The legend of the dragon kings, scales bond

Chapter 1

The preparation room was separated from the arena by a huge gate of thick, somewhat old wood. The afternoon light filtered in through several cracks, as did the hubbub caused by the spectators waiting outside expectantly. The sound mingled with the sound inside the room: the conversations of veterans, the clinking of weapons, the multiple sliding of sharpening stones... In short, noise, an unbearable noise that a young man in his twenties tried to ignore with great effort as he examined the variety of short swords made available to the participants.As much as he tried to remain calm, he was also nervous about the imminent start of the test. His heart was racing, causing his heartbeat to almost clog his ears. Almost. He ran his fingers through the blond hair that was beginning to reach shoulder length as he tapped the edges of the weapons with the knuckles of his other hand. He frowned at the sight of moss on one of the walls and felt sorry for the metal exposed there to a very possible oxidation.

Only a few meters away, Sonia could see the boy a little younger than her looking at the swords with an angry expression. After a few seconds she returned her attention to her sword while she carefully rubbed it with a cloth lightly oiled. As his aunt always said, a well cared weapon is a weapon that doesn't fail.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner, a girl from one of the southern arboreal tribe, Zanha, was adjusting the pieces of leather armor that covered her typical hunting attire while examining her rivals. His hands ran along the shape of his bow from one end to the other and started to draw and check the condition of the string. Her eyes moved quickly, scanning the participants for the most dangerous ones. Four in all. The young blond had precise and swift movements as he tested the two-handed swords. Ideally, it would be best to save it for last, when he would be most tired. The next one, an excited veteran who was clashing his fists encased in iron and gold gloves, a sign that he used Energy to fight. He should be the first target, a single blow from him could mean instant defeat. Another one was the girl with the greatsword, who undoubtedly had great experience with the weapon and handled it with ease. She noticed her brunette hair pulled back in a short ponytail and the muscles that were slightly noticeable in areas like her neck and shoulders. No doubt Nika would have loved the view. She shook her head quickly to stop thinking about her, now she had to concentrate on the test. She fixed her gaze on the latest danger, a teenage boy in the robes of the monks of the western mountains. He was meditating in a relaxed but completely motionless posture while a wooden staff with gold lines rested in perfect balance on his knees. Dangerous over time, but harmless as long as she didn't let him draw and activate Energy signals. Yagi sighed and gripped the bow tightly in an attempt to dispel her concern.

(?)- "Finish getting ready, participants! The test starts in three minutes!"

The instructor's warning caused a more tense and hushed atmosphere as the fighters warmed up and stretched until the creaking of the hinges announced the opening of the gate. The thirty-two participants stepped out into the arena under the watchful eyes of spectators from the stands. Leaders of important families and great military figures had gathered to witness the test. The instructor reminded the participants of the rules one last time: they had to fight with everything, the barrier covering the combat zone would immediately transport them to the stands after healing them as soon as it detected that they had suffered enough damage. Losing or winning was not the objective, but to show their skills, techniques and knowledge. They were going to be judged by the most influential people in the Union, they should not disappoint them. After making sure that all participants had left, the instructor returned to the preparation room and closed the gate.

(?)- "Begin the test!"

A loud metallic sound echoed in the area as the first weapons collided with each other. For thirteen seconds it was not at all clear what was going on, who was winning or who was close to being eliminated. But the chaotic balance was broken when the first eliminated was teleported to the stands after being stabbed by one of Yagi's daggers. Her movements, honed after dozens of hunts in the jungle were difficult for the less experienced to follow. Swift as a gazelle and slippery as a snake, as her father always described her, she danced among her opponents cutting their vital points with ease.

In another area, three novice swordsmen thought they had cornered easy prey, but the monk kept pace with them by parrying and deflecting all their attacks with his staff. The small bronze and gold rings at the top clinked as the scriptures engraved on them began to glow. In the distance several gazes suddenly shifted their focus as they realized the imminent danger. He was not a simple initiate in search of new experiences, he was an official monk who had come to give his all in the test. In just a few seconds everyone who noticed this detail threw themselves as far as possible from the direction in which the staff was pointing. The fire swept in a straight line right after. The stands were filled with murmurs as they watched the ten remaining participants in the arena. To the monk's misfortune, there were three other Energy users who knew the downside of a stored Ompitas: you can't cast it again until you recharge the artifact.

Mark gripped the two short swords tightly and advanced somewhat slower than the other two. Yagi was running ahead of him and the warrior with the battle gloves was almost on top of the monk. Yagi felt a shiver and the hair on her arms stood on end. It was only two seconds, but for her and Mark, who was watching her reaction closely, it was as if everything was infinitely slower. It was when the zanhia began to dodge to her right that Mark also realized the miscalculation they made. The monk, with beads of sweat wetting his forehead, was exhaling steam as he regained his balance. His body was suffering from having used so much Energy all at once and that could only mean one thing: the staff was not an artifact, but a catalyst. Mark mimicked Yagi's movement shortly before the monk's words unleashed the heat.

(Liam)- "Culamne ognos."

The fire stopped momentarily as it slammed into the veteran who was too close to dodge but also close enough to hit the boy in the head before the light engulfed him and pulled him out of the arena. When the fire and dust dispersed, the contenders could see each other again. Sonia had taken advantage of the confusion to eliminate two more opponents, there were only seven left: Mark, Sonia, Yagi, a young man armed with an axe, a frightened girl next to him who didn't seem to reach seventeen and the monk, who was getting up with difficulty.