Wood crackled, the crackles echoing off rock walls and floors. The sound of the whistle of the flames as the wind carried them. Slight chatter heard though soon nothing but silence from whoever it was. Footsteps were heard echoing as they scrapped along the ground moving forward into the tunnels. Echo by echo until they soon stopped before a mighty cavern filled with bodies.
Elise stood at the entrance to this cavern with many peers surrounding on the floor, all eyes facing her. A cloak wrapped around her with the hood down. Atop a ledge overlooking the entire cavern stood several, those who had stood before. The Elite of Vulfax, the two brothers, the mother, and the father. Azala’s eyes gazed upon Elise with serious fire brewing behind, Britt’s somewhat with concern, Rusty’s with humor, all others staying neutral.
“Father,” she spoke out, “I have come as instructed.”
She stood at attention not taking her eyes from the man as his expression changed to one of slight rage.
“So I can see my daughter. I must say I am surprised you even bothered to waste your time,” Azala replied with a raspy voice.
Silence filled the room after those words as the tension climbed, so stiff it felt like the torches were igniting the entire room.
“A waste of time to you perhaps but to me, vital.”
Murmurs could be heard among the crowd, not loud enough to be made out though muttered nonetheless to the point where Azala picked up on them from high above.
“Vital? Do go on child.”
“Father. I’m tired of being called useless. And I’m tired of my friends being pushed around, after what happened to- ngh. For the last month and some days I have been learning and training for the sake of being useful to the clan. I wish to prove myself by taking on a mission of your choosing, if you would have me.”
Laughter broke out among some of the crowd immediately, even some among those standing beside Azala.
“You think you can suddenly fight after barely a month?” Rusty laughed, “That’s rich. It takes a warrior years to hone their skills, even for prodigies!”
“Haha, and the thought of her in a fight? That’s rich.”
“Elise, fight? Oh please I must be drunk again.”
“A woman fighting oh come on, she should be prepping our dinner.”
“Yeah, luring back men with her body.”
“She’s not even good for that!”
The laughter continued as did the insults though Elise didn’t even bat an eye. Azala’s eyes narrowed as he observed this. Britt glance down to Elise and then back to his father.
“Silence!” he barked out at once, silencing the entire group with one fell swoop, “So you think you’re worthy of representing all of the Clan of Vulfax do you? Not even two months and you believe yourself to have the skill you need to take on someone of this clan that can prove your worth? Then I want you to prove your worth right here and now.”
“Allow for me to fight Sacho. If I can beat him, something my brother could not do, then that should speak my worth would it not?”
Laughter was heard again though only for a moment as Azala barked out, “Sacho!”
Sacho stepped forward from the line atop the ledge and quickly took a leap up. He descended quickly with a swoop, landing with a loud thud on the ground on one knee. He stood tall with a sheathed broadsword on his back. The tailcoats of his Great Coat flapped as they fell to the side of his legs, his hair flowing out the sides of his Ski Cap.
Elise glanced to down Sacho and then back up to her father in a matter of moments. Azala nodded to her returned sight, “You will fight Sacho as you wish and you will win. Should you fail then you will not be brought before me again, you will work until your place has been learned.”
Snickers could be heard as the shifting of feet and head was heard filtering through the air though it quickly fell silent as gazes rested upon a nodding Elise, “I accept.”
Everyone shut up at once. Many eyes turned to Elise one last time with wider eyes and fuller pupils. Even Rusty looked on with an expression of shock as his jaw hung low. Azala raised an eyebrow, “Hmph. So be it then. Sacho, are you ready?”
“Yes sire,” Sacho responded standing ready to charge, “I am not afraid of some girl who has probably spent under a week playing with sticks in the mud.”
“And you my daughter?”
Elise moved her shoulders up and upon doing so the cloak flopped down. She stood now in a torn fluffy dark-red dress that went down to her knees, torn black leggings, black boots, torn off short sleeves, and to her side the katana sheathed.
“That month is all I needed to get the basics down. My mind is superior to Sacho’s in more ways than one!”
Sacho’s eyes squinted, “Hmph, you come to face me with a dress? Are you that idiotic? And you think yourself smarter, ha.”
“We shall see what I am Sacho. Never once said I was smarter, just that my mind was superior. That can mean many things, like creativity. Also, I like how you comment about the dress yet here you are in a bulky coat that blocks your legs,” she replied, her right hand on the hilt of her katana.
Sacho glanced at the weapon and then back to Elise’s face which shined fierce, “Such determination. Let’s see just how much you’ve improved shall we?” he questioned out loud, “Though I have to wonder, a month. Are you actually ready for this?”
“Again, I know enough. At least, I know enough to take on a bunch of brutes like you.”
Sacho took off, closing a gap of twenty-one meters in a matter of three seconds. Elise’s stance changed quickly, her Krav Maga knowledge quick to show. Her legs slightly bent, both arms after held up with fists formed. Sacho’s right arm flew back as he closed in, feet skidding as the first punch was thrown. Elise smirked with a quick duck, the fist flying overhead.
