Inside the Noble Convent building life continued without worries while the world outside ended. Champagnes and trays of dishes of heat waving warm food were being served in the nobles' safe house. Outside, refugees fleeing the city's outskirts were slowly dragging their feet into the streets of the noble quarters of the castle grounds after the new king, Adam Law, declared the grounds as sanctuary for those that needed it during the fighting. It was the early hours of the war and the fighting had been contained mostly to the farmlands, though there were reports that few unspawns had managed to hit the walls without a breach.

“Trinity.”

The girl turned from the window at her name. “Father Abel,” she greeted.

Her father took a kneel beside the young girl. “What's wrong? My lovely daughter. Such a sour face suits you not.”

“I am sorry, father.”

“Remember, you are a noble. You must hold yourself with the poise befitting of such, less be looked down upon. What troubles you so?”

She glanced out the window again. “I want to help them, father. They seem to suffer so.”

“Do not worry about those outside. Just worry about yourself for now.”

“Is that not selfish?”

Kindly, Abel said, “No! Do not think that. You are simply beyond them. Your world and theirs are far too different. You are more important than a hundred of those outside. Born of nobility, holding a name chosen by the old kings themselves. We here are simply more important than them.”

She looked around the room. Shining with crystals. Adorned with gold and silver. There was space enough between each individuals to fit ten families. There was enough wealth to buy medicines for a small town. There was enough food that some will have to be thrown away eventually.

Abel continued, “We deserve this. You deserve this. The people out there? If they had wanted this enough, they should have worked harder for it and not be... farmers.”

“Father, I don't think these people had a choice.”

“People always have a choice, my dear. Remember that.”

A drumming of bangs came from the large double front doors. The inside turned quiet and suddenly, Trinity could sense the fear that hung in the air. For everyone's calm show of wealth and speech of status, they seemed as frightened as those outside of what was happening to their city.

“I'm sorry madam,” they could hear the bouncer outside say. “But this is a private establishment. Nobles only.”

“I am Princess Scarletite Bel'Jarad. Please, open these doors for the people! We need space for a medical aids.”

“I-I'm sorry, princess. But my orders are–”

Before the bouncer could finish, the door blasted opened with a force that sent those few standing behind stumbling back. Streams of dust flooded in from the outside followed by people rushing in with the injured being carried on stretchers and backs.

Stepping firmly through was a man wearing dark metal laminar armour over the right half of his body with a black suit underneath. His hair was black with streaks of white that gave it a grey shade. His eyes stared forward with dark conviction.

The head manager stepped forward to the soldier, “I'm sorry sir, but this is private property!”

“We're in a war so I don't have time for this.” The man waved the people behind him over. “Set up the beds. Use any enclosed rooms for surgery. Somebody find me a source for hot water!”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

A female with long desert sand hair tied in a tail followed behind him. Unlike her dark counterpart, she was only lightly armoured. A black cloth combat dress was worn under an ornate white leather plate that stretched from shoulder to shoulder. A sheered skirt of long white tasset fell from her waist to her shin.

“Ierba,” she called out. “I told you to not just barge in.”

“Look, Scarlet, you were going to talk your way through them eventually. I'm just cutting out the middle man so we can get things started early.”

She looked playfully annoyed. “I love you, but I will slap you.”

He gave a quick peck on her forehead before running off to oversee the conversion of the medical camp. “Those who want to help, start carrying the wounded in. Those who either can't or don't want to, get out of our way or get the hell out!”

Abel looked to his daughter. “Come on, Trinity. This place isn't safe.”

But she wasn't listening any longer. She broke away from her father who called out her name in shock and worry. She ran up to the woman in white. “Princess Scarletite?”

She turned down to her and smiled. “Why, hello there. And please, Scarlet is fine.”

“I... I want to help.”

Scarlet smiled. “Very well. You can stand at the door and help guide people in, okay?” Trinity nodded. “What's your name, young lady?”

“Tri-Trinity Alquin. But... I think... Trini is fine.”

