The stands shivered in jittery anticipation, while the lights dimmed for the next muqatil to enter the arena. Chants of her name called out onto the dome, where centuries ago fighters shed blood on the sacred sand. Ayai, at a sweet age of eighteen, checked her black bracelet. A hologram appeared at one to display her numbers with a flick of her wrist.
> 389 Toya - 994,403,439 YK
>
> Zurgaa 1st, 1971 - 7:52 PM
>
> Dineh Kazaàd Minor - Next Round in: 8 minutes, 57 seconds
>
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Her heartbeat began to rise, as the cheers turned into a scary cacophony within her mind. She gripped her moonblade’s hilt, trying to recall the sword forms she had learned. Her fingers trembled, and sweat trickled from her faded blonde hair. Ayai, sporting a buzzcut, scratched her scalp nervously until it bled. There was only a few minutes left until her first round would start. She swallowed her spit and decided to head out to the arena early from the corridor.
A rough hand came onto her shoulder, and she turned her head slowly.
“Dad?...”
He was a tall man, wearing a blue coat around his rigid shoulders. His face, scarred with many battles of muqatil, had a face of ruth yet stern in complexion. He got down on one knee and fondly clasped her daughter’s face, feeling the red collar around her neck.
He then hugged her. “Ayai. Whatever you do, you must survive. ”
“Txiv, I don’t want to fight. I never asked for any of this!”
“It’s a tradition that the Laoyuangs cursed us with. You will meet many people on this journey just like many of our ancestors before us.” He tensely grasped his own red collar with his hand. “I’ll only say this once. Do not look up to people. It destroys your own aptitude. Second, don’t look down at people. It clouds your judgment and rational thinking.”
“That doesn’t make sense, dad! It doesn’t!” Water began to precipitate around Ayai’s face, and her eyes twinkled in tears. She didn’t understand what those words meant. What she did know was that the Laoyuangs sent her people to the Dineh Kazaàd. The young girl clutched her sword tightly.
Ayai unsheathed her crescent blade and let the backside of it rest on her arm. She inspected it closely, and looked for any impurities in the sword. It hadn’t been nicked in the longest time. That was a testament to the rigorous forms her parents drilled into her, and constant fighting that ensued inside that stadium.
She stood in the Flower Pavilion, located next to the Yueliang Guesthouse. The large pentagonal pavilion stood tall with gabled roofs and arches resembling a five-petaled flower. Dead leaves danced around her, and the cries of small fauna surrounded the area in sounds of the planet. A perfect place for her to practice.
Ayai closed her eyes, and went through her stances. Basics were the most important even when it came to complex concepts. She brought her sword wide and across, rotating it in several angles to each position. Her long silver-blond ponytail fluttered behind her.
“Mind if I join?”
Then her blade thrusted forward towards the voice. Ayai opened her eyes to see Zhen at the end of the tip. When she tilted her head to the side, he was holding Kwa by the hand beside him. Ayai lowered her weapon.
“You checked out Captain Yulduz?”
“Yes. I discussed a plan for him at the hôtel concerning his pay, and the risks involved with affiliating with Izato.” Zhen gently led the child to the bench nearby and sat him down. “Now, may I train with my esteemed guest, Gong Dongye?”
“Last time I recalled you were a polearms user.” She turned her back to him and folded her arms.
“My Guizu Arcana may specialize in polearms, but I did train my younger brother in using his Guizu Arcana, did I not?”
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“Kwazhak…”
Kwa tilted his head. “Kwa… cha?”
“I wasn’t referring to you, Kwa.” Ayai soon followed up in a lighter voice, then switched back into talking to Zhen. “Well then. Care to show me what you know with the sword?”
The Crown Prince paused, before bowing with a smile. “As thou wishest, I am glad to have taken the curiosity of Gong Dongye.”
“Tch. Just show me.”
Zhen met her face to face. Ayai caught his slash mid-strike with her moonblade, as their metal grinded against each other’s. She saw it. He had created a sword of lower quality with his Guizu Arcana and went immediately for the attack.
“I knew thou wouldst catch my strike.” Zhen’s height matched hers, yet it felt imposing over her. But none of it was a problem for Ayai.
