Volume 5, Chapter 11 – The Tournament. A Day with the “Family”
Kingdom of Ruma. Tournament Zone. 09.05. 07:02:58.
Dorian gently nudged my shoulder — he could stand at full height in the tent. I'd slept with him that night, wrapped in the blanket Kita gave me. I slept wonderfully — a pity I didn't dream... Seems I never dream in this world...
I stretched, surveying the tent and the contented Dorian looming at the exit, from which came the pleasant smell of food and morning dampness.
"Rise and shine! Morning exercise and cold training!" — he smiled with all his teeth.
(What? Cold training?! Oh nooo...)
"I don't wa—"
"Not up for discussion — you came to us," — he interrupted gently. "— And that's our custom. Even Mira does it. So... Please 🥺"
(Well, how do I refuse that... Though I could — but I'm not at home to give orders. They gave me food and a blanket. It wouldn't be right on my part.)
I got up with the blanket, following the contented Dorian outside.
Loud wind.
(Ooh.) The cold hit me, and I huddled into the blanket even tighter. The fog hadn't lifted yet — dew everywhere. How unpleasant — touching wet bushes with your bare shin while a mini-rain of dirty water showers down on you, seeping between your toes.
(Brrr.)
My hair flew in all directions, and almost the whole camp was already warming up. Only those I'd already met were here. And Mira really was participating — though she stood apart from everyone.
"Good morning!" — Elara waved with both hands, standing... on what?
"Morning," — Kita and Tsu greeted.
"Hi... Everyone," — I greeted, pressing into the blanket, watching them warm up half-dressed in this wind.
Mira didn't react at all, and I stood with everyone. Carefully, with great reluctance, pleadingly, I dropped the blanket — and goosebumps instantly ran across my body.
"Ugh!!" — I hugged myself, trying to warm up and hide from the wind. And under my feet, the wet grass squelched joyfully, stroking my legs through my pants.
(I need to pull myself together. What kind of shield am I if I look pathetic right now? I didn't train with Pex and Paladin for nothing. I lived where it's plus fifty by day, minus fifty by night. What's this morning weather to me?!)
(Heh. Of course, I was dressed there — but that's not the point. I'm ready.) I let go of my arms and did the morning warm-up with everyone under Tsu's guidance.
—
"Seraphim!" — Elara called, sitting into a split and reaching for her toes. "— Did you like my gift?"
I looked at her and at everyone in surprise — how easily they did the splits — while I ran into problems.
"Uh-uh! I l-l-liked... IT!" — I tried with all my might to do a split.
"He-he! That's great!" — Elara sang, throwing one leg over her head. "— I'm so-oo glad!"
(I missed half her words the moment I saw everyone throwing their legs over their heads... Is this an Olympic figure skating team, or where did I end up??)
"Ye-e-ah... Great..." — I said quietly, not yet recovered from the split, while Elara giggled as soon as she saw me start trying to perform that element with my leg.
—
As soon as the warm-up ended, everyone headed to the river. I was already exhausted, and now would be the finale of the training. (I don't want to leave. I have the chance — I want to stay here a little longer. Guya and Cherubima probably won't leave me alone near the arena. I want to talk to Cherubima later and apologize. But here there are good people, positive mood — and I felt a little like a shield, since I brought the rapiers yesterday. Though I noticed Tsu and Kita hadn't shown them to the others yet.)
"First one in!" — Elara shouted.
I looked around — where's this "first"? Everyone's already in the water, wait...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading.
(Is that me?)
Loading complete.
"Wait. Maybe you first?" — I parried.
"Well, alrighty!" — Elara smiled, dropping her heart-patterned sarafan and running into the water in a shirt and shorts.
"Hoo-oh..." — I exhaled. "— Aagh-oooh!" — icy wet hands touched my back, and water slowly trickled down, making me flinch under its slow pressure.
I jumped back, hair standing on end all over my body. No one was behind me — but a second later I felt wet hands on my sides again, and I was already flying toward the water.
(Oh no! That's too sudden!)
At the very edge of the water, I pushed off the air, hovering on my wings just above the surface. Everyone turned their attention to me and started discussing how I looked like Cherubima. I flapped my wings above the water, fingers slightly touching the icy liquid, in which everyone stood as if nothing was wrong, talking about me and Cherubima.
(Alright... While they're discussing, I have to do this...)
I closed my eyes — and the wings disappeared.
Fall.
Splash.
I plunged headfirst into the icy water — which didn't feel that cold but made me shiver and gave me a cramp in my leg. A refreshing feeling... The light recedes.
(And why can't I meet the Lady right now? Why the whole tournament? Where did Asa get the ammo? Where are the rest of the people of this camp? Why does God help me?)
I surfaced with a clear mind and some inner tension.
"How's the water?" — Elara swam up to me.
I looked at her — smiling, head dry. Kita and Tsu were swimming, while Mira and Dorian had already come ashore, where Mira was wringing out her hair.
"Where is everyone else?" — I asked Elara and stepped onto the shore.
Elara slowly came ashore with me, a little apart from the others.
"Everyone else?" — she thought, fixing her hair and picking up her sarafan. "— Well... Karl and Merala are at the tournament, and Uhran, Rymir, and Ekholia went to Tsebarin*," — she said, putting the sarafan on over her wet shirt and shorts, water showing through the fabric.
[Tsebarin — A city with a population of 300,000 on the border with the Duchy of Malevych, 15,000 kilometers from the capital. The Kingdom of Ruma shares a border with the Duchy along its entire length up to the first wall of the Silent Silence.]
