Chapter 37 - The Hidden Dragon Trials Turn... (1/2)
Inside the military's training ground all remaining one hundred and twelve competitors were already waiting. There was a certain pressure in the air, one that had nothing to do with the geographical tropospheric situation in Leizyr. It was the anticipation, the eagerness and also the anxiety emitted by the participants of this last trial. Through that it created this static atmosphere all around them.
Only about thirty minutes after the last participants had entered, did the ten elders, alongside grand elder Efyr, appear on the same elevated platform as before.
Once again he stomped his staff against the floor and seemingly cleared out the air before he started saying.
”Welcome back everyone! The third trial will soon begin, and as previously mentioned, you will fight multiple of your competitors at once on one of the ten platforms ahead. The last to remain at each platform will thus qualify for the royal tournament next week. Each of you will draw a lot, and the number on it will tell you which platform is yours to fight on. As there are one hundred and twelve participants left, eight of the ten platforms will have eleven competitors fighting each other, and the two remaining will hold twelve.”
Grand elder Efyr's gaze roamed the training grounds, seemingly looking into each and every one competitor before continuing. ”Now, without further ado...”
He said and suddenly threw all one hundred and twelve lots out and high up into the air. Naturally, this created a lot of chaos amidst the challengers of this third and last trial.
Many jumped around or used some of their skills to be the first ones to catch one of these lots. Others remained where they stood and did nothing. One of them was Bazuul. Seeing some of them around him as they frantically tried to get one of the lots and revealed their abilities made him laugh inside. After all, this was a competition. Making sure your enemies could not even so much as peek into your abilities was vital. Which was apparent, considering the number of gazes he could feel locked onto him.
This was what made many of those that thought the same as Bazuul disgruntled of course. They had thought they could lay low and observe the strongest competitors first. Of course, one of them was, Bazuul. After all, considering the latent talent he had shown in the first trial, many were eager to get a glimpse at his abilities and maybe gain some advantages through this knowledge.
Sadly for them, they had been sorely disappointed. Because Bazuul still did not move.
What most didn't know was that while they were distracted by grand elder Efyr's sudden move to throw all the ”tickets to their dreams” into the air, Bazuul had already attracted the nearest lot right to him.
Stuck between his index finger and his thumb, nobody had even noticed. As he slightly lifted his thumb, the tiny paper revealed the number five before it vanished into thin air. Thereafter leaving a small mark on his wrist with five dots, much like a tattoo. Bazuul then crossed his arms and stood still for the remainder of the time.
Most had already picked up their lot and observed the other participants attentively. Until the end, though, it seemed Bazuul hadn't moved so much as a finger.
The very second the last lot was drawn grand elder Efyr instructed them to move on to each of their platforms and await the gong that would signify the official start of the third trial.