The Rise

The Tournament 2

Usually Reina wouldn't bother with these people but she was in a bad mood. The sun started to dip in the sky and no one made anymore moves as they prepared to cross the desert. Reina stood at the edge of the forest where the two terrains touched. Her eyes searching the horizon, just as she looked away she saw something in the sand not far from her. Taking a few steps forward, her foot touched something hard. With a slight wave of her hand, the sand moved to the side and a concrete slab could be seen. Rena realized that her sister found something and walked towards her. "What is it?"

Reina pushed the slab to the side and stairs were revealed. "Which way do you think is safer?" Reina asked Rena but Rena shook her head. "I'm not too sure. This is too coincidental." Reina stood up and dusted her hands. "There are four corners and one center. Five entrances like this one. It was the same for the forest. The exact placement will vary." Rena nods, "That makes sense. But we have to be cautious because this could be a trick." Seeing the two sisters talking, Jackel turned to Sem. "Can you hear what they're saying?" Sem shook his head, "It's a simple sound barrier but it can't be broken. The person who created that barrier has a very strong mental state."

"Who are those two?" The woman Reina kicked earlier asked but the two shrug. "We don't know." Sem looked up at the distance and saw the figure of something big. Reina also the movement, "Looks like we have no choice now." Rena followed her sister's line of sight and with her enhanced vision she saw what those things in the distance were. "Scorpions." Reina walked back to the edge of the forest and took up her sword. "If you're coming, follow closely." Sem immediately stood and followed the two sisters. Rena went down first and Sem followed after. Jackel made up his mind and ran towards them, jumping down the stairs before Reina got in. He had a feeling that she would seal this door after she followed.

The group there ignored Reina's last look towards them before she stepped into the hole. Jackel's thought was right. Reina sealed the door afterwards but it wasn't a deadlock seal, one of the people in that group could unlock the seal if they decide to. In the front, Rena created a fireball to light up the way for them. "There are three paths here. Which should we take?" Sem asked while looking back at Reina but Reina didn't answer. "We split up from here." That was the best choice for them to make. "Choose wisely." The sisters nod to each other and walk into two different paths. Sem and Jackel each ended up following a sister. In the end, no one took the middle tunnel and the path into the two tunnels were erased.

Outside the arena, many were coming out of the illusion. Not because they were finished but because they were heavily injured and couldn't endure any longer. "It seems our Kingdom has a promising future." Prince Kasian's second brother, King of the Fae, King Kaa spoke while looking at his siblings. "Especially that girl that elder brother brought back. She's a mystery isn't she?" Queen Lanai said while taking a sip of tea. "What are you trying to say Lanai?" Grand Princess Kali, the baby of the royal family couldn't help but to ask. She disliked the woman and it was known by all. Queen Lanai looked over at her, "We're in public and I am your my Queen." Kali scoffed, "You're just a filler to make my second brother satisfied."

A hand landed on Kali's shoulder, her third brother, Kalian shook his head. "You!-" A voice suddenly came behind them. "Enough" A light pressure came after the word to make sure everyone stayed quiet. Prince Kasian had arrived with his wife at his side. Erebus stood and greeted the two before sitting down once again. King Kaa didn't miss the interaction and his hands curl into a fist angrily but he had no right to kill the Demon King because he didn't greet him. Nor would he dare to do anything to his Elder brother. Looking away, he continued watching the tournament. His eyes going straight to the image of Reina who seemed to be currently fighting a King Scorpion.

Twenty feet tall black scorpion with a diamond pattern on it's head. It seemed to be guarding the exit to the maze like path. Sem, who followed after her was injured while she seemed to be playing with the scorpion. Sem sat up against the wall and began to slowly heal his wounds but his eyes were trained on the fight. Reina who stood in front of the scorpion had a small smile playing in her lips. "Let us pass and I won't kill you." The scorpion laughed and snapped at her head. "You other Fae don't understand." Reina held the pincher and broke it. "I understand well enough! Let us pass!" The scorpion howled in pain and then looked at Reina in shock.

"You understand our language?" Reina scoffs, "What's so difficult about it? Now let us pass." The scorpion nods and immediately steps to the side. "Pretend to be dead, this illusion barrier makes that idiot think so." The scorpion did as she said and laid on the floor pathetically. Reina waved her hand and the barrier was removed. Sem stood up immediately, "We can go now?" She nods and the two walk towards the stairs upwards. A warm feeling enveloped the scorpion and his pincher healed. After snapping it a few times, he laid back down and waited.

Reina and Sem walked up the stairs and came to a wide open space inside a building. "Rena! Stay with me!" Jackel's voice echoed from the other side of the room. The smell of blood in the air was heavy, indicating that she'd been bleeding for a long time. Reina rushes over to see her sister coughing up blood. Not asking what happened, she bit her finger and drew a circle and two slanted strokes outside of it on Rena's forehead. Rena's body stopped moving and her wounds start healing, it was at this point that she turned to the group in the corner. "You have limited time to explain what happened to my sister or your hidden clan will cease to exist." The hooded group could feel the bloodthirsty aura Reina exuded. The change from worry to anger was so sudden that they didn't know how to react. Sem sat up against the wall and closed his eyes to continue healing while Jackel was still reeling from the shock that Reina healed her sister's injuries so quickly, using blood magic no less.