CHAPTER 45 Partial Retribution

Callem stayed in Hen's Hollow with Wynna as Aelyn, Gareth, and I went to his farm to rest up. I laid out dozens of alarms around the property to practice the spell. The one mistake I made was the one in the bathroom. The spell gave me a brief two-second image when I focused on the specific alarm being activated. So it could be used as a pepping tom spell if desired, but seeing Gareth was not the image I wanted to be burned into my mind.

I altered the privy alarm to be a loud noise to trigger when 'anyone sat on the toilet seat.' Of course, Aelyn, in the middle of the night, got the shit scared out of her instead of Gareth. I made breakfast for everyone in the morning, and it was the first time that I thought Aelyn had been angry with me. Gareth thought the whole thing was hysterical.

Gareth and Aelyn practiced with me in the morning after we weeded and watered the fields. They both wanted me to win. We traveled to Hen's Hollow for lunch and ate at my parent's house. Freya told us, "Everyone is coming, Storme. Well, most of the town! They all want to see you two take it to those city boys! It is going to be EPIC!" Freya using the phrase from my old world, brought a smile to my lips. It was just more pressure on me to win my duel.

Freya was not kidding. Almost 100 people from Hen's Hollow and the surrounding farms were headed to Solaris. Even Mera and Fera were coming with their family. The support was very touching. The field would be whittled to 8 in the evening, and then after dinner, it would be reduced to the final 4. I assumed this was to generate more ticket sale revenue. Tomorrow the last four would face off.

Freya and Aelyn were talking on the way in, and it sounded like Aelyn was relaying the fights from yesterday to Freya in extreme detail. Hopefully, Aelyn hadn't changed anything to get back at me for the alarm spell mishap.

The city, like yesterday, felt like it had recovered fairly quickly from the attack. Our small city was more of a distraction in the grand scheme of the major assault. We had mostly mercenaries raiding farms and Sadians keeping the population contained in the city while other grander attacks occurred in the skies between, below, and above the islands. Callem had said it was the most effective attack the Sadians had ever orchestrated. This was mainly due to a large number of beastkin allies and the plethora of mercenaries they sent at us.

The little stadium with about 2000 seats was packed, and food vendors were walking the aisles. Doing the math in my head, the city was making more coins than they were paying out to the winners of this event. Pascal, Gareth, and I went down below to wait for our turn. It had me thinking of gladiator combat for some reason. Pascal was called first, and we watched his match through the door.

He surprisingly lost. We were both stunned. He came storming back into the room, "Shittin cheater. Used a blasted magic sword. Callem told me not to use the weapon you made me, Storme. It was bloody dragon's shit! His sword enchantment hit like a skyship!" Pascal continued to rant, and the healers continued to work on his broken wrist and partially healed leg. That was how he had lost. The strength of the blow broke Pascal's wrist on his sword arm. I thought that maybe Liam had used the funds they stole from me to buy that magic sword. Enchanted weapons were somewhat illegal, but I was sure they would find nothing if the organizers checked. There was a gray area on using a magic weapon if it was from an innate ability.

Gareth and I consoled Pascal. "You made it to the top 16 in the tourney, Pascal. Dad is going to be really proud, and it should be something to help you get into a good second-year academy." If no one sponsored him to an academy I was thinking of doing it anonymously. He was my brother, after all.

I was called next. I had to fight the son of the tournament organizer. As I approached, he whispered, "Go down easy, or I will punish you." What kind of verbal threat was this? Not a good one.

I replied, "You sound better with your mouth closed." Maybe I was reaching, but it got the effect I wanted. Zaneth looked puzzled for a long time, even as the fight started, and then his eyes widened in realization. Thank god. I thought I had wasted my breath on a decent comeback.

Zaneth wielded a long sword and shield, nothing special. I was sticking with my staff. We both parried each other for a bit, and I would say we were equally matched, skill-wise. I was waiting for the cheat to happen, and I almost realized it too late.

He had used some type of rot enchantment on my staff. The staff was a dungeon hardwood, so it should last a long time, even against steel. When a large chunk flew off when I parried an attack, I realized it. If I wanted to win, I had to finish this quickly. Zaneth smirked as he saw me puzzle out what was happening. He went completely on the defensive, waiting for my staff to fail so he could finish me. I backed up, coming up with a plan. I saw Mia in the crowd and decided to give her a nod. Zaneth was the boy who had been trying to leverage his father's power to get her to marry him. At least, I hoped she realized I was directing the nod at her. If I took out Zaneth, it would be some revenge for her.

I made my move. I went in for a flurry of attacks forcing him to use his shield and blade to defend and back peddle. When my staff inevitably broke, we reversed positions, and he pressed me. I waited as he had the longer reach. I just needed him to take a wide swing… There I moved in quickly inside his sword arc. He wasn't expecting it. I bear-hugged his shield to his chest, pinning that arm, and drove him into the ground with me on top. My weight knocked the air from him. Using my two free hands, I grabbed his wrist and freed his sword. Getting control of it, I held the blade to his throat. He squeaked out, 'I yield.' I said I couldn't hear him and made him scream it so everyone could listen to his plea.

