Chapter 109 - Blazing Star Elena

Stunned by the incredible feat of strength that was required to leap ten feet into the air while brandishing that monster of an axe, Skyle nearly lost the fight right then and there. The problem was only compounded further when the axe suddenly burst into flames. Only at the last second, when the shadow cast by his opponent landed upon his face, did he finally come back to his senses and spring into motion.

Not panicking, Skyle hopped back a couple feet as he swayed his torso away from the axe’s trajectory. As he did so, he wound up his arm and prepared a counter-blow. Surprised as he was by her reckless move, Skyle meant to make her pay for leaving herself open with such an exaggerated blow. It may look imposing on the surface, but in truth it left her wide open to his counter-attack, so long as he could avoid the initial strike.

An uneasy suspicion blossomed in his mind, and Skyle instantly activated the Far Sight. When he did so, the blood instantly drained from his face as shock froze his expression. The next moment, he desperately jerked his numb limbs into motion and flung himself as far away as he could. All the while, the Infinite Eye’s 360 degree field of vision afforded him a crystal clear view of Elena’s so-called reckless move. What he saw matched almost completely with what he had seen in the Far Sight, and that only made his blood run even colder.

The massive double-bladed axe descended upon the ground in a phantom blur that left a brilliant streak of fire flickering in its trail. As soon it struck home, a deafening explosion shattered the ground and sent flaming pieces of debris soaring through the air. The impact’s blast struck Skyle while he was diving away, sending him sprawling to the floor in a pathetic jumble of flailing limbs.

A thick cloud of dust immediately obscured the entire area. Skyle rolled to his feet as best he could, coughing out mouthfuls of dirt as he squeezed his eyes shut against the dust. When he cautiously pried his eyes open, the first sight that met his tear-streaked gaze were the eager tongues of flame lapping away at his robes.

Muffling a strangled shout, Skyle frantically slapped at the flames until they died with his one free hand. He did not dare lower his sword, as he knew that apocalyptic blow had only been the opening move. Skyle could feel cold sweat rolling down his back as he considered the tragedy that would have befallen him if he had insisted on merely swaying aside from the blow. He doubted there would be enough pieces left of him to pick up.

“Are you crazy, girl? You almost killed me!”

Skyle’s shout hovered near the edge of hysteria. He nervously paced back and forth in a tight semi-circle, panting heavily while squinting against the thick cloud of dust. The sword in his hand, however, was held in a secure grip, his hand steady and his body always perfectly balanced.

This was all an act, of course. With his True Sight, Skyle could easily see Elena rising to her feet from the center of the small crater she had created with her strike. While it had been an impressive blow, it was impossible to recover from it in short order. Skyle had contemplated rushing forward, but by the time he finally recovered from his surprise at the fierceness of the attack and finished putting out the flames from his body, Elena had almost finished recovering.

Her one weakness that Skyle could immediately see was her disdain for him as a mere mage student. She couldn’t be blamed for her mistaken assumption, since Skyle’s body had never been nurtured by the elements as any elemental warrior would do. The panic and noise Skyle was creating was in the hopes that Elena would become overconfident just one more time.

Glancing down at his short sword, Skyle knew that would be enough to put a quick end to this fight, mighty fire warrior or not.

Rushing steps echoed from up ahead, and Skyle couldn’t hold back the feral grin that lit up his face. He knew an opponent like Talon would have never fallen so easily for such a ploy. Even as Skyle gathered his senses and prepared himself, Elena’s figure in the True Sight flared with fiery essence one more time.

Calm and composed, Skyle kept track of her movement as the fire essence traveled down to her legs and expanded explosively, propelling her upward in a powerful leap. It was the same move she had used earlier. She meant to display her dominance and end the match in a single strikes. He could read from the mix of surprise and annoyance in her aura that she wanted to finish it in a single, overwhelming show of force.

“Too bad I’m your opponent. Better luck next time, girl.”

Skyle used the Rabbit Step to propel himself forward, straight toward Elena. Any other person might have thought this was a suicidal charge, but Skyle’s hand upon the hilt of his sword was rock steady as he drew it back over his shoulder.

“If you want to play rough, don’t blame me for indulging!”

His burst of speed reached its peak when Skyle leapt into the air, still silent as a ghost. At the same time, he brought his sword down in a wild hacking motion, fueled by every last inch of strength he could muster.

Only a flicker of a shadow passed over him, but a triumphant smile stretched his lips taut as he felt his sword connect, striking a vicious blow. It was followed by a muffled grunt, and Skyle knew his blow had struck home. The feedback had been good. It had almost ripped the sword from his grasp.

Skyle touched upon the ground and skidded to a halt. Behind him, a thunderous crash reached his ears, then everything was silent once more. After checking with the True Sight, Skyle was nearly struck speechless when he saw that the girl was only flattened on the ground, slightly dazed, but without any serious injuries.

