“So, now that we are here, whom do we get the information we seek from,” Mane looked around and admired the bustling scenery. People moved speedily and efficiently, as traders tried to get passersby interested in their wares. Blacksmiths hammered already crafted masterpieces on their strong anvils in an effort to maintain their great conditioning and pull weapon lovers nearer. Several Magical Beast carcasses were displayed on large tables, with many curious children surrounding them and asking questions. After all, Magical Beasts weren’t easy to kill so it was no wonder that the young children were fascinated by their gigantic and strong bodies.
“Ivor the Tattler,” Lam pointed towards one of the more isolated shops and said in reply to Mane’s question.
“Seems awfully quiet,” Mane remarked as he, Lam, and Lily walked towards the shop Lam had pointed out.
Mane looked towards the area that Lam was pointing at. Unlike
“It’s much bigger than it looks outside” That was Mane’s first thought when he got past the curtain. The room behind the curtain was at least two times bigger than the reception area outside. And that was a bit strange considering that the shop looked smaller from the outside.“This place reeks of Space Laws,” Hildegarde who was seated on Mane’s shoulder stated. She sniffled cutely as if she could actually smell the laws of space.Mane could only nod his head in response to her words. Since there were others here, he couldn’t respond to her statement. Besides, there was very little he could say in response to her words. He was a Time Law practitioner, but was unfamiliar with Space Laws, despite the fact that his ring had the ability to teleport him to other realms. But that was the closest he could say he was to the Space Laws. So although he could feel a strange force flooding the area, he wasn’t able to feel the S
“Call me when you are done,” Ivor informed the group of teens and went into yet another backroom, leaving Mane asking himself how big this place truly was.The information in the Record Stone had images of the fights from the previous round – the Quarter Finals. And they were currently about to watch the first fight.“Blue Team versus Orange Team,” Lam was very excited to see the first match. He rubbed his hands in anticipation, looking like a puppy eager for some treats.“How do you know the names of the teams?” Mane asked the strangely acting Lam. He had learnt from Lam, even before they got here that the tournament started with 32 teams. And it was strange to him that Lam had been able to easily identify the teams facing off even after 24 had been knocked out. Did that mean that his friend had studied the names of all the teams? He was much more involved in this than Mane thought.“Well, I found out about
Once the City Lord’s speech was over, he sat down with his family amidst the rapturous applause of the audience in the stadium. Once he was seated the Record Stone shifted to a cubicle within the stadium which sat two people – a man and a woman.“Who are those?” Mane nudged Lam’s shoulder and asked.“Commentators,” came the brief yet accurate reply of Lam. The boy’s vision was fully focused on the images displayed by the Record Stone, so much so that he didn’t even turn to look at Mane when he was giving the reply.“He looks like an obsessed, addicted man. Right now he probably regards your constant questioning and overall presence a nuisance.” Hildegarde stated from above Mane’s shoulder.Mane nodded in response to her words. If it wasn’t because of the presence of Lily he would have spoken to Hildegarde because he was certain that even if he did, Lam wouldn’t hear him. H
“The Steel Fist herself has given us the go ahead folks! The first match would begin shortly!” Peter spoke enthusiastically into the amplification stone.“Indeed. All that remains are the representatives for each team’s first match,” Maggie added.“Who do you think would start for the two teams?” Peter asked.“Well the first match is of great importance because it carries a lot of weight. Winning the first match takes a great load off the shoulders of the winning team and pressures the losing team. It also fills the winners with morale and confidence to go all the way. Rarely do we see a team win the first match and then go on to lose the game. So it would be important for both teams to bring strong contenders to the table. Ideally the captains who are the strongest should be the ones to go forward” Maggie quickly replied.“But the captains wouldn’t go forward that easily. Not only must the
The previously noisy stadium was silenced by Steel Fist’s proclamation. One could hear a pin drop in the quiet atmosphere. The silence lasted about ten seconds, and then there was an explosion of denial and complaints from the crowd.“That’s cheating!”“How is that fair?!”“That should not be allowed!”“That’s cowardice!”“Let them fight again!”“You call yourself a man?!”Amidst the loud boos from the crowd was the common complaint that the match was won unfairly. Several healers run onto the pitch with a wooden board and came to check on Blue Mantis. Upon confirming that he was not in any grave danger they transferred him onto the stretcher and carried him off the field amidst the complaints of the several thousands of people here.“Silence! Orange Monk didn’t break any of the rules hence his victory is true. My verdict stand
“That was amazing!” As the entire stadium reeled in the shock of having another of the Blue Team members lose a round, Peter the Commentator exclaimed in praise. “Indeed Peter. Such pulsating action, and a very close match too,” Maggie was just as excited as Peter was. Although the Blue Team, a representative of Asher City had lost, the match was an exciting one. It was a close fought match which had every member of the audience on the edge of their seat, with no one confident about who was going to come out on top. Yes, Orange Monk was better based on the numbers, but this was a match in which Musclehead had shown just how strong he was. Although Musclehead lost in the end, he proved that he was strong enough to not be overlooked by any enemy. “I lost,” Musclehead scratched his cheek embarrassingly and extended his hand to Orange Monk for a handshake. “But I had fun,” he added. “Me too,” Orange Monk smirked and took Musclehead’s hand. Even he had to admit th
*Boom*Orange Monk sprang into action right after the match commenced. He didn’t look anything like a man injured, and his simple smile had long been wiped away. In its place was a large grin filled with bloodlust and an intent to battle. His eyes were hazy like those of one intoxicated with wine and his movements unpredictable. Like a ferocious whirlwind, he arrived before the Blue King with speed that far surpassed the speed he displayed when he fought against Musclehead and thrust powerfully with his sword.Unlike Orange Monk, Blue King’s large sword was still in its place. Like a baby nestling in its mother’s bosom, the large sword was cradled in the equally large sheath that held it on Blue King’s back. He didn’t pull out the blade or explode with power like Orange Monk, but his eyes were filled with a bit of surprise witnessing the ferociousness behind Orange Monk’s strike.‘He held back’Blue King not
“Amazing Maggie. What a battle!”“Indeed Peter. It was amazing to the very end. Orange Monk fought valiantly, and it is a pity that we probably wouldn’t see him again in the Grand Tourney”Mane nodded at the words of the commentator. Orange Monk looked fine now, but his injuries were grave. Mane could tell from the wound depth that Blue King had shown mercy in the end and hadn’t fully pierced the chest of Orange Monk with his blade. It was more like only the tip went in. Plus because of Steel Fist’s intervention, Orange Monk’s wound wasn’t deep. However, the man lost a lot of blood from the wound. Plus the injuries he incurred using that strange technique were probably going to be more problematic to deal with. And that wasn’t even the end. Mane didn’t ignore the limp arm which was probably due to a shoulder injury. In other words, Orange Monk was going to be out for a long time.“I wonder i