The crowd for the second trial was a little less than the first. It was clear that some of the Manticores thought Gorfanth had cheated in some way or that Teknar flaked out at the last second. Either way, the Manticores didn\u2019t have much respect for Arsha\u2019s team at that moment. Like the last time, Boltuk made his way to the center of the ring and addressed the crowd. \u201cThese outsiders have passed the first trial of strength!\u201d he began. The crowd roared in anger. \u201cHowever, there are other trials to consider! For physical strength is nothing without other kinds! Bring forth the Hunter, Nedola!\u201d A female Manticore then strode towards the center of the ring. \u201cAs I have said earlier, since the Minotaur passed the first trial, a new challenger must take his place!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy turn!\u201d declared Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?!\u201d protested Malnar. \u201cI\u2019m the second strongest of us! I should go!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMeaning that you\u2019ll win too easily,\u201d replied Lardeth. Malnar was confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou sense it too, huh?\u201d asked Arsha. Malnar then arched an eyebrow, wondering what her lovers were talking about. She then concentrated on her senses. It took a few seconds before she realized what they found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHang on!\u201d she called to Boltuk. \u201cWhat kind of trial is this?! She\u2019s far weaker than Teknar was! Heck, she\u2019s weaker than you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike I said, strength is not strictly defined by physical fitness,\u201d replied Boltuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn that case, Lardeth, be as cautious as everyone says you are,\u201d warned Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the idea,\u201d answered Lardeth as he strode towards the ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSame rules as last time,\u201d called Boltuk. \u201cThe challenger must win either by killing her or by ring-out. Begin!\u201d Nedola looked at Lardeth as he adopted a ready stance. Her gaze focused on his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026How old are you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026307, why?\u201d replied Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the hair of someone who\u2019s 307 years old?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot hair, clouds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a Zephyr?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHalf Zephyr. The other half of my blood comes from my human father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026A human father who failed to teach his son how to be masculine. Just like Zephyr fathers with their own sons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Pardon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said your people don\u2019t know a thing about what it takes to be a man. I know all about your race of trannies.\u201d Foresna moved towards the ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy, that little\u2026!\u201d Arsha held Foresna back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is Lardeth\u2019s fight!\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s manly enough for us!\u201d shouted Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cForesna, stay out of this,\u201d called Lardeth. \u201cThis is between me and her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou think a delicate princess like you can take me?\u201d mocked Nedola as she circled her opponent. \u201cYou, who spends so much time on your lipstick and your dresses and your nails and your eyes? Face it, Zephyr men are weak!\u201d Lardeth, at this time, was examining his nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026He\u2019s not\u2026bored, is he?\u201d asked Delselii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery bored,\u201d remarked Foresna as he saw what the trial was about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven now, you prove my point!\u201d laughed Nedola as she pointed her paw at Lardeth. \u201cSo focused on something so unimportant! Blissfully unaware of the danger because it keeps you safe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Could someone get her to stop spewing cowardly rhetoric?\u201d asked Lardeth in a bored tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Say that to my face!\u201d hissed Nedola, her smile dropping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, and someone tell her that she\u2019s not worth the effort of me talking directly to? I don\u2019t really associate with dull, unoriginal idiots who want to weaken men so badly.\u201d That did it! Nedola pounced on Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019M NOT GIVING YOU THE OPTION TO WALK OUT OF THIS, YOU FAILURE OF A MAN!\u201d she roared. \u201cI AM MAKING MEN STRONG BY GIVING THEM FOCUS!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWRONG!\u201d shouted Lardeth as he kicked her over him. That was when she landed headfirst outside the ring! Nedola recovered, then saw where she was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWh\u2026wh-wha?! How?!\u201d She couldn\u2019t find an answer until Lardeth spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you have any idea how many times I heard such things in my life? Let me tell you. I lost count; it was that much. The reason we wear dresses is because we\u2019re not afraid of being judged! The most arrogant of us Zephyr men laugh at the men of other races because, and I use THEIR words, \u2018Other men are all concerned about their absurd muscles and their misplaced pride in looking tough\u2019! They\u2019ve done this while fanning themselves and laughing like the corrupt lords they are! We pride ourselves on how we bear these words and dress as we do despite their words. For they are just that, words! You use them too much\u2026and that makes you the worst kind of coward of all. You\u2019re too afraid of any change or outliers. \u2026That\u2019s why I said you weren\u2019t worth the effort of talking directly to.\u201d Lardeth then left the arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You\u2026damn\u2026outsider!\u201d snarled Nedola. \u201cDON\u2019T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT REBUKE!\u201d She flew upwards, then dove down onto Lardeth. After pinning him, her stinger strikes his backside, flooding his insides with venom. The Manticores roared in outrage. Boltuk pounced onto Nedola and slashed her face with his claws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCOWARD!\u201d he roared. Manticore doctors then rushed to Lardeth\u2019s aid and whipped up anti-venom. They injected it into Lardeth, and he stopped convulsing in pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll get better,\u201d reported one of the doctors. \u201cHe\u2019ll just be in an uneasy sleep. One of you needs to stand by him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWill dream-weaving help or harm him?\u201d asked Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will help. The more restful his sleep, the quicker the anti-venom will do its job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll stand by him.\u201d Falnii then chanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dream your dream with me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell your woes to me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Show your troubles to me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dream your dream with me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As she chanted, Lardeth\u2019s face became more at ease. Her chanting stopped and they were both in a deep sleep. Boltuk then turned towards Nedola. \u201cYou coward!\u201d he snarled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat did I do to warrant that?!\u201d protested Nedola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat did you do?! You let his words affect you, that\u2019s what! You could have just let him leave with the grace that was due to him since he won, but thanks to you stinging him, you\u2019ve ruined your chances of ever rejoining your sisters!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can gain those chances back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026No, you can\u2019t.\u201d Boltuk then leapt onto her and scratched a mark onto her forehead. \u201cAs the senior in this gathering, for displaying cowardice, I hereby strip you of your rights as a Hunter! Return to your parents and show them how much of a coward you really are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will regret this!\u201d roared Nedola. \u201cMark my words, you will pay for this slander!\u201d She fled from the arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir, I\u2026\u201d began Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s the one who broke the law,\u201d interrupted Boltuk. \u201cJustice has been served. Because of this, however, we need to conduct the third trial here. That will require fixing the ring up to accommodate it. Wait here while we do so.\u201d A company of engineers and builders then set to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The crowd for the second trial was a little less than the first. It was clear that some of the Manticores thought Gorfanth had cheated in some way or that Teknar flaked out at the last second. Either way, the Manticores didn\u2019t have much respect for Arsha\u2019s team at that moment. Like the last time, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1439,"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-4069","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\/4069","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=4069"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4070,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4069\/revisions\/4070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}