Welcome To The Citadel

[Chidori Draconid]

(Open to one. Just be certain you can finish this with me.)

Avakra rested her head on Chidori’s shoulder. The two deities were sitting atop the flat roof of Nu Gua’s Ethiopia Estate, their current home. The Raiaeran sunset was beautiful from here, where the towering crystalline palace of Velice Arta reflected the orange sun to the point that it seemed like there were two suns in the sky. Even after the sun was well beyond the horizon the palace would still catch its rays and provide light for as long as an hour. Avakra liked it here, and Chidori would often find her up here after long days. The majority of his days were spent mostly with his father, God of Dragons, who would take him out to map dragon liars, spar, or pick herbs for alchemy experiments.

It was fun hanging out with his father for he was a nice break from the estrogen filled household. But no matter what the he did during the day Chidori made it his mission to get here before the sunset to start the evening with Avakra. There was no verbal agreement between the two of them. Chidori considered it a silent promise. In addition today was a special day because he had been invited to participate in a match at the Citadel of Corone. He had never been to the Citedel before. In fact he had never set foot on the island continent of Corone. It was absolutely necessary to have Avakra by his side as a tour guide, and as his only supporter.

A moment went by in silence, too long a moment. “Is there something wrong?” Avakra asked.

Chidori had waited far too long. Perhaps he feared her answer. “I’ve been invited to a battle at the Citadel.”

“Really,” Avakra’s head lifted from his shoulder. That was a bad sign, wasn’t it? “Who invited you.?”

“A monk I met today at one of the port towns. We had a good conversation and before leaving he handed me this.” It was a small slip of paper with two names on it, one of which being his own. Avakra gasped at some, and tilted her head at the other. “The strangest part about it is my name was already on that slip… so… will you go with me?”

“I’d love to. Just allow me to contact Tyrol to let him know I can’t tutor his son tomorrow.” She then turned to Chidori with a kind smile and placed her soft hand on his cheek. “And just so you know I wouldn’t mind going anywhere with you.” The two kissed, and headed downstairs for dinner.

The next day rumors began to spread across the Corone countryside about a young couple that simply walked out of the ocean and onto the beach completely dry and full of breath with complete disregard for the waves and current. Chidori and Avakra couldn’t help but chuckle hearing this as they were just outside the Citadel walls. The rumor had spread faster than them, but one thing was for sure. Avakra was certainly not Am’aleh, the local deity of the sea, though she probably wished she were. It was indeed by her hand that the two of them made it to Corone so fast by riding the currents of the ocean, but it was a simple parlor trick to most expert magicians and sorcerers.

The mood became overwhelmingly sober as they entered the Citadel and headed towards the arena in which Chidori was to fight.

Avakra grabbed Chidori’s hand. “Don’t expose your blade immediately.” She said as the hiss of the distant arena audience could be heard.

Avakra tightened her grip. “You don’t have to raise your palm to aim with your Stellar Energy.” She said as the hiss of the distant audience became a dull rumble. The announcer could be heard now.

Chidori felt pain as Avakra squeezed even tighter. “There are plenty of warnings of magic. Figure out what they are and keep them in mind.” She said as the roar of the crowd was so great that they could feel the vibrations in their feet.

Avakra was scared for him. Chidori couldn’t see the logic behind her fear. She wasn’t afraid for him when he had entered the Ethiopia Estate while it was taken over by eight immortals. His life was truly in danger then, but now he was under the protection of monks that could revive him the very moment he fell dead. And yet she was afraid for him now? Chidori interjected before she could say anything else.

“You’ve missed one thing.” He said as they entered the wing. “Actually you’ve missed the most important thing. My attire. The embroidery and the cane will make me look like some pampered aristocrat. I’ll be back here with you in no time.” A subtle reminder that he wouldn’t die.

With that Avakra released her vice grip and dropped her hands to her side.
She took a deep breath and said, “Good luck. I’ll be in the stands.”

Chidori could not hear his feet as they stepped out onto the marble floor. The roar of the crowd was too loud, but their volume was deceiving. The elevated audience of the arena was only a few hundred strong, but the echoing acoustics made it sound like thousands. The battle stage was simple yet elegant. Everything was black marble, even the walls. Just a few yards ahead of him was an elevated square ring with a giant column at each corner. There would be no cover besides the columns, which were only so wide. It would be just Chidori, his opponent and what seemed to be a good one hundred square feet of marble floor. The young deity waved to the audience thanking them for coming as he stepped into the rope less ring and awaited the arrival of his opponent.

[Solomon]

"You're a bit of a sissy Solomon. You're really going to walk away from this? A couple of days ago you couldn't shut up about battles, all you wanted to do was fight! Now you're telling me your leaving? And after I tracked down an excellent foe for you." The monk bantered Solomon, standing overtop of him at his place by the tree trunk. "It's not fair to the other participants for you to leave after setting up a challenge. What's wrong with you? Don't you want to become the toughest? You sissy!"

