The sun was shining bright and everyone was getting ready for competition that day, even though not many people were participating but they were still excited to see it.
Arix woke up at his usual time, got out of bed and went downstairs. His mother was doing her normal chores. Arix looked at his mother and smiled a bit. He went straight to her and hugged her from behind. She was surprised.
Arix never hugged his mother like this before, Usually he woke up, went straight for his breakfast and went outside for training or something else. This was the first time, his mother said "What happened Arix, Do you need something?"
Arix's eyes were closed, he said while smiling "Why, can't I hug my mother whenever I want to?"
"Well you certainly can but this is the first time you hugged me like this." His mother replied. She started smiling too and hold Arix's hand with her hand.
Arix said "I am going to win today's competition, mother, and then I will find my father and the best land to call home, after that we will have the best dishes to eat everyday and new clothes to wear everyday." His mother turned around and held Arix tightly in her arms, she shed some tears but she was smiling.
She said " I know my son is the best on this Island, Now go and show everyone that even a peasant's son can defeat anyone"
Arix didn't say a word but he felt calm in his mother's arms, he then left her arms and said " Ok mother, I will get late if i dont leave now, Bye".
"What about your breakfast?" his mother asked
"I don't feel hungry right now." Arix said while running toward the door. On his way out he grabbed his sword which his father gifted him when he was ten. It was a shining steel sword. There was not a spot of any kind on that sword.
Arix liked that sword so much, He kept that sword rust free and he practiced with it all this time. He hurt himself many times with that sword when he was just a kid, still he didn't stop using it for training. He joined sword training school when he was fifteen and learnt many techniques with this sword; he was one of the top students of that batch.
Arix reached the colosseum just in time. He was not late nor was he early. He saw a big square colosseum. Arix reached the participant area where everyone already reached. Elena was sitting next to Tarin and Arix noticed one empty seat next to her. Which she saved for Arix. When Arix entered the room, Elena turned her head around and looked at him, and let out a sigh of relief. '
Arix sat on that empty seat next to Elena when she instantly said "You are late."
Arix replied "Yes, I know, I am sorry."
Elena nodded her head and they both were looking at the colosseum, It was huge they thought.
In the centre Arix saw a field of dirt. He asked Elena "So, how many rounds are going to be this year?"
Tarin heard him but was silent for a while. Elena said "I don't know." Upon hearing this Tarin broke his silence with " Only one round, and it's going to be a one vs one fight."
"What, why only one round?" Arix asked Tarin slightly leaning toward Tarin so he could hear him clearly. Elena backed her head and body a little to give Arix some space.
"There are only ten participants this year, so a one vs one fight is enough to decide the five people who will go to the mainland." Tarin replied while his both arms crossed and he was sitting in a straight posture.
"Hmph, You peasants will never win" Rowan said from behind. He heard everything.He was sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, His both legs were on the front chair.
Arix and Tarin both ignored him and looked straight in front of them to the colossuem.In front of Arix, he saw the chief's throne.
And the Chief was sitting there. His legs crossed and his chin resting on his left arm, while his right arm was on the throne. He was looking down on the dirt field and was silent.
Beside him stood the announcer, his job was to commentate the whole competition through a mic so everyone can hear it and know what's happening.
Audience seating was arranged on the other two sides, all the audiences were taking their seats and their beverages, which was being sold just outside of the colosseum.
In one of the corner seats, Arix saw Vaelor. Everyone was avoiding sitting next to him.Arix soon realised no one was cheering for anyone this time except for a few groups who were chanting Rowan's name constantly.
Elena said to Arix "few people will never stop licking the nobles' shoes. They just want a position or money if Rowan becomes a chief."
Arix said "But if he won this competition and left the Island then they will get nothing."
"Exactly" Elena said, "But if he loses then he will definitely become the next chief."
Arix didn't say a word and continued to wait for the announcer to start the competition.
After a while Announcer stepped forward and shouted in a mic "People of the Island, We are gathered here to celebrate the seventh competition which is organised under the rule of Tiber Crowe, the Fifty-fifth chief of the Island."
