ã€ŠSchool-life &amp; Swordfights: A Clubs and Stubs Taleã€‹


 Prologue: A Fleeting Moment of Contentment

    A golden pony, filled with youth and splendor, emerged from the lowlands. He galloped up the steep hill with a callow, carefree spirit. Once he reached the top, he took a second to bask in the sparkling sunlight. It was one of those rare autumn days where the foliage was in full bloom and the weather was as clear and warm as a summer¡¯s eve. He wanted to enjoy this day to the fullest, to not let a single moment go to waste. In the midst of sunbathing he thought of no better place to pass the time.

    ¡°Fenrick,¡± a distant voice, somewhere yet nowhere, called out once he started down the hill. The young pony didn¡¯t answer the call, too preoccupied with his wandering imagination to pay the voice any mind. Instead, he cut through a tranquil meadow as fast as he could, leaving hoofprints embedded in the soft grass behind him. The other animals who dwelled in the verdant paradise¡ªrock foxes, boxbees, horned sheep, and other friendly, fascinating creatures greeted him as he trotted past, but he had no time to greet them back. Fish and frogs jumped out of a small pond nearby to get a glimpse of the pony''s beautiful golden mane as it flowed in the wind, but he paid no mind to them either. It was not often that the pony had an entire day to himself, to roam where ever he wanted and do whatever he pleased. Joy overtook him when he woke up that morning, and he rushed out of his home so quickly that he forgot his manners at home. He made his way towards where the meadow ended and the colorful trees of the forest began, thinking of all the endless opportunities of fun and adventure (and even a little mischief if the opportunity presented itself) that awaited within.

    ¡°Fenrick¡­¡± the disembodied voice called out again; this time clearer and nearer, but once again the pony ignored it. He sped up his fervent galloping once the tree line was in full sight. Excitement swelled within his stomach once he saw his best friend waiting for him. It was a black-spotted doe with a small protrusion of red antlers on her head, looking back at him under a gentle shower of red and yellow leaves. The doe ran out of the forest and pranced in circles once she caught sight of her little friend approaching. There was only a short strip of grassy field left before the pony¡¯s perfect day could truly begin. He was just about there, and the doe waited eagerly for her companion to finally join her.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Fenrick!¡± the voice called out to the pony for a third time. This time, it sounded like it came from within the forest. It was so close and so loud that it produced a strong gust of wind that blew past the swaying trees, knocked the doe to the ground, and crashed up against him. The pony skidded to a halt, alarmed by the powerful, wind-generating voice. The sky suddenly darkened without explanation; the sun, along with all its warmth, had vanished without cause. The pony looked up and, to his horror, witnessed the heavens beginning to crack apart like glass. High above, a swirling dark vortex formed inside a cleft left behind by the sundered sky. The trees shook violently, and the vortex sucked up the entire forest, lifting every tree from their root as if they were only frail twigs upon the ground. Mingled within the airborne trees and shrubbery was every animal that called the forest home. The pony listened to the horrified cries of a thousand friends as his childhood home disappeared into a dark, unknown oblivion. The pony could only watch in wide-eyed terror as his best friend, the black spotted doe, was lifted up and thrown about helplessly into the fractured sky until she too was swallowed up by the swirling vortex.

    Frightened beyond his wits, the pony turned around and tried to retreat the other way, but the meadow had completely melted around him, leaving him surrounded in never ending darkness. Only he and the menacing vortex above remained. It looked down on him with its lifeless black eye. The pony hunkered down onto the cold hard ground and covered his eyes with his hooves, but could feel the powerful pull of the sinister force¡ªthe one that took his world away¡ªbegin to lift him off the ground. He tried in vain to flee; tried to bite at the dying grass and latch on for dear life, but it was hopeless. Just like everything else, the poor pony was sucked up into the vortex. With one last dismayed neigh that was lost amongst the gale, the pony was drawn into the eye and yanked out of his paradise forever¡­

 Scene 1: Back to Reality

    After disappearing from existence into the terrifying vortex that destroyed his beloved world, the golden pony opened his eyes to see just where he ended up and who he truly was.

    No¡ªhe wasn¡¯t in the forest of his childhood, running around in the form of an animal¡ªbut rather a human teenager, sitting at his desk in the center of a school classroom. The bright fluorescent lights overhead made him squint. His mouth felt dry and his hands damp and clammy. After taking a few seconds to gain his bearings, he figured that he must¡¯ve dozed off for a few minutes without realizing it. When his eyes adjusted to the light, the first thing he saw was his elderly history teacher, Mrs. Hydraslaughter, who stared directly at him from the front of the class while holding an opened textbook.

    ¡°Are you with us, Fenrick? Please answer the question I just asked you,¡± she told him.

    Fenrick wiped the dry drool from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and slowly looked around the depressingly grey classroom. He realized that what had happened to him was just the vivid dream of a distant memory, and now he was awake and back in the present. He scanned around the room for some help for the question that went unheard by him¡ªfor some kind of hint he could get from one of his gracious classmates. A couple fellow students merely looked at him with tepid expressions, while everyone else either gazed off into space or played with their pencils. No aid was coming for Fenrick; it was to none of their surprise that he had no idea what the question was, and no one much cared whether or not he embarrassed himself. The helpless student realized that no help was coming and it was on him to not humiliate himself.

    It was only the first class of yet another long day at Hardires High, and Fenrick had already fallen asleep and dreamt about being somewhere else.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ Umm¡­ Dahh¡­¡± Fenrick drew out random noises to give himself time to think.

    Mrs. Hydraslaughter looked at him through the large glasses that hung on the tip of her nose. ¡°Out of courtesy, Fenrick, I¡¯ll forgive you for napping in my class and kindly repeat the question: In 782 RE, who aided the dwarves in repelling a large-scale invasion of kobolds during the Great Siege of Mine Haven?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an easy one,¡± Fenrick eased back confidently in his chair upon hearing the question. He was glad that Mrs. Hydraslaughter was nice enough to give him a second chance, as she was usually one of the stricter teachers in the school. ¡°That was none other than the one and only legendary gnome berserker: Mengel Krikkledorf!¡±

    ¡°Incorrect.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ what!?¡± Fenrick leaned forward and loudly slapped the surface of his desk in disbelief.

    ¡°Would anyone else like to take a guess?¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter ignored the outburst and looked around the room.

    A hand immediately raised from the desk centered right in front of the chalkboard. It belonged to a student with a buttoned-up and clean-pressed uniform (unlike Fenrick, whose own uniform was unbuttoned and covered with dirt and grass stains), a close-cropped haircut (also unlike Fenrick, whose hair was shaggy and disheveled) and round spectacles.

    ¡°Ah, Arcanus, will you do the honors?¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter asked the student who sat front and center in her class.

    ¡°Well, you see Mrs. Hyrdraslaughter, I do believe that ¡®The Heroes of Hardires¡¯ is the correct answer,¡± Arcanus told the teacher in a confident and pompous tone.

    ¡°And I believe you are correct, good job on getting another one right, Arcanus,¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter congratulated her top student. Arcanus reveled in the praise of his teacher, having yet to get an answer wrong that semester. Instead of the standing ovation that he thought he deserved whenever he got a question right, all he got for his accomplishment was a stifled cough from one of the students sitting in the back.

    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s correct,¡± Fenrick furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.

    Mrs. Hydraslaughter looked at her underachieving student curiously. ¡°What are you talking about? It says so right in the textbook, Fenrick.¡±

    ¡°Chapter 13, page 594 to be exact,¡± Arcanus added. The teacher quickly flipped through the pages of the textbook she held. She ran her finger across the page until she found what she was looking for. ¡°My dear, you¡¯re right! You never stop finding ways to impress me,¡± she smiled approvingly at Arcanus.

    Fenrick¡¯s eye visibly twitched as he silently stared holes through the back of Arcanus¡¯ rather large head.

    ¡°Now then, I asked that question because it leads straight into our next subject,¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter addressed her bored class, ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you have heard the tales many times before¡ªwhether it be from books or television or even your own parents¡ªbut for the sake of the class agenda, we will go over everything pertaining The Heroes of Hardires.

    A few scattered murmurings of approval were heard throughout the classroom. The Heroes of Hardires of ancient times was a much talked-about and celebrated topic throughout the city, and one that many Hardirians undoubtedly had an interest in.

    ¡°For the few of you present that may not have heard the tale, I will give you an abridged version to start out with. Three thousand years ago, four heroes that hailed from our very city helped save the world from the ancient evils that threatened our mortal existence. Their names were: Beardly the Grand Guard, Scrosher the Sorcerer, Skinnos the Necro Knight, and Whacker the Whale Brawler. They would become legendary warriors, cemented in history as the world-renowned Heroes of Hardires.¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter explained while writing their names on the chalkboard. ¡°Despite being already well-established heroes before, they truly came into legend during a grand conflict called the Fourth God War.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Ah, yes, I know quite a bit about this God War 4,¡± Fenrick spoke up before raising his hand, which was the complete opposite of normal student protocol.

    Instead of disciplining him, Mrs. Hydraslaughter expressed delight at his interruption. ¡°Oh, you do?¡± she said with genuine surprise.

    ¡°Yup!¡± Fenrick said with confidence. ¡°It was a massive war where the gods Ephyreon, Nyah, Lord Donacare, Zeraphea, and Darmane clashed in a multi-continent-wide battle against the Septembre, Khazid Mordius Thadum, Yogg-Blahh, and Dagdanu in the mortal realm, putting the very existence of Dubion in danger!¡± Fenrick explained emphatically while waving his arms around in an attempt to redeem himself from earlier and impress his teacher and fellow peers.

    Mrs. Hydraslaughter looked at him blankly for a second, as if needing a second to fully process everything he said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very sorry, Fenrick, but there are multiple errors in what you just described,¡± she told him with disappointment in her voice. ¡°First off, Ephyreon and Zeraphea are immortal enemies who¡¯d never in a thousand eternities be on the same side. I am also very surprised that you left out Hildefrey, since your own last name, Freygar, is derived from her, and played a very important part of the conflict. And lastly, one of those names isn¡¯t a God, but a brand of toilet tissue paper.¡±

    Fenrick could feel his cheeks burn red with embarrassment as the students around him snickered noisily in their seats. He hung his head low and sunk in his seat.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Quiet down please,¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter told her class. ¡°Since it was brought up¡ªand the Fourth God War was a very important event that we¡¯ll be studying in the coming tendays¡ªdoes anyone want to try and enlighten Fenrick on which god fought who in the major conflict? And bonus points will be awarded if you say which ones fought on the correct side.¡±

    She looked around the room, and sure enough, only a single hand was raised.

    ¡°Go ahead, Arcanus,¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter said.

    As soon as he heard the name, Fenrick¡¯s face grew even more red, this time with anger and frustration.

    Arcanus cleared his throat, fully prepared to give a lengthy, boastful elaboration. ¡°So, on the light side¡ªor our side, if you will¡ªthere was Ephyreon, the Grandfather of Light; Lord Donacare, the Dragon Ruler of the Dream Realm; Khazid Mordius Thadum, the stone golem in the center of the earth whom the dwarves¡¯ worship; Hildefrey: War Goddess of the Ragnarians¡­¡±

    With each name and job description, Fenrick felt his teeth grind and knuckles tighten. He tried to tough it out by gnawing at his pencil, but he chewed right through it. He took half of the broken pencil and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed it until the wood and graphite crumbled down his throat, but still Arcanus went on without any sign of stopping. ¡°And then there was the evil side of the war: first was Zeraphea: Goddess of Darkness; then Yogg-Blah: The Much-Feared Old God of the Twisted Nether Realm; then, of course, was Lord Metal: The Serpent of Destruction¡ª¡±

    Fenrick could not take it anymore, he shot up from his desk so fast that his chair slid out behind him. It banged noisily against an occupied desk, making the female student sitting there jump in surprise.

    ¡°In the name of all those gods, just shut up already you stupid fucking nerd!¡± Fenrick yelled across the classroom. The students around him gasped in shock, while Arcanus took off his spectacles and pressed a palm against his forehead in response to his classmate¡¯s harsh words.

    Mrs. Hydraslaughter scowled at the student, looking none-too-pleased with his second, ruder outburst of the period. ¡°Excuse me, young man. I do not appreciate that kind of language in my classroom,¡± she said sternly.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t appreciate that geeky butthole constantly showing off at my expense!¡± He jabbed a finger towards Arcanus.

    Mrs. Hydraslaughter put her textbook down and put her hands on her hips. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this before, Fenrick, several times in fact. If you would actually take the time to study and pay attention in class, then maybe Arcanus wouldn¡¯t have to constantly answer the questions you get wrong,¡± Mrs. Hydraslaughter admonished Fenrick, then gave a subtle wink to Arcanus.

    ¡°Why should I care about some dickholes that lived three thousand years ago? What does that have to do with anything in today¡¯s world?¡± Fenrick ranted. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, the ¡®great and mighty Heroes of Hardires¡¯ can kiss my ass!¡± He jumped up on his desk and bent over, putting his bottom on display for the entire class to see. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ll hire a necromancer to resurrect all four of them just so they can put their boney, worm-covered lips right here,¡± he gave his posterior a hard slap.

    While most of the students were appalled, some of them couldn¡¯t help but giggle at the scene their classmate was causing. One of the students, however, was perhaps more perturbed than anyone over Fenrick¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Dammit Fen, shut your mouth!¡± A voice came from the back of the class. A tall, tanned student that sat at the last row of desks stood up. He gave a look of great irritation towards Fenrick. ¡°Just sit down and chill out. I can¡¯t afford you getting suspended before a big match¡­ again.¡±

    ¡°That would be very unfortunate indeed, Caleo,¡± Miss Hydraslaughter said. ¡°That is precisely why I think it would be best if Fenrick heads to the principal¡¯s office before he says something that would really get him into trouble.¡± She looked back at Fenrick and pointed towards the door.

    Fenrick was about to say something else, but decided to only grit his teeth. He hopped off his desk and stormed out of the room, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Mrs. Hydraslaughter could only shake her head as she heard the heavy footsteps fade down the hallway outside her classroom. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how you two put up with him,¡± she said to both Arcanus and Caleo.

    Caleo could only shrug, ¡°What can I say? He¡¯s an idiot, but a hell of a fighter.¡±

    Arcanus couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.

    Hardires Highschool Student Fenrick Freygar has gotten himself into trouble during history class and was sent to the principal¡¯s office. What kind of repercussions could he be facing for his crass behavior? How will it affect others? Will he ever try to be a better student?

    Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 2: A Visitor in the Courtyard

    Fenrick walked briskly through the school¡¯s spacious courtyard on the way to the principal¡¯s office. He needed some fresh air to calm himself down after the scene he caused back in Mrs. Hydraslaughter¡¯s history class. It was a clear, calm, sunny morning with a gentle breeze flowing through the leaves of the surrounding trees as well as the student¡¯s golden hair¡ªwhich only made Fenrick feel more nostalgic for days gone by. He quietly muttered and cursed to himself, obviously displeased with how his morning was going.

    For the life of him, he just couldn¡¯t comprehend what he did that was so wrong. Sure, he halfway understood that he may had said a few things that some people may had taken offense to, but he believed he was only expressing his opinion. Wasn¡¯t that what living in a free society was all about? He did not see the big deal, and he especially didn¡¯t see why the captain of his TAS (Team Arena Squad) of all people had to involve himself in the situation either. Everyone always tried to make him feel bad about the way he acted, and he''d started to get sick of it.

    With eyes glued down to his feet and mind lost in a cloud of negative thoughts, Fenrick saw something he did not expect to see that day¡­

    When he was almost halfway across the courtyard, they attacked him without any warning.Two long, thick vines burst out from underneath the concrete walkway Fenrick walked on. The surprise underground explosion sent chunks of concrete flying up into his face.

    Fenrick instinctively threw his head back, trying to keep his face away from the debris. With minds seemingly of their own, the vines quickly tried to wrap themselves around Fenrick¡¯s wrists, but before the intelligent flora could grab hold and tighten its grip, Fenrick was able to jump backwards high into the air. The vines then tried to grab his ankles, but he was able to throw his legs up, leaving the vines¡¯ grasp just out of reach. He performed a backflip and managed to dodge away from danger and narrowly escaped the mysterious vegetations¡¯ surprise attempt to capture him.

    Coming up empty, the vines quickly retracted back into the ground and all became ominously silent. Upon landing back down to earth, Fenrick quickly surveyed his surroundings while bracing himself for another attack.

    The courtyard was empty, however, save for a single person on the western side. Whoever it was stood near the thick oak tree that overlooked the garden of blooming death daisies. The person looked young, possibly a second or third year. He had a rather small stature, short dark hair and wore a dark green school uniform, which differed from Hardires High¡¯s standard blue-colored uniforms. Without needing to ask, Fenrick knew full well that this person was responsible for the surprise vine attack and was not amused in the slightest.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bite,¡± Fenrick yelled over. ¡°Who are you? What the hell¡¯s a Gungannon student doing in Hardires?¡±

    The green-uniformed stranger took a few steps towards Fenrick. Upon closer inspection, a peculiar trait presented itself; the young man had eyes the color of amethyst¡ªa very rare trait for humans to have. Most people would have been taken aback by such a unique feature. Fenrick, however, cared little for that.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t recognize me,¡± the young man said after a slight pause. ¡°There are many people that would know my face here in the Eastlands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you do have a face that people would want to beat senselessly with a sack of dirty onions,¡± Fenrick spat.

    The Gungannon student only laughed at the insult. ¡°Now there¡¯s that blunt humor I¡¯ve heard so much about! Though you may not know who I am, I certainly know who you are. But, where are my manners, please allow me to introduce myself,¡± the young man bowed, ¡°my name is Ziggy Ratt.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Stupid name.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so bad,¡± the young man lightheartedly shrugged.

    ¡°It kinda is, but whatever. What the hell do you want?¡±

    ¡°To take a second to bask in this moment, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Ziggy Ratt took in a deep gulp of the crisp air and fully exhaled. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been a more pleasant day for such an occasion. Please let me explain: I¡¯m a student that transferred from the Grand Canopy all the way to Gungannon Primary for the sole purpose of getting the opportunity to meet you. You may not believe it, but I admire you greatly, Fenrick Freygar. Your skills and prowess as a gladiatorial athlete are truly unmatched.¡±

    The praise from Ziggy the stranger did nothing to improve Fenrick¡¯s mood.

    ¡°Really, so this is how you treat those you admire? By attacking them with your little plants?¡± He gestured at the sizable holes in the concrete walkway near his feet.

    ¡°Apologies, I couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Ziggy Ratt chuckled. ¡°That was only a little test, but I knew you weren¡¯t going to fall victim to such a simple surprise attack. Let it be known, however, that I¡¯ll be sending more than just galla vines after you once we finally meet in the arena. It will surely be a showdown for the ages!¡±

    Fenrick continued to eye Ziggy Ratt suspiciously. ¡°Meet me in the arena, you say? You look a little young to be a fourth year¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not wrong in assuming I don¡¯t belong,¡± Ziggy put a hand to his chest. ¡°I am, in fact, a year younger than you and most other fourth years, but alas, a fourth year I still am. I was able to make some arrangements during my transfer and enter the Eastlands school system a grade higher, just for this very opportunity, just to meet you,¡± he pointed at Fenrick and smiled. ¡°Yes, even now, I still can¡¯t believe that I will be facing you in the arena just two days from now. It will be a dream come true for me; I really wanted you to know that. I can barely contain my excitement!¡± He said with child-like enthusiasm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me, kid,¡± Fenrick quickly lost patience with his new-found admirer. ¡°If what you say is true, then I¡¯ll gladly give you an autographed portrait or whatever the hell you want after I kick your ass all over your turf. Then you can feel free to cheer me on from the stands as my team wins another championship.¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Ziggy waved his hands dismissively. ¡°No fucking around is going on here, good sir. As I said, all I wanted was the chance to meet you before we do combat, and that¡¯s exactly what I did!¡±

    The young man¡¯s face suddenly turned serious as he dropped his hands and gave Fenrick a hard stare with his purple eyes. ¡°But let this serve as fair warning; when the time comes, I won¡¯t hold back like I did today. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to beat you, and I will prove that I¡¯m someone worthy of your respect.¡±

    The two stared each other down without saying another word. After a silent moment went by, a steady beeping was suddenly heard somewhere in the courtyard. Ziggy looked down at his wristwatch (which Fenrick could tell was solar-powered, a well-known staple in druidic fashion) and pushed a button on its side. The beeping ceased and Ziggy took a couple steps backwards.

    ¡°Welp, it looks like I have to be getting back to my own school now. It truly was an honor meeting you this fine day. We¡¯ll be seeing each other again very soon, but until then, may Dagdanu watch over you, with all her bountiful beauty.¡±

    Ziggy bowed his head and gracefully walked back over to the oak tree he stood near before. He placed a hand upon the thick trunk. A greenish light emanated from his hand that slowly expanded and melded into the bark. The green light pulsated and formed itself into a transparent doorway within the tree¡¯s center. With one last wave to Fenrick, Ziggy proceeded to walk seamlessly through the oak tree. Once he was through, the doorway disappeared and all became normal once again. Just as quickly as he appeared, Ziggy Ratt vanished from Hardires High without a trace.

    ¡°Jerkoff.¡± Fenrick muttered under his breath and went on his way, leaving the broken and cracked concrete behind him.

    An explosive surprise came to Fenrick in the form of a mysterious student by the name of Ziggy Ratt, who claimed to be one of the Gungannon gladiators that he¡¯ll soon be facing in the arena. He managed to escape Ziggy¡¯s surprise attack unscathed, but the encounter still hadn¡¯t negated one thing: Fen still needs to deal with the principal! What kind of punishment awaits him once he steps foot into the dreaded principal¡¯s office? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 3: Principal Eppers

    The encounter with Ziggy Ratt in the courtyard delayed Fenrick¡¯s arrival to the principal¡¯s office. He wasn¡¯t overly concerned by his tardiness though, for he didn¡¯t plan on heading straight there anyway. Fenrick was quite well known as someone who took his time doing things¡ªespecially things he didn¡¯t want to do.

