At the first sight of all the other students it became very clear to Altan how different of an upbringing he had. At 12 these boys already looked 20. Shaved heads, burned and scarred faces and bodies, all the boys had a similar deadpan serious face, hell even some of their heights and bodies were the same.
Altan wasn't much different but he was different enough to stand out. The scars on his body were mostly from cuts and scratches, he was well built but not as jacked as the average aspirants he would be going up against.
As he was busy examining his possible opponents a loud hoarse voice suddenly appeared behind him "Well, Well, Well! If it isn't brother Batu's own little boy" it said. Before Altan could react he was suddenly put into a weak chokehold as the owner of said throaty voice began giving him a noogie. Altan broke out of the chokehold and turned to see a familiar old man.
"Uncle Abaka? Uncle Abaka you're alive?!" Altan exclaimed. "HAHA!" Abaka cackled "You think I can be killed so easily? Look at yourself, you've grown so tall!". "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be off on a mission somewhere or something?" Altan asked "Nah, once I heard the Uulyn Khün had approved for you to be allowed in the initiation tournament I had to come, plus my student, Ünenii Akh, will be in it as well" Abaka responded
"I see... What's his... elemental ability? That's what it's called right?" Altan inquired. "Ah, I see Batu finally told you the truth... Well, he's an expert in the manipulation of lightning as am I, has Batu told you what he specializes in?" Abaka replied. "No, now that you mention it, what is it?" asked Altan. "Well he just happens to be a master at the manipulation of beasts, The man can control just about any animal besides a human. He doesn't use it however, hell he only won this tournament with a sword and a bird years ago so I expect you to do fine" Abaka informed him.
A gong sounded interrupting the two's conversation. Altan bowed to Abaka and went in formation with the rest of the Uulyn Daichid aspirants through a large gate that had just opened into a large enclosed area. The group formed around a fenced pit which was a small sandy enclosed wasteland with nothing but rocks, small twigs, and a moat around it filled with jagged rocks and muddy water. Around the pit and behind Altan and the rest of the Aspirants were seats where the mentors sat down. At the back of the pit was a large tower that was a few feet above the seats in the arena.
In the tower sat an old man on a pillow. It didn't take much thought for Altan to figure out this man was the Uulyn Khün himself! The Uulyn Khün silently sat in his seat for quite a while. His eyes closed, meditating it seemed. Suddenly his gray eyes shot open and he began speaking a prayer or speech of some sort in ancient Divirian.
"ᠡᠨᠡ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ ᠪᠢᠳᠡ ᠡᠨᠳᠡ ᠴᠤᠭᠯᠠᠷᠠᠵᠤ ᠂ ᠡᠨᠡ ᠬᠡᠰᠡᠭ ᠭᠠᠵᠠᠷ ᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷᠡ ᠂ ᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠵᠠᠯᠠᠭᠤᠴᠤᠳ ᠤᠨ ᠨᠠᠰᠤᠨ ᠳᠤ ᠬᠦᠷᠦᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠢ ᠪᠡᠯᠭᠡᠯᠡᠬᠦ ᠳᠦ ᠂ ᠲᠡᠳᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠣᠨᠣᠪᠴᠢᠲᠠᠶ ᠬᠤᠪᠢ ᠵᠠᠶᠠᠭᠠ ᠶᠢ ᠮᠡᠳᠡᠨᠡ ᠃ ᠭᠡᠪᠡᠴᠦ ᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠵᠢᠭᠠᠯ ᠬᠦᠦ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠳᠣᠲᠣᠷᠠᠬᠢ ᠴᠥᠭᠡᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠠᠨ ᠤ ᠬᠥᠮᠦᠰ ᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠬᠡᠦᠬᠡᠳ ᠮᠠᠷᠭᠠᠰᠢ ᠠᠮᠢᠳᠤ ᠪᠠᠷ ᠣᠯᠵᠤ ᠦᠵᠡᠬᠦ ᠦᠭᠡᠶ ᠃ ᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠢᠯᠠᠭᠳᠠᠯ ᠮᠠᠷᠲᠠᠭᠳᠠᠨᠠ ᠂ ᠭᠡᠪᠡᠴᠦ ᠲᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠠᠮᠢᠳᠤ ᠬᠥᠮᠥᠨ ᠲᠡᠳᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠠᠮᠢ ᠨᠠᠰᠤ ᠪᠠᠷ ᠢᠶᠠᠨ ᠶᠠᠭᠤ ᠬᠢᠬᠦ ᠲᠣᠬᠢᠶᠠᠯ ᠲᠠᠢ ᠪᠣᠯᠣᠨᠠ ᠃ ᠲᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ ᠥᠨᠥᠳᠥᠷ ᠵᠣᠯ ᠢᠶᠠᠷ ᠬᠠᠳᠠᠭᠠᠯᠠᠵᠤ ᠢᠷᠡᠭ᠍ᠰᠡᠨ ᠬᠥᠮᠥᠰ ᠢ ᠲᠡᠳᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠠᠶᠠᠨ ᠵᠠᠮ ᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠴᠢᠬᠤᠯᠠ ᠳᠡᠰ ᠭᠡᠵᠦ ᠦᠵᠡᠵᠦ ᠂ ᠴᠢᠨᠠᠭᠰᠢᠯᠠᠪᠠᠯ ᠬᠥᠮᠥᠨ ᠲᠥᠷᠥᠯᠬᠢᠲᠡᠨ ᠭᠡᠵᠦ ᠦᠵᠡᠳᠡᠭ᠍ ᠃ ᠵᠡᠪᠰᠡᠭ ᠃".
Altan, who didn't understand much of ancient Divirian, understood one word out of the speech. 'Zevseg'. The Divirian word for weapon. Before he could ponder on this more an old high-ranking Uulyn Daichid member standing next to Uulyn Khün shouted "Our lord Uulyn Khün will now reveal the first two aspirants that will challenge each other in the arena today!".
The Uulyn Khün reached into his robes and pulled out two paddle-looking things. He raised them in the air and turned the face of the paddle in his left hand to the rest of the crowd. On it was written 'Ünenii Akh'. Altan's eyes widened in surprise, he'd get to see real elemental magic combat in action for the first time, with his uncle's apprentice nonetheless. Altan snapped out of his thoughts as he realized the Uulyn Khün himself was staring at him, despite the former's blindness and Altan being on the left side of the arena. Turning the right paddle's face for the crowd, the Uulyn Khün's eye contact never broke with Altan as everyone saw that the tablet read;
'Altan Nergui'.
