Welcome to Chapter 3! It's good to be back folks! The story begins to pick up here, so chapters should start having more in them soon enough. Also thought I'd let you know I went back and edited Chapter 2. Did some thinking and thought things were moving a little too fast. Anyway, I want to welcome you back, and I hope you enjoy!

The dim orange light of the torches in the hall peeked under Nova's door, casting their faint glow over his room. Nova yawned as he sat up in his bed. His muscles ached from his two fights yesterday. He fumbled around for his bag, groping around blindly in the dark.

Nova woke up early every morning to head into town to grab breakfast. He did not trust the breakfast the orphanage served since it was catered specifically to dragons. He had learned long ago that raw meat did not sit well with him.

He got up and threw on his cloak. He opened his door with a creak and he silently crept down the hall, careful not to wake any of the other sleeping orphans.

When he made it downstairs and through the lobby onto the front doorstep, he was met with a gray, overcast sky and snowflakes dancing in the air around him. The leafless trees' branches bent under the weight of the snow and Nova drew his cloak closer to his body as a cold breeze nipped at him. They were in the coldest month of the year: Snowstone. His birthday was about two weeks ago. No one had celebrated it, obviously. He had no family to celebrate with, and the Mother of the orphanage never cared to check when he was born. He could have told her he was four-hundred, and she would believe him.

As Nova entered Kaibyr, he was met with snow-blanketed roofs and streets. The soft snow crunched under his feet as he walked. In the distance, the arena loomed over the smaller shops. Its cold marble surfaces matching with the whites and grays of the dim, early-morning weather. Nova spent most of his time there. He would go get a quick bite to eat, then spend the rest of the morning working out. Around midday he would grab lunch, then he would stretch and prepare to the nightly fights.

As Nova trudged through the snow-covered streets, he noticed a pair of Guards eyeing him.

"See something you like boys?" he asked, opening his cloak and flexing. His undersized tunic stretched over his lean body. He chuckled as the two dragons growled at him. He continued on his way, not even giving them a second glance. He knew they wouldn't come after him. They had to remain at their posts unless an actual crime occurred, and they weren't about to disobey orders because some worthless raptor taunted them.

The cold and sharp wind wrapped around Nova like a blanket—which he never had the privilege of owning—and began leeching away at his body heat. He let out a breath, which came out shakily as shivers rocked his body. His breath billowed out from between his fangs. He glanced into a shop's windows. On display were many lavish robes. While dragons did not wear clothing, the other races did. Some businesses elected to operate on more than one front, and doubled as blacksmiths' forges. Nova knew that he would rather die than purchase any of the obscenely high-priced clothing articles on display. He had tried to avoid purchasing any new clothes, since he had recently been hitting one growth spurt after another.

The smell of freshly baked bread reached Nova's nose, hitching a ride on the frigid winds. Nova's mouth watered as he followed the smell. Sitting nestled between an alchemist's and a carpenter's workshop, was a small deli and bakery. Standing on a stepstool outside was a middle-aged she-wolf, she had a chisel in one paw, which she was using to chip off the icicles hanging from the roof over the entrance. She turned at the sound of Nova's feet crunching in the snow.

"Oh, good morning Nova," she said with a cheery grin. "You're early, as always."

"Do you have my food Dianha?" Nova asked in a tone opposite to the wolf's. She shook her head as she climbed off the stool.

"My my, always in a rush aren't you," she said. She smiled at him, but it failed to hide the concern in her eyes. "You really should slow down dear. It's not healthy."

"I've been doing this for years, Diahna," Nova said, crossing his arms. "I know what I'm doing."

"I'm sure you do dear, but you have to know your limits. I would hate to see you hurt yourself."

"I know my limits better than anyone else. I'll stop working when I'm dead."

Dianha sighed and shook her head. "In your line of work, that my happen sooner than you think."

"Not likely," Nova said. Ever since he had begun fighting, he had never lost. He could not afford to. He'd gone up against ex-soldiers, criminals, and other sketchy characters of that nature. None could measure up to him, even with magic at their disposal.

"Why don't you come on in," Diahna said, opening the door. "It's freezing out here." The bell hanging from the doorway dinged as the oak door creaked on its rusted iron hinges. The small business had been in Kaibyr even before Malefor had risen. It had been in Dianha's family since its founding.

As Nova stepped over the threshold, a thought struck him. "Why do you do this Dianha?"

The wolf, who had ducked behind the front counter to grab some wrapping for Nova's breakfast, poked her head back up. "Do what dear?"

