In the morning at stadium all wolf in Alana came to watch Numenus. This is not a requirement for student to attend but for every wolf this is a chance to show off their strength and see a new blood that are joining their pack.
Due to their culture most young wolves who just move from all over Eardwulf want to fight and see who is the strongest in this new town so they always find a way to keep challenging each other to Numenus and create a jumble mess of carnage every year. The street, dorms, classrooms, restaurants no matter where in the city when a challenge was issued the teacher and city guards end up as the one who has to clean it up and stop the students before anyone was seriously injured. Finally, after a growly complaint from Professor Leon who was force into a job of managing this pile of mess that bury him every year the city finally decides to make a special event for new student where everyone get to fight each other. Of which city guard and senior student will act as a judge and help keep track of ranking.
Professor Leon request to no longer be managing this event however he was denied. He is the strongest wolf here after all so every professor agree he should be the one handling this event since most student will respect and listen to him. Leon can try to lose in a duel so other teacher can take the mantle but his pride won’t allow it so he struck chewing a giant pile of paper work every year.
Other races can also join in numenus if they wish and most wolf don’t mind as long as they get to fight. However, any wolf who refuses to partake in this event would be consider a coward and look down by everyone for the rest of their school year if not their life.
“So, where the hell is Calamity?” said Amy.
“I didn’t see calamity last night either, I don’t think he come back to his room” Bill starts to concern.
Last night Bill and Josh thought Calamity is going to prepare for tomorrow fight so he wants to be left alone but even now at final hour of registration Calamity is nowhere to be found.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to fight in Numenus?” said Eirian.
“Don’t be ridiculous Eirian. Everyone knows a wolf rather die than not fight,” said Amy and Biscuit nod.
But hour past and still Calamity didn’t show up.
“I guess we wait for nothing.” Amy turns to Josh who suggest the idea that all of them should show up here to sheer him.
“Err let’s get inside maybe he got in through other entrance and just want to watch?” Josh spin his head still looking for Calamity.
“Wait since that guy not here I might as well register myself so you have someone to cheer” Amy confidently walks to a register table where senior wolf student are siting.
One wolf that available look at Amy and ask “Name? Any specific person you want to fight with? Just want to try out or fight in tournament?”
“Amy Ante Formicidia, no, and I’m joining a tournament”
“What!” everyone says in shock.
“But Amy isn’t it dangerous to fight with wolf?” Biscuit walks up to Amy side trying to stop her.
“Don’t worry Biscuit, I’m going to show you how weak these wolfs actually is and you have nothing to fear of them.”
All wolfs at the table twitches their ear but the staff just hand her a number and tell her where she need to go.
However, another first-year wolf right next to her does not take this insult lying down “Weak? Little ant think she can beat us” he turns to the staff “Hey I want to fight her first”
“Bring it on puppy”
“Who are you calling puppy! You little bug.”
Meanwhile Bill go up to a teacher that standing nearby to ask about Calamity.
Professor Leon lifeless eye that gawk at a mountain of paper which he has to wade through return to life when Bill calls out to him.
“Arr Yes?”
Stand before Bill is an old black wolf with scar from left ear down to neck, a reminder from a time of war “Professor Leon my roommate who is a wolf didn't seem to register for a fight is that alright?”
“A wolf who didn’t jump at a chance to prove himself in glory of numenus? Huh, he must be from a countryside.”
Bill look confuse so Leon explains “As must as it might be hard to believed not all wolf love to fight kid. Although I admit it is very favor upon compare to any other alternative way one might go about proving their worth in our culture”
Bill understands this event is comparable to an activity in every workplace that new comer must participate in order to be accepted as a part of a group; If he doesn’t take a drink or get pranked another member in team might not help him as much when problem come.
“So, if your friend is not fighting today other wolf might look down upon him and make his life harder than necessary. He doesn’t have to win at all though he just has to fight. For most wolf a wolf that lose to everyone is still better than a wolf that run from a fight, they consider it the most cowardly act as one could do, a wolf that need to be drive off or will bring the whole pack down.”
‘Be drive off? This sound serious.’
“Not that every wolf care about it you know but most wolf who come here properly come from Ardolf, our capital. So, they will pay extra attention to everyone else skill since they all want to join wolf fang party. I know since I was once like them.”
Bill turns to register table that announce closing time.
“It nice you care about your friend Mr....” Leon extends his hand to Bill.
“Bill Smit sir”
“Bill” Leon smile for a moment “but I can’t make any one fight in numenus if he doesn’t want to. At least I know that he got a friend who seem to worry about him.”
