Chapter 14: Roadblocks

"I'd like to speak with the council. I have an important issue that I need to discuss with them."

The cheetah was not impressed with my request and made an effort to sound professional, but the tinge of irritation in his voice wasn't hidden very well.

"I see. Well, I'd be happy to help you, if not for the fact that the council doesn't meet with the general public anymore. There is a new court that was recently voted in to handle civilian matters, unless they deem it important enough to bring to the council. You can speak with them instead, but you need to meet the requirements first. Do I need to explain them to you?"

My hopes were dashed in an instant and fear crept into my heart. I tried to keep it at bay and attempted to plead my case instead.

"You don't understand, I need to speak with the council members, they're the only ones who can help me!"

The cheetah sighed and glanced over to the guard by the door and then back to me.

"So says you and everyone else. Look, I'd love to help you out, but the rules are the same for everyone, including apes."

"But I'm not an ape, I'm a human."

The cheetah sat forward in his chair, raised an eyebrow and squinted his eyes to get a better look at me.

"A what?"

"A human. Not an ape."

The cheetah was unimpressed and slowly rolled his eyes.

"Riiiiiight. Well, if you'd like to make a request for the court, I'm here to help. Otherwise, I suggest that you leave."

I cursed under my breath, but didn't let my anger show. This guy wasn't taking me seriously and it was pissing me off, but I had to be courteous here.

"Are there any alternatives that I could pursue instead? Is it possible for someone to meet with the council without going through the court?"

"I'm afraid not. If you wish to speak with anyone, it has to be the lower court, and you must meet the requirements. Are you interested in doing that today?"

"Are you su-"

"Yes. Now, are you going to stop wasting my time or are you going to keep asking the same questions?"

"I'm not going to waste your time, but there has to be-"

"Look, you should leave. We don't need someone here loitering around the building and causing trouble."

I took a deep breath, still maintaining my pleasant facade.

"Please, you don't understa-"

I didn't get a chance to finish as a gloved hand fell onto my shoulder. A deep voice from behind caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

"He's not causing you any trouble, is he?"

The cheetah at the desk smiled in relief while shaking his head.

"No, I think he was just about to leave."

I held back a glare and nodded politely, fully grasping what was happening. I turned, sneaking a quick glare at the guard that was now directing me out of the building. A few spectators watched as he pushed me forward roughly to solidify the point he was making and I quickened my pace to stay ahead of him.

"If I see you loitering again, you'll be in trouble. We don't need any troublemakers in this part of the city."

"Yes sir."

He made sure I left the building, watching me like a hawk the entire time. Once I was outside, away from the stupid guard, the gravity of the situation set in and I began to weigh my options frantically. I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now!? That was supposed to be my ticket to getting the answers I needed! If I can't talk to the council directly, I'll have to find another way… But what options do I have?"

The thought of intercepting a council member as they were leaving for the day popped into my head, but I didn't like the idea. I didn't know who any of them were, and seeing as how I was viewed as an ape, a stunt like that would probably get me into trouble or make them uninterested in hearing my case, neither of which I wanted to happen.

"Maybe I could sneak into their room? No, that's no good either. I can only imagine I'd get ejected immediately, and then I could kiss my chances of going home goodbye. For all I know they would have me arrested for threatening them or something and then I'm in a worse spot than before. As much as this sucks, I have to do this by their rules… "

I sighed softly to myself because that meant I would have to go back inside. I felt like I may have ruined my reputation, but I couldn't give up just yet. I walked right back to the same door, and the guard immediately growled at me and tightened the grip on his spear.

"I thought I told you to leave."

"Yes, but I'd like to apologize for my behavior. If it's still possible, I want to see if I can meet with the court like the kind cheetah suggested."

The guard considered my words quietly and then sighed.

"Fine. Any trouble though and you're done."

"Ok, thank you."

I hurried past him and went back to the same cheetah from before. When he saw me he groaned and let his face fall into his hands.

"What do you want?"

"What do I need to talk to the court?"

He lifted his head slowly and scowled.

"It's simple. You must pay a two hundred gil fee and submit your discussion topic in written form. That's it."

"Crap, I don't have that kind of money… and I can't read."

I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, hoping to garner a bit of sympathy from him.