Not wasting any time, Skyle immediately spun on his heel and dashed forward. He dove through the curtains of dust and homed in on his target with dogged determination.

By the time Elena was finally able to shake the stars away from her vision, she could only stare at the tip of the sword hovering two inches over her throat. She couldn’t detect even the slightest of tremors upon the blade. She followed the sword to the slim hands that held it in a firm grip, then finally met the calm grey eyes of the boy who had beaten her in as dramatic a fashion as she had hoped to do herself.

Skyle could read in her expression the moment realization dawned upon her. It had all been a ruse. The panic in his voice, the constant noise of shuffling steps, they had all been meant to manipulate her overconfidence and goad her into reaching for that satisfying one-hit victory.

They stared at each other for a long moment while the dust finally settled down. Elena’s chest was working like bellows, her breath coming in harsh gasps as her face flushed with emotion. Her eyes made dozens of heated arguments and appeals, based on her opinion of the short-lived bout’s results.

Skyle, on the other hand, simply stood over her with his sword extended. He did not say a single word, and let the steady point of his sword nearly kissing the skin of her neck do all the talking.

Moments later, Elena finally seemed to calm down. The storm of emotions flitting through her aura relaxed a little, and a wry smile came unbidden to her lips.

“Well played, Skyle Farrow. Very well played indeed.”

“Thank you.”

Immediately after his opponent acknowledged her loss, Skyle withdrew his sword. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached down, offering his hand.

Elena’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at his hand, but after a brief internal struggle, she clasped it firmly with her own. Skyle pulled her up with a grunt, secretly shocked at how heavy she was. Belatedly, he realized it was because essence strengthened muscles and bones would invariably weigh several times more after being infused with the elements. Why, even a shameless cheat of a farmboy ought to at least know that much.

“I didn’t cheat. I employed sound tactics to provide myself with an overwhelming advantage.”

Even as he mentally replied to Little Shadow’s unwelcome commentary, he could feel the skin of his face flushing.

Elena, whose hand was still clasped tightly in his, noticed this change and suddenly averted her gaze, her skin also taking on a lovely shade of pink. She quickly withdrew her hand and turned around, explaining over her shoulder in low, hushed tones.

“I should look for my axe. Not that it’s mine, but I’ll never hear the end of it if I get it nicked and dented. Master Beoulf treats each and every single one of these slags of metal as though they were his little babies, the silly old coot.”

Skyle stared at the unexpected side of this strange girl who had nearly gotten him killed with her reckless blows. Judging from the extent of her injuries, or rather, the lack thereof, Skyle gathered that she assumed her opponent would have at least some measure of defensive capabilities. What she didn’t know was that her first blow alone would have instantly killed Skyle if he hadn’t avoided the blow.

A loud clapping sound echoed from behind him. It was a familiar sound, and Skyle wondered if all Roland did was clap at others’ fights, not caring about the fact that he had almost gotten one of them killed. In fact, as Skyle turned a baleful eye upon the cause for his near encounter with death, it was obvious to him that Roland was delighted that his younger cousin had lost the match. In fact, the manner of her defeat seemed to please him even further.

“Ah, Little Elly, I told you that recklessness of yours would cost you dearly one day. Let this be a lesson for you.”

For once, Elena did not instantly roar back at her cousin. Instead, she gazed down at the axe in her hands with a solemn expression.

Skyle might have felt a tinge of sympathy for the girl, if only she hadn’t just tried to murder him in cold blood.

“One more time.”

“Huh?”

Skyle felt his heart lurch within his chest as he tilted his head to the side and cupped a hand to his ear, hoping he had misheard.

“Just one more time.”

“Listen, I’m only here for my evaluation. You don’t even have to tell them I won. Just tell them whatever you want and mix in some passing remarks about how dull and ordinary I am. In fact, the more boring you can make it sound, the better.”

Elena suddenly whirled around to stab at him with furious eyes.

“Is that all our fight meant to you?”

“Eh? What else is it supposed to mean?”

Skyle was rocked back on his heels by the intensity of her gaze and the vehemence of her words.

“I have never lost to any other person my age. I have devoted myself to the arts of war and combat ever since I could walk. Many a night, I have lied shedding tears of blood and moaning at the burning pain of the fire scorching my veins. I did so gladly, because it is the path of the strong. I have spent my entire life chasing after this lofty peak. This is my devotion to my chosen path. It’s my purpose and meaning in life. Does that answer your question?”

Struck by an intense pang of shame at his callousness, Skyle couldn’t quite find the words to respond. He was held by the measuring weight of her gaze, and suddenly, he found the possibility of being found wanting unbearable to contemplate. He was reminded of the countless times he had attempted to ignite his own elemental talent. He could clearly recall stubbornly shrugging off his countless failures. He only had eyes for that one guttering hope that just once, just this one time he might succeed.

