by Candy Crum
“Yep! Exactly!”
At that moment, Echo’s screech cut through the sky as she announced herself, coming to rest on a post just to the left of Arryn. With just shy of a twelve-foot wingspan and just over four feet tall, the golden eagle was the largest bird that Cathillian or Arryn had ever seen. Not quite twice the size of others like her, but she’d gotten close.
The bond between she and Cathillian had made her larger, one of the few bonds in the tribe that had changed the size of their familiar. Echo was a terrifying bird to encounter for anyone that didn’t know her.
Arryn smiled at Echo as she reached out to give her broad chest a scratch. “I guess she came to see the show. So, are you ready yet?”
Cathillian sighed as he swung his sword back-and-forth again, reminding himself then of a small, nervous child. “I’m nervous. But… I've been around long enough to know that nervousness keeps you on your toes. To give you a straight answer—yeah, I think I'm gonna kick her ass.”
Arryn smiled and nodded. “Good luck, loser. Knock her dead—literally. Wait. No, not literally. She’s pretty cool. But break a leg. Not yours, hers. We’ll fix it later.”
Arryn walked away, leaving Cathillian to his thoughts. His trials meant a lot more to him than just his freedom. That was something he'd always wanted, but was afraid to seek. But this was for the future of someone else, someone that he’d come to care quite a lot for.
***
Arryn stood outside the barrier of the pit, Elysia and the Chieftain approaching. Nika had only just arrived, and she had her weapons sitting to the side just to the edge of the barrier.
As promised, there were only three other warriors to witness, and Ryel was among them. Arryn could tell that Elysia was nervous. It was her expression, her smile, and her body language. Still, Elysia acted as though she weren’t bothered by anything.
“Are you ready for this?” Elysia asked.
Arryn nodded, her eyes never leaving the pit or Cathillian. “I know I am, but I don't know if he is.”
The Chieftain laughed. “Cathillian’s been ready for this his entire life. That kid has always wanted adventure. I'm sure he’s more excited than nervous right now. He might be worried, but he's more worried about failing you than failing himself. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he wants to leave; he always has. He wants to see the world beyond our borders.”
“Yeah,” Elysia said. “That doesn't mean that I'm ready for him to. That's my baby out there. My only one.”
“Have no fear, daughter,” the Chieftain said. “Cathillian is much stronger than you or I know. He holds greatness in him, just like our young, Arcadian druid. They’ll make a fine team. This is the best-case scenario you or I could have ever hoped for because they’ll be able to protect each other. Now, relax and enjoy the show.”
Elysia took a deep breath and exhaled, obviously steeling herself. Arryn smiled and reached over for Elysia’s hand, squeezing it. “We're gonna be fine. I promise. I know you're worried, but you don't have to be. We aren't leaving forever. You’ll see us again soon.”
The Chieftain smiled and clapped his daughter on the back. “See? Nothing to worry about. The kids are all grown up, and they're gonna be just fine. Can we watch the fight please? Please? I've been expecting this one for quite some time, and I'm ready to see what he's got.”
Elysia rolled her eyes at her father’s begging. “Just like you to be so excited for your grandson to leave.”
The Chieftain laughed. “I'm not excited to see him go, I'm excited to see him grow up into the man that I always knew that he would be. Plus, this kid's been driving me nuts for years, wanting to get beyond the Forest’s edge. It'll be nice to shove him out of the nest for once.”
“I'm kind of excited to see what he has, too,” Arryn said. “He's constantly going on about how much of a badass he is. Now, we actually get to see if he is one.”
Elysia laughed. “I guess that’s a good point. It’s his make or break moment. If he fails, we get bragging rights for the rest of his life. He lost to a girl.”
They all laughed, catching Cathillian’s attention as he briefly looked back to narrow his eyes at the trio. “You bastards better not be laughing at me over there.”
“Us?” Elysia asked with a wink. “Never.”