"What if I can't… write?"

"You're joking, right?"

"..."

"Then I can't help you right now. Maybe have someone else come with you next time to write it out for you."

"Alright… I guess I'll do that. Thanks for your help."

I slunk back out of the building feeling a lot more discouraged than before. Not only did I not have enough money, but I would need someone to be a scribe for me. Maybe Shimmer would-

I almost smacked myself in the head. I had already sent her away and it would be a hassle for me to find her, and I could blame myself for that mistake. My eagerness to get home and avoid the idea that I considered her a friend was biting me in the proverbial butt, which sucked because I needed her help. I berated myself, but that didn't change the fact that I was on my own for now.

The smell of meat wafted past me and my stomach grumbled hungrily. Maybe grabbing something to eat would clear my mind and give me the energy to figure this out. I started a brisk walk towards the markets I had been through earlier and continued to wrack my brain for any possible ideas.

"If Shimmer can't help me right now, then maybe Strongfang could? He runs a guild, so he would be easier to find and would probably be able to help me out. Then again, he's busy all the time with work, so maybe not…"

I shook my head in resignation and set my eyes on the northeastern section of the city.

"Regardless of availability, he's my best shot right now and I'll need a place to stay while I'm figuring this out."

I had only taken a few steps in that direction before I was intercepted by a cheetah that moved to stand directly in my path.

"Now what?"

"Excuse me sir, I couldn't help but notice how that guard treated you. You wouldn't have happened to be seeking the council, would you?"

I was immediately on guard and eyed the cheetah suspiciously. Had he been watching me? Why did he care?

"Why do you ask?"

He smiled and extended a paw that I didn't take. His smile faltered but he pressed on.

"The political process in Warfang has been designed to oppress all who are not wealthy or of a particular race. I'd love for you to join me in our political rally and share your story. If our voices are loud enough, the council and the city can't keep ignoring us!"

"Yeah, I'm not interested. The last thing I need is to get entangled with politics."

"No thanks."

The cheetah was clearly disappointed, and sighed as several others marched past us, wielding signs of protest that they displayed clearly above their heads. I noticed worriedly that a few guards were making their way towards the group, and I figured that now would be a good time to leave.

"Listen, I know how hard it is for apes right now, but unless you stand up and make yourself known, you'll never be able to see the council. It's already been proven that no one ever makes it past the lower court."

I sighed heavily and tried to start walking away. The protestors and guards were starting to form a line across from each other in front of the buildings, and we happened to be standing in the middle which was the worst possible place to be.

"I get it, but I don't want to be a part of your movement or whatever. Goodbye."

I tried to brush past the cheetah, but he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

"Wait! Hear me out for a second!"

I heard shouting around us as the guards and citizens started to yell at each other, and people began running towards the commotion. I pulled away sharply from the cheetah, freeing me from his grasp, but as I broke free I stumbled right into the path of a guard that was running by us. We both tumbled to the ground, and a shout of alarm went up amongst the guards.

"We've got a cheetah down!"

"Clear the area! Help her up!"

"He's got a weapon! Get him down!"

"Oh crap, I need to get out of here now!"

I had barely managed to scramble to my feet when I was struck in the torso by something red, thick and heavy. All the air was knocked out of my chest and I was flung through the air like a sack of potatoes. When I hit the ground, I only had a second to try and figure out what had happened before several guards descended on me and pinned me to the ground. My face was shoved into the dirt, my sword was taken away, and I was cuffed all within the span of a few seconds. I felt several kicks and punches along my back and on my face, but I wasn't in a position to do anything about it and weathered the abuse as I had the crap beaten out of me.

"What the hell!? What did I do!?"

I resisted at first, but that only made the beatdown worse. I decided to stop fighting, as soon enough the attacks stopped. I was in a lot of pain and blood was dripping down my face, but I didn't have a chance to recover as I was pulled to my feet and then dragged away from the area, while angry protesters shouted after us and chaos began to ensue. I glared at the guards that were pushing me along, and had a singular thought on my mind.

"What the hell is going on?!"

