Káel shivered as a trickle of icy water soaked his head, Aivry capping her waterskin as she took the bench beside him. "Better?"
He squeezed tight when he felt the water worming its way down his collar, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering as he nodded. Sev was giving the first team of players their positions, and Káel was grateful to be skipping a round with Jalev at the helm. It was five points or fifty push-ups for everyone, and he was the last person that would take kindly to that news.
The first round ran quick. The Yellow House was going for the elimination tactic, and the last silver house player was knocked down a few seconds before they could win by points. Káel didn't realise he was holding his breath until Sev smacked his shoulder to call him up. He joined the circle, a phantom force tapping his chin to keep him from staring at the grass
"Káel and Jalev are scoring points, everyone else it cutting down players."
Káel caught Jalev's gaze for a fleeting second, but that was all he needed to catch the disappointment. Sev usually stuck him with Aivry on scoring points when they went for the elimination tactic, she was the only other one with aim.
He reluctantly joined Jalev when he motioned for a quick meetup, following his finger as he singled out one of the players on the other team. "That one with the weird cut, he hit me out last round. Help me take him out and then we can score points."
Káel sighed. Luck had been laughing at him for weeks, and he'd finally figured out what the punch line was.
Even with a thick leather helmet on, he could see Buckethead's offensive cut from a mile away.
Káel shrugged, hoping Jalev didn't notice the nerves building under his helmet. "Aivry can hit him out."
"He's good at dodging and she's tiny," Jalev replied, throwing his arm over Káel's shoulder to keep him from wandering off to his position. "And I ain't gonna risk slugging her."
Káel bit his tongue, giving Aivry a glance to make sure she hadn't shrunk since he last saw her. They were pretty much the same size. "Then why don't you hold him while she hits him out?"
He felt Jalev tighten his hold, knocking his balance to the side a little. "Or you can hold him down while I hit him."
"Or." Káel drew out his voice as Jalev's scowl deepened. Bringing up the punishment he was trying to get his team out of right now didn't seem like a wise choice. "I can score points like Sev said."
"Fine," Jalev snorted, ripping his arm away and propping his paddleblade on his shoulder. "But if you do nothing and lose us this game, I'll pop a shocker on your mug."
Káel kept his position by the yellow net, hoping a stray shocker chunk would come close enough for him to have an easy go at points. He certainly didn't want to be on the other side of the field. Every player except the goalies were in a chaotic fluster of grabbing arms and swinging paddle-blades.
Dodgeball without lines sounded a lot more fun coming from Sora's mouth.
"Unicorn boy!"
He tossed his attention to the side of the cluster, Jalev somehow managing to get a shot towards him before Buckethead could slam it into the grass. Káel took the easy shot, frowning as the goalie deflected it without even moving their feet.
"How'd you learn to run so fast standing like a fence pole?!"
Káel glanced at Sev to see who he was yelling at this time, freezing under his lazer beam stare as he yelled at him from the sidelines.
"You've got nobody on you, free up your partner!"
He glanced at Jalev, trying to run around in short bursts to shake Buckethead.
Partner was a soft term.
"Do something before I make it a hundred Aeric!"
Káel raised his hand in surrender, his jog purposefully slow as he circled the chaos cluster to see where he could do something for Jalev. Buckethead was close enough to be making out with him, so he wasn't about to squeeze in the middle. Egging Buckethead in a game with physical contact definitely wasn't what he was aiming for either.
Káel paused.
Or was it?
He continued to circle the scene, skimming the front line of audience seats where most of the Council members and guests had priority. As always, it looked like Mr. Greine was taking notes instead of enjoying the game.
But if he played by the rules, what could the Council say?
He was behind them now. Jalev probably knew he was there, but Buckethead was invested in his sole purpose of ruining every shot Jalev had.
Ever so perfectly oblivious.
A shocker chunk came close and Káel seized the opportunity, grabbing Buckethead from behind before he could cut off Jalev. He let him go as soon as Jalev got the shot off, skillfully bouncing it across the forcefield so it barely bounced into the yellow net.
With a smile Káel caught Buckethead's burning glare. And winked.
There wasn't a point in fearing he'd try something on him, because he always had an elbow sticking out, or a sharp word whenever he passed in the halls. With the game's freedom on mild physical contact, Buckethead was bound to up his harassment somehow, but if Káel kept him distracted, then Jalev was free to score.
And hopefully Sev counted assists.
Káel hid a smile as Buckethead didn't split to shadow Jalev. The plan was an easy success, he just had to pretend he was irritated. A sharp sigh as Buckethead stole one of his shots was the start of the yarn ball
He grunted as Buckethead bumped his shoulder, catching a smirk and trying not to smile himself. Buckethead was living for it, and Jalev was scoring.
Káel kept the show going, trying at a few shots that Buckethead snatched away with gloating glee. But he caught a motion from Jalev across the field, the man hugging a pocket of air before striking his palm with his fist.
Jalev really wanted to go with his plan.
Káel gave him a nod, letting Buckethead fly right past him as Jalev shot a chunk at them. He grabbed him from behind just before he could snag the shot. But Buckethead had an extra head on his side, and Káel felt them both fall to the ground as the shocked chunk whizzed overhead.
Buckethead shook out of his hold with a taunting laugh. "Give me a break. You've gotta the saddest thing to come out of Fairez Stella."