"Help me. I mean, if people found out that you were giving away food to a raptor, you'd catch hell for it." It had happened before. Nova had heard of a restaurant along the coast that said they would provide service for raptors. Only a month after, they had closed their doors for good.

"Because those dragons may hate your people, but you have done nothing wrong. You're a boy who is hungry and cannot afford food, and it's my job to feed you." Dianha spoke with a fire that Nova had not heard before. She was usually very soft-spoken and passive. But with the swiftness and confidence of her reply, she sounded like a completely different person.

"It wasn't your job to begin with," Nova said, "I don't know if you realized, but I'm not your child. And you expect me to believe that you're helping me because you simply want to?"

"You also really must stop being so suspicious of the people around you dear," she said with a frown. "You always think that someone who is trying to help you has something to gain from it."

"But why should I stop? This paranoia is what has kept me alive all these years."

Dianha shook her head. "Because one day, dear. One day someone will come along who out of the goodness in their heart, wants to help you, who wants to save you from this terrible life you live. But you won't be able to recognize that." She placed a wrapped-up piece of bread and cooked steak on the counter. Nova grabbed it, thanked her, and walked out. As he took a bite of the steak, he thought back to what Dianha had said. The steak tasted oddly bitter in his mouth. He knew that it had been cooked perfectly. Dianha had been perfecting her recipe for years. The bitter taste in his mouth and the sinking feeling in his stomach were there because somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that what Dianha had said was true.

Nova's day went on as it normally did. Once he had finished eating, he spent the morning working out. As the sun reached its peak in the sky, he took a break and grabbed some lunch from one of the shops near the arena. He spent the rest of the day stretching and meditating in one of the more secluded areas of the arena. Come nightfall, Nova was sitting in the room where the fighters prepared for their bouts. He was alone, of course. He knew he was the main event, the splendid final act, and not in a good way. The people of Kaibyr were eagerly waiting to see the Black Blade finally fall. He was like the villain of a children's fairytale: iconic, yet despised.

Nova could not care less about what the public thought of him. If they saw him as a menace, let them. But the people did respect his strength, some even feared it. And that was what mattered to him. Along with many other hard lessons he had learned as a child, he had found that it is almost always more fun to be the bad guy.

"Hey kid," the manager called, poking his canine head in the door. "You're up." Nova got up and followed the manager.

The arena's design was simple: a large ring-shaped design with seats surrounding the ring. On opposite sides of the sandy floor of the combat ring were the only entrances and exits the fighters could take. As the manager led Nova down the entrance, he saw his foe standing in the center of the arena was a familiar face: the avian who had been following him the night before.

"Hold on," Nova said, grabbing the manager's arm. "You told me I was fighting an Earth dragon, not that feathery son of a bitch!" The manager turned to face him and bared his fangs.

"You'll fight who I fuckin' tell you to!" he hissed. "That guy's manager paid double the entrance fee so he could fight your ass!"

Nova crossed his arms. "Fine," he said, matching the manager's glare with one of his own. "I'll do it, but I want double what I would normally get for kicking his ass."

The manager's eyes widened so much that threatened to pop out of their sockets. "That's ridiculous!" he snapped.

Nova's gaze remained unwavering. "Either you pay double, or I walk away here and now."

Nova knew that the manager would take the deal. As much as he hated the young raptor, he could not deny that he was the arena's main source of income. People had come for miles to watch him fight.

He let out a deep sigh. "Fine!" he stepped closer to Nova until they were nose to nose. "You better give those people a show kid! Or else your ass is finished!"

Nova smirked. "Just let me do my job," he said, pushing past the wolf. As he stepped into the ring, he was met with enthusiastic boos, insults, and the occasional flying object. He eyed the avian standing in the center of the ring.

Since it had been well past midnight by the time Nova left the arena last night, he had not been able to get a good look at the avian. He had swapped out his tailcoat for a loose-fitting black tunic and matching pants and boots. His eyes were an icy blue and his feathers as white as the snow that had begun to lightly fall from the now black and cloudy sky. He stood almost as tall as Nova, but seemed to have the same lean build as him.

"You're the guy who was tailing me last night," Nova said, pointing an accusing finger at the bird. "I must admit, you look better in your silly little butler outfit."

"If you fight like you talk, this should be a challenge." Nova was surprised by the avian's voice. He sounded a lot younger than he looked.

