THE MURMUR OF THE ARENA CAME INTO EARSHOT AFTER AROUND TWENTY MINUTES ON THE WAGON. THEY WERE GOING AT A FAIRLY REGULAR PACE FOR THE GOLEMS SO THE SOUND ONLY SLOWLY GREW INTO ITS TRUE VOLUME.

"WE’RE HERE!" DIANNA SAYS REACHING FOR THE DOOR ONLY FOR A GUARD TO GET TO IT FIRST.

"SHOULD WE PREPARE THE NORMAL BOX SEATS?" THE GUARD ASKS AFTER HELPING BOTH ADRIA AND DIANNA OUT OF THE TALL WAGON.

"NO WAY. WE ARE WATCHING INCOGNITO." DIANNA REFUTES WITHOUT A THOUGHT. "THAT MEANS SMALL ESCORT. THREE MAX."

"VERY WELL." THE MAN SAYS WITH A BOW.

HE QUICKLY STEPS BACK AND THREE REGULARLY DRESSED GUARDS TAKE HIS PLACE. TWO MEN AND A WOMAN AL HAD SEEN HELPING DIANNA WITH CLASSES. A MAGE HE PRESUMED, ALTHOUGH HE HAD NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN HER USE MAGIC.

"GOOD." DIANNA NODS AFTER INSPECTING THE THREE GUARDS. "LET’S GO. WE GOTTA GET TICKETS LIKE ALL THE PLEBS."

"DON’T CALL THEM THAT." ADRIA SAYS WITH A SHAKE OF HER HEAD.

"RIGHT, FORGOT YOU DIDN’T LIKE THAT TERM. IS ‘COMMONERS’ BETTER?"

"NOT PARTICULARLY." ADRIA REPLIES WITH A SHRUG.

"NO MATTER." DIANNA RETURNS WITH A SHRUG OF HER OWN.

WITH THAT THE THREE, WINGED BY THE GUARDS BEGAN WALKING TOWARDS THE EXCITED ARENA. THE AIR WAS CHIRPING WITH TALKS ABOUT THE UPCOMING CEREMONIES. CARTS LINED THE PATH LEADING UP TO THE ARENA. TRINKETS AND SOUVENIRS AS WELL AS FOODS AND DRINK WERE SOLD BY HEAVY HANDED MERCHANTS FROM EITHER SIDE. AL WAS ACCOSTED TO BUY MORE ITEMS THAN HE COULD RECOGNIZE. FROM TINY ARMORED MEN TO PATCHES WITH THE YEAR AND SEASON SEWN INTO THEM.

"IF YOU BUY ON THE WAY OUT EVERYTHING SELLS FOR HALF PRICE." DIANNA WHISPERS TO AL WHO WATCHED EACH STAND HE WALKED PAST CAREFULLY.

"RIGHT, WE WILL GET SOUVENIRS LATER." ADRIA SAYS EYEING A SILVER BROOCH ON A CART A FEW FEET AWAY.

AL SAYS NOTHING IN RESPONSE, INSTEAD CATEGORIZING THE VARIOUS ITEMS HE SEES BASED ON COLOR MATERIAL AND VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS. HE SUBCONSCIOUSLY TOOK A LONGER LOOK AT THE BROOCH ADRIA LIKED.

"COME ON, HURRY UP WE CAN’T MISS THE OPENING." DIANNA AGAIN PRODS GLANCING AT THE DARKENING SKY. "IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE IT’S GOING TO RAIN. SO IF YOU DON’T WANT THE NICE CLOTHES I BOUGHT YOU GETTING WET YOU WILL GET INSIDE THAT ARENA."

ADRIA AND AL OF COURSE FOLLOW THE DEMAND. THE THREE BEGAN PLOWING THROUGH THE CROWD OF VENDORS AND FOUND THEMSELVES AT THE FRONT OF THE SPECTATOR’S LINE IN NO TIME.

DIANNA SHINES A SMILE AT THE MAN TAKING MONEY AND ORDERS THE TICKETS. "THREE PLEASE. TWO ADULTS AND ONE STUDENT."

HE GIVES HER A PRICE WHICH SHE QUICKLY TOSSES ON THE COUNTER. SHE THEN NODS TO THE TWO GUARDS FOLLOWING HER. IT WOULD SEEM FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE AS A SIMPLE HELLO TO AN ACQUAINTANCE, BUT IN REALITY IT WAS SIMPLY THE BOSS SAYING ‘PAY FOR YOUR OWN TICKETS’.

THE THREE COULDN’T REALLY COMPLAIN, THIS WAS WORK-RELATED ENTERTAINMENT AFTER ALL.

