Chapter 10
Etheldred
~Aaron~
A pounding headache and the loud annoying knock at the door was not what I wanted to wake up to. Angrily I tossed off the blanket and sat up, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. My arm was asleep and I shook it, trying to get rid of the unpleasant tingling. The knocking persisted and I finally yelled, “Come in!” not bothering to ask who they were.
An official stepped in nervously, “Breakfast,” he squeaked setting the tray on the circular table in the middle of the floor. Before I could say anything else he was already out the door.
“Damn it Aaron! Can you be any louder?” said Brand ripping off his covers and sitting up irritably. The others were doing the same, no one looked very happy at being woken up so early in the morning.
I leaned over and grabbed some bread. Sitting on the edge of my cot, I ate the bread slowly, massaging my aching head with my freehand. Last night’s stress and worries were boring into my head, after Sean’s visit everything, including the Princess’s visit, was overshadowed. The news that we’d have to fight Ethan’s group was disheartening and surprising. I cursed myself for being so stupid; all this time I had been putting the chance that we’d eventually have to fight him to the back of my mind. Sean tried to warn us before and I chose to be ignorant and ignore him. How were we going to fight? How were we going to win? I grit my teeth; my headache was getting worse, hopefully it would go away by the time we fight.
My dreams weren’t getting any better either; I didn’t even remember dreaming, I just saw the girl. This time I couldn’t help comparing her to Princess Hellina, the warm, pretty, well-mannered, young woman with a dazzling smile. While the other girl was cold, emotionless, scrutinizing, and devastatingly beautiful in her own strange way. Again she “showed” me another vision, just a few more snatches of the boy and girl from before. This young girl was a whole other person, she laughed all the time, smiled, a real child who played and was amazed at everything. I wondered if the child really was the nameless young woman, she said she was “showing” something, yet the girl in the vision was so different. In the visions they played and had little adventures, two children passing the summer time, spring time, the year. They were nice and peaceful visions and I almost felt like I was the boy sitting in the field with her, furtively trying to hold the girls hand. The sun sank down and landed on the field and the vision spun out of control and colors burst into my sight again; harsh reds and whites. I found myself back in the dream before with the torn bodies and blood dripping from a child’s hands. That was when I abruptly woke up.
The bread I swallowed felt like sandpaper down my throat. I reached over and took a large draught out of the large flagon of water on the table.
“Be sure not to backwash,” I turned my head and saw Gray standing there with his water flask. Out of all of us, he seemed to be the most laid back. I wondered if he really cared about the tournament or anyone for that matter.
“I don’t backwash!” I said indignantly.
“Of course not, Hellina’s favorite wouldn’t backwash.”
“What?” I asked hearing the laugh in his tone.
“I saw the way she was looking at you like a piece of meat. And with the look in your eyes, one would think you just got hit on the head.”
“Shut up! You though she was something too!”
“Really? When did I say or think that?” asked Gray.
Now that I thought about it, I never heard Gray say anything about her. No, he was on the cot nursing his stomach.
“Whatever,” I muttered and took another bite of the hard bread.
The crowd was even more enthusiastic today. I couldn’t even hear the sound of my own feet on the gravel the cries of the audience were so loud. I brushed some petals off that were raining down on us and waved at the crowd and smiled. Gritting my teeth as I had been all morning I tried to ignore the headache that still hadn’t gone away and the fact that on the other side of the stadium were friends I had to defeat.
“Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the semi-finals of the Angelmark City Tournament!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the crowd silencing them, “Today four of the original one hundred and fifty groups are facing off to become two of the groups in tomorrow’s final round!” the crowd cheered in anticipation, “Here today we have the Dragon Seekers: Aaron, Brand, Rook, Gret, and Gray!” we must have gotten important enough to have our names said, I thought and waved as the crowd cheered, “And we have the Griffon’s Crown: Ethan, Walker, Oreman, Drake, and Banson!” my stomach dropped, the audience roared, “And now, Fighters!” the announcer turned to us, “Ready!” there was a few seconds where the world went quiet and I could hear my own heartbeat, one, two, three beats… “BEGIN!”
