And So It Begins

--AZOUF--

The robes we wear immediately become three times too tight as the crowd eyes me. I get a decent amount of cheers, which is much more than I expected. It is both exhilarating and terrifying. My face falls into a neutral look through habit, but the urge to look up at Lachlan's box drags my eyes from the crowd.

I look up to see him wiggling around like a madman and I want to laugh. He points at his face and makes swooping motions upwards, which I can only interpret as "smile!"

I barely resist the urge to roll my eyes before sighing minutely, because of course, he is right, smiling would aid in garnering more support. I grace him with a small smile before turning in a slow circle like the rest of my siblings and waving at the crowd.

Mother beacons us forward and I follow behind Zev as we all make our way along the wall.

I wave and nod at the people, but when a little girl reaches her hand down, eyes bright and smile blinding, I reach back on instinct. I carefully shake her hand and she squeals in delight.

"Ya my favourite, misto Azouf Heir sir! I think ya gonna do amazin' sir!"

I quickly pull a small flower pin out of my hair and press it into the little girl's palm, followed by a finger against my lips and a wink.

Her smile seems to grow wider and she nods in seriousness.

I manage to make it back to my spot in line without too much delay and join my siblings on the platform in an orderly fashion. When I look back at the child, the pin catches the sunlight as she clips it in place. Adorable.

My eyes quickly focus back on my mother as she opens her arms.

"Let the tournament begin!"

With excellent timing, the tarp pulls away revealing the stadium. But instead of the usual dusty arena floor, it is shinning metal, with white squares drawn around hundreds of weapons.

Obviously they couldn't be just ordinary weapons, they had to be people. The arena itself had to be dampening their auras, because I couldn't feel a thing.

And with a quick wave of mother's hand, an aid throws a lever and suddenly I feel the low hum of magic coming from the weapons down below.

"There are one-thousand eight hundred and twelve participants in today's tournament."

Mother tells the silenced crowd. They ooh and ah and the massive variety in the pit.

"I and three advisors have selected five-hundred that will pass this round."

Another wave from mother's arm has, I presume, five-hundred of the white squares lighting up the floor and walls turn green.

Before mother can continue however, the roar of the crowd silences her. A mix of excitement and disbelief pulse throughout the crowd. Even the steady hum of magic has shifted to envelope outrage.

Mother was doing so well too.

A voice from the boxes quiets the crowd.

"Do the Heirs not get a say in who continues on to the next round Lady Lycan?"

I find the speaker. House Naja's Lord.

"Well, I know my children best—"

The crowd makes its displeasure known. I glance at my siblings and they are nodding. Whether in agreement with mother or Lord Naja's statement, is unknown.

"But they will be your Heir's Hands. Not yours." Another House pipes up. House Ibhere.

The crowd roars in agreement and mother's cool façade cracks just a tad. Behind us, I hear someone stand and the sudden hush tells me it is the king.

"The High Houses speak with merit Lady Lycan. I do believe that your Heirs should have the chance to select a few to join your lineup."

Mother turns slowly. She may be annoyed that the Houses had made their opinions known, but she could not disobey a direct order from the king.

"Of course your highness, that would be a wise decision." She curtseys.

Turning back towards the crowd, she reluctantly speaks again.

"I shall listen to the will of the people, and now my children will each select a maximum of 10 alternative weapons to join the current lineup."

She snaps her fingers and an attendant come rushing out. The attendant hands mother a small box and scurries away. She turns to us now and presents the box. Inside lay 5 different coloured keys.

"You will each take a key and tap it within the box of the weapon you wish to select. If you favour a weapon already chosen, you may select those as well. The box will then change to your corresponding key colour."

We approach her one by one and select our keys. Mother then closes the box, turns back to the crowd and walks towards the lever near the side of the platform.

She grins and holds the box aloft.

"To reiterate," she starts, "with a quote from ancient text: Let the games begin, and may the odds be ever in your favour."

She pulls the lever, and our platform descends.