Chapter 50 – A Challenge

Tur'Jar lowered his arm, and leaped away, and the Gredidine with the Brown horn leaped froward, snarling, as Brown gauntlets started to form around his hand claws. The Gredidine with the black horn held his ground, his arms coated with black light as he dug his feet claws into the ground, and entered a boxers stance. As the Gredidine with the Brown horn closed in through the air, the Black horn jumped lightly to the side, angling his body to face the Brown Horn as he flew past him. As the Brown horn flew past the Black Horn in mid air, the Black Horn lunged forward, grabbing the Brown Horn's tail as he moved past with a two handed grip, and pulling backwards sharply.

As the Brown Horn halted, and moved backwards, the Black Horn let go of the tail, and punched right into the back of the Brown Horn. An audible crack was heard as the scales on the back carved in, and the Brown Horn screamed as blood started to flow from beneath the jagged scales. The Brown Horn tried to twist his body, swinging his arm backwards, aiming to stab the spikes on the back of his arms into the Black Horn as the Black Horn pulled his arm backwards and leaped backwards.

The Brown Horn fell onto the dirt, face downwards, and the Black Horn lifted his feet and stomped downwards hard twice on the back of the Gredidine, causing a scream to rise from the Red Horn as his tail twitched, and the Red Horn tried to swing his tail at the Black Horn. The Black Horn caught the tail with a hiss, and just as he was about to pull it, Tur'Jar intervened, leaping forwards and flicking the Black Horn's claws away from the Brown Horn's tail.

"The fight is over."

The Gredidine watching slapped their tails against the ground in approval of the match, as the Brown Horn got up shakily, hissing. Tur'Jar growled at the Brown Horn, causing him to wilt, and looked at the group of young Gredidine.

"Who can tell me why Ar'Karr lost the match?"

Seeing them remain silent, Tur'Jar spoke. "He leaped in the air. We have no wings, once we jump in the air our movement is fixed. Any clever fighter can take advantage of that, to punish that, just as La'Darr did. Additionally, while our tail gives us an additional weapon to lash out at opponents behind us, it can also be used against us....."

Yer'Zhul watched this with a toothy smile, exposing his sharp, pointed white teeth. It was good to see the young being taught to fight. Although.....these combat lessons usually took place outside, among the bushes and jungles, where they could learn to use the surroundings to their advantage.

He though back to the time when he was young, and his father taught him to hunt Red Tipped Wolves and other creatures. Ways to use the trees and ground to ambush the prey. The vulnerable areas to strike, their eyes, throat, mouth, and legs. And most importantly, to analyze their movement patterns of the opponent and how to take advantage of it. Thanks to what he learned from his father, he was able to apply it to fights with his fellow Gredidine, giving him an advantage in fights, allowing him to remain ahead.

As he was lost in thought, the thumping sounds of tails striking the ground was heard behind him. He whirled around, to see a Gredidine with a black horn, and missing a couple of teeth was approaching him, waving a golden antler about, and the crowded Gredidine nearby were watching him approach, crowding together to make room to thump their tails on the ground, causing a loud din to spread throughout the caverns.

Yer'Zhul's eyes narrowed as the black horn Gredidine approached, standing rigid. The Gredidine was bellowing as he approached.

"I, Ker'Dul. challenge Yer'Zhul, to his position as the stage 7 Warprince."

After Ker'Dul stood before him Yer'Zhul growled, and raised his voice to the now silent crowd of Gredidine, watching with anticipation.

"I, Yer'Zhul, agree. Let the almighty Uarok watch over our fight in an arena anointed by his blood a month..."

"We fight, here, now."

Yer'Zhul's scales turned red, and he hissed at Ker'Dul. "That is not the tradition"

Ker'Dul gave a scornful laugh. "We are not in any position to follow the tradition, thanks to your warmongering father The sacred arenas are all above ground, in land being swarmed over by the humans."