His voice echoed through the colosseum. All the people gathered there turned their attention to the announcer. Suddenly there was silence in the colosseum.
"There will be a one vs one duel between ten participants and the winners will venture to the mainland in search of new land to call our home" Announcer shouted in the mic.
Arix started clapping and so did everyone else. He noticed his mother in the audience section. She was looking for him through her eyes. And found him too in the participant section. She waved hello while her face lit up after seeing Arix. Arix smiled and waved back to her. With a voice their attention again shifted to the announcer.
He said "Without wasting any more of our hours, we are starting the first duel. Which will be held between Rowan Crowe, Son of our beloved Chief and Arix Valmore, Son of Eldric Valmor. Now I invite both of them to the ring."
Arix's eyes widened, his heart started beating fast. He stood up at his place and turned around.
"Hmph, This will be easy." Rowan said loudly that every participant could hear him and walked out of the room.
Arix was still standing at his place. His breathing was fast and his fist tightened.
Elena said "Don't worry,You will be OK." to Arix.
He replied "Thanks." and started walking out of the room.
Train looked at Arix with his side eye but didn't say anything. Elena turned toward the colosseum when Arix grabbed his sword and left the room.
After reaching the ring below, Arix saw Rowan waving at the crowd and laughing silently. Many people were chanting Rowan's name. Everyone knew he was the son of Chief but not many people knew Arix.
Arix looked at his mother whose eyes were closed and both hands together. She was praying for him. Arix took a deep breath and stood before Rowan.
Rowan was using a longsword. His sword's hilt was made of gold and its blade was made of high carbon steel. The finest metal you can use for a sword on the Island.
Arix was holding his sword with his hand and his other hand was free. His eyes were fixated on Rowan but not a single word left his mouth.
Rowan after a while unsheathed his long sword and held it with his both hands. He bent forward a little in posture to strike at Arix at any moment now.
Rowan let out a laugh at Arix and said "Time to die,Peasant."
Arix unsheathed his sword too, and the scabbard fell to the ground. He was fixated on Rowan but was not giving any impression to him, He was standing there fixated in the same place and same straight posture.
Rowan struck toward Arix with his full speed and prepared his long sword to swing.
Arix held his sword with both hands,one leg behind and got into position to strike when Rowan got in his range.
When Rowan got close enough to Arix so his sword would reach him, he swung it with all he got. Standing on the same position Arix moved his sword above his head and swung it when he was close while moving left to dodge the longsword.
Rowan got past Arix but there was no blood on his long sword. He turned around to see Arix standing there with his back facing him in a straight posture. He felt a sharp pain on his shoulder and upon seeing he saw blood. Arix struck his shoulder which made Rowan faint at that spot.
There was a silence for a while, Everyone's eyes widened while Arix was standing in the middle of the field and Rowan was laying on the ground behind him.
Arix turned left and then right where he saw his mother crying with her both hands folded into each other. After a while someone from a crowd clapped and everyone followed.
After a while the announcer said with a loud voice "And for the first duel, Arix is the winner". Everyone started shouting and cheering him on. Arix picked his scabbard, sheathed his sword, and walked straight to participants room, While 2 people came on the field and picked Rowan up and took him to the infirmary.
Upon reaching the participant's room, he saw Elena smiling while standing, looking at him, Arix gave a little smile and walked to her. She said "That was amazing." and Arix replied a simple "Thanks", they both sat beside each other and proceeded to watch the rest of the competition.
After a while the announcer again said "For the 3rd duel, I invite Elena Graves, Daughter of Arthur Graves and Ryn Falcrest, son of Lucan Falcrest to the ring."
Elena didn't give much expression and stood up at her place. Arix said "try not to kill him." Elena gave a smile to Arix and said "Will try". She picked her dagger up and went straight ahead to the ring.
Elena and Ryn were standing against each other in the field, Elena was using a dagger, it was a normal dagger which she bought from the market, on the other hand Ryn was using a big warhammer, which was resting on his shoulder.
