Fan Fiction ❯ Earth's Reflection, My World ❯ Warriors ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six:

Warriors

Neouri was eating breakfast with her brother on the fifth morning of her stay in Olerifeise Mansion when Reyana gave them her news. Eede and Xel were out, training some of Keurai's newer fighters, watching and teaching them fighting techniques. Neouri was able to fit some of Eede's pants, and Keurai loaned her some shirts which she either rolled, or ripped the sleeves from.

She was eating breakfast in one of these large red shirts cut off at her shoulders, and fawn colored pants, her hair in a tight bun, and a pin with wings and an arrow between her breasts.

Reyana wore a soft pink dress, and some pink colored stones, carved into roses on her neck, dangling from a silver chain. Ever since Neouri had come into Olerifeise Mansion, the woman has been wearing many jewels, everyday, and always pointed them out to a not caring Neouri.

Keurai was wearing a forest green shirt with black pants. His cape wasn't around him, he said it would wait until after he had eaten. His hair was curling over his eyes as he looked down at his food, oblivious to his intended until she began to speak.

"Keurai," She purred, moving herself against him. "Why does your sister have a warriors pin? More precisely, the one for your personal guard?"

Keurai looked at Neouri and smiled. "Because she is a fighter, and I have given her my personal pin of a warrior." He turned to his fiancée and continued, "Plus, I have also decided that I will journey with them to my father's holding, with her disguised as my personal guard."

Reyana laughed. "A woman as your personal guard? And that one?" She pointed to Neouri and said, "Well, perhaps she could disguise herself as a man."

Neouri tilted a brow, then smiled sweetly to the Lady Reyana. "If you doubt my prowess as a skilled fighter, perhaps you will challenge me?"

Keurai shook his head. "I only meant for you to be in disguise at the gate, then I reveal you to my father."

Reyana ignored him and said, "Fine! My challenge is if you can beat five of my hand chosen warriors, I will allow you to accompany the prince to his father's holding. If not, you must leave this castle and stay from his life forever!"

Neouri grinned, the same feral grin that made her eyes sparkle with a tint of gold. "I accept!"

Keurai knew it was too late.

The deal was done.

* * * * *

Word spread like wildfire through the castle that morning about Neouri's challenge. Many skilled fighters lined up when they heard that Reyana was giving out gold for the one who beat the woman, making them go into a battle royale until only five warriors stood standing.

When they were healed, and armored, they were sent to the fighters ring, where they were told Neouri would meet them.

The fighters ring was a flat circular stage the was ground level, and the size of a basketball court, or so. People crowded around swiftly so they could watch the match, guards posted ten feet or so away from the ring to prevent anyone from leaping on stage to help the warriors or the woman.

One warrior stood in the ring, and four on the outside. It seemed they wanted to fight one on one with Neouri, who had suddenly gained a reputation as a cold hearted warrior after bruising up some of the dungeon guards, and not killing a single one of them.

The first was short and stout, wielding a sharpened axe, and a smaller dagger. He had dark bushy hair on his head and his face where beady black eyes peered out of. He wore dark brown furs over his small and bulky body, with the head of a sharp toothed creature on his crown. He was called deMarlo of the Mafatongi tribe, a cluster of dwarves who had risen to the above ground over the years, they were more into weapons and armor, what with the world being plunged into war, rather than gold and gems.

On a raised platform of white wood, sitting in chairs that were in the sun, Eede, Keurai, Reyana, and Xel, had a perfect view of the ring. Other on lookers had to crane their necks over other people as they watched, and waited for the challenger to step into the ring.

Neouri was escorted into the ring, accompanied by cheers as she stepped in, and her brothers call for silence.

A silent hush fell over the crowd as they studied her clothes.

Eede had given her a pair of pants, which she cut to reveal her thighs, and had pulled it down to reveal her cute little belly button. The pants were skin tight, and covered the essential parts of her body. Thigh armor, and shin guards made from the lightest, softest, strongest, and most durable metal of gleaming silver, gifts from her brother, covered her bare legs. Her shoes were light, yet made with some sort of synthetic fabric that made it as hard as a tennis shoe, yet pliable to curl with her toes. She had tucked in her red shirt to her pants, the sleeves cut off. From Eede, she had gotten a leather like vest, made from the same material as her shoes.

She had no weapons. She was going to transform, she had asked Xel to use his sword, but he had refused. Eede had told her that she could use his twin sabers, but she was too indebted to him for giving her half of his wardrobe.

Her brother had offered one of the many pretty weapons on the wall, but they were much to heavy with gold and gems for her to life accurately.

So, she went defenseless.

She looked up to her brother as she spoke, unaware that her opponent was looking at her with a slight hint of lust in his eyes. Her hair was bound tightly in a braid, that was secured on her head in a bun, but a few tendrils escaped, and her eyes mystified him.

Finally, Keurai spoke. "My fiancée has challenged my sister! I want no argument over anything when someone loses. The deal was, if she could beat all five opponents, Neouri will stay. Of she loses, she will leave, and I will have no more to do with her." He bowed. "Let the fighting, begin!"
Neouri was in a relaxed stance. She seemed lazy to deMarlo, who had never fought a woman. Her laziness, and the fact that she was a woman made him quite unaware of the true power that exuded from her, and that her pose allowed her to move into any technique to fend him off like water.

