Tour of the Arena

The entrance was really packed, but for some reason people made space for us when we walked. Inside, I saw a large open space and two corridors to my left and right. "Would you like to visit a few shops? We can buy something as a souvenir", mom said. "I can get anything I like?", I asked. "Hmmm, as long as it's not too expensive", she replied. We checked out the shops, and there were loads of things in each of them. The shop keepers tried to hand me things without me even asking for them. They even said I didn't have to pay, but mother declined them all. "Mom, why are these people so nice to us? Are you also famous, like Suly?", I asked. "Nah, I'm not that famous. A few people might recognise me here, since I spent some time here with Slate and others. There are a few people here who I work with, so they are just trying to be nice", she replied.

This made me wonder, 'What does mother do actually? I mean, she doesn't really work. Mom is always home, and we grow our own food and stuff. I'm sure this trip will cost her something…'. "Mom, what is your job? Where do you work?", I asked curiously. She smiled, "How to say this… I manage people in a sense. The help your aunt Alicia required, was that sort of job really. I work from home sweetie and sometimes travel, like the time I left for a few months. Although rare, it might happen again". "Heh… It seems rather boring", I said. Mom laughed, "Sometimes, but I get to spend a lot of time with you, right?". That was true, mom was always home. If she had to travel all the time, I would rarely see her.

"Anything caught your eye yet?", she asked. "I don't know, there are so many things everywhere", I replied. "It's fine love. If you see something you like, mommy will buy it for you, alright?", she said and we moved on to the next sector. The entrance had loads of food and clothes shops, but further in, we found weapons, medicine and even pet shops. I wanted to visit a pet shop, but mom was really reluctant. "Come on mom, at least we can have a look, right?", I said. She finally agreed, and we entered the shop. "Hoh, they have some weird creatures here", grandpa commented. A Lizard lady walked over and asked if we needed assistance, but mother told her we were only looking around. They mostly sold small creatures, and some of them were quite creepy. I saw some larvae on display behind a glass. They had a few large moths inside cages, and even blob-like creatures inside jars.

"Hmmm, can you tell me what those creatures are?", grandpa asked while pointing at the blobs. "These guys are called Mimic Slimes. They can form their bodies into simple objects and mimic them. Although their colour and texture will stay the same, people like to play with them. They are quite popular with kids these days", she replied. "That's interesting… How much does one of them cost?", grandpa asked. "Each jar costs four Red Hals, but since you…", before she finished, mom said, "Do you really want it father? I guess four Red Hals is not that expensive…". "My lovely daughter is willing to pay for me? I'm so glad. In that case, can we have the blue one?", grandpa asked. The shop lady took one jar and handed it to grandpa. Mom took out some money, but the lady said it was a gift. "It's fine, we will pay", mom replied and handed her the money.

I looked at the blob inside the jar and asked, "Can you even release that?". "Of course, all creatures we sell are tamed. They will not harm you guys. Although, please don't mistreat them. They can also feel pain. The Mimic Slimes have no real offensive abilities, and they are really squishy. Please do take care of it, and make sure its core is not damaged. The Mimic Slimes feed on plants, make sure to feed them at least once a day. You don't have to worry about them being in a jar either. They like cramped spaces, and they feel comfortable inside. They can grow a bit, as these guys are quite young now. A larger jar might be required, or other containers of your choosing", she replied.

"That's really interesting. In that case, how do I command it to change shapes? Also, can these slimes be named?", grandpa asked. "The slimes are not very intelligent, but they understand our language fairly decently. You can simply ask it to "change into a plate", and it will do that as long as it knows what a plate is. You can also show it an object and say, "change into this". There are of course size limitations, but they can mimic a lot of things. As for the names, I don't see a reason why you couldn't. If you call it a specific name many times, it will learn that the name refers to it", the lady explained. Grandpa nodded, and examined the jar a bit more. The lady grabbed a bag and handed it to grandpa. "These are some plants for the slime. The bag should be enough for a few days", she said. Mom tried paying her again, but she wouldn't accept the money. "Please, the plants are not that expensive, and you are our first customers today", she said.