"Where's that? And why are they there?" — I asked, wringing out my pants.
"Border city with Malevych," — Elara answered, tying her little ponytails. "— They have business there. Uncle Tsu asked."
"Why?" — I continued with inner suspicion.
"I dunno!" — Elara giggled, pulling her shirt off under the sarafan. "— Maybe to sell something or bring a new person into the family!" — she started nimbly wringing out her shirt. "— It'd be really cool if it were a new person!" — she added, pulling off her shorts under the sarafan and wringing them out too.
I sighed. (The suspicions were unnecessary.) I glanced at Elara.
(Is she comfortable doing all these clothing maneuvers in front of me?)
(Fine...)
"What's next on your schedule?" — I changed the subject.
"Eating!" — Elara bounced happily.
[Tsu watches Seraphim and Elara with attentiveness.]
—
—
Democracy of Silence. Headquarters. 09.05. 08:13:01.
The Strategist stood on the minus-first floor with the Analyst, both studying the screen in detail. Mary-Sue and Apache circled nearby.
"This person was spotted on the Wall last night," — the Strategist turned on the screen, showing Seraphim from satellite. "— Name — Seraphim. From Rekhilon. Twenty-nine years old. Participating in the tournament, where he got the nickname 'Butcher' for carving his way from B to S rank," — the Strategist clicked through slides, showing Seraphim with wings on the Wall and covered in blood in the arena. "— It was also noted that he communicates with Guya, passport name Funririya from IBR-A. A professional fighter. They have a rather vague relationship," — the Strategist switched to a slide [Guya incinerating Seraphim's legs]. "— Notably, Seraphim has wings. Which allowed him to reach the Wall and back in three hours. Also, according to magic witnesses, he has no magic."
The Analyst thought, throwing his legs up on the chair in front of him.
"Also, I heard from Lelik that he bet on all of the Lady's victories except the final — where he bet on himself," — the Analyst noted. "— Notice the main thing. No magic. First — this could tell us he's not from this world, like the Lady. But it's also a chance to bring him to our side."
"Exactly," — the Strategist agreed. "— But right now it's unknown whose side he's on. The Empire's, or his own? And according to the latest data," — the Strategist switched to a slide [Seraphim cooking fish by the fire with Tsu and Kita], "— he's in the camp of the slave-trader Tsukhan Hashivili. And it was to them that he delivered rapiers made from the Wall's metal, which he got from the Keeper."
"Let's note the fact that these people can't hold the rapiers — they absorb magic," — the Analyst pointed out. "— And we also have a hidden alliance with the Empire. Either way, this person is on our side."
"Not at all. From their interactions with Funririya, we can note that the girl moves by her own motives — and the Emperor himself isn't involved. Possibly even a coup," — the Strategist corrected, turning on the kettle while Apache rubbed against his legs. "— Regarding the rapiers, there are two questions: why the Keeper gave them to him. And why Seraphim needs rapiers."
The Analyst thought, pulling out a notepad and writing down thoughts, occasionally glancing at the screen — at the photo of Seraphim.
"For the tournament," — the Analyst suggested. "— Maybe he has a circle of people without magic?.."
The Strategist nodded, pouring himself and the Analyst tea.
"Agreed. He made it to S rank," — the Strategist took a sip and handed over the second cup. "— Now he needs weapons to fight professional fighters — including the people of the Democracy of Silence."
"We can only observe him now at the tournament," — the Analyst answered, petting Mary-Sue.
—
—
09.05. 08:55.
I sat under the open sky in the arena stands, which were packed to capacity. Everyone was watching the arena, where Elara stood and... a Yellow. (Apparently, here every fighter not from the Democracy will meet at least a few Yellows or Officers. After all, out of two hundred and eight, one hundred and fifty are Democrats.)
Elara stood motionless, hand on her sheath, staring intently at the Yellow with a rapier wrapped in cloth.
[Khlorun: Welcome! Death-Defying Love versus...]
[Norn: Versus... Ayana from the Democracy of Silence.]
[Khlorun: Hey, Norn. How do you think this fight will... Even happen??]
[Norn: I understand your displeasure, Khlorun! But note — right now in the arena it's a non-Democrat versus a Democrat, and... Opponents — and I hope there won't be any throwing!]
[Khlorun: I hope so too! After all, Death-Defying Love... Knows how to... Love?]
—
Elara jumped up and waved her little hands at everyone.
"Yes! I love to love!" — she said cheerfully and blew kisses to the stands.
I settled in more comfortably.
(As I thought, everything goes according to the "Bread and Circuses" plan even in this branch. The Yellows will lose to the officers and the Lady — but win, if they can, against everyone else.)
[Norn: So. This is the first fight of ten in this division. One of the participants needs to beat at least five opponents in a row to reach the 1/16.]
[Khlorun: Why are we dawdling? Everyone already knows everything! The fight begins — let's have battle and spectacle!]
The horn sounded, echoing across all the stands, making goosebumps run across the body and fixing the gaze on the sandy ground where the fighters stood.
I settled more comfortably in the stands, catching the sun's rays on the edge of my body, warming the fabric at a fast pace, creating pleasant warmth and the smell of a summer day.
The Yellow glanced at the motionless Elara and slowly, unhurriedly, began unwrapping the rapier — while Elara watched him motionless, hand on the hilt.
The last remnants of cloth slowly flew to the sand — and under the rays appeared a snow-white blade, emitting a cold aura. The spectators and commentators froze in anticipation of the fighters' first moves — only a light gust of wind and the noise outside the arena could be heard.
I could clearly hear my own heartbeat in that moment.