So, he rushed her, his feet pounding on the ground, his roar of victory rang through the crowd as they cheered, and screamed. He never noticed the lack of fear in her eyes, he never noticed the way she grinned, so chilling that the other four of her opponents had shivered.

He was most surprised when he found himself flipped over, and outside of the ring, his axe in her hand, and his dagger spinning in the other, just before she placed it in the belt loop of her cut off pants. He looked up at astonished guards who had barely seen her slip to the left of him, taking his dagger with her, grabbing his axe by the handle, and the back of his pants, pulled him with her weight, backwards, and flipping over with him.

She looked down at him, and then examined the axe in her hand. She swung it once, and tossed it back at him. "Next time, don't underestimate your opponents." She called out.

The second mercenary leapt in. He was a human by the name of Buna, he had bright red hair, tied in queue, and startling green eyes. A scar graced the side of his face from beneath his left eye, to his cheek. He wore brown pants, and a cream colored shirt. His weapon was a sword.

Neouri circled him a few times, before the man foolishly rushed her. He had anticipated being flipped over like the Mafatongi dwarf, and so he turned, and sliced air with his sword, it whistled over where her neck would have been, his eyes widening as he realized he had missed her. He looked down a scant second too late.

She realized he was on one leg only, even if it was for that brief moment where he swing his sword. She did a spinning kick, and floored him, but just before he could even touch the floor , she kicked his head as he fell, and with that same leg, drop kicked him in his stomach.

His eyes widened, and then rolled o the back of his head before she could grab his sword, and hold it to his throat to ensure her second victory.

The third and fourth matches were one easily for her. They were pussies compared to Eede's earlier, and brief, training.

But, it was the last match that made her sweat.

For she did not face a dwarf or human.

Her opponent was an elf, a wood elf.

He stood at six feet tall, his skin a dark bronze that matched the golden color of his almond shaped eyes. Black whorls decorated his bare chest, and his cheeks had black markings on them. The markings looked like fire as they sprouted from the left side of his face to the right, over the bridge of his nose. His hair was a deep brown color, almost black. He wore nothing over his chest, and what looked like leather pants on his legs. A quiver of arrows was slung over his shoulder, a bow on his back, a sword at his waist, and daggers on either of his shins.

Neouri gulped. She had no weapons, and she knew he would fight using the arrows. She didn't know how fast he was with those, and she didn't know if she could dodge them.

Slowly, with his amber eyes never leaving her, he took an arrow from his quiver and notched it into the bow. He pulled it back, slowly, until it was taut, and aimed right at her heart.

In a flash, it was released, and she barely moved quick enough. She felt the sting in her arm, and knew it had grazed her. The red line of blood appeared, a few drops fell onto her tanned skin.

She looked up, amazed she hadn't sensed he would release the arrow.

And he already had another one ready to go.

Had she not moved the moment she saw him, the arrow that had whistled into her upper arm, would have been lodged into her heart. She felt another one zip past her ear as she continued to move to the left of the ring.

That was when she understood his plan.

Another arrow lodged into her right arm, just below the first, causing her to scream when she stopped, and started edging towards the right.

He was making her move towards him, and weakening her as he went.

She felt anger bubble inside of her.

She had no weapons, only herself.

And by God, she will use it!

Eede had seen her in her transformation form, but he had never seen her actually transform.

He watched as the fur sprouted up, and muscles grew, her snout lengthened out a little bit, and her tail sprouted. Even from where he sat, he could see her eyes as their stardust color.

He visualized Vairon's surprise, and smiled. He saw Keurai's jaw drop, and heard his gasp over his sisters animalistic beauty and strength.

Oh yes, in her giant beasts form, she was beautiful. Her fur was the silver of the moon, and her eyes were like twin stars. Her teeth were sharp as swords, and her claws were like daggers though. Her roar shook him like an earthquake, but he knew her purr would be as soft as a mama's touch.

The arrows were pushed out by her skin, the small little needles were nothing compared to swords.

Which was why Vairon rejected his arrows and drew his sword, the metal glinting in the sun. His perspiration shone on his dark skin, his eyes bright gold with an inner fire as he glared at the unusual beast that walked slowly towards him.

She growled at him, her fangs bared, unaware that the crowd was looking at her with fear, and her brother had a smile playing his lips.

She did hear the cry of Reyana, and her fearful, "A monster!"

She stopped growling, and looked up. Her stardust eyes filled with pain as she watched Reyana pick up her skirts and flee.

Neouri suddenly remembered what she had looked like, and looked out at the crowd.

The crowd screamed, and ran. Even her opponents had given her a look of strangeness, one that bordered on the look of you're a freak! the pain dissipated, and turned into anger. She gave one last glare to the elf who had the same look in his eyes, and leapt off the stage.

She ran, she was barely aware of the screaming masses, the sound of the wind as she sprang through the village they had passed earlier, drowning out the screams of terror. She heard whispers on the wind, words, words that called her. She ran to them, and found herself in running through a forest, her run slowed to a jog, and finally to a walk.

Still in her inhuman form, she found a tree with roots in a big U shape, and curled against it.

Her head resting on a higher part of the roof, she watched as the sun danced on the grass, playing through the leaves.

She never had a second thought.