Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Roses ❯ Explorations and Engagements ( Chapter 4 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: XIShadowxDemonIX 
Katy goes exploring, and winds up in a tournament.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.26.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 213 | Status: Work In Progress
Katy goes exploring, and winds up in a tournament.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Fantasy / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.26.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 213 | Status: Work In Progress
Author’s Note: Sorry that it took me so long to update, but I was caught up in the HP craze for a while there. Amazing books, and fantastic movies. So, this chapter isn’t all that interesting, but I promise it’ll pick up soon, so try to be patient. ^^;
Disclaimer: All ideas and characters in this story belong to either myself or Angel-kun.
“If I’m hurt and jealous, then I must have some pretty strong feelings for him, right? But he likes that girl, he must like her a lot to visit her so often… Who is she, anyway? Just a whore in a harem.” Katy said aloud to comfort herself. Dismissing all other thought to try to discourage the headache that was forming, she laid down on her bed in an attempt to take a nap. She still wasn’t feeling very well.
She was finally just about to fall asleep when she heard the door creak open, slowly. Katy kept her eyes closed, curious as to what they were going to do. She didn’t hear any noises after that, and the thought that it might be Rasuo crossed her mind and scared her enough to make her eyes open. When she did, the door was closing and there was no one in the room. Annoyed at being bothered, Katy tried again to go to sleep, but it was too late. With a resigned sigh she climbed back out of bed and decided it would be nice to go on an unguarded romp around the city.
First, however, she’d change into clothes that were her own, and she’d make sure to be armed. She made her way over to her dresser and donned a fairly plain outfit of black satin pants and a sleeveless black v-neck shirt. Then she went over to her closet and walked in. Inside, it was huge, and the walls were covered with weapons of all different shapes and sizes, and a few sets of armor. Everything was made especially for her, all but one designed and commissioned by her father.
After a minute of consideration, she began to pull a few things down off of the wall. First, she grabbed a specially made belt with the capacity to carry up to twenty different types of weapons at once, and she picked up a sword that was the only weapon in the room that wasn’t made on the order of her father.
This sword was left in her room one day years before, anonymously. It was made with the strongest, lightest metal so that it was easy to wield. The sword was black and silver, with a silver hilt. The blade guard on the hilt was a small dragon made of silver that was curled around the sword, biting its own tail, and it had ruby eyes. When unsheathed, it was sharp as a razor, and if you turned it over, her name had been etched into the blade. Katy loved that sword, even if she didn’t know who’d given it to her.
Attaching it to the main spot on her belt, she then picked up a pair of daggers. These were simply black, even the metal. The hilts were wrapped tight in black leather, and the blades were intricately curved. She put those on her belt as well, and then picked up a smaller knife. This was made like the daggers, except the blade was straight and it had a sheath with a band to attach it to her thigh.
Just as she was about to leave her room, she turned around and took one last look to see what she’d missed. Her room was very large; she had a king-sized four-post bed, a dresser, a leather couch, a vanity, a couple leather footstools, a desk and a bookshelf. All the wood was matching cherry wood, the metal knobs and fixings were all silver, and any cloth or cloth like things were black. She had wooden floors made of mahogany with a very large, elaborate oval-shaped exotic black and silver rug in the middle of the room. Her walls were made of stone, she had a huge fireplace, and she had two very large windows that were always open and that had ledges that were wide enough to safely sit on, so long as one did not lean out.
Hanging on a hook on the wall near the door was Katy’s cloak. She pondered whether or not she’d need it. It could be useful for getting out of the palace unrecognized, but she probably wouldn’t be stopped even if she was. Really, the only ones she wanted to avoid were Aiden and Rasuo, and there was certainly more than one way to get out of the palace.
‘Wait…didn’t father say something about someplace important that they all had to go to today?’ Katy remembered her father talking to her the day before her mother’s funeral. He’d said that as members of the royal family, they had to remain composed and go about their duties no matter what. When there is something important to do, they had to hold their head high and do it no matter how they felt on the inside.
That morning, Katy strangely felt numb whenever she thought of her mother. There was a deep sense of grief, the feeling of something missing, but these were more subconscious. Her mother had wanted her to be strong, as did her father, and so she would be no matter what it took. Even still, she didn’t have the willpower to attend something of importance. She just wanted to get away…
Her father had said that the event that he and the others were to attend was part of something that had taken place once every year for centuries. And this year they were supposed to have a very important guest present as well, and so the higher-ups must all attend. He’d told Katy that he’d like for her to attend, but he wouldn’t force her if she wasn’t up to it. Well, she hoped that he wouldn’t be mad at her for not going. She’d make up for it later.
Getting out of the palace was even easier than she thought it’d be. It was fairly empty today, and the demons that were around didn’t so much as glance her way. Not even the guards were paying much attention, at least not to those going out.
Once she was outside of the palace gates, she stopped. ‘What direction should I go in…?’ She wondered for a short time before she decided to just go straight down the road in front of her. All the streets were paved in flat stones and were only about as wide as a car, although there were no cars in the Nether Realm.
Katy couldn’t help but feel somewhat naked as she wandered through the maze of buildings. She felt exposed because she was alone, but she kept her hand near her sword and didn’t feel vulnerable. Although she had to admit, she had expected there to be more demons milling around. Like the palace had been, the streets were nearly deserted. She wondered briefly if it had something to do with where her father and the others had gone.
Come to think of it, she still didn’t know exactly where that was. It was an event that took place once every year, but she’d never gone before, and while she guessed it was big, she didn’t think it was something everyone attended. If only she paid more attention to the gossiping slaves, maybe she would have heard something. Oh well, the fewer demons, the clearer the streets, and the easier it is to wander about unhindered. Though, as always, it was more dangerous to have less people around.
Looking around, Katy pondered the idea of being lost. Sure, she didn’t know the way back to the palace, but can you really be lost when you are exploring and have no single destination? Tall brick and stone buildings obscured her view of everything but a patch of the sky and a small part of the road ahead. The path was winding, and she didn’t recognize any of her surroundings. But such was the nature of exploration, right?
