Fatefall - 9

Chapter 9 - Jett 

Time, Deceit, Soul, Void, and Life. You don’t realize what weapons they are until they’re used against you. 

Evangeline insisted on accompanying Jett to the celebratory banquet and ceremony. 

Technically, each winning competitor was allowed a plus one. In theory, Jett was allowed to bring Evangeline with him. Honestly, it might have improved his chances of finding a good team because Evangeline could be persuasive when she wanted to be. 

Except Evangeline only helped when she could gain something in return. 

“I feel undressed,” Evangeline said, gazing down at her maroon dress with concern. “What do you think, Jett? Is this too casual?”

“I’ve never seen you wear a dress before, so I’d say this is pretty formal,” Jett noted with a shrug. “Besides, I’d wear your dress over this stupid costume any day.” 

“We can trade,” Evangeline suggested. “At least your veil covers your face.” 

“And makes me look like an angsty bride,” he said. 

Evangeline smoothed her dress again and twirled a loose curl of her copper hair around a pale finger. Jett checked his pockets to make sure his tickets for the banquet were still secure. 

They approached the gates to the courtyard of the castle, out of breath from the climb of the steep hill. Devoted townsfolk who wished to see the competitors one more time before the Tournament officially began crowded around the entrance, cheering for their favorite costumes and fighters. Evangeline hooked her arm through Jett’s and pushed him a little faster. He couldn’t blame her---these crowds unnerved him. 

Jett handed over his tickets to a pair of guards dressed in shades of gold. They checked Jett and Evangeline for concealed weapons and then beckoned them through the gates. 

Evangeline let out a low whistle. “Imagine how many pockets you could pick during this party alone.” 

“You do that and let me know how it feels to get tossed about by the king’s personal guards themselves,” Jett mumbled under his breath. 

He kept hold of Evangeline’s arm, afraid that if he let go he’d lose himself in the mass of competitors and their plus-ones in the courtyard. Soldiers milled about too, watching for any fights that might break out as competitors got an early start on finding their teammates. Tables covered with food lined the outer walls and Jett’s stomach growled greedily. A small band occupied the hastily assembled wooden stage in one corner, their music so loud that Jett could feel the pounding of the drums in his blood. On the opposite side of the courtyard sat the royal family---albeit just the king and queen. The royal children were noticeably absent, and the king and queen looked bored out of their minds. Jett didn’t pity them. 

He squeezed Evangeline’s arm. “Where do I even start?”

“You start by relaxing,” she said, her voice calm as always. “Technically, you’re not supposed to be looking for a team yet. They haven’t made the commencement announcement yet.” 

Jett glanced at the crowd of competitors, spotting two men already shaking hands. “You think that stops anyone?”

Evangeline sighed. “Well, you already have that Dusan boy on your team, so you can cross a Graced of Soul off of your list.”

Jett froze at the mention of the boy. Sage. When they’d met at the arena, he’d been afraid that Sage would reveal their previous meeting. The last thing Jett needed was for Evangeline to know he’d been caught pickpocketing. As far as he knew, her thievery had yet to end with capture and he wanted to rival that. 

“Wonderful, I still have several dozen people to pick from for the rest.”

Evangeline shook her head. “Fates, Jett. You’re helpless, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I held my own pretty well in the fight earlier,” he protested. 

“Which is why you’re favoring your left side,” Evangeline noted, not even looking at him. Jett automatically shifted his weight, his bruised ribs protesting. He knew he was better off than most of the other competitors---there were rumors that a girl had actually been stabbed earlier---but he still hurt. 

A clock chimed in the distance. Jett glanced up at the sky. With the sun having set nearly an hour ago, the courtyard was now illuminated with tiny jars of light strung from wall to wall. It reminded him of a clear night sky, blanketed with stars. 

“Here we go,” Evangeline whispered to him as the king stood and rang a tiny bell. The sharp sound silenced all conversations at once as everyone turned to face the king. 

“Hello and welcome, my lucky competitors, to your Selection Banquet and Ceremony,” King Hector exclaimed, his voice ringing through the air. Jett winced at the sheer volume of it. “As you all well know, the Tournament of Fates is a celebration of the Fall of the Fates through a series of trials that depict the human struggle against self-proclaimed gods. The Selection reminds us of the careful training and challenges that our soldiers had to endure in order to even get a chance to face the Fates. From this declaration onward, you have two hours to find a team. There should be five people on each and every Grace should be represented. Good luck!” 

He sat back down abruptly and the courtyard erupted into chaos. 

