by Andrew Rowe
“In a manner of speaking. I have a relationship with a Seer who sets up observation devices to watch the matches from outside. It is quite a bit easier to find individual combatants that way.” Iron smiled.
“Wait. Is that allowed?” Reika wrinkled her nose. “Wouldn’t that discourage people from buying tickets?”
“Several Seers and Diviners, including my friend, pay a premium for being able to show the competition from their own private facilities. Many serious sponsors hire someone for that purpose. It is all perfectly within the rules of the tournament, I assure you.”
Reika frowned. “Doesn’t that give you an unfair information advantage?”
“I could have told you more about the details of the preliminary by watching previous rounds...but so could anyone who watched from the audience. That would have been a minimal advantage.”
Reika seemed to ponder that, still looking a little irritated.
“So,” I began. “We finished the match. Did we perform to your expectations?”
Iron nodded slowly. “There are areas for potential improvement, but I believe you have the potential to suit my purposes.”
“Can I ask what you mean, Grandma?” Reika looked a little uncomfortable. Subterfuge and secrets were something she didn’t have a lot of experience with.
“You may.” Iron took a breath. “To explain that, I should tell you my own story, as promised. I will ask you to keep this to yourselves, but I will not demand it. You should know that speaking openly of this would not only bring great danger to me, but to yourselves and everyone else at this school. Innocents would suffer.”
I tried not to laugh at Dawn’s snark. This was a serious subject.
“We’ll keep that in mind.” I replied. I was curious now. “What’s your story?”
Iron glanced at the weapons at the wall, then back to us. “Thirty-six years ago, I reached the tournament finals. Thirty-six years ago, I was set to fight the Emperor of Edria himself. And thirty-six years ago, I was offered a deal — to lose deliberately to maintain the stability of the nation. To keep power in the hands of those who had held it for generations. I was promised great things. Magical elixirs, powerful items, gold beyond reckoning.”
Reika took a breath. “What did you do?”
“I refused, of course. I was arrogant. Proud. A chance at Diamantine was worth far more than any potion or coin.” She took a breath. “The assassins struck the day before the match was set to occur.”
She reached up, running a finger across the scar that trailed across her left eye. “I lost an eye, a hand, and several good friends in my escape.”
Reika gasped. “But you just wanted to fight fairly!”
“Oh, child. You’re sharp enough to understand, aren’t you?”
Reika’s shoulders slumped. “…They do that every time, don’t they? Those they can’t buy, they kill.”
“Good girl.” Iron took another sip of her tea. “I barely survived that ordeal, and when I recovered, I discovered that my match had already occurred — with a body double in my place. With assassins still after me, I fled the country for years. I traveled the world, changing my identity each time the assassins nearly caught me. Eventually, I slipped free of them, and returned home. I entered the tournament again, more than two decades after my last attempt.” She grunted. “To my credit, I made it further than anyone else who only had one eye and one hand. But I was nothing compared to what I once was.”
“And for the following tournaments, I suppose you hired someone to fight in your place?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t hire anyone. I opened a martial arts school — a much smaller one — and began to train students for it. They performed admirably, and a few even earned titles. My best student, Walter, made it to the quarter finals. He was kind enough to donate the necessary gold for me to move my studio here, just outside the arena. He helps me teach now. We have spent the last six years training the most promising students we can find…but I am growing old, and I have little time left. Walter may win himself this year, but I would be pleased to have a few more options.”
“Meaning…” I waved for her to continue.
“Meaning,” Iron smiled, “I’d like to sponsor someone who is willing to fight the emperor and win.”
Reika and I exchanged glances. We were both leaning the same way, but…
“How do we know this isn’t some kind of trick, a screening process by the emperor to evaluate our motives?” Reika asked.
“You can never know that for certain, granddaughter. But I work here, at the arena, and all I’m asking for you is to fight fairly with the intent to succeed. There’s nothing illegal about that. The only risk if I’m lying is that you’d be hunted by the same assassins that would be after you if I’m telling the truth.”
I frowned. “You’re taking a considerable risk by telling us all this.”
“I am,” Iron admitted, “I have contingency plans, but I am old now, and running no longer suits me. If they came for me, I would die with a sword in my hand.”
I gave her a nod of understanding. “Why give your trust to strangers, then?
“There are three main reasons,” Iron replied. “First, you have one of the sacred swords. You’re not going to be the type of person who would accept money or power from the emperor. Second, I did some research on you while you were in the preliminaries. I could find no record of either of a ‘Keras Selyrian’ or ‘Reika Dawn’ in the citizenship records from Valia or Dalenos. Since you have something of your own to hide, I believe you are more likely to preserve my own secrets. And third, I have no better options. I have little time left. This tournament is most likely my last chance to see some justice.”
She was able to get foreign citizenship records that quickly? Either records are much easier to pull here than back home or she must have powerful friends. Maybe…
“If we agree to accept your sponsorship, would you have the ability to introduce us to Anabelle Farren?” I asked.
