A Fight and a n


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain ended up wandering around the room after Lucus stormed off. Weaving between people, she overheard all kinds of gossip and interesting tidbits.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’ve heard that Young Lord Orom can now best swordsmen a circle above…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“My daughter Andrea is turning sixteen. Hopefully, one of the boys this tournament will…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...recalled Sonja, the curse wielder…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...and House Atats are both suffering due to blights.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">However, if she stayed in the same ce for too long, the people would notice her. The conversation would switch to mutterings about ‘House Estom’s new cursed child.’ apparently, the staff of the Estom manor weren’t content to simply speak ill of her to each other; they had spread news of her along with their nickname for her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The adults weren’t the only ones to have issues with Rain; whenever she tried to approach one of the many clusters of children, the group would close ranks to block her out. These highborn people were too good to act out in fear like others Rain had met, but it seemed they had other ways of getting rid of things that made them ufortable.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The few times Rain did manage to force eye contact, it usually ended with the other person flinching or looking away. None were willing to speak with her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain sighed.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">Guess I just need to find somewhere to wait until the duels start.</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Looking around, Rain found something she hadn''t seen the first time she scanned the room: a table covered in food. Suddenly not unhappy at being ignored, Rain went straight to where she could see tes of the brown jelly she had eaten with Lucus.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Grabbing a te, Rain spent a blissful few minutes eating and humming a happy tune. It was even sweeter than the one she had eaten at Estom Manor. When Rain finished, she looked around to see if she could get away with licking the te clean as well. Sadly, no one else seemed to be doing that, and Rain was confident that if she did, it would fuel the gossip about her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Looking at the te with its sweet remnants stuck on the bottom, Rain gave up on them and dejectedly waited for one of the servants toe and take her te like she had seen them do with others. And waited. And waited. Sweeping her gaze around, Rain locked eyes with one of the servants, who quickly looked away.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">Oh, guess no one wants toe near me.</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain found another table close by and ced her te down on it, then stepped back so the servants could im it without having to approach her. Sure enough, before long, a man came and grabbed the te, giving it to a woman who was carrying several dirty dishes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Take this load to the berit and tell them that if they don’t want to lose body parts, they’ll clean them fast and well.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, sir.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain took note of the conversation. She would have to ask about itter. Hope should be able to answer her questions. That would give Rain an excuse to skip her lessons and actually learn something. Plus, Rain just enjoyed being around Hope.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was making her third raid on the food table - this time going for a type of chilled fruit she had never seen before - when the announcement went out that the duels were about to start.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Attention, everyone! Lord Stig Orom willmence the opening of the fall duelingpetition!” a loud voice announced.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain turned towards the voice as the hubbub in the massive room calmed down. Standing atop the dais in the center of the room, a man was bowing and getting out of the way. A gigantic figure with the Orom symbol engraved on his shiny silvery breastte stood to take his ce.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The lumbering man had blond hair and a braided beard. The fur draped over his already massive shoulders gave him a powerful look, and when he spoke, his voice matched.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wee guests to the fall dueling tournament! I look forward to seeing how the next generation holds up. As well as seeing my son defeat all of yours!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain expected someone to call Lord Orom out on his insult, but no one did. At best, Rain heard a few nervous chuckles and saw some hastily covered angry looks. Lord Orom, for his part, seemed amused by the reactions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Now, enough of this, let''s get started! Viggo.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Of course, sir.” said the man who had called for silence, stepping back to the forefront as Lord Orom left the dais. “The duels will be split by age…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man, Viggo, went on and on about the rules; the essential bits were that Lucus would be facing off with other ten to twelve-year-olds. They would be fighting with dulled swords. The matches were decided if one duelist scored a fatal hit, three nonfatal hits, or pushed the other out of the ring. Those who won went on to fight againter; those who lost were out. No outside help was allowed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain scampered over to the ring where Lucus would be fighting. Already, a crowd was forming, albeit smaller than around the other rings, as two boys prepared to fight.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain didn’t recognize either of the boys. They both seemed alright, butpared to the furious cking Rain could hear from some of the other rings, this fight didn’t seem very exciting. Before long, the fight was over with a fatal blow, and one boy left the ring holding his sword high while the other skulked off.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain watched how the people treated the twobatants. The boy who just won was praised and congratted, while the one who lost was mostly ignored. Was this what Lucus was talking about when he said everyone treated the good fighters better than the rest?


    <span style="font-weight:400">If that’s what Lucus is angry about, then Rain just needed to make sure that she helped Lucus win. But how was she supposed to help him without breaking the rules?


    <span style="font-weight:400">While Rain thought, several other matches happened below and a man sitting on the central dais givementary. Rain realized there were three other simr men providingmentary for the other three rings.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Before Rain was ready, Lucus stepped into the ring along with another boy; he still had that grumpy look on his face. Rain looked around to see where Lord and Lady Estom were watching the match but couldn’t find them. Giving up on finding them, Rain made her way to a better vantage point to see the duel. The people around her made way for her, none wanting to be too close to the ‘cursed child.’


    <span style="font-weight:400">From her new vantage point, Rain watched Lucus trade blows with a slightly shorter blond boy. It wasn’t the day''s most exciting match, but both boys seemed to know what they were doing. Lucus fought with a steady, slow pace, mostly blocking but asionally making an attack while his opponent was swinging much faster and sloppier.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain had to bite her lip as she watched Lucus being slowly pushed back. She couldn''t cheer for him right now and risk distracting him again. Maybe she could try distracting the other boy? But with all the noise going on, there was no way Rain could get his attention.


    <span style="font-weight:400">However, Lucus didn’t seem to need her help. Just as he was getting close to the edge, he made a counter lunge at his opponent, who, tired from his frantic whaling, was unable to bring his guard up in time and was stabbed with the blunt point of Lucus’s sword.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The crowd cheered as Lucus was dered the winner. Rain, of course, cheered loudest of all, jumping and waving at Lucus; however, she failed to get his attention as he sculked off the stage as though he had just lost the match. Shouldn’t he be happier?


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was trying to figure out what was wrong when she heard a familiar name. Toivo. The announcer was introducing thebatants, and people were evening from the other rings to watch this Toivo fight. Toivo was a tall boy for his age with the same blond hair as his father. He seemed very familiar with the dueling sword he held, as though he carried it around with himself wherever he went.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Thinking about how much Lucus seemed to dislike the boy, Rain couldn’t help but think he looked like a smug jerk with that half smile. Rain noticed the Estoms joining the crowd as the fight began.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The fight didn’tst long; Toivo beat his opponent with six strikes. The first five were to block the furious onrush of his opponent. The boy seemed to think his only chance of victory was to get a killing blow before Toivo had a chance to fight back. However, Toivo withstood the attack and, with a single counterstrike, shed his opponent across the ribs. The crowd cheered as Toivo raised his sword in the air, an arrogant smirk on his punchable face.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain turned away, unable to look at Toivo any longer. How was she going to help Lucus win against someone like that?


    <span style="font-weight:400">As Rain looked around the pocket in the crowd that formed around her, she stared at a boy. He was one of the fighters who had lost in a previous bout. Something about Rain’s gaze must have reached him because he looked around, wincing when he saw Rain staring. Rain grinned evilly. She had an idea.