With a plan in mind, Ruena finally felt like she was getting somewhere. Even if this failed, she would gain something. If catnip really worked on Marx, she needed to use more. Make him relaxed enough to maybe trip him up. Literally. It felt like cheating to use his weakness like this but they were the ones who had let her through the inspection with the catnip on her person. The question was, how to do it?

  Even if he wasn't as experienced as Storm, he still wouldn't fall for the same thing twice. She also needed to be careful so that the king of Florfana did not catch onto her plan until it was too late. He had made it very clear he would interfere however he could to ensure Marx would win. The only reason he had been quiet so far was because of Marx's clear advantage.

  With no time to waste, Ruena sprung into action, making up the details on the way. Another dodge. Another swing. Then Ruena darted in the opposite direction of her goal. His confusion at her strange choice gave her just enough time to carry out her plan. Ruena ducked behind an obstacle to prepare the catnip pouch then waited. The seconds before her opponent's arrival seemed to drag on as doubts entered her mind. Would something so ridiculous really work?

  A small thump was the only warning Ruena had before the obstacle she had been hiding behind was cast to the side. The spear she had set up to trip Marx caught her ankles as she scrambled out of the way, causing her to crash onto the floor. As she fell, the pouch of catnip flew from her grasp and exploded from the impact of Marx’s attack. It was effectively raining catnip now. This wasn’t exactly according to plan, but she couldn’t waste this chance either.

  Pulling herself up off the ground wasted precious seconds of her time, time enough for Marx to recover from the catnip rain and be hot on her tail. He was faster than her so no matter how hard she sprinted she knew there would be no escape. Not if she just ran, that is. Ruena knocked down every obstacle she passed on her way through, the adrenaline giving her more strength than she knew she had.

  This was different from the endless practice she had faced before. Her instincts whispered that her life was truly on the line. It was entirely possible that the king had ordered Marx to kill her regardless of the set conditions. It was also possible that even if she made it to the predetermined exit there would be no way out. However, none of that mattered. If there was no way out, she would make one. She would do whatever it took to survive, and if worst came to worst, Soral would never stand by.

  She mustn't look back, despite the ominous crashing sounds behind her. She couldn’t afford to stop even for a moment. In a moment of true crisis like this, her conscious thought seemed to fade and her instincts took over. Movement felt easier, but she knew that once the adrenaline wore off she would face a serious backlash from pushing herself too hard. Unlike her opponent she was just an ordinary human with human limitations. Surviving this fight should be impossible, let alone winning.

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  Now! Ruena threw the spear backwards and used the remaining obstacles to propel herself upward. Her fingers just barely caught the topmost edge of the outer wall of the arena separating the battle from the eager audience. Ruena pulled herself up and over the wall, landing lightly on her feet. Success!

  “What do you think you are doing?!” the king of Florfana demanded.

  As the royal seats were closest to the battle, Ruena found herself standing proudly before him. Densooth, Velcorna, Bastion, and even Crystal were also waiting there.

  “Winning,” Ruena answered him, “Though if you don’t consider this good enough, I can always take you hostage and leave the arena entirely.”

  “It was an impressive showing,” Densooth broke in, “There will be no need to take any hostages. I am sure everyone agrees with me that Ruena has passed her test and earned her rightful title as the weaponsmaster.”

  “She barely used any weapons,” Velcorna scoffed with a twisted scowl.

  “No, she used plenty. Her environment, her knowledge, and a harmless little pouch of scented herbs. All of these were perfectly executed weapons in her arsenal today,” Densooth announced, “I trust no one else has any objections.”

  Surprisingly, although he looked like he would rather die than admit defeat, the king of Florfana said nothing to Densooth’s declaration. Ruena doubted he would just give in, though. Once the crowds were gone and Densooth was no longer looming over him he was sure to come up with some kind of sneaky plan. Until then she had to keep her composure and act like her strength wasn’t seeping out of her as the adrenaline in her veins began to slow.

  “For now, a celebration,” Densooth continued, taking charge as if it were only natural.

  “I will take the guest of honor to freshen up,” Soral proclaimed, whisking Ruena away with teleportation before anyone could object.

  Just in time, too. As soon as they arrived in her private chambers, Ruena could barely stay standing. Her muscles ached everywhere and she was suddenly keenly aware of all the scrapes and bruises dotting her body. In a normal situation, Ruena would have taken the time to naturally recover, but right now she could not afford to falter. She needed to keep up the show until the audience left.

  “Spare me a bit of your energy,” Ruena told Soral. It was a unique gift that Soral had. More than just magic itself, he could else share his boundless supply of energy. “We can leave the rest of the wounds alone. It can’t look like I received healing, but I should actually wash up and I need the strength to do it.”

  “You’ll probably feel worse once all this is over,” Soral warned.

  “I know, but this is something I will never have to do again,” Ruena reminded.

  “I will hold both you and Densooth to that,” Soral warned, “We still have the celebration and the ceremony to get through before you can relax. And we have to figure out what to do with the hostages.”

  Ruena grimaced. “Right. I still need to explain things to Marx,” she realized, “Let’s get this over with.”