The Twelve were seated in their respective places, yet Corvan and Valeriana were still nowhere to be seen. Raziel was recuperating and Genevieve and Zevlin were still not present. Today, Aneeka and Rowe would be fighting. After that, Charles and Tamara would be up next. Corvan and Valeriana's fight was the main highlight of the show, including their performance as a band on the final day.
The festivities were nearing their end and the Twelve could not help but look forward to the next three days after the week was over. After going through so much stress, the Headmaster announced that they were to take those three days as vacation. He figured the students needed a break before resuming classes to help them relieve their stress and cool down.
Charles was calmly seated when a familiar face was caught in the corner of his eyes. He stood up from his seat in alert, his head snapping to the direction of the unexpected visitor. Elfre, Keelan, and Brindon who were all that's left in the royal box, gave him a look of confusion.
Charles coolly strutted down to the audience's area and held out a hand for the woman to take. "Lady Lerda." He bowed.
The woman gave him a look of mild surprise, but smiled at the sight of him. She tilted her head to the side and gave him her hand, nevertheless. Regal and stately, she lifted the skirts of her dress and allowed herself to be escorted towards the royal box.
The fourth-ranker offered her his arm and she accepted.
"Are you here to see your son fight, milady?" He asked.
"I am here to see both Aneeka and Rowe fight, dear one. Not just my son." She told him, patting his arm. "They never engage in real battle. This one will be a feast for the eyes."
Lerda was then seated on Rowe's seat. Keelan seemed excited to see her and waved enthusiastically at the woman. "Lady Lerda! Nice to see you!"
"Well, hello to you, Keelan, my son." She said, giving him a smile. "How are you all doing?" She turned to the other members.
Elfre nudged Keelan with her elbow. "Who's she? She looks like Rowe. Same eyes and hair."
"That's Rowe's mother." Keelan answered.
"Wha—oh." She said, forcing the mouth she just dropped to close. "No wonder."
"Where is Tamara, Charles?" Asked the woman. "I thought she would be here."
"She'll be announcing for this fight." He replied.
"And Corvan?"
"Currently in Arlandia with our fifth-ranker."
"I see. That's surprising."
Tamara was currently up the platform on the corner of the arena as the announcer, deciding it was dull to just sit around and watch the fight. The Twelve had to admit that they could feel the hype better with Tamara screaming out everything—because, although they did want not to acknowledge it, the girl was always so full of energy that sometimes, or rather often, it was infectious.
"Alright, listen up!" She exclaimed, the reverberation of her voice rising above all other noise. The arena fell silent at her command. "You guys shouldn't talk at all since I should be the only one doing that."
Some found humor in her words but some were unfazed.
"Please, I've been screaming at people nonstop since this morning so gimme a break." She rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively, flipping back her red hair. "Anyhow, I know you know what you came here for and you know who's going to be fighting because, hey, it's posted all over the place. We have distributed flyers about it. What's the point of stating the obvious?"
Charles could not help but rub the bridge of his nose while Elfre and the others were chuckling in their seats. Tamara's behavior as an announcer, though very amusing, was very blunt and went against the norms. This alone gave the fourth-ranker an extreme headache.
Lady Lerda chuckled as she applauded the girl. "I must confess, Tamara's antics are always so humorous."
"So, yes, I dislike prolonging useless introductions so let's get straight to the fight! That's what we all came here for anyways, and that's mainly the reason why I'm up here. I get the best view." She winked and clicked her tongue haughtily in a playful manner. "Aneeka and Rowe, tenth and second of the Twelve! Let's get this show running so hurry up and enter the arena!"
Rowe was dressed in brilliant aqua-blue and Aneeka in her trademark eye-color which was lavender. The lord's hair was pinned up in a high ponytail, a band around his forehead. They both came out from their respective stations and met at the center of the arena. While the second ranker was equipped with his arm blades, Aneeka had her gun, or rather guns, loaded and ready.
The design of their teams for their armors were light and were void of heavy protection. Seeing as their elements were spirit and were not exactly made for combat, they had to focus more on mobility and protection against the weapon their opponent was specializing in.
"I can't believe I will be fighting you." Aneeka muttered, looking up to stare into Rowe's russet eyes.
Rowe smiled at her. "You should have seen it coming, Neeka."
"Don't call me that name!" She exclaimed.