“Mmm?” Sacho murmured.
Elise’s hand flew, grabbing just above the elbow of the thrown arm. Her left leg moved ahead slightly past Sacho’s right foot. Her right hand slammed into his jaw, enough to move him back a tad. It was then that her left foot stepped back as the right leg came round behind Sacho’s right; with one swift hook and a yank back Sacho’s leg moved with her own.
“What?” he spat as his top moved back as his bottom was swept forward.
Elise pulled her leg back completely now. With a crash her arms moved down with hands still on Sacho, slamming him into the ground. He spat as he hit while Elise simply jumped back a notch taking stance again. All around murmurs of surprise and loud exhales were heard.
“Judo, one of the arts of combat I studied. Not bad eh Sacho?”
“Beginners luck,” Sacho muttered standing back up, quick to move at Elise again with a fist flying.
Her left arm went out, pulling back just as the fist connected to her open palm. She grabbed hold and pulled, right fist flung right into his midsection, right foot kicking at his, and with a yell she heaved him. Sacho’s eyes quivered, his mouth open yelling, “What?” as Elise heaved him into the air and released, hurling him back towards the ledge.
She let out a breath as he crashed into the ground and rolled. Elise positioned herself once more and faced him with a slight smirk as the warrior stumbled up with his back still to her. The crowd broke out into laughter directed towards Sacho.
“Haha Sacho can’t even handle Elise, getting so owned.”
“Hey step it up Sacho, she’s making a monkey out of you.”
“What are you doing you idiot? And you’re a Vulfax elite?”
“All of you can go to Hell,” Sacho spat, “We all make mistakes, just look at Rusty’s existence.”
Laughter broke out again as a yell was heard from up above. Elise took stance again in full taking a few steps left, her eyes not leaving Sacho as he turned back around to face her. She gave a nod, her arms tingling, “{I don’t welcome a long fight against Sacho. I need to end it with this next counter.}”
Sacho slowly stepped forward a few paces before stopping twelve meters away from Elise, “I have to hand it to you, you have most certainly improved Elise. I think I’ll actually play with you for a little bit and see just what else you can do. Although if you keep throwing me I’ll have to end it because that rather annoys me. Still, better than Rusty for once.”
“Heh. Thanks for the compliment. That sounds good to me Sacho. I’m eager to show off what else I know,” she said slapping her right hand over her heart.
“Then let’s go,” Sacho laughed rushing forward.
Her eyes sharpened as Sacho’s speed doubled, the gap closing within no more than a second, “{This is it!}”
With a grin on his face he sent the punch out at Elise’s face. Once more she ducked and as she did the sound of fabric ripping could be heard. Elise’s arm flew up as did the red dress. Sacho’s eyes grew big once against as his fist and face both flew into the dress, a bit of silver and white dust flying out upon impact.
On the ground spinning her feet was Elise in a tea shirt and black skirt with her jean jacket on again. A sweep kick flew into the back of Sacho’s feet causing him to flip backwards, “Gah!”
Elise shot up with both hands grabbing his right arm and with another heave he flew. A loud crash was heard as Elise swung Sacho face first down into the ground with her right hand, the left on the hilt of her katana quickly pulling it out. Both hands rested upon the hilt as she twisted her arms, holding the tip of the blade above his head. The torn off dress drooped while his head rose up, his nose a centimeter away from the tip of the katana.
“W-wha?” he stammered.
The room was completely silent with no further laughter or murmurs, everyone with widened eyes slightly stumbling. Even Azala had taken a step forward looking with eyes opened slightly more. Elise looked down at Sacho, “Sacho. It doesn’t matter how much I’ve improved, not against you. Experience usually trumps all and I just knew that I couldn’t afford to draw out the fight or risk getting you riled up. I knew from the moment I walked in here I’d have to end this in a couple moves. This is what I meant about my mind being superior.”
“If you were so concerned about me overpowering you, why me in a fight?”
“During your fight with my brother, although you wanted to put him in his place you took your time until he got you triggered. I knew you would most likely play with the most mocked person in the clan, especially if I showed some form of improvement. Although I couldn’t guarantee I would fight you or that you’d fight me like you did him, I figured it was worth the gambit. My father could have easily told someone else to step in and denied me my request.”
He coughed, his eyes now opened completely as his face became far less puzzled, “Y-you planned this?”
“Hahaha. Sacho, I’ve always told you to not play around with your opponent. Elise is a bookworm, I’m not surprised to see that she read you like one. Your own desire to play was your undoing,” came the voice of Vulper, shouting from above.
“Dammit,” Sacho coughed.
“I have seen enough,” came the voice next of Azala who overlooked the situation, “Elise. Dispatch of him my worthy child and we can have words.”
Elise glanced down to Sacho and then up to Azala, “Dispatch?”
“Yes you wench, it means kill him.”
She looked upon her foe, this time into his eyes. He gulped looking back into hers. Howls of disapproval filled the chamber as Elise turned her attention back up with a step away from Sacho, the katana lowering. Azala tilted his head with fiercer eyes.
“How sad. Sacho.”
