Chapter 153 - 149: With a Fully Charged Amulet

Chapter 153: Chapter 149: With a Fully Charged Amulet

Niall spins the golden bejeweled paw print necklace in front of me as if auditioning for a hypnosis seminar. "Are you paying attention? You cannot burn it, yourself, Lightning, and everyone else out this go-round. It doesn’t take the biggest beast to scare away the scrawniest intruder. What good is overpowered if your well is dry as a desert?"

I offer a little "mrrp" while sitting patiently on the tiled floor of our suite in the beast and tamer housing. Of course, Niall does not require any impassioned vow of obedience or swearing that I will do everything right from now on. No. Niall smells raw, earthy, and a little like his smoking pipe. He smells real, authentic.

Dangling the amulet before me, Niall points to the glowing light that appears to emanate from within. "See? Charged. Thanks to Kasz and Dag guarding it, we have full power. Now, Kaline, can you communicate to him what to do?"

With her hand on my fur, Kaline pours her soothing and grounding energy into me. [Blaze. Try to draw only as much power as you can hold at once without feeling overwhelmed.]

I bump my nose against her, feeling the warmth bathe me. [But what if I need to draw more power to defeat the challenger? Ask him that.]

Kaline relays my question. Clasping his hands around the amulet, Niall considers the dilemma. "Not all at once. Even in the arena, beasts don’t attack immediately every minute. They can’t because of their own power restrictions and the effects on their tamers."

My ears wiggle. What Niall says makes sense. Looking back, the other beasts in the tournament didn’t just recklessly push past their limits over these last few days.

I argue rationally. [Remind him that I was in a situation where we had to defeat the attacking beasts. I needed to Super Jump or be electrified.]

Kaline nudges Niall with a gentle reminder. Folding his hands, he considers. "This is an excellent point. Sometimes, you have no options except bad ones. Still, he should promise that draining yourself and everyone in the chain will be a last resort from now on."

I bump Niall’s knee with my nose and offer a "mrrrp" that is as close to a vow as I can make. Scratching my ears, he smiles. "You are wise, Blaze. I feel confident about the next matchup."

"Me, too," Lamant declares, smelling supremely confident.

A loud musical chime followed by the pealing of a bell grab our attention. We all stand up.

"It’s time," Minette reminds us all.

The trip to the arena takes only minutes, with Tomas, Hans, and Maartenwitz peeling off with Lightning and the cubs to join the queue for family and house members and beasts who are not participating in the tournament.

Today, the light from the arena streams through the competitors’ tunnel, pulling us onward to the main arena. We emerge into the vast venue.

With the thirty houses that outlasted the competition taking their places, the enchanted sphere materializes and the announcer calls out, "Today, we will not pre-announce the lineup of matches. The finals are meant to be especially challenging, so it would be counterproductive to warn each house what to expect. Although this tournament is already unprecedented with having at least two houses disqualified before the end of their matches, and one ejected from last night’s celebration. Let us hope that sportsmanship prevails."

At the reminder, I eyeball House Bottomsley. Zuba sulks, and Ophion sticks his python snout up in the air.

Lobo woofs. [So, we’re going in blind to these matches.]

[We’ve still watched all these beasts in action.] I try and reassure him. [Are there any surprises at this point?]

[I guess not. I just want this over with.]

I rub noses with him. [Me too. One way or the other.]

The announcer says, "Let it begin!"

The first four matches unfold.

House Rottmas defeats House Nix.

House Barillot stomps House Ananu and Nunzio.

House Oberon loses to House Yonel.

Our friends House Bottomsley trounces House Achemar and House Fenetry.

So, the ones left standing out of that pack are: House Rottmas, House Barillot, House Yonel, and everyone’s favorite, House Bottomsley.

Lightning checks in with me. [Why do I get the feeling that one or more of us will be facing House Bottomsley at the end?]

[Because the game has been set up that way.] I rub my amulet for good luck. [Because that’s somehow how System designed it.]

[Hmmm. Makes me wonder if they might pull something. Maybe beastnapping or drugging you. Don’t accept any strange food or drink.]

I growl. [You either. And threatening you and the cubs wouldn’t be out of character for them. Stay safe.]

Next, the announcer calls out, "Peridot of House Riddlehoeven and Demos of House Riddlehoeven versus Tortue of House Ancelot and Castor of House Ancelot."

