章節 96: Upholding Tradition
"What the fuck is going on?"
Antani arrived in the Arena to find her friends and several Amazon spectators eagerly awaiting the upcoming battle.
"Yulia is about to fight!" Gloria happily announced.
"I can see that, Gloria, but why is she fighting Zareli?"
"That woman brandished her battle axe in front of my face and challenged me to a duel. Since Yulia was more than eager to fight for our behalf, I gave her the privilege." The gloomy Ellamir explained, her mood still sour from Zareli's actions.
Antani went beside her lover, concern flaring up, "Are you hurt?"
"If I was, I would've broken that woman's legs for even daring."
Antani sighed in relief, both because Ellamir was unharmed and her friend didn't deign to physically harm her lover.
Resting her head upon Ellamir's shoulder, Antani confided, "Like Moja, Zareli is my childhood friend. She's a good person but can sometimes be carried away by her emotions. I'll go talk to her once the fight is over."
"There's no need, if this Zareli is a woman of her word…" Ellamir explained the specifics of their duel agreement.
Antani's resting head rose, glaring at her lover, "You made such an important decision without me?"
"What was I supposed to do!? She slammed her axe at the table and challenged me!"
"You could have at least waited until I was done speaking with my sister!"
From afar, Yulia shouted, "Hey, lovebirds, save your bickering for later watch me kick some ass!"
Antani and Ellamir's fighting ceased, all so they could support their party member.
Unceremonious compared to Antani and Alara's fight, the combatants weren't falling behind in terms of fighting spirit.
Zareli gripped her battle axe with both hands, "Correction, they are going to watch me kick YOUR ass."
Yulia's pristine red armor shone underneath the daylight. What better way to receive its first dents than with a fearsome clash against a mighty Amazon warrior? A benediction through battle for her new armor.
Same as before, Yulia's helmet closed by itself, covering even her horns.
Yulia's shield and swords were at the ready. The tiefling's muffled voice echoed under her helm, "If you say so. Show me what you got, Axe woman."
"With pleasure."
In a low stance, Zareli ran fearlessly towards the fully plated paladin.
Yulia planned to bash Zareli with her shield and follow up with thrust from her sword hidden behind it…
"GYAAAAAAAH!" Zareli let loose a formidable war cry as she swung her axe's momentum up.
…only for Zareli to smash her shield with her axe. Zareli's strength was terrifying enough to halt Yulia's shield bash.
The clanging of metal was prevalent across the entire arena.
Yulia was on the defensive as Zareli rained upon Yulia a barrage of Axe strikes. Such speed for a heavy weapon is unprecedented!
But Yulia had tasted this speed once before, and besides, it's not like she can't match her up on that front.
For the split second that Zareli was distracted by the halo of fire that formed above of Yulia's head, hellfire concentrated on her sword, Yulia ejected it with a slash.
Zareli was dragged backwards, as Yulia's wave of hellfire was blocked by her axe.
"Nice halo, are you going to sprout wings next?"
Yulia chuckled, "Only if you could make me."
The air sizzled as the tiefling blasted Zareli with another wave of hellfire.
Zareli infused her axe with mana and dug deep into the arena's floor. She scooped up a large chunk of stone and hurled it towards the oncoming hellfire.
The hellfire exploded as it collided with Zareli's attack, potent enough to be considered a devastating earth spell.
Emerging from the smoke was Zareli with butt of her axe and shoulder both slamming into Yulia at the same time, making her stagger backwards. The blunt hit pushed through her armor and hurt the tiefling inside.
Zareli wanted end the fight by raising her mana axe high high, descending it upon Yulia with a heavy and powerful stroke that should cleave even her dwarven forged plates.
Sensing the danger within Zareli's axe, Yulia eveded by strafing back.
A smirk appeared on Zareli's face as her axe brushed an inch past Yulia's armor.
Zareli transitioned her momentum into a somersault. The stunning display of her agility resulted in another descending slash.
Amidst the heat of battle, Yulia could feel the flames being called by her shield, like her armor, it was forged in scales of wyrms thriving in magma, beckoning her for a new attack. No, a new defense!
Yulia imbibed her shield with flame mana, exploding as it collided with Zareli's mana axe.
The blowback from the explosion of fire made Zareli fall flat on her back. The moment she tried to get up, a blade pressed upon her throat.
"Do you yield?" Yulia questioned.
Even Zareli found it hard to be upset at such a glorious fight. Zareli had a lot more to give, even as parts of her burnt skin emitted smoke. But insisting with a blade on her throat was folly.
With a smile, Zareli answered, "It is your victory."
Yulia extended her hand towards the Amazon which Zareli gracefully accepted. Even as Zareli got up, their hands remained entwined in mutual respect.
"You fought well. If you want to work up a sweat, feel free to call me anytime." Yulia offered.
"I'll hold you to it."
With Antani and this honorable tiefling by her side, maybe this Ellamir wasn't like the rest of her sadistic kin?
Zareli waded through the spectators and went towards Ellamir.
"Hey, Antani." Zareli greeted her friend with a smile.