"Haha just looking out for my roommate that all”
“I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson by giving him an intense course then, oh and you could use more exercise yourself I can’t have a scraggy student in my class now can’t we.”
“Wait what do you mean...”
“ALL RIGHT BOYS GET PACKING IT TIME FOR BLOOD!” professor Leon scream made all the staff jump, pack all paper and rush inside stadium. If he must sit through all those paper then Leon plan to at least enjoy the event to its fullest.
‘Why do I feel like I just made a grave mistake.’
Inside stadium Josh fly around above bird stand before flying down to sit with Bill in disappointment “I don’t see Calamity anywhere.”
“I wonder where he gone”
"Well, if it is his choice, we can’t do anything about it so let us see if our princess is actually any good as her mouth is.” said Eirian as he looks down below where all the contestant are gathered.
In a green field below now fill with dozen small arena made of stone tiles, a senior student of all race scatter around to maintain order and act as a judge for each arena.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Every wolf in this city really show up, I never see this many wolves in one place before” said Biscuit with mix feeling of fear and awe.
Bill noticed that Biscuit might be the only sheep or goat here most the seat is fill with wolf of all age and still the stadium has plenty of space for more audience.
Suddenly the entire stadium gone quiet when professor Leon walk in front of the stand while holding some kind of horn with an engrave too small for Bill to see from up here.
He holds it in front of him and bow before blowing the horn.
All the wolf bow as it makes the most haunting sonorous sound that Bill ever heard.
“Let the numenus begin!”
The stadium erupts in roar as the staff below struggle to call a number so each contestant fight in a pair that has been arrange.
Amy is among one of a few ants here so she got a lot of attention from everyone.
“Hey lady bug show us what you got!”
“Don’t get kick out from your first fight now!”
Amy don’t react to the shouting since every wolf is also get shout down by their senior as well. Instead, she walks to a side that her friend is sitting and put her leg up like a fist.
“Go AMY!” Josh shout while Biscuit just tries to wave since she is too scare to shout.
Amy waves her antenna in confident and get on the arena.
The wolf who challenges her stand impatiently “Took you so long I thought you would run away, name Sharik. You better remember the name of a guy who beat you.”
“We’ll see who beat who”
A judge at her arena then explains the rule “The rules is simple fight till other side surrender, go unconscious or fell out of the white tile area. Magic is allowed but do not fight with intend to kill if I see anyone who try to kill the opponent that person will be disqualify immediately.”
“Begin”
With one word Sharik jump at Amy with a full claw out but Amy is ready. She cast out a magic calling a tile to float and smash Sharik in the face.
“Ouch! dam ant”
A tile then proceeds to drop and smash Sharik feet casing him to hold his feet as he jumps around in pain.
“Jacto” Not giving her opponent a chance Amy continue to cast more magic this time making a dirt in the stadium form in circle like a rock and throw at Sharik.
“Wait wait” Sharik cry but it too late a dozen of rock is toss at high speed hit him all over body.
“tat...that not fair I never fight a magic user before” said Sharik as he struggles to speak. His face swollen from the impact.
“Oh really?” Amy taunt “Then I will beat you without my magic”
Sharik smile, he sure he can beat this ant that is smaller “Alright! Now I’ll show you”
Amy now rushes at Sharik and spin kick him in the face casing him to fly off and roll on the floor outside of arena before knockout.
“Amy ante Formicidia Win” a judge shout before handing Amy a number for next arena. A few staff rush out to pick Sharik off to a treatment room.
Amy simply takes her prize and hold up so her friend can see.
Biscuit gasp in shock “Amy is so cool” she shouts.
“She is better than I expected,” said Eirian.
“Wow” Josh exclaim.
Bill is very impress however a shouting from other wolves at Sharik unconscious body caught his attention.
“Haha looks at that loser go”
“Boo! You are a disgrace of a wolf”
“Ha that guy will never live this day down.”
“Weeny dog you are not a wolf!”
‘If they hate a guy who lose once this much what are they going to do to Calamity?’
As Bill look to other arena, he noticed that as long as each wolf put up a good fight everyone else will sheer for him or her even if they lose.
In one arena both wolves keep slice at each other arm and body, dripping the floor with blood while other punch, kick and throw themself on the ground with all their strength.
The fight will only end if either side go unconscious or one wolf manage to bite other side in the neck, they won’t bite all the way through just hold the other side in his fang so the other one knows he is lost. Only then a wolf will say surrender, otherwise they would fight to their last breath.
“I think I’m going to look for Calamity once more, maybe convince him to at least come watch if they won’t let him fight”
‘He shows up here would be better that not show up at all right?’