    When he slowly opened the door to the office and peeked in, he saw the principal of Hardires High typing away on her computer. The nameplate on the desk read Principal Eppers. She was considered young for being the principal of a high school, but had the reputation of excelling at her demanding job. Despite the stress of running an entire school, she was a radiantly-beautiful woman with a glowing complexion and long golden hair, much like the color of Fenrick¡¯s. She was usually the first crush of every male student that freshly arrived to Hardires High¡ªbut that would quickly end when she unleashed her strict puritan demeanor upon the uneducated freshmen. Hanging from her necklace at all times was the Six-Armed Cross of Ephyreon, the universally-recognized symbol of the Grand Father of Light.

    ¡°Fenrick! So glad you could take the time to stop by,¡± Principal Eppers said with dripping sarcasm as she heard the creak of the door when Fenrick opened it fully. ¡°I received a call from Mrs. Hydraslaughter nearly fifteen minutes ago. It should have taken you no less than three minutes after that call for you to get here.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I ran into somebody along the way,¡± Fenrick responded, but didn¡¯t bother to go into any more detail.

    ¡°Just sit down. I¡¯ll deal with you in a moment,¡± the principal ordered. Fenrick took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk and bit at his nails while Eppers clacked away on her keyboard. When she was done with her business on the computer, she turned her full attention to Fenrick.

    ¡°So, what did you do this time?¡± She asked like it was a question she had repeated many times before.

    ¡°It was awful, Angela!¡± Fenrick cried in feigned dismay. ¡°Mrs. Hydraslaughter just can¡¯t handle my colorful vocabulary. She got mad when I expressed my humble opinion about the subject we¡¯re currently studying and then sent me here as punishment.¡±

    ¡°What have I told you a hundred times before?¡± the principal glared at the student across her desk. ¡°During school hours you¡¯re to call me Principal Eppers.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just don¡¯t forget again. Anyways, what exactly did you say in class? And please be honest.¡±

    Fenrick proceeded to tell her about the incident, being surprisingly truthful to what had transpired, but tried his best to make it appear that he was the victim. Principal Epper¡¯s frown deepened the more she listened.

    ¡°Fen, what am I going to do with you?¡± She sighed. ¡°The situation is getting pretty dire. Your grades are lackluster across the board and you¡¯re constantly getting into trouble for your behavior. I¡¯ve done all I can to keep you on the gladiatorial team, but you¡¯re constantly pushing the limits of suspension or even full-blown expulsion. I hate to say it, but you¡¯re incorrigible, and I¡¯m running out of options. On top of that, you really need to brush your hair and wash your uniform more than once a month. You always come to school looking like a rapscallion.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Eppy, it¡¯s really not that big a deal,¡± Fenrick pleaded. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be any problem if everyone stopped making such a big deal out of everything I say!¡±

    ¡°Have you considered that there may be a reason for that?¡±

    ¡°Cause everyone here sucks,¡± Fenrick responded bluntly. Eppers rolled her eyes.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Okay look, if you decide to not punish me, I promise that I¡¯ll lay off the naughty words that everybody uses anyway but I¡¯m the only one not scared to use openly. Oh, and I¡¯ll make sure to brush my hair and clean my uniform at least once a tenday. Deal?¡± Fenrick smiled and nodded like he truly believed he made a compelling offer.

    ¡°False promises are not going to work anymore,¡± Principal Eppers shook her head. ¡°Remember last year, after you ¡®promised¡¯ to improve your behavior? Just a day later, you left me no choice but to suspend you for three school days plus a match, jeopardizing your team¡¯s now two-and-a-half year long winning streak. Do you want that to happen all over again in your final year?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Fenrick admitted and shot his eyes downward. His mind couldn¡¯t help but drift to two semesters ago, when he got into a shouting match with his math teacher over a failed test and was suspended from a highly anticipated match with Arbires High, their archrival school. Luckily for him, Caleo, the team captain, managed to find a substitute at the last second and Hardires High narrowly got the victory, keeping their winning-streak alive. Regardless, Fenrick was not easily forgiven, and had been on thin ice ever since.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that, but dammit, Archie just won¡¯t stop pissing me off! He¡¯s always wanting to answer the questions I get wrong and it gets really irritating.¡±

    ¡°Archie¡ªI mean Arcanus¡ªis your teammate. Don¡¯t you ever stop and think that he¡¯s just trying to support you the same way he does while the 2 of you are fighting in the arena together?¡±

    ¡°Oh, believe me, that¡¯s not it. He does it because he just loves being the teacher¡¯s pet to every grownup in this place.¡±

    Principal Eppers couldn¡¯t help but let out another deep sigh as she tried to reason with the student. ¡°I¡¯ve given you so many passes over the years, Fen. Not just because you happen to be my cousin, but because you¡¯re a very talented and bright individual, not only in the arena but intellectually as well. You just don¡¯t apply yourself enough when it¡¯s not about fighting. Once you do, a whole new realm of possibilities will await you.¡±

    Fenrick loudly scoffed at the compliment and pouted in his chair.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t help but hold your parents partially responsible for your behavior,¡± she continued. ¡°Living out in the forest and raising you among animals most of your life must have had major negative effects on your psyche. I¡¯ve tried so hard to convince them to come live in modern civilization, but they just won¡¯t listen,¡± Principal Eppers leaned back in her office chair and clasped her hands together. ¡°Well, I suppose I should be thankful they at least let you come to school.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, enough about my parents!¡± Fenrick blurted, ¡°let¡¯s just get to the point already. What are you going to do with me?¡±

    Principal Eppers slowly leaned forward and looked the student straight in the eye. ¡°Please, Fen, if you can stay out of trouble for just the rest of this day as well as tomorrow and make it to the ten-end, I will be willing to overlook this minor incident. I¡¯m sure Arcanus and Mrs. Hydraslaughter will as well. But! You need to cause no more trouble. Of any kind. Please, Fen, do this for me.¡±

    ¡°Whew!¡± Fenrick let out a huge breath of relief and jumped out of the chair. ¡°Thanks a bunch Eppy¡­ er, I mean Principal Eppers. I assure you I¡¯ll be on my best behavior from now on. You made the right choice!¡±

    ¡°I really hope so, Fenrick, I really do.¡±

    Fenrick turned around and made his way to the door with a pep in his step¡ªbut before he could make his exit¡ªPrincipal Eppers had just one more thing to say.

    ¡°Before you go,¡± she stood up from her desk as Fenrick apprehensively turned back around. ¡°I just want to mention that we are all the grand-children of Ephyreon, and he¡¯s always there to look out for us. I sincerely believe that choosing to walk his path will change you for the better. All you need to do is accept and embrace him and let his light shine down on you. This coming Sunday, I¡¯d be more than happy to take you to the Eternal Flame Cathedral Service I go to tendaily and show you all the wonderful things being a follower of Ephyreon will bring to you. In fact, I can give you a copy of the Tome of the Blind Witness for you to read in the meantime,¡± she knelt down to open a drawer from her desk and began rifling through it.

    ¡°No thank you, Principal Eppers. I personally think you should give all that preaching stuff a rest. No one¡¯s buying into all that bullshit. See ya later!¡± Fenrick waved goodbye as he exited the office. He quickly closed the door before Principal Eppers got the chance to give him an earful.

    Fenrick managed to escape not only Ziggy Ratt¡¯s ambush, but also a harsh punishment from Principal Eppers. He can¡¯t wait to tell his teammates the good news, but will he be able to STAY out of trouble ¡®til their scheduled matchup with Gungannon? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 4: The Fourth Member

    While Fenrick was in the midst of his conversation with Principal Eppers, the bell to begin the second class of the day had rung. All the students who weren¡¯t in trouble had settled into their next period classrooms. Caleo and Arcanus sat next to each other in the computer lab for their technology education class. Next to Caleo sat Zeratron, the fourth member of the fourth-year Team Arena Squad of Hardires High.

    Zeratron was one of the biggest and imposing students at Hardires High. He had a brawny, muscular build that gave him a downright menacing appearance. His brute force in the arena was a vital part of what made their team so successful. Oftentimes, he could intimidate opponents just by looking at them with his dark crimson eyes that could pierce right through their mental defenses.

    Something else that unnerved combatants and spectators alike were the deep, jagged scars that ran across the sides of his shaved head. How he came to get those scars was a mystery yet to be solved. He already had them when he first arrived at Hardires High and never told anyone of their origins.

    His origin as a whole was also a mystery to everybody in Hardires High. He enrolled in the school the beginning of sophomore year and attended the gladiator try-outs before the semester started. Many people wondered who he was when they saw him step out onto the training field for the first time. He went on to greatly impress everyone that witnessed his fighting skills, Caleo most of all. Afterwards, the captain personally offered Zeratron a spot on the squad.

    Zeratron was not only an enigma in the arena, but also within the school. He was certainly treated like the star fighter he was, but at the same time was oddly distant from any interactions or friendships outside of his teammates. Even then, neither Caleo, Arcanus, or Fenrick knew too much about his personal life, even after two years of comradeship.

    When Caleo entered the computer lab, he plopped his books down next to his computer and slumped down in the seat between his two teammates.

    ¡°Bad news, Z-Tron, Fen¡¯s stupid ass got sent to the principal¡¯s office all because Archie just had to answer the questions he got wrong.¡± He informed Zeratron of the incident that transpired the previous class period.

    ¡°He really couldn¡¯t keep himself from getting in trouble just two days before our match?¡± Zeratron said dispiritedly.

    ¡°Well get this, he actually didn¡¯t flip out on the first question¡­ Unbelievable as that may sound. But he of course got something else wrong and sure enough, Archie just had to suck up to Mrs. Hydraslaughter and drop a bunch of names no one cares to know about but him. That was when Fen started losing his shit and showing his ass to the class and whatnot,¡± Caleo explained further.

    Zeratron shook his head slowly as he looked past Caleo and over at Arcanus. ¡°You know very well how he acts when things like that happen, but you do it anyway. You really should try to put the team before yourself,¡± Zeratron told his teammate.

    ¡°Well¡­I mean¡­You know.¡± Arcanus tried to think of something to tell them.

    ¡°Well, I mean, I know you are kind of a fucking nerd,¡± Caleo said, ¡°and because of that, we now have to worry about finding a replacement on such short notice yet again.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arcanus said while awkwardly adjusting his glasses. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound like a dick, but it¡¯s not my fault Fen performs so unsatisfactory in class. Everyone knows that the only reason he¡¯s still on the team is because teachers constantly let him slide on most of the school work¡ªnot to mention the familial connection with Eppers. If he wasn¡¯t such a valuable asset in the arena and cousin to the principal then he almost certainly would have been expelled by now.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Well, whatever the case, we have to think of something or else we¡¯ll probably be kissing our two-point-five-year-long winning streak goodbye,¡± Caleo said. ¡°Gungannon is the only other undefeated team in our division, so they¡¯re not going to be pushovers like in the previous years.¡±

    ¡°The duos team just took a bad loss last week; I¡¯m not sure if either of them would be up for substituting so soon,¡± Zeratron told them.

    ¡°Damn, and Dex was the one who filled in for us last year. We could have really used him this time around,¡± Caleo pondered over the potential options. Being the team captain of the arena squad was a privilege he was certainly proud of, but it could also at times become a huge burden. Whenever something went wrong within the squad (such as unstable teammates), it fell upon him, not the other three, to fix the situation.

    Though at times it could be stressful, he always managed to pull through and lead his team to victory. His success as the captain of a 2-time-championship winning TAS had garnered him heaps of praise. Some even went so far as to call the team he was in charge of ¡°The New Heroes of Hardires¡± and Caleo himself ¡°The Second Coming of Beardly¡± because he supposedly had a similar fighting style to the legendary warrior. Caleo didn¡¯t put too much thought in those comparisons though, but at the same time didn¡¯t really mind people speaking so highly of him.

    ¡°This is quite the unfortunate predicament indeed. I am sorry for having caused such an inconvenience,¡± Arcanus said solemnly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; I¡¯ll discuss the situation with some people after school. I¡¯ll work it out,¡± Caleo assured him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking, you three, class has started,¡± The technology education teacher, Mr. Saxo, ended their conversation when he walked by their stations.

    The three turned on their computers and logged in. Arcanus went right to his school documents and got to work, while Caleo managed to sneak in a game of the popular online computer game God Wars Card Battle! before getting to his schoolwork. Meanwhile Zeratron scrolled through the Hardires news site. His eyes widened as a look of immense shock flashed across his face when he read through one of the headlines. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head, but he managed to regain his composure before anyone noticed. For the rest of the class, Zeratron barely spoke a word, which Caleo and Arcanus found peculiar, but refrained from asking about it.

    Midway through the class, Fenrick strolled into the computer lab. All was completely silent and calm, with only the tapping of keyboards or the clicks of computer mice audible.

    ¡°Hey guys, good news!¡± Fenrick shouted as soon as he spotted his three teammates. ¡°Angela let me slide, so I¡¯m good to go for the match on Donday!¡± He spoke loud enough that everyone in the lab heard. Most of the students quietly exhaled a sigh of relief knowing that their school¡¯s undefeated streak was no longer at risk.

    ¡°Excuse me, Fenrick, you don¡¯t belong in this class. Please leave and get to where you¡¯re supposed to be!¡± Mr. Saxo hissed from his desk.

    ¡°Ugh, why you always gotta bust my balls, Saxo?¡± Fenrick groaned, but then hushed up as Caleo gave him a death stare that made his spine tingle and butt-cheeks clench. He silently made his way out of the lab. Before he exited though, he took a piece of printer paper from a table near the door, crumpled it up, and threw it at Arcanus right before running out the door. The paper ball bonked Arcanus right on the side of the head, which got a quick involuntary laugh out of Caleo.

    Once the lunch bell rang and the TAS made their way towards their lockers, Arcanus (under much persuasion from Caleo) made a reluctant apology to Fenrick for constantly showboating his intellect at his expense. Fenrick accepted the apology in his own odd way, saying that one day Arcanus will be the one to get a question wrong. Once he does, Fenrick will be there to correct him and it will finally be his turn to gloat and be praised by Mrs. Hydraslaughter. Arcanus not only accepted the challenge, but encouraged it (for in his mind Arcanus knew that Fenrick would never get the chance to correct him, for he would never get a question wrong).

    With their beef squashed, Fenrick, Arcanus, Caleo, and Zeratron made their way to the cafeteria to get some lunch.

    And just like that, all was well between the four members of the Team Arena Squad. BUT they are not in the clear yet, as they still need to get through the remainder of the school week without further incident. Also, what exactly did Zeratron read on the news that caused him such distress? What revelations will unfold in the short days leading up to their anticipated bout with Gungannon Primary? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 5: LUNCH TIME!

    The four arena teammates got the chance to talk further once the lunch bell rang. By that time, someone had finally noticed the sizable holes that were mysteriously punched through the concrete walkway in the courtyard. The staff sealed off the entirety of the courtyard to investigate, inconveniencing many students who had to take the long way around the school to get to lunch.

    All the senior students eventually congregated to the noisy cafeteria, where the strong midday sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling. Arcanus, Caleo, Zeratron, and Fenrick sat together at their usual round table in the cafeteria¡¯s center, where they would casually go over arena tactics for their next battle. In the days leading up to an arena bout, many of the students passing by with their lunch trays would drop by quick messages to the squad, such as ¡°good luck this ten-end!¡± and ¡°Go Team Hardires!¡± Caleo would half-heartedly wave to them or quickly say thanks despite preferring not to be bothered while eating his lunch.

    ¡°Alright, now we just need to make sure you can get through tomorrow with no trouble,¡± Caleo told Fenrick, who had just sat down with a trayful of veggies.

    ¡°Right,¡± Fenrick slowly nodded, thinking about the tough challenge that laid ahead of him. ¡°Maybe I can just stay home tomorrow; say that I¡¯m sick. My parents are rarely home anyway so they would never notice.¡±

    ¡°I would not recommend that,¡± Arcanus said while sipping on soup from a plastic bowl. ¡°Not only is it lying, but you¡¯ll be missing out on some much-needed education.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s so freaking lame though,¡± Fenrick stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork. ¡°Something¡¯s bound to piss me off, and it¡¯ll probably be you again Archie. Maybe if I eat some drowsing herbs before school I can just sleep through the whole day.¡±

    ¡°Or you can maybe just, I don¡¯t know, try your best not to flip out on everything, just for one day?¡± Caleo suggested.

    Fenrick took a second to think it over. ¡°Yeah, I guess I can give that a shot. Hey, as a way to celebrate me not getting suspended, you all want to hit up the arcade tomorrow night?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that should be fun,¡± Caleo nodded, ¡°but don¡¯t go thinking you¡¯ll be beating my high score in Orc Wars 9!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know I¡¯ll be beating it,¡± Fenrick rubbed his hands in anticipation. ¡°I got a shitload of copper coins saved up that I¡¯m gonna pour nonstop into that motherfucker; that score is going down!¡±

    ¡°I shall be there as well,¡± Arcanus said, ¡°they got a new basketball machine installed that I¡¯ve been eager to try.¡±

    ¡°Cool. What about you Z-Tron? You going?¡± Caleo asked Zeratron, but he didn¡¯t answer. Zeratron¡¯s mind seemed to be elsewhere, completely closed off from the outside world.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Caleo stared at his distracted teammate. ¡°Anyways, since we know that Fen won¡¯t be suspended, we should probably talk strategy for Donday,¡± he addressed the rest of his team and they huddled around the table.

    Before they could get too into it, they heard a voice calling for Caleo. They turned around and saw a tall, slender girl with deep silver hair approach their table.

    It was Ophelia Warmack: the undisputed top female fighter at Hardires High. She was also Caleo¡¯s girlfriend, who in turn was viewed as the best male fighter in the school (though there were some who believed Zeratron may have been a bit more powerful). The two were widely regarded as the ultimate power couple, and many of the students at Hardires High and even other schools envied them greatly for both their combat skills and attractiveness.

    Ophelia was already school royalty before her first year, being the daughter of Ivy Silvestry: the two-time solo high school world champion who eventually went on to have a prestigious collegiate career as well as fight professionally. She was considered a pioneer in women¡¯s gladiatorial combat, and everybody had high hopes for her daughter to follow in her footsteps. In Ophelia¡¯s first year, she was a solo gladiator like her mother. In her second year however¡ªafter coming up short in the semi-finals of the solo world championships¡ªshe decided to join the duos team with her childhood friend and had achieved success ever since.

    Ophelia entered her fourth and final year of high school under a lot of pressure. In her first three years, she had won the world duos championship once. There had been gossip among the school saying that if she did not win two trophies like her mother, then she would be viewed as a disappointment to both her and the school. Some had said things that had really got under her skin, the worst one came from a newspaper that said, ¡°She may have inherited her mother¡¯s silver hair, but maybe not so much her impeccable combat skills.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Even with being captain of the four-man team, who had won it all twice, Caleo often told her to not let the background noise get to her head. Ophelia always appreciated his support, and was very fond of him. She scooted a chair right up next to Caleo and sat down, leaning on his arm.

    ¡°Hey boop-boop,¡± Caleo greeted with the pet name he had given her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget our plans for tonight, did you?¡± She immediately asked once she sat down.

    ¡°Uh, no,¡± Caleo said with subtle uncertainty, ¡°it¡¯s definitely still on, yeah.¡±

    Ophelia looked at him doubtfully. She took a bite of the shiny red apple she held and chewed with suspicion.

    ¡°We were just talking strategy for Donday,¡± Caleo announced before Ophelia had a chance to press further. ¡°What do we know about this Gungannon team we¡¯re facing, Archie?¡±

    ¡°I know the names of three of them; Hyata, Urk, and Cadaroc. All of them had just transferred to Gungannon primary this year, so not much is really known about them.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s sure a lot to go on,¡± Caleo said sardonically. ¡°What about the fourth member?¡±

    ¡°The fourth one is also a recent transfer that replaced a former member, who was removed for unknown reasons. I know absolutely nothing about the replacement since they haven¡¯t updated their website¡¯s roster page.¡± Arcanus explained.

    ¡°Oh, I think I actually met that one this morning,¡± Fenrick commented casually while munching on a carrot. Caleo and Arcanus looked at him quizzically.

    ¡°What? Why the hell didn¡¯t you mention that before?¡± Caleo asked.

    Fenrick shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know he was kinda weird. Went on about how he was my biggest fan after he tried attacking me with giant vines or robotic dildos or whatever the hell they were. Then after talking about how much he wanted to beat me off ¡®til I respected him or something like that, he walked into a tree and disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now I know why. Cause you made it up.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I refuse to believe a conversation that stupid ever took place.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°What was his name then?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember¡­ Piggy Sack or something.¡±

    Arcanus chortled at the name given. ¡°Oh right, and I bet he said that he¡¯s friends with Ziggy Ratt of all people.¡±

    Upon hearing the name, Fenrick snapped his fingers. ¡°Yeah, that was his name! Ziggy Ratt.¡±

    Caleo and Arcanus laughed at Fenrick, but when they saw the earnestness in his expression, their smiles dropped.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t serious, right? You met Ziggy Ratt¡ªthe Ziggy Ratt?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess.¡±

    ¡°The same Ziggy Ratt from Bob and Ziggy?¡±

    ¡°The fuck¡¯s Bob and Ziggy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I love Bob and Ziggy!¡± Ophelia said gleefully.

    ¡°Wonderful to know. Still doesn¡¯t tell me anything¡­¡± Fenrick impatiently drummed his fingers on the lunch table.

    ¡°It¡¯s a television show currently in its first season,¡± Arcanus explained. ¡°It stars Ziggy Ratt the druid and Bobongo the frog dragon as they go on numerous comedic adventures.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a massive hit since its premiere,¡± Caleo added. ¡°I¡¯m surprise you¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a druid, I don¡¯t own a TV,¡± Fenrick said like it should¡¯ve been common knowledge.

    ¡°Well, this druid is on TV, and you need to see an episode so you can confirm if it was really him you saw.¡± Caleo said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a new episode coming on this afternoon, actually,¡± Arcanus informed them. ¡°Maybe we can all go watch it after school.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d probably be best,¡± Caleo agreed. ¡°Hey Z-Tron, you¡¯ve said your place is pretty close to the school, right? Can we watch it at your place?¡±

    Zeratron didn¡¯t answer. Since the start of lunch, all he did was stare down at his tray of uneaten food. It was obvious that he hadn¡¯t paid attention to anything that had been said.

