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  My first fight was to be one of the early ones. I wouldn’t get a chance to watch any before it was my time to go, so we headed to the middle arena that I was assigned to. I wasn’t exactly well known in Hallow, but I had enough of a record to gain a spot in the middle arena. My opponent was a vampire with a similar record. At level 12,000 he was much lower than most of the other competitors I had faced. I wouldn’t underestimate him though. His record was a far better indicator of his ability than his level.

  Besides its placement on the middle level of the coliseum, there was no difference from the lower level arenas. I faced my opponent as we waited for the announcer to herald the start of the match. Looking around the stands, I found I had a stalker. Eshana Dara, the dark elf, was here with about a quarter of the group she’d been sitting with during the opening ceremony. Of course, my competitor also had a record, so she could be here to watch his performance as well.

  The movement of my opponent caught my attention. He turned and fully bowed his head as a sign of respect to a vampire of higher rank than himself. I looked over to see it was Manu Shah. I didn’t even acknowledge him. It seemed my opponent was one of the vampires that was closer with the core group.

  Manu Shah even responded with a slight nod.

  The obnoxious side of me made a point to look up toward the dark elves. I knew what Eshana’s true intentions were as her eyes met mine and she gave me another of her smirks. She was trying to play games with me as she did with all of her competition. At least her intentions were clear. Even if she was just as likely to kill me as the vampires if she knew what I was, I felt far more comfortable with her than the vampires. Might as well just mess with everyone since my goal was to defeat all of them.

  Aeris was always on my mind, so I rejected the idea of flirting outright. Instead, I turned from her to my opponent then back to her and made an exaggerated shrug.

  The action had the desired reaction, for she laughed aloud above the noise of the other spectators.

  When I turned back to my opponent, he was glaring at me.

  I grinned back at him and his glare became strained. He didn’t seem to know how to take my response.

  I shook my head with a sigh. Messing with these nobles who took themselves so seriously was too easy.

  The announcer soon addressed us, and finally, the fight began.

  A lance of blue crystal appeared in my competitor’s hand. The next moment, he was sprinting toward me with his arms dragging behind him like a cloak. His armor was a mix of scalemail and chain, with shiny black scales knit tightly over his chest, and chainmail skirting down and hugging his waist.

  I’d not expected him to be a melee fighter, but his Dexterity and Strength were 10,000, even if it was his Intelligence that was his main focus. Still, the goal was the same. I needed to block two attacks with magic, then I was free to let loose.

  He couldn’t hide the buildup of mana in his spear from Mana Sight. It was as if he was building momentum to launch one grand attack to end the fight with the first strike. I could justify not waiting to attack, but I didn’t think I’d need to go all out.

  Because there were other competitors watching, I wanted to limit what magic and forms I used in the first couple rounds of the tournament if possible. Two of the people Shamash had warned me about were watching in person, and I was sure any new tricks I brought out would be reported back to the other contestants that mattered.

  Though I preferred to begin with one of my lesser forms, I’d already show my Crimson Incubus Form, so I’d start with it.

  He was like a stampeding bull except scrawny and in need of sunlight.

  With a pop of my neck as my form took shape, I gathered mana into my right hand and prepared to meet him. He didn’t give me much time to prepare, displaying the full speed gained from his physical stats.

  He grabbed his lance with both hands and lunged as the pent up Ice Mana burst from his spear.

  The ground ruptured as I charged. My wings offered their help in propelling me to full speed. We were still a good ten feet away when our attacks erupted, colliding between us.

  The explosive and devouring nature of my Fire Magic with help from the Fire enhancement jewel gave me an edge, but his Ice Magic enhanced by his lance had its own advantages because of its weight and solidity.

  Fire and Ice were certainly elemental opposites, but their reaction to one another wasn’t as explosive as Dark and Light. They instead had the tendency to neutralize one another’s strengths.

