Arena of Honor, S2 R10

It was a sweltering autumn Sunday afternoon. The heat was so oppressive that Bearface had rolled up his shirt sleeves as he was making his way to the arena meeting of his team, and if he was not afraid of offending the sensibilities of Miss Rhaella, the innkeeper, he would have dispensed with his shirt altogether.

He was feeling very confident after their previous game where they had ended up in first place and with the Glory City as their own.

Hello team, he said as he entered the room but his greeting faltered and stopped short. The team looked demolished, there were barely five people there including him.

The two squires, Tempelis and Beerface, who had been serving cups of ale to the rest, realised a storm was coming, and practically throwing the last cup before ChristianOr, they retreated fast and peeled themselves to the wall for safety.

What in Seven Hells is going on here? thundered Bearface, where is everyone? He was usually so calm and unperturbed, that his rare fits of temper had everyone walking on eggshells.

ChristianOr shrugged, totally calm.

The fine weather, perhaps? she mused. I did speak with Rhaella, but the inn is packed she cannot abandon it

You call this fine weather? Bearface retorted. Look at me, my shirt is drenched.

ChristianOr, Lady Anwen and Daessa looked at each other, and shared a quick little smile, that none of the men realised its meaning.

Let’s see if there is anyone interested in joining us, we still have a little time, ChristianOr replied.

They did convince a couple of people to join them and with a regular member arriving apologetically, they had scraped up a respectable eight members. Still Bearface was not content. His eyes roamed around, stopping at Tempelis and Beerface, still semi hiding in the back of the room.

You two, gear up, he commanded them. Time for a real test.

The team made it to the battlefield seconds before the trumpets sounded the beginning. Noone had time to ascertain who their opponents were, all they knew was that they seemed to be standing beneath the Targaryen banner. 

Bearface was busy arranging the team.

Reinforce the strongholds, please, we need our trade camps to be done fast, he was instructing.

Bearface, ChristianOr interrupted him, our Clan House? who will defend it? 

She still shuddered when she remembered how they had lost the Clan House in their first match, so it was always her first priority.

Bearface paused, and peered around to see if there were any spear camps nearby, but it seemed the entire map was made of trade camps.

Tempelis, you are cavalry, right? he asked casually.

Tempelis gulped loudly, and mumbled a yes sir.

Then Tempelis, you will be our castle defender, Bearface decided. Everyone please reinforce Tempelis here.

Tempelis seemed to grow taller a foot on the spot, and Beerface looked at him with jealousy for the distinguished position he had. As soon as the altars opened he rushed to capture the Altar of Stranger, even if Bearface had told them to prioritise the Altars of Maiden. 

He looked so nervous and afraid when he got scouted, that ChristianOr took pity on him and reinforced him.

Should be enough to win most of the solos, she told him encouragingly.

Beerface smiled timidly back at her, and they waited for the impact.

Luck was not in their favor as Beerface was hit by probably the strongest spears of the map. Immediately ChristianOr attacked to revenge the little squire.

See? she told him. Counter is in my favor and I barely won, she consoled the squire. Go forth and have fun, and trust me, this is more fun than being sealed off in the Clan Castle for the entire battle, she winked at him, and Beerface set off to defend the altars in high spirits.

ChristianOr feeling very wise and combat knowledgeable, set off to attack some altars of Maidens. In the first one she had a nasty shock as she saw her army coming back empty handed.

Pffff, she sighed in disgust. 

Chris, what if you attack a couple of times quickly? you are killing some of his troops, you will probably end up with the altar, in the end, suggested Daessa.

ChristianOr, liking the idea, attacked like lightning. And was defeated as fast and humiliatingly, as the wily Zarachiel, anticipating her move, had asked to be reinforced.

Chris unleashed her fury on the dragonpits, forgetting Bearface had asked her to stay free in case she was needed to rally the Glory City. 

She was still holding the last one when she heard the Targeryens running to reinforce Bearface in the Glory City. 

She tried in vain to discover where her horses were. Would she make it in time to reinforce him? or she would disappoint him? she arrived breathless, only to discover that her archnemesis, Zarachiel the mighty bow, had sent a solo.

Blow after blow followed, and Bearface was parrying them with ease. The Targaryens smiles started broadening when a new rally hit them.