The Chieftain quieted then, his face growing a bit more serious as he raised his hand, and the few in the crowd quieted. “Cathillian it's time. Nika, please initiate battle.”
Nika nodded, stepping further into the ring. Just as she had with Arryn, she circled Cathillian, measuring his every movement. Arryn watched the two as they studied one another, preying on one another.
Nika was the first to make the move, just as she had with Arryn. She realized then that Nika was quite the aggressor. The warrior ran forward, thrusting her fist through the air, but Cathillian was easily able to dodge it with little effort.
He twirled out of the way, dropping down to his knee and sweep-kicking Nika from behind as she passed. She was very agile and adjusted her bodyweight to throw herself backward in a well-executed backflip before landing on her feet.
A smile crossed Cathillian's face as he measured his opponent once again, more than a few feet standing between them. This time, it was Cathillian that attacked first.
Arryn watched as Cathillian ran for Nika, but she didn’t move. She broadened her stance, preparing for him.
Cathillian dove for her, and she was able to dodge his initial blow, but as she twisted to the side, he stopped hard, jerking his arm back to land a hard elbow to the side of her face instead.
Nika dropped to her knee, but she returned his attack with a hard punch to the gut causing Cathillian to double over.
Nika used his moment of weakness as an opportunity to scramble to her feet and knee him in the face, throwing him back off balance. She copied his move, dropping again to one knee, spinning, and sweep-kicking his legs out from underneath him.
It wasn't difficult to take him down at that point.
As soon as he was on the ground, she put her foot on his throat, signaling the end of the round. Nika had won that round.
“Point to Nika!” the Chieftain called out. “Cathillian take a moment, right yourself, then get on with it.”
Nika smiled as she reached out for Cathillian's hand, and he gladly took it. She helped him stand before they both went to their respective sides.
Cathillian jumped up and down for a moment, rolling his head around in circles as he did. Arryn had seen him doing it before the trial had started. He was boosting himself back up for the next round.
Arryn watched as Cathillian's hands flattened parallel to the ground from his tall height. She saw his fingers moving, and even from where she stood, she could hear the bones in his face snapping.
He was healing himself, just as he’d said he could do—by recycling the energy through his body instead of expending it all on his own.
She could feel the energy that he called on, but it was so small that it was barely noticeable at all. And just like before, he didn’t touch the wound—he only channeled the power. She smiled as she realized that he could do that anywhere and not only in water.
Once again, Cathillian charged first. He ran for Nika, but he didn’t attack. As he approached, she kicked him in the stomach. He fell to his knees, but only long enough to punch her hard in the side of the knee that held all of her weight.
She cried out and fell to the ground right alongside him. He then grabbed her by the throat, throwing her back onto the ground and pinning her down. Arryn was surprised to see Cathillian be quite so rough, but she’d seen how Nika sparred with him.
If he’d taken it easy on her, she’d do far worse to him.
“Point to Cathillian!” the Chieftain called out. “The next round determines the winner. Let's try not to kill each other with wicked storms or anything.” He looked over to Arryn and winked.
Arryn couldn't help but smile as she saw the humored expression on his face. She
would miss her druid family when they went to the city—more than they could possibly realize.
Both opponents climbed to their feet and once again moved to their respective sides. There was no waste of time when starting this round. Nika charged at Cathillian, jumping in the air as she did. She tumbled over once, her legs wrapping around his neck.
Arryn’s eyes widened as Nika then planted her hands on the ground and used her strength and body weight to pull back, slinging him over her and onto the hard earth behind her. The warrior quickly repositioned herself so she straddled his chest, ready to pin his shoulders down.
But Cathillian wasn't so easy to subdue.
His long legs kicked up, striking her in the back of the head and loosening her grip on him enough that he could throw her off. She rolled twice and got back onto her knees before lunging for him.
All her speed and strength was lost because of her hastiness.