    ¡°Zeratron!¡± Caleo raised his voice. Zeratron seemed to finally snap out of whatever spell he was under and looked at his captain blankly.

    ¡°Mind if we go to your place to watch The Bob and Ziggy Show?¡± Caleo asked again.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure,¡± Zeratron nodded lightly.

    ¡°Nice. You wanna come along and check out Zer¡¯s pad, boop-boop?¡± Caleo asked Ophelia.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I got tutoring to do after school,¡± she gave a sly look towards Fenrick eating his lunch. ¡°You know Fenny, I heard you had some trouble in history class earlier. There¡¯s still a spot available after school today, I can help you with some of your homework.¡±

    ¡°The hell you just call me?¡± Fenrick said before taking a big bite of lettuce. He chewed slowly while pointing his fork at Ophelia. ¡°Never call me that again. Besides, I can¡¯t, got this huge intel mission to do after school, remember?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re only watching TV,¡± Arcanus said. ¡°If you would rather stay in school and improve your grades, we would understand completely.¡±

    At that, Fenrick slammed his fork on the table.

    ¡°Can. You. Please. Stop?¡± He seethed at Arcanus.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. One of us can record the episode for you on videotape. Why don¡¯t you take this afternoon to better your grades?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go FUCK YOURSELF!¡± He yelled so loud that it echoed throughout the cafeteria. He grabbed a carrot off his plate and threw it at Arcanus, then got up and stomped away from the table. Many eyes stared at him as he kicked open the doors to the outdoor section of the cafeteria and disappeared into the bright daylight.

    ¡°Wow. That guy has some major issues,¡± Ophelia commented once Fenrick was out of sight.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arcanus said while wiping carrot residue from his uniform jacket. ¡°But I must say, he is quite the fighter.¡±

    Fenrick¡¯s fateful meeting with Ziggy Ratt proved to be more meaningful than he had originally thought. Him and his teammates have decided to walk to Zeratron¡¯s house after school to show him an episode of Ziggy¡¯s television show¡­ but they may not get there without first running into some trouble. What kind of trouble would that be, you say? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 6: Green Street Posse

    Like sweet music to every student¡¯s ears (besides maybe Arcanus¡¯), the final bell echoed throughout the school, bringing an end to yet another day at Hardires High. Hordes of students elatedly poured out of their classrooms to either go home for the day or prepare for their afterschool clubs or activities.

    The Team Arena Squad of Hardires High exited through the front doors of their red-bricked, three story school and walked between the departing buses to begin their lengthy walk down the shoulder of the ten-lane highway. Fenrick¡¯s mood had cooled considerably since lunch, and the incident wasn¡¯t brought up by him or the others.

    Cars of all shapes and sizes zoomed past them on the highway. Some of them beeped their horns in recognition of the four pedestrians, who were considered hometown heroes not only in the school, but by the entire city. Caleo excitedly pointed out a ¡¯68 Dwarfwagon Sleipnir¡ªa classic eight-wheeled muscle car that he greatly admired¡ªas it roared by them.

    As they looked down the long highway, the skyscrapers that dominated the cityscape stood in the shadow of the much more dominant Cabin Peak, an isolated mountain with a bare, craggy top and forest-covered body. It had stood watch over the city of Hardires since its founding five thousand years ago¡ªand would undoubtedly watch over it for thousands more.

    Eventually, the skyscrapers grew and the highway they walked on shifted into a bridge running over a deep, wide gully. The bridge used to be for a proud river that ran through the city but had long since dried up. The four had to pass under the bridge in order to cross the highway and reach the residential district where Zeratron lived. They ran down the steep slopes of the gully all the way to the litter-filled bottom of the dry river bed and were about to enter the shadowy space beneath the bridge.

    Fenrick kicked at an empty tin can, repulsed to see so much trash upon the ground. The dry river-bed was not only a place that careless drivers threw trash in, but also one of the hotspots for crime in the city. Fully aware of this, the four didn¡¯t want to be down there any longer than they needed to.

    Before they could enter the bridge¡¯s dark underbelly, they heard the sound of an automobile driving up behind them. They turned around and spotted a boxy, orange-colored van heading their way up the gully. It was distant at first, but as it grew into view, they could clearly see past the broken headlight and cracked windshield two large, misshapen heads. The rear bumper of the van sunk so low that it skidded along the dirt, as if immense weight inside the van put major strain on its suspension. By then, the four realized exactly what it was that came up on them.

    ¡°Oh gods, not today¡­¡± Caleo groaned.

    Once it got close enough, the van screeched to a halt in front of them. The driver and passenger immediately jumped out, and the backdoor slid opened. The van contained a crew of shirtless, muscular, green-skinned humanoid creatures. When they all exited, the van groaned in relief as it was relieved of its hefty passengers. They approached the four with cocky, ugly grins.

    ¡°Goblin-kin¡­¡± Zeratron said lowly, ¡°what could they possibly want?¡±

    ¡°Look what¡¯s strayed onto our turf,¡± the driver, an orc wearing sunglasses, grunted out. There were five of them in total; 2 orcs, 2 goblins, and an ogre. The goblins, who were the more ancient and primitive of the goblin-kin (hence the namesake) had darker green skin, long ears and noses, and were smaller and scrawnier than their other kin. The orcs¡¯ stature and height were most similar to humans, but even then, were stronger and thicker than most humans could ever dream. Many of them had sizable tusks that jutted out of their lower jaw. One of the orcs had a spiked mohawk, with each spike dyed a different bright shade of color. The ogre¡ªwhich was by far the biggest goblin-kin (and no doubt the bane of the van¡¯s existence), stood at the back of the group and was almost a full head taller than the orcs¡ªnot only that, but this one had two heads.

    ¡°Looks like the much-beloved and treasured gladiator team of Hardires High,¡± one of the goblins said in a raspy, scratchy voice. ¡°How careless of them to wander right into the territory of the Green Street Posse!¡± it and the other goblin cackled maniacally.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ we don¡¯t really want anything you¡¯re offering,¡± Caleo said to the goblin-kin. ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry and don¡¯t really have time to play with you all,¡± he explained. They had a few run-ins with goblin-kin in the past, and it never once ended well.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad for you,¡± the orc with the mohawk told Caleo. ¡°Cuz like it or not, we¡¯re gonna beat you senseless like the worthless cunts you are!¡± It bared its yellow tusks and laughed lowly.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Caleo cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Do you kiss your ugly mother with that disgusting mouth?¡±

    ¡°Um, hate to interrupt, Caleo, but I think you should now that orcs nor any goblin-kin for that matter have mothers or fathers or parents of any kind,¡± Arcanus interrupted.

    ¡°Shut the hell up, Archie!¡± Caleo turned on his teammate. ¡°You just ruined my joke. For once, could you try not to be a goddamn nerd about everything?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying,¡± Fenrick blurted. ¡°He just can¡¯t turn it off!¡±

    The goblin-kin quickly grew irritated over the fact that their threat went ignored.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Psycho Hawk?¡± The lead orc with the sunglasses roared. ¡°What he says is the truth. We¡¯re gonna beat you all down and fuck you silly!¡± It made another vulgar threat to the four.

    ¡°Oh yeah? You and what penis?¡± Fenrick asked. After a short, heavy silence listening to the cars on the bridge above, both him and Caleo started to laugh hysterically.

    The Green Street Posse looked absolutely enraged by the two laughing at their expense. It was no secret that all goblin-kin had no reproductive organs. They were born from much different means than the other humanoid races: from the vast Birth Mire in the center of their homeland of Fluffy Meadows. They grew in the ground like planted seeds and then emerged fully-grown from the muck. Because of this, each type of goblin-kin (goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, trolls, and ogres) are biologically the same and aren¡¯t separated by gender.

    The lead orc with the sunglasses pulled a big, rusted knife out of its pants and twirled it around. ¡°How bout I fuck your throat with this knife, blondie?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Caleo and Fenrick ceased their laughter and turned their attention back to the matter at hand.

    Caleo sighed deeply and shook his head, ¡°So, you all really want to do this?¡± He asked them.

    ¡°This and so much more,¡± the mohawked orc answered and pounded his fist.

    ¡°What about you, Ogre, got anything to say?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t know how to talk,¡± one of the goblins told him.

    ¡°It¡¯s got two brains and two mouths, but can¡¯t talk?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Figures.¡±

    Without hesitation, Caleo made his move and was on top of the goblin-kin gang in a flash, targeting the knife-wielding, sunglass-wearing orc first. He jumped in front of him and bent his knees, lowering himself. When the orc looked down, trying to process the swift movements of the human, Caleo delivered a swift uppercut straight to the jaw. The orc stumbled back a few steps, dazed, but not down for the count.

    One of the goblins lunged at Caleo, looking to claw at him with its sharp nails, but it stood no chance against the skilled fighter. When it was within reach, Caleo hammered his fist down onto the back of its head, driving the goblin facedown into the hard dirt. Once the first goblin was down, the orc came rushing back, stabbing at the human with its knife. Caleo had no fear of the sloppy attack; he side-stepped the knife and swatted the orc¡¯s arm away with ease. When the orc was stumbling and vulnerable to attack, Caleo delivered a swift strike to the face that shattered its sunglasses. Those two powerful strikes were all it took to take the orc down, and it collapsed onto the ground.

    Fenrick was next to jump into the fray. Inspired by his captain¡¯s fearless charge into mortal danger, he jovially charged towards the mohawked orc with his fist cocked back. He landed a punch right into its green gut, but the orc¡¯s abdomen was as hard as stone. Fen felt his knuckles crack and splinter with pain. He gave a pain-filled yelp and tried to shake the hurt out of his hand, leaving his opponent with an easy opening. The orc swung his massive, meaty fist with full force and connected with Fenrick¡¯s jaw. Fenrick fell to the ground with both hand and jaw throbbing in pain.

    Before the mohawked orc could do any more damage to Fenrick, Zeratron was there to defend his teammate. He tackled the orc to the ground with a shoulder spear to the midsection. They both tumbled to the ground in a heap. Once Zeratron powered himself on top of the mohawked orc, he rocked it with a few heavy punches to the face. Dark, bubbling blood erupted from the orc¡¯s pierced nose. Zeratron delivered one final knockout blow that put the second orc out of commission.

    Wanting to avoid any further conflict, Arcanus performed a quick hand sign to cast a sleep spell on the goblin that jumped at him. It immediately dropped like a rock onto the dry river bed as if it were a feathery mattress and snored loudly. While the ogre looked around, bewildered over the sudden defeat of its posse, Caleo took advantage. He jumped on the hood of the Green Street van and jumped again into the air and launched a spinning roundhouse kick that connected to the side of one of its bulky heads. The head that was kicked knocked hard into the other head of the ogre. It stumbled around in a daze. ¡°Uwahh,¡± one of the heads moaned, ¡°Urghhh,¡± the other one groaned. Arcanus conjured a quick, sputtering fireball in his hands and launched it at the ogre¡¯s massive chest. It exploded violently on impact and the ogre lurched backwards. With a charred mark on its torso, the massive ogre finally fell to the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

    Just as quick as it started, the fight between the Team Arena Squad of Hardires High and the Green Street Posse came to an end.

    ¡°I almost had him, I almost had that bastard¡­¡± Fenrick said as Arcanus aided him to his feet. ¡°Ouch! I think my hand is broken!¡± He gingerly held his swollen fist in his undamaged hand. ¡°We might need to go to a hospital. This is pretty serious guys; my hand hurts really really bad!¡±

    ¡°Well at least we know your jaw ain¡¯t broken,¡± Caleo quipped as he stepped over the downed ogre with his hands in his pockets.

    As the other three surveyed the scene, Caleo had already moved past the altercation and headed under the bridge. The other three quickly followed suit, leaving the Green Street Posse lying unconscious and bloody upon the ground. The scuffle ended up serving as nothing but a minor roadblock on the way to their destination.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we made it out of there mostly-alright, but I can¡¯t help but feel saddened by what happened back there,¡± Arcanus said once they came out the other side of the bridge. ¡°The goblin-kin were not always so hostile. At one time, they were actually quite civilized and friendly.¡±

    ¡°Shit, apparently it was ALL fine and dandy before our time,¡± Caleo said. ¡°The goblin-kin were peaceful botanists that got along with everyone, the elves weren¡¯t an army of racial extremists, and gnomes weren¡¯t a bunch of rabid drug addicts.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, those seemed like quite pleasant days. I wonder what happened that made things go so sour.¡±

    ¡°Well, with the high elves it¡¯s obvious,¡± Caleo continued. ¡°They just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that humans and elves were marrying more frequently, not to mention the fact that they were producing more offspring together than before. I read an article a while back with a quote from some elf-supremacist that said it ¡®damaged the integrity of the pure elven race¡¯ and then shortly after that they went and closed off their borders to all non-elves.¡±

    ¡°I remember reading that as well. Such an awful thing to have happened. It¡¯s been two years since the closing of Sunnymoon I believe; you barely see any elves around these days.¡±

    ¡°I say good riddance.¡± Caleo spat. ¡°Elves have always thought themselves superior to humans and dwarfs and all the other races. It was obvious even when they tried to pretend that they weren¡¯t. They always looked so pretentious and cocky with their colorful hair and high cheekbones and smug demeanors; I can¡¯t say I ever got along with any of them. A few half-elves I met were decent, I¡¯ll admit, but full ones were always stuck-up assholes. The rest of us can get on just fine without them.¡±

    ¡°Not all elves are like that, I believe. I¡¯ve never met one before, but from what I heard the wood elves are a noble bunch, but are a very private people and probably didn¡¯t greatly oppose their lands¡¯ borders closing as long as the High Elves left them alone.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make them any better in my opinion. Just lesser of two evils really.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do have a point,¡± Arcanus said as he looked up the side of the gully to find a good way back up. ¡°And to think, when God War 4 occurred it was the Heroes of Hardires¡ªfour humans mind you¡ªthat saved the elves from being annihilated by Yogg-blah.¡±

    ¡°Sunnymoon being saved by humans¡­ I guess they choose to forget about that part of their history.¡±

    ¡°Gah, I¡¯m so sick of hearing about ¡®The Heroes of Hardires¡¯ all the damn time!¡± Fenrick derailed the conversation. By that time, a noticeable bruise had formed on the side of his jaw. ¡°Heroes of Hardires this. Heroes of Hardires that. It¡¯s all anybody in this city can talk about cause it¡¯s their only claim to fame. It¡¯s mighty convenient that no one ever mentions the fact that none of them were actually born here.¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that once the Fourth Great War started, all four of them were citizens here and worked for the Hardires Guard Unit.¡± Arcanus countered.

    Fenrick only rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky, saying nothing else.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Zeratron cut in, driving the final nail into the conversation.

    They followed Zeratron up the steep slope out of the dried river and found themselves on the other side of the highway. At last, they were within distance of the residential district. Multiple tall structures stood only a short walk away¡ªsome MUCH taller than others.

    ¡°So, which one of these is your place?¡± Caleo asked, looking around.

    Zeratron pointed up towards the top of one of the tallest skyscrapers in the entire city¡ªan elite star high-rise apartment complex.

    Our four heroes managed to easily overcome the impromptu tussle with the Green Street Posse. Now nothing stands in their way from getting to Zeratron¡¯s pad to watch the newest episode of The Bob and Ziggy Show. But is the Ziggy Ratt from the television show truly the same person that Fenrick encountered in the courtyard earlier? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 7: The Bob and Ziggy Show

    Caleo, Arcanus, and Fenrick gazed skywards in disbelief at the huge structure they headed towards. They were certain that they only needed to pass through the higher-end section of the residential district in order to get to where ever Zeratron¡¯s house was. They would had never guessed that Zeratron actually lived in the prestigious (not to mention extremely expensive) Vahallian Acres Apartment Complex.

    They went into the building in stunned silence. A doorman greeted them upon entering and called Zeratron by name. Once they were in the elevator, Zeratron pushed the button to the 78<sup>th</sup> floor¡ªjust 2 floors short of the very top. The three stared at the glowing button with mouths agape. Though they had never been inside such a fancy place before, they were aware that the higher the floor, the fancier and thus pricier the rooms were. They took the long ride up until the elevator dinged and dropped them off into a nice, clean corridor with paintings of the lush Eastland landscape adorning the walls of the narrow hallway.

    They stopped at a heavily-locked door that had the numbers 8-4 in the center. Zeratron pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked three different locks with three different keys before he opened the door. He welcomed his teammates into his lavish and exquisite penthouse. Upon stepping inside, they still had trouble processing the fact that their teammate actually lived at Vahallian Acres.

    Their jaws dropped to the floor as they gazed upon the penthouse¡¯s interior. The first thing they noticed was a long leather couch with tasseled pillows sitting in front of a big screen television set. Two large speakers that were almost as tall as the tv itself sat on either side of it. Between the couch and the television was a glass coffee table made out of clear crystal with a small stack of magazines on it.

    Looking around more, there was not just one balcony out on the wide, round porch with a breathtaking view of the city, but also one on the second floor that overlooked the first. It was right outside the master bedroom and above the spacious kitchen area. The kitchen itself had a large island in the middle and giant three-door fridge. It was all very extravagant for someone who lived alone.

    ¡°Damnnnn Z! Why didn¡¯t you tell us your pad was this nice?¡± Caleo said as he looked around in awe.

    ¡°I never thought it was worth mentioning,¡± Zeratron said as he walked across the penthouse to open the sliding porch door and allow the late afternoon air to flow in.

    ¡°Wow. That breeze feels heavenly,¡± Arcanus said breathlessly as the cool, pure air hit his face.

    ¡°How can you possibly pay for this place? It must cost a fortune!¡± Caleo asked.

    ¡°¡­I have an annuity that¡¯s given to me monthly, from my mother,¡± Zeratron replied.

    ¡°She must make mad stacks of gold, huh?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Caleo frowned, and just like that a heavy, somber silence quickly filled the lavish penthouse. No one said anything and stood around awkwardly until Zeratron walked over to the big-screen television to turn it on.

    ¡°What channel is airing the show?¡± Zeratron asked.

    ¡°Channel 5,¡± Arcanus answered.

    ¡°Go ahead and take a seat,¡± Zeratron told his teammates. They all sat on the long leather couch except for Fenrick, who did not want to sit on something made from animal skin. He sat right on the floor instead, which wasn¡¯t much of a bother since the floor was topped with clean, soft carpet.

    After sitting through a few commercials, the screen briefly turned black. Then, a jaunty tune started playing through the speakers. On the screen, a young dark-haired man in a green hooded-sweatshirt jumped into frame against a white background. Fenrick immediately recognized him as the exact person he met in the courtyard earlier that day. Though he didn¡¯t think much at the time, the purple eyes were a striking feature which served as a dead giveaway.

    Dropping in from the top of the screen and landing on the ground behind Ziggy with a camera-shaking thud was a massive creature the likes Fenrick had never seen before. It was four-legged and had wings like a dragon, but its rear legs were bow-shaped and it had smooth, slimey skin instead of scales. Its face was also much wider than any other dragon Fenrick had studied. Its eyes were spread far apart and it also had webbed feet.

    The intro sequence played out while a chorus of snapping singers belted out the show¡¯s theme song:

    ¡°It¡¯s The Bob and Ziggy show,

    it¡¯s The Bob and Ziggy show,

    stop what you¡¯re doing,

    and let¡¯s all go,

    to The Bob and Ziggy show!

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely him,¡± Fenrick pointed at the screen. Caleo and Arcanus looked at each other with uncertainty. They decided not to say anything and watched the show unfold.

    After the intro, a stylized title card popped up on the screen that read: Bob and Ziggy go to the Library!

    Ziggy Ratt reappeared on the screen strolling through the entrance of a major city library. Behind him came lumbering in the rare amphibious monstrosity, Bobongo the Frog Dragon. A rousing applause from an un-filmed studio audience was heard as the episode began.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Ah, the library; one of the best places one can find themselves lost in,¡± Ziggy took in his surroundings. ¡°My favorite thing about a library is all the opportunities it offers to enlighten your mind. What is your favorite thing about the library, Bob? Is it the atmosphere, the peace and quiet, the piles and piles of books just waiting to be read?¡±

    ¡°RRIIBBIITT!!¡± Bobongo croaked out in a deep, monstrous ribbit that rattled the bookcases around them. The librarian marched up to the two and shushed the noisy frog dragon.

    The studio audience laughed and all-together yelled, ¡°Oh, Bobongo!¡±

    ¡°This is no time for jokes, Bob, we got learning to do!¡± Ziggy Ratt told the frog dragon and beckoned it to follow him.

    Ziggy Ratt ran to the biggest bookcase he could find while Bobongo followed with short hops behind him. Each hop made the ground rumble. On the last hop, one of the nearby bookcases toppled over, but no one seemed to notice.

    Ziggy scanned a row of thick books and pulled one out. ¡°Wow! Look at this book I found about the Fire Knight Crusade that founded the Eastlands,¡± Ziggy read the cover and turned to his companion. ¡°So, Bob, what book catches your eye?¡±

    The frog dragon raised a massive webbed forefoot. He brought it down upon the bookcase, smashing it to pieces and sending the books it held flying in every direction. The librarian walked back up to Bobongo and once again shushed the frog dragon harshly.

    Ziggy put his hands on his hips, shook his head, and laughed heartedly along with the studio audience.

    ¡°Oh, Bobongo!¡± They all cried to the clumsy frog dragon. Bobongo looked at the camera and gave a sheepish croak.

    The segment ended and the show cut to a commercial that advertised Darmane toilet paper.

    ¡°Bleh, I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so great about that kid,¡± Fenrick commented while sprawled out on the floor. ¡°I¡¯d kick his ass.¡±

    ¡°You have to give him a little credit,¡± Arcanus said. ¡°For being so young, he¡¯s managed to balance being a successful actor, druid, and student-gladiator all at once. Not many people can claim such a feat.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. His acting certainly ain¡¯t nothing special; Bobongo¡¯s the one that carries the whole plot.¡±

    ¡°Heck, and here I figured you would have liked meeting a fellow druid,¡± Caleo chimed in.

