Aike
Aike's eyes opened, the sound of chirping crickets echoing through his open window. The air was cold and sharp, his breath visible in front of him as he exhaled. Feeling his muscles ache with the pain of yesterday's work, he raised his hand to his face and examined his palm. Through the darkness, he saw the faint markings of callouses forming on the joints of his fingers, showing evidence of the tough labor he performed during the day.
He sat up in the bed, feeling his backache as he did. The small bed creaked beneath him, shifting slightly back and forth from the weight. He could feel the wood beneath his butt as he shifted his weight, the thin straw mattress doing little in terms of comfort. He stretched his arms upwards, causing the bed to squeak in protest again. Swinging his legs off of the bed, he stood in the small wooden room that had been his for the past thirteen years.
It was small, a simple five-foot by ten-foot box. The only things in the room were the small bed and a small wooden crate meant for storing Aike's stuff. Stepping carefully over to the box, Aike peered inside to locate his clothes for the day. Inside were all of Aike's belongings, consisting mostly of wooden weapons and various kinds of poorly crafted clothing. The chest smelled of sweat and oiled wood, likely from the weapons and his clothes from the day before. Pulling the somewhat stained and sweat-soaked clothes from the box, he dropped them to the floor.
I'll clean them after I get back, Aike thought to himself, kicking the clothes beneath the bed as he bent down to retrieve a clean set of clothes from the box.
Unfolding the clothes in his hands, he pulled the thick work pants over his legs, buttoning it closed as he retrieved a battered and old demon skin jacket from the post of his bed. The jacket's leather was smooth and light brown, similar to cowhide. From what Claire, his older sister, had told him, it was supposed to have been made from the skin of a horned demon. Not that that made the jacket any sturdier or more expensive, since horned demons were a common threat in the plains at the center of the continent. Pulling the jacket over his shoulders, it hung loosely around his wrists. Rolling them up and buttoning them into place, Aike reached for a pair of weathered cowhide boots that sat beneath the bed.
Sitting on the edge of the box, he pulled the boots on and tied the laces tight. Rubbing his hands together to stave off the cold air blowing through his window, he stood and grabbed onto the edge of the windowsill. The sky outside was dark blue, a faint light shining from the east as the sun began to rise in the sky. Unfortunately, the neighbor's wooden house blocked out the majority of Aike's view, leaving only a small strip of the sky visible from his room. Pulling himself up and over the edge of the window, he dropped the other side. His boots crunched in the gravel, and he turned around to quietly close the wooden doors on either side of the window. They clicked into place, and Aike turned away from the small house.
“I'll be back in a bit,” he said aloud, his voice no louder than a whisper.
Turning away from his home, he stepped out into the street and took in the sight of Highmaw in the morning. All around him were smaller buildings made of simple wood or stone, with no shops or stands visible along the street. In the distance, the rest of the capital city stretched out and upwards. The city was built on a slight incline, causing the majority of the buildings in the city to be visible from the lowest point. The buildings visibly became larger and nicer as they ascended the hill, with a ring of twelve stone towers constructed erratically through the city. Each tower had a wide and flat top, with a large brass ring constructed from the side of each tower. Aike watched as a green scaled wyvern lazily soared through the air, its two legs clutching what looked like a bundle of cargo tied up in ropes.
As Aike made his way through the city, he periodically looked over the roofs of the surrounding buildings, watching the Gilded Palace on the north side of the city. The Gilded Palace was constructed from flowing strips of shining metal, like a mixture between gold and brass. The strips rose from the ground and curled skywards, like tongues of flame. The eight strips at the front and center of the palace rose higher than the rest, forming a jagged crown of spikes. In the center of the palace, a massive copper spike jutted from the roof, sitting within the jagged crown. It looked like a massive spear tossed down from the sky, impaling the palace and pointing directly skyward. From what Aike remembered, it was supposed to act as a lightning rod. The palace itself was constructed into the cliff sides of the Gate Mountains, which jutted skywards on the north and south ends of the city. The mountains split the continent in half vertically, with the city of Highmaw occupying the only passable gap in the peaks.
