"I AM DERVIN!" he shouted, his childish voice echoing in the plaza. "And I challenge you to a D-D-Duel, Kweeny!" Lords, why did I stutter? Now of all time? I've known that word like forever! He tried to hide his embarrassment by overacting and pointing his finger toward Kweeny and making a show of it. An ill-mannered lock of hair sprung up and stood straight up as if to emphasize his point.

A barely nine-year-old boy was pointing daringly a finger toward another while spouting nonsense was a pretty common occurrence in the Village, so nobody paid attention to the scene. Except for the two kids involved, and the few children that were around. Still, the ruckus was enough to attract a small crowd around the two contestants. Dervin was all too happy to have an audience, he definitely liked the attention.

A third kid that has been watching the scene unfold had been designated by the two as the referee, pulled out a small stick of chalk from his pocket, drew a circle on the ground, and split it in two. Once done, he stepped back outside the circle. The snotty boy was Guan, with dark yellow eyes, and messy green hair, he never appeared without his worn-out green jacket, a holy relic from his Pather father before he left. And now, he also wore proudly his own Blurb, a small blue rotund slime named Hugh. Dervin hadn't challenged him already because Guan was too strong and already in the Bronze league. Dervin needed this victory to qualify for it. Besides, Hugh was a frost type who had learned how to spit ice, something only a Master Tamer could teach. Dervin was a bit jealous of that.

But Dervin wasn't going to let that stop him. He had been training for ages, had lived tremendous adventures, and came back wiser, stronger, and more determined than ever. His red eyes shone in the morning light, and his brown hair flew in the wind. He was ready.

"Contestant!" enunciated Guan, "To your marks!" He pointed at the two halves of the circle. Dervin stepped right out of the left side, and Kweeny stepped out of the right side.

In front of Dervin, Kweeny stood lazy, his hands in his pockets, his eyes half-closed sneering at him. He was a bit taller than Dervin and had a slightly larger build than the kid. His light blue hair had been cut short recently and had even gotten himself a new overall. He was a part-time bully, mostly he kept to himself and his few friends, but he had picked on Dervin a few times in the past.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FLASHBACK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dervin, then eight and a half years old, was walking back home from his teacher's house. That day had been so exciting! They had had a little expedition on the Plateau above the village. Teacher Sam had told them all about caring fields, and the various crops that were grown there. They had even seen a few farmers working the fields. Dervin had been so excited because the fields weren't safe. At any time, a Lizard could appear, or a Frog, or... the devil itself, a SHEEP! They even had two Guardsmen with them, and they had seen a few more patrolling the area. His comrades and he had been brimming with eagerness. Maybe they would see a fight?! And gore flying! And blood! And... well not too much blood. But still, it would have been awesome!

But nothing had happened, and they had returned to the village without any incident. A few Pather that went back to the village had made a few demonstrations of their powers and that had been so extra-cool. Once back in the village, they had been dismissed for the morning. It was great because his mom had given him one extra Orb to buy himself something to eat. So he had run toward his most favoritest shop in the whole village. Some adults had decried it, but he loved it. It was a small shop by the balcony, and the owner, Miss Traeryn, had transformed it into a very small jungle with all sorts of vines falling from the ceiling. Each grew different kinds of fruits, with unique colors, flavors, smells, and textures. The best part was you only paid to get IN the shop, and then you could eat as much as you wanted. But the least best part was that it cost a Bright to get in.

And that day, after ages of self-imposed restriction and privation. He had a Bright to spend!

But alas, on his way to the shop, he had been intercepted by Kweeny and his two friends. They had been waiting for in ambush, and they had jumped on him, and they had beaten him up. They had taken his Bright, and they had left him there, crying. From that day on, Dervin had hated Kweeny.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< END OF FLASHBACK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Contestant!" Guan shouted again, "Prepare your Blurbs!" Dervin took out his Blurb from his shoulder. JayP was a killer, a seed of champion of a Blurb. The small round slime was slightly larger than an apple and had a bright red color. He had a small ridge on his back made of wood looking pikes like a mohawk. Dervin hadn't yet succeeded in making him show a face yet, but he was working on it. JayP wasn't a fire type like most believed, but a dreaded blood type. He could control the blood of his enemies, and he could even make them bleed from their eyes, ears, and nose. Well, once Dervin figured out how to make him do it, of course.

Kweeny took out his Blurb, Clix, from his shoulder. It was a smaller, rounder, and oddly white slime. It seemed clunky and slow and didn't have many features. But Dervin had been smart, and he had observed another fight from Kweeny. So he knew its secret. It wasn't an ice type, nor a stone type, but a bone type! And behind the clunkiness hid not one, but two deadly secrets. First of all, it was clunky because inside its body, was a small collection of bone plates that served as armor. And secondly, beneath that armor hid a small, but deadly bone blade.

This was going to be a tough fight, Dervin knew it. JayP didn't have any armor, nor did he have many venues of attack. But if he touched his foe, he could send him some of his blood inside and slowly kill him. So it would become a battle of endurance, of speed, and wits.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Contestant!" Guan shouted again, "Begin!" Dervin and Kweeny both took a step forward, and their Blurbs jumped in front of them. JayP was already rolling to the fight, but Clix was still standing there, not moving. But Dervin was wise to the trick and didn't let that fool him. He knew that Clix was waiting for the right moment to strike.

"JayP, circle him!" he shouted at his companion and ever-friend. Diligently, JayP started to circle Clix, rolling as fast as he could. His wooden spine clicked on the ground. But neither Clix nor his Tamer did anything. They just stood there, waiting. Dervin raged inside. He knew that Clix was waiting for JayP to get close enough to strike. But he couldn't let the fight last too long, or he would lose by a draw. If he wanted to join the Bronze League, not only did he need to win, but he needed an overwhelming victory. He needed to show that he was a worthy contender. He needed to show that he was a champion.

