darkSpyro

The mining continued on, workers humming - and even singing - various tunes to keep themselves going. Evidently, they were used to this, and no longer let it get them down, some even seemingly enjoying it. A while later, soldiers called the prisoners off - time to eat.
Back at the mess hall, beef and fruit was being served - both of reasonable quality, the meat cooked as if someone had actually tried to make something edible.

"Okay, will that be all? What about you, young merman?" the mermaid asked.
"I guess we're all going to be trying that out, aren't we?" Leoquin asked rhetorically. "I'll be having the same thing everyone is having."
"Okay, four orders of shrimp and sweet wine, with one drink of water, coming right up! We have a special brew here - Melosia's Tropical Wine! The sweet, wonderful taste of tropical fruit, delicately brewed and fermented with magical assistance!" The mermaid spent a few minutes preparing all of the food - by the time it was ready, however, the smell alone was enough to indicate that it was worth it. The food was served in what seemed to be hardened watercress, shaped into a cup, with the drinks served in a typical drinking glass - with the exception of Raclaw and Chester, who received some ornate drink bowls, the kind used for sharing a drink in a party, on account of the patrons being rather unusual. "The bowls are perfectly edible, if you wish - otherwise, you can just hand them back to us or discard them," the mermaid said.

Quote: A Guy

The mining continued on, workers humming - and even singing - various tunes to keep themselves going. Evidently, they were used to this, and no longer let it get them down, some even seemingly enjoying it. A while later, soldiers called the prisoners off - time to eat.
Back at the mess hall, beef and fruit was being served - both of reasonable quality, the meat cooked as if someone had actually tried to make something edible.

Angora was relieved with the meal time. She was used to eating practically anything, and compared with the food of her underwater prison, this was gourmet. She sat besides her temporary mentor, him being the only one she felt comfortable with. She wasn't as enthusiastic with eating as she was before, feeling as if she was simply getting fatten up for a behemoth, but if she wanted a chance at surviving the arena, she needed all the energy she could get.

As Maverick went near the city, he continued talking to Orion secretly, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"So you're saying... your're saying that the amulet my mother gave me... has been magical all this time?" Maverick said on the verge of tears, never knowing that the amulet he's had since he was an infant had any magical properties. Why didn't he know until now? Maverick never knew his mother very well, so she most likely never had a chance to tell him. Also, if his father had known, he would've stole it from him without a doubt. All this time, he had a magical artifact. If he had known, he would've found a way to understand his precious heirloom better.

The galud didn't mind Angora's presence - in fact, he stirred up some conversation. "My name... Cazhak. I once fell on hard times. Ended up trying to mug someone. Turns out his friend was pretty close by. I had to surrender, and got this sentence. Rather ironic - I'll be richer than I could have ever hoped to be when this is all over. I guess I should be thanking Aelinon, in a way. I guess in some sick, twisted way, you could say the punishment is working as intended - I certainly won't have to mug anyone again." The galud took large, voracious bites of meat every now and again, as if it would be his last meal.
"Now, if you're not going to be just fodder, you're likely to be in my last battle, on my side. The last battle us gladiators face - it's always the easiest. They always want to send us off on a high note, inspire the rest of the gladiators to keep fighting to earn their freedom one day. So if you're on my team, I wouldn't worry too much. From there, though? You're on your own."

"Okay, one water for you, kind sir!" the barkeeper said. She grabbed a glass, and used water magic to pull it from a container into the cup - a deliberately showy move. "Here you go!"

Angora felt sad that she already made a friend and she had to say good bye in a few hours. Wanting to lift her spirit, she share conversation with him.
"My name is Angora. I'm... well let's just say I'm here under a false confession. My friend is a dragon whose powers are growing and he accidentally destroyed building in Redwater, unfortunately with many people in them. I... said I forced him to do it to save him from a sentence, but... well, it was all for nothing..." Angora said with a lowered head, trying very hard not to cry. Not only did she failed miserably to save Shade, she was also getting punished for a crime she didn't commit. There was no turning back. She did the confession, and now all of Aelinon believed she ordered the murder of innocent people. It was going to be very hard, if not impossible to get the truth to light...

Quote: A Guy

"Okay, will that be all? What about you, young merman?" the mermaid asked.
"I guess we're all going to be trying that out, aren't we?" Leoquin asked rhetorically. "I'll be having the same thing everyone is having."
"Okay, four orders of shrimp and sweet wine, with one drink of water, coming right up! We have a special brew here - Melosia's Tropical Wine! The sweet, wonderful taste of tropical fruit, delicately brewed and fermented with magical assistance!" The mermaid spent a few minutes preparing all of the food - by the time it was ready, however, the smell alone was enough to indicate that it was worth it. The food was served in what seemed to be hardened watercress, shaped into a cup, with the drinks served in a typical drinking glass - with the exception of Raclaw and Chester, who received some ornate drink bowls, the kind used for sharing a drink in a party, on account of the patrons being rather unusual. "The bowls are perfectly edible, if you wish - otherwise, you can just hand them back to us or discard them," the mermaid said.

"Thank-you.," Raclaw said with a smile and a nod. He first tried a sip of the delicate and tropical smelling wine. It was very fruity and not what he initially expected. However, he soon took a couple more sips and found it to be a very pleasant taste-- it was a stark contrast to the some of the heavier drinks he had sampled but not in a bad way. Risar took a sip of his own glass and seemed impressed enough, while Chester immediately sampled one of the shrimps. "This... This is amazinly delicious!," he barked looking at his favorite fur dragon. Raclaw smiled and tried a piece of shrimp-- Chester was right. It was amazing. He quickly tried another one and found the taste of seafood to be very appealing to his tastebuds.

As Angora ate and talked with the galud prisoner, she was still thinking of many things. First, she wondered if Cazhak suspected she was a troll or believed her to be a goblin like everyone else. She would keep it a secret for now. But most of all, her thoughts were on Sere. He was whispering so much to the king back at the trial, probably dooming Shade and she fell into a trap she created herself. The old Ardent Guardian was probably somewhere expensive, enjoying himself with his friends and happy to keep his high position. And Raclaw receiving the sweet end of the deal. If only Shade had gone with them. They could've helped him control his powers, and maybe his life would've been much better than his travels with her and Maverick. But now, they were enjoying the free life, while she and Shade rot in some Aelinonian prison to serve as sick entertainment for the people, only to be fed to merciless behemoths in the end. Why was life so cruel? Angora tried to be good and noble, and yet, everything she ever got in return were many stabs in the back...

While Angora despaired, Maverick entered Redwater again to search for Dex and Sapphire, still unable to believe that his mother's amulet was magical. As he entered the city, he saw the cartels with his face being stamped. He saw one of the Aelinonian soldiers in the process, and being too curious about it, he took the risk of asking.
"Excuse me kind sir. Can I ask what are you doing? Never seen these kind of stamps before." Maverick asked with his fake accent and avoiding Spanish words just like before.