"Alright, are you guys done?" Tamara's voice echoed. "You're done, right? Well, folks! They're done!"
The most ridiculous thing happened after Tamara's announcement—everyone clapped. Whether it was frustratingly stupid or not, nobody knew. It made Charles sigh for the umpteenth time that hour, nonetheless, and made Elfre and the others burst out laughing.
"No time dawdling! Let's have this fight started in three!"
Rowe and Aneeka stood their tallest but tensed their muscles to prepare for the incoming exchange.
"Two!"
The two were unmoving as they waited for the impending start.
"One! Whoooo!"
Neither of the two moved until Aneeka held out her gun and fired a round of bullets at Rowe. The second ranker maintained his calm demeanor as he dodged each of her shot swiftly, moving side to side and jumping up high before flipping backwards to land perfectly on both his feet. The bullets hit the ground and sent a myriad of sand particles clouding the air. The last shot neared his face, targeting the spot between his eyes and he held up an arm, throwing the bullet off course with a swing of his blade.
"Sharp-shooter as always." The clang sent sparks flying and he calmly relaxed his arm, smiling at the girl as she loaded her gun with a click.
"I never lose my aim." She said.
"Well, then. Do I get to display my prowess?" He asked.
"By all means, do so." The tenth-ranker replied.
Rowe shot forward, his blades glinting dangerously. His body flew almost effortlessly in the air as he swung down, his right blade making a swift swipe at Aneeka's throat. The tenth ranker seemed to have predicted this move and bent back at the waist like a flexible spring, her right hand supporting her flip as both of her foot flew into the air. A hidden blade was triggered from under the soles of her boots and attempted to wound Rowe's side.
Rowe, on the other hand, reacted fast and dodged the sneaky attack thrown his way. Aneeka regained her footing, the blade disappearing as fast as it came. She brushed back her locks as she gave the lord a smile.
The second-ranker smiled back.
Without any warning, he moved to strike, twisting his body in a three hundred and sixty degree turn to fuel a momentum for an impending kick. The force he had managed to gather made his speed alarming for Aneeka as the girl barely had any time to react. While she managed to stumble back, Rowe's foot managed to graze her arm, causing her to hiss at the forming bruise.
"That was mean, Rowe." Aneeka cradled her arm as she walked forward with a frown.
"I apologi—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Aneeka had thrown a punch his way. He could hear the whistle as her fist broke through the air and aimed for his nose. He moved his head to the side and attempted to raise his blade when, suddenly, he didn't realize the gun was aimed dangerously between his eyes.
Since when did Aneeka manage to move this fast?
"You didn't see this coming, did you?" She grinned.
"I didn't. Your move was surprising." He told her. "Are you going to shoot?"
She tilted her head to the side. "You know that I can't do that, right?"
"Then . . ." He seized her gun by throwing the arm blade he held on his right arm to the sky so that it resembled a clock moving in a fastforward manner as he seized the gun Aneeka held and pointed it against her instead.
"Shooting?" She asked.
"You know I can't."
Aneeka smirked and grabbed him by the shoulder, hoisting herself up so that she was using Rowe as a stepping stone. She jumped into the air and seized the blade he had thrown just in time as it came down. The tenth then landed perfectly behind him, using his own weapon against his just as he had done to her.
"Two can play the game." She whispered in his ear.
"I can say the same." He answered before breaking out of her grip, dropping the Aneeka's gun and relinquishing the arm that caged him in place. He used his strength to throw her forward, pulling her body off the ground and over his shoulder. Unfortunately for him, the girl's sense of balance was monstrous that she used this to her advantage instead, firmly tensing her muscles to carry the weight of her body to find the equilibrium while she soared. When she managed to pinpoint where she would be landing, she prepared both her feet and landed upright.
"That move doesn't work on me and you know that." She told him.
"I wasn't trying to make it work on you." He held up the blade she had taken a while ago before shuffling forward to attack.
Aneeka ducked as a retort and dove for her gun, rolling on the dirt and quickly getting up to her feet to put some distance between herself and the second-ranker. Rowe chased after her as she prepared to enter the forest of ruins left of the fights between the previous rankers.
She quickly maneuvered, displaying her agility by quickly shifting her foot and walking backwards as she held up her hand and shot bullets Rowe's way. Rowe responded by throwing her shots off course or dodging them, showing that he possessed as much agility as the tenth-ranker had.
