Levi of the Panther Race

I spent my time sharpening my claws on the file I brought from my village. A small section we carved out here in the Underground between the gangs and the dead-zone. We spend countless nights patrolling, and working as paid assassins for our services. Among all the other warriors that prepared for this fight, I alone stood at the top. My tail swished back and forth, while I made certain my claws were sharper than a razor's edge. I eyed over the competition, noticing very few that stood out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a large creature wearing armor that was painted white with red spots on it. It was wearing a face mask with dark slits covered its mouth. The creature had harpy feathers cascading down behind it, with feathery wings that clung to its back. Beside it was a dwarf that was adjusting its satchel. I could smell smoke coming off him, which meant he was a tamer with deep bonds to his Jub-Jub. Which was likely a pyromancer itself. I gave them a dismissive look, before turning back to the other more interesting individuals here.

All sorts of big names came when the Minotaur was offering a talent that could stop null magic from being cast on you. It was an extremely alluring offer, given that a null magic user could make a winnable situation into a real problem. I saw big names among the crowd, from Azera the Cheshire, to Ron the Necromancer. My ears flicked as I heard someone walking towards me.

Azera approached with their bob cut hair, and lithe body. Their alluring strut gathering some attention from the males as he approached me. "My, my, kitten. How you've grown." He purred, looking every bit a female to on lookers with their androgynous appearance.

I looked at their loose fitting shirt, with long sleeves that they used to store many, many daggers. I nodded out of respect to them. "Greetings Cheshire." I went back to filing my claws, knowing how difficult the competition would be going forward.

The human grinned at me, moving closer. "Come on~ Don't be so frigid." They wrapped an arm around my waist. "I thought I was close to your tribe since that one night incident."

My tail stopped swishing, before curling around my leg. "Yes, but I would rather keep this formal. We will have to do battle against each other."

He bumped his hip against mine in a playful manner. "Then I have good news for you. There were so many people that signed up, they plan on doing a free for all at the start."

I lowered my ears, looking down at Cheshire's grinning face. "How is this good news?"

He did a twirl before putting some distance between us. "Well, those of us with names and backing don't have to fight. We get to skip that step and see if anyone stands out. Not only that, they will likely be a bit tired, but depending on who gets picked the winners of the free for all get to fight the ones with less known names. Then they crawl their way up to us, who will be the main event."

My lips curled up at the news, "My, I can see how that is good news now." We both grinned at each other, since we had the advantage of watching to see who made it through the free for all, and watching them tire themselves out before we fight.

"See? Aren't you glad you showed up early like the rest of us?" He practically purred the question.

"Yes, but it makes sense to watch those at the bottom struggle and climb their way up. Just like the rest of us had to." I purred back, before following after him. "I take it you're telling everyone yourself?"

Cheshire grinned, "Yep, the Minotaur asked me to do it for a few gold. I figured it was a good chance to catch up with you. Also to tell you no hard feelings if you win or lose against me in the end."

"Yes, no hard feelings at all, but what do you plan on doing with such a talent?" He was leading me to one of the private stands where a few of the other big names were already resting.

Cheshire put a finger to their lips, "It's a secret, but assuming it works all the time. I might have a couple heists planned. Just imagine all the trouble we can cause."

I let out a small laugh, "Fine, keep your secrets. I won't make it easy for you."

Cheshire waved, "Not a problem kitten. If you want to settle some post battle fun, I wouldn't mind." He gave me a wink, while my fur stood on end. This was the response he wanted, so he turned laughing to probably talk to Ron.

The room we were sitting in was a lot nicer than the common room with all the no named gladiators, and challengers. The seats here actually had cushions, and even a couple beds to rest on. I could feel the eyes of the others settling on me, before going back to what they were doing. If nothing else, this was a great place to show off my abilities and potentially get hired for future jobs. Coin was sadly one thing the tribe lacked due to our pride and how much we charged to get the job done properly.

It was refreshing to see a half-breed kitsune resting against his silver elfwood staff. The thing was as tall as him without the ears, as he had messy hair that puffed out in a silver tinted white fur. The staff was curled at the top, holding the emblem of his tribe in place. A red painted lotus with small petals falling onto the staff itself in a beautiful pattern. He caught me staring, and turned around to smile, letting me admire his front. He was a well toned man with lightly tanned skin, and an athletic build. He wore shoulderless robes that fell open at the waist to reveal his abs. The edges and inside were all red, while the rest of it was white with that same petal pattern on his right side. He wore black training pants.

