The Oathsworn

by Liandra Jake

  Wesken and his squad took off most of their bulky armor while Duke fiddled with the control panel. Kronth hurried to the reclining sofa. The window shimmered as Duke zoomed in on the battlefield. Soon the announcer's voice filled the room. He was energetic, but not obnoxious.

  "Hey ya'll out there! We've got quite a setup today. Two sets, a high and low Ranked, will clash for the grand prize! 120,000 Ere plus an exclusive interview in Guild Ruled; the world's leading exclusively Guild magazine. First up we have the Pendragon hunting rookie Arend pitted against someone who has had experience with the Zneh Challenge, For those out there who don't know, that's a seven day grueling survival challenge, Seth Masters!

  "Arend is getting filled in on the rules and receiving some help from one of the support teams. We should be starting soo-" He stopped as Arend ran out onto the battle field. "It would seem Arend doesn't need any help. His support team seems irritated. They say that while his bag doesn't contain anything dangerous or illegal, they still want him to leave it with them.

  Arend began doing some quick stretches.

  "I take it he doesn't agree with that."

  Kronth shook her head with an amused smile. Seth Masters walked out across from Arend.

  "Seth has chosen his trusty Hamshaw, a combination of a hammer, saw, axe, and shovel. Sturdy, sharp and heavy, it will prove a lethal weapon in his experienced hands. Arend seems to be going with a bare handed method. We can only guess what he's thinking. As a quick reminder, no bypass Korvan or any other lethal weapon that can break Exo-suit emergency shields.

  "Each contender has a set of bracelets and anklets that will prevent permanent damage, but do not reduce the pain inflicted. A single strike will activate a full body scan that can give us an idea of their stats. Their limit is determined by these stats and when a fighter reaches it, they lose the match. Our referee will start things off."

  A man with a large neon green aura stepped onto the field. He spoke a few words to Seth and Arend before starting the fight. "You sure you don' wanna use a weapon?" Seth asked with a thick country accent.

  Arend raised his fists. "Less talkin' and more blockin'" Arend replied. Their voices could be heard through headsets and a series of speakers throughout the stadium.

  "Blockin'? That doesn't-" Seth was cut off by a spinning roundhouse to the face.

  A solid crack echoed as a neon blue aura blocked Arend' foot inches from Seth's face. Seth fell backwards from the force of the impact. "Learned that one from The Dance of The Tiger. It's one of the few movies I actually watch." Arend said as he let Seth get to his feet.

  "Let's see Seth's stats. 320 Endurance, 6 Defense, and an Attack of 21; not exactly legendary, but should still prove difficult for the unarmed Arend."

  Seth charged foreword, swinging his Hamshaw from the right. Arend hopped to the right, ducking under Seth's attacks before charging himself. Seth dropped his Hamshaw, grabbing Arend' left hook and twisting his arm around his back.

  He delivered seven quick jabs at Arend' ribs before hopping back. Arend gently tapped his ribs. It hurt and that's all it did.

  "Now let's see… 830 Endurance, 17 Defense and 7 attack. This is one Hardy dude! Too bad he's so inexperienced compared to Seth."

  Arend frowned, and then grinned widely.

  "What's he planning?" Wesken asked as they watched closely from above.

  Arend pulled out his L-tool and a pair of small scissors. Seth retrieved his Hamshaw, amused at Arend' tiny pieces of metal. Seth threw his Hamshaw as hard as he could at Arend. Arend rushed past it, letting the blade brush past his grinning face. Arend then threw his hat into Seth's face. As he stepped back, Arend snagged his right hand and quickly fidgeted with the bracelet. Seth quickly pushed him off.

  Arend collected his hat as he retreated. Seth glanced at the bracelet, it seemed undamaged. He only glanced at Arend as he retrieved his Hamshaw.

  "Oooh! He's clever!"

  Seth charged again. Arend snagged a rock from the ground. He pelted Seth's right shoulder. He fell to his knees, crying out.

  "Arend increased Seth's pain receptors to the max. No wonder he's considered a Master Kruxsetter."

  Seth grunted. "I suggest you give up." Arend said as Seth got to his feet.

  Seth replied by charging once again. Arend feinted at Seth's right, making him flinch and flex. Instead, he knocked him back and sat on his chest. "Game's over." Arend said before twisting his thumb up into Seth's armpit. Seth screamed out as loud as he could before passing out. Arend stood up and brushed himself off. The crowd was going wild. Seth's Endurance went from 320 to zero in an instant.

  "Ouch! Arend used his skills as a Kruxsetter to paralyze Seth. Too bad that won't work in the future. Up next is Dyeth vs. Gartt."

  Arend walked off the field to his side as Seth was unceremoniously scraped from the arena floor. As Arend neared the edge, he saw Hunter and the other's from the Guild cheering wildly.

  Arend gave them a quick salute in reply. "Is it true you went on a date with Arend?" Duke asked Kronth.

  "Yeah." Kronth said slowly.

  "What are the chances of a second?" Duke asked.

  "Why are you asking? You're never going to date me." Kronth replied.

  "Crashed and burned." Wesken said as Duke frowned.

