XIX

Worship of Might

The sky island of Blüdtak was a callous, merciless place, where the people of the Sky District came to indulge in the most brutal, thrill-seeking caveats of their souls. It was an island so enveloped in its barbaric reputation that sparring sessions of soldiers in a miles-wide radius would often become savage, unrelenting brawls.

The island was centered around a massive Coliseum, constructed from mountains of immovable stone. Within it, thousands of seats circled around a flat dirt battleground, occasionally decorated with different obstacles or contraptions for participants to work around. Four imposing metal gates lined every corner of the Coliseum's walls- to give entry to competitors and beasts- and for those competitors' beaten bodies to be carried through once a victor had been made clear.

The Coliseum itself was always open, always performing- the line of warriors waiting to throw themselves into the ring for glory and dominance never running dry. Duels were unbarred, unregulated contests of strength and skill, ending only when one competitor surrendered, or stopped moving. Clerics, apothecaries, and other medics were always on standby to provide intensive care to both competitors when the fighting stopped. They were not always able to make a difference.

Men Za-Hel stood, digging his talons into the dirt of the southern half of the Coliseum's battleground. Twenty feet away from him, Rey Za-Hel stood, arms and wings outstretched, stoking the crowd.

The audience was packed. Challenges for Rey's throne were commonplace- he faced another self-important soldier or stubborn noble every month it seemed- but this was different. This duel, between father and son, was an inevitability- a historic event that the nation had been patiently waiting on for years. It was- to most- unquestioned that one day, Men would wrest his father's nation from him here, in this glorious Coliseum. The only question was if today was that day.

Men nervously gripped his chain whip. He heard the cheers and heckles of the thousands of soldiers waiting for the fight to start.

"Tear him apart!" They cried. "Show him his place, General! Embarrass the child! Humiliate him!"

It wasn't as if he couldn't hear voices cheering him on, as well. There were quite a few people rallying behind the young blood to claim his unwritten destiny. But those choruses of soldiers screaming for Rey to beat his son into the ground, they sounded so… impassioned. Righteous.

Why was that? Did they understand what was truly at stake here? The disagreement that led to this challenge occuring in the first place? Rey hardly had the time to spread those details so quickly- nor did Men think he would want to.

No… this was about him. This wasn't just about son challenging father, this was about Men specifically. The arrogant, reckless child who had done so much to get in his nation's way. Whose thoughtless action had directly cost his people's lives, and prolonged the existence of the menacing Ancient Dragons. This boy- who had been acting as if he already held all the world's power in his hands- was taking the final step to justify his arrogance. And this was their opportunity to deny him that right, and to revel in his powerlessness.

His nation was against him, but if he claimed victory today, they would become him. To defeat their General would prove himself worthy of the steps he'd been taking these short few days.

Men looked at Rey. The Head General of the Sky District. A national hero, whose unparalleled power had been leading his nation to prosperity for so long now. The warrior who faced Dragons, monarchs, and armies without fear or hesitation. The terrifying figure who had been shaping Men's entire life with his full respect and admiration. Men had been looking so far up to this man for nine years, and now he had to best him- to prove his superiority in combat. How could he ever prepare for that?

His eyes briefly darted to the seats in the east, in the front row. Just like she said she'd be, Kim was standing there, leaning over the wall, passionately cheering him on. Men grinned, closed his eyes, and sighed. If he was going to defeat his father, it would be by the skin of his teeth- leaning on the motivation that Kim, and everyone else cheering him on, gave him.

Men opened his eyes. His father brandished his own chain whip. A bell sounded, the duel began.

Men rushed to approach Rey, who took flight to keep distance between them. Men, not eager to engage in midair combat so early, threw the blade of his chain towards him, attempting to restrain pull him back to the ground. His aim was adequate, but his father deftly twisted out of the chain's arch, dropping just enough to barely swing under the weapon.

While Men was busy recovering his chain from the failed ensnaring, Rey sent his own blade hurdling towards his son- taking advantage of his recovery, and wrapping the chain tightly around his arms and torso. Rey grinned, gripped the chain's handle, and pulled back with all his might- attempting to fling Men towards him while he remained helpless.

