After lunch, Tirinia, Mikaen, and Jeronem headed toward the arena in the west wing of the palace. As they neared the entrance, Tirinia asked, “So you and the Cygros started this game on Earth?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPMoROD2jg
“Kind of,” replied Mikaen, raising his voice to be heard over the crowd, “It was more of a training exercise.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7noJNpwmYq
“I've never seen a slamm game before.” Jeronem yawned again; he had been sound asleep through most of the Council. “Not live, anyway.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcjWBjexlW
“I have.” Tirinia said, her voice charged with excitement, “My mother played on the Akxeliv Alliance when Teria and I were little. She always thought I'd make a good blader, but dad thought I'd be great as guardian.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfMDDDshGL
“I bet so.” said Mikaen, eyeing her well-developed calf and arm muscles.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN9WwWm2ik
She blushed, no doubt sensing the direction his thoughts lay. There was something else, though; something that had been bothering her since he picked her up to go to the game. He didn't know if it was an effect of the bond between them or just his intuition, but he was pretty sure whatever it was concerned her sister and One.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDxMA86PGr
Tirinia pursed her lips. “It's fine. I'm fine. Teria just needed to rest, that's all.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxHyalbDCS
“I didn't say-”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaFy7cutfN
Tirinia gave him a peck on the cheek. “You didn't have to. Don't worry, love. She'll get it worked out.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIrlu1uBQa
As they neared one of the ticket stall, the idestan vendor smiled at them. “Greetings, honored Council representatives. How can I help you?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CHKbS5mvH
“How much for three tickets?” Mikaen asked, digging in his pocket for some shards.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUSUsZ7Xtm
The ticket-tender shook her head. “No charge. You'll be sitting in the Royal Box.” She spun on her chair and pointed to the doors of a nearby lift, saying, “Go to the fifth floor, go right, and take the fifth door on the left. It's the one with the guards, so it'll be hard to miss.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh4bCzd6a4
“Thank you.” Mikaen said politely.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdHZXSR3fn
Once they were in the elevator, Jeronem nudged Mikaen in the waist. “She was checkin' you out, Mikey.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuhDoKCvH6
Mikaen bristled. “Don't call me that.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsnXD0wR7H
“Why not? You were just thinking about it.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoUCnSvfVK
“He was just thinking about Maria.” Tirinia told Jeronem. “That's what she used to call him. Besides, Mikaen's engaged.” she grabbed Mikaen's arm and hugged it tightly to her chest.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGeVjDFW9n
Jeronem gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Tirinia, but didn't his old boss call him 'Mikey' too?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21PqYtqukx
“Syrin only called him that when they were in private, and only because they were close friends.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgW6TkZozU
Jeronem crossed his arms, an offended look on his face. “So I'm not a friend now?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dBm8UZNR9
“Of course you are, Jeronem. I'm just saying that-”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTaZj9tKDN
Mikaen let out a sigh. “I remember when I used to be involved in my own conversations.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQ4dWXyWl8
Tirinia blushed. “Oh! I'm sorry, sweetie.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtlsQtmQge
“Hey.” He told her, rubbing her cheek. “You can call me Mikey if you really want … just not around the kid.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡZr79rriUbW
“Hey!” Jeronem's furry ears bristled as they kissed.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡItMMHJJfF5
As they walked out of the lift into a lavishly decorated corridor, Mikaen asked, “So, how exactly is slamm played anyway?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwyIZpblfs
Tirinia gave him an odd look. “Don't you know? I thought you and Jyle invented the sport.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeUHol9Hgl
“We invented the training exercise, not the game,” he reminded her, “Back home, we had a game called football that originated from soldiers kicking around a severed head on the battlefield.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYOrLvbuKR
Jeronem's eyes went wide. “Awesome!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8o8Qnx2IM
Tirinia, on the other hand, looked a little disturbed.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡvi1p0pK970
