Ulmir’s Castle, Second Day of the Contest.

Cane stood in the tiled square. In front of him was a woman wearing indigo clothes with a yellow belt strapped to her waist. The day before, thirty two champions had been eliminated. Sixteen were going to be eliminated on the second day. Cane’s fight was the second. According to Greta, the woman in front of him was nicknamed Vixen. She was cunning and ruthless.

During the preliminary rounds, fighters weren’t allowed to have any piece of armor. They could choose their own weapons. But all they were allowed to wear were cotton tunics and trousers. Cane wore gray and the Vixen wore indigo. They both eyed each other, awaiting the High Priest’s signal.

Cane held the lucerne in both hands. He was trained to become a master martial artist. Due to a series of unfortunate events, the big bear found himself forsaken, outcast. The Hunt was his chance to prove his valor. If he won the Contest, he’d be accepted within the House of a Thousand Swords.

Zedd’s invitation to join him was amusing at first. But after he’d seen the enemies Black Eyes had, his life as an outcast didn’t seem so bad at all. He’d rather live as an outcast, living off scraps, than deal with the monstrosities Zedd had on his trail.

The tiled square disappeared, replaced by a wooden platform, raised high in the air. Sand dunes extended to the horizon. The weather was hot and the air dry. Cane forced himself out of his reveries. The Vixen held two curved sword in her hands. She was the one to make the first move. She managed to cross the gap between her and the big bear with tremendous speed. She knew the big bear had a weapon that relied on range. Getting into close quarters combat was her best option.

She swung each weapon individually, one swing, two, three. To the audience watching in the Kozagan Desert and elsewhere, the woman’s moves looked blurry. Cane dodged every attack at the last possible second. He was relying on his instinct and years of combat experience to read through the woman’s moves.

The dangerous part about the preliminary phase on the Contest was that Champions didn’t have any protection. Receiving a blow would greatly expedite their demise. Cane didn’t move from his spot. He was nimbly dancing around the swords. The element of surprise on which the Vixen relied had failed her.

With a kick, Cane drove the bottom of his Lucerne between the woman’s legs. With a muffled groan, the Vixen jumped back. Cane smiled then started thrusting Rage in her direction. Thrusts weren’t the easiest attacks to dodge, especially with a long weapon like the Lucerne.

In his mind, Cane could clearly picture his previous fight against Gedel. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes as the giant man he fought.

‘Don’t let her get close to ya. And don’t use the same attack twice.’

He kept repeating those words as he continued his relentless offense. Sometimes he’d aim for her legs, others he’d go for the chest or the head. He had to get the woman to question herself, and to drop her guard down.

‘Greta warned me about this one. Can’t take her lightly.’

Greta wasn’t happy with how her hunt ended. Zedd was out of sight. He couldn’t even blame it on him since Greta had never seen the man with black eyes. Besides, even if he were to show her Myles, something told him she wouldn’t believe him. The man with blond hair seemed to act differently than the Black Eyes he knew.

He aimed another thrust at the woman only to see her jump back and repel the attack with her swords. He stumbled forward as the weight of the weapon pulled him to the ground. He shouldn’t have wandered in thought during a serious fight.

‘That’s not good,’ he thought as he saw the Vixen dashing towards him.

Momentum was key in a duel. The one who controlled it had the upper hand, and eventually emerged victorious. The Vixen immediately jumped at Cane, brandishing her weapons in the air.

Cane mustered all the strength in his forearms to pull Rage towards him then drove it upwards. The Vixen brought her swords towards her upper body to shield her from the Lucerne. Its blunt hammer collided with the twin swords, which sent the woman a few paces backwards.

The big bear followed with a downward slash which hit the floor, resulting in a loud thud. Cane wasn’t done however. He advanced towards the retreating Vixen and thrust his weapon. The Vixen had no choice but to dodge, but an immediate swing almost caught her off-guard. Weapons clashed and the impact forced the woman to the ground. She fell on her back and lost both swords.

