~Sirius~
Throughout my life, I've only once been in a fight.
It was in middle school, I believe.
I don't remember the exact details, but I know I was letting some other kid copy off my homework. I did it quite often, so it wasn't anything special.
Suddenly, this other kid, whom I'd previously let copy off me before, came up to us and started saying he was going to tell the teacher. In a panic, both me and the kid who was copying me began pleading with the boy. The kid wasn't budging and started running off to get the teacher.
I, being worried about what my parents would think if they found out, rushed over and grabbed the kid's wrist. Now, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but this kid was big. Much bigger than me.
So, as I was pulling him in an attempt to slow his escape, he was dragging me. And with only fear on my mind, I made a rash decision... I buckled the kid's knees, toppling him to the floor.
Naturally, this enraged the boy.
He immediately shot up, and as I was still scrambling up, what I received at that moment...
Was a fist to my face.
All the other kids were watching at this point. And fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the teacher wasn't in the room.
Back then, I was pretty athletic, and I did all sorts of sports. So, in a fleeting wind of arrogance, I decided to fight back, believing I could take the boy.
Long story short... I couldn't.
I remember being thrown into a desk and my back stinging with pain. I remember the teacher walking into the classroom and seeing my bruised face. But the thing I remember most of all...
Is the crushing defeat I felt.
The crippling hopelessness. That I can't do anything.
Perhaps I should thank him for humbling me. He showed me how weak I truly am. I think it was around this time that I decided to stop trusting in myself...
That feels so long ago...
And now, I find myself in a similar situation.
"I challenge you to a duel."
"...You want to fight?"
"Yes! One-on-one, just you and me."
"May I ask why me specifically?"
"There's something about you... That look in your eye..." Kynn is brimming with enthusiasm. "You're very interesting."
"..."
"Do you refuse? If so, I will not allow any of you to pass."
"Holy shit, it's a boss fight..." Korlin mutters.
This guy is sending me mixed signals. He's essentially drowning in charisma, but he also wears a serious undertone. I sort of like his personality; it's like a cool older brother. Not that I would know what that's like... I wouldn't consider myself a cool older brother.
I look to Aureole for advice, I mean, should I really fight this guy? I'm going to lose horribly. I haven't fought anyone since middle school. I mean, I fought the wailian, but that was an animal, not a person.
She gives me a weary smile.
"Are you up for it?"
It's not like I have much of a choice. We could technically wait until Rawlin shows up, but that could take forever. That doesn't seem like the right option here. We should definitely see the king before he arrives.
I glance at Korlin, who almost looks jealous. He nods his head in confirmation.
I let out a sigh.
Here we go...
"Alright, I'll duel you."
Kynn's face lights up in a similar fashion to how Korlin's does. He clasps his fist and motions the people behind him to go away.
"Alright! Let's do this!"
Kynn starts stretching, and I step ahead of Aureole and the group. Pholy looks bored.
I don't really know how to prep for a fight, so I do a bit of stretching of my own. I accidentally brush the watch in my sleeve, so I check to see if it's held firmly in place. It is, but should I really take it into a fight? Probably not, right?
I roll up my sleeve and slip the watch out of its band. I untie the string and turn over to Aureole.
"Would you mind holding onto this?"
She seems shocked by my suggestion.
"Oh- Of course!" She gently takes it from me and clutches it tightly. "I'll keep it safe."
"Thank you."
Aureole knows the importance of the watch. And, out of Korlin and Pholy, she also seems like the one who's least likely to break it.
I give her a nod and turn to face my opponent.
There is an absence of hostility from Kynn. I suppose this really is just a friendly bout.
"What was that thing?" Kynn asks about the watch.
"Is that important?"
"I guess not," he grins. "You ready?" he asks kindly.
"Mm, any rules or anything?"
"Hmm... No blessings, weapons, or affinities. Hand-to-hand, try to keep above the waist."
"Got it... What happens if I lose?"
"If you lose..." I don't think he had any idea beforehand. "You specifically are forbidden from meeting with the king. And you also have to tell me about the thing in her hand."
"Alright. And if I win?"
"You may have an audience with the king. And I'll let you have dinner over at my place so we can chat."
"So, I get a date with you?" I tease. "I have to win now."
Kynn smiles and holds back a laugh.
"I knew I liked you..." He gets into a fighting stance.
At first, I thought he was wearing some special armor. But the more I look at it, it's really just a loose, thick cloth. It'll be hard to tell what his movements are in advance. Not to mention the ground is completely covered in snow...
I shouldn't need to worry about him manipulating the snow; he said no blessings allowed. The terrain and his movements will be my obstacles. I may slip and make a fool of myself.
I draw in a deep breath and get into a stance of my own. Nothing too crazy, just a basic fighting stance I've seen in movies.
We both ball our fists, and our eyes lock onto each other's.
And so, with the snow falling around us and a simple nod from Kynn...
Our duel begins.
My feet explode from my spot, kicking stray snow behind me. Kynn does the same.
The ground is surprisingly easy to maneuver on. I thought it would be restricting, but it is surprisingly compatible.
