Eight Intertwined

104 - Tournament

Olberic and Victorino pointed their blades at one another for a while, circling slowly as the crowd clamored for even the slightest indicators of a fight. "She speakin' the truth? Are you the Unbendin' Blade?!" Victorino questioned, his voice growing louder with each word. "When a name reaches me on the high seas, I reckon the man who wears it done somethin' to earn it."

Olberic chose to not answer Victorino's question, instead focusing on the more pressing matter to him. "You're one of the tourney champions," he said simply.

Victorino nodded. "Aye. Victorino's the name. I watched ye fight the others," he replied. "An' I started wonderin' to myself, could he be better than me? An' once that question came, I had no choice but to find myself an answer." 

Before Olberic or Victorino could strike, Cecily stepped away from the crowd, her hands raised high above her head. "Wait, wait! We'll need witnesses, a bigger crowd..." she remarked. To the rest of the world, it looked like she was just in it for the spectacle, but Olberic knew the truth of the matter. If he beat Victorino in a private space, that wouldn't be enough to secure him a place in the tourney. They had to make this as public as they could, and Olberic was ready for it. 

Cecily snapped her fingers together as soon as an answer came to her. "The plaza! Fight your battle there!" she exclaimed. The people around her began to whisper to one another in anticipation of the battle to come, waiting to see what Victorino and Olberic would say. 

Victorino thought it over for a few seconds that felt like they lasted a lifetime before he nodded. "I'm willin'. The bigger the crowd, the bigger the stakes. I'll see you there, knight," he declared. With that, he sheathed his blade and started off toward the plaza at the center of town. The rest of the crowd chattered around him before following his lead, leaving Olberic standing with the rest of his party, Cecily, and Ned. 

"This is going to be it, Olberic. I'm sure of it," Cecily grinned. She gave him a nudge with her elbow before walking back to the plaza, giving him one final glance over her shoulder. 'You had better put on a good show. The people demand it." She vanished into the crowd soon afterward, Ned on her heels as always. 

Once he was alone with the rest of the travelers, Olberic let out a sigh. Ophilia pressed her hands together in excitement. "I always knew you were an incredible fighter, but there's something special about seeing you fight in a duel," she commented. "I'm sure you'll be able to win against Victorino too."

"And then we'll be in the tournament!" Tressa exclaimed. "This is perfect! All Olberic has to do is win one more fight, and everything will finally come together!"

"We've all got faith in you, Olberic. If anyone's gonna be able to pull this off, it'd be you," Alfyn beamed. "But we're not gonna get any of that done by just standin' around here and talkin', right?"

Olberic nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "I can't let my guard down now. I doubt Victorino will make this a simple battle."

"But you're going to win in the end," Tressa assured him. "You're a knight of Hornburg, and as much as I appreciate the combat integrity of a man of the seas, I think we both know who's going to come out on top here." 

Olberic smiled down at her when he noticed just how bright her grin was, and he took in a careful breath. "We'll simply have to see." 

Despite the massive number of people in the plaza near the arena, it was fairly simple for Olberic and the rest of the group to make their way to the center of the crowd. Even those who hadn't been there to see the declaration of the battle seemed to know what was coming, and the buzz of the area was well beyond overwhelming. Everyone in Victors Hollow was high on the excitement of tourney season, and even before the battles could begin properly, they were ready for it.