Cane quickly advanced towards the Vixen then, with a downward thrust, attempted to finish her off. The Vixen rolled backwards just in time to avoid Rage’s pointy end. Cane felt a slight tingle in his left thigh. He looked down to see a throwing knife deeply lodged inside. When he looked up, the Vixen was already dangerously close to him. Her open palm was aiming for his gullet.

He would’ve suffocated, died a horrible death if he had allowed her to land that attack. The big bear dropped his weapon and his martial artist instinct kicked in. With a swift counter, Cane managed to clutch the woman’s hand then break it. She didn’t even have time to scream as two punches broke her front tooth and dislocated her jaw.

Cane pulled the knife from his thigh then shoved it up her throat. The Vixen gurgled on her own blood as she writhed on the ground. Cane picked up his weapon then limped towards the infirmary. The tiled square came back into view and Priests came to take the body away.

***

In the Training Arena, Myles was testing his new sword while Cane’s fight was being aired on the Photon monitor. ‘Not bad, this one handles better than the previous one,’ he thought as he swung his sword at a straw dummy.

Spending time in the Training Arena helped Myles collect information on the Castle. Champions weren’t allowed to roam freely within Ulmir’s residence. They had to be escorted at all times. He tried talking to some guards in the morning but they all seemed to be in bad weathers. The Contest on the monitors wasn’t even drawing the non-fighting Champions’ attention.

Talk about the intruder filled the arena. Those who didn’t feel like training were offered food and refreshment in the common area. They all talked about the intruder. Myles swung his sword, executed some pirouettes as he listened to two sparring partners discuss the latest rumor.

“They say the High Priest has already captured the culprit,” one of them said as he swung his sword.

“Nah, I heard he got the wrong one, offered him a night in Heaven!” the other replied after he dodged the attack. “Lucky bastard!” he exclaimed then bashed his mace on his opponent’s shield.

“I say he’s already earned his prize.”

The two kept sparring while talking about the rumors of the intruder. Myles gathered that the intruder had infiltrated a restricted area but was chased off immediately. The reason it was big news was because nobody has ever attempted to infiltrate the restricted areas since time immemorial. The fact that the intruder escaped made matters worse for the Priests.

Nobody knew who he was or where he came from. All Champions were in bed when the break in happened. Guards went on complete lock down, inspected every room but couldn’t find any trace of the intruder. Myles gathered that the High Priest was conducting the search himself.

Myles noticed that the champions’ attention had veered towards the monitors again. Cane had just finished his fight. Myles looked up to see the next contestant. It was Vyk. The man wore his usual tunic and trousers but had traded his white belt with a yellow one.

“I hear it’s his tenth attempt at the Contest,” Myles heard someone say.

“They say he’s learned some new fighting technique this year. He says it’ll help him win this time,” another shouted. Everyone in the training arena started laughing.

“A tenth of my winnings says he’ll fall now!”

Someone started the bet, and the training arena was filled with clamor and laughter. The general agreement was that Vyk would be this round’s loser. The disappointment in their faces was priceless to look at. Myles observed them, staring at the monitor in silence. Vyk had managed to counter his opponent’s attack then slashed his wrist. He injured and disarmed his enemy in one attack then finished him the next.

“Stalwart! You’re up!” A guard came to retrieve Myles from the Training Arena.

When he reached the large square, High Priest Utar was watching from the monitor in the Champions’ Lounge. A shadow sat on the throne while Utar stood next to it.

“Six hundred years Utar,” the shadow spoke. “I’ve occupied this realm for six hundred FUCKING YEARS!” His rough voice boomed through the lounge. The highest tower in the Castle shook. Myles looked up, dread filled his heart.

“And now some ant decides to creep in, without my consent,” the shadow went on. He’d regained his composure by then. “You find him Utar and you find him now. He knows something. Take him alive. I’ll do the extraction myself.”

