," I agree, playing along. "The information is quite… revealing, too."
Xander lets out a sigh as Molly cups a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, much to the confusion of Alex and Seth. They turn to Xander.
"Don't ask," he says, eyes narrowed at the two of us, to which I continue giving an innocent little smile back. "Let's just get back to the academy."
"S-sure," Alex says, completely lost. "We should be on the main road if we take a right and then a left."
We continue through the town, now led by Xander. As we get closer, the sound of cart wheels and horses going over cobblestone fills the air, drowning out all other noise. I glance curiously at the rest of the group, but they all seem just as clueless as I am. The next turn leads almost directly onto the main road, and I find myself hurrying forward. Something doesn't feel right.
I round the corner with the group, but we all stop in our tracks almost immediately. My heartbeat becomes uncomfortably strong and quickens as I look down the road to the left and right. It all looks the same though, and I feel my knees shake a little at the sheer amount of force on display.
Carts and wagons line the entire road for as far as I can see in either direction, each one slowly rolling forward at a disciplined pace. An assortment of complex looking machinery sits in most of the carts, with boxes filling every empty spot. Black lettering marks each of the identical boxes, marking their contents as Crystals, but I barely notice that. I'm too busy looking at the dozens of soldiers being delivered in the caravan.
No matter where I look, I can't see a single soldier wearing normal guard armor. Instead, the vast majority wear battlemage armor, and even the ones that don't have crimson cloaks covering their features, somehow making them seem just as dangerous and deadly. Either way, every single one of the soldiers is Noxian special forces of level or another, each capable of unparalleled amounts of death and destruction by themselves. Every. Single. One.
There are dozens of them.
I feel my legs start to tremble more, and I fight to keep them still. All of the others look in awe, but what they see is much different than what I see. They see soldiers that fight for Noxus, something respectable and honorable. They've never seen a Noxian night raid conducted by these so called heroes. The only thing I see is dozens of walking nightmares, some of which I can't even recognize.
My legs don't stop shaking.
"Wow," I hear Xander say slowly off to my side. "Look at all that machinery. Why would they need that much?"
"What's with those boxes?" Alex asks, squinting his eyes. "I think they're crystal cases. What's that about?"
Molly and Seth stay quiet as Xander and Alex contemplate the caravan. They must be too filled with awe to speak.
"Oh!" Xander says suddenly with a snap of his fingers. "I got it! The academy here is fairly new, right? I bet they don't have direct access to a ley line. With all the summoning we're going to be doing there, I bet they want to try and make an artificial one. They'd need machinery and crystals for that, right?"
"That would makes sense," Alex agrees. "Those soldiers must just be security, then."
"That's… a lot of security," Seth says, his rare words surprising me.
"Those crystals must be pretty expensive," Alex says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, whatever the case," Molly interrupts, walking forward impatiently. "We should probably get to the academy pretty quickly, or else we'll miss supper."
"Shoot, you're right," Alex says, looking down at a clockwork watch on his left wrist. "C'mon. I bet if we hurry we can still make it."
I stay in the back of the group as we work our way along the side of the street, and keep my eye on the caravan. Xander's explanation makes sense except for one little detail. There hasn't been an Ionian rebel attack in weeks, so did they really bring along all those special forces just for security? Are they worried because the rebels have been so quiet, or is it some other reason?
So many things bother me about the battlemages that I can't even name them all. Everything about them, from their iconic armor to their mixed attitudes of bored and tense all seem off. I force myself to keep walking. Just one foot in front of the other. That's easy enough.
Molly looks back at me as we walk and gives me a reassuring smile. I feign a smile back, and I feel some of my nervousness fade away. Maybe I'm just overthinking it. The others didn't seem particularly worried about it themselves, and Noxians are usually the first to point out something that might have an ulterior motive. I should probably just focus on the present. I don't really have time to be worrying about the unknown anyway.
After all, I've got a secret meeting to prepare for.
Turns out, the note's author was right. The security at the academy really is terrible. I guess it makes sense that they would be more worried about people getting into the compound than what actually happens inside it, but still.