Looking to the south as he walked, Aike saw the Crown of Astus rising into the sky, the massive, thin, and bladelike peak jutting into the clouds and leaving a gap between them as they passed by. As Aike walked, admiring the scenery of the city, he smelled the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread begin to waft through the streets. It was a familiar scent to him that made his stomach rumble with hunger. Suppressing his desire to eat, he quickened his pace and began to jog through the streets.
His boots struck the pavement, small shops and homes passing by him as he approached the center of the city. The uphill jog had made beads of sweat form across his brow, which now sapped the heat from his body as the cold air struck his skin. Finally reaching the central plaza, Aike looked around him for anybody else. The plaza was empty, aside from the lights within a few shops that were preparing to open for the day. It was round, and the bricks in the plaza were laid in a way to create a spiraling pattern that grew out from the fountain. The spiraling design abruptly ended at the entrance to each of the six streets that spread out in all directions, with bricks being neatly packed into rows down each street.
Approaching the fountain, Aike sat on the edge and looked up Highmaw's central road. It was a straight shot to the Gilded Palace from the plaza, three sets of one hundred stairs each leading up to the shining castle of brass and gold. Breathing into his hands, Aike watched the light of the morning sun begin to rise from his right, the sun bathing Highmaw in its golden rays. As the sun's light struck the Gilded Palace, its intricate design began to shine. Ethereal golden flames leapt up the Gilded Palace's strips of brass and gold, the illusion formed by the careful craftsmanship of the architects that had built the palace many years ago.
Even now, Aike watched with wonder and amazement as the palace continued to glow. Even after seeing it so many times, it remained one of Aike's favorite parts about the city. As he watched the palace continue to burn, he stood and stretched his legs one after the other. The ache in his muscles was still there, but diminished after his earlier warm-up.
Alright then, I'm pretty sure the academy will send over the time for the match sometime soon, Aike thought to himself, turning around and beginning to head home as the sun continued to rise, causing the illusion of flames to dissipate, Once I get back, and we get the notice, we'll probably meet up with Lillian and the others before the match.
A heavy feeling of worry beginning to weigh down his shoulders, Aike began to jog through the streets once more, making sure to avoid the roads that would be more heavily populated at this time of day. Buildings passed by as Aike ran, his breaths remaining steady and strong as he moved. Aike was proud of his body, and the strength he had developed from hard work over the years. Though he was no match for adults like his boss or the students who attended the academy with Claire, he was strong for a thirteen-year-old boy.
Slowing himself to a walk, he breathed the sharp morning air once more, nearing his home as he did. It was a small shack more than a house, built from wide and thin planks of wood that had been partially buried in the ground. There were a few visible gaps in the wood, patched up with smaller and thinner planks of wood. Approaching the window to his room, Aike slowly pulled the small doors open and climbed through like before. Quietly dropping into the room, he made his way to the door and opened it.
As the door swung open, he found himself face to face with a groggy looking woman. Standing around a foot and a half taller than him, she had curly golden blonde hair that fell down to her lower back. Her half-open eyes were normally wide and bright, the color of the sky at midday, but were now glazed over with sleep. Her face was round, and her body was well-built for her age. Even in the baggy nightgown she wore, muscles and the scars that adorned them were visible. She normally gave off an impression of a skilled warrior, but now had her hair stuck to the side of her face with drool.
“Good morning,” Aike said, looking up at his older sister's face, “Did you just wake up?”
“Mmh,” she muttered, then turned away from the door and began shuffling towards the other end of the room as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Stepping through, Aike watched Claire move through the small room. It was the largest room in the house, and held nothing more than a small table with two accompanying chairs, and a short countertop and set of cabinets meant for cooking and storing cooking utensils. The room was one of three in the house, with just Aike and Claire's room taking up the rest of the small building. Claire approached the large window across the far wall of the room, closing the wooden partition to prevent the morning air from blowing in.
“You weren't here earlier,” she said, her voice still quiet from waking up not too long ago, “You were watching the palace again?”
