Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

58 - Tournament Detailed

Xyder Zephyr - POV;

"Soooooo...... Can someone tell me what exactly is going on with this tournament?" I inquired as I dropped on the hotel's bed.

"Weren't you listening to a word they said at the stadium?" Sorine sighed.

"Nope," I admitted.

"And why not?" Evie asked gruffly, "What exactly were you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Now can we please get over this?" I begged.

"Fine, I'll show it to you then. Geez," my sister muttered.

Flipping open the pamphlet, she began her explanation, "Each Clan has two teams, each with five members maximum. The tournament is structured differently from our own Battle of the Crown and as a result, not all of the events are being held inside of the Collesium. The best example is the first event. In said event, all participants will be taken to the enormous wasteland to the West of the City. Here the teams will be posted at various points along the edge of the area and no two teams from the same clan will start near to each other."

"I see, so they're splitting us up. This heightens the chance that stronger clans may be defeated if they face off against a weaker clan that has a good ability to find each other. Five versus ten is clearly a loss," I remarked.

"Correct," she confirmed, "Twenty teams will be dropped in and we are to spend at least three days surviving out there before the gates are opened and we are allowed to move in to the finish at the centre of the area on day four. Only fifteen teams maximum will be allowed to complete but it is possible that even less may move on. This is because there are certain requirements that must be met in order for a team to complete. There are fifty shrines scattered throughout the Wasteland. Twenty five of them hold a gem of Yin while the rest hold a gem of Yang. Each team may only qualify if both of these gems are in their possession. On top of this, only the members of a team who cross within five minutes of the time that the first member enters may move on. So simply put, if Sorine crosses and only two others cross by the time five minutes has passed then only said three will move on. When it comes to retrieving the gems, you may acquire it by any means, even if you have to defeat another team to do so. The rules with sparring are rather loose and questionable however,
since according to them, you fight as hard as you can even if it means the death of your opponent. At anytime, a member may call to be removed from the field by moderators for whatever reason be it health or injury, but that person is no longer viable to continue in the event after that and is immediately disqualified, thus their team would become a member short."

"Interesting. So that's the type of game this is?"

"Furthermore," Evie continued, "here is where things become interesting. The tournament works on a point basis. In the first event, merely reaching the end earns your team two points but for every extra gem that you own your team will recieve two extra points. In addition to this, every battle you engage in against an enemy team where you come out victorious by either defeating a team or making them retreat will net you extra points based on performance. The events following will all follow a point system as well but we have not been told the specifics of those events yet. On the day they said they would share more so we should be prepared for anything. Once these points are tallied up, the teams with the highest points from rank one through eight will be selected to compete in an elimination, team versus team tournament to determine the ultimate victor."

"And that is where we'll take home the trophy," I grinned as I rose to my feet and flexed my lats.

"Of course we will!" Evie cheered, "And we'll hold it ransom until grandfather explains what the hell is going on with that place to you all."

"Well then, only one thing remains to be put in place," I laughed, "Let's hear what our new teams will look like."

"After much consideration of our curret situation, I had come up with new teams as follows; Team Z includes Dagan, Storm, Disas, Winter and Celes while Team X contains you Xy, Sorine, Jaqueline, Satella and myself. Together, we shall trample over all who defies us in a unified stride! Let's hear it for team Zephyr!"

"Let's do this!" we boomed in unison.

* * * *

Nero Mendax - POV;

"Nero! Please listen to my reasoning!" the girl pleaded as I poured myself a cup of green tea.

"Nero!"

I looked back at her, taking note of her flowing sky blue hair which drooped onto her lap in her current sitting position on my bed.

"What is is?" I inquired.

"Why are you doing all of this? This whole charade? By funding this event you are only making yourself more prominant amongst the Elemental Clans! There are so many people out here whom would love to get their hands on you to kill you! I know my clan wouldn't allow us to be together, so please! Please let us just blow this place together and start fresh! We don't need to stay amongst the hell that is due to unfold," she ranted.

"You know I can't do that," I sighed, "if I tried running, Blaze would hunt me down to even the ends of the universe. Not to mention the fact that Fenix would use any means necessary to see me decapitated if they realised whom I was."

"So what then? Am I just supposed to stand by and watch?! Do you know how painful it is to see you go through this?! Why won't you listen to me?! Is it that you couldn't care for me?!" she cried out. I set down my decorated tea cup and approached the girl rapidly. Placing my hand beneath her chin, I raised her head and stared straight into her crimson eyes.

"Lilac Glacia, don't you dare say those words. You know I love you far more than I have any other, even myself. I would never act to intentionally hurt you," I whispered, placing my forehead close to her own.

"Then if that's the case, prove it to me," she smiled placing her hands on the back of my neck and waist while locking her lips against mine.

"We'll both get out of this together. I promise you. And when we do, we'll start our own little happy family away from this all," I stated into her ear.

"Then I'll hold you to those words."