I let out a sigh, my breath condensing in the cool night air. I wear the workout clothes given to us by the academy along with my cloak. I shift around slightly as I begin losing feeling in one of my feet, and I make sure to stay hidden behind the tree. It wouldn't do if my mysterious ally found me before I saw him.
The more I thought about the note, the more nervous I got until I decided to play it safe. I'm still convinced Fairfax is the writer of the note, because it wouldn't make sense for any of the other students to attack me out here. All they have to do is continually beat me in duels if they want me gone. That left someone who actually wanted to help me. Even with that reasoning, something still felt off, and that's how I ended up hiding in the forest for two hours.
I'm not paranoid. Really, I'm not. Paranoia is unjustified, and Noxians definitely warrant a more than a little suspicion.
Still, I might have jumped the gun a little bit by coming out so early. The air wasn't cold, exactly, but sitting in one spot for such a long time and not moving didn't really generate a lot of heat either. I shiver and hug my cloak slightly tighter around my body. I quickly glance around the trunk of the tree again, looking out on the path that the note said I should take.
A figure stands on the path, and I involuntarily suck in a breath, lurching back behind the tree. When did he get there? I didn't even hear him. I take a look around my position, searching for anyone else. The forest appears to be empty except for the lone figure. I turn back and observe him.
He wears a ragged half-cloak that goes down to hip level, revealing a pair of light black pants and old boots. He looks around the forest, and I see that he's wrapped in a few layers of old clothing. For some reason I can't see into his hood no matter what way he turns. Maybe an enchantment of some sort?
If Fairfax was the one who wrote me the note, then why is he hiding his identity?
I stay still for a few minutes, watching the figure continue to look around warily. No one else appears. This must be my the note's author, then, whoever he is. I rise as silently as I can, my left hand gripped around the smooth wood of my katana's sheath, and I slowly walk towards the figure, resting the fingertips of my right hand on the cloth wrapped handle.
It doesn't take the figure long to notice my approach, and he turns to me, waiting. I walk up to him, but keep a respectable distance away.
"Who are you?" I ask quietly, my pulse pounding.
"It would be unwise for me to reveal that," the figure says, looking around the forest. "Someone may be listening."
The voice is deep and reverberates slightly. It must be another enhancement to hide his identity. Would Fairfax go that far to protect himself? Or is this actually a trap?
"How am I supposed to trust you if I don't know who you are?" I ask, gripping the handle with my right hand firmly.
The figure slowly reaches his hand into his cloak, exaggerating the motion. He pulls out a scroll, and throws it over to me. I let it land on the ground at my feet, and only after he backs up another few steps do I stoop down and pick it up, unfolding it.
I skim quickly over the scroll, and my nerves slowly melt away as I see the bloodied thumbprint at the bottom. I let out a slow, shaky breath, flicking my eyes back up to him.
"Is this really a magic contract?" I ask.
"Yes."
"How do I know this is your blood?"
He holds up his right hand, and I see a dark red stain on his glove's palm and thumb that shines in the starlight. I let out another breath, taking a quick look around. Nothing moves, and I hear nothing except my ragged breathing. I walk towards the figure and hand him back the scroll.
"You sure it's a good idea to promise no violence in these woods for two months? What if something happens?"
"Then I'll deal with it," he says with a shrug.
I bite my lip, looking him over once again. He obviously not only didn't mean me harm but was willing to prove it. Just like the contract Akira and Zane signed that made them unable to talk about the academy, he would be physically unable to hurt anyone in the forest. All the details point to one person, and I feel my body begin to relax.
"Fairfax then," I say, nodding at him.
The figure's hood twitches slightly, and I smile in triumph.
"What makes you say that?" he asks enigmatically.
"First of all, you're the only person who would actually want to help me, let alone confident enough to sign a contract promising no violence in the forest," I say, walking over to the side of the forest and setting my sword down on the side of the path, unclasping my cloak and stretching out my muscles as I walk.