Lady Lerda, Rowe's mother and Aneeka's current liege, clapped her hands delightfully at the performance. She had on a proud smile before taking out a silky white handkerchief and dabbing the corners of her eyes. The emotional display had the Twelve gawking at the woman, clueless as to why she suddenly started shedding tears.
"Oh, how fast children grow." She sniffled. "Look at those two move."
Charles tried to keep his brows from rising until he heard Tamara scream, "This is what I call a fight! Don't you just appreciate the drastic difference in weapons, everyone? Aneeka with guns and Rowe with blades! I mean, come on, how can this two ever fight one-on-one without hand-to-hand combat? Like those kicking moves!"
The fourth-ranker rested his face on his palms as he injured the third-ranker's voice practically echoing all around him. He had to tell himself to never allow the girl near the resonance stones when a fight was happening. Even so, the crowd seemed more riled up and excited, matching her energy. Tamara seemed to be able to bring others and heighten up their excitement even more.
To everyone's shock, Lady Lerda suddenly stood up from her seat, hiking up the skirts of her dress as she threw her hands wildly in the air. Her handkerchief fluttered as she waved her arms and exclaimed, "Kleshivua jas dohn vu Aether, Rowe! Aneeka!"
The Twelve held themselves back from questioning the lady. She came prim and proper and now she was no different from Tamara. Brindon was mildly confused that his brows wrinkled ever so slightly as he gave the woman a furtive glance. Keelan continued munching on some sandwiches he had prepared in advance while Elfre was in utter disbelief.
"This woman," Elfre gaped. "Is she really Rowe's mother?"
Charles sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Apparently, yes."
"What did she just say? I didn't quite catch that."
Keelan swallowed heavily and said, "It roughly translates to 'Blessing upon you by Aether'. Technically, it means 'May Aether bless you'. Or, simply put it, 'Good luck!'."
"I'm still blindly grasping my Ancient Language lessons." She whispered, groaning. "Why do you nobles have it so easy?"
"We don't." Keelan answered. "For Ancient Language, Corvan, Rowe, Courtney, Tamara, Charles and I all had one teacher. She was Valdis incarnate." He muttered.
Elfre shivered and chose not to ask further questions. She redirected her attention to the fight and saw Aneeka and Rowe deeply immersed into using their surroundings as an advantage over one another. Although Rowe wielded the force of his muscles and swiftness, Aneeka took pride in her agility, balance, and flexibility. Like a cat—which was probably why she was called Aneeka.
When Lady Lerda calmed down, she sat tiredly and put away her handkerchief. "I am so delighted to see Aneeka faring well." She smiled at the members of the Twelve who were present. "I have never seen these two so energetic since they left the palace." She then turned to look at Aneeka who jumped on a fallen tree, stood on its length, and used it as a leverage to jump to a leaning tree. She hung on its branches and hoisted herself upwards so that she was standing on the branch and looking down at the form of Rowe.
"You know I dislike climbing trees." He told her.
"Which is why I did." She replied, bringing a rifle from her back and shooting at him purposefully.
Bullets rained down on the second-ranker. Rowe took cover behind the tree, ducking and diving until he was finally out of harm's way. Aneeka aimed for the spot just above his shoulder as a threat and fired. The bullet pierced through the bark of the tree, whizzing past Rowe's ear that made him momentarily wince.
He shook his head and came out of his hiding place, pulling out a knife hidden in his sleeves and throwing them to Aneeka's direction. The tenth-ranker moved out of her aiming stance and ducked as the knife flew over her head. Looking behind her, she gave Rowe a look of curiosity.
"I never knew you threw knives!" She told him.
"I just learned them recently." He replied. "But you should know, the things I throw aren't limited to knives."
Aneeka's brows flew to her hairline at this as Rowe readied his grip on his weapons. He held them at their blunt ends before throwing one in a boomerang motion, making Aneeka blanch.
"Holy Aether." She gasped.
The blade spun threateningly to her direction, flying like a frisbee in terms of movement and a shot of Brindon's arrow in accuracy. Aneeka took cover behind the thick trunk of the tree whose branch she stood on. She pressed her back against bark and watched as the weapon zipped past her head.
Momentarily, she felt relieved to have managed to evade it but scrambled to move out of the way when it changed course and turned right back. She jumped down the tree she stood on and landed on the ground, rolling while she did. She pulled herself upright but found herself leaning backwards instinctively when Rowe appeared beside her so suddenly, his blade swiftly swinging down to strike her back.
