The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son' Chapter 299 - Qatrand: First Blood & Arena Trial

Wearing the Yecine black felt heavier today. Her formal attire had been precisely tailored for the coming ceremony - jacket and trousers cut to emphasize the warrior’s bearing they had spent the years instilling. Qatrand’s steps looked purposeful from that sa training, as she followed the procession of elders through familiar corridors.

Four years had taught her every shadow of these halls. Four years since she first witnessed killed, killer, and killing in the arena below. Her pigeon-blue eyes remained forward and focused, though her thoughts briefly strayed to the letter hidden beneath her pillow.

It had not been but a few months since they first t, yet Elua er Goltbred’s cheerful script in the latest letter had detailed a new confection shop. Her enthusiasm practically radiated from the page... and she could imagine the cute girl speaking each word excitedly.

Such innocent joy seed from another world now, as torchlight guided them deeper into the estate’s foundation. Into the place not ant for sweetness and pleasant thoughts.

Many more elders had gathered than at her Witness ceremony, outnumbering the faction that raised her. Their black suits and stern expressions were all sharp lines in the flickering light. Each had co to observe this next crucial step in forging their heir.

The click of polished shoes on stone echoed as they descended toward the arena floor. The space had been arranged differently than before. No thick predator’s cage waited in the shadows this ti.

Instead, a single holding pen stood centered in the practice ring. Near it, upon a simple wooden stand, lay the blade she would carry in the years to co. Its polished tal surface reflected the flickers of torchlight in the room, like a promise of the movents it would soon make.

Through the gaps in the pen’s solid walls, she glimpsed chipped curved horns and a wool gone grey with age. The ram stood quietly - its breeding years long past. It had served its purpose in strengthening the flock over its years... and now would serve one final duty to the Yecine.

"Today you take your place among warriors. Today you prove the strength we have forged."

One of the eldest leaders of her family intoned, the sound carrying easily in the enclosed underground space. Qatrand controlled her visible reactions as she had been taught. She more completely understood the Yecine concepts of duty now and was standing there to prove it to them.

Yet sowhere deep beneath that discipline, a familiar ache blood. The sa one she had felt watching youth cut short. With similar dark-suited witnesses and her father with them.

Anper’s hand rested on the hilt of his blade as he watched his ’heir’ face this milestone. His mood had never fully recovered from the eting in which he had been stuck talking to the Goltbred parents... upon introducing the two children to each other.

Not even the success of fooling the man did much to improve his mood on the way back that day. Being required to step forward and lift the waiting blade, with the reverence he should have reserved for a proud son, and deliver to the main actor of that and this farce?

"A warrior’s steel is an extension of their will. From this day forward, you shall be judged by how you wield it."

He presented the weapon across both palms while quietly seething. The blade was sized a bit long for her current height... balanced to account for years of future growth. The grip had been wrapped in black leather to match the Yecine’s main aesthetic. A color that would define her life as one of them.

Qatrand er Yecine accepted the blade with steady hands. As she gripped the handle, a phantom ache traced along her lower back. Where tal of a different kind and purpose lay hidden beneath skin.

Another change from her Witness ceremony.

The ram was led from its pen by two servants and secured to a post. While age had dulled its coat, its eyes were still clear as they t hers. There was no fear there - just the calm of a creature that had lived around humans.

"Approach. End its life cleanly, as befits a warrior of our line."

She had practiced this approach countless tis on wooden targets, knowing the day was to co. But those hadn’t breathed. Hadn’t watched her co closer.

The ram’s head tilted slightly as the young swordswoman shifted into the stance drilled into her muscles through endless training. The blade moved in an arc that caught the arena light along its edge. Just as she had seen her father do that day with the mountain cat.

Blade t flesh and no sound escaped its throat - she had ensured that rcy at least. Its legs buckled and body sagged against the restraints holding it to the post.

Whatever innocence sohow remained in her seed to tremble in her chest. But her hands stayed steady as she lowered the blade point to the floor while blood that marked its first taste of death ran down the fuller.

"Well struck. Now complete your task."

Her father’s voice carried no particular pride. It never did unless he was talking about the family as a whole. There was only acknowledgnt of a task fulfilled.

Just as four years ago, the death was only the beginning of her lesson. Qatrand would perform the sa tasks, cleaning the blade and dressing the body, knowing each wipe and cut would write this day permanently into mory.

The blade was placed aside on the table only after being properly cleaned, removing both the evidence and the substances that would damage the item if left. The servants in their own aprons stood ready to assist with the next part, but she was expected to lead this task herself.

Like before she did not permit herself to look away from her work.

But her thoughts drifted to the letter waiting in her room, to cheerful descriptions of crystallized honey and dried fruit. To soone who saw the world through such little wonders.

She cleaned her hands thoroughly in the basin provided after all the parts of the creature were sorted for later use. Each finger scrubbed until no trace remained, like on her blade

Tomorrow there would be training as usual. Tomorrow there might be another letter from her fiancee. But today had proven her capability to fulfill a warrior’s duties with the expected proper discipline.

The elders began to file out now that their own duty as Witnesses was complete. Anper remained to watch their pawn, looking for weakness that needed to be corrected. Whether he saw strength or not... his severe expression revealed nothing.

"You may return to your quarters and prepare yourself for afternoon training."

Qatrand bowed with perfect formality before turning to leave. Her steps were as asured leaving as they had been on arrival. ant to carry her where she was supposed to be without haste or waste.