    ¡°We¡¯re not the same kind of druid though¡ªjudging by the magic he used earlier, he probably belongs to those Grand Canopy douchebags down south in Greenfoot. I belong to a nomadic band of outcasts that originated from northeast Xerenia.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really that big a difference?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Very.¡± Fenrick sat up. ¡°But, at least he¡¯s not one of those ¡®druid dudes¡¯ that just sit around smoking pipe all day and saying stuff like ¡®nature is so out there maaannnn.¡¯ I¡¯ll give him that much.¡±

    ¡°Well whatever the case, you have confirmed for us that Ziggy Ratt is indeed part of the Gungannon arena squad. That¡¯s certainly something I would have never guessed,¡± Arcanus said. ¡°We really need to put our heads together and come up with a solid plan.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s my proposal,¡± Fenrick spun around to face the couch the others sat on. ¡°We show up, we destroy, we leave. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got one,¡± Caleo said with a grin. ¡°By ¡®destroy¡¯ do you mean like how you ¡®destroyed¡¯ that orc with the stupid mohawk earlier?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I almost had him! You just weren¡¯t looking,¡± Fenrick started. He, Caleo, and Arcanus talked over each other while Zeratron ignored his teammates¡¯ rabble and kept his crimson eyes on the television set.

    Their pointless argument was interrupted by an ear-piercing shriek. They all jumped in fright and covered their ears at the alarming sound. They turned their attention to the porch balcony. What they saw, perched upon the railing, was a tall, noble eagle that stared back at them and flapped its wings proudly. It had a razor-sharp beak that looked like it could break through solid rock and gorgeous golden feathers running down its imposing wingspan.

    ¡°Dad?¡± Fenrick scrambled to his feet and approached the balcony. ¡°What are you doing here? How in the world did you find me? What do you want?¡± He sputtered out his words.

    The golden eagle screeched again in a slightly lower register.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a bruise on my jaw. I got punched by an orc earlier.¡±

    ¡°Screech!¡±

    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t tell mom, I¡¯m fine, seriously!¡±

    ¡°Hey Mr. Freygar!¡± Caleo casually called from the couch. The eagle leaned to the side to look past his son and spread one wing high, waving back to Caleo.

    ¡°Dad, seriously, don¡¯t worry about it, it was just a little scuffle with some goblin-kin. We took care of it¡­ Mom does not need to find out.¡± Fenrick urged.

    ¡°Screech!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be home soon, just let me say bye to my friends first, sheesh!¡± Fenrick crossed his arms and turned his back to the perched eagle.

    After quickly cocking its head in several different directions, the eagle named Mr. Freygar turned around on the railing, flapped its wings, and took off from the penthouse. He soared majestically through the air until he melted into the setting sun.

    Meanwhile, Fenrick huffed back into the penthouse, ¡°Ugh, so damn embarrassing,¡± he said while he covered his eyes, abashed. ¡°My parents are so damn weird; they can¡¯t even bother to be human most of the time.¡±

    ¡°Really? They go everywhere as animals?¡± Caleo said incredulously.

    ¡°Yeah. Apparently, my mom was still a deer the moment she gave birth to me¡­ I literally came out of a deer¡¯s womb.¡± Fenrick said thoughtlessly, then he let out an audible gasp and covered his face with both hands. ¡°Why the hell did I just tell you guys that?¡± His muffled voice came behind his hands.

    ¡°At least you have them¡­ And that they care.¡± Zeratron said just loud enough to hear.

    Fenrick was about to go on another one of his rants, but refrained as the mention of Zeratron¡¯s deceased mother crept back into his and the others¡¯ thoughts. Nothing else was said on the matter. They all decided to watch the rest of ¡°The Bob and Ziggy Show!¡± where Bob and Ziggy went to the zoo and saw all sorts of fascinating creatures including a wyvern, an emerald lake serpent, and a porcupine. Ziggy and Bobongo waved goodbye to the viewers as the credits rolled.

    ¡°Oh, I just remembered!¡± Caleo said once the show was over, ¡°Ophelia wants to go to Movie Hill tonight. I should be grabbing my car and heading to her place right about now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about time I go feed Todd the 3<sup>rd</sup>,¡± Arcanus checked the digital clock that sat on the table next to the front door. ¡°Enfields get quite feisty when they don¡¯t get fed on time.¡±

    ¡°And I guess I should be getting back because¡ªyou know¡ªmy dad literally swooped in here and screeched for me to be home soon.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zeratron apathetically responded.

    ¡°See ya tomorrow, Z.¡±

    ¡°Have a good night, Zeratron.¡±

    ¡°Later, Z-Tron.¡±

    His teammates said their farewells. Caleo and Arcanus exited through the door, while Fenrick randomly ran to the porch and jumped off the balcony of the 78<sup>th</sup> floor. He plummeted towards the ground, but no crash was heard below. With that, Zeratron was left alone in his penthouse to ruminate the events of the day¡ªand what tomorrow may bring.

    It has been confirmed that druid/television star Ziggy Ratt is in fact the fourth member of the Gungannon team. All that¡¯s left for our heroes is to get through the final day of school before their big match. They hope for nothing but a boring, uneventful day¡ªbut will they get it? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 8: PPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY BBBBBBBBAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

    The first half of the school day prior to the big match with Gungannon went by, thankfully, without much incident. Fenrick did his best to stay quiet and cause no disruptions. Zeratron appeared to mostly recover from his brooding mood the previous day. It was by all means a peaceful day of learning.

    While they were scouring the internet before the start of their computer lab class, Arcanus came across an article that talked about Ziggy Ratt being involved in a peaceful protest against the practice of hippogriff hunting by aristocrats in the Eastlands. Needless to say, his involvement gave the protest much more attention than it would have had otherwise. Reading the article, the three couldn¡¯t help but admire how this young druid could take time out of his loaded schedule for causes he was passionate about.

    After a quiet lunch, the four students changed into their gym clothes for their third period physical education class. On this day, they had the chance to be teammates in another sport: baseball. Ophelia was with them; it was the only class where all five were together. The PE class jogged out to the baseball field on the mild but cloudless day and began their warm-up stretches.

    After their stretches, the dwarven PE teacher, Mr. Hammerhawk, commanded them to gather around and asked for volunteers to be the captains for the two opposing teams. There was the blue cap team and the white cap team. Caleo volunteered to be the captain for the blue cap team, but declined to wear the hat, as he didn¡¯t want it to mess up his gelled and slicked-back hair which he spent over an hour every morning getting just right.

    Immediately after Caleo volunteered, Drayson Bucker¡ªa snotty kid that reeked of ignorance¡ªstepped up to captain the white cap team.

    Once the captains were chosen, the tension on the ballfield rose substantially. Caleo and Drayson had a bit of history together. In fact, Drayson was formerly a member of Caleo¡¯s arena squad during freshman year. During that year (when the team was comprised of Caleo, Drayson, Arcanus, and Fenrick), they suffered a single loss during the regular season, and then went on to lose in the finals of the world championship against the Mine Haven team.

    In the aftermath of that severely disappointing season for Caleo and company, many spectators and ¡°professional analysts¡± pointed to Drayson being the weak link, having been knocked out first in both of their losses. Once the second year rolled around, Zeratron, who had just transferred to Hardires High, made an unforgettable first impression during gladiatorial tryouts. Once it was finally time to choose between Drayson or Zeratron, Caleo picked Zeratron without a second thought.

    Needless to say, Drayson wasn¡¯t happy with being kicked off the team and swore that Caleo would regret his decision¡ªthen Caleo¡¯s team went on to be undefeated and win back-to-back world championships.

    Despite being replaced on the team, Drayson had a massive ego and thought that he was the best at everything he did¡ªeven when it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t. He was particularly competitive towards the four-man squad, Caleo in particular. Drayson still tried out for a spot on the team the third and fourth year, but he ultimately didn¡¯t make the cut. Each time, Caleo informed him of the rejection in the nicest way possible, but Drayson couldn¡¯t accept the fact that he wasn¡¯t good enough for the team. Ever since, he¡¯s had it out for the arena captain.

    Once it was time for the captains to pick their team, Caleo picked Ophelia first (for obvious reasons) but ended up picking Fenrick, Arcanus, and Zeratron for his team as well. It wasn¡¯t so much because he wanted to pick them (he deals with them enough in the arena) but more because Drayson refused to pick any of them for his own team. He was determined to show everyone that he could beat all four of them¡ªif not in fighting, then in some other sport.

    Once the teams were assembled and situated, Drayson stomped over to the blue cap team: ¡°You all think the great and mighty Caleo Pyrateson is gonna lead you to victory, do ya? You all think that him and Zeratron, and Fenrick and Arcanus are gonna carry you to an easy win, do ya? You all think that they¡¯re the greatest athletes ever, do ya?¡± Drayson badgered them with his scratchy, condescending tone. ¡°Unfortunately for you, I¡¯m gonna prove to you all that ¡®The New Heroes of Hardires¡¯ are nothing but a bunch of frauds after I lead my team to victory this day on the ball field! What do you gotta say about that, oh captain?¡± Drayson asked as he put on his blue captain¡¯s hat.

    After having to endure listening to the obnoxious speech, Caleo walked up and stood face-to-face with Drayson. Since he was about a foot taller than Drayson, Caleo needed to bend his neck to properly look upon his vocal rival.

    ¡°Well, good luck then. May the best team win,¡± Caleo told him.

    It was an innocuous remark, but he knew full well that it would get under Drayson¡¯s skin much worse than stooping down to his level. It worked. The rival captain¡¯s cocky grin turned into a perturbed frown. Caleo walked away and Arcanus handed him a bat. The game had begun.

    The participants got into their respective positions on the field. ¡°PPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY BBBBBBBBAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!¡± Mr. Hammerhawk announced from behind the white cap teams¡¯ catcher just before he slid his mask over his red-bearded face.

    No one had to wait for the captains to do battle. Drayson stepped onto the pitcher¡¯s mound and Caleo went first in the batting order.

    Caleo stepped up to the plate and pointed to the sky, signaling that he was going to hit a home run on the first pitch. Drayson wasn¡¯t amused by the gesture and wound up a blazing fastball.

    He released the ball and sent it flying towards the plate at high speed. Everyone thought that it would zoom past Caleo before he even had a chance to react¡ªbut with a smirk on his face he swung the bat so fast that it broke and splintered into little pieces upon impact.

    The baseball ripped through the air like a tiny comet, sailing into the blue sky until it became a little white speck that disappeared into the horizon. Mr. Hammerhawk, who served as the game¡¯s umpire, stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds at the sheer majesty of the spectacle before coming to his senses and declaring it a lead-off home run. Caleo jogged around the bases while his team cheered from the dugout and the other team stood in utter shock. The only one who wasn¡¯t shocked from the white cap team was Drayson, who glared intensely at Caleo, red-faced and irate.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The ball game went on with Caleo¡¯s team dominating. The only homerun that Drayson¡¯s team managed to get surprisingly came from the class¡¯s smallest member, a gnome simply known as LD.

    Arcanus was on the pitcher¡¯s mound and was acting cocky towards the match up presented. He threw a rather careless cutter and didn¡¯t expect LD to actually hit it. Swinging the bat in an upwards motion, the baseball was hit without much force and rolled between first and second base. Playing shortstop, Fenrick scooped up the ball and tossed it to Ophelia, who was playing first base.

    Fenrick, like Arcanus, was careless in his execution and overarched his toss. The baseball went over the first basewoman¡¯s head. LD slowly ran around first and was on his way to second while Ophelia scrambled for the ball. Fenrick quickly ran to second base and was ready for the catch. Ophelia picked it up, spun around, and got it out of her hand so quickly that she didn¡¯t bother to aim. The ball went wide left of the second base and went rolling to the other side of the diamond.

    ¡°Oh my god just get him out you idiots!¡± Caleo shouted to his team out of right field.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ophelia hollered over to Caleo, wild-eyed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you, boop-boop, I meant Fen!¡±

    ¡°You said idiots. Plural! You just called your girlfriend an idiot, how could you?¡±

    While Caleo ran to Ophelia to try and calm her down, the ball rolled between the third baseman and Arcanus. Arcanus wanted to try and redeem himself after letting the hit happen, so he jumped off the mound and made a play for the ball in an attempt to toss it to the third baseman. However, since it was closer to the third baseman, he went after the ball as well. Before either of them realized it, they both bumped into each other and fell over. When they hit the ground, the ball rolled just out of reach, and LD ran around them and towards home.

    Zeratron, who was in the catcher position, dropped his mitt in disbelief when LD stepped onto Homeplate. Behind him, Mr. Hammerhawk looked even more dumbfounded than he was with Caleo¡¯s lead-off homerun.

    While LD celebrated his inside-the-park homerun, Arcanus threw his glove down and shouted ¡°Fuck!¡± at the top of his lungs. Mr. Hammerhawk immediately ejected him from the game for unsportmanlike behavior. Humiliated, Arcanus ran into the dugout and didn¡¯t come back out for the rest of the game. Ironically, Fenrick was the one that decided to go after him and managed to calm him down (as he had much experience with getting ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior).

    The game eventually came down to the final inning. Caleo¡¯s blue-cap team needed one more out to put away Drayson¡¯s white-cap team. Fenrick was on the mound as relief pitcher, and Drayson was in scoring position on third base, eager to take his chance to go for Homeplate.

    Fenrick took notice of Drayson¡¯s earnestness and quickly threw the ball to the third baseman. Drayson was able to dive back to third base and saved himself from being out. Fenrick then pitched a sinker that Zeratron caught dead-center in the strike zone. The blue-cap team now needed just one more strike to win the game.

    Fenrick took a deep breath, wound up his pitch and released it, but the white-cap batter (a powerful young woman who was a member of the female team arena squad) was able to get a solid hit as the ball grounded out near third. Drayson launched like a rocket towards home plate at great speed. The third baseman managed to scoop up the ball in time and threw it past Drayson¡¯s head and dead-center into Zeratron¡¯s catcher¡¯s mitt.

    Zeratron blocked the path between Drayson and Homeplate¡ªand right as the ball landed firmly into Zeratron¡¯s mitt¡ªDrayson lowered his shoulder and came charging into Zeratron¡¯s padded chest. Both players tumbled down in a violent collision, but Zeratron was able to hold onto the ball.

    ¡°You¡¯re out!¡± Mr. Hammerhawk emphatically exclaimed, bringing an end to the ball game. The blue-cap team threw their gloves up in the air in celebration.

    Even with his team losing 9 to 1, Drayson just couldn¡¯t accept that he lost the game. He quickly got to his feet and hovered bitterly over Zeratron.

    ¡°The ball was loose, I saw it! He put it back in his glove before anyone saw!¡± Drayson shouted to anyone that would listen to him.

    Zeratron got up with the ball firmly in his hand, ¡°Everyone here knows that isn¡¯t true; quit making a fool of yourself,¡± he calmly said.

    ¡°You calling me a liar asshole?¡± Drayson got up in Zeratron¡¯s face. Much like Caleo, Zeratron was much bigger than Drayson and had to lower his gaze to meet him eye-to-eye.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck. I¡¯m not in the mood today to deal with another one of your little tantrums,¡± Zeratron scowled down at Drayson.

    ¡°What the hell are you gonna do about it? You ain¡¯t jack shit!¡± Drayson yelled, not backing down and causing even more of a scene.

    The other students grew increasingly uncomfortable with Drayson¡¯s behavior. Mr. Hammerhawk tried to step in to defuse the situation, but it was too late¡­

    The length of Zeratron¡¯s arm began to emanate dark, shadowy fingers of an unknown substance. With lightning-fast speed he wrapped his hand tight across Drayson¡¯s throat. He lifted him high off the ground, and the dark shadows crawled up his hand like mist and crawled into Drayson¡¯s mouth, ears, and nostrils.

    As this happened, Drayson¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body began to convulse violently. His arms and legs flailed helplessly like an animal caught in a trap. All of the students began to panic and pleaded for Zeratron to stop, all except Fenrick, who was rather passive to the whole situation, and Caleo, who found the whole thing quite humorous.

    Mr. Hammerhawk had to act quickly, he wrapped his massive dwarven arms around Zeratron and began to squeeze his midsection. Mr. Hammerhawk had the reputation of being one of the strongest beings in the land, placing 2<sup>nd</sup> in the prestigious Jotunn Strength competition in Mine Haven.

    Despite this, Zeratron still didn¡¯t let go. Mr. Hammerhawk didn¡¯t have any time to negotiate with the crazed student, so he squeezed so hard that webs of veins exploded out of his massive arms. Zeratron winced in pain and eventually released Drayson from his dark grip.

    Drayson¡¯s unconscious body slammed down onto the dirt. To make sure he completely defused the situation, Mr. Hammerhawk threw Zeratron away from the scene, tossing him close to thirty feet in the air as if he were a throwing stone. Upon landing safely on his feet, Zeratron glowered angrily at his teacher. With his crimson eyes, he looked frightfully similar to a demon.

    ¡°Zeratron! What on earth has gottin into ye laddie?¡± Mr. Hammerhawk barked at him, ¡°This is completely unacceptable! You march over to the principal¡¯s office right now!¡± the PE teacher ordered, then knelt down beside Drayson to tend to him.

    Zeratron did not immediately follow Mr. Hammerhawk¡¯s orders, but once he took a minute to calm himself down, he made his way back to the school with his head down.

    Caleo and Fenrick stood side-by-side, observing the urgent attention Drayson was receiving from the teacher and students.

    ¡°You do realize this is bad for us, right?¡± Fenrick told his captain, but Caleo couldn¡¯t help but let a smile spread across his face.

    ¡°Probably, but it was so worth it.¡±

    Well¡­ that was unexpected. In an act of justified rage, Zeratron has injured another student and needs to go see Principal Eppers to face the consequences of his actions. What will this mean for Zeratron as well as the team? What kind of ramifications could this incident bring? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 9: Bring Down the Verdict

    In what would be a first for him since becoming a student of Hardires High, instead of going to his final class of the day, Zeratron made a sullen visit to Principal Epper¡¯s office.

    ¡°Zeratron?¡± Principal Eppers looked up in surprise as the student walked in. ¡°Oh boy¡­ I already had the usual suspect in here yesterday. Would have never expected you to be paying me a visit. I hope it¡¯s not anything too serious.¡±

    Zeratron said nothing. He took a seat in front of the desk and stared off towards the far wall. Principal Eppers took the hint that he wasn¡¯t in a talkative mood; they both waited in silence until Mr. Hammerhawk entered the office a few moments later.

    ¡°A rather unfortunate incident occurred during gym class, Miss Eppers,¡± Mr. Hammerhawk told her the second he entered. ¡°Drayson Bucker got into a heated exchange with Zeratron and the situation quickly got out of hand. Drayson is currently in the nurses¡¯ office recovering from some rather foul magic that Zeratron had inflicted upon him.¡±

    Principal Eppers nodded solemnly as she listened to Mr. Hammerhawk, ¡°This is shocking news to hear,¡± she turned her attention to Zeratron, ¡°truly, that doesn¡¯t sound like you at all. What possessed you to do such a thing?¡± she asked, but Zeratron wouldn¡¯t answer. His crimson eyes slowly drifted downwards.

    ¡°I should also like to mention, Miss Eppers, that Drayson did make a very physical play against him during the ball game. Not only that, but he directed some rather harsh words toward Zeratron before he attacked him. Though there is no justification for what he did, it wasn¡¯t entirely unprovoked.¡±

    Principal Eppers put everything Mr. Hammerhawk said into account. ¡°Alright, I need time to think about this. Go to your final class, Zeratron, but after school lets out you need to report back to my office immediately. You as well Mr. Hammerhawk.¡±

    Zeratron got up and left the office without a word. The final class period went by while Principal Eppers quietly sifted through some papers at her desk. A couple minutes after the final bell rang, both Zeratron and Mr. Hammerhawk were back in her office as instructed; their adjourned meeting continued.

    ¡°How is Drayson doing now?¡± Principal Eppers asked Mr. Hammerhawk.

    ¡°I have received word from the nurse that Drayson is fine and is walking home from school under his own power, Miss Eppers,¡± Mr. Hammerhawk informed her.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly good to hear,¡± Principal Eppers said. She then turned to Zeratron and addressed him at length.

    ¡°Despite our vast differences in faith, I know that you¡¯re a good kid. There must have been something really bothering you to act out like this. So, considering the fact that you didn¡¯t injure Drayson¡ªand this was the first time you¡¯ve ever gotten into this kind of trouble¡ªI¡¯ll let you off lightly¡­¡± Principal Eppers cleared her throat, she looked as if she braced for something that would bring Zeratron or maybe even herself pain.

    ¡°Zeratron, you are suspended from the match against Gungannon tomorrow.¡±

    For the first time since entering the principal¡¯s office, Zeratron looked the principal square in the eyes with incredulousness.

    ¡°No, you cannot truly mean that!¡± He jumped out of his chair in a burst of emotion, ¡°You know how important this match is for our school. Suspending me the day before will put our winning streak in serious jeopardy!¡±

    Principal Eppers shook her head slowly. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is true, but I simply can¡¯t let this incident go unaccounted for.¡±

    ¡°Please reconsider, Principal Eppers, just let me fight in the match tomorrow and I promise to serve any other punishment you give me. I beg you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let that happen,¡± Principal Eppers sternly told him. ¡°It¡¯s true, the arena has been a very important source of pride and tradition for our school, but I absolutely refuse to put it before the well-being of one of our own students. When something like this happens, there must be discipline. You¡¯re suspended from tomorrow¡¯s match and that¡¯s the end of it.¡±

    It was difficult for Zeratron to fully process what the principal was telling him, and even harder to accept. With an overwhelming sense of bitter frustration, he pounded the top of Principal Eppers¡¯ desk with his fists and slumped his shoulders, emotionally and morally defeated.

    ¡°I hope I am not interrupting anything.¡±

    A lone, deep voice emerged from the doorway. Prinicipal Eppers and Mr. Hammerhawk looked to see who it was and let out a simultaneous gasp of surprise. Zeratron slowly exhaled, but didn¡¯t bother to raise his head. He knew who it was just by the person¡¯s powerful, palpable presence that seemed to radiate through the office.

    ¡°Chris Christian, sir!¡± Principal Eppers shot up from her desk and bowed politely to the man standing in the doorway. She instinctively clutched the six-armed cross of Ephyreon that hung bright around her neck.

