Ruler's Trials

Chapter 7

It has been five days since they landed on the Holy moon, Karel and Savar waited near the finish line. After the adventure at sea, they didn't want to take any more risks and spent the days resting. But they also decided to have a say in who will be their colleagues in ruling the Snajan Empire.

Karel was sitting high on a tree and watching the surroundings, and Savar was lounging on one of the lower branches. Karel glanced at him. Large and small tattoos completely covered his torso and back. He was lying on his stomach so Karel could study which genetic clinics had left their mark on him.

"Are you watching me or keeping watch?"

"Both. This is getting boring."

"Are you suggesting sex?"

Karel almost choked on his own saliva, "What?"

"There are no gay Snajans. You must be a girl. We can have sex to pass the time."

"I am not. Stop with that crazy theory. If I did, you wouldn't be my type."

"You know if you admitted you were a girl, I would divorce my other wives and take only you."

Karel laughed, "Now I know you're messing with me. Divorce has long been forbidden and the goal is to have as many wives and children as possible. Have you hit that head so hard that you suggest having a one wife?"

"Confess, and you will find out."

The sound of footsteps interrupted their discussion.

"Twelve is arriving with the flag," whispered Karel.

The newcomer stopped a little further from their tree, "You know, I see you, Two, Six."

"Good. Feel free to go through.", Karel answered him.

"You don't care if I have a flag?"

"You probably have, but it doesn't matter to us. Continue to the starting point."

Twelve put his hands on his sides, "Were you two dropped as a baby?"

"We don't have a problem with you."

"Whom do you have it with?"

"With One and Four."

"Two, you are very quiet. What do you say to that?"

"I agree. It is not good for the Empire for the two of them to enter the inner circle."

Twelve nodded and started to climb a nearby tree.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I don't like those two either.", Twelve made himself cozy on the branch.

Karel swore under his breath. Whose side is he on?

"You know you swear a lot for a girl."

"Fuck you."

A smile flickered on Savar's face as he adjusted himself to a new lying position.

"Nice dynamic you two have going on. Let me know if someone approaches.", Twelve yawned and closed his eyes.

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Karel separated from the other two under the pretext of going to the toilet, and now he stood in the bushes, watching the last two flags approach. They will arrive in their vicinity today.

"So that's how you know where the flags are."

Karel's neck hair bristled at the sound of a deep voice, "Hmm, yes. It's..."

"I'm not interested in the lie you were going to tell. I obviously misjudged you.", Savar turned on his heel and left Karel with his mouth open.

Karel looked at the small black box. He wasn't sure if it was worth hiding and lying about after all. He sighed and started back towards their temporary shelter.

"Two, Twelve, two flags are arriving, they should be here in the next 10-15 minutes."

"It's time for an ambush.", Twelve smiled, showing all his teeth.

"Take it easy, we have to see who arrives first."

"I will check.'', Savar offered.

"I'm the easiest. There's no point in you going."

"Still, I'm going."

Karel rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll also give you binoculars."

Despite his size, Savar was a good climber, he was soon back with the information, "Three and Five are coming."

A sense of anticlimax descends on the trio.

"Well, then we can freely go to the starting position.'', Twelve suggested.

"No, let them pass first. Maybe One and Four are also nearby." Karel looked at them worriedly.

"A little paranoid, huh.", Twelve laughed.

"Never enough caution."

They waited a few minutes after the duo had passed before deciding to make their own way. Savar suddenly raised his hand, holding them in place. A trail of black mist passed in front of them.

"Nine." Karel whispered.

"Let's go, but quickly. There will be chaos.", Savar started running after the trail left by Nine.

And there was chaos. In front of the starting position line, they found seven Snajans fighting for two flags, among them One and Four.

Huh, how did they come here?

The duo bursted into action. Savar attacked One, and Karel attacked Four, both of them were fighting against Five. On the other hand, Three was handling 3 attackers. Twelve rushed past them towards the starting line, shouting, "Fuck it!"

Noticing the flag on Savar's back, One decided to focus on him.

"Hey, squarehead!", Karel tried to distract him, while hanging from the back of Four, but the One didn't even notice him.

Two mountains clashed, the ground shaking under their feet. One knocked Savar down and started kicking him in the face. Karel roared in anger at the sight, hopped off Four who was still attacking Five, and threw himself at the One's right hand. Unlike Eight's, his extraction device was not visible. Karel grabbed his hand like a leech and blindly started looking for the button. Realizing what Karel was trying to do, One changed the direction of the next blow and hit Karel in the jaw, but Karel remained attached to his arm. Karel tried to mumble something, but instead a radiating pain shot through his jaw. One disappeared from the field and Karel fell on Savar. In the next moment, Savar grabbed him and rushed him across the line to safety. Inside the line, fighting was not allowed. In the next moment Nine ran past them. Three still had the last flag, and making a quick decision, he started running towards the forest. Savar laughed, this worked to their advantage.

Considering the situation, Two, Six, Nine and Twelve now had some days off, to rest and prepare for the final fight in the arena, between the five best of the best contestants.

Karel tried to say something again, but his broken jaw did not allow him to form a meaningful word. Frustrated, he raised four fingers in the air.

Savar shrugged, "Yes, we may have to live with the fact that the Four will come carrying in the flag, but we still eliminated One. Sometimes you can't have everything in life."

Karel angrily stomped his foot on the ground.

Savar chuckled, "Aren't you demanding today? I would be fucked if you were my wife."

Karel raised his head proudly, ignored him and headed towards the structure.