The Exiled Gem

The Tournament Begins

She spoke for some more, spent hours helping them. When it was almost eleven at night, they all had collapsed around in the Dorm Hall, wet with buckets of sweat pouring down their hairlines. They did not have the slightest energy to get up, and Alexandra announced it was enough. They would do good tomorrow.

* * *

Everybody waited in the Arena. Seated on the rows of rising seats along with all the third, fourth and fifth years. One by one, a second and a fourth year would go ahead and duel. If the younger one lost, he would (or she would) be given another chance at the examination, in the end.

First, was Gergs, in the Alphabetical order. They all watched expectantly. Gergs got a lean, slender sort of guy, and he seemed happy with that, because at least the weight-factor was in his bag. 'You'll do good!' Watson patted him on the back. Alexandra nodded,

'Please don't underestimate him,' She warned.

'Please don't blacken the Second-Year's name,' Paul warned.

'I know, I know.' Gergs assured.

'Mabel!' Master George called out, from afar. Alexandra felt guilty even without having done anything wrong. Master George had that way of making people feel guilty without fault. She turned, nevertheless and shouted back,

'Yes, sir?'

'Go there, do the commentary!' He boomed.

'Commentary?' Alexandra asked, relieved it wasn't something like cleaning the stables again. 'Oh, alright. Okay.' She added, scrambling off. In the high box over the normal seats, there were two seats, for two commentators.

The other one was blonde man, tall and a little intimidating, as though he knew very well how to thrash people, but he simply enjoyed tricking them more. But the man smiled, his reserved blue eyes transforming as soon as he did. 'Second year, Mabel?'

'Yes ... and you are ... a fifth year.' Alexandra declared. She had seen him around the campus, he was quite famous with everybody else, they kept calling "Alden- this!" and "Alden- that!" The problem-solver for everybody, he was, as it appeared. 'Kane Alden?' Alexandra guessed.

He nodded, 'Yes,'

'Spokes person of Espionage Council?' She inquired, a smile curling up her lips.

'Self-assumed title, yes.' He nodded, as the ice broke. 'I heard you pulled the Master off his feet.'

'Oh, just got lucky.' Alexandra replied, taking her seat next to him and pushing her hair back. She did NOT want to brag, especially with the fact that her duel was coming very soon.

'Ha, we'll see now, your duel's next to next.' Kane smirked, consulting the list in front of them. 'Okay, until then... WELCOME AGENTS! Here is our first duel of the day, Second Years - Versus - Fourth Years!'

'As we can all see, the two opponents are already facing each other. William Gergs and Tristan Pendrick! Let's grab onto our seats and get our nails all cleaned for this nail-biting tournament!' Alexandra continued, Kane looked amusedly towards her.

'Extra talented with words, are you, now?' He questioned. Alexandra grinned.

'Most certainly. I am a part-time chatterbox,' she enlightened him. Kane laughed and shook his head once,

'Anytime soon, friends! Just the official signal from our Head, Master George-' he let the sentence hang, bending to watch the Master who raised a green flag. 'Ah, yes! So here goes the first match of the day! And Gergs has started off offensive, a good charge, side stepped by Pendrick. Oh - that was a clean waist hold, and Oooh no! Missed by an inch! It's lucky for Gergs, a well-executed waist hold is hard to counter.'

'And now Pendrick is up to a side lunge and there! Gergs has caught him round the middle, oh no, Pendrick has caught Gergs - wait there! This is a full fledged deadlock, friends! And - and, we'll soon get the one to emerge victorious - Gergs certainly has the higher weight advantage aaand-' Alexandra bend closer, squinting to look at what was happening more clearly.

'LOOK AT THAT! Pendrick has feigned a drop and duped Gergs into giving up concentration, oh and that was a nice try anyhow. Wait there, there seems to some problem - never mind, the duel is going on and on. We'll get to a result soon - and - no! Side stepped again!' Kane continued, he seemed to be more at ease with finding out what was happening in the duel, without having to bend or squint.

The two of them continued, relentlessly commentating as the two boys kept up with their duel. 'No, again no conclusion. Wait there, we are close to it-' Kane began,

'The two boys and in for a charge! Such charges are usually decisive of the winner - and ... Gergs has gone down, usually the one to go down at the end of the charge is the one to win-' Alexandra continued, standing up, the moist winds slapping her face.

'Of course!' Kane announced, standing up himself. 'And Gergs had flipped old Pendrick over, WE HAVE OUR FIRST WINNER:'

'WILLIAM GERGS!' Alexandra stated, she was standing on her tiptoes and peering down.

Master George raised his Red flag, announcing the end of the duel. Alexandra and Kane sat down. She exhaled, very soon, it would be her chance. For now, next was Hans...

He had a small duel, with another middling fourth year. And they enjoyed the commentary... because the movements were all very funny. At a particular time, Hans almost succeeded in pulling off the fourth year's lower garment. It was a stupid thing, because the senior was too fast for Hans anyhow, he simply rolled away. But just to make mattes interesting, Kane's hand shot across on Alexandra's face and he blocked her eyes with his palm - preventing her from seeing the so-called scene. A roar of laughter issued across the hall and the fourth year was going now certainly going to have his revenge.

'Hans has clearly decided to not at all be offensive, which is not a very good thing-' Kane continued, 'and with that little scandal there, our female member is still red in the face. I hope it shall not be repeated, gentlemen.'

'Don't make me kick you down the commentary box, Kane Alden. I am NOT red in the face.' Alexandra continued, adding those poignant words to the commentary itself. 'So, anyhow, returning to the duel- Dave Green fights like a snake, slithering upon you. And defense, against such a tactic, is utter foolishness - oh no!' Alexandra then exclaimed, as they stood up again, reaching the conclusion of the duel.

'HANS ANDERSON HAS BEEN DEFEATED, FRIENDS!' 

'NO WORRIES THERE THOUGH,' Alexandra continued, 'HE SHALL HAVE ANOTHER TRY AT IT!'

And then came her own turn.