I was sitting alone in a cell, with nothing to do but nurse my injuries while I waited for someone to come and talk to me. I had been stuffed in here for several hours, and I was beyond pissed at the situation, because the guards had refused to talk to me and were actively antagonizing me after the first hour. I wasn't the only one either, as several other people had been dragged into cells and all of them had sported various injuries from the fighting spirit that the guards seemed to have. Rage burned inside of me for being treated this way, but there wasn't anything I could do without stepping over some serious political and social boundaries.

For the first time that I could remember, I regretted the fact that I represented my village and wished that I wasn't a ninja so I could fight back and kick some much deserved ass. These people were clearly abusing their power, and I wanted nothing more than to show them why they should take their responsibilities seriously. That was only a dream though, and the harsh reality was that I was stuck until they decided to let me go.

"If they even decide to let me go…"

I sat quietly for a few more minutes, thankful that I had at least been able to clean off the blood on my face, when a door down the hall slammed shut. I sat up straighter as I heard the sound of claws and boots against the stone floor, and soon enough a fire dragon's head peeked into my cell. I recognized the scale color immediately and felt my rage rekindle.

"That's the ass that knocked me down in the first place!"

"This is the one. Bring him to the front."

"About freaking time. Maybe I'll get some answers."

I waited with a mixture of anger and eagerness as the other guard nodded and opened my cell. He unlocked my cuffs and then motioned for me to walk ahead of him.

"Let's go, and don't do anything stupid."

I didn't argue and stepped ahead of him. As we passed other cells, I caught glimpses of moles, apes and cheetahs that were in roughly the same condition that I was. Some of them looked up as we passed by, with fire and anger in their eyes, while others were despondent and didn't bother. I felt uncomfortable as we left the hallway and walked into a lobby, where the red dragon from before was waiting.

"Alright, listen up kid, you're only getting out of here because someone has decided to pay your fine for you, so we can't keep you here any longer. However, if you get into trouble again, remember what can happen to you. It would be a shame for you to get involved with the wrong crowd again."

"Shove it. You know that I don't belong here, and that what happened to me was wrong."

"That's it? You're not going to apologize?"

She snorted.

"Why would we? We're performing our duties by keeping the city safe and taking care of those that would upset the peace. There were actual threats in the crowd, and you just so happened to be one of them. Now get out of here before I change my mind and put you back in that cell."

"That's a load of crap! What the hell kind of policing force is this?!"

I kept my tone level as I sighed.

"Could I at least have my sword back?"

The Dragon growled.

"Absolutely not, why would we give it back? Citizens aren't supposed to be carrying weapons, so scram before I charge you with illegal possession of weaponry!"

"Worthless piece of… I hate this place."

I guess arguing wasn't the solution here. Begrudgingly, I nodded while gritting my teeth and rubbed my wrists where the cuffs had been.

"Alright… fine. Where's the exit?"

The Dragon pointed behind me.

"Down this other hall and to your right. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Some of the guards snickered, and I rolled my eyes as I headed towards the exit. I could feel their eyes watching me as I left, and as soon as I was outside, I let out a loud, frustrated groan before taking a deep breath to calm myself down. Still angry, I noticed that it was evening time now, and the city was being washed over with warm oranges and reds.

"This is insane… nothing is going right today."

I was tired and felt like crap. My stomach growled, and I put a hand over it absentmindedly as I walked away from the guard house. I took a quick look around and found that I was still pretty close to the center of the city, which meant that if I was still going to find Strongfang, I had a bit of a walk ahead of me. I sighed as I took my first step, but stopped when I heard a loud gasp behind me and then the sound of paws hitting the dirt.

"Kiran, what did they do to you!?"

I turned around and saw Shimmer running up to me, with worry written all over her face. For a moment my anger faded and was replaced by confusion, and I took a step towards her.

"Shimmer…? What are you doing here?"

Shimmer ran up and almost bowled me over as she reached up and hugged me tightly. I grunted at the impact and then winced as she pressed on some of the bruises that were on my body.

"Phyl and I were walking back home, but we heard some commotion coming from the courthouses so we cut back to make sure you were ok. When we got there, a big fight was breaking out and I saw you get dragged away by the guards... I followed to make sure you were alright, but they wouldn't let me see you! Phyl and I argued with them for a while, and eventually we convinced them to let us pay your fine. That was… four hours ago."

"Four hours?! What the hell!?"