Peridot zips to the platform and Demos ambles over, unhurried, as if he owns the arena. Climbing on the platform before Niall and Vedette, they face a giant spiked tortoise, Tortue, and a giant beaver, Castor, with sharp teeth. The tamers of House Ancelot are modest, nondescript, but their beasts snagged the top spot in the standings. Looks can be deceiving.

As the platform rises in the air, the announcer calls out, "3...2...1...BEGIN!"

[Name: [Tortue]

[Class: [Expert]

[Race: [Spiky Tortoise]

[Level: 10/10 [XP 40/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 94

[Defense: 92

[Magic: 90

[Resistance: 91

[Speed: 93

[Charisma: 90

[Luck: 91

[Skills: [Spiking (Attack Skill] [Climbing (Attack Skill)] [Escape Power (Skill){Telepathy](Skill)[Procreation (Skill)[Battering(Skill)]

_______________

[Name: [Castor]

[Class: [Expert]

[Race: [Giant Beaver]

[Level:10/10 [XP 30/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 94

[Defense: 91

[Magic: 90

[Resistance: 89

[Speed: 91

[Charisma: 95

[Luck: 94

[Skills: [Power Tail (Attack Skill] [Bite (Attack Skill)] [Energy Dam (Skill)] [Escape Power (Skill){Divine Vision/(Skill)[Telepathy](Skill)[Procreation (Skill)[Super Jump (Skill)]

I ask my expert Lobo. [Lobo! What is an Energy Dam?]

[We saw it when Castor was fighting.] Lobo wiggles his nose. [He creates an energy barrier with his power. Like a beaver dam. Impenetrable, but it doesn’t last forever.]

I recall now. A barrier that starts out invisible and turns bark-colored. [And the tortoise?]

Lobo is cautious. [Don’t let the old story about the tortoise and the hare fool you. Tortue rammed into a rhinoceros during yesterday’s round. The spikes didn’t even faze the rhino, but the force of the impact sent her reeling.]

My eyes are on the match. Tortue looms far above Demos, but Peridot flies at her level. Meanwhile, Castor snaps her jaws, narrowly missing Demos and getting a mouthful of his fur as he dodges the attack.

Peridot hisses and drops down onto Castor, wrapping around her head, below those dreadful teeth. Bucking, Castor twists this way and that, attempting to dislodge Peridot. Of course, our python friend responds with the old squeeze play, attempting to subdue Castor.

The announcer calls out, "Peridot has Castor in her grip, but Castor’s teeth still threaten her. Meanwhile, Tortue is---oh, look out, Demos!"

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. Tortue pushes toward Demos, who sprints out of the way and prepares to Super Jump out of range of those spikes. The spikes and the sheer force are not a good combination for Demos!

[Keep moving.] I exhort Demos to keep playing defensively. [Unless you can Super Jump. What is Tortue’s biggest weakness?]

[I’m a little busy!] Demos sounds as gruff as ever. [Ask Lobo. Or Kaline.]

I no sooner turn to Lobo than he anticipates my question. [Tortoises breathe with their legs. Demos should go for the legs.]

I relay this game-changing bit of trivia to Demos. [Knock the legs out from under the tortoise.]

Demos growls. [Biting works, yes?]

[Go for it! Just remember: disable only.]

Growling, Demos lunges at Tortue and clamps his jaws on Tortue’s leg. A shrill shriek of pain bursts from Tortue’s mouth.

Vedette concentrates, slowly guiding Demos, holding him back from doing too much damage inadvertently. Meanwhile, Niall makes a spinning motion with his hands, and Peridot tightens her grip on Castor. Until--

A reptile’s scream. Peridot thrashes, but does not loosen her hold.

The announcer shouts, "Biting seems to be the key strategy! Demos with Tortue and Castor with Peridot. This is turning out to be the most hard-fought contest yet. Now Demos is going for Tortue’s other leg! OH. Peridot just sustained another bite!"

Niall holds up his hand, his hair and his posture untamed. He takes the bite to Peridot personally.

Squinting, I see scales missing and Peridot’s skin gouged. Is that blood?

I sound the alarm. [PERIDOT! Get away! Fly away!]

Uncoiling, Peridot retreats, rising in the air, a beleaguered mighty ribbon. She hovers as high as she can stand. I send her a Potion of Healing.

Meanwhile, Demos has bitten Tortue...

WAIT!

Tortue just stampeded. DEMOS! Where is Demos???

I shout in the mind-link. [NO! DEMOS!]