Chapter 12

          Selena and Doshi finally reach her chamber as they went inside to see Sierra still asleep on her bed. Selena walks over to her bed and nudges her gently and said, “Sierra you lazy bum. Wake up.”
         Hearing someone calling her name she wakes up and looks up to see Selena sitting on the bed beside her and notices that she doesn’t look very well. She looked to the other side of her bed and sees Haru standing next to Doshi talking with him silently. Sierra smiled and turned back to her sister and asked, “Selena are you ok? You don’t look very well.”
          “I’m just fine Sierra. No need to worry. I just need to go get fixed up.” Selena responds standing and walking into her bathing chamber
          “So did you finish your battle, how did you do?” Sierra asked her getting out of Selena’s bed.
          “It went fine. I ended up winning the match.” Selena responded walking out of her bathing chamber all refreshed.
          “Well, that’s good.” Sierra wanted to continue, but she was stopped when she heard the trumpets sounding the start of the next match. “I guess we should be going, the next match is about to begin.”
          “Yes, let us be off,” Doshi commented as he guided Selena out the door as Haru and Sierra followed behind.
          They all headed to the arena just in time as they all heard Lord Eien begin speaking to the crowd, “Lords and Ladies we are about to begin the next battle. Would Ladies Sierra and Eris please enter the arena!”
          “You both be careful out there Doshi and I are going out to the stands,” Haru said as he kissed Sierra on the cheek and whispering good luck to her. As Doshi did the same with Selena.
          “We’ll be alright,” Sierra said as she turned to Selena and said. “Well, I guess this is me. Wish me luck.”
          “Good luck Sierra,” Selena said smiled as she nodded and watched both of her sisters enter the arena.
          Sierra and Eris entered the arena and headed to the center to start the battle.
          “My ladies this is going to be a timed match, if you defeat your opponent in the time allowed you will be able to advance, but if time is called you must wait to fight again, Are you two ready to begin?” The headman said walking up to them.
          “Yes.” They said together.
          “Alright then…” He began as he raises his arm. “Ready… Set… Begin…” He finished as he brought his arm down and a gong sounded the start of the battle.
          The two women faced each other, both going into their stances drawing out their weapons they were going to start with. Eris rushed in as their swords meet in midair.
          The power of both swords crackled in the sky as they both fought for dominance. It seemed that they were both evenly matched, as they pushed away from each other. They landed on the ground, each staring at their opponent, as they circled around each other, like a predator stalking its prey.
          Suddenly Eris started saying a spell and instantly Sierra felt when her feet were grabbed and she was unable to move to fight against Eris. Her chioki flared around her body trying to break the spell that held her. She saw Eris coming towards her as she lashed out with her whip astonishing everyone she could do that. She got Eris in the chest as she sent her backward in pain. Sierra then quickly put her sword into the ground as she channeled her power into her sword to release her feet.
          “Wow I’m impressed sister; I never knew you had it in you,” Eris said smirking.
          “Oh that’s nothing Eris, just you wait sister,” Sierra responded growling.
          With that Sierra shifted her weight before racing to strike Eris with her blade. Eris thinking quickly knocked the strike away easily, and in return jumped at Sierra and attacked her with her sword, knocking her to the ground. Sierra growled and jumped up quickly.
          “Why what’s wrong sister, I thought you were stronger than that?” Eris said circling her.
          “I am Eris; I’m just saving the majority of my powers for when I fight Selena.” She replied growling back as she watched Eris circling herself.
          They both look at Selena leaning against a wall.
          “What makes you think you can defeat her when you can’t even land a blow against me?” Eris asked with a raised brow.
          “Oh you’ll see when the time comes Eris, I assure you,” Sierra said smirking.
          Sierra got into a fighting stance and waited for her to attack. She didn’t have to wait for long as she sent a blast her way. A chioki whip of pure gold came out of her hand as she batted away the attack like it was nothing. Sierra moved as she saw Eris move around her person to get a better angle of attack.
          Eris sent another powerful blast towards Sierra. As Sierra leaped into the air to avoid the attack, she countered with her own attack and sent a wave of heavenly blades of power towards her. Her attack hit head-on as Eris cried out in pain. She landed on one knee but she was not done yet.
          “What do you say to that sister?” Sierra asked as she folded her arms.
          “Ok fine if that’s the way you want it.” Eris began as she started to transform. When she was done she stood there in her second form. Her hair was now longer reaching below the knees. Her whole body was now covered in a light snowy white fur. She has white wolf-like ears on top of her head, and she now has a long fluffy snowy white tail. Her face resembled a wolf but was human in body, and her stripes now appeared jagged on her face, wrists, arms, waist, and ankles.
          “I was waiting to see if you were going to transform, and now that you are I will do the same.” Sierra laughed as she started to transform.
          Queen Azume looked on at her daughter and looked surprised when Sierra began transforming. She looked to where Selena was standing and noticed that she had a smirk on her face. Indicating that she helped Sierra to transform.
          “Wow, not bad sister,” Eris said as Sierra came out of her transformation.
          “Same with you Eris,” Sierra replied getting back in a fighting stance.
          Eris gathered her energy as she sent a blast towards Sierra. Sierra then moved quickly out of the way as a blast came from Eris’s position. She just barely had enough time to avoid the first attack, when she saw another black object shoot up towards her at a fast pace.
          Sierra didn’t have time to react to the second threat as she was hit and she went down hard. Sierra tried to get back up as she struggled to get to her feet. She leaped away as Eris attacked again. Eris was keeping her off balance as she continued her assault.