Solomon released a very long, and very weary breath. The monk looked down on him with the same grudge a teacher gives a star student when their grades are sliding. Solomon didn't return the accusing eyes, and simply sat with his back against the tree trunk not even half a mile from the legendary citadel. He had left not out of fear of his next fight, but because the questions had caught up with him again. Sure, this training was good for him. It kept his skills, his mind, and his body all in check. Yet what good was all of it in the end? That was the question Solomon was hoping he could drown out with constant battles. Yet so far it had been no good. No matter what he did to keep his mind from thinking too hard, no matter what new strategy he came up with to properly occupy his time on this world questions like these always came back to aggravate him.

"I'm not running away." Solomon told the monk.

"Sitting around isn't much better." The monk spat the words out at him. "You've got to challenge yourself if you want to grow. Weren't you telling me about all that a few days ago? How you wanted to grow as a fighter? You won't get there sitting outside thinking! A big guy like you will waste away if you don't keep at it."

"Why?" Solomon rose to his feet. "What good will it do? What's the point of becoming a warrior if..." Solomon suddenly ran out of the words for his thoughts. "If... If you can't..."

"What do you mean?" The monk gave him an accusing eyebrow. Solomon let his head fall back and gave an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know…” He whispered. "Fine. Just take me to this fight. You win."

"Excellent." The monk clapped his hands together and grinned. "You'll enjoy this match. I've found an excellent young competitor for you."

"Hurray." Solomon muttered, although the monk did not hear him. He led Solomon back to the citadel, all the while he tried to prepare himself for the match. He knew his thoughts were dangerous to him. It was best he didn't think at all while he was here, especially now that he had agreed to fight. Too many thoughts killed a battle, and that was disrespectful to the opponent. If he had to fight, he might as well do a good job. Fighting was the only thing he really knew how to do.

As they entered and wandered down the hallway Solomon caught the loose talk of the pedestrians. They were raving to one another about these strange people who had emerged from the ocean, walking out without being wet or breathless. When he heard this Solomon shot a glace to the monk who walked at his side. The monk just looked up and smiled mischievously.

The sounds of a roaring crowd could be heard through the doorway that lay just a few feet before them. The monk walked out before him and put his hand on the door handle.

“Are you ready Solomon? I’ve got my money on you for this one!” He grinned.

“I didn’t think you monks were allowed to place bets.” Solomon accused him. The monk just smiled wider.

“Go on inside. Best not keep the crowd waiting.”

“The crowd is just an illusion right?” Solomon passed through the doorway, yet when he turned around to get his answer the only reply that came was the rough slamming of the heavy door. With another grumble Solomon moved into open sight of the crowds. He was sudden taken aback by the area that stood before him. It was an open coliseum, just like the challenges the royalty laid out to entertain their subjects and test their soldiers. The crowd was not enormous by any means, but bigger than any other audience he had ever been under the eyes of.

They cheered him on as he made his way towards the elevated fighting ring, although he didn’t know why they would. His boots clomped along the marble floor, giving off a sound similar to that of cow hooves along a paved roadway.

Okay Solomon. You told them all you wanted to fight, so you better be ready! After this fight you can piddle off some place else alright? Just give this fight everything you’ve got and don’t hold back.

Solomon loosened his joints and stretched his arms and neck as he walked up to the ring and carefully hopped inside. Standing there already waiting was a young man. Solomon continued to quickly stretch himself out and look over the challenger. The boy seemed to have a very regal aura about him, yet was built well enough to hold his own in a battle. His skin was tanned and very clean looking, to say the least. He had short black hair, much like his own, only his was wavy and Solomon’s was plain. Just from looking at him, Solomon was getting a sense of strong energy coming from the young man. It didn’t surprise him, for practically all of the people in this world were more than what met the eye, but such a strong energy was never to be taken lightly.

“Greetings.” Solomon said to the fellow. He enjoyed the learning experience of the battle as much as he enjoyed the fight itself, in an open challenge like this one anyway. What you could learn from an opponent was usually very interesting. The more he talked to this fellow the better his energy would appear to him as well.

“I’m Solomon.” Solomon nodded to him. “Yourself?”

[Chidori Draconid]

Avakra emerged from the entrance to the audience stands. Her steps were so light that she couldn’t feel her feet as she made her way to the front row. There was a seat open for her right there where she could see all the action… wonderful. She could watch as her love put himself in harm’s way. Yes, this was the Citadel, where every warrior to come in always came out. Yes, even if Chirori lost the battle he’d be revived. But what if this was the one day that some monk decided he wasn’t going to revive a combatant? What if he wasn’t going to revive her Chid Kid?

The ocean girl snapped back to reality when she looked down at her blue silk scarf and found it to be ripped in two. She hadn’t noticed that she had done that until now. It was then that she realized that she had always been afraid for Chidori, but she either showed faith in him because she wasn’t going to be present when he was in danger, or she had been able to fight by his side. Now she would have to watch.

“What the hell kind of a match up is this?” Avakra muttered. Her eyes widened in fear as she watched Chidori’s opponent enter the arena. With one wipe of her honey tone forehead the entire half of her ripped scarf was soaked. This was going to be a long event.

