“What’s this?” Emma asked.
“Armor for the Contest,” I told her. “You’re going to need it.”
Emma glanced at me. I was certain we were both thinking the same thing. I had no problem stripping in front of Emma whatsoever… except for one small caveat. I didn’t want her to see my missing leg. Or my prosthetic.
Emma sensed that I didn’t want her to see me change, and I was pretty sure she didn’t want my eyes all over her naked body… not at the moment, anyway. Cumbersomely, she picked up her armor and tourney colors and went behind the screen. I busied myself with putting on my own gear and tried not to imagine what her breasts looked like, which was pretty much impossible.
When she emerged from the screen, both of us were fully armored and ready to begin the tourney. She’d tied her red hair back in a complicated braid that would remain secure during the contest. A few feathers had been woven into the strands, as was Arcanean tradition.
I opened a wooden chest and pulled out a small jar. I opened it to reveal a black substance, and began smudging it upon her skin. I made a pattern so that it looked like wings had created a mask around her eyes.
“What is it?” Emma asked.
“War paint,” I said. I stepped back with a smile, then led her to a mirror. “Now you look like a real Arcanea.”
“I look like a pagan hooligan,” she replied sourly.
“That’s the idea.”
Emma turned her face a few times in observance, then smiled. “I like it. It makes me seem fierce.”
I stood beside her, and both of us gazed into the mirror. The two of us appeared like we’d stepped back in time.
“So how is this thing gonna go?” Emma asked. “Please tell me it only takes one day.”
“There are four tasks total, four rounds,” I said. “Out of the sixteen contestants, eight are eliminated in the first round. In the second round, two more are eliminated, and in the third one, two more after that. Only four contestants— two pairs— are left for the last round.”
“What are the tasks?”
“The first one is the joust— yes, exactly what you’re thinking of,” I said as she blinked. “You’ll ride on my back and try to knock the other sorceress off her shifter. It’s the best of three. Once you get them down twice, the objective is to make them tap out during a duel.”
“Or?”
“Or finish them off. If the other pair kills their opponent, even if they lost the two out of three, they’ll still technically win. If we lose the joust, we’re immediately out of the competition,” I said.
“Okay…” Emma said slowly. “How about round two?”
“Round Two is a race. It’s an obstacle course of sorts, where you gain points by hitting targets while trying not to get killed,” I said. “Whoever has the most pointsandfinishes in a decent placing gets to go on. If you’re in the last two placings, you’re eliminated.”
“And Round Three?” Emma asked.
“Three is always kept secret,” I said. “The judges don’t want the contestants to know what the trial is. But it almost always involves some sort of monster.”
Emma chewed her lip as she thought. “What’s the last round?” she asked.
“It’s a challenge by combat. A duel between the last four contestants. We’ll fight until the other pair is killed, or surrenders,” I said.If we make it that far.
“I’m guessing whoever wins the duel is crowned winner?”
“Correct.”
Emma’s expression hardened. “Okay. Let’s do this thing.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to risk your life?” I asked. Because I wasn’t willing to risk hers. The other contestants were going to have to kill me before I’d submit, but if Emma’s life was threatened, it wouldn’t be that easy for me to fight back. I’d probably give in.
“I wouldn’t have said yes just to back out now,” Emma replied. “Time to show them what we’ve got.”
That was the spirit. “One last thing.” I ventured to the other side of the room, where a long rectangular chest had been laid out. I opened it and unleashed a sword from inside. The blade was double-edged, with a silver hilt that had one of the royal sapphires set into it. Designs of running wolves had been tediously etched into both sides of the blade’s surface. It was very light, as I knew Emma grew fatigued easily, so I wanted her to have no trouble carrying it. The entire length was no more than three feet long, and simple to handle. It was the kind of sword I’d seen her use during class and learn how to brandish easily.
