Chapter 27: The Cripple And The Prodigy (2/?)

"/Fight me , Ashe of Avarosa. Without your bow, without your magic, fight with your fists and your pride. Isn't that the rule of your clan? so prove it to me./" The spite channelled the words coming out of his mouth as Ajel put his fists up.

Ajel saw Ashe lower her bow, before chucking it on the ground and cracking the knuckles.

"/May Avarosa guide us./" Ashe did the same salute as before, but Ajel did not respond.

He didn't have the energy nor enough care in the world to make him bow before Avarosa.

His eyes focused fully on Ashe, as she finished her bow and slowly got from the kneeling-like position.

And then she struck.

Agile and fast, like a Silverwing.

She threw a strike at Ajel's face, which he managed to dodge.

Ajel felt himself lean backwards, as he observed Ashe's move.

She suddenly bent down and used her legs to try to destabilize Ajel, but the latter managed to regain his balance and copy Ashe's move, slamming his metal leg into the incoming move.

"AGHHH!" A gut-wrenching scream that was translatable in all languages was heard as Ajel stared at Ashe, who gripped her leg.

He had been trained in Martial Arts by his master, and he had a sparring partner.

"/You have a practised routine, and yet you have no experience reading the moves of others. You are the princess of the tribe, and that's why you have yet to see combat. This is both a blessing and a curse./"

Seeing that Ashe got up and managed to walk again with ease and a bit of pain, Ajel noted that Iceborn must have some sort of durability or regenerative powers.

"/YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY LIFE!/"

"/A lonely girl, outcasted by the others in your tribe, whereas in fact, they love you. You train and train, but for what?"

Ajel dodged another face blow, and he could recognise that they were getting more and more sluggish.

"/SO I CAN BE THE WARMOTHER! SO I CAN LEAD THE TRIBE INTO PROSPERITY!/" Ashe cried out, which caused Ajel to hold disdain in his eyes.

"/No, you fight for your tribe's attention, not the war mother title. You have an inferiority complex. Stop trying to make yourself believe in your words. Your nothing more than a hypocrite./"

Tears ran down Ashe's eyes as Ajel looked at the corner of a stadium, where the same eagle that had disintegrated had come back.

He saw what it meant.

"/Your failures are not your fault entirely. You have been sheltered by your tribe, and have yet to journey outside and build experiences./"

Ashe had given up the fight, which made Ajel frown.

"You've promised a fight, not a session of crying. You've prayed to Avarosa, now make her proud."

Ashe wiped her tears, before standing up.

Who was this man?

who dared to tell her how she was feeling?

where did he find the audacity?

"/Baseless anger. At least use it in the fight./"

Ashe once again jumped at Ajel, before trying to jab him in the face.

It was a lot quicker, and he had no time to avoid it as he raised his hands and blocked the blow before he felt a blow being landed on his body as he looked down.

Did she punch and kicked at the same time?

Ajel rolled back as he groaned, before seeing Ashe approaching him with haste, planning to finish the job.

Gripping his hands into the sand and throwing it at Ashe, an unpleasant sound from the girl could be heard as Ajel desperately scrambled up and prepared himself for the next wave.

With all the speed that his leg could provide him, Ajel rushed to the girl, who was still blinded and slammed his fist into her face, which made her stumble, but she still managed to stand up.

Ashe checked her face, and she could see the blood flowing from her face.

When was the last time she bled?

Ajel observed the eagle on the stadium, before making a guess.

It was the protector of the tribe, Anivia? or was it something like another demi-god, that the tribe honoured?

there was no other hawk demi-god, to his low knowledge of the Freljord.

Using his metal leg, Ajel attempted to slam it against his leg of Ashe again before looking down to his surprise.

Ashe had recovered from his cheap trick and had gotten on her knees to use her bracers to block the iron leg.

Im her eyes, a red spark could be seen, something Ajel recognized.

----

"Killing intent." Yvonne looked down at the fight, her wrinkles were scrunched in a concerted manner.

----

"/Have you ever killed anyone, Ashe of Avarosa?/" Ajel muttered, as his speech in Freljordian seemed to scale with his anger.

"/I'm about to./"

Ajel's eyes changed, as the red spark was also present in his eyes. The intensity of the red was more concentrated, and he was larger.

Ashe stared into these eyes, feeling a cold sweat down through her back.

What was this feeling?

this feeling of fear?

Ashe had a hold of his leg, as she pulled the metal leg, causing Ajel to fall onto her.

Ashe gripped her hand, before punching Ajel in the gut, which in return made the latter grab Ashe's head and knee her.

---------------

Grena watched the fight , before examining the bruatailty of both her daughter and the boy.

Why did she not see her daughters potential earlier? she could of being trained earlier.

And yet... her instincts of a mother prevented Ashe from training with the guards , or going out of the city aside from the forests to hunt.

Was she in the wrong?

and now all this hatred she had harboured... is not showing itself.

Grena made a prayer to Avarosa , before praying for Ashe's trail.