As Sierra continued to avoid Eris’s attacks. She skidded to a stop as she concentrated on her sword, building up her power. Looking to Selena, when she saw her nod Sierra raised her sword and let her powers fly streaking across the field as it went towards Eris.
          Eris’s eyes opened wide when she saw the attack coming towards her. It was powerful as she leaped into the air to avoid the blast. She quickly turned, going after Sierra, and sent another attack towards her. Sierra turned as she noticed another attack coming her way. She leaped, but she was not fast enough to avoid the attack. It caught her leg as she went down hard.
          Very quickly Sierra reached down and healed her leg, and stood up fast to stand against Eris once more.
          “What? How?” Eris asked wide-eyed.
          “Something wrong Eris?” Sierra responded with a shrug of her shoulders.
          “How did you do that I was never taught how to heal myself?”
          “You can thank mother for that,” Sierra said as she smirked.
          Sierra squared her shoulders as she stood straight up to her full height and faced off with Eris.  Sierra got her sword ready as Eris charged and they connected. The energy in both swords crackled as they fought each other in a display of strength. With a surge of strength, Eris pushed Sierra back as a wave of chioki came out of Eris’s sword. It impacted on Sierra as she was thrown back about 20 feet from Eris.
          “What now Eris, as you can see your attack failed again?” Sierra said smirking.
          “I will not lose to you Sierra,” Eris said growling. With that, she disappeared from sight and appeared next to Sierra to attack her with her powers, but Sierra was quicker and flung Eris away from her.
          “Did you honestly believe that by doing that you would win against me?” Sierra said growling at Eris.
          “I will destroy you, Sierra, just you wait.”
          “Then come on Eris and show me what you’ve got.”
          Eris brought her sword up as she leaped into the air and attacked Sierra head-on. She had another plan in mind as she started another incantation. Their swords met their power clashing against each other, as Eris finished her spell. She raised her hand up and blasted Sierra away from her as she hit the ground hard. An evil smirk came to her features as she went after her sister again.
          Sierra quickly got up and leaped towards Eris and was shocked when she did a backflip away from her. Sierra used the velocity of the attack to leap forward and used her sword to strike again. Both used their free hands to bring forth their attacks, and at the same time sent their orbs at each other. Sierra landing quickly after she let her orb fly she leaped again to attack Eris unaware.
          As the smoke cleared she noticed that Sierra was nowhere to be seen. Then she noticed it Sierra had come up behind her and just as she was about to strike the gong sounded.
          “Time!” Lord Eien said to the crowd. “We shall now take a short break, and we shall resume the battles soon.”
          All three girls looked to their mother and were wondering why she made the lord call time.
          “Hn… seems we were both right on this my lady.” Miyuki said in Selena’s head.
          “Yes, but why is she doing it is the question. My guess is she wants to wear me down by putting me against one after the other until I win or lose.” Selena replied back.
          “You have my word, my lady, that you will not lose these battles,” Miyuki responded.
          “Thanks,” Selena said as she closed the link as her sisters walked up to her. “Nice battle you two, you both did great.”
          “Yeah well, it didn’t seem too great to us,” Eris responded with a frown.
          “Yeah, why did mother have father stop the battle? I was about to win.”  Sierra asked facing Selena
          “I’m not sure Sierra, but I may have a clue of what’s going on,” Selena said as she had all eyes on her.
          “What’s that?” Eris asked.
          “Well I have been following the battles closely and all of the battles have been ties, all the way up until I won the battle against Armon and Arion.
          “Uh-huh, and?” Sierra said crossing her arms.
          “It means that mother wants me to fight all of you in hopes that I will lose the competition,” Selena said with a sigh
          “I don’t think that’s what she is doing,” Eris said shaking her head.
          “Why would mother do that, it makes no sense?” Sierra asked, but before Selena could speak her mate cut in.
          “Because mother is afraid of what Selena would become if she won the rest of the battles. So she wants to put Selena in matches one after the other in hopes that she will lose.” Arion said as he and Doshi walked up to the girls.
          "That doesn't make sense, Selena's got a chance to win just like we all do. I'm sure mother isn't doing anything like that." Sierra responded folding her arms.
          "Selena's theory is correct. Right now at this moment, Selena is struggling to keep her energy going its only a matter of time before she gets defeated." Arion countered.
          Selena raised an eyebrow at her brother's statement. How did he know that she was losing energy with each fight? Selena shrugged her shoulders and said, "You seem so confident in your statement there brother, what is it you know?"
          "Nothing more than you sis, I assure you. Trust me I would tell you if I knew anything." Arion said with a sigh.
          "Come now everyone, let us not get all conflicted we all need to be at our best, and besides, Selena, we all know that I'm going to win," Doshi said playfully.
          “What makes you so sure that I’m going to lose Doshi?” Selena replied growling playfully.
          “I’m just stating the obvious Selena.” He said looking at her and smirked.
          “Well, no matter what any of you say I don’t think what Selena said is true,” Eris said as she turns and walks off.
          “So what do we do?” Sierra asked shaking her head at Eris’s retreating form.
          “We do what we came here to do, win the chance of becoming the ruler of the universe, and Ainashiko,” Selena said.
          “And gain a mate,” Arion said as he smirked and looked at Doshi. “Let’s not forget that.”
          “Oh we haven’t brother, don’t worry about that.” Selena finished just as Lord Eien began speaking.
          “Ladies and Gentleman please take your seat for the next battle is about to begin!!!”