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CHAPTER 17

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Aceh

The arena was abuzz with excitement. Once again the tourney had brought life back to the village of Zangar, a much needed distraction from the ongoing war. You could feel the mood lifting from Zangars citizens with each passing day of this festival. The wolves had not attacked Zangar directly since the battle when Malakye lost his life defending the Eastern gate.

I had trained him in the way of tigers palm. He was exceptional and had incredible potential. He learned so quickly, trained diligently and was incredibly centred. He was a kind hearted soul, with the soul of a lover but also possessed the spirit of a warrior. Who knew when to fight and when to love. Such souls were few and far between in this world.

"Master! You can sit here." Reece moved aside to create a spot for me as I approached..

The young dragon was dressed in a pristine white uniform of the dojo, as were nearly two dozen others in the crowd around us. A sea of white in the stands. We were here to support Karnal and Barnus, both of whom had entered the tournament. They had made a major decision to participate in the benders tourney rather than the one that focused on physical combat.

I took the seat, giving Reece a smile and bow of thanks. Reece was becoming a strong fighter. He had changed greatly since he joined the dojo. The change was a pleasant one. He had turned from a timid young cub to a strong willed drake. Not only that but he had taken me as his lover. I couldn't be sure if it was just youthful infatuation on his part but my feelings for him were growing by the day.

"Have I missed anything?" I asked.

"No master. The first fight has only just begun." Reece replied.

I looked on as two Zangarians fought each other, trading blows with one another. Their techniques were sloppy, but their blows fierce. They would benefit from joining the dojo, even if for a short time I could show them some defensive techniques that would serve them well.

But this wasn't a fist fight, this was a benders tourney. The pair were both fire benders, but they were trying to get the upper paw by using their nen to over power the other in a fist fight. They weren't relying on their bending, but they were relying on their kii to win. A grave error. Kii was meant to be the finely honed edge of your blade, not the blade itself.

The crowd roared as a victor was decided. The fierce battle came to a swift end with a decisive blow. The victor knocked his opponent to the ground and they were unable to stand. As the victor and his opponent left the arena to make way for the next round I knew that that drake would be lucky to make it past the next round. He would lack the endurance to go much further if he continued to fight in that manner.

Soon my students would emerge and show everyone here just what training at the dojo could do. I had been surprised when they had decided to enter the benders tourney rather than the one that focused on paw to paw combat. They were fine warriors and decent benders. Their bending would give them the ability to defend themselves, but they would win if they could close the distance between them and their opponents. I was optimistic that one of them could win the tournament, perhaps both making it to the final to face each other.

I felt the fur on the back of my neck stand on end and I knew I was being watched.

I looked over my shoulder and scanned the crowd. I stood out in this crowd being the only one here who wasn't a Zangarian dragon, it was natural for some to be curious about me, however this made my skin crawl and my fur prickle. It left me feeling uneasy. It would be impossible to tell who was watching me in this crowd unless I caught them staring. But I sensed that who ever this was would not be so careless. I wondered if perhaps Reece's father was here, but I didn't feel any aggression, they were just watching me; intently. I doubted that Reece's father would capable of this subtly. I turned my attention back to the arena where the next two fighters were emerging. I watched in silence, the fur on the back of my neck continued to stand on end, the feeling that I was being watched still there.

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The tourney was coming to an end, the final match to decide the winner was about to begin. Throughout the entire tournament I had felt like I'd been watched. I knew to trust my instincts. While I knew I was being watched I also knew that there was no immediate danger to myself or my students. But I had yet to identify the one watching me.

Barnus and Karnal both emerged, wearing the distinctive red uniforms that identified them as advanced students of the dojo. The crowd cheered loudly for them. I had always hoped that Malakye would be the first to wear that uniform. I had them made to match his distinctive red fur. I had been tempted to change the colour of them before giving them to Barnus and Karnal. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to forget about him, even if it did make me feel bitter-sweet each time I laid eyes upon them and was reminded of him..

As the referee, a master ranked bender named Malnark, commanded the fight to begin both my students took a moment to bow formally to one another before beginning; as they would before a fight at the dojo. A sign of respect towards your opponent, acknowledging them as an equal.

The pair circled one another, sizing the other up. They had sparred together countless times since they became my students. The brute Karnal. Without the use of kii he was easily the physically strongest warrior in Zangar. Other than perhaps Lord Anaris. Lord Anaris was bigger than Karnal, and even if Karnal was stronger than the Grand-master without kii, there was little doubt that the grand-master would win once kii came into play.

