Chapter 143 - 139: Check the Standings

Chapter 143: Chapter 139: Check the Standings

Day Two of the tournament reveals an overcast sky and muggy weather, but not in the arena. The heat is on!

The twin display screens reveal all the houses that are left, and the ranks of the houses.

1. House Ancelot (tie)

House Guilherme (tie)

House Linniue (tie)

House Foudkol (tie)

House Rottmas (tie)

House Jawara (tie)

2. House Tremblefield (tie)

House Mooncloak (tie)

House Stormbrand (tie)

House Chauvenne (tie)

House Ndour (tie)

House Amellal (tie)

3. House Chikat

4. House Ixchel

5. House Damboue

And on and on. The names of the eliminated, including House Nitakret, flash on the screens alongside the names of the victorious. A way to keep track of who’s in and who’s out. At least a hundred houses survived the first day.

The House of Riddlehoeven and the House of Lammermoor all stand on the arena floor, at least the competitors. Hans, Maartenwitz, and Tomas protect Lightning and the cubs in the stands. The flash of golden fur is my guiding star so that I will never lose sight of Lightning and the cubs.

[How can so many tie for first place?] Gussie flaps, confused.

I agree. [You wouldn’t think they would. Who is really first?]

Demos sounds superior. [Because of the scores, silly.]

The announcer explains. "For those who are new, scoring is based on several factors such as difficulty of the match, style, duration, whether one competitor got knocked out first, damage dealt, damage sustained. It is based on respect scoring. Each of these factors add to the respect that the various houses receive. The reason that the houses are ranked instead of the beasts is that there are so many beasts, so for efficiency’s sake, we rank the houses, not the beasts. Further, the scores of each match that a house participates combine to create their aggregate raw score. However, as the tournament proceeds and more houses leave us, we refine the scores. We give more weight, for example, to style and originality of spells and attacks, as well as how fast the beasts can knock out their opponents."

This all seems logical, and I can practically hear Maartenwitz and Elandior and Niall covering the same material in their lectures in the runup to the tournament. In fact, they drilled us on these points ad infinitum. Ad nauseam. But I forgot. My head feels stuffed with so much, not the least of which is winning against System.

The announcer continues. "As well, we take off points for anything resembling tamer interference, similar to what happened in the match between the Houses of Riddlehoeven and Lammermoor and the Houses of Gratin and Artemidoros. The House of Gratin were already in trouble during that bout, but Athalie Gratin’s poor sportsmanship knocked it out of the tournament permanently, and impacted the House of Artemidoros. Tamer interference is strictly prohibited at this stage. Even if there is no tamer misconduct, it still may impact scores."

Lobo woofs. [We don’t need to worry about that.]

I scowl. [Do YOU trust System not to frame us?]

For several long moments, Lobo has no ready reply to that. Then: [What do we do?]

I shrug. [Just be vigilant, I suppose. Not just in our match, but in all our matches.]

Lobo likes that idea. He smooths my fur. [You look undressed.]

I scowl. Yes. The missing amulet. It once adorned my neck, and the fur ruff feels distinctly bare and plain without it. Elandior, Niall, and Maartenwitz worked on it this morning, and have set it to charge in our room. Kasz promised to guard it, with Dag helping. For Kasz, this is a much better use of his time even than watching the tournament. If there is one thing a goblin likes to do, it’s guard treasure.

Finally, our name appears, along with House Lammermoor, naturally. But not before the dreaded House Bottomsley. Terrah and Martyn Bottomsley, and Ophion and Zuba, are ranked twenty-fifth, while we are twenty-seventh, out of one hundred and one houses left. Yesterday’s elimination was brutal. So many houses knocked out of the competition.

"Twenty-seven," Minette says in a low voice, and the way she says it makes my heart vibrate. This is big. This is significant. "We have never had a finish like that the first day. It’s a record."

I ask Kaline the question burning in my mind. [Is that good?]

Her mood washes over me in a sea of light and joy. [Oh, Blaze! Yes, it’s very good. Our house has never done this well. Twenty-seven out of a hundred and one!]

