The cheers and whispers of the crowd passed in one of Canopus’ ears and out the other. His entire focus was on the foxgirl eyeing him from the arena. He walked silently up the steps and crossed his arms, nearly glaring at her. His attitude didn’t seem to faze her in the least, as she neatly glared right back as he stopped on the other side of the arena.

He looked over her entire body, memorizing how she stood, what muscles she tensed, the movement allowed by her clothing, everything he could just from a rest stance. He nodded. “Are you planning on using that sword?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see won’t you?” she replied.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter for the result. I just wanted to give you an appropriate opponent.”

Her eyes narrowed even more, if that was even possible without them closing completely. “You’re right. Won’t change the results.”

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Kyanosa walked back around the arena, grinning at the cheers of the crowd and specifically his group in the front row. He sat where he was before, between Kaye and Canopus. Kaye grinned and patted him on the back. “Dirk taught you to fight like that?”

“Dirk and Cowboy Bebop.”

“See. I told you you’d do great. What did you think Canopus?” She had glanced at the white haired man a few times during the fight, but was not able to figure out what he was thinking.

“Mostly what I would have done. But you’re too flashy. Should go for the simple, effective attacks over what looks better.”

Kyanosa threw up his hands. “You use your style, I use mine.”

“Neither of which is mine, I hope.” Dirk looked at them both.

Canopus stared back at the ring. “Don’t worry. We’ve learned more than that.”

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The next two matches passed too quickly for Canopus and too slowly for Kyanosa. Naslok, the elf, quickly magicked his way through his fight, with Canopus muttering the whole time about fighting yet another fire-based opponent, and Malhildur threw enough rocks to viciously force her plain-clothed opponent out of the ring. Then came Kyanosa’s turn.

“Good luck Kyanosa,” Kaye said with a smile. “You’ll do great.”

Kyanosa pumped his fist in the air once and left his seat, walking up the stairs to his side of the arena. His thought-out plan for sizing up his opponent (which, for fairness’ sake, was thought out by Canopus and told to Kyanosa during the first match) went out the window when he first saw him. He, Kyanosa, survivor of the exploding planets, ten-foot-robots, magic-hurling demons, and death itself, was fighting a puppy.

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“That was a marvelous breakfast as well,” Kaye said rubbing her stomach. She, Kyanosa, and Dirk had finished breakfast at Sydnei’s and were now heading toward the arena for the announcement of the matches.

Kyanosa sighed. “Yeah, I know. It was great. But I thought you guys were supposed to make sure I didn’t eat too much.”

Dirk shrugged. “Just don’t get an early match.”

“You can decide that?”

“No.”

Kyanosa sighed.

“You’ll be fine,” Kaye said, skipping a little as they walked.

She could feel the excitement in the air. The rest of the participants as well as spectators were gravitating slowly toward the arena.

Dirk looked around. “If you guys see Canopus or Josh or anybody especially good-looking, point them out so we can sit with them.”

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Canopus stood with the others, but waited until they had already moved with the rest toward their respective Dragons. It did not matter to him much who he was fighting for, but he was at least curious. Alexis greeted all of her fighters with the same engaging smile she had been introduced with. She shook hands with everyone but then her eyes turned to him and she beckoned him over.

He moved toward her, hearing Kyanosa as he passed by.

“So you’re Dirk’s boss? You’re really tall. How come you don’t have scales?”

“I can break you with my pinky.”

Alexis smiled again as Canopus stopped at the edge of the group aligned with her. She stepped toward him, offering her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Canopus. I’ve heard great things about you.”

He took it and shook it while nodding once. From what he could tell, she looked and acted like a normal human. He wondered what it would be like fighting one of the Nine. Alexis’ hand tightened on his enough to be almost painful for a moment.

“You’ll get to fight plenty,” she smiled before turning back to the rest of the group.

The opening ceremony was a standard flashy array that usually accompanied things like this. A huge stone arena was surrounded by risers that held thousands of screaming fans. Each Dragon led out their group of fighters before showing off their powers a bit. Alexis made it snow bits of ice that tasted like candy on the tongue.

Checking out his future opponents did no good in a setting like this. He could tell most all of them held themselves well, but that was normal for a fighter of the level that would gather here.

“Now I wait another day…” Canopus grumbled when the group had met up after the ceremony was over.

“Aww, it’s not so bad Canopus,” Kaye said.

He kept grumbling, but now it was quieter.

Dirk almost smiled. “So that’s the deal. Sometime tomorrow each one of us fights some random opponent, unless we end up with each other. Spend tonight however you want to, but I suggest sleeping in your rooms so you don’t miss the entrance cutoff. I’m spending tonight with some music in my soundproof room and getting up tomorrow at eight for breakfast. Besides that, whatever. Have fun. Just don’t lose.”

Kyanosa shook a finger at Dirk. “That’s all good and well, but if we do get paired up against each other, it’ll be hard for us all not to lose.”

“That’s the problem.”

“No use worrying about that now,” Kaye aid.

Kyanosa nudged Josh. “So who are you staying with?”

“Search me. Some guy with a huge sword and a little kid. House 2 if you want to visit though.” The punk grinned.

“We’re in House 8,” Kyanosa informed him.

“How about we take a tour around the village?” Kaye asked.

Kyanosa and Josh quickly agreed. Canopus and Dirk admitted to other plans and the group went their separate ways until the next morning.