He never did, but that never stopped him.

As he gazed deeply into her eyes, Skyle could see the depths of her stubborn determination. He could almost taste the wild hunger barely held at bay within her spirit. The drive to conquer the summit shoved every other consideration aside until her eyes saw nothing but that lonely peak, rising high above an ordinary person’s petty concerns.

It stirred a deep emotion into life within his chest, this moving sight of a young girl’s dogged spirit to conquer any obstacles and triumph in spite of all opposition. Wasn’t this what Talon had been trying to inspire within his heart in that first lesson?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Elena shook off his apology and fixed him with a stubborn glare.

“Fight me one more time. I apologize for not taking our fight seriously. This time, I will bring forth every ounce of skill and courage I possess to bring you down.”

Maybe he had been spending too much time around muscle-bound fools like Leon, but damn if her words did not ignite his own fighting spirit. All of a sudden, he was burning with the desire to match himself against this worthy opponent and finally gain a measure of his own might.

“Fight me, please.”

The earnest entreaty sounded hoarse coming from Elena, and he realized she wasn’t used to asking anyone for anything.

Skyle nodded slowly. “Yeah, let’s fight.”

Elena’s face lit up with instant delight at his words. Skyle could only stare, struck speechless by the sudden change that came over her features. It suddenly reminded him that this wasn’t some scarred old veteran. She was just a child, just like him. The innocent joy that lit up her face at Skyle’s simple words was like a breath of fresh air that swept in like a cool spring breeze.

Elena caught him staring at her, making Skyle blush once again. In turn, this prompted Elena to lower her gaze, suddenly busying herself in a minucius examination of the edge of her axe.

“L-Let me check my axe first. Gotta make sure there aren’t any dents or scratches. Master Beoulf, you see.”

Skyle couldn’t help but grin at her reaction. So, behind all that consummate skill and ridiculous strength, she was still just a girl, after all. It brought an unexpected surge of warmth to his chest. He indulged in the feeling only for an instant before he quashed it under the ruthless fist of his rational mind.

“Little Shadow, stop that!”

A strange look flickered past Skyle’s expression as he felt a wave of outraged protest flare in his mind. Really, just how shameless could even a clueless child be, blaming a respectable teacher for his own silly daydreaming.

Skyle didn’t get a chance to consider this further, as Elena finally straightened up and gazed at him with the calm confidence that had characterized her earlier.

“You look like you’re ready,” Skyle said.

“Almost. First, let’s make it a little more interesting.” Elena smiled at Skyle as she held up a finger before his face. “If you win, I will help you contoct whatever story you want before the masters. I don’t fully understand why you’re so desperate to stay low-key, but then again, I know from experience how annoying a little fame can be.”

“Of course she knows. Blazing Star Elena is one of the most popular rising celebrities in the Warrior School. It’s why she always keeps Reaper by her side - so she can swat away all the fanboys who buzz around her like flies.”

Blazing Star Elena? Recalling the ridiculously powerful opening move she had employed at the beginning of their fight, he had to admit that if that was her signature move, then Blazing Star Elena was aptly named indeed.

“Shut up, you cheap bastard!” Elena coughed uncomfortably for a moment before she continued with a flustered sweep of her hands. “Don’t listen to him. Anyway, if I win, I want you to continue sparring with me. I really feel that we can be good for each other.”

Skyle blinked at her, the flush on his skin growing deeper at her last words.

Elena’s lips froze for a moment as she heard the words she had just spoken. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, staring wide-eyed at Skyle.

“I-I didn’t mean it that way. I mean, not that I was thinking about anything weird just now.”

Elena’s expression quickly wilted under Skyle’s bewildered gaze. She took a deep breath and started again, trying to stay calm.

“Look, just in that short fight, I’ve learned a valuable lesson. We could really learn from and encourage each other, as partners - sparring partners!”

Even the tip of her nose glowed brightly as she quickly corrected herself with a hesitant smile. She looked up at Skyle from under trembling eyelashes.

Glad that for once, it wasn’t him feeling completely helpless and tongue-tied, Skye nodded before breaking out into a grin of his own.

“Sounds like a win win proposition to me. Deal!”

“Great, then it’s a deal!”

Elena nearly hopped into the air in her excitement. She settled for raising her axe instead. She whirled it in a deviously complex series of circles, warming up her arms with a beaming smile upon her face. The honest joy shining in her eyes was contagious, making it impossible for Skyle not to grin back as he twirled his sword in a few pirouettes that sent its tip whistling through the air..

“Ready for round two? I’m not gonna take it easy on you any more!”

“Born ready,” Skyle said, and couldn’t resist adding a little extra spice with a cheeky grin. “Just try to make it interesting and don’t lose in one hit like last time!”

Laughter rang out across the garden as they shared a mutual grin of delight over their weapons.

Win or lose, this was going to be great!