-Chapter 2: The Arena Edited 5/27/15
Lucy tried to concentrate as the crowd around her roared in approval. She felt like she was going to be sick. Down below her, a Vulcan was being shredded apart by a monster. The Vulcan was the last of a small horde that had been released into the arena. She was shocked at first when the announcer introduced a creature named Koro, and then the huge doors leading into the arena's underground opened, revealing…
A dog.
A small, white dog, that waddled on two legs into the arena. The huge crowd had begun laughing at the tiny creature, and Lucy would have too, considering the hostile atmosphere that the small dog had emerged into. But when she looked at the dog, a shiver had gone down her spine, and a sense of unease settled over her.
From the other side of the arena, a second set of doors had been opened, and several dozen vulcans began spilling out of the doors. The small dog was completely unresponsive as the monsters hurdled towards him, except Lucy noticed, for just a split second, a smile curving along the dogs face.
Right when the horde was on him, Koro disappeared in a huge cloud of steam, and then it all went downhill from there. Lucy and the others could only watch as the Vulcans were destroyed by the huge monster that had taken the white dog's place. Its eyes were red, its fur a dark crimson, and rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth shredded each of the Vulcans to ribbons before they all disappeared down Kuro's throat in bloody chunks. The last Vulcan was finally killed, and it too met the same fate as its brethren.
The crowd was silent for a moment before they erupted into cheers, and the huge creature shrunk back down into a dog once more, silently waddling out of the arena.
Lucy let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. She was sick to her stomach, and she felt like she would be deafened by the ecstatic crowd cheering around her. She was about to rise to go to the restrooms and puke up her lunch, when a voice stopped her.
Lucy, it was Gray's voice. Stay where you are, take deep breaths. I know your uncomfortable with all this, but bear with it, it will be over soon.
Lucy grasped the lachrima pendant around her neck, allowing her to respond to Gray. I-I don't think I can do this Gray. She said her breathing speeding up as she began to panic.
Grays voice became slightly panicked; worry underlying the calm in his voice. Don't think about it. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, we'll be done after this next match, and then we can leave. You don't have to watch, but you can't leave now; the main event is coming up and it would look suspicious if anyone left beforehand.
Lucy listened to his words and breathed slowly in and out. Her heart was beating hard within her chest, and it felt like it would break out if it beat any harder. She closed her eyes and embraced the calming darkness, and soon her heart began to steady, and the wild thumping in her ears dimmed to a steady rhythm that faded out of her attention.
She slowly opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of the crowd churning around her, and the bright fluorescent lights reflecting off of bare, sweaty skin and the bars of metal that kept the crowd closest to the inner ring safe from the combatants.
Her eyes shifted to the crowd on the other side of the arena, and she spotted Juvia there, sitting almost in the front row, right up against the huge metal walls that lined the fighting pit. Her eyes were focused on Lucy, and a look of worry was painted across her face.
Are you alright Lucy? The water mage asked, genuinely concerned for Lucy's wellbeing.
Lucy nodded from her seat across from the arena. I'll be alright, Juvia. I just needed a moment.
The rain woman nodded and turned her attention back to the pit.
Lucy blinked and quickly slapped her cheeks to distract herself from her straying thoughts. She adjusted herself on the stone seat she was seated on, not for the first time, as she tried to get comfortable. The clothes she was wearing weren't exactly helping.
Lucy was sporting a tight fitting black body suit that flared into a collar at the top, exposing her chest. A white line ran up the zipper and a belt was secured loosely around her waist, holding her key pouch and her whip. Her hair was pulled back into a side pony tail with a skull clip, and a skeletal snake tattoo wrapped around her upper arm. Happy had run away screaming when he saw her, saying she looked like Lucy Ashley.
Lucy wasn't the only one in the group to undergo a major transformation. Erza had decided that they should proceed with caution into the illegal establishment and they were all forced to wear disguises as a precaution. Erza and Gray were well known mages, and Juvia and Lucy were becoming more and more popular as the days went by.
Lucy glanced behind her at Gray, who was standing near one of the Arena's many entrances, watching the pit with interest. He had been the first of them to enter the arena, and had employed himself here as a guard. People weren't allowed to bring weapons into the arena, due to the fights that had broken out in the past over lost bets, but the guy who owned the place was cautious, and had employed Gray in a heartbeat, and made sure Gray was well equipped to handle the unruly crowd. He would remain undercover until their mission was over, and would use his privileges as a guard to move about freely and get a feel for the place. He was dressed in his own new style as well. His chest was bare, and he had on a baggy pair of white pants which was covered in a yellow triangle pattern. A belt was thrown over the pants and held a small pouch and a sheathed knife. Gray's right upper arm had a red tattoo, and he had a tomahawk slung over his shoulder. He would never make much use of the weapons, but they made an impression on others and the way Gray carried himself made it seem like he knew how to use them.
