Chapter 185: Knight in Steaming Armor

—Sasani,  2 days before the battle–

"Lady Sasani," Twali said, the voice was a whisper but the servant's tone echoed the room.

Sasani stood in front of a stained glass window while Twali remained a servant-stand behind her. The room was white with light coming from the lamp attached on all sides. To their right was a stupendous bed that Twali knew was too much for her. The bed was layered with multiple linens, making sure that Sasani the lady of the House Tarragon got the best of her sleep. Every corner was ornamented with rare plants that said to absorb negative aura from the air. Lastly, the floor was carpeted with yellow and blue furry designs that almost came out of a real painting.

But Twali knew, all this, just to please her Lady. All this to force Sasani to do his father's bidding. To go to the academy and once done to marry not a person from the Great Houses, but their House. Sasani will be forever attached to their House, managing what her past ancestors left. Left with nothing but trouble, a trouble that would never end, unless House Tarragon becomes the Royal House once again.

"If only my brother is worthy of the name," Sasani muttered. "I won't need to suffer like this."

"Freedom is such a broad concept," Twali said, head bowing as he speaks. He added, "My lady."

"I wish I was born in a place far from here," she said, running her finger at the stained glass window, making a face of a person. The rain from the outside formed a mist that brought it to the inside.

"Like Ned," Twali said. Now looking straight.

"Yes, like Ned," Sasani said, then sighed. She spun around after finishing to draw the human face in the stained glass. She looked at the servant. She knew whatever she asked, Twali would resign to it.

"Have you met with him?"

Sasani said, "Yes."

Twali said, "How was he?"

Sasani said, "Different." She added. "Very different."

"I think the same," Twali said. His voice somewhat praising. "He broke a mana stone that would take us days to procure. Your father got a liking to him. Ned was even given a seat in the House Tarragon, but—"

Sasani cut him short. She stood with her back blocking the window, while she sat at the bottom edge of the window, contemplating to lie in a bed so stupendous.

"But he declined," she said, then smiled. Full and thin lips formed an arc, showing a cleft under the end of her lips. Ginger hair tied from behind and clipped with a pure golden brooch crafted like a flower with four buds. "Privilege of being free. Wait, you said mana stone would take days to procure. Why, Twali?"

"Yes, my lady," Twali said, bowing. "For some reason, the Royal House Pendragoon increased the price of each stone. That's the reason why Lord Sven took off. He will arrive at Knighton a day from now. After that, we'll see what he can do, and find the reason why the Arthurius decided to increase the price."

Sasani jerked, unusual for a lady like her. She then moved and throw herself over the bed. The bed swallowed her for almost a foot. Sasani felt like she was lying over a field of cotton, perhaps she was floating. Too comfortable. And she doesn't like to be too comfortable.

"Give me time Twali," Sasani said, looking at the ivory ceiling. The outside was an echo of drizzles of rain. "Don't tell Father yet. Just this one. I already told him I'll join the raid."

"As you wish, my lady," Twali said, his hand across his chest and bowed. "But just this once. After this, you will proceed to the academy. Surely you don't want to anger Lord Sven."

Silence. All Sasani heard whenever she was at the manor, or even at the seat of their power, which was Bogaressi, was Lord Sven's name. Especially from his servant. 

"If I may speak, my lady," Twali said. Hands behind his back.

"Proceed."

"What Lord Sven's been doing was to ready you for your future, my lady."

Sasani sighed closing her rounded eyes. Something inside her throat wanted to burst out, something clawing. But she took a deep breath and said, "Of course, it's for my freedom." She then closed her eyes and a single tear flowed at the tip of her eyes.

At the window, Sasani drawn was a man resembling the face of Ned. Smiling.

—Present-day—

"Ned!" Swift cried after she saw him blurred and was thrown back to the edge of the arena. "No, no, no."

Swift ran, disregarding the marching farmer-boy, and disregarding the unseen enemy.

The wind crackled and whistled. Jerra the Werecat seemed to take her time destroying both her and Ned.

"No, no, no," Swift said, loud and clear under her mask. "Stand. Ned, stand. I need you to stand."

Going to Ned, Swift saw a blur from her left. Making her stop, and took a jump backward. Evading the lighting from Jerra.

Jerra stopped in front of her, she licked her paw and watch Swift with amusement. She nodded as if giving Swift a chance to recover Ned. She burst forward, making herself a blur, and passed through Swift.

Swift continued running. "You will have your time later," she said.

"Jerra," farmer-boy cried from behind Swift. "What are you doing? We need to finish them, now!"

All he received as an answer was a meow as if mocking. Jerra then blurred, forming a streak of lighting that crackled the entire arena. She seemed to enjoy the transformation.