Ryn was big, twice the height and twice the weight of Elena. Ryn gave a smirk to Elena and shouted "Look, a woman is trying to get to the mainland now." He turned around, looking at both sides of the colosseum. And then added "What are women going to do on the mainland?, clean our dirty clothes?"
Everyone laughed a little in the audience. Elena's eyes hardened, her jaw tightened. She holds tighter to the dagger than before. She moved one leg behind the other and one hand forward which was holding a dagger and said "I will show you what a woman can do."
Ryn gave a loud laugh and then looked at Elena to say something, but she was not there. Ryn looked at both sides and turned around in a hurry, and found Elena standing there in a slightly bent posture, holding a dagger with one hand, one leg behind the other, body slightly forward then the legs with a menacing look in her eyes.
Ryn quickly tried to grab his warhammer with both hands, but she was already onto his shoulder, his warhammer fell to the ground. She tried to twist his shoulder with her legs but failed. Ryn grabbed her by the waist and threw her to the ground.
Ryn picked his warhammer with both hands and bent his body forward ready to run toward her, he gave her a smirk and said "Now you are really dead."
Elena got up from the ground and ran on the other side of the ground, she looked behind her and found Ryn was already close to her. She kept running and when she felt that Ryn was close behind her, she jumped. Ryn, unable to predict what her next move would be, kept running and found that Elena landed on his shoulder.
Before Ryn could grab her again, Elena tightened her hold on the dagger and stabbed Ryn in the chest. She got down from him and Ryn screamed in pain.
"This is what a woman can do to you losers." Elena said while standing and still holding the dagger. Ryn looked behind, his eyes hardened, grinning his teeth he grabbed his warhammer and rushed toward Elena with everything he got.
Ryn reaches in her range and raises his warhammer to strike, but she is gone again. Elena was standing straight behind him with a dagger in her hand. Ryn turned around and Elena stabbed him again in the stomach. Her both hands were on the dagger and she was holding it tightly. She pushed the dagger inside him. Ryn's warhammer fell to the ground and soon he fell to the ground too.
Elena took her dagger out of him and moved toward the participant room. Everyone's eyes were widened in the audience section. They couldn't speak a word. After a while a single person started clapping and soon others followed. They were chanting Elena's name with the top of their lungs.
Elena before entering the participant room, looked at the crowd chanting her name and gave a smile and raised one hand in the sky while holding a dagger with it.
She soon reached her seat and sat down where Arix said "Damn, that was quite the show." She smiled, closing her eyes and said "Thank you" in a very low voice. Arix looked at her and his eyes widened. His cheeks turned red and he thought to himself "She is so beautiful, oh god."
They continued to watch the rest of the tournament. At sunset the announcer finally said "and with this last battle, this year's tournament is over and we have our winners, who I would like to invite on the field to congratulate them.
Five winners gathered on the field standing beside one another when the announcer shouted loudly in the mic "at first we have Arix Valmor."
Arix looked at the crowd but didn't say anything.
"Next we have Jace Vale." shouted the announcer. "This competition is a waste of time." Jace said in a low voice that only five people standing there could hear. His eyes were closed and both his hands were on his waist. He gave a smirk to the crowd.
"Next is Elena Graves." The announcer shouted again. Elena waved both her hands in the air and smiled at the crowd. The whole crowd was chanting her name in a loud voice.
"Next we have Tarin Oakfall." the announcer said in the mic. Tarin didn't say a word and kept standing there quietly. Arix looked at Tarin and said to Elena who was standing beside him. "I think he is hiding something." Elena looked at Tarin who had no expression on his face, not even a smile. She replied to Arix "Maybe, I think so too."
"And at last we have another girl, Lyra Goldwyn." shouted the announcer. "Oh please don't look at me," Lyra whispered to herself while hiding her face with both hands.
The whole crowd stood up and shouted everyone's name one by one. "And with this today's competition is over." said the announcer. Putting the mic to the table and walking away with the chief.
Everyone started leaving their seats one by one except for Vaelor. He was still sitting there staring at Arix and his group while they walked outside of the colosseum.