Page 82 of Graevale
Alex didn’t know what to say.
“We are aware that you are only human and our offer is unprecedented for one of your kind, so there is no shame in refusing,” Saber told her, his melodic voice almost kind. But all Alex heard was the ‘you are only human’ dig, and it was enough to keep her frustration boiling steadily under the surface.
Looking at the blurring Shadow Walkers twirling amidst the purple fire down on the floor, Alex carefully considered the offer. She’d come a long way thanks to her training with Niyx, but this was something else entirely. Without actually being down there in the flaming arena, she had no way of knowing how she’d fare against the shadowy race.
In her favour was that they were also mortal, and it appeared they had neither the enhanced speed nor the fighting grace of the Meyarins that she had at her disposal. But their ability to travel through the shadows was no small advantage, when her feet would be firmly stuck on the ground.
Unsure, she reached out to the one person who knew her skills better than anyone, sending Niyx an image of what she was looking at and telling him of the offer she’d been given.
I say stuff them, Aeylia, came his unwavering response.If they’re not willing to listen without making you bust your ass to earn it, then they’re not worth warning. Just leave them to their fate.
Are you saying that because we don’t need them, or because you’re not sure I can win?
Kitten, evenIwould have trouble winning against six Shadow Walkers in a closed environment like that, and that’s with theValispathputting me on more equal footing, Niyx replied.
It’s two against one, not six, Alex pointed out, as if those odds would make much difference.
Only for the earlier rounds, Niyx said.The more trials pass, the more opponents the champions have to face. He paused and added,You might have a chance—aslimchance—if they let you enter this round and you only have to go up against two of them. But I won’t lie, Aeylia, it will be a challenge I’m not sure you’re ready for.
Alex hesitated.Is it a fight to the death?
No, thank the light, Niyx answered.But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. So if you do this, proceed with caution. And by the stars, whatever you do, don’t touch that fire.
That much I figured out on my own, thanks, Alex returned dryly, before listening to him wish her good luck and leaving her to her decision.
She turned back to the elders and confirmed, “If I win a single round—one round—you’ll listen?”
All three heads dipped in agreement. Caspar Lennox, however, was shaking his wildly, while Shirez gave nothing away.
“Fine,” Alex said, ignoring her teacher as well as her uneasy stomach. “When do we do this?”
The three elders glanced at each other, their expressions ranging from surprise to speculation and amusement. As they did so, a deafening cheer rose up from the ground as the current match came to an end.
“If you’re certain,” Radek said slowly, as if giving her a chance to rescind her acceptance, “then I suppose there is no time like the present.”
Swallowing back her sudden nausea, Alex gave a curt nod, figuring she might as well get it over with before she threw up all over their shadowed feet.
“Then by all means, let’s do this.”
Alex felt like she was dying.
The heat, the sound, the acrid smell of the purple fire—her eyes watered, her ears rang, her skin burned. And all that while she was standing squarely in the large hexagonal centre of the fiery star, nowhere near the triangular lines of the flames.
She wondered if part of winning required the patience to endure the torturous environment before anything actually began. But her current lack of action was more likely because her combatants—and the rest of the gathered Shadow Walkers—were arguing about her, ahuman, taking part in theirvatali targo.
As the flames rose and fell at irregular intervals, Alex could see through the purple to the crowd assembled on the ground, all of them in an uproar. The same was true for those watching from their balconies affixed to the towering walls of the cathedral.
Clearly, no one was pleased with this development. And Alex didn’t blame them.Shecertainly didn’t want to be where she was—especially after learning that she would have to remain unarmed, since apparently weapons were only permitted in the final round of combat. But if this was the only way for her to earn the ears of the elders, then so be it. She had trained in unarmed combat with Niyx. It was time to test her skills.
A hush fell over the crowd until all Alex could hear was thewhooshingof the flames as they rose and fell in waves of lines. She tensed at the sudden lack of ambient sound, her body alert with skin-tingling awareness as a sense of anticipation saturated the air.
And then came an explosion of purple as the flames rose higher than ever, blazing enough that Alex had to raise a hand to shield her eyes—a mistake, she knew a fraction of a second later, when she recognised the abrupt inferno for the distraction it was.
A flash of inky blackness in her peripheral vision was all the warning she received to tell her the match had begun. She hadn’t expected trumpets, but it would have been nice to have some kind of announcement. A countdown, a bell, a whistle—anything but the flying fist to the face that knocked her back so hard that she fell and skidded along the floor.
Her training kicked in immediately and she pushed past the pain to leap back up to her feet with lightning-fast reflexes. She raised her hands defensively as she looked at the two shadow-covered figures in front of her—one male, one female.
Just as she hadn’t expected trumpets, she also didn’t expect dialogue, so this time at least she was prepared when they rushed towards her again.