"Secondly, you're head of security at the academy, so you can make it as strict as you want, which explains how I got out so easily. Thirdly, you're going to meticulous lengths to hide your identity in case someone sees us. You're the only person I know so meticulous, and I'm guessing it would would be very bad for a teacher to get caught training a student past curfew."
He stands there silent for a few moments before giving a small shrug.
"Not bad," he says. "So, now that we're done with that, let's begin. First of all, get into your stance."
I nod at him, shivering as the cool air surrounds me. I take my fighting stance, raising my hands but keeping them loose and facing my left shoulder to him, my feet shoulder width apart. He looks me over, and starts by walking around me.
"That's enough," he says, waving a hand at me after he finishes a full circle, and I drop the pose.
"So what's the plan?" I ask, as he stares at me quietly.
"Normally, I would train you in a martial art form of one type or another," he says. "Especially because you seem to know some basics. The problem with martial arts is that they take hours of discipline and training to master, which is a luxury we don't have."
"So how are you going to train me to fight?" I ask curiously.
"I'm not," he answers flatly.
I stare at him a few seconds, but he makes no move to elaborate. I clench my fists, shivering once again in the night air. Definitely Fairfax. He's the only one so frustratingly vague.
"What do you mean you aren't going to teach me how to fight?" I ask, rubbing my cold hand together.
"Even someone who has been taught to fight will eventually lose," he says. "And you can't afford to lose."
"So what then?" I ask after he makes it clear he isn't going to continue. "Why did you call me out here?"
"Because," he answers humorously. "I'm going to teach you how to win."
The next day goes pretty quickly for me, which probably has a lot to do with how drowsy I am before we even begin our practice. Our magical training with Dumont consists mostly of us developing and practicing more spells to see where our natural skills lie. He has me hold up a shield on the other side of the room for people to practice on.
Edward, Molly, Cody, and Jackson all make sure to cast their spells at angles that would hit me if the shield dropped or their spells make it through. It ends up being more than a little nerve racking. Not to mention the fact that I don't get an enchanted item this time, so I have to create and focus the shield without any help.
The extra amount of effort needed on my part takes a much bigger toll on me, but I manage to hold the shield up the entire time once again. The only issue ends up being the whole "standing up" part afterwards. Alex reaches to pull me up, and I feel a little panic flutter through me.
"Please don't," I say quickly, and he pulls back, a confused look on his face. "I'm just, uh, kind of gross and sweaty right now."
"Well, we all kind of are right now," Alex says, smiling. "C'mon. It's the least I can do."
"Really, it's fine," I insist, smiling apologetically at him. "Just give me a second."
He shrugs and goes over to Xander and Seth. Xander whispers something to him that makes him laugh a little. I think it was something along the line of me being afraid of cooties, whatever that means. Molly sees this, and then comes over and flops down next to me, looking exhausted.
"Don't worry, take your time," Molly gasps out, looking at me with her face squished against the ground. "I'm not going anywhere."
I smile at her. It only takes me a few minutes to get up, and then we're off to lunch.
The rest of the day stays basically the same. A few hours of watching League matches and some combat training with Sadon, and then we're finally outside. The moment I've been waiting for. Well, more like dreading, but still.
The sun shines brightly today, and the air is warm and full of energy as the soldiers talk excitedly and place bets on us. I briefly consider taking off my jacket with how hot it is, but I decide against it. My nerves are probably making me feel warmer than I actually am, anyway.
"Alright then," Sadon says, savoring our nervous anticipation. "You all know the drill, so let's get this started. Any challenges?"
"I challenge the Ionian," Edward says the second after he speaks, looking over to me with a smile. "That is, unless you're too scared."
I force my heart to slow down to a somewhat bearable pace, looking at Edward while I do. He's tall, muscular, and has the combat training to back it up. I was hoping for a more even matchup than him, like maybe Elizabeth again, but I also don't want to use up my declines. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cody trying to look bored and uninterested behind Edward.