ONCE INSIDE THE EXCITEMENT COULD BE FELT IN THE AIR. THE STANDS WERE ALREADY CROWDED WITH PEOPLE, EATING SNACKS AND FEVERISHLY DEBATING UPCOMING MATCHES. THIS NIGHT IN PARTICULAR WAS ALWAYS GREATLY ANTICIPATED FOR THE SHEER LENGTH OF THE TOURNAMENT. NORMALLY ONLY SO MANY MATCHES COULD BE DONE IN A NIGHT, BUT IN THE SPRING AND WINTER TOURNAMENTS NIGHT BEGINS EARLIER SO MORE MATCHES CAN BE COMPLETED. THIS MEANS MORE EXCITEMENT FOR FANS, AND MORE PROFIT FOR BOOKIES.

"THERE’S SEATS OVER THERE. SEEMS WE ARE IN TIME TO SEE AL’S FIGHT." DIANNA SAYS POINTING WITH A HANDFUL OF POPCORN SHE SEEMS TO HAVE CONJURED FROM MIDAIR.

SOMEWHAT WORDLESSLY CAUGHT UP IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE PACKED STANDS, AL AND ADRIA FOLLOW DIANNA TO THE INDICATED SEATS.

"SCOOT, SCOOT." DIANNA SAYS PRODDING A FEW NEARBY SPECTATORS. THEY OF COURSE FOLLOW THE PRETTY GIRLS COMMAND AND MAKE MORE THAN ADEQUATE SPACE FOR THE THREE.

THE GUARDS OF COURSE FILE INTO SOME SEATS NEARBY WHICH THEY HAD STEALTHILY EVACUATED. THEY TOOK THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY. AS COULD BE SEEN BY THE FROZEN CHOCOLATE BANANA HELD BY THE MAGE, AND THE LARGE SIGN HELD BY THE TALLER GUARD.

"YOU SAID… AL’S GOLEM? FIGHT?" ADRIA ASKS DOING HER VERY BEST TO MAKE WORDS THAT MAKE SENSE.

"RIGHT, OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE ARENA. YOU SERIOUSLY DON’T REMEMBER THIS? THE ACADEMY STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING CREATE A GOLEM TO FIGHT. THEY ARE PRETTY TYPICAL COOKIE CUTTER DESIGNS THAT PROFESSOR SKEPTER GIVE THEM EVERY YEAR. BUT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS. OF COURSE AL COMING IN LATE IT’D BE IMPOSSIBLE BUT I HEARD HE… OH WELL IT'S STARTING. JUST WATCH." DIANNA SAYS NOTICING THE DIMMING OF THE MAGIC LAMPS HANGING ALL AROUND THE CEILING.

AL WAS WATCHING THE MANA CONTROLLING THE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM LESSEN WITH AN EXPRESSION OF AMAZEMENT. IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT SEEN ONLY BY HIM. THERE WERE CLEARLY SEVERAL MAGES CONTROLLING THE LAMPS SO THEIR MANA WAS A DIFFERENT SHADE OR EVEN COLOR ENTIRELY. THERE WAS EVEN A SHADOWY BLACK ONE AMONGST THEM. IT WAS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN A RAINBOW SUNSET. HE COULD LEAVE RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND STILL CALL THE NIGHT A SUCCESS.

AN ANNOUNCER WITH A FAIRLY JARRING VOICE SUDDENLY BEGAN SPOUTING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ARENA. THE COUNTLESS YEARS OF FAIR FIGHTS AND EVEN OPPONENTS. THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE LITTERED WITH THE PARTS OF GOLEMS PAST AND FUTURE. HE WENT ON AND ON. THE HOURS OF ENGINEERING SPREAD WITHIN THE VERY CRUMBS OF THE ARENA.

IT WAS A BORE.

EVENTUALLY THE SNORING CROWD GREW EXCITED WHEN MOVEMENT BEGAN TO SPREAD IN THE MASSIVE CENTRAL RING OF THE ARENA. DOZENS OF GOLEMS WERE ROLLED OUT ON CARTS AND PLACED IN THE DIRT CIRCLE. EACH WAS COVERED IN LAYER AFTER LAYER OF THICK, INTRICATE, METAL SHIELDING. ONLY ONE WAS CARRIED BY HAND AND PLACED TO COMPLETE THE CIRCLE.

A SMALL BOUT OF LAUGHTER WAS EMITTED BY THE CROWD SEEING THE SMALL ROUGHLY CAT BEAST SHAPED GOLEM PLACED AT THE END. IT WAS A PALE RED AND WAS CLEARLY MADE FROM UNSHIELDED GOLEM CLAY. ANYONE COULD SEE THIS WAS A PET GOLEM, NOT A FIGHTING GOLEM. SUCH THINGS WEREN’T RARE BUT BRINGING ONE HERE WOULD ONLY BE DONE IN JEST.