At the same time, he caught the blade rushing back perfectly in his hands.
"That trick! Godsdamn that trick!" Tamara screamed.
Aneeka angrily retaliated by swooping low and throwing Rowe off balance with a sweep of her feet. Rowe fell on his back, leaving him staring at the sky. Aneeka brought out her gun and fired a shot aimed at Rowe's head, one which he managed to evade by rolling out of the way.
"Larkov! How am I supposed to know who's going to win this thing? These two's equally matched!" Tamara commented. "I would've said they could use their elements, but spirit isn't even suitable for combat!"
Aneeka and Rowe continued fighting. Their exchanges had the people howling with excitement.
"This is the first time we've fought so seriously, is that right?" Rowe asked, his blade cutting through the air.
"So seriously in what sense?" Aneeka evaded his attack and kicked his shin, using the blunt point of her gun to strike him at the back.
Rowe caught her arm in midair before she could do what she was planning on and posed the sharp end of his weapon against Aneeka's chin. The tenth-ranker looked bored at this.
She said, "This is getting tiring. Can I call this off?"
The second-ranker raised his brows questioningly. "You mean to say you no longer wish to fight?"
"That's right." She raised her hand in a surrendering pose and said, "I hand this fight over to Rowe!"
"What?" Tamara was shocked. "No! That's too boring! At least give him a wound or something!"
Aneeka dropped her guns, all the while staring at Rowe nonchalantly.
Rowe's brows were furrowed. "Aneeka, stay and fight." He said. "You do not have to worry about defeating me."
"I do not worry about defeating you, Rowe." She told him. "Even before this fight started, I've already lost. You cannot make me fight you any longer. I just let it last this long because of formalities."
The second-ranker's nose flared. "Why?"
"My main purpose is to protect you, in case you don't already know that, Your Excellency." She said. "To go against that means I have failed my duties as the family knight."
"Aneeka, for the last time." Rowe was no longer calm as he watched the tenth's retreating form. This was the first time the Twelve had seen him look so edgy. "I've tried telling you over and over again. Your purpose is not to protect me alone. You are here for a greater reason and letting yourself be stuck in that ideology will not help improve you as a person."
"Aneeka!" Tamara screamed. "Stay in the arena! You are not leaving until the fight's reached a proper closure!"
Lady Lerda frowned at the turn of events. "Oh, Neeka. Dear Aether." She shook her head.
"How anticlimactic." Charles commented. "And the fight was going well, too."
"And what do you think my purpose is for living, Rowe?" She asked, turning to see him. "You know I have nothing else to do."
Rowe reached out to the girl and grabbed her wrist, steadying her. He had dropped his arm blades. "Your purpose, Aneeka, is to be who you are without anyone holding you back. Your duty as the family knight holds you back, therefore, from today on, you are relieved of your duties."
Aneeka was more than taken aback at his words. "You—why . . . you cannot!"
"I can. As head of the Nevanian family, I proclaim this. I cannot have a protector who does not know her worth."
"But, Rowe—"
"If you wish to earn it back, you will fight me."
Aneeka shot her fist forward and landed a punch square on his nose. The second-ranker staggered back at the intensity and fell on his rear. He was left with a bloody nose as he looked up at the girl.
"Pick up your blades." She said, drawing a pistol from somewhere.
She aimed and fired. Once. Twice. Thrice. In successions, bullets rained like water.
Rowe smiled at this but did as he was told. They then met and exchanged attacks, the rhythm unlike before. This one was more intense, more reckless, with a sudden burst of energy circling the battle. There was nonstop firing, nonstop movement.
People did not expect the turn of events, but could not hold back feeling relieved that the battle did not end in such a manner.
Aneeka did not cease firing her bullets, exhausting her cache and pulling out one gun after another. Rowe tirelessly evaded her bullets, using his blades to block a few. After one final shot, one of his weapons broke in half. The top fell and he was left with the handle.
He grimaced once before throwing that one away, choosing to settle on the good pair of the other.
The tenth-ranker, Aneeka, fingered her supply when she realized she was left with the last. She did not hesitate to load it, firing it to the direction of the other ranker. Rowe shielded himself with his blade as an instinct. The bullet imbedded itself into the blade, knocking it out of his hands.
The tenth-ranker gave Rowe a look. "Are you satisfied now?"