Evangeline and Jett scrambled backward, determined not to be lost in the vicious fight for the most powerful Graced. Jett didn’t want the most powerful people anyway. That was just a recipe for betrayal. 

A familiar masked face appeared at the edge and Jett stiffened. 

Sage approached, seemingly unfazed as he took Jett’s side. “You look lovely tonight, Evangeline. I’m sure many women here tonight envy your beauty.”

Evangeline pressed a hand to her chest. “You flatter me.”

Jett rolled his eyes as something twinged in his chest. He knew the taste of jealousy all too well, and he hated it. “So what? We just stand here all night and hope someone comes to us?” 

“We survey those who stay on the outside of the crowd,” Sage said, his eyes narrowed. “Fates, I can’t see without my glasses.”

Jett took Sage’s advice, watching those who circulated on the outside of the crowd carefully. He dismissed a few options immediately. He didn’t want any adults on his team if he could help it. They were never open to unique ideas and would try to con him out of his winnings. 

A young woman dressed as Basar caught his attention a few times. Her plus-one followed closely behind her and Jett noted how tall they both were. The girl took each step cautiously and her costume seemed way too small for her, but that wasn’t what had Jett staring. 

“What about her?” Jett asked, gesturing casually towards the woman. 

Sage squinted and Evangeline craned her neck. 

“She’s the one who almost died, supposedly,” Evangeline said. 

“How did she survive?” asked Sage. 

Evangeline shrugged. “I’ve heard rumors that one second her opponent’s sword was embedded in her chest and the next her opponent was writhing on the ground a few feet away. They think that there was magic involved.” 

Or a really powerful Grace, Jett realized. 

“I want her,” he said out loud. 

Evangeline blinked in surprise. “Okay, go get her then.” She unhooked her arm from Jett’s and gave him a shove. He stumbled over the uneven stone of the courtyard and nearly fell flat on his face. 

Instead, he ran face first into the girl and pushed her into her plus-one. 

“Sorry,” Jett mumbled, face bright red beneath his mask. “My friend doesn’t seem to know her own strength.” He shot a glare at Evangeline over his shoulder. 

The girl frowned and Jett sucked in a breath as he finally met her eyes. One was the color of emeralds and the other a vibrant shade of gold, and yet her stare still felt like icy shards against his skin. “Who are you supposed to be?”

“Medea,” Jett said. 

The girl shared a look with her plus-one, who turned his attention to Jett, seemingly appraising him. 

“I’m looking for some members for my team,” Jett continued, hating his way too obvious approach. Curse Evangeline and her recklessness. Sage would’ve done a much better job of this with his easy flattery. “My teammate and I heard about what happened during your match.”

The girl’s expression shifted into one of momentary fear. 

“I have to believe that your Grace is extremely powerful, and I think you’d make a nice addition to our team. My teammate over there has the Grace of Soul and I have the Grace of Deceit, and I think I’m pretty good at it--”

“If I agree to join you, will you stop talking?” the girl cut him off, a smirk forming on her face. 

Jett laughed. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Good enough for me,” she decided, crossing her arms. “What do you say, Ansel? Do I join this boy even though he looks like a bride who died on her wedding day?”

The plus-one gave Jett a look that seemed to pierce his soul. “Honestly, Nakoa? I think that he’s the best that you’re going to get.”

Jett wasn’t sure if that was a compliment, but he smiled regardless and held out his hand. “Well, miss, welcome to the team.” 

She shook his hand and followed him back to where Evangeline and Sage were conversing in low tones. 

Evangeline’s face lit up when she saw them approaching. “Fates, your eyes are beautiful.”

The girl---Nakoa---blushed and dropped her gaze. 

“We were watching two other options while you were talking,” Sage added, directing Sage’s attention to the opposite edge of the circle. 

He spotted a boy dressed as Cashus with a hooded figure at his side who was arguing with a red-haired girl imitating Asa. 

“You want them?” Jett asked in disbelief. 

“That boy is the princess’s champion and that girl is the fastest winner here,” Evangeline answered with a scoff. “If anything, they should be asking why they would want you.” 

“I bring a lot of skills to the table,” Jett grumbled. 

“And you leave a lot to be desired,” Evangeline challenged, crossing her arms. Finally, she sighed. “Trust me on this one, Jett. Please?”

