Arden made us all stand in line for a long time. What was also unusual was that Apollonia was also here. They stood in the shade until it was time to speak. Arthur and I whispered about what was happening, stopping when Arden stood formally in front of us all.
"I have great news for you all," she looked between us all, wings tightening behind her shoulders. "The battle arena has been set up by the Warrior Goddess, and it has been set for all of us to participate in this session."
A burst of cheers and the fluttering of wings spread through the warriors around us. Even Arthur seemed excited by the news. Apollonia leaned against Arden, trying to calm the crowd's enthusiasm. "Okay, everyone, let's keep it down so Arden can finish."
Arden smirked, "right. I must tell you that we are invited to attend the next few sessions, depending on the number of volunteers we have to fight. If there are more than the session can fit in, we will spend the next few sessions there. I do hope that's not a problem for you all."
There was a quick response from everyone with the same reply.
"It's not, chief!"
Arden gave a proud smile, nodding to all of us as her wings came out and flattened. "Good. We will be going there now to meet the goddess, call you wolves, and fly behind me and Apollonia."
The other warriors followed their instructions. I stiffened at the thought of getting Casper to change forms. He isn't even able to do that when I practice with him alone, so how can I make him change forms without any time to practice? Casper was down by my feet, whining and pawing at me with frustration.
I kneeled down to him, placing a finger up. "I need you to turn bigger." He tilted his head, tail swishing fondly behind him. "Come on, Casper, you have to work with me here." I stood, opening my wings up and trying to make myself look bigger so he could take the hint. He didn't.
I kept trying to persuade the pit bull, begging him to follow me and grow larger. He misinterpreted my intentions and thought I wanted to play, lying on his front paws and bouncing around like the puppy he was. I shook my head, flapped my arms as if I had wings, and jumped up and down. It was clear that I was just making a fool of myself; Casper had no intention of changing forms.
All he wanted to do was play with me.
A snicker was heard behind me. Arthur was trying to hold back a laugh at my weird displays. He had Flint beside him. The wolf gazed over me and Casper before turning away, uninterested.
"Here, you can ride with me and Flint." He held out a hand for me.
I was tempted to swat it away, convinced that I didn't need any help. But deep down, I knew I did. It would be far more embarrassing to struggle to keep up with these wolves while we flew. So, I accepted his offer, feeling Flint's coarse fur beneath me as I settled on his back. Arthur nodded to me, prepared to signal Flint to take off, but I stopped him.
"What about Casper?" He turned to the pup, staring up at us with confusion.
Arthur made a sound, "I don't think the Heaven Wolves like the pups. We can try and see if he will let Casper up."
I positioned my lips in a straight line as I moved around Flint's side to avoid his wings and signaled for Casper to come over to me. Just a few steps in, Flint let out a deep growl directed at Casper. The pup stopped, shifting his feet slightly to respond with a growl of his own.
I could feel Flint's hackles rising, and I made sure Cancer stayed away from me. The pup didn't like that; he raised his wings in a threatening manner, his eyes narrowing into slits as the beast beneath me reemerged.
"Hey, no, Casper!" I yelled out to the pup. He did stop, whining lightly and clawing at the ground.
"Come on.. be nice, Flint…" Arthur gave his beast a few pets on his thick coat. The wolf gruffed, turned away in front of the pup, and got ready to fly off. Arthur kept them still, turning back to me with a sad look.
I nodded to him, turning back to Casper. "You're gonna have to fly alongside us." He jerked at the word 'fly' as his tail spun in circles. "Like how we play tag, alright? Keep up with us, okay, boy?" He yipped, almost like a yes in his own words.
I nodded, tapping Arthur on the shoulder to tell him to go.
Arthur rubbed under Flint's neck, signaling him to take off. The Wolf complied, almost sending me tumbling off his back since I wasn't holding onto anything. I quickly wrapped my arms around Arthur's waist, making sure not to crush his wings as I held on.
"Easy, Flint, easy," Arthur commanded the wolf. Flint gruffed but slowed down a bit to stay behind the larger, faster Heaven Wolves and their riders. I tightened my grip on Arthur's shirt but leaned back slightly, so I wasn't clinging to him like a lost child. "Is this better than Vienna?"
