Eris healed up all of us as we stopped a bit earlier than planned. All of the open wounds were gone but the onset of a throbbing headache made me reconsider training as a good idea in the first place. All I wanted to do was take some medication and pass out, in hopes of ridding the pain.
Eris left to enjoy her spa day retreat as I went to crash in bed, only to be woken up by Selka from a timespan that felt like minutes had only elapsed. It wasn’t until she called my name again, did I realize the copious amount of sweat-soaking into the sheets. The sleep provided aid with alleviating the headache and it felt like I shrugged off a possible fever.
“You don’t look too good. Is everything okay, master?” Selka kept her distance from the bed, voicing her concern.
“I’ll be fine.” I half grunted and mumbled the words off my tongue, forcing myself up and out of bed.
“What time is it?” I asked for the time even though my watch sat on the counter within arms reach, and even went to retrieve it at the same time.
“It’s a little past 7PM, Eris is about to leave for her event.” Selka told me before I could check my watch.
“What, why didn’t anyone wake me up sooner?” I hurried to change into a new pair of clothes and made my way out to the living room with Selka in tow. She explained that it was Eris’s decision to let me sleep in longer since there was no need to watch her event and that mine didn’t start until 10PM.
“Hey, don't leave without me. I wanted to see your match” I managed to catch Eris before she left.
“I wasn’t the one in bed all day.” Eris replied with her usual sass. “Didn’t get enough sleep?” Judging by my watch, over seven hours went by with me out cold in bed.
“Something like that, I’m not really sure why I felt like crap.” I shrugged my shoulders, no longer exhibiting any signs of pain, though that did little to dampen her suspicious gaze.
“Look, perfectly fine.” I patted my chest. “Don’t want to cut it too close, we should head out for your event.” I was practically shooing everyone out the front door to avoid any more questions, having them all worry about my condition was something I still wasn’t used to.
It was moments before the start of her event as we all left to wait in our private viewing booth with Eris getting ready to enter the arena from its side tunnel entrance. The crowds were larger than yesterday’s event against the Death Spider by ten-fold, which made me extra glad for the luxurious VIP booth granted to us by Rachel.
The audience got an overview of the creature Eris was up against, an Archie. A four-legged abomination and mix between a spider and praying mantis with scythes sharp enough to sever limbs and a durable frame to withstand heavy impact. Tough enough to withstand military weaponry and the same rifle that littered my body with holes.
The image they chose for Eris, to introduce her to the audience caused me to smirk a grin. There was something about her deadpan expression that said she had not a single care for her appearance to all the waiting spectators. It practically summed up her outward personality that took her eons to perfect.
Instead of coming out from the large gate, a small section of the dirt floor split open as a platform lifted up with an Archie chained to its base. It went frantic the moment it sensed Eris standing nearby as a countdown timer for the event started decreasing to zero.
The shackles that bound the Archie, released with a clink, followed by heavy pops from slamming into the ground. The start was official with the Archie immediately bee lining to Eris’s location.
I was barely able to see her translucent barriers and the way she intricately set up a death trap for the poor creature. She created a circular dome of spikes out of her forcefield magic, using both the acceleration from the Archie and her own as the spikes sought to skewer it. The scene looked like a floating slab of meat ready to be served on a stick with the number of holes covering the surface of its armored exterior.
I hardly imagined the audience being able to fully comprehend the turn of events as Eris disabled her magic, allowing the Archie to lifelessly thud to the floor. I wanted to message her, asking if the speed kill was necessary, but wouldn’t be able to connect since they considered the rings to be equipment and required to be taken off prior to the fight.
No one really knew how to digest the completion of the event as silence permeated throughout the stands. It was only until Eris began walking back to the waiting room to leave, that shouting and yelling rang about between the masses. An absolute mess of confusion and anger for wasting their money on tickets for a second of action, action that they couldn’t even properly understand during the moment. Only until the replays, well after Eris had exited the arena was everyone clued in on the death of the Archie.
Being able to pierce the creature's armor showed just how frightening her growth rate was, especially since that wouldn’t have been possible for her to achieve prior to our first monster hunts. I was already beginning to regret our upcoming sparring session, trying my best to find a perfect excuse as to the reason for losing against her.
Eris appeared in our private viewing booth, escorted by her guide with the same sublime poker face as any other typical day. Selka and Jade were the first to greet her as she took a seat in the recliner next to mine.
“I thought you wanted to use the event as a means of practice.”
“I did, but it died so easily...” Eris sighed as she got comfy in her seat. “I’ll have to fight tougher opponents if I want to push my limits. Anyways, are you sure you’re okay for the upcoming fight?” She changed the topic to hide her frustration, something I did to avert attention away from my wellbeing.
“That was incredible!” Lyra entered herself into the conversation, inching forward with nothing but praise for Eris. “Which one of you is the strongest?” Lyra’s question hit unexpectedly, with my first guess of her wishing for a sparring match against Eris.
We stared at each other from Lyra’s question, unsure of how to answer her correctly.
“”Uhh…-”
“I’m stronger than him.” Eris came to a speedy conclusion on the matter and even let loose a giggling snort. “But Volatis might win in a life or death battle if it came down to that.” She added in an honest opinion as to avoid any possible moodiness on my end. I found her assessment to be correct and there was nothing wrong with agreeing to it. I even added in a head nod for Lyra’s eyes to go wide with shock, filled with newfound reverence for the little girl sitting in front of her.
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