Deathless [ON HOLD]

Chapter 8

I glance back at Ronan for one final time only to find he's vanished.

"What were you expecting?" I ask myself in almost a chuckle.

The walls of the dormitory have arches in them, making it possible for me to easily pass underneath.

The first thing I hear is the shouts.

"I can take any of you on!" A man with a bulky build stands on a stone platform elevated from the floor, making bold statements. The four buildings cast shadows on the platform, lying in the center of the inner courtyard. 

A large crowd has formed around the platform, people wearing similar robes, some with fancier armor than the others. They look on with uncertainty and a select few eye him with disgust.

I tread across the courtyard, taking measures to blend into the crowd. Thankfully nobody notices me, although I'm sure that I stick out like a sore thumb.

The brute man stands confidently in the middle of the platform, dressed in bulky armor. He sends a glance to a young woman standing off to the side of the platform. "I, Gideon of the great Crimson Sword Clan, will battle whoever and win the love of the elegant Vivian!"

The woman, Vivian, merely gives him a dull look and dismisses him with her eyes. Jet black hair cascades down her back, complimenting her ivory skin and haughty, upturned eyes.

Next to me, a man leans into his friend, "Someone ought to teach this guy a lesson. He's way too arrogant for his own good."

"If only he weren't a member of one of the empire's noble clans," his friend replies, "then he would have been put in his place by now."

Gideon's eyes are wild with passion, so sure of his own strength, as he surveys he crowd. "No challengers?" After a moment of silence, he takes a step towards Vivian in excitement. "See how no one dares to interfere with our love? I'll have each of our clan leaders set up a marriage meeting. It will all work out perfectly."

Gideon doesn't seem to notice the young man who has stepped onto the platform. Wearing faded and worn out robes, he wields nothing but his own fists, a determined expression on his face.

"Sorry to break the news to you, but your love was not meant to me," the young man says. He has tan skin kissed by the sun with soft brown curls bound by the headband tied around his forehead.

I hear murmuring amongst the crowd. "Is this guy crazy?" The man next to me says, eyebrows furrowing, "That challenger must not know what kind of clan Gideon has backing him up."

Gideon sneers at the poorly dressed challenger. "You?" He spits the words like venom. "You're not worthy to challenge our love."

The young man grins and says, "Then I'll just have to prove it to you." He brings his fists to his side and the area around his knuckles distorts. A single, small sized rock, as if responding to a call, is pulled towards him.

Gideon holds his stomach as he laughs. "Are you planning on fighting me with a pebble?"

The challenger's eyes are closed in concentration, a thin line forming along his forehead. "Rock formation," he says calmly, barely audible to my ears.

Several dozen rocks emerge from the ground around us and are pulled towards the young man. The rocks come together to encase his fists and the entirety of his arm. Without hesitation the man begins taking long strides towards Gideon, turning into a full on sprint. His fist is already raised in preparation as he draws closer.

Someone in the crowd gasps and says, voice shaking, "We've only just begun training and there's already a man who's gained enlightenment over an element." I can't take my eyes off from the scene to ask this person what they mean.