    Chris Christian bowed to the principal. He was a tall man, with a shiny bald head and a well-groomed white goatee. He wore a sleeveless black priest robe which fully exposed his arms, which were as big and round as tree trunks. When he stepped into the office. Mr. Hammerhawk bowed slightly as he walked by. Zeratron finally looked up and stared at the man with somber eyes.

    ¡°My how you have grown,¡± Chris Christian said as he looked the student over. Even with his size and similar broad build, Chris Christian was just a little bit taller and a little bit bigger than Zeratron.

    ¡°Hello, father,¡± Zeratron said in a tone that made it quite apparent that he wasn¡¯t thrilled to see the man.

    ¡°I take it that you have gotten into some trouble,¡± Chris Christian said, ¡°hopefully it was not anything too serious...¡± He turned to the principal.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°What? Oh no, nothing serious at all!¡± Principal Eppers said, waving her hands in the air dismissively. ¡°Everything is absolutely fine!¡±

    ¡°Well, I have been suspended from¡ª" Zeratron started to say.

    ¡°What! What are you talking about Zeratron? I do believe a warning will suffice as proper punishment. Nope, no suspension necessary!¡± Principal Eppers gave a forced laugh, looking starstruck and rather uncomfortable with Chris Christian¡¯s presence.

    ¡°But¡­ Miss Eppers!¡± Mr. Hammerhawk blurted, nonplussed by the sudden reversal, ¡°I don¡¯t believe a mere warning is enough for what happened today."

    ¡°Oh, keep your beard on, Mr. Hammerhawk. The situation¡¯s all water under the bridge now. You are dismissed, Zeratron. Best go and rest up for the big match tomorrow!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Zeratron promptly exited the office.

    ¡°Um, excuse me, High Priest, sir,¡± Principal Eppers stopped Chris Christian before he had the chance to follow Zeratron out. ¡°I wanted to let you know that I have kept your secret safe. I have looked after Zeratron and assure you that not a single soul in Hardires knows of your son¡¯s true identity,¡± she then glanced at the third person in the room. ¡°Well, besides Mr. Hammerhawk just now, but I¡¯m certain that he won¡¯t say a peep about it!¡±

    The dwarven PE teacher gulped hard and nodded repeatedly.

    ¡°I sincerely thank you for your service watching over him, Angela,¡± Chris Christian smiled and nodded. ¡°But keeping our secret is no longer necessary. Please, come visit the First Reign Cathedral next time you are in Piercing Light City, we would love to have you,¡± he said before taking his leave.

    Principal Eppers nearly fainted upon hearing the offer. Once the door closed, she collapsed into her chair and longingly dreamt of the day where she could take Chris Christian up on the offer: to go to Piercing Light City and be welcomed to the greatest place of Ephyrean worship ever to be built.

    ***

    Chris Christian stepped out of the office and, to his surprise, found that Zeratron had waited for him. He stood close by, back pressed up against one of the lockers with his arms crossed and eyes glued to the floor. Once he noticed Chris Christian, they started to make their way down the empty hallway. The school day had long ended and all the students (as well as most of the faculty) had left. They walked in silence; not another soul was around. Their footsteps echoed down the hall as Zeratron walked ahead of Chris Christian, not waiting for his father to catch up.

    ¡°You do not seem very surprised to see me.¡± Chris Christian broke the intense silence between the two.

    Zeratron finally stopped, but didn¡¯t bother to turn to face Chris Christian.

    ¡°I read about your arrival in the headlines yesterday morning. The internet wasn¡¯t going to wait for you to ¡®surprise¡¯ me, father,¡± Zeratron said.

    Chris Christian chuckled to himself. ¡°No, I suppose not¡­ I guess I still have yet to fully grasp the wonders of technology in this day and age.¡±

    ¡°Why have you come?¡± Zeratron demanded. He turned his head to set a crimson eye on his father.

    ¡°Is it not obvious? To watch your match tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You came all the way from Piercing Light City just to watch me fight? I doubt that. Besides, it¡¯s not even here, it¡¯s in Gungannon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am well aware. I was hoping we could spend a little time together before heading to Gungannon.¡±

    ¡°Quit the games. Tell me the real reason. Now.¡± Zeratron said irritably.

    ¡°I have already told you the reason. Why is it so hard for you to comprehend?¡± Chris Christian raised his broad shoulders. ¡°I know we have not seen each other for a very long time, but you should have known that I was going to stop by eventually. You are my son after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the son that you banished from his own homeland. Did you honestly think that dropping by unceremoniously after all this time was going to cheer me up?¡±

    Chris Christian sighed at his son¡¯s response. ¡°This trouble that you were in¡­it did not have anything to do with your dark magic, did it?¡±

    ¡°So what if it did?¡±

    ¡°It is a dangerous power that you possess; one that may come with grave consequences.¡±

    ¡°There are no consequences. It¡¯s been five years since the day I opened that tome and was exiled. I¡¯ve been able to hold my power in check with no problems.¡±

    ¡°Until today.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t control it, maybe I wanted to unleash it. You ever thought about that?¡± Zeratron shot back.

    ¡°That is what I fear the most.¡±

    Zeratron loudly scoffed and shook his head in frustration before he resumed his march down the hall. He didn¡¯t get very far when his father said something that made him stop in his tracks.

    ¡°Since I am here, I was planning on stopping by the Olde Hardires Tavern and try one of their famed Behemoth Burgers for the first time. I was hoping that you would join me.¡±

    Zeratron¡¯s eye twitched. Behemoth Burgers¡ªmonstrous, juicy, succulent meat sandwiches with a taste unique to the city¡ªwere his favorite things in the world. It was the first thing he tasted when he first arrived in Hardires as a lost and broken boy. Since that first bite, he fell in love with the city. How Chris Christian found out about his fondness for them he did not know, but it was no way just a lucky guess. It was an offer that was impossible for Zeratron to refuse¡ªand his father knew it.

    ¡°You paying?¡± Zeratron tried to ask nonchalantly.

    ¡°That should go without saying,¡± Chris Christian answered with a grin. ¡°Let us go, my driver is waiting.¡±

    With that, Zeratron and Chris Christian walked side by side, father and son, through the exit doors. The early dusk sky greeted them as they walked outside¡ªalong with something that took Zeratron by complete surprise.

    Without warning, a series of bright flashes began to assault his vision, along with incessant screaming and shouting that pounded at his eardrums relentlessly. It took a second to gather his bearings, but once he found out what it was, it made him angry all over again.

    A swarm of paparazzi had been waiting at the bottom of the steps for Chris Christian to come out of the building. The horde of photographers and reporters (which were mostly comprised of humans and gnomes) were taking rapid pictures with their cameras and shouting a hundred things at once.

    ¡°High Priest, over here! High Priest!¡± A human reporter cried, waving for Chris Christian to look in his direction.

    ¡°Hold still, ya famous son of a bitch!¡± A sleazy gnome photographer shouted from behind his flashing camera.

    Chris Christian smiled and kindly waved to them all, seemingly amused by all the commotion he caused. Zeratron wasn¡¯t having any of it. On the other side of the paparazzi swarm, he could see the bright white limo that was undoubtedly his father¡¯s. Knowing that the paparazzi were not going to disperse anytime soon, Zeratron stomped down the steps and started pushing and shoving them aside.

    More than a few questions were aimed at him, asking of his business with Chris Christian. He ignored them and eventually managed to reach the limo. Once he did, a halfling wearing a white suit of all things got out of the limo, rushed to the other side, and opened the door for Zeratron.

    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, young Christopher. I have heard so much about you!¡± The limousine driver greeted.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name. Please call me Zeratron,¡± he told the driver before climbing into the spacey vehicle.

    The limousine was the epitome of mobile luxury, but none of it mattered to Zeratron as he sat restlessly on the fine leather seat. He had to wait a while, but eventually, Chris Christian made his way through the swarm of paparazzi that were borderline harassing him and got in with his son. With both of them safely in the limousine, the halfling driver pulled off (nearly running over some gnomes in the process) and headed into the heart of the city.

    Zeratron¡¯s day has taken quite a drastic turn. On the very verge of serving the first punishment in his scholastic career, he was saved by suspension by his father, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for five years. Now they are riding to the Olde Hardires Tavern to get a bite of Zeratron¡¯s favorite food. There is no doubt that Zeratron has many questions for Chris Christian, but will they be answered? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 10: A Dine to Remember

    It was an awkward ride for Zeratron as he sat next to his father, Chris Christian, inside the limousine. Not many words were exchanged between the two during the drive. The man who exiled his own son¡ªa son who was still grieving over his mother¡¯s death¡ªjust turned up at his school after five years. What could he say to him?

    Chris Christian appeared content with looking out his tinted window, observing the distant landmarks of the city. For Zeratron, it seemed like they were riding for hours once they finally arrived at their destination: the Olde Hardires Tavern.

    Once they were parked, the halfling driver opened the door for them and the High Priest and his son exited the limo. There was a striking resemblance between the two, but the stark contrast of Zeratron¡¯s scarred head and eyes of crimson compared to the High Priest''s immaculate appearance made it easy for people to believe that they were not at all related.

    Thankfully for Zeratron, the paparazzi didn¡¯t follow them, and Chris Christian told the driver to take the limo elsewhere so it wouldn¡¯t make their presence in the tavern too conspicuous. The driver obeyed and drove out of the parking lot right as Zeratron and Chris Christian entered the tavern.

    The tavern was cramped, crowded, and dimly-lit by candlelight. Despite this, it had an undeniably rustic charm, even with it being positioned in the middle of a modern city. Bordered by stone walls and topped with a high-beamed roof with thatched edges, it genuinely looked to be a structure made in ancient times. Due to the low light, neither the patrons nor the workers paid much attention to the two that entered.

    They both took their seat in a booth across from each other. Chris Christian took time to fully look around the legendary tavern, soaking in the old-time atmosphere. He spotted the dim profile of the gargantuan head of a dire bear mounted on the far wall. There was also an old, rusted skillet along the wall where they sat and a longbow without its string farther down.

    The candle that glowed at the center of their table emanated a soft warmth between them, but it did not do much to lighten Zeratron¡¯s mood.

    ¡°I have heard many things about this establishment,¡± Chris Christian said to his son. ¡°Legend says that the Heroes of Hardires themselves frequented this very building in their time.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zeratron was quick to point out. ¡°The original tavern was destroyed centuries ago during the Eastland Civil War. The owners claim that they salvaged some of the remains of the structure and used them to build this one, but I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s not true and only the skillet hung up on the wall above us is from the original tavern.¡±

    ¡°Embellishing the truth to make things sound more appealing¡­ They do many things different here than what I¡¯m used to in Xerenia,¡± Chris Christian said thoughtfully. ¡°I am also not accustomed to seeing dwarves and gnomes so frequently. That is a sight that will take some getting used to.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that. I¡¯m surprised to see you have a halfling driving you around, what¡¯s the deal with that?¡±

    ¡°Tasher Littlemann is a good and honest person, and one of very few halflings faithful to the Grandfather of Light.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, your almighty Ephyreon has a bit of trouble tolerating people of different faith in his land. I should know that most of all, right father?¡± Zeratron said.

    Chris Christian frowned at his son. Though human faith was diverse compared to other races, Ephyrism was by far the biggest among them. Piercing Light City¡ªwhich many say is the greatest city ever built¡ªwas made by the humans of Xerenia to honor Ephyreon. That grand city was built five millennia ago and still stood strong, greatly resembling what it looked like upon first creation.

    Before Chris Christian could respond, a young waitress came by to take their orders. It took her a second to recognize the High Priest of Piercing Light City. Once she did, she yelped with astonishment and the two got into a ten-minute conversation about how she was a devout follower of Ephyreon and that she had read every book authored by Chris Christian about the faith.

    Chris Christian smiled and nodded and listened to everything the waitress had to say. He was an immensely popular figure, mainly to anybody who worshipped Ephyreon. Men admired his devout faith and insane workout routine while woman gushed over him for pretty much the same reasons.

    Though he was an older man, many found him to be very handsome. His massive arms that were too muscular to fit in an ordinary priest¡¯s robes drew women in like moths to flame. The fact that his wife (Zeratron¡¯s mother) had passed on gave many the hope that he may marry again one day. Though he had been asked countless times about the possibility of re-marriage, he always had the same answer: that he never knew what Ephyreon had planned for him.

    While the waitress rambled on and on to Chris Christian, Zeratron quietly stared at the flame that danced around the wick of the candle. At last, the waitress finished gushing over the high priest and took their orders, never fully looking over at Zeratron and never fully not looking at Chris Christian.

    ¡°May Ephyreon bless you,¡± Chris Christian said to the waitress. She nearly knocked herself off her feet while Zeratron rolled his eyes.

    ¡°And¡­ And may Ephyreon bless you a thousand times, Mr. Christian!¡± She turned and walked away in a daze, almost bumping into another waitress who was carrying a tray full of food.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think that you escaped answering that last question,¡± Zeratron told his father once they were alone again.

    ¡°It is something you should have remembered from your teachings as a child. Ephyreon is the grandfather of all creation¡ªof the world, of the heavens, of the mortal races and even the lesser gods whom many choose to worship instead of the true and almighty.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no proof to that,¡± Zeratron shot back. ¡°Just because it was written by someone on a slab of stone a long time ago does not make it an undeniable truth.¡±

    ¡°Son, why do you continue lying to yourself?¡±

    ¡°Lie?¡± Zeratron blurted and gave a humorless laugh. ¡°You seriously want to talk about lies? You told everyone that I ran away while in truth I spent two whole years homeless, wandering aimlessly through forests and mountains, knowing not whether I would live to see the next day. I had to fight off countless creatures that wanted to devour me.¡± He pointed to his head, where the prominent scars glistened in the candlelight. ¡°It was only by a miracle¡ªnot by Ephyreon, not even by Zeraphea, but common compassion for a fellow being¡ªthat I managed to be saved and found a home in Hardires.¡±

    ¡°I would not have needed to lie to the very queen herself had you done as I asked. You were supposed to stay put in my retreat on the outskirts of Killmar until I had figured out the best course of action. I am very sorry for what happened to you; I truly am, but you ran away into the wilderness on your own accord.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°You really thought that I would just stay in some hideout in the middle of nowhere? It seems that you didn¡¯t know me as well as you thought. It was very hard and frightening for a twelve-year-old boy, but I do not regret running away, not for a second.¡±

    ¡°Things were bad for me as well. In such a short span I had lost the two things I held most dear: my wife and my son. I exhausted all resources trying to find you, and once I finally discovered where you were, I made sure to have a few trusted men and women¡ªyour principal being among them¡ªto make sure you were looked after. I even sent you the finances necessary for you to live a comfortable life here in your new home.¡±

    ¡°And you think just because you gave me money that I should forgive you? I didn¡¯t need your money and never did. I survived the untamed wilds of the Eastlands with only my two hands. Forgiveness is something that won¡¯t come easily after what you did to me.¡±

    ¡°Believe me when I tell you son that exile was the only option. There were members of the clergy that wanted to see you executed. You know that I couldn¡¯t have allowed such a terrible thing to happen. However, there is no denying that you did attack innocent people using dark arts that were greatly feared and forbidden among our people. There was no way for you to escape a harsh punishment.¡±

    ¡°But it was an accident, I could have explained myself¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, you couldn¡¯t,¡± Chris Christian raised his voice, but immediately caught his emotions and lowered his head as well as his voice. ¡°You were a child then, and in many ways you¡¯re still a child now. Ever since that day, I have worked tirelessly to make things right. It has taken me years to process my appeal to Queen Brigid, but I¡¯m happy to say that it¡¯s finally done,¡± Chris Christian smiled brightly at his son, which threw Zeratron off guard.

    ¡°It is all done; I have gotten everything in order, and with the queen¡¯s blessing this nightmare has finally come to an end for us both.¡±

    Zeratron¡¯s eyes widened; a chill went up his back as he realized what his father meant.

    ¡°Yes, this is the real reason I have come. To tell you personally that you can now come home, my son. Not only that, but The Exorcist Abbey has offered to cleanse you of the dark powers you¡¯ve been forced to live with all these years. Once that happens, you will be eligible to enter the Holy Order of Praxus.¡± Chris Christian leaned forward in excitement. ¡°Do you know what that means, son? You can fulfill your dream of becoming a paladin!¡±

    Zeratron was speechless, but Chris Christian continued.

    ¡°Do not worry anymore; I have it all planned out for you. Once you¡¯ve graduated high school here in Hardires, you can come back to Xerenia¡ªto your true home in Piercing Light City¡ªwhere you will be exorcised, blessed, and reborn anew. After that, we¡¯ll immediately sign you up for the Praxus Training Academy, where you will have the chance to become what you always dreamed of.¡± Chris Christian¡¯s eyes grew moist as he stared at the candle, which started to burn dark and low. ¡°I still remember the great parade on King¡¯s Avenue. You were just a small child sitting on my shoulder as you watched in absolute awe the armored paladin regiment marching in perfect formation. The wonder on your face was limitless. After the parade, you were infatuated with the ways of the paladin. You wanted nothing else but to become one when you were older. When that terrible night came, I truly thought your dream had died, and was greatly saddened. But now, with Ephyreon¡¯s blessing, that dream is alive for you once again! Tell me, how do you feel?¡±

    Zeratron didn¡¯t respond for a few minutes, but Chris Christian waited patiently for his son to process all the wonderful information he had given him. Once he finally responded, however, it was not what Chris Christian expected.

    ¡°You know, father, since you were not around these past few years, I had to look elsewhere for figures to look up to and learn from. An unlikely source of inspiration was Skinnos, one of the Heroes of Hardires. He was a Necroknight, a user of dark magic like myself, but he used his powers for good. I have grown accustomed to using these dark arts that you and many others view as a curse. I don¡¯t see why instead of being cleansed of them; I can use my powers for good as well, just like he did.¡±

    ¡°I am well aware of who Skinnos was, but heroes of that caliber only come around once every millennium. He was able to control his dark powers and use it for the good of the world, yes, but he is a very rare exception. Most followers of Zeraphea succumb to her darkness and are controlled by evil.¡±

    ¡°But I have not.¡±

    ¡°Christopher, you know full well that you can never become a paladin as long as you possess Zeraphea¡¯s darkness.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name anymore, and have you thought for one second these past five years that my ¡®dreams¡¯ may have changed, that I am no longer the little kid that sat on your shoulder?¡±

    A grimaced look of emotional hurt shot over Chris Christian¡¯s face, but it disappeared as soon as it came. It was the High Priest¡¯s turn to be speechless. Zeratron caught the look and felt something he had never felt before: a pang of regret.

    Before anything else could be said, the adoring waitress had returned with their dinner. She placed the gourmet burgers and cups of wine carefully on their table. On their plates, massive, juicy meat patties sizzled between two toasted buttery buns.

    Besides the Heroes of Hardires, behemoth burgers were the pride and joy of the city. Legions of outsiders¡ªyoung and old, rich and poor¡ªflocked to Hardires just for the chance to try one for themselves. Once the intoxicating aroma hit their nostrils, it was extremely difficult to keep from taking a massive bite. Once that first bite had been taken, it was downright impossible to not eat the whole thing!

    Neighboring cities tried to match or even imitate the immense flavor of behemoth burgers. Some came close, but none ever matched it. It was a secret recipe passed down from a long line of tavern owners since ancient times. It is believed that the Eastland Civil War may had partially been started as an attempt for the city of Arbires to steal the recipe. Though the war ended up destroying the original tavern, Arbires failed to obtain the secrets of behemoth burgers, and the recipe remained safe within the city.

    The two dined in silence. Zeratron ravaged through his behemoth burger, fueled by both his hunger and the weight of everything his father¡ªwho suddenly appeared after being absent for most of his teenage years¡ªhad told him.

    ¡°This was quite a delectable dinner. I can see now why you¡¯re fond of this cuisine,¡± Chris Christian said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. The comment threw Zeratron off. He was sure that his father would follow up on what he said earlier that obviously affected him, but to his surprise, it wasn¡¯t brought up again.

    After Chris Christian paid for the dinner and left a generous tip, he reached into his satchel and pulled out an odd-looking device Zeratron had never seen before. It looked like a black brick with rows of buttons on one side. It had a retractable antenna on top that Chris Christian pulled up. After pressing a few buttons, he put the brick up to his ear.

    ¡°We are finished, Tasher, come meet us in the parking lot.¡±

    Right on time, the limo pulled back into the parking lot right as they exited the tavern. It was very near dark by then, with only the faintest glimpses of the dying daylight peeking through the horizon.

    ¡°What was that thing you used in the tavern?¡± Zeratron asked once they were outside.

    Chris Christian reached into his satchel and held up the bulky contraption. ¡°It¡¯s a new communication device that¡¯s able to connect with any telephone on the continent. It is a new kind of phone, actually, one you can take anywhere with you. Only a small number of people own these, mainly of wealth or prominence or high government officials. It was quite awkward at first, but I am slowly growing fond of its use.¡±

    Tasher Littlemann got out and opened the rear limo door for the High Priest.

    ¡°I will be returning to my hotel tonight and then leaving for Gungannon on the morning. Is there any place you would like my driver to take you?¡±

    ¡°No thanks, father, where I¡¯m heading is not far. And I could use the walk.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I am looking forward to seeing you do battle tomorrow. Though you may use the powers of darkness, I could never forgive myself if I never saw one of your matches.¡±

    ¡°Do what you want; it doesn¡¯t make a difference to me,¡± Zeratron said.

    ¡°I will be there,¡± Chris Christian stated and then got in the limo. ¡°Take some time to think about the offer to return home. It is something that would make me¡ªand your mother¡ªvery happy.¡± The High Priest said right before Tasher closed the door.

    Zeratron stood alone in the parking lot and watched as Tasher drove his father away before making his own exit on foot. With hands in his pockets, he headed towards the bright lights of downtown Hardires.

    Zeratron just had an afternoon he would never forget. His father arrived out of nowhere and offered him the chance to have his old home and life back, but it¡¯s unclear whether Zeratron truly wants to go back. As the night closes in, he is left with many thoughts and emotions to contend with just before his match against Gungannon. Is he mentally prepared for what lies ahead? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 11: The Electric Farm

    While Zeratron wrapped things up with his father, Caleo, Fenrick and Arcanus spent their evening at The Electric Farm: an arcade that¡ªalong with the Olde Hardires Tavern¡ªwas one of the more popular destinations in the city. It was a former warehouse that was renovated and filled with a wide variety of arcade games that people spent countless hours and coins playing.