  The rest of the seven fights ended quickly. Alex won his and moved up in the High Ranked section. Arend' second fight was against Dyeth, a martial artist. The fight was mostly silent except grunts from the fighters and the crack of Arend' shield. Arend was being beaten hard. ¾ of his Endurance was whittled away while he could only get ¼ of Dyeth's 210.

  "Arend is on his last legs. I guess he's not up to snuff to beat Dyeth."

  "Fuck this!" Arend exclaimed as he turned to where the announcer was seated.

  "Shut the fuck up already! I don't need your input!" Dyeth lunged forward at the opportunity to win the fight.

  Before Dyeth's back attack could land, Arend knocked him back with his heel. Arend quickly spun around. Before Dyeth could hit the ground, Arend threw a fist sized rock at Dyeth's head. It shattered on impact with the shield, before Dyeth landed on a sharp rock. His Endurance plummeted to zero.

  "Too easy. Hopefully someone won't fall for these tricks." Arend said as he turned back to his side.

  "Well?"

  Arend waved a hand.

  "Dyeth's downfall would be a back of glass it seems. Arend concentrated Dyeth's shield strength at his head so when he landed on the rock, the system overloaded as it tried to protect him. Arend has yet to beat someone without a trick of the Korvan."

  "Why doesn't he use his Dragon Drive some other weapon of his?" Glock asked.

  "I think he's trying to prove a point. Many people say that using any Korvan that increases a person's strength or any other attribute is a sign of weakness. I think he's trying to prove that he can hold his ground without any of that kind of support, and that's he's just not some lucky rookie that acquired a super weapon." Wesken replied.

  "Hmph!" Casandre grunted.

  Soon the semi-finals would be starting. Arend was waiting in the arena for five minutes before there was an announcement.

  "Octavius has forfeited. Arend moves on to the finals."

  He sounded like he was confused about the circumstances of the forfeit. Something about it unsettled Arend and he hurried back to his side. Alex's fight was over with a single strike. He too was going barehanded.

  "That was the quickest semi-finals I've ever seen! A fight between Arend and the returning champion Alexander should be interesting."

  Arend and Alex soon found themselves staring each other down. "Long time huh?" Arend said.

  "Yeah, you grew up pretty fast." Alex had a blue cape that split towards the end, creating a whale-like tail. A dark blue dress shirt was on his chest, a few crossing pieces of string tying it down to him.

  The sleeves went halfway down his forearm before spreading out into frilly cuffs. He had a pair of blue pants that matched his shirt. His
knee high boots were a light blue, with square plating along the edge of the sole. He had a pair of dark purple gloves that didn't cover his ring or pinky finger on either hand. The palms curved outward slightly with a spiral of a hard material set on top.

  "That's quite a get up. I swear you Guild people have the weirdest taste in clothing." Arend said as he looked him over.

  "Yeah." Alex laughed. "We get bored of it eventually, but there's always something stranger than the last." Alex replied.

  "There's no point dragging this out." Arend said as he twisted the ring on his left hand once. It heated up slightly and Arend' hand felt a little weak afterwards.

  "I wouldn't take you as a Beastmaster." Alex said when he saw the ring.

  "I couldn't master this beast if I wanted to." Arend replied as a shadow flashed overhead and King landed beside Arend. Alex jumped back, a dark look flashing across his face as he reached behind his cape. A telescopic, spring loaded handle shout out as Alex drew a scythe. Arend' face darkened when he recognized it. King's fur bristled and he let out a low growl. "Aquaporus huh?" Arend asked in a low voice.

  He tossed his bag and hat onto King's back. Arend grabbed the handle of the Dragon Drive, and with a single smooth motion, ripped it from its sheath, the Drive roaring to life. Alex cursed to himself when it clicked in his head.

  "I never would have expected you to team up with a Pendragon." Alex said.

  "I never thought you would have tried to kill me." Arend replied as he charged forward. Alex swung his scythe down, the blade inches from Arend' face.

  A jet of water shot out as it passed. Arend charged straight through the crescent of heavy water thrown at him. The water skimmed over Arend' shield. Alex's eyes narrowed. As Arend brought his sword down at Alex, Alex sidestepped at an incredible speed and delivered a palm strike straight into Arend' ribs. Even Alex's neon shield crackled as he sent Arend flying across the field. Arend' Endurance dropped past zero.

  "That's it ladies and gentlemen, Alexand-"

  The announcer stopped as Arend ripped off the now defunct bracelets and anklets. Arend' ribs were broken from Alex's attack. He coughed blood as he got to his feet. Alex' bracelets and anklets were cut by an unseen force. "It's not over." Arend growled as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

  "I'm triple S Ranked Arend; you don't stand a chance against me." Alex said as he popped his scythe from the earth.

  "Overclock." Arend growled as he brought his palm down on his Drive. His aura turned a dark blue, but his eyes remained metallic silver.

  "You'll never learn." Alex said as he halved the length of his scythe.

  Arend charged again. Swinging wildly, Arend aimed for Alex's head. Alex danced around them, before bringing his scythe down on Arend' head. The Dragon Drive's shield struggled to keep the blade back, inching closer and closer to Arend' neck. Alex pushed down with both hands.