I resisted the urge to curse and rolled my eyes instead.

"Unbelievable. This city just gets worse and worse…"

I sighed and Shimmer huffed with concern.

"Kiran, what did they do to you?"

I let out a slow, quiet breath as she started to ease up and let go, and I shook my head.

"Well, they arrested me for nothing and beat the crap out of me during the process."

Shimmer hissed at that.

"I can't believe it! Why would they do that?!"

I gave her a quick shrug.

"Clearly they want to suppress anyone that disagrees with them, which sucks because I don't even want to be involved. I was trying to leave when they arrested me."

Shimmer scowed angrily, and I was glad that she was empathetic towards my situation. It was a nice change of pace compared to how my day had been.

"That's ridiculous."

"Yeah, it sucks, but at least I'm not sitting in a cell anymore."

I felt guilty as that reminded me of how I got out.

"You didn't have to pay for me, you know, I would have figured something out eventually."

Shimmer glared at me and stomped a paw in irritation.

"Don't even start, Kiran. You needed help, so you'd better not even think about complaining."

I held my hands up defensively and managed a small smile. She was right this time, despite me protesting, and I didn't really have any room to argue.

"Alright, you win. I'll drop it, and… I guess I should say thanks for busting me out."

I think she was a bit startled by my response because she squinted her eyes suspiciously and looked closely at me.

"They didn't mess up your head, did they? I didn't think I'd ever hear you give up so quickly."

I rolled my eyes as I put my hands down.

"Don't push it."

She grinned mischievously.

"Ok, I won't, as long as you tell me where you were about to go before I stopped you."

I turned around and motioned for her to follow.

"I was planning on heading over to Strongfang's guild. I was hoping that he'd be able to help me now that I've found out my chances of seeing the council in a legal manner are slim."

"If that's the case, then let me go with you. I know where it is and I'm headed in that general direction anyway."

I shrugged and waved her forwards.

"If you want, I'm not going to complain."

Shimmer took off from the ground and turned back with a grin.

"Last one there is a slow poke!"

I groaned and didn't even bother trying to run after her.

"I just got beat up not too long ago! You might want to wait up if you want to tag along with me!"

Shimmer did a quick u-turn and came back to me, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Right, sorry… I guess we take it slow?"

I nodded and motioned for her to lead the way, grimacing as every step agitated the bruises I was covered in.

"Let's go."

It was quiet as we walked, but I was getting more odd looks than I was comfortable with, so I pulled my cloak over my head to keep attention away from us. Surprisingly, Shimmer didn't have too much to say, so I used our walk as an opportunity to get a better look at the city. It spanned in all directions, and to the south I could see another mass of land that was disconnected from Warfang by a body of water. Floating out on the water were groups of boats, and in the distance I could see the top of a sail as it dipped below the horizon.

This was by far the most amount of water I had ever seen, and I wanted to go to the shoreline to see the sand. I didn't have the luxury though, so I resisted the urge and tore my gaze away. Unfortunately, the city itself wasn't nearly as interesting, as the west and east sides were flanked by the mountains, and the north had the wall, obscuring any view of the outside world. I could see why this was the capital though, as it seemed like an easy city to defend due to the natural landscape and access to a steady supply of water. I noted in the back of my mind that the city alone was larger than my home by a large margin, dwarfing anything that I had been used to.

To prevent myself from feeling out of place, I focused my attention on the direction we were going and felt my heart fall in disappointment. There was a small area in the north eastern section that looked different from the rest of the city, with buildings that were muddier in color and not nearly as clean. In fact, I swore I could see huts and tents scattered about, contrasting the stone buildings that were everywhere else. If that was where Strongfang lived, it seemed that the apes were not only treated poorly, but they didn't have good living conditions either. I had to wonder why they even bothered staying here if they were treated like this and I shook my head in both anger and irritation as we walked along.

"I've only been here for a day, and I'm already sick of it. How have they been able to live here since the end of the war?"

Shimmer must have noticed my internal conversation because she looked over my way .

"Something wrong, Kiran?"

"No, nothing. Don't worry about it."

I could tell she didn't believe me, but what I could only assume was the guild came into view, and Shimmer dropped the conversation. She pointed a wing excitedly and added a small hop to her step.

