The Azra-El Series Ch. 19

"Yeah..."

"At first, I thought it was a mere coincidence or a twist of fate that we seemed to run into each other at every place I visited; Cali, Saket, Puhar, and Riverbridge."

"Wait, I don't recall seeing you at Cali?"

"I saw you at the auction. Anyway, the reason I was at all these places was because of the Princeps."

"Are you trying to imply that I am with the Princeps?" he asked, wryly.

"No, I do not believe you had any knowledge of them before Riverbridge. In fact, I truly thought it to be a coincidence before we got hold of that book and some other documents. You are mentioned several times in them..." she said, pausing to observe his reaction.

Blaze raised his brow at her. "Can it be just because I've become famous?"

"No," Lynn shook her head. "I cannot reveal the details of the documents, but I can assure you that there is a link between you and the Princeps-- at least with something they are planning."

"Well, it's probably a ruse of some sort. A misdirection. I have nothing to do with the Princeps."

"Listen, Blaze. No one thinks you are a Princep, yet, but we do suspect someone else," she said, her eyes flicking towards Jie Er, who was cuddling Sky.

"You're delusional! My mother is a sweet angel, and all she wishes for is a quiet life. She is not an evil Princep and I will bet my life against it."

"Blaze, I know she is your mother, but do you know anything about what she does?"

"She is just a simple trader at a village near Varan," he answered, but the fact was that he had never been to where she worked.

"Yes, we know that. We checked. But, have you not wondered that you guys are a little too well-off for what she does? Is your mother not a little too powerful and a little too intelligent for being a simple trader?"

"Well, she just wants to live a simple life. Her past is not the happiest of ones."

"Do you know anything about her past?"

"That's something between us. I am not going to tell you just because you've made some outlandish claims," he replied, but doubt began to worm itself into his mind. The fact was that Jie Er was too exceptional to be living such a mundane life, even if her wings had been corrupted.

"I would wager that you do not know too much, and even what you know may not be real. Jie Er Lokra has some deep connections, that much we can ascertain. Another fact is that we can gather no intel about her life before her arrival at Varan. Fulla Frejadottir refused to speak to us about it and Valinna Strom did not even grant us an audience."

"So, let me guess, you are implying that my mother is some sort of mastermind that is controlling the Princeps, while pretending to be an unknown trader in a village that nobody cares about? Isn't that a bit far-fetched? Haven't the Princeps existed for a really long time? Isn't she a bit too young?"

"No, I am not saying that she was the one that created the Princeps, but if she is a Princep, it is likely that she is very high in the pecking order. All we have now are conjectures. If we had anything concrete, we would have already captured her."

Blaze laughed. "This sounds like a shitty conspiracy theory cooked up from completely unrelated facts. I am sure I can cook up an equally convincing backstory that will convince someone that you are, in fact, Hela."

"Look, Blaze, I am not here to obtain information from you, though I would gladly accept it if you offered. I am only here to warn you, because I think you are a nice angel and you would not want to do anything with the Princeps.

"We have been trying to keep an eye on her, but though she lets us observe when she is working as a trader, she always manages to lose her tail when she wants, and she never lets us near your property. She always manages to catch angels spying on your house, even archangels. Tell me, is there any need for so much secrecy?"

"Maybe she just cares for privacy," he answered, though he could think of another good reason-- him.

"Maybe so," she said, before suddenly stepping towards him and giving him an unexpected hug.

Blaze was surprised, but he couldn't say he didn't like the feeling of her arms around him. He felt something slip into his pocket before she stepped back.

"Look, I do not think I would believe someone who suddenly claimed that my mother was a Princep either. Just keep what I said in mind and give me a call if you need to talk. I think you will do the right thing."

Blaze scoffed.

"I will leave you for now, Blaze. I like you, and I hope we can remain friends," she said before turning and walking away.

Lynn left Blaze's mind in chaos, but he wasn't confused about Jie Er. If Jie Er was a Princep, then he couldn't imagine the Princeps being bad, but that brought a whole range of other issues with it. Suddenly, he remembered the mayor's daughter from Riverbridge. He hoped she was alright. She seemed nice enough.

***

Blaze and Jie Er spent an hour with Sky. Tonya scampered off to find Siofra as soon as she heard that Blaze seemed to be the only young angel that Siofra's mother had an issue with.

