[XASTOL CITY, DWANIVIT ARENA ENTRANT TENTS, HIDEMI'S TENT]
Jacender watched Hidemi holster his hammer against his waist. He had just finished refining his hammer for the upcoming competition and the trio were preparing for the announcement that would order all dwarven participants towards the arena.
"All done, Hidemi?" Jace asked. Hidemi nodded with a smile and exhaled softly.
How much energy does he even have? Aleximus wondered. Even as it's receding, it's like it won't stop.
He thought back to what Nahasch had told them when they had first entered the interior of the Weeping Forest:
"Two of you are void of Sanctum Energy, and the other with an overabundance of it. Yes, how curious indeed."
What made Hidemi so different? Aleximus had chalked it up to him being half-human having something to do with his bottomless Sanctum Energy, but now he suspected it was something else at work — something strange.
However, before he could voice his opinion, a voice boomed from overhead:
"DWANIVIT ENTRANTS!"
Jace jumped at the sound and covered his ears. "What was that?!"
Aleximus's eyes traveled to the steel pole in the center of the tent and noticed circular indents. Then, above it — along the ridge pole holding the top of the tent up — sat a silver upsidedown hammer that faintly glew with gold.
Must be some sort of loudspeaker, he thought. That means…
"THE DWANIVIT WILL BEGIN IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES!" the voice echoed again. "PLEASE, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TESTING GROUNDS. I REPEAT, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY…"
"Guess that's for you, huh?" Jace said with a point. He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "What's the big idea anyway? Putting that thing in a place where Hidemi can't see it knowing he can't even hear? It's like they're trying to make him late!"
Aleximus shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We're here to back him up, so whatever they try won't work until he's on that stage."
He looked at Hidemi and tipped his head towards the tent door. It was time to go.
SHHHHH
In unison, several dozen other boys in traditional outfits like Hidemi's hanfu stepped out of their tents and scanned their surroundings, eager to scope out the competition. Among them were Hisagi and Esi.
"Hmph!" Esi grinned as his arms crossed. "The Dwanivit sure has fallen. Since when did we start allowing trash in here?"
Jace got ready to step forward, but Aleximus appeared in front of Esi with a dark look. "Trash, huh? You're right about that. I was wondering where that musty smell was coming from. So it was you."
The other participants started to murmur amongst themselves. Some were in disbelief that a human had even been allowed this close, while others were afraid that they would be attacked. Before anything could happen, Jacender and Hidemi both jumped atop Aleximus and comically pinned him to the ground.
"H-Hey, you bastard!" Jace whispered. "You're not supposed to be starting fights!"
"Ahn!" Hidemi agreed.
Aleximus struggled to get them off of him. "That's rich coming from you! You were gonna get mad and do something stupid, you idiot!"
The surrounding children's faces became simple and blank with stupified expressions ranging from dumbfounded to startled.
Are they idiots..? they all wondered in unison.
It was Hisagi Murong, unimpressed with Hidemi and his new friends, who were the first to push his robe to the side and make his way for the participant's entrance. The other children oggled in amazement at his stride and watched him go through the door.
"That's young master Hisagi, isn't it?"
"I heard he's the favorite to rank first place today."
"Man, I sure hope he takes it easy on us…"
"Come on! We can't afford to get distracted here! We're dwarves! Let's go prove ourselves!"
One after another, spurred on by Hisagi's display, the participants soon forgot about their contempt for Hidemi and the humans and made their way for the grounds, forming a single line as they did so.
Esi sucked his teeth and fixed his collar despite no one touching it and followed after everyone else. "See you in the Tulou, menark! I can't wait to crush you in front of everyone!"
"Yeah, that's right! You better run!" Jace stuck out his tongue. "Hidemi's gonna mop the floor with ya!"
"I said get off of me!" Aleximus finally shot and kicked Jace in the chin. Jace staggered back, Leon nearly slipping from his head as he clutched his mouth. "Ow! What's wrong with you?!"
Aleximus rose to his feet and grabbed Hidemi by his hair. "Next time you pin me down, I'll kill you! Got it?!"
"O-Owa!" Hidemi's smile wavered.
Aleximus let him go and huffed, "Good!" before pointing at the line of dwarven children that had left.
"Quit daydreaming and get going! You're gonna need to step over each and every one of their bodies to surpass Hisagi, right?! So focus!"
He shoved Hidemi, forcing him to go, and stared daggers at him. He wouldn't tolerate failure. No matter what.
Understanding that, Hidemi grinned and stuck his thumbs up. "OWA!" he noised confidently. His intention was clear too:
He would not let them down. No matter what.
