Chapter 216: A Rain of Fists


    The scores came up.


    10-6.


    10-7.


    10-6.


    Alright, theres one round, Alex said as the crowd roared; he waved toward his friends and family, making sure it was less awkward little greeting and more Khalik addressing the crowd.


    ygon and Shining sh went to their respective corners.


    He had to admit, his earlier jitters were mostly gone.


    Right, right, analysis time, he thought. Baelin would be hugely disappointed in him if he didnt use a break inbat to examine his opponents strengths, weaknesses and potential future actions.


    He looked over at Ando, who was still bright red in the face and ring daggers at him. Alex scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He had a feeling that if the announcer hadnt emphasised that points would be lost if anyone acted like an angry child during a match, then Ando would probably have a few choice wordsor maybe fistsfor him.


    His bodynguagethe way he moved, stiffly and aggressivelyscreamed exactly how he was feeling about Alex at the moment.


    So hes angry and hes down on points, Alex thought. I can use that. If I were a betting man, Id bet hell have Shining she at ygon all stark, raging mad. Hell want to hit him fast at first, then get out of his reach. Hes faster than ygon, so skirmishing would be-No wait.


    He nced at the points on the board. Hes way behind on points, so hell need to do something more decisive than just hit-and-runs or hell lose.


    This wasnt like the fights in The Barrens: neither of their lives were at risk. Barrens-monsters would retreat when wounded, like the xyrthak did, but the goal here wasnt to life or death. It was to get the most points.


    So, if Alex were Ando, how would he go about doing that?


    Legs, Alex thought, ncing at ygons powerful legs and feet. Going for a pin would be pretty pointless: size and strength arent always the decider in wrestling, but ygon had so much more mass and strength on Shining sh, that trying to pin him would stupid. ygon could reverse an attempt at pinning him, no problem. so that leaves knockdowns. If it looks like ygons weights off bnce, then thatd be a perfect time to go for a trip.


    He kept his face neutral. Lets make that seem like a good strategy for him, eh ygon?


    Get ready! the announcer cried.


    Shining sh turned back toward its opponent and spun its des.


    Smack those fists together, buddy, Alex thought to ygon.


    <em>Thm. Thm.</em>


    ygon shed his four fists together twice.


    The crowd roared, and several of the illusions focused on close ups of the golems weapons and fists.


    Now, this was getting to be bags of<strong></strong>fun.


    <em>Ding!</em>


    The bell ran again, signalling the start of round two.


    This time, Shining sh proved to be the aggressorjust as Alex had thoughtdarting forward with all ten pommels swinging.


    ygon charged toward the brass golem, powering up the fire-gems again. Their glow reflected off the brass golems polished surface, but Alex didnt let them fully charge.


    He just let their ominous glow shine from his golems forehead and palms.


    Shining sh jumped away, trying to use its superior speed to duck around ygon, but the y golem had much better reach and stalked after his opponent, driving all four of his fists forward to seemingly try and knock down the smaller golem.


    Trigger the idea that risk will bring reward, Alex thought. Slow down those fists, just a bit, ygon.


    Blows slowed slightly as though ygon were trying to take more time and precision with each strike, and Shining sh took advantage.


    <em>ck! ck! ck! ck!</em>


    The crowd roared as the brass golem struck those big y fists while they were still extended, the pommels snapping against the unyielding surfaces.


    Thats it, now well be the desperate ones for a bit, Alex thought.


    He put on an expression of dismay and anger, pointing at Shining sh. Now ygon began lunging at it, making wide, sweeping grabs with all four arms.


    Little more aggressive, buddy, he thought. He watched Andos face and ygons legs.


    His opponent was watching the golem with utter concentration. A lot of his anger from earlier was still there, but he looked a hell of a lot calmer now.


    Alex s eyes flicked to the brass golem as it danced around ygon with its ten pommels striking again and again. He had to admit, it was a beautiful construct. Its attacks were no mindless ilings; Alex had practised enough of the Spear-and-Oar dance to know a beautifulbat style when he saw one.


    Ando must have put a lot of work into the golem core to get Shining sh to move like that. From where Alex stood, he could feel the mana surging from it as it danced around.