"Like what you see?" His voice was soft and calm, almost welcoming.

I blushed a little, before heading to the spot beside him. "You are Jacky, the blossoming lotus?"

He nodded suavely, "I see my name proceeds me. May I ask yours?" He turned back to look at the empty arena, that was sand littered with the armor and weapons of fallen warriors. It was an unspoken tradition to let those that died in the arena were to be buried there.

I swallowed hard, "Levi, the shadow paw." I managed to keep myself from stammering.

He smirked, while looking back out at the arena. "Glad to meet you." He tapped my rear with his three tails, proof that he was accomplished with magic among his race. Most kitsune only reaching two, let alone a half-breed.

I jumped swatting his tails away with my own, "Stop, I'm not looking for a mate from your race."

He laughed gently, "Neither am I, but you're too stiff. Must have just made a name for yourself right?"

I nodded, looking away from him. "I'm surprised I was called up here, though it works better for me. Do you have any advice that I could use, maybe buy from you?"

Jacky shook his head with a small tut. "You really are too fresh if you're that direct. Listen up girl, you're your own worst enemy if you lose your cool in a battle. It doesn't matter how strong your opponent is, if you can outsmart them, you can beat them."

I nodded, "Spoken like a true member of your race." I noticed the braid running down his back, which meant he was already engaged.

Jacky smiled, "Maybe, but it holds true in any profession. If something doesn't work, don't force it. Try something else, even if you aren't sure it will work. Throwing your opponent off their rhythm could change the entire battle. Besides, you won't have made it this far if you didn't know how to fight. It might not make sense now, but it will help you a lot if you live long enough to 'get it.'

I frowned a little at that, nodding. Cheshire burst in with a large sigh, "Terrible news everyone. Ron decided he wanted to fight in the free for all. Which means he wants to put everyone in their place with a display of power and skeletons." There were a few groans.

Jacky smiled wryly, "It can't be helped then, at least we won't be here for a long time in that case."

I could see the crowd filling into the stands, as I heard faint echoes from the room with the other challengers. They were probably being told the rules of the arena and how you could fight until you die, or until you yield. Sadly just giving up didn't always guarantee your opponent would stop. Especially if the crowd was jeering, and Kobe was watching from his spot. I shivered at the memories of the unfortunate slave fights where they were either killed or violated in front of the crowd.

I shook my head to clear those memories away. Jacky brushed my side with his tails to get my attention and I quickly looked at him. He was discreetly pointing while Cheshire was getting a betting pool going on how long everything was going to last. I looked over to see Kobe resting on his throne with the Princess sitting on his lap. I quickly looked away before she could even catch me staring. There was nothing in the Underground more terrifying than that woman.

"I'll put down one gold for five minutes." Cheshire grinned, as he put more in the pot.

Another voice spoke up with a grin, "I'll bet a gold that Ron kills those dumb enough to enter the arena with him. This is all a setup for his later matches so he can have fresh bodies to fight us."

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A jet black dark elf spoke up with a low voice, "A clever tactic, I will bet that at least ten will die."

Cheshire laughed, "Fine, fine~ Play it safe Midnight. I'm just glad you are starting to play along."

Midnight looked away with a small blush from embarrassment. She wore leather armor, with pale blue hair wrapped in a ponytail behind her. Her emerald eyes checking over her knives as she fidgeted uncomfortably with all the stares.

I idly looked back, not wanting to participate in the gambling ring that was forming on this. I saw that twenty people decided to enter, a couple tamers including the man with the Jub-Jub. A few armored individuals, and potentially an entomancer. While it was forbidden for them to bring their own bugs in, there were more than a few deeper underground eating at the bodies.

Jacky cleared his throat, "I'll bet a gold that Ron will die first."

The room went silent at his declaration. It was silent for a good thirty seconds before Cheshire laughed, "If you really wanted to throw your gold away, you could have just bought me a couple drinks."

Jacky shook his head, "That thing with the mask is dangerous. It knows if someone is casting magic."

I tilted my head, "How do you know that?"

Jacky pointed at it, and it quickly looked directly at him. I would have missed it if I blinked. "That's not a Jub-Jub, it might be a monster from the Underneath."

We watched as it had a large beetle crawl from under its wings to its forearm. The tamer bent down, picking up a shield and sword, while the creature grabbed a dagger buried in the sand. It tossed the knife up, before catching it a few times. The other challengers were also grabbing their own weapons from the ground. It was clear this was allowed since Ron was going to be a bastard. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was spreading his magic into the ground below, just waiting for the gong to sound.