Swift reached Ned. She was almost a hand reach when Jerra swept her feet with a fast lightning strike, making her stumble on the floor.

Swift laid on the ground with her back against the floor, the strike was tingling and burning. But not too much that she couldn't handle. "Focus," she muttered. She scrambled with her feet and stood with ease but was swept again by Jerra. This time throwing her faraway from Ned. She rolled and tumbled, stopping near the farmer-boy.

Farmer-boy raised his hand, conjuring a thin Terra Magic resembling a spear. He executed a spin then points the tip to the down Swift.

"Surrender," Farmer-boy said. "Please. Your teammate is down."

Swift raised her left hand, reaching for space, reaching for air above the blue sky with bars of light shining on the ground, shining over her mask.

"I su... " She muttered. And pointed her left hand to farmer-boy. "I sure won't." With a click, a burst of arrows was released at point-blank.

Surprised the farm-boy took a quick step back. But before the arrows could hit, they vanished midair.

Jerra then stopped beside the farmer-boy and threw six of the arrows she caught with a blur. Arrows clinked on the ground, and she blurred once more. Appearing next to Swift.

Jerra helped Swift to stand by pulling under her arms. 

Once standing. Jerra blurred and attacked Swift with her paws accompanied with yellow lightning.

Black leather was torn. Arms, legs, waist, under her breast, flesh was torn apart. Skin shows under the sun.

"Meow, meow," Jerra said, a whisper behind Swift. "What do we have here. Another impostor."

Swift spun around elbow rushing. Hoping to hit Jerra. But no, Jerra blurred and all Swift could hit was her afterimage. Instead, She aimed to the approaching farmer-boy. She shot a burst of arrows. Again, the arrows vanished mid-air before they could hit the hunter.

Swift heard a series of metal clicking and rustling and she looked down her feet only to see that her mechanical bow was falling apart. Since when did Jerra broke the wrists bow?

Jerra stopped and threw both the arrows and the remains of her bow. Swift took a step back. "She's fast," Swift said. She wasn't sure if she should be happy, since the Werecat has joined their House or be anguished, since she doesn't want to lose, especially as Ned her teammate.

Blood leaked from the torn clothing. "Guess I have to use it." Swift jumped backward, gaining enough distance from the two. They fought right at the center of the circular arena.

Jerra blurred and farmer-boy dashed. Seemed like they were going to finish the fight.

Then the air turned hot, heavy, almost difficult to breathe. To where Swift stood was the air being sucked in. A wind mage she was. The air around Sasani swirled. Forming tornadoes that anyone would get shredded the moment they enter the range.

Jerra stopped between Swift and the farmboy.

Swift let out a scream, throwing one of the tornadoes out of six and increasing. Unfortunately, the tornado hit neither both. It only grazed them and went straight to the crowd.

There, a dark blur approached the tornado and with a flick of his wrist. Twali stopped the tornado with too much ease. Then he smiled, looking at Swift.

Swift nodded then released another tornado, one after the other. Five tornadoes released, only one went straight to her opponents and the rest stopped by Twali.

Farmboy let out a great scream, then a massive wall extending to almost half the height of the manor blocked the tornado. The Terra Magic cracked the same time as the tornado vanished. The wall then scattered to pieces, successfully blocking the tornado but successfully depleting to a minimum the mana farmboy has. He dropped with one knee, breath steaming in and out.

Swift did the same, but not on one knee but with both. She heaved a great breath, unable to move. Mana almost depleted, any more, then Mana Burn will follow. But Swift doesn't care. She stood, held both of her hands, and breath-in long. Distortion at the tip of her fingertips, a light came into view. She raised her hand, ready to exhaust all her mana.

Jerra then blurred, pawed Swift right on her gut. Before Swift could be thrown she said, "That's enough little lady."

Swift was thrown mid-air, stopping close to the edge the same as Ned. But she didn't give up, she stood, blood seeping between her teeth, down to her mask, down to her neck.

"Looks like we have a winner," Jerra cried. Then she blurred going to Swift to finish the fight.

Lighting cracked mid-air, she stopped beside Swift. She raised her paw, ready to push Swift out the arena and she said, "Goodb—"

And the Werecat was thrown back to where he started. At the far end of the arena, at the edge, her tail, that was now visible, hangs the edge of the arena.

In front of Swift was Ned, steaming with white vapor and neck, the only visible part of his body aside from his hands and head, turning red.

This gain a massive silence from the crowd.

"Ned?" Sasani said with her feminine voice, and she went kneeling. "My Knight." And dropped half-conscious.