Bloom 682. In the beautiful lush jungles of Xibalba, near the Palace of the Emperor.
"He's gonna get in trouble if we get caught. We should go back." Kasella suggested to a twelve bloom old Sahn Juber. Sahn stopped pushing his way through the dense jungle and turned to face his slightly older friend. "Then we don't get caught." Sahn suggested. Kasella frowned at him. "Ella, we came all this way already, it wouldn't make sense to turn around now." Sahn pleaded but Kasella remained unconvinced. "You know how his dad is, he wouldn't want us there." She added. Now Sahn frowned. "I don't know why you're acting like this, it's his big day and you know he wants you there so let's go." Kasella crossed her arms in front of her chest in protest which annoyed Sahn, but then an idea sparked alive inside his head and a wide grin spread across his face as he took a stance. "I'll fight you for it." Kasella couldn't hold her pout as a smirk formed in its place. "You'll lose." She replied, also taking her stance. "Not this time." Sahn's grin persisted as he rushed her and attempted a leg sweep that Kasella jumped back in time to avoid. She then aimed a kick at Sahn's head. Sahn blocked it but the force sent him sliding along the ground. Before he could recover Kasella was already in the air over him aiming to stomp on his chest. He managed to block the blow but the force knocked the air out of him. She stomped three more times before he managed to push her off and roll away and get back on his feet. They both took their stances once again and Sahn's bloodied grin persisted. This time Kasella struck first with a punch but Sahn blocked it and her next few attacks. "Is defense all you can do?" She taunted. Sahn responded by catching her arm mid punch and landing two jabs to her ribs and an elbow to her chest causing her to stumble back. He aimed to finish his combo with a side kick but Kasella focused her energy into the palm of her hand and expelled a blast that sent Sahn flying through the jungle. "Thats cheating!" His voice trailed off as he flew away from her and into a clearing. He crashed into a perimeter guard of the Xibalban emperor's palace. Kasella followed Sahn into the clearing but was immediately stopped by the palace guard's spear points. Startled, she held up her hands in surrender and the guard Sahn crashed into lifted him up by his shirt. The guards escorted Kasella and Sahn into the grand hall of the palace where at the end of the room the Emperor and Empress of Xibalba sat upon raised thrones. A crowd of important people from all over the territory and some from other territories like Uraeus filled the tables that extend the entire length of the hall going along both sides. "What's the meaning of this?" The Emperor's voice boomed throughout the hall silencing his guests. One of the guards spoke up. "My liege, these two trespassers were found near the jungle trying to sneak into the palace." "That's not true! We were deciding whether or not to sneak into the palace, until somebody cheated." Sahn argued. Kasella's eyes grew wide, "Sahn, shut up." "You shut up! I would have won and we wouldn't have gotten caught if you didn't cheat!" Sahn complained. "You always lose Sahn. And I didn't cheat just because it was a technique you can't use." The two of them continued to argue as the Empress leaned over and whispered to her husband. "Aren't those two?" Her words trailed off as her husband rubbed his face in annoyance and answered her question. "Yes." He held up his hand and his voice boomed once again. "Enough!" The two kids grew silent. "Normally intruders are punished harshly, but these two happen to be companions to the prince so they may remain as long as they are quiet!" Sahn's grin returned and Kasella's face was painted with surprise. "Now, I'd like to get to the reason we've all gathered here today," The Emperor and his wife stood from their thrones. "I, Emperor Tertho Bahn and my wife, Empress Media Bahn would with great honor like to introduce on his 15th bloom, the next keeper of the Tablet of Dissolution, Prince Thuren Bahn!" The doors to the hall swung open and dressed in full imperial black and gold armor. Thuren Bahn stepped through the threshold.
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