Within Darkness

Within Darkness - Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight: She watched, swaying slightly, as Alex strode towards her, hand swiping at the blood flowing from his nose and face very grim and irate. Flair knew she would not be able to defend herself against him now. She’d failed.

Slowly, Alex and Flair circled one another. Without breaking eye contact, they moved in unison around and around the center of the square. The watchers were all silent. None of them had taken bets on this except for Leo. But no one, not even Leo seriously, had ever thought Flair would get this far - she was just a youngling - except the very creature she was facing. Alex was not laughing but there was a slight smile on his face at the moment. Simultaneously, both stopped their circling and decided now was the time for action. The first few hits and kicks were deliberately weak on both sides. They were intended to test, not wound. However, only thirty seconds passed in this way. Soon enough Alex and Flair both raised their swords and rushed forwards. The silver swords clashed with a loud chime that made the hypersensitive ears of most of the vampires and wolves gathered ring as they automatically jumped back. Flair ignored it by dropping to a crouch to swing her legs around in a semi-circle in an effort to send Alex flying to the ground. Alex easily jumped over her moving leg and dropped, heavily onto Flair’s leg, which was still outstretched. The snap of bone rang out at his foot connected. Flair immediately grasped her leg with both arms and, while Alex was regaining his balance, she pulled sharply. The broken femur reconnected with a dull thud. Flair swung her sword up horizontally as Alex brought his swinging down on her head. Their swords connected and, for countless moments, the pair strained; Alex to bring his down to strike Flair and Flair to prevent Alex from doing so. Abruptly Flair grinned up at him. Alex’s eyes widened as his undefended left knee was shattered when Flair brought her foot into it, hard. Alex slumped to the ground slightly. Flair used this to slide out of his sword’s way and up onto her feet. Stumbling slightly on her still healing leg, she nonetheless steadied soon. She cursed as she saw the older, and far more experienced, vampire rejoin his knee quickly through a flick of his fingers. Alex laughed.

"I think you've underestimated my ability and overestimated your own. It's a shame really; I thought I had finally found an intelligent rival." He stood smoothly, twirling his sword so fast it formed a gleaming ring of light. Flair moved into a defensive position.

“Three minutes are already gone. And I’m not done.” Flair watched, unblinking and unmoving, as Alex moved around her. Her smirking at him made him pause. “And besides,” Flair turned to face him as she too spun her sword to make a circle, mimicking him perfectly. “From what I read, most contestants don’t reach a minute in a match with you.” Alex leaned his sword on the ground and clapped his hands slowly.

“Oh I. Am. Flattered. You researched me! Very nice.” He smiled. “Read anything interesting?” Flair refused to answer him immediately and instead held her free hand up and curled her pointer finger twice, obviously beckoning him.

“Why don’t you find out?” Alex flew towards her. This time their meeting swords created sparks that rocketed upwards like bursting fireworks at the same time as the strength of Alex’s attack forced Flair backwards, despite her unmoving feet. There was a roar of shock from the crowd. This time Alex and Flair focused on only using their swords to attack. Lightning fast jabs and parries made the battle difficult to comprehend but everyone was transfixed. Those that hadn’t been watching at the beginning had been fetched, by those who had, to witness this. This was indeed the first time someone had lasted so long in a contest with Alex. Some wondered whether Alex had been going easy on Flair. They concluded that he had previously… before Flair’s taunt. The ferociousness and sheer strength being poured into the battle by both contestants at this time could not be construed as “holding back”. The minutes ticked by until Raphael called out,

“Four and a half minutes gone.” His voice conveyed his disbelief that Flair, even if she lost now, had lasted so long. She would definitely be Savannah’s superior in the Beta team. The watchers leaned forward eagerly, waiting to see if this was when Alex triumphed and destroyed Flair. There was the sound of shock when he did not. The swords kept clashing and miniscule wounds kept being inflicted in both parties.

An abrupt crack and resounding clang made everyone still. Alex had just swept an almighty horizontal attack. When Flair had gone to defend, Alex’s sword had gone through her sword and carried on. Flair’s eyes widened as she rapidly back peddled. She was not quick enough. Her eyes closed momentarily as the sword bit deep into her stomach muscle. The watchers sighed. This was the end. They literally stood in shock as Flair’s eye flew open and instead of collapsing, while Alex’s swing was still in motion, she flung herself at him. Not anticipating the motion, he landed on his back, sword skittering across the square. He sat there stunned until Flair’s fist collided with his nose. When he realised the pain was his nose cartilage breaking, Alex maneuvered both of his feet under Flair’s body above him and moved them quickly upwards. This action sent Flair several feet away. She let out a quiet moan of pain but when Alex stood she managed to unsteadily rise to her feet. She watched, swaying slightly, as Alex strode towards her, hand swiping at the blood flowing from his nose and face very grim and irate. Flair knew she would not be able to defend herself against him now. She’d failed.

BANG! The gong made him stop. Both Alex and Flair looked in surprise at Raphael. He was grinning unrepentantly.

“The five minutes are up. Flair is the new Alpha Guardian of the Alaskan House.” There was a stunned silence before he coughed slightly. “The House leader feels that it is obvious that Alexander of the De La Cruz Family will remain the superior in the Alpha team.” Alex turned to curse at his brother in a language that Flair decided, as she slid to the ground, darkness closing in; she really did not want to be able to translate.

After Flair and Alex had been hurried away by four witches at Kassandra’s order to the hospital wing of the House, the tournament continued. The third and fourth contestants, Petre and Titron, fell at the first Theta Guardian, to the watcher‘s disappointment, but they realised that nothing could top Alex and Flair‘s match. However, the vampire named Mikal, rocketed through the ranks to replace Savannah’s previous partner as a Beta Guardia. Since he failed to defeat Savannah, who had now had time to heal, he could not advance any further. Not surprisingly, defeating Mikal did not cheer Savannah up… much.