****

“What the hell kind of a match up is this?” Chidori said under his breath as he watched his opponent step in. The man was twice as big as the young deity. The man had a great mass of muscle and had a good few inches on him. Why would the Citadel match him up with such a large fellow? As surprised as he was he decided to keep the expression in. Maybe he could find Avakra in the audience. That would distract him from the impending doom at the hands of the colossus. There she was the divine daughter of the ocean, Chidori’s inspiration, nervous as hell just like him. That wasn’t helping him any so he just looked forward at his opponent.

His hair was black and his eyes were grey just like Chidori’s. He smiled at that discovery as he began to stretch just like his opponent. Then the man walked up and introduced himself as Solomon.

“Chidori Draconid. Nice to meet… or fight you.” The young deity said with a chuckle as he began to extend his hand. He quickly pulled it back before it got too far, and nodded hastily. Extending for a handshake was dangerous. “Well I guess we should begin.”

With that the young deity stepped back and went into his battle position. His knees were slightly bent as he went into a boxer’s pace and held his cane like a battle staff. That’s how he’d be using it for now.

[Solomon]

“Chidori Draconid." The youth replied to him, following up with a quick joke about their situation. Solomon couldn't help but grin to himself. This young man didn't seem half bad, meaning he’d probably prove an interesting opponent. Just as he was reaching out for Chidori's hand Chidori suddenly pulled it away from him.

"Well I guess we should begin." Chidori said to him. Solomon’s hand was left hanging in the air as Chidori backed up into his corner and prepared a cane for battle. Solomon was left in the center, a confused glare in his eye as his hand slowly lowered to his side.

What was that about? He wondered. For a moment this looked like it was going to be a friendly match, yet the lad was suddenly turned off from him somehow. Solomon stood for a moment in the middle of the ring, nodding slowly to his competitor.

"Alright." He finally said to Chidori. "May the best of us win." He took in a heavy and deep breath from the gathering wind that drifted in all around the floor of the arena, and let it out through closed teeth as he prepared himself for the fight. All the while the crowds still cheered in anticipation, and while Solomon was preparing himself mentally and physically a startling realization came to him. These crowds were not an illusion. They were actual people. It was the energy he felt that suddenly dawned on him. Although his eyes of life technique was trained to better identify a singular individual, it still made him aware of the energies around him. He had gotten used to feeling all the individual signals from crowds just from wandering around villages so he hadn’t noticed a difference at first.

This has never happened before. I wonder why the monk's invited real people? Solomon wondered silently. Really though, who knew what the reason was. Perhaps the monk's just felt every now and then it was good to open battles to the public. They probably grew bored doing the same things over and over again. Perhaps that’s why they were betting on this match. Finding no conclusion Solomon brought his mind back into the battle. He was here for a reason, and he’d best remember that.

Solomon watched the young Chidori with his interesting weapon, if it really was a weapon and not just a cane. He put himself into a forward stance with his left leg out in force. His left fist holding steady in front of his chest and his right waiting eagerly at his hip. How much power would he need to conquer this foe? would it take all his energy weapons or simply his physical skill?

Carefully eyeing his opponent Solomon moved toward the middle once again. He watched him, wondering how he was going to attack him and waiting for his chance to strike at him.

[Chidori Draconid]

The slow witted deity realized by the disappointed look on his opponent’s face that he was taken back by Chidori’s sudden evasive nature. After being so courteous and charismatic, Chidori had suddenly drawn into himself, and that was rude. He immediately acted to make up for this as he stopped his pacing and stood straight up out of his stance.

“I’m sorry about that. It’s just that… I’ve heard it’s more polite to bow in a battle than to shake.” That was a lie. Chidori was just afraid that he would be taken advantage of in a moment of vulnerability and he wasn’t going to let that happen here. It was still a sufficient cover, much better than I’m sorry. I just don’t trust you. That was just plain mean even though it was the truth. “I just wanted to let you know that before we begin this battle.”

Still his little white lie and much more was running through his head as he went back into his low battle stance and his boxer’s pace. Plenty of things about this Solomon plagued the young deity’s mind. In Chidori’s mind his stature and look seemed to be the polar opposite of his demeanor. He didn’t expect a man like that to have such a kind voice and a positive atmosphere. He had easily envisioned someone like Solomon stepping into the ring and just attacking Chidori without an introduction, or if he ever introduced himself it would be a rude presentation.

But here Solomon was, polite, positive, and (possibly the worst of all) confident. Chidori didn’t have to ask. This wasn’t the warrior’s first time in the Citadel. His face oozed confidence. His eyes were open and alert, but not uncomfortable. Solomon’s pale face was an expression of ‘routine caution’. He knew to be careful because he had been in a situation like this many timed before.

Then again Solomon probably didn’t have to ask. This was definitely the young deity’s first time in the Citadel. Chidori was blinking with anxiety, which was bad because battles literally could be over in the blink of an eye. He was happy to go back into the boxer’s pace because it his feet and legs were left to support him standing still they’d be shaking. Naïveté was Chidori’s new epithet.

Many questions needed to be answered about Chidori’s opponent, just as he was sure many questions needed to be answered about him. Like why didn’t the giant warrior wield any weapons? It was only natural to assume that this warrior had toned his large body as a weapon. If that was true then Chidori would have to keep him at a distance. On Althanas, where every person seemed to possess a power of a God, it was practical to assume that Solomon had some sort of supernatural power up his sleeve. There was only one way to find out.