  Arend instantly snapped to the ground, the blade of the scythe cutting the back of his neck. King took a step forward. "Don't." Alex said as he brought the blade into contact with Arend neck.

  King let out a low growl. There was a loud shattering of glass as Duke kicked out the window of their room. He and Kronth hopped down into the crowd.

  "Let him go." A man said from behind Alex. He was dressed in a full suite of red armor. A shield with a large sun was on his left arm. The cone shaped guard to a sword was visible at his left hip.

  "Aubade Escutcheon and the Sunrise Falchion." Arend said, naming the shield and sword.

  Alex brought up his scythe "His heart is what's creating his odd powers. The Mark of The Grey is from it as well. He poses no threat to our goals." The armored man continued. His face was hidden behind a grilled red visor.

  Alex turned to walk away. Arend struggled to his feet. "Still trying to fight." Alex said with a shake of his head.

  "Limit… BREAK!" Arend shouted as he brought his right fist down onto the Drive. Three rapid-fire clicks echoed across the stadium speakers and Arend' aura shifted to a bright red. As the Drive sped up to an impossible speed, Arend' aura spread out to as far as he could reach with his sword. A steady resonance from the Drive shook Arend' body.

  Alex paused and looked back. A pair of blood-red eyes glared back with the rage of a dying star. The armored man had only the time to turn his head back before Arend had already swung past his head. Arend cut through the man's helmet and continued on into Aquaporus. The man's blood arced through the air before an explosion of water droplets drenched a ten foot radius around the three.

  Alex quickly glanced down at Aquaporus. A half inch gash ran across the blade. The remainder of the man's helmet slipped off his head. A pair of grey eyes stared back at Arend with fear. He had white hair.

  "My powers are my own." Arend growled. Behind him, the field was filled with Arend' friends running to help. Even some of the other contestants were running out to assist. Though he was in expensive cloths, Richard Griffin was the first to Arend' side when he collapsed. Alex and the armored man were gone well before then.

  [X]

  A week and a half later, Arend woke up in a hospital bed. "He's up!" Kronth exclaimed as she ran over to Arend' side. Hunter and the group of people waiting quickly scrambled into the room.

  Arend sat up and looked at his heavily bandaged right hand. "God fucking damn it!" Arend yelled as he punched the bed. His teeth were clenched tightly as tears streamed down his face. The happy smiles of Arend' friends faded as they watched him.

  "Arend…" Kronth said quietly as she placed a hand on his back.

  "He acts like my life is just something he can just play with however he likes! Like whether I deserve to live or die is up to him!" Arend cried.

  Kronth waved the others from the room. "It's not going not happen again. Next time I'll prove just how strong I am." Arend growled as he tightened his fists.

  "Arend, it'll be okay." Kronth said gently.

  "You tell that to my sister." Arend replied.

  "Arend that's unfair; both to you and me. You were eight. You did more than anyone else could do." Kronth said as she wrapped her arms around him.

  "You say you want to become strong, but can you prove it?" Richard asked from the corner. Kronth and Arend glanced over. He was dressed in a plain black suit.

  "You have the strength and noticeable talent. All you need is the right teacher." He continued.

  "What do you mean?" Arend asked.

  "I think he wants to train you." Kronth suggested.

  Richard nodded. "Just me and you for four months; It'll be a crash course, but you'll be able fight with a stronger strategy than charging and then passing out." Richard said as he walked up to Arend.

  "Why only four months?" Arend asked.

  "I have my own business to worry about. If I disappear for more than four months, people start to freak out. Especially if the press decides to make assumptions." Richard explained.

  "Give me a few weeks. I need to sort some stuff out first." Arend said as he held out his unbandaged hand.

  Richard shook it. "I'll see you then."

  Arend spent the next few days recovering in the hospital. The doctor said that the Orenth manipulation the Dragon Drive could perform disturbed the inorganic Orenth of its surroundings. The pure Orenth damaged the cells in his hand and distorted the flow of Orenth in his body. "Or something like that." As Arend told his friends. Soon enough he was headed back to Dragon's Den in Rusty's car, the whole gang crammed in together.

  "Things have gotten crazy since the tournament!" Kyrel said from beside Rusty, facing the back.

  "Since they were unable to interview you, Guild Ruled decided to do a multi-page article on Dragon's Den. They even went as far as tracking down Nojeski and Wake to clarify some things about King." Rusty said.

  "We've also gotten a few new recruits, most of whom want to meet you." Hunter said from Rusty's other side.

  "How many?" Arend asked.

  "Twenty-four." Hunter replied.

  "Twenty-four!? T
hat's almost twice as many members that we already have!" Arend exclaimed.

  "We'll weed out a few of them soon enough. Panzer is in charge of training them." Hunter said.

  "She's the crazy macho request women right?" Arend asked.

  "I see you finally know someone by name." Kronth said from beside Arend. Jenifer and Nate were next to them in the cramped back seat.

  "I've spent a lot of time in that bed. Not much to do besides fixing anything and everything within reach." Arend replied.