The Last Wolfson

Chapter 9: The Dueling Compitition

Phang woke up at the crack of dawn to find himself lying on the floor, next to Altima, curled around her body like it was a fragile china doll, his body heat keeping her warm. He slowly eased himself away from her and slid over to his arena clothes. He quickly pulled off his T-shirt and shorts and changed into some clothes that would allow for quick and non-restraining movement for the arena. He walked over to the door glancing back at Altima. He crept back over to her, careful not to wake her and lifted her into her bed, tucking the covers over her. He then slid out the door to find Klauw. He found Klauw inside the arena entering their names in to the glowwyrm that was running the booth. It was a middle aged glowwyrm that looked old enough to use their natural defense. They look a bit like a salamander that walks on both legs with a sticky tongue. Enormous eyes but no sticky pads on the bottom of their feet. Glowwyrms could stand intense heat and the rough pores on the outside of their skin sucked in heat from fire or the sun and stored it for later. Klauw glanced at Phang and barked a quick laugh.
"Every spin I do this and every spin gets harder and harder. You look just like me on my first time. I don't think I'll be doing it though." He shook his head. "I ain't gettin any younger."
You can still make it one more time though right? Phang questioned.
Klauw didn't look convinced. "Why don't you go to the arena. I'll meet you there, hopefully with a sparring partner."
Phang inclined his head, in agreement, and headed off to the arena. When he reached the arena, he surveyed his surroundings. It was a dusty place, a large circle with a diameter as big as a tree. Seats above him marked where spectators could bet and watch the duels. There was no apparent help that could come from the stands if the dueler were in a bad situation. From what he heard from Klauw, there were three types of duels. One on one, the most common, where two duelers fought until the other submits or dies. Another type is creature. Some type of creature would be let into the arena with you and you would have to kill it or incapacitate it to win. The last was three on three, where you could choose a group and you would go against another group. Phang hoped that he wouldn't have to do three on three because he was a much better fighter himself. He tensed. He heard the gate of the arena slamming shut, and spun around to see a six legged beast with razor sharp mandibles and pincers. It looked like an enormous beetle with beady eyes.
"Klauw!" Phang growled.
"What? I just found you a sparring partner!" Klauw called back delightedly. "Have fun, and play really rough!" With that, Klauw chucked a sword at Phang, and sat down to watch the show. Phang stooped to pick up the sword, not looking away from the creature. He swung the sword once or twice to test the weight. It was a rudimentary sword, nothing special. The creature watched with its beady eyes, clicking its mandibles and sizing him up. When they were done with their stare off, the creature scuttled forward, mandibles clicking. Phang put on a burst of speed and let his body take over. He felt his teeth elongate along with his fingernails and toes. His body muscled up and his eyesight and hearing improved. He swung the blade. The blade caught it's heavily armored head and bounced off not even leaving a mark. He jumped away as the creature rammed its front pinchers into the dusty ground where he was previously standing. It glared at him, irritated to have been tricked out of its dinner. He focused on the joints that held its armor together and jabbed at one crack in one of its legs. The sword hit home and stuck in one of the joints. Good thing, one of its legs was hobbled. Bad thing, he was without a sword. He glanced at one of his claws and leaped at the thing. His front foot connected with the head propelling him up onto its back. He found the chink in its armor at the neck joint and bit down. His powerful jaws crunched through the fragile neck joints and into the squishy goo under. He violently ripped his jaws back and forth and then leaped off the beast. It's head hit the ground approximately 1.8 seconds before its body did. He shrugged his shoulders back to unlock the cramp in his back. He then relaxed, letting the Rheigne of the Wolfson ease back into his sub-consciousness. He cricked his neck as the muscles practically melted off his body, and his nails and teeth shrink back to their original size. He strode out of the arena, pausing only once, to glance up at the crowd of spectators that had gathered to watch the arena competition and had gotten to see Phang take down the creature. He walked through the door to the stands and sat down next to Klauw.
"That was a dirty rotten trick you pulled there." Phang grumbled.
"Look at it this way; now your body isn't asleep anymore!" Klauw said cheerfully.
Phang opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by a loud shrieking sound. His sensitive ears prickled and he clamped his hands over them. Klauw, he noticed, was doing to same. The shrieking stopped. Phang pulled his hands off his ears and looked to where the horrible shrieking was coming from. It was a banshee, a little animal only about as big as his leg. It was being held by a slave, who was guarded by two unknowns. The slave looked like a hydr, but even with his advanced eyesight it was hard to see. Suddenly it yelled out to the arena the rules for all the duels. Then after it was done it yelled out the first match.
