Too Sudden
1998 Words
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The deafening roar of the crowd is getting more intense every second. Zoya is standing without a stance. On the other hand, her opponent is ready to take her down. She is aware of Zoya's power but doesn't think about the end where she'll lose.
The horn sounds so does the fight. Zoya's opponent charge in without warning at a blinding speed, punching her in the stomach. A single blast of air spread throughout the arena. Some drinks are spilled and souls have been awed.
Hiroki widens his eyes after feeling that blast of air as he watches down from above. Then from there, he watches how Zoya is still standing on the same spot. She grabs the wrist of her opponent then punches back. Her knuckle crushes the nose of her opponent.
Sliding back, her opponent tries to stay on her two feet but feels an inch away from falling unconscious. Her face is full of bl**d. In her cloudy vision, she sees Zoya walking towards her, not hurrying to end the fight.
“Didn't even scratch me,” says Zoya, frowning in disappointment.
Her opponent is pissed off, biting her lip and wrinkling her nose. Roaring, she puts all of her strength into this single punch.
Zoya takes it again but this time, she retaliates with her hand slicing through her opponent's gut. Her entire forearm has pierced through her opponent's body like a sword.
“Ugh...,” Hiroki looks away in disgust and horror, unlike the other tribesmen who find this sort of thing, entertaining. Just now, he's reminded of what he's doing. “Oh! Why am I watching this?” he asks himself as he walks away from the wooden balcony. “I have to find Icarus and Philip. That Jasper is always up to no good! Speak of the devil...” Jasper is already approaching him with that sly Smith of his. “Where have you been?!!”
“Picked up Icarus and Philip,” he says, walking past by him to look ar the fight from the balcony. He laughs, seeing Zoya walk away after a victory and her right arm covered in bl**d. “Of course, she did...,” he mutters. “Tomorrow is gonna be the final round.”
“Then where are they?” asks Hiroki, still worrying for Icarus and Philip.
“It's ‘time’, Hiroki.”
“Oh...,” Hiroki realizes. His frowning turns into seriousness.
Jasper walks away and Hiroki follows him. They climb down on their way to the lowest level of the village. When they have arrived at the bottom, the other villagers are already leaving the area. They're gonna be back tomorrow for the final fight. There, he stops and faces Hiroki.
“Wait for me at the truck.”
Hiroki nods and says, “Be careful.”
“I got this.”
They part ways and Jasper walks somewhere around the arena. From the door of the infirmary, he watches how the mother and the two sisters of the defeated opponent of Zoya mourn beside her lifeless body.
“I told her to forfeit!” the mother weeps. Her daughters are embracing her on each side.
“Don't say that, mother,” sobs the daughter on the right. “She died with honor. She's gonna be in the records of the Warlord. There, she will live forever.”
“Recorded as a brave fool,” Jasper mutters as he walks away and to somewhere else.
He can sense her aura coming from the building not far from him. It's the banquet hall. He sniffs the air, and it's reeking with alcohol. At the door, he spots Zoya drinking every booze she can reach on the long table. The servants are panicking because of her huge demand for liquor.
As Jasper approaches the door, the guards stop him. They block his way with their crossing spears.
“Hey,” he smiles. “I'm an acquaintance of Lady Zoya.”
“Step back,” one of the guards growls.
“Just tell her and I'm sure she will—”
“Let him in,” says Zoya, before chugging a bottle raising its bottom.
He smugs at both of the guards. “See?” he says in satisfaction.
They give way for him so he enters the hall. Then he almost collides with a maid carrying a case of bottles. He seats himself at her left.
“Been drinking as hard as always, huh?” he asks.
She doesn't answer and continues chugging on one bottle, finishing it, and drinks another one right after that.
He asks, “Can I—” She slaps his hand as he was about to grab a bottle. “Oh, come on, just one!”
“These are all mine,” she growls.
“Fine.”
“So, what do you want from me?”
He leans towards her to whisper, “I have booze in the truck to share with you. But I cannot bring it here or we'll be discovered.”
“You just want to get under my pants again.”
“What's wrong with that? You liked it.”
“I didn't. You're far the worst one I did it with.”
“We know that's not true.”
“It is.”
“Why?”
“It didn't hurt.”
“You could've told me that sort of thing. Most women like it to be comfortable.”
“It's your fault for not asking.”
“Well, anyway, your father wants to meet you.”
“Father?” She stops drinking and looks at him.
“The name of your father is Ammar, right?”
“That's— How did you know?” She scowls at him.