“Surprise attacks mean nothing.” She brushed him off with a small motion. Zhen closed his openings and stood tall. Kwa sat in the background, mouth agape.
Ayai stepped forward and raised her sword. She parried Zhen’s away to the side as she entered his space. He rebounded with his blade and blocked her cut. Ayai recovered just as fast and entangled both of their swords above their heads, unable to move each other.
Their hilts met as they rubbed hands, Ayai and Zhen’s faces in close proximity.
“Do I pass thy examination?”
“Nope.”
Ayai broke the bind and drove her pommel into his stomach. He retreated backwards before her tip threatened his lip. The Crown Prince’s eyes went wide, like a feline that had witnessed something fond to them. His sword faded away.
“That was an amazing move, Gong Dongye.” Zhen returned to his normal posture, fixing his crimson black robe. “I did not see an opening to break that bind in a split second.”
“Experience gets someone there.” Ayai shrugged her shoulders, “I believe I used the same move on Kwaz-” Her eyes darted towards Kwa, before clearing her throat. “But I have to admit that you have experience.”
“Perhaps I should practice sword fighting more to improve my repertoire.”
“You should.” She realized that when those words escaped from her mouth, Ayai predicted his response in the future. “By the way, are we going to bring Kwa along to Shikot?”
“Thou hast finally mentioned the child by his name. ‘Tis be the sign of the times!”
Her eyes averted him. “Well… I realized that I do have an attachment to him.”
“That is great news, Gong Dongye.” Zhen chuckled heartily, before summoning a spear before himself. “Then your punishment has already been served. There is no need to let the child aboard the ship, for there is no need to nurture the child any longer.”
“I see…” Ayai somehow felt down about it before shaking her head.
She looked around the Flower Pavilion, trying to focus her attention back to her sword. She resumed her stance and started going through her movements once again, her mind clear of any distractions. Zhen also did the same with his guandao.
But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept drifting back to the child. She couldn't just abandon him, despite her initial reluctance. Her logic jumped leaps and bounds, that leaving Kwa who had been nurtured by her would be more damaging than not taking care of him at all.
"Zhen.” She turned to face the Crown Prince. "I can't just leave Kwa behind. I have to bring him with us to Shikot."
Zhen raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "I thought thee spaketh that thou didst wish to be burdened by a child."
"I know what I said," Ayai kept her voice firm. "But I can't just ignore my responsibility towards him. He needs someone to look after him, and I can't just abandon him like that."
Zhen studied her for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Very well. We will bring the child with us to Shikot."
Ayai let out a sigh.
Zhen nodded in response, before turning his attention back to his spear. "Now, shall we continue our training?"
Ayai nodded and resumed her stance, her sword at the ready. Zhen did the same, his spear poised to strike. Then something came. Without warning, without notice, and at one of the worst timings.
The ground rumbled. The sky blinked, and everything transformed into darkness. Ominous gas permeated the air. Ayai turned to the clouds, to see them crowd around the Jade Palace and cloaked the fearful sun.
“Get Kwa.” She sheathed her sword to her side, and found a bush twig that lay outside the pavilion. As she gripped the dead plant’s stalk, saharic particles gathered towards it. “Mayin Qhokaj…”
The twig became imbued with particles, glowing like a brightening stick. She aimed up high. Ayai hurled it into the air, passing into the black clouds above. Light burst around like fireworks. The darkness dispelled, and the sky turned blue.
“There must be something wrong.” Zhen held Kwa in his arms while he walked towards Ayai. “The scent of smoke is billowing from the Gate of Eastern Wind.”
“Let’s head there.”
Zhen’s spear levitated to his backside, awaiting instructions. The three of them; Ayai and Zhen with Kwa in his grasp, departed from the Flower Pavillion, and onto the gravel path. Ayai could smell fire, and that strange darkness in the sky was no coincidence. It must’ve been a sahar spell. Were they under attack?
Ayai couldn’t conceive the thought that someone would attack the Jade Palace unless…
“Al-Wa…” She murmured within the pits of her throat. As they dashed past the courtyard, they saw many scholars and Laoyuang staff fleeing from the Gate of Eastern Wind. When they arrived, the section of the palace was already engulfed in flames.