Iron shook her head. “I know of her, but we have no personal connection. She is a bit of a recluse and eccentric. I can tell you, however, that she is not publicly sponsoring any candidates herself, and that she is on the guest list for the winner’s banquet after the fifth round. If you agree to work with me, I will do my best to ensure you make it to that point.”
I considered that. “And the primary benefit you can offer us is information?”
“I fear you seem to underestimate the value of my knowledge, dear boy.” Iron’s eyes smiled. “But I understand your skepticism, and I am prepared to offer you something you may find to be of greater personal interest.”
I quirked a brow. “Which is?”
“While my personal skill is a portion of the reason that the Emperor’s servants came after me, it was not the only one. I am in possession of one of Diamantine’s medallions.”
My eyes widened. “You mean the ones that are used to earn the right to wield the sword?”
“Precisely, my dear.”
That certainly explained why Edria was tracking her for so long. If someone outside the imperial family had one of the medallions, that meant they had a form of claim to Diamantine itself.
“And…you’ll give it to us, if we agree to take you as our sponsor?” Reika asked.
“If either of you reaches the final round, I will give you the medallion. This suits both your interests and my own — it will give you a much-needed edge in the battle.”
“Because of the impact on the emperor’s morale when he sees it, or the amulet’s magic?” I asked.
“Both, but mostly the latter. The medallions are potent magical items in any situation, but they have one particular advantage that will serve you well in that match.”
Reika let out a little gasp as she realized something. “Oh! The medallions protect whoever is wearing them from the sacred sword they correspond to. The
enchantments are meant to keep the wielders of the particularly dangerous ones like Soulbrand from hurting themselves, but I suppose they could be used against the wielder, too…”
I heard a snort from Dawn.
In spite of Dawn’s confidence, I realized I’d have to keep an eye out in case one of the competitors had one of Dawnbringer’s amulets. I’d known they were valuable, but extra defense against Dawn’s abilities was something I’d have to be careful about.
“Precisely, my dear. The amulet serves as a ward against Diamantine’s powers. With it, you may have some slim chance of success. Without it, I fear you would likely be hopeless.”
“Even with another sacred sword?” I asked.
“Hm. Perhaps Dawnbringer’s magic resistance would offer you a scarce bit of protection, but Dawnbringer’s abilities are designed for fighting monsters of darkness, not for dueling. Diamantine is much more potent in personal combat.”
I am not planning to destroy Diamantine, Dawn.
I ignored Dawn and got back to the main conversation. “Can you confirm Diamantine’s actual abilities for me? I’ve read quite a bit, but the legends are inconsistent at best.”
Iron gave me a broad smile. “Of course I can — if you agree to accept me as a sponsor.”
She had a point. Information was one of the things she was offering, and she had no reason to give it to me for free.
I nodded slowly, then stopped myself. “Can you prove you have the medallion?”
“Ah. Of course. A prudent question.” Iron reached into the neck of her shirt, pulling out a diamond-shaped pendant with a single symbol gleaming on the front. “Satisfied?”
I gave Reika a questioning look. She nodded to me. “Yes, Grandmother.”
“Good.” Grandmother Iron tucked the medallion back under her shirt. I was a little surprised she was wearing it, rather than keeping it hidden in a vault or something, but I couldn’t disapprove. I would have done the same thing.
Except…
“Can’t they track that thing, if it’s connected to the sword?” I asked.
“Indeed. That is likely how they followed me for many years. I had an Enchanter modify the medallion to temporarily suppress the connection with Diamantine and added a detection-blocking function. I will have to have it modified again before I give it to you. Notably, that also means it is currently worthless against the sword.”
She probably threw that note in there to imply that simply stealing the medallion wouldn’t be useful, or would at least require some extra work to figure out how to fix the amulet. I wasn’t the type to try to steal something like that, but Iron didn’t know me, and I thought it was wise of her to make the statement.
Reika looked deeply uncomfortable for a moment, but she didn’t say anything. She probably didn’t like the idea of the medallions being modified, but honestly, I thought it was a very practical step to take.
“I think that’s the last of my questions, then.” I nodded to Iron.
“Good. What is your answer?”
Reika and I turned to each other. I gave her a nod, and she nodded in turn.
“We’d be honored to help you, Grandmother,” Reika answered for us. Working with Iron had risks, but we ultimately had the same goals, and I really wanted that medallion. Collecting as many of the medallions as possible would be extremely important if I wanted to obtain more of the swords. “If you’ll have us.”
“Good.” Iron nodded. “Then I will formally offer you my sponsorship.”
I took a breath. “Thank you. Do we need to document that somehow? Also, can we have more than one sponsor?”
“Ah. You are thinking of sponsorships as being some sort of official part of the tournament, yes?” Iron shook her head. “It is not so. They are merely a tradition where those who have the resources will assist those they believe to be most likely to succeed. There is no contract, merely our verbal agreement. And yes, you could have multiple sponsors, but it is considered...distasteful.”
