by Ian Carter
Kai nodded and returned his attention to the match. Hayleigh was still on the defensive from Jordan's attacks. However, Jordan was beginning to slow down. Either he was tired, or he had figured out some sort of pattern in how Hayleigh defended. Good luck, Kai thought. He hadn't been able to find one in the months he had sparred with her, let alone in a ten-minute duel. There was no way.
"You're slowing down, Jordan," Hayleigh proclaimed. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already."
"If that's what you truly think, you'll be a little disappointed," Jordan replied. He looked down at his Blade to see nearly a dozen deformities and delaminations in his Blade from Hayleigh blocking his attacks. He returned his gaze to Hayleigh and smiled. Suddenly, he turned and ran away from her at full speed. Hayleigh, confused at his actions, dropped her stance to observe his actions.
"I don't think my Blade can take too much more punishment from you, Miss Knowles," Jordan admitted. "It looks like I'm going to have to end our little playdate a little prematurely, but you have been an excellent opponent." Jordan gave a brief nod and bow to Hayleigh before he raised his Blade high above his head, pointed at the sky.
"Rain!" Jordan shouted.
Confused, Hayleigh looked up to the sky to see what the attack was. Immediately, several glimmers in the sky appeared accompanied by a whistling noise. Panic spread across her face as a rain of Silver Blades came crashing down onto her.
Hayleigh took her glowing Blade and sliced through many of the incoming projectiles, managing to evade most others. A few of the Blades managed to break her defense and left some nicks and slices on her exposed skin. A cloud of sand from the wayward Blades began to obscure her vision, shortening the window of her already limited reaction time. Blades she was unable to dodge or cleave away clanked off of her metal plate or dig into her leather armor. The Blades that pierced through it didn't get far due to the high quality of the leather.
A last wave of Blades fell upon her, and she attempted to dodge those as well. Just as the final volley came down, one Blade managed to catch her right leg and drove itself through her calf. Hayleigh fell to the ground and screamed in pain from the attack. Blood began to spurt from the wound as her body began to tremble.
Just as quickly had the Blades appeared that they immediately disappeared, vanishing like a mirage. Hayleigh reactivated her Super Heat Stone and soldered many of her guts and gashes to stem the blood loss.
"Thank you for making so many imperfections in my Blade," Jordan announced. "I find that when the copies of my Blades have them, they tend to rip apart flesh a little better when they connect. I'm a little sad that you're able to stop your bleeding, but I guess there would be no fun in the fight otherwise." Jordan gave a deep, fearsome laugh that caused Hayleigh to flash a look of panic across her face. She rolled over onto her stomach and recoiled in pain from the deep wound and burn on her leg. She managed to get up on her knees before deactivating her Heat Stone and plunge her Blade into the sand. She shakily got to her feet and propped herself up to regain her balance with most of her weight on her left leg.
"It seems that I'll need to unleash one more attack onto you to finish you off, no matter how much overkill it may be. But you should commend yourself, Miss Knowles. You're the first person to not die to my Rain of Blades. It just shows how incredible you are. Still, I can't go and lose to everyone who wants to kill Mr. Braga.
"However, I'm a merciful man," he continued. "If you would like to save yourself the pain, submit to me. Let me have my way with you for a night you won't forget, and then you can go and become a happy Newlywed. Concede Miss Knowles and resolve yourself to fate. You cannot win, I'm afraid."
"Fuck no," Hayleigh replied, her voice lacking power. "You won't lay a finger on me. You do not get to decide if I can't win. I will win with my own two hands."
Worry spread across Kai's face. All of the memories that he made with her the past months flashed before his eyes. All the jokes, the insults, and the time they shared. All if it was precious to him. He couldn't bear to watch what was about to unfold.
"Hayleigh, it's okay, you can stop!" Kai yelled. "You don't have to push..."
"Shut up!" Hayleigh's yell caused all in attendance to go silent and perk their ears. "I'm not going to be Terrell's bride. I'm not going to let you and Mason die. I'm doing this for all of us. I'm doing this for me! I ..."
"Quite valiant, Miss Knowles!" Jordan cut her off as he raised his Blade to the sky once more. "Unfortunately, your life does not reside in a storybook. There will be no Prince Charming or a last-minute escape. This world is cruel, and there will be no happy ending for you. I pray you have made your peace. If not, you leave it up to me to make it for you.
"Kindly lay down like a dog and die. Rain!"
Kai raised himself from his seat. He wanted to jump down onto the arena floor to save her, but Mason grabbed his arm. Kai turned to see Mason shake his head and gesture to the battlefield.
"Look," Mason offered.
Another bombardment of Blades made its way from the sky accompanied by the familiar whistling sound. Kai's stomach turned as he felt powerless to help as the Blades made their way towards her. Hayleigh sighed and expelled her Blade from the sandy ground and held it in front of her face. Dozens of Blades crashed to the soil around her, and again the cloud of dust erupted from the impacts. Jordan unleashed another giant laugh, and with hubris, he turned to Terrell; His arms raised in victory.
