"Do you think he will survive?" asked a combat arena doctor to his companion.

"I don't know, his head seems to be lodged very deeply in the ground," responded his companion, his voice laden with concern.

"I've only seen a few people with the strength to do that to Bhogtan, yet he always gets up," added the doctor, trying to maintain hope.

The doctor and his companion were examining Bhogtan's body, who was still in the arena, his legs floating in the air and his arms stretched out on the ground.

"Did you see how his opponent grabbed him by the chest? His strength seems comparable to the strongest fighters," said his companion, recalling the brutality of the fight.

"Yes, I saw it. He grabbed him by the skin, almost tearing it off," said the doctor, squatting down and placing his hand on Bhogtan's chest, feeling the faint beat of his heart.

"What do you think of all this? Have you ever seen anything like it?" asked his companion, visibly shocked.

"No, honestly, I haven't," replied the doctor, turning his head to see Thamuz climbing the stairs to meet his family. "It will really be magnificent to see him in combat again."

Thamuz reached his destination and rushed to embrace his father and mother, hugging them tightly.

"I did it! I did it! I won my first Shamonak fight!" he exclaimed joyfully.

"We saw it, son! We are so proud of you!" exclaimed Tawnylon and Aolani equally joyfully.

Armesto approached them and grabbed Thamuz's shoulders, shaking him firmly.

"That's how it's done, you really shone in your first fight. Now people are starting to adore you," said Armesto, showing a wide smile on his face.

Zarakel watched the celebration taking place for Thamuz's victory. He clenched his fist and headed to his quarters, throwing the herbs he carried along the way.

"That boy really looked strong," said a voice in the darkness.

"Yes, he surprised me a lot. I thought Bhogtan would gut him in seconds," said Zarakel, looking in the direction of the voice.

It was Tyranta, who was almost naked, with only a piece of tunic covering her private parts. She was leaning against a wall, staring intently at Zarakel.

"How is Gigantino?" asked Zarakel.

"He's sleeping. Today he played a lot with that slave who regenerates quickly. He was a good purchase for our son," she said, diverting her gaze to the left.

"I thought he would be training his Shamonak," said Zarakel, approaching her.

"You know how he is. He trains for about twenty minutes and then says he's bored. Although, it hasn't really affected him. After all, his strength could be comparable to Tawnylon's," recounted Tyranta, approaching as well.

"Of course his strength must be comparable to his. We spent a lot of time creating him, a lot of time where we let our flesh fuse into one, into our legacy," said Zarakel, standing in front of her.

"I still remember that. What if we create another much stronger? One taller and fiercer than the one we have now," said Tyranta, placing a finger on Zarakel's lips.

Zarakel pushed her onto the bed and began to undress, pulling out four tentacles from his back and showing them in front of Tyranta's face.

"You don't know how much I hate you," he said.

"I feel the same," she responded.

Meanwhile, Thamuz was leaving the arena with all his companions. Armesto called for a nearby carriage, which headed towards them.

Tawnylon entered with Aolani, while Armesto and his family entered next, Thamuz being the last to enter.

The journey home was filled with stories and tales that Tawnylon and Armesto told Thamuz about their days in the Shamonak, how they defeated their rivals, and how strong they were in their youth. Thamuz admired every story they told, making his passion for combat grow even more.

"So your father grabbed the guy by the neck and hit him with his palm so hard it broke his neck," recounted Armesto.

"I only did it because that guy touched Aolani inappropriately, who at that time was my girlfriend," added Tawnylon, stroking Aolani's shoulder.

"Yes, of course. I still remember when you made innocent eyes every time you saw her in her castle, while the moon made her skin shine," said Armesto, with a slight sarcastic tone.

The carriage had arrived at Armesto's house, which was illuminated by the interior lights, giving a warm welcome to its owners. They got off the carriage and noticed it was almost night.

"The stars look beautiful," Thamuz noticed.

They headed towards the doors, and Armesto extended his palm gently, making them open immediately. They entered the house and began to settle in.

"Is there any mhonktan left, love?" asked Armesto.