I nodded at that. It was worth thinking about, but I didn’t want to offend our current sponsor. “Okay. Now that we’ve finished our preliminaries, what can you tell us about the rest of the tournament?”
“Each round as a theme. The theme of the first round is ‘capture’. Themes for the rounds tend to be used very loosely. For example, a round with a ‘Tenjin’ theme might be a test of knowledge, or it might be a test corresponding to his spire — such as fighting a serpent. It might also be related to the elemental affinity of his spire, or even the sword most closely associated with his area.”
“...Which is?”
“Water,” Reika answered. “Or possibly wood, if we’re going with an older reading. But probably water or ice, if the swords are important.”
Iron gave Reika an appreciative nod. “Your knowledge of the swords will make this much simpler for you. Although perhaps this one,” she lazily waved a hand at me, “will need a bit more of an education.”
“If it’s about swords, I don’t mind.” I gave an affirmatory gesture.
“How in the goddess name did you get one of the Six Sacred Swords without—never mind. It doesn’t matter.” Iron shook her head. “We will educate you on that subject, as well as other relevant topics, over the following weeks. You have nine days until the next test, during which we focus on training and outfitting you properly.”
“Sounds good. So, capture. We could need to capture someone or something, or we could start out captured and need to escape…any idea on what’s the most likely?”
“Both prison escape scenarios and item retrievals are very common. Needing to capture another person is unlikely…but a monster, perhaps. Or territory.”
I nodded. That gave me some things to think about, but I wasn’t too worried. I’d broken out of prisons before — don’t overthink that — and trying to capture an item or a monster sounded fun. “Okay. I’ll want your help over the next week with studying how to capture some local monsters in case that’s the goal, but any of the other types of capturing should be pretty simple.”
Reika wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Monster capturing sounds…rather barbaric, doesn’t it?”
“It can be a brutal thing out in the wild, dear.” Iron smiled. “But this would just be catching summoned monsters that are playing a role in the test. Nothing to worry about.”
Reika still seemed a little bothered, but she gave a hesitant nod. “Okay. As long as they’re just playing along.”
Iron gave her a considering look, then changed the subject. “How many points did each of you earn?”
“One hundred and seventy-one,” I remembered.
Reika glanced at me. “Not bad.” She smirked. “Three hundred and sixty-four.”
My eyes narrowed at her. “How?”
Iron responded for her. “The young lady traveled from entrance to entrance, challenging everyone present. She also challenged everyone she came across in the process. Your monster hunting approach was more traditional, but less efficient in points.”
“It’s okay.” Reika reached over and patted my foot. “You got almost half my score. Maybe if you try really hard, you’ll manage half next time!”
I glowered at her. “I did get a treasure box from fighting monsters.”
Reika’s smile widened. “Aww. I hope that helps soften the feeling of crushing defeat you’re feeling right now.”
My glowering intensified.
“Good, good.” Iron clasped her hands together. “A competitive attitude, even with your allies, will serve you well. With that in mind, I will introduce you to your fellow students shortly. I would also advise you to seek out the prize counter and spend any points you have earned.”
“What’s the prize counter?” I asked.
“The prize counter offers rewards in exchange for points earned in each round,” Iron explained. “Money, mundane equipment, magical items, information, and even specialized advantages for future rounds. It’s also where you’ll claim your major prizes if you make it to the later rounds.”
“Major prizes?” I asked.
“The most significant rewards for the competition come from winning the later rounds. If you make it through the fourth round, you earn the chance to hand-pick an item from the arena vault without any point cost. These tend to be unique items rather than the mass produced ones that you can buy with points, and most will be Citrine or Emerald level.”
I gave an appreciative whistle. “What else?”
“There’s are other prizes for the fourth round – Edrian citizenship, an honorary title, and a small plot of land. The Edrian government likes to entice anyone that powerful to stay here and serve Edria, so they are strategic gifts.”
I agreed with Dawn. “And for the later rounds?”
“Anyone who makes it through the fifth round and accepts Edrian citizenship is offered a place in the royal knighthood. Some of the imperial guard got their positions by placing highly in previous tournaments. You’ll also be eligible to attend the ‘victor’s banquet’, during which you’ll have a chance to meet visiting nobles and others of great importance. Beyond that, you’ll be given the chance to select an item from the royal vault, which is exactly what it sounds like.”
I blinked. “And they just let tournament contestants take anything they want?”
“Well, the truly valuable things — like the royal crown, or Diamantine itself — aren’t stored in the vault. But yes, winners of the fifth round of the tournament often earn items of myth and legend that have been collected by the Edrian royal family over the course of centuries.”
“I…don’t suppose there’s a chance anything related to the Six Sacred Swords would be in there?”
Iron smiled at me. “Unlikely. Things like the medallions would be actively used by the royal family or the imperial guard, given how powerful and culturally significant they are.”