MakiaVi: The Frozen King - Chapter Seventeen (Patreon)

 
The group sat at their usual table which was covered in an array of dirty dishes. As usual, Zan and Tereen’s piles were the largest. Some of the workers came and started to take the plates. Zan yawned as he stretched out a bit in his seat. “Anyone know what our competition will be like?” he said.
“It’s hard to tell.” Burlik said. “Everyone in our rank seems to be on a broad spectrum of skills.”
“I did notice something during the aura test though.” Riza said. “Amaria’s group did not even seem to notice when she released her power.”
“She is quite terrifying.” Leon muttered. “I bet she put those kids through the wringer to prepare them for the trials.”
“I hope we fight them first!” Zan exclaimed. “I don’t want the first rounds to be to easy.”
“You seem pretty confident.” Edion said with a grin.
“Why shouldn’t I be? We have gone through a lot to get here. I’m sure we can handle whatever these guys can dish out.”
Edion heard a soft ringing sound coming from his pocket. He reached inside to see that his crystal was glowing in time with the rings he heard. The rest of the table searched for their crystals and they were all doing the same thing. “Looks like it’s time.” Edion said. The crystals stopped blinking and held a constant glow. From its tip, they each projected a massive tournament bracket. In the top-left corner it said, “156 active participants” Edion scanned the bracket and found his name on the far bottom-right of the bracket. It was highlighted with a bright white box. His opponent’s name was foreign to him. “Prezine Sepal?” he muttered. A female name but that is all he knew of it. He glanced over the names in his section and saw that all six of his friends were there. Each of them were matched up with a name he did not recognize but within a victory or two, they would eventually end up fighting each other. “Would you look at that? We are all in the same bracket for the preliminaries.” Edion said with a huge grin.
“What are you so happy about?” Leon asked, raising an eyebrow. “So eager to lose to me?”
“You have to beat your first guy before you face me. Either way, you won’t make it to your third fight.”
Leon chuckled, “We’ll see about that.” The crystal highlighted their section and the words “Arena 6” appeared on the bracket. It cleared away the tournament bracket and displayed a map of the MakiaVi. It showed the path from their location to arena 6 along with a clock ticking down from one hour. “I guess we start in an hour.” Leon said.
“You guys ready to go?” Edion asked as he finished off the last of his meal. They all nodded, left a few coins on the table and walked out of the dining hall. They flew to the west, following the crystal’s directions. By the time they made it to the arena, the countdown had reached the twenty minute mark. It was a decent sized two story structure with a large section that had no roof. In the open portion was an empty field devoid of even grass. The field was surrounded on all sides by long benches. Edion estimated it could hold a few hundred spectators. Despite its size, the seats were mostly empty save for a handful of dragons. They spotted Brakon sitting in the stands. Even from this height, his fire red hair was a beacon. 
Brakon waved at them as they approached. “Glad you all found it.” He said.
“The crystals made it pretty easy.” Bellatrix replied.
“This place looks pretty old.” Burlik said, looking around the arena.
“Yes.” Brakon replied. “This is one of the first training arenas the MakiaVi created. Sparring was one of the only ways to get stronger back then. Dozens of dragons would fight here every day and perfect their technique. After the magical revolution, we learned how to create those special training rooms, those crystals and most of the other magic items here.”
“Thanks for the history lesson.” Zan grumbled. Bellatrix elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a stern look.
Edion looked down at the arena and saw someone walking out of a small side door. It was a small dragon with light blue scales wearing a black cloak and leather armor. She held her hands behind her back. “Welcome to the trials.” She announced. Her voice was soft but the empty arena gave it power. “My name is Shevette Elim, class C. I will be your duel moderator. There are only three rules to these fights. Number one. If your opponent yields, the fight is over. Number two. You follow my commands throughout the fight. If you disobey, the fight is over and you will be disqualified. The final rule is that you do not hold back. Don’t worry about keeping your opponents alive. That is my job. Your job, is to give it everything you’ve got. Assuming there are no questions, let’s get started.” Shevette pulled out a crystal and projected the bracket on the floor. “The first fight will be Burlik and Huegan. You have two minutes to enter the arena.”
