Spirit Taming

The training between the four was not something that ended with a bang or any drama. It was a complete and utter exhausting end.

Maria had tried her best to replicate the speed that Clark and Ella were using. This not only strained her leg muscles but also caused her to push past her normal stamina. It was also the single best way for her to train her speed. It would make her able to attack and defend better while also aiding her ability to fire her bow.

"If you can match or better my speed, I bet you can become like a sniper. I’ve heard that few people with higher talent in using bows have beasts that help them become rangers. They are still the same as tamers but specialize in silent and accurate hunting." Clark had seen one or two but it was very rare for someone to focus solely on archery.

"It’s not that I don’t want to be one, but I want to get stronger with my partner." Maria was taking sips of the water that Clark had provided. She wasn’t sure what it was about the water but she felt that she was able to better recount from training. She was sure that Clark had a secret spring somewhere with mana infused water or something.

"What about Ella? She surprised us all with her skills. I thought she was just able to research. You never told us that you could use a rapier and light shield!" Isa felt that she had found another hidden gem. Ella was under contract to work with her yet she had hidden a strength so well.

"I am unpracticed. Easily beaten. But if you require me to use the skills that relate to the weapons I have, I will. The shield is new to me." Ella didn’t hold information back. She clearly didn’t like fighting hand to hand. The rapier would be the only weapon she would learn in life because her mother had punished her. Not because she had desired to do so.

"Your mother was right, you know. Learning to use a weapon like that will save your life." Maria didn’t beat around the bush. She knew that Ella’s mother was famous for being a forging maniac. Another Green family member oddity. But it was good. Her mother had taught her self defense. It made Maria slightly melancholic because she had no such situation in life.

"I still need to learn to use my beast’s magic skills in close combat. When the spear got too close I lost it." Clark was impressed by how well Isa remembered to avoid using his and Maria’s names. It was going to be a challenge but one that went well rewarded in their safety.

"Shall we go in to the central arenas? There should be some real professional matches going on. We will have a better feeling of what the city is capable of." Clark helped Maria up. He wanted to ensure that they learned from watching real battles as well. Their training was just a part of their day here.

"Tickets are one bronze!" The guards at the gate from the small arenas to the large arenas were quick to call out. It wasn’t an issue for anyone to pay. Clark and the rest of the group understood that this was because there was an upkeep and payment cost for the arenas. Not only that, but it was clear that the off star shaped coliseum attracted many people from other cities.

"Betting Is to the left, arenas straight ahead, and the registration area is to the right." The guard pointed them in the right direction after they paid. They were just doing the job they were hired for.

"Are we going to bet?" Maria asked softly. She wasn’t sure if this was something that Clark was confident in.

"No way. Not unless we can guarantee that we will win. I don’t want to lose the money that we have for the auction." This made all of them relax. Yet, for some reason, they had a feeling that this was not true. That they would end up placing a bet somewhere along the line.

"Decent customer flow. Short lines. Many employees. The coliseum must bring the majority of income to Star city other than the unique water type materials." Isa was able to guess this based on the lines at the betting area. The city would most likely claim a decent portion of money from lost bets.

" We are not starting a betting business." Maria and Clark both spoke at the same time. They had started to figure out how the gears in Isa’s mind turned. If they started a betting business they would get caught up in a slew of other issues that could not get them to their goals.

"Maybe another time then," Isa mumbled under her breath. However, she felt Clark’s glare at her and looked away.

"There are a lot of people heading that way. It must be a good fight." Ella pulled Isa toward the arena that was drawing a crowd. The group didn’t have anywhere specific that they were headed so Clark and Maria followed them.

The disguises seemed to be a good idea since Clark spotted every single member of his class in the seats. They had come to watch the battles of the arena as well as the others. It was clearly a big reason why they had liked the idea of Star city to be their destination. Not only the research potential, but the battles that were held here.

"You know how I said we shouldn’t bet?" Clark spoke out. He knew that he was immediately breaking his own word.

"Who should I go place a bet on?" Maria knew the tone by now and decided just to humor Clark. She had already learned that he was often right about a lot of things.

"The woman, whoever she is will win." Maria nodded and left to go palace the bet. She didn’t need the name just the arena. The clerks could handle the rest.

’Water bear- rare

The water bear is a beast with ties to water elemental energies and also massive strength. They are considered the hardest amphibious monster to defeat in the area. They often live in underwater caves where they will only surface to hunt or breathe small breaths of air for the night. Their favorite food are mud toads. They are extremely weak to poisons due to their skin being very absorbent of water underneath their blue fur. They are...’

"That water bear looks tough," Isa spoke and saw that Ella was already sketching it.

"He will lose though. The man commanding it thinks he already won." Clark pointed to the woman. "She will win."

’Purple python- ultra rare

The purple python is one of the rarest serpent types of scaled beast in the swamps. They have a lot of potent poison that they can excrete through their scales. They can also pollute large sources of water to kill great numbers of prey at once to stock up on food. Their venom is also incredibly toxic and has very limited treatments. Their growth length is considered to be large even in terms of other serpent beasts. They can grow in to...’