Aike stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as he did, “Yeah, that and a little jogging”
Claire turned around to look at him, her eyes cleared of sleep and watching him with a sharp look, "You know that's dangerous," she said, sounding serious, "You never know if someone might go after you if you're alone"
"I'll be alright," he replied, making his way to the countertop and procuring a set of cups and plates from the cabinets above, "I'll make something in a minute, why don't you go and start getting ready?"
Claire sighed to herself, then began shuffling towards her room. Aike knew that she was worried about him, but couldn't help himself. He and Claire were both unique. They were both born with mixed blood, the blood of both a noble and a commoner. That fact alone wouldn't have meant much, but apparently their noble heritage was one that had been despised in Highmaw for a long time. Aike still didn't know the details, but he had heard bits and pieces from the people around them whenever they whispered behind their backs. They were both born to a line that had betrayed the Astus Empire for some reason still unknown to him. As far as he was concerned, Aike and Claire had nothing to do with what happened years in the past before either of them were born. Even so, he couldn't help but want to watch the palace. It was something he loved about the city, and he wasn't about to let those people take that from him too. He knew it was childish to think that way, but he hated the idea of losing anything else to this city.
Thoughts raced through Aike's mind whether he wanted them to or not, making him physically shake his head as if attempting to reset his brain. He crouched down, pulling on a handle cut into the floor of the house. A section of wood rose, revealing a small metal box that was buried in the dirt under the house. Undoing the latch and opening it, Aike looked into the chill box as it spewed a freezing mist from its edges. A line of small turquoise ice mana crystals were set across the edge of the box, audibly crackling from the sudden change in temperature as they chilled the surrounding air. Quickly retrieving a sack of ground pork and a few vegetables, he shut the box and the panel above it, stomping it down to make sure it was properly closed. Pulling forth a beaten iron pan and burner from the cabinets, Aike set about preparing a simple breakfast of old bread, ground pork, and a few vegetables.
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Aike placed the plate of food in front of Claire, who had dressed in her uniform and standard issue armor. Her clothes were mainly white, with dark blue accents across parts of the cloth. The outfit consisted of pants with extra padding on the knees, a button down shirt that was made of thick cloth, and a short-cropped overshirt decorated with the flowing blue peacock insignia of the Olphidia Demon Hunter's Academy across the back. Worn over the clothes was a set of simple leather armor held in place by belts across the body, meant more for reducing the damage of training weapons than actual use in battle. It was likely one of the nicest outfits she owned, though it was a standard issue set that was lent to her by the academy.
Claire ate absentmindedly while she read through a scroll, the insignia of the academy stamped in wax at the end of the paper.
"What does it say?" Aike asked, eating another forkful of pork and following up with a bite of somewhat stale bread.
"It says the finals will take place at noon, and that I'll be up against Dieter," Claire said, a slight smile spreading across her face as she continued to read, "I'm glad I got someone who'll take me seriously."
Aike knew Dieter well, since he was another of Claire's few friends. He had been around for as long as he could remember, and was one of the very few that recommended Claire be accepted to the academy in the first place. Aike felt grateful to Dieter for that, and had always looked up to him as a role model. Even so, Aike felt worry settle in his chest as he heard Dieter's name. He was ranked as the second-strongest student in the entire academy. Even if Claire was ranked higher than him in the academy, Aike had come to know that rankings and numbers didn't mean much in a real battle.
"Are you sure you can beat him?" Aike asked, "He's a tough opponent, even for you"
"I'll be fine," She said, smiling like she had just received fantastic news, "Dieter may be tough, but he's also the only person I'd want to fight at the end of all this. I couldn't have asked for a better opponent".
Aike looked down at his breakfast. In all likelihood, the nobles in the upper echelons of Highmaw had rigged the placement. They knew they couldn't have Claire withdraw with intimidation or bribery, and resorted to pitting her against the only fighter that had a chance of beating her. It was a hopeful bargain, one that seemed to only fire up Claire even more.
Claire herself was somewhat of an enigma even to Aike. Everyone, at least the people in Highmaw, openly despised her. She was constantly ridiculed and hated everywhere she went, simply for her lineage. Even so, she never stopped smiling. That ever-present smirk on her face infuriated her enemies, and inspired Aike. He respected her, and looked up to her. She was always there for him, laughing or smiling even when it felt like the entire world had turned against them. She was unbreakable, which was a term that Aike liked to associate with his older sister. Even when the entire city worked against them, she never ran away or gave up.