The galud listened attentively to Angora. When she was done, he shook his head. "Well, that's a tough one. Even if they find out the truth, a false confession like that is still a crime. Your best bet, like I said, is to become popular - provided you're not just thrown in as fodder against some giant beast. Some people who come here know the right people, and manage to avoid that just by that fact alone... I was not one of those people. I guess I got lucky my first battle. Hopefully, you won't need it - Like I said, my final battle is guaranteed to be an easy one, and since you're new, you're likely to be in the arena for that battle."
He finished the rest of his water. "You're not going to be fighting anyone you see here - there are many other teams. We train together, we fight together. Don't mind these guys - most of them are either new or have just learned to accept this place. You will, too. You even get paid, though there's not much you can spend it on until you earn your freedom - the government pays you in credits, which you can spend on some things or whatever here or there that might be for sale. Once you leave, those credits are converted to scales. They want you to want to keep trying, to not give up - better show that way."

The human soldier turned to answer Maverick. "This man is no longer wanted, by order of the court," he said. "Something about some circumstances with a water dragon making him keeping track of his pet impossible. This stamp is to ensure that people know the bounty has been removed - some might just think the notice is missing, for whatever reason. Only after it's been up a while do we finally take it down."

Even though it didn't looked like it, speaking with her temporary galud companion was making Angora slightly better, though the growing hexphage in her body didn't help her hopes. Even the other prisoners believed her days were numbered.
"Well, like I said, I will still fight for my life, including if it's against the behemoth and it's a losing battle from the very beginning. I want to demonstrate to people that I was willing to fight for my freedom until the bitter end." Angora said as they finished their meal, wanting to show Cazhak that she was willing to try fighting for her life no matter how hopeless it was. But before the kind galud could have a chance to congratulate her for her attempted optimism, she felt the need to ask something else.
"Listen, if I'm destined to face one of those things... do you think they won't care about my size? Believe it or not, they can talk, and the one that transported me here said I'm smaller than their food. Do you think that... they would still want to eat me even if I'm so... tiny?" Angora asked awkwardly and with fear, getting eaten being one of her biggest fears ever since facing her parents and the manticore.

Maverick nodded as the soldier answered. He felt extreme relief as he learned that he was no longer a wanted man, but it concerned him the fact that somebody witnessed him being attacked by Blue. Has someone has been spying on him? Still, if he was no longer a wanted man, he wanted to know who gave the order, or better yet, who gave the information.
"Hmm, interesting. That man must be very lucky. Tell me, do you know who came up with the decision? And how do you know about some water dragon?" Maverick asked, acting as if he was only a curious spectator.

"Eat you? Eh, probably," the galud said. "They're not ones to turn down free food. After all the fights are done, they show up and eat the bodies. They take a lot to feed - you would pretty much be an afterthought to them. If you somehow manage to survive an impossible fight like that long enough, they will often call off the fight and pardon you before the behemoth strikes the killing blow."
He then stopped, looking up while he attempted to recall some detail. "You know, there are certain techniques for fighting a behemoth, that I read about in some book - very few of them are actually feasible in the arena, however. Those things are invulnerable, as far as we're concerned."

"The decision was made by a court, passing judgment in the man's absence," the soldier said. "Some member of the Silent Spear apparently witnessed the battle and was able to testify for the man being separated under less than ideal circumstances. The man is off the hook now - the sad thing is, his troll confessed in court to coercing the dragon into attacking the city. Guess it was just waiting for him to leave so he couldn't stop it." The soldier did not have too much background knowledge on the whole situation - most of what he knew is exactly what was heard at the court.

Dex and Sapphire had been going around Redwater trying to find some information. They had been taking contact with the black market there, but it was smaller there then in many other places. Only thing they had heard was some guards talking about them fighting in a arena.

"This is getting pointless. We dont have any idea How to help them. The fact they are fighting in a arena." Dex said to Sapphire.
"Well should we just try to find Maverick again and talk with him.... He knows we are here, I could not watch him being so sad." Sapphire said.
"You did show us to him? ..... Well it does not matter now, we need a plan and it is better to use everybody in the same plan. " Dex said with a thoughtfull voice. Then he nodded to Sapphire to sign that they where going to find Maverick

Maverick almost lost his skin color when he heard what the man said. Angora, coercing Shade into attacking the city? That was beyond ridiculous! It practically distorted reality itself. Maverick was furious and undignified. There was no way Angora would order the murder of innocent people, even less order Shade to do it. Maverick had no doubt somebody must've blackmailed her into making that confession in order to take her down. Knowing her, she probably did it to save Shade. Despite his anger, Maverick had to pretend he wasn't interested to avoid giving himself away.
"Quite a trial that must've been. Do you know what happened to the troll and the dragon?" Maverick asked casually, his heart sinking at the possibility of Angora being dead right now through excecution. He had no idea that Dex and Sapphire were a few blocks away...

Quote: A Guy

"Eat you? Eh, probably," the galud said. "They're not ones to turn down free food. After all the fights are done, they show up and eat the bodies. They take a lot to feed - you would pretty much be an afterthought to them. If you somehow manage to survive an impossible fight like that long enough, they will often call off the fight and pardon you before the behemoth strikes the killing blow."
He then stopped, looking up while he attempted to recall some detail. "You know, there are certain techniques for fighting a behemoth, that I read about in some book - very few of them are actually feasible in the arena, however. Those things are invulnerable, as far as we're concerned."

"So... simply win the crowd and survive the behemoth long enough? Got it." Angora said quite neutrally as she finished her meal, knowing she had many days ahead of her. She needed to give extra effort if she ever wanted to remain alive with this new lifestyle.

"Oh, those two? Being sent to the arena," the soldier said. "The king has something special planned for the dragon, in honor of Talsius Day. As for the troll, I'm honestly surprised it wasn't just hanged. The Ardent Guardians had their boss man with the king, though - no doubt he's doing what he can to keep his favorite troll alive," he added sarcastically, not approving of the troll's sentence. "Even after all it's done. I don't even know what they're going to do with it - maybe throw it against some hellhounds or the like, but it's nothing more than behemoth food if you ask me."

Meanwhile, at the bar, Latnok was not slamming the wine like he would a lot of other drinks - he was savoring it. "Wow... this is as amazing as I remembered it," Latnok complimented, to which the mermaid smiled. He would never admit it, but being able to go bar hopping on the organization's dime really had its advantages. He ate some of the shrimp to go along with it - it was even better than he remembered. "Oh, I forgot - have any sort of noticeboard?"
"Right there," the mermaid said, pointing. Latnok went over to post yet another job offer he had handwritten. Thank the gods that the Guardians taught me to read and write... he thought. Who knows how difficult life would be if he couldn't do so.