“Centuries ago.” he assured her, “We didn't come up with that one.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLZjdKOoez
“Oh.” Looking a little relieved, she said, “Anyway, there are two teams, each team with at least ten members: typically three tekkers, four bladers, a guardian, and two watchers. The object of the game is to get one of the kyon into the opponents headquarters. Points are given depending who gets the kyon into the opposing team's HQ: bladers get three points, watchers seven, tekkers four, and guardians twenty.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOIDXy0uBJ
“Twenty?” Mikaen let out a whistle. “I guess it would be pretty hard for the goalie to score.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡh62iv2IgcQ
Tirinia nodded. “Bigger arenas naturally call for bigger teams, usually more tekkers and bladers, though more guardians are called in for arenas with multiple scoring areas. More kyons too. It can get pretty hectic.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHBg0P0Pdf
Mikaen nodded. “Except for the point system, that's pretty much the same way we played it.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡos3651F6vh
The royal box was a large covered balcony. As it was meant for royalty and VIPs, it was well furnished: lush, comfortable chairs, a full bar loaded with drinks of all hues, and large viewing panels set into the walls that currently were displaying 'The Muonsol Marauders' and 'The Balis Brigade'. There was also a large console with several headsets, presumably for the announcers. Given the extravagance of the seats in front of the console, Mikaen guessed that Jyle would be barking the match.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNnR6TUP96
Letting Tirinia and Jeronem enter first, Mikaen said, “Still, I bet the arenas aren't the same as simplistic as-”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqNhHN6HCj
As he stepped closer to the edge of the balcony, his jaw dropped. He grabbed the balcony with both hands, not believing what he was seeing. Beneath them stood the town of Bridges. Every dilapidated building, every ruined street sign, every detail of the city where Mikaen had first awoken after the Devastation had been perfectly reconstructed, right down to the unevenly placed streetlights.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1M08S1OYx
He jumped as Tirinia touched his hand.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OltFrnzgx
“Are you okay?” She asked, sounding worried.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVYtcFhjmT
“Tirinia,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder and pointing at the city with his other hand, “This is a recreation of Bridges. I woke up here after the Devastation.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjVoj3hlSf
Now it was Tirinia and Jeronem who were staring eagerly at the city. In the center of the 'town' was the enormous Rip where he had awoken, his clothes in tatters and his past a mystery. Not too far away was the retail outlet that had been his home for almost a year.. Even the small gazebo where Mikaen had proposed to Maria had been replicated perfectly.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡTY3erJFPiV
A surge of homesickness washed over Mikaen. He wanted to go back, to be at the real Bridges, back in Misakren, or even at that old supply station where he had caught Echu sleepwalking. For the first time in months, his desire to return was just as strong as his desire to stay.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYRks4ZJnm
He looked at Tirinia, who was still looking with interest at the arena. The chronoan seed pendant he had given her shone ever so slightly. His hand went to a lump beneath his shirt, where the pendant she had given him rested: an intricate bit of metalwork designed to look like feathers surrounding an orb of azure and jade that looked a little like a miniature Earth. It was all well and good to say he'd come back, but even the best plans sometimes went awry. What if it was years before he returned? Could he really put Tirinia through that?copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZFyoZCFlu
He heard the door slide open behind him. “Ah, fine day, isn't it?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡVesZtUI9J1
Mikaen turned to see Jyle and King Iniagus. It was hard not to stare; for reasons best known to the Wenapaj King, Iniagus was now wearing a toga that appeared to have been tie-dyed, and his hair was sticking out wildly in all directions from beneath and above his crown. The more Mikaen looked at it, however, the more he realized that the hair had been set that way purposefully. It was Iniagus's magnificent red mustache that caught Mikaen's eyes the most, however.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ450Wqs0pcn
“It is indeed a fine day, my friendly friend.” said Iniagus, the tips of his mustache wiggling as he spoke, “Tell me, is it always this nice here in Ircandesta?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPnrnMr0sM
“Usually,” replied Jyle.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo1XnuS5DB