The Aetherian lord smiled at her in return before falling over.
Aneeka was more than shocked when he faceplanted on the earth below his feet. Dropping her weapons, she rushed to his side and made him roll on his back. It was then that she saw Rowe clutching his side. Blood seeped through his fingers. It turned out that one of her shots managed to land a strike on the fleshy portion below his ribs, just above the hips.
"This is why I told you—"
"I am more than satisfied about how the things turned out, Neeka dearest. You should feel more confident in yourself."
"Holy damn." Tamara was flabbergasted. "I suppose I should say that Aneeka Rochefort, the tenth, rises to the—"
Aneeka stood. "I renounce the position! I do not want the position of second!" She exclaimed.
Rowe gave Aneeka a look of disdain. "Aneeka—"
"No." She looked at the weakened Rowe before turning to the audience. "Academy regulations section twenty-three! 'When a duelist utters the word of surrender, the battle is immediately forfeited'!"
"Guh." The third-ranker looked beyond bewildered, but decided she was right. "Rowe retains the position of second, and Aneeka in the tenth."
Lady Lerda sighed loudly as she massaged her forehead. "That girl. She is seriously stubborn."
The Headmaster suddenly came up to Tamara's position and took her place. "Academy regulations, section twenty-eight. 'Without the consent of the judges, the outcomes of duels are put on hold. Aneeka rises to the position of second, Rowe descends to the tenth'."
Aneeka decided to battle it out as the healers crowded around Rowe. "Academy regulations section thirty! The renouncing of positions leaves the position to the previous titleholder."
The headmaster massaged the bridge of his nose. "Academy regulations section twenty-nine. 'Renouncing of positions must have an adequate reason'. Aneeka Rochefort, state yours."
"I am not appropriate." She answered. "The position of second-ranker is crucial to balancing the entire Celestial Circle. I am impatient, hotheaded, easily angered, and lack the qualities of a proper leader. My job is a follower. My place is beside he who leads. Academy regulations section fifty. 'Should a ranker be deemed unqualified for the position within the Celestial Circle because of unsatisfactory performance, an obligatory renouncement of position shall be imposed'."
The headmaster looked troubled. "Your renouncement of the position has been accepted. Aneeka Rochefort will continue occupying the position of tenth and Lord Rowe von Valdemar de la Nevan stays in second." He then left the stage.
Tamara was then given back her responsibility and said, "Aneeka Rochefort will now occupy the responsibility of a lawyer."
People chuckled, watching as Rowe was attended to.
"I mean, how'd you know the entire list of academy regulations?!" She exclaimed. "This is where people say that you can't force something into someone who doesn't want it. What you saw before you, ladies and gentlemen, is obviously the best example. Though positions within the circle are determined by duels, it is true that once a member's performance is unsatisfactory, he or she will be basically kicked out—but I have always thought that it was with regards to his or her academic performance and such. Although the context or meaning of the rule was not like how Aneeka portrayed it, it wasn't said that it couldn't mean something else. This is the end, everyone! Thank you for coming to watch!"
"This fight turned out to be more interesting than it should be." Charles said.
Lady Lerda stood. "I will see to my son and Aneeka. It was a pleasure joining all of you."
Aneeka approached Rowe as he was being attended to. People had started vacating their seats and there was the sound of busy chatter. "Rowe . . ."
Rowe refused to meet her eyes. "I am upset with you, Aneeka."
"I truly do not deserve it, Rowe." Her eyes were teary. "I don't know if that's your way of making me feel worthy, but you should know that I have long since known what I'm supposed to do in my life. My place is beside you. Why do you keep on insisting I'm not?"
"I wanted you to be what you want to be without me holding you back, Aneeka. You can be so much more. So much more than a family knight. You are a splendid woman. I just wish you can see that."
"And I just wish that you see that I am already what I want to be."
"So you have forgotten." Rowe smiled at her. "You have forgotten your words."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Why do you not think it over and remember? This is why I say, Aneeka, that you do not know. You do not know what you want. You say it because you feel obligated to, not because it is truly what's in your heart. You are blinded by the past. You are blinded by what you think you are. Until you find it, what you really want, you cannot be by my side. Not unless you know that that's what you really want."
With that, Rowe was guided to the stretcher and was carried away to the direction of the infirmary. Aneeka was left standing alone in the middle of the arena, stricken with doubt and confusion.