System Break

It was the end of summer and the afternoon sun threw a shadow over the stands and onto the field where Gisael and Sakaala talked with the adjudicator.

The Duke of Dawnharbour peered down at the Red team led who were making their way to their starting position. "Why are the forestfolk delaying?"

He received no answer from his aide, and he looked to Alejo. "Bluecloak do you know what the delay is?"

"No sire, I can only guess."

"Guess then," the Chancellor said. His tone was disrespectful, and the young Duke glanced at him before taking a sip of his wine.

"We can wait a moment," the duke said. "Alejo if they delay further can you jump down and get things moving for us please?"

"Yes my duke, I await your command."

The Chancellor bristled. "It's probably the bird. Something about it is unnatural."

The bird flapped its wings and a ton of dust blew through the adjudicators and into the stands as it took to the air.

The old duke peered at the horizon. 

The young duke finished his wine and was about to speak but was interrupted. 

"Do you see that?" the old duke said and pointed at the horizon.

The young duke looked and said, "You have good eyes, I can't see anything except a fuzzy horizon. Alejo?"

The bluecloak scanned the horizon. "Something is coming this way," he said and turned to Kysandre. "Stay here." He jumped and stood on the parapet. He scanned the ground looking for a safe place to land and leapt. There was a loud thump when he landed in a kneeling position with one hand on the earth. The ground was depressed from the force.

He walked across to Gisael and the adjudicator quietened when he saw the bluecloak. 

"Svartalfar, do you know what is coming?" Alejo asked.

Gisael turned. "Our reserve comes."

Alejo's eyes widened.

Sakaala addressed the adjudicator sternly. "He's on our roll. He's coming - the beautiful man just said he saw him."

The adjudicator cleared his throat. "That's a bluecloak. Protector of the city."

Sakaala cast a smile at Alejo. "But he's also beautiful."

The Red Queen turned to one of her swordsmen. "Go find out what's the holdup, don't they know this is a live stream." She peered at the two forestfolk. 

Cerbrus said, "They're probably playing for time. So one of their injured can make it."

She shook her head. "The other adventurer isn't with them and he's back. It's something else."

"The axe maiden?" he asked.

Then they saw Sakaala pointing inland, to the east. The Red Queen turned and saw a dust plume. "Somethings coming," she said.

Cerbrus peered. "It looks like a man."

When the figure got closer, she inhaled sharply. "He runs so fast."

Cerbrus said, "How's that possible?"

"He might be a protector from another city," the Red Queen said. Then she peered at the adjudicator and the forestfolk. "But how did they know and why delay?"

Her swordsman ran back. "My Queen," he said. "They delay for a reserve."

A look of anger besmirched her beautiful face and the Red Queen stormed over to the adjudicator. Despite walking she moved quickly and when she was twenty feet away, she shouted. "We start now. No more delays. The gatekeepers will not be happy."

The adjudicator bristled at the mention of gatekeepers. "This is a Dawnharbour tournament."

"Which the gatekeepers paid you to host I'm sure. We are being treated unfairly and demand we start now otherwise we will issue a formal protest and hold you to your tournament rules."

"Guild leader," Alejo said softly. The Red Queen looked at him. He held out an arm and pointed with a finger.

The crowd was silent. The adjudicator's mouth hung open with a thousand of his fellow citizens. The two hundred odd beta players present stared at the monster before their eyes.

I must have looked like a monster to them. My wooden antler mask, bare brown chest and feet. I looked like kin to Gisael and the Svartalfar but more beastly. Taller, taller than the bluecloak. With my helmet I was over seven feet tall and built like a brick shithouse. 

"Hi," I said. "I'm here."

"Benzhi," Sakaala yelled. She flew and wrapped her arms around me.

"Whoa," I said and pushed her off me gently. "I sort of heard what you told demon bird."

Gisael appeared by my side. "Are you tired?"

I shook my head and smiled. "Nah, I'm good." I stretched my calves and put an elbow behind my head and twisted.

Sakaala cried. "I can't believe you made it."

The Red Queen had watched open mouthed with everyone else, but she recovered herself. "They must be penalised for the delay," she shouted at the adjudicator. "Disqualify them."

"Whoa," I said. "You're our opponent?"

She turned and stared at me. I saw fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry," I said. "I won't hurt you too bad. After all you're pretty hot."

Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

"We fight," Gisael said. "Us three."

Sakaala shook her head. "Benzhi, they've been trying to kill Gisael and Reyas because they know they'll stay dead."

"What?"

Sakaala looked at the ground. "Reyas was almost killed a bluecloak saved her life."

They could see my eyes burn despite my helmet. "Okay," I said. "I take back what I said about not hurting them." I pointed to Gisael and Sakaala. "You can both sit this out – I got this."

Sakaala guided me to the starting point. "Start here."

Gisael watched me, I could tell she was considering whether to disobey. I looked at her and shook my head. 

"What's wrong?" Alejo asked Gisael.

"He is mad. I think there will be much blood."

The Red Queen marched to her side of the field. 

"It's just one?" Cerbrus asked.

She nodded.

The four swordsmen yipped and clapped each other. "Just one. Against us five."

"Even the Queen could take him alone."

"He's got no weapons. Just that ugly mask. Or is that his face?"

The Adjudicator looked to Alejo who nodded.  He then looked to Gisael and asked, "Just one?"

She nodded.

He lifted the red flag.

.

The Duke watched as the forest monster approached. "Alejo, what is that?"

"He's down there sire," Kysandre said and pointed.

"Yes, sorry, I knew that. Kysandre do you know?"

Her head slowly shook but she answered. "I think he's a forestfolk. The deer antlers, the brown skin that looks like wood. And the Svartalfar adventurer seems very happy to see him." She said as Sakaala jumped me.

The young duke asked his entourage including the Chancellor and the Duke of Salastria. "Have you heard of its like? Is it a person or a monster?"

The Chancellor spat. "I've heard of its like. It's certainly a monster."

Kysandre overheard and added. "If he is a Svartalfar he is certainly a person." She pointed. "And monsters don't stand around chatting."

The Chancellor fumed at her words. "I'm certain we have records of his crimes in the north, back in Loctris. I read them in a report not long ago."

The old duke was surprised. "Crimes in the north? Why have I not heard of it."

The Chancellor's eyes darted frantically and then he held up a finger. "The mines. The massacre at the mines. I read that he was there."

The old duke looked confused. "Why don't I have this report it's my outpost?"

"It came from a … " the Chancellor began.

"Not now," the young duke said. "We can discuss this after the final. We'll get to the bottom of it, but I don't want anything to ruin the spectacle. Look how excited the people are. He's alone against five. This is going to be fun. Kysandre could you stand against five adventurers alone?"

"Certainly sire," she said with a smile. "Only the Svartalfar leader gives me pause and she's not an adventurer."

"But she sits this one out," the Duke said. "Oh, the flag is up. It begins."