Sacho’s left arm swung into the katana and knocked it aside, his body lurching up and crashing into Elise. She was slammed down as he came on top of her. With a yell her feet went up, slamming into his. Tossing her weight up with her feet she flipped him up and went up herself. Both slammed back down, Elise now on top of Sacho.
Sacho let out a growl, Elise a shriek as she flew off and crashed into the cave wall. Both stood quickly, Sacho taking a stance of his own, “Sorry child but you’re right about experience. I won’t get tossed around by a kid who knows nothing of combat,” he commented, followed by another cough, “Especially a kid who thinks herself a warrior in only over a month just to prove a point.”
“Tch, Sacho you ass,” Elise spat as he charged forward at her.
He moved left and up, a kick being delivered to Elise’s side with plenty of force in a flash of movement. She flipped and crashed backwards as Sacho landed again, slow on the approach, “As if I would let myself fall to you. Your elder brother couldn’t best me, your sloppy brother couldn’t get me. Why would the little kid sister do it, eh?”
“Heh heh, well you got me there,” she chuckled.
“Eh? The hell is so funny?”
“Heh, as if I’d leave myself open knowing father’s view on weaklings who don’t finish their opponents off,” she coughed stumbling up more, “Well it’s funny either way because- I totally called everything you and my father would say and do. So, I sorta win.”
“What’s that?” Sacho growled again.
“Look at your hands, it should be taking affect any minute now.”
Sacho glanced at his hands. His eyes quivered, the pupils dilating as he went from looking to his hand back to her. He stumbled forward and collapsed, coughing a couple times again. All eyes shifted one more time, murmurs filling the room. At this point even Azala looked on in slight confusion.
“Wha-what is this?”
“I’ll say it again, would I have left myself open knowing my father’s stance on weakness? I predicted this outcome and have prepared somewhat of a counter. You see, when you slammed into my dress, you happened to release a cloud of Concentrated Hemlock dust.”
Sacho’s eyes went wider than ever before once more, his voice now quiet as he stammered, “H-h-Hemlock?”
Shouts of surprise were heard all around as Elise continued, “I’m a bookworm like Vulper said and as I said I predicted this outcome as I have said. Again, I knew I couldn’t hope to beat you in a drawn out fight so I needed to make it fast. What I ended up doing was taking a reassuring measure with some Concentrated Hemlock dust. I read about it in one of my books. You wouldn’t believe how scared I was that I’d have set it off on me instead. I used glue spray to stick it to the dress, then coated it with a plastic spray. For bonus measures I sprayed my arms with the plastic stuff as well. I mixed everything just right so it wouldn’t kill me.”
She placed her right hand upon her left arm and ran it down. Strands of what looked like skin fell and drifted to the ground right in front of her as she continued, “No way would you have surrendered, no way could I have beat you if this became drawn out. I knew I had to come up with something crafty Sacho. Concentrated Hemlock dust is fast acting so I’ll let you do the math. Hitting the dress like you did stirred just enough of the seal loose and that broke the seal. You both inhaled it and got covered in it. Add to the fact that it was concentrated and well, there you go. It just needed a minute or two to take effect.”
Sacho no longer spoke, now lying on his back staring up with dilated eyes. Elise picked up the katana after a few more steps and then approached Sacho. In moments it was as it was before, stopping before Sacho with the katana held to his face, “Don’t worry though Sacho, it shouldn’t be enough to kill you. If I did my math right that should only be enough to keep you like that until it works its way out of your system, thanks to everything else I mixed in. Even though you inhaled it, it shouldn’t be enough to suffocate you though your muscles and skin will hurt like hell for awhile. If you’re lucky you’ll be up before tonight. So, guess this means I win, right?”
Yells broke out again, yells of disapproval to Elise.
“Coward!”
“Cheapskate, that isn’t a win.”
“You failed.”
“Bite me, I beat him didn’t I?!” Elise spat.
“Silence!” Azala yelled out again, silencing the entire room.
All eyes turned back to him with that as he continued, “Well Elise, you clearly planned this victory well. I will admit I am impressed. Hmm, so be it. I’ll grant you your request. Vulper, Thomas, Destiny, Sacho, and you Elise, you will all be granted this next mission so listen well.”
Those addressed stepped forward, all except for Sacho and Elise. Vulper reached the edge of the ledge and turned his head to face Azala, while Destiny and Thomas stood now in the middle of the room in front of Elise and Sacho.
“Provided Sacho comes out of that he will join you. My mission for you involves the Flats Pack of Zaherian Wulfn. They have shown themselves to be disobedient in recent months and I do believe they need a reminder of why we are in charge. Vulper knows the context of this assignment and will inform you all later. Now then, get out of my sight.”
Elise nodded as she pulled her katana away from Sacho, sheathing it, “Sorry Sacho. It was the only way I could think to win without killing you. See you in about nine hours.”
With that she turned and walked away towards the tunnels as Azala turned his back to the group. Everyone began to move and break apart towards the various tunnels, everyone except for Sacho of course.495Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHKB4IE8H0