"I apologize, sir, but I believe I have killed your bride to be," Jordan apologized. "I wouldn't fret, sir, there are many beautiful girls who would prostrate themselves to be your wife. I humbly beg for your forgiveness."
"Mr. Rees, you have nothing to apologize for," Terrell said. "Or rather, not for that reason."
"What do you m..." An arm wrapped itself tightly around Jordan's throat. He dropped his Blade and immediately attempted to struggle free from its grip before a Silver Blade swung upward and rested against the bottom of his chin. He immediately froze and threw his hands in the air. Hayleigh placed her face to the right side of his head so she could whisper into his ear.
"I bet you didn't know I could teleport... did you?" She removed her Blade and kicked out the back of Jordan's legs and pushed him down onto his hands and knees. She kicked his damaged Blade a few meters away and stuck the tip of her Silver Blade on the back of Jordan's neck. Hayleigh raised her head and stared at Terrell.
"Well? Aren't you going to call it?" Hayleigh yelled, her other hand thrown into the air. Terrell stared at her for a few seconds before he looked down at Jordan's defeated body. Jordan profusely sobbed into the sand beneath his hands, which caused Terrell to let loose a terrifying laugh.
"Very well! You fought exceptionally well. The winner of the first match is Miss Hayleigh Knowles!" Terrell's announcement caused half of his visiting delegates to cheer at the fantastic duel they had just witnessed. In contrast, the others shared nervous looks before beginning to clap and softly cheer themselves.
Kai and Mason jumped several feet into the air as they cheered and screamed at the top of their lungs. Hayleigh sheathed her Blade and turned to face Kai and Mason. She smiled a
sweet, innocent smile and raised her hand to wave. Hayleigh managed for a few seconds before she fell backward to the ground in exhaustion. Kai and Mason immediately left their seats and sprinted across the arena floor to her side.
As they arrived at her side, Mason lifted her off the ground so Kai could place a nearby chair under her to sit on. Mason gently let her down, and once she could get comfortable, her breathing began to slow down. Kai held her hand and felt her heart beating wildly from the adrenaline from the fight, and she took a few minutes before its frenzied beating slowed.
"How do you feel?" Kai asked.
"Like I need to take a few weeks off," Hayleigh joked, which caused all three of them to laugh. "How did I do?"
"You were great! You made me unbelievably proud, and you've served both your kingdom and your prince well."
/> "I'm glad," her voice sounded a bit weak. "I'm happy I didn't lose to that pervert."
"You did ... you did great," Kai confirmed. "You've done more than enough now. You can rest and leave the rest to me."
"I'll leave it to you, then," Hayleigh replied with a beaming smile on her face. "We'll leave our lives in your hands."
"Sounds good," Kai replied with the dumbest grin on his face. The happy moment lasted another few seconds before Terrell walked him to them, surrounded by guards.
"If you would like to get ready for our match, I will get my healers to take good care of her," Terrell offered. "After all, I cannot allow my bride to have so many ugly scars." Both Mason and Kai made a small move towards Terrell, which caused his guard detail of ten Bladesmen keen to draw their Blades all place their hands on their hilts. Mason and Kai aborted their initial reactions, and instead affixed grim expressions to their faces.
"Please, allow my healers to work," Terrell asked again. "I have no reason to do her harm." As Kai looked down at Hayleigh, she still smiled at him. Kai nodded his head and motioned to the healers that they could take Hayleigh. They brought over their gear and gingerly lifted her from the ground onto the cloth stretcher they had brought. Two men raised her and took her towards a tented area as two healers began to heal her using Heal Stones. Terrell raised his hands and beckoned forward some of his guards.
"Take Mr. Rees to the tents and tend to his wounds." Two guards barked 'Yes sir!' before they each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him off to the same tented area. During the celebration, Jordan had managed to pass out from the pain of the glass shards and the mental shock of losing.
"Your Highness," Terrell continued. "Our match will begin in ten minutes. I trust you're ready?"
"I was ready the minute I stepped outside the capital," Kai replied. A tint of anger in his words caused Terrell to raise his eyebrows in response. He shrugged his shoulders and began to walk off back towards his guests. He raised his right hand and waved without looking back at Kai.
"Good luck Your Highness, you're going to need it."
"I would wish you luck, Terrell. However, dead men do not need luck."
Terrell stopped in place. Kai stared daggers into the back of Terrell's bald head, and after a brief moment, Terrell continued off to prepare for their duel to the death.
Chapter Fourteen
The Rising Son
It was a familiar feeling. Kai had experienced the same unease less than a year ago.
◆◆◆
"This is your new offensive teacher. Her name is Hayleigh," Mason said as he gestured to a beautiful woman Kai had never seen before that stood slightly behind him. "She is the best Silver Blade in the kingdom and one hell of a fighter. While I will continue to teach you defensive swordplay, she will teach you the offensive side of things." The woman nodded as she stepped out from Mason's shadow; she stretched out her hand towards Kai as she flashed a welcoming smile.
Kai looked down at her hand and returned his gaze to Mason. He was extremely unimpressed.
