Shadow was craftier than he looked. James bet he had plotted this entirely before they left for Pandora. Because the moment you stepped into Pandora, there was no backing out from challenges. If you a person who couldn't take a fight, best you stay a thousand kilometers away from it. James guessed that it had either something to do with the atmosphere, or Pandora's culture, or the Pandorians nature and belief of respect. You couldn't walk down the road ten meters without getting yourself into a duel.
So James never caught an opportunity to rest. Whenever he secretly snuck out of the Arena to go to the loo or something, some random winged dude would step up to him and request a duel. He just had to hold his bladder. Here, rejecting a duel request was almost as disgracing as failing a Quest.
Everyday, it was just fights after fights after fights. Training, training, training.
And that was where Myrrh came in. She helped loads with his cuts and bruises. She was an awesome Healer.
"I guess I inherited at least one great trait from my Father," Myrrh shrugged. "Healing, I suppose."
"Your father? The King?" James blurted curiously. He hadn't heard a thing of the King.
"My Father, he... He died an unfortunate death."
James didn't know how to react. He just nodded seriously, before reaching forward and resting a single hand on Myrrh's own. "I'm sorry," he said gently.
"It is alright." Myrrh smiled wearily. "He is- was not... Quester material - like me. So... He perished on a Quest."
He did? Then how come no one spoke of the King? There seemed to be no honoury monuments built to commemorate the King!
"I know what you are thinking," she said softly. "He failed a Quest. It is a disgrace. And... he... well, adored humans."
Curiosity got the better of James. "Who- I mean, what, killed him?"
"Demons." Myrrh's eyes immediately turned as frosty as the winter ice. "Flightless, honourless Demons."
Myrrh's scathing remark hung in the air, cutting out the following silence. No words were spoken afterwards. James sensed that Myrrh valued this space and gave her all she needed. Both of them sat in silence as Jame's bruises and cuts smoothed over and regained its healthy colour. As for the deeper ones, Myrrh improved its situation with a little with magic, before patching up the unhealed areas with a bandage.
"Good as new," Myrrh beamed. "How are you feeling?"
"Awesome!" James laughed before standing to his feet, testing out his seemingly new pair of limbs. "Myrrh! Oh Gosh! Thank you!"
"Kill the Demons for me."
She just stared back at him and smiled. James just stood there, fighting the urge to give her one big comforting hug. But when her thoughtful gaze grew pretty awkward, he headed on outside instead.
Max tackled James as soon as he re-entered the Pandorian Arena.
"Dude!" James groaned. "Get off me!"
Max flipped over and somersaulted coolly to his feet. "Hey," he greeted finally. "Haven't earned your respect, have I?"
"Okay, okay," James snapped. "You have my respect!"
Max's eyes bulged out from their sockets. And suddenly, James was worried it was a symptom of an upcoming seizure or something. It was only when five seconds later, Max still hadn't got into a fit yet, and was still staring gapingly at James, did James realize that it wasn't.
"What?" James demanded.
"You can't do that!" Max screeched, prodding James with the blunt edge of his sword. "FIGHT! You've to fight!"
James rolled his eyes. "Who says?"
"I say!" Max chortled proudly. "Everyone says! So-"
Shadow stepped in before Max completed his sentence. He pointed rudely towards James. "You," he demanded. "How are you doing?"
"I, have a name," James scowled.
Shadow cocked his head. "Really? Do prove it."
James bit his lip. From the amused expression Shadow was giving him, James understood what he was getting at. Though unsaid, he was pressing for another bout of intense torture training, making use of the Pandorian Honour to do it. That sly bastard.
Beside Shadow, Max was busy considering whether to pounce on the Great Shadorn once more.
"Alright," Max said thoughtfully. "Prove to me you can beat Shadorn!"
"No one asked for your opinion, Earth-Born," Shadow sniffed.
Max glared at Shadorn. "You know what dude?" he addressed James. "I'm definitely rooting for you now."
James grinned at this. So he had a supporter now. Awesome. "I betcha you won't be disappointed." And with his twin blades at hand, James took off into the air merrily.
The other competitors started streaming in at about noon time. Max was still hanging around James of course, bugging the hell out of him about respect. So what? He had done some major damage to Shadow during the duel, but not like he'd won or anything. No biggie.
"You're damn fast!" Max was exclaiming. "D' you have wings on your feet?"
"Nope," James replied sarcastically. "But I've toes."
"And I heard you beat Karie too! Damn good!"
James thought back about the first challenge he'd taken up- I mean, had been forced to take up in Pandoria. He recalled with a certain nostalgia the tough woman who'd been so intent with spearing him through with a spear on his first day. Oh yes, that was Karie. Sure brought back fond memories.
"Do you know you're damn fast?" Max was repeating again.
James shrugged modestly. "But I ain't as good with the weapons."
"Watch and wait," Max warned, a silly lopsided grin forming on his features. "I'M EARNING YOUR RESPECT!"
"I told you, you can have it."
Max frowned, unsure. "No!" He proclaimed insanely. "One day! I'm so gonna beat you! Watch your back!" Pandorians were downright weird. They pounced on you to get your respect, and when you gave it to them, they didn't want it. Wow.
And with that last challenge hanging in the air unaccepted, Max disappeared to go and check out the new arrivals. James decided to follow suit. After all, they were the ones who controlled his chances of winning.
The new arrivals were well-trained in general. Definitely. Well, there were a handful which needed brushing up - and some were pretty sucky. But on a whole, James was in deep deep trouble. He'd seen the big guy with the massive trident spearing ten dummies through at one go; he'd seen the girl with the sword sparring deftly with Karie; he hadn't seen the kid with the dark wings camouflaging himself. O_Olll. Uh-oh.
"Tomorrow," Shadow said grimly. "- which is two days before The Tests. The challenge will be revealed."
James shivered. "I..."
Shadow shook him violently. "Have more confidence James!" -he had used his name!- "You are acting like a complete Earth-Born!"
"Shut up!" He growled at Shadow.
Shadow rolled his eyes. "You," he forced out stiffly. "Are the fastest Misterian I have ever seen."
A compliment!?! - What was more shocking was that it was- From Shadow? NO WAY!
James grinned. "Oh, you admit it at last."
Shadow bit his lip, his pride apparently very hurt. "Do not get overly proud yet," He snapped back. "Win the Tests, and I may offer the undeserving you, another half of my respect."
James wanted to point out sharply that he couldn't care less, but his thoughts had drifted off to somewhere else. Shadow had mentioned that tomorrow, they were revealing the challenge for The Tests.
What would it be?
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