”You don’t have to raise your palm to aim with your Stellar Energy.”

The young deity remembered the words of his love and kept both of his arms on his cane, holding it like a staff at guard. The seven chakras within his body began to tingle, and his irises ignited like supernovas. As far as Chidori knew his luminescent eyes was the only sufficient warning for his opponent. The blue hot plasma focused into existence a foot beyond his torso, and shot out at Solomon. Chidori noticed then that he had stopped his boxer’s pace just before he summoned the energy.

This was just a test shot. If the fight was short enough it may well have been his only shot for he needed time to regain his ability to focus his energy. Hopefully the shot would help Chidori feel out his opponent. If Solomon had no projectile or supernatural powers, he would simply attempt to dodge the energy. If Solomon had supernatural powers he would be compelled to use them possibly in defense or retaliation. Maybe, by some stroke of luck the Stellar Energy projectile would actually hit Solomon. If not it would serve another, more subtle purpose. In the midst of all this, Chidori Draconid was “conditioning” his opponent.

[Solomon]

Solomon paced about the center of the raised fighting ring, his hands still at the ready and his feet whisking him from side to side. Chidori had taken up a battle pose of his own, taking the stature of limber and elusive boxer, yet kept a firm grip on his cane. This gave him a clue that Chidori's skills were not in boxing, as his stance suggested, but instead wrapped into that cane in one way or another. Solomon was very curious to see how he’d use it.

At the same time there was something else that Solomon wanted to figure out about this young man. This energy that seemed to glow from within him, what was it? It had not yet been awakened, but it was not laying dormant either. It was waiting for something. Waiting until he tapped into it, until he needed it. But what kind of a person was he to have energy like this? Where had he come from? What was his inheritance?

Solomon paused in his prowling as the young man also slowed to a halt. His disposition suddenly changed, and he apologised for the rudeness he had shown Solomon earlier, and gave him a decent explanation.

He's frightened Solomon realized from the words. The fact that Chidori had denied the greeting showed Solomon that he was probably intimidating the young fellow. If the confidence hadn't been shaken from him he'd have been undaunted to shake Solomon's hand, even if he thought it was the 'improper' thing to do. Instead he had pulled away, wanting to get on with the battle and not letting his opponent get to know him. Chidori probably feared that if Solomon got to know him he'd see through him and realize he was intimidated. He didn’t want Solomon to use that to his advantage.

Solomon didn't even realize all he had done was stand there looking vacant as Chidori gave his apology. Solomon was too busy going over the words in his mind that all he did was stare up until Chidori went back into his battle stance. Solomon shook the thoughts from his head once he remembered reality.

Stay focussed Solomon. This is still a battle, not a meeting ground- Solomon's mind became silent as he suddenly felt a shift in Chidori's energy. It was gusting through him like wind through a doorway. His eyes suddenly illuminated, causing Solomon's jaw to drop.

He's a Xry! Solomon's thoughts only inches away from being shouted. That image, and that colour, was one he had come to know so well that as soon as he saw it he forgot the energy pattern from this youth did not match his own. Chidori was not a Xry, and just moments after Solomon thought he had made the discovery did he realize how wrong he was.

Lost in mind once again, Solomon stood idle as a blue haze appeared before his foe. It was then his instincts remembered he was in a fight, and in possible danger. The kid was attacking him, not just making his eyes glow! Solomon jumped to his left as the mass of burning energy came soaring by. Had Solomon been paying attention he might have gotten away from it, but his idle mind made him a fool once again. The burning energy washed over the edge of his chest, shoulder and right arm, like a wave scalding water.

With a muffled holler Solomon landed from his dive. Sliding along the marble on his left side he quickly rolled over and clutched his exposed arm. He sat upright on the harsh floor, breathing heavily and staring back at Chidori. His clothing had been burned away where the energy had hit, and his skin was red and tender from the attack. Although it stung him pretty bad at this point, he was still okay to fight.

"Not half bad." Solomon managed a smile. "Tell me, what are you?"

[Chidori Draconid]

Chidori couldn’t help but chuckle at the question. This was the first person on Althanas who was suspicious of his origin. Unless Chidori or someone else told them and proved his divine origin to them, they thought nothing of his use of his mother’s Stellar Energy. Really they had no reason to think of it as anything more than magic. He had faced people with more potent powers than his, and they weren’t of divine origin. Chidori could only suspect that Solomon had extensive knowledge of spells and supernatural abilities. If that was so then he knew what Chidori was, so he decided to play around with his answer.

“Well I don’t exactly know what to tell you. If I just gave you the answer straight up you wouldn’t believe me.” Then he couldn’t help but grin “Let’s just say that I’m not of this world.”

The young deity returned to his boxer’s pace. “Hell, its Althanas. Normal is not normal here, right?” He said as he extended his hand to the top of his cane. After attacking he’d expect Solomon to take the offensive. If so he would be prepared to surprise him.

While he was at it he decided to stir up his Stellar Energy again. He knew he wasn’t able to utilize it like he just had, but the earlier he summoned it the sooner he would be able to. He glanced over to his love, and still saw a look of fear upon her face. It wasn’t fazing him now because now he had a strategy. To comfort her he made eye contact and nodded.