Men braced himself, and despite the disadvantage he was in, resisted his father's pull by planting his feet and leaning back. He felt the immense pressure of the chain tightening around him, and expected to be lifted off of his feet immediately- but to his surprise, Men did not move. His father continued to pull, surprised at his own inability to overpower Men from the high ground.

Men strained against the metal binds holding him together, and- just barely managing to remain stationary- dragged his arms in position to grab the taut section of the chain. Digging the tips of his fingers inside the links of the chains, he gave Rey a bit of slack, and spun back around, tugging with as much force he could apply as quickly as possible.

To his surprise, he felt the chain loosen around him as Rey careened back down to earth. Not letting his surprise get the better of him, he shook the chain off of him, jumped, and kicked Rey in the chest. Rey stepped back, and sent two punches into his shoulder and neck. Men swept his right arm up from under Rey's right, and sent a strong uppercut straight into his father's beak.

Rey reeled back in pain, and kicked Men away. The crowd cheered in awe at the sudden reversal of advantage, shocked that things were turning in Men's favor so quickly. Kim's eyes lit up, and she jumped up in the stands, screaming Men's praises with the rest of the audience.

Men took a few steps back, and took out his weapon again. While Rey recovered, he swung the chain around his back, sending it speeding in a clockwise circle around him, cutting straight through Rey's armor. Rey stumbled to the side slightly from the first swing, being knocked off his feet completely as Men spun it around a second time with even greater speed.

Rey caught himself on his hands and knees, as Men rushed to approach his father. Getting right up close, he tried to punch Rey hard enough to send him completely on his back, but Rey managed to redirect the arch of his punch with his palm, so he swung harmlessly into the dirt. Rey then sent his knee into Men's stomach, nearly taking the wind out of him, but Men kept his composure. He grabbed Rey by the neck, picked him up, and slammed him against the Coliseum walls.

Rey coughed, and smirked. "God damn. You hit your old man harder than you did as a babe!"

"And you always hit harder than this." Men glared.

Rey frowned. "Don't you dare accuse me of holding back, boy!"

Rey sent a quick right hook to his distracted son's jaw, pushed his feet up against the wall, and leapt forward, sending Men flying back and tumbling onto the ground. The crowd roared and applauded as Rey boastingly spread his wings.

Men brushed the dirt off of his face, and got back on his feet as Rey took flight once again. Even with his head start, the sheer speed with which Men chased his father let him Rey's ankle in seconds. Rey looked down at his son, shocked.

"What-!?"

Men yanked his father down to eye level- sent two hard, deliberate punches from both directions into his head- flew a few feet above him, and dive bombed into his father. Before he could shake the stars from his vision, Rey found himself dropping back down to the floor, crashing against the dirt so hard it left a crater in the arena. The audience gasped, and waited for the dust to settle.

Rey groaned on his back, as Men stood up. He kicked Rey out of the crater, who shakily got up to his knees.

"Come on!" Men yelled, right hooking his father again. Blood let out from his mouth, spraying into the dirt.

"Stop stalling!" He cried, kicking Rey in the chest. "What are you hiding!?"

Rey held himself up with his left hand, holding his right palm out to his son. "Men-"

Men jabbed his father in the dead center of his head, staining his fist with blood. "COME ON! FIGHT ME!"

"Men, stop, I-"

Men roundhouse kicked his father, knocking him back onto his side. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

Rey held both of his shaking arms out, and yelled. "Men! Stop! I yield!"

Men, who was in the middle of pulling his weapon back out, stuttered.

"What!?"

"I yield! I surrender!" Rey let out an exasperated chuckle. "You won."

Men froze. Kim's jaw dropped as she watched in total disbelief. For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the entire coliseum broke out in deafening reverie. Every Aarakocra on the island lost their minds as they celebrated the conclusion of the battle. Dozens of soldiers- Kim included- flooded over the walls of the coliseum and crowded Men and Rey, shaking, hugging, and nearly carrying them away in excitement. A chorus of chants rang out across the coliseum, 'Hail to General Men!' They cried out in glorious unison.

Rey wiped the blood off of his beak with the back of his hand, staying on one knee, and looked up at his son. Men saw from his father a look of unimaginable respect, excitement, and pride- to a degree he had perhaps never shown to anyone else before.

From his son, Rey received only petrifying, silent terror.