The heavens and its great swath of cloud foundations hung high over the earth below. One could easily access the lofty residence only through an impressive stone archway situated at the nexus of the lands controlled by the numerous land immortal clans. A gravel path led up to the huge arch and if one peered through the curved hole they would merely see the other side of the small woods behind the entrance.

The southern half of the plain was edged by a small lazy river that curved southward. Part of the river was diverted into a wide ditch that ran around the area in which stood the arch, creating a small protected island. A small forest covered the northern half of the bit of land but the rest was merely bare plains. A low-arching bridge of huge logs and mud daubing extended across the wild river and was the only man-made edifice within sight of the arch.

A great crowd of over a hundred men and women filled the plain in front of the gate. They chattered away with one another but all of them kept one eye on the arch. A tall table sat a few yards in front of the entrance and was covered with an elegant silken white cloth but was otherwise bare. A small group of half a dozen people stood closest to the table with their faces perfect examples of tense anticipation.

“You think they’ll want more vendors this year?” one of the shorter women wondered.

“I don’t see why. They only have so much space, you know,” her male companion replied.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “No, I don’t know. I’ve never been chosen.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin. A crooked, keen smile slipped onto his lips as he shrugged. “I guess you wouldn’t know. I’ve been picked the last two years in a row so take my advice: don’t try to get a bracelet. It’s tough competition and only the best get in.”

The woman looked him up and down. “If they only take the best then how come you got in?”

The other members of their group burst into laughter and the man’s cheeks reddened. “Why you little-” He swung his fist to punch her face but her arm shot up and blocked the blow. The man yelped and stumbled back cradling his trembling arm in his other hand. The limb sported a nice bruise that aspired to be a bright purple. He whipped his head up and glared at his grinning foe. “What the hell was that?”

The woman held up her arm and showed off a nice set of rock-hard green scales. “Never try to tussle against a turtle shifter. We’re as stubborn as we are solid.”

The man curled his lips back in a sneer. “A member of the turtle clan, huh? That explains why you’re so slow to get a vendor spot.”

His words earned another round of applause and guffaws from the group as more coin-seekers crowded about them.

“You tell ‘em!” one of them shouted.

“Don’t take that, turtle!” another yelled in return.

The turtle woman examined the man before she scoffed. “I doubt he could do a round with me. My shell is harder than even the rocks placed by the emperor atop the Shrouded Mountains.”

The gentleman grinned and rolled up his sleeves. “Well, I have my own tricks up my sleeves.” He flexed his arm muscles and short, coarse brown hair sprouted from his skin.

She sneered at him. “A rat? I’m not surprised.”

The man leaned forward and his front teeth elongated into a pair of sharp pincers. His face stretched into a snout and a tail dropped out from beneath the back of his long shirt. “Then you won’t be surprised when you lose.”

The two opponents faced off, one covered in rat hair and the other sporting green scales. The bored onlookers reveled in the chance to watch a sport while they waited and the much-vaunted coins passed hands as bets were placed.

“Come on, turtle! My bet’s on you!”

“Go on, rat! Chew her to bits!”

Only one figure remained aloof from the frenzy. It was an old gentleman who had taken a seat on one of a handful of small boulders that lined the gravel road up to the gate. The man wore a pair of faded gray sandals and plain tan pants with a white shirt. A broad-brimmed straw hat topped his head and covered the few wispy strands of hair time had left to him.

He grasped a wooden cane in both hands which he leaned heavily on. His gaze remained on the gate while everyone else pumped their fists and egged on the contestants.

One of the betters scurried over and nudged the man in the arm with his elbow. “Come on, old man! Join in! It’s a sure thing for the rat to win!”

The old man cocked his head to one side to look at his compatriot from under the brow of his hat. “Is it?”

“Well, yeah! He’s bigger and heavier than the woman! She might have some scales but those can be torn off like flesh!”

The old man returned his gaze to the gate and chuckled. “We shall see.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

His friend waved him off with both hands and hurried back to the action. The two combatants paced the messy circle created by the crowd and kept their sharp eyes on one another.