"The first match will be between Lean the sand mantis, and Brettna the Oakelf. Two people jumped out of the stands into the arena. One was a slim sand mantis, and the other an enormous Oakelf. Sand mantises were beautiful, colorful but deadly. Their skin was soft but vibrant with color and light. They could accelerate their rock hard arms and elbows in point five seconds with 1,500 newtons of force. Along with that they can breath underwater. They are superior at close combat but terrible at long range because their four legs anchored them down so they could hit as hard as possible. This also means that they can't run fast. Phang glanced back at the slave, who was gathering a deep breath.
"FIGHT!"
Brettna whipped out a long bow that was anchored on her back, and spun around to the opposite direction, fitting an arrow to her bow. Lean chased her but could not run nearly as fast as Brettna. Brettna spun around and fired off an arrow. Lean whipped her arms too fast to see and the arrow was smashed out of midair into the ground. Lean grew closer. Brettna fitted another arrow to the bow but was too slow. Lean whipped her arms out and smashed the bow from Brettna's hands. Brettna stared in surprise at the now pulp that used to be her bow. She froze, and stared down to the appendage that was pressed to her chest.
"Surrender or die." Lean said quietly. Brettna put her hands behind her head and fell on her knees, showing that she surrendered. Lean lifted a small hatchet off her belt as a spoil of battle. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and glanced at Klauw who was watching the battle like he'd seen it a thousand times. Brettna, the defeated warrior was climbing back up the stairs to the audience. Lean smiled and vaulted back up to her seat. The slave's voice roared out another name and another and two people jumped down. This went on for a while and I watched waiting for my turn. Finally, it happened.
"Phang the... wolfson, and Cave the sand mantis. I heard the arena gasp when they heard my species, showing that they didn't get many of my kind. I climbed down from my seat and looked around for my enemy. An enormous thud rocked the arena. A sand mantis the size of the monster I had fought earlier stood on the other side of the arena. He didn't even know sand mantises could get that big. I whipped out one the the antique swords that Katimo had in his house and assumed my battle stance.
"I'LL TAKE THAT PRETTY TOOTHPICK OFF YOU RIGHT NOW, TO SPARE US BOTH THE TROUBLE." He rumbled with an amusing glint in his eye like he expected Phang to give in.
"Not a chance my friend. Now let's make this quick, lunch is in an hour." Phang called back.
Cave scowled, irritated that he would actually have to fight me.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY? I COULD CRUSH YOU LIKE A BUG."
"If anyone is going to be crushing bugs it's going to be me crushing you. What are you again? A dung beetle?" Phang taunted. The crowd gasped at this jab at Cave.
"ROOOOAAARRRWWWW." ENOUGH TALKING. WE FIGHT NOW!"
Cave stomped towards Phang, his four legs pounding into the dirt. In that moment, the Rheigne of the wolfson came upon him. His teeth became fangs, his nails, claws
From a regular sand mantis I can take two or three shots from their arms. This guy...I'm not even sure if I could take one. Phang thought. Thankfully, his back wasn't protected by armor and so if I could get on there, climb up to his head and hold my jaws or sword around it, he should concede. Phang maneuvered around his arms that could deliver crushing blows, and tried to get to his underbelly. Cave twisted around striking with his arms. Phang was already gone from that spot. Phang slid under him, slicing with the sword. Cave roared in anger and struck out where Phang was getting up from under him. Phang threw his head backwards and leaned down under the striking arms. As they retracted Phang threw himself backwards in a flip. The crowd oohed, and ahed, at this display of acrobatics. Phang dove and rolled the other day and leaped onto the enormous sand mantises back. He grabbed for the neck but was thrown off by the thrashing head. He flew through the air and started coming down. Caves arms smashed him midair, in the arm. The arm was dislocated even before he flew backwards and into the arena wall. Then, Cave spun around and started showing off. He started to meander over to where Phang was either to deliver the killing blow, or to make Phang surrender. Phang breathed a deep breath, clenched his sharp teeth together, and snapped his arm back into its socket. His howl of pain echoed through the mountains and was almost loud enough to be heard even from the depths of the slavelands. He leaped to his feet, and rolled to the right, as Caves appendages smashed into the wall behind him, with enough force to crack the wood. Cave roared his irritation, that he would have to go through it all again. But unfortunately for Cave, he wouldn't, for Phang was midair, leaping for his throat. Phang smashed into caves neck, fastening his jaws over his throat, tight enough that he couldn't shake him off, but not hard enough to kill. Cave knew he was beaten.
