ATREUS THYESTES
"Lord Jason could you point me where I may find a place to bathe?" Asked the brown-haired man he pointed me to where I needed to go and I was about to leave then....
"Oh...Alex make sure to win at least ten bouts brother. After all we cant have me be the only impressive young leopard out the." I said flashing my brother a smile.
"Of course." He said itching to prove himself. "I wish to fight to." Diomedes declared and to that all the members of house Thyestes all said.
"NO!"
I went into the bathing area that was ranted to house Thyestes for the duration of the tournament and as I suspected it is nothing but a sign of wealth. The changing room that I stood in was big as a family of fives kitchen the walls and ceiling were decorated with red leopards and some depictions of my grandsires conquests in both Gaia and Vanaheim. The ceiling however was the most awe in inspiring depiction it showed Lorn Thyestes dressed in red armor that gleamed like sun fire on his breast plate was the face of a black leopard snarling, his leopard helm was set in a defiant raw his blade gleaming with Heavens true Ire as he stood above the corpse of a titanic cyclops.
"Hail great storm!" I sneered as I took my clothes and jumped into the spacious bath.
Steam covered my eyes as I soak away my sweat and fatigue while relaxing in the warm water I began to contemplate my sixteen year of life thus far. First I had spent eight years in a place most would consider to be worse than hell a land teaming with monsters that could corrode the mana in ones mana veins some creatures that lived beyond the wall of the forgotten city were considered to be stronger than True transcended according to Mr World of course.
'To, think I survived crossing the crimson desert with my friends and was lucky enough not to be eaten by the red dread not to mention the fact that the person whom the ritual was meant to summon was probably a god.'
Speaking of lord Edmund how come he just disappeared into thin air after launching us to the different regions of Pangea?
I finally stood after being in the bath for what I thought was 30 minutes or so. I dried my self of and applied some oils to my skin dressed in a new set of clothes consisting of a black tunic, a red toga and black trousers. Although I do not care much for my appearance I endeavor to maintain my paltry body well. I sprayed a green fragrance made from some plant from Vanaheim.
'To think I survived great dangers yet...I am irked by the idea marrying to women.' I thought in self mockery.
I headed back to the high box belonging to the retainers of the different noble families and found that it was empty.
"What's going on?" I asked to no one in particular. Not knowing what to think of the matter I walked toward the railing and watched the ongoing duel.
'Arthur's fighting...again!" I thought stunned and I am even more stunned to see him using his ice magic.
As I watched Arthur raise his blade in the in air in triumph my thoughts grew conflicted on one hand I was happy knowing that my friend still had his Arcane ice magic however on the othe hand I was slightly bitter because I had lost the use of my wind magic when I arrived in Pangea however in exchange I obtained Heavens true Ire.
I watch the next fights with much enjoyment and how could I not? Young mages from different continents, nations and all sorts of backgrounds were showing their talent to the great houses of Pangea young Northman trying to urn knighthood or be taken in under a great house as a squire, young Easternman trying to impress praetors and imperators and other man of power, young Penglians trying the damn to impress anyone from the Han family, Yeonies nobles and commoners alike showing off as much of their martial prowess to impress the great clans of their empire and Ishinians lads and lasses trying to grab the attention of anyone related to the Shogun or any lord of their nation.
'This is really exciting.' I thought. After all how could I not be amazed it was in mans nature to be competitive and enjoy the very prospect of competition.
'Not to mention I myself enjoy competing with Alex, Ajax and the rest of the members of house Thyestes.' I thought as I wondered if any of my old friends would feel the same as I.
Then I saw him a young man dressed in black martial robes decorated with blue flames on his left shoulder his face was the same as I remembered it looking when Lord Edmund had healed our bodies from the curse that had effected us all since we were babes.
His hair was as black as I remember it being but his eyes were different now gone was his onyx colored eye now they were a striking ghostly blue.
"Jin is from house Okumura!?" Exclaimed in shock. 'Could all my friend be from noble houses like me?' I shook the thought of however knowing it was unlikely that all sixteen of us could be nobles/
"Oh do you know that Ishinian fellow lord Atreus?" A charming voice asked me with Persanian accent. I turned to see an all to uncomfortably familiar face as of late.
'And here I thought that the great lords of the North preferred to hide their bastards and did not allow them to be seated amongst other young nobles.' I thought revaluating my opinion on the lords of the North.
"Nice dress." I responded deflecting the question.
She smiled and twirled. "Thank you.....my father did tell me to dress to impress ever since I was little."
She is clearly a girl with a good taste for fashion because she does dress to impress her pants are royal blue her shirt is white with a grey tie to complement it but the most striking part about the whole outfit is her cloak on one shoulder which is shadowy black its as if the dark silk is absorbing the light from its very surroundings.
'Slave! you are still looking at her dressing compose yourself at once.' My inner disciplined voice said to me.
Seeing that I was still paying attention to her Franca extended her a white gloved hand at my direction with the other one on her chest and bent her back slightly. "I am glad you are enjoying my choice of dress my lord." she said with a slight smirk.
'She's a fool if she believes me to be interested in her.' I thought annoyed.
But before I could say anything I heard the announcers booming voice. "Jin Okumura son Musashi Okumura the greatest samurai alive versus Jang Siwa daughter of Jang Eun-hyun retainer of the great Gu Ji-sung match begin!!"
I snapped my gaze to the bout ready to see how Jin handled himself in fight.
But to my disappointment it ends so suddenly that if I had blinked I would have missed the scrap because calling it a duel is an absolute insult to the art of dueling.
Jin had taken his stance like most and his white-haired opponent did the same but the moment the announcer signaled them to begin Jin had suddenly appeared from behind the girl in icy-blue martial robes and struck her with the pommel of his sword knocking the poor girl out.
