Zalan returned to the stadium as the next fight was underway. He stomped his way up to his seat. He was stomping with every step. Audience members would approach him to congratulate him for reaching the Semifinals, but shy away when they got a look at his face. He locked his jaw tight and an eye twitched involuntarily every few seconds. He sat sharply next to Nold who regarded him with a half a glance.

“Discover anything interesting?” Nold asked, curious.

Zalan sat staring forward, tapping his feet impatiently. The current fight was taking too long. Two fights stood in the way of him facing Slauson. He took another look at Slauson sitting casually in the stands, watching the fight with mild interest. He acted like he didn’t just take part in a fight. Zalan fumed.

“These fighters are named Dimak and Skellorn. Both at a high Level. Impressive fighters,” Nold acknowledged.

Zalan didn’t reply. His eyes were on the match, but it didn’t look like he was actually watching it.

“What did Rep tell you about Slauson?” Nold pressed.

“Nothing,” Zalan said impatiently, annoyed that Nold was trying to converse when his mind was on more important things.

“I doubt that.”

Zalan crossed his arms, sighing through his nose and tapping his foot faster.

“What did he tell you?” Nold insisted.

“I already said nothing!”

“I may be able to assist with a little more information,” Nold said. “Unless you prefer to lose to Slauson because of something I could have easily informed you of.”

Zalan shot him a glare, but Nold’s focus was on the ongoing battle.

“He said…” Zalan extended the word as he hesitated. He was struggling to remember the conversation. So much of his faculties were focused on Slauson that it was hard to think of anything else. He placed his fingers on his temples and thought, recalling the words said to him only minutes ago. Nold gave him a look through the side of his eye, annoyed by the display his student was putting on.

“Come on now, Zandar,” Nold said.

Zalan whipped toward his instructor and gripped him by the front of his tunic. Nold responded immediately, gripping Zalan’s arm and holding a flame to Zalan’s head with his other hand. They glared at one another for a few seconds. Nold’s flame caught the attention of those in the stands around them.

“What do you think you are doing?” Nold demanded. There was death in his eyes. He wasn’t the slightest bit amused. Nor did it look like he would hesitate to fry his student’s head.

“My name is Zalan. Not Zandar. Not Zapnar. Zalan!” Zalan said, his voice fiery.

“You could have said that nicely,” Nold said.

“I tried to be nice before. That wasn’t working,” Zalan replied through his teeth.

They continued to stare at one another, the intensity causing others in the stands to stare or back away from them. Showing off any form of Elemental Power in the stands wasn’t against the rules, but it was taboo, especially during a fight. Zalan and Nold looked intense enough to cause a panic.

“Very well, Zalan. I did not wish to offend,” Nold offered. His voice was cold. He said the right words, but it sounded insincere.

His flame flickered next to Zalan’s eyes, but Zalan paid it no mind. He continued to look at Nold for another few seconds then released his tunic. Nold deescalated as well, letting go of Zalan’s hand and putting out the flame. The audience surrounding them relaxed, if only slightly.

“He said that he felt fine until right before Umdarr said ‘begin,’” Zalan said, answering Nold’s earlier question.

Nold watched Zalan closely, waiting for another outburst before replying. Zalan was back to folding his arms and tapping his foot. Nold went back to watching the fight, but kept some of his attention to Zalan's movements.

“That is a hefty accusation,” Nold finally replied.

“What? I’m not accusing him of anything, that’s what Rep said,” Zalan replied, irked.

“Not you. Rep has accused Slauson of affecting him before Umdarr said ‘begin,’” Nold said.

“Yeah. I don’t get it, what’s the accusation?” Zalan asked.

“The fight does not begin until Umdarr calls for it to begin.”

Zalan looked confused, then grew to a riled conclusion.

“Slauson is attacking people before the fight starts! Tampering with them somehow! He’s cheating!”

“Perhaps. We do not know for certain,” Nold shrugged.

“Rep doesn’t lie! Slauson is cheating!”

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“We do not know that,” Nold repeated. “It could be any number of factors from people outside the match trying to alter the events in Slauson’s fight.”

Zalan folded his arms tighter and turned away, displeased with Nold’s justification.

“But it is more likely that Slauson is cheating,” Nold admitted.

“I knew it!” Zalan said, jumping up. “I gotta tell Umdarr!”

“On what grounds? There is no proof,” Nold reminded.

Zalan grit his teeth and plopped back into his seat, tapping both of his feet in resentment. He glared at Slauson across the stadium.

“I’ll go tell Slauson,” Zalan decided.

“What would that accomplish?” Nold asked, displeased.

“Let him know I’m on to him and his tricks. Get him off guard,” Zalan said, standing up.

Nold looked up at his student. Zalan was wringing the bottom of his tunic anxiously. It was clear he wasn’t going to sit in place and watch the current match.

“Are you certain that is a good plan of action? You may be able to better catch Slauson off guard if you reveal the information to him in the middle of the battle,” Nold expressed.

Zalan was shifting from one foot to the next. He looked at Nold, but didn’t look like he was registering his suggestion.

“Do as you wish,” Nold sighed.