"IS THAT…"ADRIA BEGINS, GLANCING AT BOTH DIANNA AND AL.

"MHM." DIANNA SMILES. "I PERSONALLY LOVE THE DESIGN. ALTHOUGH FOR FIGHTING CAPABILITY. WELL IT’S CLAY AGAINST METAL…"

ADRIA GULPS NERVOUSLY. BUT SHE COULDN’T HELP BEING IMPRESSED, IF IT REALLY WAS A WORKING GOLEM THEN AL HAD PERFORMED YET ANOTHER MIRACLE. AGAIN NOT THAT THE SHAPE ITSELF WAS UNUSUAL BUT FOR THE SHEER TIME IT TOOK FOR HIM TO BUILD IT.

ALTHOUGH A PART OF HER, REMEMBERING A FEW OF THE ARENA’S TRADITIONS, WAS SOMEWHAT GLAD AL’S GOLEM WAS A BIT LACKING.

THEN ADDING TO ADRIA’S WORRY A MAN STEPS TO THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE AND RECITES A SINGLE WORD. "ACTIVATE."

THE MAN THEN RUNS AS FAST AS HE CAN IN THE DIRECTION OF A SMALL TRAPDOOR. HE DIVES INSIDE BUT THE ACTION HAS ALREADY BEGAN.

AS EVERYONE EXPECTED, IN THE FIRST SECONDS OF THE BATTLE, AL’S GOLEM WENT FLYING. ONLY A FEW OF THE SPECTATORS WONDERED WHAT HAD STRUCK IT. THE, UNSHIELDED, ALREADY CRUMPLED CLAY SMACKED INTO THE FACE OF A NEARBY DUD CAUSING IT TO TUMBLE TO THE GROUND.

A DUD ISN’T RARE FOR A STUDENT. IT’S POSSIBLE THE GOLEM ITSELF WORKS PERFECTLY IT'S MERELY A PROBLEM WITH SENSITIVITY TOWARDS COMMANDS. PERHAPS DUE TO LACK OF PROPERLY SHAPED NOISE CHAMBERS OR MAYBE EVEN MISPLACED SHIELDING.

ADRIA BEGAN TO GATHER SOME WORDS OF SYMPATHY FOR AL BUT HER ATTENTION INSTEAD STAYS ON THE GROWING BATTLE. IN PARTICULAR TOWARDS THE GOLEM WHICH AL’S HAD STRUCK. IT WAS MOVING. A FEW VETERANS WONDERED IF IT WAS A FAMOUS ‘MANA CELL BACK-BURST’ BUT THE TRUTH WAS AN EVEN BIGGER SURPRISE.

CRAWLING OUT FROM THE TATTERED CLAY AND METAL REMAINS OF THE FALLEN GOLEM WAS A SMALL CAT SHAPED GOLEM. BUT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. THE CLAY CRUMBLED, IT SHOULD BE DESTROYED.

"HOW…"ADRIA BEGAN TO ASK WITH A GAPE MOUTH.

DIANNA TOO WAS AGAPE BUT SHE WAS MORE INTERESTED IN THE SMALL METAL TALONS AND TEETH THE CAT SEEMED TO HAVE GAINED FROM THE EXCHANGE.

IT WASN’T THE ONLY GAIN. THE CAT AGAIN LEAPED FOR A TARGET AND SMASHED INTO A BARE SECTION OF CLAY. AGAIN THE CLAY AND METAL BITS CRUMBLED TO NOTHING AND THE GOLEM IT HAD TARGETED FELL.

LIKE CLOCKWORK ANOTHER CAT EMERGED. THE STANDS WERE NEARLY RIOTING AT THE SCENE. THEY HAD NEVER IN THEIR LIVES IMAGINED SUCH A TURN OF EVENTS. PEOPLE WERE PRAYING TO WHATEVER GODS TOLD THEM TO PLACE THE JOKE BET THEY HAD JUST MADE.

YOU’RE WELCOME.

AGAIN THE CAT THAT EMERGED WAS BETTER ARMORED. A SPINE OF METAL PLATES RAN ALONG ITS BACK GIVING IT A MUCH FIERCER LOOK. IT ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE GAINED SEVERAL POUNDS OF CLAY IN THE LAST REFRESH.

"IT MIGHT JUST…" DIANNA BEGINS TO WONDER WITH A GROWING GRIN.