Ah. Cody is usually the most blatant out of all of them about their hate for me. They were trying to corner me into declining their first challenges so I would be forced to go up against him. Cody would be absolutely ruthless against me, his wired muscle and shorter height would give him the speed and strength to beat me that the others lacked.
"I accept," I say quietly, causing varying levels of surprise to spread throughout the group. Cody looks at me with undisguised hate and rage now, his yellow eyes burning. Edward smiles and unzips his jacket, handing it to Jackson.
I lick my suddenly dry lips and walk up onto the dueling platform, going to the other end of it. I hear some laughter from the soldiers along with a few sarcastic sounding cheers, but I ignore them, turning to face my opponent.
I never actually got to see anyone else fight, but I made sure to ask the others what happened. Edward had won against Xander and apparently used a mixture of punches and grappling attacks to get him down. If he manages to grab me, the fight will be over, his superior strength and weight will see to that.
I shift into my fighting style, bouncing a few times on my toes to get my muscles ready. Edward just stands on the other side his eyes closed and body relaxed. The barrier phases into existence around us, and his eyes slowly open up. They burn with anger, and the longer he looks at me, the more intense the gaze seems to get.
I don't hear Sadon's countdown over my heartbeat. Over the ringing in my ears. Over my forcefully deep breaths. I only see his mouth moving, and his hand drop as he reaches zero. I take one last deep breath and force myself to remember Fairfax's training.
"Clarity is more important than anything else," Fairfax's altered voice echoes through my mind. "Analyze, and then react."
Edward moves towards me at a quick pace, not running but not walking, his hands clenched into fists but still not raised. He's trying to corner me, to stop me from using my speed.
"Don't stop moving. Never stop moving."
I run towards Edward, sprinting as fast as I can. Surprise flickers across his face, but is quickly replaced by anger, and he raises his fists into a boxer's stance. The muscles on his arms appear bigger with his sleeveless shirt, and I almost hesitate for a second. Almost.
I pull my right arm back, telegraphing my punch before I'm even in range. Edward shifts his body, putting the weight of his body on his back foot to prepare for what looks like a kick.
"Dodging is simple. Plan for what an opponent is capable of doing, not what you think they're doing."
He faces me almost entirely sideways, weight shifted back for a kick. That's when I notice his left arm is completely out of view. He's not going to kick me, he's going to throw a heavy punch at my head and use my momentum against me. It would be quick, ruthless, and much more efficient than knocking the wind out of me with a kick.
It would be Noxian.
I shift my course slightly to my right, as if to sideswipe his left side. Right before I get in range of his punch, I duck, sprinting as low to the ground as I can. His arm sails over over my body, aimed at where my head would have been, and I begin to move past him, his back and side exposed to me.
"You're skinny, but you have strong legs. Use that. The bones of your elbows and knees are going to hurt them the most because they have no muscle over them. Your kicks will be equally as dangerous."
I slam my right foot as hard as I can into the ground, cancelling all my momentum, and I slingshot my left arm backwards as fast as I can. Edward is recovering fast, turning to face me, but that opens up his side to me. I jab my elbow as hard as I can into it.
I feel my elbow strike true, and Edward lets out a gasp of pain, his body all but crumpling under the force of the hit. I use the force of the hit to push myself away from him, spinning myself away as his arm tries to grasp at me a few times. I take a few more quick steps backwards as Edward starts coughing and gasping for breath.
I don't let him recover. My jab hit a few of his organs and would be immensely painful, but there's no way it would take him down. I run at him again, right at him. He sees me coming and tries to punch at me with his right arm. I stop just short, and he misses, throwing him off balance and allowing my to do a sweeping kick at him with my left leg.
I once again manage to hit him in the side, but this time I don't feel the blow sink in as much as the last. I try to get my leg back underneath me as fast as I can, but an uppercut from his left arm barrels right into my stomach.
"Theres a reason I stalled our conversation. I wanted you to be cold. Do you feel the tension of your muscles in your stomach? Remember that feeling. In a fight, you need to always keep tension in your core. Always."
