Thousands of people gathered in the Arach Arena to witness the showdown between Teraphon and Ehrus. The crowd was wild with anticipation as they waited for the competitors to come out unto the battle zone. For decades bloody battles had been fought in the Arach Arena for various reasons, but on that night, the fate of the entire world would depend on the outcome of the match. The arena was a giant pot of mixed fanbases. Some people shouted praises for Teraphon. Some cursed his name and prayed for his downfall. Hostility emerged between the opposing sides, to the point where scuffles broke out. Nothing too crazy went down as security was able to put an end to any altercations.
The crowd sat around a circular battle zone that had a diameter of fifty meters. The leveled ground was a surface of dry, hard dirt. The stands went many levels high and stretched far back. It was night time, so there were torches spread throughout the arena that provided light for the event.
Above the spectator’s heads, tapestries hung from wooden beams that stretched across the arena. There were eight tapestries, each with its image of a certain spider. There was a black widow, a giant house spider, a wolf spider, and others. The one that hung straight over the center of the battle zone was a ferocious looking Goliath birdeater. Its long, sharp fangs were on full display as if it was ready to leap out of the tapestry and hunt down spectators in the arena.
To top it all off, the roof was made of multiple layers of spider webs. Even though the roof of webs was densely layered, the full moon that shined bright that night could still be seen through it.
The wait that the people endured had finally come to an end as a man, dressed in a dark brown robe, slowly lowered himself from one of the overhead beams with the use of his strand of webbing. The crowd erupted as the match displayer descended from above. He lowered himself until he was about midway between the ceiling and the battle zone. Along with his arms and legs, he had four additional legs that looked like those of a spider. They originated from his back, just below his scapulas, and they extended outward creating an ‘X’ formation.
The noise was too loud for him to speak, but the majority of the crowd knew what his hand signals meant. Since the web was coming out of the palm of his left hand, he used his right index finger to point at the gate on the north side of the battle zone. The gate rose steadily and Ehrus stepped out onto the battle Zone. The crowd gave the brave young man a cheer that was welcoming, yet somewhat pitiful. He made his way to the center dressed in steel armor and clothes made of buckskin. In his right hand, he held a mace. It was a long wooden rod with metal spikes that circled its distal half.
He walked until he reached a line that had been scraped into the dirt near the center. He looked to his left and saw his friends sitting in the front row, just as Teraphon said they would. Seated on the left was a scrawny guy with long black hair who looked timid. On the right was a young woman who seemed more composed but still a bit worried. She kept her blonde hair in a big braid. Her eyes were focused intently on Ehrus. Just like Ehrus, the two of them looked no older than twenty-five.
The match displayer pointed at the south side gate, and it was lifted just like the northern one. A beast of a man creeped out of the dark tunnel unto the battle zone. Teraphon’s incredible physique was no longer hidden by his long black coat. He left his upper body completely uncovered, showing everyone in the arena just how massive and shredded he was. His black cowboy hat was missing as well, revealing auburn locks that were long and wavy. He still wore his dark pants and sandals from before. The weapon that he held was a war hammer, with the chunk of metal at the end having a blunt side for smashing and a sharp, pointy side for impaling. He stepped up to his line which was about ten meters way from Ehrus.
The two opponents stared at each other. Teraphon was poised and unphased. Ehrus looked like he might crap his pants. He was fidgety and his body shook ever so slightly. Teraphon stood still like a strong stone wall.
The match displayer touched the tips of his four spider legs together in front of his chest. Everyone in the arena, including the combatants, knew that once he pulled them apart, the match would immediately begin. Ehrus crouched down a little, preparing himself to charge in. Members of the crowd shouted some final thoughts.
” – Go easy on him, Teraphon! Quick and painless.”
” – You’re the real ruler, Ehrus!”
” – Kill that bastard!”
The legs snapped outward. Ehrus summoned his four spider legs and dashed towards Teraphon at full speed. He was incredibly fast. To many in the audience, he seemed like a moving blur. He swung the mace, aiming for Teraphon’s neck. Teraphon blocked it with his war hammer and then landed a punch straight into Ehrus’s left shoulder, sending him to the ground. Teraphon tried to bring the pointy end of the hammer down on him, but Ehrus was able to roll out of the way and the hammer drilled deep into the dirt. Ehrus rose to his feet and created some distance by running. His speed was an attribute from his manek. He had the abilities of the parson spider, one of the fastest spider species in the world.