"Hey! We're here!"

Just ahead was a large stone building that was very box-like in structure, with two floors and a built-in rampart on the top. We headed towards the two large wooden doors at the front, but before we could reach it, we were stopped by two apes that were standing out front. They had matching uniforms that had a unique symbol painted on the front.

"Hold up! Where do you think you're going?"

Shimmer and I looked between each other and I spoke up.

"I'm here to see Strongfang."

The guards looked at each other and then back at me.

"And who might you be? It's hard to see you with that cloak over your head."

I pulled the cloak back and the shorter guard had a poorly concealed attempt to stifle a laugh. The taller jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow, causing him to jerk forward with a soft "oof". He then sent a nasty glare at his partner while he asked me another question. Shimmer frowned and tried to make it clear that she didn't appreciate the insults, but the two apes ignored her.

"Right, so you're here to see Strongfang, eh? What does a runt and a lizard have to do with him?"

I ignored the lame insult and kept a courteous tone, but I had to put a hand on Shimmer's shoulder to keep her from saying something because she was not happy at that last comment and was about to argue with them.

"He said that I could come here if I needed help."

"I see. And how do you know him?"

"I was a temporary guard with him on the caravan that just arrived today."

The guards glanced at each other again and then focused back on me.

"I find it hard to believe that he hired you. You don't seem like the guard type."

"Yeah, you're lacking a bit in stature, if you know what I mean."

I held back the urge to push past the two idiots. I was done with people making assumptions about me today and they didn't really seem all that intimidating.

"Look, can I just talk with him? I only need a few minutes."

The taller guard shook his head.

"No. Strongfang is in a meeting with someone much more important than you."

"Yep, so why don't you run along and do… whatever it was before you came here."

The shorter guard gave me a shooing motion with his hands, urging me to leave. Normally something like this wouldn't push me over the edge, but after dealing with attitudes similar to this all day, I was at the end of my rope and was about to start knocking heads. Shimmer must have felt the same way, because she was already letting ice seep out from between her fangs and she was glaring angrily at them.

"You can't do that! Strongfang already promised to help him!"

I nodded in agreement with Shimmer.

"Yeah, I'm not leaving until I see him. I'll wait as long as I need to."

The taller guard took a nervous glance at Shimmer before standing up to his full height.

"And we're telling you to get lost! This isn't a place for a kid, let alone someone as weak and scrawny as you."

"Ok, screw formality."

"Let me talk to him, or I'll just let myself in. It's not like you idiots could really stop anyone anyway."

The guards were now at attention, growling as they moved a bit closer to me. Shimmer growled angrily and they stopped, but their hands were now on their weapons.

"The hell did you just say!?"

"You better watch your mouth!"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head disdainfully.

"I called you both stupid. Dull. Mentally deficient. Lacking in thought or brain functions. Apes with rocks for brains. Need I go on?"

They took a step forward, drawing their weapons as they prepared to fight.

"Why you little-"

"Prepare for a lesson in manners, you little punk!"

Shimmer and I were more than happy to oblige, but before any attacks could be thrown, the double doors behind us opened. All four of us looked up to see a rather regally dressed cheetah standing next to Strongfang, who was now raising an eyebrow.

"What's all the yellin' for?"

The two guards composed themselves immediately and pointed towards me.

"Nothing sir! Just getting rid of the riff raff that decided to pick a fight"

Strongfang met my eyes, then Shimmer's, then looked at the two guards, and then turned to the cheetah. I swore that he looked tired and annoyed, but his tone remained formal and courteous.

"Thanks for yer help, Hunter. I'm glad that ya will be lookin' into this for me."

Hunter gave a slight bow.

"It's no problem at all. This isn't the first time I've heard of something similar in nature to this, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'll make sure that the information reaches the proper channels, but be aware that I may be back in the morning if I or others have questions."

Hunter and Strongfang shook hands, and then the cheetah took a curious glance at me before bounding away, his red cloak flapping behind him. Strongfang then waved us forward with his hand, much to the surprise of the two guards.

"Come with me you two. I'm assumin' you came here t' talk?"

The guards lost some of their composure, adopting dumbfounded gapes on their faces. I smiled brightly as I stepped forward into the building.

