“Reds, please step forward.”

Glancing towards the next pair of fighters, ZaiWin quickly put KimWon and her stupid tricks out of his thoughts. This next duel was probably the most interesting thing that had happened so far. He was just sorry that he couldn’t be up there, with them, to watch it from up close, he thought as CalWan and FanSai made their way towards the ladder.

“Ah! As if some mere soldier would dare try to beat our future El’Cal!” KimWon spat, loud enough for everyone to hear, including CalWan and FanSai already by the ladder, and GinWan chuckled from where he sat, torturing the innocent grass at his feet.

“Stupid bitch,” he calmly stated, in the same tone one might comment on the weather, and KimWon immediately turned to glare at him, her cheeks red in anger, something probably unpleasant about to fall of her tongue. Until she saw him and remembered who had just uttered those words.

Pressing her delicate red lips together, she slowly turned the other way again, almost as if she were afraid a wild beast might suddenly attack her, and discreetly but firmly stepped closer to their guide.

ZaiWin tilted his head back, following the two people climbing up the stairs, until they reached the wood plank. From down there the plank really looked narrow, almost like a pale, yellowish line. He hopped he wasn’t wrong about FanSai and the other men the Calzai had brought to oversee the big event.

At first he had thought that the fact that the Yu Calzai had been chosen to supervise the Gathering was all due to the well known fact that he was, indeed, the father of the El’Dai Wen LaoTin.

Everyone knew that, not only LaoTin was the ruling El’Dai, she was also the El’Dur’s favorite, having risen from her position of Janwan after the death of the first El’Dai, Wen LinJin. And even though some did not see it with good eyes, it was obvious she had a great deal of influence over the El’Dur’s decisions and commands. And so ZaiWin had not found it strange that her father had been chosen to oversee such an important event. That was until the moment when YuFan had openly called all those noble, rich kids useless brats, threatening to bury them in the woods.

Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all, he couldn’t help wonder. At least he wasn’t easily swayed by power and influence, looking like a man firmly loyal to his own believes. His men’s impartial behavior, so far, had also spoken to that.

The two small silhouettes atop the wooden plank halted for a moment and then rushed towards each other, making ZaiWin’s heart beat faster, a small smile creeping across his face. He’d been right!, he thought, watching how fast FanSai moved, nimbly jumping back before charging again. He was not going to go easy on CalWan just because he was one of the El’Gin.

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CalWan too, was apparently giving his best, his blade glistening from time to time whenever it was caught by the light of the sun. He always looked so neatly dressed, his hair carefully combed, his posture regal and proper, his expression an aloof mix of indifference and superiority, that it was hard to believe that, once holding a sword, he’d actually do so well.

Jumping from the main plank they both landed flawlessly on another one, their feet barely touching the wood before they were running towards each other again.

With a bitter feeling of resentment ZaiWin couldn’t help admit that, just like it had happened with FanSai, he would have probably lost to CalWan as well. Without being able to use his daitai for support, frontal encounters like that were the worst way of combat for him right now. He was still too short, too weak, to be able to gain the advantage on an open, straightforward competition of strength and speed, especially when going against grown up people, like FanSai and CalWan. He had been really lucky to have been paired up with the silly blond girl. But, even so, he still couldn’t help wish he could have fought CalWan all the way up there. It was such an amazing stage. It was a pity that he hadn’t been able to explore it further.

The duel stretched for so long that his neck started to ache, the people on the ground so silent that he could have been alone, standing there. And then, on another of those crazy jumps from one plank to another, which ZaiWin still doubted he’d be able to pull off with his short legs, CalWan slipped, loosing his footing and balance, falling off the plank.

KimWon shrieked in panic, even though no one else even so much as twitched, and then FanSai was throwing himself across the plank, dangerously all the way to the edge, urgently reaching out for him and grabbing his arm at the last moment. For a moment CalWan simply dangled in the air, back and forth, looking like a small doll with red hair, but then FanSai painstakingly pulled him up again.

KimWon sighed heavily in relief and GinWan tseked, as if he would rather had seen CalWan’s brain splattered all over the the green grass at their feet.

As to be expected, even though CalWan had managed to hold on to his sword, they decided to end their match, and CalWan was the first one to make his way towards the ladder.

“I admit defeat,” he declared once he reached the ground, still managing to sound all regal and proud.

“But why? You were so amazing!” KimWon immediately sang, running to him, grabbing his arm, but he coldly brushed her away, lightly cringing at her touch.

The idiotic girl, ZaiWin sighed, shaking his head. It was obvious his shoulder had been hurt from being grabbed like that, and that he was trying to keep up his princely manners, not wanting to lose face. Only a stupid girl like her wouldn’t be able to see that.

“FanSai, plus one. CalWan, minus one,” their judge announced as FanSai calmly and silently crossed the clearing to join them, looking as if nothing had happened.

“And this concludes these arena’s duels. If you would please follow us to your next and last stage,” the man suggested and CalWan and the two girls turned their back on rest of them, walking away, the blond girl trying her best to recapture the El’Gin’s attention.

With a bored sigh GinWan finally stood up and dusted off his clothes as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

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