*Bleeeep*, A notification transitioned smoothly onto the screen of his phone just as he was about to call Blaze regarding the current werewolf problem. It was an email informing him that he was accepted into the upcoming "Fight Your Way To The Top Tournament". There was a list of participants consisting of veterans and several newbies. The link opened up a web portal with more information about the tournament. Last year's winners, their unique abilities, tournament rules, and much more.
There was a message in his inbox saying that there would be a new notification later with updates on the first few matches. The number of competitors was a record high this time, and he knew why. The first prize was a lavish, rooftop apartment in the most serene part of New Eden. They called it Angels Abode, where the rich and famous resided. GK wasn't interested in planning ahead of his battles. He preferred to just go with the flow and adjust as necessary but he was curious to know how strong the winner of the previous tournament was.
Elizabeth Cunning, otherwise known as "Lyzz", is a humanoid reptilian with metallic green scales all over her body and a striking yellow mohawk. She looked confident, roguish, and apathetic, but many other opponents seemed way tougher than this particular woman. Scrolling through her biography, he hypothesized that her primary ability was invisibility. There wasn't much information about anything else. Just a bunch of pictures of the victory ceremony. As he sat on the couch to snooze, his phone rang.
"Hey, it's Blaze, I saw your name on the list of competitors and wondered why you'd make such a stupid decision before consulting anyone," she retorted. There was a knock on his door, and he went to answer it. Just as he opened the door, Blaze let herself in and plopped on the comfy couch.
"Are you out of your mind?".
He scratched his neck and asked, "Is it that bad?"
"Bad? It's just a fancy theatre for the insanely rich. They'll sit on their privileged butts and have a ball watching those poor sods from the lower districts kill each other.
"I've read the contract and I know what I'm getting myself into. Maybe, just maybe, we could put a stop to this," he explained.
"And how do you plan on doing that? The tournament is rigged, that woman...., Lyzz is an emotionless monster who is probably in cahoots with the hosts. If they see a threat, they will most likely get rid of it first."
He had never seen Blaze this furious and worried. He knew that jumping headfirst into a volcano wasn't a good idea, but right now he didn't have a choice. He wasn't afraid of death, thus self-preservation didn't matter since he had nothing to lose. He didn't know what to say.
"Come, I'll take you to the snazziest club in New Eden and you can see for yourself how they react to newcomers." The book of monsters hummed and glowed just as he opened his mouth to reply.
"Here we go again, "Blaze sighed as if defeated. He opened the book to find a new entry. Lycan, otherwise known as a werewolf. A person afflicted with the curse of a full moon. A beautiful illustration of a man transforming into a werewolf under a full moon appeared on both pages.
"What's this? Have you been hunting again?" She asked.
"More like ambushed on my way to Kepps." he answered.
"And what were you doing out at night under a full moon? You do understand why there's a curfew in Ravenhide right?"
"Blaze…., I think that I've already proven that I can take care of myself." he retorted. This was exactly why he preferred working alone.
"I know, but going in alone is dangerous and reckless. Remember how that fight with the Domina went?"
Hmm… she has a point. GK was annoyed, but he understood that Blaze was just worried. Perhaps she had lost someone she loved. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a mother. Caring and overprotective. He approached her as she backed away into a corner. He put a reassuring hand over her shoulder and looked down at her with his gleaming amber irises and assured her that he'd call her if he ever needed help. Her heart skipped a beat, and she broke the increasingly awkward eye contact and lowered her head, trying to hide the bright red blush that tinged her cheeks.
"Maybe I went a little overboard, I'm sorry." She apologized.
"I'm afraid I might not be able to control myself if he does that again," she thought.
"It's fine, I completely understand," he replied gently.
"So, are we going to this club or not?" Just as they were about to go outside, GK's bedroom door slid open, and out walked the frail woman wearing one of his dark blue T-shirts. She had removed her intravenous line and was limping. She leaned her body against the doorframe and looked at Blaze suspiciously.
"Who the hell is this? Blaze asked, surprised.
"The werewolf that attacked me. She was probably just hungry… "
"You didn't kill it?" She cut him off before he could finish.
"Look, she is severely malnourished, afflicted by the curse of the full moon, and is homeless," he explained. She was jealous of this creature, but she couldn't argue with him. The girl was injured, both on the inside and outside, at least that much was apparent. But she didn't like how the Lycan was eyeing her. She was certain the creature would have pounced on her if it had enough energy.
"It's ok..., this is Blaze, and she's my friend. She was a little angry earlier but we're good now." GK assured the Lycan. He knew that the menacing, unwelcome stare that the she-wolf was giving Blaze was a warning.
"Her name is Rika…" GK continued. "She's going to need some clothes and a good meal".
Blaze agreed. He nodded and continued. "You should probably get some more rest; we'll have a big hearty meal in the morning and get you some new clothes to wear." The wolf nodded at him and returned inside, closing the door behind her.
"What exactly have you gotten yourself into?" Blaze asked him even more worryingly. "I was about to call you earlier, but I got distracted. He didn't want to ask, but he had no choice.
I'm going to need some help; I think I've made some kind of weird contract with her."
"That's your problem, not mine. She's your pet and your responsibility," despite her words, she felt jealous of the werewolf.
"Well…let's get going to the "Sinners Lounge". New Eden awaits your presence". He had never set foot in New Eden before, but he had heard many stories about how unwelcoming they were and how they looked down upon the lower districts.
"After we're done at the club, we can go get some clothes for that dear wolf of yours." He accepted the offer, and they left for New Eden in a cab. His phone bleeped once again with a new notification email. He swiped it across the screen, and the message opened into full view. Blaze scooted across the seat towards him. She peered at the screen and gasped. The tournament was beginning tomorrow night, and round one involved Group A against Group B. The very first match was between The Golden Knight and Lyzz.