“I actually met him in a village near the desert. And he mentioned that he had a goddess daughter that can heal instantaneously but her mother ran away with her. I figured out it was you he was talking about. Is he really your father?”
“He's not.” She continues drinking.
“Who's your father then?”
“I don't have a father.”
“So, it's a miracle that your mother got pregnant without making love.”
“That's right.”
“Nope, it's not. You know how babies are made.”
She rolls her eyes before saying, “Even if he is my father, I don't care. I'll k*ll that b*stard if I see him.”
“Then I suggest you come with me so you can k*ll that b*stard yourself.”
“I'm busy.” Then she frowns when there's no booze left. “This isn't enough!” she growls. “Where is the rest?”
“My lady,” says a maid beside her. “that's all we have. All of our reserves are—”
“You're lying! Give them to me!”
“We don't have any liquor left, my lady. We're sorry.”
“Argh!!!” she grunts, frustrated.
Then Jasper whispers, “I told you that we have booze on the truck. Your father brought it with him because I told him you like drinking.”
“Fine! Let's go!” She leaves the seat and he follows her. “You better have it or I'll k*ll you.”
“Oh, we definitely have it, alright,” Jasper smirks behind her. “A lot of it...”
They arrived at the truck just before dusk. It is on the same hill in the swamp located far from the village so they will not be found out. Philip, Icarus, and Hiroki are waiting there.
Upon landing, Zoya asks, “Where is it?”
“Where is what?” Icarus asks, folding his arms and leaning against the side of the truck.
“The booze!”
“All we have are vines,” says Jasper behind her.
“What?”
Black vines start sprouting from the ground below her, restraining her with crushing force. On the ground, she struggles but the vines are draining her strength.
“What is the meaning of this?!!” she roars.
“I'm sorry, my little Zoya,” says Jasper, smirking inches away from her frowning face. “but you have to lose the selection.”
“I... won't...” She falls asleep when all of her strength has been drained.
“K*ll her,” he says.
Icarus pulls a dagger from the back of the truck and lunges it down on her skull. It pierces through the back of her head and then to the ground. He pulls it out and leaves a bl**dy hole on the back of her head.
“Is she dead?” asks Hiroki.
“She is,” says Icarus, checking her pulse. “Her heart stopped beating.” He stabs her lifeless body a couple of times more.
“What are you doing?!” Hiroki yells, couldn't bear to see and hear flesh being cut. He feels sick so he looks away and covers his ears.
“Just to make sure. She's the Goddess of Immortality, you know.”
“That's right,” Jasper nods. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Now,” says Hiroki. “explain to us how you ended up working with that guy.” He points at the truck.
“Let's talk later,” says someone from inside it. “I still have a debt to pay after doing one last thing.”
“I'm looking forward to it, Lord Viktor,” says Jasper.
After that day, the final round is about to start. The people are getting excited about it. Little did they know that the organizers are panicking because they couldn't find Zoya anywhere. Arina is ready on the platform, waiting for her expected opponent. The round was supposed to start thirty minutes ago.
As a minute passes by, her heart is beating so fast. Her mind is contemplating whether to accept her win by default. Her pride wants her to win fair and square. Winning by default will not satisfy her.
But then the announcer says, “Since Lady Zoya failed to arrive in thirty minutes, Lady Arina has won by default!”
The reactions they got from the crowd is a mix of booing and cheering. Arina walks out of the platform, stomping her steps. Then when she enters the resting hall, Viktor is there.
He nods, saying, “Congratula—”
“Don't fool with me!” she roars. “That was not a victory! I will not accept it! Find Zoya and I will fight her!”
“No, it's in the rules that if a competitor doesn't arrive in thirty min—”
“I don't care about the rules! I want everyone to acknowledge my strength!”
“You are the strongest maiden, Arina but you cannot defeat Zoya. We all know that she cannot die. Consider yourself lucky that you get to inhale the fresh morning air of tomorrow. Don't you think it's such a great blessing?”
“No, it's not! Find her!”
“I am the Warlord and it's my job to ensure that every rule is obeyed. You are the winner and shall be my wife. You will carry and raise the next Deity of Chaos. I thought that's all you wanted.”
She swallows and looks to the side. “What I wanted is...”
“For everyone to acknowledge you? Raise the Deity of Chaos well and that's how everyone will acknowledge you. Come on.” He takes her hand and takes her somewhere.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“It's time.”
“What? Now?”
“Yes,” he says, opening the door of a room. He pushes her gently inside the room and locks the door.
“Viktor, this is too sudden,” she whispers, afraid to look at him as he starts removing his clothes.
*
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- Writer