The punch hits me hard, but I was ready. The force of the blow causes me to actually slide backwards a little bit. Pain shoots through my stomach, but it stays at a manageable level, only managing to make me lose a little breath. I swing my arm as hard as I can at his face as he pulls back from the uppercut, cupping my hand as I do.
The blow lands more like a slap than anything else, clipping the side of his face and jerking his head to the side. His mouth opens slightly, and I see red staining his teeth. I throw another punch at him, trying to get one last hit in while he's disoriented, but he manages to block it with his forearm.
I turn away from him slightly, trying to dart out of his range again, but something hard clamps down on my right arm, and I'm spun around slightly, finally coming to a stop with Edward directly behind me. I feel a wrenching motion as my arm is forced behind my back at a high angle while remaining completely straight, and sharp pain shoots through my shoulder. I gnash my teeth together and look at Edward.
Edward stands there, his hands grasped around my arm in an iron grip and slowly forcing it higher and higher. The pain rises, and I try to bend my body to stop the pain, and I feel it lessen slightly. He stops levering my arm, and I look back at him, both of us gasping in exhaustion and pain. He smiles at me, his teeth stained in blood, and makes a slight jerking motion with his arms. A small cry of pain escapes me as pinpricks of pain jab into my shoulder, and my vision gets blurry for a moment.
"You feel that?" Edward asks, literally spitting the words behind his clenched teeth. "That would be your shoulder getting ready to be dislocated. It's a little technique I picked up on."
I look at his body positioning, trying to think of someway to break free, but he stands close enough behind me that he's almost touching my back. There's no way for me to turn without him being able to dislocate my shoulder, and if that happens, I would lose for sure. The only thing I see is that his left leg is close enough that I might be able to get in a good kick, but he still would probably be able to get me.
The crowd around us cheers violently for my demise, and I briefly sweep my gaze around at them. Most of them are standing, shouting at Edward to finish it, but a small, odd looking group of battlemages with hoods sits deathly still on the stands, all of them staring at me. Their hands are clenched in what appears to be frustration. Huh. Maybe I was losing them their bets. I guess everyone likes an underdog.
"So," Edward says, spitting more blood from between his teeth. "How about you just surrender now, huh? A little humiliation in front of all these people is nothing compared to the pain I can make you go through. Besides, we wouldn't want to ruin your pretty little makeup with all your tears, now would we?"
I close my eyes and try to remember the any more of the advice Fairfax gave me as Edward slowly increases the pressure on my shoulder. Clarity, dodging, elbows and knees, never stop moving, tight core, and…
"Everything I've taught you tonight is just fighting techniques, and I promised you I'd teach you how to win. So here's my last piece of advice, the secret to winning any fight."
"The difference between a winner and a loser is how much they are willing to sacrifice. If you want to win, you have to be willing to sacrifice more than the other person. It's that simple."
I let out a few more gasping breaths, turning my head so I can see him with my right eye, a strand of black hair obscuring part of my vision.
"Hey, Edward," I say, staring at him intently. "Want to know a secret?"
His smile fades as he sees the look in my eye.
"Tears don't smear my makeup."
I raise my left leg, pulling it all the way to my chest, and I see Edward's own left leg straighten up with my sudden shift of weight.
"You have to be willing to sacrifice everything."
Using all the strength and speed I can muster, I kick at his knee, aiming at it's inner side.
His knee bends at an unnatural angle to the left, and I feel something in his leg tear and snap with a grisly crunching sound.
He rips my arm bone out of its socket with a soft pop.
My shoulder explodes in fiery heat intense enough to take the breath out of me, and for awhile, the only thing in my world is pain. My vision turns red and starry, but I force myself to stumble forward, away from Edward. I try to gasp for breath, but every attempt brings with it a whole new experience of pain.
I stumble away, blinking away the blurriness as I go, and that's when my hearing starts coming back. I don't remember it disappearing, but it had to have. Otherwise I would have heard the screams of pain splitting the air earlier. It takes me a second to realize one of them is mine, but the second I do I manage to stop myself, clenching my teeth and forcing myself to focus on turning the scream into painful gasps for air.