He shot a web out of his left hand and attached it to Teraphon’s hammer. Teraphon kept his grip on the hammer as Ehrus zoomed around him, winding him up in his web, like thread on a spool. In seconds, Teraphon was tightly wrapped from his ankles to his neck. Ehrus charged in while Teraphon was trapped so he could finish him off.
Many people were shocked as it seemed that the young challenger might defeat the mighty ruler. The determination showed on Ehrus’s face as he cocked the mace behind him and dove in for a swing. Before he could reach him, Teraphon burst out of the webbing creating a sound that resembled rustling leaves in the wind.
While trapped in Ehrus’s web, he had transformed and used the power of his tarantula legs to break out of the web bondage. Ehrus was stunned. The strength needed to break free from his webbing was almost unimaginable, yet the man before him did it with ease. He stood there frozen. The courage that pushed him to attack was turning into fear. Teraphon could sense the young man’s despair.
Ehrus watched as Terapon placed a hand on one of his hairy spider legs. Teraphon quickly brushed his hand forward along the leg and Ehrus instantly felt something stab through his throat. No longer able to breathe, Ehrus dropped to his knees. He looked up at the clouded view of the moon. It was the last thing that he ever saw. He fell back and died. Needle-like hairs were poking throughout his entire body. He had fallen victim to Teraphon’s urticating hair attack–an ability of the Goliath birdeater.
The crowd quieted down to a low murmur. Ehrus’s friends looked devastated. The male friend buried his face in his palms and the girl looked like she had seen a ghost. Teraphon deactivated his manek and began to speak loudly to the people.
“Strength! Power! That is what makes you a ruler!” He pointed at Ehrus’s body. “This will be the fate of anyone who defies me. Together, under my leadership, the arthropods will return home!”
The crowd exploded after the electrifying speech. His loyal subjects were ecstatic and his doubters were silenced. Many people began chanting Teraphon’s name at the top of their lungs.
Teraphon left the battle zone and went back through the south gate. Rubax was there to congratulate him.
“Excellent fight, Tear.”
Teraphon said nothing and looked at the ground, somewhat sadly.
“You don’t look too happy. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” said Teraphon.
# # #
After Mory returned home from his visit to the bird base, Rubi and about twenty other people gathered in the big hut for a juicer. This was when a bunch of people brought different types of fruit, and then they created as many combinations of juices and fruit salads as they could. It was also a time for Sporadical members to bond and socialize, so they could take their minds off of the fighting and relax.
Rubi was standing off to the side and chatting with one of her girlfriends. She was sipping on a kiwi, mango, and raspberry blend when a surprise slipped through the doorway. It was Sannis.
“You’re back early. I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow,” said Rubi.
“Things went a little more smoothly than I thought it would. Is it all right if we talk outside for a bit?”
Rubi nodded and off they went. Sannis was greeted by the others on his way out. They stepped outside into a warm and humid night.
“So what’s up, boss man?”
“I have a war update. Keanoan forces have been deployed from all five lands, and they’re expected to reach the Zitonian western border in two days.”
“That aligns with our time frame prediction. So what does this mean for us?”
“We stay the course. Let the big dogs battle it out and wear each other down. We build our team from the shadows. When the time is right, we’ll gather in the Land of Reptiles and then join the fight.”
“When will the time be right?” Rubi asked.
“I believe we’ll leave in about one hundred days or so, but be prepared to go at any moment.”
“Sounds good. Anything else?”
“That’s all.”
Rubi grinned and said, “Now I have an update for you. Mory came by today.”
“Really? What happened?”
“He agreed to join us. I told him to come back tomorrow around thirteenth hour.”
“Nice work, Rubi. I bet you won him over with your gorgeous smile.”
Rubi giggled and gave Sannis a light shove. Then she remembered something.
“He told me his father was killed in the BLAU attack.”
Sannis looked down at the ground with eyes harboring grief. “I know. Colonel Teon. I knew the attack was coming. I should have done something to make sure his father was safe.”
“Remember, we’ve decided not to intervene in the war until the bases are united. On top of that, what happened to Mory’s father was out of your control. It’s unfortunate, but the blame is not on you.”
“I know.”
They remained silent and still for a moment before Sannis looked up and placed his hands around Rubi’s waist before leaning in and kissing her.
Sannis pulled back and looked into Rubi’s eyes. “I’ve missed you,” he said.
“You’ve only been gone for a few days.”
“It felt like weeks.”
He gently pressed his hand against Rubi’s stomach.
“How’s the little one doing?” he asked.
“Fine, now that daddy’s back. Do you think our child will have a mammal or an amphibian manek?”
“Hopefully both.”
They laughed and went back inside to have some juice.
Fantasy