The two foxes where running around alleys. Finally Sapphire spotted something "Hey wait, I think i saw him" She said and both of them stopped. They started to get closer to make sure Sapphire was right. Indeed She was, but because Maverick was talking with someone. So they stayed in the shadows waiting for a better chance to talk with him.

"I see... Interesting..." Maverick expressed, keeping his neutral, careless persona, but inside, he was breaking. His soul was shattering with the collected facts. Angora was still alive, but she was going to be sent to the infamous arena, and so was Shade. He just wanted to punch this man so badly for speaking so ill about Angora, but he was fortunately controlling enough of his emotions.
"Thank you for the information kind sir. Have a nice day." Maverick said as he proceeded to leave, actually cursing the man for his ill will and ignorance in his mind. As he left, he had many questions for Sere. He knew the soldier was talking about him when he mentioned the Ardent Guardian's boss. He hated the idea of encountering him and Latnok again after the ingrates denied them help, but they had much explaining to do...

Back at the prison, Angora was done with her meal, like almost everyone else there. She didn't know if she would return to the chamber or be put to work again, but she reached a point where she didn't even cared. She would fight soon, and was glad that at least her fist battle would be alongside the veteran galud. They could protect each other and at the same time learn how that fighting world worked. And now she knew that even though the behemoths were invincible, all she needed to do was appeal to the crowd and stay alive long enough to have her life forgiven. It was little, but she still had faith that one way or another, she would get out of this one. She didn't know when, she didn't know how, or even if the truth about her confession was ever going to be brought into light, but somehow, she had to try to stay alive and be hopeful that by some miracle, she was going to be able to get out of this hell and resume the peaceful life she wanted so badly with Maverick and Shade. She wanted nothing more but that.

Back at the arena chambers, the gladiators were training again. However, before Angora could grab training weapons, a human soldier approached her, with a vial of yellow liquid.
"Hey, you, troll," he called. "Drink. Fungal cure, makes your body toxic to the fungus for a bit, long enough to kill it. Takes hours to kick in, and you're fighting tonight. Disgusting, but suck it up." The man shoved the vial into Angora, not waiting for her to take it from her.

Angora lowered her head with a meek yet disappointed expression. If somebody heard him, the rest of the prisoners would know she was a troll and not some strange looking goblin. Still, it wasn't too severe of a secret to begin with, so she let the human feed her the gross concoction. She couldn't help but to gag at the incredibly disgusting taste, but the vial in her mouth prevented her from throwing up. Vinegar mixed with salt would taste better than this thing. She felt like she was being poisoned, but if this was what it took to take the infernal fungus off, she knew she wouldn't have any other choice. How ironic it was that she would fight the very same day she was imprisoned. They didn't even let her a chance to train much, which she attributed to them wanting her out of practice so she could die faster. Fortunately, they underestimated her. She already had tons of life experience, and with the aid of magic, plus her own singular skills and reflexes, not to mention Chazak backing her up this once. It was going to be a lousy night, but she was willing to try her best in the arena tonight and demonstrate there was much more to her than a tiny, vulgar troll.

Meanwhile, Maverick was too distracted to notice he was being followed by his fox friends once again, focused solely on searching the bar where Sere was earlier. The search for Dex and Sapphire would have to wait. Right now, his priority was to find Sere and demand an explanation. Even if he didn't find him in the same place, he was certain that the people gossiping among each other would let him know their whereabouts as they had done before...

Quote: A Guy

Meanwhile... at the bar, Latnok was not slamming the wine like he would a lot of other drinks - he was savoring it. "Wow... this is as amazing as I remembered it," Latnok complimented, to which the mermaid smiled. He would never admit it, but being able to go bar hopping on the organization's dime really had its advantages. He ate some of the shrimp to go along with it - it was even better than he remembered. "Oh, I forgot - have any sort of noticeboard?"
"Right there," the mermaid said, pointing. Latnok went over to post yet another job offer he had handwritten. Thank the gods that the Guardians taught me to read and write... he thought. Who knows how difficult life would be if he couldn't do so.

"Latnok right-- fruity yet sweet. Very delicate-- Impressive.," Risar complimented as he took a sip from his drink and sampled one of the shrimps. He seemed equally impressed by the food and seemed to have very advanced tastebuds as compared to your typical minotaur. Risar recalled having sampled many fine dishes during his time with his old master, acting as both a fight and taste tester at times. As he spoke, he briefly paused-- wanting to properly relay his thoughts on the excellent food and drink. While Raclaw and Risar were both in an position of being 'owned' at some point in their lives, the circumstances between the two were obviously very different. Raclaw had been treated as a pet and later became more of an equal. With Risar-- not too much had been said thus far but it was obvious that there was more to him than initially meets the eye.

Raclaw and Chester, meanwhile, continued to enjoy their meals. Unlike Risar; Raclaw had never experienced things like alcohol or the big city up 'till his time with the Guardians. His life had been a very simple one in contrast and while he didn't regret any of it-- it meant that much of the world was still very new to him. He was glad to have found the Guardians and to be given the chance to help others-- like Shade or even the little Chester. He wasn't sure what would await the little Beagle post Falcon's Beak, but he knew that Chester's life would never be the same. Rather it was with him, the Guardians, or both-- he would have a new happlier life. He, himself, had enjoyed his time thus far with the Guardians and particularly Latnok. The two had formed a powerful bond and his life now felt more complete than it ever had before.

Raclaw looked at those at the table and smiled, enjoying the moment and savoring the delicate meal. Chester happily eat his share and gave a happy bark. "Chester here compliments you on the excellent food.," Raclaw said relaying the little Beagle's thoughts with slightly less excitable wording. "I see their food remains as excellent as ever-- oh to taste again.," Damon could be heard over the links. It wasn't clear if the entity's reach extended towards Raclaw's tastebuds, but it was clear that he had missed the sensation. It seemed food and drink brought Damon out more so than their other activities.

While Maverick was searching for Sere, Sere was searching for the rest of the crew. He had just left one of the many government buildings, speaking to people about the incident, and Angora's confession. He was in a bind - having to contradict someone you put trust in would leave you in a bad situation, regardless of the circumstances. He was currently searching the docks; heading into and out of various bars, and occasionally picking up information about somewhere they were seen. He would run into them soon enough, at this rate.

"Are you ready to get back to it?" Cazhak asked Angora. "You won't want to overexert yourself, now - nothing like being exhausted to both weaken you in a fight and look less impressive. Typically why any hard labor is a while away from any fighting you may be doing." As other gladiators trained around them, it could be seen that they were going a bit easier, aiming more for technique than exertion this time around. The soldiers watched carefully - especially the mages, keeping a close eye on Angora should she decide to go rogue. The fungus wouldn't have kicked in yet, but it was a matter of time.