"There are about seven tons of meat left, should I start cooking it?" asked Yakrare.

"Yes, please," responded Armesto.

Yakrare took agile steps towards what appeared to be a storeroom. He took out large pieces of meat that measured the same as Tawnylon, who was impressed to see the size of the meat.

"How do you have so much mhonktan?" asked Tawnylon, intrigued.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Do you know the animals behind the house? Well, they are mhonktan. You have to raise them from a young age to make them very tame, so tame that you can kill them and cook them," responded Armesto, showing a slight smile.

"I see, it really is something ingenious. I recently managed to kill one and cook it. It really has an exquisite taste and its meat is very tender," added Tawnylon.

Thamuz was walking around the house, observing the different spaces that made it up. There were rooms that seemed to have a sauna inside, while others had pools so large and deep that they caused dizziness to anyone who looked at them.

Thamuz observed each room, fascinated by the interesting things he found, but gave up feeling very tired. His head was wobbling, and his arms felt heavy.

"Anxiety really made me tired," he said to himself.

He was going to his room to sleep, but he saw something in a window. Outside, the stars and the sky looked too enchanting. The stars shone a purple color, and the sky was filled with cosmic dust, like clouds that dazzled the entire splendor of the sky.

"Well, staying a while to look at the stars wouldn't hurt," Thamuz said.

Thamuz went out the window and landed on the ground without problems in the backyard of the house. He headed to the center and saw a body of water that resembled a pool. He sat on the black grass, putting his arms back and enjoying the beautiful view of the sky.

"It's beautiful," he said.

image [https://cdn.leonardo.ai/users/949f3f4e-1043-419c-8dd6-941c61d0ec71/generations/e26882dd-1cb1-400f-aa2e-24e7cbef14fa/Default_make_the_afternoon_in_a_hill_where_there_are_many_star_2.jpg]

"Hello, champion, what are you doing here alone?" asked Narek.

"Nothing, I was going to sleep, but I couldn't miss this view," said Thamuz, turning his head back to look at the sky.

"I see, it really is a beautiful view," said Narek, sitting on the grass.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with your parents," asked Thamuz.

"Well, they're making food, talking about their pasts and everything that's happened since your parents left. You know, the usual. I came here with some food while they finish doing whatever they want," said Narek, offering Thamuz a piece of food.

"Thanks," said Thamuz, taking it in his hand.

Thamuz examined the food Narek had given him. It looked like a kind of organic capsule, with a grayish color and an exterior that was hard but manageable, like rubber.

"What is this?" asked Thamuz.

"It's called ghongon, the eggs of a bhatrak, a kind of winged creature with scales as hard as rock. Normally it's cooked, but it can also be eaten raw; it's even eaten as a dessert because of the sweet flavor of the yolk," explained Narek, giving his ghongon a light touch.

"So, how do you break it to eat it?" asked Thamuz, examining the egg.

"Usually you use sharp swords, gigantic hammers, or high temperatures to get all the content out. But I want to try something; I want to test your strength," responded Narek with a tone of mystery.

"My strength? Didn't you see it in the arena? I defeated that rival with just two moves," claimed Thamuz.

"I know, but in shamonak, there's a very important factor: grip strength is the fundamental basis of shamonak," explained Narek, pointing the ghongon at Thamuz's face.

"Grip strength?" asked Thamuz, slowly pushing the ghongon away with his finger.

"Yes, grip strength. It's normal to grab from a specific point on the body, like the shoulder, which has a bone that makes it easy to grip. Legs could also be grabbed: you grab one, and your opponent loses balance significantly. But you, you can grab from the skin. When you lifted Bhogtan, you did it from the chest, a feat only the most veteran in shamonak can accomplish," said Narek.

"I guess I have the strength for it, don't you think?" protested Thamuz, looking at his ghongon.

"With a body like yours, you're right. But I want to be sure. I want you to break that ghongon just with the pressure of your grip. Show me if you're capable of doing something like grabbing someone by the skin and throwing them as if they were nothing," challenged Narek.

"Alright, but don't get so intense," said Thamuz, slightly annoyed.