At the word magic enveloped me and I couldn’t do anything as it went straight to my head. Immediately I felt relief as my headache disappeared. Surprised, I wasn’t able to thank Gret, the only person who could and would do that, as I was charging at Griffon’s Crown. Now that the ache was gone I could go all out. It was obvious who I’d have to face, Ethan. I had no doubt that he was the strongest and most experienced out of the five of them. It didn’t take long for me to reach him, I breathed in, I had come too far to be stopped now. Unsheathing my sword I stared right at him trying to focus on the fight at hand. I was surprised when I saw that Ethan wasn’t looking at me but at something behind me. Before I could wonder about it his eyes locked mine. With barley any effort he unsheathed his giant broadsword and increased is pace, heading right for me. I increased my pace to match his; one blink, he was 100 paces away, another blink, fifty paces. Ethan’s face showed no hesitation, no mercy, was I the same? There was no time to blink now; I swung my sword, so did he. Clash! Though unlike the previous fight Ethan didn’t have a MAO, my whole arm was jarred from the force of his sword. I held my own against it though and pushed with my own force. For a few seconds the metal of our weapons roughly shook and screeched as we battled with sheer strength. Both of us slid back and stepped forward, trying to gain the upper hand. We’re too matched, I thought and as if to prove the point both of us broke away at the same time.
Sweat already beading on my forehead I circled him and he did the same. We traveled in a slow circle; waiting for the moment one of us would break it. Suddenly I lunged forward, my legs pushed to their limits trying to go as fast as I could. Before I could swing at him Ethan used his broadswords long reach and swung. Dodging it, I dropped to my knees and slid to him, now in range I thrust my sword at him. Using his arm guards, Ethan deflected the blade then using the momentum from the swing before, he spun himself and his sword around right at me. I quickly pulled my sword back, blocking his just his time. My arms were numbed by the impact. What is that sword made of, lead? I thought. I jumped away from him, still recovering from the blow. I realized before that my block-and-hit strategy I had been using wouldn’t work; I’d have to use both hands to block his heavy swings. I was planning on using my light weight sword to out maneuver him but I didn’t realize how nimble Ethan was even with his hefty sword.
Looks like I’m going to have to go all out, I thought. Taking a deep breath in I concentrated my energy to my sword. My MAO, like many weapon-type MAOs had to be activated in order to use. If the magic in the weapon went off by itself there would be too many haphazard misfires. All the same, I had to control the power in the sword, direct it, otherwise accidents and deaths were all too easy. I breathed out, relaxing my muscles and clasped my sword with just the right amount of strength.
I ran forward again, thinking about every step, every breath, every movement of my sword. I swung first, out of Ethan’s reach. Ethan quickly raised his sword, barley stopping my sword from cutting his neck. Surprised he saw my blade grew to about my height, with the same thickness, and strength. My blade’s ability was to be able to grow and shrink and still keep some properties from its usual form. It did not thin or get any heavier; if I swung my sword at Ethan from across the stadium it would feel just like I swung at him from just a foot step away.
Ethan parried my sword and frowned realizing that one of his advantages had been lost. Then surprisingly, he suddenly laughed. “It would be boring if you weren’t a challenge,” he said to me.
I smiled back, “Yeah, it’s good to have some competition.”
“Too bad I’m going to have to beat you senseless.”
I raised my sword, ready, “That’s my line.” We charged each other again, now with my swords reach I was on more equal ground with Ethan. Sword swing after sword swing, we pounded on each other Though I didn’t have to deal with as many of the heavy blows of his sword Ethan was now the one trying to get as close as he could. My arms were tiring from blocking but Ethan was having very close calls with my sword. My concentration was pushed to its limits in trying not to lose control of the magic in the weapon. Every time our swords hit I lost a bit of focus; soon I wouldn’t be able to use it.