The nasty look the guard captain gave me made this worth it. His son had been knocked out and beaten with his own sword. I slowed my steps and soaked in the cheers of the crowd…oh my. The adrenaline rush and the endorphins from successful combat were…intoxicating. No! I got control of myself. I planned to make lots of coins. Live a luxurious, indulgent and hedonistic lifestyle. The rush would not persuade me on a path of combat. That would be stupid!

I got claps from Pascal and Gareth while sitting in the competitor's area. My opponent had fled the stadium in embarrassment. I did find Mia in the crowd, and she gave me a nod in return. At least, I assumed she was nodding at me. If the opportunity arose, I would be interested in talking to her to get her story. Right now, I was getting enough adulation from the people from Hen's Hollow…including the two twins, Fera and Mera.

Gareth's match was two bouts later, and it was boring. Gareth disarmed him, let him pick up his sword, and then did it again. Frustrated he couldn't get a good fight from his opponent he ended the match. So both me and Gareth had made it into the final eight. My family and Gareth went with Callem, Wynna, and Ennet to get a large meal.

Even though Callem warned Gareth not to eat so much, he didn't restrain himself. The young waitress even handed each of us a beer, compliments of the tavern owner. I pretended to sip on mine, slightly paranoid it might have been spiked with something. Gareth chugged his and ordered a second, which Callem drank in his stead, to Gareth's bemused disappointment.

Freya sat next to me, and she relayed the fight I had just won to me in excruciating detail. Everyone thought I was going to lose in the stands when my staff broke. Then I threw away my broken weapon, pinned my opponent, and used his own weapon on him. A story for the legends—the legends of Hen's Hollow, anyway.

After dinner, as we walked, Callem talked with Gareth and me, "Boys, the first-year academy starts in three weeks. I have some of the rooms ready, and when we get back to Hen's Hollow tonight, you can stay there. After the tourney finishes tomorrow, we will all return to the farm and pack what we need."

Gareth asked, "Are we leaving the farm permanently?" I think he was also a little peeved that Callum hadn't praised either of us for our accomplishments so far in the tourney.

"I will continue to maintain it, heading back every third day to weed and water. You boys have outgrown the place. After the academy's first year, you will need to make some decisions. I expect quite a few sponsors to approach you, Gareth. You as well, Storme, if news of your healing spell travels. You will be shielded from the draft until your 16th year. Hopefully, the needs of Skyholme's navy will have died down by then."

Gareth sounded a little whiny, "So after the first-year academy, you will no longer train us?"

Callem smiled genuinely at Gareth, "As long as you are within reach, boy, I will always find the time to teach you a new trick or two. The day that you surpass is the day I will stop teaching you." I walked ahead and let the two have their moment together. I was not going to be dragged down this rabbit hole of enjoying sword combat… no matter how intoxicating victory was.

At the stadium, there were just eight of us remaining. I didn't have a spare staff, so I had removed one of my lesser sabers from my storage in secret. I preferred the staff and probably should have found time to get a new one in the city during the break. The stands quickly filled as everyone paid five coppers again to get a seat. I could hear some modest betting going on. Now that the crowds had a chance to watch us, the odds makers could figure out what they were willing to level for each match.

I saw my father and Gareth's visiting one of them and assumed they were betting for us to win. The environment was quite lively, and I don't think everyone who wanted to watch got into the stands. People were standing in the back, and Mera and Fera were among them. The matches were announced, and I was going to be first against Leon Mogensen.

The announcer read, "Storme Hardlight of 13 years will be battling Leon Mogensen of 14 years." I was still twelve. My 13th birthday was still weeks away. But I guessed they didn't want to say I was 12 and had beaten the guard captain's son, who was 14. People in the sphere did mature physically faster. I looked to be almost 15, and my opponent may be 17 from my old world. Gareth was the exception. Even at 12, if you discounted his youthful face, you would think he was 18. It had to be a side effect of his giant's constitution ability.

Leon had looked worried that I had produced a saber instead of a staff, but now the ginger boy had a smug look on his face. If all he had was the heavy hitter enchantment, then I would just need to not block any of his attacks, just parry.

When the fight started, he came at me like a bull, full of overconfidence. I refused to engage him directly for five minutes. He was breathing heavily, so he didn't have conditioning even close to mine. He started to taunt me next to goad me into attacking him. Maybe he would be stupid enough to admit he ambushed me in an alley and tried to kill me.

After fifteen minutes, the crowd was becoming restless. I was wielding just a saber, no shield. In comparison, my opponent had a magic weapon and buckler. I didn't like a shield in one on one combat. If it had been two opponents, then definitely a shield, but here it would hamper my superior mobility and keep me too square to my opponent.

