A Court of Legends and Myths

Chapter 19 - Itaelaich

Nesryn's POV

She loved Itaelaich, she herself was not participating this time, but at least she got to watch. She first learned of the game when she returned from the war. She was seated in a cabin that gave the best view of the arena, she was joined by Sartaq and the other sovereigns of their world along with their children. "Telulah, Hevalla, shhhh, it's about to start, and if you keep arguing you're going to miss aunt Borte." She said, discipling her two youngest children. "But mooooom." Telulah complained, Telulah was 7, a year older than her younger sister. "No buts, now sit still." She said she heard her husband snicker beside her, she whipped her head towards him and gave him a death glare, while hitting his arm.

"Don't be too hard on them, they're just children." He stated.

"I know that, but still, now is not the time to be arguing over the ribbon in someone's hair." she said. Then Aelin got up saving her from this conversation, she walked to the edge of the cabin and spoke.

"Welcome all to the first of our games. We are very pleased to be hosting this year, and hope that all enjoy themselves. Today the Southern Continent's team will play against the Witch Kingdom team, the winner will go on to play against tomorrow's winner. Tomorrow Terassen plays against Doranelle." It's always interesting to watch fae play Itaelaich, they, unlike the witches and rukhin don't ride animals, they are the flying animals. And they play dirty, shifting in and out of their forms in the air, using magic when in animal form, and weapons when in fae form. 

 Cheers rang out and Aelin continued "We ask that all respect the others also watching today. Without further ado let the game begin!" she shouted. She used her fire and created ruks, wyverns, and brooms, and made them fly around the arena before actual players flew up from beneaht them. Oohs and ahhs rang out from her children and she couldn't help but smile. As Borte flew by she reached out with her hand a high fived the children before taking her place.

The game was rather straightforward, there were two teams each with seven players on the field. One guardian, their job was to guard the goal. Two defencers, their job was to make sure the ball didn't get close enough to the goal for the guardian to worry about. And the attackers, their job was to make sure the ball got into the other team's goal.

The rules were simple, each player, other than the guardian had a choice of weapon, and one carry on, a carry on could be anything from rope, to an extra weapon. The game would start when the referee dropped the ring ball into the air. The ball was shaped like a normal ball but had a hole in the center, and the ball itself was hollow. The ball would drop and the attackers would race to grab it. They would then work with their team to get it through the other team's goal, all of course while staying in the air. The other team would try to get the ball into their own hands and pass it through the opposing team's goal.

The team with the ball must pass it at least three times, from when it was acquired before trying to score a goal. One goal equaled one point. First team to 5 points won. No one was allowed to attempt or to succeed in maiming or killing another player, which included the rider along with their ruk, wyvern, nor were they allowed to damage another's broom too severely. You were also not allowed to send someone falling through the air purposefully.

The game started and the referee dropped the ring ball. Borte and Arcas dove towards the ball and caught it, they pulled up and flew towards the opposing goal, one of the witches came up to Arcas's side on her broom and swung her sword in Borte's direction. She used her own weapon to deflect the swing and threw the ball over to one of her teammates. Said teammate caught it and dove downwards away from the oncoming witches. One of the witches got up off her saddle and walked across her wyvern's wings then jumped down onto the Rukhin's ruk, she then took the ball, and jumped down onto her wyvern.