The Azra-El Series Ch. 18.2

The final pitch of the round, Blaze gazed into the pitcher's eyes. She seemed a little unsettled. Her grip on the ball switched between a knuckle ball and a changeup, as if she was unsure.

The girl wound her arm and took several deep breaths before pitching. Blaze swung like he would swing for a fast ball. She held the ball like she would for a knuckleball, but she changed her grip in the last movement. The ball came fast but swung towards his groin.

Out of instinct, Blaze tried to defend his nuts. The ball bounced off the tip of his club and popped up into the air. The keeper scrambled forwards and dived to catch the ball, managing to grip it with the webbing between her thumb and forefinger.

"OUT!" the umpire declared, and Blaze stood still in disbelief. He hadn't expected to get out in such a mundane manner, and definitely not so early in the game. Kida looked at him dismayed, but he could only walk back, somberly dragging his bat back to the dugout.

"Don't worry Big Bro. It was hard luck. However, that was a good start," Aahna tried to console him. "If Kida and Bi play out the next ten rounds, we will get an easy 180. Then we can destroy them while pitching. This game is ours to lose."

Blaze flopped down beside Astrid, angry at himself, who began to gently caress his arm. He had been too eager to score runs. Trying to hit fifteen runs every round came with unnecessary risks. I should've been more careful. He hadn't been able to decide between intimidating the other team or playing a safer game, and that made him do neither.

Wordlessly, he watched Bi have a little conversation with Kida on the field. Their partnership was a little different. They usually rotated strike a lot more and took singles and doubles, slowly building up score before going ballistic towards the end of the game.

However, in Flyball, outs often came in pairs. Batters who had established a partnership could become rattled when their partner got out. Kida was poled out on the first pitch of the next round.

The score was 53/2 in 4.1 rounds. Blaze out for 38 and Kida out for 11.

Aahna grimly walked out of the dugout. She had not expected to find herself out on the pitch so soon. She was too rattled to face the next pitch, but she managed to bring her bat down just in time to defend. Bi walked up to her, slapped her shoulder, and whispered a few words to get her out of her daze.

Aahna and the unflappable Bi weathered the next few rounds with grit, not taking any risks and slowly piling on runs. However, in the twelfth over, a knuckle ball managed to clip the top of Bi's bat and raced into the keeper's gloves. Three runs later, Aahna was poled.

101/4 in 11 rounds was not a terrible score, but their remaining batters also failed to build up on their innings.

Minerva, Ditti, and Rachel only added 35 to their total, while Kritti, Nina, and Afriel, the main pitchers of their team, managed to make a valiant 9, before their enter team were out.

1 Blaze - 38

2 Kida - 11

3 Bi - 29

4 Aahna - 19

5 Minerva - 15

6 Ditti -- 8

7 Rachel (Captain) - 12

8 Kritti - 4

9 Nina - 2

10 Afriel -3

Extras -- 8

Class 1A was all out for 149 in 18.3 rounds.

Blaze's team was in a bit of trouble. 150 was not a difficult target, especially since Class 1A was not known for their strength in pitching. However, the audience seemed to have other thoughts, and they still cheered in 1A's support.

After a quick snack break, Blaze called his team to huddle around him. "149 is not a high score, but we can defend it, you brats. Have some faith. We just need to bring out our best. They are seniors and we got nothing to lose. Give me your best and I shall bring you victory," he declared, his voice unwavering and full of conviction.

It immediately brought a noticeable change in his teammates, bringing a spring in their feet.

"Just do what you can, and we will win. Don't worry about the result. Have fun. You have more talent than the other team."

"YEAH!" nine screams went up in response.

Blaze led his team into the field. It was Rachel's duty as the captain, but no one cared.

The opening batters of 3E were nothing to laugh at. They refused to give their outs away easily, and 1A's pitchers had to struggle to get them out.

At the end of the eleventh over, 3E was 93/2. They only needed 57 in 9 rounds and had plenty of outs to spare.

1A's situation was dire.

3E's best batter was still batting and they had three more good batters to follow.

Blaze, Rachel, and Aahna gathered around in the infield to discuss their strategy. The spirits of their team were running low, and they needed something fortuitous to happen.

