Kyanosa walked back around the arena, grinning at the cheers of the crowd and specifically his group in the front row. He sat where he was before, between Kaye and Canopus. Kaye grinned and patted him on the back. “Dirk taught you to fight like that?”
“Dirk and Cowboy Bebop.”
“See. I told you you’d do great. What did you think Canopus?” She had glanced at the white haired man a few times during the fight, but was not able to figure out what he was thinking.
“Mostly what I would have done. But you’re too flashy. Should go for the simple, effective attacks over what looks better.”
Kyanosa threw up his hands. “You use your style, I use mine.”
“Neither of which is mine, I hope.” Dirk looked at them both.
Canopus stared back at the ring. “Don’t worry. We’ve learned more than that.”
“Now we just have to wait and see which of you all is next,” Kyanosa said.
Everybody was quiet for a second as they watched the next match, a lizardman versus a catboy. Josh chuckled. “At least they’re not playing favorites with races.”
“More interesting this way,” Kaye said.
“If I fight somebody inherently immune to electricity, I’m gonna be ticked.”
Dirk slapped his knee. “Which reminds me! Everybody saw how Kyanosa fought, right? All punches and kicks and dodging? No magic or weapons, even to fly or block? Try to get close to that. You don’t want to play all of your cards in the first match. Leave some kind of surprise in case anybody’s going Canopus on us and trying to memorize our techniques. Keep them guessing.”
Josh nodded. “Can do.”
Canopus narrowed his eyes. “If I have to.”
“I haven’t fought magicless in a long time.” Kaye winced. “Guess if I’d thought about it I could’ve practiced some last night.”
“At least don’t go all-out.” Dirk looked at her. “Use as little as possible if you have to do anything.”
“That I can do. But someone has to spar with me tonight. Unless that counts as fighting…”
He shook his head. “Sparring, no. In fact, sparring is encouraged.”
Kaye smiled. “Good.”
The fight drew to a close, with the catboy still standing. Canopus looked at Kyanosa. “Were you watching that?”
Kyanosa shook his head. “No, why?”
“The announcer said we’d be using ladders to determine who fights whom. If we’re going in order, that guy’s your next opponent.”
“Eh. If he’s adjusting his style like we are, there’s no point in watching, is there?”
Canopus grumbled something not nice.
The screen displaying the matches coming up shifted up one every time a fight ended. As the fighters left the arena, the loser with the healer’s help, the next match displayed.
“Look, Sebastion is in fight seven.” Josh pointed. “I wonder where he is.”
“I don’t.” Canopus said, watching the fight that had just started.
Fight five was soon finished with Gelid, a blue ice dog, winning and immediately everyone in the group looked at Canopus as his name popped up as a participant in battle 8. His match would be right after Sebastion. The white haired teen perked noticeably, which considering his normally stoic demeanor was really saying something.
“There’s Sebastion,” Kyanosa said, watching as the familiar looking man passed them by without even a glance. “He looks good.”
Sebastion’s opponent was a young man in a red robe with long brown hair named Jamie. The instant he pulled out a sword longer than his legs and with a slight white aura, Canopus knew who the winner would be. Moving with decidedly inhuman speed, knowing all the most devastating places to strike, and sporting a giant sword that sliced right through Sebastion’s barriers and weapons, Jamie made short work of the well-aged energy manipulator.
“Knockout! Winner Jamie Menfield! Possibly a record at that.” The announcer smiled and shot a sympathetic look at Sebastion, who was being carried off the field by a pair of medics. “And our next battle is between Canopus and Rilean Starr!” The group didn’t really hear what came after that. They were watching Canopus too hard.
Kaye expected Canopus to be down on the edge of the arena as soon as battle 7 was over, but the man stayed in his seat. He was watching the field intently, until a brownish red female fox walked out onto the grass. She was wearing a pair of loose dark gray pants and a white tank top. She had white fingerless gloves and brown boots. There was also a sheath hanging from her waist.
Only now did Canopus stand up and make his way down toward the arena.