[Solomon]

Not of this world. Who is these days? Solomon lifted himself up off the ground. He touched his brun gently to see how sore it had become, although that one touch was enough to describe it to him. It was best he avoided touching it, or touching aything with it for a while.

Still nimble on his feet the grinning Chidori prepared his cane as Solomon re-readied himself for the fight. He loosened his shoulders and began to take hold a ready stance once again. He didn't know what Chidori was up to, or what he was expecting, but it seemed to feel like it was Solomon's turn to exchange a blow.

"Try me." Solomon answered the youth's tease, coming in a little closer to him. "I've met all kinds of people. I can assure you one more story won't phase me." Just as he said this he delivered a cresant kick to Chidori's weapon hand, hoping to either disarm him or open him up for a follow up attack.

[Chidori Draconid]

“What is he doing?” said the divine daughter of the ocean as she watched her dearst expose one of his two only valuable tactical assets. Now that Chidori had utilized his Stellar Energy, his adversary would be expecting it. All Chidori had in terms of an element of surprise now was his hidden blade. Her eyes were wide with fear. She couldn’t help it. She knew that Chidori would be revived the second he fell… if he fell. However, it seemed to pain her that in this rare instance, where she was actually present for one of Chidori’s battles, she could do nothing to assist him.

Avakra was not present when Chidori had to face eight immortals to retrieve and destroy a divine plant that the two of them had produced. She was partially to blame for that. She wasn’t present when Chidori got lost in the middle of the black desert with the skeleton man Krugor and got trapped in a mushroom after escaping the wrath of a handful of ghosts. She wasn’t present when Chidori got caught in the struggle between Survani and Mitra for Fallien where some broad even took him into Purgatory. Now she was here, and she had no power to aid him.

That’s when it struck Avakra. That’s when she realized that she was afraid for selfish reasons. Chidori had been working all this time to protect the two of them even though she was often times away and overseas, and even though she was just as capable of a fighter as Chidori she had no credit to her own. It was preferred that the two of them be even, but this was another notch on her love’s belt. With that determined there was a lot of catching up to be done.

****

Solomon made further inquiry into Chidori’s origin, and reiterated a good point. Althanas was full of unique individuals and anything short of a deity in mortal form was probably believable, but even if such and idea was believable it just sounded toffee-nosed. Chidori wouldn’t dare tell someone he was a God, not have time to explain or prove his situation, and proceed to demonstrate the frailty of his mortal form.

The fact of the matter was that he really was a mortal in almost every sense of the work. He could get hurt, which would probably be demonstrated in the near future, and he could die. The only difference for now was thsat his soul would go back to heaven to frolic along the ethereal planes as a low deity with no distinction, no cause, and nothing to symbolize or represent. It would be shameful, but it was different from the various places other souls would go.

Nevertheless Chidori decided to feed Solomon’s curiosity. “Want a clue?” He said with a smile as he pointed up. “Look to the sky at night.”

Solomon continued the battle by swiftly approaching and raising his knee high above his shoulder. A breeze carrying the warrior’s masculine scent hit Chidori. Within seconds the warrior had closed the distance between him and the young deity. He could have pulled his blade out and allowed his opponent’s leg to land on it. He could have simply whacked the opening that the kick would provide with his blunt staff, but all this seemed to early in Chidori’s opinion.

Something had to be up Solomon’s sleeve just in case Chidori countered like that. Instead he took the evasive route and pranced backwards as Solomon’s foot came down on where he once was. It was a fast kick. The young deity had made the right decision. Had he stayed there his weapon would have been out of his hands before he could do either of the things he was considering.

Chidori decided it would be best that he keep his blade concealed until he absolutely needed to use it, so he simply swung with his black staff fully extended. Hopefully it would hit some part of Solomon’s body.

[Solomon]

Look to the sky at night?!? Solomon wondered. His foot whisking by the target and landing harshly on the marble ground. What was this kid talking about? Was he an alien to this world too? Why did he seem so thrilled in giving clues instead of just telling him? He himself was from the stars, coming from a distant planet he could no longer remember. He never went around saying it, but he didn’t treat it like it was some special gift. He told people when they needed to know. Perhaps this was something Chidori thought made him superior to Solomon, and didn’t want to give it away just yet.

"You mean to say you're an alien to this world?" Solomon couldn’t help but ask . His foot took up a defensive position once again. "There are millions of stars in the night sky. Which one are you from?"

Before Solomon heard an answer from Chidori he heard from someone else. Through these first few minutes of the battle the crowds calls had died down. There was a burst of cheer once Chidori had fired his strange energy at him, but after that they had been quieter in anticipation of the next move.

"Hey, you! Big guy! Hit him already, would ya?" Came a taunting voice from the surrounding bleachers. Solomon turned to face the man and shot a scowl at him. So this is why the Monk was so excited to have Solomon here. This was a real crowd the monks wanted entertained, this was just a way for them to generate a little more revenue; and if the monks themselves were betting on this fight there was no doubt the money riding on this match was astronomical.

Solomon was about to say it. He was about to denounce the man who taunted him. He was trying to tell him they were not their pawns to be used in money making, but he didn't get a chance. As his head was turned Chidori swatted him hard with a staff, colliding against Solomon's hip.