My eyes finally start clearing up, and I turn around to face Edward, my right arm limp at my side and numb with throbbing pain.
Edward lies on the ground, his left knee bent terribly out of place. His face is contorted with pain, his eyes seething with rage at me. He tries to get up, but the motion jostles his leg slightly, resulting in another grisly crunching sound and a short scream.
Somehow, I think I got the better end of it.
My legs begin to wobble, so I walk over to the barrier and lean my other shoulder against it, sliding to the ground slowly. I keep my eyes on Edward the whole time, but I have a feeling he's not going anywhere any time soon.
We stare at each other for awhile, and as we do, I begin to notice the cheering. I look around at the crowd and feel my eyes widen as I see the Noxians shouting in excitement. My eyes sweep around the stands until I come to rest on one of the cloaked figures. This one is skinnier and has a feminine frame, long locks of crimson hair escaping from underneath her hood.
She isn't standing like the other ones, but she has her hands in her lap and is clapping slowly. Somehow I get the feeling of amusement off of her. The group of battlemages I saw before is standing too, clapping and shouting loudly, riling up the soldiers around them to try and out cheer them.
I turn a fierce grin to Edward, and he stares at me with contempt.
"So… what?" he gasps loudly, the words obviously trouble for him. "It's… not like… you can win… now."
I slowly force myself to stand, my breathing still shallow and too quick. When I finally get up I take a few steps over to him, stopping just out of his reach.
"At least I can stand," I say, and I hear the crowd around me laugh slightly. "Look, just admit it. I win."
"No… you don't," he says, smiling his bloody smile. "I can still fend you off… if you try to attack me. So what…. if I can't stand?"
I stare at him for a few seconds, debating my options. I don't want to kick him while he's down unless I absolutely have to. It would be awkward and cruel, stepping in and out of his reach to deliver continuous kicks to him. Worst case, he might be able to grab one of my feet and unbalance me, but I still think I could recover. Whatever I did to his leg seriously messed his knee up.
"Well, well, well," I hear Sadon say from behind me. "Isn't this interesting."
I turn around too quickly and jostle my shoulder, causing another blast of pain. I face him, resting left hand near my shoulder. He stands behind me, his hands clasped behind his back and a wide smile on his face.
"Truly, a good display Aria," he says, looking me over. "If it were up to me, you would be the winner right now with no discussion whatsoever. Sadly, rules are rules, and I wouldn't want to break any."
"What do you mean?" I ask, blinking sweat from my eyes.
"Well, it's obvious both of you have put up a fight to the best of your abilities, and you both are also on the verge of being unable to continue. If we had more time, I would let you both continue fighting, but it's fairly obvious it will take awhile to resolve anything from here."
"Don't tell me she just wins by default," Edward spits out. "Because, if that's the case, I'll end it right here, right now."
"No, she doesn't," Sadon says, looking at Edward with disgust. "But she should. You got outplayed, boy. You should be man enough to admit it and surrender, but you're too proud to do that, aren't you?"
His face is already red from his exertion, but it seems to turn a darker shade under Sadon's rebuking. "No. I won't forfeit."
"Well, that leaves two options," Sadon says with a sigh. "If you both agree to a tie, neither of you will lose points, but neither of you will gain any either."
"Not… happening," Edward says, spitting blood onto the ground. What, did he bite off his whole tongue when I hit him or something?
Sadon looks at him for a few seconds before he turns to me. "I really want to let you finish him off. These stupid time limits… I'll have a talk with Dumont about this."
"I'll just beat him some other time," I say, looking away from Sadon's bloodthirsty gaze. I'm in too much pain to really care about what's going on anyway. I just want this to be over.
"Ha!" he scoffs. "Fair enough. Alright then, seeing as someone is a sore loser, in more ways than one, I hereby declare this duel as a double loss. Both of you will lose points. Now someone come get this bloody mess out of here."
I walk over to the edge of the platform, Jackson and Cody rushing past me to help Edward up. I stare at the small drop to the ground blandly. This is going to hurt.