“Splendid. I'd like to arrange a trade for some of these nice days. Wenapaj is absolutely frightful this time of year. All that rain and muck … so unpleasant. I sent a letter to the Creator, you know, telling him how inconvenient the rain is, but the chap hasn't bothered to reply. I mean, really! After all the trouble I took chiseling the letter on a sixteen-foot slab of marble then blasting it into outer space.” Iniagus giggled in a most un-regal manner before adding, “Spectaculous! Simply spectaculous.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IH7E7zFxM
“Say, Mikaen, what's that building right there?” Jeronem asked, not noting the arrival of Jyle and Iniagus.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jBrKZebZG
Mikaen glanced where Jeronem was pointing. “Hmm? Oh, that's the old school. I went there a few times while I lived in Bridges. Good place to hide from looters and wild animals.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu4Zsstkx6
“Ah, yes,” said Jyle, glancing over at them, “Today's match will be in the Bridges arena. I thought you'd appreciate that, Mikaen.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEPEMuLm9j
Jeronem's grin quickly turned to a look of horror when he noticed Jyle's companion. “Ah! King Iniagus!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dCJEnISzI
Iniagus spun about, pointing at Jeronem. “Ah! Jeronem!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxdEwG601E
With a yelp, Jeronem ran for the door. “Not the ears! Not the ears!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XjWB5qnrz
Iniagus chased after Jeronem, shouting delightedly, “Of course, of course! Today is a perfectly perfect day for a rousing game of tag!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzNjjrG2kg
Once they had both disappeared back inside the palace, Jyle started laughing.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTNYxkEEkF
Shaking his head, Mikaen asked, “Is he always that strange?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrDCofIOC9
“Iniagus? Yeah, never a dull moment around him. Don't worry; his wife, at least, takes her position seriously.” Jyle looked out over the field, a satisfied smile on his face. “Nice job on the recreation, isn't? Took me months to get it right.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡojJbD2Dk5X
Glancing at Mikaen, he added, “It's only a holographic simulation, or course. We used this same space as a ballroom when Julia and I were married. Today's match is at the school, but it can technically be held anywhere in town. We even had a city-wide match once … twenty players for each team.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQQoOoIt33
“Really?” Mikaen looked back over the recreated city. “Wish I could have seen that.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mvLZT0HID
As the players began to walk onto the field, the crowd roared loud enough to make the glass rattle in the windows of the royal box.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7XAjADWVI
Mikaen watched the players with interest; in addition to what he recognized as tek-boots, the players were wearing sleek, brightly colored protective gear, a far-cry from Mikaen's crude plate armor.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvyKTn9CQc
Jyle gave him a sly grin. “Ah, you like the armor, eh? I designed the basic slamm suit myself. The plating is lighter and harder than steel, and contains portable shield emitters to boot.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYzbKy5LgO
Even as he spoke, glowing fields sprang to life around each player.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7VnIeXlbS
In addition to their unique armor, each player wore a pair of gauntlets. Some were bulky and reminded Mikaen of One's Headache while others were little more than elbow-length gloves.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44oDPi0YVR
“Tek gloves.” Jyle said in answer to Mikaen's unasked question, “I made those too. See, when I started trying to spread the word about this game, I came under attack from about a dozen different agencies.” He let out a snort. “Some nonsense about safety concerns.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBQKMAjSmz
“Yeah, well it was a training exercise for knights.” Mikaen reminded his friend, “We both got our lumps back home.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMGC9oR7K2
Jyle rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I remember. Anyway, I put some thought into it and came out with the Impact series slamm gear.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP6otWGtUB
He pointed to a red player taking position on the top floor of a three-story apartment. “See that tekker? His gauntlets are little more than arm-mounted cannons … surprisingly accurate, too. The skinny kid next to him is one of the Jenkins twins. He's a watcher. Each of his gauntlets can produce a low frequency energy blade. It's not very powerful, but it is strong enough to knock the kyon out of another player without seriously harming them.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6cbQZMaS9