He nodded, and JayP understood. They had practiced this move all day long, the previous day. JayP stopped, and clung to the ground, compressed. And then lurched in the air. It was one of the few basic techniques any Blurb could learn, but it required dedication and practice to master. And JayP wasn't some nobody. Once high in the air, JayP started to spin, faster and faster. His wooden spines blurred, and he became a red and brown ball of death. He was going to strike Clix with all his might, and he was going to win this fight!

But Clix had been shrowd, like the little evil thing it was, it had seen through the trick, and had moved his armored insides into a little ramp, just as JayP landed, catapulting him away. Dervin's face palled, as he saw his companion roll at high speed toward the crowd, and most importantly outside of the arena circle. "NOOOO!" he shouted. JayP braked, and drifted, spinning like a mad little devil, razor-sharp wooden spines flying everywhere, but he succeeded and stayed inside the circle. And lost his spine in exchange.

That was just at that moment that Dervin understood what Clix had done. That little bastard! he thought. He had used JayP's own attack against him! He drew his hand into a fist in rage. He had to win this fight, he had to! He couldn't lose, not now, not after all he had been through. But JayP had trouble standing back up, a little pool of blood was forming under him. What??? Dervin thought, astounded. How could he be bleeding? And he saw it, a small cut on JayP's side. That little bastard! he thought again. He had cut JayP with his bone blade! It reminded him of THAT day.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FLASHBACK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Long ago, at least a week ago, Dervin and his ever-friend JayP had gone pay their respects to his former ever-friend, JayO, the fish that believed it could fly. Dervin had even gifted it an all-powerful Heron's feather. But JayO had been so happy, that it had jumped out of its bowl out of the window and had fallen to its tragic death, two levels below. Ever since, at the weekly anniversary of JayO's death, Dervin would walk solemnly to his grave. And he would cry. And he would remember. Along the way, he would depose an offering to the memorial of his former ever-friend, JayN and JayM the twin-beetles. They had decided one day to leave his home never to return, and Dervin had been so sad, but as his mom had explained, everyone got to follow his own Path. Just like he would someday as well.

That was where it had happened. It wasn't Kweeny this time, no, nor his two friends. It was a group of older kids. They had already been beaten up by someone else, as they had been covered in bruises and scratches. And they had been angry. When they saw little Dervin, whining about the loss of his friends, they didn't take pity on him, no, they taunted him, derided him and when that wasn't been enough, they beat him up. They had taken his offerings, and they had thrown them over the balcony to the lake. And to finish him up, they threw him in a thorny bush of roses.

Dervin had been so sad, so angry, so hurt. He had cried, and he had cried, clutching his ever-friend JayP to his chest. But something happened right then. JayP had also been bubbling furiously. And then, it had happened. JayP had had his first jellovulution! Bathed in his blood and rolled in rose twigs, JayP had evolved into a new form. His body had turned from his natural transparent jelly to a bright red color. And his wooden spines had grown.

It had been a sign! Fate had shown him the way! If JayP could grow from this, so could he! Resolve burned in his eyes, he would become a Champion!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< END OF FLASHBACK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dervin was brought back to the present by a loud cheer from the crowd. He looked up and saw JayP standing, his wooden spines slowly growing back. He had lost some mass, but he was still in the fight! Dervin's resolve was renewed. He could still win!

He looked at his opponent and was surprised. Apparently, its little stunt had cost him as well, because JayP had still succeeded at piercing Clix's membrane. And now, Clix had also lost a bit of his mass. That was a win in Dervin's mind. His opponent couldn't move his bones as well as before. "Let's roll!" he shouted at JayP. And JayP rolled. This time, they had changed tack. They weren't going to roll around Clix, but JayP would roll right by Clix, grazing him with his spines, and then JayP would turn sharply and try again. But they had to be careful because Clix could still cut them with his bone blade.

Just as he was about to pass by Clix, Dervin saw it. "Jump!" he shouted, and JayP jumped, letting Clix's sword pass right under him. And then, he landed on Clix's back, his thorns digging into Clix's membrane, but JayP didn't stay there and rolled away at high speed. Clix was bleeding profusely, and Dervin knew that he had the match.

"Shoot!" came from the other side of the arena. Dervin's world stopped to a standstill. He saw the little ball of bone turn toward his ever-friend, a point of bone barely showing through the plated armor. And then, he saw it. A small, but deadly bone blade shot out of Clix's body and flew toward JayP. Dervin's eyes widened in horror. He couldn't let JayP die! "FLAT!" he howled. And JayP flattened himself on the ground, and the little blade grazed him, cutting a line on his back. But JayP was still alive. Dervin breathed a sigh of relief. But he knew that JayP couldn't take another hit like that. He had to end this fight, and fast.

But now, he doesn't have a sword anymore! Dervin thought. A devilish grin appeared on his face, just as he saw his opponent's face decompose itself. "FINISH HIM!" he shouted. And JayP rolled toward Clix, faster and faster. Clix tried to turn, but it was too late. JayP was already upon him. And then, he jumped. He jumped high in the air, and then he fell, right on top of Clix. And then, he rolled. His spines dug into Clix's body, throwing Blurb's jelly everywhere.

"Stop the fight!" shouted Guan, "Dervin wins!" Dervin jumped in the air, and JayP jumped to him. They had won! All his friends rushed him to congratulate him. Kweeny just spat and walked away, defeated. Dervin didn't care, he had won.

Guan reached his side and said the words. "Welcome into the Bronze League," he said somberly. "Hope you are ready for the next level."