"Rach, Aahna, can you let me pitch this round and set my own field?" he asked, formulating a plan in his head.

Rachel was a good captain, especially with Aahna's strategies, but Flyball was meant to be played while flying. The most tested of strategies were made for flying matches. Blaze, however, had enough baseball experience to know his on-field setups.

"You can throw?" Rachel asked, in surprise.

"Not well. But, we are running out of options, here. I think I can trick them into giving us an out. We need a couple of outs, now, to win the game."

"Are you sure?" she asked again, glancing at the batter. One loose round here would seal 1A's fate.

"Not really, but this is the best plan I can think of, unless you have something better. I really think it's worth a shot, though."

"Okay."

Blaze moved the two shortstops and his cover fielders closer, and sent most of his outfield protection into the right-field, with only two in-fielders protecting the left.

He took the ball and walked onto the mound. He wasn't much of a pitcher in his previous life, but he had learnt the basics.

He grinned at the batter and received a signal from Kida, the keeper, asking for a sinker. He shook his head in negative.

Winding up his arm, he took a deep breath, and pitched a fast straight down the middle. It was a pitch to be hit, but the wary batter simply defended it. For Blaze, it was the start of the long con.

The next six pitches from Blaze were also fastballs, with ever increasing speed. However, fastballs were easy to hit if you kept throwing them without a changeup. The batters managed to hit a few runs and a ground slam, but Blaze wasn't flustered, and he ignored the calls coming from Kida.

To most, it seemed like he was trying to get the batters out with nothing but speed. His initial field set seemed to have nothing to do with the pitches. His seventh throw breached the 90mph barrier, but the batter simply nudged it between fielders to take a quick single.

In his seven pitches, he gave up 9 runs, including a couple of extras from overpitches. However, it was all in preparation for the last three throws.

On the eighth pitch, he finally threw a curveball, making it curve from the inside out and in line with the batter's body. He didn't expect the first of his deceptions to work, but luck proved to be on his side. The batter's instinct had been honed to respond to fastballs. She swung and the ball popped into the air. His field had been set for the very moment.

Rachel scrambled from her shortstop position on the left and caught a splendid catch, diving forwards.

"OUT!"

Blaze ran up to Rachel, pulled her up to her feet and gave her a mighty hug, lifting her off the ground. The entire team gathered around them to cheer.

However, they were still far from winning the game. Blaze gave them a few words and quickly sent them back to their positions.

He had not expected his plan to work on the first throw. His initial aim had been to get one out. Now, he had two more pitches to work with and he need to work fast to not give 3E's batters any time to think.

As soon as 3E's new batter stepped onto the mound, he got into position. He inhaled deeply and gathered his strength, not bothering to hide his intention. Winding his arm, he chucked the ball with a mighty guttural grunt.

The throw was wild and two feet away from the pitching zone. It almost slipped away from Kida as she dove towards her right to catch the ball with a crisp, smarting thump in her gloves. It was declared to be overpitch by the umpire, giving the batting team an extra run.

However, the pitch managed to rattle the batter. If someone told her that the throw had hit 100mph, she wouldn't have argued. It was faster than any pitch she had faced from angels her age. Usually, only the senior bracket had pitchers who could throw at such speeds.

Kida quickly sent the ball back to him, and he quickly took up his stance, giving the batter no time to settle her nerves. He gave her a sinister grin and threw a similar pitch. It was a teensy bit slower but this time he managed to get it in the pitching zone. The batter swung and missed, but the ball missed the pole. She was safe.

Blaze had one more throw. When he received the ball, he took a moment for himself while continuing to glare at the girl like he wanted to eat her up. She visibly gulped and Blaze snickered. He had her right where he wanted.

He wound up exaggeratedly and his hand paused behind him, as if he was gathering even more strength.

Then he simply lobbed the ball into the air - a floater. No one watching the game expected such a finish to his round.

The batter swung early as she had been prepared for a fastball. The ball slowly floated over her bat and hit the pole with a little plonk.

"Out!"

Now, his team and his dugout erupted in cheers.

103/4 in 12 rounds.

Afriel pitched the next round and managed to get another out.

110/5 in 13 rounds.

