The tranquil in Yaimin by sunset was particularly calming and peaceful. The pink sakura blossoms strewn about the courtyard, the golden rays of sunset filtered by the light brown shoji screens in each room, nesting bush warblers and the quiet in the neighbourhood. Sometimes, Durma would sit and drift into meditation. It was a habit now and a healthy one for him.
And then, after a while, he'd drift out again and just stare into the serenity around him.
For now, Yaimin would be mostly quiet. There were other people who had reservations here and they would be arriving soon enough. He just had to invite them again. And that was something he had already started, with the assignment he message he had sent Friette to deliver.
"What are you planning now, Durma?" Karin said. Once again, she had snuck up on him, hiding her presence.
'Is she already getting suspicious?' Durma questioned. Why would she hide her Ki from someone who can't even sense it yet? Although, he could sense Ki and shadow energy now, but he had never mentioned that before.
"Nothing serious" he replied with a smile.
"Nothing serious" he said again.
"Hmm" Karin wondered.
"Your match is tomorrow, Durma. Please be careful" she said before leaving him be.
Well, perhaps she was learning to let him to his methods. Sometimes, she just didn't bother advising him, especially when he handles things without much difficulty and without damaging his body.
Then, he thought of his next match which would be with a very special case. A rare one in fact. While it was true that Daiki users were indeed superior to bare fighters in more ways than a few, however, there were exceptions. People naturally capable of prevailing against users. Just like himself, although he had been subjected to repeated and rigorous trainings from his first turn up till this turn just to attain a level of skill able to counter this level of users, nevertheless, these exceptions are naturally able to handle Daiki users bare, without undergoing such cultivation.
And his next opponent was one of such at this level. And though he would be fighting bare, he would also be much stronger than any of the last gladiators he had faced so far. And as he had done in his last turn, this would be his last bout without shadow energy.
"Let's see, 'Tusk'" he said softly.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Chinojo, in one of the occupied quarters, several individuals sat together behind closed doors. The room seemed filled up with some white smog as the smoke seeped out through the gaps around the closed entrance.
"He is strong. Really strong" said a skinny and tattered elderly man, almost in a persuasive way.
"Can you believe he defeated Harmless? Barehanded!"
They sat together in poorly lit room. The man who spoke sat by himself on a wood stool next to another male individual whose presence filled the dark and smoky lounge room.
The old man coughed again, from the haze.
"Go home if you can't handle it, old man" one of the other people who there adviced coarsely.
"My apologies" he said, quietening himself for a very brief moment and adjusting his sitting position before he continued his gossips.
"He has beat two of the higher ranks" he said.
"What do you think, master?"
He referred to the man by whom he sat next to.
"Why do you ask such ridiculous questions, Lampi?" another person asked in a gentle tone.
"Harmless and South were rats to begin with. What difference doesn't another rat make?"
The old man cleared his throat.
"Ahhh, true indeed, Huyra çi" he said in affirmation.
"The boss is the strongest of them all"
The boss, the man who sat placidly, spreading out both of his arms on his lounge chair on which he sat alone. The man who old Lampi sucked up to and whose presence was eminent and bold amongst those gathered in his quarters. He simply sat quietly, inhaling and exhaling the haze with white plumes exiting his mouth.
In the lounge room, they sat around. One sat before a counter, drinking, and another sat with a lady on a different lounge chair, touching and another sat in yet another lounge chair all ecstasized.
And another sat quietly at a corner. The haze seemed to have dulled him as he moved his body slowly from side to side. He had remained silent all this while before he coughed and began groaning, exhaling tiredly while muttering inaudible words.
"What?! Be audible errand boy!" one of them scoffed at him.
"Don't you loooove it?" he said, standing up from his lounge chair and walking towards him.
"You're getting the best of hospitalities here in Chinojo. Aren't you a lucky one, ehh?" he said, then grabbed his jaw spitefully.
"Don't harm him, Eyrat" the one by the counter reminded.
