by RA. Gil
“You know what?” He said. “This might just be the fight I'm looking for—a fight worth winning.”
“Huh?” The girl was more than shocked.
“Get yourself ready, Valeriana.” He smirked, addressing her by her name for the very first time. “Because I won't be holding myself back.”
The girl almost slapped herself. Now that he said that he was going to be serious about the fight, she felt more than anxious of what was coming. She stared at the golden flames that crackled on his lance.
“MISS VALERIANAAA!” A voice screamed. “YOU CAN DO IT!”
She recognized that voice which belonged to Poulette. Another chorus of voices echoed, all which belonged to her aides. Valeriana was glad that she had them. They really lifted up her spirits.
Holding back the tears that threatened to fall out from her eyes, she fixed her gaze on Zion and determinedly tightened her loose grip around her sword. Her hands ached and trembled unsteadily. Still, she wasn't going to let it get to her.
“Bring it on, Zion.”
Her opponent stared at her incredulously. One moment she was oozing with determination, and now she was tearing up like a stupid fool. He truly did not understand her. Was it because she was a member of the opposite sex? Or was it because she's a human?
“What is with you, woman?” He sighed problematically. “Why are you so confusing?”
“Not my fault.” She sniffed, wiping her tears away. “I was born this way. Maybe you can ask my mother.”
Zion burst into a fit of laughter while everyone around them looked utterly confused. What exactly was going on? They could see their lips moving, but could not hear what they were talking about.
“What the hell's going on down there?” Corvan asked, crossing his arms and brushing back a long, stray lock that wandered onto his face.
“Who knows?” Tamara shrugged, clueless as well.
Zion didn't look like he would stop laughing any moment. He was bent over, clutching his stomach with his arm. The bladeless tip of his lance hit the sandy ground, letting a small thump reach his ears. Instead of a weapon, he used it as a substitute for a cane to prevent himself from falling over.
“Don't you think Valeriana has a habit of making unlikely characters to laugh?” Charles queried.
“Seems like it.” Tamara answered.
The two eyed Valeriana, who looked beyond annoyed. She was biting her lower lip, face red from anger.
“Stop laughing.” Growled Valeriana. “There's nothing funny.”
“But there is, oh lovely Valeriana.” He told her. “You amuse me to no end. You're a highly intriguing character.”
She blew off the hair that fell on her nose. “I don't get it. What's so interesting about me?”
“You.”
“I heard this line before.” She muttered.
“Valeriana Kerrigan, quite the funny girl indeed.” He laughed.
Valeriana sighed. “Urgh . . . I can't wait until this fight ends.”
“Now don't be in such a rush, fifth-ranker.” Zion told her. “I want to savor every moment of it as much as I can. It's people like you that I love to defeat.”
He then repositioned his weapon in front of him and got into his fighting stance. The flames that were lively beating on his blade seemed even more intimidating than before. The look in his eyes visibly changed. Valeriana looked into them and felt a shiver run down her spine. Those eyes looked like they belonged to a hunter . . . and she was the prey.
Despite the fear that pooled inside her stomach, she took a huge calming breath and held her ground. Her hands were shaking. She didn't know if it was because of the fact that they were already trembling since a while ago, or because of fear.
She recalled the lady knight's advice once more. 'In battle, you'll find yourself in very dangerous situations, Valeriana. Though you may feel that you are the prey, it doesn't always mean that you'll end up getting eaten. Just make sure you don't go down without a fight.'
She now knew where his alias came from. At first, she didn't entirely get it. But, now that he was looking at her with those eyes, she finally understood. Those electric blue orbs seemed to turn into slits and the smile that showed his teeth appeared like he was baring his fangs . . . and the flaming blade made him look the part all the more.
Her steps stuttered.
He grinned dangerously which made the girl swallow hard.
Gritting her teeth, Valeriana got into position as well. “Ah, damn it all to hell.”