She knew that she’d gone in the wrong direction for the market because the market was the road furthest to the right when leaving the palace. Certainly she’d walked far enough to be past it by now, anyway. Really, the market was the only place that she’d ever been outside of the palace. Katy thought how sad it was that a seventeen year old not even know the layout of her city, let alone the layout of her own home.
Thinking about the market, Katy remembered what Aiden had taught her. Registered denizens of the Nether Realm never had to worry about money; such a thing was a luxury item. There was no such thing as poverty in the Nether Realm so long as you were registered. Once you were, all food and drink were provided for you, as well as a place to stay. Granted, such housing might only be a room in a crowded building, and the food might be bland, but one would never starve or die of exposure.
Money was something that like in any realm was earned. In the Nether Realm, it was used to buy things like exotic foods and clothing, animals, land, and slaves. One could sell off their children or other family members as slaves, and depending on the quality and type, they could make a substantial amount. This was illegal, of course, but with no real punishment so long as the slaves weren’t killed. It was sadly ironic that the punishment for killing family members was quiet severe, but the punishment for killing slaves was minimal, regardless of relation.
Currency in the Nether Realm consisted of three small coins of varying sizes. The one worth the most was also the largest, and the one worth the least was the smallest. The largest was a black metal coin about the size of an eyeball, called a kuro. The next one was just slightly smaller and was crome-colored with the same malleability as silver. This was called a gin. The last coin was half the size of the first and was a golden color with the same conductibility, known as a kin.
Katy wondered briefly how far into the city she was. The buildings had gotten bigger and closer together. There weren’t as many alleys anymore, but the ones that she did pass weren’t penetrated by the light of the suns. She’d seen a few demons along the way, but they were mostly uninterested in her.
The houses then started getting spaced further apart as she continued on, and the road was getting wider. Walking up a large hill, she gradually began to see the top of a very large building up ahead. As she neared the top, she began to hear a low rumbling sound. All of a sudden, the houses stopped and her vision was dominated by a huge building complex with spacious grounds and a huge arena. The academy. Gathered around the arena, Katy could see hundreds of demons; the low rumbling had come from them.
Interested in what was happening but wary of the capabilities of a crowd of bored demons this large, she slowly wandered closer. She wouldn’t get too close, she’d just walk by close enough to hopefully get a glimpse of what’s happening. She’d go by on the academy side, since there were less demons over there. Already, as she neared she could see fights breaking out within the crowd.
Looking around, she began to put it all together. At the academy, all the demons including the higher-ups had gathered. Aiden had said that the graduating students in the academy participate in a tournament every year. This was to decide what branch of the army that they’d be stuck in for the next 100 years.
Even as she walked by she couldn’t see anything. It didn’t look like whatever it was had started yet. Glancing to her left, Katy noticed a few student-aged boys standing outside a pair of doors leading into the academy. They were leaning on the wall, puffing on cigarettes and watching the demons. They were older than her, though it didn’t look like by very much.
While the others were talking, one of them caught Katy’s gaze and held it. He had bright, jewel-green eyes and very long black hair, which was pulled back in a tight, high ponytail. He winked at her without moving except to take another puff. As he stared back at her calmly, he didn’t smirk or grin or make rude gestures or anything. He wasn’t even “checking her out” as it went, just staring back into her eyes. The door next to them opened and an anxious, harassed looking woman walked out.
“What are you students doing out here? Come on, get back inside, they’re getting ready to start.” She said, annoyed, ushering them back through the door. Then she looked up at Katy. “Come on, you too.” The woman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside the building.
Surprised and caught off guard, Katy found herself in a very large, high-ceilinged room with a couple hundred student-aged demons. Although it was obvious, she could only guess as none of them were wearing the traditional uniforms. The room was abuzz and no one paid any attention to them as they walked in. The teacher quickly disappeared from her sight, leaving Katy confused and alone. She’d been in the academy before, years and years ago when she was young, but she hadn’t been back since.
As Katy was taking in her surroundings, she was surprised at how many graduates there were. At least she assumed they were all graduates; they all looked to be the same age. There must have been at least 250 of them. Then again, it was mandatory for all children in the Nether Realm to be enrolled at the Academy. Most were sent there from age 6 to age 18, but it was only mandatory to take bare-bones educational classes and classes that would prepare them for their 100 years in the army, which were only from age 13 to 18.
While she was thinking, she heard a loud long ringing sound. Immediately all of the students got very quiet and turned their attention to the far side of the room. Standing on her tiptoes Katy saw the figure of a man looming over them, though she couldn’t see what he was standing on to make him so tall. He cleared his throat, which they could hear quite clearly from the speakers near the ceiling, and he began to address them in a rich, baritone voice.
“Good morning, graduates. As you all know, today is your last day on this campus. After today, you will be given one week to go home, and then you will be shipped out to your new position in the ranks of our glorious and most powerful army. Today is the day that will decide what those positions and divisions are.
“To most of you, and I hope to all of you, this is not news. If you’ve paid attention even one day of this year, then this has come as no surprise. Even still, I will explain one last time how today is going to play out. There are over two-hundred of you in your graduating class. Two-hundred and forty-six, to be exact. Most of you will face off against one-another today in front of hundreds of demons, including the King of the Nether Realm and the King of Hell.” Glancing about, no one looked the least bit surprised.
“Yesterday you all had your physical to determine your ranks and whether or not you are mentally and physically able to take part in this annual Ceremonial Tournament. Today based on your interests and that information, you will be divided into groups. Most of you will be placed in the first, second, and third divisional groups. The remaining graduates will fight for positions in the Cryptic, Palace, and Personal Guard.
“As you’ve all been told already, the winner of this year’s tournament will get the honor and privilege of becoming our Princess Katy’s one and only bodyguard.” He paused as the students began to chatter amongst themselves, and Katy nearly choked on her own saliva. Her bodyguard?? Why hadn’t anyone said anything to her about it? “That is only if you win.” The man added as the chatter quieted down.
