Page 52 of Wild Flame

As if to emphasize his statement, a strong drumbeat started up, and my eyes were drawn back to the arena floor. The five remaining warriors stood at attention in a line at the center. Four men and one woman. Each now held a curved sai blade. To my surprise, I realized I recognized one of them. Selasi—the warrior who had helped me save the child during the attack—was standing tall beside Yesh, looking large and imposing. I hadn’t realized he had been competing until now, but I also wasn’t surprised.

“They fight each other like before?” I asked to clarify. There were five of them—an uneven number—so I wasn’t sure how that would work.

“No.” Zara grinned, a twinkle in her eye. She gestured to the warrior who had just emerged from the tunnel under our feet, as a deafening cheer went up. “They fight him.”

The warrior who strode confidently out into the center of the floor was tall and broad. He was bare-chested like the other men, and his upper body boasted several markings down his arms. Stripes of war paint swept across his shoulders, chest, and back, and though the others were covered in every color imaginable, he was the only warrior marked solely in red.

He carried a sai blade as well, and even before he turned to face us, I knew who it was. I would recognize that powerful frame and commanding stride anywhere.

Malik.

As he turned to face us, standing there with a stoic, intimidating expression, he reminded me of the Zehvitian warriors of old I had seen depicted on some of the wall art in the palace. Powerful and deadly.

“He’s going to fight them all?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice from revealing my anxiety at the idea. I knew he was a dragon rider with the added speed and agility that gave him, but still. Five against one?

“It is tradition. The future king himself must face them in combat,” Tajan explained. “If he spills their blood, the warriors are out and can no longer take part in the fighting. The warrior who draws his blood first wins.”

I swallowed hard and stared down at where Malik stood. I could have sworn that as he stared up into the crowd, Malik’s gaze found our section and stared right back at me. My heart leapt into my throat. I would have bet my talisman that there was the hint of a smirk on his lips.

The gong rang out a final time, and Malik spun as the warriors quickly spread out, surrounding him on all sides.

I had grown up around dragon riders. I knew what they were capable of, but it was still shocking to see Malik in action. Several warriors charged him as one and he met them blow for blow. He moved with brutal efficiency and lethal grace. His blade was a shining blur of silver in the sunlight as he disarmed one and blocked another. He was constantly in motion, never pausing, spinning and lunging and parrying. Once his strike clashed with another’s blade so hard it drove the warrior to take a knee.

All the while, Malik was smiling. Actually, several of the warriors were. It was utterly brutal fighting, but they were all enjoying this.

Eventually, one warrior was disqualified, then another, until only three warriors remained—Yesh, Selasi, and a female warrior named Brunara. By this time, they were all sweaty and breathing hard, but somehow all still managed to look exhilarated.

They attacked Malik individually and in a group but couldn’t seem to find their way past his guard. Until Yesh made a crucial error and Malik lunged, just grazing his side with his sword. Blood welled and Yesh was disqualified, but not before Selasi took advantage of Malik’s distraction and nicked him on the arm.

The entire Nest erupted with cheers. Selasi had won.

The crowd went wild throughout the arena, cheering Selasi on as he did a victory lap and then came to a halt when he stood before his king once more. Selasi took a knee. I was sad Yesh didn’t win, but knew he would still be a member of the Talonar, even if he did not claim the honor of First Warrior.

Malik was grinning widely as he reached across his body and rubbed his thumb along the bloody scratch on his arm. Then he reached down and touched Selasi on the forehead.

I was surprised at the gesture, but then I really shouldn’t have been. I was constantly being reminded I was not in my homeland. My people would have no doubt found the gesture repulsive.Barbaric, my mother would have said. Then again, they wouldn’t have allowed common soldiers to fight their future king either, let alone wound him on purpose.

“I honor you with my blood.” Malik’s loud voice carried over the crowd, which had quieted down. “Rise, Selasi Ashed, as First Warrior and Captain of my Talonar.”

Selasi rose, his expression one of pride as he and Malik clasped forearms.

The other new members of the Talonar moved forward to congratulate their new leader, slapping him on the back, making The Sign of The Warrior, or touching their foreheads to his.

When I turned to look at Harun, he didn’t seem disappointed at all, only happy for his brother.

Then something odd happened. As I watched, several warriors started climbing and leaping over the ten-foot-high wall that surrounded the arena floor to separate and protect the onlookers from what was happening below.

“What are they doing?” I asked Zara.

She grinned as she replied, “Each of the warriors now picks a partner for the dance this evening in order to celebrate their victory.”

Sure enough, once among the crowd, each warrior marked the man or woman of their choice with some of their own war paint. The crowd was loving it. People were cheering and laughing, and I watched as one warrior even looped a woman around the waist and kissed her thoroughly before rubbing his face against hers while she shrieked and laughed.

“It is considered a great honor to be chosen.” If I wasn’t mistaken, there was something almost wistful in Zara’s tone as she said the last.

“You’re still too young,” the queen suddenly interjected.

Zara sighed. “I know. Not to mention they are all too intimidated by Malik to ask me, even if I wasn’t.”

---