The Jewel of Orlegon

Chapter 20: On the sand of the arena

The unpleasant sensation of sand in her mouth, coupled with the pain in her shoulder that had cushioned her fall, announced to Alteria that the fight was lost long before the long whistle and the timid applause that echoed in the arena. She let out a long sigh, slowly turning over to get up, and then noticed Tendral's outstretched hand offering assistance. Her opponent, despite his imposing appearance, was of a gentle nature and often one of the first to worry about the injuries his novice comrades might suffer during training, although he had never shown any indication of possessing the Wirensat. Alteria gratefully accepted the offered help and struggled to her feet while congratulating her opponent on his victory, then went to take her place among Saosa and Rymian in the circle of novices. The victor, on the other hand, rejoined Thalae, who was now his roommate along with another novice named Nuo.

A month had passed since the novices had finally reached Agathil, and summer was drawing to a close as the mountains swallowed the sun behind their rocky mass earlier each day. The training of the young recruits had begun the day after their arrival, under the supervision of the Selven Gemia of the Sapphire. Alteria had learned since her arrival that the title of Selven, which she had always used in reference to Ieza, was only awarded to the ten Enartians who had accompanied Suniv on the temple steps on their first evening, and each was given a name based on one of the Enartian gifts. Each Selven led their own division of Enartians with specific responsibilities. Gemia of the Sapphire was the Selven in charge of novice training, from their arrival in Agathil to the departure ceremony marking the end of their instruction.

As the two novices resumed their places in the circle, a man in his fifties with the build of a bull, leaning against one of the arena walls, began to analyze point by point the fight between Alteria and Tendral that had taken place a few moments earlier, as well as the reasons for Tendral's victory. The loser tried to listen to the teacher's advice as best she could, as Sovor, for that was the professor's name, responded to questions and discussed their performance. In a month, Alteria had made undeniable progress and now held her ground much longer in one-on-one restricted combat than she would have ever thought possible. However, she remained one of the weakest novices in this discipline, unable to compensate for her lack of experience with advantageous physical abilities, unlike Tendral, for example. As proof of her efforts, her skin bore numerous multicolored marks, ranging from purple to brown.

The following duel, in comparison to the previous one, could have resembled the deadly ballet of two facing felines. The combat was between Saosa and Thalae, who always relished the opportunity to challenge each other. The two women were both friends and rivals, constantly pushing each other to excel. Alteria, on the other hand, was not very comfortable with Thalae, whose raw and graceless attitude rubbed off on her companion whenever they were together. Her reluctance stemmed from the fact that the judgments Thalae made about others around her were primarily based on the utility they might have on a battlefield. Although not unpleasant or threatening to those she considered a handicap in combat, Thalae had a tendency to ignore any other value they might have. Alteria and she, therefore, simply coexisted.

However, Alteria couldn't help but be captivated by the fluidity of the movements of the Thenean warriors. She had learned from her roommates that their hometown was renowned throughout Orlegon for its martial traditions. Boys and girls there were trained in combat from a young age, and the difficulty of their training culminated during the Kvadsina, a year-long initiation rite where adolescents were left alone and had to fend for themselves in the frozen desert of Kulel, at the heart of which was located the city. Those who didn't give up officially became Thenean warriors, and the bead in their hair attested to this first victory. A bead that proudly sparkled in the golden and ebony braids of the two current adversaries.

Watching them fight against inexperienced novices was a brief and painful spectacle, but seeing them face off was like watching a dangerous dance where each misstep could lead to defeat. They were both quick and solid on their feet, dodging as quickly as they skillfully parried blows. On this particular day, Saosa proved to be the better dancer, taking advantage of her opponent's momentary imbalance during an evasion and managing to bring her to the ground, signifying the end of the fight. The two adversaries, out of breath but smiling, stayed in the center of the circle of their comrades for a moment to catch their breath before returning to their positions, allowing two others to take their place.