The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 23

                                                                             Aaron

When we arrived at the arena I saw that it was in a large clearing off to the side of the village. A stage had been constructed, made entirely of wood. Standing nearly five feet tall and about twenty-five feet wide, the stage was the perfect place for a contest of skill. There were already lots of people gathered there, from elders to vendors to young children. I spotted quite a few people dressed in fighting clothes and carrying weapons. They must be the hopeful contestants then. But where were Eric and his goons?

"Welcome, people of Goldhedge and visitors from beyond, to the annual Goldhedge Village Festival!" A chubby man with a pot-belly said into a megaphone. I assumed that he was the mayor. "Tonight, fighters from all over Crystallea will compete in a fight of skill in order to win the ultimate prize—the brooch of Goldhedge!" The crowd cheered and shouted their approval.

"Before we begin, let us review the rules as set by our predecessors. One, contestants will participate at their own risks. Two, all competition must be fought fairly. Three, good sportsmanship is required of all participants. This is a friendly competition, not a hostile killing spree. Four, do not purposely inflict serious injury to any participant. That is all. Now let the competition—begin!" The mayor bowed and left the stage.

In our haste to get here, the seven of us had split up again. Lucian and I pushed forward, trying to get closer to the stage and a better view. Indigo and Rachel were somewhere behind us, following close. I thought I caught a glimpse of Katherine's double swords upon her back, but there were so many people carrying swords I wasn't sure.

The first fighter leapt onto the stage, his sword drawn. Somewhere, an announcer introduced him as Alexander of Doveport. Alexander was tall and lean, with nut brown wind-swept hair. He looked to be in his early twenties, barely sprouting any stubble. His sword, long and sleek, looked like a deadly weapon.

"Would anyone like to challenge Alexander?" The announcer called out.

"I will!" A second figure dashed onto the stage. He was short compared with Alexander, and his sharp ice-blue eyes stood out against his heart-shaped face. Two daggers were held in his hands. "I am Julian of Whitecliff. May I challenge thee?" He nodded towards Alexander politely. Alexander dipped his head.

"Challenge accepted." The two fighters faced each other and bowed, showing courtesy to the other. A flash of steel, and Alexander had attacked. His long black sword was coming straight at Julian's abdomen. But Julian was fast. He dodged the blow and appeared behind Alexander, his double daggers ready to stab into Alexander's back. At the last moment, Alexander twisted around and spun horizontally in the air, kicking at Julian's wrists. Julian switched tactics and attacked again. And so it went, each showing off their hard work and skill. I was so entranced. They were just so cool.

Five minutes in, Alexander was held at dagger-point by Julian. I didn't even see clearly how that happened. It was all just a blur, and then Julian's dagger was an inch from Alexander's throat. The two fighters locked eyes, and then their tense shoulders relaxed. They both stepped back and bowed to each other again, telling the other "good match" and "you did well". The crowd clapped and cheered as Alexander graciously accepted defeat and descended the stage.

"Next fighter! Who will challenge Julian of Whitecliff?" the announcer shouted again. This time, it was James of Courtville, a guy with dimples and wavy red hair. They fought, and Julian came out as the winner again. It wasn't until Mason of Wellwood was Julian finally defeated. Like the others before him, Julian smiled and congratulated Mason, stepping off the stage courteously. All of the fighters fought fair and square. They all bowed to each other before and after the fight, and no one ever got hurt except for a few minor nicks and scratches. This was true sportsmanship. This was true character.