ADRIA TOO WORRIED ABOUT SUCH A TURN OF EVENTS. AL MIGHT JUST WIN THIS FIRST MATCH. FROM THERE HE WOULD GET THE WILDCARD PLACEMENT IN THE REAL TOURNAMENT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN? WOULD HE WIN? WOULD HE HAVE TO MEET THE ROYAL FAMILY? SURELY THEY DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE RIGHT?

ADRIA COULDN’T BRING HERSELF TO LOOK IN THE DIRECTION OF HER FAMILIES PRIVATE BOX SEATS. SHE DREADED SEEING HER FATHER STARING BACK AT HER FROM THOSE STANDS.

THREE GOLEMS NOW STOOD IN THE ARENA. PEOPLE ALL OVER THE STANDS WERE SHOUTING ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE MINDLESS HUSKS OF CLAY. AL’S GOLEM NOW PROWLED CAREFULLY WATCHING THE TWO FIGHTING GOLEMS. IT CHOSE ITS TIME AND STRUCK. THE TWO REMAINING WERE EXTREMELY WELL ARMORED. ONE EVEN HAD A SHIELD COVERING ITS FACE, AND WHILE LIMITING VIEW IT ALSO SAVED IT FROM AL’S GOLEMS MAIN ATTACK.

AL’S GOLEM AGAIN SMASHES INTO A BARE SECTION OF CLAY, FORCING THE ENEMY TO A KNEE. THE OPPONENT GOLEM TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY AND LETS LOOSE A SWORD SWING. IT STRIKES THE FALLEN GOLEM’S HEAD, SMASHING IT TO PIECES.

BUT AL’S GOLEM WASN’T FETTERED, FROM INSIDE THE NOW DEMOLISHED GOLEM IT EMERGES AND LEAPS FOR THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HAND AND SWORD. A THIN PATCH OF CLAY NO LARGER THAN A FIST. BUT IT WAS ENOUGH. FOR A FINAL TIME IN THE FIRST MATCH A GOLEM FALLS TO THE GROUND.

EVERYONE TURNS TO A DEAD SILENCE AS THEY WATCH FOR THE MOVEMENT. AGAIN IT COMES, AND A MASSIVE CAT BEAST CRAWLS FROM THE CORPSE. A FEW SHRIEKS ARE HEARD FROM THE MORE SKIDDISH OF THE SPECTATORS. DESPITE THE CLEAN FINISH THE CROWD REMAINS SILENT.

"NOW THE INTERESTING PART." DIANNA EXPLAINS WATCHING CLOSELY. "SEEING IF IT ATTACKS THE COMMAND BEARER…"

"IT WON’T." AL LIGHTLY SAYS WITH A SHAKE OF HIS HEAD.

"WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?" DIANNA ASKS, SUDDENLY THRILLED BY THE TOPIC OF GOLEM ENGINEERING AND RUNE-WORK.

"IT’S PRIMARY COMMAND IS TO EAT MANA CELLS. IT WON’T BE INTERESTED IN HUMANS."

"I… I SEE." DIANNA SAYS WITH AN ASTOUNDED EXPRESSION. "I SHOULDN’T HAVE EXPECTED ANY LESS I SUPPOSE."

AS AL PROMISED WHEN THE COMMAND WAS GIVEN FROM A CAREFUL DISTANCE THE GOLEM SURPRISINGLY CRUMBLED INTO A PILE OF DUST. THE SPECTATORS LET OUT A WAIL AS THEY THOUGHT AL’S CAT BEAST GOLEM HAD PERHAPS SELF DESTRUCTED, INVALIDATING THE WIN. BUT THE TRUTH AGAIN SURPRISED THEM MORE THAN THEIR WORST FEARS. UNDER THE PILE OF DUST AND METAL SAT A SMALL CAT BEAST SHAPED GOLEM AGAIN IN ITS MR. FRED FORM.

"GOOD WORK MR. FRED #2" AL SAYS QUIETLY WITH A SALUTE.

THE COMMAND BEARER, AS AMAZED AS EVERYONE ELSE QUICKLY STEPS OVER TO THE PILE OF RUBBLE AND HOLDS THE CAT BEAST STATUE UP IN THE AIR TRIUMPHANTLY.

FOR A COUNTLESS TIME THE CROWD ROARS INTO A CHEER. AL’S GOLEM IS A HIT.

"AL WILL YOU LET ME LOOK AT IT CLOSER?" DIANNA ASKS AS THE COMMAND BEARER TAKES THE GOLEM BACK TO THE BARRACKS WERE ALL OF THE GOLEMS WERE HELD AND TENDED TO.

"SURE." AL RESPONDS WITH A NOD.

WITHOUT WAITING A MOMENT DIANNA LEAPS UP AND GRABS THE HAND OF BOTH ADRIA AND AL.