"Damn it!" Solomon quickly spun around, clutching another throbbing wound. The same man that had taunted him earlier began to boo him for stupidity. A few others joined in but most simply laughed.

"Alright." He said through clenched teeth. Not mad at Chidori, but mad at himself for letting it happen. "You're right, we're here to battle. Forget what's happening in the bleachers right?" He took a few paces back and lowered himself in his stance. He breathed heavily in and out trying to bring his energy up, which he always pictured as a blue glowing mass deep within his body and giving him the strength for any deed.

Chidori had gotten him twice, although Solomon's unique abilities made him twice as durable as any regular man, if Chidori kept up like this he'd have Solomon down in time. With any luck Solomon would find a away to defeat him sooner without taking too much more damage. He had to be cautious though, for this mysterious stranger had many tricks up his sleeve.

[Chidori Draconid]

This was an unwelcome interference from the audience. Yes this monk like warrior named Solomon intimidated the hell out of the young deity Chidori. Yes Chidori probably could use all the help he could get. Yes without that little disruption from the audience Chidori probably would not have landed such a random swing, and he probably would have lost the battle, but it would be all the more satisfying, notwithstanding unlikely, to win this battle of his own wits. The young deity still had tricks up his sleeve. His Stellar Energy was still stirring inside him, he hadn’t revealed his blade, and he had a tactic that even his dearest was not yet aware of. If he was able to win this battle, he’d be damned if it would be with the help of outsiders.

Speaking of which…

****

Avakra couldn’t help but clap at least once when she saw her love land a hit on his opponent. However, she could help stopping herself from clapping as she tangled her fingers in and of each other. There was also a muffled yelp of joy that lasted only half a second. It was rude of her to do such a thing especially being the only definite supporter of Chidori’s. But now judging from the actions of her fellow audience members, it seemed as though this was a neutral audience. No bets had been placed, no favorites, no friends or relatives of Chidori’s opponent. If any of that were the case, his support would be very audible right now cheering him on telling him “That’s alright. It’s just one hit, man!”

Instead the impatient crowd was working in Chidori’s favor only because he had made the first hit and the flashiest presentation. If his opponent had been more successful the audience would have been verbally attacking Chidori. Avakra admired the fighter’s patience with them though. She knew good and well that neither Chidori nor herself had the patience to tolerate anything like this, and if they were pestering him he would’ve given the sign for her to silence them one way or another.

Suddenly there was the sign. Chidori was looking over his shoulder and into Avakra’s eyes. Would you mind putting those dogs down for us, dearest? If I’m going to win this fight I want to win it on my own accord. His auditory thoughts rang through her ears. He knew she was listening.

Avakra admired her love even more now. He was willing to have the disruption put down even as it was working in his favor. She nodded and proceeded as she wiped the accumulated sweat off of her own forehead. The beads of sweat that remained leaped off of her skin and into her hand as the ones on her hand slithered over onto her palm. Other people were sweating as well so that was where she would get her liquid from. In fact the two fighters would be the best source.

****

Chidori looked down and smiled as the wet stains from the nervous sweat disappeared from the wet armpits of his shirt. It was always fun to witness the divine daughter of the ocean prepare her magic. It was even more exciting to see how she was going to use it. She had once used it as a projectile taking advantage of the compressed pressure, and once as a fire extinguisher… on a fire deity of all targets. He could only guess how she was going to use it to silence the uncivilized audience.

The young deity kept the smile on his face as he turned back to Solomon and went back into his battle stance. “No need to worry about them. They’ll be silenced soon. I’ll be damned if either of us is going to win because we had an audience to divide our attention.”

[Solomon]

As Solomon pressed his body from the inside out, breathing heavily and strong to bring himself back to the battle he noticed the patient and disciplined face being worn by Chidori. It didn't take a psychic to tell that Chidori didn't want to win this battle from cheap hits and taking advantage. Taking a moment he turned to someone up in the bleachers, but only for a moment.

Feel for his energy, you can beat him easily. You're a warrior remember that. His thoughts were so loud in his head they nearly made his lips move. In his mind he felt his energy as it grew to a stable point. He could see it inside of him, beating with every pulse of his heart and giving strength to his body. He knew he couldn't use all of this power inside of him, that would be disrespectful to his opponent. He needed to pace himself just right and know just how much power he needed to overcome the young man. It wasn't right for him to just go out and overpower him. That was a mean thing to do.

How exactly is using your powers a mean thing to do? Solomon's inner voice, the one that had always taunted him and challenged his valour, broke out from his conscience. This is a battle, not a lesson. You're here to fight for the win! Not to play around.

What would my opponent think of me if I lashed out at them for no reason? Solomon countered.

No reason!? Its a fight! You think you're here to show you're opponent how to fight because he's younger than you are? You think you should go soft on him because its a citadel battle? You are a sissy! How do you expect to become a great warrior if you're not willing to go to war?

