Chapter 224: Duel of the Noirs Part 1

56 years ago…

Elzri tried to tie the laces of his boots tight, but his fingers shook. If it was from the roaring crowds above the training room or from his own nervousness, he didn’t know.

“You don’t have to do this,” Ismene said, a tone of worry clear in her voice.

Elzri looked over at Ismene and his little sister Una who sat on a bench across from him.

“I do,” he sighed.

“How is having to fight your sister in a magical duel necessary?” Ismene frowned.

“Riri is right,” Una nodded reluctantly. “He embarrassed Esletha at our father’s funeral wake. Even if she goaded him.”

“Which she did,” Elzri said.

“Which no one noticed,” Una said. “What everyone did notice was you throwing wine in Esletha’s face. She’ll want recompensation.”

“So what? She’ll just try to hurt Riri?” Ismene asked.

“More like she wants to embarrass me in front of a large audience where everyone can see,” Elzri pointed up at the colosseum above them. “She wants to discredit me as the Lord of House Noir. If I’m defeated easily by her, it’ll help strengthen her claim to the Noir throne.”

“Which she will, beat you, I mean,” Ismene said. “You really shouldn’t do this.”

“It’s fine,” he smiled, strained. “I don’t want the throne anyway. I promised you, we’re going to travel the world. Besides, Esletha is the best candidate to take my father’s place. I’ll let her rough me up a bit, she’ll be satisfied. Then I’ll give her the Noir throne.”

“Why can’t you just give her the throne now?” Ismene crossed her arms.

“You don’t understand our sister,” Una’s shoulders slumped. “She’s very prideful. She won’t just accept the throne, not like this, not after Riri embarrassed her.”

“This is stupid, you should just concede!” Ismene said.

“I wish I could,” Elzri said. “But Esletha wouldn’t be satisfied. I rather have no bad blood with the woman who is about to become the head of my family.”

Elzri noticed the worried look on Ismene’s face. He tried putting on a brave face, “It won’t be that bad. This isn’t a regular duel, the rules have been changed in my favor. I just have to last ten minutes on the stage and the stage is like 300 some paces large! It’ll be hard to fall off.”

“Riri, you’re an adept. Esletha is a high-master. It doesn’t matter if it was ten minutes or one minute. You’d still lose,” Ismene bit her lip.

“Plus Esletha is a tri-manifold,” Una added. “And you’re just a yellow, Riri. You’re not even an orange, you can’t use our family’s signature flame spells.”

“You’re not helping, Una,” Elzri said dryly.

The trumpets blared loudly outside.

Elzri pushed himself up to his feet, “This is it.”

Una threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, “Good luck, try not to get too beat up. I love you Riri.”

Ismene grumbled under her breath, but she got up anyway and kissed him on the lips, “We’ll watch from the stands. When the match starts use your durability scales immediately. If you’re lucky Esletha will just hit you a couple of times and get bored.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he smiled.

~~~

The herald looked down at the crowd from his tower’s vantage point. The Announcement Tower was built right into the side of the colosseum, above the southern gate. The tower was directly across from the seven Regal Boxes, which sat above the northern gate, and served as the private stands for the Seven Ruling Families.

The herald noted to little surprise that the colosseum’s thousands of seats were filled to the brim. Even the seven Regal Boxes were each filled with powerful lords and ladies of the Ruling Houses. Today was going to be a dramatic spectacle, a duel between siblings, Noir siblings no less. The last time the herald had seen such crowds was when Hollow Shade had hosted the Great Cities Tourney.

A procession of men and women marched across the edge of the colosseum’s arena and blew their trumpets loud, their music ringing clear through the crowds. It was time.

The herald walked up to his massive speaking-trumpet, an enchanted instrument 10 ft tall, that amplified the speaker’s voice several folds.

He cleared his throat and yelled into the speaking-trumpet, “Welcome lords and ladies, aristocrats, merchants, and all you commoners who’d skip their work to see this incredible duel! Today we witness a battle worthy of a ballad. A drama so great that we have not seen its like in decades!”

The crowds cheered in delight, their roars shaking the ground itself.

“From the northern gate! A drow who has kept himself hidden away in the shadows of the aristocracy. A man who has surprised us all by rising to the title of Lord of HOUSE NOIR itself! ~Elzriiiiiiii Noooooooiiiiir!~”

The northern gate swung open, Elzri dragged his feet across the ground and waved at the crowds. Boos and insults echoed through the crowds, their displeasure clear to all.

Elzri sighed and hung his head.

“Oof, the crowds are not kind today!” the herald exclaimed. “It seems that in large enough numbers of anonymity, even a mere commoner can find the courage to insult a Ruling Family’s leader. I hope our Lord Noir can turn their opinions around! But he may find that difficult because facing him today folks is one of your favorites, the beautiful, the deadly, the POWERFUL, ~Eslethaaaaa Noooooooiiiiir!~”

The southern gate opened to the sounds of cheers and applause. Esletha strolled out with a confident gait. She smiled and waved at the crowds. To Elzri’s surprise the crowd’s cheers rose to even greater heights.

“Esletha, Esletha, Esletha!” the crowds chanted her name over and over.

“It seems the young lord Elzri Noir may be in for a difficult run, folks. Can the mere adept last ten minutes in the ring against one of Hollow Shade’s greatest duelists?” the herald asked grandly. “May the Watcher Lunae watch over our duelists and show them her favor. May the Mystery Caligo enlighten our duelists with the secrets of magic. May the Traveler Stjerne show our duelists their path to victory. And may the Guardian Bellum protect our duelists in this battle of glory.”

The herald raised his hands high, “By the power invested in me as Herald of Duels, this match is officially… BEGUN!”

~~~

The crowd’s endless cheering vibrated through the ground underneath Elzri’s feet.

They really want me to lose? he thought grimly.

Not that he had any intention of winning. Still, a little show of compassion might have been nice.

Elzri looked across the enormous field, Esletha was only a small figure in the distance, but he knew she was getting closer, preparing to land him flat on his ass.

Elzri walked towards her, his feet feeling heavier with each step. After what seemed an eternity he found himself a dozen paces from her.

He bowed his head, “Hello, elder sister.”

“Proper etiquette?” she tilted her head. “A bit late, don’t you think? There’s no reason you have to pretend to be polite. None of those people can hear us from all the way up there. It’s just you and me.” She sneered, “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Elzri sighed. “Look, we both know that you want the throne. And I plan on giving it to you, sometime after this match. So, if you could make this quick, preferably harmless,” he winced dramatically. “I’d appreciate it very much.”

“A coward to the end, huh?” Esletha scoffed. “You really are just a little snake. How in all the bloody Realms did you ever manage to worm your way into father’s ear?”

“It wasn’t like that, Esletha,” he said weakly.

She pointed an accusing finger at him, “Why did he choose you? I spent my whole life trying to prove myself to him, trying to prove that I was worthy, but you? You never did anything, always the bare minimum, and yet he gave you everything! You’re weak, lazy, and afraid. So why did he choose you!?”

“I really wish he hadn’t…”