I Become the Baby Tiger in a Beast Taming World

Chapter 136: Chapter 132: First Team Matchup (2)

Do or die for our team!

Without delay, Gussie and Peridot both fly to the floating platform, upon which their opponents have already mounted. The harsh, bright arena lights turn Marno the Silver Hawk into a metallic sculpture, while Kythian the Iguana is a bejeweled masterpiece. Lamant and Niall face off against the tamers from the urbane House Valmont. Sophisticated they may be, but Maxence and Clothilde Valmont, brother and sister, are stony and harsh in their attitudes.

Next, Gussie’s and Peridot’s stats flash on the twin screens, followed by the numbers for their two opponents, Marno and Kythian. Gussie’s and Peridot’s stats we know, but we need a refresher on Marno and Kythian.

[Name: [Kythian]

[Class: [Journeyman]

[Race: [Common Iguana]

[Level: 4/10 [XP 25/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 33

[Defense: 29

[Magic: 29

[Resistance: 31

[Speed: 35

[Charisma: 38

[Luck: 29

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Crush (Attack Skill)][Shooting Stars (Skill) [Escape Power (Skill) [Telepathy(Skill)]

_______________

[Name: [Marno]

[Class: [Journeyman]

[Race: [Silver Hawk]

[Level: 4/10 [XP 40/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 32

[Defense: 29

[Magic: 30

[Resistance: 31

[Speed: 34

[Charisma: 30

[Luck: 29

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Fly (Attack Skill)] [Hunting (Skill)][Telepathy(Skill]

_____________

I’m relieved. Marno and Kythian don’t possess as many skills as Gussie and Peridot.

The announcer shouts, "Match will commence in one minute. Tamers, prepare yourself."

Niall is total concentration as he stands on the platform. Facing away from him, Peridot doesn’t look at him, but I know that telepathy is coming fast and furious. Meanwhile, Gussie keeps gazing at Lamant, checking in with him. He waves her on, a gentle reminder to focus on her opponent.

Lamant and Niall exchange brief remarks with Maxence, Marno’s tamer, and Clothilde, Kythian’s tamer. Maddeningly, my enhanced hearing can’t make out what they are saying.

[Gussie? Peridot?] I’m highly curious. [What are they saying to each other?]

Gussie is all pride and fire. [Those Valmonts and their beasts! They think themselves so superior because they are from the city. "Dirty jungle beasts," indeed.]

Lobo is horrified. [They said that?]

[Not in those words.] Peridot is calmer, most likely due to Niall’s influence. [They would not come out and say it. They just talked about the difficulty of taming wilder beasts--as if beast taming happens in one’s own backyard. That’s what Master Niall said. I have to go now.]

[Me too.] Gussie sounds determined. [Wish us luck.]

On the screens and in the large orb in the center, the clock ticks down to the match. Twenty seconds...nineteen...eighteen...seventeen...sixteen...

[Good luck.] Lobo, Demos, Lightning, Einswine, and I all send a group cheer. [You will win.]

Finn and Leonie add their voices. [Win!]

Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...

One. The match begins!

The announcer calls out, "BEGIN!"

Poised to strike, the two birds and two reptiles take a moment before they pounce. Then, Kythian heats up the platform with Shooting Stars, forcing all three flying creatures to take to the air. No problem for Marno. Peridot and Gussie would fly anyway, but being forced to leave the ground is, psychologically, not a good start. It gives their opponent a perceived advantage.

Gussie flaps her wings and dive-bombs Kythian rather than attacking Marno. To me, this is a great tactical move, and one that I can see Lamant’s hand in. Her speed and agility are perfect thanks to his magical help.

WHOOSH. Marno counterattacks, protecting Kythian. She plays a game of chicken, so to speak, diving to match Gussie’s trajectory on a collision course. It works! Gussie is forced to pull out of the dive.

However, it’s a chess game. Following Marno’s temporary gain, Peridot swoops in and bites Kythian. OUCH! Kythian reels from the shock and pain, hissing. Taking advantage of his weakened position., Peridot wraps her coils around him and squeezes, effectively cutting off the Shooting Stars.

The Announcer hastens to catch up. "Blindsided! Kythian of House Valmont is at the mercy of Peridot of House Riddlehoeven. Kythian’s Shooting Stars may have backfired by galvanizing his opponents into using their natural advantage in the air. But remember, Peridot cannot crush Kythian to death, only incapacitate him."

I respond to System. [HA! You underestimate us.]

No response. No surprise there.