"Do you think they'll really accept us if you win?" Aike asked aloud, not looking at Claire as the question hung in the air, "I just think-"
"They will," She said, a confident smile across her face as Aike looked up at her, "When I'm named the Champion, they'll have whether they want to or not"
She turned her gaze back to the scroll, likely looking at Dieter's name with enough determination that Aike thought the scroll might burst into flames at any moment. Aike still felt doubtful, but he pushed those feelings aside as he smiled back at her.
"Alright," he said, smiling to himself as he finished the last of his food, "Let's get ready to head out. I want to meet up with Lillian and the others early so we get good seats"
Claire set the scroll down, realizing she still had half of her plate full. Picking up the plate with one hand, she quickly ate the remainder of the simple breakfast and held out a clean plate towards Aike, her cheeks full like some kind of squirrel. Suppressing a laugh, Aike took the plate from her and set it atop his own, then began cleaning up after breakfast, his thoughts running circles through his mind all the while.
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Aike and Claire walked through the street, Claire's hand resting protectively on Aike's shoulder as they walked towards the coliseum. It rose high above many of the other buildings in Highmaw, with only the flat-topped towers standing higher. It was constructed in an oval shape, with the walls leaning slightly outwards in all directions. The outside of the walls were decorated with numerous indentations, a statue sitting inside each one. Each statue was unique, carved to represent one of the previous Champions of Highmaw. They passed the several dozen statues as they walked, before stopping in front of the first of many empty alcoves.
"This is where they'll be building my statue after today," Claire said, sounding confident and proud as she spoke, ignoring the surrounding crowd, "What sort of pose do you think I should do?"
Aike looked away from Claire as she began posing and flexing her muscles in various heroic ways, scanning the surrounding crowd. Many of them were spectators for today's final match, and threw glares towards the two of them. He heard them as the jeered and laughed, making no attempt to hide their banter from the surrounding crowd.
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"Look at her, I bet she thinks she'll win today!" A well-dressed man said, a red coat around his barrel-chested frame, "Stupid bitch doesn't stand a chance!"
Aike felt his face grow hot with rage, and he stepped towards the man. He curled is lip and sneered in response to Aike's approach, before Claire suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.
"Hey! You aren't even looking at my poses!" She said, mock exasperation on her face, "How am I supposed to tell if I look sufficiently heroic or not?"
"I just-," Aike began, but was cut off when Claire began to pull him along.
"Alright, alright, c'mon then," She said, glancing around the crowd as the man spat towards them behind their backs, "I wonder where everyone's at?"
Aike looked over his shoulder at the crowd they left behind, most of them watching the two leave with anger or disgust on their faces. His anger redoubled, and he almost shouted something back at them before Claire tightened her grip on his shoulder.
"Don't," She said, her voice quiet, "You'll only be giving them exactly what they want"
Aike looked up at his sister's face as she looked down at him, a wide smile across her face. He felt his anger dissipate in an instant, replaced with a self-loathing that burned in his chest like boiling oil.
He hated that he couldn't protect her, that he didn't have the power or strength to stand up in her stead. She had spent her entire life supporting and raising him, and now all he wanted was to pay her back. Looking down at his hands, they now looked weak and frail, the hands of a powerless child.
"Claire," A familiar yet tired voice called out, before the owner of the voice appeared behind the two of them.
The woman wrapped her arms around Claire's stomach from behind, giving her a hug. Turning towards her, he immediately recognized the figure. She was short, the same height as Aike, but was actually seven years older than him. She was thin, frail looking, and pale, as if she had spent the last few years indoors. Her waist-length straight hair had been artificially dyed to a dark green color, its color changed by one of her many inventions. She wore what looked like a young boy's clothes, with a tan striped vest and suspenders holding up a pair of smooth black pants. Her black shoes had dulled due to a lack of care, and an oversized coat hung over her small body. The coat was entirely white, and was made from materials meant to be resistant to most of the chemicals and reagents that she worked with.
