The Manticore led Arsha\u2019s team into an arena. Thousands of Manticores roared as if they were ready to see bloodshed. \u201c\u2026One of the trials of strength?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCorrect,\u201d replied the Manticore. He then took up a position in the center of the arena. \u201cI am Boltuk Bloodwing!\u201d he shouted to the crowd. \u201cI come to you today to announce that outsiders claim they can pass the trials!\u201d A lot of jeering met this statement. \u201cWe cannot let this claim go unchallenged! I have granted them only one concession! One person must pass each trial! If and when they do, another person must take their place! But, we all know that no outsider, not even Oyed, has gone past the first trial!\u201d Everyone in the stands roared their agreement. \u201cLet us see if they can even get past my brother, Teknar!\u201d A cage door opened up from beneath the stands and a rather beefy looking Manticore with a darker mane than Boltuk\u2019s strode out, filled with confident swagger. \u201cWhomsoever beats my brother, either by killing him or by ring-out, shall have completed the trial of physical strength! Outsiders, pick your combatant!\u201d Arsha and her team then huddled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGuys, I gotta be real here,\u201d muttered Malnar, \u201cthe only one who stands a remote chance against him is Gorfanth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMe?!\u201d hissed Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have to agree with him,\u201d remarked Lardeth. \u201cMinotaurs are lovers, not fighters!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo we really have much choice?\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe you and Malnar!\u201d snarled Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you honestly name anyone stronger?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaptain, are you sure that\u2019s wise?\u201d asked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s wise or not,\u201d muttered Arsha, \u201cbut what I do know is that we ARE pressed for time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026If and when I die, I\u2019m haunting your nine-tailed ass!\u201d grumbled Gorfanth. The team then broke up the huddle and Gorfanth stepped into the ring. The crowd roared in laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLooks like we\u2019re gonna be having beef tonight!\u201d laughed Boltuk. \u201cReady yourselves!\u201d The two combatants sized each other up and got into their respective ready stances. \u201cBEGIN!\u201d Teknar rushed along the side, catching Gorfanth by surprise and forcing him to roll out of the way. The Manticore Champion then flew into the air and dove straight down, paws first and claws out! Gorfanth ran to the edge of the ring, but Teknar was able to change direction quickly! The sudden shift in the wind generated by the flapping of his wings kicked up the sand of the ring, flinging it into Gorfanth\u2019s face. Gorfanth stumbled backwards\u2026and his foot missed the floor of the ring! He was about to fall backwards out of it. Teknar then rushed at Gorfanth, then put his paw to the back of his opponent\u2019s head\u2026and shoved him back into the ring. The crowd roared in confusion. Arsha and her team were equally perplexed. Gorfanth then picked himself up and gave Teknar his attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d he asked. \u201cYou had me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou stumbled,\u201d answered Teknar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I don\u2019t follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo defeat you in such a manner would be lacking in honor. I would not have EARNED the victory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I see, you see this as a duel of honor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly, and to take advantage of that would mean I would have been a coward. There\u2019s only ONE true way to finish such a duel, head-on\u2026and BRUTALLY!\u201d Gorfanth then leapt out of the way of the Manticore as he dove down with a bloodthirsty expression on his face. He then grabbed Teknar\u2019s wing and twisted it in a way that there was an audible snap. Teknar went silent for just one second before he was on the ground, roaring in pain caused by a broken wing. With that distraction, Gorfanth grabbed the tail, his hands under the bulb of the stinger, and spun around before flinging Teknar into the walls outside the ring. Teknar fell to the ground, groaning in pain, while the crowd sat there, stunned at what had just occurred. Gorfanth then stepped out of the ring and walked up to Teknar. Teknar then managed to look up at the Minotaur in fear and pain. \u201c\u2026There is a knife carved from an elephant\u2019s tusk,\u201d grunted Teknar. \u201cUse it on me. At least make it quick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026What?\u201d asked Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou defeated the strongest Manticore. Not only did you pass the trial, but, by law, you must take my place as Champion. And the only way to do that\u2026is to end my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Does that law really apply to outsiders like me?\u201d Gorfanth then turned to the audience. \u201cAre outsiders required to take a Manticore\u2019s place?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d replied Boltuk. \u201cIn his agony, my brother has forgotten that non-Manticores are forbidden from taking a Manticore\u2019s job, regardless of circumstance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd didn\u2019t you say I had to win by either killing him OR ring-out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did. And all evidence says you picked the latter option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJUST END IT ALREADY!\u201d howled Teknar. \u201cTHERE\u2019S NO HONOR FOR ME NOW! I LOST TO AN OUTSIDER! I FAILED MY PEOPLE!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAND I DON\u2019T WANT AN INNOCENT MAN\u2019S DEATH ON MY CONSCIENCE!\u201d Gorfanth roared back. The arena was silent for a minute. Gorfanth sighed before continuing. \u201cYou were doing your duty according to the laws of your people. I don\u2019t kill people that dedicated to their kingdom. I don\u2019t want to kill you! I never did! \u2026But, I couldn\u2019t allow you to kill me either. Tell me, how would either of us gain? If you killed me, you would serve Oyed, and it sounds like you lot don\u2019t like him. If I killed you, your King would hear about this and be less receptive to us. I\u2019m tired of killing unnecessarily and fighting strangers when I should be making friends. \u2026We\u2019re going to the next trial and, if you insist, we can continue this fracas to its final, stupid end, or you can side with us.\u201d Teknar appeared to consider Gorfanth\u2019s words as Manticore doctors came to set his wing so that it could mend itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026If you and your fellows pass their trials with the same amount of honor, then I will consider fighting with you against Oyed,\u201d the Manticore Champion finally answered. \u201cOtherwise, I am duty-bound to follow King Velkor\u2019s commands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving passed the first trial and being the first outsider to do so in a long time,\u201d remarked Boltuk, \u201cfollow me to the second trial. Be warned, it will test a different kind of strength. Let us pray you can endure it.\u201d Boltuk then led Arsha\u2019s team through a door leading to the second trial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Manticore led Arsha\u2019s team into an arena. Thousands of Manticores roared as if they were ready to see bloodshed. \u201c\u2026One of the trials of strength?\u201d asked Arsha. \u201cCorrect,\u201d replied the Manticore. He then took up a position in the center of the arena. \u201cI am Boltuk Bloodwing!\u201d he shouted to the crowd. \u201cI come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-4065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4065"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4066,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4065\/revisions\/4066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}