Meanwhile, back at the Oyster Banquet, the staff were prepping a stage - in the design of an oyster - for a performance. It would be a similar idea to the Merry Satyr, except more professional. "Ladies and gentlemen, the next performance will soon start!" a merman announced. Latnok always liked the singing when he came - a nice way to wind down, especially with a bit of drink to change the mood.

Maverick was searching for Sere for a while, and as he did, another thing the human guard said bothered him. Behemoth food? Just what was that suppose to mean? And what the heck was a behemoth? Maverick remembered that he had his tome with him, which would be a bad reminder of the one who gifted it to him. Even so, it was a useful item, but despite his desperate curiosity, his priority was to find Sere before he left Redwater. He then watched a passing guard, and deciding he didn't have time to listen to gossips, decided to ask him straight up.
"Excuse me sir. Do you happen to know where the Ardent Guardians are right now? I heard they are searching for crew members for a voyage they're planning." Maverick said, quickly coming up with a reason in case the guard wondered why he would be looking for such important people...

Quote: A Guy

"Are you ready to get back to it?" Cazhak asked Angora. "You won't want to overexert yourself, now - nothing like being exhausted to both weaken you in a fight and look less impressive. Typically why any hard labor is a while away from any fighting you may be doing." As other gladiators trained around them, it could be seen that they were going a bit easier, aiming more for technique than exertion this time around. The soldiers watched carefully - especially the mages, keeping a close eye on Angora should she decide to go rogue. The fungus wouldn't have kicked in yet, but it was a matter of time.

Angora wasn't planning on escaping or using her magic there, knowing that Aelinonian arsenal would be far greater than her magic. Instead, she concentrated on answering Cazhak.
"I... think I'm ready. I may be small, but I'm still strong, and being this tiny makes me harder to hit." Angora expressed, trying to be confident, and knowing that being small made her agile and a harder target, not to mention it may make her opponent underestimate her and thus increasing the possibilities of her defeating them. Still, she was going to be sad with the fact that she will have to kill people and creatures she didn't know for her own survival, knowing that she would only be helping in keeping the dastard behemoths fed. It was such a horrible ideal. All of them, just cruel cattle awaiting battle to entertain a bunch of monstrous people, only for their death to benefit a bunch of humongous and sentient war animals who didn't care being used as servants and mounts as long as they got what they wanted. With Aelinon eliminating their enemies and having these humongous beasts as allies, it was no wonder they felt so invincible.

Quote: A Guy

Meanwhile, back at the Oyster Banquet, the staff were prepping a stage - in the design of an oyster - for a performance. It would be a similar idea to the Merry Satyr, except more professional. "Ladies and gentlemen, the next performance will soon start!" a merman announced. Latnok always liked the singing when he came - a nice way to wind down, especially with a bit of drink to change the mood.

Raclaw and Chester eagerly awaited the performance, with the former much more relaxed with the help of the various cocktails going through his system. He looked at Risar who was currently sucking down a piece of shrimp-- and wondered what exactly the minotaur had gone through in his life. Based off his previous statements and the little bit of chain that hung off the nose ring, it was obvious that Risar had been owned and/or enslaved at some point in time. The nose ring itself probably served as sign of his former status, while the broken chain implied that he had escaped later on in his life. Like his own collar, it likely served as the one single reminder of Risar's past. Part of Raclaw wondered if Risar had simply not cared about removing it or if the minotaur was actually incapable of removing the golden nose ring-- similar to how his collar once locked.

"Ardent Guardians? Well, they're here and there," the guard said. "You may see one or two occasionally around the city lending a hand, for now. As for those arranging the voyage, I've only heard about them checking through taverns, looking for crew. Nothing more specific than that." The guard was just slightly disinterested, having answered many questions from tourists that day.

The wall to Shade's enclosure opened once again. Some men threw in some fish - then left for the behemoth, who was waiting for them.

Just as Latnok and his team were finishing their meals, the Oyster Banquet suddenly turned dark. Less than a second later, the light went up again, but it was more of a light blue and very dim. Another announcer, a teenager with quite a sweet, boyish sounding voice, which took the stand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to our quaint little place. A home away from home. The Oyster Banquet, which is proud to present to you the story of a mermaid who was on the verge of death after being savagely persecuted by a bunch of pirates in search for her underwater treasure. Washed ashore with no hopes of surviving, a young hermit thief soon find her collapsed on the sand. At first thinking of leaving her to die while he stole away all her jewelry, he soon took pity on her and nursed back to health, creating a fantastic chain of events that will lead to one of the most heartwarming and purest love stories ever told. Workers and citizens. Soldiers and sailors. This is their story..." the teenager announced, taking his leave as soon as the curtains behind him started to open.

The light in the background waved a beautiful blue and white light, simulating the water. In it a mermaid with a pile of treasure while a chorus played music, with the mermaid vocalizing with the song. Soon, the scenario changed to the young mermaid being chased by a pirate ship, harpooned and marauded by the heartless sea thieves. The rest of the story played out with the scenery changing constantly, telling the story that the boy already told to the customers, and soon marching into a heartful love story where the thieving hermit ended up falling in love and left his con ways in order to be with her... only for their lives to end tragically when the heartless pirates found them and ended their lives prematurely for refusing to say where the treasure was. Turns out that, the mermaid's treasure wasn't coins and jewelry like the pirates thought. It was her family, which was she was about to present to her fiancée when the pirates found them. In the end, her family managed to get revenge by sinking the pirate ship and killing everyone on board, sparing no one. It make the family bitter, but at the same time hopeful, for if a mermaid could fall in love with a land dweller, perhaps they weren't a lost cause.

It was quite a theatrical performance, with music that mixed ballad and opera, and where everyone vocalized with uplifting spirit. The music was so invigorating, anyone could simply feel their blood flowing along with the sound as it changed tunes. The performance lasted for almost forty five minutes, with every crazy sailor and customer applauding, some exaggeratedly. One even dropped from it's chair, too drunk to do anything else. The bar returned to it's original lighting, with many of them leaving as night started to cover the sky.

Name: Risar
Age: 39 (in human years)
Species: Minotaur
Good or evil: Good

Appearance: At a little over 7 feet tall, Risar displays your typical Minotaur features-- including a golden nose ring with 1½ links of chain attached to it. Beyond that-- he wears leather armor similar to, but not exactly like that of gladiator armor. He also wears a belt, which holds several pouches useful for carrying gold and other useful items.

