Arthur woke up mere minutes before dawn, feeling very relaxed. He laid on his bed for a while since he wasn't in too much of a rush, because the rites began at first light.
After his dad had told him what transpired during the meeting with regard to the rites, he wasn't at all enthusiastic as so many would have been when told that the were embarking on a journey which would forever define change their status as being confirmed official rings of the order.
Arthur's father- Asake was a bit surprised by this but he put it out of his mind when he remembered that as far back as he could walk, Arthur never really talked to anyone without being asked to, his only company being his two friends Rick and Merlin with whom he felt at ease with ; sometimes the trio would venture into the forest together and train, sharpening their rings day by day.
Arthur soon got up from his bed which was from am erection of bamboo, bound together by strings. sloucher to his feet increasing in length bit by bit until he reached his peak height of five foot eight, not a towering size but still more than enough to match his physique.
He yawned and did a few stretches after which he proceeded to a series of odd poses; such as holding his right leg up to his head with his right hand and then bending back slowly with his left feet not moving as he bent backwards.
Another was a stance which he made by bending backwards again but this time he grabbed his left foot while still in his bent position and then he began dragging his left heel until the back of his head touched the small of his back, all while supporting his entire body weight with nothing but his right feet which remained planted on the ground.
When he was done he focused his attention on his mirror mounted beside his bed on the wall of his all hut which itself was made of interwoven strips of bamboo for the walls, a tall supporting pillar at the center of the hut and finally roofing sheets made of rafia leaves and hard wood to keep him warm.
At the youthful age of 17, his skin was a pale orange tone with well developed tri and biceps . His hair was a lush black cut short on strands touching his shoulders he gently traced his hands through his hair straightening it.
His eyes held a light but obvious hue of blue which seemed more like a shine the more I've looked into it and his pupils were also laced with a few ominous streaks of a deeper shade is blue than it's outer rim. His face was neither round nor flat as some would say, rather the muscles on his face kept it stunning and sharp.
He wore just a loose shirt and a boxer short which were apparently his night wear. After checking for noticeable signs of fatigue, he went into his bathroom which was a measly 20 steps westwards of his position. He quickly had his bath in what seemed like a shack, with a bamboo faucet connected to their stream.
He patted himself down with his towel and soon got dressed; his clothes for the day were a blur vest with black accents of a dragon encasing it, coupled with a pair of black trousers alongside some black boots and his sword sheath bound to his waist , he let his hair relax as he had long since been combing to perfection.
On getting out of the hut, the cool morning breeze gently brushed past his face, still at his door, he took a deep breath before he began his long stride towards the clifftop where the rites were to be held.
His village which was located at the south end of Keshnia was a scenery explosion of nature, ranging from tall trees to short shrubs, majestic petals, waterfalls and even a view which showcased a large distribution of lands with mountains, pasture and wildlife.
He jogged for a short five minutes before getting to the door of the cliff, upon which he dashed vertically upwards with nothing but placing one foot in front of the other.
After about 15 seconds, he reached the clifftop. The view from up there was simply magnificent, the clouds were now only a few feet above the ground and he could clearly see their puff exterior as well as their condensed interior.
Turning back, he strode onto the entrance of the forest where to be held noticing a free of his peers, who wore similar clothes as his although with different designs. This was because the dragon symbol drawn through out his vest was a sign that he belonged to the pendragon clan, a clan whose legacy encompasses the great Blaze Dragon one of the most powerful Runic gods to mention another vest was that whose symbol was that of the Vermillion Viper which annie wore with pride.
After about two minutes of walking the order appeared from a dark seigul on the ground, stunning most of the people around them.
" You are all welcome to this year's rites of passage" Asake greeted with his hands raised and a broad smile on his face.
" for generations our ancestors have used the rites as a means to guide future ring leaders while also strengthening their legacies to the ancient Runic gods which founded our society; I employee you all to try your very best and may your rings pave the path to your victory" Asake finished as he was not only the leader of the order but also the master of ceremony for the rites of passage.
" as you all know, this is a test which will push you to your limits and as such you are advised to display the full extent of your powers, because any short comings in your technique will leave you discarded" this time it was Agamemnon who spoke since he was the second in command, standing at Asake's right hand.
" Today's test is that of speed, all of you are to proceed to the arena at once to begin" Amber said and began heading towards the arena while the others trailed behind her.
As Arthur began walking, he made a quick head count of everyone present, minus of course the order, focusing more on his possible opponents. In all they were only ten, excluding the afore mentioned and himself.
As they reached the arena, Bane who was at the front halted bringing everyone to a stop, and as they craned their necks sideways to see past him, they were greeted by the sight of a large expanse of land tucked away in the forest. The clearing was really big, spanning an unexpecting 200m in diameter.
Bane stood at the entrance which was just a huge stone slab on the centre of the footpath, dividing the trail into two gates. He and the rest of the order took a side while the rest took the other.
On entering the clearing, Arthur felt a tingle, which he attributed to being over anxiety, as he had never been to this part of the forest before. Then on looking up, he noticed a translucent barrier enveloping the arena.
" The rights of passage, has hereby begun, each if you will be tested with the almost impossible job of lasting two seconds against Akila" Bane stated, and was immediately greeted by gasps from the other rings.
Akila stepped forward out of the order's countenance, a stern look on her face, with only three words in mind.
" don't kill him".
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" silence" a voice shouted, shutting up the louse murmurs and indistinct chatter amongst the lower rings.
" you all would most likely fail, this is just to see who can last longer, even if its just a millisecond" Sinbad said, reassuring them of their failures.
" now form a single line " Sinbad roared, releasing them from their earlier delirium , as they did as told.
