Why, then, did Lord Vaylor throw him into the arena and condemn him for a crime that he was not guilty of? That he knew he wasn't guilty of.
The man was mysterious as he was cruel.
Alix had no time to ponder about it, there was a tamer and his beast here to take his life. Three, actually. The tamer had summoned two more beasts who were now snarling and scowling at him.
The two newly summoned beasts looked like panthers. Their fur was dark-blue and was accompanied by a myriad of white spots. The first one that appeared from behind the porticulus had wings sprouting out of its ink-black fur, and they began sending up gales as the creature flew above its master.
Vaylor was flying away from the arena now, leaving Alix and Raina to fend for themselves.
We don't need his help anyway, girl. It's not like he would, anyway.
"A pleasure to meet you, worm tamer," the tamer said. There was no derision in his tone, only respect.
"I'd say it's a pleasure, but it's not." Alix replied.
"Understandable," the tamer said. Alix could feel his eyes darting to his missing arm.
"Perhaps we should make this more even, here." The tamer said. The two newly summoned creatures vanished, and then three blue windows appeared behind him, revealing impressive stats.
[TAMER WINDOW]
[Name: Luwyn Strong]
[Status: Alive]
[Tamer-Type: Jaguars, Leopards]
[Creatures Tamed: 15]
[Evolutions Made: 15]
[PERSONAL WINDOW]
[Name: Luwyn Strong]
[Status: Alive]
[Tier: Noble]
[Class: Champion]
[Natural Attributes: Vast Stamina, Grip Strength, Explosive Acceleration…EXPAND TO SEE MORE]
[Evolutionary Attributes: Leopard Step, Veil Of Camouflage, Pounce Step…EXPAND TO SEE MORE]
[Resets: 0]
[Tamer Soul Shards Claimed: 0]
[Soul Fragments Claimed: 98,000]
[Soul Fragments Until Next Personal Evolution: 567/5,000]
[CREATURE WINDOW]
[Saber]
Evolution Capacity: 5
Evolution Lines: 3
Evolutions Made: 5
Abilities: Gale Flight, Defeaning Roar, Gale Discs…EXPAND TO SEE MORE
Description: Saber's delicate and majestic wings could put a gryphon's to shame. She lurks in the shadows, stalks her prey, and pounces with her fangs beared and her wings stretched.
[EXPAND TO SEE MORE CREATURES]
Okay. As expected, he's good. But I'm not dead yet until he kills me.
"That's nice of you, but I don't expect to die here."
Luwyn nodded. "May the best man win."
I'm sure we both who the best man is here, already
Before Alix could reply, Luwyn appeared in front of him and punched his throat with enough force to reel Alix backwards.
Alix crashed into the stone wall that separated the crowd from the arena. The crowd cheered and some laughed at how instantaneous the exchange was.
Alix coughed up blood and desperately reached for the same air that had been knocked out of him.
Crap! Raina, you okay!?
The worm was still wrapped around his neck, and then crawled along his arm as if to ease his worries.
Just a lucky hit, right? We got this!
Alix walked out of the dust cloud that his crash had formed, and then took a fighting position. He looked around, searching for the beast that had been by Luwyn's side. And then he saw it.
Saber came swooping down from the sky, and then snapped her jaws shut around Alix's only arm.
Raina!
Alix shot out the yellow mucus from his palm, and watched with a worried look as the beast immediately pounced away.
Dammit! I missed!
Saber watched them both from a distance, warily. Alix didn't even have time to weigh his option, Luwyn appeared in front of him again, instantly divorcing the distance between them.
The fast tamer carried out a barrage of punches, each one was more powerful than the last, and were all aimed at Alix's face.
Raina jumped from Alix's arm and tried to wrap itself around the tamer, but he dodged and kicked the worm away.
Alix watched with horror as Raina was sent flying to the other side of the arena, into another stone wall that cracked as she slammed against it.
Saber ignored Alix, and then went after Raina with a strange calmness in her eyes. The winged leopard took after her master.
Luwyn continued brutalising him. He broke his nose with another violent punch, drawing a copious amount of blood out of his nostrils. He raised a leg and kicked the same place where he had been wounded, forcing a guttural cry out of Alix's lungs.
The boy did not fall, though. A thick layer of mucus coated his body, and Luwyn's blows began slipping right off of him.
Alix used his evolutionary attribute once more, but all Luwyn had to do was dodge and appear behind him again. Alix felt the blows slip off of his neck, and he turned around to face him with frustration boiling in his stomach.