"Aria," I hear Alex say, and he walks over to the edge, offering my his hand. "Here. Take my hand."
I swallow. "I think I got it."
I hop off the platform before he can object, and the fall jostles my shoulder slightly as I land. I suck in a breath of air, slowly turning to Alex.
"See? Just fine."
Alex just shakes his head, chuckling and gesturing outward with his hand. "Alright then, tough girl. Let's go see your fans."
I frown at him and then follow his gesture. Seth, Xander, Devon, and Molly stand around me, varying looks of awe and worry in their eyes.
"Wow, Aria, just wow," Molly whispers, her eyes big and round. "But your shoulder…"
"Yeah," Xander says. "I'm no expert in anatomy, but I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to hang that low."
I glance at it, and instantly wish I didn't. It looks deformed and ugly, and once I see it the pain only start throbbing with more intensity. The adrenaline must be wearing off, too. I don't especially want to spend anymore time in pain than I have to, but on the other… no, it might be fine. I'll just have to ask first.
"I don't suppose any of you know how to pop back in a shoulder?" I ask. "Kinda wanted to stay for the other fights this time."
They look around at each other, and for a second I think no one will say anything. Then Seth steps forward hesitantly, raising his hand a little.
"What's it involve?" I ask him, my heart still pounding in my chest.
"Not much. You stand still, and I push your shoulder up and in."
"That's it?" I ask him, fatigue beginning to claw into him. "I won't have to take off my jacket, will I? 'Cus that would really hurt."
"No, you can keep it on," he says, his words serious but somehow calming. "I've done this before. Don't worry."
I bite my lip for a second, considering my options. I hear footsteps off to my side, and I see Jackson and Cody carrying Edward off the platform to our side, Elizabeth giving them directions.
"My knee," he gasps, his face white with pain as Cody and Jackson try not to jostle his leg too much. "She messed up my knee. That stupid Ionian w-"
"Edward, you finish that sentence and I will personally destroy your other leg!" Alex shouts, facing him with anger I've never seen before, and I see a few flickers of red lightning near his clenched hands.
Edward looks like he's going to argue, but Devon steps closer to him, facing away from us. His expression doesn't change, and he doesn't say anything, but somehow his presence changes drastically. Usually Devon is quiet and remarkable only for his ability to be so normal, but, somehow, he manages to make himself look incredibly threatening.
The two most passive people in our group turning on Edward with rage seems to make him rethink his choice, and he closes his mouth, remaining silent as he's carried off.
Everyone stares at Alex and Devon in shock for a moment, except for Seth, who walks over to me while they're distracted. He slowly raises his arms, hovering his hands over the sleeve of my jacket. He looks up to me slowly.
"This is where my grip would be. You ready?"
I chew on my lip softly for a few more seconds, considering the options. Another spasm of pain goes through my arm, and I nod my head, squeezing my eyes shut as they begin to tear up. I feel Seth gently lay his hands on my arm through my jacket, carefully closing his grip.
"Alright," he says slowly. "We'll do this-"
I feel a sharp snap of pain, and I let out a surprised gasp, more tears coming to my eyes.
"-on three," he finishes, letting go of my arm.
The pain and pressure is disappeared the second my shoulder was back in place, the throbbing disappearing to a dull ache. I move my arm around slowly, testing it out and glaring at Seth.
"Jerk," I say, not really putting any feeling into it.
He smiles, and the others look in between Alex and Seth for a few seconds. Alex, seemingly having forgotten his previous bout of anger, looks at me with a wide smile.
"I would like to be the first to say congrats," Alex says. "That was truly impressive, Aria."
"Thanks," I say warmly. "Thank you all. For everything."
They all smile, even Seth, but the warmth of my words don't reach me. I still lost a point. I may have technically beat Edward, but I still lost a point. Noxus found a way to make me lose again, and if I don't figure out a way to start winning, these small acts of friendship from everyone won't mean anything.
Edward, Elizabeth, Jackson, and Cody would make sure of that.