Chapter 130 - The Broken Realm

The next day Inna rose again in the east blushing like a maiden. It was the third day of Inna's feast, the day when academies would be allowed to vie for the championship. Being a champion was not a small achievement. There were many perks of being champion of Inna's feast. Such as the Phoenix medallion- which would allow the victor to visit any academy that participated in Inna's feast, to learn their secret arts, browser through their library, and exchange pointers with their apprentices. Overall the visitor became a common pupil of all the participating academies. And with almost all the renowned institutes participating this year, this medallion alone had made the contenders go crazy. 

However, the Phoenix medallion was not the only thing that had allured so many apprentices from all over Varta. 

There were a long list of awards-- 

1. Top three winners would be given the opportunity to study in the Royal Academy for a year. 

2. Top Three winners would have the opportunity to cultivate in the mysterious Inna's shrine, the royal temple of Minaak filled with all kinds of ancient battle arts, and the spirit pool called Amrit lake.

3. Top 100 winners would have the opportunity to choose their dream academies, of course, they could change their current academies too. 

4. Apart from all these, even if someone couldn't make it into 100, he could still get an invitation from an academy if he caught the eye of a judge. 

5. There were hundreds of treasures waiting for the winners to claim. Such as 

Golden Apple of Pachamama:   

The divine fruit was tasted like honey and had magical powers. It could heal the sick or injured, the apple renewed itself as it was eaten, and if thrown, it always hit its target and then returned to the thrower's hand. The magical fruit was a rare commodity of Minaak, and couldn't be obtained anywhere. They said Lord Oman himself had to go to the trading point of the Nimarawood and make deal with the water nymphs for these fruits paying a sumptuous price. Even so, he could get only three fruits after every five years and no more. So one could imagine how precious the apple was. 

Mead of Nuba: 

A rare beverage brewed by Nimohis of Occum shrine. Just one drop could increase one's ability to sense nature's laws by thirty percent. 

The Two-star Armor: 

Made of cosmic gold and essence of wind element. The armor could withstand a blow even from a late apprentice. 

Two drops of four-star dragon's blood: 

It was also a precious treasure, especially for the first years yoddhas. The blood could forge their muscles a new. 

One Drop of The Ghost's Tears: 

The mysterious Elixer was brewed by Ghosts. It could boost the wielder's soul power, thus enhancing their spiritual sense. 

The magical core of Water dragon:

If a wielder assimilated it into his blood, he could control the water element more smoothly. Besides this magical core, there were magical cores of other spirit beasts. Each of them could boost the elemental sensitivity of the wielders more so these first years. Some of them were too precious and rare even to the wealthiest nobles' scions.  Then there were battle arts. 

So one could guess why all these apprentices who had already got accepted in various academies were willing to fight in this event. 

Besides all these prizes, one could not disregard the glory and fame a champion would get after the events. And in Mazia, reputation and fame decided almost everything. 

*******

When Ishit reached the stadium, it was already packed with crowds. The announcer's voice was booming out in the colosseum. Guha and Nandani were sitting with their guild's apprentices. Guha waved at him from the distance. 

"Where the hell did you disappear yesterday?" Guha's voice hissed in Ishit's mind. 

"Finishing the orders in the smithy." lied Ishit. The same lie he had fed to his parents and annoying Karuvaki, who was accompanying him today as Esha was leading her guild today. 

"Oh! smith's life sucks, then. By the way, with whom are you fighting today? " Guha asked again telepathically. 

"Al-Drum from the Academy of Dragons. " Ishit replied checking his token again.

"What! " Guha's voice boomed in his already buzzing mind. Ishit couldn't help but grimace. 

"Are you alright?" Karuvaki asked in a concerned tone. Ishit didn't know what the girl was cooking since yesterday. For some reason, her behavior did one-eighty, and she became sweet and caring. 

"I'm fine," Ishit said. 

"Boy, did you annoy Mari somehow? Why, of all the apprentices, have you got matched against him? " Guha said. 