At that moment, Jenkin's gloves both produced a blade of energy about two feet long. He took a few warm-up swings before deactivating them and scratching his nose with the back of his glove.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzVqb4P2bz
“Bladers have one of those, and one 'force glove' which lets them absorb and pass the kyon.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bpbzS8gm2
“What do you use for a kyon?” Mikaen asked curiously.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH85TZ5F9X
The crowd fell silent as two similarly armored men, one wearing black and the other white, walked out onto the field, each carrying a glowing orb in a see-through canister.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSxKjIO8L0
“Super-charged stream plasma. It's harmless to hold, but it saps energy from any technology that uses stream energy.” Jyle brushed off his shoulder, saying nonchalantly, “A particularly ingenious idea of mine.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQb72LZa2m
“I don't understand.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU3m0Wl5Cv
“The energy fields of the armor operate off lifestream energy. When you're holding the kyon, your armor's shielding doesn't work and your tek-boots only have partial functionality. The armor's padded and all, but you're still vulnerable, especially if someone pegs you with the other kyon.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qoAaHjZP5
A large, semi-translucent rectangle appeared in midair over the replica town. The screen flared to life showing feeds from numerous cameras that were apparently zooming around the arena.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxVbFYXE9Z
“If you'll excuse me,” said Jyle, rubbing his hands together, “It's time to start the game.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mU4IV040D
He sat down in front of the console and grabbed a headset from the front of the panel. After clearing his throat, he called out, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first match of the Slamm Championship Tourney!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡz43YEeFYdv
The crowd roared in reply. It was loud inside the royal box; it must have been deafening outside.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3d3ZoIYmn7
“After a grueling season, it's all down to two teams: the Balis Brigade!” Blue flags and emblems waved from all over the stadium. “and the Muonsol Marauders!” Considerably more red flags waved in response.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡlotgscbthc
“Knights!” Jyle called out, “Present the kyons!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QgaPVouUC
The men in the black and white armor each activated their canisters. Immediately, the balls of energy ballooned to three times their original size and shot toward a glowing circle in a walkway located roughly in the middle of the school grounds.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XP3XeLWA8
The crowd fell silent as two bladers from each team approached the circle. The Black Knight and the White Knight took up posts on either side of the glowing field. Slowly, they raised their arms to the sky.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WwxdZKos1
All players around the field seemed to prepare themselves. The tension was so thick that Mikaen nearly jumped from his chair when Tirinia slipped her hand in his.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzSRJHN8cH
Two bursts of light shot from the hands of the referees. Instantly, all four bladers shot toward the kyons, energy blades swinging as they tried to knock the other players away.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcFAfDO1zp
One of the Marauder bladers got the left kyon first. A Brigade blader took a swing at him, but the Marauder was already airborne, kicking off a nearby bench and landing on the roof of the school, his tek-boots leaving glowing trails in his wake.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡaClGazGUX9
The other Brigade blader managed to get to the other kyon before his opponent. He batted a Marauder aside and quickly shot toward the Rip in the center of the town.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzIOrrveAH
Jyle was already in full announcing mode. “Merko and Sylva in possession, Sylva passes to Yenk, Merko … ooh, that's gotta hurt! Well, he'll walk it off. Yenk and Travers in possession, Yenk to Tryan, Tryan to Sylva … nice rebound off the road sign … Genel intercepts to Senestra, Travers hits it to Haley, Haley to … no, Leeroy intercepts from Haley, sends it to Leeroy, Leeroy's powering up, powering up, it's off, and …”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkUAUadJbN
Mikaen had a hard time following Jyle. Keeping an eye of both kyons was hard, even with multiple video feeds.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lqv2A4Iv2
The Brigade's guardian made a dive at the kyon, but the energy ball whizzed by him and into the concession stand at the far end of the football field.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrBAf21LgB