“Now. For those of you who will take part in this tournament, you will face off against your opponent one-on-one. There is a fifteen minute time limit and the winner will advance to the next round and the next opponent. Once you are separated into your fighting groups, you will be given wooden weapons of your choice, and any real weapons that you have on you will be held until the tournament is over.” Katy put a possessive hand on her sword, not liking the idea of it being held somewhere where she was not.
“The rules of this tournament are very simple. One on one, stay on your mat until the fight is over. You won’t be disqualified if you step only one foot off of the mat, but if you step off completely, you will be. Flying is prohibited, though jumping is not provided that you land on the mat. After fifteen minutes, the one in best condition is the winner. No real weapons are allowed. Killing is strictly prohibited, not to mention illegal, and if it occurs you will be severely punished. You may fight in any style you wish, and fighting “dirty” is not against the rules. I trust that these are simple enough that you all understand.” He stopped a minute to survey his audience.
“Do not carry any illusions. This is going to hurt. For some of you, this will not be fun. You could be seriously injured. If you feel that for any reason you cannot fight, tell your assigned teacher and they will decide if you can or can’t. When I tell you to, begin to move forward towards the exits behind me, and hand your identification cards to the teachers so that they can bring up your files and see what rank you are and where you need to be. Then, just go where they tell you to and wait for further instructions. Understood? Good. You may go.”
Katy watched as what looked like the entire room surged forward as the students began to make their way to the teachers. She stood still, in shock. What should she do? Should she tell someone who she is? Should she just turn around and leave? Or…should she stay? She had to admit, the thought of participating in the tournament excited her. And they had said that the winner would become her bodyguard…but what if she won? Then she’d prove to the entire realm that she didn’t need one, and her father would be proud!
Stepping forward, she allowed herself to be swept up in the crowd. It took a long time, almost ten minutes of pushing, hustling, and the occasional grope met with a sharp back kick to the groin before she was finally in front of one of the teachers. It was a woman with red hair tied back in a bun and thick black-rimmed glasses holding an electronic clipboard.
“ID card please.” She said, holding out her hand and not taking her eyes off of the clipboard.
“Uhm…I lost it.” Katy said the first thing that came to her mind, and the woman looked up at her over the rims of her glasses with an ‘are you kidding me’ look on her face. For a moment she felt anxious as she wondered if the woman would see that she wasn’t a student. She sighed, and turned to face her fully.
“Did you pass the exam yesterday?” She asked, watchfully.
“Yes ma’am.” Katy answered while wondering exactly what the exam had encompassed.
“What rank were you given?” She asked as her eyes flicked down to the clipboard in her hands.
“Four.” At this, the woman’s eyes snapped back up again, and she looked her over for a second, before she nodded.
“Fine. Take a right out this doorway, then your first left. Go into the first room on the right, and wait for further instructions.”
Following the woman’s directions, it was very easy to find the room. Quickly she found herself in a room that was big but not nearly as a large, with a much smaller group of students. Because she’d been in the back of the first room, most of the others were already there. Only a couple of them were talking, the rest were observing what was to be their competition. As Katy walked into the room, one figure caught her eye, standing at the back wall.
He met her gaze, and this time he smirked as she walked towards him. Katy was mesmerized; his eyes were like two emeralds and it was hard to look away. She did, though, glancing to either side as she did a quick survey of her group. Tough gazes stared back, but she didn’t even blink. She’d been trained very well, and as the daughter of the King, she was taught to ooze confidence.
“So what’s your name?” The green-eyed demon asked as she took her place next to him. She was quick to answer.
“Cat.” Katy replied, both of them keeping their eyes to the front of the room.
“Shizoku.”
“Congratulations.̶ 1;
“I don’t recognize you. You don’t go to the Academy.” He said matter-of-factly. She shot him a sideways glance, and then turned her gaze forward again, watching as the last couple students filtered in. Their group was bigger than she thought it would be, probably more than fifty…
“I did, a long time ago. But no, not anymore.”
“Then why are you still here? If you don’t have to be, then why don’t you leave?” He asked.
“Because I want to fight.” Katy answered with a grin, her canines showing. Just the thought of facing off against a strong opponent gave her chills. It was true what they said, it was in the blood. Demons were already hardwired to fight, and pure-bloods had been known to live for thrill of it.
Shizoku chuckled, just as their teacher walked into the room. He was tall, with short rust colored hair. He was wearing the school uniform as teachers have to, but he’d taken off the tie and overcoat and the sleeves of his undershirt were rolled up. He was carrying a very large trunk with him, which he set down in the middle of the floor.
“Well, so this is it. The strongest graduates of your class all in this room. It’s going to be an entertaining day, to say the least.” He looked around the room for a moment at all of them. His eyes lingered on Katy briefly, and she felt her heart begin to beat faster in response, but then they passed over her.
Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to be there, of course she did. How could she miss an opportunity to prove herself, to garner the attention of both her father and his important associates? Not to mention the fights themselves…she grinned to herself as she thought of the possibilities.
The teacher then bent low and unfastened the trunk, opening it wide. It opened in a large display of shelves, each full of different types of wooden weapons, and the bottom completely empty. The display looked far too large for the trunk, and it must have been insanely heavy. He stood straight again.
“Now…” He started, stepping around the trunk towards them. “Let’s start with those of you who are carrying weapons.” He looked straight at Katy and motioned for her to come forward. Hesitant, she stepped out of the group of students, her hand on her sword.
“I trust you will keep these absolutely safe...?” She questioned skeptically, to which he laughed.
“No one can open this trunk but me, and that’s where we’re putting them.” He reassured her. Katy sighed and pulled her sword out of the belt and held it out in her open palms. The teacher let out a long, low whistle as he reached for it.
Tiny ruby eyes flashed bright, and just as the tips of his fingers touched the sheath of the sword, the small silver dragon unfurled. Snapping its tail back like a whip, the silver dragon let out a small roar as it rushed toward his fingers and clamped its metal jaws on the one nearest it. Immediately the teacher let out a yelp and yanked his hand backwards, blood dripping from his pinky.