Lillian's emerald green eyes were ringed with dark circles, as they usually were, and she let out a tired groan as she rested her weight on Claire.
"I was looking everywhere for you," She said, her voice weak and quiet as if she would fall asleep at any moment.
"Lillian? Don't tell me you didn't sleep again!?" Claire said, turning around and pulling Lillian's hands away from her, inspecting her face closely, "How many days has it been this time?"
"Uhh," She said, her head lolling back and forth as Claire attempted to look into her eyes, "Like, three days?"
Letting out a sigh, Claire looked down at her friend with a weary smile, "Let me guess, you got too caught up in your research again?"
"What else?" She replied, holding her arms up towards Claire like a child might when asking to be picked up by their parents.
With a slight chuckle and a "Yeah, yeah," from Claire, she turned around and hoisted Lillian onto her back. Aike looked away, scanning the crowd once more. He knew that Lillian was attached to his sister, but even he felt uncomfortable seeing a grown woman act like a child around her. It was a pity, because Lillian was one of the smartest people Aike knew. She developed all sorts of crazy things that made Aike's head spin, from medicine to devices that revolutionized the way modern engineering was done. She had received numerous scholarships to universities across the empire, but decided to remain in Highmaw as an independent researcher. As Aike watched Lillian doze off on Claire's back like a spoiled child or small kitten, he had the feeling that she just didn't want to leave Claire behind.
"Is she already asleep?" Claire asked, attempting to look at Lillian's face over her shoulder.
"Out like a light," Aike said, scanning the crowd once more, "I thought Adam and Yua would be with her, but I guess not"
"Let's head to the entrance, I'm sure we'll spot them somewhere around on the way there," She said, readjusting Lillian's position on her back before taking Aike's hand and walking towards the coliseum.
As they walked, Aike continued to take in the surrounding crowds, as he usually did when walking with Claire. He was watching for anyone suspicious, or anyone that might try to attack him and his sister. It had only happened once before, and Claire had taken the guy out without an issue, but Aike still wanted to warn her if it happened again.
While Aike was preoccupied with watching the crowds, he had missed the calls of two people as they approached Claire. Walking side by side, the man approached with a wave and a smile, while the woman counted a few coins in her palm before dropping them into a drawstring pouch.
The man was tall and lanky, thin for his age. He stood around six feet tall, half a foot taller than Claire. His hair was black and messy, curls shooting off this way and that, it would have made him look like some kind of fluffy creature if it weren't for his size. His eyes were amber, and he wore a pair of round steel wire glasses on his face, their lenses a good quarter-inch thick. His face was mouse-like, which gave him an appearance of a young boy that had grown much taller than a child should. His outfit was simple, just slightly torn and discolored black pants and a similar dark brown demon skin jacket to Aike's. His name was Adam Rau, another student at the Olphidia Academy, and a prospective demon hunter. Though he lacked combat prowess, he excelled in tactics and strategy and was aiming to join their logistics core as a supporter for Claire.
The woman was shorter than Adam, about the same height as Claire. She was Iwatoran, which meant her lineage could be traced back to the oriental area surrounding the city of Iwatoro. Her eyes were angular and dark, almost appearing black. She had long and straight black hair that fell to her waist, partially tied back in a romance braid. She didn't wear Iwatoran clothing, instead wearing a matching academy uniform and leather armor to Claire. She had also applied just enough makeup to accentuate her eyes and deepen the color of her lips. In Aike's opinion, Yua Tanaka was one of the most beautiful people he knew. She was once in the fashion and modeling industry, but changed professions so she could see the world beyond Highmaw. As a student of the academy, she often talked about how she wanted to see all the corners of Astus, and how Yua, Adam, Claire, and Lillian would work together as a team to explore the entire continent and beyond.
As they approached Aike and Claire, they each waved to Aike, who reciprocated. Then, turning their attention to Claire, their faces both turned serious.
"Hey, you feeling alright?" Yua asked, the floral scent of her perfume tickling Aike's nose as she stepped closer, "No old cuts or bruises acting up?"