As Hidemi ran towards the door, Aleximus turned to Jace. "And hide Leon, would you?"
"Huh? What for?"
"Just do it! We've already been getting enough unwanted attention as is. A lion would only bring more."
Leon stared at him with a grumpy face and turned his nose up. However, he seemed to understand because the next moment, he jumped off of Jace's head and dove into the boy's partly open backpack.
So cute! Jace smiled as the lion poked its small head out.
"Would you look at that — he's even smarter than you, Jace." Aleximus snickered. Jace groaned angrily and raised his fist, but Aleximus had already started walking away.
"Where are you going?!"
Aleximus glanced apathetically at him and shrugged.
"To find a seat."
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[XASTOL CITY, DWANIVIT GROUNDS: MURONG TULOU]
To say they were surprised would have been an understatement.
Jacender, and even Aleximus — who was hardly shaken by much — blinked twice at the sight before them:
Thousands of dwarves of all ages gathered together and cheered so loud that a low-pitched howl of sound erupted from the enough that the roaring wind felt like a blast of sound rippling through the Dwanivit Arena. There were no seats, so everyone was forced to stand, but for some reason, it only served to increase their buzzing excitement. Was this really something they did every two years? It felt so alive; like the beat of the archaic drum that boomed below the spectators. Aleximus's eyes traveled to the drummers standing on the floor adjacent to them and noticed that they had been given their own small space to perform. However, could such few drums be this loud? He suspected it was yet another speaker; this time cleverly hidden underneath the supports of the entrant grounds below.
The only entrance was a large gate protected by an eight-inch door of silver wood tucked neatly inbetween a door-frame carved from obsidian that was reinforced with an iron plate. Like the walls of Xastol themselves, the door also bore strange Sanctum-Etching markings that would most assuredly glow once someone used Sanctum Energy on them.
The rest of the Dwanivit arena sprung from the gate and was even more eye-catching than everything the twins had seen in the city thus far. It was a circular building-shaped area with rammed, load-bearing earth walls used for support that stretched up to seven stories high and over 100 meters wide. In all actuality, it resembled a miniature city; flush with two concentric rings; the outer wall where the spectators were spread amongst each of the seven levels, and the inner wall where the Dwanivit participants would stand inside.
THUM! THUM! THUM!
The hollow drum rang again, this time setting the inner wall ablaze with silver flame. No, not just the inner wall, but the ground itself trembled slightly before opening up to reveal a thin man whose hands rested behind his back. The platform closed with a drkkk just after he had fully come up. The crowd cheered at the sight of him:
"NO WAY!!"
"IT REALLY IS HIM! THE SPEAKER OF XASTOL!"
"AW MAN, THIS IS AWESOME!!"
"AIEEE!!!"
A soft smile appeared on the newcomers face. Though his eyes were as tired as always, and his clothing felt baggier than ever due to his weight loss, Banderd Murong stood proudly before his countrymen and basked in the glow of their happiness.
This is what it meant to be a dwarf in service to his country; the pillar of a society that must not lose their way. Banderd was convinced this was truth: unbiased and in the domain of repose.
As such, he raised his hand and called for silence. The drumming came to a halt immediately as silence washed over the onlookers.
"Good afternoon, citizens of Xastol," Banderd said finally. Jacender had noticed he had placed his fingers on the purple gemstone on his necklace as he spoke. Somehow, it was allowing him to project himself across the arena.
Banderd slicked his hair back and opened his arms triumphantly. "I welcome you — all of you — to the Dwanivit!"
The crowd exploded with exhilarated chants of his name, growing louder than they had been before.
Banderd motioned for them to settle down. "Many thanks, but today is not in celebration of me. This sacred event is a time for our youngest and brightest to not only prove themselves as Sanctum-Smiths capable of joining our most esteemed ranks — but as revolutionaries we can entrust our city's future to once the time comes!"
"In addition!" a voice boomed. Two more openings appeared in the ground, revealing the rising bodies of both councelors Huin and Gido.
Huin fixed his glasses and faced the crowd behind Banderd. "This Dwanivit is not just to test these young boys' aptitude! It is to test their character; to reveal the answers they have come across in their preparation for this moment!"
"Here, in this Tuluo," Gido shouted with a smile, "These future leaders will test their mettle against those of similar ilk and skill and be granted a chance to compete for the illustrious rank and title of Stieli — first class Sanctum-Smiths!"
LNRRRRR!!!
All three councelors let loose their golden Sanctum Energy and let it shoot into the sky above them, creating the striking image of three brilliant pillars of light.
Jacender and Aleximus, as well as every other dwarf there marveled in its brightness and purity. It was so different than any they had ever seen before.