Yer'Zhul hissed. "Do not insult my father."

"Why not? Look around you." Ker'Dul swept his hand claws towards the area, at the crowded Gredidine watching with baited breath in the cavern, some with hostility in their eyes, and the primitive housing crowded around the temple. "We are cowering below the ground, scared to poke our head out, thanks to your father's decisions."

"My father did what was best for the Gredidine....."

"No, Yer'Zhul, he did what was best for HIM. I respect you, Yer'Zhul, for you are a mighty warrior. But for the good of the Gredidine, I cannot allow someone in a position of power with ties to the race traitor."

"MY FATHER WAS NOT A TRAITOR!"

Ker'Dul mockingly looked around the cavern once more. "Then he was a failure of the highest order. Look what he led us to. I couldn't have done worse, even if I tried to doom our race."

Yer'Zhul took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, and looked around, towards the crowd of Gredidine. His heart chilled as he noticed some of the glances of the Gredidine watching. They had gazes laced with hostility directed towards HIM. His gaze drew back towards Ker'Dul, and the suppressed fury he was feeling, at his father's death, at his situation, his warriors situation, and his races situation, erupted. He glared at Ker'Dul with barely suppressed fury, grounding out of his teeth.

"Fine. Get in the arena."

As Yer'Zhul whirled around and marched towards the stone arena behind him, leaping over the border effortlessly, a brief smile appeared on Ker'Dul's head, and his scales turned yellow briefly. The young Gredidine exited the arena, and Tur'Jar made his way over to Yer'Zhul as he made his way to the left side of the arena. He stood in front of him, holding his hand claws up, saying slow, steady voice.

"Warprince, calm down. He was trying to provoke you to anger. He wants you to lash out without thinking during the fight."

"So what? I will tear him apart regardless, and make him dearly regret doing so before he dies."

As he stood at one side of the arena, red light started glowing from his hand claws, before they overlapped with the pair of black gauntlets he was wearing, and they melded together with a flash of red light, ending with the gauntlets having red tips were they covered his claws, and a glowing, red, blade.

Yer'Zhul looked at his gauntlets, flexing his wrists, wishing he had could use his old pair. He had lost one gauntlet during the ambush of the humans, and the other was broken when he fought against them, after he had lured them to his troops. His gaze turned ferocious at the memory, and his gaze fixed on Ker'Dul at the other side of the arena, wishing he could leap across the arena and tear him apart right now. He gritted his teeth and ground out.

"Who will be the referee?"

"I will."

Gazes turned towards the voice, as a Gredidine with a black horn emerged from the crowd. Yer'Zhul and Ker'Dul lowered their heads towards the Gredidine.

"Warprince Len'Zar."

Len'Zar sighed, looking towards them both. "As usual during challenge matches, verbally forfeiting or leaving the arena will end the match, and the fighting is to stop. I will forcefully intervene if need be. Otherwise, anything goes."

Yer'Zhul's gaze turned towards Ker'Dul, focusing on his throat. He would first tear his throat so he couldn't verbally surrender, then he would...

"Begin."

Yer'Zhul ran forwards, with a ferocious grin on his face.

>>>>>

Ten minutes later, Yer'Zhul left the arena covered in blood, his two honor guard flanking him after he exited the arena, and they headed for the exit of the cavern. The Gredidine around the arena were deathly silent as they gazed at the mangled corpse of Ker'Dul lying on the ground, on dirt saturated with blood. As Yer'Zhul walked by them, the gathered Gredidine kept their heads lowered as he walked by them, not daring to move as the sickening sweet, dry smell of blood wafted in the air nearby.

Only after Yer'Zhul left the cavern did Gredidine start breathing easily, and they started moving about. Len'Zar looked at Ker'Dul's mangled corpse for awhile, before letting out a sigh and ordering another Gredidine to bring the corpse to some captive Red Tipped Wolves for them to eat.