"Why?" Kai openly pondered. "You are the only teacher I need. I don't need a woman, especially one my age, to teach me anything. You're more than capable, Mason. You're a Gold Blade for crying out loud!" Hayleigh quickly retreated her hand and placed it on her hip. Her friendly look disappeared and was replaced by an unimpressed one to match Kai.
"I'm not teaching this brat anything. I'm going back to Erkau." Hayleigh's response was swift and to the point. She spun around and took two steps towards the training ground exit before Mason's bellowing voice stopped her.
"Why don't you two kids stop the bad acting and talk with these ridiculously expensive training swords instead?"
"Not interested," they both flatly refused.
"While in this training area, I hold the highest rank here," Mason explained, throwing a practice sword at the feet of each of their feet. "When I say smile, you smile. When I say spar, you spar. Now, you two get ready and figure this out." Kai shook his head, disappointed in his instructions.
Nonetheless, he picked up the sword from his feet. Hayleigh allowed her gaze to reach her boss before she rolled her eyes and picked up her sword. The combatants took up their standard positions as Mason retreated backward, clear of the future battlefield. He cleared his throat.
"Begin!"
◆◆◆
"You seem nervous, but not as nervous as I expected you to be."
The voice stirred Kai back from his memories. Facing him was the leader of the resistance, and the man who had attempted to kill him, Terrell Braga. He wore a smug smile on his face, while his Blade was held loosely in his hand. Terrell was a man confident in his abilities. He viewed Kai as nothing more than a hindrance like an annoying mosquito to be swatted aside. The attitude and vibe radiated by Terrell matched the same ones Hayleigh had on display that day.
"We never discussed what would happen if I won, did we?" Kai asked.
"There isn't a need," Terrell said with a smile. "You're going to die here, Your Highness."
"Be a good sport. Will you entertain a foolish prince?"
"If you insist. It is a grave sin to ignore the final wish of a dying man. I will humor you, Kai Orilia. Make your request."
"When I win, will you work with me to fix my kingdom?"
"Hmm?" Terrell staggered out his bewildered response. "What do you even mean by that?"
"I'm not a fool," Kai answered. "I witnessed the hardships of many of my citizens on my journey here. In Karsdal, I met children left to their own devices in the streets. In countless other small villages, I came across afterward, famine and lack of medicine were prevalent. I don't know why my father has abandoned so much of his kingdom or the circumstances. No matter his reasons, I intend to rectify the transgressions my family has made. I want to ensure a prosperous future for all of my kingdom, not just a select few.
"We don't even need to fight Terrell," Kai pleaded. "Of course, you attempted to kill me, so you need to be punished somehow. However, if you wish, right here and now, we can become allies in helping Orilia's future. I assure you that you will have a much easier time effecting change with a prince on your side. What do you say?" Kai sheathed Initiation and reached out his hand to Terrell, much the same way a hopeful Hayleigh once did to him. In this situation, he hoped the man who stood across from him would be more reasonable than he had been.
"Prince Kai," Terrell answered in a stoic voice that caused Kai's stomach to drop at its tone. "The reason I've done what I've done for this kingdom is to repair the damage your family has done. What kind of guarantee do I have that what you say is true? When I sheath my Blade to grab your hand, there is nothing I can do to hold to you to your words.
"Besides, what makes you think I want this responsibility? Do you think I wanted to become a symbol for hundreds of thousands of people? Do you think I enjoy overseeing a vast city expanding beyond its infrastructure? Each month I must procure more and more medicine. More food. More lodging for people looking to fight the tyranny of you and your father. The only thing I ever wanted after being exiled here was to ensure that the people under my oversight got to live a good life. But you and your father left me no choice when I saw them suffer. When no-one else was willing to step up to stop the suffering, I took it upon myself.
"And now," Terrell's voice began to heighten with a sense of anger. "You boldly and ignorantly ask me to simply lay down our arms and become dogs to the same family responsible for this mess? To promise you that we will play nice? I do not think so." Terrell's voice grew slightly erratic from anger as his hand trembled as he gripped his Blade tight. "The destroyer who broke the heart and soul of an entire people does not get to dictate how to fix it. That right belongs to the broken. We decide how we get to heal." Terrell pointed his Blade at Kai. "The leader of the broken will break the destroyer. I am the 'Blade of Rebellion' against your corruption.
"Now draw your Blade and die at my hand."
Kai realized what he was tru
ly facing. Not only was he banished from his family, but his family ripped away his prestige and any hope of a happy future. He then had to pick up the pieces of a kingdom that had betrayed him so cruelly. Kai knew at this point co-operation would be impossible.
He sighed at his misfortune. But he was more prepared than the last time he was in this scenario. He had months of training with Hayleigh, his experience in Erkau's tunnels, and his fight with the half-giant. He also had a Stone he could do some damage with. Kai, for better or worse, was ready. He drew his Blade and held it outwards towards Terrell, who was standing four meters away.
"It won't be me who dies today," Kai stated.
One of the foreign dignitaries had volunteered to start and call the match. Since it was to the death, there was no need for anything else. The man who had volunteered stepped forward and raised his right hand into the air. The mid-evening sun dazzled against the many rings on his fingers.