On cue, Niall reaches out his hands, mirroring whatever instruction he is giving to Peridot. She keeps up the pressure on Kythian, trying to subdue him. Although he thrashes n her grip and attempts to bite her, he can never touch her because her coils keep sliding.

Now Marno swoops in, talons outstretched to seize Peridot, but Gussie abandons the game of chicken and has a good old-fashioned aerial dogfight with Marno. Feathers and squawks fly while Peridot tries to subdue Kythian without going too far. His big scaled head pokes up out of her turquoise coils, his eyes still alert but getting hazy.

[PERIDOT!] Lightning is insistent on the sidelines. [You won. Ease up.]

[He won’t yield!] Peridot is in the grip of her enthusiasm. [If he would just concede...]

I back up Lightning. [What does that matter if he’s dead? You’ll ruin your life!]

System’s voice taunts me. [Victory is in my grasp. A few more seconds and I won’t need the final match to defeat you. You’ll be my slave before that.]

Lobo, Lightning, and I all roar. startling Peridot so that she loosens her hold.

Kythian doesn’t wriggle free, however. He flicks his tongue and his tail, but goes very quiet. He’s still alive, but completely spent.

Peridot retreats, leaving a subdued Kythian on the platform.

"KYTHIAN IS DOWN!" The announcer sounds hyperactive. "He has gone into a semi-coma to sleep. Hibernating, in essence. Many tamed lizards have done that in these matches. The energy they expend is tremendous. Now Marno of House Valmont must face both Gussie and Peridot."

And Clothilde, Kythian’s tamer, is not a good loser. She shouts, "FOUL! FOUL!"

"Totally fair," Niall shoots back, projecting his voice. "You used your Shooting Stars move right out of the gate. What did you expect? We’re here to win this!"

The announcer weighs in. "Peridot’s maneuver is legal. The judges have reviewed it, and the victory is valid."

Maxcense of House Valmont concentrates on Marno, who wheels and goes after Peridot, but Gussie dogs her the whole way. Clearly, Marno doesn’t play chess, because she’s letting herself be trapped in a fork. Either way, she’s going to face trouble.

The announcer calls out, "Marno is out for revenge. But with two against one, she has an uphill battle. Gussie and Peridot, although belonging to a fine house, have sharp instincts from their jungle origins, something that the desert iguana Kythian and the mountain hawk Marno are finding out now. While the desert requires its own brand of survival, as do the mountains, there is a particular wildness to the jungle that can prove to be an advantage."

[HA!] Lobo is triumphant. [Look down on our jungle beasts, will you?]

Marno’s claws grip Peridot. A hawk with an impressive wingspan can carry away a snake, but Peridot’s length is impressive, and she is a bone-crushing python. The red-tailed hawk on Earth can carry a snake up to nineteen feet. That said, Peridot herself can fly.

However, Peridot doesn’t offer resistance. Pliant, she remains in Marno’s grasp. Hmmm. Could it be because Gussie is dancing around Marno like a frenetic bumblebee, never staying in one place, pecking like crazy? How will Peridot escape Marno?

WHAM.

Peridot uses her tail to lash Marno, and Marno shrieks.

I’m bouncing around. [I never saw THAT move in training.]

Lightning can’t resist getting in a smug remark. [I figured that Niall had something secret planned. He doesn’t work from the traditional playbook.]

Niall’s hands glow, and Lamant concentrates all his power on Gussie. Meanwhile, Maxcense, a hard-faced man, scowls and channels more energy than is necessary. Overkill. Marno is straining. I can see her feathers dropping even without Peridot’s efforts. Maxcense is stressing his beast and pushing her past her limits.

Thanks to her tamer, Marno takes a beating at the hands, or rather tail, of Peridot, and loosens her grip. Distracted, she doesn’t see the oncoming train, or rather bird.

CRASH.

Gussie knocks Marno down, and Marno is in free fall, stunned. Wings falling, she only manages to slow her descent, which at least prevents an unpleasant and messy landing. However, she hits the ground with a THUD and lies stunned.

The announcer’s voice is sonorous. "Marno appears to be out! Five...four...three...two...one."

Marno wiggles her wings, her version of waving a white flag, and tries to pick herself up off the floor while Gussie and Peridot preen, basking in their victory. They’re buoyed by the victory roars from Lobo, Demos, and me, and the joyful snorting of Einswine, as well as the cheers from Vedette, Minette, Hans, Elandior, Tomas, and Maartenwitz.

The announcer shouts, "WINNER! Peridot and Gussie of House Riddlehoeven!"

One contest down. Many more to go. It’s going to be a long tournament. But for now, we won.