Sienna rushed across the courtyard towards Kamadra’s room. Halfway there she noticed they were walking towards her and happily chatting away with a smiling Hyrua. Sienna smiled to herself and hid off to the side before either of them could notice. When they were finally about to pass she leaped out.
“You’re having fun so early in the morn-...ing.” But there was only empty air.
“You should have joined us for breakfast.” Kamadra energetically whispered in her ear.
Sienna let out a baritone scream and flailed her arms as she stumbled back. “Wha-... who? Whe-... h-how did you get behind me?” She stammered as she tried desperately to work things out in her head.
Hyrua offered her his hand, “If you keep doing the same things over and over all our lives, I’m gonna be able to guess what you’re planning every now and again. Besides Kama here doesn’t play sides so I can get a hand teasing you for once.” The smile on his face was almost as big as his arm wrapped around their shoulder.
Kamadra’s appearance made it difficult to remember that they were actually older than Hyrua by a few years. The fact that their robes were less elaborate than usual didn’t help. Instead of flowing and multi-colored robes, they were wearing a more subtle ombré knee length robe.
“Even for an immortal, life is too short to be serious all of the time. So I’d rather spend it doing things that make me smile.” They hopped out of Hyrua’s arm and lightly poked Sienna’s nose. “Boop! So you’ll have to stay on your toes for as long as I’m around.”
Sienna sighed and admitted defeat. “Let’s go prepare for the opening ceremonies.” Sienna jabbed her brother in the chest. “By the way I’ve never heard of you eating a light meal before.”
Sienna and Hyrua had a total of ten other siblings from their father’s other three wives. Though all of his children had inherited his physique, that was where most of their similarities ended.
When the three of them walked into the staging area, it felt like they stepped onto an active battlefield. Cold eyes were pointed daggers at Hyrua. Though they kept the same distance from Sienna, they didn’t show the same disdain. Unsurprisingly, they were the warmest to Kamadra, but it wasn’t anything more than obligatory greetings to an honored guest.
Many of the older siblings were starting their own families and businesses in the city, so for them this would be their last attempt at the successor position. Three of which were too young to compete in the festival this time. While the oldest one was off on a pilgrimage for her own attempt at the head position.
The air grew increasingly suffocating for Kamadra until they finally spoke up. “Well, as much as I love this ‘sleep with one eye open or I’ll gut you like a fish’ atmosphere. I have to go and line up with the sole representatives and unaffiliated fighters.” They waved their hands and quickly raced to a different staging area.
Stolen story; please report.
“Well that’s the most uncomfortable I’ve ever seen them.” Sienna said, completely indifferent to her other siblings.
Fireworks blasted around the arena followed by a steady beat from several giant drums, finally announcing the start of the festival. A disembodied voice introduced each faction as they entered from all the different sides of the heptagon. And to Sienna’s surprise the voice announced each of the schools, belonging to Primordial Resonance, separately.
When all of the competitors finished filing out, the drums finally stopped and the crowd fell silent. High above the competitors, the three city lords stood in the middle of the stage. It was a trick her father loved to use to make it look like he could walk on the air. But, he had explained that he uses his control of earth Law to stand on thin foot sized platforms. Though, she could never figure out what the other two did because their elemental Laws were different.
“Citizens of Tianshan and guests from around the continent, it is with great pleasure that we introduce your masters of ceremonies. The three leaders of our beloved city, those known as the ‘Triad of Utopia’. Overseeing the first trial, the ‘Master of Might’ Tian Che Kijin, our immovable peacekeeper.”
The voice paused to allow the crowd a chance to cheer. Lord Kijin had spent most of his life building up a force that could repel any threat below extinction level. Because of this, only those who immigrated to the city have faced any kind of danger outside of a drunken brawl.
“Overseeing the second trial, the one who led the development of the accessibility of scripts and formations. Our great city planner, the ‘Master of Games’ Hwang Goyohan.
They paused once more. Goyohan spearheaded not only a mystical revolution for the citizens. But, he made it his life’s mission to ensure no one would die from treatable conditions.
“And finally with great reverence we present the ‘Master of Conquest’ Shen Feng. Who you can thank for the living allotment granted to full citizens.”
The crowd cheered even louder, even here wealth and comfort were the greatest motivation for the average person. It was unclear if their title as the ‘Triad of Utopia’ was something that was given to them by the citizens or themselves.
Sienna’s father always appeared more regal instead of a bandit chief whenever he was handling official duties. And she understood how much the act bored him. The other two though, always seemed to act the same regardless of the size of their audience.
Uncle Hwang and Uncle Shen were similar in strength to him, though they specialized in different areas. And it reflected in their personalities, Goyohan was a gentle and quiet man who spent his days in research and planning, which probably contributed to his long hair and scruffy look.
While Feng supposedly spent his days contemplating the nature of his Law, whatever that meant. But, apparently he was chasing after a second enlightenment related to his power. His dedication for cultivation always came off as stern and intimidating to her, despite that, he would always sneak her pieces of candy whenever he would visit.
“Dear audience!” The announcer was having trouble regaining the atmosphere as the crowd kept chatting about the different lords and wanting to get a closer look of their abilities. “Oh audience.” They kept trying to grasp some sort of control.
“Silence.”
The entire stadium fell into obedience from a single word. Even the wind became quiet. And as everyone looked towards the sky, a giant halo of rainbow light encircled the arena. In a faint script carved all around it were the characters for ‘non-presence’.