Personally: Risar has a blunt personality at times, partly because of his inability to fully speak the common tongue. However, he has a fighting spirit and is not at all unintelligent. Due to his history, he has rather advanced tastebuds for someone of his race and former status-- and can accurately describe the flavor of wines and other fine drinks.

Weapons: Two greataxes adorn his back, each weighed in at 8 pounds and sized appropriately for someone of his strength.
Elements: n/a

History: At birth, Risar was separated from two other brothers (triplets) and sold off to a wealthy buyer. Upon being sold, he was implanted with the prominent golden nose ring that would only become harder to remove (if not impossible) as he developed. After many years of being used as a taste tester, bodyguard, and source of entertainment (read fighter)-- he eventually escaped with help of a merchant ship and eventually found himself being recruited in Redwater. He knows very little of his brothers; only that they were each implanted with a nose ring of different material. One was said to be implanted with a copper nose ring, while the other received a silver nose ring-- each material representing the "quality" and "usefulness" of the livestock.

Quote: A Guy

"Ardent Guardians? Well, they're here and there," the guard said. "You may see one or two occasionally around the city lending a hand, for now. As for those arranging the voyage, I've only heard about them checking through taverns, looking for crew. Nothing more specific than that." The guard was just slightly disinterested, having answered many questions from tourists that day.

Maverick nodded, and thanked the man for the information. He spent a few minutes searching for the taverns near the docks, where he correctly assumed will have the highest concentration of sailors, thus the perfect place for Sere and his team to search for the much needed recruits. He was relentlessly searching... when a most wonderful sound interrupted him. He could see plenty of people concentrated on one single tavern, some looking at a dim, bluish light from the windows. Despite Maverick being desperate to search for Sere, he got too curious about what the fuzz was all about... and when he saw the performance almost from the beginning, he watched the whole thing from a small window, mesmerized by it but at the same time feeling awful for reminding him for his dastard pirate days, when he did things far worse than what the play described...

As the lights dimmed and came back up in the soft blue color, Raclaw watched the performance in awe. Alongside him, Chester watched and was simply memorized remaining blissfully quiet through the whole 45 minute retelling. They simply looked at each and knew how the other was feeling-- no telepathic link required. Risar watched and although he didn't show it as much, he very much felt the same. As the story was told and the music soon came to a end, the atmosphere in the tavern had changed with some memorized patrons even falling asleep. Raclaw looked over towards where Icestorm had been seated, wanting to make sure that the red dragon was still with them.

Latnok was never a fan of love stories - they always seemed too predictable and cheesy. This, however, was something else. It was, no doubt, purely breathtaking. Not what he was expecting at all, even from a place like this. By the end of it, he was one of the many somewhat inebriated patrons clapping furiously.
Sere was no stranger to that particular tavern. It was a bit out of the way from the route he was taking to check all of the dock taverns - but he knew performances were typically scheduled right about then, and managed to make it right at the tail end of the whole thing. If Latnok was around the area, he would no doubt bring the group here for the performance.
As the performance ended, Sere walked in, still not having identified the disguised Maverick. He saw the notice Latnok posted on the job board - and soon found Latnok himself seemingly having a blast. Trying not to startle him, Sere came over.
"Latnok. Figured I'd find you here. How goes it?"
"We've gotten a few more crew mates - meet Leoquin, here!"
"Hey - Sere, am I correct? Uh..." Leoquin wasn't quite sure how to proceed - Sere was no doubt used to getting respect from his subordinates, and he would be one of Sere's subordinates given the contract. "How do you want me to address you?"
"Simply 'sir' is fine," Sere said.
"We also have many others, but they'll be showing up at the Easy Eyrie a bit later. Probably after the arena match - hear Cazhak is finally getting out," Latnok said excitedly.
"Oh, that thing? Well, he's certainly earned it. Oh, speaking of which... we're going to be in the arena about a week from now."
"Sounds fun, I could - wait, the hell?!"
"Wait, let me explain. We're not in trouble - legal trouble, anyway. But after what's happened, I feel a bit of goodwill is in order. So I've spoken with the right people, and you and I are going to give the people a bit of a demonstration - how we take down monsters and protect them. It'll be right before Shade's battle."
"...damn. Well, it's not anything I'm not used to by now. I knew this mission was way too fun..."

Meanwhile, in the caverns, the gladiators were being rounded up for the evening's fights by several armed soldiers. Under heavy guard and escort, they were escorted to the armory right underneath the arena - where they would be issued real weapons. By this time, all of the fungus had completely fallen off of Angora, leaving her magic unrestrained. As the group moved, the guards greeted Cazhak and wished him the best of luck - it seemed that he earned even the respect of his captors.
"So, what's the plan?" one gladiator asked.
"The plan? Just stop them from all attacking me at once, and I'll do the rest," Cazhak said confidently. "Easy day."

Maverick was about to leave desperately after realizing how much time he wasted watching the performance, but he was pushed and pulled by the crowd of people moving and leaving away from the tavern. When he was about to be free from this sea of people, he saw the unmistakable red armor. Sere was a tall men, and his Crimson armor almost the same color of blood made it impossible for him not to be recognized. He made his way into the tavern, unable to hear what they were talking about. Since Maverick was no longer a wanted man, he had no problem showing himself to the group, including a minotaur. After finally able to avoid the leaving customers, Maverick confronted Sere.
"So... how does it feels like to stab someone in the back? Was this your plan from the very beginning? Is this why you deny me help? You threw them into that awful arena! My family... they..." Maverick said with a strained voice, sweating and with the vein in his temple appearing and shaking violently, almost like having an epileptic attack. His eyesight was blurry with tears, and he had his hands together as if grabbing something. Maverick wanted to choke Sere so badly, even in front of all of these people. It was the first, violent thought he had in so many years...

As Angora was rounded up with everyone else, she was shaking nervously. Nothing worse than not knowing whom your opponents would be. She heard Cazhak's plan, and while she didn't find it very encouraging or creative, she was going to do it. If he was such a veteran, it made sense why would he be targeted so badly. No turning back now. As they headed to the arena, she was already hearing the thunderous roars of the crowd, waiting for the violent battle. This was it. This was the moment to her to put into motion every survival skill she has learned throughout her lifetime. If she died, her body would feed the behemoths. If she didn't win the crowd, it would still be the very same fate. No matter what, it was obligatory for her to please them. Make them love her no matter how null the possibilities were. She had to survive somehow, like she has been doing all her life...