He spent most of the hour trying to teach Sky to say the words "Siofra is stupid", "Elyssa is a shorty", and, "The Malakim suck". Unfortunately for Blaze, Sky couldn't "speak" yet.

Before they left the HU HQ, Blaze and Jie Er once again donned their disguises.

"Aunty Jie Er," he asked, as Jie Er flew him back to the hotel. "Do you have anything to do with the Princeps?"

"Not that I am aware of..." she responded without any change in her expression. "Is that what the Streltsy ivka wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah... She even gave me a VP to contact her if I found anything suspicious," he said, bringing out the VP from his pocket and offering it to Jie Er.

"Keep it," she said. "You never know when it may prove useful. It is high time I purchase a couple for us. I guess there is no longer a need to hide the fact that I am richer than I am supposed to be."

"Okay," Blaze answered, thinking that the number of individual VPs he had stowed in his space ring were slowly piling up. Why can't they invent something that can be used by everyone? Man, everything is on me...

"Keep your focus on the tournament, Blaze Er. Do not worry about the Princeps. I am not one of them. In fact, your little friend probably knows more about them than I do.

"However, I do wonder who she really is. I did not know the HU had a special group working on the Princeps. I ran into a few pesky angels spying on me at Varan. I thought they were reporters, but it makes more sense now. Should I go talk to someone at the HU? Maybe that would be counterproductive," Jie Er continued, as she started to muse out loud. "...Maybe Yue?"

***

Thyra, Valinna Strom's protegee and the creator of Blaze's gauntlets, arrived at their hotel that evening. Thyra had made his gauntlets in exchange for advertising. With that in mind, Blaze introduced her to Agatha.

The two hit it off well, and soon they were discussing the potential benefits of marketing their merchandise together. Blaze's gauntlets were not easy to make, but Thyra had other metal work she could sell.

oOo

The next day was when the matchups for the tournament were finally announced.

Blaze and Jie Er joined Elyssa, and the rest of the angels from Aranya, outside the HU administrative building. Hundreds of angels, along with the participants of both, the USMAT and YAMAT categories, stood waiting for the announcement. Thousands of fans filled the airspace, hoping to get a peek at the angels they were supporting.

At 9 o'clock sharp in the morning, a group of angels stepped out of the building and began to hand out pamphlets containing the upcoming matchups. A blonde-haired angel stepped onto a podium with a loudspeaker in her hand.

"Welcome to D'Warka, angels of the Heavenly Union!" she spoke. "The tournament shall officially commence from tomorrow. Participants are advised to arrive at their scheduled stadiums, at least ten minutes before the start of their matches. I am Milia Atkins, and I have been given the honor of organizing the tournament with the help of a very talented staff. Please feel free to approach any of us with any issues that you may have.

"I would like to remind you that the tournaments are designed to bring out the best in our young. Accidents occur, but any actions intentionally aimed to harm or maim an angel, will get you disqualified for the current and any future tournaments. You, the participants, are here to learn and measure yourselves against your peers and their techniques. This is not a real battle. The rules of the tournament will be provided to you, along with the pamphlets.

"Now, let us get to the part you are all waiting for! First, I shall announce the seedings of the USMAT.

The top fighters of the tournaments were given rankings based on how strong the tournament committee deemed them to be. These "seeds" were then put into eight different brackets, which made sure that the strongest opponents did not have to face each other until the later stages of the tournament.

"The First Seed of the USMAT for this year is our Holy Caledonian Empire's Nikolett Lovag!" she shouted into the loudspeaker.

A loud cheer went up from all around. Many eyes searched the group for the elusive angel, but they couldn't tell who the real Nikolett was. When they couldn't find her, their attention turned to Blaze. His bright red head was easy to spot amongst the Aranyans.

"Second Seed is Citlali Tenoch of Teteocan."

A bunch of angels from Teteocan, wearing feathered headdresses and green face-paint, sent up a cheer.

"The Third Seed is Adesa Abebe of Alkebulan."

"The Fourth Seed..."

"The Eighth Seed is Blaze Er Lokra of Aranya!"

The Aranyans and the Pixies erupted in cheer.

8^th?! 8^th is just lame. Blaze wasn't satisfied. He would've been happier if he had been unseeded because of lack of information-- it could've added on to the mystery.

