Page 108 of The Heartless Archer

Because both battles would progress at the same time, Noora could not watch how Kekoa would beat Sören, because there was no other outcome in that battle. This meant she could not see his tactic, or study the way he fought in the open. She sawhim fight in the training room many times and even beat him one time but only because his brain was infected by the sharp claws of Wolfsbane. She knew he held back often, especially when training with Sören because it just did not need as much expertise.

The jury was back in their designated tower, she could see Nikolai’s red uniform glaring down at her. From up there he looked even worse than in the throne room only moments ago. To her surprise, someone called her name from the tribune closest to her pedestal.

“Noora!” Lulva was waving at her from the tribune, Josephine was beside her with a sharp grin on her lips. Tyra and Aileen were also there with a small group of guards surrounding them. Tyra raised her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly while Aileen watched her impressed. Something tugged in Noora’s chest as she watched them cheer for her as a guard led her and Pika to their fighting place. She nodded at Lulva and the girl grinned nodding back. This was it.

She turned her head, drowning out the voices of the masses screaming, many of them yelling her name in joy as she crouched slightly across from Pika. He was waving at a woman who had a place in the tribune as well, a woman whose coarse hair was a mix of grey and blonde, her skin mottled with freckles, a gentle smile and tears in her eyes as she waved at him. His mother. She tried to make out if any of Kekoa’s family were present but she could not make anyone out. At least his chief was sitting on the jury. She looked up at him, blue paint spread across his naked chest and face, his beard braided in front of him, and from this distance, it looked like he was watching Noora with a horrific interest. Someone took her bow away from her. She watched it mournfully placed by the healers who gathered in a group. They stood at attention ready to interfere if anyone got seriously hurt. Noora shuddered and turned aroundas the announcer of the trial spoke his last words. “The first to draw blood will win the first battle of the tournament. We all wish you the greatest luck, Odin’s blessing be with you!”

A thundering gong marked the beginning of the fight and Noora slipped into the default mode she carried with her, her whole life. The masses blended into a sea of colours, fish moving quickly in the water, bubbles leaving their mouths, the edges of her vision narrowed in onto her opponent. He was not a person anymore but a hindrance, he was what stood in her way of freedom.

They slowly started to circle each other. Pika had drawn an axe, the cheek almost as big as her whole face, the heel and toe sharpened to perfection, though he only needed to nip her. Noora knew that the bit could hack her into parts if Pika intended it to. He stepped to the left and she swung forward, shifting her weight onto her right foot and striking out with Dainslief. Pika turned hastily, blocking her first hit before he started on a series of thrusts of his axe. His attack came way too fast for a person of his height and at the last slash Noora was too slow. His axe drove through the band that held her hair together making the braid come loose around her head.

“Really?” she bit out, annoyed. Pika’s lips twitched but he did not give anything away as he charged her again, this time he drew the axe around to ram the knob into Noora’s side. She hissed as she dove out of his way, almost stumbling over the edge of the pedestal. Pika’s eyes widened in surprise as if he was not aware of his strength. Noora held her side and wanted to get up but he was onto her a moment later pinning her down.

“What the hell are you doing, Noora? Get up and fight me, instead of this pathetic dancing around,” he yelled at her, and Noora’s rage grew. What did he think she was doing? She kicked out with her knee and met his groin, eliciting a sharp groan from him. As quick as she could, she got up onto her feet, grimacingbecause she realised that Pika met the almost healed rib, now broken again.

Noora wielded her sword elegantly, slashing and parrying every thrust of Pika, the force vibrating in her arms every time their weapons collided. Sweat was trailing down her neck and she realised why this was as hard as it was. The armour made her immobile. Noora was used to her lightweight clothing as she hunted, she used her litheness and quickness to lure her prey into traps until she overthrew them. Pika was flushed as he hacked out again and this time Noora only turned halfway. His axe came down against her chest plate, hard enough for the sound to reverberate inside her ears, her vision swimming for a moment, though it had the desired effect. Her armour split down the middle and a horrified yell came from the jury stands though she had not the time to turn her head to look who it was. Pika looked concerned, though his brows raised when Noora threw the broken chest plate from her body, her shoulder pads discarded quickly as well.

Now she could move.

Noora bounded forward with all her might, her upper body moving freely as she almost seemed to dance around Pika, her blade raising, every slash deliberate. Pika was growing tired, his stamina would not hold long like this. Even though Noora still had the gauntlets that hindered her movement, the metal heavy against her skin she managed to slice against Pika’s armour. The metal screeched horrifically though she did not graze his skin. Noora growled in frustration and barely dodged his axe nipping her arm. She was not as protected now as he was, though she would use the whole pedestal to her advantage. She feigned to go for his left and Pika tried to jump away, her foot shooting out and connecting with his knees. Pika hissed in pain, turning and flailing out with his axe in a clumsy throw. Noora kicked against his wrist, the bone breaking under the impact. Pika whimperedand let go of the handle. The axe clattered to the ground with a heavy thud and a small smile spread on Noora’s lips as she held Deainslief’s tip under Pika’s chin, tilting his head up at her. Her chest was rising and falling quickly.

