*****

Walker bit off a curse as his blood slapped the walls of the false Ring and clamped his hand over the gouge in his shoulder. Before him, the Shii-ne, a female bat-human hybrid licked his blood from her fangs, relishing the taint of the dark poison within. The young mage grimaced as the tingling of knitting flesh crept like healing spiders' legs over his torn shoulder. Black Hood was making their Fighters hardier these days. Normally his blood would have eaten through her throat and killed her within thirty seconds.

So be it. Let them see the monster I am if it'll win me the day.

Walker let his fangs lengthen, felt the tightening of poison glands filling in his face. His back muscles hardened as leathery wings and his tail pushed out and his feet changed to adjust to the added weight. He let his head loll a moment to loosen the muscles in his neck and to touch the warm metal of the collar there with his chin for luck. Whatever he did today would be because of pure cunning and physical strength and nothing more. Amidst the horror-stuck screams of the crowd, the hybrid hunkered down, her eyes like oversized jet pearls narrowing with glee at the prospect of an added challenge.

Warily Walker and the Shii-ne circled each other, eyes locking as predator hungrily surveyed potential prey on both sides. Walker surveyed her as they circled, his eyes flicking over her perfect body, looking for a sign of weakness. The body before him was crafted of hard muscle and soft curves covered in coarse brown hair and the occasional leather strap to display what little modesty Black Hood had allotted her. Folded slightly against the Shii-ne's flanks were delicate flaps of skin that ran from the entire length of her arm down to connect at her hips. Of the entire hybrid, the head was the most horrific part. More bat than human, it bore bulging black eyes, a piggish snout and huge translucent ears. As he watched her circle, Walker could pick the veins of the Shii-ne's ears out, for they stood out in the light. He watched them shudder as the blood pulsed rhythmically through them, then let his eye drop to her throat where a thick vein throbbed in time.

There. He would set his target there.

The very thought of hot blood gushing freely past his fangs made Walker sick with longing and revulsion. He waited for the Shii-ne to make the first move.

What little of the crowd that was left screamed in triumph and horror as the bat-human hybrid snapped into action, thrusting herself forward, hands thrust out to catch around Walker's throat. Hissing, Walker side-stepped her and threw himself forward as well, clamping his fangs around her throat and squeezing hard. The hybrid retched and fought, trying to pull away. Walker threw his arms around her, pinning her hands against his chest and stopping her struggles. The roar of the crowd was nothing in comparison to the roar of blood against his jaws. Grimly he allowed the poison to filter from his fangs into the desperately unyielding flesh, feeling it go slack with numbness as the poison hit home. Against him, the Shii-ne's hands were balled into fists pressing solidly into his breastbone.

At the abrupt flash of pain, Walker's head came up, his retracting fangs dragging deep furrows into the side of his opponent's neck as it did. The Shii-ne grinned viciously at him and, as he heard the silken rasp of foot long claws fully entering his flesh, the Lord of Alaryan's Keep suddenly realised his mistake.

*****

Back in the box seat, the wizards and Mira watched in silence as the Shii-ne calmly left the Ring. Behind her, paramedics and a cleanup crew raced to where Walker lay, intent on moving him to a less inconvenient spot. They watched as Walker was hoisted up and placed on a stretcher and was spirited away. Around them the most of the spectators that were left, perhaps no more than a third of the original number, bellowed in triumph while only a few managed to murmur in worried protest. The announcer laughed, gaily calling the score as one to one. Up in their box seat the five watched in silence until, at last, one by one they began to weep.

*****