Chapter 40 #4
“First Healer Donivi has chosen to honorably relinquish his right to challenge, but First Scholar Torvii bravely steps forward!” The crowd roared, jumping in excitement. Both options were acceptable but only one was worth the show. The announcer paused only a moment, letting the tension rise. Then-
“Rai!”
The men charged each other. Torvii was older, not enough that he was turning gray like Donivi, but his skin had definitely lost most of its vibrancy. His body, however, had not yet lost any of his strength or skill.
His first claw strike slid right past Atem's face as he dodged it with a chuckle. Atem danced around him, always just staying a hair away from Torvii's blows.
Peony wasn't worried. Torvii was an older man, after all. But as the battle continued on past the one minute mark, a flurry of blows just barely missing Atem, she wondered if maybe she was grossly underestimating the skills of the Firsts.
As First Scholar, Torvii was the smartest man on the planet, with a perfect knowledge of the Omoni Otorsi, and full, working knowledge of every major scientific field, as well as being the leading authority in at least one of them.
That kind of epic nerd status was not something Peony associated with a male who could go hand to hand with the greatest warrior on the planet.
But it really seemed like he was doing well.
Atem wasn't doing any hitting, but he also wasn't getting any hits in on him.
Like he had all the challengers before him, he was adapting his fighting style to Torvii and allowing the older male to tire himself out.
Always stepping out of his way. Always just out of reach of his claws – both on his hands and feet.
Until, after one wide swipe, that just barely caught him on the chin, he grabbed Torvii's wrist and threw him over his back, slamming him on the ground. He dropped, putting his knee against his neck, applying just enough pressure to make his point.
Grunting, Torvii tried to swipe at him with his free hand, but Atem caught it. He struggled against his knee for just a moment before going limp. Atem remained on him for only a second longer, proving his superiority, before standing.
The crowd roared their approval. Atem chuckled, offering Torvii a grin. The older man looked angry for just a second before his face smoothed. He stood gracefully before saluting him.
“I admit my defeat and recognize your authority and power, vi Dominani,” he said formally, using his title for the first time in Peony’s memory.
Atem grunted at him once before turning. Peony smiled as his three eyes fell on her. He approached, wiping his thumb across the small cut on his jaw, gathering the drop of blood that had welled up. He smirked at her before smearing the drop over her lower lip.
Peony watched him, trapped in his thrall, until he turned and walked back to the others. Some of the blood slipped through her partially open mouth and touched her tongue. She expected it to taste foul or, at the least, unpleasant. Like blood, essentially.
But the strong metallic taste, much stronger than that of her own blood she was used to, didn't taste bad at all. It was very obviously blood, but it just seemed to flip all the positive switches of her taste buds in a way that would have surprised her if the next battle wasn't already starting.
This time, Atem fought against the First Voice. Peony didn't know him well; she wasn't even certain about his name. His fighting style was very showy and playful. It seemed more like a game to him. One that Atem was happy to play as they chased each other over the platforms around the arena.
After a couple minutes of a remarkably playful fight, like a brawl between siblings that both happened to be martial artists, Atem threw the First Voice over an edge.
They were below the main platform, so he didn't fall far.
He hit the sand in a low crouch, like they practiced it, and stood to appreciative cheers for both him and Atem.
When both males returned to the main platform, the First Voice saluted Atem and said, as Torvii had-
“I admit my defeat and recognize your authority and power, vi Dominani.” Atem laughed and slapped him on the back before turning his eyes to his next opponent.
This time, it was First Guardian Havali. The gorgeous, softly smiling male did his customary salutes and got into position without a word. Atem followed suit and, at the announcer's call, they rushed towards each other.
Another first, another fighting style. Havali was a quick fighter, like Torvii, but his attacks weren't wild or rapidly compiled on top of each other. It looked like each movement he made, while quick, was still well thought out and deliberately placed.
Atem met him with equal seriousness, standing his ground and blocking and dodging, but acting like an unmoving rock.
When Havali stepped in just a bit too close, Atem took full advantage, slamming his fist, not his claws, into his solar plexus.