He was staring at her with proudness.

“Where do you want your mark, oh courageous fighter?” she asked him cockily. Pika raised his hand to show her but then he broke out, grabbed her ankle, and pulled her to the ground. Her sword went flying and tipped off the pedestal as the beak of her helmet collided with the stone. For a moment she saw Pika above her doubled until her gaze finally focused. “You idiot, what now? We both have no weapons to draw blood?” she screeched as they rolled on the pedestal. She jammed her knee up, though Pika saw it coming. “Get creative,” he grunted as he punched her in the face, bruising her cheek heavily. Noora groaned before moving her head forward, their helmets clashing against each other.

Both of them whimpered as the sound reverberated around them. Noora was the first one to recover and dove for his axe, though Pika kicked at her ribs again stopping her short from grabbing the handle. Before he could go for the axe she dove forward on her knees and toppled him to the ground. She kicked the axe off the pedestal so no one could grab it and dug her knee into Pika’s throat. She pinned his struggling arms down, though did not know how to proceed as he choked underneath her, his skin slowly turning red. She needed to draw blood, killing him would probably disqualify her from the tournament which was the last thing she needed.

Growling, annoyed by the impossibility of the task she drew forward hard and made her helmet collide with his nose. The bone broke and a moment later she withdrew her knee from his. His left eye was slowly swelling shut but he still got up, confused as to why she stopped fighting him. There they hoveredfor a moment until he wanted to charge at her again though she quickly whacked her finger at him. “Uh-Oh, you lost.” Then she slowly swiped her shaky finger across her upper lip. He followed her motion, although her finger came away clean his came away red. From his nose, a trail of blood was streaming downward over his lips and chin.

A grin spread on Pika’s lips, looking grotesque with the blood staining his teeth. A royal guard stepped into the ring and took Noora’s arm, raising it high into the air. “The winner is Noora! The last battle will embark in a few minutes where the last two contestants will fight for the prize of eternal glory and 100,000 Gulls.”

Suddenly the sound of the cheering crowd came crashing in again and she turned toward the other pedestal to see that it was empty. Turning around she saw Sören at the tribunal, standing beside Lulva, a superficial cut across his cheek. He looked rather relieved as he waved at her sheepishly. So that was it, only one last battle. The royal guard got her down from the pedestal towards the ranks of the arena where a healer awaited her. Kekoa was standing not far away grinning slightly at her.

“Look at me. Follow my finger.” The healer captured her focus, waving her finger in front of her eyes. Then she checked her sides and head while Noora watched Kekoa pick at the blade of his sword carelessly.

“We can bandage your ribs up before the next round and get her new armour so she can fight.”

“No. I dont want any armour,” Noora protested and focused on the people around her. A few guards shared curious looks as the healer looked at her. “It is there to protect you.”

Though Noora only shook her head and even got rid of the gauntlet and the metal protecting her legs. “My body is the only thing I need protecting me.” She slapped the hands of the healers away who wanted to bandage her up.

“The only thing I need is a hairband.” A maid quickly provided her one and she got rid of the helmet before binding her strands together in a tight knot.

“I am fine, let us get this behind us. Ready?” She turned to look at Kekoa, who looked not even the slightest bit winded. Adrenaline still cursed through her veins and she did not want it to ever stop. “Ready when you are.”

She rolled her eyes and walked toward the pedestal Kekoa used. The crowd’s volume picked up again at how fast the second fight would procure. Taking the steps up, she noticed the crack of her rib with every movement of her left side but this was not a pain that would hinder her. She needed it to keep herself grounded and keep in mind what was important. Kekoa and her faced off on the pedestal and to her surprise he offered her his hand. She slowly stepped forward, shaking his hand. His grip was sure and heavy but not hurtful. “May the best fighter win.”

She nodded before stepping back. Her knees crunched slightly as she bent down, raising Dainslief in front of her. Now that all her armour was gone, she could feel the breeze fluttering against the cotton of her skin. The clouds in the sky were moving quickly, nature was coming up with a storm. She could smell the rain in the air, the small particles surrounding and rising around her.

Thunder cracked around them as the downpour began mercilessly and the crowds shrieked. It was time.

Noora focused on Kekoa who had a small smile on his face, the sky around him split by lightning.

The gong sounded.

She had no time to come up with a maneuver as Kekoa charged her with his kao sword. The handle was wrapped in leather, a feather wafting around the short blade, it would be no match for her sword. Their blades clashed at the same time thundersounded around them. Kekoa’s soaked strands were clinging to his rust-coloured skin as they parried and slashed at each other.

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