Thamuz examined the egg one last time, placing it between his two hands and applying great pressure to it.

"It's very hard," he said.

"Come on, I know you can crush that egg," encouraged Narek.

The muscles in Thamuz's arms began to tense, making his veins noticeable and the great pressure he was exerting until there was the sound of something breaking and a bit of liquid started to drip from the egg.

"You did it," said Narek, surprised.

"It took some effort," said Thamuz, holding the egg above his face.

Some of the egg's liquid dripped onto Thamuz's face, and he licked it, making a slight sound of pleasure.

"It's really good," said Thamuz.

He held the egg above his face, right at his mouth, and pressed it with such force that he shattered it, letting the liquid flow into his mouth.

"Delicious," he said.

"See, it's delicious raw?" inquired Narek, looking cheerfully at Thamuz.

"It tasted very sweet," said Thamuz, laughing a little.

"Now, can you break my ghongon?" said Narek, giving Thamuz a small smile.

Thamuz grabbed the ghongon and began to do the same, only now with more ease. The ghongon had cracked so perfectly that it looked like an elongated plate.

"Here," said Thamuz, giving the ghongon to Narek.

"Thanks," said Narek, receiving it in his hands.

Narek began to eat, and Thamuz licked the remnants of his ghongon. Both looked at the stars and the sky until Narek finished his food.

"They're really too good," he said, rubbing his belly.

Narek put his arms back and gave a long sigh at the sky before looking at Thamuz.

"Do you know why I tested your grip strength?" he asked.

"To see if I'm very strong?" replied Thamuz.

"Something like that, but really, it's for your next battle," explained Narek, with a serious tone.

"What do you mean?" questioned Thamuz, somewhat worried.

"I heard my father mention the name of your next opponent. His name is Khabixan. I've seen his fights and, although he's not as strong compared to the others, his grip techniques are the best I've seen. They even feel like he's not touching his opponent," explained Narek.

"So, are you worried I might lose?" asked Thamuz, giving him a suspicious look.

"A little. I have confidence in you after your first fight, but I just want to be sure you're capable of beating him," said Narek, looking directly into Thamuz's eyes.

"I hope so," added Thamuz.

The two boys stayed looking at the stars for a while until they heard their parents' voices calling them for dinner. They obeyed and got up from their spots to go to the dining room.

Once in the dining room, they observed a large table containing different types of food. Some were so big and long that they occupied much of the table, while others were smaller and more proportioned. Thamuz looked at the food with expectant eyes while Narek watched with a mix of curiosity and hunger.

"Come and eat, you're in for a great feast," said Armesto, inviting them.

Thamuz sat next to his parents, who were on the right side of the table, while Armesto was at the head of the table and his family near him. Thamuz began to grab what he could with his hands and started eating voraciously.

"You were very hungry, son," said Aolani, observing the ferocity with which Thamuz ate.

"I couldn't have breakfast because we were late," explained Thamuz, wiping his mouth.

Tawnylon, his father, began to eat along with Thamuz, and they seemed alike, enjoying the moment together.

The food was gone in no time, with everyone satisfied and full thanks to Yakrare's skillful hands in preparing such delicious dishes. Thamuz thanked for the food and was about to get up to go to his room when he was stopped by Armesto.

"Wait, Thamuz," he said, rising from his chair.

"What's up, Mr. Armesto?" asked Thamuz, somewhat worried.

"Well, whenever someone wins a shamonak fight, they're given some kind of reward, so I want to give it to you in person," said Armesto, extending his hand. "Extend your hand too, Thamuz."

Thamuz extended his hand and opened his palm. Armesto dropped what he had in his hand, and Thamuz immediately observed what it was: several coins of a red color.

"What is this?" asked Thamuz.

"That's the currency of this city, called pamtan. What I gave you is enough to buy a good house in a safe section of the city. But well, what do you plan to spend it on?" asked Armesto, with curiosity.

Thamuz searched his mind for a way he could spend that valuable item until an idea came to him, an idea he could fulfill tomorrow.

"You'll see, Mr. Armesto," said Thamuz, with a big smile on his face.