“I’m going with you then a bird can help scout city much faster” said Josh.
“You are leaving? But Amy is about to have a next fight,” said Biscuit.
“Don’t worry Biscuit I’m sitting here with you" Eirian ensure Biscuit that he won’t leave her alone to the wolf before turn to Bill and Josh “you two goes look for our trouble maker”
Bill nod as both of them head outside the stadium.
“So how exactly do we find Calamity?”
“Err we walk around?” Bill answered almost made Josh wish he didn’t follow him out.
“I’ll fly around on the east side of the city and go check in our room, you check west side, ok?”
“Yeah ok, if we don’t find him then let come back before the final match.”
Josh nod before fly off.
‘So where are you, Calamity?’
Bill starts to walk west from stadium and keep walking because he has no idea where Calamity would be. Walking past a MAM workshop Bill know Calamity is never going to be in there. A power plants? Nah only an electrician and city guard are allowed inside. Most of the shop Bill try to look through window but Calamity is nowhere to be seen.
Finally, Bill reaches a harbor outside the city ‘This is as far from a stadium as you can get if he’s not here then...’
“Hey Bill what are you doing here” a familiar voice call Bill.
Recognizing the voice Bill turn to an amiel with a smile “Mr. Homer, good to see you again”
“Good to see you too how school?”
“Great sir, the teacher and class are amazing especially MAM workshop”
“That good to hear”
“But what are you doing here I thought you have a shipment to send after you guide me here.”
“Yeah, thank to that explosion our ship got anchor here for a few more day no ships are allow to leave. We are definitely late for Nadia port now. But never mind me what are you doing out here Bill?”
“I’m looking for a friend, he a very reserved grey wolf have you see someone like that around?”
“A wolf at this time? When numenus is ongoing? Oh yeah, I did heard a lady from flower shop said that she saw a wolf at Flander field. It is weird that any wolf would go there at this time so she remembers.”
“Flander field?”
“Yeah, you see it when we arrive right? A red field full of poppies”
“Oh, thank you sir. I’ll be going now wish you luck on your travel” Bill says goodbye as he rushes to the Flander field on southwest of the city.
“Goodluck on your study!” Homer shout after Bill.
Bill run at full speed for almost ten minute and there Calamity is, sitting among the flower looking at a great red river and mount of Fega alone.
“Finally found you” Bill pant, try to catch his breath.
“What are you doing here?” Calamity surprise that Bill show up here.
“Calamity you can't just vanish without telling anyone you know” Bill sits next to him.
“Where I go is none of your business is it?” Calamity states the fact without hostility.
“Haha I guess that true but we are roommate you know and we are in the same team in class as well, everyone is worry where have you gone to.”
“Worry?” Calamity don’t understand “How do you even find me”
“Turn out when you are the only wolf not going to numenus people tend to noticed.” Bill lies down on flower after fail to regain his strength to even sit up straight.
“I don’t care about numenus”
“Yeah...I guess as must but do you know that if you don’t join at all other wolves will detest you you know?”
“No... but I don’t care what other think of me” said Calamity.
“Really?” Bill surprise “I can’t imagine that at all you know, having your peer make your life a living hell. I can’t stand to live like that” Bill remembers one of his old workplaces where they bully him to quit so they can get one of their own friends to join in his place.
Making him do all the hard work and then nitpick at every little thing he does, making him redo all the work again, shouting and cynical talk.
He doesn’t want to face it again and in a way, he thought Calamity properly don’t want too as well.
“You run all this way just to tell me that?”
“yep” Bill laugh.
“You are weird”
“Haha” Calamity reaction make Bill laugh harder. He is really weird.
The two of them sit there for a few minutes looking at the river courses by before Bill ask “So what are you doing out here? If you don’t want to see numenus you don’t have to come out this far you know.”
“People keep looking at me while in a city so I decide to come out here”
“They properly wonder what is this scary wolf doing not joining a glorious battle of honor.”
Calamity quiet for a moment before answer “I... don’t like to fight”
“Really?” Bill finds it hard to believed “You know from the first time I see you my instinct say this guy is super dangerous” Bill point at Calamity
“The do not mess with or he’ll eat you alive type” and his instinct is rarely wrong.
“My father trained me that’s all. I don’t really care for fighting.”
“Oh, well you don’t have to fight how about just come watching. Amy registers for a tournament you know the least you can do is go cheer her.”
“Amy? That ant joins a tournament?” Calamity makes the same face as everyone when Amy signs up.
“EEyup and she is super strong too”
Seeing Bill face Calamity know he is not lying “Well I guess I can go look at how she is doing at least.”
“Alright!”