Jett wanted to trust her---he truly did. If these mysterious strangers were exactly who Evangeline claimed they were, they might be a worthy addition to the team. But what if they weren’t? What if Nakoa had lived by luck alone? What if by agreeing to work with Sage, Jett had unknowingly condemned himself to losing? It would mean he would lose the Tournament and he wouldn’t get the bail money and his parents would be killed--

“I trust you, Evangeline,” Jett relented. I don’t have a choice. This team is the only chance I have. 

“Well, then, why don’t we go introduce ourselves?” Evangeline said, flashing a proud grin and leading their group over to where the boy and the hooded figure---the princess, according to Evangeline---were still arguing while the red-haired girl watched in amusement. 

“You are absolutely not teaming up with this … this fraud,” Princess Aida was shouting. 

The red-haired girl put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’m not the fraud here. If anyone is hiding something, it’s your precious Champion.”

“He stays out of this,” Princess Aida growled. 

“This is my team,” the boy interjected. “You don’t get a choice, princess. I choose who I want on my team---and I want her.”

Jett shot Evangeline a look that he hoped conveyed these people are crazy, let’s go look somewhere else. She ignored him and stepped between the two seething girls, waving shyly. Jett rushed in after her, Sage and Nakoa at his sides and Ansel hurrying along behind them. 

“Who are these people?” Princess Aida asked, her nose curling in disgust. 

Her hood did little to hide the front of her face and Jett watched her expression shift from revulsion to … was that amazement? 

“We’d like to formally ask these two competitors here if they’d like a spot on our team,” Sage interrupted. Jett sent him a silent thanks for taking the lead. “Evangeline here has seen both of them fight, and she thinks that you’re incredible.”

The girl blushed and the boy narrowed his eyes, though neither seemed entirely opposed to the idea. 

“All right, what do you have to offer?” Princess Aida inquired. “Why should my Champion join your team?”
Jett and Sage shared a look, daring the other to speak but instead it was Nakoa who answered. “Your Highness, did you hear about the fight that nearly ended in a competitor’s death?”

Princess Aida’s eyes widened. “That’s why you seemed familiar. You’re the girl who should’ve died.”

Nakoa seemed to wince at the bluntness of the statement, but Jett cut in to spare her. He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m one of the most powerful Graced of Deceit in all of Xegalla.”

“A bold claim and yet nothing to back it up,” the red-haired girl said, disinterested. 

Jett didn’t have proof that he was willing to give up, so he gave a wink instead. “Ask anyone who has ever had their pocket picked.”

He waited to see if anyone dared to challenge him, but no one bothered. 

Instead, the boy dressed as Cashus gave a shrug. “I’m sold. I’ll join your team.”

“What?” Princess Aida hissed, grabbing the boy’s arm. “We didn’t agree to this. You’re not joining this ragtag team--”

“If not them, who else,” the boy said to the princess before turning back to Jett, Sage, and Nakoa. “On one condition.” He jabbed a finger at the red-haired girl, who stumbled in surprise. “She has to join too.”

“Why am I getting dragged into this?” she complained. 

“Because I saw your fight and it left me speechless. I want you on my team,” he stated plainly. “Besides, who else here seems interested in you at all?”

Jett watched the words hit the girl right in the chest, but she barely flinched. They all knew the truth that the boy spoke---no one else wanted this girl. Except, of course, this boy and Evangeline. 

“I surrender,” the girl said, holding up her hands. “I’ll join your little team.”

Relief bloomed in Jett’s gut. Thank the Fates he’d found a team that he thought he might be able to deal with. 

“So, we’re all in?” he asked. “All five of us?”

“Five Fates, Five Graced,” Sage agreed. “And some plus-ones, but they don’t count.”

Jett checked the time. “We’ve still got about an hour left before the Ceremony itself. So if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to explore the buffet. After all, this food isn’t going to eat itself.”

“Competitors, please finalize your teams by finding one of the sponsors by the stage. The Ceremony will begin shortly.”

Jett’s team had already gathered by the sponsors. They’d barely spoken since the final decision to team up, though Jett assumed it was more of a safety precaution. They could exchange names once they were assigned their private rooms, where they would be free to stay for the duration of the Tournament. They’d then be given about a week to train and build trust before the first Trial. 

The plus-ones had been kindly asked to exit the party a little while ago, and Jett already felt uneasy without Evangeline at his side. Luckily, the Cashus boy didn’t seem any better off without Princess Aida. And Nakoa looked downright terrified with Ansel long gone. 

Jett noticed Sage wringing his fingers again, his head lowered so the shadows obscured his face. “You good? Not having last minute regrets, I hope.”

Sage shook his head, though his labored breathing said otherwise. “Will the sponsors be, uh, sponsoring us?”

