As the crowd began to settle, a slinking figure moved between the rafters before bellowing down, “Satisfaction!” A purple and gold Najaren with shining golden cyborg legs ran full force for the ring and jumped in, landing in a kneeling position. The frogtapus bellowed down, “Hasnacht!”

Hasnacht laughed as he twirled a gun a few times to look cool. He hissed at the crowd and four generic looking mercs with laser rifles quietly entered behind him. The figure dropped from the rafters and Hasnacht caught him, shouting in an oddly shrill pitch, “Ulbricht, everyone!”

The crowd seemed mixed. Some just continued talking business and drinking but some cheered our. One shouted, “Rising kingpin in the house!” Mr. Tun leaned forward menacingly, causing Ulbricht to steal one of the merc’s rifles and shoot the man. A panicked gasp spread through the room but when Mr. Tun didn’t move, the crowd settled back down.

Suddenly the lights went down and a voice echoed through the temple, “Oh, Heais. I didn’t say I was competing alone. Your ears must be giving out on you, good sir.” A single spotlight came on, a man in a dapper black suit that he suspiciously only wore over one arm. His vest seemed to glow in the dark and he wore a blindfold. His shockingly blue hair poked out from his top hat.

Gavin shouted, “Get your own gimmick, jackass.”

The figure smiled eloquently and bowed. “Ah, but audacity is my gimmick. For there are none more bold than I. I am the Audacious and grand beyond recognition maestro of our little event.” Mr. Tun’s brow furrowed in blatant disapproval. “I am THE Alabaster.” The light went out for a moment before a fresh one lit up near the snake woman who had been waiting with a stern glare to this point. He landed hear her, a blue shimmering silk on the inside of his jacket. Despite guards drawing guns on him, he grabbed her hand to kiss it. She smacked him at lightning speed and he laughed, “Cannot blame a man of my greatness for making my attempt.”

Mr. Tun motioned them to search the man and they pull out the pendant from his pocket. Heais got out of his seat and marched over to him. “Who else is on your team.”

Alabaster laughed, “Me, myself, and I. And I wouldn’t steal my replica. The last thing you want is to be fooled.” Heais growled and pocketed the gem. “Don’t worry, Heais. I’ll finish this match before you know it.” The lights came back up and Alabaster leapt into the ring. “You all should be ready to wash before going home. I wouldn’t want anything unfortunate happening to you.”

The mercs laugh and level their rifles, Hasnacht leveling his own gun as his toad friend laughed from his shoulder. “You are outnumbered. The Crown of Aegis didn’t kill you because he knew I-“

“Can you shoot me please? I tire of your pointless posturing.” Hasnacht was so completely thrown by this interruption and embarrassed by the posturing he began to fire, and soon his mercs followed suit. As they continuously fired, the dust from the shots filled the arena. As the dust spread to the first row of the audience, they began to cough. At first it was minor but it quickly became more and more severe. “Someone douse them in Vouillian brandy. It will help them enjoy their night, if they haven’t already been soaking in it.” A moment later a blue spotlight shone up in the rafters and the blue magician bowed from above. “I am sorry about the blowback. I just couldn’t help but go big. Do you approve, Heaisy?”

The warlord growled, his brows furrowing in livid fury. Heais shouted, “That’s enough of the fights for tonight. We continue in the morning! You! Alabaster! You are coming to my office now or I will order my men to kill you on sight.” The magician bowed in compliance with a massive grin. “Fraiz, find the sons of bitches helping this guy. Thomas, get a detachment for each winning team. Shoot any surviving losers. I’m tired of this crap.”

The prince stood and spoke firmly, “Correction. Send the surviving losers to my ship. I wish to enlist them.”

“Five times the usual rate, brat.” When the Prince nodded, the host marched off in a fury, Alabaster walking after him, knocking Gavin’s hat off on his way.

Gavin growled, “Can’t blame Heais. That guy is an ass. Who the hell wastes so much time on something that elaborate? How bored is he?”

Shi looked at Hepta and they both froze for a moment. This was bad. They were getting locked away till morning, Phoenix was locked up with them, and they still didn’t know where Zora was. Still, nothing they could do until morning. Hopefully tomorrow would be their chance.

———

Heais punched a hole in his desk, “Wow, what material is that? Because a hole instead of cracking under that kind of force is either impressive or disappointing.”

The mafia man growled at the magician, “I let you join because I knew people would bet against you and lose. Easy money for me. But now you are embarrassing me on purpose in front of my clients. There has to be a price for that.”

The magician played with a deck of cards the guards were certain they had checked him for, “I agree, my good sir. Completely and utterly. So I brought you this.” He slid a finely cut glowing blue crystal across the table. “The Tal Stone. One of a set believed to have been under guard by the Cosmic Patrol. Now, not just anyone can use it, but I’m sure you will find a way.”

Heais took it coldly, “Do you know, Alabaster, the truth of the food chain?”

His ‘captive’ rolled her eyes as she groaned, “Here you go about the predator and prey speech again.”

Heais nodded and moved his thumb towards her, “Her people had the potential to be big predators through space. But even if they had, do you know what would have happened? The Falos would glass them or the Shuians would overrun them. There will always be a bigger predator. But the prey always adapt as well. They get smarter and evolve tools over time.” Alabaster’s smile never faded but his eyes grew wary, “I am a middleman mafia boss because I know that I can’t handle being a bigger predator than that. But I keep valuable things I find along the way so the predators small enough to realize I exist are too scared to eat me.” He poured himself a drink and stated, “If you are my prey, I hope you can scare me enough to stay safe. If you are a predator, I will make you fear me. Are we clear?“

Alabaster bowed graciously, “I assure you, I will be out of your hair before the tournament is over.”

Heais nodded and motioned him out. Once the magician was escorted to his quarters, a woman with long black hair stepped out, a silver smile on her face. “So, are you ready for our deal to conclude in the morning, Mr. Tun.” He took off his shades, letting air hit his tired eyes as he nodded. Finally this ordeal could end.