Book 4 Chapter 27

Fari’s words were met with the crowd’s mighty cheer, echoing throughout the mountain as they all looked on with eager eyes. Under their gaze, the two fighters set off into the lakebed, each moving at their own pace as they started forward.

Because of the size of the basin, it would be some time before they met… Yet as they moved along, the stark differences between the two were already starting to show themselves.

“This is…” Dun started, his face conflicted as he watched Maria.

Tirr’s expression was more bored than anything as he watched his apostle walking calmly.

On the other side of the basin, while Mali had been all smiles and waves before the start, once he started moving, he quickly showed that he was an experienced warrior, worthy of having grown up in the harsh mountain valleys.

His body crouched low to the ground as he slinked forward, staying within the trenches and dips of the hills carved into the lakebed. As he moved, he even grabbed a few smooth stones from the sandy floor, obviously thinking of the fight ahead.

Watching his valiant form as he moved carefully into battle earned another cheer from his clan. As they looked over to see how his opponent was doing, they could help but break out into a fit of laughter.

In fact, the whole rim was filled with a mix of laughter and confusion as they watched Maria make her way to the center of the basin. Fari, standing among her clan, kept her face neutral, but inside was burning with curiosity. She looked over towards Tirr, and seeing his bored expression, looked at the young woman more carefully.

At this point, most of the crowd had turned to watch Maria, who seemed either unaware or undeterred by the attention her actions were getting her. As she moved along the lakebed Maria reminded people more of a noble lady on a stroll through her garden than a participant in a fight for her honor and clan.

She moved at a slow leisurely pace, her head swiveling this way and that as she seemed to take interest in every flower, tree, and hill she passed. Occasionally she even stopped, bending down to look at one particular flower or another… Leaning forward to sniff at it gently before nodding to herself in satisfaction and moving on.

Maria went to the stream, dipping her hand in the water as she tested the temperature, making some wonder if she was thinking of going for a swim right there and then. Yet while those watching continued to laugh at her, she still slowly made her way towards the center.

With everyone's eyes being drawn to Maria’s strange actions, nobody knew when Mali seemed to have disappeared. His form once moving sneakily through the brush had vanished into thin air. Even as his own clan couldn’t find any sign as scanned the lakebed for him

It was just then that Maria was drawing closer to the Basin’s Center. And as she started around one small hill, the terrain around her suddenly spluttered. A soft whistle marked the travel of multiple stones, all whipping their way towards her from where they had been hidden under the sand and dirt.

Faced with the ambush, Maria didn’t even react. Just as most thought that the battle would end like that. The stones slammed against a golden light, falling harmlessly to the side. Before anyone could wonder what had happened though, Mali’s ambush continued as spikes of earth shot from the ground below the apostle.

As the pointed tips drew closer, trying to pin her in place. They shattered as the golden light appeared once more. Still, Maria found herself enclosed within what remained of the spikes, and as she turned, Mali finally reappeared.

He burst out of the nearby hill on a pillar of rock, shooting himself into the air as he came down towards his trapped opponent. There was a wicked grin on his face as he swung his axe downwards, clearly meaning to badly wound the young woman since h couldn’t kill her outright.

The crowd, seeing Mali’s plan in action released a chorus of cheers as his axe swung viciously. Even some on Tirr’s side held worried expressions, thinking the fight over. Only Tirr looked on without revealing anything, waiting to see if the young man could push her far enough.

As Mali closed in on Maria from above, flashes of victory were already in his eyes. He even wondered if her sound defeat would make the girl fall in love with him. Though she was a flatlander, she wasn’t bad looking. Thinking about how much he’d revel in victory, he almost didn’t even pay attention as his axe finally made contact.

It took a moment for realization to set in, but once it did, fear grew along with it. The entire lakebed had fallen quiet, the crowd staring in shock at the scene in front of them. Defying all logic, Maria hadn’t tried to dodge or even lift the large hammer on her back to block the blow…

Instead, all she had done was lift two fingers, and the axe had stopped as if it had hit steel. As Mali landed clumsily his grip still firm on the axe. Maria lifted it gently, carrying Mali along with it as she threw it to the side.

Mali’s body crashed against the coarse sand and rolled several times before coming to a halt. The crowd watched as he slowly stood, sharing his disbelief. As he recovered, he backed away, his axe raised defensively as he looked in horror towards the monster in front of him. Not even the strongest warrior he had known could do something like that.

He tensed as he waited for some kind of follow-up, but he soon noticed her eyes were closed. She stood still as if concentrating and soon enough the golden light started to form in the air around her.

Tirr watched, his eyes finally interested as the golden light took shape. Just what had his first apostle in the era created?