As Karnal was strong, Barnus was fast! The smaller dragon made up for his lack of strength with incredible speed. Few individuals in Zangar could even hope to match his speed. Combined with the techniques he had learned at the dojo he was now a fearsome opponent.

When paired against one another there was never a clear winner. The two had learned how to combat each others strengths, and exploit their weaknesses. Now their rivalry was now in the public-eye, would they move it to the next level? Or would only one of them find that motivation and over whelm the other? Either way, one thing I was sure, the crowd here was in for a spectacular fight.

Barnus was the first to make a move.

He dashed forward, ducking under a fist from Karnal. As the larger dragon turned to face him Barnus spun round, his right leg raised to strike Karnal across the snout with a perfectly executed, and painful looking roundhouse kick. The crowd cheered and winced at the sight of the kick, but the kick didn't even phase Karnal, and the drake reached out and grabbed Barnus by the shoulder. With his grip on the smaller dragon firmly locked, and a great display of physical strength, he lifted Barnus off the ground, over his head and tossed him through the air.

The crowd gasped as Barnus was thrown, the drake flailing as he hurtled through the air. We all watched as he twisted his body to land on his foot-paws, the momentum caused him to roll backwards, but Barnus rolled through so he once again was back to a vertical base. Upon seeing his display of acrobatics the crowd cheered.

I couldn't help but smile as my students display of martial prowess was warmly received by the crowd. They had trained hard under my tutelage, they deserved every bit of recognition they were receiving now.

The crowd cheered once again as Barnus charged towards his much larger opponent once again, unphased by his opponents last display of strength. Barnus was fearless. He would always go on the attack, no matter if his opponent was larger than himself or out numbered him ten-to-one! That was as much his greatest strength as it was his greatest weakness.

As he neared Karnal Barnus leapt and drove both of his foot-paws into the midsection of his opponent. At the last moment Karnal crossed his arms in front of him to block the attack, Barnus used Karnal's tensed body as a spring board to back flip away from him. The force of the kick forced Karnal to take a couple of steps backwards. Once Barnus landed back on solid ground he went back on the attack. He strode forwards and leapt up with a perfectly executed spin kick aimed at his opponents head.

Karnal raised his arm to block the kick, deflecting the blow away from his head, and lashed out with his other paw with a mighty punch. Barnus managed to block the incoming fist with his arms in front of him, but the force from the blow blew him backwards several yards before he was able to catch his balance.

The crowd cheered as both warriors stared each other down.

Each one stared defiantly at the other for a moment before both slipped back into their preferred fighting stance. They were now finished feeling the other out, both having proven to the other that they were determined to win. Now, the real fight was about to begin.

I wondered if they would use their kii. This was not a sparring match in the dojo when the use of kii was forbidden without my expressed permission. This was a fight. Perhaps they made an agreement. Perhaps not. Either way I would not think less of them. This was a fight and in a fight you fight to win.

As if in response to my silent questioning I felt as their respective kii flared to life. In comparison to the other adept ranked Zangarians their kii was mid tier at best. However since I elevated them to status of advanced students I have trained them in how to fight using their kii. Now I was confident that their ability to manipulate their kii was equal to that of a Master ranked bender. That meant that even against an opponent with greater kii they were a force to be reckoned with.

The pair exploded into action. Barnus was a blur of motion, hoping to overwhelm Karnal with his speed and relentless assault. Karnal on the other paw was used to Barnus's fighting technique and knew that he cannot match the speed of the smaller dragon. So opted to go on the defensive.

The pair truly were evenly matched. Their matches were always decided by one thing.

Who would make the first mistake?

As the fight wore on the stalemate became obvious to the crowd. Barnus's exceptional speed and agility made him a fan favourite, but many who were experienced fighters cheered for Karnal, knowing full well what he was doing.

The pair exchanged blows, Karnal taking the brunt of Barnus's assault. The large Zangarian had the strength and endurance to weather the blows from Barnus for a long time. While Barnus was managing to avoid the powerful fists of Karnal so far, he knew better than anyone here in the arena just how much power lay within those fists. If Karnal could just land a single punch, especially while using his kii, that single attack could decide the entire match.

I felt a swell of pride in my chest as the arena cheered on my two students, the crowd cheered relentlessly, not caring that they weren't using their bending skills. Their fellow students were also cheering, but most of them didn't seem to have a favourite. My pride was reinforced as I watched my students fight their hardest, both of them fighting with everything they had. They had already lasted longer than any other fight in the tournament already, longer than I had thought possible they were capable of, and neither of them had shown any signs of slowing down yet.

