The princess’s reaction of even possibly conceding the notion was nothing short of astonishing to her elven counterpart. Theo couldn’t help but take notice of Aidelin’s clear amazement over something he considered so trivial. Knowing the elven commander’s reaction was based solely on how lowly he thought of the other races, Theo inadvertently found himself shaking his head in disapproval of the his reaction. It was a gut level reaction that Theo would take back if he could. The atmosphere abruptly became tense, as Aidelin glared back at the human champion, but the elf tempered his emotions enough from doing anything further.
Nevertheless, after seeing how Raddington and Aidelin hung onto every word the princess spoke, Theo couldn’t help but be surprised of how highly they thought of her. At first, he thought their respect was based on her position alone, but it was impossible to be held in such high regard by others on rank alone. There was something unusually special about this elf.
Seizing the opportunity after Almahiel’s possible concession, Raddington proclaimed aloud.
Raddington: "See, this threat is no longer ours alone! Ask your father to send reinforcements!" After he said this, the princess regained her composure before replying in a monotone voice.
Almahiel: "And I will be the one to verify these claims with my own eyes. If they are true, I will send for the aid you so desperately seek." Leaving the matter to rest, she turned to leave.
Before giving her a chance to leave the tent, in a panic, the human general exclaimed back.
Raddington: "How can you verify these claims, if not for the heat of the battle that is to come?! When we have to fight the Aelaan forces combined might, by then, it will have been too late!"
His words fell on deaf ears, as Almahiel didn't even stop for even a moment while she walked off. However, Aidelin stayed.
Aidelin: "Over the age of several human generations, I’ve walked this world. Both the princess and I have seen the Aelaans barbarity first hand. If they are truly wielding magic as you have claimed, then they're a threat my kin will not tolerate. You have my word." he said before eyeing down Theo, judging the quality of the supposed champion of the west. He was not amused.
Aidelin: “Still, I’m curious as to what one, such as yourself, thinks they can do to stand against such overwhelming odds. By your own claims, they not only have superior numbers, but they also wield magic. If that is true, what chance do any of you possibly have?” He said sternly, yet directly towards Theo in particular.
It was already apparent that the elf was holding a grudge before he spoke further.
Aidelin: “Come, show me what you humans are capable of. Should it come to pass, I wish to see for myself, the quality of your best fighters my brethren will be fighting alongside.-” And downright tauntingly he continued to say, “-I only hope you’re not too much of a burden.” Having no intention of obliging the elf’s request, Theo just gave a nervous smile in return, to help calm down the situation, but his intentions were quickly undone.
Raddington: “As if I didn’t already have enough problems already! Go on, make his pompous ass acquainted with the dirt! But make sure it’s far away from my tent! At least that way, I’ll be momentarily rid of both of your stupidity!” The general said as insultingly as he could manage, shooing the two away.
Theo: “Or… we could try and get passed our differences by talking things out. You know, like reasonable people.” He nervously jested, but the others were certainly in no mood for such antics.
Aidelin: “So this is the best fighter you have? A coward?” The elf said tauntingly, as he glanced towards the human general.
Raddington glared back an unspoken order, basically demanding Theo to put the proud elf in his place. And audibly sighing, Theo understand the not so subtle hint, loud and clear. Gesturing the elf towards the tents exit, Theo lead the way, muttering something to himself.
Theo: “Why’s everything always got to be so difficult?” He said under his breathe.
────────
Through Aidelin’s insistence, the two made their way on the edge of the encampment, near the elven guard. And getting a feel for what was about to happen, some of the soldiers of the west tagged along. Princess Almahiel left her rather luxurious tent to inspect the commotion just outside. The sight of the elven commander leading the young champion immediately irritated her, but she wasn’t exactly surprised by it either.
Almahiel: “What is it you think you’re both doing?” She said, particularly looking towards the commander.
Aidelin: “I wanted to see if these humans would be any help in a fight. And what better way to test skills than a mock duel?”
With everyone’s suspicions confirmed, one could almost feel the excitement in the air, from the elves in the guard to the men of the west who anxiously looked on. Theo and the princess on the other hand, both had their own reasons for disliking the idea.
Almahiel: “Are you sure you wish to challenge the commander? He’s quite skilled you know, maybe even one of our greatest warriors.” She said curiously to Theo, seeing his reluctance.
And taking her words as an opportunity, Theo shrugged, as he spoke half-heartedly.
Theo: “Works for me!” He said before turning around and started to walk off.
In response to him trying to leave, the elven guard started murmuring amongst themselves, and even his own men were practically booing his decision. He didn’t really care too much on the matter, one way or another, until he heard the commander’s last words.
Aidelin: “So this is what we should come to expect? Cowards! It’s no wonder why the Aelaans make sport of your land and people.”
The champion stopped in his tracks, clenching his fist before turning back. The others in the alliance that were watching instantly cheered when he did.
When he started to look back at the elf, Theo basically laughed off his serious yet irritated expression, after realizing the elf’s harsh yet clever ploy had worked on him. And with his ill-suited spirited attitude, he spoke with the elf.