Edion looked over to see Burlik’s crystal was blinking. “I’m up first. Wish me luck guys!” Burlik said as he leapt down into the arena. He walked over towards Shevette who stood in the center. Another dragon jumped into the arena and trotted to them. He was a large dragon with dark brown scales and blonde hair. Huegan wore a simple black tunic and matching pants. Burlik’s opponent stood a bit taller than him and wielded a battleaxe.
“This will be easy.” Huegan said while cracking his neck.
Burlik chuckled, “Don’t be so sure.” as he prepared his shuriken.
Shevette looked at both dragons. “Fighters ready?” she said while raising her hand into the air. She swiped her arm down and yelled. “Begin!”
Burlik flew back as Huegan slammed his battleaxe into the ground where Burlik once stood. A massive stone protruded from the ground where he struck. Huegan spun as he struck the rock, sending half of it hurling towards Burlik. The sea dragon rolled out of the way and tossed his water-covered weapon at Huegan. The earth dragon braced himself for the impact but the shuriken flew past him. He looked back to see Burlik charging towards him. Huegan grunted as he lifted his massive axe over his head. The moment the axe reached the height of its swing, Burlik’s shuriken came crashing down on it’s blade. The combined force of the axe’s weight and the strike sent the weapon flying out of Huegan’s hands. The shuriken whipped its way back to Burlik’s hands and he spun towards his opponent with a vicious attack. Huegan flinched into a cowardly stance.
Shevette appeared behind Burlik and gripped his arm, freezing him in place. “That’s enough.” She commanded. “This match goes to Burlik.” She relaxed her grasp asBurlik strapped his weapon onto his back and turned away from Huegan. 
Burlik started to walk back to the stands. He stopped, turned his head to Huegan. “Well, that was easy.” he said with a large grin on his face. Burlik continued walking to his seat. Huegan growled as he dug his claws into the dirt. The earth dragon roared as he launched himself at Burlik. Before he could react, Shevette stopped Huegan by touching a finger to his chest. His eyes widened as he coughed up a pool of blood and collapsed to the ground. “By the gods, is he alright?” Burlik asked.
“Oh no. Not at all honey. He’s dead.” Shevette responded. She looked up to the other combatants. “When I say the fight is over, the fight is over. Understand?” Most of them had horrified looks on their faces but manage to let out a few nods. “Good!” Two figures in black robes put Huegan on a stretcher and carried him out of the arena.
“Did you really have to kill him? I doubt he would have done much.” Burlik asked.
“MakiaVi rules. Attacking anyone outside of duels or sparring is strictly forbidden. Had he charged you head on, it would have just been jail time. Attacking a defenseless person from behind, that is an instant death sentence.”
“I had no idea.”
Shevette reached into her armor, pulled out a small leather-bound book and tossed it to Burlik. “Read up kid.” Burlik eyed the book for a moment. The title read, “MakiaVi laws and customs.” Burlik shrugged and flew back to his seat. “Just so you know, I need that back!” Shevette yelled. She pulled out her crystal and displayed the bracket. “The next battle is Nevek and Bellatrix. Two minutes kids.”
Edion turned to speak with Bellatrix but she was already on the battlefield. “When did she move?” he mumbled.
Zan nudged Edion with his elbow. “Don’t blink. You might miss it.” he chuckled.
Nevek was an average-sized dragon with green scales and brown hair. He wore a simple dark blue shirt with a pair of black slacks. He wore a leather belt that held a set of needles. Nevek’s hands hovered over his belt while Bellatrix put a hand on her katana. Shevette raised her hand into the air. “Fighters ready? Begin!” Bellatrix appeared behind Nevek, sheathed her blade and started walking back to the stands. Nevek froze with his hand on his belt. Blood gushed from his shoulder as he collapsed to the ground. Everyone stared at the scene, their mouths open in awe. Zan stood up clapping wildly and whistling. His cheers echoed through the silent arena. Bellatrix gave him a graceful bow. Shevette waved her hands over Nevek and sealed the cut. “Bellatrix wins. I think that might be a new record.”
