31

Kohra

It was the final day of the tournament. I had sent out messages to the other monarchs to prepare the items I would come and collect them. I was prepared to wait, to while away time before but now, I had to go back as soon as possible.

Eline's battle was first and the arena was in a frenzy. The fourth-ranked had to go up against her and whosoever won had to go up against me. I decided to watch Eline's match to calm myself.

"Aw, your majesty, have you come to support me?" she said, batting her eyelids at me.

"I have nothing better to do. It would be amusing to watch you lose"

"You're underestimating me, your majesty. He's powerful, I'll admit but I can beat him with my eyes closed"

"Really? Why don't you go up there and show me?"

"If that's what her majesty wants, her majesty would get a good show"

Eline bowed and left me there. I could feel she was serious and she wanted to impress me. Why, like I would know. That Kroll is an enigma. I just relaxed in my seat and watched her fight.

Ever since she fought in the tournament, she had never once unleashed her bloodline magix. She used her fancy sword moves to cut her opponents at a precise weak point. Both a doctor and a fighter, she was a dangerous enemy.

The crowd went wild with screams when she and her opponent faced each other. Her opponent was built bare chested Atol who weilded a huge sword.

"You see, my mistress over there doubts my capabilities as a fighter so I promised her I would defeat you with my eyes closed. Please, help me give my mistress a good show" Eline said, loud enough for the whole arena to hear. The crowd erupted with whispers and everyone directed their faces at me.

It couldn't intimidate me and my face was blank. Her opponent glared at me, as what Eline said annoyed him. Eline didn't mind, her eyes were already closed.

"Say, do you know how harsh the life of a lion is before it gets it's own pride?" she asks out of the blue. Her opponent looks at her like she was spewing rubbish, which it seemed she was.

A horn sounds, signalling the start of the match. They stand still there, gauging each other's strength. Her opponent is not very patient so he attacks her with the sword.

It's a fierce and direct attack, one that threatened to split her in half. She dodged it, barely moving from her spot. He smirked and just kept on attacking while she dodged.

He seemed to be using air magix as the wind multiplied his attacks. Yet, Eline dodged them all with her eyes closed. He stopped and jumped from where he was standing. However, there was a drop of blood at his feet. A pin had firmly logdged itself in his leg.

He tried to use his magix to remove it but his lapse in attention got him two more pins to his ear and hand. His huge sword dropped as his hand shaked uncontrollably.

He set up a shield with his magix so she couldn't shoot her pins anymore but he didn't know which kind of magix she had. She had double magi affinities; life and earth. Like I said, she's a dangerous opponent.

He suddenly crashed to the ground and screamed uncontrollably, his air shield dissipating. Three more pins shot at him but were dissolved by a black shield in front of him.

"That's quite enough Eline. You'll kill him if you go any further"

"Mistress....." she purred. She opened her eyes and it was completely golden. Krolls were more animal like in nature so whenever they are triggered, they tend to go ballistic and attack randomly. Since I triggered her, I should be the one to calm her.

"The match is over. She's still very active so we'll start our own fight now" I say to the moderator. I could see he was confused buthe announced the commencement of our battle and the end of the last one.

The frenzy in the crowd was larger as we circled each other. I had to halt her lion transformation and I had to defeat her without hurting her too much.

I lifted myself off the ground and turned the air around me back to chaos. She grinned at me and jumped to slash me with her claws. I countered them with my dagger and sent her spiralling back to the ground. I wasn't holding back.

Not letting her recover, I turn the ground around her into chaos and hold her back with black tendrils while I delivered a punch to her face. It doesn't knock her out but it's enough to bring her to her senses. Or not.

Dozens of pins shoot at me but they all melt before getting to my face and I raised a brow at her. Lifting her by her cuff, I throw her into the air and kick her deeper into the ground.

She sinks into the earth and the whole stage turns muddy. It was a good thing I wasn't standing on it.

"You're really beating me to pulp, hun? You're still so mean Kohra"

"Stop this madness Eline, you don't have to prove anything to me or anyone. Just surrender and go heal yourself"

"Fine. I surrender. I could never beat you anyways. You're too fucking strong"

The stage goes back to normal and Eline's battered body lies on top. I descend and heal her with my time magix. She limps off the stage and the crowd goes wild.

"I guess this is where we fight, Queen Kohra" a cold voice says from behind me. I look backto see a huge Atol, grinning down on me. I don't know how he recognised me but it didn't matter to me anymore.

"Prince Aairon"

"I knew I had seen your face somewhere before. You looked beautiful on your coronation"

"You snuck out of home. I really don't care if I'm found out. I'm in this stupid tournament to get the Techa flower. I hope you'll honor your promise if I beat you up"

"Well, there is no specific rule saying a human cannot enter. Why don't you ditch the disguise, let them see your real face?"

"As your highness wishes" I saw with a smirk and my disguise melted away, my black gown remaining.

The crowd gasped but I paid them no heed.

"Let's fight, shall we?"

"With pleasure"