"Yeah..." I turned around to make sure I could still see Casper flying behind us. He was close but kept a safe distance from the other wolves. I focused on keeping a good hold on Arthur while ensuring Casper wasn't left behind.
I also tried to pay attention to where we were going. I had never gone this way; it was farther back and in the opposite direction from the goddess's palace.
I knew exactly what I was looking at when we passed the last of the trees in the surrounding forests. It was huge, almost as big as the field, yet miles and miles longer.
The area was enclosed like a stadium, featuring seats crafted from rich, maroon-red wood that exuded a sense of luxury from my vantage point high above. In the center, there were various ledges and small dens that provided places to hide. It resembled a proper training ground, with jumpers leaping over the ledges and racing around the center to burn off energy.
It looked less like a battle arena and more like a training station. It could also be a battle arena.
Flint followed the other wolves who began to fly down into the pit of the arena. I held tightly on, feeling the wind rush through my hair before the wolf landed. The space was large enough to accommodate all the wolves and their companions.
It was exhilarating. I was getting excited at the thought of fighting in here, and I truly believed I had a chance. Arden had said that any of us could compete. I wonder who I might face? Please don't let it be Axel; I already have to deal with him during our intense training sessions. He is becoming increasingly annoying.
Arthur offered to help me down from the giant wolf, but I brushed him off and landed gracefully beside him, finding my footing just in time for us to be ordered to line up again. The wolves were sent to the east, where they lay down together to watch the warriors. Casper had to sit a little farther away, but he didn't seem to mind. He was simply too excited about everything happening in the arena.
I am confused about what was getting everyone so hyped up. Arthur and I had to push past flapping wings to get to the line where everyone was showing such excitement.
Me and the short boy immediately straightened our wings and squared our shoulders at the sight of the Warrior Goddess.
All the other warriors soon followed suit as the goddess met with Arden. Apollonia suddenly appeared as well, and all three of them began to speak to one another until they finally noticed that they had tons of eyes on them. The Warrior Goddess gave a toothed grin, looking excited at the sight of us, just as she began to give herself a welcome.
Her large wings spread out, making her appear larger than she already was. With all of us focused on her, she gave a big, snarky grin. "I don't think I met all of you?"
Arden nodded to the latter, "They have just recently finished the adolescent group. This is their first trip here."
"Well, that's exciting," she smirked, placing her hands on her hips where the Branchie swung around. "Who should have gone first in the arena? Give our new faces something to look up to? To expect from this splendid place?"
As she spoke, the goddess kept her keen eyes on the two beside her. Arden understood, smirking lightly. It took a bit longer for Apollonia to get the hint, but when she did, her wings bounced and her face lit up.
"Oh, it should be me and Adren! I love spending time here with her," the tall warrior said, just as her hand came out to wrap around the blonde warrior's shoulder.
"Alright, you heard them," Ballona called out to us, pointing towards the seating. "Go on, sit down and enjoy."
We quickly made our way to the seats. Casey approached Arthur, while I noticed Axel moved a bit farther down to the front lines where Arthur, Casey, and I were standing. Casper thought it was fine to join us, so I allowed him to sit on my lap since the Heaven Wolves didn't seem to want him with them.
I did notice Ballona gave a low look in my direction, but she did not pry into my business.
We all sat in anticipation as Apollonia and Arden took their places on opposite sides of the battle arena. I wasn't sure if we were supposed to cheer or even choose a side to support. There hadn't been much information provided beforehand; the only thing I knew was that it followed the same rules as the one-on-one sessions we had experienced before.
We watched and waited until Ballona released her wings with a loud snap. Arden and Apollonia eyed each other from their respective sides of the arena. Both wore helmets, but the tension in their wings suggested they were ready to attack.
I remember that Axel taught me to use my wings for better things during our training sessions. This was the most obvious thing: pushing our wings back and slanting them for the wind to glide through the feathers, letting us drift with the motion. So, after a few seconds of their footing gripping the ground and wings fluttering out from one another, they both pounced at one another.
I had seen Arden duel at least five other warrior angels, and I was fully aware that she would be the one winning.
Though I had never seen Apollonia actually fully battle someone with the Branchie. I underestimated her.
She struck first, flying up into the air before her body fell into Arden. The tall blonde pushed the Pedal up, unintentionally throwing Apollonia higher into the air. The warrior swung her wings back, with the Brachion cutting right through Arden's open shoulder. It did not hit. The taller one dodged to the side, sliding her feet on the floor with her hand on the Branchie. She threw a punch into Apollonia's side.