“It’s Darkstar,” Utar reported.

“I WILL NOT-“ the shadow screamed again. He stopped, seemed to take a deep breath then continued. “How do you know it’s this Darkstar you fondly speak of?”

“I looked into the vault,” Utar replied. “There was residue of his Fragment print. He’s got a unique one. I’ve been hunting him for decades.”

“Utar,” the shadow’s voice started getting louder again. “You were exiled once because of your obsession. Perhaps you think of this place as your prison. But you are being provided for. If you fail to capture this little insect, I’ll make sure you rot in the Well. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Utar replied with a hushed voice. After the shadow disappeared, the High Priest let out a heavy sigh. He took out a handkerchief from the internal pocket on his robe then wiped his sweaty brow.

“Javad!” he called for the short man again.

“Yes your Reverend.” The short man ran towards Utar then prostrated.

“I hope you’ve got news for me,” the High Priest spoke, or rather shouted aggressively.

“Your Reverend,” Javad’s voice was shaking as he spoke. “We’ve combed the palace, but there was no sign of the intruder.”

“You take care of the Contest,” Utar spoke. “I’ll go look for him myself.”

The tiled square on which Myles stood changed into a large green field. It looked like the Faery Plains, only this one didn’t have any flying creatures in the sky. The bully from the day before was his opponent.

“Told you it wasn’t over kid,” the bully spoke as he licked his scimitar.

Myles smiled. A voice inside of him urged him to drop the weapon and finish the prideful bastard with his fists. But that would attract too much attention he’d worked hard to avoid. Besides, there was lot on his plate at that moment. The tower that shook earlier didn’t bode well with him.

“Next fight,” a voice different than the High Priest’s announced, “Stalwart against Diggles.”

Diggles held his sword closer to this chest, ready to counter at any moment. Myles held a sword as big as he was and twice as heavy. Diggles knew he’d only need to dodge one attack in order to finish the fight.

He slowly circled around Myles. Stalwart two handed his great sword and followed his opponent with his eyes. ‘He’s careful, but proud, too proud,’ he thought while the man completed a full circle.

Myles’ arms started shaking. The weapon’s weight was too much for him to handle. If he could use his original body, he knew he could hold the sword with one hand. But using an avatar was different, and the sword weighed heavily on him.

Myles’ opponent didn’t miss the hint. He knew he had a golden opportunity to finish the fight. Diggles jumped then sent a rapid blow towards Myles jugular. The attack was repelled by the great sword and the bully immediately somersaulted away.

His eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t think Myles was capable of such a feat. He made sure he kept his eyes on the young man with dark blond hair. He couldn’t risk a counter attack. One swing from that giant slab of steel would instantly kill him.

“You can’t dodge when you’re airborne.” Diggles heard his opponent say. He hadn’t landed yet when Myles was upon him. The great sword threatened to open his skull. The bully lost his footing as he landed then stumbled to the ground. That misfortune turned out to be his life-saving move.

The sword landed between his legs, dangerously close to his manhood. Myles pushed the sword forward cutting through the grass and the moist soil. Diggles howled as his body was cleaved in half by the sharp great sword.

The fight quickly ended for Stalwart again. After the plains disappeared and the Courtyard came into view, Myles headed for the common area. He was tired of the Arena.

‘Tongues loosen up after a couple of drinks, especially after the euphoria of passing the preliminary stages. There has to be someone who knows something about the current situation in the castle.’

Myles quickly reached his destination, escorted by five guards. ‘Utar will soon make a horrible mistake. I should give him something to quell his master’s anger.’

There were ten champions in the common area already. A bronze skinned man sat in a table sipping his ale. “Mind if I take a seat?” Myles smiled amiably as he asked.

“It’s not taken,” Vyk answered. “You just killed the man I was keeping it for.”

“He fought well.” Stalwart dragged a chair along the floor then sat opposite Vyk. “You wanted to know about my master yesterday.”