"Yeah, I don't want to see you lose because you were hiding a wound or something," Adam chimed in, "Lillian's here now, so it's your last chance to get looked at before the match".
"I'll be fine," Claire said, pulling them each into a one-armed embrace one after another, "Thanks for worrying, but you don't need to concern yourselves with anything other than how we're going to celebrate my victory!"
"Are you sure?" Aike asked, causing the three of them to look down at him, Lillian opening one eye to peek down at him as well, "Now isn't the time to be acting tough. I don't want you to get hurt"
Claire slowly kneeled down to meet his eye level, a soft smile on her face as she tousled his hair, "Alright, I'll have Lillian go with me to the waiting room so she can look me over"
"Thanks," Aike said, letting her mess up his hair. He never combed or styled it, much to Yua's dismay, so he didn't mind.
"Looks like the match is going to start soon," Adam said, pointing to the audience entrance of the coliseum where the spectators had begun to convene.
"Alrighty, I'm gonna head out then," She said, lifting Lillian as she stood to her full height, "Wish me luck!"
Aike nodded, not saying anything aloud but silently wishing for her victory as he watched her leave.
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Claire
Lillian was light, far lighter than a girl her age should be. Honestly, it made Claire worry about her health. If Lillian were to collapse from overwork or sleep deprivation, she wasn't sure her body could take the strain. As Claire worried to herself over her friend, she felt her shift her weight, which let her know that she was awake.
"Hey," She said, not looking back at her friend as she spoke, "You awake?"
Lillian stirred, but kept her head buried in Claire's back as she spoke, "Yeah, I'm awake"
Smiling to herself, Claire entered a small tunnel in the side of the coliseum, the air suddenly growing much cooler as she did. The cobblestones under her feet transitioned to packed dirt as the air filled with the smell of sweat and blood. The coliseum's locker room was only large enough to fit around ten people inside comfortably, with two long wooden benches stretching across the length of the room. The walls were lined with thin metal boxes, which a fighter could store their personal belongings in during a match.
"We're in the locker room, could you give me a hand?" Claire asked, slowly and carefully setting the frail girl down on the bench, as if she were afraid she would break at any moment.
Lillian looked up at Claire as she turned around, the two locking eyes for a moment.
"You sure you'll be alright?" Lillian asked, her voice and face suddenly serious.
"I'll be alright Lily, you don't have to worry about me," Claire replied, sitting down next to her friend, "Dieter may be tough, but it's not like he would kill me"
Lillian shifted her gaze to the ground for a moment, then stood from the bench, smoothing out her long coat before rolling the sleeves up just enough to give her hands room to work with.
"Alright, let's get you checked before the fight," she said, turning to face Claire as she procured a pair of brass glasses from her coat pocket and set them on the bridge of her nose.
Claire obediently stood and removed her shirt, exposing her back to Lillian as she checked her over. Claire's previous matches had been tough, and she still had a few wounds from them. She could feel them throbbing with pain, which made it difficult to walk straight. Even so, she refused to show it to anyone around her.
"This is going to need to be restitched," Lillian said aloud, tapping on Claire's skin with one of her thin and cool fingers, as if marking its place for later, "Here too, there's a wound that looks like it might be widening. Have you been resting properly?"
Claire had not. She thought back to the past few sleepless nights she had had. Most nights she was able to get at least a fitful few hours of sleep, but the nights during the tournament were the worst so far. Unable to sleep last night, she instead decided to do some simple training in her room, splitting open the wound that Lillian was pointing at now.
"Yeah of course," she said, keeping her voice level and clear of the pain she felt as Lillian poked the skin near the wound, "I've been getting a full eight hours a night!"
Claire smiled again, doing her best to hide the pain and anxiety she felt, hoping she did a good enough job of it. Lillian didn't respond, instead moving to the other end of the room and drawing a collection of medical supplies from a box embedded into the wall. Claire watched as she retrieved a needle, surgical thread, a topical anesthetic, and a few rolls of bandages.
"This should be enough for the ones on her back," Lillian said, mostly to herself. She moved with a precision unlike her normal state of being. Claire only saw this side of her when she was working, or checking on Claire's wounds. She always respected her ability to focus, it was like she had entered her own little world that only held her and whatever problem she was facing at the moment.