    Respect rose in his chest.


    Though, he wasnt about to forget that he was an opponent.


    And he justneeded him totakethebait


    ygons leg lifted high. His arms over-extended slightly.


    Shining sh darted in as therger golem appeared to be losing bnce.


    Four swords shot out, hooking the cross-guards around the back of ygons leg, ready to pull himpletely off bnce and to the ground.


    Jerk your leg back! Alex thought.


    ygon yanked his leg back abruptly, pulling Shining sh off-centre and sending him tumbling to the ground in a heap of brass.


    Knock down, Alex thought.


    ygon fell as well, but Alex gave himmands to control the fall: hended overtop Shining sh, he was nted on two of his hands while the other two grabbed the brass golems limbs and pressed it into the ground.


    No! Ando shouted.


    Shining sh jerked beneath gyon, but with therger golems powerful grip on its leg and a pair of its arms, there was no way it was going to budge him.


    wo! Pin! the announcer shouted.


    The crowd cheered as Alex let the brass golem up.


    And now for the second punch, Alex thought.


    Charge! Ando shouted.


    Now even more desperate for <em>any sort</em> of points he could make Alex lose, he had Shining sh rush ygon.


    <em>Whoooom.</em>


    So Alex finished charging the fire-gems.


    <em>Vooooosh!</em>


    The beams of fire-magic mmed right into Shining sh as it recklessly charged in.


    <em>Booom!</em>


    Fiery explosions ripped through the arena, roaring through the air as the crowd screamed and cheered. The explosions werent enough to knock the nine hundred and fifty pound brass golem off its feet, but it stumbled.


    ygon grabbed it by an arm, turnedswinging through the air to gather momentumthen flung it straight up. Shining sh flew at least twenty feet above ygons head before tumbling to the ground in front of him.


    Alex had ygon cock two of his fists back.


    <em>Wham!</em>


    He drove both of them into Shining sh at the same time.


    <em>Crash! Crash! Skkrrrrrrrrr!</em>


    The brass golem bounced off the arena floor twice beforeing to a skidding, grinding halt against the stones.


    No mas! Ando shouted, waving his hands back and forth. No mas! No mas!


    Alex had studied enoughnguages by now to trante that from Guadianan: No more!


    The crowd went quiet.


    The announcer held up his hand. Ando Duran has yielded on the field, the winner of the match is ygon representing Alex Roth!


    The crowd hollered and cheered.


    Alex turned to the stands and waved at his friends and family. He could see the distant little form of Selina pping as hard as she could and jumping up and down. Good. It looked like she was having a good time.


    Andif he was honestso was he.


    One match down, he thought.


    He won his next few matchesvery handilythrough a mix of analysis and good-ol fashioned overwhelming force. ygon was a force to be reckoned with, and even in the super-heavy weight challenge, he was able to overwhelm many of therge monsters he was up against.


    As the tournament went on, the adversariesin each matchwere bing more powerful ones. Alex needed to think and n his way through each fight by trying to leave as little to chance as he could as thepetition came in with more experience.


    Still, he was able to get through each match, some by a wide margin in points and some by a narrow one.


    Between rounds he returned to the waiting chamber. It was growing emptier as time went on and morepetitors were eliminated. Once he even saw a fist fight break out between a victor and a loser who had to be parted by some of the more hulking staff members.


    Three constants remained in the room, though, Sim, Stan and Tyris. There were no illusions that allowed thepetitors to watch other matches from the waiting chamber, but each time two fighters went up for a match, they would be back down after it for one of them to re-take their seat, and the other to head out the main exit door.


    Soon, however, two familiar names were called by a staff-member.


    Alex Roth and ygon versus Sim Shale and Shaleleath!


    Alex looked over at Sim, who was rising from his seat in the waiting chamber. Good luck, mate!


    Same to you! Sim called back.


    They made their way back to the arena to the roar of the crowd. The cheers had definitely gotten louder and more excited during theter rounds for both Alex and his opponents.


    It was the same now.