Once Bellatrix returned to her seat, Edion erupted with questions. “How? When? What? I didn’t even see you move!”
“I told you not to blink.” Zan teased.
“Please tell me how you move that fast.”
Bellatrix giggled. “I have to keep some of my secrets.”
“At least tell me how you took him down in one hit.” Edion begged.
Bellatrix thought for a moment. “I guess there is no harm in it. You couldn’t possibly replicate it or stop me from using it if we fought. The cut I made was just enough to draw blood. While in contact, I sent a bolt of electricity through his body, causing his muscles to squeeze at his veins.”
“The dramatic drop in blood pressure made him pass out.”
“Exactly.”
“Isn't she something?” Zan said, wrapping his arm around her.
“She’s something alright.” Edion fearfully replied. She was right. If Edion went up against her, there would be no way he could stop an attack like that. Thankfully, she was on the other side of the bracket.
“Next up,” Shevette yelled. “Leon and Egress.” Leon rolled his wrists and flew into the center of the arena. A small dragon with yellow scales made her way to the battlefield. She was about as short as Leon with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Edion noticed her figure was a bit fuller than most and her small outfit made it even more apparent. Riza plucked the side of Edion’s head.
“Ow! What was that for?” He said, rubbing his temple.
“Don’t play dumb.” she said sneering at him.
“I’m not playing! I swear I am just like this.”
Riza snorted in laughter. “How can I be mad at that?”
“It’s a strategy you know?” Bellatrix said. “In Chinmae, many fighters use their bodies to distract their opponents. She probably will use magic to amplify it. Keep an eye on the way she fights.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard.” Zan said with a grin. He jumped with a loud yelp and rubbed his shoulder. Bellatrix smirked as she held up a finger that was discharging electricity.
Egress went through a series of stretches that seemed to intentionally display her assets. She grabbed the staff that was strapped to her back. Leon stood strong with his rapier in hand.
“Fighters ready?” Shevette announced. “Fight!” Leon flicked his sword and sent a blade of wind towards Egress. She fell to the ground, almost doing a split to stay on her feet. Leon sent a barrage of similar attacks her way. As she dodged each one, her body contorted in a series of compromising positions. Most of the spectators were entranced by her fighting style. Some of them even shamelessly staring with their mouths agape. Lucky for Edion, he had Riza there to jab him back to reality. He did notice that no matter what Egress did, Leon did not seem to break focus. Even Burlik seemed to be concentrated on the fight itself rather than its participants.
Egress regained her footing and bolted towards Leon with her staff prepared to strike. Blue sparks cascaded up and down her weapon. As the two clashed, a shockwave blasted from them. She sent a combination of attacks consisting of staff strikes and kicks. With each miss, her body would seductively graze past Leon. He parried one of her strikes stabbed his rapier towards her stomach. Egress quickly brought down her staff in front of her horizontally. His blade scraped against her weapon and fell between Egress’ legs. Her face was only inches away from his. She leaned in towards Leon. Her lips were discharging electricity. With his free arm, Leon delivered a vicious elbow to the side of her head. Egress stumbled back with a hand where the strike landed. Leon wasted no time and kicked his opponent in the stomach, causing her to lift off of the ground. She collapsed once he withdrew his leg. Leon pointed his rapier a few inches away from her neck. 
“Enough!” yelled Shevette. “Leon wins.”
Leon sheathed his blade and chuckled, “Was there ever any doubt?” He floated back to the stands and returned to his seat next to Burlik. Leon spoke to him but they were out of earshot of Edion. The two laughed together as Burlik grabbed Leon in a headlock. Shevette helped Egress back to her feet. The yellow dragon still held her stomach as she walked off of the battlefield.
“The next battle is Prezine and Edion.”
Edion leaned in towards Riza and gave her a kiss. “I’ll be right back.” he assured.
“In one piece please.” she requested with a hand on his cheek. He gave her a light nod and made his way to the battlefield. As he walked to the center, a dragon with shining pink scales and long red hair jumped into the arena. She wore a white flowing blouse, a simple red skirt, and carried a small golden harp. Edion summoned his gauntlets as Prezine hovered her fingers over her instrument. 