"Yeah, I've run into some trouble and I was hoping you could give me some advice."

"Let's go t' my office then. Follow me."

As we walked away from the guards, Shimmer turned back and blew a silent raspberry at them, much to their grief. It was petty and childish, but I couldn't help but feel satisfaction in the small revenge she was able to extract on them for causing a problem in the first place.

As we followed Strongfang, we passed through a large dining area, a training yard and then several halls before we made it to his office. It had a large desk with paperwork stacked neatly on top, a bookshelf with all sorts of thick books, shelves filled with trinkets and souvenirs, weapons on racks, maps covered in markers and paths, a few old pictures and a few extra chairs for guests to sit on. He sat down behind his desk with a heavy thump and began clearing his desk.

"I'll be honest with ya, I didn't expect t' see ya so soon. Did things not go well?"

I sat down in one of the chairs, finding out quickly that it was way too big for me. Shimmer didn't bother with a chair and sat down on the floor next to me while I sat as comfortably as I could and clasped my hands together in my lap.

"No, not at all. As it turns out, submitting a request to speak with the council isn't an option anymore. Along with that, I had a wonderfully warm welcome to the city, and by that I mean I was beaten and arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Strongfang contemplated what I said momentarily before sighing and brining a hand up to his temple.

"A shame the city has devolved t' this point. I'm sorry ya got mixed up in it, and I apologize that I may have gotten yer hopes up."

"It's alright."

Strongfang leaned forward a bit and cleared his throat.

"So, what are ya gonna do?."

"I have no idea. I don't want to resort to chasing down council members in the street, but I might be desperate enough to do it. I need answers, Strongfang, and I'm willing to do almost whatever it takes to get them."

Strongfang raised his hand and shook his head.

"Now hold on. Doin' something rash could cause more harm than good for ya and everyone else. Some of the council members are a bit… difficult, and ya don't want t' make them uninterested in yer plight, do ya?"

I shook my head no.

"And yer willing to do whatever it takes?"

I nodded, although not without a bit of hesitation. He must have had something in mind.

"Then ya have t' do this the right way. It will take time, but yer gonna have t' take what ya can get and wait. Now, I think I may have a solution to yer problem, if yer willin' t' work with me."

My curiosity was piqued and I couldn't help but lean forward eagerly.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember what I mentioned t' ya in Farleigh? About the arena?"

"The arena…? How could that possibly help?"

"…yeah?"

"Well, if you fight for me as a representative of the guild, I'll get ya a meeting with the council. I have a few favors that I can pull t' make it happen."

I sighed and rested my head on one of my palms. I wasn't too keen on getting pulled deeper into anything inside of the city, and I could only imagine that being a fighter in an arena would make someone, somewhere upset. I glanced at Shimmer, hoping that she would be just as opposed to it, but the opposite was true. Her eyes lit up a bit and she was looking at me expectantly, with a slight grin.

"That's not a bad idea."

I grimaced and shifted my gaze back to Strongfang.

"Is that really all you can think of? I think I'd rather take my chances with the alternative."

Strongfang shook his head.

"I know ya don't like it, but in my mind it's yer safest bet. Ya can earn some money, and if ya do well enough, the council might hear about ya before ya talk with them. The reputation that comes from winnin' could put ya in a favorable light."

I groaned and put my face into my palms..

"Dang it, I might not have much of a choice…"

I felt my shoulders slump as the inevitability of the decision started to sink in.

"Is there really nothing else I can do?"

"I'm afraid not. Unfortunately I can't just give ya' the meeting. I need ya to do a few things in exchange for it."

"I.. guess that makes sense. I just- Ugh."

"Aye, but ya want t' go home even more, don't ya?"

I sighed.

"…I do."

"Then cheer up, Kiran! You've got a bright career of fightin' ahead of ya."

Shimmer smiled eagerly and pat me on the back with a wing.

"Don't sweat it, I'm sure you'll do great! You're better than anyone I know!"

I had doubts about how good of an idea this was and couldn't help but continue to protest, despite the fact that I had basically agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait, what makes you so sure I can even participate? There has to be some type of approval process or application, right? What about my age? Do I have to fight dragons? There's got to be some sort of catch, right?"

Strongfang grinned and lifted a hand to slow me down. I took a breath and he took it as his chance to speak.

