Edith looked at Helix. The brown haired boy was standing like a tall spear, his back straight and his face sharp.
Edith cleared his mind and stepped forward. A grace foreign to Stage 2s momentarily flashed in his stride.
Coming face to face with Helix, Edith focused his mind and readied himself for the duel.
His body was already prepared due to setting up the tents but he still wanted to flick his limbs. He wanted to feel the blood rush in the "weapons" he would most use today.
Edith jumped with light steps on his feet. He tapped the ground toe to toe all the while shaking his arms.
He clenched his fists only to release them again repeatedly. He stopped all motion to stretch his legs and his neck too.
Helix followed these motions as well. He could feel the boy's eagerness for the spar.
Blood
Edith said inwardly immediately after, a bloodied scoll appeared in his mind. He could hear the flipping of torn pages and see some lines of text on each one of them.
A page appeared before his mind. It read.
[Name: Helix Veynar]
[Age: 15]
[Stage: 2 (Progress: 12%)]
[Complete the Ritual as the First Marker.]
Edith brought his left foot forward and took a familiar stance. Raising his arms close to his chest, he surrounded his head with his hands.
The boy took slow steps towards Helix who stood still, wary of what his friend might do next.
Four palms distance away from each other, Edith emptied his chest. As the last of his breath escaped his lips, he hurled his left arm forward at the boy's head.
Swoosh!
Helix let his body fall, dodging the punch and getting ready to push Edith by the waist. He lowered his body, tightened his leg muscles and dashed forward in a blur.
Edith felt himself lose his breath as Helix rammed into him. He quickly took steps backwards, attempting to maintain his ground.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Amidst the cheering of the crowd, Edith landed blow after blow on Helix's back.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Being pushed back, Edith jumped slightly, landing on both his feet, and using the momentum of his fall to plant himself firmly on the ground. In the same moment, Edith squeezed Helix's abdomen with his arms and exerted strength.
Edith raised the boy off the ground, turning to the side and slamming him into the ground.
Thud!
Using the twist of having thrown Helix, Edith pressed his knee into the fallen boy's stomach. He then immediately got on top of the boy, presssing his right arm with his own left knee, and using his right leg, to block the boy's legs .
Edith saw the boy throw his left arm at him, clawing at Edith's neck. He was caught by surprise and loosened his hold.
Helix immediately took the chance to deliver a shabby kick at Edith's back. The boy, yet to recover, fell off Helix. He immediately, grabbed Edith by the clothes, pulling him towards the himself and slamming him into the ground.
Laying flat himself, Helix raised his leg and drilled it into the boy's stomach. Edith fell the wind get knocked out of him. He was sent rolling a distance of an arm's length away.
In his flailing, Edith managed to grab Helix by the hair as the latter was rushing to him for another assault. Pulling down, Edith made the boy involuntarily crane his neck to the side.
Edith used the moment to kick the boy, who was standing on his knees, off balance, sending him pummeling down making the crowd turn wild.
The crowd had been getting louder and louder. Roars and cheers resounded. Amidst the blows the pair exchanged, many guards had been enjoying their drinks.
Some cheered for Edith, while some cheered for Helix.
...
"Brother..."
Near the fireplace, Ren had been worried about her brother. Even though she had seen him spar multiple times over the past month, today she had been having a strange, unsettling feeling which made her worried about her brother.
Glancing at the little girl sitting beside her, Selena could not help but feel her chest tighten. The miserable pair of siblings had had their entire village disappear— their parents, neighbours, friends, teachers. Everything.
She felt sad for the boy that was being battered by his newfound friend and she felt pity for the girl who had no one to rely on but that very boy. The little girl also had to bear the burden of beaing a support for her brother. Her heart ached at the thought.
Spending the past month traveling, talking, eating and playing with the pair, the two had grown on her heart.
She looked at the white-haired and blue-eyed girl with a brimming smile, "Don't worry, little Ren. You're brother will be alright. It's just a friendly spar, right?"
Crackle! Crackle!
In the crackling of the firewood, her voice sounded reassuring to the little girl. Looking at the green-haired girl's smiling face that reflected the flickering light of the fire nearby, the girl felt a warmth spread in her heart.
"Yes, sis Selena. Just a spar. I will cheer on brother!"
A determined expression appeared in the girls face as she stood up, her fists clinched.
"Get up, brother! You cannot lose to big bro Helix!"
...
Amidst the barrage of blows that Edith had exchanged with Helix, his heart had been gradually becoming anxious.
His vision was as good as day in the dark of the night that was lit with the flickering flame. His hearing was no different, it had become better as well. He could listen to distant things as well.
Which was why, the gradually nearing sound of a hundred footsteps had been making Edith anxious.
Mixed in the cheering of the crowd, Edith found it hard to determine how many animals the sound of footsteps belonged to. He felt that if he focused his mind, he'd be able to tell, but, the noise did not let him verify his thoughts.
After exchanging a few more blows, Edith's blows had been becoming slower. Helix keenly noticed this and almost unperceptibly, slowed down his attacks as well.
Sensing the intentions of the two boys, the captain stepped forward, cheering for both the lads.
"Well, done boys! That is what we call a heart to heart fight!"
"Everyone!! For our Helix and Edith!!!"
Everyone raised their mugs filled with a sweet and salty beverage.
Helix, panting, grinned at Edith, who was seeming lost in thought. He said, "Heh, that was really good, Ed."
"Think more about what we talked about last time, okay? We can fight more if you agree, becoming stronger together."
Edith heard everything. The man's praise, the boy's appreciation and the cheering of the crowds. His mind, however, has been focused on the hundreds of footsteps that has come very close.
Edith only glanced at Helix, moving his gaze to scan his surroundings immediately.
His eyes moved lightning-fast and settled on one dark spot.
Rustle!
A sound of crackling of dry leaves resounded, and a brown dog-like beast with dark patches all over its body made an appearance.
It craned its tall neck, pulling it's perky ears to the back and gave a long deep howl.
Howwwwwllllllll!