Chapter 12

SOAR National Tournament – Finals (Part 2)

Judah and Lukah took their positions and started striking at the two Bossell players. Without his stick, Lukah was still doing pretty awesome with his hand dexterity combat skills. After all, he was one badass commander. Gerome used his fighting stick to help him to make slick jumps upwards. McKnight was catching up behind, he was coming close fast. Aamali on the other hand was trying to avoid any physical contact with Sergeant Spirit. He wanted to make sure that he keeps himself focus on McKnight’s every movements at the same time. Spirit however, seemed to have no idea why Aamali kept moving about, he was not a very bright person after all. But he knew Aamali was preparing do something unexpected anytime, since Gerome is moving quickly towards him.

Gerome fastened up his pace.

Come on. You can do better than this.

McKnight has great speed. Gerome was assuredly under pressure, trying to concentrate hard on making his way to Aamali. His feet were a little unsteady. A single slip could send him plummeting down the mountain anytime. He felt nervous. The sound of cheering crowd, and knowing that McKnight was trailing behind him ferociously brought an uninvited swelling of apprehension upon him.

Xara must have noticed it too. “Is Romey going to be alright? He seems a little tensed.”

“Come on, come on, come on…” Aisha’s fingers were fidgeting on her laps, chanting anxiously.

Jade knew her brother better than anyone else. She could tell Gerome was in a state of slight consternation, which is unlikely to happen to him. He was mostly calm and unperturbed, never gets ruffled, not even the previous games. Probably he is under extreme physical and mental tension this time. Furthermore, he had been hit in the head, hard, Jade thought, and hoped that he is going to be alright. At this point, she became more concerned about his physical condition than the chalice. Gerome is very, very important to her. She just wants him safe, that’s all.

Fortunately, Gerome dealt with his inner negative voices before letting them take control of his head. He has to stop negative thoughts. He needs to stay as calm as possible.

Think win. Think chalice. Think Aamali.

Right, his focus should be on Aamali. Aamali is the only person who is able to help him to get higher and nearer to the pole.

Focus on Aamali, get to Aamali.

Gerome made a thrust with his stick into the rocks, so that the rocks fall off and distract McKnight, but it seemed like an inefficacious attempt to slow him down. A precipitated idea came to him just in time. When he came to about ten feet from Aamali, he flipped and lunged at McKnight instantaneously. It all happened so suddenly that McKnight was staggered for seconds for the unprepared thunderbolt attack. He thought Gerome was just going to run away from him. He slipped down for about two feet, but managed to purchase a piece of rock that stuck out. Gerome attacked his opponent viciously for he knew he only had that few seconds of McKnight’s hardly-focused mind in order to overpower him. With one hand holding the fighting stick, and the other hand firmly gripped on the rocks, he made a strong kick with his legs and landed on McKnight’s back. Gerome dragged McKnight down with his own body weight, and that caused Mcknight lose control of his own grips. McKnight slithered down helplessly. Gerome managed took hold of the opponent’s flag and quickly threw it off, while his other hand still gripping firmly on McKnight’s shoulders.

Now is the time. McKnight was in an awkward and defenseless predicament. Gerome hastily purchased on the rocks, stepping on McKnight’s shoulders like a prop and bounced himself to get further up. He could hear McKnight cussing him from below.

That’s for hitting me on the head. Gerome laughed in his heart, pleased that he managed to make a small revenge.

“Ha! Take that you loser,” Aisha snorted with laughter.

Jade and Xara exchanged looks, and chortled with delight at the spanking revenge.

“Romey is a smart fellow,” Xara praised. “I’m just glad he thought of that… tactic or whatever you call!”

Go for it, Romey. I believe in you. Jade clenched both her hands together.

The Bossell flag landed on the rocky ground with a clang that it attracted the other two players at the bottom. They looked at the flag and then looked up at McKnight, who was stuck in the middle of the cylinder, not knowing whether he should go down and fetch the flag, or go after Gerome.

“It’s the Bossell’s flag,” Judah told Lukah as soon as he caught sight of it.

Lukah held his head up for a quick glance at Gerome. “I think it’s time we stop fooling around with these guys. What do you think?” he said to Judah.

Judah casted a sidelong glance at Lukah, and nodded in agreement.

They held firmly at each end of the fighting stick, with all their might, they pushed and pinned the two Bossell players against the rocks, sloshing with water (from the waterfall), leaving them floundering helplessly. The sluicing water was giving them hard time to breath to even fight back. The flat-footed postures of the two Bossell players were giving Lukah and Judah hard time to stifle their giggles. The audiences guffawed loudly. They surely enjoy watching this comical scene.