{That’s after so many tied for first and second place, so we’re really thirty-fourth or somewhere around there.]

Kaline sighs. [Have it your way. It is still better than anything we’ve done in fifty years. Look at Mom and Dad. Look how proud they are. They can’t stop smiling.]

Minette and Lamant beam constantly, arms around each other. This is one of the finest moments for the House of Riddlehoeven. A day that will endure forever in beast taming history. But honestly, if we’d been in last place or next to last place, I would have lost my mind. Actually, though, I’d have fought harder and been far more ruthless to climb up in the standings.

Twenty-seventh place!

Lightning pours some joy on me. [Leonie and Finn only understand that their daddy is going to fight more beasts, and win the big prize along with Uncle Lobo.]

[Tell them to keep watching.]

There is something indescribably good in my heart knowing that Leonie and Finn want me to win. Even without the pressure from System, I want to win. I want to win for my cubs, to be the hero they think I am. Alas, if only Lightning could fight with me. But if System breaks any rules, Lightning is definitely getting in the game.

[Don’t look so smug.]

The smooth-as-syrup voice has a hiss to it, and I recognize Ophion from House Bottomsley. Just what I needed.

Rotating my body, I kiss the hard floor with my paws and stare at Ophion across the way. Ophion’s serpentine eyes narrow at me. Zuba seems oblivious, basking in the glow of the audience’s adoration.

[Could you wait until the competition begins today to burst our bubble?]

At my flippant remark, Ophion coils and uncoils in a hypnotic way. [You are only in 27th place. Which is in the 30s with all the ties for first and second.]

[It’s better than hovering around the bottom of the barrel.]

My upbeat attitude grates on Ophion. [But it’s not the top ten, either. Or tied for first or second. I expected better from your team. No doubt what Demos did against the dragon--]

[Is that all? Is that all you have?]

I am not going to let Ophion wind me up. Interesting how Zuba has opted to stay neutral. Of course, they could be the strategy they cooked up between them.

Ophion’s wide coils turn this way and that, as if the python is attempting to find a comfortable position. [We are two spots ahead of you.]

[Yes, and ONLY two spots ahead of us. I wonder if we’ll be matched up. Please say that we will be. Look, the orb is coming out, and we’ll hear what our fate is.]

I nod at the crystal magic orb that has appeared at the center of the arena. Vibrating and pulsating with energy and light, the orb prepares to decide our fates.

Who will we face? Who will Lobo and I duel next?

"Good luck to all of us," Vedette murmurs.

The orb generates several pairings and matchups, with the announcer detailing the lineup for today. Our names have yet to be called. When will they be called?

The orb pronounces the next matchup. "Gussie of House Riddlehoeven and Peridot of House Riddlehoeven against Magali and Karafa of House Chikat."

Lobo woofs. [An eagle and also a creature like a Komodo dragon.]

I wince. [Komodo dragons are venomous and nasty.]

Gussie flaps hard. [The Komodo dragon, whatever that is, will never catch me. Or Peridot.]

Next up, the orb announces, "Demos of House Riddlehoeven and Einswine of House Lammermoor against Bertramnus of House Guilherme and Lunetta of House Mooncloak."

I look to Lobo again for the straight skinny on these competitors. Lobo pauses. [Bertramnus is a silverback bear, a fine match for Demos. Lunetta is a direwolf. Worse than I am. Slightly feral. I can smell her from here.]

I wince. [At least no dragon this time.]

Kaline tugs at my fur. "Blaze! Pay attention! This is it!"

Lobo and I wait with bated breath for the crystal orb’s decree. Finally...

"Blaze of House Riddlehoeven and Lobo of House Riddlehoeven against Quetzalcoatl of House Ixchel and Yaretzi of House Ixchel!"

I can;t hear the applause over the pounding of my heart. [Lobo. Quetzalcoatl. Is that--]

Lobo’s voice is unnaturally calm. [We are in big trouble, bro! The Feathered Serpent has entered the game!]