Seventeen
We didn’t have to wait long for the final round of the battle. Now all the remaining students were on the field. They were even more geared up than before.
Professor Sharridge stood in the middle. “This is the final round and is done as a tournament. Each student is paired up with another whom they must fight. They fight till one is left standing. They will have the whole field in which to battle. This will continue till there is only one student left. That student will be our first champion of the school year.”
All but two people misted away. They must be the first two opponents of this round. Both were guys. They turned to see who their opponent was and bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
“Now let the tournament stage begin!” The match started and the two guys went at each other. Fire and water were the two elements battling it out. It was an all out battle. Anything they had been holding back was brought out.
The final hit was from the fire guy. He had created a chain of fire and bound the water guy. That had ended the match and the fire guy was declared the winner. The water guy was very much disappointed that he lost, but he was a good loser. Even shook the winner’s hand after he was unbound.
One by one the next three matches fly by. Another fire wielder won. And two air wielders won. Each matched seemed amazing and each freshmen were in awe. To know that they would learn to all this was incredible.
The fifth match was about to start and Marek was in this one. He stood proudly as he readied for this match. His gear on full and proper with a gleam of browns and forest greens. I felt proud of him even if he doesn’t win. Though I was praying he would win.
He was up against an air type. She had long blonde hair that was braided. She had medal going down her braid too. The medal seemed to gleam blue. A pale beautiful blue. The other armor gleamed with the same sheen.
The match was called, and I was on the edge of my seat. Every dodge Marek made, she made. Every near miss, I was relieved he didn’t get hurt. The guys next to me had a time holding me to my seat.
Marek dodged behind a tree and used it’s roots as a wipe. He sliced through the cone of wind that she had surrounding her. The root curled back before it lashed out again. She was quick to deflect it.
Marek sent more roots at her. She worked hard to keep them away. She wasn’t going to like Marek win. She was making a powerful stand. Holding her ground.
She never saw the one thing she should have predicted. By standing in one place too long with an earth wielder, she left herself vulnerable. She should have paid more attention to the below her. Soon the ground began to rumble and shift. Roots came up from the ground and bound around her. She fell with a thud unable to move.
The match was over. Marek was the victor. I was jumping up and down cheering him. He looked up at me and I knew he was going to win for me. To show me that he was strong. To show me I could be strong too.
The rest of the first set of matches seemed to fly by. I had lost track of who were the other successes. All I cared about was seeing Marek kick some butt.
The next set started and the first two matches flew by. One had an air wielder win. The other had a fire wielder win. It was neat to see more moves from all the contestants. To know that I would be able to do that soon. By the end of three years, I’ll be able to really fight. Maybe by the end of the year if I work hard.
The third match made me smile. Marek was out on the grass up against a water wielder. This time his opponent was a guy. The guy looked like a surfer with wavy hair that was dark underneath and pale blonde on top. His gear was shimmering like the waters in every picture I’ve seen of Hawaii’s glorious ocean.
The match started and the two seemed to be waiting for the other to start. But it was the water guy who did the first move. He lifted the stream up from beside him. A part split off of the main section of stream and froze into a spear he held in his hand.
Marek squared his shoulders and got ready for the attack. He was patient and held his ground. I saw that the ground was shifting a bit in preparation. He was going to lift it up to reflect the water. I had seen him do that before.
The water guy directed the water at Marek using the spear to refine his directing. It was something I had learned in my book that Professor Gilliett had handed me. In the book it said that I could use something as simple as my own finger. But it looked like he needed something else.
Marek lifted a slab of earth up and blocked the stream as dust drifted around him. I could no longer see Marek. But that also meant that his opponent couldn’t see his as well. I wondered if it was a strategy of Marek’s. We’ll find out.
The water guy was looking around. He was using the water to shift the dust away. One thing I noticed was that the stream was starting to darken. The dirt was infecting the stream and making it muddy. That could be an advantage for Marek.
Suddenly I saw Marek and smiled. He was hidden by a tree. He did something with his hands and more dust was drifting up from the ground and into the stream. He was taking advantage of the ‘muddy’ stream. He just needed to increase the amount of mud inside the stream.