"How the hell are you so fast!" Alix raged, trying to grab him with his only arm. Luwyn stepped to the side and threw a right hook at Alix's wound, but his blow only slipped off.
"It's my leopard step," Luwyn said, grabbing Alix's head and kneeing him in the face. "You can see the description, no?"
Well I can't now!
Luwyn kept up with the violent attack, continuously kneeing him until his black robe was stained by Alix's blood.
Alix felt his vision going blurry, and once Luwyn finally stopped he collapsed to the ground. He was disoriented, tired, and could feel his heart beating violently against his ribcage.
Alix blinked and remembered the danger that Raina was in. He panicked and turned his head to look to his right. All his worries were confirmed, the winged beast had dragged Raina from the ground and swallowed her whole.
Raina! Raina, no!
Worst of all, Alix's attribute seemed to have no effect on the creature. Her fur was still intact, and she wasn't thrashing nor writhing like the kangal once had.
All Alix could do was sob. He had dragged Raina into this mess, after all. She had only been a simple flatworm like her description read, and would've been free to roam the earth had she never met Alix.
It's all my fault
Saber was now creeping towards him slowly, the winged beast believed she had all the time in the world, and that the fight was done.
As did her master.
"I'm sorry, Alix. Losing a friend isn't easy, I know." Luwyn said, now crouching down beside him. "I'll make this quick. You won't have to suffer. You've suffered long enough."
Luwyn revealed a hand, and then thick veins burgeoned all along it. His nails grew longer and sharper, glinting with tranquility like the silent executioners they were.
Alix slammed his palm on the rocky ground. "I told you I'm not dying here!"
A flood of mucus came out of his palm, and Alix was sent flying into the air like some sort of human rocket. The mucus was still flowing out of his hand by the time he was in the skies, and Alix felt like his head was spinning.
The breath was out of him by then, and he had lost consciousness for a moment. When he woke up, his mind spiralled into a deep rage as the winged beast flew up into the air to meet him.
I'll kill you!
Saber crashed into him, sending him flying further up into the air. The beast kept this up until the crowd and the colosseum looked like ants. The crowd was still cheering, and raging on as Saber continued tormenting the traitor they so despised.
Saber swooped up and tried to slice Alix into two with its claws. Thankfully, the thick mucus prevented that and the beast was forced to crash into him again as it thought up another attack.
It had thought of two, apparently. The beast opened its maw and let out a deafening roar that Alix swore had bursted his eardrums. It disoriented him afterwards, and the boy was once again spinning wildly in the air.
Saber soared through the air and attempted to crash into him again, but Alix was ready. His spinning allow the yellow mucus to shoot out wildly from every angle, Saber did him a favour.
The yellow mucus shot out from all angles, but Saber was ready, too. She flew away from the mucus, and swooped around Alix who was now free falling. The beast beat its wings rapidly, and powerful razor-sharp gales were spat out by its wings.
They cut through Alix with ease, even with the mucus that covered his body. The gales sliced off his only arm, a leg, and had even left a deep gash on his stomach. Saber swooped down and dug it's claw into the gash, making Alix cry out in pain.
Saber began soaring down once more, seeking to kill Alix the same way he had entered the arena. Alix could feel the fear clawing at him once again, even with all the rage that had clouded him.
He would be dead. Death is also freedom, in a way. He would no longer have to fight anymore, nor be a source of entertainment for the other tamers. Raina was likely at peace with her death, too. They would both be free.
Alix shut his eyes and waited for his death with acceptance. But just as he did, the beast stopped soaring.
Alix looked up and saw Saber retching violently. The sounds she made could make the face of any man shrivel up, and the blue liquid that came out of her mouth could make them vomit, too.
But not Alix. The blue liquid made him smile so hard he thought his lips would fall off his face.
The beast was still coughing and retching, swinging itself and Alix around wildly. It made the boy feel like a puppet on a string.
Saber spat something long and black out of its mouth, and the strange thing had landed on Alix's face.
Raina! Raina, oh! I'm so happy you're alive!
Due to Saber's claws, Alix was still flailing around wildly, and Raina latched onto his shoulders, almost falling off in the process. The worm seemed to be equally as happy that Alix had survived his fight.
Saber had finally stopped moving, Alix realised. And the three were now falling through the air at a dangerous speed. Alix couldn't feel the fear at all, he was too overjoyed—for the voice was back with words that momentarily expunged his worries.
[Your creature Raina has slain a Champion class beast]
[Raina has gained 960 Soul Fragments]
How many!?
[Raina is ready to evolve. Do you wish to proceed?]
Of course I do!
[Raina is evolving…]