  With a swat of my hand, the point of his lance was diverted wide, and instead of skewering me with his physical attack, we were suddenly face to face. There was an opportunity to end it. All I had to do was grab him, but I had one more attack to block with magic before I was free to take such advantage.

  Instead, I gave him my best demonic grin to fit my Incubus features.

  He responded by pivoting his body and driving the blunt end of his lance toward my head. His reflexes were good…

  A single beat of my wings took me well out of reach, and Fire Breather, one of my rarely used Fire Incubus abilities, shot flames out of my mouth to cover him.

  Did that count?

  Spinning to face me where I hovered in the air, his mana surged into his lance. He thought he’d won an advantage.

  Unbeknownst to him, I was incredibly agile in the air, but I wasn’t planning on flying off. I channeled mana into a fireball in my palm and compressed it as much as possible.

  When he lunged again, I was ready. Frigid energy shot from the tip of his weapon and I threw my ball of condensed fire to meet his lance. My fireball was quickly drowned under his magic, only to then explode.

  I touched down and waited for the mana to clear to find I’d pushed him back, but he was also uninjured.

  That counted as two.

  He recovered his lance and struck again with less mana than his first two attacks.

  Sadly, he had no way to check my stats to see what changes had taken place when I’d transformed, and despite him having 10,000 Dexterity, mine was nearly 70% greater than his.

  With my wings tucked tightly against my back, I danced forward and past his lance. Enrage ignited and a great wave of heat swept out from me like a fearsome aura.

  As I appeared beside him, he swung his weapon like a poleaxe. My wing extended a couple of feet, blocking it easily.

  He reversed course to strike me with the pole of his lance, but he was losing strength in the sweltering heat.

  Rolling my hand into a fist, I threw what looked like an overhand right, but instead of aiming for him, I brought my forearm down on the pole of his weapon as if to snap it in two.

  It was solid and not meant to be flexible, but under the impact it began to bend. Before it cracked, his grip gave out first, and the weapon was driven to the ground.

  He was standing there suddenly emptyhanded, but he didn’t freeze. Kicking out with a front kick, he hoped to force some distance between us, but I just stood there. His leg was jarred as if he’d just kicked a stone wall. That didn’t stop his fist from flying toward my face.

  I slapped his hand away then dipped to the side and threw a hook at his exposed ribs, causing a sharp crack.

  He crumbled.

  The audience seemed like they were unsure what had happened so any applause was halfhearted.

  My vampire form took shape a moment later and my skeletal armor reformed itself to fit me. With another glance in Eshana’s direction, I gave another exaggerated shrug, then turned and walked away. This time she didn’t smile back.

  Chapter 14 – Vampire House Party

  I’d only used the excess mana available to me, so I had nothing to worry about and was already recovered from my last fight. As Shamash and I were leaving the arena to go watch my competition, a short vampire in a plain black robe cut us off.

  Fully bowing his head to show the upmost respect, he said, “Apologies, young victor. My master has bid me to deliver this invitation. Please accept it fr
om my hand.”

  He held out a small mana tablet.

  I hesitated.

  “Take it,” Shamash insisted where only I could hear.

  So I did.

  The servant bowed a second time, then hurried off.

  “Let’s leave before reading it,” the lich added. “You don’t have another fight until tomorrow, but let’s return to our lodgings now.”

  As soon as we entered our hotel room, Shamash spun and reached out his hand. I gave him the mana tablet. After a few moments of scanning it, he handed it back. I scanned it myself.

  It was written in a vampiric language which I could only piece together a few words of here and there.

  Shamash broke it down. “This is an ancient language used by the current vampire nobility and preferred by the royal family, but not used by the common populace. Such languages change with the political landscape, but this current royal family has been in power for the last 2,000 years so it’s used commonly enough by the nobility even in this region that is on the outskirts of the vampires’ realm. In summary, it’s an invitation to a dinner party. Manu Shah’s dinner party. All vampire competitors of notable bloodline will be attending.”