"Listen, Zareli, whatever feud you might have with Ellamir, I would kindly ask you to drop it. Not as your princess, but as your friend."
"What feud?" Then, Zareli grabbed the confused Ellamir by the wrist and dragged her to the arena.
The crowd of women eagerly anticipated what the tribe leader was about to announce.
"The duel's result dictates I should let bygones be bygones. As leaders of the Earth splitters tribe, I am honor bound to accept Ellamir as one of our sisters." Zareli raised Ellamir's hand, as if to champion their new sister. "But I will do so in trust of the princess' judgment, I welcome you with open arms. And I know you all may have misgivings on her character but let us give Ellamir a chance and prove her worth. May you prove yourself worthy and trounce the princess in tomorrow's festival."
The murmur of the women intensified. It seems that Zareli's newfound zealous support had made her slip an important detail.
Antani and Ellamir wanted to pop up amidst the competitors unannounced, as Ysbeil had planned for them. What can the tribes do when they are already at the stage?
For it would be the first that a woman would be paired against another.
+++
Later that evening…
Inside the Queen's throne room, the 7 tribe heads gathered to discuss this newly revealed detail. On the night of the supposed pre-festival feast.
"We must honor Artemis' tradition and allow only men to participate!" The leader of the Dragon Warriors from the east wore a short-length black kimono. Her gracefully long hair had symmetrically cut forehead bangs to compliment her eastern beauty.
Kimiko saw the logic behind Artemis' decree, the Amazons are already a self sustaining society of women, they can make do without breeding with men. The druidic magic can take care of that. Since their tribes interacted with men only once a year, Kimiko feared that it would leave them socially stunted and unable to deal with men once their tribe members traveled outside if their festival devolved to only women being paired with women.
"You would deny our princess from participating for such a base reason, Kimiko?" Zareli questioned, the burn scars she received are now fully healed, courtesy of the Amazon's healers.
"I will not entertain the words of a tribe leader who lost in front of a crowd."
Zareli brandished the battle axe from her back. Gripping it with both hands, she stepped forward and glared at Kimiko who was on the far end.
"Yulia is a great warrior, mighty enough to become a tribe leader. I'm even sure she's a lot stronger than you."
They were fighting words that Kimiko cannot let pass. Her left hand held her sheath, while her right pressed upon the grip of her Katana.
Kimiko stepped up to face her fellow tribe leader.
"Take those words back or the Earth Splitters will return to their home without a leader."
Zareli chuckled, "I am not taking back shit."
"Both of you, that's enough.Tribe leaders ought to show more decorum." Ysbeil said, immediately prompting the two to get back in line.
Ysbeil sighed. Antani brought upon her another wave of trouble. Should Ysbeil cancel her daughter's participation then?
Alara had the makings of a great queen, but she was a fool thinking that romance is something that a Queen will not go through.
It was Ysbeil's hidden desire to have a granddaughter before she departed from this mortal coil. And although Ysbeil still had her misgivings about this Ellamir, she would trust Antani's tales of how this dark elf cared for her daughter instead of showing her malice when they were still in the underdark.
"I have decided that…"
The seven eagerly awaited their Queen's decree.
"...that Antani and Ellamir's fight will be front and center, their fight shall serve as our opener." Ysbeil will deal with fallout later.
Kimiko's emotion running high, She shouted, "What!? You cannot go against tradition, our Goddess' word is law!"
While it is true that Ysbeil was using her authority to bend the law, she would argue that she is merely exercising her right as Queen. And although Ysbeil built a reputation of being a kind ruler, a Queen does not rule by benevolence alone. For a Queen should be able to dish out magnanimity and ruthlessness in equal measure, especially a Queen of battle hardened Amazons.
Ysbeil stood. Her glare might be calm, but the rest knew there was a storm of trouble brewing.
And that storm was about to hit Kimiko.
Kimiko backed away as the Queen stopped in front of her. Defiant until the end, her devotion to Artemis allowed her shaking legs to remain standing.
"Draw your sword, if you can slash me then I will forbid my daughter from participating."
The others remained quiet, stunned at the Queen's display of confidence.
Kimiko hesitated, but the drive to uphold the Amazon tradition cleared her of doubts. She will not let the Queen abuse her power and eclipse Artemis' decree!
In the blink of an eye, Kimiko, one deemed to be one with her blade, released a slash so fast that her arm movement became a blur.
Everyone's mouth hung agape as blood dropped on the floor…
Ysbeil caught Kimiko's katana using her left hand.
Still in awe, Kimiko failed to defend from the knee that crashed into her gut. Ysbeil followed it up by her right fist that slammed into Kimiko's cheek, knocking Kimiko down on the floor.
Ysbeil grabbed Kimiko by the hair.
"We revere the same Goddess, but do not forget that I am her champion. My words are hers by extension. Am I making myself clear?"
Hard pressed to answer since her hair was being yanked, Kimiko instantly agreed, "Y-yes m-my Queen!"
Satisfied, Ysbeil let Kimiko fall on the floor as she returned to her throne.
"Now, join the rest and enjoy this night. Drink, eat, and make merry, for tomorrow, the festival begins."
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