The crowd went wild as Jyle shouted, “SCORE! A great shot by Leeroy Jenkins! Score is zero to one, Marauders in the lead.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcWnNRy1BJ
The bladers were a rowdy bunch, always knocking opposing players off buildings, smashing them into cars, and occasionally just flat-out decking them. If the energy blades had been weapon-grade, both teams would have been sliced to ribbons within minutes.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡOK5ef7PjQl
The watchers darted into the fray very selectively, a good idea considering their light armor. They couldn't hold kyons, but they could sure give them a good whack, usually to a waiting tekker who would blast it toward the goal.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIMWi2ZkOf
The two kyons seemed to have a lot of force behind them. Mikaen saw a Brigade tekker shoot a kyon at the Marauder blader Jyle identified as Shelle. The shot blasted her into one of the cars hard enough to make the car skid back a few feet.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhsSFfJdgk
“Don't worry, Mikaen.” Jyle whispered, shielding the microphone on his headset, “The armor's designed to handle just that kind of impact.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡX552jk99D0
Sure enough, she got up a moment later, looking a little dazed but unharmed.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZIhV0jVk8
It may have been rough, but the players all seemed to be having a good time. The two watchers for the Marauders, Leeroy and Trevor, were particularly rambunctious, often bouncing off walls and seemingly coming out of nowhere to intercept kyons. They weren't shy about taunting the much larger players of the Balis Brigade either. Fortunately, they were fast enough to avoid injury. Energy shields or no, a gauntlet to the face had to hurt.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgqD95STj9
After watching the game for a few minutes, it was obvious that the Marauders were more familiar with the arena. They even knew about a few of the shortcuts Mikaen himself had used back in the day, small surprise seeing as they were the Ircandestan team.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡehejjyDtIg
Covering his microphone again, Jyle asked, “Good, huh? See that shot Jek just blocked?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcgbtbbN7w
Mikaen glanced at the Marauder's guardian. He was standing in front of a partially collapsed house at the edge of the Rip, guarding the double garage door. His headgear covered his eyes, but Mikaen still recognized Jyle's son, Jek. After all, the young man was the spitting image of his father, albeit with his mother's dark skin.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡViMlVVrOOL
“Your son's the Marauder guardian?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡX22cmmKZPt
Jyle thumped himself in the chest. “Yup. I naturally wanted him to be a tekker, but I can deal with him being one of the best guardians in the league. He coordinates the entire team. Oh, there he goes again!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiFwu9IGWP
Jek dove at an incoming kyon, catching the energy ball between his gauntleted hands. Without hesitation, he shot the kyon at the Brigade blader with enough force to knock him across the street, where one of the Marauders was waiting to gain possession.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS7Ze2UGQJ
“Whoa!” Mikaen exclaimed, “We never did that.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOMu18RM8G
He glanced at Tirinia only to see her smiling at him. “You're really into this, aren't you?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoZUVu3Da0
“You kidding? After the Council?” He looked back over the city, continuing, “Peace is nice, don't get me wrong, but I do miss the action.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmTAl7DgOu
The crowd roared again as the Marauder blader Sylvia tossed her kyon in the air and smacked it with her saber into the Brigand HQ. As the kyon shot past the Brigade guardian, two of the Brigand players came out of nowhere and hit her in the same leg simultaneously. She fell to the ground instantly, her leg obviously broken.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0giMLjVC53
“Foul! Foul!” shouted Tirinia, pointing angrily at the screen displaying the injured player.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkrifmMj0X
Apparently she was correct; the knight-referees ran out onto the field moments later, whistles blowing. The black knight and the brigand blader started shouting at each other as the white knight helped Sylvia walk off the field.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsjc3FkGW8
“And that's a penalty for the Brigands, deliberate assault. Five minutes penalty for Merko.” said Jyle, a hint of anger in his voice. “Yenk takes the kyon, nice speed up to the HQ … and he puts it away easily!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWpsIaMDMS
Jek shot a flare from one of his gauntlets. Nodding, Jyle tapped his earpiece and said, “Time out for the Marauders!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5d8osvbLv
As the knights brought the kyons back to the center of the field, Mikaen asked, “What's wrong?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85Ysh18CH4
“The Marauders have a problem. Could you and Tirinia come with me for a moment?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR0akJk7n7
The three of them left the royal box and headed for the lift.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4dcdBFIMq
Tirinia was still bristling over the foul. “I can't believe they deliberately attacked her like that!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVvcnNdvqU
“Yeah, well, that's the Brigade for you. They set the record for most penalties last season.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbMBm7kHeI
“In a game, or for the season?” Mikaen asked.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdM1qZD5Iq
“Both.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWl18JOlfe
The lift doors opened at the bottom floor. Jyle, Mikaen, and Tirinia walked down the hall to a large golden archway that opened out into the arena. Jek was waiting for them, his helmet in his hands. He looked worried.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPq3qMaLto
“Dad,” He said as they drew near, “we don't have a substitute blader.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiCfk3fY8Y
“What? What about Sahara and that Bennon kid?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFUJG2tvoI
“Out for injuries.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡKExaIYXSJr
Jyle snorted. “Injuries my foot! They're just fooling around somewhere. Isn't there anyone else?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcKTs4WI35
“Nope. We're gonna have to forfeit the match.” Jek's eyes darted toward Mikaen. “Unless …”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrKAbrDEW1
“Unless what?” Mikaen asked cautiously.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHGURoSPgB
“Well, you are a blader.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxO1rg6oY9
Jyle snapped his fingers, “That's a thought.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFAefMGSqC
Mikaen was struck speechless for a moment. “Wha … you can't be serious, Jyle! Slamm may be based off our old training exercises, but it's a completely different game! I don't know any of the rules or penalties … besides, I've got wings now! How the heck am I supposed to cover that?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMkAGbYy1e
“I'm sure we can find a set of armor that'll work … and don't worry about penalties. Don't deliberately try to cause an injury, and avoid using magic, and you'll be fine.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiMYkdfqBe
“I'm not from Muonsol!” Mikaen protested, “I mean, is this even legal?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5Tak8W01n
“Teams can draft on the spot if needed. I put the rule in myself.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV9XvQ9tpb
Snorting, Mikaen said, “You put it in so you could play tekker every once in awhile.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡIztvyNIOek
Jyle put his hands on Mikaen's shoulders, the same pleading look he used to give Mikaen just before getting both of them into trouble on his face. “We just need another player out there, or the Marauders will be disqualified. You and Tirinia are the best possible replacements on such a short notice, and Tirinia's out of the question.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OqWZK5VL6
“What? Why?”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡip1smxiw0I
Jyle looked at Tirinia expectantly. Blushing beneath her pale fur, she said, “Because I'm first guardian for the Axeliv Alliance and the winner of this game goes against us next week.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJhbeQZXEe
“Oh.” Mikaen said, feeling sheepish. Tirinia had mentioned she was a member of Longshore's slamm team several times.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡhH2HE1sJXd
Jek glanced from Mikaen to Jyle expectantly.copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgDSJ0p1wq
“Come on, Mikaen.” Tirinia coaxed Mikaen, rubbing his arm. “I'd like to see how you play.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡJe91qoSqlx
The eagerness in her eyes cinched it. With a sigh, Mikaen said, “Okay, I'll play.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCeHkSJMCG
Clapping his old buddy on the arms, Jyle said, “Jek, show him to the locker room and get him into gear. Nine minutes!”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sXDkGDKHa
As Jyle ran off (probably wanting to get away before Mikaen could try and object again), Jek gave Mikaen an apologetic smile. “Sorry about this, but we really do need your help.”copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡarpktQIlh3
“Yeah, yeah. Just show me to the locker room.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3N60rrG4bo
copyright protection78ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWG7D00mND
