Dark Wind, Icy Snow - RyuTar, YinYuan [BL]

RTYY 041 - Bravery and Dignity

They stopped at the entrance of what could only be a large cave and waited for the other group to arrive.

With GinWan standing to one side with a bored expression on his face, and FanSai just standing there, like a lifeless statue waiting for the next order to move, ZaiWin was the only one who actually showed an interest in the dark entrance looming right in front of them. The air, coming from inside it, felt cooler and more moist than outside, and he couldn't see anything that looked remotely like a source of light.

Once more, this would be the perfect arena for him, if he would only be allowed to use his daitai.

The sound of footsteps made him turn around and a mental curse took over his thoughts.

Like their group, the one approaching them had also lost a member, sometime during the afternoon. But what immediately captured his attention was the tall, large man with an ugly scar running down his face walking at the front, and the much smaller, much leaner blond boy walking in the back.

He'd seen the large man before, when the Calzai had introduced the three men that would take part in the tournament. Like FanSai, who didn't even blink at the sight of his companion as if he were some unknown stranger, and like RouZen, with his devious but pleasant smile, the large one had also lined up beside the Calzai when his name had been called out. MaoZao, ZaiWin recalled, his gaze falling on the man's large arms, thick muscles bulging beneath his clothes. The sword he carried looked like a child's toy in his hands.

And then there was the blond kid, he grimaced inwardly. CarFan? Was that what the others had called him?

Like CalWan, he looked to be one of the oldest kids that had attended the Gathering, and he was none other than the idiot who had pushed him into the river.

And yet, now that he watched him a bit closer, he didn't look to be feeling all that well. Before he had been all bravado, arrogant pride and a huge, and unjustified, complex of superiority. But now he looked pale, his blue eyes wide and haunted, a certain crazed expression on his face. Something must have happened, ZaiWin knew immediately. Something the little lord was having trouble dealing with. So much so that, even though they were all now standing next to each other, the other boy had yet to notice his presence.

The two guides of both groups conferred for a brief moment, checking the painted rocks, and then returned to them with the already familiar black bag on their hands.

"Here you go. Please pick one," the man said, offering the bag to GinWan, and he rolled his eyes in disgust before sticking his hand inside it and pulling out a red rock.

The bag was then offered to the other kid on CarFan's group, and then to CarFan himself, who practically jumped out of his skin when he noticed that someone was actually talking to him.

When the bag was finally offered to him, ZaiWin couldn't help hesitate. This time around his chances of him drawing a rock that would grant him a peaceful combat were close to none. On one side he had two of the Calzai's men. On the other he had the cold-blooded GinWan, and the crazed-looking CarFan. He could only wish he would draw blue and be paired with that other kid.

As if the universe would ever conspire to help him, he sighed, looking at the yellow color of his rock. CarFan it was, he sighed again.

Since everyone else had already drawn their rocks, it was clear that the other two kids standing there, one of them being GinWan, would inevitably be paired with the Calzai's men.

FanSai was just about to draw his rock when GinWai threw his away, over his shoulder, with a snort.

"Heh! I give up."