Shocked, Katy stared down at the dragon as it craned its head up at her and snapped its jaws, as though reprimanding her for letting anyone else touch it. It then whipped its tail to the side one last time before wrapping itself around the blade and, with another flash, became solid again.
“A warning would have been nice…” The teacher scowled, shaking his hand as though it would shake the pain away.
“I’m sorry; I’ve never seen it do that before, honest…” Katy apologized as she poked the dragon tentatively. Once again it looked no more alive than the blade itself. One would have thought they’d imagined the whole thing, if there wasn’t still blood dripping from his finger. He cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips, pinky out.
“I suppose the sword’s been enchanted, so that none other than the owner can wield it. Very nice, must have been incredibly expensive…” His voice trailed off as he looked her over, appraising. “Guess you’ll have to put them in yourself.” He motioned to the trunk with his uninjured hand.
Kneeling, Katy carefully placed her sword in the bottom of the trunk, and reached for her belt again. Pulling out her twin daggers, she placed those in the bottom as well. Then she stood and paused, a mixture of seriousness and embarrassment on her face. Holding up one hand towards the teacher to hold on a minute, she placed her right leg on the edge of the trunk and began to hike up her pant leg.
The teacher’s eyes widened as she slowly exposed her leg all the way up her thigh. A couple of the students behind her chucked and one whistled as she exposed the knife strapped to her leg. With a click she unsnapped it, and dropped it into the trunk. Still embarrassed and trying to look serious, she let the fabric go and stood up straight. Clearing his throat and looking a bit flustered, the teacher addressed her.
“I’d assume, then, that the katana is your choice?” He asked, snatching up a long, thin wooden sword in one hand and holding it out to her. Taking it, she swung it down once, and then tapped it on the trunk with a frown.
“It’s so heavy. More like a club than a sword, really…” Switching it to her right hand, she spun it backwards at her side so that the tip arched behind her. As it got to her shoulder she outstretched her arm and swung the bokken down again, this time with more momentum. “With enough force, aren’t these almost as dangerous?” The teacher just shrugged.
“I just do as I’m told. Okay, we’re wasting too much time. Come on then, who’s next?” He asked as she walked back to the corner of the room, examining the bokken. She was vaguely aware of the others surging forward around her. She didn’t look back, so she didn’t see the students part to allow Shizoku to go through first. Neither did she question when he appeared at her side barely a minute later, carrying a larger, heavier, curved wooden broadsword.
“The wood is such high quality…I wonder, do they reuse these, or make new ones every year?” Katy mused.
“They reuse them. After the tournament, the students have to return them in order to get their weapons back. It’d be pretty pointless to let the students keep them, anyway. They don’t make very good weapons when compared to the real thing, and unless you win the tournament there’s really no use in keeping it for the memory.” Shizoku leaned lazily against the wall, his wooden broadsword resting on his shoulder.
“Huh…” was all the answer Katy gave as she rested the tip of the bokken on the floor. Looking around, all the students had gotten their wooden weapons, and the teacher was closing the trunk. He surveyed them all once more before speaking.
“Well. By now, I’m sure that the first round of the second-and-third-rank fight has already begun. I’m going to take you all out there during the final rounds so that you can watch. When the final round is over, you will all assume your positions on the numbered mats based on the tickets I’m about to give you.” He held up a fist full of small squares of paper.
“These numbers will determine your opponent. There is a very large dividing line through the middle of the arena floor. The end closest to the thrones where the Kings will be sitting – and you’ll be able to tell easily which that is – is the winner’s end. We’ll call this side A. The other is the loser’s, and we’ll call that one side B. The way that this will work is after the first round, the winners will fight the winners, and the losers will fight the losers. This is very important in order to determine the divisions and positions in the army all of you will be awarded.
“Once on the opposite sides, another round will ensue. The winner from this will move to side A, and the losers to side B. At the third round, the losers from side B will be eliminated, while the losers from A will fight the winners from B. Things will continue this way until only one student remains.
“This sounds confusing, but these directions will be repeated by the teachers in the arena, so just listen to them. When it’s time for us to go, a couple of teacher will come to get us. They’ll accompany us to the arena, and guide you inside. As you enter, I’m going to give each of you a ticket. Every one of these tickets has a number on it. When we get out to the arena, you’ll be directed to the mat with your number on it, and you’ll wait there until the signal for the first round to begin. Any questions?” The teacher asked as he finished. No one spoke or raised a hand.
Katy tapped her foot against the ground anxiously as she waited, without any particular pattern. Questions kept running through her mind. What would her father do when he saw her? Would he stop them and pull her out of the tournament, or would he let her continue? Would she get in trouble for participating? Who else was he bringing? Would he tell them that she was his daughter? If she won, would he address her? Scold her in front of nearly the entire realm, or praise her for winning? What would he do if she lost…? She shuddered to think of all of the possibilities.
With her mind so busy, time passed by very quickly without her notice. So naturally, she was startled when there was a knock on the doorframe and a pair of teachers, a man and woman appeared in the doorway. As opposed to the wait, however, the walk to the arena seemed to take forever. Katy’s mind had shut down under the weight of all of the questions and uncertainties, and now the only thing she was experiencing was a distinct queasiness in her stomach.
Walking side by side with Shizoku in the middle of the pack, she took no notice of the space that was given to them by the others. Instead, she was focused on trying to calm her nerves and quell the feeling in her stomach. Certainly, she wasn’t afraid. Anxious, excited, and impatient perhaps, but not afraid. Maybe it was that she hadn’t eaten anything that day before she left the palace? Definitely a bad idea, but it wasn’t as though she’d known she was going to be participating in a tournament that day or anything.
The gigantic walls of the arena loomed over her as they made their way through the crowd towards a doorway to be used just for the students. They slowed their pace as they passed through the doorway, and the view before them was certainly surreal. Hundreds, even thousands of demons packed into the seating area that towered above a vast expanse of large blue mats came into their sight. Katy almost forgot the part about the tickets and so she started when a square of paper was thrust into her hand as she passed by. Holding it up in front of her, the numbers were large and bold.