    Fenrick was in the midst of playing Orc Wars 9 with the utmost concentration. It was a state of the art 2D side-scrolling hack and slash game where a mighty human warrior (with the likeness of Beardly, one of the Heroes of Hardires) invaded the barren canyonlands of Fluffy Meadows to cut down hordes upon hordes of goblin-kin with his mighty sword. The series had garnered minor controversy, mainly from goblin-kin, who didn¡¯t appreciate the slaughter of their kind being the subject of entertainment. The series¡¯ sheer popularity however quickly drowned out any complaints, and a sequel game was manufactured almost every year since its debut.

    Fenrick mashed the colorful round buttons rapidly and repeatedly. A stack of copper coins that he put on the cabinet next to the joystick was shaking and in danger of tipping over any second. Beads of sweat formed on his temples while his strained eyes darted rapidly across the screen. His face inched closer and closer to the pixelated characters, and the button-mashing grew even more loud and rapid. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide as his health dropped to zero and the ¡°Game Over¡± sign flashed across the screen.

    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± He roared in frustration.

    ¡°How close were you?¡± Caleo asked from a couple games down, seated at a racing game with hands gripped firmly on the plastic steering wheel.

    ¡°About halfway. Dammit why is your score so freaking high?¡±

    ¡°A pro never reveals his secrets to amateurs.¡± Caleo told him right as the sounds of a first-place victory erupted from the racing game.

    Fenrick grunted as he grabbed a copper coin from the stack and jammed it into the coin slot. He was yet again in his spell of concentration, trying with vigor to master the game that was mastering him.

    Meanwhile, Arcanus was across the aisle from Caleo, playing the recently-installed Hot Hoopz game.

    ¡°I do hope we hear from Zeratron soon. I have no idea if he got punished or suspended or anything,¡± Arcanus said as he shot a basketball at the hoop. The ball bounced off the rim and rolled onto the net below, returning to his hands. His second shot found its mark, going through the basket with a swoosh.

    ¡°No clue,¡± Caleo said. ¡°I tried to wait for him outside after school let out. Wasn¡¯t able to catch him though.¡±

    All 3 went back to playing their respective games. A few arcade-goers that walked by looked over at Fenrick, who uttered endless obscenities at Orc Wars 9. Some time went by until they heard the automatic sliding doors open up. Arcanus glanced over at the entrance and spotted Zeratron walking into the arcade. With a quick look around Zeratron saw Arcanus waving to him. Arcanus and Caleo stopped playing their games to meet up with Zeratron. Fenrick however was too invested in his game and didn¡¯t take notice of his teammate¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Caleo nodded.

    ¡°It has been quite the eventful day for me.¡± Zeratron replied.

    ¡°Are you good to go for the match tomorrow, you¡¯re not in any trouble?¡± Arcanus asked.

    Zeratron nodded, ¡°Oddly enough, I was saved from suspension by my father.¡±

    ¡°Your father? I thought you told us he lived somewhere in Xerenia. How did he save you from Principal Eppers?¡±

    ¡°Being the son of the High Priest of Piercing Light City does have its advantages¡­¡±

    Caleo and Arcanus looked at each other in confusion, but once they realized just what their teammate had said, they practically jumped out of their shoes.

    ¡°Wait, Zeratron, did you seriously just say that Chris Christian is your father?¡± Arcanus asked incredulously.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, so the High Priest himself was at our school? That¡¯s just insane,¡± Caleo shook his head.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Agreed¡­ I still have trouble believing it. He came all the way from Piercing Light City to watch our match tomorrow. He picked me up and we went to the Tavern for dinner. We had a long talk over a couple of behemoth burgers.¡±

    ¡°Well, that must¡¯ve been quite the bonding moment,¡± Arcanus said.

    ¡°No better way to introduce him to our city, I¡¯d say,¡± Caleo grinned.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Fenrick shouted at the machine. ¡°The Troll Chief¡¯s nose is so fucking OP I swear. That thing must be the deadliest weapon in this game!¡±

    More people coming in gave curious glances to Fenrick as they walked by. ¡°Shit! Now Forehead Footfump came out of nowhere. What the hell? It¡¯s beating me with a severed foot¡­ a fucking severed foot!¡± He pounded the buttons more furiously than ever. After a few seconds of panic and desperation, the inevitable ¡°Game Over¡± sign flashed across the screen once again.

    ¡°MOTHERFUCKING BULLSHIT!!!¡± Fenrick roared in a bestial rage. Everybody nearby jumped in fright. He angrily swiped the stack of copper coins off the cabinet with his backhand and they scattered all over the floor. Soaked in sweat and panting heavily, he dropped to his knees in dramatic fashion. His hands rested limply on the joystick and worn-out buttons.

    ¡°Why?... Why can¡¯t I get past level 4? Why is this game so damn hard!¡± He cried in dismay. His hands slowly slid off the cabinet in streaky squeaks and Fenrick collapsed onto the floor atop his scattered coins. There he lied, broken and defeated by the relentlessly difficult arcade game. Even more people gave even more curious looks as they skirted around Fenrick sprawled out in the middle of the dirty aisle.

    Meanwhile, Caleo, Zeratron, and Arcanus looked at him with tepid, unsurprised expressions.

    ¡°Anyways,¡± Caleo resumed, ¡°it sure is good that you¡¯re not suspended. I honestly thought you would be the way you fucked Drayson¡¯s bitch ass up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m surprised as well,¡± Arcanus agreed. ¡°It was nothing short of a miracle that you suffered no repercussions. But that¡¯s all in the past, we should put it behind us for now and focus on tomorrow. I have a feeling that it will be a tough match, the best thing we can do is come up with a game plan and then go home to rest up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah you¡¯re probably right. I guess we should get on up out of here,¡± Caleo suggested. ¡°Fen! Get your ass off the floor!¡±

    Fenrick slowly got up and dusted himself off. He gave a hard kick to the side of the Orc Wars 9 cabinet (hurting his foot in the process) before he limped away. Once it became evident that he had abandoned his copper coins, many arcade-goers dogpiled onto the floor to try and grab as many coins as possible, free for the taking.

    The four of them walked out of The Electric Farm and into the beating heart of Hardires nightlife. The bright neon lights illuminated the crowded square in vibrant, colorful shades. As they made their way through the congested square, filled with tourists and citizens alike, they spotted none other than the Green Street Posse¡ªthe gang of goblin-kin that they defeated under the highway the previous day¡ªlurking on the edge of the square.

    Caleo smiled and waved to them like they were long lost friends. The entire gang stared daggers at him. Even from a distance, he could that they were still battered from yesterday¡¯s scuffle. The sunglasses orc (who still wore his sunglasses, even at night) turned away and vanished into the dark recesses of the city with its posse in tow. As Caleo watched them disappear, he had an ominous feeling that him and his teammates hadn¡¯t seen the last of the goblin-kin gang. He quickly pushed the thought out of his head and directed his worries about the matters at hand.

    He instead looked all around him and watched as hundreds of people of all races and creed walked past each other to get to all the destinations the city had to offer. Hardires was a diverse city that had something for everyone; quiet neighborhoods, beautiful scenery, outdoor recreation, and a bustling downtown. It had been named ¡°best city to live¡± by multiple surveys and magazines, drawing massive ire and jealously from other Eastland cities like Arbires. Caleo always loved it whenever his city one-upped Arbires! Thinking this, he refused to let a few rotten goblin-kin tarnish his view of the city he was born and raised in.

    The four managed to find a nearby caf¨¦ shop where they could sit down and diligently discuss their battle strategy over some drinks and snacks. Over the years being a team, they learned that they worked best when they came up with their strategies the night before a match. They found that over-preparing would end up hurting them because they would begin to worry too much about movements and positioning and relied less on their natural fighting instincts, which they attributed as their greatest strength.

    Caleo, Arcanus, and Fenrick remembered all too well how much over-planning and worrying happened the weeks before their first-year championship match against Mine Haven¡ªand how they ended up losing.

    Once they came up with a strategy that they were satisfied with, they exited the caf¨¦ and said their farewells for the night. Fenrick went his own way, disappearing into the crowd, and Zeratron headed back towards Vahallian Acres, the high-rise he called home. When they left, Caleo and Arcanus made their way to the parking garage that contained Caleo¡¯s ¡¯89 Laughing Dragon, a sportscar that his upper-class parents bought him as a reward for being such an outstanding student-gladiator. Since he and Arcanus lived in the same suburban development, whenever they hung out somewhere, Caleo often ended up dropping Arcanus off at his house.

    The Hardires High Team Arena Squad had taken their leave, but Hardires itself never truly slept. Under a starry sky, the neon lights burned bright on that Freyday night. It was a city that the four student-gladiators were honored to represent every time they stepped into the arena.

    The big day is finally here for our heroes. They will need to leave their beloved city behind for a while in order to fight for its honor. But even though they made it to gameday, mishaps are still possible during their short road trip to Gungannon. What could possibly happen on the way? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 12: The Sendoff

    The sun had peeked over Cabin Mountain; a new day dawned upon the city of Hardires.

    Even though it was the start of the ten-end, the four student-gladiators had to report to their school bright and early. For most students, there were six days of school and four days off over the course of a ten-day. Student athletes (gladiatorial or otherwise) sometimes needed to use one of those four days for either a game, practice, or club activity. Fenrick hated that fact when he first signed up for the team, and initially wanted to quit. But after much persuasion from Principal Eppers, he decided to stay on the team and the school benefitted greatly for it.

    On that misty Donday morning, Arcanus was the first one to arrive, wearing a light jacket and carrying a gym bag. He waited patiently on a bench in front of the school while reading through a history book. Fenrick was next to appear, stumbling up to the school with his eyes half-closed. His hair was somehow messier than usual and his dirty uniform (which he wasn¡¯t required to wear that day) wasn¡¯t buttoned or tucked in at all. He plopped down on the bench next to Arcanus and fell asleep almost instantly.

    About fifteen minutes passed before Caleo showed up. Despite being captain, he was always fashionably late and often the last one to arrive. When he did, he was surprised to see that Zeratron still hadn¡¯t shown up.

    The three sat there and waited for the bus as well as their teammate to show up¡ªbut they weren¡¯t alone.

    For every single road game, without fail, dozens of prideful students and citizens stood around the student-gladiators, offering constant words of encouragement and support for their upcoming battle. As the morning grew old, more supporters flowed in to give their currently-undefeated team an early morale boost and even offered coffee and breakfast. The TAS usually tried to ignore the constant shouts and offerings. That was broken once Ophelia showed up to give Caleo a kiss for good luck (which the crowd ¡°woo¡¯ed¡± loudly at) and some advice for the impending battle.

    Despite all the noisy commotion around them, Fenrick still had yet to stir from his pre-match slumber. His head had slumped onto Arcanus¡¯ shoulder and a thin trail of saliva ran down the front of his jacket and onto the book he was reading. All Arcanus could do was roll his eyes.

    A few supporters carried signs and practically begged for the TAS members to sign them. Hardires had a very dedicated fanbase, and since they were a championship team that passion had evolved tenfold. Whenever the bus arrived to take the four to their match, many would go so far as to get in their own cars and follow them to whichever town they were fighting in.

    A few minutes before they were scheduled to depart, a bright-white limousine pulled up to the front of the school where everyone was waiting. Many of the supporters ooh¡¯ed and ahh¡¯ed at the sight of such a luxuriously expensive vehicle. The Ephyrean Cross hood ornament was plain for all to see as it stopped in front of the bench the others sat. A halfling driver got out and opened the back-passenger door. Zeratron stepped out of the limousine. The crowd burst into cheers when they saw the final gladiator arrive. Zeratron walked over to Caleo while the limo drove off.

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s one sexy ride,¡± Caleo whistled.

    Zeratron shook his head. ¡°It is quite something alright.¡±

    ¡°You said your dad is going to the game, right?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on his way to the arena right now.¡±

    ¡°Are you glad?¡±

    Zeratron looked back at his father¡¯s limo as it left the school parking lot and pulled out onto the highway.

    ¡°Yeah. I am.¡±

    Before Zeratron had the chance to sit down, they heard the loud hissing of airbrakes and saw the bulky charter bus arrive to transport the team and staff. Arcanus tried to wake Fenrick up, but he only snored loudly in his face. When he realized that waking him up was futile, he gently pushed his head off his shoulder and got up to board the bus.

    The door to the bus opened and a gnome driver with a dark bushy beard sat in the driver¡¯s seat. His foot rested on the elevated brake pedal and he raised his bearded chin angrily. The TAS had been appointed that driver several times before; he had the reputation of being a rather grouchy and abrasive gnome.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°All aboard, you son of a bitch!¡± He hollered as Arcanus stepped onto the bus.

    Caleo was next to board the bus; a supporter in the crowd shouted ¡°Lead us to victory Captain Caleo!¡± Caleo turned around and made a farewell wave to the crowd as he arched his eyebrow. The suave gesture made many of the female supporters and even some male ones¡¯ swoon.

    Meanwhile, Fenrick still wouldn¡¯t wake up. Zeratron shook him forcefully but no luck. A couple of the staff members had no choice but to pick him up and carry him onto the bus. Once Zeratron was on board, the rest of the staff followed and the door closed behind them. The crowd cheered them on and waved goodbye as the bus drove out of the school parking lot and out of the city.

    ***

    It took approximately three and a half hours for the bus to make its way through the windy roads of the Eastland countryside and reach the eastern coast of the continent. Fenrick finally woke up around halfway through the ride. He frantically went on about how he was being stalked by a crazed dwarf who wore a live squid on his head; everyone ignored him and he eventually calmed down once he realized no one was listening.

    In another hour of driving, the seemingly-endless forest of tall evergreens were behind them and the Cutlass Coast region was in sight. For the Hardirian residents¡ªas well as most people that lived inland¡ªit was always a thrill to see the vast ocean suddenly appear on the horizon as they rode towards the port town of Gungannon.

    A popular tourist destination, only the wealthy and fortunate could afford to live in Gungannon. In more recent times however, there had been an economic downturn for the town due to the elves closing the borders to their lands. The most popular attraction for Gungannon was its many cruises to Sunnymoon. With their cruise industry practically shut down, business was at an all-time low, and a depression set in that lasted years. One of the very few things that Gungannonites took solace in during this tough time was their new and improved gladiator team.

    ¡°Even now, I have a hard time comprehending the fact that Gungannon¡¯s team is undefeated. They had never been an especially good team before this season. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t just a tad nervous about what may happen today,¡± Arcanus said while he wiped his glasses to get a clearer view of the idyllic seaside town.

    ¡°I know what you mean, Gungannon was always just a bunch of rich snobby kids that we would annihilate,¡± Caleo said. He sat right across the aisle from Arcanus, looking out his window at the passing coastal landscape. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Ziggy Ratt has something to do with their recent success.¡±

    ¡°Not only him, but none of their fighters this year were on their T.A.S last season. They must all be highly skilled.¡±

    ¡°Probably. It¡¯s obvious that they went all-in this season. It¡¯s either championship or bust for them, and we¡¯re the biggest threat standing in their way.¡±

    As they talked amongst each other, a head popped up from the seat in front of Arcanus. It was Delvo, the unofficial ¡°fifth¡± member of the Team Arena Squad, but was only their equipment manager. He was a small, squirrely looking young man who usually had trouble carrying the weapons he was assigned to transport, such as Caleo¡¯s Berserkir Blade or Zeratron¡¯s battle-axe named Ebony.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing through the grapevine that Gungannon Primary got so desperate that they went through a rigorous recruitment process and offered ¡®special scholarships¡¯ to candidates that were proven to be excellent fighters.¡± Delvo explained in his nasally voice.

    ¡°That sounds kinda shady,¡± Caleo said.

    ¡°It does,¡± Arcanus mused. ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the town¡¯s recession. A great home team with star power would certainly be something that could reinvigorate their people and give them something to believe in.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s a good point. Too bad we¡¯re going to completely shatter their beliefs when we beat their team.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what you guys talking about?¡± Fenrick asked the three from a few seats down.

    ¡°Nothing you¡¯d be interested in, Fen,¡± Arcanus answered.

    ¡°¡­ Could you tell me anyway?¡±

    ¡°Not necessary.¡±

    ¡°Aw c¡¯mon!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just focus on the fight ahead.¡±

    ¡°Fine then! Me and Z-Tron here are gonna have our own conversation.¡± He went over to the seat behind Zeratron and began talking with his teammate.

    ¡°Hey, Z, have you ever wondered how Archie got to be so lame and dorky?¡± Fenrick asked in a raised voice so he could be heard by everyone on the bus.

    Zeratron didn¡¯t answer him. His mind was too preoccupied with everything that happened the previous day¡ªthe incident with Drayson during gym class, being temporarily suspended by Principal Eppers, and the conversation with his father that would inevitably alter his life going forward.

    With his question going unanswered and his conversation never beginning, Fenrick grunted and forcefully pressed his face against the glass, growing increasingly bored by the lengthy bus ride.

    ¡°Well whatever Gungannon has waiting for us, we¡¯ll be ready for it.¡± Caleo declared, steeling his resolve. The pivotal battle that would prove whether or not he would captain the greatest gladiator team in Dubion school history inched ever closer. The pressure mounted, but his perseverance remained steadfast.

    His team would be victorious.

    The gladiators of Hardires High have finally arrived in Gungannon, where they will do battle against four mysterious but undoubtedly skilled warriors. Though their minds are focused on the arena, they will soon learn that just getting TO the venue will become a challenge in itself. What will happen before they even step foot in the locker room? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 13: The Champs Have Arrived

    The gnome-driven charter bus that transported the Team Arena Squad of Hardires High rode into the idyllic port town of Gungannon. Once there, they headed directly for the Gungannon Sporting Complex, a cutting-edge outdoor arena where the squad would do battle against the team of Gungannon Primary.

    When they reached the street where they were to be dropped off, a rather unwelcoming sight greeted them. Hordes of Gungannon citizens were present, waiting for the away team to make their arrival. Before the bus was even in full view, the Gungannonites hurled jeers toward the student-gladiators inside.

    Because of their success, most cities despised the Hardires team, and desperately wanted to see them lose. The opposing fanbase of every city would do all they could to ensure that it was their team to be the ones that defeated the undefeated. The hostilities that day were only amplified due to Gungannon¡¯s team being undefeated themselves, which made Hardires High their ultimate rivals of the season.

    Before the bus could park, people began throwing a volley of random objects at the Hardires teams¡¯ transport. Its sides were bombarded by cabbages, old stinky shoes, rotted fruit, balloons filled with urine, and all sorts of unpleasant junk that knocked against the windows.

    Unfortunately for Arcanus, he carelessly left his window wide open when the bombardment started. Before he had a chance to close it, a urine-filled balloon came sailing through the air at great speed and struck him right in the face. It exploded upon contact and left him soaked and with a strong smell of pee. Fenrick laughed for a minute straight at his teammate¡¯s misfortune; Caleo tried his absolute best not to laugh, but couldn¡¯t help silently laughing into his arm in order to get it out of his system.

    Finally, the bus was parked outside the sporting complex. Venue security surrounded the bus door, needing to protect the gladiators from the hometown fans that were eager to give the opposing team an earful.

    As the doors to the bus swung open, Caleo stepped out and gave a sarcastic salute to the crowd. The horde of Gungannonites erupted in boos. Caleo managed to cancel out the incessant rabble in front of him and breathed in a huge gulp of the coastal air.

    Despite the harsh welcome, he always loved going to Gungannon. It was one of the only consistent stops on their road schedule that was near the sea. Looking out at the deep green waters made him think of his heritage.

    He came from a long line of pirate descendants that terrorized the seas surrounding the continent and well beyond. The most famous of his ancestors was Nathaniel Pyrateson, who, according to the history books, was a tyrannical but charismatic pirate from Cardiax. He was one of the most successful pirates in history; captain of an immense ship called the Trove Taker with over fifty crew members. Rival pirates and the royal navy were relentless in the pursuit of the Trove Taker, but it never sunk, and once Nathaniel retired, the ship retired along with him.

    Eventually, the Golden Age of Piracy, which Nathaniel Pyrateson was synonymous with, died out. Many pirates still sailed the seas in the years after, but some¡ªincluding Nathaniel¡¯s descendants, who were also Caleo¡¯s ancestors¡ªmoved inland. They decided to get into other forms of lowlife thievery such as law or politics. Caleo¡¯s own father was a lawyer at the highly successful firm: Hardwood, Harderwood and Pyrateson.

    His first name, Piers (Caleo was his middle name, but his parents had called him Caleo since he was a baby) was named after one of Nathaniel Pyrateson¡¯s arch-enemies: Piers ¡°Lost Me Boots¡± Poots, named so because he was always seen barefoot, even in battle. He was an infamous pirate that was also Nathaniel Pyrateson¡¯s greatest rival. The Trove Taker and Poots¡¯ ship, the Siren Shocker, met in a battle that ultimately ended in a stalemate. To settle the score, Poots and Pyrateson decided to meet at the island called Gator Mouth, where they had a duel that went down in the history books. In the end, Nathaniel killed Poots and took the Siren Shocker as his second ship.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    There was a unique code of honor among pirates where they named their descendants after renowned pirates they had killed in battle. Though the pirate age had long since died out, some traditions, such as that one, were kept alive. Many stereotypes about piracy were indeed true, like how pirates were savage and cutthroat and lived to steal, but they still had their own peculiar ways of showing respect. Caleo had extensively studied the turbulent age of piracy, and felt a sense of pride for being named after 2 infamous, yet legendary, masters of the sea.

    After taking a deep breath of the salty coastal air, Caleo hopped off the bus and made his way towards the entrance of the arena. The security on the premises held the Gungannonites back as Caleo walked down the aisle of humanity. ¡°Don¡¯t any of you dare touch my hair!¡± He said as a few arms tried reaching out to grab at him.

    Fenrick was the second one to get off the bus. He typically enjoyed jaw-jacking with the opposing fans as it was a way to let out the ever-present anger he had within. He took his time and lingered near the bus, unabashed at stooping down to their level.