Zion shifted his feet and shot forward without warning. The crowd gasped at the speed he displayed, which in turn made Valeriana even more nervous. Instead of worrying, she decided to brace herself for whatever was coming. She had a feeling in her guts that everything would turn for the worst-case scenario.
Her opponent appeared in front of her in a flash and their weapons collided with an unbelievable intensity. Valeriana clenched her jaw from the sudden pain that shot out from her hands but planted her feet on the ground to avoid being driven back by the force. This action, however, caused her feet to be buried in the sand underneath the soles of her shoes, which then served as an evidence of how serious Zion really was.
It was only then that she noticed her hands were injured. They were bleeding profusely, making her grip on her weapon somewhat slippery. It was made harder for her to have a firm grip on her sword. Still, she wouldn't let this be the cause of her defeat. It would be a trivial excuse.
Grunting, she threw Zion back with all her might. The challenger skidded a few steps away from her, but it did not stop him completely. He moved with the same speed as before and started attacking her relentlessly.
Valeriana tried blocking each and every one of his attacks, but her skills proved to be inferior to his and she received a big gash on her shoulder. The girl cringed at the smell of her own flesh burning and realized that the swiftness of his movements made it even harder for her to keep up with the pace of the fight. Valeriana began to block his attacks mindlessly, depending on luck and instinct to help her.
Damn it. She thought.
Valeriana backed away, staggering. Her breathing was ragged and her heart thumped inside her chest. She held her sword wearily, its tip practically pointing to the ground. Zion did not allow her to rest. He pulled his weapon back before swinging it hard towards Valeriana's direction, maintaining the current distance between them.
The girl's eyes widened when she saw balls of fire coming her way. She hurriedly eluded them and jumped out of the way before they could hit her. The attacks resembled streams of pure fire that originated from Zion's blade.
“The flames that burned on the deepest parts of the land! One which danced on the hands of Arland! I call upon you to heed my will!” He growled and pointed his weapon at Valeriana.
“Oh, holy crap!” She shrieked, watching the building up of energy that seemed to fuel the fire's flames on his lance.
She speedily jumped out of the way as a roaring ball of fire bigger than her flew towards her direction. She hit the ground painfully, landing face first on the dirt while she missed the recent attack by a hair's margin. The fire crackled passionately as it flickered, gradually diminishing. The ground was marred with soot, flames of the surviving blaze decorating the ground of the arena.
“Whew.” She whispered in relief but yelled and scrambled to move when another one came her way.
Seraphina, who was watching the sudden turn of events, tried to stop herself from screaming. “This is not good. She won't survive at this rate. The flow of the fight is completely in Zion's favor.”
It stayed like that for a few moments before Zion suddenly decided to stop and finally began to cross blades with the girl. Another wound appeared on her thigh, cutting through the cloth of her pants. Valeriana truly did not know where he was throwing his blade, but all she knew was that she was clumsily retaliating. She could feel her weapon slowly slipping from her hands.
“I . . .” She growled. “Will not . . .
” She grunted. “Let go of this sword!” She tightened her grip on her weapon further it hurt her fingers.
With a battle cry, she stepped forward with all her strength and fired a barrage of attacks his way, completely reversing their positions. Zion was smiling while skillfully parrying her blows. He jumped from toe to toe gracefully, resembling a dancing sprite whose moves completely defied gravity. Valeriana was more of a bird with a broken wing.
The flames of his lance roared from each strike, causing the girl to sweat from the heat being emanated.
“I am not going to lose, damn it!” She shook the bad thoughts away.
Never minding her remark, the fight continued in its current pace. Her rhythm became disrupted. She let Zion control the fight and she knew it was one of her biggest mistakes. Things were bound to get awful if Zion got serious. Wasn't this what she wanted anyway?
“I'm going to enjoy this victory.” He said.