It only served to ensure her undoing as Cathillian paired his own strength with her momentum and landed a hard punch to her face. Once again, Arryn could hear the sound of bone crunching, the terrible noise echoing through the air.
It made her want to puke, remembering how her own nose had broken when Nika had punched her so many times.
Nika fell back and Cathillian jumped on her back as she rolled over to her stomach to climb to her feet. He used his heavy weight against her, pinning the woman down for a few seconds before her round was considered ended.
“The winning point goes to Cathillian!” the Chieftain cheered. “Cathillian is the winner of the first trial! Next, are weapons. Swords. As always, the best two out of three wins.”
Cathillian briefly laid his hand on Nika’s face, healing her before he stepped away. Ryel stepped across the boundary, bringing Nika her favorite sword before retreating back across. Cathillian already had his on his hip.
Both opponents bowed to one another, their hands briefly crossing their chests as they did. They righted themselves and lifted their swords outward, briefly clinging steel against steel as if they were toasting at a dinner.
Arryn saw a brief smile creep across Nika's face as she made the first move. Arryn couldn’t believe how fast the warrior moved. She was like a whirlwind with her weapon.
Nika was smaller than Cathillian, long and thin, though her body was very lean. In addition to training with her strength, it was obvious that she spent the most time training on her speed. Cathillian could hardly keep up with her as fast as she was moving.
Cathillian was all defense as she attacked, unable to take an offensive strike. But, there are other means for him to get what he needed in a sword fight.
As she sliced through the air on the upswing, Cathillian went low, dropping down and spinning around behind her. He kicked her legs out from under her, sending her falling hard to the ground.
As she landed hard on her back, he brought the blade down on her throat signaling that he had won that first round.
With this round, there wouldn’t be a pause, the fight would have to go on. Cathillian tumbled out of the way, and Nika righted herself, coming at him full force.
Once again, she was a fury of speed and determination, confusing her opponent and forcing him to go on full defense. With every thrust of Nika's sword, Cathillian countered harder and harder.
Arryn knew what he was doing. He’d done it when sparring with Arryn several times. As they trained, Arryn would swing, and he would use his brute strength to deflect with his own sword. The effects soon would make Arryn's hands ache with the amount of strength it took to hold on through the vibrations and heavy hits.
Eventually, she would drop the sword and Cathillian would win every time. With Nika being so much faster, it was his only option.
Soon, Nika did just that.
She dropped her sword, and Cathillian placed the tip of his blade against her chest, signaling the total end of that round.
“Cathillian wins the weapons category!” Chieftain said. “Onto the final round. Magic.”
Nika smiled, shaking her head a bit. “It seems that congrats are in order, Cathillian. I think we both know who's gonna win this round. Your bloodline, is as strong as they get. Honestly, I don't even know why they're having us do this round.”
Cathillian laughed. “Oh, come on now, it's not that bad. You kicked my ass pretty good,” he said as he once again flattened his palms parallel to the ground, a small amount of energy pulling as it healed his body.
Nika nodded. “Just end this quickly. This is already humiliating enough. I had my ass kicked twice in one week. Once by a promising warrior, once by total loser.”
“Hey,” Cathillian said, smiling. “Don't talk about Arryn that way. It’s not nice to call her a loser. Only I get to do that.”
Nika laughed loudly and nodded toward Arryn. “I didn't. She’s the promising warrior.”
“Oh, that's just cold,” Cathillian said. “Damn. I get no respect around here.”
The Chieftain, Elysia, and Arryn all laughed, the few others in attendance also taking part in the joke. The Chieftain then stepped forward, raising his hand. “This is the final round. We all know who will win, no offense, Nika.”
“None taken, Chieftain,” Nika said.
“But as is law, the final round must be fought. A single round for the magical category. Winner takes all. Cathillian, show us what ya got,” the Chieftain said with excitement.
Nika’s eyes glowed whitish-green; Arryn could see them from where she stood. Cathillian’s back was to her, so she was unable to see his, but she could feel his power. Nika's magic was strong, but it was nothing in comparison to what Cathillian had.