Turning away from Lillian as she approached, Claire felt the cold touch of the anesthetic as it was rubbed across each of her wounds. Working quickly, the drug began to numb the skin and flesh in the areas it touched. After that, she felt a tugging sensation as the needle dug into her skin, pulling the thread behind it as it slowly closed the wound.
"Keep on your toes, and try not to put too much strain on your back when fighting," Lillian said, "If you feel too many of the sutures beginning to break, then forfeit. You'll start losing blood quickly if more than a few of them open. Also, I'm adding a lot of extra stitches. It might feel restrictive, but it'll prevent them from breaking open too easily. I'll need to remove the extra ones after the fight though, or your injuries won't heal correctly."
Claire listened obediently as her wounds were closed, looking down the tunnel that led to the arena. She could hear the footsteps of the audience as they moved overhead, thousands of feet creating a constant rumble like thunder, or an earthquake. A distant and muffled voice sounded through the tunnel in front of her, the announcer beginning to welcome the crowd to the coliseum, and signaling that the match would begin soon.
Claire tried to slow her breaths, taking deep and deliberate gulps of air as she tasted the room's sweat and blood on her tongue. She felt the heat within her body begin to race, itching to jump from her skin at a moment's notice.
"You're good," Lillian said, causing Claire to slip her shirt back on, strapping the leather armor over it, "Remember what I said about your stitches"
"I will," Claire said, bending down and giving Lillian a kiss on the forehead, "Thanks, for all you do for me"
With that, she turned around and began to walk through the tunnel to the arena.
"Don't say that like you're about to die," Lillian said from somewhere behind her, her voice sounding worried.
Claire waved her hand in the air as she walked away, focusing her attention on the arena in front of her. The air around her felt like lightning, and the blood in her veins seemed to flow faster. Claire looked over the metal weapons that lined each side of the tunnel, sitting in racks or on hooks that were embedded in the wall.
I wonder what it would be like to wield a weapon made of metal… she thought to herself, but quickly pushed the thought aside.
She slapped her cheeks twice, trying to focus on the arena in front of her. She approached a heavy wooden gate that was reinforced with iron, a set of chains attached to the top of the door and disappearing into the gap in the ceiling above. The announcer's voice echoed throughout the coliseum on the other side of the door, the voice louder but still muffled by the thick wood and metal. The sound of the crowd's cheers let Claire know that the match was starting, and she began to stretch her legs.
As she stretched, her left ankle seared with pain, an old wound stinging as the tendons and muscles beneath were moved. Ignoring the pain, she continued to stretch and prepare, waiting for her queue.
Suddenly, the heavy gate lurched upwards, the oppressive sunlight beaming in through the gap as it continued to be pulled into the ceiling. As the door continued to rumble upwards, Claire watched as the coliseum came into view.
The arena alone was massive, almost one thousand feet long and eight hundred feet wide. Claire emerged from the widest part of the oval, a gate set into the southern side of the coliseum. The stands for the audience rose into the sky all around the arena, tiered seating housing the hundred thousand people that had come to watch the final match of the tournament. Above the seating area were massive multicolored cloths that were stretched from point to point across the open air above the arena, providing shade to the spectators below. Lining the topmost ring of the coliseum's walls were the booths, rooms built into the wall to comfortably house the noble families during the match. At the easternmost part of the coliseum, one booth was larger than the rest. The royal booth housed the current Empress of the Astus Empire, as well as her closest aides.
Claire took in her surroundings as she entered the arena, listening to the crowd's somewhat weak reaction to her appearance. A few groups cheered, but more were just clapping politely, and most did not react at all. Even so, she could hear an explosive cheer from a small group near the edge of the arena. Straining her eyes in the sunlight, Claire could see her younger brother and her friends, screaming and waving at her from across the arena.
The sight filled her with courage, and she thrust her fist into the air as if the entire crowd was cheering her name.
