I took the map and headed towards the gym. I couldn't trust Elly. I mean, we got lost looking for the cafeteria. I can't imagine she'd know where the gym is also at.
"Dex we don't need the map. I know where the gym is. Since you didn't read your student handbook you probably don't know that there are student rankings. There are two student ranking criteria: One is academic, in other words test scores, and the other is how strong they are. Also, the top four students of each grade level, sixteen students in total, then fight among each other and the top five of those are selected to be representatives of Griffin Academy at the Battle of the Kingdoms tournament that happens six months from now."
"Ah really? You mean that fighting thing that they would always broadcast above the fountain back home?"
"Yeah, wait, didn't you see me fighting?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? You were selected to represent Griffin Academy last year?"
Elly then straightened herself as straight as she could and had a smug face on. She then said. "Why of course little Dex. Don't you know how amazing I am? I mean I don't mean to brag, but I was the first first year to be selected to participate in the Battle of the Kingdoms here at Griffin Academy."
I then felt a chill down my spine and then I noticed how Elly's facial expression slowly changed. Her eyes were staring daggers at me.
"So what you're telling me Dex is that you didn't watch me participate last year? Were you to lazy to get up and walk two blocks and watch? You really couldn't support me from back home?"
"No I didn't mean to. You know how you've always been stronger than me ever since we were young? Well, when my dad told me that you were accepted to the academy, I also wanted to go. I asked my dad how I could get stronger and that stupid old man then kidnapped me in the middle of the night and dropped me deep in the forest. He then told me to survive and that he'd be back for me when the time was right. I was in the forest for about eight months. That stupid old man said that he forgot about me and that the only reason he remembered was because he heard that the examiner from Griffin Academy was going to be here the following day. That was when he remembered that he left me in the forest. Just remembering it makes me angry all over again."
Elly has always been good at magic sine she's been young. People are usually able to use basic magic of all the natural elements. For example, someone can create a tiny flame or they can make pebble come out from the ground or if it is hot out, they can create a small gust of wind. People can even squirt a little bit of water. However, using tools like a match stick or a handheld fan is more efficient than using the most basic of magic. Magic is useful in everyday life, but it isn't necessary. Even though regular people can use magic, this doesn't mean that everyone that can use magic are magicians. Magicians are those with a strong affinity to one or two elements. They can pass the regular limit of just squirting a little bit of water. If they have a water affinity, they can summon rain or part the oceans. Elly is a special type of magician. She has an affinity with all the natural elements: Earth, fire, water, and air. This means that if Elly practices hard enough, she can part the oceans while making it rain flames or giant boulders the size of a town. Four element type magicians are very rare. One in every five hundred thousand people are four-element magicians. There are only about 500 or so living magicians that are four element magicians. Being able to tell what type of a magician someone is is by the color of the magical aura they emit when releasing magic. Four element magicians emit a black aura, while fire emits a red aura, water blue, earth brown, air green. There are also unique element magicians. They are magicians that have a unique type of magic. For instance, there are magicians that are able to use lightning. There are also magicians that are able to summon different and unique creatures. The aura color of these unique magicians vary from person to person.
We finally arrived at the gymnasium.
"Alright Dex, here we are.
WHOA! The gymnasium is huge! It is like a shiny castle. The gym is not only tall, but also wide!
There are a lot of kids waiting outside of the gym.
"Look isn't that the first year that Wilton challenged?"
"That kid is a first year?"
"He's tall and quite good looking!"
"I heard that he is from the same village as Elly."
"Really? What is the village called?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think it is big village since Elly was the first from that place to get accepted here."
Elly and I walked past the crowd and entered the gymnasium.
WOW! The inside is even more amazing than the outside.
There is a huge arena in the middle of it and further down there are many more smaller arenas.
"Dex, you see that huge arena? That is where the important fights happen. Those small arenas over there are used by kids to practice. You can ask your teacher and request a specific time that is allocated for you to use one of the arenas to practice."
"Elly what are those rooms over there to our right?"
"Oh those rooms to our right are changing rooms and those rooms to the left are the weapons rooms. You can borrow a weapon to practice and if you get chosen as a representative to represent Griffin Academy in the Battle of the Kingdoms, you get a weapon made specifically for you."
"Oh, wow! What is your weapon?"
"My weapon is two daggers. It is two black daggers made from a dragon's scale."