“I don’t care how hard your scales are. I’m going to chew them off you,” the rat threatened her.

She scoffed. “You won’t get close enough to do that.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Like you can move fast enough to-”

His grand proclamation was interrupted by her sudden dash forward. He let out a sharp hiss and swung his arms wildly in front of him. She stopped short of his arm’s reach and tilted both her hands. The bright sun reflected off her flesh and the searing brilliance shot into his eyes. He let out a strangled cry and she stepped forward where she delivered her own retort with a sharp swing into his groin. His eyes bulged out of his head and a terrible wheezing noise was shoved out of his mouth. The men in the audience grimaced and a few rubbed the inside of their thighs.

The woman stepped to one side and the man toppled head-first onto the ground. He twitched a few times before laying still.

The winner held up her fisted hands and showed off a mess of smooth green scales. Their glass-like surface reflected the sunlight and showed off the grin on her face. “That’s why speed doesn’t always win.”

The gentleman on the rock chuckled and resumed his oversee of the gate. He wasn’t disappointed as a soft white glow emanated from the frame of the portal. The man straightened and tightened his grip on his cane. “They are coming.”

His soft but clear announcement silenced the chatter and everyone whipped their heads around to inspect the gate. Surprise and hope filled their ranks and they scurried over the fallen man to crowd around the front of the table. The old gentleman stood and shuffled into the middle of the group.

The glow from the frame grew brighter and swallowed the whole of the arch. The center shimmered like the surface of a lake and the white light lifted from the center like a mist to reveal the realm of the heavens. The clear blue sky and soft white clouds glistened, as did the high arches that guarded the main entrance to the palaces and parks of the heavenly residents.

Six heavenly citizens strolled out of the portal and into the land realm. Shian and Pampir were the leaders and guided a small group of scribes and maids out of the gate. The high lady paused on the threshold and sniffed the air. Her nose wrinkled.

Pampir stopped at her side and stared ahead as he stoically nodded. “It is a foul odor, is it not, My Lady?”

“Quite,” she agreed as she set her sights on the crowd. Her mood wasn’t improved by the disheveled appearance of many in the eager mob. “Let us finish this task quickly.”

She sauntered over to the table and one of the maids hurried before her. The heavenly servant crafted a magnificent high-backed chair behind the table where Shian seated herself. A scribe magicked an elegant quill pen and notebook with golden scrawling on the cover which he set before her. The man even opened the book to the first page as Shian callously stared at everything except the duty in front of her.

The opening of the book had an instant effect on the crowd. In a single moment, they had changed from civilized citizens to hostile barbarians. They pushed forward toward the table, elbowing and gnashing their teeth at any who tried to stop them from achieving first place in the contest.

“Create a line in front of the table!” Pampir shouted at them. “Anyone who does not follow these instructions will be immediately removed from consideration!”

The impatient vendors created a long, flimsy line in front of the table. A few of them jostled one another for prime real estate at the head.

“Get off!” a woman snapped at a man as she shoved her shoulder into him.

He stumbled to one side and out of the line. “You get off!”

The man charged and slammed his body into hers. She fell with a hard crash and a loud shriek. The woman clutched one arm and rocked to and fro. “He’s hurt me! He’s bruised my poor body! Somebody help me!”

Everyone looked askance at their neighbor, each weighing the pros and cons of stepping out of line to help the woman. She didn’t have any takers.

The woman fumed and flailed about the ground like a spoiled child told ‘no’ for the first time. “You wretched creatures! You horrible selfish scoundrels!”

“Take it to the emperor!” one of them spoke up. The reply elicited a laugh up and down the line.

Pampir clapped his hands. “That will be enough! Get into line or you will be immediately disqualified!” The woman grumbled under her breath but climbed to her feet and waddled to the end. The pompous man sneered at them a moment longer before he swept his eyes over the others and clapped his hands.

“We will now begin the selection process!”