Blaze tried to pitch another over, but Class 3E had learnt of his methods. They keenly watched his throwing arm on every pitch and batted carefully. Moreover, without much pitching practice, Blaze couldn't keep throwing 90-95mph fastballs. Without his speed, his pitches were even more lackluster. He gave up 12 runs for no outs.

122/5 in 14 rounds.

Things once again began to look bleak. However, Nina, Kritti, and Ditti managed to bring things back under control in the next four rounds.

140/8 in 18 rounds.

3E needed only 10 runs from two rounds, but they had only one out in hand.

Rachel stepped onto the mound. She had pitched three rounds out of the first ten, but after getting a long break, her arm was back to its form.

"Come on, Rachel! You can do this!" someone shouted from the gathered audience.

Her very first pitch was a sharp 85mph sinker that a lower order batter from Class 3E was not equipped to face. She swung and missed, and the ball hit the pole.

Class 1A won the game in an anticlimactic finish. The entire class and Astrid swarmed around Rachel. However, they didn't forget to shake hands with the defeated team. 3E had fought valiantly, and if not for Blaze's wiliness, they would have won the game.

Blaze and Astrid joined the celebrations in the dugout, but after a while, Astrid quietly dragged him away to the secret meeting spot where he had met up with Clio, once.

They had a long noisy romp in the woods before they were satiated enough to head back to their dorm.

They found Elyssa waiting for them with his classmates, who were still in a celebratory mood. Elyssa's team had lost their game and they were knocked out of the finals. However, she was happy for him.

Later in the afternoon, Aahna brought them news about who they would be facing in the final, two weeks from that Hadie. The results of the game rattled everyone in the dorm.

Class 2E had decimated Class 3C in their semifinal game.

Class 2E -- 244/4 in 20 rounds

Class 3C -- 165/9 in 19.3 rounds

"How?" Blaze asked Aahna in disbelief. "They weren't this good when we played against them."

He remembered playing them in his 2^nd quarter. It was the match where Priscilla had shown up in support. The only memorable player from their team had been a purple-haired pitcher whom he had named Mean Face.

"Do you remember the pitcher who got you out?"

"Yeah..."

"Her twin is an exceptional batter who they've kept hidden until now. Their mother is a professional player, and she is training them both to be professionals. The twin apparently scored 132 in some seventy-odd pitches. Class 3C has better pitchers than us, too, so I am not sure how well ours will fare against her," she said, worriedly.

"Meh. You have me your Big Bro right? What's a mere 132? I shall give you a 150," Blaze boasted, nonchalantly.

In truth, he was quite worried, but he didn't want Aahna to stress over it on a day they were supposed to be celebrating a win. Besides, getting into the final as first year students was an accomplishment in itself. He was satisfied.

Astrid spent another night with Blaze before she bade him goodbye, promising him to see him at the tournament in D'Warka.

The following week, Blaze received the news that Astrid was officially announced as one of the Houri of the Malakim.

oOo

The next weekend, Blaze went back to Varan. It was the weekend of the Flight Song festival, and the entire town was drowned in colors and a festive spirit. The energy stone lamp posts were wrapped in colored paper, and the houses and buildings were decorated with ribbons and banners.

The vendors at the town square, who usually sold various food stuff and other items of daily use, now sold musical instruments, including toy ones that made nothing but a racket.

"Blaze, will you be coming to the festival tonight?" the young angel who always accompanied him on his carriage to Varan asked him.

"Don't know, Ada. I will find you if I do," he told her before walking up to Rebecca, who was waiting for him with Splash. The otter quickly hopped shoulders and began chattering in his ear.

They flew back home without much further ado. Over lunch, his aunts confirmed that they would be attending the festival together with Agatha, whose presence at Varan had dwindled since starting her company, and Rebecca's platoon.

That evening, they met up with everyone at the town square to watch the show arranged by the town for the festival. Even Ada and her family joined them.

The Flight Song festival celebrated flying and singing. Accordingly, the show included solo and group performances of music and flying acrobatics. It wasn't as rich or elaborate as the Regnbage festival Blaze attended at Sekat, but it was still fun.

They watched the show in merry company, eating the tangy and spicy street food.

