Trust | 2 |

Chapter Thirty-Eight

I was brought to a medical room after the fight to treat my injuries, like the burns on my arm and sides and the cuts on my face. No more new scars, however. I thought that part was nice.

The medical professionals (didn't know what else to call them) had me take the chest plate off and they lifted the shirt I wore to access the burns on my sides. Another medical professional took a look at my right arm and a mechanical specialist looked at my metal arm to make sure it was fine. They, a short and fat little alien, had no idea how my arm tech worked, so they just called it good and left.

"Why would you patch me up? I'm just going to go back out and fight," I asked someone who came to look at my face. She was a green alien with hair a similar color to mine. Her eyes were dark and she had strange patterns on her forehead and chin.

She looked in my eyes then back on the spot she was working on. "Grandmaster's orders. Wants the winners to be in good shape before the next fight," she answered. Her voice was different, light and airy with a different sound to it.

"So you just patch people up so they don't die as quick? You all are really okay with fixing people just so they can go back out there and hurt others or get hurt themselves? Or worse... kill or be killed?" I asked.

The green one glared at me. "Well, at least I wasn't the one who just got beaten to a near pulp by a Gorlion," she snapped back. Other medical professionals around snickered at her comment.

I, on the other hand, was very confused. "I have no idea how that's an insult."

She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Typical Terran."

After that, they brought me to the room I had first met the Grandmaster in, then led me to a connecting one with less people. I wasn't in a chair restrained this time, so I guess I got on his good side after threatening to kill him. At least I wasn't bound to another chair, so I took this as a win.

The real win I got down in the arena haunted me. I didn't really know if Eva'an was alive or not, but judging by the way he didn't move even after I exited the arena didn't give me high hopes.

"Oh my goodness! You had some nice tricks up your sleeve, gotta say," the Grandmaster said as we entered the room. He had someone with him I didn't see before. She didn't look very friendly, but did look older (not as old as the Grandmaster, though) and had white markings on her face. "Really, I'm very proud of you. You've impressed me a lot, Metal Arm. No, no, I need a better name. 'Metal Arm' is a terrible name for a new and upcoming Champion of mine!"

I didn't speak. "Oh, come on, not this again! I thought we were starting to connect, you know? I mean, you threatened me and everything I figured this was progress!" he complained. This man was very interesting. That was the only borderline nice thing I could think to say about him.

"I'm not fighting again," I said. There wasn't any emotion to my words, but they were very stern. "What I just did? Awful."

The Grandmaster rolled his eyes and smiled. It was patronizing, and I hated it. "Aww, now don't start thinking you can make the rules just because you won a single battle- granted it was truly amazing," he said.

At first, I wanted to threaten him again. Instead, I got an even better idea.

My orange magic wasn't very visible with how I did it. A thin line came from my hand to the Grandmaster's head. Nobody did anything, so I figured no one could see anything. "No, you don't want me to fight. I'm too... precious to possibly have killed, don't you think?"

I was worried this wouldn't work and that I'd be executed on the spot. But then the he said, "Of course, that's an excellent point. Why don't we get a room set up for you here and you can go out and socialize with the others. Someone will take you to your room when you want."