So, where were we? Oh, yes, here. Wow, been a long time, almost as long as the production of a Harry Partrige's animation. Maybe the newcomers to the story won't really notice this but it's been seven month that no chapter was written: some are beginning to lose patience and to point me with a gun just for having the story continuing (or they just don't care and think that I'm dead or that I abandoned the novel, anyway). I shall be thankful I'm not a professional and that I have not a limited time to write it for, like, a fanzine or a pulp! But here it is! Here's what follows in the Ironhorns' story…
After Qualt grumbled because the Distric didn't have coffee, he made some physical exercises as warm up and prepared himself: he was the first to fight today, after all. It was going to be against the mole. And Ironhorns wasn't the type of dragon to say that it was going to be an easy fight. No, he saw that his adversary was really fast and had a good agility so he had to stay warned and to don't underestimate him. But he had an advantage that the Uogh's victims didn't have: he had daggers with his horns and so he could parry with them. His dragon's strength against the mole's one was making that possible.
And this time, he knew that, if he wanted to go in finale, he had to kill again. Then, after the mole, the sympathetic assassin… Sympathetic, yeah. That was too bad he had to do it…
He had to kill, kill and kill again. That's how's life, after all, right?
… right?
Then he was called to go into the arena. The fight was about to begin.
"For the semi-finale, this morning, we will have two combats! And here is our first one, ladies and gentlemen. Now, accueillez in the arena Uogh… and Ironhorns!"
Qualt entered under the applauses. He wasn't smiling, at the opposite of his adversary. No, it was more like a serious face… or a resignation face. He took his breath and sighed while putting himself in position. The mole was ready with her sword.
One of the two had to die today.
"Ready… Set…"
The ice dragon prepared himself to rush on Uogh, one of his front paws on one of his horns…
"FIGHT!"
He jumped! His horn-dagger was out. The mole saw that coming and decided to strike too. The two blades hit each other in a metallic clatter! The mole tried to strike back but Qualt took his other dagger and parried.
Then he swung his arm to slash but the mole jumped. This last, his sword in his two hands high in the air, tried to hit with power the dragon! But he dodged. Then Qualt crouched and jumped back because the mole, with two fast movements, almost hacked his flesh.
He now was close to a wall. And the mole rushed on him. He parried again exchanged the place. Then, thanks to the wall, Uogh jumped on him.
And Qualt had to react quickly…
He saw his chance!
He still had his daggers in his paws. So he threw his right one.
And the mole felt on him.
Mortally injured.
Uogh, then, fell from him, right on the ground and his back. The dagger was planted right below his throat. Qualt went closer to him and took in his paw the dagger. Then he looked his victim in the eyes and sighed.
"Well fought..."
And he finished the mole with a bloody and quick move. His horn was now tainted with scarlet.
"And the winner is… Qualt IRONHORNS! Bravo! Très joli combat!"
Qualt looked at the crocodile and he saw him with the bear. This last was receiving with a great smile some money from Bourgoistic.
Qualt was now next to Gloria.
"You fought well, honey. Now, you just have the finale and the darker to fight."
"Yeah… I fucking have enough of killing here."
"Understandable. But, trust me, when you lived in the District for years, you don't put too much importance in life."
"Yeah", added Troth, that heard it and came closer to the couple. "Like, I'm twenty-three now but will I live to see twenty-four? The way things is goin' I don't know."
Qualt looked at him and…
"Did you just make a fucking reference?"
"Yeah, you know this poem? Uh! Didn't know it crossed the Zone."
The blue dragon sighed.
"Anyway, the fight will soon begin."
"Yeah, let's get closer to the arena", added Gloria.
"I already know who's gonna win, anyway."
"You do?" asked Troth.
And Gloria answered.
"Yeah, it's obvious. It's a fucking assassin. I remembered him yesterday. Don't you remember he did a job for my ex-husband?"
"Oooooh, that's him? So, yeah, he's definitely going to win. Plus his adversary is just a cocky bitch. He's gonna show him who has the most balls, that's for sure, ah ah! But, you, Gloria, you already knew it. Not you, Ironhorns, so how do you know."
Qualt smiled a little.
"Well… Maybe I had some additional infos on him… personally. But shhhhh."
"Wha-"
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Oh… I see."
"So yeah, we already know what will be the finale", then said Gloria.
"Totally."
And they then were close to the arena, where they could see the fight. They waited in the ambient noise as the lights were more and more focused on the place where the next murder was going to be.
They stood still… and then, they heard a voice behind them.
"My, my, Gloria… It's been a while."
They all three turned their head while the voice of the crocodile began to be heard. And what they saw was an anthropomorphic female form.
She had long black hairs which were messed up, were going in every ways… even if that wasn't a default because it mashed beautifully up with her face. Her lips were blood-red and she had jewellery bracelets and rings at her fingers. Her clothes really made her what we call a bohemian style. She was smoking. And, by the way, you also could see her entire two legs that were finishing with hooves.
She, indeed, was a faun.
And Gloria recognized her.
"Oh, Elora! Indeed, it's been a while. What you're doing here?"
"Oh, you know..."
She took a puff on her cigarette and continued:
"I'm just doing my job."