"And for our next fighter! Born to the north among the cliffs of the Gate Mountains, he was renowned for his incredible strength across the Empire! The man who wields both an unstoppable force, and an immovable object, The Slayer, Dieter Warren!" The announcer's voice echoed throughout the coliseum, artificially enhanced due to the sound mana crystals in his microphone.
As his name echoed through the coliseum, the crowd exploded into cheers. It felt like the entire crowd had become one, like a bloodthirsty and excited beast. The volume made Claire's head begin to pound, as if the air itself were shaking her brain in her skull. The heavy gate across the arena rose, just as it had for her own entrance. Slowly, as the gate rose, it revealed the man standing behind it.
He was tall, standing at almost six and a half feet. His body was muscular and rough, though it didn't have the rippling muscles that one might have expected. His body and arms were thick, covered in a leather armor like Claire's. Across his back flowed a tattered red cape, and a heavy and dull looking steel pauldron covered his right shoulder. His hair was short and straight, a dark brown color like the bark of an old oak. His eyes were a cool gray-blue color, like steel. A nasty looking scar ran down his face, from the end of his right eyebrow to just under his lower lip. His expression was hard as he stared out across the arena, flexing his gloved hands as he marched into the sunlight.
There was no wind in the coliseum, so the cape that Dieter wore flowed only as he walked, falling still as he stopped in front of Claire and looked down at her. He stood a full foot taller than her, and was an intimidating sight even as a friend. Claire could feel herself shaking, whether it was out of anticipation or fear, she didn't know.
"I won't be holdin' back, I hope you'll do th' same!" Dieter said, raising his voice so he could be heard over the cacophony of the surrounding crowd. As he spoke, he held his gloved fist out towards her.
"I wouldn't expect anything less!" Claire responded, striking Dieter's fist with her own. "I don't go easy on anyone, especially a friend"
Dieter smiled, then turned away from Claire and walked ten paces away. Claire turned as well, ensuring they were both in their proper positions. She could hear the crowd and the announcer as they shouted and spoke, but by now she had reduced them to background noise. The entirety of her focus was on the man in front of her. A dear friend, like a brother, but her opponent at the moment. She could feel the heat rushing through her body, her Circuit ready to form at a moment's notice.
Dieter turned around, facing Claire as he held one hand out in front of him, his palm facing her. A soft orange light began to glow in his palm, growing brighter in an instant. Suddenly, the light fell from his palm, forming the pommel, handle, guard, and blade of a massive greatsword behind it as it fell. The light continued downward, audibly cutting the air as it moved, and erupting in a resounding boom like a church bell as the light scattered at the tip of the swords blade. Grasping the handle as it formed, Dieter swung the blade over his head, slowly bringing it down as he grabbed it with his other hand, pointing the tip of the semi-transparent and glowing orange greatsword at Claire.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched Dieter's Circuit form in less than a second, the sound from its appearance traveling across the arena even with the noise of the crowd. As the Circuit resounded like a bell, even the crowd began to fall silent.
Taking a deep breath, Claire took a low stance. She felt the heat within her body surge forth, spilling from her left palm in the form of a small orange light like Dieter's. Drawing her left hand back, she used her right to grasp the light and pull forth her own Circuit. The hand-and-a-half handle formed in her palm, pulling a circular guard and a wide single-edged blade from the light behind it. The weapon vibrated, releasing a sound like scratching a stone with a knife as it formed into a solid shape. The tip of the blade sprung from the light, swept to the back of the blade, making the end of the sword flat instead of a point. The shape of the blade more suited for cutting than piercing.
Holding the sword with both hands, Claire drew the sword back, allowing the blade to rest on her left elbow as it pointed at Dieter. The guard sat next to her face, illuminating the right side of her vision with a slight orange glow. She could feel the tension in the air, like a balloon ready to pop at any second.
As she stared Dieter down, her weapon drawn and sweat beginning to bead across her brow, she tried to think of a strategy to win this fight. At the very least, she couldn't get hit.
As the sun continued to beat down on the two of them, shining down from directly above, the sudden ringing of bells could be heard throughout the city, signaling noon.
"BEGIN!" The voice shouted, echoing across the coliseum, and causing the two fighters to leap towards each other.