Chapter 145 - 141: Wrested From the Jaws of Defeat

Chapter 145: Chapter 141: Wrested From the Jaws of Defeat

A mouthful of haphazard feathers. That’s what Karafa gets for his trouble after attacking Peridot and Gussie, or trying to attack, anyway. Far from chomping on parrot or python, the mammoth lizard spits orange and red feathers. With a hiss and a snarl, he lunges, forcing Gussie and Peridot to separate and shatter the funnel. The good news is that Karafa plummets toward the platform, and with his energy expended from the Super Jump, he lacks the power to pull himself out of the dive.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

CRUNCH.

Karafa’s scales scatter across the platform as he smacks down on the hard platform. Half-prone, face up, he lies stunned, sprawled out with his tail like a question mark, as if to say: how could this happen to me, the lizard king?

The announcer babbles. "Is he alive? The fearsome Karafa, who demolished his opponents yesterday, is he alive? Someone get a healer!"

Rama and Arora rush to Karafa’s side and lay hands on him to check him. Although if he were dead, I’m certain that we would know. It would be obvious in their reactions. In their sorrow.

Rama stands up, proud and defiant, and raises his hands in the air. Karafa is alive, if unconscious, and out of the tournament.

The announcer shouts, "5...4...3...2...1...Karafa of House Chikat is down! This match is wrapped up, ladies and gentleman. A whirlwind, quite literally! And the victory goes to Gussie and Peridot of House Riddlehoeven! They survive for another round! A triumphant return to beast taming for Niall Widdershins in particular."

A roar from the crowd. Niall is a rock star, with the hair to match.

Arora and Rama bear the bitter defeat with good grace, even congratulating Niall and Lamant, and Niall in particular for his comeback. Everyone loves a comeback story, and Niall’s looks to be something of a legend already. Beaming, Niall receives their congratulations with grace.

Once the platform touches down, Gussie and Peridot make their way back to our section with Niall and Lamant trailing. Peridot can’t hide a swagger in her slither, and Gussie proudly displays where her feathers came loose. For us, it’s break time. I nuzzle Gussie and Peridot. [You did it!]

Peridot wriggles joyfully. [It wasn’t that hard. The Komodo dragon wasn’t a bad sort, just arrogant enough to think his size could intimidate.]

[And his fangs.] Gussie shudders. [Did you see those fangs?]

Demos utters an "uff" of disbelief. [They might as well have been toothpicks for all the good they did him. You two were far too fast. Come on. Lightning and the cubs want to see you.]

I lead Gussie and Peridot up through the stands. Truth be told, I need some cuddle time and attention from Lightning and the cubs myself. Especially since Lobo and I might be called any minute, although Demos and Einswine were ahead of us last time.

Lightning’s eyes blaze with joy when she beholds us. [You were both wonderful. I was so afraid that the poison would get you!]

[Poison, Mama?] Leonie hears and understands more than we think.

[No need to worry, little one.] I boop her nose. [Auntie Gussie and Auntie Peridot are too fast.]

Finn, my happy-go-lucky cub, slobbers all over Gussie, who doesn’t even flinch, considering she prides herself on her perfect plumage. He also licks Peridot.

Lightning praises Gussie and Peridot. Although stuck here for the moment because of System’s rules, she still has a valuable part to play. Cheerleader. Mother of the group. Coach.

[We should get back down.] Gussie flaps, worried. [Any minute, they could call your name, Blaze. You don’t want to be late.]

Another matchup is called. House Foudkol vs House Ndour. Ndour is lower in the standings, but still wishing the top quarter of all contestants. And that number has thinned now with more matches. We will see which house wins. Lobo hopes it is House Ndour because the players are our allies.

I nuzzle Lightning and the cubs. [They won’t get to us for at least a few minutes.]

Lightning utters a tiny purr, asking for reassurance. Her mood is clingy. I can’t say I blame her. Going into battle again puts me on edge, but I have to stay resilient for all our sakes.

Gussie and Peridot tactfully visit with Maartenwitz, who is giving off proud-father vibes in his way. "The best showing this house has had in quite some time," he declares, almost misty-eyed.

I snuggle with Lightning and the cubs. A rest break won’t hurt.