"I HAVE BEEN BEAT BY VERY FEW, WOLFSON. YOU HAVE MADE AN ENEMY TODAY... I CONCEDE."
His enormous legs thudded to the ground and he put his heavily armored hands on the back of his head. Phang leapt off his back and rolled his arm that had been dislocated. It was going to be really sore tomorrow, Phang thought as he climbed back up to the stands.
He grinned as he saw Altima sitting next to Klauw. Who was...sleeping.
"Klauw. Klauw! Klauw!!!" Phang yelled.
"Snrarkkk. Whossadidawastia?" Phang rolled his eyes at his mentors display.
"I won, Klauw. Were you even watching?" Phang said exasperatingly. The clang of swords echoed below.
"Ummm. Yeah... yeah! Great job with that spear!" Klauw said, having slept through the entire fight.
"I used a..." Why do I even try." Phang muttered, shaking his head.
He sat on the other side, next to Altima.
"I thought you did a pretty good job." Altima said. "Did you see the size of that thing!"
"Yeah! With the pounders, and the four legs!" Phang answered, excited that Altima at least was excited for him.
"Yeah. I wonder when I'll go." Altima said thoughtfully.
That turned out to be in one of the next rounds.
"ALTIMA THE OAKELF AND CRYSTLEFIRE THE GLOWWYRM!"
"Wish me luck!" Altima said, and leaped into the arena.
She was facing a glowwyrm that seemed like a fairly powerful opponent. She was pretty far in the competition so there wasn't too many weak competitors left. She looked surprisingly young though, maybe as old as Phang. Altima hefted her bow and fitted and arrow to it.
"FIGHT!" Shouted the slave. Altima immediately loosed an arrow and bolted towards the glowwyrm. She slung her bow over her back and whipped out two knives. The glowwyrm dodged the arrow, then froze, shocked that she was running towards her but then used her defense and heated her skin up. She reached for her sword blade, whipped it off her back, and ran her fingers along the edge, heating it up. Altima neared her and when she reached her, she swung a sideways blow at the glowwyrm. The glowwyrm blocked it with her sword, leaving white hot marks where the knives touched the sword. The glowwyrm was an amazing fighter, and she quickly disarmed Altima, who rolled away from her. Popping up, Altima dashed straight towards the glowwyrm. The glowwyrm whipped her sword to the side for a blow but wasn't fast enough. Altima vaulted over her back loosing another arrow. This one struck her tail pinning it to the ground. The wooden arrow burned away leaving a small puncture wound in her tail.
"Ah!!! Ow, ow OWWWWW. I give, I give!" She squealed raising her hands in a defensive gesture at Altima who was standing a couple feet away with another arrow notched in her bow.
"Nice shot." The glowwyrm observed,  congratulating Altima. "Gonna take while to heal though..."She continued.
"THE WINNER ISSSSSSSS...ALTIMA THE OAKELF!" The slave shouted, then whimpered when the unknown guard next to it kicked it for being too slow. From what Phang deducted from this, was that the glowwyrm was a very skilled fighter, but only at close range like him. The glowwyrm slithered back up to her seat in the audience which turned out to be a couple seats down from him, getting a hug from what looked like two siblings. Altima was adroit as she delicately made her way back up. She stopped at the Glowwyrms seat and started talking. Phang perked his ear up to hear what they were saying.
"Sorry about that...will you heal okay?" Altima cringed next to the glowwyrm.
The glowwyrm responded with much surprise. "Yes of course! It is a competition after all...thank you for your concern however! Phang heard them chatting awhile after the next duel had stopped. He didn't think it was such a bad idea to get to know the competition. Phang gave her a high five and a smile, that showed off his pointy incisors. Which she responded to with a blazing smile of her own. She sat down next to Phang and told him a little about her friend the glowwyrm.
"Her name is Christlefire, she is obviously a glowwyrm and she lives in this town with her big brother and little sister. Her mother was sold into slavery when she was very little just like me."
"ROSE THE GLOWWYRM AND SHADOW THE UNKNOWN."
"That's her younger sister!"
Phang watched as a smaller glowwyrm slithered out into the arena. Phang tensed when he saw who she was up against. "Shadow. " Phang snarled, his entire body tensing and fists clenching.
"Who's he?" Altima questioned.
"He's the unknown who killed my father." Phang answered, his hatred rippling through his voice.