Sere was in the middle of speaking with Latnok, giving him more details about the upcoming events he was involved with, when Maverick walked right up to him. He was disguised, still - so he was hiding in Aelinon for at least some period of time. Evidently to find out about what happened with Angora and Shade. And now, all he knew was the arena. Well, Maverick would get an answer.
"Well, Maverick, nice to see you too," Sere said sarcastically. "It's quite hard to keep others from being sentenced to the arena when one of them flies, against a court order, and ends up killing many people and causing great destruction as a result of his carelessness and disregard for authority, and the other makes a false confession of having manipulated Shade into the attack. And this... this is despite the trust I have put in you two with the awards I gave you. That is not something I give out lightly. And now... I have someone who I granted that to claiming to have conspired to attack the city? Do you know what kind of a position that puts me in? I either let her just take the path she's fallen into, or outright deny it. Either way, my own word has been ruined by this one little stunt.
"Let's be clear - I thought we had a mutual understanding. Mutual respect. But it would seem that others were right after all - Angora had not considered any of that. All she thought about was her friend, and damn everyone else who has tried to help her out. So here is what I will tell you - I am not going out of my way to save her. I have put in some words, and maybe Angora will be put in more winnable battles, and maybe Shade will have a chance at redemption - but that is as far as I will go. I have put so much faith in all of you... to be repaid like that?
"You can have your anger. I do not care for it, and no amount of hate or tears will change my mind. Innocents are dead, and Angora has chosen to throw us under the bus in an effort to prevent her reckless friend from facing justice. Now, we have somewhere to be. Latnok, let's go." Sere immediately started heading for the door, Latnok in tow. His anger was absolutely clear - he typically tried to be understanding, but there was absolutely no way to spin Angora's action as anything less than incredibly short-sighted.

Maverick listened, trying very hard not to overreact. He was almost hyperventilating with fury.
"Is that it? Angora did a false confession in order to save Shade... that explains it." Maverick analyzed, knowing she would never do something like give such a cruel order. But he wasn't going to let Sere and his team go out that easily. He gave himself some little time to cool himself as he followed them relentlessly.
"You know Sere, she was willing to sacrifice herself for family. You knew she was lying... and yet, you did nothing! You let her be sentenced! You let them both be punished! How can you sleep with such a stained conscience? You're nothing but a bunch of ingrates who are willing to let others take the fall if it means keeping your comfortable little positions. If Angora did something so outrageous and risky was because, unlike you, she has a heart. She cares for her family! But you know what? Go ahead! Leave like cowards! But be certain of one thing. It's true that Shade was manipulated into attacking the city... but it wasn't Angora. I already recruited a team of my own that will help me catch the one really responsible. So yeah, just leave!" Maverick lectured with a reddish face, kicking the air behind the leaving group and then leaving the other way. He wasn't going to tell Sere about the mage manipulator, or even about his recruits and hkw did he know this information. If they left, then Maverick would know that Sere didn't care about what he just provided and was going to let the one really responsible for the attack roam free. If that was the case, he was going to find this mage himself with Dex and Sapphire's help and Orion as a guide...

Somewhere underground, Angora could hear the screams of the crowds getting louder and louder. She saw her body, and cou,d see very little traces of the hexphage. She was determined to use magic only as a last resort, cause she wanted people to see that despite being a magical being, she was willing to let her own muscles and wit win the battle. The doors were opening, greeting the gladiators with the dark, starry sky and several forces lighting the humongous arena. Weapon ready, Angora walked along the rest of her comrades, knowing that what lies ahead wasn't going to be easy...

Finally Dex saw a chance to get Mavericks attention. He quickly came out of an alley in front of Maverick. "Lets talk there" Dex quickly said pointing at the alley and quickly going back there.

Maverick spotted Dex, and doubting Sere would do anything about his family's predicament, he took advantage of the crowd to disappear. He was going to let Sere with the curiosity of who was really responsible for Shade's attack.

It was a very dark alley with no people. Maverick kneeled to meet with Dex's eye level.
"Hola Dex. You and Sapphire are really a stubborn pair. I told you to stay with that doctor... but... I'm really glad to see you. I don't know if you have heard it by now, but my family was arrested and they will be forced to fight in that awful arena. I have to do something. Find the real culprit for the crime they've been accused of." Maverick said with increasing concern, not knowing that one of their battles was as soon as today. Angora was close to be sent to the arena for her first fight, which is why there were so many people in the streets. Most were heading there...

Sapphire made her way out of the dark so that Maverick could see her too, but She did not say anything because it was clear Dex was the one who wanted to talk
" Well nice to know you appreciate it, I dont usually do anything like this...... But that is not important now. I know they have to fight in the arena, I can help Angora if I just get any kind of chance to give her something. But what gave you the idea there was "a real culprit" or are you talking about Blue? I was sure he made Shade go berserk after I heard what had happen" Dex said not knowing about the mage. "Btw I know this is hard to you, but I saw what happend with Sere. You can not make any scene like that anymore. It will make our work much harder. And if I have to help Angoras fight I am sure the plan is not very legal and so we must keep as low profile as possible" He said with serious voice

Sapphire was first just listening to Dex but his last comment made her Angry " Hello there mister! Do you have any idea How he is feeling right now! I think he took it very peacefully if you compare it to e situation, it must have been hard! Sometimes I think do you have any feelings at all" She said looking at Dex with a Angry face before walking to Maverick " Dont mind him, he is does not understand these things" She said with a kind voice

It was clear that Sapphire was the one who had her feelings and was not afraid to show those, especially know because that was the reason She was able to understand what Blue did to her and because of Maverick the lock She had made inside of her was now open. Dex on the otherhand was professional at what he does. He still thought feelings where weak points that could be used against you, and in fact they where one of his most powerful weapons when doing his job. He knew he did care about His friends now..... especially Sapphire, but it was still hard to him show it, atleast when he was at Full strenght and felt like he was doing somekind of job.

Maverick lowered his head, knowing it was immature of his part to act like a little boy with a tantrum with Sere. He was just so angry at him and his companions for leaving Shade and Angora to their luck.
"No. He's right. I shouldn't have made a scene like that. Instead of wasting my time trying to reason with those heartless people, we should spend it trying to help Shade and Angora. I mean, to hell with them! Who needs them? After all Shade and Angora did for them! The ingrates! But never mind that. Our priority now is helping them." Maverick said determined,y, having lost all faith in the Guardians and even the gentle Raclaw.

Before moving on, he took out his tome, wanting to find about the animal the human guard mentioned him.
"Listen, we will need a ticket to enter the arena. Perhaps we can pull a few strings and talk to the prisoners, then you can give whatever you're planning to Angora. She is strong and a very good fighter, but this arena may prove too much for her. I've heard from a soldier that..." Maverick began to say, but he couldn't finish the sentence.
"... she will... face a behemoth. We need to know what these creatures are in order to help her defend herself." he managed to finish, finding it disgustingly cruel how Angora was going to be fed to a behemoth as if she was some zoo chow. They couldn't afford any more lost time. As Maverick and his team headed to the arena, the hybrid desperately searched the tome for information about the behemoths...