    ¡°Keep running your mouths ya morons,¡± he instigated them. ¡°You all just mad cause your town smells like a kraken crawled out of the sea and took a huge dump all over it!¡± Fenrick had zero problems returning the middle fingers that were given to him in abundance. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make you all pay for the wasted food and piss balloons. It¡¯s gonna be great seeing you all cry like little bitches when we kick your team right in the nuts!¡±

    Fenrick effortlessly managed to work up the crowd even more. One Gungannonite got so fired up that he slipped past security and charged at Fenrick. Luckily, an elite security member spotted him in time and tackled him to the ground. The scene quickly went into disarray, with security urging Fenrick and the rest of the Hardires High staff to get to their locker room immediately. He did so as a group of security escorted him, laughing the entire way.

    Zeratron ignored the rabblers once he became the prime target. He almost made it to the entrance, but then took notice of something he couldn¡¯t possibly ignore. He shoved his way through the raucous crowd and snatched away a sign that said ¡°BEHEMOTH BURGERS TASTE LIKE HOT GARBAGE¡± and tore it up in little pieces. Arcanus¡ªhead and shoulders wrapped in towels¡ªhad to be assisted off the bus by staff members and guided into the Sporting Complex.

    Thankfully, they all made it in without further incident. They were all booed into the building, and it was certain that they¡¯d be booed during their match, and afterwards booed out of the building when they departed back home.

    It was like that for every road match the Hardires High TAS had to undertake over the past couple years. However, the passionate crowds and fervent followings were a common sight that started well before their time¡­

    There had been no large-scale war in Dubion for over two centuries. Though tensions had been raised significantly (mainly with the elves) and the times more turbulent than decades past, the continent still enjoyed a mass age of peace.

    It was never publicly admitted, but the masses still craved some form of violence and conflict amidst their prolonged tranquility. Due to that, the popularity of gladiatorial sports shot up to heights never seen before in any sport. Injuries were very common during matches¡ªsometimes very serious¡ªbut there were always certified healers on scene to immediately tend to the wounded once the contest was over. Whenever a match reached its conclusion, the participants almost always were able to walk out under their own power.

    There were three stages of gladiatorial arena combat: High School, Collegiate, and Professional, and each stage had massive followings. Every stage had the same three different types of combat: singles, duos, and squads. And each combat type had both a male and female division. In High School, there is a team for every grade (4 single combatants, 4 duos teams, and 4 squad teams in total for every school). In some ways, the High School Arena Conference was more popular than collegiate or even professional. It was where people got their first look at stars in the making. University scouting agents are constantly glued to every match that happens in order to find the next fighting prodigy. Over the past three years, the Team Arena Squad of Hardires had caught the attention of the entire continent.

    Other sports, such as baseball and football (soccer), enjoyed some popularity, but all paled in comparison to the sheer glory of the arena. It is there that Caleo, Fenrick, Arcanus, and Zeratron will try to cement their legacies¡ªall they have to do is get through Ziggy and company.

    After a most hostile welcome to Gungannon, our heroes make their final preparations before the big fight. They need to get into the right mindset before stepping into the arena in front of thousands of people who will be cheering for them to lose. What can Captain Caleo do to get his team ready for the challenge? Find out next time on Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 14: Step into the Arena

    Before every match, Caleo would request a stereo be put in his teams¡¯ locker room. He would bring a mixtape with him that he would play at high volume in order to get his team into the fighting mood. The mixtape was usually filled with dwarven death metal, but he¡¯d also throw in some gnome new wave, druidic celtica, and goblin-punk for good measure.

    With the assistance of Delvo the equipment manager, the gladiators donned the armor that would help protect them in the arena. Caleo wore silver plated armor made similar to the Piercing Light Knights of yore. He never wore a helm, however, as he dreaded getting helmet hair and would rather lose a match than win one not looking good while doing so.

    Zeratron¡¯s armor was heavy like Caleo¡¯s, but far more menacing looking. His was fully made of obsidian. Spiked pauldrons added both offense and defense, and his shovel-chinned dragon helm gave him extra protection in the neck area. Zeratron¡¯s obsidian dragon armor was voted ¡°coolest armor¡± on numerous unofficial fan sites.

    Arcanus was still trying to wash all the urine from the piss balloon out of his hair. Once he was all washed up, he put on purple robes that made him look more like a scholar than a fighter. Fenrick still wore his school uniform and made no indication of wearing something different.

    Once the cassette tape ran its length, the room was filled with a heavy silence. It was mere moments before they had to report to the fighting square. Caleo took last-second precautions, checking over his gauntlets and making sure his breastplate was fastened.

    ¡°This is it; you guys ready?¡±

    The three said that they were, but Caleo could tell that they weren¡¯t fully ready for the battle to come. Their responses were meek; the music didn¡¯t fully do its job this time. He knew then that this was the time to prove himself as not just a good captain, but a great one.

    ¡°Guys, seriously, we have to get ready. This is probably¡ªno, I know that this will be our most important fight yet. We can¡¯t just be ready; we need to be hyped.¡± He said, raising his voice louder than they had heard from Caleo before.

    ¡°Come on, Fenny boy, I need you pissed the fuck off right now!¡± Caleo screamed in Fenrick¡¯s face. ¡°This is the only time your shitty attitude is actually an asset for anybody. Get hyped! Get fucking hyped!¡± He grabbed him by the collar of his uniform jacket and shook him relentlessly.

    Caleo¡¯s pre-match tactic proved to be effective. Fenrick¡¯s blue eyes started to turn swirling shades of red and yellow.

    ¡°Are you hyped?¡±

    ¡°I am hyped¡­¡± Fenrick seethed.

    ¡°Are you fucking hyped!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fucking hyped! I¡¯m fucking hyped!¡± Fenrick repeated.

    ¡°Get more hyped!¡±

    ¡°I am hyped, so hyped! Dammit, I just wanna take a wheel of cheese and lick the shit out of it!¡± Fenrick foamed at the mouth.

    ¡°Er, ok good,¡± Caleo quickly turned his attention to Zeratron. ¡°You need to get hype Z-tron, your old man is watching! Prove to him that you can slap these fools around.¡± Caleo gave Zeratron a firm push for motivation. Zeratron, being of much greater size than Fenrick or Arcanus and clad in heavy armor, barely moved from the push. However, he started nodding slowly, a steely determination began to burn in his crimson eyes; he banged his breastplate and let out a grunt of anticipation. He put on his dragon helmet and nodded to his captain.

    Caleo turned his attention to his third teammate. ¡°Get hyped you fucking nerd!¡± He gave Arcanus a firm shove. Despite experiencing the tradition many times before, Arcanus wasn¡¯t prepared for the sudden push and fell right out of his chair. He gave a lame cry as he hit the floor.

    Caleo made his way to the locker room door. ¡°Let¡¯s go out there and KICK SOME GUNGANNON ASS!¡± The captain swung the door open and stomped out. His three teammates marched behind him in unison, ready for what would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights in their young gladiatorial careers.

    ***

    The now hyped-up team marched through the backstage area and made their way to the long tunnel that would lead them to the heart of the arena. When they reached the tunnel, they were met by Delvo, who held in his arms the weapons that the fighters would be using in their match. With a strained expression and knees shaking, Delvo struggled merely holding the weapons¡ªparticularly Caleo¡¯s gargantuan Berserkir Blade. When Caleo walked past, he took his sword from Delvo, lifting it with one hand and swinging it around with ease. Zeratron took his Ebony War Axe, which was quite a hefty weapon as well, and Arcanus took his Arcana Staff. Once the heavy load was lifted, Delvo sank to his knees, huffing for air. Fenrick didn¡¯t have a weapon of his own and headed toward the battle completely unarmed with only his school uniform to protect him.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    They walked towards the bright daylight coming from the end of the tunnel. As they got closer, they could start to hear the cheers and cries of the crowd in attendance. The PA announcer could be heard addressing the crowd about what they were about to witness. The Gungannon Primary marching band played the town¡¯s fight song ¡°Battle at Landsea.¡±

    With an assuring nod to each of them, Caleo lead his team out of the tunnel and into the arena. They were greeted to an arena jam-packed with spectators. The sea of fans in the stands rained down massive boos, but there were some cheers for the four sprinkled throughout. The semi-mixed reaction wasn¡¯t foreign to them, as they always had a small section of loyal fans that always cheered them on at every away game they did. Some of them were native Hardirians who traveled to the games. But being the best team in the world, they also had their fair share of bandwagon fans in every city they fought in.

    Zeratron stopped and scanned the seats, it wasn¡¯t hard to find his father within the VIP box, with his shiny head and expensive white suit illuminating him like a shining beacon. Chris Christian waved down to his son, and Zeratron waved back before he caught back up to his teammates.

    ¡°And here they come folks: the team that many call The New Heroes of Hardires! Captain Caleo Pyrateson along with Fenrick Freygar, Arcanus Imperna, and Zeratron. They have been undefeated for over 2 years, but that streak may finally be snapped as they face their greatest challenge yet: give it up for YOUR Gungannon Sea-Monkeys!¡±

    Right as the PA announcer made the announcement, the crowd erupted in a loud cheer that reverberated throughout the venue. From the tunnel on the opposite side of the arena emerged four figures. Neither of the Hardires team could make out exactly who they were, but each shape looked drastically different from the others. There were three that were roughly the same height, but the fourth was very tall, almost towering over his other teammates, and another one was very slender.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see just who we¡¯re dealing with,¡± Caleo told his team, and they all stepped up onto the massive square fighting platform. The opposing teams met each other in the center of the square.

    Fenrick immediately took notice of one of them, staring down at him with amethyst eyes. ¡°You weren¡¯t bluffing back in Hardires, you really are a part of this team, huh?¡± He said to the small, dark-haired human that he stood across from.

    Ziggy Ratt gave a slight grin, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for so long: the day I get to defeat my idol!¡±

    Caleo gave a perplexed look to Ziggy Ratt. ¡°What the fuck? Why the hell would you want Fen of all people for an idol?¡±

    ¡°Why the hell wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Fenrick replied.

    ¡°Cause you¡¯re a fucking idiot, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Ziggy here can be an idiot too,¡± the human with features foreign to Dubion said to his opponents. He was equipped with a metal bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, coward,¡± Caleo said. The Hardires captain wasn¡¯t fond of bows or guns or anything that attacked from a distance. He respected fighters that were man enough to attack their targets upfront and personal. He tolerated magic solely because he had a magic user on his own team, and knew that at least some ranged support was necessary for any successful arena team.

    As Caleo measured them, none of the opposing team looked impressive or intimidating to him. However, he noticed that one of them was staring daggers at him. His look did intrigue Caleo slightly, he wore a tactical vest and a ballistic mask with red flames painted on it. Two Mountain Eagle handguns were holstered at his sides, and a broadsword was strapped to his back. Caleo met his gaze, and he could tell without asking that this person was the captain of their team.

    ¡°This match will decide just who will be the last remaining undefeated team in the division. That¡¯s right folks, someone¡¯s O has got to go! Let¡¯s hear for your fighters; Cadarock Masterson, Hyata Urabara, Urk the Troll, and from the Bob and Ziggy Show: Ziggy Ratt!¡±

    The crowd let out a deafening cheer as the members of their Gungannon team were announced, the loudest one coming for Ziggy the celebrity.

    ¡°So Gungannon¡¯s letting magic-wielding trolls on their team? I must say that they have gotten rather desperate!¡± Arcanus said in a seldom-delivered insult. Someone from the crowd could be faintly heard yelling ¡°What a dick!¡±

    The fourth member of Gungannon¡¯s team was a tall but abnormally scrawny bluish-green skinned troll in amber mage robes. It seemed to have a very blank stare through the tusks that jutted out of its jaw. Due to goblin-kin not having a specified gender, they had the option of choosing to go on either a male or female team. The relatively few who were actually enrolled in a school chose male, but there was a goblin who was a member of a championship-winning female team about a decade ago.

    Unexpectedly, Cadarock¡ªthe human in the ballistic mask¡ªdrew one of his Mountain Eagles and aimed it right at Arcanus¡¯ head. In a flash Caleo swung his massive sword around and pointed it at the masked captain. Now all eight of them were on edge, and the crowd were stomping their feet in anticipation.

    ¡°Before we begin, I have just one more thing to say to you,¡± Ziggy told Fenrick.

    Fenrick raised his eyebrows curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told my team to leave you to me, they won¡¯t interfere in our fight. And when we start, don¡¯t hold back¡ªgive me Animal Lord!¡±

    A look of surprise came across Fenrick¡¯s face, but then he threw his head back and laughed loudly. The laughter seemed to drain all the pent-up anger and aggressive energy that Caleo built in him back in the locker room. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re worthy enough to do combat with the likes of him?¡±

    ¡°I will prove that I am worthy¡ªjust give me the chance and you¡¯ll see!¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t really feel like letting him out. It¡¯s exhausting and I can¡¯t get out of bed for almost a tenday every time I use him. Owlbear will be more than enough for you I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°No, give me your best!¡± Ziggy said defiantly, not backing down.

    Fenrick¡¯s eyes looked around here and there. ¡°Ugh. Okay, I¡¯ll make you a deal: if you can get one good hit on me in the first few minutes of our fight, I¡¯ll give you what you want.¡±

    ¡°I would rather you give me your all right from the start, but if that¡¯s what it takes, then I¡¯ll do just that.¡± Ziggy Ratt lowered his stance, signifying that he was done talking and ready for the fight to begin.

    The teams raised their weapons, and right as they heard the loud, deep ding of the bell, they charged at each other with utter abandon¡­

    And here we go! The fight is on. Who will be the last team standing? Find out next time in the super-duper-awesome-mega-chapter edition of Clubs and Stubs!

 Scene 15: Hardires vs. Gungannon (SUPER-DUPER-AWESOME-MEGA-CHAPTER)

    The first gladiator to unleash an attack was Cadarock, who took aim and fired his Mountain Eagles repeatedly at Caleo. Caleo utilized the gigantic slab of iron that he called a sword as a tall shield to easily deflect the bullets aimed at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to do better than that my friend!¡± Caleo shouted at his opponent. His eyes shifted away from Cadarock when he heard an arrow whistling through the air in his direction. The arrow was fast¡ªfaster than he anticipated¡ªbut was able to turn his head just in time that the arrow merely grazed his face. Thankfully, the arrow only left a trickle of blood running down the left side of his cheek.

    Before Hyata could nock another arrow, Zeratron swung at him with his axe. Hyata was an agile adversary with a tight-fitting tunic; he managed to dodge the attack with ease. In seamless motion he tucked and rolled out of harm¡¯s way, landed on one knee, and fired another arrow, this time at Zeratron.

    Just like with Caleo, the stray arrow was perfectly aimed right at Zeratron¡¯s head, but what Hyata didn¡¯t expect was for Zeratron to snatch it out of mid-air with his gauntleted hand. An audible gasp of awe went throughout the crowd. Zeratron snapped the arrow in two like a twig and charged at Hyata with great speed.

    Hyata was amazed by what he saw and wasn¡¯t ready for the incoming attack. He quickly raised his metal bow up defensively to try and block the attack. The axe collided with the bow with such impact that a shower of sparks exploded and rained down on the two fighters. Hyata, possessing nowhere near the strength to absorb Zeratron¡¯s powerful attack, was knocked to the ground with great force.

    His bow slid away out of his reach. Zeratron raised his axe high, ready to bring it down on Hyata and eliminate him early. He brought his axe down, but just as Hyata was there, vulnerable to Zeratron¡¯s wrath as the black axe came down on him, he vanished in a blur. All the axe met was the concrete surface of the fighting square and sundered a sizable crack within.

    Zeratron looked around through his dragon-helm visor, trying to find Hyata, but a sudden, searing pain filled his left shoulder. He quickly turned his head to see what was wrong, and what he saw was an arrow lodged deeply into the side of his shoulder blade. The arrow had pierced through one of his armor¡¯s only weak points. As he grimaced from the pain, he spotted Hyata a short distance away, standing unfazed with a smirk on his face.

    Zeratron felt his anger rise when he saw the blood from his wound ooze down the sleek surface of his armor. He grabbed the arrow and ripped it out of his shoulder. His wound spurted fresh blood onto the ground, but he ignored the pain.

    A visible dark aura rapidly emanated around Zeratron, his anger from being hurt by his opponent rising to the point where it became tangible. Hyata quickly nocked three arrows at once and launched a three-pronged volley. Zeratron swatted the arrows away with his axe like they were nothing. A slight look of intimidation crossed Hyata¡¯s face, and he rapidly started to shoot arrows at Zeratron. The dark aura around Zeratron seemed to power him threefold as he charged at Hyata, swiping away every arrow he shot at him.

    Before Hyata realized it, Zeratron was already within range to attack. He took a big, horizontal swing of his axe. Hyata leapt backwards to try and avoid being struck. His agility aided him immensely, but he was not able to fully escape the bite of the black axe as the edge of the blade lacerated his stomach. Hyata yelped out in pain, but managed to avoid serious injury. He looked at his wound and saw a huge gash sliced through the width of his leather tunic. He clenched at the wound; his hand became quickly soaked with his own blood.

    ¡°Yikes! Looks like Hyata got the bad end of that exchange folks. He needs your support right now if he wants to beat this dark, dangerous foe. Say it with me now. ¡®Let¡¯s go Hyata! Let¡¯s go Hyata!¡¯¡±

    The announcer tried to get the home crowd behind their troubled gladiator. The arena quickly filled with chants supporting Hyata the Archer. Wounded, but far from defeated, he slowly drew another arrow from his quiver and continued his fight against Zeratron¡­

    While their teammates were firmly locked in combat, Fenrick and Ziggy Ratt had yet to engage. They stared each other down, Fenrick looking rather relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

    ¡°You really do underestimate me, do you?¡± Ziggy Ratt asked.

    ¡°Give me a reason not to.¡± Fenrick called back.

    Ziggy Ratt didn¡¯t respond with words, but rather with the same spell he used when they first met. Just like what happened in the courtyard at Hardires High, thick vines erupted out of the surface of the fighting square. They lashed out at Fenrick but he easily dodged them just like the previous time.

    ¡°Are you a one-trick druid? If that¡¯s all you got then you should put your plants away and go back to filming your shitty TV show,¡± Fenrick gave a smug grin to Ziggy Ratt.

    Ziggy gave a look of agitation as the one he admired dissed him so openly. The vines went back into the cracks they came from and Ziggy stretched out his open palms. He emphatically yelled out the name of his next spell.

    ¡°Giant insects!¡±

    In an instant, Ziggy was surrounded by a small army of gargantuan arthropods that appeared out of thin air. All of them were at least 3 times as big as Ziggy himself. Centipedes, wasps, spiders, and a scorpion with a stinger the size of a spear were ready to follow his orders. Fenrick looked amused as he witnessed the insects spring into existence.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a lot better. But I really hope you don¡¯t expect a few bugs to defeat me,¡± Fenrick said.

    ¡°Get¡¯em!¡± Ziggy commanded his insects.

    The insect army buzzed, crawled and slithered towards Fenrick. The other members of the Hardires team were taken aback by the strange creatures, but once they knew they were only focused on Fenrick, they turned their focus back to the ones they were fighting. Fenrick waited until the wasps came closing in, then made a giant leap to meet them in the air. He had concocted a plan to defeat them without his hands ever leaving his pockets.

    However, as Fenrick leapt up to dodge a wasp¡¯s attack, something pulled him back down. Alerted, he looked down and saw that one of Ziggy¡¯s vines had reemerged from the cracks and wrapped itself around his ankle. By then, the wasps had moved in, stingers ready to strike. Fenrick was able to narrowly dodge the stinger of the first wasp¡ªbut wasn¡¯t so lucky with the second. The vine that had a hold of him whipped itself so Fenrick was flung upside down. The second wasp¡¯s stinger dug into Fenrick¡¯s side and he cried out in agony. Despite the successful attack, he managed to kick the wasp back, release his ankle from the vine¡¯s grasp, and land back down to the ground.

    Instead of staying on the offensive, the rest of the insects surrounded Fenrick. Ziggy was mounted on one of the centipedes. ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal.¡± He said, looking down at Fenrick from his myriapod steed. Perhaps now you will finally take this fight seriously. Come on now. Don¡¯t hold back any longer¡ªshow me the true power of Animal Lord!¡±

    Fenrick stared intently as he clutched his wounded side. His face still winced from the burning of the giant wasp sting.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you really want, that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re gonna get. Just remember that you asked for this, you little douchebag!¡±

    As he said this, Fenrick was already undergoing a strange metamorphosis. His blue eyes filled with a feral yellow. His limbs shifted violently, his body lurched, and his skin started to grow golden hair all over at a miraculous pace. His entire body began to expand and stretch to over twice his original length. His uniform completely tore away into torn fabric upon the ground, unable to hold his enormous new frame. Fenrick¡¯s face grew outwards into a snout that bared razor-sharp fangs; a sweep of horns the size of swords sprouted from his head, and throngs of tanned brown hair grew around his neck into a proud mane. Long limbs with thick claws scratched away at the fighting square surface. With teeth like daggers, he let out a deep, menacing roar that echoed throughout the arena.

    ¡°Astonishing! We don¡¯t see this very often, and it¡¯s such a sight to behold. Fenrick has just transformed into the Animal Lord! He is the only druid alive in the Eastlands that has mastered this form, and he¡¯s gonna need it if he wants to defeat our Ziggy¡¯s Giant Insects!¡±

    As he saw what was happening, Ziggy grinned, he finally had the match he was waiting for. Once the transformation before him was complete, he commanded his insects to charge in an all-out attack. All besides the centipede Ziggy was mounted on rushed at the shape-shifting beast.

    Animal Lord responded by rushing on all fours at lightning-quick speed at an unmounted centipede. He grabbed the oversized insect and heaved it high over his head with legs skittering helplessly. He tossed it at two other centipedes, the one he threw crashed down onto their backs and pinned them down. He then leapt up into the air¡ªhigh into the air¡ªso high that the crowd gasped in awe at the flying human-beast hybrid. He clutched his clawed hands together and crashed down an axe-handle blow onto one of the spiders, incapacitating the arachnid.