“Yeah, I like your style. The one who taught you must be the real deal.”

“I’ll tell you if you agree to an exchange.” Myles leaned forward, looked the bronze skinned man in his eyes then whispered. “I heard it’s not your first time here, is it?”

“Gimme a name first.” Vyk crossed his arms and leaned back on his chair.

“Mushtabah,” Myles was still whispering. “I can introduce you to him after the Hunt.”

“And I’m supposed to take your word for it?”

“Not really.” Myles leaned on his chair, called for a waiter then turned towards Vyk. “I’ve also heard you like rare trinkets, swords, baubles, anything worth selling in the underground market.”

“Where’d you hear all that?” Vyk asked.

“People talk. It’s a small world, and a veteran like you ought to bring some whispers and gossips here and there.”

“What you got for me?”

“I found a sword on the border between the Canyons and Ulmir’s Garden. I think it’s magic, but I couldn’t verify it. I’m no magic user myself.”

A woman arrived to take Myles’ order. She wore a tight ivory dress. Her hourglass figure was brought into light thanks to how the dress clung to her body. Her cleavage threatened to tear the dress apart any second. Stalwart ordered a glass of date wine then dismissed the waitress.

“You handle yourself pretty well with a sword. You don’t need magic,” Vyk said after the waitress left.

“I handed it to the Priest when I arrived. Here,” Myles took a wooden token from his pocket then handed it to Vyk. “Great’s a good friend, he’ll know I sent you. Once you’ve verified the weapon, come talk to me.”

“What do you want to know?” Vyk asked. The young man in front of him had gone through the trouble to hand him a precious weapon. He felt obligated to help him.

“There’s a rumor about an intruder.” The waitress came back to deliver the wine. Stalwart thanked her with a kind smile then turned to Vyk. He sipped his wine while looking at the champion, his eyes filled with expectation.

“Ah yes,” Vyk chuckled. “I hear even High Priest Utar couldn’t find him. He suspects some fella with black eyes.”

“A lot of people have black eyes over here, don’t you think?”

“I’ve met the man with black eyes. It’s not his pupils I’m talking about. It’s his entire eye. He’s got some weird golden pupil too. Looks like a fucking devil goat.” Vyk leaned towards Myles then started whispering. “I think the sword you’re giving away belonged to him. I tried to steal it from him in the Canyons. It’s the only magical sword I’ve come across in the Canyons, nearly lost my head.”

“What do you think happened to this man?” Myles asked.

“I sure hope he died.” Vyk let out a cynical smile. “For all our sakes.”

“You know, there’s something that bugs me about all that.” Myles asked for some ale for Vyk then went on. “One man managed to infiltrate this mystical Castle. Nobody could find him and the High Priest is suddenly not overlooking the Contest. My humble mind suggests there’s something hidden in this palace.”

“It’s just rumors kid.” Vyk happily accepted the ale when the waitress in the tight dress brought it to him. “You’d do well to forget about it all together.”

“Then you can forget about the sword and my introduction to Mushtabah,” Myles retorted.

“You’re a persistent kid, aren’t you?”

“I’m curious is all,” Myles innocently answered.

“Whatever’s hidden in this Castle, Ulmir has hidden it somewhere nobody would think of. If you don’t value your life, I suggest you pay the Lounge a visit.”

“I’m curious, not suicidal,” Myles retorted. “I’ve satisfied my curiosity.” He stood up, extended his hand towards Vyk then said. “I’m Stalwart.”

“Vyk,” the bronze skinned man answered. “Thanks for the gift boy. I hope you’d keep your word.”

“Oh certainly Vyk. I’m nosy to a fault. I like to know things or they keep bugging me, like an itch in my back where I can’t get my hands to reach and scratch it. You were the helpful friend that came along and scratched my back.”

Myles stood then left the common area. Guards were about to escort him to his new quarters. He’d passed the preliminary stage. He had the right to a private room.

“I have information on the intruder,” he told the guards.