( in Old Ways, Mari was the god of fate who creates the future of all men)

"I have gathered some intel from my guild. Al-Druma is someone from the royal family of Druk-Yul. He has mastered all the spirit diagrams and started to refine his dragon blood. You've got to be careful, boy. These dragons are infamous for their cruelty." Guha added. 

"Okay! But you shouldn't forget, If he is a dragon, then I'm the scion of a dragon tamer," said Ishit, ignoring his throbbing right eye. All night he had been tossing and turning on the floor, with no sleep. 

He didn't know what was happening to his brain. He didn't dare to visit Nimohi. He was afraid they would send him to the Occum shrine. 

Ishit couldn't help but smile ruefully at the irony. Just three days ago he was comforting Guha and was planning to accompany him to the Occum Shrine. But now he could understand why his friend was not telling anything to Aunt Avantika. The visit to the Occum Shrine could blemish their entire lives. In people's eyes, anyone who visited the shrine had some sort of mental impairment and was unacceptable in their circle.  Even more so, if the patient was the future lord of a province. 

Udolf's mysterious pill had nothing but to make him blank out for a ghadi. His mind was still reeling. Ishit didn't how he would battle today. 

"You know whom I will be fighting today," asked Guha. Ishit could feel unusual excitement in his friend's voice. 

"No! " Ishit replied back. 

"Emilia!" Guha chirped back. 

"Who is she?"

"You guess!"

"Just tell me, man. "

"Diana's sister." 

"Are you asking some riddles? "

"Haha! Our atta-boy Drona has fallen in love. " Guha's giggled. 

"Stop the nonsense!" Ishit said, "and tell me who is this Emilia. Don't tell me you've lost your heart. "

" Boy, you have to believe me. I have solid evidence. Emilia had saught out Esha yesterday, asking her about Drona. It was she who told us about the scandal." Guha said in a serious tone. 

Ishit couldn't help but ponder. Why didn't Esha mention anything to him? But again, they hadn't met except at breakfast this morning. But even so, she should have told Lord Father or Mother. It was not a small matter. 

"Did she tell that her sister and Drona were fooling around in the academy?" Ishit couldn't help but doubt the nonsensical news. 

"Not exactly! But you know a wise man only needs a hint." Guha said, 

"Have a snake bit you? Why are you frowning  all of sudden?" Karuvaki nudged Ishit. 

"Now I can't even frown." Ishit couldn't help but get annoyed. He was lamenting his decision of accompanying the evil girl. 

"Only dolts scowl without a rhyme and reason."  She said puffing her rosy cheeks. 

Ishit clenched his teeth. His emotions were already in a disarray. And the tear-doused face of  Onish's mother had been hunting him all night. 

"What? Do you want me to tell Aunt? " Karuvaki asked, giving him a threatening look. 

"What?"

"About the girl! Don't think I can't see where your eyes wandering to. " Ishit felt his right eyes would burst apart with pain if he continued to talk to the girl. 

Thanks to Spirit.  The announcer called out the candidates' names for the first match. 

Unlike last matches, only two participants were called out this time. 

Tahir, the boy Ishit fought in his first match, stepped into the coliseum. and at the same time from the other gate walked in Narang, clad in a red cloak with a griffin sigil on his chest. The apprentice of Riverdell Academy cheered out.

Narang smiled as he waved at his fellow apprentices and walked into the large arena. As Tahir had yet to gain popularity and he was an independent participant like Ishit, so nobody cheered for him. 

Tahir also stepped into the arena and bowed light to Narang, an old courtesy among warriors having sparring matches. 

However, Narang didn't return the friendly gesture. 

With the crier's loud voice. The match started. 

And Ishit soon realized why they hadn't called for group matches like the last time. 

Narang disappeared with a flash and the next thing crowd see Tahir flying in the air like a rag doll. 

With lightning speed, Narang appeared in the air and began to punch Tahir, without giving him any chance to retaliate. 

What the fuck it was!  Ishit's eyes popped out of his socket. 

Note: 

Spirit School pass-out warriors couldn't be taken lightly. Most of them had got special training from their personal mentors.

A few of them could even defeat ordinary city guards.