Juvia had undergone a major throwback, and looked just like the crazed rocker chick she had turned into when they had fought against Trinity Raven. Her long blue hair fell down in waves down to her waist, and she wore an extremely revealing purple vest, which was tied together just under her breasts by some strings. A purple, heart shaped tattoo adorned her flat stomach, leading down to a tight fitting pair of black skinny jeans. A spikey silver necklace wrapped around her throat and a black spikey bracelet adorned her wrist. Erza's magic made her skin appear deathly pale, paler than usual. Juvia had been utterly embarrassed to wear such clothing in front of Gray, and was extremely reluctant to walk around in public like that, but she eventually relented, and now seemed to have grown comfortable in the revealing clothing. From her spot on the other side of the arena, it was her job to simply observe along with Lucy until they decided to break their cover and bring the place down.
Erza, who was walking silently along the highest ring, made the largest impression on anyone daring enough to send a glance her way. She wore what almost appeared to be a military uniform, a deep blue shirt and pants and knee high black boots. A strap thrown over her shoulder secured a sword to her side. A black coat topped with fur was thrown over her shoulders, and billowed out behind her slightly as she walked. She had died her fiery red hair blond, and styled it in a way that it was thrown over her face slightly and curled at the ends. She immediately drew attention wherever she went, but one glance from her fierce eyes would send troublemakers running. She had come in as a bodyguard for some rich snob who was making a killing on betting in the Arena, and was pacing back and forth along a rather large section of seats in the arena, where many of her employer's associates sat.
We had all covered up our Fairy Tail guild marks with magic as a precaution, so that if anything happened we weren't traced back to the guild. Happy was elsewhere, helping the scouting effort by flying way up over the arena, getting a feel for the enormity of the building as a whole. Lucy was glad that the little Exceed wasn't down here, as she was sure that he would have freaked out in the cramped arena.
It had taken them three days to find this place, and Lucy was relieved when they finally managed to make progress, of course her enthusiasm was smashed into the ground when she heard the plan. She had been mortified by the role that she was meant to play, but complied when Erza flashed her signature glare. Lucy sighed as the current match ended. She hadn't been paying attention so she had no idea what happened. The announcer's voice boomed through the arena's giant speakers, and suddenly everything went silent.
A man that had been sitting in the section Erza was "guarding" stood and made his way to a closed off section of spectators seats. He joined the announcer there and took the microphone from his hands. He stood, turning to address the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome." His voice boomed and echoed over the arena, and everyone cheered again. The man held up his hands and the crowd quieted. "I welcome all of you, and thank you for your patronage, allowing the wonderful entertainment this facility provides to continue. I hope you have saved your bets for the final match, because many of you may be going home with empty pockets."
A groaning sound echoed through the arena, and metal screeched as something began moving within the bowels of the building. A chatter rose within the crowd, excited whispers that expressed open wonder for what was coming.
The man holding the mic seemed to smirk proudly as the sound of chains rattling joined the rising volume of chatter from the crowd.
"We have received hundreds of requests for a particular match, one that will answer an age long question. Which is stronger, fire, or earth? Or more specifically, Iron."
The crowd cheered as realization of what was happening began to echo through the crowd. Lucy was completely confused, but her attention was drawn back to the man once again.
"We have two champions. One is a specter, silent and imposing. His armor is impregnable, and his strength unmatched. He thrives in darkness and he is wild and heartless. He has never lost a fight. Our very own Iron champion, ready to fight against the Red Menace, I introduce to you, Devil's Shadow!"
A boom echoed through the stands and everyone seemed to hold their breath as the south doors of the arena slowly opened. There was a clatter as a metal net rose in a dome over the pit, effectively closing the audience off from the action within the ring. The spectators on the first few rows began moving back from the net, quickly being absorbed into the rest of the crowd farther back. They knew something was coming, and Lucy began to get nervous.
The south doors were completely open, and everyone leaned forward in anticipation.
Suddenly, a huge something stormed out of the doorway and a roar seemed to shake the entire arena.
