A Dance with Darkness and Light: Re-Origination

51: The Semi-Finals Start

Bazuul awoke by morning and washed up. Before breakfast, Bazuul went to Faolan's study and met with his uncle. He handed Faolan a vial with a drop of blood and told him about his plan to do the same with some select few. His uncle, therefore, summoned the three elders first. Faolan made the elders that came with them from Ralun swear an oath of secrecy and afterward handed them one vial of blood essence each.

Ferra Yael, a priestess of the Hall of Ancestry, and Herby Kern, secretary of the Jade Serpent Pavilion, were equally shocked and expressed their gratitude.

On the other hand, secretary Kern also had mixed feelings about this gift. After all, the fourth prince had killed his second son, the former minister of finance of the western-city. As a loyal subject, he was appalled by the fact his son had joined an assassination attempt on a member of the royal family. Happy this potential calamity to his bloodline had been removed, and grateful the royal family didn't find fault with him. Nonetheless, Rudiger Kern was still his son. Even more so, a son whose previous accomplishments had filled him with pride. Also, considering he did not necessarily find fault with Bazuul, after all, the fourth prince merely protected his own life. The situation as a whole still dampened the joy of receiving such a gift.

The third elder, grand elder Doran Delaqoa, one of three high counselors in the Institute of War, continuously trembled in shock. While blood essence may be extremely rare and shocked all three elders present, Doran had a personal interest in the effects it could bring. His son, Zaim, formerly a highly talented captain of the Sun Guard, had been crippled by an ambush near the Arch of Ruin about three years ago. As it so happened, this drop of blood essence might be the solution to alleviate Zaim's ailment.

"Your Highness, grand marshal, this subject has a request." Grand elder Delaqoa said.

The grand elder explained the situation of his son and, therefore, his request. Faolan knew the story of the Delaqoa family's former prodigy. He was just about to give his opinion to Bazuul, when the latter said, "That...Yes, of course, but you will have to make him swear the same oath as you did. The same will naturally count for the other two elders if you wish to hold onto it rather than use it."

Even though Bazuul meant well it would not work that way. Since it in itself caused a slight problem, due to the fact that grand elder Delaqoa had just sworn an oath of secrecy. Therefore, either Bazuul himself or his uncle would need to hand this drop of blood essence to Zaim. That's why the grand elder returned the drop of blood essence to the young prince.

After this short interlude, the next group was called into the study. Another group of three entered, this time individuals of the younger generation. Of course, it was none other than Ralun's contestants of the royal tournament. His brother Kuzan, Tarek Rashad, and Emilia Stark were pressed to swear the oath and instructed to refine the blood essence once they were back home.

Shortly after breakfast, the embassy made way to the grand arena. The last match of the quarter-finals between Horlet Richat and Tarek Rashad would be held before the semi-finals would start immediately after.

Tyr called out the start of the match for one last time in the quarter-finals, and the crowd erupted in fervent roars. Obviously, they favored Tarek to win this match, although Horlet had won far too convincingly before, they also hadn't seen much of him. Tarek, on the other hand, was a commoner that had made it, against all the odds, this far, which was very appealing to many of them.

Tarek performed well, even though he was, as before, at an enormous disadvantage.

It was an almost ludicrous thought actually, for an assassin to fight out in the open, in the light. Yet, Tarek astounded once again with wide flowing acrobatic moves and viciously precise attacks. Eventually, so it seemed, Horlet was forced to reveal his true abilities. He summoned two spectral swords that flew beside him. Tarek managed to hold on for a minute. Eventually, though, he fell to the bombardment of a variety of both physical and magical attacks. Thus, Horlet Richat became the fourth and last candidate of the semi-finals in the royal tournament.

Dazzled by the display, excited, that they finally knew the last competitor of the semi-finals, the crowd of spectators nearly rampaged through the stands.

After a short break, the main event of the day was about to start. The king once more held a speech. He retold the stories of past royal tournaments and congratulated the four youngsters for making it this far. After a short pause, and in an effort to spur on the young competitors, the king revealed a football-sized rock in his hand. "The winner of the royal tournament will receive this rare Stone of Divinity." The king said.

The audience, everyone within the grand arena, halted their breaths in awe. Slowly the volume along with the number of whispers increased until the grand arena was drowned in an uproar of emotions and exclaims.

A Stone of Divinity was a magical artifact of unspeakable rarity. Its effects, on the other hand, were the stuff of dreams for every cultivator or magician. In its common form, the size of a pebble, it was already able to help an origin cultivator advance two or three realms with enough time and care. For magicians, on the other hand, it would vastly increase the mana pool of those refining its energy. One could only imagine what kind of an effect a ball sized Stone of Divinity would have. The long-term effects were simply said, inconceivable.

It took some time, but after the endless array of emotions within the grand arena subsided, the first match of the semi-finals would finally begin.

Both contestants walked up to the battle platform, and the arena filled with cheers and whistles, after all, among the crowd of viewers were many youngsters. The sight of beauties so different from each other literally boiled their blood. One was elegant and gave one the sense of wanting to submit as if in front of a deity. The other was a seductive ice queen that had no qualms in using her curvaceous body to get an advantage. As previously seen in the fight against Arkenon Luminaire, the first prince of Lumin.