"The Tenth Seed is Siofra Eoiwagn of the Pixies."

Tir's delegation cheered along with the pixies, while Blaze hesitantly approached Siofra, half-expecting Asherah to shoo him away, but the older pixie simply pretended to not notice him. He wanted to hug his little pixie, but he controlled himself for Asherah's sake.

"Sup, lil' Pix," he smiled at his friend. "Are ya glad you won't be in the same group as your Big Bro?"

"You should be glad about that."

"Ooh, confident aren't-cha?"

"Very. I have mastered the Pixie Prick."

"The Eleventh Seed is Priscilla Ainsworth of Aranya! Tir Academy will be very proud that three of their candidates have been seeded this year."

However, Priscilla wasn't happy. She had consistently defeated Siofra in their practice matches at Tir, yet she was seeded below the pixie. Blaze hadn't spoken to her much after the ghost incident, but he noticed that there was a new sort of pride in her eyes. Not a haughty pride, but a pride that exuded confidence in her own skill.

Blaze and Siofra stood by each other's side until the USMAT seedings were announced, before he headed back to Elyssa for the YAMAT announcement.

"The First Seed of the YAMAT is Elyssa Marigold of Aranya!"

It came as no surprise to anyone. Moreover, it seemed like the Caledonians wanted to make up for Blaze's low ranking with Elyssa's higher one.

"The Third Seed is Brija Dhara of Aranya."

The name sparked something in Blaze's memories. Brija was the angel he had "tricked" to win Elyssa's new spear at the auction at Cali. He had won using a hefty handicap, but now, he realized how naïve he had been to think he had any chance against her in a real fight.

He turned around to find Brija standing towards the back of the Aranyan contingent. He had not seen her until her name was announced. She was in her usual comfortable boy shorts and tank top, looking as hot as ever. She caught Blaze's lascivious gaze and gave him a slight grin. Blaze had not spoken with her since that fateful day, but he knew that Astrid had been in touch with her.

The pamphlets with the matchups finally reached Blaze while the lady continued her announcements. He quickly went through it and found that he had two matches on the very first day, and his second match was against the ninth seed. His group had twelve angels in total, and he had to fight eleven matches before moving on to the elimination stage of sixteen. The last match he had to fight in the group stage was against Ragna Fulladottir, who was currently standing with her mother and other angels from Vaikunheim.

"The Sixteenth Seed is Chenguang Shangdi of Xian."

Blaze glanced in the direction of the cheers and found Chenguang smiling with her usual boyish charm. She caught his eye and her smile widened. He waved at her.

Chenguang was only fifty-two, so it made Blaze wonder how high she would've been seeded, had she chosen to participate in the under-sixty tournament instead. He was glad he didn't have to fight her.

"That is it, angels. I hope all the participants have received a copy of their schedules. I wish you the best of luck. Make the Heavenly Union proud!" the announcer declared, before stepping off the podium.

Blaze expected CG to hang back to talk to him and Elyssa, but she gave him a wave and left with her compatriots.

"Blaze, come hang out with me this evening, we may not get much time for ourselves after today," Elyssa said to him.

Blaze glanced at Jie Er.

"Go," his aunt told him. "Agatha should have arrived by now, so I will not need your company. Come back in the morning. Your classmates and the merangels will wish to accompany you to your first match."

***

Blaze and Elyssa took her carriage to the manor that D'Warka had provided for Duchess Anastasia Marigold. It was called "Audrey's End".

It was located within a large pristine area inside the Heaven District, a place that was a clear contrast in wealth and power to the shanty.

"Do ya know what Astrid's been up to?" Blaze asked, as they walked through the greyish-black granite hallways of the mansion. Owing to her latest appointment as a Houri of the Malakim, Astrid had arrived at D'Warka a week before Blaze and Elyssa. However, Blaze had yet to see her.

"She has been hanging out at the Malakim Sanctuary. They are now her 'new people', apparently," Elyssa said, seemingly a little annoyed at her cousin's life choices, despite knowing that it was all supposed to be an act.

The two walked into the duchess' chambers and found her in deep conversation with a noticeably older angel. The appearance of the older angel was that of an attractive human in her forties, but her energy makeup was very heavy, heavier than Varan's mayor, indicating that she was over four-hundred years old. She had long brown hair that was left free, and her face resembled someone Blaze knew quite well.