“Sixteen.”
Disclaimer: All ideas and characters in this story belong to either myself or Angel-kun.
Chapter 4
Katy sat on the sill of her window and stared out at the landscape that was newly lit by another dawn. She was trying to sort out her thoughts, though it was hard to concentrate on anything for very long. Her mind was a jumble of emotions; so many and so thick that no real thought was allowed to form. She was hurt, angry, confused, jealous, and strangely excited all at once. It was all really exhausting.“If I’m hurt and jealous, then I must have some pretty strong feelings for him, right? But he likes that girl, he must like her a lot to visit her so often… Who is she, anyway? Just a whore in a harem.” Katy said aloud to comfort herself. Dismissing all other thought to try to discourage the headache that was forming, she laid down on her bed in an attempt to take a nap. She still wasn’t feeling very well.
She was finally just about to fall asleep when she heard the door creak open, slowly. Katy kept her eyes closed, curious as to what they were going to do. She didn’t hear any noises after that, and the thought that it might be Rasuo crossed her mind and scared her enough to make her eyes open. When she did, the door was closing and there was no one in the room. Annoyed at being bothered, Katy tried again to go to sleep, but it was too late. With a resigned sigh she climbed back out of bed and decided it would be nice to go on an unguarded romp around the city.
First, however, she’d change into clothes that were her own, and she’d make sure to be armed. She made her way over to her dresser and donned a fairly plain outfit of black satin pants and a sleeveless black v-neck shirt. Then she went over to her closet and walked in. Inside, it was huge, and the walls were covered with weapons of all different shapes and sizes, and a few sets of armor. Everything was made especially for her, all but one designed and commissioned by her father.
After a minute of consideration, she began to pull a few things down off of the wall. First, she grabbed a specially made belt with the capacity to carry up to twenty different types of weapons at once, and she picked up a sword that was the only weapon in the room that wasn’t made on the order of her father.
This sword was left in her room one day years before, anonymously. It was made with the strongest, lightest metal so that it was easy to wield. The sword was black and silver, with a silver hilt. The blade guard on the hilt was a small dragon made of silver that was curled around the sword, biting its own tail, and it had ruby eyes. When unsheathed, it was sharp as a razor, and if you turned it over, her name had been etched into the blade. Katy loved that sword, even if she didn’t know who’d given it to her.
Attaching it to the main spot on her belt, she then picked up a pair of daggers. These were simply black, even the metal. The hilts were wrapped tight in black leather, and the blades were intricately curved. She put those on her belt as well, and then picked up a smaller knife. This was made like the daggers, except the blade was straight and it had a sheath with a band to attach it to her thigh.
Just as she was about to leave her room, she turned around and took one last look to see what she’d missed. Her room was very large; she had a king-sized four-post bed, a dresser, a leather couch, a vanity, a couple leather footstools, a desk and a bookshelf. All the wood was matching cherry wood, the metal knobs and fixings were all silver, and any cloth or cloth like things were black. She had wooden floors made of mahogany with a very large, elaborate oval-shaped exotic black and silver rug in the middle of the room. Her walls were made of stone, she had a huge fireplace, and she had two very large windows that were always open and that had ledges that were wide enough to safely sit on, so long as one did not lean out.
Hanging on a hook on the wall near the door was Katy’s cloak. She pondered whether or not she’d need it. It could be useful for getting out of the palace unrecognized, but she probably wouldn’t be stopped even if she was. Really, the only ones she wanted to avoid were Aiden and Rasuo, and there was certainly more than one way to get out of the palace.
‘Wait…didn’t father say something about someplace important that they all had to go to today?’ Katy remembered her father talking to her the day before her mother’s funeral. He’d said that as members of the royal family, they had to remain composed and go about their duties no matter what. When there is something important to do, they had to hold their head high and do it no matter how they felt on the inside.
That morning, Katy strangely felt numb whenever she thought of her mother. There was a deep sense of grief, the feeling of something missing, but these were more subconscious. Her mother had wanted her to be strong, as did her father, and so she would be no matter what it took. Even still, she didn’t have the willpower to attend something of importance. She just wanted to get away…
Her father had said that the event that he and the others were to attend was part of something that had taken place once every year for centuries. And this year they were supposed to have a very important guest present as well, and so the higher-ups must all attend. He’d told Katy that he’d like for her to attend, but he wouldn’t force her if she wasn’t up to it. Well, she hoped that he wouldn’t be mad at her for not going. She’d make up for it later.
Getting out of the palace was even easier than she thought it’d be. It was fairly empty today, and the demons that were around didn’t so much as glance her way. Not even the guards were paying much attention, at least not to those going out.
Once she was outside of the palace gates, she stopped. ‘What direction should I go in…?’ She wondered for a short time before she decided to just go straight down the road in front of her. All the streets were paved in flat stones and were only about as wide as a car, although there were no cars in the Nether Realm.
Katy couldn’t help but feel somewhat naked as she wandered through the maze of buildings. She felt exposed because she was alone, but she kept her hand near her sword and didn’t feel vulnerable. Although she had to admit, she had expected there to be more demons milling around. Like the palace had been, the streets were nearly deserted. She wondered briefly if it had something to do with where her father and the others had gone.
Come to think of it, she still didn’t know exactly where that was. It was an event that took place once every year, but she’d never gone before, and while she guessed it was big, she didn’t think it was something everyone attended. If only she paid more attention to the gossiping slaves, maybe she would have heard something. Oh well, the fewer demons, the clearer the streets, and the easier it is to wander about unhindered. Though, as always, it was more dangerous to have less people around.
Looking around, Katy pondered the idea of being lost. Sure, she didn’t know the way back to the palace, but can you really be lost when you are exploring and have no single destination? Tall brick and stone buildings obscured her view of everything but a patch of the sky and a small part of the road ahead. The path was winding, and she didn’t recognize any of her surroundings. But such was the nature of exploration, right?