"As my brothers have told you," Banderd continued loudly. "Today will be a day of advancement for Xastol, no matter what! Because not only will we see how far these young ones have come along using everything they've been taught in their lives thus far, but this Dwanivit will reveal the answers they, too, have arrived upon in their search for what it means to be a true dwarf!!"
The crowd erupted into applause so thunderous that Jacender was convinced that even Hidemi could hear it.
Banderd's eyes snapped towards them in an instant and remained there, unnoticed by the rest of the crowd. Jacender and Aleximus met his gaze understandingly and both arrived at the same realization.
So that's… they thought in unison, eyes narrowing.
Coincidentally, Banderd also examined them with the same sharp look.
So that's…
All three recognized who the other was with a single glance, their expressions unflinching and giving nothing away.
…So that's Banderd, huh?
…So those are the humans who've been helping Hidemi…
A moment after, Banderd's eyes left them and focused on the crowd instead. "It seems everyone has met our young guests, haven't they?"
All heads turned to the twins with disgust and hatred burned into the dwarves's faces.
"They will be here for the remainder of our Dwanivit," Banderd said, the energy he and his brothers displayed dimming. "They are here as a result of an agreement between the council and the Lord of The Weeping Forest. We've made this news public some time ago, but we ask again that you be courteous and respectful to them. As long as they remain in these grounds, they are guests of the Council."
Jacender heard the sound of teeth clicking and lowered his bag so no one would see Leon — who curiously poked out — and grow angrier with them. Aleximus on the other hand was a bit irritated.
He thinks he's clever, he thought, thinking of Banderd. As long as we remain in these grounds, huh? It's like he's asking to put a target on our backs…
He drew in a breath, understanding that Banderd was attempting to keep an eye on them for as long as the Dwanivit progressed. It was a fantastic opening move.
Not left with many options, Aleximus stepped forward and looked down at the counselors from the floor he and his brother stood on and bowed humbly. The crowd murmured again with confusion. What was a human doing bowing to them? From what they were told and raised to believe, nothing good came from humanity; they were merely a warmongering and power-hungry race obsessed with power, never to be trusted with it. So why? Why was this boy — this human boy — not only wearing their traditional garb but also reverent enough to their customs to bow to their Speaker? It just didn't make sense.
"We thank you for your accommodation, Speaker Banderd," Aleximus said without raising his head. "We hope to create a mutual understanding between our two people by watching this Dwanivit. It's an honor to see your culture up close."
Jacender took a stand next to him and bowed as well.
"Right! This opportunity means a lot to Hidemi, which means a lot to us!"
Banderd couldn't help but allow a smile to form on his face. That black-haired boy is a shrewd one… So he means to prove their adherence to the laws despite not being who they were made for…
Aleximus had made a perfect counter to his move, but Banderd wasn't the least bit angry. Perhaps it was because Hidemi was his nephew, or because of the love he still had for his brother, Ivan, but something locked deep down in the Speaker's heart was anxious. Whatever it was, it wanted to see how these two boys aimed to challenge the eons of law and history Xastol and its children carried. He wanted to know how exactly a half-dwarf and two humans — the two things hated most by dwarves — could ever hope to change dwarves.
Did they somehow have a plan? A secret strategy known only to them? Regardless, a part of him yearned to see another answer to the question that had been plaguing him all of his life:
What did it mean to be a true dwarf?
He smiled and relaxed his hands, a smile and a shine in his eyes revealing itself to the audience; one of wonder.
TSH! TSH! TSH!
The fire along the inner wall flickered and vanished, revealing door-sized carvings connected to the outer ring. Behind them, Jace could see the shadows of several dozen young boys.
"Months of hard work have been cultivated for this one moment!" Gido announced. The steady staccato of drumming started to play once more as Huin took over next:
"Citizens of Xastol, it is with great and incredible honor that I introduce to you our young challengers!"
TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP!
The Dwanivit participants poured out from behind each of their openings and spilled out into the center of the testing grounds where they were met with the passionate hoorays of the onlooking dwarves.
Each boy assumed a position in the middle and then stepped to the side, all of them simultaneously forming three long rows. No one looked up at the spectators; there was only pride and determination etched in each one of their faces.
Jacender was quick to notice Hidemi near the back row and pointed him out to Aleximus with a raised fist in the air.
Based on what they understood from Nahasch during their stay in the Weeping Forest, each participant present was about 11-14 years old and posed with their hands behind them. Some were from middle-class families, but most were common dwarves who's family's regularly produced Yezi's: third-rank Sanctum-Smiths who oftentimes worked in the mines or excavation caves located deep underground Xastol.
