Chapter 89: What''s 7 feet tall with Antlers?


    It was the end of summer and the afternoon sun threw a shadow over the stands and onto the field where Gisael and Saka talked with the adjudicator.


    The Duke of Dawnharbour peered down at the Red team led who were making their way to their starting position. "Why are the forestfolk dying?"


    He received no answer from his aide, and he looked to Alejo. "Bluecloak do you know what the dy is?"


    "No sire, I can only guess."


    "Guess then," the Chancellor said. His tone was disrespectful, and the young Duke nced at him before taking a sip of his wine.


    "We can wait a moment," the duke said. "Alejo if they dy further can you jump down and get things moving for us please?"


    "Yes my duke, I await yourmand."


    The Chancellor bristled. "It''s probably the bird. Something about it is unnatural."


    The bird pped its wings and a ton of dust blew through the adjudicators and into the stands as it took to the air.


    The old duke peered at the horizon.


    The young duke finished his wine and was about to speak but was interrupted.


    "Do you see that?" the old duke said and pointed at the horizon.


    The young duke looked and said, "You have good eyes, I can''t see anything except a fuzzy horizon. Alejo?"


    The bluecloak scanned the horizon. "Something ising this way," he said and turned to Kysandre. "Stay here." He jumped and stood on the parapet. He scanned the ground looking for a safe ce tond and leapt. There was a loud thump when hended in a kneeling position with one hand on the earth. The ground was depressed from the force.


    He walked across to Gisael and the adjudicator quietened when he saw the bluecloak.


    "Svartalfar, do you know what ising?" Alejo asked.


    Gisael turned. "Our reservees."


    Alejo''s eyes widened.


    Saka addressed the adjudicator sternly. "He''s on our roll. He''sing - the beautiful man just said he saw him."


    The adjudicator cleared his throat. "That''s a bluecloak. Protector of the city."


    Saka cast a smile at Alejo. "But he''s also beautiful."


    The Red Queen turned to one of her swordsmen. "Go find out what''s the holdup, don''t they know this is a live stream." She peered at the two forestfolk.


    Cerbrus said, "They''re probably ying for time. So one of their injured can make it."


    She shook her head. "The other adventurer isn''t with them and he''s back. It''s something else."


    "The axe maiden?" he asked.


    Then they saw Saka pointing ind, to the east. The Red Queen turned and saw a dust plume. "Somethingsing," she said.


    Cerbrus peered. "It looks like a man."


    When the figure got closer, she inhaled sharply. "He runs so fast."


    Cerbrus said, "How''s that possible?"


    "He might be a protector from another city," the Red Queen said. Then she peered at the adjudicator and the forestfolk. "But how did they know and why dy?"


    Her swordsman ran back. "My Queen," he said. "They dy for a reserve."


    A look of anger besmirched her beautiful face and the Red Queen stormed over to the adjudicator. Despite walking she moved quickly and when she was twenty feet away, she shouted. "We start now. No more dys. The gatekeepers will not be happy."


    The adjudicator bristled at the mention of gatekeepers. "This is a Dawnharbour tournament."


    "Which the gatekeepers paid you to host I''m sure. We are being treated unfairly and demand we start now otherwise we will issue a formal protest and hold you to your tournament rules."


    "Guild leader," Alejo said softly. The Red Queen looked at him. He held out an arm and pointed with a finger.


    The crowd was silent. The adjudicator''s mouth hung open with a thousand of his fellow citizens. The two hundred odd beta yers present stared at the monster before their eyes.


    I must have looked like a monster to them. My wooden antler mask, bare brown chest and feet. I looked like kin to Gisael and the Svartalfar but more beastly. Taller, taller than the bluecloak. With my helmet I was over seven feet tall and built like a brick shithouse.


    "Hi," I said. "I''m here."


    "Benzhi," Saka yelled. She flew and wrapped her arms around me.


    "Whoa," I said and pushed her off me gently. "I sort of heard what you told demon bird."


    Gisael appeared by my side. "Are you tired?"


    I shook my head and smiled. "Nah, I''m good." I stretched my calves and put an elbow behind my head and twisted.


    Saka cried. "I can''t believe you made it."


    The Red Queen had watched open mouthed with everyone else, but she recovered herself. "They must be penalised for the dy," she shouted at the adjudicator. "Disqualify them."


    "Whoa," I said. "You''re our opponent?"


    She turned and stared at me. I saw fear in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry," I said. "I won''t hurt you too bad. After all you''re pretty hot."


    Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out.


    "We fight," Gisael said. "Us three."


    Saka shook her head. "Benzhi, they''ve been trying to kill Gisael and Reyas because they know they''ll stay dead."


    "What?"


    Saka looked at the ground. "Reyas was almost killed a bluecloak saved her life."


    They could see my eyes burn despite my helmet. "Okay," I said. "I take back what I said about not hurting them." I pointed to Gisael and Saka. "You can both sit this out  I got this."


    Saka guided me to the starting point. "Start here."


    Gisael watched me, I could tell she was considering whether to disobey. I looked at her and shook my head.


    "What''s wrong?" Alejo asked Gisael.


    "He is mad. I think there will be much blood."


    The Red Queen marched to her side of the field.


    "It''s just one?" Cerbrus asked.


    She nodded.


    The four swordsmen yipped and pped each other. "Just one. Against us five."


    "Even the Queen could take him alone."


    "He''s got no weapons. Just that ugly mask. Or is that his face?"


    The Adjudicator looked to Alejo who nodded. He then looked to Gisael and asked, "Just one?"


    She nodded.


    He lifted the red g.


    .


    The Duke watched as the forest monster approached. "Alejo, what is that?"


    "He''s down there sire," Kysandre said and pointed.


    "Yes, sorry, I knew that. Kysandre do you know?"


    Her head slowly shook but she answered. "I think he''s a forestfolk. The deer antlers, the brown skin that looks like wood. And the Svartalfar adventurer seems very happy to see him." She said as Saka jumped me.


    The young duke asked his entourage including the Chancellor and the Duke of Sstria. "Have you heard of its like? Is it a person or a monster?"


    The Chancellor spat. "I''ve heard of its like. It''s certainly a monster."


    Kysandre overheard and added. "If he is a Svartalfar he is certainly a person." She pointed. "And monsters don''t stand around chatting."


    The Chancellor fumed at her words. "I''m certain we have records of his crimes in the north, back in Loctris. I read them in a report not long ago."


    The old duke was surprised. "Crimes in the north? Why have I not heard of it."


    The Chancellor''s eyes darted frantically and then he held up a finger. "The mines. The massacre at the mines. I read that he was there."


    The old duke looked confused. "Why don''t I have this report it''s my outpost?"


    "It came from a  " the Chancellor began.


    "Not now," the young duke said. "We can discuss this after the final. We''ll get to the bottom of it, but I don''t want anything to ruin the spectacle. Look how excited the people are. He''s alone against five. This is going to be fun. Kysandre could you stand against five adventurers alone?"


    "Certainly sire," she said with a smile. "Only the Svartalfar leader gives me pause and she''s not an adventurer."


    "But she sits this one out," the Duke said. "Oh, the g is up. It begins."