    Shale-leath! Shale-leath! Shale-leath! some of the crowd shouted in a cheery chant.


    aaaaygoooon! aaaaygooon! aaaaygoooon! roared other spectators.


    The cheers for ygon sounded a bit more ominous somehow.


    Well, if his earlier fight might have made it seem like he was the fodder to Andos quiet hero, then now he would definitely be the <em>viin </em>to anyone looking in from the outside.


    Shaleath was even smaller than Shining sh, and while ygon looked likewell, he looked like a hulking, four-armed monster with sharp teeth and three eyes, Shaleleath looked like a heroic version of Sim himself.


    A well-built hero, versus a towering monster.


    Except I might be the underdog here, Alex muttered.


    When hed been near Shaleleath, he could feel the mana thrumming from the golem. It wasnt quite like the overwhelming power ygon gave off, but it was clear that Sim had made some upgrades to the basic stone golem design.


    And that made sensehis mother owned and worked in one of the most sessful golem workshops in all of Generasiof course, Sims golem wouldnt be the run-of-the mill construct.


    He could have anything embedded in there, Alex thought. Rods that shoot electricity, protective shields, other attack spellsdefences, hed have ess to a lot more magical items than I did when I was making ygon. Of course, more magic items need more mana to create connections between them and the golem core. More pathways, meant moreplexity, and more mana. Theres probably a limit to how many magical items he has embedded in there then. Ugh, Im trying to think without data. Maybe he doesnt have any embedded magic items in there at all. Maybe just see what happens.


    He had ygon bang his fists together twice, then drop into the first stance of the Spear-and-Oar Dance.


    Sim spread his hands dramatically in a kind of:e at me gesture.


    Shaleleath did the same.


    The announcer raised his hand. Who wille out on top? Ready? Begin!


    The crowd cheered.


    Shock and Awe, Alex thought.


    <em>Whoooom.</em>


    The fire-gems began to charge and glow with crimson light.


    Shaleleath approached ygon cautiously, edging closer. Alexs eyes flicked to Sim, watching for any tells or odd movements.


    Sim waspletely still, simply watching ygon.


    The fire-gems had nearly finished charging.


    Opening shot, Alex thought.


    <em>Vooooo-</em>


    ygons fire-gems prepared to fire.


    Mana red from Shaleleath. Something was charging up inside of it.


    And it was charging up <em>fast</em>.


    <em>Broooam!</em>


    A wave of force magic sted out of Shaleleaths chest, quickly forming a spherical force construct with spikes sticking out, like the head of a morning star.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    It sted into ygons head, sending him stumbling back, throwing off his aim. Alex had him nt his foot back to steady himself.


    -<em>ooooosh!</em>


    The fire-beam from his head sted into the cages bars, exploding against the magical brass bars. The beams from his hands also went off-target, drawing long lines of explosions along the ground.


    Then Shaleleath extended one of his fists.


    But he was still too far away from-


    <em>Boom!</em>


    With a st of force magic, Shaleleaths fore-arm rocketed off his bodytrailing force magic like a fireworkand mmed into ygons trunk, making him flinch.


    The fist flew back to Sims golem, quickly re-attaching.


    Alex gaped.


    Really? he said. Force magic powered flying fists? Thats awesome!


    But from the look on Sims face, he could see that not all had gone as nned. Maybe hed expected the attacks to knock ygon back or even down.


    But that wasnt going to work much here.


    Youre gonna have to do better than that, Sim, Alex muttered, mentally ordering his golem to close the distance between him and Shaleleath.


    ygon charged forward.


    His fist cocked back.


    And then suddenly Shaleleath split into <em>six </em>Shaleleaths.


    What the hell? Alex cried.


    It was like Thundars Illusionary Duplicate spell, except there were <em>five </em>copies of Shaleleath.


    The crowd erupted.


    The half a dozen stone golems jumped at ygon in a confusing mass, Alex couldnt tell which one was the real one.


    <em>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!</em>


    Stone smashed against y, as the real stone golem struck ygon repeatedly while he tried<strong></strong>swinging at all of them. Each time therge golem sted apart an illusion with one of his four fists, another would form to rece it.


    I take back what I said about having to do better, Sim.