The ground trembled under their feet, everyone looking around to see what would happen. Cathillian managed to jump high in the air, narrowly missing a root that shot out of the ground straight for his feet. He tumbled over backward and landed, but Nika's attack was not over. Her hands shot forward as another root reached from the ground.
Cathillian jumped over them, tumbling across the ground. Arryn could feel the swell of energy in the area as his hands came to rest flat on the ground. It then looked like he grabbed hold of the dirt and pulled up.
The ground under Nika lifted, knocking her down flat on her back. Cathillian stood and gripped his fist at his sides, the ground wrapping around Nika's wrists as he did. She tried to fight, but it was pointless. The round was over in only seconds.
Arryn stood slack-jawed, as she looked at Cathillian, realizing what had just happened.
He'd won.
That was it.
He’d won the trials, and now she would be able to return to Arcadia.
Her life began anew ten years ago when the druids took her in, and her life was about to begin again now with her new journey back to the city that had forgotten her. Back to the place her parents died helping her escape from.
***
“So, what did you say your name was again?” Marie asked.
“The name’s Samuel,” the rearick, said.
“And you want to help rebuild the city?” Marie asked, a smile on her face, but a level of disbelief in her tone.
“Aye,” Samuel said. “The way I see it, there ain't no work around here. My people ain’t been making any coin, except fer the few brew runs we get from the bars. But even that’s not enough ta sustain us. And the long trip we have ta make to go all the way up to Cella, well, that ain’t no fun either. I'd rather rebuild the factory here in town for free, get the damned Arcadians workin’ again, and get my people back up and running, than to make shit runs from the Heights all the way to Cella fer very little coin.”
“That sounds like a pretty reasonable cause,” Marie said. “We’d be needing gems for magitech, too, once we can start manufacturing them again.”
Samuel nodded. “That’s very true, lass. So, tell me what ye need, and I'll do my best ta get it fer ya. I might even find a couple of guys willin’ ta help out. Especially if ye agree to let ‘em take a few items once that f
actory’s up and runnin’ so they can sell ‘em. Consider it back pay. I bet ye we could run business from that factory to Cella and make some coin coming in the city that way, too.”
Marie's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that, she wasn't even sure if Amelia had thought about that yet. It wasn't like Amelia was able to focus so much here lately with everything else going on. She still had so much to do.
But if Samuel was right, if the factory got up and running, they’d be able to fund the things that they needed for Arcadia by selling things to the people in Cella and even more so to the Arcadian people that fled to the hills and other bare land in hopes of building their own homes. They would need supplies for the build.
Cella didn't have a factory, not a good one anyway. That was at least one answer to the problems they’d been having.
“How many men do you think you could get to help?” Marie asked.
“Oh, I don't know. A few dozen or so. I wouldn't expect too many to get on board. Unfortunately, a lot of my people have become greedy sons of bitches. Adrien's reign spoiled some of ‘em.” Samuel laughed then. “But it ain't like they're gonna get any money like that again anytime soon without a factory and without men who can afford to pay for brew shipments. With the Academy here, people will want to see the city heal. Some of those rich bastards in Cella might even be so inclined to invest in businesses.”
Marie nodded. “Yes, but I doubt that many people around here, poor or not, would want to give up a fraction of their business to some greedy soul in Cella. Perhaps if there was a timeline on it.”
She shook her head. “I don't know. This is all so confusing to me. I’ve never had to deal with any of this before, but I'm up for the challenge. Let me think about this, and I'll talk to Amelia, and we'll see what we can get done. You go back to Craigston and see what you can dredge up in the form of help.”
Samuel smiled. “Ya got yerself a deal, lass.”
He shook her hand and turned to leave the office. As he opened the door, she could see a small line of men standing outside the room, waiting to have a similar interview. Men from the bar that she’d gone to who were anxious to get the rebuild started.