Page 13 of I Ran Away to Evil #3
Contestants, Are You Rrready?
Julian
“In the west corner, we have the fiery, the furry, the ever-ferocious ROCCO THE RACCOON !”
The announcer’s voice boomed loudly over the crowds as a large gate opened on the left side of the arena and a raccoon beastfolk entered.
He ran on all fours, in half-transformed beastman form, loping up the steps and arriving on the magical platform.
Rocco clasped his hands into a fist and pumped it over his head once, twice, and thrice.
And then, he burst into flames.
It was a great show. Julian nodded in approval. He was sitting in the highest alcove seats above the arena, sipping on a glass of crushed ice tea infused with elderberries and slices of cucumber. It was refreshing under the hot sun.
The crowd’s volume only increased as the eastern gate rose and the announcer’s voice introduced Rocco’s opponent.
“And in the opposite corner … SANDY MOOR! Graceful as a swan, voice of a nightingale, and beauty beyond compare. Folks, her summoner’s dance will leave you wanting to follow orders right beside her summons!”
A human woman with long black hair and clear blue eyes walked into the arena.
Sandy obviously had well over twenty Charisma, probably closer to thirty, and a high-enough Dexterity to walk with unnatural grace.
Her smile made members of the audience swoon.
She was wearing a dancer’s flowing skirt, black tights, and a long-sleeve, skintight shirt that showed off her belly button.
When she stopped across from Rocco, who was still on fire and bristling with a fierce glare on his face, Sandy lifted both arms above her head and then dipped into a beautiful bow, turned in a circle, and then sank into a fighting stance.
Her skirts settled elegantly about her, her hair falling perfectly into place.
She motioned with one outstretched hand for Rocco to come at her. The crowd went wild.
“Contestants, are you rrready ?” The announcer, a selkie man named Rish, stood on a stand just below Julian’s box seats.
Rocco and Sandy both nodded, not taking their eyes off of each other.
“Then the final match of the youth tournament shall …” There was a deliberate pause before a loud gong sounded and Rish shouted, “BEGIN!”
A split second later, Rocco spat a chantless [Fireball] at Sandy’s face. Sandy dodged to the left and spun, her voice a delicate song that Julian could hear clear as day over the crowd.
“As one with the earth,
a strength from the arm,
defender, my friend
protect me from harm.
[Summon: Carl].”
A few members of the crowd were influenced by her charm-laced voice, walking toward the stage until roused by their neighbors. Julian had a high-enough level that he didn’t need to worry about the natural charm in her words. He leaned back and took another sip.
Rocco leapt to attack her directly, but he was blocked as a stoneskin wombat emerged from the summoning circle on the ground. The monster swatted Rocco like a fly, sending him rolling. He flipped end over end twice before popping back up to his feet.
“Carl.” Sandy pointed at her opponent. “Charge.”
Rocco dove to the side as Carl the Stoneskin Wombat curled up into a ball and rolled toward him. The big beasties were known for their hard-plated butt. If Carl managed to sit on Rocco, the raccoon would take considerable damage, and his fire would struggle to get through Carl’s thick hide.
Meanwhile, the announcer had kept up a steady explanation.
“And Rocco leaps over the stoneskin, shooting out a stream of fire at Sandy—but she dances to the side! What a move, folks! And what’s this?
He’s running circles around them? Is he hoping to tire the wombat out?
I hope not! Wait! No! AMAZING! He’s trapped them in a circle of flames! What will Sandy do now?!”
Julian finished his drink and leaned forward in his chair.
These tourneys were a fun part of the festival, but they were also a great place for contestants to showcase their talent and receive job offers going forward.
From royals to famous adventuring parties, everyone who was anyone would be interested in prospective combatants skilled enough to make it to the final rounds of a big tournament like this.
The match wouldn’t last much longer. While the stoneskin was still in good form, Sandy was overheating, and Rocco was running out of stamina.
Additionally, Sandy’s build was designed to cast [Debuff] on her opponents while her summons attacked.
She’d missed hitting the wily raccoon two out of three times, and her mana was running out.
Suddenly, in a surprising move, Rocco stopped short in the middle of the arena. Carl rolled straight through a wall of fire and finally managed to hit the raccoon. It seemed like the beastman had given up … but then, something spectacular happened.
Rocco took the hit—but he’d set himself up to get launched across the arena straight into Sandy. The calm look on the woman’s face finally broke when Rocco burst through the flames and headbutted her in the stomach. She was pushed back and landed with one heel slightly out of the ring.
It was time for Julian to fulfill his role as overseer for the tournament.
Standing up, he walked forward and pulled a small lever. A flag descended from the side of his platform, pointing toward the western gate. At the same time, he pulled the other lever and dropped the flag that pointed toward the eastern gate.
A tie.
Rocco had fallen unconscious from the headbutt, and Sandy had been pushed out of the ring.
There was a dull roar from the crowd, and calls for a rematch started to shake the arena itself.
“You saw it here, folks!” Rish was eating it up. “A TIE! What do we want? A rematch! When will it happen? The judges will decide! What a battle! What a show! Who could have bet on this?!”
A lone audience member jumped to their feet, screaming in joy. One person, clearly, had bet on this.
The referees quickly administered potions to Rocco and Sandy before ushering them to stand before the royal box. Julian then spoke into the arena’s sound amplification enchantment. “An impressive feat. You’re both worthy of reaching the finals.”
The pair stood up straighter.
“But there can be only one champion,” he said.
“As such, a rematch will be held on the last morning of the festival, before the closing ceremonies. Go, and prepare yourselves!” Before Julian could finish, the crowd was yelling again.
People chanted the names of the two contestants while Rocco and Sandy shook hands, much to the delight of the spectators, and then walked back through their gates.
Julian retook his seat and ordered another drink.
He needed something to hold and distract himself with.
After a thought, he also ordered something called a charcuterie, a wooden platter with bread and cheese, cured meats, pickles and nuts, and various jams and butter.
It had been introduced last summer, and this was his first opportunity to try it.
This one came with honey butter, chive jam, sausages, pickled cabbage, and salted liliput flower seeds.
It was only a short break—a quarter hour—before the newcomer tourney finalists’ match. A few people came and left, and some were still finding their seats when the announcer started in on the next round of combatants.
Julian missed the announcements. There was someone directly across the arena from him who was trying to find a seat. Julian was so distracted staring at the troll that he nearly jumped when the gong signaled the start of the battle below.
Frustrated with himself, Julian dragged his eyes away from Gerda the Bridge Troll and back to the task at hand—watching a storm giantess utterly destroy a preela monk in the ring.