Zalan rushed down the stairs, all but slamming people out of the way in order to move faster. A few people stared at Zalan as he passed. He was starting to make a spectacle of himself by rushing around the arena so often between matches. As he hit the ground and ran around the area where the current battle was taking place, he drew many eyes in the canyon’s audience. He looked feverish as he ran to a particular audience member. Stones flew around him, emitted by the battle raging in the stands. Dimak was in the battle. He was throwing his Elemental Earth Power with wanton disregard, showering the neighboring area with rocks of all sizes. Zalan ignored it all.

When Zalan stopped in front of Slauson, he drew more attention to him than the two fighting in the ring. They were well aware that Zalan was supposed to take on Slauson next. But Zalan was confronting him early, and he looked out of his mind. The fight continued, but the audience died down as their cheers turned to murmurs and theories about the feud between Zalan and his next opponent.

Slauson looked up at Zalan, regarding him stoically. Zalan hated the casual look on his face when he had hurt Rep so badly. Slauson raised an eyebrow, a hint of derision in his eyes.

“Zorgon,” Slauson acknowledged.

“You know that’s not my name,” Zalan snapped.

“It is not? That is the name you gave me in Naverforth,” Slauson said.

Zalan’s eye twitched in surprise. He didn’t think that Slauson remembered him from the town they first met in. Slauson watched him carefully, but looked mildly embittered by his presence.

“Why is it you come? To stare angrily?” Slauson said.

“I know you’re cheating,” Zalan said confidently.

Slauson’s face remained stoic in the face of the accusation. He didn’t look either shocked or offended by the claim. Already, this wasn’t going to Zalan’s plan. Slauson was too casual.

“And what is it that I am doing that makes you believe I am cheating?” Slauson asked.

“Rep wouldn’t have gone down like that if you fought fair. You’re attacking people before Umdarr starts the fights.”

“Why are you telling me?” Slauson looked annoyed. “If you are so certain of yourself, then go and tell Umdarr. He will put a stop to it. Unless, that is, you are simply paranoid.”

Zalan was infuriated. He hated the fact that Slauson looked bored. More than anything, he wanted to see Slauson’s face falter. To break into fear or uncertainty. He didn’t show any emotion and it felt like he was being smarmy to Zalan. His smugness infuriated Zalan the longer he stood in front of him.

“I’ll destroy you in our fight,” Zalan promised.

“Changing the subject when things stop going your way? Convenient,” Slauson said with an air of contempt.

“Why are you like this?” Zalan blurted out. “You don’t even care about the tournament, why are you here?”

“I care,” Slauson said, his voice serious. “I will retrieve the Reversal Stone. You are certainly not going to stop me.”

“What are you talking about?” Zalan asked. His mind was on Slauson and how he was an infuriating cheater. The Artifact was irrelevant and therefore not part of the conversation.

“Are you an imbecile?” Slauson asked, sounding genuine. Fury shot through Zalan’s eyes, but Slauson continued regardless, “That is why we are all here! We are fighting for the Reversal Stone! Why are you here?”

“To see Madam Hikma!” Zalan replied as though it was obvious. He had no recollection of what the Reversal Stone was capable of.

“The old woman?”

“Don’t you dare talk about her like that!” Zalan yelled. He felt the irony of his words. He originally came to the tournament so that he could do something terrible to Madam Hikma. Now, his rage had culminated to target a single individual: Slauson. He didn’t even care so much about the tournament and seeing Madam Hikma as much as he did beating Slauson.

“The old woman is overblown. Her words are never as accurate as others claim them to be,” Slauson said, sounding like he was trying to give advice.

“Take it back!” Zalan demanded. More feelings of irony swam through him. He would have said the same thing about Hikma days ago. But hearing the sentence come out of Slauson’s mouth was wrong. Slauson’s confidence in it made it a false statement to Zalan.

“I will take it back… If you beat me in the ring,” Slauson said, a dismissive look on his face.

Zalan and Slauson stared one another down, then Zalan spun in place and stepped away from Slauson. He watched what he could of the ongoing battle as he walked away.

Dimak was locked in a brutal exchange of blows with Skellorn. Zalan didn’t know much about the other fighter, but saw that he wielded Elemental Sand. He and Dimak were throwing everything they had at one another. Dimak would send tons of earth at Skellorn, only to have it thrown aside by massive plumes of sand sprouting from the arena.

They were fast, throwing attacks as often as they received them and taking terrible blows. Dimak was bleeding freely from one arm and Skellorn couldn’t stand up straight anymore. There was no more strategy to them, they were putting everything they had into Elemental Power throws hoping to knock out their opponent.

Dimak eventually threw a small, quick boulder at Skellorn. It sent Skellorn flying and Skellorn threw back a spear of sand that slammed mercilessly into Dimak’s chest. Dimak gripped his tunic over his heart and fell to the ground in unbearable pain. Skellorn continued to fall and landed outside of the ring.

“This battle is over!” Umdarr called from the arena.

Dimak looked terrible, but he still breathed.

Zalan still had so much energy flowing through him after watching the match. He was still on the ground around the arena, not yet feeling ready to pass by any fans as he went up stairs. The fight inspired him by its brutal nature. He felt like he was ready to blast Slauson’s head off. He just needed to wait a few minutes and he’d be allowed to do exactly that in his next fight. No one would be able to stop him.