They stopped at the entrance of what could only be a large cave and waited for the other group to arrive.
With GinWan standing to one side with a bored expression on his face, and FanSai just standing there, like a lifeless statue waiting for the next order to move, ZaiWin was the only one who actually showed an interest in the dark entrance looming right in front of them. The air, coming from inside it, felt cooler and more moist than outside, and he couldn't see anything that looked remotely like a source of light.
Once more, this would be the perfect arena for him, if he would only be allowed to use his daitai.
The sound of footsteps made him turn around and a mental curse took over his thoughts.
Like their group, the one approaching them had also lost a member, sometime during the afternoon. But what immediately captured his attention was the tall, large man with an ugly scar running down his face walking at the front, and the much smaller, much leaner blond boy walking in the back.
He'd seen the large man before, when the Calzai had introduced the three men that would take part in the tournament. Like FanSai, who didn't even blink at the sight of his companion as if he were some unknown stranger, and like RouZen, with his devious but pleasant smile, the large one had also lined up beside the Calzai when his name had been called out. MaoZao, ZaiWin recalled, his gaze falling on the man's large arms, thick muscles bulging beneath his clothes. The sword he carried looked like a child's toy in his hands.
And then there was the blond kid, he grimaced inwardly. CarFan? Was that what the others had called him?
Like CalWan, he looked to be one of the oldest kids that had attended the Gathering, and he was none other than the idiot who had pushed him into the river.
And yet, now that he watched him a bit closer, he didn't look to be feeling all that well. Before he had been all bravado, arrogant pride and a huge, and unjustified, complex of superiority. But now he looked pale, his blue eyes wide and haunted, a certain crazed expression on his face. Something must have happened, ZaiWin knew immediately. Something the little lord was having trouble dealing with. So much so that, even though they were all now standing next to each other, the other boy had yet to notice his presence.
The two guides of both groups conferred for a brief moment, checking the painted rocks, and then returned to them with the already familiar black bag on their hands.
"Here you go. Please pick one," the man said, offering the bag to GinWan, and he rolled his eyes in disgust before sticking his hand inside it and pulling out a red rock.
The bag was then offered to the other kid on CarFan's group, and then to CarFan himself, who practically jumped out of his skin when he noticed that someone was actually talking to him.
When the bag was finally offered to him, ZaiWin couldn't help hesitate. This time around his chances of him drawing a rock that would grant him a peaceful combat were close to none. On one side he had two of the Calzai's men. On the other he had the cold-blooded GinWan, and the crazed-looking CarFan. He could only wish he would draw blue and be paired with that other kid.
As if the universe would ever conspire to help him, he sighed, looking at the yellow color of his rock. CarFan it was, he sighed again.
Since everyone else had already drawn their rocks, it was clear that the other two kids standing there, one of them being GinWan, would inevitably be paired with the Calzai's men.
FanSai was just about to draw his rock when GinWai threw his away, over his shoulder, with a snort.
"Heh! I give up."
They all stared at him in confusion.
"Are you sure? You don't even know who your adversary will be," the man that had guided the other group told him, a doubtful expression on his face.
"As if that would make any difference," GinWan replied, fastidiously waving his hand in the air. "The only way to claim victory over any of these two is by killing them. And I am sure uncle Yu wouldn't appreciate it if I were to go around, killing his men," he declared, to which MaoZao immediately frowned, his dark eyes burning with rage. The way he'd put it clearly implied that he would be able to easily kill them, if he wished to do so, and that the only reason why he refrained from doing it was because he did not wish to displease the Calzai.
Completely ignoring GinWan's declaration and MaoZao's fuming fury, FanSai resumed what he was doing and pulled out a red rock. Guess he was the lucky one that would win without a fight, ZaiWin thought. Which meant that the already riled up MaoZao would fight the other kid.
"Well, since GinWan has already forfeit his combat, FanSai, plus one. GinWan, minus one," the man still holding the bag declared.
GinWan shrugged nonchalantly and walked away, to sit down in the shade, beneath a tree.
"Blue ones, step forward."
MaoZao immediately obeyed, still throwing murderous glares towards where GinWan now sat, and ZaiWin silently shook his head. The poor kid that was going to fight him was in for a beating. MaoZao visibly belonged to the kind of people that would easily lose his temper and then take it out on other, unconcerned, people.
"I have a question!" the kid declared, his face unexpectedly serious, his expression set. Apparently he really intended to do his best and fight the huge man.
"Yes?"
"How will you be able to fairly judge our fight if you'll be standing out here?"
Well, that was a fair question, ZaiWin agreed, also wanting to know the answer.
"There are seeing crystals inside the cave and we will be using one of these," one of the judges replied, showing them what looked very much like a blindfold, the difference being that it was made of dark crystal.
So that how it was, ZaiWin thought, wondering if they had used something like that to judge the duels from the previous arena, where they'd been so high above the ground that all one could see were small, little dots.
The kid also looked satisfied with his answer and, thanking him for the explanation, firmly stepped into the cave, followed by his huge adversary.
ZaiWin took a deep breath. Now he knew that the judges could see what was happening inside the cave, but he couldn't, he frowned, feeling disappointed. And just waiting outside, with nothing to do, was actually quite unnerving, he soon realized.
Discreetly taking a peek towards CarFan and at his deranged expression, he wondered if he had even seen him standing there. He probably hadn't, he concluded, or at the very least he'd already been the target of a few derogatory comments.
As he'd foreseen, it didn't take long until a loud scream of pain echoed from the cave. And, just a few minutes later, MaoZao reemerged, looking much more relaxed and in a much better mood than when he'd went inside.
"Are you going to get him or do you want me to do it?" asked their guide, taking off his crystal blindfold, and the guide from the other group sighed with tired expression.
"I'll go. He is one of mine, after all."
They waited again, and then the guide finally emerged from the cave, carrying a sobbing kid in his arms. And yet, the moment he carefully set him down on the ground with his back against a large boulder, he immediately turned away, clearly not caring if the kid lived or died.
"MaoZao, plus one. MinNur, minus one."
ZaiWin looked at the poor kid and had to hand it to him. He was by far the bravest and more dignified contestant he seen the entire day. Holding on to his obviously shattered leg, he was doing his best to hold his tears back, using breathing techniques to control the pain. He knew those techniques by heart. ZenTar had hammered them into his head a long time ago. And so he immediately knew that MinNur was the child of some noble Clan from the Zai Province. A shame he would inevitably be left behind when they moved on the next day.