A drawn out gasp from the crowd reverberated throughout the arena as Barnus managed to narrowly avoid Karnal's massive fist as it grazed past his muzzle. From the stands anyone would have thought he had landed that blow. The smaller dragon created some distance between them in order to gather his wits.

Now that they had both paused to catch their breath their exhaustion was suddenly evident as their bodies heaved with heavy laboured breaths. They had been forcing themselves, pushing themselves to their limits. Their bodies were now moving only by adrenaline and willpower.

The crowd chanted their names. Cheered them on. Knowing that soon a victor would emerge. A new champion!

Both my students readied themselves for what I knew would be the decisive exchange. The next few moves would decide who would gain the advantage. Who ever gained the upper paw in the next few moments would likely win this fight; and the tournament.

Both of them charged towards the other, Karnal now giving up on his defensive strategy, as they both prepared to overpower the other.

Karnal swung at Barnus with a massive swing, much too wide, Barnus evaded the poorly thrown attack and slipped behind Karnal. Before Karnal could turn to face him he was forced to one knee after receiving a swift, well place kick to the back of his right leg. With his opponent now cut down to size Karnal laid into him with his fists. He drove his fist repeatedly, over and over, into the side of Karnal's head.

Karnal eventually managed to push him away, but not until Barnus had laid nearly a dozen blows into him, and some how pushed him self back up to a standing position. He swayed slightly, the damage already done. Even from this distance I could see that his right eye was swollen shut and he could barely keep his balance, he staggered back and forth, unable to keep his footing firm. The winner of this fight was already decided.

Just as I knew Barnus knew as well. That knowledge clearly gave him one last burst of energy to dash towards his opponent. He leapt, using Karnal's thick thigh as a platform to push him self up and drive his knee into Karnal's muzzle.

The pair fell to the ground. Barnus rolled across the arena floor as he fell away from his opponent. Both of them lay still for a few moments, the arena going deathly silent as the crowd waited to see if either of them could stand one last time.

As the referee approached to check on them their was signs of movement from Barnus, who had now rolled onto his front and was now attempting to stand. The crowd cheered, a select few groaned as they realised that they had lost their wagers, as Barnus eventually righted himself. The referee knelt next to Karnal and waved both his paws in the air to signal his inability to continue.

I felt pride and sorrow. Pride for Barnus and sorrow for Karnal. I knew that he would take this loss to heart, but he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had fought his hardest. Both of them had. Both of them had been pushed far beyond their limits. Both of them had proven their strength to the crowd. They both deserved to be congratulated on a spectacular fight.

I stood up and began to clap like most in the arena.

After soaking up the realisation that he had actually won Barnus turned back to his fellow student. He helped him to his foot-paws and both of them supported one another and began to make their way towards the exit. Some of the crowd had begun to move from their seats, gathering their companions and possessions and prepared to leave.

"LADIES AND GENTLE-DRAKES! IF I COULD HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!" A voice boomed out across the arena.

Everyone stopped to look up at the balcony where the Lords Anaris and Valelor sat. Lord Anaris was standing with his arms outstretched, waiting for everyone to give him their attention.

"I want to congratulate the two finalists for a fine performance! It was a spectacular fight!" He clapped his paws and many in the crowd did the same. "With the winner now decided we normally retire for the evening to one of the many after parties to get merry and get laid." He joked, many of the crowd laughed as well. Undoubtedly planning on doing just that. "But this year I have one more thing for you."

There was a mumble of excitement and speculation through the crowd at Lord Anaris's announcement. I was intrigued myself to be honest. I watched as he signalled someone down in the arena. The referee from before opened the steel door where Karnal and Barnus had just stepped through and we watched as three more dragons stepped into the arena.

I knew them. It was Warlord Loki, Warlord Naveer and Warlord Kaveen. All of them high ranking individuals in the Zangarian militia, and all three of them were Master ranked benders. They all wore the shoulder guards marked with the symbols that depicted their rank of both master benders and warlords. They all wore a combination of leather and steel armour and had three of them were armed with their weapons of choice. Only Warlord Ral'nar, the referee of the previous match carried no weapon.

"They must be going to give us a bending demonstration" I heard Reece mutter. A reasonable conclusion I agreed.

I turned as I heard the various members of the crowd speak words of congratulations. Barnus and Karnal had emerged and were now walking towards me. I stood up and embrace both of them in a congratulatory hug and motioned for them to sit. Reece quickly offered his seniors his seat as I offered them mine. They both gratefully sat down, groaning in relief and pain as they sat.