Apollonia faltered in the air, forcing her wings to lose their graceful balance and bolt out to catch herself from falling.
She bit dust into the dirt, scraping her foot to the side to catch Arden's bounce of her Branchie. They clashed, emitting a thundering sound that made Casper jump.
I could barely make out their smirks from beneath their helmets as they sparred with each other intermittently. Their combat seemed evenly matched and almost never-ending. At times, I thought Arden had Apollonia in a blackout, but Apollonia would always manage to bounce back and free herself.
I was on the edge of my seat, mesmerized by how quick they either struck each other or blocked the weapon.
Arden had a lot more upper hand than Apollonia did, and she used it in just the right places.
First, there was her height and the sheer strength she wielded. When Apollonia charged at her, aiming for her chest, Arden was able to harness her own strength to deflect the attack. She gripped the shorter warrior's arm and threw it back while delivering a swift kick to her legs.
Second, there was her experience. Arden was the most experienced fighter after the goddess herself. Every time Apollonia attempted an invisible strike, Arden immediately recognized the move. When Apollonia tried to kick under her legs, Arden jumped away, flapping her wings vigorously to send dust swirling toward the warrior on the ground.
Though Arden held a lot of things above Apollonia, the shorter warrior was not exactly weak in combat at all. She was shorter, which meant she could wiggle her way out of a trapped position a lot quicker than Arden could.
This is why the battle lasted for a long time.
I could sense with the twitching of my wings that both of them were honestly enjoying this way more. They loved the back and forth, dodging one another's attack just in time, landing a few good hits so we, the cadence, jumped slightly.
But we all knew this had to end with one of them winning.
Arden seemed to have Apollonia in a vulnerable position, pressing her weight down on her as Apollonia writhed on the ground, with only her Branchie to shield her. She realized that escape was impossible with the combined strength of the others overpowering her. It appeared that Arden was trying to force her to surrender.
However, Apollonia did something I oddly recognized. I caught a glimpse of her as her wings curled beneath her in a tight hold. Suddenly, she unfolded them, sending dirt flying at both warriors.
It was enough to distract Arden, and she moved with her more shorter frame. She busted her elbow into the other's neck and rolled out from under her legs.
Arden grabbed at her helmet, trying to steady it after the hit. It was like she was dizzy.. I took a quick glance at Arthur beside me.
Apollonia jumped at Arden from behind, grunting as she wrapped her arms around Arden, pressing the Branchie against the skin of her neck. Arden stopped, her wings sagging in exhaustion. I could hear their frantic panting from all the way over here until Ballona stood up and clapped loudly.
All of us followed her lead, joining in with applause for the exciting display. Apollonia released her hold, her grip on the Branchie no longer tight. Arden turned to her, tapping her head gently against the shorter warrior in a soft, chiding *tut*.
They were speaking, but I could hear nothing from up in the stands.
The Warrior Goddess stood beside the two, placing her hands on each other's shoulders as she bellowed with a strong voice. "That was a show, huh?" She laughed, shaking Apollonia slightly. " Good win."
Apollonia took the helmet off; her face was a dust of red. "I knew I could do it." She winked playfully at Arden.
The other person didn't seem to mind the playful banter. Just as Ballona moved away from them, Arden wrapped her arm around the warrior and hugged her tightly. She said something, but I couldn't hear their private whispers.
I turned to Arthur, seeing how he was in awe, his face slightly red. I nudged him, making the boy stutter and turn to me.
"Did you recognize what Apollonia did?" He gulped, looking slightly confused for a moment. My smile grew wider. "Did you see the move she made? It kind of looked familiar."
He suddenly smiled brightly, giggling softly as his face turned an even deeper shade of red. Casey wrapped his arm around him, pulling the shorter male close with a proud grin. "Looks like she learned something from you, shorty~"
"Shush!" Arthur nudged him back.
"Now," Ballona clapped loudly, causing all of us to jump to attention. Apollonia and Arden were back with us, sitting on the lower seats, their armor covered in dust. "Now that you all have had a demonstration of what happens here," her smile widened, excitement almost overflowing into us.
"Who wants to go next?"