“No, they just stand there and look pretty. Obviously they’re here to sponsor us.”

“What, you’re scared of a few rich men?” the red-haired girl added. 

Sage shook his head. “Is there a man with curly blonde hair over there?” 

Oddly specific, Jett thought to himself, but he looked regardless. Sure enough, on the other side of the stage stood a prim looking man with golden curls. “Indeed there is.”

Sage cursed under his breath. 

“You don’t like blondes?” asked Nakoa obliviously. 

“I am blonde,” Sage protested. 

“Let me guess,” the Cashus boy butted in. “That man---Franklin---is your father.”

Sage whimpered, which meant that the boy had hit the nail on the head. Jett blew out a breath. “You didn’t tell me that you’re a nobleman’s son.”

“It’s not relevant,” Sage insisted. 

“And what, we don’t want your father as a sponsor? Wouldn’t he favor us?” reasoned the red-haired girl. 

Sage shook his head. “He doesn’t know I entered, nor would he want me to. Don’t ask me to explain. That’s a conversation for another time.” He pressed his lips together, fingers trembling. 

“No big deal,” Nakoa said. “We’ll just find a different sponsor.”

Easier said than done, as the other teams were picking sponsors left and right. Jett grabbed Sage’s arm and yanked him forward, towards an unoccupied sponsor, only to be cut off by another team. He directed Sage another way and a team shoved by. 

“Go that way!” the Cashus boy yelled to Jett, pointing to a lonely looking sponsor with wavy, brown hair. Jett elbowed another competitor in the side and pulled Sage along faster. 

They stumbled to a stop in front of the sponsor, who offered no smile or greeting. 

Jett focused on calming himself, hoping to the Fates that the Cashus boy had made a good choice. Trust him, he told himself. You have to trust each other. 

Only a few moments later, King Hector rang his bell again and the courtyard fell into awkward silence. 

“Today our Selection reminds us of the incredible sacrifices our soldiers made when they made the decision to fight the Fates. They had to leave their friends and families behind,” King Hector explained, his regal voice echoing off of the stones. “They were forced to trust the strangers that fought beside them. In honor of these fallen soldiers---and in a display of faith to your fellow citizens---all those teams who fail from here on out will endure a great loss. This year, the so-called punishment is a loss of Graces.”

What?! 

Jett wasn’t the only one with that kind of reaction. Normally the punishment was a large debt or occasionally exile, but the complete removal of one’s Graces? That was unheard of. Uncalled for. A fate worse than death. 

“Silence!” the King called. Jett’s stomach twisted as the crowd fell quiet. “The decision has already been made. Our soldiers gave their lives for the war--”

“And yet here you stand, still alive!” someone shouted. 

King Hector didn’t flinch. “It is true, I was one of the lucky few to make it out of the battle alive. But I saw the carnage first-hand. The loss of your Graces is not nearly as terrible as what my fellow soldiers saw and experienced as we saved Xegalla. At any rate, your sponsor will provide you with a binding contract momentarily. You will then be escorted to your temporary quarters. The best of luck to all of you.”

Their sponsor held out a single piece of parchment and a pen. Jett took it gently, his hands shaking. There was no turning back now. 

He could hear his parents whispering objections in his mind, but he pushed their words away to a dark corner where he could no longer hear them. Using the nearby table as a flat surface, he pressed his pen to the page and signed his name with blood red ink. When he lifted the pen at last, fire speared his gut briefly. Jett doubled over, trying to catch his breath. 

“What did you do to him?” the red-haired girl cried out. 

“It’s the binding contract,” the Cashus boy answered, his voice soft. “They’re making sure we can’t back out. If we try to flee, this contract will kill us. It’s ancient magic.”

“I’m fine,” Jett assured them through gritted teeth. “I think, at least. You guys have to sign it. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“Liar,” Nakoa grumbled, but she signed anyway, clutching her gut after she dropped the pen. 

One by one, they signed the paper until the sponsor finally picked it up and tucked it away in his pocket. “This way,” he said curtly and began walking towards the gates of the courtyard. Jett and the others scrambled to follow after him. 

“We’re really doing this,” Sage whispered in his ear. 

“We’ll fight to the end,” Jett said, though it was more of a promise to himself. 

“To the end,” Sage echoed.

Author's Note

This is the first time all of the characters meet each other, and the next chapter will be a slight continuation of it (but with more tension!). Please let me know if anything a character says seems, well, out of character. I'm trying to maintain all of their personalities through dialogue while also giving them each a chance to speak.