There it was again!

I could feel someone watching me, but this wasn't just simply someone taking an interest in my presence. I had felt them watching me since I sat down. I scanned the crowd once more. I was now able to get a better look now I was standing. I spotted a cloaked figure standing at the back of the arena, his body and muzzle hidden under a long dark cloak. I couldn't even tell if it was a dragon or not! But I was fairly certain that, who ever it was, they were the source of my unease. My instincts screamed at me. But I couldn't tell what they were trying to tell me. My attention was finally drawn away from the cloaked figure as Lord Anaris once again began to speak.

"Today I have one more match I would like to present to you all!" Lord Anaris beamed, his voice betraying his own excitement. "For today I am giving you all the rare opportunity to witness a Mal'dov!"

The crowd burst into hushed whispers of excitement before cheering loudly.

I had heard of these. They were tests of strength, those given to individuals who's bending ability had been recognised and were given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of becoming a Master ranked bender. Such things were normally held behind closed doors I'm led to believe. Witnessed only by those of the highest rank.

"But first I must ask... Master Kassius, Master Xavier, Master Stern and Master Malnark." The use of their first names surprised me. I had imagined that these occasions would be much more formal. "Do all three of you agree to participate in this test?"

"We have all spoken my Lord." Malnark, the most senior member of the group, replied. "As unusual as this is, especially given that four Master ranked benders will participate in the test, we have all agreed."

So... even the fact that four Master benders had been called upon was unusual. Most intriguing. Who was about to take part in the Mal'dov? It must be someone of considerable skill to warrant such a spectacle. Perhaps it was yesterdays tourney winner? His kii was most impressive.

"Very well." Lord Anaris grinned. "Then all four of you shall participate in this four-on-one combat." The announcement earned a cheer of excitement from the crowd. "You shall judge their abilities to the fullest! And after the fight is finished you shall have the responsibility in judging whether or not they are worthy of the rank of Master!"

"Who is the challenger my Lord?" Malnark asked.

Yes, who was it? My silent question mirrored in the hushed conversations around me. I heard several names mentioned, some of which I recognised, many of which I could agree were warriors who would be worthy of a test, but the extent of this test led me to doubt that it could be any of them.

"Your opponent shall be... the one who defeated Zaraki Kamir!" The mere mention of th wolven k'tans name sent a wave of silence through the arena. I had heard about that k'tan, a warrior who not only fought three grand-masters during the conficlt decades ago, but killed two of them. A powerful warrior whose name had even reached my homeland. "Yes!" Lord Anaris exclaimed. "The warrior one who protected Zangar at risk of his own life!"

The entire arena gasped.

I had heard that the wolven k'tan* had been defeated, but I had thought Lord Anaris had fought him. But there had been rumour of a cloaked figure, the one who had attacked the wolves outside the gates. I turned my attention back to the cloaked figure that had stood at the back of the arena. They were now walking down the steps between the crowd, down the steps across pn the other side of the my students. His slow walk caught the attention of several dragons who looked at them nervously. I could understand their nervousness. From the way they carried themselves I could tell that they were a powerful fighter.

"A lost son of Zangar, who has returned home!" Lord Anaris continued as I watched the cloaked figure near the edge of the arena and then suddenly leapt into the pit below.

Everyone in the crowd who witnessed them jump gasped in shock, the rest of the crowds attention now on the cloaked figure as the collective gasp grabbed their attention. The Master benders who stood in the center of the arena, turned their attention to the cloaked figure that had just dropped twenty foot to the arena floor. They landed gracefully on their foot-paws, as if the act was nothing, and then began to walk towards the four masters. What surprised me the most was that they were able to jump from that height without using kii and walk away without the slightest sign of injury.

The cloaked figure walked slowly forwards towards the Master benders, all of whom had already readied themselves to fight. The cloaked figure stopped and began to undo the strap that held the cloak closed.

"Your opponent will be... Malakye!"

Malakye?!?

The entire arena was shocked silent as the cloaked figures cloak flew off them as they spread their wings wide, the fabric fluttered to the floor as everyone in the arena looked on to confirm their identity.

That distinctive, unmistakeable red fur. The black scales... it couldn't be...

My heart thudded loudly in my chest as every fibre of my being stared down at the figure below. My heart thudded harder when they turned their head to the side to look at me over their shoulder. The emerald green eye that met with mine. It really was him...

"Malakye..."