"Ah, is it made from that dragon that your mom killed when we were younger?"
"Yeah it is. I wasn't interested in having a weapon, but the school insisted that I must have one and since I had that dragon scale necklace and bracelets that my mom made me, I had just enough material for the smiths to make me two daggers."
"Yeah having weapons seems weird since our parents just told us to use whatever is in our environment for hunting."
"Yeah, but at least they taught out hand to hand combat."
"Hand to hand combat.....right......that was very useful against the animals back home....
Elly are you even good at using the daggers?"
"No, not really. I remember the steps that my mom taught me when I was younger, but that is it. I usually just throw them when I am bored. Or I use them to cut up some fruits."
"Yeah me too. I just remember the small amount of swordsmanship that my mom taught me when I was young. In the forest, I did not use a sword to hunt. During my 8 month adventure, I used whatever I found laying around. "
Elly and I kept walking towards the huge arena.
There was a huge crowd of students sitting on the seats outside of the arena.
I saw that student that challenged me. He was waiting for me in the arena.
"So you actually came."
I went inside the arena. Elly stayed outside of the arena waiting for me.
The arena was surrounded by a thin and translucent layer of magic that was used as a protective barrier to protect those on the outside of it.
I walked up to him and smiled and then said, "Well, this is my first time fighting another person that I don't know. Good Luck!"
I put my hand out to shake hands with him, but he just laughed and walked away.
"Lets just get this started."
"Uh, so what do we do?"
He face palmed and I turned to look at Elly and she looked embarrassed.
Elly whispered to herself and said, "Dex really is stupid...."
"Huh? How am I supposed to know if it is my first time?"
Elly pointed to the floor and then I looked down.
There was a rectangle where I had to stand in. It said "stand here when ready."
Ah....
I then stood in the rectangle. There was then a loud announcement that said, "Arena 1, exhibition match between Dexter Light, first year, and Wilton Dreyf, second year. The match will begin in five seconds. 5...4...3....2....1...Start!"
Wilton then charged at me. He let out flames from the bottom of his feet and hands. He got in front of me in an instant. He swung with his left. I dodged right and countered with a right hand. Wilton smacked my hand downward with his right hand and countered me with a left elbow. I dropped to dodge his elbow strike and dig a leg swipe. Wilton jumped and dodged with a back flip and when the bottom of his legs were in front of me, he let out flames. I blocked the flames with my right hand. Wilton was now a couple of steps in front of me. He then smiled and positioned himself in a fighting stance with his fists up.
All of his attacks packed a punch since they were powered by flames.
"WOW!"
"That first year is actually keeping up with Wilton!"
"I didn't even get to see everything. They're so fast!"
"Did that first year even use any magic? I didn't sense any magic coming off of him!"
"Yeah me neither!"
"Wow! What a monster just blocking flames with his bare hands! Is he even human?"
Do they think I can't hear them and what do they mean by am I human? I know I'm at least half a human. My mom is an angel, but my dad....I don't know who's scarier the wild beasts or my dad. At least beats protect their children. They don't throw them in a deathtrap all alone by themselves. That stupid old man...
How did he marry my angel of a mother?
Elly smiled and shouted, "Hey Dex! Stop playing with him and finish it already! I don't want his loserness to rub off the longer you're in there with him."
The students looked puzzled.
They whispered among one another.
"Is that Elly shouting? I don't think I've ever heard her voice let alone heard her shout!"
"Whoa the calm and stoic Elly is not only smiling, but is also shouting!"
"I guess that first year and Elly are really close."
"Elly seems a lot more approachable now doesn't she?"
I smiled and got focused again after hearing Elly. She's right. I shouldn't waste any more time. It is mean to give others false hope.
"That stupid girl. Who does she think she's looking down on! Him! Beat me!?! I'll show you not to look down on me!"
Wilton then lunged himself forward towards me again. He got even faster. His flames turned blue and became almost clear.
I smiled.
Wilton thought to himself "Huh? Why did he smile?"
Wilton got faster, but that only meant I had to get faster than him.
Wilton lunged forward and instead of swinging with his left, he swung with his right. He swung at an after-image of myself.
I was already behind him.
Wilton turned around and as soon as he turned around, I spun my body clock-wise and landed a kick on Wilton's temple. Wilton's body then spun and he fell down. He was knocked out cold.