The huge monster quickly filled the space within the pit with its girth, and Lucy gasped at the huge size of it. It was all muscle and shining metal, and so impossibly huge! Its huge head came up above the bottommost rows. The thing only had to jump in order to touch its nose to the top of the net.
If finally stood still, planting its feet firmly against the ground and roaring; shouting its presence to everyone there.
N-no way… is that.. Gray began, but the words died on his lips (can you have lips when you communicate telepathically) as he stared in open awe at the creature before him.
A Dragon. Lucy finished.
The dragon was covered from nose to tail in shiny plates that almost resembled armor. They stacked over each other like scales down the full length of the dragon's body. The dragon had horn like protrusions sticking out from its skull, and more curving around its mouth. At a closer look though, Lucy could see that they were all blunt, the ends sawn off. The same could not be said for its claws. The dragon's feet ended in deadly daggers that gleamed in the light. This thing was a monster, ready to use its natural weapons and tear its opponents to shreds.
Lucy gulped. This thing was champion for a reason.
The man with the microphone laughed and listed off the fights that the dragon had participated in, one recounting how the dragon acquired a nasty set of scars on one of its forelegs. Finally, he finished and moved on to introduce the other opponent.
"Devil's Shadow has won many fights, and has become a favorite of all you wonderful spectators. But there is one other monster here, one that we don't let out often. His destructive power is massive, and he has won every match he has ever fought, and only against the strongest. The Iron dragon is cool headed and quick to act, but the Fire dragon is brash, hot headed, and ready to demolish everything in its path. The reckless nature of Red Menace has made him infamous in our betting pools. He jumps into every fight in blind fury, and will only face consequences later. He…" The rest of the man's speech was drowned out by the sound of the north doors grinding open.
The Iron dragon moved back, slightly nervous at the sound that assaulted everyone's ears. There was a low pitched growl that began to rise in intensity, until only the snarls and roars of some horrendous beast could be heard.
Finally the doors opened wide, revealing the fire dragon. Lucy had only seconds to take in the hulking form, blood dripping down its neck from the chains digging into its skin, before the chains released, and the dragon stormed into the arena.
It paused for a moment and Lucy got the chance to examine the fiery creature. Its scales were crimson and they glittered like jewels in the lights of the arena. Thick leather straps were bound securely around its chest and stomach, keeping its wings bound to its back. This dragon, just like the other, had had its horns sawn in half, the ends polished until they ended in a smooth rounded tip. It could still use the horns as weapons; it just couldn't puncture its opponent, causing critical damage.
The dragon leaned its head back, seeming to suck all the air out of the room before a huge column of fire spewed from its maw. It sprayed fire all around it, and the Devil's Shadow seemed to take it as a challenge. With a mighty bellow, it charged forward, lowering its head to ram its horns into the fire dragon's side. The Red Menace collapsed onto his side, the Devil's Shadow stomping him into the ground as he continued to charge to the other side of the pit. The iron dragon circled the Red Menace, watching him from the edges of the pit.
Red Menace seemed dazed. His nose was in the air and he kept turning his head, as if looking for something. The audiences cheering was deafening as they egged the dragons on. People were jumping up and down, cowbells were ringing, booze was splashing, and the constant boom of the speakers was adding a low pulsing to the chaos.
Lucy watched as the fire dragon seemed to become confused, as if all the sound was making him unable to fight. She stood so that she could get a better look at the fight. For a moment, the Red Menace's head turned towards her, and she gasped when she saw his face.
Four scars curved along the fire dragon's snout, and one in particular slashed over his eyes. The scars looked like they were claw marks from some huge beast. The scar over his eyes had completely torn through his face, leaving the ruined tissue to scar. The mending had not gone well. The flesh and skin around his eyes had been torn to shreds and the scars that had formed had made the skin swell with callouses and raised flesh. The dragon had no eyes, only two empty holes that were covered in scar tissue.
Lucy brought a shaky hand to her Lachrima necklace as Devil's Shadow dived back into the fight, Red Menace taking the full force of the attack.
Gray, did you see that?
Yeha, that dragon is completely blind. It's probably relying on its hearing and smell, but with all this noise, it's reduced to smell, and the situation with that can't be much better.
Lucy nodded, and then remembered that he couldn't see her from his current position.
As soon as this match is over, we put our plan into action. I'm not going to sit through another day of this.
Gray agreed with her, and quickly informed the others as Lucy turned back to the fight. She prayed to any god that would listen that the two dragons made if it out of the fight alive, but deep down she knew the chances were slim. She wanted to help these creatures. If they survived, they would be liberated from their prison this very night.
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