Near the front of the first row stood Hisagi Murong, who proudly brandished the silver emblem of the Murong clan on his back. His right arm rested gently against the rounding hammer on his waist, eager to get the Dwanivit underway, but restrained himself. His eyes, however, continued to drift towards the silver-obsidian jewels on the necks of each councilperson. He craved desperately for the position of a counselor; the position his father, Ruo, once held. It was the one thing that interested him in the city — the only thing that motivated him to press on even when all else had failed him. To be a counselor — or even better yet, the Speaker of Xastol — would allow Hisagi Murong to change things the way he felt they should have been changed. To make Xastol better and succeed Arsaes's legacy was his ultimate goal. He would let nothing stop him from achieving it now. Not Esi, not Hidemi — no one. The Dwanivit was the perfect place to demonstrate the seriousness of his dream, and he intended to do just that.
Banderd faced the boys and lowered his chin in a formal bow. Gido and Huin did the same. The young dwarves followed suit.
As he picked his head up, his eyes quickly flew past Hidemi's with shame. He couldn't bring himself to look at him. Not now, at least.
Hidemi ignored him, preoccupied with Hisagi's back to care. He only sought one thing: to surpass Hisagi Murong and prove himself to the people of Xastol.
"Now then, before we begin this Dwanivit," Banderd told everyone. "As per custom, Councilperson Gido shall explain the rules to our participants."
Gido stepped forward and faced the children.
"You will be given one task during this Dwanivit that will be broken down into three distinct sections. At the end of each section, only those amongst you with the highest scores will be moved forward to ensure quality picks."
He tapped the ground with his foot and summoned three short pillars of earth.
"Once the competition begins, several pillars much larger than this will rise along the area and sink back into the earth every few minutes at random. Within them lie special ores you must retrieve by way of Sanctum-Drilling and make sure not to destroy or fracture the mineral in any way. Do be warned, however! Not every pillar contains an ore, and too much time spent on anyone may cost you time that could have been spent smelting and casting!"
As if to illustrate his point, the first pillars sank back into the ground, the second exploded silently, and the third fell apart to reveal a shining gemstone hidden in its core.
The first thing the sight brought to mind for Jacender and Aleximus was Nahasch's first showcase of Sanctum Energy back in the Forbidden Area.
"Once you have retrieved your ore," Gido continued, waving towards the inner wall. "You are to occupy a forge and begin your smelting immediately."
The place where he pointed became hollow and out came forward a forge similar to those in Iron-Hammer Forge.
"The time limit will not be disclosed to you until the competition begins to ensure that you are able to think on your feet and work quickly, but once you have taken up a forge and begun smelting, a customized clock will appear above your workstation with your new, reset time."
So they get more time the faster they get to the forge? Aleximus wondered. They couldn't be any less sneaky… This is obviously to motivate the others to take up all the pillars and forges before Hidemi.
Gido smirked slyly as he stared at Hidemi. "Additionally, you will each be given a customized shape or object to cast, cool, temper, and harden your smelted material into. The goal is to work in harmony with your Sanctum Energy as to finish within the allotted time!"
Banderd noticed some shaken faces among the participants and raised his hands warmly. "Do not fear. Those who are capable of attaining their ores and smelting within the allotted time will automatically be assigned the title of Yezi, third-rank Sanctum-Smith."
"Yes," Huin added. "And those who make their way for the forges and successfully cast their molten ore will have attained the rank of Koda, second-rank Sanctum-Smiths."
"..?" Jace noised. Aleximus turned to him.
"What is it?"
"That's weird, isn't it? You'd think it'd be harder to get positions like that, but all they have to do is get their ores and melt it down?"
Aleximus thought back to the gemstone that had come from Gido's final pillar, his mind whirring. That ore was shining, he realized, There's another part to these instructions they haven't said yet!
Just as Aleximus thought that Gido opened his mouth, saying:
"However, it is only those who are capable of drawing out the true essence of the ores that will be able to achieve the title of Stieli, first rank!"
The participants and audience murmured in unison. What could he have meant by 'the true essence' of the ore?
"In actuality," Banderd interrupted, bringing everyone's eyes back to him. "These ores are no simple minerals! They are metalliferous earths ranging from B-A rank, meaning they each contain unique properties or abilities when smelted!"
A collective gasp escaped from the children below. Even Hisagi, who stood steadfast, was caught off guard. Were the counselors this serious to use such high-grade materials just to test them? Was Hidemi that important for them to ensure he lost? Or was this something else? Perhaps the Council was testing them all; evaluating their skills seriously in order to see if their generation were truly capable of bringing Xastol to the next level.