Valeriana already knew from the very start that she would lose. Judging by her state right now, she probably would turn out as the defeated. She was panting heavily, blood soaking through her clothes. She never felt so miserable her entire life that she wanted to just pass out and sleep through everything. Yet, through all the hardships of the duel, she knew that she couldn't and must not back down.
“Not if I can help it.”
She hopelessly tried to fight him. Zion could tell she was already at her limits. Her attacks were getting weaker and she wasn't exactly in the same condition before the fight started. She moved clumsily on her feet, waving her sword around unthinkingly.
“You're still saying that? With the state you're in?” Zion quirked a brow. “Come on, I'll give you a chance.” He stopped and jumped away from her, lowering his blade. “Give up. Maybe I can change my mind and we can continue this fight another day.”
She chuckled. She couldn't help but notice how weary her whole body felt. Her knees quivered that it took a lot of her willpower to remain standing. “You think I will believe you? This fight has already started. I might as well finish it.”
“You really are stubborn, aren't you?”
“Who says I wasn't?”
“Ah.” He paused and looked at her thoughtfully. “This is what I like. I must admit you impress me, Valeriana.”
“I don't need to impress anyone.” She muttered. “I . . . just want to get this fight over with.”
The battle continued and Valeriana shakily responded to his attacks. Zion looked as if he was having fun at first, but the expression gradually faded from his face and was replaced by a look of total boredom. The light from his eyes disappeared and his mood turned dull.
Valeriana noticed that he started to move slower than he did from the past few minutes. The human girl couldn't but think that they were back to square one. “What the hell's wrong with you?” She asked. “I thought you were going to fight me seriously.”
“I changed my mind.” He breathed. “This is pointless.”
“You're seriously confusing.” She told him. “One minute you do this and the next thing you do that.”
She was starting to think he was suffering from bipolar disorder.
“I can't help it.” He lowered his lance and gazed at the girl, who looked pitifully bruised and beaten. “I can't help but think I'm beating up a poor kitten that can't fight back.”
“What?” Valeriana hissed, anger smoldering in her eyes. “Who's a poor kitten?”
“Just look at you.” He gestured to her form. “You're not even in condition to fight anymore. Although I admire your determination and spirit, you just can't keep up with my pace.”
Valeriana gritted her teeth and felt her face going red from anger. “So what are you planning to do?”
“Isn't it obvious?” Zion lowered his weapon and the flames flickered before disappearing. “I'm throwing it away. It doesn't amuse me anymore.”
“So it's only like that? After everything?” She asked. “You won't even try and actually defeat me?”
“I don't need to.” He said. “And I don't want to. Like I said, I only want a fight worth winning. I don't need to waste my time here anymore. I should start looking for a more worthy opponent.”
“So are you saying that I'm not worthy?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Not that I care anymore.”
Valeriana's blood boiled and she began to chew on her lower lip.
“I even heard Lady Seraphina's personally coaching you. To think you were her student . . . how regrettable.” He stopped and watched the girl's shoulder shake with anger.
Valeriana didn't make any sort of retorts. She kept quiet from where she stood, trying to control her anger. That proved to be impossible though, as Zion's words sunk in.
“Don't freaking underestimate me, you ass.” She lashed out at him her grip tightening around her weapon. “I can very well cut off that swollen head of yours and feed it to the dogs. I'll savor every minute of it.” For once, she could not believe those words just came out of her mouth.
He sighed. “Your insults can be pretty unnerving alright.”
“That's more to where that came from.” She growled. “I don't give a damn about what you think. I won't let you out of this fight until it's over, do you hear?”
“But it is already over.” He grumbled.
“Not until I say so!”
With that said, Valeriana attacked, but she was only pushed down by Zion easily. He competently evaded her attack and forced her to the ground, pointing the tip of his lance on her neck. She sat on the sandy floor, hands buried in the rough grains. Her grip was wrapped tightly around the hilt of her weapon still.