The stream was looking weighted down now. The water guy didn’t seem to be noticing. He was still searching for Marek. The dust seemed to be hindering his search. Clouding his vision.
Marek stood up fully and walked out from behind the tree. The water guy snapped around to him and sent the stream toward Marek. Marek raised his hands and the stream shuttered before it wiped around and encircled the water guy. The water guy was totally shocked as he struggled to free himself. Unfortunately for the water guy. The water leaked out of the muddy stream and dirt was left. He couldn’t get free.
The whole stadium cheered for Marek. He bowed to everyone and blew a kiss my way. I know he’s doing all this for me. To empress me with his skill.
The final to matches of this round flew by nearly as fast as the first two. And earth girl won the next match after Marek. And the last match was won by a water wielder.
The next match Marek was in was the second one of the next round of matches. He was up against the another earth wielder. Ricky told us that the earth wielder was a senior who was determined to become champion at least once this year. He had been trying for the past two years and wasn’t going down easy.
I shook my head at the earth wielder as he rushed toward Marek the second their match started. That to me was a bad move. Marek seemed to have anticipated that. He crouched down and prepared for the act. He was good at taking the defensive while the other earth guy was more on the offensive.
The earth guy pulled the ground up and made a make shift stone shield and stone sword. Marek pulled some earth up and it looked like we had a classic gladiator match right now. Marek’s sword seems to be more katana than the broad sword that his opponent had created.
Their swords met and I was surprised at how tough Marek’s sword was. He was definitely smart when he decided to make a katana. He was moving faster. The earth wielder was struggling after a while to move his sword.
The battled longer than I thought they would. The earth guy was so determined to not let Marek get the better of him. But unfortunately for that guy, Marek was better. Marek got the guy down on the ground. The guy just gave up and tapped out. He was too exhausted to continue.
This was Marek’s third win this stage of the competition. He was doing so well. Though he was starting to look tired. I could understand why. These battles were taking a lot out of him.
The winner from the last match last round had to fight the fire wielder from the beginning of this round. Water verses fire. It was some match. In the end, water lost. Now Marek has to fight against the fire wielder.
This last match of the whole competition was going to be intense. Both Marek and the fire wielder were so close to being the champion. They were going to pull out all the stops to make sure they were the one to win. I just hope Marek doesn’t get hurt in the process.
Marek started off sat in the middle of a rocky groove. The fire wielder stood in the middle of a ring of fire. Both looked determined. Both fully prepared for the final fight. Both ready to have this over and done with.
The match was called and the fire guy pulled fire along beside him as he started to walk leisurely toward Marek. The fire guy’s eyes were trained on Marek the whole time. With the look that promised that he was not giving any mercy. They were the best of the best. No holding back.
Marek got into his defensive stance. The ground below him was swirling and moving. I could almost feel the protectiveness of the earth below Marek. He was feeding it his desire to not get hurt. No one wanted anyone to get hurt.
The fire guy stopped a few feet away from the circle of swirling earth. He cocked his head to the side and asked Marek something. Something that made the shifting pause for a second before it went just a little faster. Something that had made Marek mad.
Marek for once made the first move. The circle rushed forward, but the fire guy blasted the earth that came at him and did back flips backwards. I could hear his laughs. The fire guy was getting a kick out of getting under Marek’s skin.
The fire guy stood up straight and his fire flowed into his hands. Marek stepped forward and the earth seemed to tremble under him. He was pissed. I had never thought anything would rattle Marek so much he’d be like this.
The fire guy said something else, but Marek didn’t strike this time. I could see Marek calming down and thinking logically. The earth wasn’t trembling so much.
The fire guy threw a hand full of fire at Marek. Marek pulled up some earth as a shield, but the fire guy was ahead of him. The fire split and started to go around the wall of earth. Marek rose more earth. The trend continued till Marek was completely encased in earth and fire.
The fire guy hand both hands of fire hitting the stone around Marek. My heart pounded as I prayed Marek was alright. That he was tolerating the heat alright. I knew my hand was over my mouth and I didn’t care.
I felt a hand on my back and looked over to see Franklin worried. He was comforting. He really is different here and not with my brother. Was it a show or was the real Franklin showing through? Or could it be he just forgot it was me next to him? He was still consumed with what was going on on the field.