There were whispers in the crowd, as they pointed out that the tamer brought a bug into the arena. This gave Ron more time to channel his spell. Finally Kobe stood up, his voice billowing out as everyone went silent to listen.

"Welcome to my arena! Today will be a special event, that doesn't follow the normal rules! The shield bug is tamed by the tamer known as Ace, the Fire-fist. I'm curious to see if the Entomancer will just take it from him or not. As for Ron, he entered on his own, despite being asked not to. This is an unfair free for all, and I don't give two shits. The other challengers know they are likely to die, so might as well make it interesting!" He laughed, and the crowd joined in with him. "Now then! After this free for all is over, we'll have the ten left standing fighting against the ten big shots in the stand over there." He gestured to us.

Jacky waved to the others with Cheshire. I just lowered my head, worried about how this entire thing was going to play out. Jacky was worried about the creature that could sense magic, which meant we really needed to watch what it does. Especially if he put down a gold coin on Ron dying first.

Kobe continued, "Who fights who will be put up to a drawing. Tamers will count as one with their pets. We tested their bonds, and found it isn't enough for either of them to gain benefits. Tamers will lose if they, or their bond, is unable to fight. The winner of this little contest gets a sack of fifty gold coins. They also get the right to fight in the biggest royal tomorrow, where we take the strongest beasts and monsters and have them fight in a death match with the winner. That's right, this event is two days to see the best of the best!" He roared, as the crowd cheered at this unexpected change.

He waved his hand, as the gong sounded for the free for all to start. In an instant, everything seemed to happen at once. First skeletons rose from the ground, starting to grab at any weapons they could manage. Then those same skeletons seemed to fall apart as Ron clutched at a hole in his chest. He crumpled onto the ground bleeding out while four other challengers brutally attacked whoever was closest to them. A ferocity only reserved for lizardmen.

I looked over at the creature, to find the dagger it was holding had vanished. She let out a soft chirping sound, probably unable to talk to humans. The tamer with red hair and sunglasses, merely took out a blunt and let it rest between his lips, without a care in the world. The others seemed confused, but started fighting those closest to them. Unfortunately for one man, he charged at the tamer (Ace) with his whispering wolf opening it's mouth to strike his pet. The strange harpy feathered creature caught the tongue, while her master smirked. "Do you yield kid?"

The wolf tamer lunged forward, while Ace deflected the sword with the battered shield he picked up. He kicked the tamer in the side of the knee, causing said tamer to fall to the ground. Ace kicked the man in the jaw, knocking him out in one motion while the wolf was closer and 'gently' struck on the neck to pass out.

A fire elementalist decided to launch fire at the man called out by Kobe as Fire-fist, Ace. I shook my head at the idiot, while Ace just moved his hand towards the fire absorbing it into his arm. Everything I knew about pyromancy called into question as Ace grinned. The next thing I knew, he was flying as an explosion went off above him. I looked up briefly, as bits of glass hit the barrier keeping us from the fight. I looked back down to see Ace dusting himself off from the man he just punched in the face. Fire marks left on the cheek that was still smoldering. "Come on Vivi! I was just trying to look cool!"

The creature named Vivi crossed her arms, chirping and pointing at where the explosion was. Ace rubbed his face, before scratching his chin. "Yeah, but I caught the fire darts coming at us! Cut me some slack." I wasn't sure if I should admire how at home they felt while others were fighting around them, or if they were absolutely insane. Judging by the silence of the crowd, they were in just as much shock as I was.

They continued to argue as the gong sounded. There were ten people left standing in a match that was expected to potentially take an hour with newcomers. Kobe didn't even have the chance to sit down, as he watched the battle with clear interest. He let out a bellowing laugh, "It seems my little grand prize attracted more than just the big shots. I seem to have gathered the attention of those that were biding their time before making any kind of moves. This is shaping up to be a very interesting event!"

The crowd all watched Kobe as he crossed his arms, "This free for all is over, and I'll have the names drawn from two lots. The ones with names, and those that haven't made names yet. Let the betting start on how many of these challengers will make it through their first round!" He bellowed out a laugh, while the gates opened for the ten left standing to leave. Kobe talked to someone behind him, and after a few moments a crew of slaves were in the arena taking away the bones, dead, and injured.

Jacky's voice was low, "I think a gang entered."

Cheshire sighed, before sliding a gold coin past me to Jacky, "Seems that way. You noticed how four of them didn't even bat an eye when Ron went down? They arranged themselves to attack people not in their little group."