The evening flew by quickly, and it was late in the night by the time the angels retired back to their homes. Agatha and the twins accompanied them to have a nice, relaxing soak in their hot spring.

Since all of them had seen him naked before, Blaze didn't care about getting in with five naked angels. Unfortunately for him, none of them seemed to be interested in an orgy.

Blaze cuddled up between Jie Er and Rebecca, with his head against Jie Er's shoulder and his hand messing with his younger aunt. They silently gazed at the stars as he hummed a tune from the festival.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Auntie, can you play the lyre?" he asked. There had always been a beautiful golden lyre in her room, but he had never seen her use it. Thus, in his mind, it had become somewhat of a decorative object.

Blaze felt her body tense for a moment, before she relaxed. "Not very well, dear," he heard her calm voice.

However, Blaze wasn't convinced. Jie Er did nothing in half measure.

"Auntie, play us something. I want to hear you sing," he asked, cutely.

"I can only really play one thing, dear. It's not worth it."

"I am pretty sure it will be," he said, quickly climbing out of the pool and running into the house before Jie Er could stop him.

In a jiffy, he came out with the lyre. Naked angels singing with a lyre in hand could easily rank at the top of his fantasies. There was no way he was going to let it go.

When he placed the lyre on the bank and gave her a mischievous smile, she gave him a little shake of her head in exasperation. She glanced at the others and they gave her encouraging smiles. Rebecca looked as excited to hear her as Blaze was.

Jie Er took Blaze's hand to climb onto the smooth wet rocks that surrounded the hot spring. With her feet in the water, she overlapped her thighs and took the lyre onto her lap. Blaze quickly joined the others in the water and sat by Jie Er's feet.

Holding the instrument comfortably in her arms, she ran her long, narrow fingers across its ten strings. The sound box reverberated with beautiful, crystalline notes.

She quickly and expertly turned the tuners attached to the top shaft and strummed again. The notes turned gentler and fuller. It only took her a couple more attempts to get the instrument tuned to her satisfaction.

"I thought you said you weren't very good," Blaze commented, wryly. No amateur could tune an instrument as quickly as she did.

"I am nowhere as good as your granny was. She taught me how to play, but I stopped playing it after she passed..."

Feeling a little guilty, Blaze fell silent and looked away.

"I stopped because I had no one to play to. It's different, now. The song I am going to play is called Vida's Lullaby," she said, patting his head.

Before he could say anything else, she began to play -- slow and drifting notes that took a moment to fully develop, but when they did, they left a beautiful and lasting resonance in their chests.

In fact, the group felt the music resonate with their entire bodies, and they couldn't tell if it was the instrument or the player that was so wonderful.

The music of the lyre filled the night around their dimly lit garden that was foggy with the vapors from the spring. It gracefully melded into the songs of the wind and the cries of the crickets. Everything else seemed to fade into the background.

It was a bewitching eternity before Jie Er's voice surged, and it was so perfectly in sync with her notes, that it took them a moment to realize that she was singing.

~ Oh, Beloved of the stars,

There's nothing I won't do for you~

A shiver ran through Blaze's body. Oh God! his mind cried. Her voice was mesmerizingly beautiful. It was smooth, gentle, and soothing -- just like her.

~Will you fight for your heart,

Knowing mine's always with you.

There was a short pause after the first verse, and though her instrument continued to play, Blaze found himself craving to hear her voice again.

~Fly across the sky,

When you wake from this dream.

Remember thy name,

For it is what you seem.

This world is but a fantasy,

And you can be whatever you want.

You grow everyday,

In mind, in body, and heart.

Though you are mine,

You shall always be free.

Let your heart soar,

And make everything yours.

Since you are young,

I shall show you the way.

But whence I am done,

Even words may hold sway.~

Her vocals ended but the audience were kept in a reverie by the instrument. Its volume gradually lowered and gently brought them out of their melodious dream.

Awed by the song, they dazedly gazed at Jie Er, forgetting to respond to her performance. It was so brilliant that they didn't even want to ask her for an encore. It needed to be left as a beautiful memory, instead of being spoiled by a repeat. However, the memory continued to echo in their minds.

Blaze, whose head had fallen on Jie Er's knee at some point during the song, looked up to meet her beautiful blue eyes. She had been looking at him all the while.