16 The Bloodening (1/2)

After each team captain had drawn a tablet, all but one team left the arena floor and headed for the stands. For most students, this would be their first time fighting a Legend. All of them have seen legends through the barriers and in photos in their legend studies classes, but that was very different from standing face to face with one in combat.

The first team to fight a legend was Centra's.

”Kyrie please leave the fighting to your teammates. I'll tell you when I think it's alright for you to join in,” Professor Olson instructed.

”I understand, sir. It's not the first time I've watched over a bloodening,” Kyrie said, as he looked Professor Olson in the eye with a fierce military air.

Professor Olson smiled slightly at this. Of course, someone as experienced as Kyrie knew what to do in this situation. ”Alright, I will be at the base of the stands watching over the fight. Do your best pups. When you're ready, insert the tablet into the pedestal in the center of the arena.”

Kyrie walked with his teammates over to the pedestal and asked, ”Do you want me to participate in a defensive capacity or do you want to try this alone?”

”Well, Professor Olson said to leave the fighting to us… so it's probably best if you don't help at all,” Centra said. On the other hand, Kyrie had watched over this Blooding thing before and he probably wouldn't suggest something that would go against their Professors instructions. Either way, Centra had made her decision and planned to stick with it.

”Okay.” Kyrie turned his back on his team, with a clenched jaw, and carefully selected a spot at the edge of the arena to monitor the fight. A bloodening was hard and watching over one was even harder.

DJ, Liza, and Jasper stood guard over Centra as she placed the tablet on the pedestal. The pedestal sunk into the arena floor and the gate on the far side from Kyrie opened. The team clutched their weapons tightly and took their battle stances as they gazed into the opening engulfed in darkness.

Screeech! Came from the opening followed by the form of a creature that was part woman and part bird. Its wings and arms molded into one and its feathers where a mix of crimson and black. The harpy's torso melted into the feather-covered form of a bird's chest, tail, and legs. Wicked Claws extended from the harpy's fingers ready to shred flesh, armor, and weak auras. The harpy's head was that of a woman, that of the viewer's ideal woman.

For Kyrie harpies always appeared as a girl with long red hair and orangish-gold eyes. He had never been sure why it happened, since he had never met such a girl, until recently. And he didn't find her to be the most appealing member of the team, though she was definitely a close second.

As was the case for most straight women, a harpy's face would be that of the woman they admire the most. In Liza's case it was her mother and in Centra's it was her Aunt Malisa.

For Jasper, the woman was a blond he knew quite well.

After DJ saw the harpy's face he smiled and gave Centra a kiss on the cheek. ”Well, you definitely don't have to worry about not being my most appealing woman.”

Centra smiled, laughed, and nudged DJ away a bit so she could have room to draw her bow.

The harpy stepped further out of the entryway and took to the air looking for food to steal. As the harpy left the ground Kyrie tensed further and wondered why his teammates hadn't attacked yet. Everyone knew a grounded or better yet soaked harpy, is less dangerous than one you let take to the air. With Centra's bow, she couldn't have that slow of a shot as to be unable to tear a hole through the harpy's wing, right?

The harpy screeched once before it spoke in a high-pitched voice, ”There's no food! Why's there no food! I haven't eaten in forever!” Screech!

Jasper's eyes widened in shock as he said, ”What?! Why don't we just feed her and let her go?”

Centra watched as the harpy flew as high as it could before it screeched as the tips of its wings clipped the top of the transparent barrier that separated the arena floor from the stands and the harpy from freedom. Centra spoke with an aching heart as the harpy briefly plunged towards the arena floor, ”We… could give it some food and let it go right?”

DJ glanced at Jasper and Centra as he said, ”I-I guess so-”

Liza looked at her teammates aghast and with two of her daggers in hand, she shouted, ”What the hell are you cats talking about! It's a Legend! We have to kill it before it kills us!”

Jasper glared at Liza and shouted, ”Just look at it! It's not hurting us, so we don't need to kill it you-”

Screech! 'You! If I take you back to Zeus in proper form, he will definitely praise me for my work!' the harpy thought as she dived.

Centra shouted, ”Kyrie!” as she turned to look past Liza at their final teammate.