*****

She was shaken awake. To roars and cheers her eyes opened. Covered by Seks's warm wing, she snuggled a little closer to the drakin. Ten days had passed since Nos made the bet with her parents and in between trainings, studying matches, and worry, she eyes had not a day of good rest behind them.

“Hey.” Pempe stood before her adjusting his combat suit and doing a check of his shotgun. “We're up next.”

“Oh,” she replied sheepishly. Seks helped her to her feet and she stretched and yawned. “Alright. Let's do this.”

Her boyfriend asked, “Are you really okay for today? You seem really tired.”

She shook her head vehemently and smiled. “What are you talking about? I'm fine! Look at me. All the energy in the world.” She jumped on her feet and threw punches at the air to show her enthusiasm. “Just needed a nap, that's all.”

Pempe nudged on, “So you are sure you're fine?”

“Yes! Now come on. Let's go bag another one.”

They were in the same participant tunnel as they were in ten days ago, now awaiting their call for the teams of five. The trio, and quartet qualifiers seemingly passed in the blink of an eye, with their class walking away with another victory for their team of four. They walked to the entrance where the rest of their class and teammates waited.

Kingston asked, “You ready, Trini?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

Enneya, the last member of their team, replied, “We're just worried, that's all.”

Trini sighed. “Look, I trust all of you to have my back. I'm not worried about this.”

Seks admitted, “I'm a little worried.”

“I'm not.”

Pempe added, “But the bet–”

“Forget about the bet! Just... just do what all of you always do. Be amazing. Help each other. Stand for what's right. Fight hard. Be the best of the peasants that my parents think you are and I will be at your side until the end.” She felt for Seks's hand and, as if drawn magnetically, he took hers into his. “The bet is just something stupid that Nos did. I don't care about the result. Even if we do lose, I'm not going back. I'm staying. The winning will just be a bonus but I've already decided to stay when I marked the ground as mine. You're not getting rid of me that easily.”

She looked to Nos at the side. And for the first time since she met him, he smiled genuinely without any of his usual derision. Without realizing it, she breathed out a sigh of relief that she had been held in all day. Her shoulders sag as the pressure lifted and finally, she truly felt herself again.

“We do us. It's what we're best at. It's going to be rough, sure. It's going to be tough, that too. But nobody can make us go down a path we don't want to. At least, not without one meteoric fight.”

Pempe asked, “Do you really think we're going to win?”

“You're leading us, aren't you?” she replied with a smile. “You give the call and we'll follow. If there's one thing I've learned these few years is that if I trust you in a bind, I'll be fine.”

Kingston laughed. “Well, you heard the lady. Let's bring this one home.”

Courtney Woods was once again the commentator and announcer. After calling the results of the previous match, she announced the next contenders.

“Next up in our final match for the day, we have the world renown monster hunters from Wenderight. Just recently, they made news for felling a rampaging antdagon that had been terrorising the trade routes. Give your best cheers for the members of Clan Artisia!”

The crowd roared with excitement and Trini was sure they had broken the sound barrier for she was shaking in her shoes. But even as the cacophony died down she was still trembling and she realized even though she was no longer stressed of the upcoming event, she was still excited. With that vigour, she began hopping on her feet to release some of the pent up energy.

“And facing against these talented individuals are youngsters from Aleynonlia. We have seen most of them knocked out in the qualifying, but some have put up one Titan of a fight, and one team even managed to set a new speed record. Will these young adults be able to do it again? Let's find out! Aleynonlia Spellblade Academy's Seks, Pempe Byrne, Enneya Devini, Kingston Hox, and Trini Alquin!”

The five rushed out to warm cheers in the cold weather. Suddenly, the air was different. It was heavy with ecstasy and Trini felt her feet weighed down by expectations. She followed the eyes of the hundreds of people watching, frantically searching for the only two that mattered to her. When she laid sight on her fathers sitting at the far end with unreadable expressions, she breathed deep and stepped past the weight of her world.

“Wow,” she heard the usually calm Enneya said. “This is intense.”

They stepped up onto their platform and faced the opposite field as the hologram of their opponents manifested. The judges stood to the side of each fields and raised their hands.

“Alright Pempe,” Trini said. “Bring us home.”