She knew that she’d gone in the wrong direction for the market because the market was the road furthest to the right when leaving the palace. Certainly she’d walked far enough to be past it by now, anyway. Really, the market was the only place that she’d ever been outside of the palace. Katy thought how sad it was that a seventeen year old not even know the layout of her city, let alone the layout of her own home.
Thinking about the market, Katy remembered what Aiden had taught her. Registered denizens of the Nether Realm never had to worry about money; such a thing was a luxury item. There was no such thing as poverty in the Nether Realm so long as you were registered. Once you were, all food and drink were provided for you, as well as a place to stay. Granted, such housing might only be a room in a crowded building, and the food might be bland, but one would never starve or die of exposure.
Money was something that like in any realm was earned. In the Nether Realm, it was used to buy things like exotic foods and clothing, animals, land, and slaves. One could sell off their children or other family members as slaves, and depending on the quality and type, they could make a substantial amount. This was illegal, of course, but with no real punishment so long as the slaves weren’t killed. It was sadly ironic that the punishment for killing family members was quiet severe, but the punishment for killing slaves was minimal, regardless of relation.
Currency in the Nether Realm consisted of three small coins of varying sizes. The one worth the most was also the largest, and the one worth the least was the smallest. The largest was a black metal coin about the size of an eyeball, called a kuro. The next one was just slightly smaller and was crome-colored with the same malleability as silver. This was called a gin. The last coin was half the size of the first and was a golden color with the same conductibility, known as a kin.
Katy wondered briefly how far into the city she was. The buildings had gotten bigger and closer together. There weren’t as many alleys anymore, but the ones that she did pass weren’t penetrated by the light of the suns. She’d seen a few demons along the way, but they were mostly uninterested in her.
The houses then started getting spaced further apart as she continued on, and the road was getting wider. Walking up a large hill, she gradually began to see the top of a very large building up ahead. As she neared the top, she began to hear a low rumbling sound. All of a sudden, the houses stopped and her vision was dominated by a huge building complex with spacious grounds and a huge arena. The academy. Gathered around the arena, Katy could see hundreds of demons; the low rumbling had come from them.
Interested in what was happening but wary of the capabilities of a crowd of bored demons this large, she slowly wandered closer. She wouldn’t get too close, she’d just walk by close enough to hopefully get a glimpse of what’s happening. She’d go by on the academy side, since there were less demons over there. Already, as she neared she could see fights breaking out within the crowd.
Looking around, she began to put it all together. At the academy, all the demons including the higher-ups had gathered. Aiden had said that the graduating students in the academy participate in a tournament every year. This was to decide what branch of the army that they’d be stuck in for the next 100 years.
Even as she walked by she couldn’t see anything. It didn’t look like whatever it was had started yet. Glancing to her left, Katy noticed a few student-aged boys standing outside a pair of doors leading into the academy. They were leaning on the wall, puffing on cigarettes and watching the demons. They were older than her, though it didn’t look like by very much.
While the others were talking, one of them caught Katy’s gaze and held it. He had bright, jewel-green eyes and very long black hair, which was pulled back in a tight, high ponytail. He winked at her without moving except to take another puff. As he stared back at her calmly, he didn’t smirk or grin or make rude gestures or anything. He wasn’t even “checking her out” as it went, just staring back into her eyes. The door next to them opened and an anxious, harassed looking woman walked out.
“What are you students doing out here? Come on, get back inside, they’re getting ready to start.” She said, annoyed, ushering them back through the door. Then she looked up at Katy. “Come on, you too.” The woman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside the building.
Surprised and caught off guard, Katy found herself in a very large, high-ceilinged room with a couple hundred student-aged demons. Although it was obvious, she could only guess as none of them were wearing the traditional uniforms. The room was abuzz and no one paid any attention to them as they walked in. The teacher quickly disappeared from her sight, leaving Katy confused and alone. She’d been in the academy before, years and years ago when she was young, but she hadn’t been back since.
As Katy was taking in her surroundings, she was surprised at how many graduates there were. At least she assumed they were all graduates; they all looked to be the same age. There must have been at least 250 of them. Then again, it was mandatory for all children in the Nether Realm to be enrolled at the Academy. Most were sent there from age 6 to age 18, but it was only mandatory to take bare-bones educational classes and classes that would prepare them for their 100 years in the army, which were only from age 13 to 18.
While she was thinking, she heard a loud long ringing sound. Immediately all of the students got very quiet and turned their attention to the far side of the room. Standing on her tiptoes Katy saw the figure of a man looming over them, though she couldn’t see what he was standing on to make him so tall. He cleared his throat, which they could hear quite clearly from the speakers near the ceiling, and he began to address them in a rich, baritone voice.
“Good morning, graduates. As you all know, today is your last day on this campus. After today, you will be given one week to go home, and then you will be shipped out to your new position in the ranks of our glorious and most powerful army. Today is the day that will decide what those positions and divisions are.
“To most of you, and I hope to all of you, this is not news. If you’ve paid attention even one day of this year, then this has come as no surprise. Even still, I will explain one last time how today is going to play out. There are over two-hundred of you in your graduating class. Two-hundred and forty-six, to be exact. Most of you will face off against one-another today in front of hundreds of demons, including the King of the Nether Realm and the King of Hell.” Glancing about, no one looked the least bit surprised.
“Yesterday you all had your physical to determine your ranks and whether or not you are mentally and physically able to take part in this annual Ceremonial Tournament. Today based on your interests and that information, you will be divided into groups. Most of you will be placed in the first, second, and third divisional groups. The remaining graduates will fight for positions in the Cryptic, Palace, and Personal Guard.
“As you’ve all been told already, the winner of this year’s tournament will get the honor and privilege of becoming our Princess Katy’s one and only bodyguard.” He paused as the students began to chatter amongst themselves, and Katy nearly choked on her own saliva. Her bodyguard?? Why hadn’t anyone said anything to her about it? “That is only if you win.” The man added as the chatter quieted down.