As we close the distance, Kynn takes the first swing.
His arm winds back, and he throws his fist toward my face. I manage to barely duck under and, using my momentum, rotate to deliver a kick with my back leg.
It lands. Right into his chest.
Kynn stumbles back but swiftly regains his stance. His smile grows wider, and he launches toward me. He's fast, stupidly so. He barrels a barrage of swings my way.
I manage to deflect half of his blows, but stray shots impact my shoulder and nose. My face bends backward, and I stagger away from him. Blood spills from my nostrils, and red stains the white snow.
I wipe my failure away, smearing it across my face, and rush back in. I can't give him time to breathe.
I assault him with a flurry of punches, most of which he weaves or deflects. I target his left side, and as planned, he focuses his defense on that side. I'm pushing him back... I'm much more agile than I thought.
He attempts to counter one of my left-side strikes. He jabs with his right, but I manage to evade in time. While his fist brushes past me, I lunge upwards, hurling my fist at his right cheek.
It connects.
His head hammers to the side, causing him to teeter in place. He shakes off the blow and gives me a proud smile. It takes me off guard. Is he proud of me for landing that hit? Thanks, I suppose...?
With my focus fumbling, he leaps forward. I prepare to block my face, but his next move throws me completely out of it. He deliberately falls to the ground and slides on his back across the snow.
My legs!
I try to jump away, but his movements are too quick. All in an instant, he throws his arms back and rolls his legs toward his head. He's going to do a kick-up. I need to block.
I shield my arms downward as Kynn explodes from the ground. His feet rocket into my forearms, and the force sends me flying backward. I fall into a backward somersault and end up on my knees.
I need to catch my breath. My stamina has never been the best. My clothes are also soaked from the snow. I need to end this soon.
Snow is mounded around me... I can use this. He said no weapons, and I highly doubt snow falls in that category. I'll take my chances, I guess...
I blast off from my position and run lowly toward Kynn. He comes after me as well, matching my distance from the ground. With our heads approaching, I swiftly scoop up some loose snow and hurl it into the boy's eyes.
The snow scatters and blinds him. His body skids to a halt as he tries to wipe it away, and as soon as the water is flung from his vision, my knuckles meet it. My strike feels raw and powerful. I've never struck someone like this before... It's stimulating but hurts my hand like hell.
Kynn is shot back and tumbles to his knees. With a gleeful grin, he rubs his eyes and shakes off the sensation. He's enjoying this way too much.
"That's the spirit!"
Rising up, Kynn lifts his leg and slams it to the ground. The impact scatters a mist of snow in the air, restricting my vision to that of pure white. How strong was that foot slam?? I squint to try and see where he went, but my eyesight is failing. I should focus on sound.
I hold my breath and listen for the sound of footsteps. After a second or two of focus...
crunch
There. The sound comes from the left. I raise my arms to block, and as I do, Kynn's fist breaks through the fog. I manage to deflect, but then comes another. And another. A flurry of attacks barrages me, and I can hardly see enough to fend them off. Can he see through this snow...?
I stagger my way out of the thrown-up snow, blocking any hit I can. Eventually, I finally see again.
But before I can feel relief, Kynn emerges from the cloud. His bruised fist is thrown towards me, but I manage to swipe it to the side. He follows up with a kick that nails into my side. I tumble like a snowball, somewhat purposefully, creating distance between my assailant and me.
With my breath heavy, I stop rolling and raise my head. I'm getting tired... This guy is tough. I might need to call it here.
My eyes glance around and find themselves on Aureole. She stands in front of Korlin, who is rooting for me, and Pholy, who is weirdly into this. Aureole's eyes are staring right into mine. She's smiling wholeheartedly.
Seeing my reluctance to continue, she mouths words I believe to be: "I believe in you."
...
I believe in you...
I've always wanted to hear those words...
I could almost cry. But this isn't the time for that.
I can't lose now, can I? I can't displace her faith.
With a stupid smile on my face, I rise.
Kynn shakes his arms and readies himself to come at me. I do the same.
I suck in a breath and drive toward him. He does the same.
Our reaches collide, and we throw blows at each other. I dodge and deflect all of the ones he throws at me, and he deflects all of mine the same. It feels like we're dancing. I can kind of see why he enjoys this so much.
Eventually, one of my attacks makes contact with his cheek. To retaliate, one of his lands onto mine. We continue to exchange blows.
It hurts. His attacks are fierce and filled with strength, not to mention the cold amplifies the feeling. But the pain is more of a discomfort. Maybe if his attacks were filled with rage, it would be too much to bear. Thankfully, they're full of joy.
Our fists slam into each other over and over. Both of our noses ooze with blood, yet a smile stays on Kynn's face. There might be one on mine as well, but I can't really tell.
I'm following his movements way better than I thought I could. And my body is responding just like I want it to.
I haven't focused this hard in a long time. There aren't even that big of stakes here... If I lose, I simply can't go see the king; everyone else still can. So why am I trying so hard...?
I guess right now...
It would be her words.
"I believe in you."
