After leaving DeNyle to watch over Jez, Rocky and I prepare for our impending fight.
Rocky adjusts his bow on his back and places a western-style revolver in a holster on each hip. He checks the dagger which comprises the bottom of his quiver. The hilt peaks out just enough to be grabbed if needed in close-range combat.
"Do you have everything you need?" Rocky's cold eyes look me up and down.
I finish adjusting my swords, which are strapped to my back, before nodding.
"I think so," I shrug. "I mostly just use my swords."
"And don't use your magic unless if you have to," his green-gray eyes look deep into mine. "You're our ace in the hole. No one knows what you can do. They have seen DeNyle and I fight before, and Jez is known to mages as one of the best. You should focus on close-range attacks and I'll do what I can for distance."
"Sounds good," I nod and look toward the bright entrance of the tunnel leading into the arena field.
"Up next we have Rocky and DizMay from team Ultra fighting Avia and Jericho from team Marigold!" a roar like thunder drums above our heads as the crowd cheers and stomps on the stone floor.
"Guess we should head out," Rocky starts toward the entrance. He casts one last look over his shoulder before plunging forward.
I take a deep breath to swallow my nerves before following him.
The roar of the crowd as we enter is deafening. People scream and noisemakers blare.
Across from us, two women, built like Amazons, stand with spears in hand. The first, Avia, has white hair that billows down her waist. The second, Jericho, has short red hair cropped close to her head.
"Begin!"
I step closer, allowing Rocky to back up into distance range. With him behind me I know I don't need to worry.
"Aren't you a little thing," Jericho chuckles with a rich deep voice. She gazes down at me from her over six-foot stature. She slams the butt of her spear into the ground, causing the earth to tremor slightly. "Are you ready?"
"Are you?" I question and pull both of my swords out. I grip the black leather hilts and drop into my stance. My right sword ready to defend against high attacks and my left arched low for incoming lower attacks.
Avia raises her spear, the lightning bolt-shaped tip, glints in the sunlight.
I hear a crackling sound and feel my hair stand on end just before a blast of lightning ripples past where I had been standing. I fall back toward Rocky and prepare for their next attack.
"Their spears are enchanted," Rocky tells me as I come up beside him. "If we can knock them out of their hands we can beat them."
"And if we can't?" I question and dodge another lightning attack. I roll to the side using my shoulders until I'm back on my feet.
"We had better hope we have enough stamina to outrun their attacks," Rocky releases a breath. "They're using their own energy to power the spears. They will eventually tire."
"Probably not fast enough," I grunt and dodge to the left. I sprint around the stadium, using a small amount of wind magic to boost my speed. I skid to a stop once the women are between Rocky and I. Jericho presses her back against Avia, facing me, while Avia faces Rocky.
Jericho rushes toward me, scraping the tip of her spear on the ground before swinging it up, lobbing a small boulder my direction.
I sidestep around the boulder and raise my blade to meet her next attack with her spear. The blade of her spear meets with my right sword as her legs slide out to kick me. Her foot impacts with my left knee, knocking me to the ground, but I use my right to dodge the butt of her spear as it smashes down beside me.
"You're pretty fast," Jericho grins as beads of sweat form under her red bangs. "I like my women fast."
My left leg strains as I roll onto my feet. I grit my teeth and ignore the pain in my knee.
"That will slow you down though," she flicks another rock at me.
I narrowly flop to the ground before it flies past where my head was. I roll and jump to stand on just my right leg. With just my right leg, I leap forward, launching myself toward Jericho.
Her eyes widen in surprise and she swings her spear up to block my attack.
I knock her spear to the side with my left sword and swing toward her exposed side with my right. It clips her waist, but she dodges just enough for me to not hit anything vital.
"Good move," Jericho commends me. "But what will you do now?"
I lumber forward, unable to do much except leap toward her since only my right leg works at full capacity. We exchange blows. She slashes my cheek and I knick her thigh. Just as I am about to leap at her again, a dagger whizzes past my ear and embeds itself in her forehead.
Jericho stumbles back. Her eyes widen in surprise. Her lips part but before she can speak she crumbles into golden dust.
Rocky slams into my back, body pulsing with electricity which dissipates into the ground. He rolls off my back and pulls me out of the way just as a blast from Avia's spear ripples through the air.
"You killed her!" Avia screams, her white hair raising to crazy heights from the electricity running up and down her spear. Avia lunges towards us but Rocky shoves me out of the way. As she rockets past, she scoops up Jericho's spear, which has been left in the dirt.
"Oh shit," Rocky grunts and throws himself on top of me. A hail storm of rock and lightning blasts across his back and he squirms in pain.
My eyes widen in surprise as he goes limp across my body.
"Rocky?" I shake him a little but get no response. Before Avia can use this situation as an advantage, I push Rocky off of me and roll to the side. I use my sword to pull myself to my feet and turn to face her.
"Now we're even," Avia shrugs and twirls her lightning spear between her fingers.
Rocky had said enchanted weapons were powered by the user's own energy, but what happens when someone wields more than one? I think to myself.
Avia slams the butt of Jericho's spear into the ground, which makes the ground shake. Veins lance out from the impact.
My knee wobbles but I keep my balance with the help of my swords. Our eyes meet and I notice Avia's breaths come heavier. Her chest heaves up and down and perspiration beads on her forehead. I use this knowledge to my advantage and propel myself forward on a puff of air. I twist as I meet her while slashing my right sword followed by my left.
She tries to dodge but her reflexes are slowed by her energy being sapped from the spears.
My right sword knocks her lightning spear out of her grasp and my left clips her right arm. We fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs and I pull myself up so I am straddling her waist. I press my swords to her throat and wait to see if she will give up.
She glares at me in stormy silence.
The crowd falls silent, waiting for what I will do next.
"Do you yield?" I question and press my blades down tighter to her throat.
"Never," she spits. She shoves her right foot into the ground and I feel her thigh shove up and then she is straddling me with her spear pointed toward my eye.
My eyes widen and I try to shove her off me, but she knocks my swords away.
"I won't offer you mercy," Avia hisses and tenses her arm to strike.
I prepare to call on my magic, but just as mint starts to flood my mouth a bullet erupts from Avia's chest and slams into the ground a few feet behind my head.
Avia's eyes widen as she glances down at the hole her chest. Avia falls off me with a cry of pain and holds her chest as red blossoms.
I whip my head around to spy Rocky leaning on his left elbow with a smoking revolver in his right hand. Relief floods his face. If he had been a moment later we would have more than likely lost or I would have had to use my magic.
"The winners are Rocky and DizMay of Team Ultra!" the announcer shouts and I close my eyes for a moment to drink in the cheers.
"If I hadn't hesitated in killing her that wouldn't have happened," I groan before rolling onto my side. I lean up onto my right elbow as Rocky limps over.
Rocky slips his arm under my armpit and pulls me to my feet.
"Thank you," I sigh and lean on his shoulder. I wrap my arm around his back and grip his jacket to keep myself steady.
"You're honorable, May." Rocky shakes his head. "There's nothing wrong with that. But in a real fight, you could have died."
"I almost used my magic," I confess as we trudge out of the stadium.
"I'm just glad I woke up in time,"
"Me too."