“Haha! That is classic,” Xara said, could not stop laughing, so were Aisha and Jade.

“I am sure that must be Luke’s idea,” Jade said, still laughing.

“Look! There goes Romey.” Aisha pointed.

Sergeant Spirit had spotted his teammate in trouble. He changed his target and moved towards Gerome.

“Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going?” Aamali shouted at him, but he ignored him completely.

“Punk!” Aamali hissed in a low voice, and followed him.

“Mali, get to the center (there was a steep mountain in the middle of the cylinder), and wait for me at the peak. Don’t worry about me. I’ll come to you,” Gerome contacted Aamali and spoke as soft as he could to avoid them hearing him.

“Got it.” Aamali was moving about, pretending to try to get closer to Spirit. He was going to jump onto the peak of the mountain, as soon as Gerome lands himself there.

“I believe in you, Romey. You can do this,” Aamali said.

Aamali doesn’t usually use frothy and pleasing words. But when he says something, he really meant it from his heart. Those words of I believe in you bolstered Gerome’s confidence. When Aamali has unconditionally put his faith in you, you just have to give your best not to let him down.

And that is what exactly Romey is going to do - not letting anyone down.

The heavy Sergeant Spirit was on his way down to Gerome, and McKnight moving up to him. It seemed like McKnight had no intention of picking up his flag. They both wanted to work together to bring Gerome down.

Gerome kept moving upwards speedily until he almost met with Sergeant Spirit, the only person in the Bossell team that he is least worried about. Spirit was huge, but slow, too slow for Gerome.

Abruptly, Gerome changed his direction. He slanted to his right in almost a brink of eye, and flitted himself over with the help of his stick. He ended up landing on the center rocky mountain. Aamali perceived that Gerome had flicked himself over to the center. He too, jumped over and ran towards the peak. Gerome moved as quickly as he could, leaving no time to think or look back.

Aamali held both his sticks out, poised himself steady on the rocks. Sergeant Spirit and McKnight had reached the center too, speedily moved their way up.

The estimation had to be precise and perfect. Or Gerome will lose his step.

No time to doubt.

“Now!” Gerome called over to Aamali.

Aamali clenched two stick together in his hands, poised steadily with both his knees slightly bended for full support. Gerome leapt with great force. His boots-encased feet landed on Aamali’s fighting stick. Aamali made a strenuous swing with the strength of all his body could give, heaving Gerome off the ground. He was flown to the other side of the craggy walls and was almost at the top, just a few steps away from the pole.

Sensing something coming hither him from behind, Gerome looked back. Sergeant Spirit and McKnight had darted their fighting sticks at Gerome, but ricocheted by another two sticks that flew passed by. Aamali had both his fighting sticks thrown out in a just-in-time speed, before they hit Gerome. All their fighting sticks fell down to the ground. The sound of clattering sticks was totally unheard over the distance of seventy feet.

“Thank you, Mali,” Gerome said with relieving smile, feeling thankful that he had a strong friend like Aamali, or else he wouldn’t be able to make it up there with just a swing.

“Go Romey!” Aamali shouted.

Free at last.

Gerome is free from any opponents. He took hold of the rail and had himself sprang to the center of the cylinder (where the pole stood) with mere effort. Moving forward with just a few quick, light steps, he grabbed on the pole and anchored the handle of the flag to the top of the pole.

He did it.

It was unbelievable, but he did it.

His team won!

Gerome stood levelly and looked at his teammates with a pair of winner’s eyes. They were overjoyed. The restive crowd went wild too, waving their Green Sand flags of every sizes, whistling and cheering crazily. It was a great scene of jubilation among their supporters.

Not everyone was happy though. The Bossell team players were dispirited over the lost.

“Sorry mate,” Lukah said magnanimously to the two sopping Bossell players, trying to be civil to them. After all, it was just a game. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose. They scoffed at him, looking uncomfortably soaked with water.

The center mountain began to descend slowly to the ground, and the rocky walls receded from view, until everything was as empty as before. The ground of the cylinder descended slowly until it reached the very top and formed into a flat platform.

“Thanks bro.” Gerome hugged Aamali.

“Haha! You were awesome, kid! I knew you can do it!” Aamali embraced Gerome and gave him a hard squeeze before exuberantly lifting him off the ground. Lukah and Judah joined in, hugging each other, exulted.

“Woo hoo! We did it! I still can’t believe it!” Lukah shouted in elation, overwhelmed with the taste of victory. The crowd would not stop cheering and giving rapturous applause. Gerome spotted Xara, Aisha and Jade cheering for them in their seats. He waved his hand at them, giving them a big handsome smile. Probably the biggest he had ever given.