  “Why am I being invited?” I said, full of skepticism.

  “There are the obvious reasons. You’ve showed considerable talent and, believe it or not, your bloodline isn’t a terrible one in the city of Hallow. As a newcomer, you’ve gained the attention of those in power and they want to see where your loyalties lie.”

  I wasn’t surprised that this Manu Shah wanted to investigate me, but I hadn’t expected to be invited to eat with him. It meant mingling with vampires. My inexperience with vampire etiquette would become grossly obvious. I could continue with my impetuous manner but acting that way in the context of competition was far different than blatantly disrespecting the local vampire nobility in their own home. I’d already been pushing my luck. To push any harder might gain me some powerful enemies. Manu Shah’s strength could be said to reside in his family and connections—not solely in his own power.

  “Are we going to reject his invitation?” I said, hoping that was the case.

  In his vampire form, Shamash was able to shake his head like a normal creature without his entire body shaking with it. “This is not the type of invitation you have the backing to reject. It will be considered an intended slight if you do. Vampires do not reject the invitations of the nobility, even in Hallow. If you do, the next one will come with a knife to your throat and it won’t be your competitors asking. Suffice it to say, you have little choice unless you want to leave Hallow now.”

  “Couldn’t they have waited until after the preliminaries? So we’re leaving?”

  “I’d suggest you accept.”

  “Seriously?” I walked past him further into the room. The lich wasn’t holding me against my will, but with him standing in front of me with the entrance wall just a few feet from my back, I needed some space. I soon walked past the blood fountain that acted as the room’s defining feature. Stopping, I turned and stared at it, watching the blood bubble at its base as if it was just a normal decoration. If I did go, I’d have to drink and eat as a vampire did to keep up appearances. I didn’t know how I could stomach it.

  “Currently, the danger is minimal. They are likely inviting you because you show promise. You could also have a mysterious backer that they want to unveil. They will tread carefully, unless you blatantly offend them, and even treat you as a potential ally so as not to offend your master. Even if they conclude you have no such backing, they will try to recruit you, or bribe you to lose the competition. The preliminary tournament’s victory is likely important to this Manu Shah, so his terms might be well worth hearing. As long as you show up, such offers are much easier to reject—usually. Give them the illusion of respect, and you’ll be in a much better position.”

  As I listened to Shamash’s explanation, I had to admit I couldn’t find anything wrong with his assessment. It was probably just as he said. I still didn’t know how I could stomach attending a vampire dinner party, not to mention the vampires themselves. It wasn’t easy to forget that these creatures enjoyed sucking the life out of mankind. “Okay, but I don’t know how I’ll be able to… handle everything.”

  “We will just have to work a little on your backstory to give you sufficient excuses. You’re lucky to have a lich at your side.”

  ***

  The lich had warned me that this “dinner party” wasn’t going to be a small event, but as I arrived at the front entrance to the party’s location, I realized I was just one of hundreds of vampires attending. The building was a small skyscraper built on prime real estate near the Hallow Amphitheater. It was like a dark-steeled blade that reached twenty stories high with a spiked crown snuggly fitted on its pointy end where it reached towards the sky. If there was ever a building that might looked like it belonged to a vampiric corporation, this was it.

  We’d stopped at a shop to purchase a fitted suit so that I didn’t show up wearing nothing but my skeletal armor. It was surprisingly similar to suits of the modern world, but with some large differences. The jackets were tight and stopped short at the bottom of my ribs instead of my hips, but the buttons of my jacket reached down toward my belt line. Such a style was only practical if the wearer had a perfect physique. Though not as obvious because it was under the jacket, the undershirt was a seamless black. It was snug along every inch of my chest, back, and stomach. The pants were also custom fit and the only part of the outfit that wasn’t uncomfortably tight. I felt like a mix between a gymnast and a bullfighter.

