BloodStar

Chapter 74: Battle Preparations

It was the morning of the battle, and a loud speaker rang from just outside Xenia’s tent on the grassy plains, “Fighters! You have one hour until you must report to the battlefield!”

Xenia stood before her bed with all of her clothes and armor laid out before her eyes to survey. Constance walked up behind her and said, “Choices, choices, choices. Will you wear the black or the red boots? Black or red leather tunic? At least you only have one armor to choose from!”

Xenia stood silently with her hand to her chin and quietly said, “Hmm. I’m in a rather dark mood today. I will favor black as my dominant outfit color. There will be plenty of red spilled on the battlefield as it is anyways.”

Xenia put on her sheer black nylon pantyhose and her pleated metal-plated short skirt with red, black, and gold accents. She then fastened her knee-high black leather boots. After, she stood and placed her black leather tunic over her head and slipped her arms into the tight fitting under armor shirt.

Constance assumed a position behind her as they both looked into the mirror, and Constance began to lace up her tunic from the back. As she laced it, she said, “I am going to make this extra tight. In the case you need it, a tight tunic can hold in your organs and blood to keep them from spilling so quickly. Women certainly have the advantage of tight clothes on the battlefield, don’t we?”

Xenia smiled into the mirror, “Powerful women such as us have the advantage at nearly everything this world has to offer. I can’t think of a single man who stands as our equals.”

Constance fastened each lace tighter and tighter temporarily knocking the breath out of Xenia, and she asked, “Not a single man? Not even Jacek?”

Xenia smirked, “He is powerful. But no. He is not my equal, and he is not your equal either. However, of all of the candidates I have to choose from, his ki has the best chance of giving me an heir one day. But I am in no rush. I am not even Empress yet.”

Constance finished the lacing and said, “All done! Now for the armor.” She walked over to the bed to grab the half-body chest plate and said, “While you work on Jacek, you should see if Michael has the power required to give you an heir.”

She raised the armor over Xenia’s head and then lowered it over her head and onto her shoulders. As she did, Xenia replied, “Oh my approach with Michael is multi-pronged. One, I do plan to test his potential with me for my heir. Two, he will also serve to make Jacek jealous. And three, he will grow more powerful ruling under me as he helps to keep order in the Holy Light Empire.”

Constance laughed, “You two should take a well-deserved vacation together after this battle.”

Xenia looked at herself in the mirror pleased with her appearance and said, “That’s not a bad idea, Constance. Maybe we will.”

Neither girl even had an afterthought of what would happen were Xenia to lose the battle today. Their confidence in the outcome of the battle was brimming.

Xenia then said, “My outfit is missing something. Do I need gloves?”

Constance immediately brought over elbow-length black leather gloves and presented them to Xenia, “These gloves are going to give you a finished look. And if I daresay, a sexy look.”

Xenia slipped the gloves on and smiled at them, “Perfect.”

Constance then surveyed Xenia’s outfit and said, “This will be globally televised. You look amazing, but we need to secure your hair. Here, I have just the thing.”

She rummaged around in her own bag and pulled out two black and red jeweled Kansanshi hair sticks to hold her hair up in a fashionable manner while also keeping her hair out of her face.

Xenia perused herself in the mirror and smiled, “I think I am ready to show the world that I can be sexy enough to take any man I want. And powerful enough to kill any man I want.”

Constance lauded her Warlord, “Well said. I quite agree. Poor Pope Gregory will serve as an example for the others who would dare to overthrow your allies.”

Xenia turned from the mirror and smiled at Constance, “Poor Pope Gregory indeed. Soon to be dead Pope Gregory.”

She then bloodbent her obsidian hilted sword, BloodBane, to the rear of her armor on her back and said, “Constance, you may take your leave. I will be meditating until the battle begins. In the meantime, will you please come up with something fun for us to do after the battle. I am going to be on a violent high, and I will need to unwind.”

Constance bowed her head and smiled, “I thought you would never ask. I already have something in mind.”

Xenia sat down in the middle of the tent as she said, “Perfect.”

______________________________

As Xenia meditated in her battlefield ready-tent, Pope Gregory had long since exited his tent to give pre-battle interviews with the global reporters recording for their live television broadcast across the globe.

He wore royal blue high-waisted pants with a loose, long-sleeved white t-shirt. The beautiful female reporter asked him, “Pope Gregory, Warlord BloodStar has declined our request for interview in order to prepare for battle. Does this mean you are already prepared?”

Gregory chuckled, “I have said it before, and I am happy to say it again. Last minute preparation is for the amateurs amongst us. It is for the messy amongst us. In this case, it is for the inexperienced amongst us. Xenia is trying to close the gap in any way she can between us. She will likely meditate all the way up to the battle commencement. But guess what?”

The reporter looked on eagerly, and Gregory smiled and said, “You can’t close the gap on decades of training, active war, and experience in such short time. I think what we are witnessing is two very different approaches to the upcoming battle, and I also believe that says all you need to know about what the outcome of today’s battle will be.”

The reporter eagerly asked him, “Does this mean you are confident in winning today’s match?”

Gregory sternly said, “I’m not just confident. It’s all but assured. The youth of this world may not know my strength but ask anyone who was alive to witness my feats during the Great War, and they will tell you.”

Gregory then grabbed the microphone and assertively said, “And today’s battle is not just some ‘match’. It is a battle agreed upon to forego months and years of active war. It is a battle agreed upon by two very powerful leaders of the armies to avoid needless death of the men and women we command. This ‘match’ will shape the future territories of the Americas and the empires within.”

Gregory handed the microphone back to the reporter who said, “Both fighters are noble champions of their realms. You heard Pope Gregory, they are doing this for –“

Pope Gregory pulled the microphone from the reporter once again and began to speak to the world, “Make no mistake. I am doing this for noble purposes. The people of my country are at stake. The people of the United States are at stake. And ultimately, the world is at stake if the BloodStars have their say in this matter. Xenia won’t tell you straight, but she isn’t in this for the people of the world. She is in this for power. And that is why I am here to stop her!”

He shoved the microphone back into the reporter’s hands and walked off. The reporter said, “Wow! Look at the energy radiating off of Pope Gregory! He is ready for battle there can be no doubt! One thing is for sure, no matter who wins, this battle will be one for the history books!”

The reporting continued as Gregory stormed back to his tent. He unsheathed the God Sword and exited from the tent. The battle didn’t start for another thirty minutes; however, he marched over to the grassy plains and stood waiting for his opponent to show herself.

Audiences around the world looked on as the flying drones around the plains broadcast it all back to the live viewers. They saw a tall, strong man in royal blue and white clothes gripping a huge, ornate broadsword with only a single hand whereas an average man would likely be unable to even pick it up using both hands with all of his might.

Bookies all over the world took last minute bets as the betting skewed in favor of Pope Gregory winning by a landslide. The thirty minutes passed ever so quickly, and before the world knew it… the battle was upon them.