"Shut up." Solomon muttered, nearing striking himself on the forehead to rid himself of the noise. Little did he know it was actually loud enough for Chidori to hear, and Chidori was just telling him not to worry about the crowds at the same time. Immediately he wanted to apologise in case he had heard it, but instead he stared at Chidori dumbly, not knowing if he had heard him or not. It was then Solomon noticed the sweat from his body had been taken away, summoned to another energy in the crowds. Is that why Chidori was staring off at someone? What was he planning?

Okay Solomon. Time to shine alright? Solomon conjured up his own voice from inside him. He stepped in towards Chidori with his hands on the ready. His hip didn't hurt as much as it did, but his right arm and shoulder felt even worse. Like that part of his body was coated with tight rubber, and underneath his body was cold. He threw a left hook, coming from his waist and curving upwards. It wasn't a sure-fire hit, but it might put Chidori off guard and open for the next attack.

Good, wait for an opportune moment. Pace yourself Solomon. His own voice encouraged him. The other side of him had always been a part of his mind. Always unsure of how he should act and perform, one side of him always stuck to what he was told was right, and this other side told him to think differently for a change instead of being systematic. Yet Solomon knew that he should always strive to be the better man. His principals were just and respectable, even if they cost him his life.

[Chidori Draconid]

“Do you gentlemen mind?” Avakra said politely as she crossed her arms. She had suddenly grown confident. Perhaps it was because she was now assisting Chidori in some form or fashion. Yes, what she was about to do would easily assist Chidori’s opponent as well, but there was comfort in generally having her hand in things. The rudely folk ignored her, possibly because they were so loud. She would give them one more chance to acknowledge her presence.

“Shut Up!” The small audience fell silent as her voice echoed throughout the area. It was a spacious battle ground, but the acoustics were strong. The natural leader of the group, the same fellow who was verbally attacking Chidori’s opponent, stood up and gave her a wildly irate stare from a few rows back.

“Well we know whose side you’re on, little lady.” His grunt supporters laughed.

“Believe it or not, I’m supporting the one with the cane. I know he’s easily distracted.”

“It’s true.” Someone sitting near her said. “You should see her cringe every time he even looks like he’s going to get hit.”

“Look, lady. Leave us be before you’re dead in an alley somewhere.”

That was the last straw. Avakra wasn’t even going to try to convince them any longer. She hadn’t gathered up all that water for nothing. While the group of hoodlums continued their verbal assault their leader suddenly fell silent. His eyes became wide and teary, and his head began to cock back. He was gagging. Seconds later he opened his mouth to release a jet stream of liquid. It wasn’t vomit. It was water. His buddies escorted him out as he coughed up more and more water. Mission complete. Now to get back to worrying.

****

Almost a second. Not a full second. That’s all Solomon needed to get in range to attack the young deity. The monk had to have been twice his weight, but he couldn’t imagine carting all that flesh around with that much speed. Chidori was expecting another kick, which was a reasonable estimation. Without a weapon to reach past the cane it would be wise for the monk to use his long legs instead of his short arms. Just then the cliché saying came to mind “Life is about taking risks”. If neither of them took any then the audience would have the right to complain. Two reluctant players would make for a lengthy and excruciatingly boring match.

Chidori knew that and apparently Solomon did too. Neither of the monk’s legs rose. Instead of a heel coming from above, a large fist came from Chidori’s right. It was too late to dodge. He would have to settle for a makeshift block, so the young deity took his right hand off of his cane, and swung his forearm out to intercept the monk’s swing. He had barely succeeded in keeping his head from harm, and that was mostly due to positioning, but two hundred pounds of pure muscle and untold velocity still took its toll.

Solomon’s swing did not stop at Chidori’s forearm. In fact it barely slowed down. The monk knew how to use his weight advantage, and Chidori was lifted inches off the ground as the fist made contact with his upper right arm. Had that been at the right angle he would have had a displaced shoulder. He had to go with this turn of events. He had to take what he was given, and that was a significant amount of force pushing him back. Instead of stumbling in a futile attempt to stop himself, the young deity pranced back gracefully. He was now out of his opponent’s reach, and with his right hand out he began to chant the Cloudburst song. Even Avakra was not aware of this card. He would not release it just yet. It was best to wait.

[Solomon]

The energy Solomon had felt up in the bleachers seemed to vanish, and so he pushed it out of mind for the time being. He was worried Chidori might have been using it to aid him in the battle, but it had disappeared now and nothing suspicious or spectacular had happened to either of them. Whatever it was, it wasn't important. However the fact that the sweat had been taken from him was still a little still sat a little strange with him.

The blow to Chidori's side had failed. Solomon followed through with his fist, pushing against Chidori's forearm and sending him backwards. Not toppling or sprawling back, but nimbly dodging back. Solomon had been hoping he be able to push him over to the side, or throw him off balance. That way he could follow up with a back kick as he finished the follow through. This would not happen though, for Chidori put a distance between them that could not be breached in such a move.

"Clever." Solomon muttered, more or less to himself. The crowds seemed to have died down at this point, yet whether they were on the edge of their seats with excitement or just asleep from boredom Solomon did not know. He hoped they were enjoying themselves. The battle was very basic, he'd admit that, but it was playing out the way it should.

You're weak Solomon. The conscience came again. Solomon didn't care how his mind challenged him this time. He was enjoying the fight the way it was. It was a battle between two contestants instead of a duel of titans. It would be won by determining how to overcome your opponent instead of out and out annihilating them.

