168 Prestige and Prominence (1/2)

Kiki Mosk floated outside of the arena. As he did, the lights went off. The pre-fight hype started, clips of the fighters showing on the teleprompters. Flashy fights with no substance poured out of the screens. I leaned over towards Althea,

”This seems more like an exhibition than fighting, don't you think?”

Unlike me, Althea relished in the theatrics. She waved me away, ”Just relax a little. The montages are awesome.”

After a minute of fireworks and a light show, I yawned. A few minutes later and they were still hyping up the fight. I leaned against my armrest, bored out of my mind. At the apex of my boredom, a presence reached out to me. It tapped against my mind, like knocking on your door.

It was a gialgathen, one nearby. I glanced around, finding a dark green beast towering over those around him. He situated himself onto a platform for combatants. He glanced at me, his bearing noble. He waited for my permission, so I let him speak to me.

”Excuse my intrusion young one, but you mentioned this bout as an exhibition?”

I raised an eyebrow, ”How did you hear me?”

”Hah! I've honed my senses over the years. It can be a burden at times. You no doubt carry that same awareness. Even as you walked in, I noticed no method of attacking you. Your guard is absolute.”

He gave me a nod of approval, ”It's fitting for a warrior such as you to defeat Alzoroth.”

I frowned, ”Are you his friend?”

The gialgathen's head leaned back, ”What? Why, I would never even give that racist a second thought! Alzoroth was an uncouth member of our people. Please, do not let his ugliness stain your thoughts of our proud species.”

I raised my eyebrows, ”Eh, I don't. Is it that common for other gialgathens to be like that?”

He nodded his head, ”I will not lie to you. Many of us are. They fight to bolster their fragile egos. I share little with them. To the contrary, I am like you, Gray Giant. I fight for honor, not for fame or fortune.”

I shrugged, ”I definitely fight for fortune.”

The gialgathen turned his head, the black spots on his sides reflecting light, ”If that were so, you wouldn't fight for your rewards. You would do business or the like. You're no doubt wealthy already, or am I incorrect in my assumption?”

I cupped my chin. Now that I thought about it, I owned over 100 million credits. No matter how you look at it, that was wealthy. I didn't need to fight for money anymore, yet I still kept fighting. The gialgathen showed his teeth with a grin,

”It was as I suggested! You give yourself too little credit. You battle to sharpen your body and spirit. In my eyes, that is a noble pursuit.”

He glanced up, ”I'm glad to share some wisdom with such promising young talent. It's good to see I can do some good even after what they've done toLehesion's Honoring.”

Gialgathen or not, I liked this guy. I raised a hand to him, ”My name's Daniel Hillside. What's yours?”

”Eradin. Eradin Forest-Torch. I earned my last name by setting an entire forest ablaze with a single breath.” He scoffed, ”Though my flames have dimmed with old age no doubt. I'd rather speak of more recent glories, yours perhaps?”

I shrugged, ”I'm just here to win the tournament.”

He raised his foot and stomped the ground, ”As you should be! You're one of the few walkers here that I wouldn't mind winning the tournament. When I was younger, every combatant battled for honor, for glory! Now, look at them.”

Several advertisements flowed across the teleprompters. Eradin growled,

”Now they use Lehesion's Honoring to gain fame and fortune. It disgusts me.”

I crossed my arms, ”You mean the ads and stuff?”

Eradin nodded, ”They wonder why we gialgathens win year after year. The answer could not be more obvious. We battle for the sake of battle! We need no other incentive. If they followed the same ambition, they'd conquer just as we do.”

As Eradin finished his spill, an advertisement for Thisbey's mining business popped up. Eradin sighed, ”Thisbey Thorn. The only memorable thing about that clown is how much of a thorn in my side he is.”

I liked how chatty and ornery this guy was. I laughed, ”Really now? Why?”

”Because he is at the forefront of destroying what Lehesion's Honoring stood for.”

Eradin snorted, ”Lehesion was more than just mighty. He was an absolute force. With one breath, he could decimate a dozen Skyburners. A slash of his claws could slice through the sky. A stomp of his foot flattened mountains.”

I raised my eyebrows, ”Tall praise. Could he actually do that?”

Eradin's eyes watered, ”It was a thing of beauty. I saw his first battle against Emagrotha's army of Skyburners. He destroyed them all on his own. When he and Emagrotha fought, their claws sent shockwaves that parted seas.”