"You've got a mean mouth there, mister," Nova said, dropping into a fighting stance. "It's a shame I'll have to break it!"

Nova was ready to attack before the bell even rang. As the manager struck the brass disc. Nova lunged forward at the avian with a well-placed jab. The bird spun to the side and tried to counter with his own punch, which Nova blocked. The two broke apart and began circling each other.

Nova knew what the avian was up to. He was testing the waters, seeing what Nova was capable of before he did anything to risky. He was smarter than Nova's usual opponents.

The avian suddenly went on the offensive, charging forward with speed that Nova did not expect. He feinted an attack for Nova's head and instead aimed a kick at his ankles. Luckily, Nova saw through the ruse, and leapt into the air as the avian threw his foot forward. Nova brought his foot down on the bird's temple as he landed, sending him staggering backwards.

"It's going to take more than those basic tricks to beat me featherbrain," Nova said with a sneer. The avian got back to his feet and they began to circle again. This fight was different than the other ones. Nova was accustomed to fighting four-legged adversaries who tried to attack from a distance. The avian was the complete antithesis of that. He fought at close range, and moved with trained, coordinated precision.

"You talk too much," the bird retorted. He threw a right hook at Nova's head. Nova caught the avian's wrist. He pivoted his feet and threw his weight forward. The avian's feet left the ground and he flipped over Nova's shoulder, slamming into the sand-covered floor. Nova reared back his fist, but before he could bring it down to finish the fight, the avian hooked his arm around Nova's and planted his foot on his chest. Nova felt his feet leave the ground and the rough sand slam into his back. He quickly rolled to his feet and lunged at the avian. They met and after a flurry of blows and blocks were traded, they each found their opening.

Nova's hand clamped around the bird's throat, and the avian's hand clamped around his. Nova felt his throat constrict as the bird tightened his grip, and he clenched his hand to match. The two stared into each other's eyes. The avian's face was like stone, and Nova's was contorted in an angry scowl.

Suddenly, the bell rang a second time, signaling the end of the match. The two broke apart. Nova looked around, confused. The manager never called the match early. The matches always ended in a loss. The crowd booed and heckled in displeasure. As Nova turned to leave, the avian grabbed his shoulder.

"Go back to the waiting area," he whispered. "You will receive your payment there." Nova turned to face the avian, but he had already begun walking back to his entrance. Nova quickly stalked back to his entrance, urged on his way by the jeers and objects thrown by the enraged spectators.

Nova stood in the corner of the waiting area. It was a small room with blank, marble walls with only a pair of benches to sit on. He was still trying to process what had just happened. The manager had never called a match as a draw. Nova remembered that one of his fights endured three hours with no break. Nova guessed that whoever the avian's manager was had to be loaded to pull something like that off. The manager who ran the arena was commanded by only one thing: money. To get him to call the match then and there must have cost a small fortune.

Nova knew well that money was power, and if anyone ever wanted to succeed in the Dragon Realms, they would need a hell of a lot of power. It was a decent system, however. It was based on merit and drive, meaning one got out what they put in. Nova's work had given him strength, both physical and financial. But despite all that, he knew that he was being stiffed. Had he been a dragon, or any other race than a raptor, he would easily be making double what he really was. Of course, he did not have any other options. Trying to find an education had proven a useless endeavor, and on top of that, he was good at fighting. He felt in his element trading blows with an opponent.

"You listened, good." A voice tore Nova from his thoughts. Standing in the doorway was his opponent.

"Did you invite me here so we could settle this?" Nova asked.

The avian held up a hand and shook his head. "No. If I wanted to finish that fight, I would have done so in the ring."

Nova smirked and crossed his arms. "Whoever's backing you must have some pretty deep pockets if they were able to convince the manager to call the match. Must not want their frail little bird getting hurt."

"I assure you Takemura can take care of himself." Nova's eyes widened when a cloaked dragoness stepped through the door. "Hello Novigrad."

Nova's jaw clenched. "How the hell do you know my name?"

"It's my job to know," the dragoness replied.

Nova gritted his teeth. He hated dodgy characters like this dragoness. "What do you want from me? Who the hell are you?"

The dragoness tossed back her hood, revealing her shimmering yellow scales. Her deep blue eyes met his and she grinned. "My name is Seraph, Guardian of Lightning, and I would like you, Novigrad, to become my student."

Welcome to the end of Chapter 3! Thanks for reading! Remember to review if you have some thoughts, or PM me to be double sure I actually get your feedback!

Auf Wiedersehen!