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This update takes place After "May the Heart Never Fail Me" & Before "A New Dawning". The Narrative order will be listed at the end of this update.
The Graduation tournament will be in multiple parts, published in order and will be numbed in Roman Numerals for further clarification
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The Celesthal Academy of the 7 teachings is one of the most prestigious but also exclusive institutions any aspiring adventurer can dream of joining. Students come from all walks of life, ranging from lives where skill is the only thing you have, to places of the highest in status or nobility. It did not matter to the institution where you came from; what mattered was the talent and effort you brought with you.
Starting from the age of 16, students would be expected to follow a 6-day weekly school schedule until it came time for they to graduate at 20. All accommodations were equally provided for, trained, and supported through their system to give their students the extra step they need to be prepared for future careers.
During their studies, students are evaluated at the academy, not just by the teachers and the faculty, but also by The Adventurer's Guild's higher representatives. They evaluated things from their personalities, IQ, EQ, motivation, dedication, resilience, talent, and most importantly, character in those 4 years, which meant there was no other day that was more important than the graduation tournaments.
All available seating arrangements and standing room were packed full to the brim, without room to spare in the school's arena on this particular day. It was graduation, and that meant even when there were no fighters, locked in their duels, a roar of excitement never subsided; especially now because the final match was about to begin.
Alexander Laveau is one of the very students the academy deemed as a rising star and prodigy adventurer. Everything about the bulking young man was practically built to radiate the natural menacing aura that he brought to each and every one of his battles. He was tall, taller than most, even with how his head curved down into the reptilian snout, prominent in his alligator ancestry. Naturally, his body was covered in a thick leather hide that marbled across his skin colors of dark browns, greens, and blacks, making a perfect camouflage for dark forests and murky waters.
Ethan Lupisulvian was Alexander's specule challenger, a fellow rising star whose forest-gold eyes shone just as brightly towards the dreams of adventuring. As a shifter, he specialized himself as a jack of many trades, taking advantage of the gold markings inlayed across his body to become any one or any thing he needed to be at any given moment. While he wasn't as known for his brute, many looked forward to the cunning tricks and tactics he would utilize to demonstrate his best and new ones.
Overhead loudspeakers blared out announcing their highly anticipated entry into the arena. Droning on through a long description of their time in the academy, about themselves, and brief descriptions of each of their style of combat. They each took in the moment with pride, how far they had come and the glory that will be earned, regardless of the victor; this was a moment long awaited.
Alexander was confident but composed, finding subtle ways to exude his might as he greeted all who watched.
Ethan was much more enamored by the moment, earnestly waving back to all that pined for his attention, smiling gallantly like a noble about to win the heart of a fair maiden.
Once the announcer tired through the fighters' introductions, they began the opening speech for the graduation's final match, laying down the rules of the duel about to take place. By this point, everyone was already fully aware of the scoring rhetoric and what was at stake by this time. This was a duel to determine who would sit at the top of the leaderboard.
Despite the relaxed demeanor through the boring introductions as they casually greeted the crowd, both fighters' attention was sharp, listening intently to each word the announcer spoke, counting the seconds and calculating the time left.
There was not a fraction of a second to spare; the moment the sound of the duel's horn began to wail, both fighters were immediately engaged in the combat that would change their lives forever.
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Alexander was quick, the first steps pre-calculated, so that he seemed to disappear when a storming wave of wind blasted into his chest. The impact was almost minimal, but it was just enough to slow him down that the gator lost the initial strike.
With the winds on his side, Ethan carved the ancient stone rune into his skin as it hardened and dulled to a grey slate, only highlighted by the white of his now marble hair. He braced for the inevitable clash, saving himself from immediate defeat under a crushing grasp, and pushed forward, leading with his sword.
The two fighters closed the distance on each other quickly, but at the last moment, Ethan stepped back hard on his trailing foot, leaning on it as he slid under the barbarians reach, and raising his sword into the curve of the reaching arm.
The sharpness of the sword could almost be questioned as it barely sliced into the durable reptile skin, but that didn't stop the crowd from rippling with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm as the first contact was dealt in Ethan's favor.
As he moved under Alexander, Ethan twisted his body and rotated his blade back around for a second attempt. Slashing into his back with less success than the first swing, he was quick to see that he needed to regain the distance between them immediately.
The stone-bodied fighter pushed into the ground with all his might, gathering momentum, but Ethan still couldn't dodge Alexander's retaliation.
The hulking giant followed through the motion of his first grasp, rotating back and slicing his claws down into the extended meat of the retreating specule's leg as retaliation for the two sword swipes.
Pieces of grey stone scattered across the arena floor without stopping before Alexander landed his next strike.
His fist landed a strong blow as it made contact with the center of Ethan's chest, knocking the wind out of him and down with just as much speed as he started the fight with, sure as to not waste any time.
Alexander had the smaller man pinned, baring his teeth, projecting a threatening and murderous aura.
It seeped out like a scarlet fog, slipping between the teeth in his grin, exhaled upon his breath, and shone like a beacon of blood from his gaze.
The thrill of combat rushed through both fighters' veins, pumped by adrenaline, and drowned in the screaming cheers of the crowd, but all of that started to slip away for Ethan. He knew Alexander was in front of him, his opponent, fighting him. He grasped for the sounds of the audience around them, the feeling of the gator's hold on his shirt, but it all began to feel so distant.
Alexander was huge, largely built with a power that only came from years of training. His green eyes caught a light only Ethan could see, coming from somewhere far off, that made the gator's eyes look like his. An icy cold stare of contempt and disgust.
Every instinct in Ethan's body screamed that he needed to leave, run away, and far away from the man that faced him. Leave somewhere he won't be able to be found by those dead eyes that felt nothing except for the wrath that would cloud their vision.
Ethan grabbed onto Alexander's arm, clawing for release, futile and pathetic, as he was lifted off the ground with too much ease, because to Alexander, he weighed next to nothing, considering the stone skin and all.
It is thanks to the stone skin that Ethan was able to withstand the absolutely brutal impact that caused even the stadium floor to give out.
Ethan's muscles stiffened up, coughing out blood while gasping for the air that escaped his lungs. The crowd was dull in his ears, but there was one voice out there that could center him, and for a moment, he thought he could hear them out there, screaming his name. Of course, he wanted to be an adventurer. That's what he came here for. That's why he was fighting in this arena. It's the dream they had built for years now, and he needed to make this happen; he couldn't let everything be taken from him now, when it's so close.
(To Be Continued...)
Narrative order:
- intro
- May the Heart Never Fail me
- The Graduation Tournament ( I-III)
- A New Dawning
- Mission Start
- Campfire