He was sentimental too. Eradin gazed deep into his memory, ”He sent her a message that day. All races deserve an opportunity, lesser or not.”

I frowned. The phrase wasn't perfect, but at the time, it was a step in the right direction. At least compared to Alzoroth.

Eradin shook his head,”I pray for your good luck in Lehesion's Honoring but never forget this. Remember who and what you fight for. It will guide you when you've lost your way.”

I nodded. It was a good tip. Eradin glanced down, ”Ah, look at what I've done. I've chatted away like a mother with an empty nest. Please excuse me.”

I raised up a palm, ”Don't worry about it. It was interesting. Plus it's always good to see someone else who likes to fight.”

We finished our chat just as the fight hype ended. A fighter walked out of one side of the arena. His face appeared on the teleprompter along with his name, Mell Coff. He was lean with sharp features. Girl espens nearby swooned over him, and he beamed a grin at the crowd.

Beside him, the symbol for Thisbey's mining business appeared. Kiki Mosk pointed towards Mell, ”Here's the fan favorite, Mell Coff! He represents the hardworking miners that clean up the city. He's the best of Thisbey's mercenaries. Let him know how you feel!”

The horde roared with applause. He got onto the arena, waving at his adoring fans. I analyzed him.

Mell Coff, the Earth Dancer(lvl 5,000) - A prominent social figure in Yildraza, he represents the elegance of espen magic in many eyes. While his combat abilities aren't lacking, it's the methods he uses that draw so much attention.

Despite his plain name and earth magic, he dances during combat to channel his spells. This creates elaborate displays of skill. While he may be popular, don't underestimate him.

That would be my advice for most, for you he will prove no problem.

Kiki gestured towards the other side of the arena,

”And here is the other contestant, Jilian Krokov! She represents the leader of the speakers centered on Giess. She's been funded by Tohtellah Adair, a speaker like yours truly.”

Jillian walked out, covered in black power armor. Grenades, knives, gemstones, vials, and ammo lined her sides. Several weapons were on her back. In my opinion, she looked like a complete badass.

Jilian Krokov(lvl 5,246 | Speaker) - A powerful member of the speakers of Giess. Most speakers specialize in communicative abilities or auras. Jilian is a specialist in gun oriented combat. By taking full advantage of technology and alchemy, she has proven herself to be very resourceful.

Combine this with Jilian researching her opponents ahead of time, and she poses a sizable threat to most. You are a counter matchup to her. Your abilities would overwhelm hers regardless, but the nature of your magic poses problems for her.

The crowd didn't agree with me. They booed as Jilian walked out. She got into her respective corner of the stone arena. Kiki Mosk raised a hand,

”Are both contestants ready?”

They nodded. Kiki Mosk shouted, ”Begin!”

Mell Coff sprinted forwards, jumping up. A chunk of the arena popped up under his feet, letting him fly around. He pushed his hands towards Jilian, chunks of sharpened earth flying towards her.

Jilian clicked a device on her side. The spikes of earth bounced off a blue barrier in front of her, electrical sparks flaring. She pulled a rifle from her back, aiming and firing in one swift motion.

Mell covered his hands with hardened soil. As if dancing, he spun and deflected the bullets. They slapped against the edge of a forcefield, blue energy rippling out. As Jilian began reloading, he dashed towards her.

She tossed a grenade at her feet. A plume of yellow smoke billowed out. She stepped through a portal, appearing on the other side of the arena. Mell stopped his chase, dodging the toxic cloud.

I scoffed, ”So that's why he's popular and she isn't. He's the flash and she's the fury.”

Althea leaned towards me, ”What do you mean?”

I pointed at her, ”Just watch.”

With distance to cover, Mell dived into the arena. He burrowed beneath the ground, trying to reach her. Jilian tossed a vial down, spraying a yellow liquid around her. It soaked into the dirt. Moments later, Mell burst from the ground, using a dirt hunk to keep him moving. The moment he got above ground, Jilian unloaded another clip right at him.

He struggled to deflect the bullets this time. One of them clipped his arms, leaving a dent on his silver power armor. Mell danced again on his platform, summoning a pillar of dirt at Jilian's throat. She sidestepped it, continuing the onslaught of lead.