Lobo checks in. [Don’t fall asleep! Wakey wakey!]

I growl mildly. [Not planning on sleeping. Who can sleep with thousands of people around?]

[Just checking. By the way, House Ndour has got this in the bag. Come on down.]

I growl again. [I’ll take your word for it. Wake me when it’s over.]

[Oh, ha ha. You need to get down here to suss out our competition.]

He is such an overzealous little brother. Who’s the big brother her,e anyway? [I saw them yesterday! I was impressed.]

[Come on! They leveled up big time. You’re going to miss everything.]

I blow out a raspberry. [Lightning, Lobo is annoying me.]

She is supremely unruffled. [And you are missing the match.]

[Match! Match!] Leonie and Finn have caught the fever. They don’t understand everything that is going on, but they can feel the excitement. [Match, Papa. Watch the match.]

Taking direction, I kiss all three of them and head down to the arena floor to watch House Ndour versus House Foudkol. It’s an interesting matchup: a giant wolf tarantula and another ruffed lion for House Ndour up against a giant vampire bat and a drop bear for House Foudkol. Although in real life it is known as an Australian urban legend, in Tanglewood, the carnivorous drop bear is the real and lethal cousin of the koala.

I growl. [Who matched up a drop bear versus a lion and a spider?]

Lobo makes a rude face. [Who do you think? But the spider is poisonous. One good bite...]

[Not always a guarantee, were you sleeping through the last match?]

Lobo woofs at the reminder. [The drop bear is carnivorous, but it is actually not allowed to eat anyone. Game rules. So, it can just bite people horribly.]

I utter a little "mrrrp" in response. [I forgot about the "no eating" provision in the rules. But it can drop on you and crush you.]

Lobo snorts. [Oh, please. It can’t crush the ruffed lion or the wolf tarantula. Do not worry about the drop bear.]

BOOM. The drop bear chooses that precise moment to plummet and smash into the wolf tarantula, which rears up, its forelegs waving erratically in protest. The drop bear clings in a dark parody of a friendly koala, while the tarantula bucks like a bronco, which I did not realize spiders could do. Meanwhile, the vampire bat descends, its fangs out and ready to suck blood.

[Lobo? Does sucking blood count as feeding?]

He woofs. [I believe it does. That bat better restrain itself. And the drop bear smells fetid.]

[Tarantula doesn’t exactly smell like a rose garden, but I’ll let that slide. It’s an ally.]

The ruffed lion roars, a sonic blast that sends the vampire bat spinning because it’s disoriented. The vampire bat "sees" with echolocation and sonar, so the ruffed lion has completely scrambled its picture of the world. It barely rights itself when BOOM, the spider shakes off the drop bear and skitters after the vampire bat, hissing.

Like a furry bowling ball, the drop bear cannonballs toward the ruffed lion and the wolf tarantula, who both dodge out of the way. Somehow, the fearsome drop bear of legend does not appear to have a natural advantage over its opponents from House Ndour.

The match unfolds in a fast-paced rumble. All the lethal opponents battling it out to the finish, both teams fighting tooth and claw and chelicerae, as well as with wings. I hold my breath. House Ndour. Please, let it be House Ndour. There are some nasty smells going on and a lot of body-slamming. And...oh...the vampire bat BIT someone!

The arena lights flash red and the announcer calls out, "HALT! Potential foul."

A commotion as the tamers from House Foudkol rush to reassure everyone that the vampire bat did NOT draw blood.

However, I can smell blood. I know that the vampire bat went too far! Lobo agrees. Vedette pales. "They allow blood feeders with regular carnivores? Unbelievable."

Kaline strokes my fur. [Easy, Blaze. We won’t let YOU or Lobo face any vampire bats if we can help it.]

The announcer calls out, "The judges have ruled! House Foudkol is disqualified because of a biting violation. House Ndour wins by default."

Yes! I roar and Lobo howls. Justice has been served!

House Ndour returns to their area, and House Foudkol slinks away in defeat. While the platform resets, the announcer announces the next match.

"Next up: Lobo of House Riddlehoeven and Demos of House Riddlehoeven..."

WHAT? Lobo is supposed to be my partner! SYSTEM! What dirty trick is this?