Then, his elbow up into his nose when he bent double.
Finally, his knee into his side when he reeled back, sending him falling.
Havali caught himself as he was tumbling over the edge, the claws of one hand cutting through the wood, his arm at an awkward angle, when he finally stilled.
Before he could use his other hand to take hold of the edge and pick himself up, Atem was there, grabbing him by the hair and lifting him, putting his claws to his neck.
Havali, snarling, went limp, accepting his defeat. Atem grinned and lowered his claws and helped pull him back up. Havali gave him the same line as the others then stepped back to join them as Tuvo, cracking his knuckles, stepped up last.
“My First Warrior,” Atem said, saluting him with a warm smile.
Tuvo smirked and quickly saluted Peony and the others before focusing back on Atem. He didn't lift his claws, but instead raised his fists, surprising Peony. Every other challenger had predominantly used their claws.
“Dominani, I look forward to this fight,” Tuvo said, smirking arrogantly.
“Rai!” The announcer shouted over the eagerly cheering crowd.
Tuvo, the leader of all the warriors of the domini, was supposed to be second in combat prowess only to the dominani himself. He was such a huge guy, Peony expected him to be a total hulk in battle, big and strong but slow and predictable.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
Tuvo charged in so fast, she jumped. Atem tried to dodge and failed, earning a fist to his shoulder that sent him flying back as though he had been struck by a battering ram. He flew right over the edge of the platform, turning in the air and landing on a tilting ledge below.
He was smirking, turning and running to leap to a nearby space instead just at Tuvo jumped after him.
Atem climbed the vines holding up the platform just as Tuvo landed on it.
It shook and, for a second, Peony thought the movement dislodged him.
Right until Atem landed with a hard kick to Tuvo's shoulder, sending him falling back.
Tuvo grabbed the edge of the platform, and his weight pulled the entire thing down. Atem used his claws to climb up and balance on the edge as it pointed skyward. He laughed, looking down at his First Warrior as he climbed up using only his claws piercing the wood.
“Almost got me that time, Tuvo,” he taunted, tail tip flicking with amusement.
Tuvo got high enough that his feet could reach the edge.
His toe claws dug into the wood, and he practically threw himself up in defiance of gravity.
Atem jumped back, doing a flip for seemingly no other reason than to show off, before catching the vines of a different landing entirely. He climbed up as Tuvo gave chase.
It was the first time all day that Peony had seen Atem on the run, and the sight made her belly clench with unease.
Atem, however, was laughing as though he were having a great time as he allowed Tuvo to hunt him down through the various flats as he climbed up, further and further. Past the large center platform. Higher and higher as the combots struggled to keep with both males.
Atem was fast, and his ability to change direction on a dime made her worry for his joints. But his speed and agility kept him just out of Tuvo's range.
It took until Tuvo made a wild swing and shattered the wood that Atem had just leapt from that she realized that Atem wasn't running.
Like every opponent before, he had adjusted his fighting style to the challenger's.
It just so happened that Tuvo's massive size translated into a strength that Atem knew better than to let in close.
Instead, he was exhausting him by dancing just out of his reach, straining his much bigger body by suddenly turning and spinning, forcing him to change equally fast to keep up, and hurt himself by breaking things with his blows.
The wood he shattered had left deep marks on his fist that bled in long rivulets as he grabbed a hanging vine, nearly losing grip from his own blood, before continuing the pursuit.
Atem led Tuvo all the way to the highest landing. Sunlight fell almost completely unimpeded on both males, creating a halo effect on the video feeds as Atem turned and, this time, stood his ground as Tuvo came towards him with a powerful punch.
Atem grabbed his hand, pushed it away, then used the momentum to get in close and slam his elbow into Tuvo's nose.
Blood welled up, but Tuvo didn't fall back.
His massive arms tried to grab Atem in a grapple that he neatly ducked under.
Then, grabbing Tuvo around the waist, he charged forward like a football player grappling a tackling dummy.
Tuvo slammed his elbow down, driving it into Atem's back, but he couldn't keep his footing as Atem, with a roar of effort, pushed him back.