Theo: “If you really want to fight so much, it’s probably best you get yourself a weapon!” He said loudly, to the cheers of basically everyone there.
Almahiel: “Fine, do what you will! But remember, I warned you.” She said in an exasperated voice, certain of the fight’s outcome before it had even begun.
And gesturing to one of her guards, she continued to say in a defeated tone.
Almahiel: “Bring the commander a suitable weapon.” And with that rather uninspired proclamation, nearly every single one of the men and elves practically cheered in excitement.
The exhilaration from the surrounding crowds even almost got Theo to look forward to the coming duel. He was pleasantly surprised to see his opponent’s choice of weapon was a spear. It was a welcome change for Theo, since it seemed he only ever really got the chance to fight against other swordsmen.
Aidelin: “Oh, what’s this? Something as simple as my princess’s words made you quiver, but here you are standing against me, looking so confident in yourself… You must not be familiar with elven magic. No human stands a chance at defeating me in combat.” Theo seemed to consider the elf’s words deeply, stroking his chin contemplatively before giving a well thought out response.
Theo: “Has anyone ever told you, you can come off as a little bit abrasive?” He said jokingly, but playfully enough to help lighten the mood.
Those behind him laughed at his comment, but the elves, true to form, were far too serious to find it funny.
Aidelin: “Enough of these games. It’s past time you’ve learned your place.” Theo sighed in defeat, shaking his head, and responding with some regained seriousness.
Theo: “Alright, but I’m not holding back.”
Aidelin: “It won’t be enough…” The elf said in a monotone voice, gesturing the young champion towards him.
Theo obliged the elf’s request, charging straight at him. Closing the distance between them in just a second, Theo swung h
is sword down with all his might. As promised, the young champion wasn’t holding back. And having no choice but to take it just as seriously, Aidelin had to block the significant blow using both hands, holding his spear defensively over his head.
Barely managing to block Theo’s strike, Aidelin deflected his blade, but even with his sword aside, the young champion pressed forward. Nearly about to strike the elf with his gauntlet, Theo pushed forward when he suddenly was hit by an unseen force. It felt like a sucker punch in his stomach, and as he stammered to get his footing while Aidelin swung his spear widely, which Theo narrowly ducked under.
After dodging the elf’s swing, Theo jumped back to give himself some time to think of his next approach. He knew he was hit by some sort of attack, and it was likely elven magic, but it was done out of his sight. At the moment, it was as mysterious attack, like an invisible hand intervened in a second’s notice to aid the elf. A truly unfair advantage if that was all there was to it, but that was all but uncertain at this time.
Pacing around the elven commander, Theo seemed to have finally made up his mind, as he once again charged Aidelin. His attack wasn’t as direct this time around, instead keeping the spear wielder at a distance. It was a normally foolhardy strategy for a swordsman to use such a technique against a longer ranged weapon of a spearman, but it had a purpose. Even with his advantage from the distance, as the two fought on, Aidelin was losing.
As Theo was about to deliver a significantly powerful wide swing, he was struck by the unseen force once again. This time around, he was momentarily dazed as the magic hit him directly on the side of his face. But Theo also noticed the elf had positioned an open hand towards his head before the strike. That knowledge alone, was vital. But unwilling to give the young champion time to recover, Aidelin swung his one handed spear towards Theo’s chest. In response, the champion brought his gauntlet down, blocking the strike that pushed him back a couple feet.
Having regained some distance from his opponent once more, Theo shuck his arm to help relieve some of the stinging sensation. The elf eyed him down confidently, and Theo just smiled back in return before slowly raising his sword high and charging in again. It was a similar attack as before, a fool’s approach.
The elf sneered back in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. Standing firm, he held out his hand towards the champion, as he prepared his other to swing his spear. And that’s when it happened, in less than a second’s time, Theo released his sword with his armored hand. Swinging his hand, he swiped, and deflected the invisible magic he predicted was aimed towards his wide open face. It was a clever ploy that Theo immediately capitalized on before pressing his attack. As Aidelin was still in full swing of his spear himself, Theo brought his arm back, catching the spear in hand, and gliding his gauntlet over the handle as he closed in on the elf. Up close, Theo turned around fully, striking Aidelin with the hilt of his sword, sending him to the ground.
The blow not only knocked the elf to the ground, but disarmed him. And looking back up nervously to the human champion, Aidelin saw Theo standing above him, about to stick his sword down. And Theo finished by stabbing his sword down into the ground besides the elf, before reaching towards him to offer the elf a helping hand up. And with a genuinely sincere and king expression, Theo spoke.
Theo: “It’s not since my time at the Order that I’ve had to try so hard to win a duel. You’re really as good as they say you are.” The elf was astonished at having been dealt a defeat, as his opinion of the young man was immediately changed.
Once the elf had proudly accepted the hand of the human he acknowledged, the crowds around, particularly the soldiers of the west, erupted in cheers. After being helped to his feet, the commander spoke.
Aidelin: “To think that I would be defeated by a human, it appears there’s some among your kind who can still genuinely surprise me. If there are others like you, maybe there really is some hope left for your alliance.” Ignoring his low expectations of human’s altogether, Theo acknowledged the elf’s praise by only nodding in return.