  Since I had the money, I could at least guarantee my clothing wouldn’t automatically be a cause for embarrassment. Such things had never concerned me in the past, but if it would help me blend into a mob of vampires, then, oh joy…

  We’d walked to the location since flying would have been difficult with my current garb. The distance wasn’t more than a twenty minute walk and we could return to the hotel in less than a minute if necessary.

  I was on my best behavior as I waited with Shamash among the sea of partygoers. It became a game of watching for backstabbers while pretending you could care less. It made me wonder if vampires developed super peripheral vision.

  Making it to the door, I saw a seven foot vampire guard in tight leather with armor obviously hidden beneath his jacket. The man asked for my invitation, so I handed him the mana tablet. He returned it a moment later, then waved us in.

  We entered a large greeting hall with pearl white tiles, making the place glaringly different from what I’d come to expect. It was here where the participants departed from their escorts to enter the hallway on the right. Shamash had already warned me this would happen, so I wasn’t surprised.

  Words didn’t pass between us, but I delayed long enough to see that the escorts entered a hall opposite the one I was about to take. Most of these escorts doubled as bodyguards. Was I the only one uncomfortable with this?

  Shamash had said he’d be hunting for information while I should just try to not stand out.

  I heard names being announced before I’d reached the end of the hall. Traffic was slowing. It was a few minutes before it was my turn in line. As if I was some medieval person of note, I didn’t have to give my name, for the man that introduced me already knew who I was.

  “Zerin the Nameless!”

  The strangest thing was that as I walked into what could only be described as a ballroom, no one looked at me. There were more than a dozen rectangular tables on the right side of the room that were lined up in rows with only a few of the seats filled even though most of the guests were already here. A literal dancefloor was being used for dozens of groups of vampires to converse on. It took up over three fourths of the room. It separated the guest seating from a long table at the head of the room where I saw Manu Shah with Parth Gul sitting at his side. Why did this dinner party remind me of an uber traditional wedding?

  Pearl white tiles contin
ued into the ballroom, which was needed since the walls were polished black granite with specks of gold. My eyes were pulled by the light to glance up at a chandelier that spanned from one side of the ceiling to the other. It may have actually been many chandeliers tied together with long strands of crystal, but there were so many of them that it made it hard to tell. The head of the room was the brightest, with the part of the chandelier that hung the lowest, creating the illusion that the entire room elevated toward those sitting there.

  Despite the cold reception, I found there was one person for whom that wasn’t the case. A teenage-looking vampire lady appeared in front of me with one of the few bright smiles I’d seen since entering Hallow. She wore a gown that was made of nothing but thousands of small black beads. Controlling my gaze despite my curiosity, I looked her in the eye and gave her a medium bow of my head.

  “Welcome, Zerin, to the Shah estate,” she said, showing the utmost respect. “I’m your escort, Damsa. Please, come with me.”

  She was a servant… I already knew what came next. She led me up to the head of the room where another line had formed. When my turn came, I stood in front of Manu Shah and his group of noble friends and did the customary bow. He bowed back to a lesser extent, and that was that. There were no words that passed between us. It was only some weird ritual that forced me to acknowledge my social ranking as I arrived at his residence.

  As I was led away by Damsa thinking it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever done, a girl at the end of the table caught my attention. It wasn’t her beauty that drew me in, for every single vampire girl I’d seen was attractive. The clothing she wore and her body language were completely different from the typical vampire. A shawl of bright blue animal scales sat across her shoulders and instead of ignoring me like the rest of the people at the head table, she glared back at me. In many ways she seemed hostile, but I gave her a slight nod anyways and an encouraging smile. She seemed like she wanted to be there even less than I did.

  Damsa directed my attention as she walked me across the dancefloor and toward the guest seating. She nodded toward different guests and told me their names and social rankings as we walked. Even though it would’ve probably seemed degrading for any vampire that frequented Hallow’s upper society, I happily accepted the information. I really didn’t care who these people were, but the more she talked, the less I had to.