What's your point then? Are you going to finish off this kid with just kicks and left hooks? You haven't landed a single hit! Look what he's done to you! Are you going to repress yourself on purpose when he‘s the one doing anything?

I don't want to win this fight by overpowering this guy-

That's just it! His battle mind scorned him. You didn't come here to win this fight, you came here to loose with grace didn't you?

Not at all Solomon thought back to himself. If I win by my principals, that is fortunate, if I loose, better luck next time. So long as I keep my principals I am a great warrior This time the other side of his mind didn't even have to strike back at him. Keeping his principals made him a great warrior? What was he doing here if he didn't care about the win? All the while Solomon thought this Chidori was chanting something, his hand held out in the air between them. Silencing himself Solomon sprung through the distance with a leaping front kick. The noise in his mind continued as he sailed through the air, not even sure if he could hit his target with the angle he was on. Chidori needed only move to the side.

Why was he here then if he wasn't willing to fight? Not just in the citadel, but in this life? All his days he had been trained as a warrior, but for what reasons? If he was only here to die with dignity, then why should he bother being here in the first place. But then what about valour and everything he had learned from his father? How was he supposed to fight? How was he supposed to be?

[Chidori Draconid]

Distance & Cards. That was the name of the game, the premier principle of Chidori’s strategy. He had to keep his distance from this close range killer because if he closed in on the young deity there would be little hope left. He had to be sure not to show all his cards at once for Solomon would be able to evaluate the entirety of his short arsenal. For now he had three things going for him, his Stellar Energy, his Raiaeran learned Cloudburst Song, and the blade hidden within his cane. So why would he expose two out of three of his advantages so early.

With that thought he silenced his chant and allowed the electric tingles in his nerve endings dissipate. The static in the dry air remained, but it would go away eventually. The young deity was honored to be considered “Clever” by his opponent, an obviously more seasoned warrior, but he was confused by the long pause Solomon had taken. The expression on his face seemed to be that of frustration. Chidori took Solomon to be a patient man, he was a monk. Monks were supposed to be patient, or was that just a rumor.

Now Chidori had something from the monk’s psyche to work with. He was the elusive gazelle and Solomon was the frustrated cheetah. Hopefully Chidori wouldn’t get caught in a sudden burst of predatory speed from his opponent. He would have to be extremely cautious as to not be a nuisance.

Solomon finally moved again and launched towards Chidori with a foot in front. Much worse it was a bare, dirty, and very big foot shooting towards him. The young deity’s spoiled side came out as he made it his mission to not be touched by that big dirty thing. Habit told him to step wide to the right, his dominant side. It was then, when he remembered the burn spot he had caused on Solomon’s right arm. Chidori silently kicked himself for making a strategic blunder. He was now on the warrior’s left side, when he could have been on the warrior’s right side striking at the burn wound.

The young deity shrugged and swung his black staff anyways. He had to put up a fight nevertheless.

[Solomon]

Fool! You didn't even hit him. His battle minded conscience mocked him. His foot sailed through the air as the nimble foe stepped aside, just as Solomon feared he would do.

Shut up! Solomon silenced his thoughts. They were doing nothing but confusing him now. He was a fighter, he had to stick to his principals... but he had been sticking to these principals for all his life and had still gotten nowhere. What did this mean?

Throw the towel in, and walk away Solomon His inner voice enticed him. He stood back his full height as his foot re-gripped the floor of the battle arena. You're not a fighter. You're just a wimp in a gi.

Shut UP!!! Solomon clenched his teeth and blasted through nagging words that came from the doubts within him. He couldn't let the thoughts get to him. He knew he was a fighter, he was born to be one, and his father had died trying to make him one. That was who he was, no matter what. He could win any fight, all he had to do was stay focussed-

The thought itself was cut off from him. He had pulled back to face his opponent, all the while his mind raging, but had not even realized Chidori was ready to make the next move. There was a quick flash of black before Solomon's eyes, and the sound similar to that of wood against stone. A bolt of pain shot through his body as Chidori's cane walloped the side of his skull, and for a moment his vision turned queer on him. Despite his great balance and skill, Solomon stumbled to the side. He blindly took a swipe at the figure that stood in a haze before him, but only felt himself topple forwards as his feet misplaced themselves.

Solomon fell over onto the stone, landing roughly on his elbows. Not a word came to his mind.

The crowd began to make hushed conversation at the sudden turn in the battle. Solomon felt something leave him, as though a part of his spirit left him for his shame. He hung his head low in his disgrace, What had he brought to his name? He was loosing the fight because he couldn’t figure out who he was? This was so pathetic. PATHETIC!

He turned his eyes onto his foe, still in his place on the open ground with his right arm trembling from the pressure he placed upon it. His mind was quiet. It no longer taunted him, because he could no longer deny it. The only thing he could do was accept his humiliation…. But no… No, he could not do that!

Something inside of him began to grow, as if inside of him a flame began to burn and boil his soul. He did not move, only gritted his teeth as the steam rose through his face and sent his breath heaving.

He would not accept this. He would not fall now! Not like this!