Shevette raised her hand. “Fighters ready? Begin!” 
Edion lunged at his opponent with a fist ready to strike. As Prezine plucked one of the strings, she disappeared. Edion stopped himself and looked around the arena. “Where did she go?” he growled. A soothing song echoed through the air. He felt something strike him in the ribs as he staggered back. “What the hell?” he yelled. There was nothing around him. Two more hit him in the face. He rotated around with his hands out, trying to get a touch of whatever hit him. “Are you guys seeing this?” he asked as he looked towards the stands. They were completely empty. Even their moderator was absent from the battlefield. “What is going on here?” Edion mumbled. Something struck the side of his head. He managed to grasp whatever hit him. As Edion dragged his hand across it, he noticed it felt flesh-like but had a rough surface. Before he could investigate further, another strike landed under his chin.
The attack knocked Edion on his back. He rubbed his jaw as he grunted. “So she’s still here, just invisible.” He tried to listen for her footsteps but the sound of the harp was overwhelming. Edion stumbled back to his feet. “Well if I can’t see or hear her, only one thing left to do.” He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Edion remembered the lessons Riza gave him and focused. An aura slowly took shape as it rushed towards him. Edion managed to catch the kick it sent to his stomach. He felt its heart skip a beat before it twisted around and sent its other leg towards Edion’s face. He caught it and whispered, “Gotcha.” Edion lifted it into the air and slammed it into the ground. Dust kicked up into the air from the impact. The music stopped and Edion’s vision slowly returned. He looked down to see Prezine lying motionless in a small crater.
“Stop!” Shevette commanded. “Edion is the winner.” She ran to Prezine’s side and put a finger on her neck. Shevette beckoned over two mages in white robes. They put her on a stretcher as Edion watched them carry her away. “Don’t worry.” Shevette chuckled. “She’ll be fine. Prezine is a bit of a glass cannon.” 
Edion let out a sigh and returned to his seat. Riza hugged him tightly. “What happened out there?” she asked. “You looked lost for a while.”
“It was her harp.” Edion replied. “When she played it, I couldn’t hear or see anything around me.”
Riza’s eyes lit up. “What kind of crazy magic is that?”
“No idea. I only won because you taught me the viren sense technique.”
“Glad I could help.” Riza said grinning.
“Next fight is Zan and Krist.” Shevette yelled.
Zan jumped to his feet and stretched out his back. “Let’s see if I can beat your time.” he grunted.
“I doubt it you could but I would love to see you try.” Bellatrix taunted. Zan hopped out of the stands and flew into the battlefield. Zan and his opponent looked very similar. While they shared the fire red hair, Krist’s went past his shoulders. His scales were grey while Zan’s were pitch black.
“I do believe we might be related.” Krist said with a grin.
Zan looked his opponent up and down. “Seems likely. Who is your clan link?”
“My mother, Sherah Flaman.”
“Aunt Sherah? I haven’t seen her in ages! How has she been?”
“Good. My last brother just hatched a little while ago so she’s been busy with him.”
“Ah that’s great. You know I-”
“Hey!” Shevette yelled. “Let’s keep this going. I have plans tonight.” Both combatants quickly apologized. “Now, fighters ready? Begin!” Zan darted to his opponent and slammed into Krist with his shoulder. His cousin went flying towards the stands. The spectators scattered away as Krist crashed into their seats. Zan waited a moment but Krist did not move. Shevette put a hand up to him. “Stay here.” she said as she flew over to where Krist landed. She inspected him for a while. “He’s alive!” she yelled. She started to apply first aid to Krist. “You win by the way!”
“Yes!” Zan cried as he leapt into the air. 
As he returned to his seat, Bellatrix lightly applauded the performance. “I must say, that was pretty fast.” she said.
“I did learn from the best.” Zan replied smiling.
Krist eventually got back to his feet and made his way to his seat. Shevette flew back to the center of the arena. “Next up, Riza and Ugaal.”