Minutes passed before the fire guy let up from the makeshift hot house. It took a whistle to stop him. Guess one of the professors thought he heated the stone long enough. For that I’m grateful.
The professor stood opposite the fire guy and moved the stones. Steam rose up from within. Once the steam was gone, the professor stepped forward to inspect the shelter. After a quick look, the professor held up a green flag and the other professors shouted that the match was still on.
“What do they mean the match is still on?” I asked.
“That just means Marek is fine to continue. That there was no winner just yet.” Ricky informed me, and I felt some relief. Marek was still okay.
The fire guy moved around the shelter to the opening that the professor made and left opened. Everyone was waiting to see what happens next. I was on the edge of my seat. Everyone was on the edge of their seat too.
Suddenly the ground started to fumbled and I could see rocks jumping around. Everyone was starting to stand up. I stood too. We weren’t on the edge of our seats any longer. We were all out of our seats.
Stone slabs shot up all around the fire guy and he didn’t have time to get out before he was caged. Fire erupted from the top. The fire guy was furious at being out matched. I was smiling that.
Marek rose up from under the ground. The stadium erupted in cheers so loud that I couldn’t hear my own cheers. All the professors stepped out of their places and were clapping too. Every so often, fire would shoot out from where the fire guys was trapped. There were laughs with the cheering.
Back in the great hall the cheers continued. Marek was hoisted up onto several students’ shoulders before he got into the hall. He was laughing. It was mainly seniors who had him on their shoulders. It must not happen much to have a sophomore as “king” of the battle.
When he saw me smiling at him at our section of the table, he tapped the one’s carrying him and they set him down. Once he was down he came running over to me and I ran over to him. There were more cheers when we hugged.
I pulled back smiling at him. “You were great.”
“Thanks.”
I giggled a little. “You look tired.”
He laughed. “I am.”
We walked back to the table with him receiving high fives and slaps on the back. I frowned when he winced and I saw he had a bandage on his calf on his right leg. “What happened?”
“Hot head got me for a second before I got out from my shelter.” He kissed my hand knowing I was concerned for him. “It’ll be all better by tomorrow.”
I nodded as there was a clinking of a glass at the head table. Headmistress Alexi was smiling proudly as she looked around the now quieted great room. “I want to congratulate all the contestants of the first battle of the year. You all have done very well.”
Then she smiled right at Marek raising her glass. “And a special congratulations to our first champion of the year. He has proven his true skill today.”
The whole room raised their glasses to Marek. I smiled as I did too. Marek raised his to the whole room. Everyone was happy with how it all turned out. Everyone but the fire guy. He looked a little bitter that he lost.
Headmistress Alexi called the room back to order. “I’d like for our champion to come forward.”
Marek squeezed my hand before he got up and went to the head table. Headmistress Alexi came around the table and stood in front of the room. She smiled at Marek. “As champion, I present to you the metal of your status.”
She held up a metal that looked like something that an authority would pin to someone they were honoring. The ribbon on the metal was red and gold. The metal itself was silver with gold and red image of a phoenix. The metal was in the shape of the star of the school.
She pinned it onto Marek’s chest. The room cheered as she stepped back. Marek turned and found everyone was standing again for him. He bowed his head to the room before he came back over to his seat.
The dinner misted onto the table and we had an early dinner. Everyone around us was asking Marek so many question about the fights. What he was thinking the whole time. Anything and everything they could think of to ask Marek. Marek just smiled and recounted everything for them.
I had only one question that I didn’t voice. One I was scared to ask and upset Marek. I wanted to know what the fire guy, whom I find out that his name was Zander, had said to piss Marek off. I didn’t want Marek to lose his happy moment.
Danielle was mainly worrying over Nathan. He’d smile at her and kiss her cheek. He’d tell her he was fine. Just a small bump on the head. Nothing too serious. He did milk it a little by showing her where he had hit and she’d kiss his bump.
Today had been amazing. To watch something like that. To see where we were going while learning this year. That next year, Franklin and I would be able to join in and see our own strengths. I just hope Marek and I won’t have to battle each other.