579. Final Phase V

579. Final Phase V

“Don’t feel too bad that you’re going to take fourth,” the Drakken woman said, removing her helmet to reveal her hardened face. She was more handsome than pretty, with short hair that was cut at the side, with slightly longer hair at the top. Brass scales fell down the sides of her neck, going down to her back. “It’s just your luck to come across me.”

“Funny that,” Adam said, revealing his own face to her. “I was going to say the same thing.”

“What is a handsome fellow like you doing in the finals?” Vasera asked.

“I’m trying to make a name for myself, you know how it is.”

“I do,” Vasera confirmed, her hair bouncing as she nodded. “They say I don’t have to surrender against you.”

“They said the same to me.”

Vasera donned her helmet. “Good luck, Faeken, you will need it.”

“You too, Drakken,” Adam replied, donning his helmet, before lifting up Strong Shield, and Wraith. “Hey! Do you want to make a bet?”

“Ah? You’re speaking my language, Faeken.”

“Firstly, it’s Vifaeken,” Adam replied, stating the term in the Drakken tongue, before continuing in the Aldish, “and secondly, I know more than just that.”

“You speak our great tongue?” Vasera asked, speaking in Drakken.

“Something like that,” Adam replied, in the Aldish tongue.

“How much do you want to bet?”

Adam thought about how much he could spare. ‘I have quite a bit.’ “A thousand?”

“Make it two.” Vasera reached for the diamond amulet at her chest, holding it up. It shone golden for a moment. “Confirm the bet.”

Adam reached down to the symbol of Baktu on his chest. “Two thousand gold it is.” He felt his hand pulse with warmth as his symbol glowed gently for a moment. ‘What the hell was that?’

Vasera was adorned in full plate mail too, brass in colour, though it didn’t appear to be magical. However, she held out her hand, and the brass of her armour seemed to almost melt before it formed a longsword within her hand.

“Nice,” Adam whispered in the Drakken tongue. ‘I’m a little scared now.’

“Should we have warned him about her weapon?” Jaygak asked, only realising then that it was more powerful than she realised. Due its magical enchantment, she didn’t seem too bothered about it, and nor was Jurot, but Adam did not have their tolerance for heat.

“Adam,” Jurot began, “is Adam.”

Adam tilted his head, noting Kitool’s staff. ‘Hold on...’ He threw a look to Jaygak, who remained focused on the pair who were about to fight.

Jurot held up both Mighty Roar and Phantom, as he always did. Kitool taking damage before the fight began was surely to add to her story, but there was an even greater decision she had taken to make the story truly great, or tragic.

“You will not use Tigerstaff?”

“I do not wish to end the fight quickly,” Kitool replied, bowing her head.

Jurot lips formed a wide smile, before he felt his body heat up. He controlled the rage, as the fight had yet to begin. Had she used Tigerstaff, Jurot would have had a greater issue to deal with her, but to think she wouldn’t even use it against him.

Jurot held Phantom out towards her, and Kitool held Seekerstaff towards him. The pair remained still, their entire bodies taut, ready to spring into action. A silence fell across the arena, while thousand of eyes fell across the pair. Adam’s fight had been a warm up for the audience.

Once the order was given, Jurot’s entire body turned red hot, but it was unable to take hold within the Iyrman, as Kitool struck him with Seekerstaff, freezing him in place.

The dust floated in the air around them.

Kitool inhaled deeply. She struck Jurot across the side of his leg, before planting Seekerstaff into the earth, kicking Jurot upwards. As Jurot was forced upwards, Kitool slid under him and onto her back, before kicking him further into the air. The dust continued to swirl around them, betraying Kitool’s near ghostly movement. She flipped backwards and swung Seekerstaff with all her might, striking Jurot across his chest, slamming his frozen body onto the earth.

At this point, Amokan and Timojin would have been knocked out, though Timojin would have immediately gotten back up. As Jurot’s body bounced up, Kitool used the momentum of Seekerstaffs blow to pivot on her foot, and aimed a heel against Jurot’s head, but she found only the dust she and Jurot had kicked up from moving so swiftly.

Timojin had focused on his natural strength and might.

Amokan had focused on striking wildly with great weapons.

Jurot had focused on taking on hell of a beating.

Jurot stood beside Kitool, the pair taking a moment to gather themselves. Jurot’s entire body was hot red with rage, but even Kitool could see that he was one blow away from falling. Kitool spun Seekerstaff around her to try and strike Jurot, but before her staff could bruise his neck, it slipped out of her grasp.

The people had already seen Phantom in action, and Jurot had revealed its true abilities. Before Adam had earned the phrase, Jurot had displayed Phantom in full force against William of the Thunder Riders.

One strike. One kill.

Kitool fell within a single blow, in which Jurot had not only struck true, but had used all three charges of Phantom, each of which were stronger than Wraith’s, but Jurot had no luxury of showing Kitool any mercy after her onslaught. He would have caught her too, but after expending all his strength on striking her down, Jurot was barely able to keep himself standing. He couldn’t even hear the crowd, as his vision blurred. It wasn’t just that Jurot was a simple blow away, but that he stood at a single Health.

“Kitool is so scary,” Adam said, breaking the silence of his group.

Brittany stared at the young Iyrman who had assisted in training her. Her eyes fell to Nobby, before they fell back to Kitool. Her lips twitched into a small smile.

Kitool is way scarier than I originally thought...