Everyone looked uneasy seeing Valeriana at the mercy of Zion. There were a few people who looked like they were rejoicing though. Lady Seraphina, Lord Aeron, the Headmaster, and the Celestial Circle were anxiously mute.
That was it. Valeriana didn't know what to do anymore. She was just . . . too weak. She never really stood a chance against him from the very start. She was nothing compared to Zion. She was a fool to think the fight would turn out like it did with Courtney.
How naïve she was.
No matter her hard work, it wouldn't be enough for her to win.
There was a strange sensation that surged through her and her heart pounded. She never felt this way her entire life—the strong need to prove herself mixed with a flare of built up anger and annoyance. It was painful and frustrating. Her heart was crumbling to pieces and so was she.
What exactly did she get herself into? Why was the world so unfair?
She then realized. It wasn't easy.
What exactly was she thinking? Valeriana never felt so defeated her entire life. She should've just become a slave like Lord Aeron suggested. Perhaps everything would be easier. Maybe she would've been saved from this cruel place.
She wanted to surrender. She wanted to succumb to the desire of being freed from all these hardships weighing her down. She wanted to have the old life she had back then before she saw Seraphina slaying those stupid demons.
She wanted to go back home.
Tamara was literally on the edge of her seat. “Damn it, Valeriana!” She screamed. “YOU ARE NOT LOSING THIS FIGHT! AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY! NOT BECAUSE OF A STUPID BET!”
“So are you calling it off, then?” Charles remarked beside her.
“What?” She flashed him a pair of shocked eyes. “No way!”
A few seconds of silence, a choir of voices echoed in the arena as well.
“MISS VALERIANA! GET UP AND FIGHT!” The three chorused together.
At long last, a song which she never thought she would hear permeated the area. The three's voices didn't blend that perfectly, but their words were loud and clear. It sent the whole arena silent, even the Headmaster, Lord Aeron, and Lady Seraphina's attention were taken.
'You held her down, but she got up. Already brushing off the dust. You hear her voice, you hear that sound. Like thunder, gonna shake the ground. You held her d
own, but she got up. Get ready 'cause she's had enough. She sees it all, she sees it now.'
At first, no one seemed to know what was going on, but the girl caught on to what they were doing.
They were cheering for her. The idea itself brought more tears to her eyes.
She silently chastised herself for berating her own person. This wasn't the time to actually lose spirit, right? She was in the middle of a battle. There was no backing out. No retreating.
Zoel, Poulette, and Quincy continued to cheer from the background. 'She's got the eye of the tiger, a fighter. Dancing through the fire. 'Cause she is the champion, and you're gonna hear her roar! Louder! Louder than the dragon! 'Cause she is the champion! And you're gonna hear her roar!'
It clicked in place. She realized that that was what they were talking about earlier this morning. The song of Katy Perry became the instrument for their cheering. She didn't actually expect them to actually do it, though.
“You can do it Miss Valeriana! And you're gonna hear her roar!”
The long strands of Valeriana's hair fell on her face, shadowing her expression. Zion didn't know where she was looking, but he was certain she was staring at the ground. She was unusually quiet, contrary to his expectations.
“Catchy song. Too bad.” He started to lower his weapon. “Don't worry though. It's not like I want to win or anything. I'll surrender soon. I just want to let you know that—” He was cut off.
“What's the use if you gave this fight away? If I'm going to win anyway, I might as well do everything in my power or else I'll be living off a stupid lie.” She stated. Her voice was low but held a dangerously sharp and threatening edge. It sounded daunting, and the pause between her words seemed like the eye before the storm. “This fight isn't over until I say so.”
“Hm?” He tilted his head to the side, questioningly gazing at the girl. The tip of his blade pointed tenaciously at Valeriana.
Zion gazed at his fallen opponent as if she was the oddest creature he saw in his entire life—but of course, that wasn't not true. He sensed something different around the girl. For some reason, the air around her changed suddenly. She became . . . different.