    The wasps came buzzing back around him, and he swiped at them with his claws. Behind him, the scorpion lashed out its stinger and stung him square in the back. Animal Lord roared in a pain-filled rage. Before the scorpion could retract its stinger, Animal Lord grabbed it and used the stinging tail to swing the scorpion around in the air. The body of the scorpion made contact with one of the wasps and knocked it out of the air. He then spun the scorpion around and around in a dizzying circle and then released its tail. The scorpion went sailing into the air¡­right towards a section of spectators in the stands! The crowd screamed in panic as they scrambled away from the spot where the scorpion was headed. The scorpion crashed into the emptied stands, leaving a small crater where seats used to be¡­Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    While the battle of the druids raged on the other side of the arena, Urk and Arcanus were locked in a fierce magical duel. Urk launched a barrage of rippling purple arcane beams, but Arcanus was able to easily deflect them with a hastily conjured forcefield. The beams exploded upon impact with the forcefield and Arcanus remained unscathed. The Hardires¡¯ mage summoned a huge fireball and hurled it at Urk. The troll wasn¡¯t quick enough to react and the fireball hit it square in the stomach. It sent it flying backwards and it crashed onto the hard surface of the fighting square. The front of its amber robes was burned beyond repair.

    Arcanus, obviously pleased with his work, casually made his way towards his downed opponent. His levitating staff followed closely behind him.

    ¡°You are not in my league, troll,¡± Arcanus said spitefully as he raised his arms to the sky. Giant whirlwinds of flame began materializing in the air, spinning and merging until it became a fireball the size of a meteor. A cocky grin spread across Arcanus¡¯ face. ¡°You should have never even thought of stepping into the arena with me. Say goodbye, novice sorcerer!¡±

    Urk, still on the ground, looked up in shock at the massive ball of flame. Out of desperation, it cast the only spell it could think of in order to save itself from total elimination.

    ¡°Seduction!¡±

    A light red mist sprinkled down on top of Arcanus¡¯ head. In an instant, his face completely changed. The expression he wore went from cocky and confident to utterly confused. He dropped his arms and the large fireball above his head slowly dissipated until it completely vanished in a poof. The floating staff suddenly dropped to the ground. Still dumbfounded, he stood there as if in a trance.

    ¡°Whoa¡­ A second ago I wanted to destroy you. Now, I wanna fuck you!¡± Arcanus jumped on top of the troll and they started rolling around on the ground; Arcanus¡¯ hands groped all over the troll¡¯s lanky body. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s take our robes off and make sweet inter-species love in front of all these people!¡±

    The crowd, horrified and confused at what they were seeing, started to voice their displeasure at the sudden shift of the mage battle.

    ¡°Shut the hell up you bigots!¡± Arcanus yelled at the disapproving audience, ¡°I thought we lived in a progressive society, but nooo apparently it¡¯s too much to watch a man and a troll make passionate love on live television. What a bunch of backwards hillbillies you all are!¡±

    With Arcanus distracted with the crowd, Urk was able to push him off and run away from the wildly amorous mage. Arcanus was in immediate pursuit.

    ¡°GET BACK HERE YOU UGLY SEXY BITCH!¡± He yelled as he wildly chased after the troll mage.

    ¡°Yahp yahp you want it come git it bad boy!¡± Urk taunted as it ran and laughed all around the fighting square.

    Even though he was locked in a fight of his own, Hyata spotted the commotion and saw his teammate run past him with Arcanus in tow. After letting loose another arrow towards Zeratron to impede his charge, he waited for Arcanus to get near.

    ¡°I want it! I want that bony wart-covered ass!¡± Arcanus cried in lustful ecstasy. When he was in range, Hyata swung his metallic bow like a baseball bat and hit Arcanus square in his head. The mage fell to the ground, knocked silly and unable to get back up.

    ¡°Arcanus has been eliminated, I repeat, Arcanus has been eliminated! Gungannon now has the advantage!¡± The PA announcer yelled as the crowd went crazy with excitement.

    ¡°Holy shit! We lost Archie!¡± Caleo cried out while trying to fend off his gun-wielding foe, ¡°Zeratron, time to execute plan b!¡± He ordered, hoping that his teammate was within earshot.

    Without hesitation, Zeratron placed his gauntleted hand on the surface of the fighting square. A large dark circle began to form under him and a horrifying guttural sound could be heard. Suddenly, a giant crescent horn slowly rose from the circle. Attached to it, a twenty-foot-tall skeletal demon crawled out of the dark portal. Zeratron latched onto the horn and stood perched on its head. He ordered the demon to join in the fight. Urk shot a fireball right at the demon¡¯s face, but it proved ineffective. Hyata unloaded arrows from his magical quiver, but they harmlessly bounced off the demon¡¯s bony frame. Urk and Hyata looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The skeletal demon swung his arms around, trying to hit them with his hardened fists. All Urk and Hyata could do was avoid getting hit¡­

    When he finally ran out of ammo, Cadarock threw down his empty Mountain Eagles.

    ¡°Aww, no more bullets for your pea shooters? Does this mean you¡¯re going to actually face me like a man already?¡± Caleo taunted his opponent.

    Without a word, Cadarock unsheathed the sword from his back. It was big, not quite as big as Caleo¡¯s, but big enough to be able to go toe-to-toe with the Hardires captain in a duel of blades.

    ¡°I was starting to think that thing was just for show. Let¡¯s see if you can actually use it.¡±

    ¡°Spit!¡± Cadarock shouted in a deep voice from behind his mask. With that word, the sword he wielded suddenly became engulfed in a fierce flame. The sword raged with such a fiery fury that it even made Caleo take a half-step back. The crowd went wild as they witnessed the flaming sword of their team captain spring to life.

    ¡°We all know Cadarock means business when he brings Fire Spitter into the fight. Caleo and his big sword are in for it now!¡±

    Without hesitation from either side, the two captains charged at each other and engaged in a flurry of rapid sword strikes. With each swing, the swords clanged against each other with neither of the two backing down. The flurry of constant strikes lasted for quite a while. The packed crowd were mesmerized by the spectacle of the flames of Cadarock¡¯s sword as they danced with Caleo¡¯s Berserkir Blade. The two were evenly matched¡ªequally powerful¡ªor so it seemed.

    Amongst the blade dance, there was one strike where Caleo swung his sword with greater force than Cadarock anticipated. Cadarock instinctively tried to parry the strike and, with utter shock to everyone witnessing the fight, his sword flew out of his hands.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Was all the PA announcer could say to the crowd.

    The flames of Fire Spitter extinguished as it slid across the arena floor. Without his sword, Cadarock was completely defenseless against the Hardires captain and fell to his knees in despair. Caleo smirked at the sight, knowing that with their captain defeated, Gungannon¡¯s morale would crumble¡­

    As Caleo looked to have his fight all but won, the battle between Animal Lord and Ziggy¡¯s insects looked to be heading the same way. Animal Lord laid waste to every giant arthropod Ziggy threw at him, and soon there was only Ziggy and the centipede he was perched on that remained. Animal Lord leapt onto the centipede¡¯s head to finally be within striking distance of Ziggy. He swiped at Ziggy with his clawed hand and sent his opponent flying off the centipede and crashing onto the hard concrete of the fighting square. Ziggy lied unmoving as Animal Lord hopped off the centipede.

    ¡°Run for it Cenny, save yourself!¡± Ziggy uttered through the pain.

    Animal Lord turned to the insect and bared his deep fangs; the centipede slithered away in fright, escaping through the tunnel. The beast that was formerly Fenrick Freygar prowled up to Ziggy, much like a predator stalks its wounded prey when it¡¯s about to go in for the kill.

    Ziggy struggled up to his feet. Four long claw marks ripped into the front of his jacket. He glanced around at the arena and saw his captain down on his knees, helpless before Caleo. His other teammates were busy desperately defending themselves against some demonic abomination. A look of despair settled deep into his eyes as the massive beast crept ever closer.

    ¡°I swore to myself¡­ That I would beat you no matter what,¡± Ziggy said in between huge, gasping breaths. ¡°And I will! At any and all cost!¡±

    Ziggy outstretched his arms, the look in his eyes turned into an intense, resolved focus.

    ¡°EARTHQUAKE!!!¡±

    It began with a light rumble, then the entire arena started shaking uncontrollably. People in the crowd quickly lost their equilibrium and fell over themselves, some even falling high off the balconies in the upper deck. Everyone in the arena started to panic, trying to run for the exits but falling down as the earth shook violently. The fighters themselves also lost their balance, Caleo swayed side-to-side and tried to use his pillar-like sword to not fall over. Zeratron¡¯s demon started to stumble around, with Zeratron wrapping his arm around the demon¡¯s horn to not fall off.

    Under the demon¡¯s feet, a huge crack went through the fighting square floor and it started to split apart into a huge abyss. Both the skeletal demon and Zeratron couldn¡¯t escape and fell into the massive fissure.

    Unfortunately for Ziggy¡¯s teammates, the shaking earth and growing fissure meant that Hyata and Urk couldn¡¯t escape the fissure as well. They¡ªalong with Arcanus¡¯ unconscious body¡ªfell into the fissure with Zeratron and his demon.

    ¡°Ziggy, what the fuck? You¡¯re taking us out too you idiot!¡± Hyata cried out just before he fell deep into the darkness.

    Another fissure quickly opened up, this one right beneath Animal Lord. The mighty beast was unprepared for the attack and fell into the fissure with a loud roar. A huge smile of relief went across Ziggy¡¯s face as he watched Animal Lord disappear into the earth. He blew a sigh of relief, knowing that he had defeated one of the greatest druids alive.

    Just as quick as it came however, Ziggy¡¯s smile vanished when he saw one huge, clawed hand come back up to the surface. Animal Lord was able to catch himself and somehow claw his way back up from certain defeat. Ziggy couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. He shook his head uncontrollably, incredulous to the fact that Animal Lord had survived his most powerful attack.

    ¡°No¡­No¡­NOOO!!!¡± Ziggy screamed at the top of his lungs. He charged at Animal Lord, all the fear and trepidation and uncertainty leaving him. He tackled the substantially larger beast-human hybrid with an inhuman amount of force for someone his size and they both fell into the fissure, swallowed up by the dark abyss below¡­

    The ground ceased to shake, the rumbles of the earthquake subsided, and all became ominously quiet. The only ones remaining in the fight were Caleo and Cadarock. They were both disoriented by the effects of Ziggy¡¯s spell. They slowly looked around at the devastation that surrounded them.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not sure what to say folks¡­¡± The PA announcer said in a rather solemn voice. A few cries were heard throughout the venue of people who were injured in the earthquake. Half of the crowd had escaped the arena to get to safety, but through it all there were still die-hard fans that wanted to see the fight to its conclusion.

    Cadarock was the first to gain his bearings, and suddenly broke into a sprint towards his sword that remained on the ground a short distance away. Caleo chased after him, but stopped when he realized that he couldn¡¯t catch him in time. He decided to take a great risk and threw his Berserkir Blade at Cadarock. The massive hunk of iron spun like a giant helicopter blade. Cadarock grabbed his sword and turned around just in time to see the huge blade whirling towards him. He ducked low and the blade sailed right above his head.

    Now the roles were reversed; Caleo was weaponless while Cadarock had his sword firmly grasped, yelling ¡°Spit!¡± and reigniting the flames of Fire Spitter.

    Caleo didn¡¯t back down, and Cadarock didn¡¯t hesitate¡­

    He made one final charge at Caleo, ready to strike him down. He nearly hit his mark as Caleo dodged the blade but wasn¡¯t able to avoid the heat. The flames of Fire Spitter singed the skin of Caleo¡¯s exposed face. He winced in pain but didn¡¯t falter. Cadarock swung his sword a second time, aiming for the head. The blade narrowly missed for the second time, but the flames blazing around it burned Caleo yet again, searing his face all the more.

    Cadarock wound up for a third strike¡ªbut Caleo did something no one expected¡ªand got in close to deliver a jumping armored knee right into the masked face of Cadarock. The Gungannon captain stumbled backwards and Caleo went on the offensive, delivering a flurry of lightning-fast palm strikes. Each powerful blow left a small indentation in the tactical vest. Cadarock¡¯s grip on his sword loosened, and the weapon fell out of his hand. When Caleo heard the heavy clang of the fallen sword, he went for the knockout. He jumped up in the air and executed his bone-crunching roundhouse kick¡ªpowerful enough to knock out an ogre¡ªto the side of Cadarock¡¯s head. The impact was so great that Cadarock¡¯s body did a full sideways flip before crashing down onto the arena floor like a ragdoll. It was clear to anyone watching that Cadarock was clearly incapacitated and unable to continue.

    Caleo was the only fighter left standing, the burn marks served as badges of honor from the battle in which he was the sole survivor¡­

    ¡°Well folks. The winner of the match: The New Heroes of Hardires¡­ or what¡¯s left of them¡­¡±

 Epilogue: Resolutions and Consequences

    The hallow silence went on for what seemed like an eternity. Everyone that still remained in attendance stared dumbfoundedly at the cracked and heavily damaged fighting square. They had just witnessed one of the most intense arena fights in recent memory. No words could describe it, even the PA announcer was at a loss.

    Caleo stood in silence, looking down at Cadarock¡¯s body. He was the last one standing; he had led his team in victory. It was hard-fought and hard-won, but he wasn¡¯t in a celebratory mood.

    Finally, a noise was heard somewhere in the arena, the sounds of a guttural grunting and clawing against crumbling rocks. Everyone turned their attention to one of the fissures. A few seconds later they saw a beastly arm emerge out of the abyss. Fenrick (still in his Animal Lord form) poked his head out of the fissure. He grunted and growled as he tried to climb out of the giant hole in the earth. Before he could get his whole body out of the fissure, he tossed something that he held in his other arm onto the arena floor. It was the unconscious body of Ziggy Ratt. With that weight unloaded, Fenrick was able to fully climb out of the fissure with ease.

    When he got back to the surface, Animal Lord started to shrink. His monstrous size and features began to revert back to his human form. The fur that covered his body fell off save for the lower half, which he kept as furry underpants to conceal his private areas.

    ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Fenrick shouted. ¡°That sucked a thousand balls plus one!¡± He looked around quizzically. ¡°Did we win? Where the hell is everybody?¡±

    He looked over at Caleo, who gave him a slight nod. Fenrick pumped his fist in celebration, but looked around and saw just how much damage their fight had caused. Soon the two made their way over to the giant fissure in the center, where half the gladiators were swallowed up. Caleo and Fenrick peered down into the dark and silent abyss.

    ¡°They all fell down there; I have no idea how deep it is,¡± Caleo said.

    Fenrick looked back at the unconscious Ziggy Ratt. ¡°Crazy little bastard wasn¡¯t messing around. He really did want to win at all cost¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the second craziest thing he¡¯s done today, besides saying you were his idol of course.¡±

    They both chuckled lightly at the joke, but still looked down in the fissure, worried about their teammates¡¯ well-being. Suddenly, they both saw a distant light ignite, shining deep down in the darkness.

    ¡°Hey! Someone¡¯s alive down there!¡± Caleo exclaimed.

    Fenrick stretched his arms and exhaled a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m pretty freakin¡¯ worn out, but I guess I can¡¯t rest quite yet.¡±

    He underwent another metamorphosis, this time collapsing in on himself into a plump ball of bright feathers. Fenrick transformed into what appeared to be an obscenely overweight crow with bulging eyes and stubby wings. It was the complete opposite of the sheer glory of Animal Lord. With an obnoxious squawk, he flapped his wings repeatedly and slowly hovered down into the fissure. Guided by Urk¡¯s light, he was able to fly each of the trapped combatants out. Fat Bird Fenrick had trouble lifting the fighters out, particularly Urk, but under great strain and annoying, continuous squawking¡ªso annoying that Hyata debated whether he¡¯d prefer to just stay stuck down the fissure rather than listen to it anymore¡ªFenrick managed to get each of them to safety.

    In a burst of exploding feathers, Fenrick shifted back to human form. This time, instead of fur covering his unmentionables, Fenrick was completely naked and was too exhausted to care.

    ¡°Okay yeah I think I¡¯m done.¡± He muttered then collapsed face-first onto the ground, his bare, pasty posterior plain for the world to see.

    While this happened, Cadarock slowly started to regain consciousness. Caleo walked over to him. Cadarock reared back a bit, unsure of Caleo¡¯s intentions. The Hardires captain extended his hand out, the Gungannon captain stared at it for a second, apprehensive, but then grabbed it. Caleo helped Cadarock to his feet and gave him a pat on the chest.

    ¡°Good fight, captain,¡± Caleo said. ¡°That¡¯s quite an impressive sword you got there, is it of dwarven make?¡±

    Cadarock nodded. ¡°And yours, Ragnarian?¡± He asked, his voice weak and low behind the mask.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    As they witnessed the hand offered from captain to captain, sporadic applause began throughout the crowd. It gradually grew louder and louder until eventually it turned into a full standing ovation for the fighters. They each looked around (save for Ziggy and Arcanus, who were still unconscious) at the adoring crowd. Zeratron saw his father applauding his effort. He couldn¡¯t help but give a small smile from behind his helm at the sight.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about folks! Even in the midst of high-octane combat, it¡¯s always wonderful to see sportsmanship and respect given to fellow combatants. Especially after such a memorable fight like we just witnessed!¡±

    The five that were still conscious shook hands with each other.

    ¡°You guys got a good thing going here,¡± Caleo said to the Gungannon team. ¡°You sure did give us a run for our money. This is a match we won¡¯t be quick to forget.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡± Hyata replied. ¡°You may have won this round, but there¡¯s always the chance of meeting you guys again in the regional finals.¡±

    ¡°For sure. Hopefully we¡¯ll see you there.¡±

    Cadarock stepped forward and took his mask off; he looked fervently at Caleo and Zeratron.

    ¡°Trust me. We¡¯ll be there.¡± Cadarock said before he turned and walked away; his teammates followed after him.

    The three of them stood mystified as they watched their rivals walk away. The medical staff stretchered Arcanus, Fenrick and Ziggy Ratt out to give them further medical attention.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Zeratron turned to Caleo. ¡°That guy looks a lot like you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Caleo said, staring suspiciously at the back of Cadarock. He then shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Whatever. Now¡¯s the time to celebrate. Let¡¯s hit the town Z-Tron!¡±

    The tenday after¡­

    It was Ephday morning. After a week of rest and recuperation (and some vacationing) it was time to settle back into the routine of going to school and waiting eagerly for the next scheduled arena fight.

    Caleo, Arcanus, Fenrick and Zeratron were on a field trip. They walked with their class on a beautiful late spring morning along a serene mountain path that overlooked the Hardires skyline. They had no class that day; instead, they took a field trip to Cabin Mountain Continental Park. A tour guide lead them throughout the area of lush greenery, giving out information about the history of the heritage site they walked in. The four of them weren¡¯t listening much though, their minds, like usual, wandering elsewhere.

    ¡°I do hope we get the chance to face, and beat, Gungannon again,¡± Caleo said.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Zeratron responded. ¡°I do feel that even though we managed to get the win, there¡¯s still some unfinished business between us and them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I feel that too. I know if we do face them again, they¡¯re gonna be a lot tougher. I¡¯m sure the loss really motivated them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not to mention that Urk the troll is fucking sexy as hell,¡± Arcanus chimed in, but the three did their best to ignore him. It was evident that the seduction spell Urk put on him had not worn off yet.

    While they were talking, a falcon swooped down low above them that dropped something. It fell right into Fenrick¡¯s outstretched hand. It was a letter tied to a small rock. Fenrick untied the letter, tossed the rock, and opened it to read the message contained inside. Caleo couldn¡¯t help but take a peek at the writing on the letter. He was greatly surprised when he caught the name of the sender.

    ¡°You¡¯re writing to Ziggy Ratt?¡± Caleo asked. ¡°What the hell¡¯s up with that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, I don¡¯t know,¡± Fenrick scratched his cheek. ¡°I guess after all that effort he put into trying to beat me, I kinda have some respect for him. Still pretty annoying though.¡±

    ¡°What do you guys talk about?¡±

    ¡°Just druid stuff mainly. Oh, and get this, he just got suspended for two months because of the earthquake he caused. It apparently injured some people in the crowd and he was ultimately held responsible for the damage. His reputation kinda took a hit.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Caleo blurted. ¡°That¡¯s pretty fucking hilarious, actually.¡±

    ¡°Yeah it is. And, um¡­ I also told him that I actually think ¡®The Bob and Ziggy Show¡¯ isn¡¯t that bad.¡± Fenrick said sheepishly.

    ¡°Could you ask if he has Urk¡¯s address, and what kind of cologne it likes?¡± Arcanus asked hopefully.

    ¡°Uh. No.¡±

    As they were talking amongst themselves, the class reached the top of the trail. The tour guide motioned them along as she pointed to an old, one-room wooden cabin nestled in a grove near a sub-summit that overlooked the city.

    ¡°This small cabin is one of the most beloved treasures in Hardires,¡± the tour guide informed the class. ¡°Legend has it that over three thousand years ago, the four great Heroes of Hardires got their start as guards for the city and lodged in this very same cabin. They watched over the town, keeping it safe from all that would threaten the peace this city was known for. These heroes would go on to play a huge part in saving the world from evil gods and monsters of terrible power. It is said that after God War 4, they were granted immortal life by the victorious gods for their grand deeds. There have been many rumors and stories about them, some even claiming that they still walk among us this very day. It¡¯s all quite fascinating! Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Many of the tour-goers nodded in agreement.

    ¡°What a bullshit story.¡± Fenrick said to his teammates.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not buying that part about them being immortal and still kicking,¡± Caleo said as the crowd moved past the cabin down the path to the training grounds.

    ¡°Oh yeah, who are we facing next?¡± Zeratron asked his captain, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to look at the schedule since coming back from visiting Xerenia.¡±

    Caleo rubbed his hands together, ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll like this one¡­ Our next opponents are the ones we never get tired of beating down mercilessly: Arbires High!¡± Caleo let out a maniacal cackle. ¡°Oh, how I always enjoy smacking those bitches around, and what makes it even better is we got homefield advantage this time!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fight I¡¯m very much looking forward to. When we get back to the city, you guys wanna grab a behemoth burger and talk some early strategy?¡± Zeratron suggested.

    ¡°Sure.¡± They all responded in unison.

    The Team Arena Squad of Hardires High continued the tour with a sense of peace for the present and excitement for the future.