"I'm aware of that, Yumo" the one called Eyrat snarled, before leaving the wavy middle aged man as he continued moaning.
"But boss, how long are they gonna give that imbecile of a chief? Hasn't he delayed enough?" Eyrat asked irritatedly.
"There are steps to everything, Eyrat. Patience. Do you think the boss simply brought him here to enjoy with us?" Huyra, who sat with the only lady there replied calmly.
"If we are going to take from the chief, we're taking everything our hands can touch" he said sinisterly.
Eyrat returned to his lounge chair and relaxed on his seat.
"Hey boss" he began again.
"Can't I have just a single night with the lady princess?" he said thirstily.
"Ever since I saw her, I can't control my fantasies"
"Hmph!" Yumo scoffed.
"She's royalty, you dummy"
"And what about it? While she's here, she no better..."
"Where...is...the princess?" the wavering man asked breathlessly, interrupting Eyrat.
Eyrat glared at him.
"Huhhh? What did you say, errand boy?"
"I...only wish to confirm...the princess is alive. That...is all" he said, still moving his body restlessly.
Eyrat would've responded but then his boss sat up unexpectedly, changing the ambience in the room. However, he remained silent for a while, plumes still escaping his mouth.
"Boss?"
The pleading man had been held there against his will. Although he was mostly untouched, however, the smog kept him jaded. He could barely see or hear clearly. But then, as the boss sat up, he could notice a coloured tattoo on his back. He squinted his eyes to see it a bit more discernibly. Then he gasped in realisation as his eyes widened.
"You...you are...Tusk?"
In Chinojo, the drafters usually scheduled matches between the elite fighters based on their individual disposals. Since their matches usually gathered a much bigger crowd than other events, they would prefer if the two parties set their dates and show up in peak conditions. And for the past matches Durma had, he always gave an interval of two days.
And that was the same with his upcoming match. A two day interval. As usual, Durma appeared again at the same place, walked uphill, and then through the garrison entrance right into Chinojo. And as usual, the noisy crowd erupted at random moments, chanting and booing.
Durma wore his usual; a black hooded jacket and breeches.
He walked past that shed where had visited in his first day. Guipin was always there, unlike Heiva and Jakaa who only hung around there at times. Guipin always eyed Durma adversely. He scorned him and always scoffed or grinned each time Durma arrived, as if he had something malevolent in store for Durma.
"Hahaha" he laughed as soon as Durma crossed his shed.
"You are going to die today, Duurma. Not being one of them, you have no protection on you" he said then paused.
"Hmm, not that it matters anymore. Your luck so far and your foolishness in accepting this draft will be your end" he completed.
Durma stopped on his tracks with his hands cooly in his pocket.
"You're coming to watch, right?" he asked then continued without waiting for an answer.
"Tch" Guipin scowled.
"Yeah. We'll all see" he muttered.
Once again, Durma stepped into the arena. This time, the cheering crowd leaned towards his opponent and Durma couldn't really blame them. This was one of the strongest fighters in Chinojo, known as Tusk. He arrived shortly after Durma, bare-chested. Durma hadn't seen it yet, but he could tell of the tattoo of a human skull bearing two large tusks. The tattoo covered almost all his back.
"Haha" Durma laughed. In his second turn, Friette would have been here. And after winning his fight with Tusk, she'd tell him the ilk of comments she had heard around her before the match had started.
"Will Tusk spare this one?"
"Why would they put a newbie against Tusk?! That's outrageous!"
"I hope he survives and comes back in one piece. I really enjoy his fights"
"I hope he doesn't pound his face like the last guy"
He could hear their voices and unintelligible discussions from where he was. Indeed, Tusk was dangerous.
However, at that moment, he suddenly decided not just to win, but to put Tusk out of countenance this time. He had done it before, that is beating in a one-sided fight but he had done so with shadow energy and so, he couldn't consider it the sort of victory he now sought in spur of the moment. This time, they'd be fighting on even terms.
"Prepare your self, you foul pig"