And the fight began. Martin was rushing on Milhrio.
"So, who's your client today?"
"Oh, you'll see once the fight is over. And I'm pretty sure you know him already."
Milhrio dodged and pushed with his shoulder his adversary.
Elora, meanwhile, came closer to the group.
"So, what about you, Gloria? What are you doing here with those two? Oh, hello mister Ironhorns..." she said with a flirting voice.
"Don't fucking touch him, he's mine."
"Oh? I see, eh eh!"
"I'm here to assist him."
"And what about you, green dragon? Green muscular and sexy dragon?"
"Oh! I? Uh… I'm here to… watch the show and..."
The faun was now extremely close to him and Gloria laughed.
"Come on, Troth, don't be shy with her. She's great at her job. It's not like you're the kind of dragon to ask before taking", she added with a point of tartness in her words at the end.
"Come on", added the faun, "I know you can be a good client."
Meanwhile, Qualt's attention was focused on the fight. The dark blue dragon took the cheetah by the neck and raised him and pushed him on the wall. And he used his strength to strangle him. His adversary tried to fight back… but it was in vain. So, to end it quickly, the assassin broke his neck.
"And the winner is… Milhrio OSTER! Bravo! Très joli combat! So, ladies and gentlemen, you know what it means? It means that the finale will be with Milhrio Oster and Qualt Ironhorns! And the fight… will be this afternoon. So, fighters, rest well until this afternoon..."
Qualt turned around to look at his group. Elora was closer than ever to Troth. This one finally accepted the deal. So, as the faun was beginning to give him some caresses, she said.
"Oh, yes, I'm sure you will be a veeeery good client, my dear. Oh, yes! But not now… My other client still need to be satisfied first..."
She turned her head and…
"Oh, and, speaking of the devil, he's coming, I see him in the distance."
And she took a step back from the green dragon while the three others tried to look and to spot where that client would be.
And they were a bit surprised when they saw who he was…
"You!" said Gloria… and Money Bag at the same time as Elora was coming closer to him.
Gloria remembered him for what happened few years ago with the Gang… and the bear, him, remembered her for the last time they met close to the arena and she gave her a bad bet. But, when he looked closer at her, she seamed similar for him…
"See, Gloria? Told you you already know him", said Elora while going close to Money Bag.
Then, the bear remembered.
"You… You were from the Ghort Gang, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Ooooh, I remember now. It's been a while. So, how the business is doing? I've heard that your husband had a really happy ending."
While Troth was groaning and was ready to jump on the bear, Gloria answered:
"You fucking shitty pricky cunty ass-"
"Oh, don't be so rude, dragoness. And you, green dragon, don't try to jump on me… One single claw on me… and you are all dead and cold. Hello, Qualt Ironhorns. It is nice to see you. I knew you would win the fight against the mole."
"You're lucky to be with the fucking crocodile… Or I swear, I would have killed you right here and right now."
"Oh, so you like the crocodile? He didn't bet on you for the last fight, though. That's because I betted on you first."
"No. The crocodile is just the one who has the money for me. But I swear by the Ancestors that you AND the crocodile will pay..."
"Such bravery in those words, dragon. I am impressed", he answered with a chuckle. "Anyway, as you can see, I have something to do… And I love when the work is well done", he added while looking at Elora with a satisfied grin. "I will see you this afternoon, my dear, for the fight. But, first, I have a lunch to take..."
And both of them, the bear and the faun, left the three dragons, Elora making seducing move of her hand in direction of Troth at the same time.
Qualt looked at Gloria and the green dragon and both of the two did the same.
"Well, that happened..." said Ironhorns.
"Yeah..." added Troth.
"You should go to lunch too, honey."
"But I can't..."
"I mean a real lunch, you dork. Go eat something and rest a little before the finale against Milhrio Oster."
"Okay, I guess that's the right thing to do."
"You doubting of what I'm saying?"
"No!"
"Then go, my dear."
And she languidly kissed him, maybe for the last time, before leaving him.
Troth looked at the ice dragon and, before leaving too, he said:
"Good luck for the fight, dude. If you loose, it's been a pleasure to meet you."
Then, he was alone…
After a quick lunch and a pause, Qualt Ironhorns entered once again in the arena. And it was with regret that he took a step in. In front of him was the assassin.
The two looked at each other, determined.
And the Bourgoistic's voice resonated.
"Bienvenue for the finale of the magnificent Tournament! How beautiful the fights were! How bloody also! All those fighters that couldn't make it and that paid it with the price of their life! And now, we only have Qualt Ironhorns and Milhrio Oster, two extremely great warriors. And it has been extremely entertaining..."
The two dragons began to turn around each other…
"And, for such entertainment, I believe that they should be rewarded. They both should be rewarded. Therefore, we're going to make a slight change to the rule of the Tournament."
Qualt and Milhrio stopped and looked at the crocodile.
"So, for all of that, messieurs, you're not going to fight each other anymore!"
Ironhorns and Oster looked at each other with a great relief. They were so happy of what they were hearing!
"No… But you're going to fight side by side today. Indeed, during this fight, both of you will fight against Alagar, notre darker!"