Blade and Shadow

Chapter 1: Blood on Stone

I chose this song because I figured we could all use a reminder that we are just as human as the people who hate on us. I was originally going to do Diamond by Jake Zyrus but this felt better.

"It's the night you have all been waiting for! Our rising rookie who has been fighting non-stop all week, The Undying Tyrone Ferez". The announcer spun in a circle and waved a hand to one side of the ring.

Elliot watched as the boy pranced into the ring, waving excitedly. He had short cut brown hair and bright grey eyes. With his broad shoulder and frame he could be seen as quite a threat. But so could Elliot.

"And our reigning champion, you know him, you love him. Elliot Sunsong, The War Mage". Elliot stepped out of the Shadows to the cheers of the crowd and Tyrone smirked.

"This is The War Mage, he's skinny". Tyrone laughed. Elliot glanced at the announcer who shrugged. "Your clothes look a little big for you, my boy. Are we sure he isn't a girl".

Elliot clenched his teeth as Tryton continued his rant. It had been sometime since someone had said something like that to him.

Tyrone stopped and turned to Elliot with a grin. "Is there something you would like to say, Kitten, or should we begin".

Elliot grabbed the mike from the announcer and turned to the crowd. "I was thinking about going easy on him, but you heard what he said!". The crowd cheered and Elliot turned to Tyrone. "Yeah I'm ready, Kitten".

The announcer scrambled for the microphone as Elliot tossed it to the side. "Let the battle begin!".

As soon as the crowd went quiet, Tyrone launched himself at Elliot, fists flaming. Elliot ducked to the side, drawing moisture from the air as he went. Ducking into a roll, Tyrone turned and threw a ball of fire at Elliot with a snarl. With a flick of his wrist, Elliot doused the fire.

"Is that the best you've got?" Tyrone challenged.

"Just getting started". Elliot slammed a fist into the ground and watched as the ground around Tyrone turned into a mass of churning sand. Tyrone sank up to his waist and scrambled to climb out.

Elliot walked slowly across the ring and crouched beside the sand pit. "Tell me, Tyrone. What do you know about me?". Tyrone scowled and clawed at the ground trying to pull himself up.

"I imagine you've heard about how I have been fighting since I was thirteen, rising in the ranks until I was the best fighter. Maybe you heard that my father fought here when he was my age, before he got an injury that made it impossible to fight. And maybe, just maybe, you heard about his daughters Daphne and Elizabeth, and how they are also mages. Are you getting what I mean now".

Tyrone stiffened. "I didn't mean any offense, I was just-"

"Doesn't change the fact that you did it". Elliot stood and delivered a swift kick to Tyrone's nose and the fighter blacked out. With a sigh, Elliot turned to the announcer. "I'll take my payment now".

~~~

Elliot hummed to himself as he walked through the dark streets, an apple in one hand, his money in the other. Winter was just around the corner and the streets smelled of smoke and rust.

"Nothing like the holidays in New Ivy Haven" Elliot muttered, taking a bite out of the apple and frowning. It tasted like iron, probably not a good sign. Elliot tossed it over his shoulder and rounded the corner with a yawn.

Two boys leapt to their feet when they saw him and Elliot sighed. "Please tell me the two of you weren't waiting here all on the small chance that I would take this route". He tried to step around but Malachi blocked his path. Janus stepped forward and Elliot grimaced. "What do you want?".

Janus grinned. "We just wanted to congratulate you on your latest win. You always do end up on top".

Elliot rolled his eyes. "You seem surprised, am I really that forgettable". Malachi snickered but stopped when Janus glared at him. "I appreciate the gesture but I have places to be. Now please move". He took a step forward but Malachi stayed where he was.

"I don't think you heard me, so I'll say it again. Get. Out. Of. My. Way" Elliot hissed. Malachi glanced at Janus who shook his head. Now Elliot was really getting annoyed.

"What do you really want? I know you didn't come just to say congratulations. You would have told someone else to do it. So just spit it out".

Janus pouted. "Am I not allowed to come and say hello?".

"You already did, get out of my life" Elliot spat. Janus smiled with that disgusting smile of his.

"I miss having you around" Janus said, wrapping his arm around Elliots shoulders. Elliot smacked his hand away and turned so that his back was facing Janus.

"Well I don't. Why don't you get that?" Janus wrapped his arms around Elliot again and hummed.

"I know you miss me too, you don't need to lie to yourself".

Elliot made a face and pulled away from Janus. "Just leave me alone, okay. I don't think you understand how personal space works so I'll try to explain it. When someone says they want to be left alone, you leave them alone. You don't follow them around, and you definitely do not touch them in ways that make them uncomfortable".

Janus scowled and moved back. "Then by all means, do what you must". Malachi stepped to the side and Elliot pushed past him.

~~~

Daphne coughed in her sleep and Elliot closed his eyes. "It's getting worse, my fathers are scrambling to find a cure but it all costs too much and we barely have enough as it is. I'm worried".

Catrina frowned and shifted her position in the window. "Didn't you earn some money at the fight today? They usually pay you a lot".

Elliot scoffed. "They do, but the doctor amped up his price again. Now we need to get five hundred credits, and she's dying as we speak". Elliot glared at the stars and Catrina wrapped her arms around him.

"I'll do whatever it takes to help. I can chip in with the money I earn".

Elliot frowned at her. "You don't even earn that much money. And what if you get caught".

Catrina laughed. "I never get caught. No one can catch me. I am a shadow in the night, a cat with fur of the darkest shade of black". She smiled at him with her crescent moon smile and Elliot sighed.

"I still don't think it would work". Elliot sucked in a breath. "Maybe if I joined the army we could get enough-"

"Nope!" Catrina slammed her hands onto the windowsill and Elliot flinched. "They would put you on the front lines and you would die before you even got your first paycheck. It's rigged so that all the rich boys and girls get to strap on fancy metals and say that they earned it, while people like us die painful and slow deaths and then make our children pay for the plot of hole that they dump our ashes into," Catrina snapped.

She was blinking back tears and Elliot mentally slapped himself. Catrina's parents had died in the war and Catrina hadn't been able to say goodbye to them because she had no money to pay for their funeral. Elliot's parents, Vardaan and Andres, always offered to let her live with them but Catrina refused, claiming that she slept better with the stars watching her.

"Catrin, I'm so sorry. I forgot about your parents".

Catrina laughed but Elliot could see sadness in her eyes. "Eh, it's all right. We low born know what it means to be loyal to your family" she nodded across the street with a sigh. "You've got some fans watching us".

Elliot followed her gaze and cursed. Malachi and Haydn were standing across the street, very clearly watching them. "I swear Janus has never heard of the word privacy. I ran into him after the fight and he was not modest".

Catrina eyed him skeptically. "Sounds like you need to learn how to say no in a way that's dumb enough for him to understand". Then she was gone, and Elliot was alone.

Ta da, what did you think? Was it good?