"Blaze, this is Aspasia Saras Marigold. Astrid's mother and my great aunt," Elyssa introduced her to Blaze.

Aspasia's eyes held the same sort of phased-out gaze that Astrid usually carried, but everything else about her was unexpected. Her age, her demeanor, and even her garb. She wore a simple, loose, and comfortable saffron-colored tunic, held by a white band at her waist.

What's up with monks and orange?

Blaze had known that Aspasia was a member of the Chayot society, who were known for their asceticism, but it was still surprising to witness Astrid's mother, of all people, being sage-like.

"My child is quite enamored with you," Aspasia stated, her eyes gazing straight into his. Blaze felt like the deepest parts of his mind were laid bare under her penetrating gaze, yet he did not feel uncomfortable. Her voice was gentle, despite being unwavering and equanimous.

"Hello Mon Aspasia," Blaze greeted her politely.

"I understand your bewilderment, little one," she said, as if she could indeed read his mind. "My daughter and I are not as different as our demeanors may suggest. While I am the contemplative type, she is more active. However, what we ultimately seek is the same."

Blaze didn't know how to respond. He wasn't even sure of what she was talking about. He simply nodded and drew up a chair to her right.

He quickly found out that Aspasia could be terribly long-winded about the simplest of things, while being just as concise over the most complex of topics. He couldn't decide whether it was all an act, or if she had a grasp of the workings of the world at a level that he could not yet understand. However, watching Anastasia show deference to her words made him consider that it was most likely the latter.

For about half-an-hour, they spoke about various things, and just as Blaze decided to ask Aspasia of her views regarding the Undine's living circumstances in D'Warka, Anastasia said something that drew his immediate attention.

"Elyssa, is it not time for you to prepare for the party? The Caledonians are sticklers for punctuality. You don't want them getting their panties in a bunch by being late."

"Huh?" Blaze perked up in his seat.

"Er..." Elyssa said, giving him a sheepish look. "Did I not tell you that the two of us will be attending a party hosted by Duchess Burghess, tonight?"

"You most assuredly did not."

"Oh, must have slipped my mind by accident."

"Must have. Well, have fun. I will be quite fine with Aunt Annie and Mon Aspasia."

"Oh, come on, Blazey. It has been a chore for me to attend all these social events by myself. I never have anyone to freely converse with. We will not have to stay for too long. Come with me, please."

"No, thank you. Besides, you will be a duchess yourself, one day. Think of it as training." He had no interest in attending a Malakim party as Blaze Er Lokra.

"You do not have to come as Blaze. Just wear a disguise. Do you not have that black wig in your space ring?"

"Right, the Malakim are so stupid that they'd think there is another twenty-year-old prancing around Elyssa Marigold," he rolled his eyes.

"They will if you don't come wearing your shorts. Everyone knows that the Blazing Fury has red hair and wears nothing but shorts. Astrid says that your choice of wardrobe has even started a new trend in Saket."

"Elyssa, I am never going to wear a dress," he told her, categorically.

"How about a skirt?"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

Elyssa's shoulders visibly slumped and she let out a loud sigh. "Oh well, do what you want. What can I do if even my best friend does not want to hang out with me? Hope you have a good evening with mum and Aunt Aspasia," she said, slapping her hands on her knees and standing up.

Blaze was immediately beset by guilt. Elyssa never asked him to do anything for her, and she always went along with all the nonsense he came up with. How could he say "no" the one time she asked him to keep her company?

"Ugh, fine! I will go with ya to this darned party."

"Great!" Elyssa exclaimed, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. "Come, I think I may have some clothes that will make a good disguise."

As Elyssa dragged him away, Blaze began to realize that he may have fallen for the oldest trick in the girl-friend's book-- the guilt trip.

"I am not wearing your clothes."

"Oh, don't worry. They are- I mean, I have never worn them."

"That is not the issue!"

Once the two of them left the room, Aspasia turned to Anastasia with a nostalgic smile on her face. "Those two remind me of you and Lynn when you were younger."

Anastasia laughed, but disagreed. "I don't think so. Lynn and I were always at each other's throats. These two may bicker, but I have never seen them fight. They are very different."