Bearface did not utter a single word of complaint. He turned and told ChristianOr a single word.

Rally?

On it, she replied decisively, determined not to disappoint her team.

She thought she would have an easy job, fighting against spears, but to her surprise, when she hit the Glory City it had a different occupant.

Blaz de Lezo had been faster, and was inf like herself, mirroring her exact formation. To her surprise she kicked, even with marginal difference, and immediately checked the troops she had, if they would be enough to hold.

She fended with ease some solos, and then a rally hit her.

Yay, nice job, bosslady, Tempelis, her squire,  cheered from all the way from Clan castle. He was getting desperately bored, but ChristianOr was anything but. Would she manage to hold for 4 minutes? would be much easier if they managed to establish ownership.

Ssssh, another rally is coming, she said tensely. 

But is bow, who cares, said Beerface flippantly, obviously not having learned from Bearface’s laconic way of speaking.

Zarachiel again. ChristianOr banged her fist, she almost had it. She felt Bearface approaching, and she braced herself for what he would say. It was too humiliating her defeat, maybe he would tell her she was not good enough to be the inf rally lead of his team.

Chris? he started tentatively. It is no good.

You are letting me go? she shrieked, instantly forgetting her resolve to take bad news calmly.

Bearface looked at her like she was mad.

The Glory City, he repeated slowly like speaking to a child. It is no good. We cannot hold it. I cannot defend against the spears, and you cannot hold against Zarachiel. So we need to change strategy, before we lose too much ground and end last.

ChristianOr started breathing again. 

So what do we do? she asked calmly, trying to erase her previous panic.

We keep rallying, you and me, not to hold, but to make sure noone wins the Glorious City, Bearface explained Because what is true for us, is true for them. Dopehop cannot hold against you and Zarachiel cannot hold against me. In the meantime, he looked around his team, you have the burden of earning anything you can for our banner, as me and Chris will be busy with the Glory City and cannot help much. Our final ranking will rest on you. 

On and on they worked tirelessly hitting the Glory City in tandem. The rest of the Targaryens had their work cut out for them, as everyone was scraping and fighting for the same altars.

But they were not gaining enough, oscillating between third and fourth place ChristianOr cast her eye around and as she saw Bearface heading for the Glory City again, and even though she was supposed to remain standby, she attacked a mineshaft.

They desperately needed the points, but it was such a risk. She looked nervously towards the Glory City, Bearface was still holding. She beckoned the two squires to reinforce her hoping to take what she could from the mine shaft, before she would need to abandon it.

What if you need to rally? Beerface asked her.

I will disband and you will try to hold it, yes you, no one else is free, she told him assertively.

Like testing her resolve after holding almost for three and a half minutes Bearface fell. She had been monitoring and immediately she disbanded and started a new rally.

Again she was feeling confident, as this time Dopehop had managed to stay in the city, and again to her embarrassment she kicked with the smallest margin possible.

Poor Bearface, he really had no chance against this guy, being countered, when she could barely win with counter in her favor. At least they were keeping them from taking the city.

She looked around, and saw that their team had managed to climb to third. But if they failed, and someone won the City they would slide to fourth place. they could not let this happen. They kept working tirelessly.

Bearface rally, she called when she was kicked.

Just a minute, getting my army back, he called, and she realised she was not the only one taking shafts and altars between rallies of the Glory City.

She laughed, but stopped laughing when she saw him getting ousted again, and called her banners again.

We are second, she heard Daessa, calling happily.

ChristianOr smiled, and started defending the city. To her surprise she was staying longer than usual. It was almost over, this was the last stand. Could they make it first? she defended against the first rally, then a second. Still holding, she started to hope.

But Zarachiel had not said his last word, and just shy of the four minute mark he kicked her.

Oh too bad, but never mind, we did our best, said Daessa.

And we succeeded in not letting anyone take the Glory City, said Bearface very satisfied.

And to get second, piped up his squire, Beerface.

You wouldn’t have done so well if you didn’t have the Clan Castle, so well defended. Tempelis was saying smugly, having forgotten his shyness.

Indeed it was the secret for our success, so I am sure you two will be willing to do the entire series of the sword exercises tomorrow, to be ready for the next arena, said Bearface seriously.

Never mind boss, another time, said Tempelis, and everyone started laughing heartily.