I throw a feint, deliberately throwing my arm beside his head, pretending as if I missed. With a counter coming my way, I lunge my elbow into his jaw.
Kynn topples and loses balance. Now's my chance. Let's end this.
While it feels sort of cheap, and Kynn is distracted, I launch a flurry of strikes.
His body lashes from side to side as my fists connect with his armor and skin. My knuckles are cut and bleeding softly, yet I continue my assault.
In a final effort, I step back and charge up a powerful hit. I focus everything into my fist, and my feet shift to match.
Kynn backsteps and, while battered, charges up a strike of his own.
Our eyes lock a final time.
Our bodies throw themselves forward.
Our arms cut through the frigid air, and...
Our fists slam into each other's faces.
We stand still as statues, our fists frozen to our cheeks.
Our spectators are silent in anticipation as a feeling suddenly surges through my body. I think Kynn receives the same feeling.
Whether it's pain or exhaustion... We both collapse into the snow.
I fall prone with my face buried in the cool powder. My lungs repeatedly absorb as much air as possible, my body rising and falling rapidly. My heart is beating a million times a second.
"Sirius!"
A distant voice shouts out, but I can't tell who it is. My heart is throbbing in my ears. It's not Kynn, that's for sure; he's as dead as I am.
I carefully lift my head and lay it sideways on the bloodstained snow.
It's Aureole.
She's running over. She has a worried look.
"Are you alright?!" She crouches down, and the bottom of her fancy coat gets wet. She's overreacting a little; I'm just tired. Or- I suppose my face is probably covered in blood.
Regardless, her worrying about me makes me smile.
"Thank you..." I mumble.
"Huh? For what?"
"For believing in me."
She blushes.
"Oh... O-Of course." She's super embarrassed. It's pretty cute. Still, her coat is getting wet, she should stand up soon. "Here."
She scoops up one of my limp arms and tosses it over her shoulders. She crouches down and lifts me onto her back. She tries to stand and carry me, but I think I'm a little too heavy.
"I can probably stand," I suggest. "Thank you, though." She sets me down gently, and I wobble in place. I keep my arm around her for balance. She giggles a little.
"Good job out there."
My smile spreads wider, but this warmth is rudely interrupted.
Korlin rushes over and smacks me on the back. I wince in pain.
"You were great! I didn't know you could do that!"
The slap somehow hurts more than where I was punched.
"T-thanks..."
"Are you sure you don't have a blessing on you?" Pholy questions, flicking Korlin on the back of his head.
"It wasn't that impressive..."
"So humble..."
I will admit, I feel pretty proud of myself for holding my own. Kynn definitely has more experience in this field, but I think I did pretty well.
"You alright, man?" I ask Kynn, who is shuffling up.
Kynn runs his fingers through his hair and takes out his hair tie. His ponytail falls, draping his long hair down. He shakes the snow off his head and looks up at me with the biggest grin on his face.
"That was incredible! I didn't know you were such a great fighter!"
"Aha... Thanks. You whooped my ass, though."
I don't know how to respond to compliments.
"You mind?" Kynn reaches his hand out for me to take. I tap Aureole's shoulder, signaling her to release me. She does, and I shuffle over to the boy. I take his hand and hoist him to his feet, almost falling in the process.
With his hand still interlocked with mine, he pulls me into a bro hug.
"That was the most fun I've had in years!" he exclaims, patting me on the back.
"...Ow..." I try to brush the pain and pat him on the back as well. I've never done one of these before, so I'm not really sure what to do.
"They just beat each other up, and now they're hugging? How..." I hear Pholy ask.
"That's just how guys are," Korlin affirms to her.
Kynn releases his hug and pats me on the shoulder. We're both the same height, so I can comfortably look in his eyes. They're a cool gray color like most of the snowsquallers'.
"You win this time," he says as if there will be another.
"Really? I won? We both fell at the same time."
"Nah, you won fair and square. You blew past my expectations." Kynn leans his head to look over my shoulder. "You all can go speak with the king. And if you could, don't let the guy know about this... I don't really have the authority to stop ya from going in."
The group goes quiet in disbelief.
"...Seriously?" Pholy rubs her eyes.
"Did you just want to fight Sirius?" Aureole asks in my place.
"Pretty much!" Kynn gives a goofy smile that no one can really be mad at.
I sigh and end up laughing.
"Man-" A shot of pain rings through my skull.
"Ha, we should probably head over to the medical hut."
That is a fabulous idea.
Kynn lifts one of my arms over his shoulder, and I prop one of his up on mine.
"I'll take... Uh, Sirius, was it?"
I nod.
"I'll take Sirius and myself over to the medical hut to get healed. You all can go ahead. The king's quarters are just down the path."
"A-Alright..." Aureole seems hesitant. "Take care."
"See you soon!" Korlin shouts. "And fight me next time, too!"
Kynn chuckles and nods, wincing in pain. "We're off!"
"He didn't even know Sirius's name..." I hear Pholy remark.
I give a subtle wave to Aureole and everyone.
Propping each other up, Kynn and I head off toward the medical hut.
It hurts...