Riza jumped to her feet. “Yes! Finally it’s my turn!” The largest earth dragon Edion had ever seen jumped into the arena. His scales were light brown and his hair was as black as night. A massive halberd was strapped to his back. Edion felt the ground shake from the dragon’s landing. Edion looked to Riza and she was still grinning ear to ear. She gave him a quick kiss. “Wish me luck!” she said as she darted into the battlefield.
Riza readied her scythe as Ugaal grabbed his halberd. Shevette raised her hand. “Fighters ready? Begin!” Riza flew straight towards Ugaal. As she slid between his legs, Ugaal slammed his weapon into the ground. She spun around and swiped the back of Ugaal’s knee. Ugaal grunted as he stumbled forward. A stone protruded from the ground and struck Riza in the ribs. She impact sent her tumbling back a bit before she eventually landed on her feet. Edion’s heart jumped into his throat. Ugaal lifted his halberd and slammed it back into the ground. Riza felt the tremors and leapt high into the air. Another stone jolted out of the ground where she jumped from. She dove back down to her opponent and clashed with a loud clang. Riza made a few more passes, each time swiping at a different location of her opponent’s body. The earth dragon fired stone after stone at Riza as she passed him but none of them landed. Ugaal breathed heavily and started to slow down. Riza still kept up her barrage of attacks without skipping a beat. She darted down to him and delivered a powerful strike that knocked Ugaal off balance. Riza slid on the ground and lunged at his back. She swung her scythe towards the sky and cut open his back. Ugaal growled as he fell to his knees and dropped his weapon. A waterfall of red cascaded from the wound. Riza pressed the blade of her scythe inches away from his neck. “Enough!” yelled Shevette. “Riza is the winner.”
Edion let out a sigh of relief. Riza strapped her weapon onto her back and returned to Edion. He hugged her tightly and swung her around in circles before setting her back down. “Great job.” Edion said.
“That was too easy!” Riza exclaimed. “I didn’t even have to use any poisons.” Thank the gods. Edion thought to himself. Had she used her poison on Ugaal, I doubt even Shevette could save the poor soul in time.
“Now then.” shouted Shevette. “The next battle is Tereen and Zefal.” Tereen rose from her seat a few steps below Edion. She jumped into the battlefield and stomped her way to the center. A dragon with white scales and long black hair gracefully landed in front of Tereen.
“Oh!” Zefal said surprised. “I did not know I would be facing a woman. Would it be possible to change my opponent?”
“No.” Shevette responded emotionlessly.
“What’s wrong boy?” Tereen taunted. “Scared?”
Zefal roared in laughter. “Not at all. It is just, ungentlemanly to harm a woman.”
Tereen copied his laugh. “No worry. I will be doing the hurtings.” 
Zefal smirked at her. “Your spirit is commendable but I implore you to concede. I would hate to harm such a...face.”
Tereen snorted angrily. “Enough! We let fight do the talking.”
Zefal gave her a deep bow. “As you wish.” As he jumped into a fighting stance, a pair of metal boots appeared on his feet. Tereen simply cracked her knuckles and kept her hammer on her back. 
Shevette raised her hand. “Fighters ready? Begin!” 
Zefal leapt high into the sky and lunged at Tereen with a powerful kick. His entire leg was surrounded by a miniature tornado. “It’s over!” he exclaimed. Tereen effortlessly grabbed him by the ankle, stopping his momentum. A large grin spread across her face. She hoisted her opponent over her head and slammed him into the ground. She lifted him from the crater and slammed him to the other side. She repeated this a few times leaving several dents in the ground. With a final powerful toss, she planted him fairly deep in the earth. She waited a moment before she heard some weak groaning coming from the dragon-shaped hole in the ground. Tereen stomped her foot and Zefal popped out of the earth. She grabbed him by the collar of his now bloodstained silk doublet. Rivers of crimson ran down his body and pooled on the floor.
Zefal was just barely conscious when Tereen pulled him in closer. “Never underestimate opponent.” she whispered before dropping him. He laid on the floor, coughing up blood.