Sere, watching Maverick leave, thought about what he said about a different culprit, for a moment. He was somewhat curious now; what happened? Why was he only just now learning of this? He couldn't dwell on it for too long, however; he had other things to concern himself with, and it was likely that Maverick was just making things up in the heat of the moment. He kept moving without slowing down.
"So, Godfather Sere... about the show..." Latnok asked.
"Don't worry, of course I've had time to get several VIP tickets. Should be a little more than enough to cover this group here." Leoquin lit up at the mention of such a thing.
"Wow... amazing! Not only that, you've even gotten us into the show itself a few days from now! I'm impressed!" Latnok said, half-jokingly.

The tome would eventually open to a page which had a clear picture of a behemoth, as well as a diagram of its skeletal structure, with information about it starting on the opposite page.

INTRODUCTION
Behemoths are quadrupedal, omnivorous, large, powerful creatures with thick, rock-like armor covering their leathery hide. Despite being quadrupeds, their anatomy allows them to use their forelimbs in a limited manner, such as swiping at or pounding things in front of them, or briefly grabbing or pulling things with one forelimb. Though younger behemoths rely on pure strength, older behemoths naturally gain an affinity for earth magic, which they invoke by striking the ground; they may also be taught telepathy, by those who are capable of working with them. With great strength and nigh-impenetrable armor, along with their command of earth magic, they are a dangerous foe, to be avoided under most circumstances.
They have a generally aggressive temperament, hostile to most outsiders. Despite their brutish appearance, however, they are intelligent creatures, though their intelligence is mostly logical - abstract concepts have little value to them. Therefore, one must not assume that they will be easy to fool, and one should only attempt to reason with them based on what benefits can be offered to them."

After the introduction, and several lengthy descriptions of growth, behavior, diet, and the like, came the section Maverick would be interested to see.

COMBAT
Behemoths should be avoided where possible; they are extremely dangerous combatants, capable of killing most creatures on the ground without much difficulty. Nevertheless, one may find themselves in a position where they have to fight a behemoth. There is no easy way to kill these creatures; their digestive system is solid enough to render most attacks into the behemoth's open mouth impotent; their solid hide protects both against the elements and physical blows; their eyes are hard to hit unless the behemoth is unaware, and even in those cases, they are too thick for most weapons and projectiles to penetrate into the behemoth's brain. Those same eyes are also capable of healing most wounds that may be inflicted on them by such weapons, though it takes time.
Nothing but sheer persistence is enough to kill these creatures in most circumstances. In order to inflict any sort of meaningful damage on a behemoth, one must first break the armor that covers their skin; this should be done over an area with prominent blood vessels, such as arteries and veins, as most wounds will otherwise not inflict enough bleeding, at least not in the timespan you are likely looking for. To damage the armor, one should either use a heavy weapon made to pierce rock, such as a pickaxe, or heavy, blunt force, like a maul or force bolt. Though any damage may be invisible at first, the armor may eventually begin to crack and eventually break in the targeted area after enough persistence. If successful, the more vulnerable hide will be revealed underneath, and one may be able to wound the behemoth from there.
If unable to escape, and simply trying to survive against a behemoth for a period of time, the name is an ideal spot to hold, provided one can reach it. The other outer portions of the behemoth come with the risk of being crushed by the creature rolling over; the inner portions come with the risk of being crushed by the creature laying down, or being attacked by earth magic. The nape provides a spot which is difficult for the behemoth to attack in such a manner; though one must be careful for objects like trees and jutting rocks which would allow them to apply pressure to the nape, it is otherwise difficult for a behemoth to remove someone from such a position with any method other than shaking them off. This is, of course, highly inadvisable against a mounted behemoth, as one would be a sitting duck against archers and mages on its back.

As Maverick read, he was making his way to the arena. He didn't need to remember where it was, for most people were heading there Then a mile away, he could see the humongous structure, capable of holding thousands of people, maybe even millions. That thing had to be several acres long. Maverick was done with the lecture, seeing to his horror just how big these humongous beasts were, and just how hard it was to battle them. How could it be possible that Earth was big enough to support such ginormous creatures? They made even blue whales seemed like dwarfish animals. Nevertheless, Maverick didn't have the time to hyperventilate on the harsh battle that awaited Angora. These awful behemoths were too hard to kill, practically near impossible, so he had to get this paper to Angora somehow so she would have a better chance of fighting them. Trying to control his sweating nerves, Maverick tore up the page and put it in his pants' pocket, doing the line to buy the tickets. He was a traveling merchant, so he had plenty of money from different cities. A ticket couldn't be so expensive. What could be expensive was seeing the prisoners before the battle. One way or the other, he had to convince whoever was in charge to let him enter the gradiator's prison.
"Alright my friends. Here's the plan. You guys are going to get in my shoulders and pretend to be pets. It's possible that pets don't even need tickets. I will try everything to get into the prisons before Angora has to fight, but in case I can't, you'll have to sneak inside pretending to be strays and give Angora the paper I just tore up. For now, I'll hold up to it. Now, do you understand?" Maverick whispered to his fox friends, knowing he won't be able to do this alone. He hope he could have their backs, as well as Orion, whom he was certain was helping him from behind the scenes. Before searching for the true culprit, he had to help Angora. He thought that she and a Shade were going to face the behemoth today, so he felt desperate...

Quote: A Guy

Sere, watching Maverick leave, thought about what he said about a different culprit, for a moment. He was somewhat curious now; what happened? Why was he only just now learning of this? He couldn't dwell on it for too long, however; he had other things to concern himself with, and it was likely that Maverick was just making things up in the heat of the moment. He kept moving without slowing down.
"So, Godfather Sere... about the show..." Latnok asked.
"Don't worry, of course I've had time to get several VIP tickets. Should be a little more than enough to cover this group here." Leoquin lit up at the mention of such a thing.
"Wow... amazing! Not only that, you've even gotten us into the show itself a few days from now! I'm impressed!" Latnok said, half-jokingly.

Raclaw smiled at the half joke, although Sere's encounter with Maverick reminded him of something he still needed to tell the Godfather. He would've been happy to just keep going along, but he knew that it was vital information and that it might possibly affect the status of Dex-- whom was technically in contract to the Guardians now. "Godfather Sere--," Raclaw said now walking directly aside Sere. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I may have more information about Maverick. Shortly before the hotel last night, Dex contacted me and he wanted you to know. He's here in Redwater and he's helping Maverick. He told me to tell you what he was doing and-- and to tell you that his involvement with the matter will remain a secret. I meant to tell you during a better time, but that seems unlikely to happen with the recent events that have transpired.," he confessed clearly not entirely comfortable with having to hold that secret back for Dex's own sake. With the arena not that far off and whatever future involvement with Shade they would have, there was no time like the present. He awaited for a response and was prepared for the Godfather to be angry that the matter had been briefly held back.