Káel hummed, smacking the straggles of grass of his gloves while he rose up. "Sad because I have to suffer your voice for ten more minutes."
Buckethead snorted, planting his blade in the grass to free up his hands. "Nothing worse than your kind."
Káel didn't take the invitation for a scrap. Fist fighting was the last thing that would get him five points from Sev. He propped his blade over his shoulder, bumping him as he passed. "Your haircut begs to differ."
As soon as he was past him he booked it, going straight for a shocker chunk that was bouncing about in its own little corner.
The shot was too close for Buckethead to intercept it, it was the perfect chance to pass it off to Jalev for a point. His swing cut through the air, and he could feel the shocker hit his blade, but his entire field of vision shifted to the right in a blink.
And in another blink, Káel saw the bright blue sky, Jalev huddled over him to block Carcinos' glare, with a few more team craning over his shoulder for a view. He'd somehow ended up on the grass. Trying to click together what had happened was made easier when his ringing ears caught up to his conscious.
"You didn't have a chance in oblivion at hitting that shot!"
"Yeah I did, he just stepped in front at the last second!"
Káel lifted his head a little, Buckethead joined by the yellow team's captain and Mrs. Vienta, while Sev stood opposite, his scowl just about ready to twist Buckethead's head off his shoulders as he verbally ripped into him.
"He was three skips ahead of you skathead! Try and kill my player again and I'll plant you so hard in the dirt your head comes out your arse!"
Káel watched as Sev continued to berate him, Mrs. Vienta's attempts at calming him lost in his booming voice as the yellow house captain tried to match his aggression with lackluster results.
Mrs. Vienta kept her stance between the two parties, blowing extra hard on her whistle when the argument showed no signs of settling down. "Physical contact with a paddle blade is disallowed, the Silver house will receive an undefended penalty shot."
"A penalty shot?" Sev scoffed, "He shouldn't be on the field with that stunt!"
"People get hit, it's a dangerous game, and you know the rules," Mrs. Vienta retorted, her attention landing on Káel with a light sigh. "How are you feeling?"
It took a second before Káel realised the conversation had landed on him. "Fine, I guess," he muttered, pulling himself into a sit and rubbing a tender bruise that was pressing his left temple. Someone must have soaked his face with water to wake him up, he could still feel the droplets soaking up the light breeze on his cheek.
Buckethead caught his glance, forced to say something under the pressure, but a distinct lack of empathy echoed his words. "I didn't mean to hit you."
"No I get it, you were trying to keep me from getting my shot," Káel muttered, accepting Jalev's help in getting up and motioning for another teammate to give him his paddle blade as he paid Buckethead a taunting smile. "but your aim sucks."
Jalev snorted, complimenting his remark with a discrete back smack.
Káel shrugged, the grin growing on his face sprouting caution in Buckethead's. "Mine does too." He drifted his attention from Buckethead's scowl to Sev, paying him a small nod. "A penalty shot is fine, I'll gift it to Talli."
Mrs. Vienta nodded, giving Káel as grateful smile as Sev simmered down. "Great, I'll get someone to take Mr. Aeric to the nursing quarters, set up your players for a penalty shot."
Káel gripped his paddleblade, propping it over his shoulder with a smile. "Oh no. I'm fine." A few looks of surprise sprung up in his audience, but he could stand fine and see fine. His helmet was still on his head, and it had done its job.
It had knocked some sense into him.
Mrs. Vienta looked at Sev to do something, but he shrugged off the request. "He said he's fine. He's still playing the round. Talli's shooting the penalty shot."
Káel smiled, exchanging a wave with Sev as he turned with his team and joined Talli's side. Rolling over was an invitation he was done handing out.
He had a plan.
Talli greeted his audience with nothing but worry, fixed to the side of his face as she spoke. "I think you, you should r-really sit down."
"I will when we win, so aim at me, okay?"
She paused, trying to replay his words to get a different meaning out of them. "I-I don't think..."
Káel gave her a thumbs up. "Just trust me, okay? I've got a plan."
He split before she could find a way to protest, watching his team line up beside the yellow house net. He joined the line, watching the yellow team line up a few skips away facing them.
There were a few curious looks as he raised his paddleblade in preparation to strike. An undefended penalty shot meant not even the goalie could try and block the shot. There was hardly a point in doing anything except watching the team score and waiting for the field to reset.
Talli stepped up to the floating shocker, her knuckles anxiously flexing on the hilt of her paddleblade as she raised it. There was no dodging a shot that left her blade.
He could tell she was going against every blaring alarm in her head as she slammed the electric meteor straight at Káel. To the players around him it was a sore miss, but to Káel, it was the debut.
What had scared him since the start of school was anything that could make a scene, especially where the Council had eyes. Somewhere along the line, he'd started to believe that the Council would win if he didn't play their game by their rules.
But playing their game was how Ariabella had lost.
Káel squeezed his grip, squaring his stance to take the shot.
The game the Council played was rigged from the start.
He felt the impact, a surge of crushing power caught by its side as he guided the spell to its proper destination.
You couldn't win by doing nothing.
He gave Buckethead a wink as the shocker left his ringing blade.
Today was the day.
Don't forget to:
COMMENT/CRITIQUE/(VOTE IF YOU WANT)
Fun and Useless Fact #18:
Mr. Greine scribbles circles in his notebook to look busy.
The poor man doesn't actually know what he's doing.