Almahiel: “You have exceptional skill young champion. I’m sure before long, you’ll have your chance to make the most of it.” She said with genuine encouragement.
Not knowing how to deal with all the praise, Theo awkwardly said his thanks before leaving. Not that he made much of a choice in the matter, but the others soldiers of the west followed shortly after him to celebrate his success.
CHAPTER 41 – DRAGONS FURY
A few days northeast of the Order’s temple grounds, Ira found himself in an unfamiliar land. The surrounding landscape of jagged rock encompassed mountains of lifeless tones of brown. It seemed an inhospitable place to dwell, let alone have a village, but Ira knew there were worse places in the world where people lived.
Anxious to get on with his task, Ira made sure to keep pace, walking alongside the other ten in the Order. With their constant discrimination over their speculation of his lower class, Ira still in this moment, felt separated from the men he walked alongside. And even though no one had anything smug to say to him during their venture, he felt something was off. Ever since they started making their way through this strange territory, he noticed there had hardly been any talking amongst the group at large.
Not that Ira particularly minded that the others kept their mouths shut, the unsettling silence over the prolonged amount of time had become more than he could take. So he felt obliged to start a conversation.
Ira: "Has anyone here ever fought a dragon before? And if so, are they really as fearsome as the tales say?" He asked in anxious curiosity, and with no one answering him for a few seconds, he persisted all the more eagerly in his questioning.
Ira: "I've heard they can grow to thirty feet tall. How big are they really? I mean, do we really even need eleven men?" Irritated by the continued questions, only Oland responded, grunting in frustration before speaking harshly.
Oland: "Do you ever shut up?! Or do you peasants like hearing the sound of your voice that much?" The reply surprised him for all the wrong reasons, as Ira didn’t offer any immediate remark back.
After hearing Oland’s comments were the only response he got from the group, Ira became unsettled. Trying to avoid their notice, he slowly rested a hand on one of his black fangs, which he had for the moment kept sheathed. After carefully preparing himself, Ira spoke to everyone aloud, now with an irritation in his voice.
Ira: "It's really strange that Keller would have me do this trial. Knowing full well that we don't meddle in the affairs of the outside world. After all, he's always going on, and on, about tradition and useless things like that. And yet, here we are! Who would’ve thought that he’d have the conditions of my final trial break one of his, oh so sacred, traditions of the Order! It sure is out of the ordinary for the old man. I mean really, when did the old fart become such a hypocrite?!" He said deliberately as tauntingly as he could, all of this, to get a rise from the others to judge their reaction.
At first, the others didn’t take the bait. In Ira’s eyes, their lack of an answer to his disrespectful comments, was in fact, telling enough in and of itself. Stopping in his tracks, he asked the group more forcefully.
Ira: "Well, isn't it strange?!"
The other ten stopped walking after they noticed Ira had suddenly stopped moving himself. After seeing this reaction from the group, Ira was trying to stay calm, but he visually appeared more guarded, and slightly on edge. The eldest of the men there responded to Ira’s comment.
The Elder: "What are you getting so worked up about, Iranagi? It's no surprise that Keller would have this be your last trial. It's only natural that an exception would be made when there’s word of a dragon attack, only a few days walk from our Order’s grounds. Whether you've seen it for yourself or not, we all heard the stories, we all know that dragons are a serious threat…" As soon as the man said this, some of the other’s started to move slightly from one another, as he continued to say.
The Elder: "Drag
ons simply do not care for the life of others! Mindless beasts, they're not bound by rules or traditions. Selfish creatures that they are, they have proven countless times they'd do anything for their own ends. Truly, they are a blight upon the world, and must be destroyed. Wouldn’t you agree?-" The man said with clear contempt rising in his voice, and before long, Ira noticed he was surrounded by some of the others as the man continued to say aloud, "-That's why we're here, Iranagi... To rid ourselves of this blight! To… KILL-THE-DRAGON!!"
As soon as these words left the man’s lips, those surrounding Ira lunged towards him with swords’ drawn.
Partially prepared for their strikes, Ira dodged, and parried their attacks, leaping back from the group. When Ira landed safely away from the others, he looked down to realize the long strands of hair at the back his head were cut clean off, and the decorated metal brace that helped keep his hair so orderly and in place, was shattered. With his metal brace broken, Ira’s remaining hair fell over the sides of his head and face.
The others who stood before Ira were ready to follow through with the attack, but stopped temporarily as Ira yelled out bitterly.
Ira: "Why are you doing this?!" And to answer him, Oland stepped forward in front of the others with a grin on his face, and proclaiming with delight.
Oland: "Iranagi Ishida... It seems you finally found yourself fallen from Keller's grace. Took him long enough! Did you know, he personally asked that I should come? A precaution of sorts, just in case the others got cold feet." Laughing for a moment after seeing Ira's reaction to his claim, the noble continued his taunts.
Oland: "Before the sun sets, you'll be nothing more than a heap of rotting flesh!" After hearing this, Ira clenched his teeth in anger before yelling to the entire group.
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