TRIBE Chronicles: The Complete Saga

[CH8] CHAPTER 46

At early dawn, Fiona and Sarah raced across the streets and buildings of Crestivenia.

After the last event that transpired a few days ago in the Outlands, the matriarch, Athena decided to leave Sarah fully in the care of Fiona.

Fiona's responsibility was to assist Sarah in honing her fire-based abilities, which heavily relied on speed and agility. To achieve this goal, Fiona incorporated a daily routine for Sarah, where she joined her each morning. Through this routine, Fiona not only helped Sarah maintain her physical fitness but also imparted essential skills, including balance and footwork, to aid the latter in mastering her abilities.

Under Fiona's tutelage, Sarah had made remarkable progress in her running speed and fire control over the past few days of training. Though her nimble reflexes were not yet as polished as Fiona's, she was showing considerable improvement.

She and Fiona sprinted across the streets, agily hopping and dashing between buildings, using acrobatics to navigate their surroundings.

However, as the two girls trained, they unexpectedly encountered Bethany Penablintze, who was accompanied by her younger half-sister, Vanessa.

BETHANY: "My Fi-on-iii! It's been far too long. Have you been keeping yourself busy these past few months?" Bethany said with a dramatic toss of her hair, a devilish grin spreading across her face as she blocked Fiona's path.

FIONA: "Bane of my existence. Now is not the time, Bethany," replied Fiona with an unwilling, somber expression.

BETHANY: "Oh, Fiona! That's no way to ditch a friend, is it? How about we catch up for just ten minutes and pick up right where we left off three months ago? What do you say?" Bethany asked eagerly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation and mischief.

FIONA: "We'll talk about it later!" Fiona responded bluntly to Bethany's demand, not wanting to accept what the latter was asking of her.

BETHANY: "Later is too far! Ugh, quite disappointing! Don't tell me you're afraid of facing me in front of everyone here. Are you suddenly worried about the inevitable outcome of your defeat?" Bethany continued to play up the drama, face-palming with exaggerated flair as she taunted Fiona.

Fiona silently glared at Bethany, signaling her readiness for confrontation. However, before she could take action, Sarah stepped forward, her voice interrupting the tense moment between the two rivals. This intervention served as a catalyst, preventing Fiona from reacting impulsively to Bethany's provocation.

SARAH: "... I challenge you to a duel!" responded Sarah to Bethany with a determined gaze.

Hearing this, everyone including Fiona herself, stared surprisingly at Sarah's sudden request.

BETHANY: "Uh, what did you say?" Bethany asked, presuming that she had heard wrongly.

SARAH: "I said... I challenge you to a duel... A sprinting duel," Sarah repeated her challenge proposal.

Bethany's amusement bubbled forth in a cascade of laughter, her eyes alight with a mixture of disbelief and derision. The audacity of Sarah's challenge struck her as utterly absurd; after all, what could a newcomer of a mere three months hope to achieve against a seasoned veteran like herself?

Though Sarah may have boasted the same rank status as Bethany, her lack of experience paled in comparison to the depths of the latter's mastery.

Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, Bethany saw an opportunity to assert her dominance and teach Sarah a lesson in humility.

BETHANY: "[Smirks at Sarah.] You are quite a daredevil to challenge me openly, Sarah.... Is it Deity now? Whatever, I accept your challenge but on a given condition.....
"[Turns toward Fiona.] If I win this challenge, then take It as your loss, do you dare to agree?" Bethany bargained with her terms and conditions.