"Slow down, yer askin' too many things at once. I promise ya that yer guaranteed a spot if I endorse ya, and yes, ya may have t' fight dragons. And as for yer last question, the only catch is that yer gonna be fightin', which is inherently dangerous, though I figure that yer gonna be causin' trouble for others."

I was about to protest again, but Strongfang looked me in the eye, making sure that I was paying attention. He clasped his hands together on his desk and responded with an even and serious tone.

"I wouldn't suggest somethin' like this if I thought it wasn't yer best option. I know that yer technically tradin' me for a meetin', but I can't just give away somethin' like that for free. Besides, I was payin' attention to ya durin' our spar and ya did well when we fought the monsters in the woods. Yer capable, and I think yer will be fine if ya take me up on my offer. I have a stake in this, but I wouldn't put ya in an unfair position."

He then leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily.

"Besides, I don't think ya want to look for an opportunity elsewhere. If ya haven't noticed, not everyone takes kindly to ya bein' here. There's a certain disdain for apes, or for someone that happens t' look similar t' one, it's not a great place t' be.

Strongfang's words seemed genuine and unfortunately honest. I tapped my knee anxiously as I tried to weigh the pros and cons in my mind, but I felt like I couldn't think straight with the constant growling my stomach was making and decided that I needed some time to consider it.

"I can't make a decision just yet… I need some time to mull it over."

"Aye, that makes sense. No sense in rushin' t' do somethin' right away, ya got plenty of time."

"Well…until I can figure this out, is your offer still open? I mean, is it alright if I bunk here for the night?"

"Of course. I wouldn't take that back, even if ya said no t' the arena. I can have a room ready for ya soon. In the meantime, why don't ya head t' the dining hall t' get somethin' t' eat, I've heard yer stomach growlin' since ya arrived."

I put a hand over my stomach in agreement.

"I'll take you up on that, I'm starving. Want to grab something with me, Shimmer?"

Shimmer was surprised by my question, but that changed to disappointment as she responded.

"I would, but I already have dinner plans with Phyl. Maybe you could come over for dinner tomorrow?"

I gave her a quick shrug.

"Maybe, I don't know what I'll be up to, so no promises."

Shimmer smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's about what I'd expect from you. Oh well."

Strongfang chuckled and tossed me a few tokens that he grabbed from a drawer in his desk.

"Take some of those. Ya can get a few free meals with them."

I pocketed them quickly, relieved that I wouldn't have to pay for anything just yet.

"Thanks… I don't really know how I can repay you for your generosity."

Strongfang chuckled lightly and smiled.

"Think of it as a courtesy for yer work against the death hounds. Ya've already helped me more than ya know."

I got up from my chair and gave a quick, short bow.

"The dining hall is near the entrance, right?"

"Aye. I'll come find ya when yer room is ready."

"Ok, thanks again, Strongfang."

Shimmer tagged along with me as I hurried out of his office, and we navigated our way back to the dining hall with a rushed step. Today had been tougher than I was expecting, but it was a small comfort to know that there were a few people that were willing to help me. It was a challenge to my pride to be in such need, but I was willing to set that aside if it meant getting home.

We made it to the dining hall without any trouble, and I waved goodbye to Shimmer.

"Thanks again for your help today, I really was in a bad spot."

Shimmer grinned, flashing her white fangs.

"Psh, anything for a friend. I'll see if I can swing by tomorrow to check on that invite, ok?"

"Sure."

"Alright then, have a good night! See you!"

Shimmer made her way out, waving the whole time, and I waved back before turning to the kitchen behind me that had all sorts of smells coming from it. I almost drooled as the scents wafted past me, and I eagerly walked over to the counter, glad that the worst of the day was over.

"Hopefully things start looking up… I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Hey everyone! Sorry for being a day late with this chapter, I came back to it after working on future chapters and realized I needed to fix a few of the elements, which meant I had to re-write about a third of it. I hope you enjoyed, and as always, please let me know what you think!

Betting Chiken - Wow, thanks for the review, glad you're enjoying the story! I definitely have plans for the development of relationships between Kiran and others as the story goes on, and there may be a budding love interest at some point, but I'll be keeping that one under wraps for now.