He finally got a jab that struck home, albeit a verbal one. "Maybe your young sister would stand still while I stab her with my sword," he said while grabbing his crouch.

My rage emerged unhindered. I turned to the attack and caused him to stumble back on his tired footing. I clipped a small chuck off his shield and left my saber out there for him to hack down to the ground and possibly break it. Callem would give me hell for what I was about to do. I let him strike the saber; yes, it was a heavy hitter enchantment. But I used the momentum he gave my sword to pirouette extremely fast, swinging my blade in a 360 circle and adding momentum and power.

The fact that I had to turn my back to him in the spin would get me hell from Callem, but I had so little faith my opponent would take advantage in the brief moment I exposed myself. With his shield and sword on the right side of his body, his eyes popped as he realized what was happening. The speed would not have been possible without his magic assistance. He tried to back up, but his weight was all forward. My sword cut into his leather shoulder pauldron and into his arm and lodged in his bone.

I was slightly disappointed. His reaction to back up had raised his head and neck above my sword's arc. If he had been just a little lower—I could have separated his head from his body in the swing. Leon's screams of pain rang out, but the crowd was already erupting in cheers at my victory. I was disappointed to lose my chance for ultimate revenge in front of a crowd.

Then that stupid bloody rush hit me. The adrenaline. The adoration of the crowd. The ecstasy of defeating a foe. I raised both my hands as the guard captain called the match in my favor. I turned and left and went into the stands to join my family, leaving my sword in Leon's arm as he screamed and the healing mages tended him. It was a crappy saber compared to the collection in my dimensional space, anyway. It was an old experiment to increase the hardness of the blade.

My family hugged me, and I dragged Aelyn into the hug as well as she was sitting next to Freya. I didn't think I was overly impressed with my fight. But I was satisfied as I had gotten some mark of revenge.

Gareth's opponent at least put up a fight. Well not a fight, but he was a big round boy and was able to take a few hits. The townsfolk were already planning a party back in town to celebrate that not just one but two of their own had made it into the top four. Gareth was easily going to win, and I was making plans to bow out of the competition. I had achieved my goal. The town moved as a pack back home, and the party started. I saw Callem slipping a large gold to the tavern keeper. It was shiny, so definitely one of mine.

Mera and Fera had corned Gareth and me, and we started talking. They were excited that they would be joining us at the first-year academy. Being the town heroes for a night was exciting, but I needed to talk with Callem. I found him talking to someone I was not expecting to be here, Mia. Mia was the young woman I had defeated to get into the tournament.

"Storme," Callem introduced us, "Mia." "This young woman is planning to come out and do her first year academy in our humble town. I was working out the details with her. The town charter requires her or her family to be a resident, so I was going to ask my friend Edel Swallowhorn to rent out her spare cottage. Her father has given her the funds, and I was going to set it up formally. Why don't you introduce Mia to Gareth and the Gaskill twins while I am gone." Callem gave me a wink as he left.

Mia looked at me for a good minute in the noisy tavern before saying, "Thank you for beating Fazal's son and making him look the fool. If I were you, I would stay away from the city for a long while." She had a cute smirk on her face. She was a head shorter than me, with rich black hair tied into a ponytail and lightly tanned skin. She was definitely sporting an athletic build with a plain but pleasant face.

"So Mia, your dad is a Silversmith, and you are not going to follow in his footsteps?" I asked as I walked her over to my friends.

"No, I have three older brothers, all apprenticed to him. I don't like the jewelry business anyway. I have been getting into fights since I was five, and the healer's bills have given my dad a headache." She was all smiles. "When I learned who trained you and your older brother, I decided to come out here and see if he would train me too. When I heard he was running the first-year academy in Hen's Hollow, I couldn't miss the opportunity, so here I am!"

We reached the group, and I introduced Mia to everyone. Mia was friendly to everyone, including Aelyn, so she seemed like a good person. I did have to clean up some confusion. She thought Gareth was my older brother, but Callem had thought she was referring to Pascal. I made sure to let her know that I was, in fact, older than Gareth by two months.

The party dragged well into the night, and everyone seemed to forget that tomorrow Gareth and I had to compete again in the evening. Callem came and found us, escorted Mia to her new living accommodations, and said the barracks were open and Gareth and I could go pick out any furnished room. We said goodbye to the twins and went to the barracks.

The barracks was a long building on the far side of our small skyship dock. The skyship dock was just a square solid stone tower with wooden stairs wrapping around it. It was 20 feet in height, and the top was about 100 feet to the side. The barracks was a stone building about 150 feet in length and 50 feet in width in the shadow of the stone monolith.

Gareth got excited, "Look, Storme! Callem has built a new obstacle course here! It looks even bigger and harder than the one at the farm!" I groaned at the realization that our time in the academy was just going to be a continuation of our time at the farm. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to cook for everyone as well.