Sere continued walking, processing the new information, as the group was beginning to meet the crowds anticipating the arena event. "Hmm, Dex... helping Maverick. Either Maverick has some money to throw around, or there really is something to this whole mage deal. Either way, it's clear that Maverick legitimately believes that, and he most likely has some reason to. I will have to gather more information from him when I can. Thank you for letting me know - I will see what we can do about it, starting tomorrow - for now, we have these games, and then to the inn."
As the group pushed through the crowds - which wasn't too hard, as very few would want to stand in the way of Risar - despite his size, people would stay clear of him, not wanting to accidentally get gored or deliberately get shoved aside. The group reached a different entrance - rather than a direct ground entrance, it led to a tunnel.
"VIP tickets?" asked one of the sentries manning the entrance. Sere presented one for everyone present - the guard nodded, taking the tickets and granting the group access.

As Maverick waited in line, trusting that Dex and Sapphire understood his plan, he heard from among the waiting people one common name; Cazhak.

"This is Cazhak's last battle."
"True. He'll go free if he wins."
"Is that really a good idea? No criminal should ever go free."
"Come on! The lug obviously spent a lousy time in prison. He must've finally learned his lesson."
"Personally, I don't care if he lives or dies as long as he doesn't mug me."

We're just a few of the comments Maverick heard from the many people waiting in line. Whoever this Cazhak was, he was the reason why the stadium was filling up so much. Did that meant Angora wasn't fighting tonight? He didn't know, but he was really interested about one thing; after a few battles, a prisoner finally goes free? Was that for real? Maverick didn't know if he was suppose to believe that, for if the behemoths were their final opponents, freedom seemed out of the question. He started to wonder if somebody has ever defeated one of those things after he read how hard they were to kill, but if somebody could do it, Angora could. After all, she once faced a world destroying monster, but that didn't stop Maverick from being worried. He wanted to give the page to the troll so she would have a better chance of survival, especially since Maverick didn't denied the possibility of the Aelinonians sabotaging her to make sure she lost. She had to visit the prison and give her that page no matter what...

Chester stuck close to Raclaw as they navigated through the crowds, not wanting to get lost in them. Surprisingly-- they quickly cleared out for the growing group no doubt because of the huge brute that was Risar, who was a massive six feet taller than the little Beagle. The crowds were no doubt excited about release of Cazhak and the arena no doubt made a lot of money for the city of Redwater. Raclaw watched as the crowds cleared in front of them and they soon made it hassle-free to the VIP entrance. For Risar, the arena environment wasn't entirely unfamiliar having occasionally fought for his old masters behalf and for the entertainment of his guests. For as long as he was enslaved and technically owned, the Minotaur didn't seem to have any ill will over it-- and it was likely true that Risar had ether been conditioned since birth and/or generally had compassion for his once captors. "Stick close.," Raclaw said to Chester with the Beagle happily complying and continuing to walk closely alongside his favorite fur dragon.

After going through a rather ornate passageway - decorated with marble and granite, and lined with sculptures of many famous gladiators - the group surfaced, to a spot that was relatively close to the action. Due to the arena's large size, by necessity, there would be some spots further away from the action - however, mages were ready with scrying spells, to ensure that those in the area got the best view of the action. The VIP area was, unsurprisingly, mainly composed of the wealthy and elite, in fancy garbs, and government officials, with the occasional working class man who had happened to have won or otherwise lucked his way into a VIP ticket.

"Ladies and gentlemen," an announcer called - his voice being projected over the huge arena by the use of air magic. "We present to you a fine arena battle on this evening! For it is in this battle that the esteemed warrior, Cazhak, is to earn his freedom! For this battle, our great king himself, King Seraos, shall be granting him pardon, should he prove victorious! Opposing him, and his team, is a team which has not only one, but two ogres backing it! Will Cazhak and his team overcome this challenge?" The announcer wasn't even trying to hide the bias - everyone there was for Cazhak.
Cazhak smiled eagerly at the mention of ogres. "See - easy battle. No important gladiator, or they would've named him. They have us against ogres because the crowd likes seeing how I take them down. My first fight was against ogres - they thought I'd die then, but I surprised them. Now, we will soon begin. Are you all ready?" The gladiators all shouted, their blood pumping.

Angora gave a weak yell along with them, indicating their nervousness. But what made her calmer was the fact that the battle involved two ogres. They were dangerous and strong, but not exactly bright. However, her clan had a severe rivalry with ogres, mostly because the two species are similar in terms of needs and sizes. The competition was fierce. But Angora could easily maneuver around them, so she was for the most part confident...

At the very same arena, Maverick was sitting close, having gotten tickets but unable to convince the seller to give him pass to the gladiator cells because the battle was about to start. The nervous hybrid had no choice but to act as a simple spectator this time, and instructed Dex and Sapphire to behave like pets in his shoulders and to scan the area to see if they could find an entrance to where the prisoners were kept, for he had no doubt that Angora would be held up somewhere in there. He was somewhat relieved that the opponents weren't behemoths, but it didn't make him any less worried. After the battle was over, he somehow had to find Angora, even if he had to bribe some of the guards to do it...

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" the announcer called out. At that moment, a flare of brilliant light was shot into the sky, exploding into many colors - similar to Laszur's flare, but more showy. The soldiers ushered the gladiators out of holding - not that most of the needed any ushering, as they were already running. "Keep your shields up!" Cazhak urged.
Cazhak grabbed a spear from his back as he was running, and chucked it - hitting one opposing gladiator who had his shield down in the throat. From long range, right at the start of the battle, he had already gotten the first strike, and the first kill. The crowd went wild. Soon, he repeated the exact same thing, scoring another kill at long range - then, as the distance closed and more enemies were within their comfortable throwing range, the spears started returning. The more experienced gladiators stood together and blocked them; some of the more inexperienced ones, not sure of what they were doing, were hit, and were either wounded or killed.

As the group was seated and the battle soon began, Raclaw and Chester watched with great interest-- this being the first ever such event that ether of them had attended. Raclaw allowed Chester to climb atop of his head in order to give the little Beagle a better view of the fight. Risar wasn't nearly as excited as the duo, having seen such events before and acting as body guard to his former master. However, he had heard of Cazhak and held a great amount of respect for the fighter. He had no doubt that Cazhak would succeed and earn his well deserved freedom.

The guards, feeding Shade at the time, were no doubt in a terrible mood from being on duty, rather than being able to watch the fight. "This better be good," said one of them, as he went off to get the mage officer. A few minutes later, the mage arrived to Shade's enclosure. "What is this request of yours?" he asked. "Nothing dumb, I hope - we're not setting you free."