“Tereen wins.” Shevette announced. She hovered her hands over Zefal to close up his wounds as Tereen returned to her seat. Soon after, a pair of white mages took Zefal away. Shevette returned to the center of the arena and cleared her throat. “That concludes the preliminaries for arena 6. The quarterfinals shall start immediately.” She took out her crystal and projected the tournament bracket on the floor. In a little animation, the names of the losers were crossed out and the names of the winners moved up to their next positions. Edion grinned when he saw his opponent. “The first battle, Edion and Leon.” Shevette announced.
Edion and Leon glanced at each other with the same cocky smirk painted on their faces. Without hesitation, they both jumped into the arena and landed near Shevette.
“May the better man win.” Edion said as he summoned his gauntlets.
“Don’t worry, I will.” Leon taunted as he unsheathed his rapier.
Shevette raised her hand. “Fighters ready? Begin!”
Leon flew to Edion and unleashed a flurry of stabs. Edion kept up with his opponent, blocking or dodging each strike with expert timing. Leon lunged too deep, allowing Edion to dodge and get behind him. As Edion swiped at his back, Leon rolled forward and tumbled to his feet. Leon kept his rapier pointed at his opponent. “Not bad.” Edion said. “Let’s see how you handle this.” Edion put his hands together as if he were holding a small orb. With a battle cry, he shoved his hands towards Leon, sending a storm of ice shards to him. Leon danced around the shards while shattering a few of them with his rapier. Once he was safe, Leon flicked his sword and sent a high-pressure blade of wind at Edion. With the back of his hand, Edion batted the attack away with great force. Leon appeared in front of Edion and lunged his rapier at his chest. Edion parried the attack with the palm of his hand and connected a strong punch directly to Leon’s cheek. Leon was sent flying backward several feet before he stopped himself. Edion gave him a very satisfied grin. Leon sent it right back to him. A large cut appeared on Edion’s chest. It was just deep enough to draw blood. His jacket mended itself but his undershirt was ruined. 
Edion was certain that the blade did not touch him but the cut on his chest said otherwise. The wound felt very real so he doubted it could be an illusion. Edion carefully eyed Leon’s sword. The dust circled around it, revealing a blade of wind a foot longer than the steel. “Fancy trick you’ve got there.” Edion said.
“What, this old thing?” Leon said, giving the blade a good look. “Just a little technique I picked up a while back. This one however, is new.” Leon pointed his rapier towards the ground and spun it in circles. As he picked up the pace, a small tornado started to form. The dust and rocks of the arena were kicked up by the force. By the time he was done, it stood ten feet tall. Leon picked up a rock and threw it towards the tornado. It was instantly turned to dust the second it touched the storm. With a wave of his hand, the tornado flew towards Edion. He tried to fly away but its force slowly pulled him in closer. Edion’s eyes began to glow as his blue aura became visible. With a loud roar, the air whipped around him and caused the tornado to dissipate. Leon covered his eyes from the dust and braced himself against the force of Edion’s power.
“It appears we have started.” Leon yelled. Leon’s eyes glowed white as he released his own power. Stones flew around the battlefield and crashed into the stands several times. The spectators watched the battle, unphased by their strength. One of the stones hurled towards where Edion left Riza, Zan and Bellatrix. Zan sliced it in half with his scimitar and the two pieces crashed harmlessly to their sides. The winds stopped and the two combatants darted towards each other. They were barely visible within the flurry of attacks. The matched each other blow for blow, most of them glancing. Edion kept up with Leon but the stress of the rush would soon catch up with them both. They separated and each charged an elemental attack. They both fired simultaneously, giving it everything they had. Instead of clashing, the attacks passed each other and slammed into their targets, engulfing each of the fighters in an explosion.
They fell out of the sky and crashed into the ground. They pried themselves out of their craters. Their clothes were torn and bloody. Edion’s jacket fixed itself as he stumbled to his feet and pressed forward. His gauntlets returned to their glove form. Leon lifted himself with his rapier and limped towards Edion. They met in the center. Both of them breathed heavily. With the last of his strength, Edion clenched his fist and threw a punch to Leon’s face. The second it landed, he felt a similar strike connect on his cheek. Edion stumbled back and fell to the ground. The last thing he remembered was how clear the sky was.

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