14: Orientation Final Four: Battle One I

As I followed Nigel down the coliseum corridor I felt oddly calm and focused. My eyes fixated on the bright light at the end and the sounds of thousands of screaming voices.

'Seventy-five, maybe eighty percent.' I thought to myself as I tried to gauge how much mana I had at the moment. Though I wasn't going to trust that assessment.

As we approached the end of the corridor and entrance to the arena Nigel held his hand up telling us to stop a moment. Jane and Iris who had stayed at least ten steps behind me up to this point suddenly stopped only inches from my back.

"Chase…" Jane whispered quietly.

"I refuse to run away with my tail between my legs like a dog. I might be a peasant to you two but I at least have my pride." I whispered back.

"They're ready." Nigel said and lead us out.

We exited the corridor into the arena. The massive circular pit was the size of a football stadium, white sand covered the entire floor and stone and steel walls at least two stories high surrounded us, behind that was the stands. Thousands of people, many of people who I guessed were students, were seated around the stadium cheering and yelling.

Standing in the center was the other team, Astrid Folders, Damon DeCharles, and the other guy who's name I didn't know; the three of them lined up in a row beside their guide.

As my group walked toward the center of the arena Damon's eyes locked with mine. They burned with hatred and loathing as well as a hint of deviousness.

'Does he know Baset's deal with the girls?' I wondered. My eyes darted to his other two team members. They too were focused on me, sizing me up without a single glance to Jane and Iris as if they knew I was the only one they had to worry about in this fight.

'Of course they were tipped off.' I thought. I scanned the stands of the coliseum and found Baset standing beside the dean in the emperor's box. She was too far away to make her face out clearly but I could feel her smirking at me.

Nigel stopped a few feet away from the other team and the girls and I lined up beside him. Both Nigel and the other guide looked up toward Baset and the dean as if to signal they were ready.

"Students of Andromeda as many of you know already Baset Paragon has agreed to teach a advanced class here but she will only take the best of the best." Dean Baxter's voice echoed clearly over the roar of the stands. "We have here two of the final four teams here to take the final test of combat for admittance into the class!"

"In team one from the world famous Folders family: Astrid Folders, The son of Loki Paragon: Alberto Silva, and from the noble DeCharles family: Damon DeCharles!" Baset announced. The spectators screamed at the mention of each of my opponents names. I was a little surprised by the introduction of the third member of the team, never would have thought he was the son of a Paragon.

"In team two, we have the eldest daughter of the Yearwood family Jane Yearwood, the youngest daughter of the impeccable Stone family: Iris Stone, and all the way from America of all places: Chase Kingston"

The crowd started laughing and jeered when they heard my introduction ignored their reaction and focused on my opponents.

"Set the arena to set B!" Dean Baxter exclaimed. The ground suddenly started to Rumble and the sand floor started splash around the arena as various large pillars and walls started rising out of the sand. A loud click resonated through the coliseum when each extended to full height.

Fully transformed the arena now looked more like a obstacle course, which was honestly better for me, it gave me plenty of cover and if need be a place to hide to regroup. Nigel and the other guide took this moment to leave the arena.

"Let the match begin!" Baset yelled. Jane and Iris immediately took off running behind the closest wall to hide. I stand my ground, staring down my opponents.

"Peasant!" Damon yelled a gleeful expression on his face. "looks like the rest of your team has abandoned you!"

"Fuck you Ass lord-et!" I snapped. He sneered at me for the insult then smirked and turned to his team.

"You two can take a break! I'll handle this trash! I owe him already!" He said. Alberto and Astrid both shared a look the walked over to the closest wall and sat back to watch. Damon then turned to face the audience.

"Students of Andromeda! You know my family and now you will know me! Hours ago this peasant made a mockery of me and of all noble splicers and now here before you all I plan to put him in his place!" Damon yelled. Half the crowd booed me while the other half praised Damon. "Bring out the cage"

Two men riding steeds pulling a metal cage rolled out of the entrance behind Damon. Loud snarls and roars could be heard from the cage as it moved. Whatever was inside slammed against the side of the cage and nearly made it tip over. The drivers pulled the cage to a halt beside Damon.

In the light of the moon and the light around the arena I could see what was in the cage. A liger shark, a evo that's the combination of a lion, tiger, and great white sharks. It had the head of a great white sharks with no eyes, the body of a lion with the stripes of a tiger and a shark fin sticking out of its back. Where a feline tail should be was a long whip-like shark fin.

"I will demonstrate my talent by taming this liger shark and using it to defeat him!" Damon yelled to the crowd, this earns him cheers and praise from the crowd. The crystal on his arm started to glow and he held his hand up to the cage.

The liger shark snarled and roared even louder and started thrashing desperately trying to get out of the cage. Damon's crystal glows brighter and the liger shark let's out one last feral roar before the cage went silent and all movement stopped. Damon smirked then walked over to the cage door and threw it open. The liger shark slowly crawled out of tis cage and stood in front of Damon.

"Now come on peasant! Bring out your evo! Let's give this audience a proper show!" Damon yelled. He game me a telling smirk.

'That asshole knows I don't have a evo!' I thought. I flowed some mana into my arm and imagined it turning into lightning and firing like a bolt.. I pointed a finger at Damon and a bolt flew mailings him in his stomach and sending him flying back into the cage before falling flat on the ground.

"This is a fight ass lord-et not some fucking pageantry!" I cried out. This earned a hearty laugh from everyone in the stands, even a laugh from his teammates. As Damon stood he let out a frustrated roar then looked at his liger shark.

"Waterslaughter attack!" Damon ordered. The liger shark hesitated and shook it's head, growling low. Damon's crystal glowed even brighter and all resistance from the Evo faded away. "Attack!"

'Oh shit!' I thought as the liger shark roared then pounced. I jumped put of the way, cycling mana into my arm again it instantly turned into lightning. The liger shark turned swiping one of its paws at me as I threw my hand up and invisible wave shot from my hand and crashed into the liger. It let out a pained cry and shook as if it was being electrocuted. I took that opportunity to get up and run.

"That's it peasant! Run! Run and hide! That's all you can do!" Damon screamed after me.