The Sylvaea Tournament
an excerpt

CHAPTER 1: THE WARRIORS

The sun shone brightly on the city of Sarenin. It was a beautiful day, as if the weather itself was mirroring the excitement of the people of the city. Today was the summer solstice—the day that marked the opening for the grandest event of the year—the Sylvaea Tournament. It was the day when sixteen fighters from eight chosen villages would make their way to the capital city to compete for a prize people would kill for—the chance to make their way into the ranks of the nobles and the knights, and the chance to elevate their village to one of the key points of the country.

Sylvaea was a young country, created only a decade ago when the various states, cities and villages that made up the territory decided to band together as a nation in order to stand against the threat of neighboring countries. Because of its youth, Sylvaea didn’t have much of an army, and so its very first king made a decree. Sylvaea would build its army from the strongest of warriors, and where else would they find such warriors but in the village of the winner of the Tournament. And thus, the tournament was established. And today, the fighters arrived…