The Test (Story)
Something I've been working on and off the past few weeks. Please tell me what you all think.
The Test.
The cheers of the crowd did not deafen Jax to the sound of broken cartilage as he knocked away his latest challenger. If he had to guess where the man was from, he’d wager by the scars that he was a noxian mariner. Not that his fighting skills showed it, either that or Noxus decided to set the bar low.
“Jax, Jax, Jax, Jax!” they applauded. He raised his bloodied lamppost with pride. The fights may have been disappointing, but the applause left him content.
“Who wants a piece of the champ?!” he shouted. Even with the energy of the crowd, no one stepped forward. Had bilgewater finally run out of challengers for him? Hopefully tomorrow would bring more challengers.
A deep voice echoed across the wooden ramparts as he turned to leave, “My god does.”
Jax turned to see a massive woman entering the ring. She was adorned in an emerald tunic, her darkened skin dotted in religious tattoos. Most noticeable was the item she carried, a large golden ball with a handle and a face carved into it.
“This ain’t that kind of temple.”
“It is suitable.” said the woman with a grin as she strode over towards the grandmaster. Jax found himself staring upwards as she towered over him, “Why do you fight?”
Jax rested his lamppost on his shoulders and tilted his head, “Huh?”
“Why do you fight?”
Jax sighed, “Look, I’m not looking for a philosophy lecture. You here to challenge me or give me a sermon?”
The woman’s laughter boomed over the crowd. Jax examined her while she was distracted. He had fought bigger warriors, and judging by that golden orb she held, she wasn’t the fastest fighter. At the very least she’ll take a few hits before going down. Or he could just dodge her for a bit, the crowd might like that.
She took a deep breath when her laughter died down, “I do not challenge you. I bring you the test.”
“Test? What test?”
The woman raised her idol to the side, “The only test.” then dropped it. The stone floor cracked on the icon crashed into it, sending out a ringing noise that silenced the crowd.
“Barehanded huh? Confident are we?” Jax said smugly.
The woman smiled, “It is unneeded for this part. Besides, it is only fair I fight you with no weapon.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you have none.”
Jax’s initial observations were dead on as always. Deftly he swept through her strikes, keeping close enough to them to give the impression that he barely dodged her. Judging from the howls of the crowd, they found it pleasing. The skill of the giant woman was no doubt on their minds. Who else could force the “Grandmaster” to be defensive?
No one. Jax thought as he deflected another blow with his free hand.
“Are you content?” the woman asked midswing.
The question almost caught him off guard, forcing him to parry the strike with his lamp. The woman smiled, “Do I have your attention now, warrior?”
Jax’s grip tightened, “Bring it on.” Instantly he swung his lamp under her legs, only for her to jump away from them. Clenched tightly together above her, she brought her fists downward with the force of an ocean wave. The Grandmaster jumped back, not in fear of getting hit, but of surprise. She anticipated him, who was she?
“Stagnation has made you weak.” She said bitterly as she charged forward, “Where is your motion?!”
Her attacks became faster, forcing Jax to keep a slight distance over her reach. His defensive charade had become a reality in the brunt of her attacks. His replies were silenced by a surprisingly swift kick from a woman of her size.
“For too long you have lost your desires! Fighting without direction, fighting without passion! You have gorged yourself on the challenges of weaklings, leaving you fat and content as you sit in one of your many ponds.”
“I don’t know who you are.” Jax’s voice carried his annoyance as the head of his lamppost burst into flames, “But don’t talk like you know me!” striking down so fast that only the after images of the flames could be followed.
The head of the lamp clattered against the stone floor behind them. Jax’s mask hid his expression as he stared at the lampless pole that he carried with him for years. The woman grinned, though it wasn’t enough to hide the grimace of pain across her face.
“I know who you really are.” She said, her next word she mouthed in silence, leaving Jax to pause in terror while she slammed her forehead into his mask.
“And my name.” She said as she grabbed him by the neck, “Is Illaoi.” She hurled him across the arena, his mask shattered along the floor as he skidded across it.
Jax covered his face as he tried to stand, “How...How do you know that word?”
“You have been deemed worthy.” Illaoi said as she lifted her idol with her right hand, “Now you shall be tested.”
“Hey!” Jax roared as he stood weakly, the blow enfeebled him more than he realized, “Don’t ignore me!”
She pointed her idol towards Jax, “Now...we begin.”
Green fluorescent tendrils erupted around Jax, grasping at the warrior from all sides. The crowd of onlookers screamed in panic at the sight, toppling over each other as they ran for safety. They didn’t realize that the tests of Nagakabouros were a privilege.
The tendrils grappled Jax’s battered frame, panic set in as he tried to bash them away with one hand, his other planted firmly on his mask to avoid it from breaking further.
“You are afraid. Good. Let it push you forward.” Spoke Illaoi as she watched the warrior fight against the hands of the bearded lady.
Her voice only added to his splitting headache. Jax's body lumbered weakly with each tentacle that grasped his body. Illaoi shook her head in disappointment, “Swim, warrior. Do not drown like so many others.”
Black wings took form before him, belonging to a grim figure with a black blade. Jax knew this figure well, a being that haunted his dreams for centuries. “You…” Jax mumbled, forcing himself out of the tentacles grasp and reaching toward the broken lamppost head with both hands, Illaoi smiled.
“What you desire, you must take it.”
“I require a ship.” He said to the sailor, the wharf rats scuttled across the docks.
“Where to?” The sailor asked.
“North. The Freljord if possible.” He said, tossing a sack of coins to the sailor, “This should be enough.”
The sailor was hesitant to pick up the bag. Something was off about this man. His face was hidden by a heavy hood and the shadows of the night, and while it was too dark to really tell, something was off with his hands. It was only after feeling the weight of the bag did the man reconsider the request.
“We leave in the next few minutes.” Said the sailor. The man nodded under his hood, then walked off towards a lamppost. In one swift motion, the man shattered the bottom with his leg, creating an impromptu staff from the wreckage. The sailor gulped.
The man’s cowl still hid his face as he turned to the sailor, “Let’s do this.”
Blood seeped from her lips as Illaoi laid on the stone floor. Rarely did she find test takers who could take vengeance upon her for subjecting them to the test.
She smiled. It was a nice break from the monotony.
Flinched as she wiped away the blood with her left hand. It didn’t take long to realize it had broken against the lamppost she blocked. A truly terrifying warrior, that one. She gave a deep laugh as she stood tall. The will of Nagakabouros was a strange one, but she was glad to serve it.
She could not rest now, not when another is in need of testing.
