As Eldros's took in the shouting crowd, the heavy gate behind them slammed shut, kicking up dust and drawing a roar from the spectators. It was like a signal, everyone erupted in even louder cheers.
Ahead, a raised platform overlooked the arena. A middle-aged man in a rich clothing stepped onto it, flanked by attendants. Even at a distance, Eldros could feel his energy and it far exceeded his own.
He must be the outpost owner. Standing beside him, whispering in his ear, was the man from yesterday that took Eldros's name.
The outpost owner nodded once, then sat down, his eyes fixed on the arena.
A second wooden gate creaked open. From it came snarling and howling, foragers entered, each dragging a cage that trembled with barely contained fury.
Eldros studied the contents: two hounds with yellow hungry eyes, one larger than the other, black-furred, red-eyed, teeth gleaming, they howled and slammed themselves against the cages. Another cage contained an hyena like monster.
The crowd went wild. Beside Eldros, the two younger boys paled. The girl was visibly shaking.
Eldros frowned. "Only three beasts? I thought we were four."
Then silence fell. A forth cage rolled out, twice the size of the others, dragged by six others.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Is that a barbed tail crocodile?"
"It is! This is really a show of a lifetime!"
"That crocodile's a overkill for a trial. Whoever picks it's dead."
The crocodile is as big as a man with rows of gleaming teeth and a yellow eyes. But what made it really dangerous was its tail that ended like that of a scorpion, filled with gleaming venom.
The hounds and the hyena shrank back In fear as they saw it.
"Please, don't let it be me," one of the young men muttered.
Eldros, however, felt his interest stir.
He remembered this species—his host had seen it once as a boy when a hunter sold its corpse. It could crush trees with its teeth, its scales were nearly impervious, and its heart was a powerful medicine...perfect for cleansing internal filth.
His body had recently been aching around the Noxium mark. Eating that heart might help. And Jarek had said once, "I like meat with venom"
Eldros licked his lips and his eyes shone.
The thin man appeared again, holding a bundle of rolled papers. Each had the name of a beast written onto it.
"pick," he said.
The two younger boys nodded, looking crushed as they picked their own. One picked the hyena and the other picked the bigger of the hounds.
The girl's hands trembled as she picked...and froze when she saw it. The crocodile.
Only one rolled paper remained for Eldros The smaller hound. Easily the least dangerous. He looked at it... and frowned.
The crowd's chants swelled as they could taste that blood was coming.
The first match, one of the boys versus the hyena.
It wasn't a fight, it was slaughter. He lasted only a few seconds before the hyena crushed his ribcage. Screams echoed. Blood soaked the ground. Half the crowd cheered. The other half cursed at their lost bets.
The second boy refused to fight when he saw all of that. He begged to withdraw and was dragged away to boos and jeers. He won't have any place at the Outpost.
Then came the girl.
She hesitated at the gate, face pale. As she passed Eldros he spoke up.
"Why don't you witch with me."
She froze, her eyes went wide. "What?"
Without waiting for a response, he handed her his paper and took the one written with, "Barb tailed Crocodile."
She looked too stunned, but nodded as Eldros walked into the arena. Maybe she thought he was playing the hero but Eldros didn't care for whatever she was thinking about.
Some spectators noticed the switch. Others didn't care. The thin man said nothing. The outpost owner didn't blink.
The crocodile came out, claws scraping the ground as it slowly came into the open, lifting its head. Its eyes locked onto Eldros.
He stared back.
The crowd's cheers built, all of them quickly betting against him as they realized who the winner was already.
The beast didn't strike yet...it was watching him.
Then suddenly it shot forward.
Its jaws opened wide, foul breath pouring out. Eldros darted sideways, dodging. The massive head slammed into the ground behind him.
He didn't strike the head. Instead, he focused on the section between the head and the neck. Eldros slammed a punch into it.
BAM!
The blow knocked it aside. The beast hissed in pain and rage, lunging again.
Eldros saw the moment of weakness.
He dashed forward.
One punch, then another, then another, he unleashed a barrage of powerful blows, targeting the same spot again and again. Cracks appeared on the scales. The crocodile thrashed, unable to retaliate.
But then suddenly it's tail flashed towards his head, darting forward like a stinging bee. The crowd expected the fight to end there but instead, Eldros shot towards the tail and let it stab him.
The venom caused Intense pain but he didn't let it slow him down as he began to hack into the tail, cutting it away with his dagger.
The crowd watched on speechless. Shouldn't the venom take him down?
But inside, the rune he got from the silver fruit was sending healing energy through his body, washing the venom away.
In the same breath, he took the severed tail and used it to stab the crocodile.
Then, in a blur, Eldros drew his dagger.
He plunged it deep into the cracked scales, tearing a massive gash across the Crocodile. Blood gushed as it screamed but the venom was already working against it.
He used the opportunity to flip it over and then viciously tore into the crocodile's chest.
Eldros didn't hesitate. He reached in and ripped out its heart and held it aloft. Blood poured over his arm. The crocodile thrashed violently and then stilled.
Eldros calmly brought the heart to his mouth and then he began to eat.
The crowd was stunned into silence, then exploded with cheers and boos that Eldros didn't puts his ears to.
But the crocodile wasn't done. With its last strength, it lunged at him.
Eldros jumped high.
Midair, he pulled out his iron disc.
With all his momentum and body weight behind it, he drove it down, straight into the section between the head and neck.
CRACK!
The sharo disc pierced through scale and flesh and cut the head from the neck.
The arena fell silent again.
Eldros stood atop the corpse, unmoving, his eyes shone with baleful aura that surrounded him in a thick killing intent.
Blood drenched the sand. The hyena still in the cage, huddled and shivered.
To the crowd, it didn't feel like a test anymore.
It felt like a hunt.
Eldros wiped his blade, stepped off the body, and dragged the crocodile behind him. When the exit didn't open, he turned back.
Above, the thin man gave a small wave.
The gate creaked open.
Outside stood Jarek arms folded.
Eldros looked at her. "Can I stay at your place?"
Jarek raised an eyebrow, then laughed.
"Yeah. Of course."
Eldros dropped the body at her feet. "You said you liked venomous meat. Here."
Jarek blinked, then burst into laughter again. She slung the carcass over her shoulder as easily as if it was a bag of papers.
"Come on, Brat. Let's eat."