I nodded, to make it seem as if I noticed the same thing as them. I swallowed hard, "I didn't think Pyromancers could just absorb fire like that."

Cheshire tsked, "Likely a talent of his own, but Kobe noticed what was going on as well. That's why we're doing two separate lots. They probably thought they'd be clever and give their leader an easy climb if they fought against each other."

Midnight spoke up, "They still might, if any of them defeat us. The real issue is their leader and his pet."

The others nodded in agreement, while I felt I just missed out on something important. Though he did seem the strongest of the group, so he should be their leader. "Doesn't that mean we need to be careful of killing their members?"

Cheshire laughed, slapping me on the back, "Only if you're afraid of their leader hunting you down after the match. Some little no name gang is cheating, and that's well and good. I just hope they are fine with being hunted down if they try to kill any of us."

I relaxed a little, content with the fact that my peers would keep me safe. Slaves would come and go, offering us drinks and other refreshments. I wasn't used to such luxury, but happily ate enough to keep myself calm. Cheshire went to go talk to the challengers, while Kobe himself drew the lots for all of us to see. The results were hand carved on a board right above his stand. I felt a bit of relief as I was going up against one of the challengers that weren't a part of the gang earlier. Though I was going to have to fight first, and in thirty minutes.

Jack clapped my shoulder with a grin, "Don't worry too much, make us proud. Once you're through your battle, pay close attention to the others." I smiled a little, before looking at the board. I was relieved to see he wasn't fighting Ace from the start, but his next match put the two against each other. If I managed to win, I'd have to fight either Bo'sun or the blue haired member of that gang. I steadied myself, before heading to the waiting area.

It was a small room, with weapons hanging on the walls. I was allowed to use anything I wanted, with a slave in the room more than happy to help fit armor on me. I relented, allowing a dark leather armor to be fitted over my chest, with bracers on my forearms. I spent the rest of my time sharpening my nails. I was the first big name to fight, so I needed to win. Even if I wasn't a big name a month ago. They were rushing this fight out, since the crowd was likely disappointed with the free for all and how quickly it ended.

I took a deep breath, as my gate opened, heading out onto the arena. The area was picked clean with all the weapons and bones left along the outer edges. My opponent was a man that still looked tired from the last fight. He was healed from the last fight, but the blood he lost wasn't replaced. He seemed pale, and tired, but as I looked into those blood red eyes I realized he was a blood user. Kobe sat on his throne, while an announcer spoke up. "Greetings everyone!"

He waited for the crowd to go silent, while standing next to the gong. "Kobe has decided to observe the fights going forward, without commenting. This humble slave will be more than happy to announce the two fighters." He gestured to the blood user, "In this corner, we have the blood magician! His name is Ivan, and he seeks to make a name for himself in the arena!" The crowd cheered a little. The announcer gestured towards me with his other hand, "And, in this corner! We have Levi, the shadow paw! An assassin of the Panther clan on the outskirts of our living zones! Her tribe has seen constant strife from carving out its territory between the two zones! Let's see how well our two challengers can fight!"

This managed to raise the spirits of the crowd, as they started to cheer my name. I felt embarrassed, but also respected. I was an assassin, and I would show the might of my tribe, as their chosen warrior. I took a breath to steady myself as the gong rang out. The man ahead of me was my prey, a bug to be squashed. I slammed my paws together, squatting low to take a runner's stance. The man in front of me was gathering the fresh blood from the previous fight, eyes focused on me.

He did not see the shadow cats coming out of his shadow behind him. I ran at him, as he began to point a hand towards me. My shadow cats bit into the back of his calves, scratching at his heel. It was enough to break his concentration. He looked behind himself, to try and stop the attack. That was when I pounced, striking his chest with enough force to knock all the hair out of his lungs. I held a claw to his neck, "Yield, or die. That is your choice." The man put his hands up before falling back.

"I yield!" He fell against the ground, while my shadow cats emerged from under him to hold him down. I looked to Kobe, who was smirking.

Then to the announcer as they grinned. "To no one's surprise, Levi, shadow paw is the victor! The next fight will occur in a thirty minutes! Be sure to have your bets placed and collected accordingly!" The crowd was in much higher spirits after my display. I walked away from the challenger without so much as a drop of blood on me. This might be easier than I thought.

I returned to the room getting a small cheer from Cheshire, and an approving nod from Jacky. Bo'sun had already gone to the same room I had been in. I was given praise, and I could tell my peers were considering hiring me for a few of their future jobs. I just needed to make certain I was able to keep in line with their expectations.