No one was keen on standing at the front of the line, or even in second place, so they struggled and pushed until eventually Arthur was pulled to the front since he gave no resistance whatsoever.
" Ahh!, Asake, look your son seems to be starting first, let's see if he even lasts half a second " Agamemnon jokingly said, putting a hand over Amber's shoulder, to keep himself from fainting due to hysteria, while Asake stared daggers into his sons eyes, unfazed by Agamemnon's ridicule.
Akila simply walked in Arthur's opposite direction, creating distance between them all while motioning for the others to also give way.
" now then, as vice chairman of this event, I shall count down the battle ' Agamemnon said as he raised his sword in the air.
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Fight" he shouted, with the sound of his blade cutting through air reverbing throughout the arena.
Immediately he said that, the two opponents disappeared, and in a blink of an eye, aka was seen heading towards the order.
All the other rings were confused, only her comrades were unfazed.
" it took you a whole second Akila, did he really last that long or were you just toying with him" Intake commented, looking zoned out as usual, no even paying attention to their match.
But before she could respond, a voice spoke behind her.
" where are you going aunty, are you conceding already" this was none other than Arthur who was slightly confused, as within that split second they had let loose on each other, with a barrage of strikes and slashes but she had started walking towards the rings when they weren't done,.
" How the hell-" Agamemnon and virtually all the other rings where shocked tout of their minds, even Asake was sweating.
Inake just stood there looking at a rock and fiddling with it.
" it seems we underestimated him, he does have incredible potential" he said.
"Do u accept defeat aunty? " Arthur asked in a confused state still wondering how she would accept defeat so easily without unleashing a single ring.
" No, I'm sorry, I was just distracted, can we continue" of course she just said that as to not give away her inability to end him.
"Ok, but aunty - can we go slower this time, cause I don't think they can see us when we fight, isn't this supposed to be educative and they can't learn anything if we fight at light speed" Arthur said with an innocent look on his face oblivious to all around him.
" yes, I see your point, ok i'll slow down a bit" she looked towards Agamemnon.
" I'll allow it" Agamemnon said.
They stood once again steady for the next round.
"3"
"2"
"1"
" fight" Agamemnon shouted once again with his natural vigour.
" light style - 1st ring - light speed " Akila said out only a tiny portion of her sword as it was still sheathed, then suddenly her sword gave off an ominous glow which signified that she had unleashed one of her rings.
While on the opposite end, Arthur smiled before saying.
" Lightning style - 6th ring - sonic dash" he too had his sword partially sheathed in place same as Akila.
They stood for seconds with a firm grip on their swords as they took a dashing stance, ready to charge forward.
Then suddenly a certain glow resonated from Akila's body as she still held tightly to her stance.
On the other hand, streaks of lightning were seen engulfing Arthur, as they finally took one step, dashing forward at break neck speed, each creating a crater in the wake of their step.
At first, all anyone could see we're streaks of lightning colliding withing lines of light, but after a few clashes the streaks bounced off each other in opposite directions.
" lightning style - 1st rage - lightning dash" with his eyes locked on Akila, he quickly dashed to her position.
Now, their movements where somewhat clearer for the eye to see, although there were a few blurs every now and then.
" as expected., only a lightning rings speed can rival that of a light's, but it seems he isn't well versed in his art" zelius commented.
Arthur sighe, all his attempts at landing a decisive blow we're completely hindered by akila's otherworldly reflexes. He stopped and began panting, trying to conserve his energy for another barrage. He couldn't understand what was happening, although he could see her movements, he had to focus completely and in turn there was just no beating her at sword play.
" it seems like I'll have to use it this early " he pondered, but before he could complete his train of thought, Akila shouted.
"Light style - 3rd ring - blinding light "
With that she struck her sword on the ground and immediately a shine sprung up from the ground blinding everyone also giving off intense heat.
Seconds later the shine settled and a blurred figure of Arthur was seen lying motionless on the ground.
" The winner is Akila " Agamemnon said, still a bit confused since he rarely saw her use her other rings, usually, light speed alone, was enough to defeat any foe.
Arthur soon began yo gain consciousness, hearing the results of the match.
He stood up and gave a deep bow saying " Thanks aunty, you have really made my day"
The act led the other rings to believe that she wasn't all that fast and she had also been going easy on him,. The thought boosted their confidence, making some even struggle for the front position once more.
" now Arthur, move over to the right, you pass " Agamemnon said with a half baked smile.
" I.. I, passed" Arthur thought in confusion, then he remembered that the test wasn't to win, rather it was to last long enough, by that logic, he had already won even before they began the second battle.
" next ring - introduce yourself and your ring" Agamemnon barked.
" uh - um - my name is Ujiro Demi, and I am a tornado ring" he said as fast as he could with a salute.
" take your places" Agamemnon said
The after after a short while, he shouted
"3"
"2"
"1"
" fight!! "
Demi wasted no time as he quickly activated on of his rings.
" Tornado style - 3rd ring - swaying gale"
Beginning with a large downward strike which spawned multiple variations of wind currents all round the target, spinning at great speed, making them loose their footing and become disoriented.
The other rings spectating had to shift back more, as all the wind currents began converging, making it more powerful.
Then suddenly, everything stopped ; the wind currents disappeared and an unconscious demi was seen on the floor.
By now the other rings thought nothing of it, that is of course until unlike Arthur, Demi didn't wake up.
Then it hit them, maybe she wasn't being soft and maybe just maybe Arthur was truly that fast. This realization was affirmed by Agamemnon next words.
" Demi, move to the left, you fail "
Then looking at Inake, he asked
" how long? "
"One -tenth of a second " was his reply.
Then he shifted his gaze to the next ring and asked the same question.
" I am Merlin Blade, and I'm a spell ring" Merlin spoke as he took his stance.
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