“Now. For those of you who will take part in this tournament, you will face off against your opponent one-on-one. There is a fifteen minute time limit and the winner will advance to the next round and the next opponent. Once you are separated into your fighting groups, you will be given wooden weapons of your choice, and any real weapons that you have on you will be held until the tournament is over.” Katy put a possessive hand on her sword, not liking the idea of it being held somewhere where she was not.
“The rules of this tournament are very simple. One on one, stay on your mat until the fight is over. You won’t be disqualified if you step only one foot off of the mat, but if you step off completely, you will be. Flying is prohibited, though jumping is not provided that you land on the mat. After fifteen minutes, the one in best condition is the winner. No real weapons are allowed. Killing is strictly prohibited, not to mention illegal, and if it occurs you will be severely punished. You may fight in any style you wish, and fighting “dirty” is not against the rules. I trust that these are simple enough that you all understand.” He stopped a minute to survey his audience.
“Do not carry any illusions. This is going to hurt. For some of you, this will not be fun. You could be seriously injured. If you feel that for any reason you cannot fight, tell your assigned teacher and they will decide if you can or can’t. When I tell you to, begin to move forward towards the exits behind me, and hand your identification cards to the teachers so that they can bring up your files and see what rank you are and where you need to be. Then, just go where they tell you to and wait for further instructions. Understood? Good. You may go.”
Katy watched as what looked like the entire room surged forward as the students began to make their way to the teachers. She stood still, in shock. What should she do? Should she tell someone who she is? Should she just turn around and leave? Or…should she stay? She had to admit, the thought of participating in the tournament excited her. And they had said that the winner would become her bodyguard…but what if she won? Then she’d prove to the entire realm that she didn’t need one, and her father would be proud!
Stepping forward, she allowed herself to be swept up in the crowd. It took a long time, almost ten minutes of pushing, hustling, and the occasional grope met with a sharp back kick to the groin before she was finally in front of one of the teachers. It was a woman with red hair tied back in a bun and thick black-rimmed glasses holding an electronic clipboard.
“ID card please.” She said, holding out her hand and not taking her eyes off of the clipboard.
“Uhm…I lost it.” Katy said the first thing that came to her mind, and the woman looked up at her over the rims of her glasses with an ‘are you kidding me’ look on her face. For a moment she felt anxious as she wondered if the woman would see that she wasn’t a student. She sighed, and turned to face her fully.
“Did you pass the exam yesterday?” She asked, watchfully.
“Yes ma’am.” Katy answered while wondering exactly what the exam had encompassed.
“What rank were you given?” She asked as her eyes flicked down to the clipboard in her hands.
“Four.” At this, the woman’s eyes snapped back up again, and she looked her over for a second, before she nodded.
“Fine. Take a right out this doorway, then your first left. Go into the first room on the right, and wait for further instructions.”
Following the woman’s directions, it was very easy to find the room. Quickly she found herself in a room that was big but not nearly as a large, with a much smaller group of students. Because she’d been in the back of the first room, most of the others were already there. Only a couple of them were talking, the rest were observing what was to be their competition. As Katy walked into the room, one figure caught her eye, standing at the back wall.
He met her gaze, and this time he smirked as she walked towards him. Katy was mesmerized; his eyes were like two emeralds and it was hard to look away. She did, though, glancing to either side as she did a quick survey of her group. Tough gazes stared back, but she didn’t even blink. She’d been trained very well, and as the daughter of the King, she was taught to ooze confidence.
“So what’s your name?” The green-eyed demon asked as she took her place next to him. She was quick to answer.
“Cat.” Katy replied, both of them keeping their eyes to the front of the room.
“Shizoku.”
“Congratulations.̶ 1;
“I don’t recognize you. You don’t go to the Academy.” He said matter-of-factly. She shot him a sideways glance, and then turned her gaze forward again, watching as the last couple students filtered in. Their group was bigger than she thought it would be, probably more than fifty…
“I did, a long time ago. But no, not anymore.”
“Then why are you still here? If you don’t have to be, then why don’t you leave?” He asked.
“Because I want to fight.” Katy answered with a grin, her canines showing. Just the thought of facing off against a strong opponent gave her chills. It was true what they said, it was in the blood. Demons were already hardwired to fight, and pure-bloods had been known to live for thrill of it.
Shizoku chuckled, just as their teacher walked into the room. He was tall, with short rust colored hair. He was wearing the school uniform as teachers have to, but he’d taken off the tie and overcoat and the sleeves of his undershirt were rolled up. He was carrying a very large trunk with him, which he set down in the middle of the floor.
“Well, so this is it. The strongest graduates of your class all in this room. It’s going to be an entertaining day, to say the least.” He looked around the room for a moment at all of them. His eyes lingered on Katy briefly, and she felt her heart begin to beat faster in response, but then they passed over her.
Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to be there, of course she did. How could she miss an opportunity to prove herself, to garner the attention of both her father and his important associates? Not to mention the fights themselves…she grinned to herself as she thought of the possibilities.
The teacher then bent low and unfastened the trunk, opening it wide. It opened in a large display of shelves, each full of different types of wooden weapons, and the bottom completely empty. The display looked far too large for the trunk, and it must have been insanely heavy. He stood straight again.
“Now…” He started, stepping around the trunk towards them. “Let’s start with those of you who are carrying weapons.” He looked straight at Katy and motioned for her to come forward. Hesitant, she stepped out of the group of students, her hand on her sword.
“I trust you will keep these absolutely safe...?” She questioned skeptically, to which he laughed.
“No one can open this trunk but me, and that’s where we’re putting them.” He reassured her. Katy sighed and pulled her sword out of the belt and held it out in her open palms. The teacher let out a long, low whistle as he reached for it.
Tiny ruby eyes flashed bright, and just as the tips of his fingers touched the sheath of the sword, the small silver dragon unfurled. Snapping its tail back like a whip, the silver dragon let out a small roar as it rushed toward his fingers and clamped its metal jaws on the one nearest it. Immediately the teacher let out a yelp and yanked his hand backwards, blood dripping from his pinky.