Ethan swung and I stuck my sword in the ground, his sword hit it and I made my sword grow. Holding onto the sword tightly and putting my foot against it I traveled up, with my other foot I kicked Ethan under his chin. He stumbled backward, dropping his sword. When he recovered he found my sword point at his chin.
“Damn,” muttered Ethan dismayed.
Even though I won, I didn’t feel all that great, “Sorry.” Suddenly someone bumped into me, surprising me; my concentration was shattered. I hadn’t moved my sword away from Ethan’s neck; I wasn’t fast enough as the sword extended uncontrollably-
Someone knocked the blade out of my hand, it fell to the ground a normal sword. I turned and saw Gray, “Idiot,” he sighed, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“What?” I asked confused. Wasn’t Ethan the one in danger?
“It’s not good for your health to kill royalty,” said Gray.
“Royalty? You mean Ethan’s-,”
“It’s Etheldred actually,” said Ethan, wiping off the blood trickling from his mouth, “Sorry Aaron, I haven’t been entirely truthful lately.”
Etheldred, Etheldred, where had I heard that name before? Suddenly I remembered. He was the prince, fifth in the line to the throne. I heard that he had gone off to prove his worth or was banished or something, I never imagined… The whole stadium was deathly quiet and I looked around, I was suddenly aware of the archer’s that had their arrows trained at me and the magic users that were surrounding me. We were at the north side of the stadium, right next to the king’s box and I looked up and saw him standing, staring straight at me.
“I wasn’t here to get the money to save my village,” said Ethan ruefully, “I was here to prove to my father that I deserve the throne. I’m an extra,” he smiled sadly, “Just in case four of my brothers die. But the chance of that happening and of me getting the throne by right is almost impossible.”
I couldn’t believe it, all this time I didn’t know that he was a prince. Gray kicked a rock, bored with the conversation. “You knew he was a prince the whole time?” I asked him annoyed.
Gray, as always, seemed to shrug, “I recognized him but I knew he must have had a reason to not want to be known so I respected that. I’m surprised that you didn’t recognize him, weren’t you apart of the king’s guard?”
“I didn’t see the king that much,” I said. I only saw the king up close one time when I was sworn in by him. For some reason they didn’t want such a “young boy” like me really guarding the king. Instead I was a captain of missions outside of the castle. Actually, now that I thought about it, I could vaguely see the similarities between Ethan and the king; his brown-red hair, hazel eyes, and charismatic air.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned around Brand, Rook, and Gret were walking toward me, “Umm, guys-,”
“Don’t bother,” said Gret waving his hand, “sound tends to carry in stadiums.”
“I’m sorry I deceived you all,” said Ethan, “I just don’t like to be known as the Prince. The king forbade me to tell anyone anyway.”
I sighed, “Its fine,” I said, “I beat you; I’d feel guilty if I harassed you after you lost.”
I caught a glimpse of someone in red; I turned and saw Sean walking toward us. “Hey,” he said waving, “Aaron, Etheldred,” he nodded at us and stopped a few paces from Ethan. “Nice fight, though a close call on your part Aaron, good thing Gray was their otherwise both of us would be dead. Oh, the king just threatened that I’d be killed if his son died in the tournament,” Sean said casually to me before I could get the question out, “Anyway, the majesty has decided to spare your life, Aaron, since you didn’t kill him and you weren’t really trying to. Etheldred, unfortunately you will have to come with me, your father wants a word with you.” Sean looked a little sympathetic toward Ethan.
Ethan looked resigned, “Might as well get this over with,” he turned to us, “I really hope you guys make it. Hell, you’re the only people who deserve it.”
“Thanks Ethan,” I said.
Ethan smiled forlornly, “I wish I was welcome.” He turned and walked away with Sean, his other team members just watched, those who could move put their heads in their hands.
The announcer began to shout, proclaiming our victory over the Griffon’s Crown, the crowd burst out of its silence.
Not surprisingly I didn’t feel very victorious.