"Do you have any other creatures?", I asked curiously. "We also have a few Tauruses, Flame Monkeys and Grey Hornets. We keep them at the back, as there is not enough space here at the front", she replied. "Can I have a look at them?", I asked. "Of course... young lady. Follow me", she replied and led us towards the back of the shop. We entered a larger room at the back, where more creatures were kept. She showed us a few Tauruses behind a fence, and even said I could pet them. I did, they were really docile and friendly. "Tauruses are really strong, right?", I asked. "Yes, they are mostly used as a method of transport. They can also carry baggage and even work in the fields. They are really popular", the lady explained then showed us the Grey Hornets. They were kept inside large cages, and had their own nests where they lived. The hornets were a bit smaller than my hand, and they didn't look so friendly. "There is no need to fear them, as long as you don't harm them, they will never turn against you. Although they might look menacing, Grey Hornets are really loyal. They make great scouts, if trained properly", the lady explained. I didn't like them, even if they were loyal.

Next, she showed us the Flame Monkeys. 'These guys reminded me of Atols, are they related?', I asked myself. "You probably think they are related to Atols, right?", the lady asked. "How did you know?", I replied stunned. "I experienced that a few times. They are not related. Atols are different, while these guys come from normal monkeys and Flaming Apes. In other words, they are a crossbreed variation. Although Flaming Monkeys are a bit more intelligent compared to Tauruses, or other creatures. If trained properly, they can think for themselves, and help you out with a lot of things", she explained.

'They are much smaller, and can't speak at all. Their fur is orange, and their tails are short. Although they remind me of Atols, I guess they really aren't related', I thought and asked, "Can they breathe fire or something? Since they are called Flame Monkeys". She shook her head, "No, nothing of that sort. Although Flaming Apes have such ability, these guys are much weaker. Instead of flames, they can produce a lot of heat, but that is pretty much it". I learned a lot from that lady, but I knew mom wouldn't allow me to get one of them. The blob grandpa got was not something I wanted. As we were about to leave, the shop lady said, "If you are interested, there will be a contest in a few days. The main prize for that contest is going to be a rare pet. That pet should be something you haven't seen before. You will surely not find it inside any pet shops here in the Arena". "Really? What sort of pet?", I asked excitedly. "Well I shouldn't say, but…", before she finished, mom stopped her. "There is no need to break the rules. Let's go sweetie, we still have stuff to take care of". I said farewell to the shop lady, and we left.

Grandpa seemed really intrigued by the creature inside the jar. "Do you like it that much, grandpa?", I asked, confused. "It's not every day you get to see stuff like this. This will make for a fine souvenir when I return home", he replied. "By the way mom, where can I sign up for a contest?", I asked. "You want that pet, don't you? Tomorrow, I will take you there. Let's finish our little tour and get some accommodation, alright?", she replied. We visited a few more shops and ate something, but I didn't really want to buy anything. I was already thinking about that mysterious pet, and the contest in which it could be won. 'Mom is stingy, that is why I can't buy anything now. If I win that contest, I will have a leverage when asking to keep the pet', I thought.

Just as we returned to the entrance again, I realised we made a full circle around the Arena. Mom said we had to rent a room, but before we could even do that, a few Furians approached us. "Please follow us, your rooms are ready", one of the Furians said. I was confused, because mom didn't rent any rooms yet. "I can take care of this myself, you know?", she replied to him. "You know we can't allow that", he retorted. Mom sighed, and told us that her workers already rented some rooms for us. "These guys are your workers?", I asked, bewildered. "Yea, these guys... I told them to take a break, but they still try to help me out", she replied. "Heeh, they must really care about you, mom. Besides, they are like our family, right?", I said. Mom smiled, "Yes, something like that".

They arranged three separate rooms for us, but mom argued that two were enough. She wanted to stay in the same room as me, I guessed she was worried. Grandpa didn't complain though, he went to his room while mom took me to another. The room was very big, and had a large bed in the middle. "These guys… Say Anna, want to sleep with mommy?", she asked. I didn't have any issues with that, and agreed. We got settled in, but I was a bit tired already. "Mom, I will go to sleep first. Tomorrow, we have to go sign up for the contest, I can't wait", I said. "I still have some things to look through, but I will join you soon. Good night love", mom replied. I thought the excitement wouldn't let me sleep, but I was wrong and fell asleep very quickly.