Shocked, Katy stared down at the dragon as it craned its head up at her and snapped its jaws, as though reprimanding her for letting anyone else touch it. It then whipped its tail to the side one last time before wrapping itself around the blade and, with another flash, became solid again.
“A warning would have been nice…” The teacher scowled, shaking his hand as though it would shake the pain away.
“I’m sorry; I’ve never seen it do that before, honest…” Katy apologized as she poked the dragon tentatively. Once again it looked no more alive than the blade itself. One would have thought they’d imagined the whole thing, if there wasn’t still blood dripping from his finger. He cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips, pinky out.
“I suppose the sword’s been enchanted, so that none other than the owner can wield it. Very nice, must have been incredibly expensive…” His voice trailed off as he looked her over, appraising. “Guess you’ll have to put them in yourself.” He motioned to the trunk with his uninjured hand.
Kneeling, Katy carefully placed her sword in the bottom of the trunk, and reached for her belt again. Pulling out her twin daggers, she placed those in the bottom as well. Then she stood and paused, a mixture of seriousness and embarrassment on her face. Holding up one hand towards the teacher to hold on a minute, she placed her right leg on the edge of the trunk and began to hike up her pant leg.
The teacher’s eyes widened as she slowly exposed her leg all the way up her thigh. A couple of the students behind her chucked and one whistled as she exposed the knife strapped to her leg. With a click she unsnapped it, and dropped it into the trunk. Still embarrassed and trying to look serious, she let the fabric go and stood up straight. Clearing his throat and looking a bit flustered, the teacher addressed her.
“I’d assume, then, that the katana is your choice?” He asked, snatching up a long, thin wooden sword in one hand and holding it out to her. Taking it, she swung it down once, and then tapped it on the trunk with a frown.
“It’s so heavy. More like a club than a sword, really…” Switching it to her right hand, she spun it backwards at her side so that the tip arched behind her. As it got to her shoulder she outstretched her arm and swung the bokken down again, this time with more momentum. “With enough force, aren’t these almost as dangerous?” The teacher just shrugged.
“I just do as I’m told. Okay, we’re wasting too much time. Come on then, who’s next?” He asked as she walked back to the corner of the room, examining the bokken. She was vaguely aware of the others surging forward around her. She didn’t look back, so she didn’t see the students part to allow Shizoku to go through first. Neither did she question when he appeared at her side barely a minute later, carrying a larger, heavier, curved wooden broadsword.
“The wood is such high quality…I wonder, do they reuse these, or make new ones every year?” Katy mused.
“They reuse them. After the tournament, the students have to return them in order to get their weapons back. It’d be pretty pointless to let the students keep them, anyway. They don’t make very good weapons when compared to the real thing, and unless you win the tournament there’s really no use in keeping it for the memory.” Shizoku leaned lazily against the wall, his wooden broadsword resting on his shoulder.
“Huh…” was all the answer Katy gave as she rested the tip of the bokken on the floor. Looking around, all the students had gotten their wooden weapons, and the teacher was closing the trunk. He surveyed them all once more before speaking.
“Well. By now, I’m sure that the first round of the second-and-third-rank fight has already begun. I’m going to take you all out there during the final rounds so that you can watch. When the final round is over, you will all assume your positions on the numbered mats based on the tickets I’m about to give you.” He held up a fist full of small squares of paper.
“These numbers will determine your opponent. There is a very large dividing line through the middle of the arena floor. The end closest to the thrones where the Kings will be sitting – and you’ll be able to tell easily which that is – is the winner’s end. We’ll call this side A. The other is the loser’s, and we’ll call that one side B. The way that this will work is after the first round, the winners will fight the winners, and the losers will fight the losers. This is very important in order to determine the divisions and positions in the army all of you will be awarded.
“Once on the opposite sides, another round will ensue. The winner from this will move to side A, and the losers to side B. At the third round, the losers from side B will be eliminated, while the losers from A will fight the winners from B. Things will continue this way until only one student remains.
“This sounds confusing, but these directions will be repeated by the teachers in the arena, so just listen to them. When it’s time for us to go, a couple of teacher will come to get us. They’ll accompany us to the arena, and guide you inside. As you enter, I’m going to give each of you a ticket. Every one of these tickets has a number on it. When we get out to the arena, you’ll be directed to the mat with your number on it, and you’ll wait there until the signal for the first round to begin. Any questions?” The teacher asked as he finished. No one spoke or raised a hand.
Katy tapped her foot against the ground anxiously as she waited, without any particular pattern. Questions kept running through her mind. What would her father do when he saw her? Would he stop them and pull her out of the tournament, or would he let her continue? Would she get in trouble for participating? Who else was he bringing? Would he tell them that she was his daughter? If she won, would he address her? Scold her in front of nearly the entire realm, or praise her for winning? What would he do if she lost…? She shuddered to think of all of the possibilities.
With her mind so busy, time passed by very quickly without her notice. So naturally, she was startled when there was a knock on the doorframe and a pair of teachers, a man and woman appeared in the doorway. As opposed to the wait, however, the walk to the arena seemed to take forever. Katy’s mind had shut down under the weight of all of the questions and uncertainties, and now the only thing she was experiencing was a distinct queasiness in her stomach.
Walking side by side with Shizoku in the middle of the pack, she took no notice of the space that was given to them by the others. Instead, she was focused on trying to calm her nerves and quell the feeling in her stomach. Certainly, she wasn’t afraid. Anxious, excited, and impatient perhaps, but not afraid. Maybe it was that she hadn’t eaten anything that day before she left the palace? Definitely a bad idea, but it wasn’t as though she’d known she was going to be participating in a tournament that day or anything.
The gigantic walls of the arena loomed over her as they made their way through the crowd towards a doorway to be used just for the students. They slowed their pace as they passed through the doorway, and the view before them was certainly surreal. Hundreds, even thousands of demons packed into the seating area that towered above a vast expanse of large blue mats came into their sight. Katy almost forgot the part about the tickets and so she started when a square of paper was thrust into her hand as she passed by. Holding it up in front of her, the numbers were large and bold.
“Sixteen.”