Bagua kicked Millagua, who fell ear-first into the dirt, then rolled over in agony onto his face. Ziph, on the other hand, composed himself. He took a half-step back, repositioned his silver staff, and pointed the great ruby at the were-bat.

“An amusing trick,” said Ziph. “You knew you couldn’t beat me with strength or cunning, so you tried to deceive me, but only ended up outwitting yourself.” Presently, an aura started to glow around the red ruby at the top of his silver staff.

“As for me,” he said, “I had my squire arm me with an enchanted amplifier. See now how it increases my natural prowess.”

Ziph’s muscles expanded. He grew taller, his grin wider. His skin took on a scarlet phosphorescence.

Even if he hadn’t been completely paralyzed out of his crippling fear of Bagua the were-rat, Millagua would not have been unable to stand up to Ziph. Now, though, in this state…

______________________________________________________________________

This was it. She should have been happy. But Isshakhu wrung her hands. No, she realized, I can’t lose Millagua. The god of stasis had been nothing but sweet to her. He had been like a puppy. As for Isshakhu, she had only wanted to get herself a bigger, meaner dog. She hadn’t meant for any of this. She hadn’t meant for that bigger, meaner dog to go and kill the old cute one.

Or had she?

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If so, then she had made a terrible mistake.

Isshakhu stood up, dropping her spectacles carelessly into the stands. She waved her hands furiously:

“Stop the fight!”

___________________________________________

Siyn, Millagua’s son, came running to my side.

“What the hell is that?” he said. His face was sweaty.

“That is Bagua,” I said, and then explained as best I could. But the boy did not understand.

“Remove the Tripunctum!” he ordered.

“I can’t,” I said, and I couldn’t. Those were the rules.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” the boy said, and shouldered past me to storm the colosseum floor.

____________________________________________________

Imgaggu sneezed.

Then she sneezed again.

Imgaggu, the goddess who used to paint us elaborate meals with her mind, was sensitive to the Tripunctum’s creations. Where Imgaggu crafted delicacies which were composed of her own personal essence, my beloved Tripunctum generated enchanted creatures like a great shake-eel laying thousands of meaningless eggs.

And that Bagua. It smelled something awful.

At the same time as the others, Imgaggu stood up in the stands, and she sneezed into her hands.