"As Banderd said," Gido resumed, taking the floor. "It will not be as simple as drilling or smelting or even casting and cooling! You must be able to not only ensure that your ore does not break, but that all its properties stay intact as you use it to create something new — something original. The ore may fight against you or work surprisingly well, but the fact of the matter is that it must be implemented into whatever you are to create; meaning that the item you produce here today must have its own special attribute and power. Only the three with the most points across the board capable of such a feat will be granted the rank of Stieli."
All eyes bore into Hisagi. It was a given for the favorite young master of the Murong clan to have so much expectation placed on him, but this much was maddening. The boy did the best he could not to notice and squeezed his hand behind his back. Hidemi was the only one to notice.
"Against the railings of the Tulou you all stand on," Banderd said to the audience, "You will find small holographic images of each participant's scores. These will be automated, factoring in the time it takes them to retrieve an ore, lose one, fail to smelt on time, or even harden incorrectly during the molding stage."
As he said it, everyone looked in front of them to find a golden arrow. Aleximus swiped the one before Jace and scrolled down to see Hidemi's name at the very bottom of the list of entrants. He selected it by pressing the circle option right above it and made it the main name they would see for the rest of the Dwanivit.
The drumming began to fade back in.
"We wish you the best of luck and will be watching intently to see how you progress during today's trials!" Huin shouted.
Excitement buzzed again as the participants amped themselves up. Everyone was ready to prove themselves no matter what. The fact that the Counselors had brought out such rare materials just for them was a testament to the trust they had in them as up-and-coming Sanctum-Smiths.
On no account would they dare to let them down now.
Drums started to softly fade back in as he went on.
DRNNNN!!
A flight of stairs manifested at the side where Huin stood, awaiting the Councelors. They all walked towards it and ascended to their section where two guards stood. Once they had risen, the staircase vanished back into the earth.
Huin placed his hand over the railing of the council's section and pressed a silver arrow that summoned a see-through analog clock in the sky of the Dwanivit arena. It read "3:00:00".
KRRRRRRRRKK
Large pillars similar to what Gido had raised earlier shot up from the ground in front of the participants and littered the area. Some were slower to rise than others, and some were already sinking back into the ground. Like the Councelors had told them: this would be a race against time.
Ha! Esi smirked. He eyed Hidemi sharply and looked back at the front. This is where you fall, menark! Your path ends here — like it's supposed to!
The three councilmen stepped towards their railing and saluted by bringing their fists and palms together.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the bellowed in unison.
"IT IS OUR HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU—"
A foot slammed hard against the floor and broke off in the direction opposite of where everyone else was facing. All heads turned with astonishment as Hidemi Murong, faster than all the other participants, took for the tallest pillar in the ring.
Hisagi, caught in shock, froze in place at the sight of him. What was he doing? Was he really going for it? The Council would be done announcing the start in just another second, so why wasn't he listening? Even though he was there, no one honestly believed the half-dwarf could Sanctum-Smith, much less drill! So why?
Regardless of the reason, somehow — something within every young boy there stirred in response to Hidemi's movement. In the split-second, since the councilmen had opened their mouths, the deafening clamping of dashing feet filled the arena as each and every entrant ran for the nearest pillar at breakneck speed.
None knew why they did what they did. Maybe it was because of nerves, or because they didn't want to be upstaged by someone they considered fake… But they ran anyway, desperately scrambling for the drilling instruments hooked to the sashes on their waists, too caught up in the present to even register that the councilmen had finished saying, "THE DWANIVIT!"
Aleximus and Jace watched the dwarven boys scatter, all because of their friend. They welcomed the great smiles that appeared on their faces.
"Their expressions sure changed, huh?" Jace laughed.
"Yeah," Aleximus responded. "For a second, it looked like they forgot Hidemi was half-dwarf and considered him competition for the first time."
His eyes focused on Hidemi in the sea of running dwarves and the jubilant cheers from the onlookers.
"He's got a way of getting people to move, doesn't he? It's amazing," he breathed, fighting back a smile.
Across from them, where the Council stood, Banderd had come to the same thought. So this is what Ivan was so believing in, huh? It's such a sincere movement beyond confidence or arrogance. That boy is no different from the other boys; he's simply happy to be here and is giving it his best… That purity is blinding…
And so everyone watched as the youngest and brightest of Xastol underwent the long-awaited Dwanivit, the seeds of hesitancy every so slowly growing within their minds as it came to Hidemi Murong.
Just what exactly was he hoping to achieve here today on their most sacred stage? And just what exactly was he hoping to prove?
The clock flickered to "2:59:00"
[THE DWANIVIT]