'She didn't even swing her blade once it all just happened to fast for her.' I thought feeling sympathy for Jin's victim.
The crowd goes mad chanting Jin's last name. "Okumura! Okumura!."
Franca is shaking with pure shock from beside me. "Shadow magic....hi-his Arcane!" She exclaimed shocked.
All are shocked except for me of course after all I had grown up with Jin and I was the when he used his magic to smuggle us from the crimson desert to the gods head.
'His grown to be quite strong as well.' I thought with pride at the growth of my old friend whom I had not seen in nearly a decade.
After Jin had humiliated that poor girl he had relinquished his right to take part in any more battles for the duration of the tournament. After Jin's battle a young man dressed in the same white robes as the girl that I fought in my first match went on an absolute tare finishing all five of his opponents in one hit.
'I he trying to make a point?' I mused as I saw him brutally strike the nose of a boy the same age as me with the flat of his blade the young man wailed and screamed.
"I tire of this violence." I mutter.
"Brutal....but effective." Diomedes said from behind me.
"Where were you?" I asked with one brow raised. But my cousin merely shrugged. "I was in the city since you like to swim in the bath like a fish." He said deadpan. But I merely rolled my eyes and drawled. "It is according to nature that all man ought to bathe their paltry body so that it may be...."
"By the lord of hope Atreus shut up!" Alexander said interrupting me. I smiled and shifted my gaze to him to see that he had changed from his previous linen tunic and dark trouser to a crimson linen coat with golden clasps acting as buttons running down the middle with a gold leopard broach and dark trousers.
'Come now man whom are you trying to impress?' I lampooned inwardly.
"Come now brother you cannot interrupt a man of insight as he enlightens those whose minds have been enslaved by misconceptions and...I dare say madness." I said sagely in Hermesian mimicking the lame old men of the halls of Plato.
Diomedes snorted. "Man, you call me mad yet it is you who spent 45 minutes bathing! so that is why I am calling you fish."
'Big cu....' I stop myself from inwardly coursing Diomedes and instead shift my attention back to Alexander. "How many bouts did you win while I was bathing brother?" I asked.
He smiled broadly clearly proud.
"Ten bouts which combined with your eleven wipes away the stain that Ajax put on the family name by losing to that Persa..." He did not finish his last word as he saw that the person he was talking about was right next to me.
"You're...." Alex trailed off. But Franca merely smiled and waved her cloak to the side and said. "Franca Frost second daughter of lord Philip De Fontaine at your service."
"The one that beat Ajax!" Diomedes said with a laugh. Alexander's mouth was slightly agape at seeing the girl next to me but he regained his composure quickly.
'Slave! do not tell me that you! of all people are smitten by the girls appearance.' I mocked inwardly.
But before Alex could make his move as some would say I pointed at the stairs leading down to the middle box were all our fellow nobles were lounging and gossiping and said. "Speaking of Ajax how about we go see how our dear fastest young leopard is doing and plus. I am sure we all tire of these duels."
Alex sighed as he looked at Franca. "By that he means come on guys I want to verbally assault my cousin for embarrassing our great house in front of millions do you want to watch?"
Diomedes and Franca chuckled at that as I shook my head in amazement.
'Truly my brother to know my heart this well.'
As we went down the stairs I started hearing murmurs and laughed coming from the middle box and as we drew near we could here some of the conversations being had in the gathering area of young nobles.
"Ha! I told you Chaerin that dumb bitch cant do.."
"Jin-sung you're sweaty why the fuck are you seating next to me?"
"Will you Yeonies cunts shut up!"
Arguments, bets and other useless noises that made me regret even thinking of coming near the door but with a sigh I came close to the door and pushed it open.
"Those red leopards from...."
Silence falls into the room as I flanked by Franca, Alexander and the towering Diomedes enter the room.
I ignored all the glances and stares field with different emotions and looked around for Ajax.
'Where is he?' I wondered
Then I saw his lanky frame snoring away in one of the many couches in the spacious room. Before I could do anything however a lively voice interjected.
"Speak of the devils." A familiar young man said standing from his seat. "Thank the gods you here leopards I was thinking it was about time we had some stern Hermesian leadership around here."
'The one who ended all his fights with one strike.'
"You're Gu Jin-sung?" I asked. He nodded grinning.
"I'm glad I am not to lowly for the mighty Atreus not to know my name." He sneered.
I sighed and moved pass him towards the sleeping Ajax. I looked down at his short red hair and sharp face that was darker than mine and I pulled him of the soft red couch by his leg causing him to hit the ground with a thud.
"Fuck!!" He cursed rolling around before he looked up and said. "Who ever did that is."
"Dead?" I finished for him.
"Atreus?" He muttered. I took a seat on the couch large enough for five people Alexander by my side as Diomedes helped Ajax up to his feat.
"You lost in the most stupid way possible." I declared to him annoyed.
"....Oh is this what's its all about.... me losing come now cousin we both know it was a fluke. That I lost" He said laughing off the matter.
I glared at him and spat.
"I am sure some of the nobles here were laughing as well when Franca sent you flying fastest leopard." I say causing people to snicker.
Finally Ajax sighed losing some of his bravado looking less like a leopard and more like a whipped dog. But this is not the reason I am here I am not here to humiliate my cousin no I am here to make him better. "Don't be to discouraged cousin you may have lost however at least you lost to strong opponent and you had won eight times before that. Which is two victories behind Alex and three behind me."
"So, I take it grandfather wont punish me then?" He asked with hope in his brown eyes.
"Oh, he will I was just preparing you for his wrath." I said chuckling.
"Atreus."
"What is it Ajax?"
"Have you been told that you're a cunt before?"