Though this ti they carried her toward that example of Elua’s words rather than away from them.

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

The Yecine arena blazed with mounted lamps, illuminating every corner of the modified space as they gathered to witness their heir’s final trial before official Guild training.

Stone outcroppings had also been hauled in and secured, transforming the familiar sandy circle into treacherous terrain. Old wooden barriers, their surfaces scarred from previous trials takers, added more hazard and protection.

Compared to the first two traditional rituals, this held the most dark-suited figures. More than only elders filled the observation levels, the current and past favored cultivators from within their family had co to Witness.

Their murmured conversations ceased as Qatrand er Yecine stepped through the entrance... her heavy blade secured on her back. The new weapon was sized precisely for her current teenage height, its edge honed to perfection.

The ceremonial blade of her First Blood, anwhile, now bore the marks of dedicated practice. It sat in clear view at the main observation area. Qat had not intended to impress them with that, but every nick and scratch represented hours of forms and drills carried out on the training dummy in her room.

Many elders did not overlook that dedication.

A reinforced cage dominated one end of the arena. Within, sothing massive shifted in the shadows. Low growls echoed off stone walls as handlers deliberately agitated the creature within.

The Cavern Badger’s reputation for ferocity had earned it this role in centuries of trials.

"You stand before us seeking to represent our line beyond these walls. Our warriors have shed blood in every major conflict for generations. Our blades have turned the tide of battles since our founder’s first Descent of the region."

The raven haired ’heir’ maintained perfect posture as the recitation continued. A regurgitation of pride and duty, none of it sothing she had not heard her own father say. Her pigeon-blue eyes remained fixed ahead.

Though thanks to bits of advice from El, her spirit caught whispers of the badger’s growing rage. The intent to maul anything it could.

"The creature you face today has killed warriors who underestimated its cunning. You must demonstrate not just the ability to end its life, but the balanced control that separates true warriors from common fighters."

Anper’s gaze weighed heavy on her shoulders as the elder spoke. She knew his anticipation of proper Yecine ’aggression’ - the sa overly forceful use of their style she had quietly set aside during months of Youth Guild training. Because of spending ti with the one she had vowed to protect.

The badger slamd against its cage bars with a chittering hiss. Its fury promised violence... and the swordswoman adjusted the grip on her blade as she released it from its sheathing. Qat settled into the defensive hold she had practiced countless tis with El.

"Begin when ready."

’My victory will co through patience, not imdiate power.’

The thought felt like a small rebellion. A choice wrapped in perfect obedience to their ceremony. She nodded at the pair of retainers ready to unbar the cage.

It crashed open quickly, the Cavern Badger exploding into the arena with its claws scoring deep gouges in the sand. More of a small bear in size, its muscle rippled beneath its silver-streaked fur as it oriented on the only standing target.

The creature felt larger and more dangerous in person than described. Its shoulders nearly reached her waist and the wickedly curved claws promised grueso wounds to any careless warrior. Like the two still on the floor with her.

Qatrand moved at a deliberate diagonal, her new blade shining lamplight toward it’s face to distract it from the others leaping to safety. She positioned herself near one of the stone outcroppings that gave the creature fewer paths to consider.

She knew it would likely co straight at her, regardless. When it charged, it moved with surprising speed for sothing that did not cultivate physical energy. Qatrand stepped aside rather than eting the attack, letting the badger’s montum carry it past and claw at stone.

A disapproving murmur rippled through the watching Yecine. They expected their next heir to rush and et the beast head-on imdiately. To demonstrate their style’s dominance through overwhelming force.

Instead, she focused on observing the badger’s movent patterns. Fury-filled eyes tracked her position as it circled, testing her defenses. Her blade deflected raking claws with small movents, each parry efficiently minimal as practiced.

The unfamiliar balance of a weapon that had only been given to her this very morning demanded extra focus, but years of general training helped refine it with every tilt and movent of its dense weight.

"Face it properly!"

Soone called from above. Too young to be an elder and from the direction of currently ’unfavored’ cultivators. Other voices of her family carried clearly in the enclosed space, their frustration with her thodology mounting.

Their disapproval distracted her enough that the badger caught her with a strange lunging backswing. Such a frantic and unnatural whirl was the very thing she’s hoped to witness. She retreated two asured steps, blade pointed to discourage rapid pursuit while maintaining her guard.

’It will co low, next.’

As she fought, Anper’s visage radiated disapproval from the observation level. This was not how a Yecine warrior proved themselves in this trial. All the troubles they went through for this seed to be turning into a mockery.

But Qat did not care about that. Elua’s patient voice echoed in her mory, teaching her to find advantage through positioning. To find the mont to use power, instead of always expecting that power will work.

When the badger reared up to use its weight to overwhelm her guard, the swordswoman pivoted around the nearest obstacle. Instead of eting its strength or getting in a small attack herself as she dodged, she let its claws splinter wood as she moved behind it. The creature’s bulk beca temporarily trapped by its own committed attack.

’One perfect opening.’

Her blade swept up in a clean arc as her footwork danced back around. The exposed throat was hit square with newly sharpened steel, ending the battle in a single severing strike. Little wasted energy. No dramatic flourish.

Just exactly enough force to fulfill her duty, enacted in exactly the right mont. The Cavern Badger collapsed into the barricade, its legendary ferocity extinguished by Qatrand’s calculated patience. Marking yet another Yecine Arena Trial complete.

A victory was achieved, but not in the way many had wished to see it won.