by Simon Archer
“Welcome to the MFL North tournament sign-ups,” she greeted with a high pitched voice. “What’s your name?”
“Rico Jacek,” I answered as I clutched my papers with both names.
The elf wrote down my name on the brand new form in front of her. In the silence while she scribbled, I ventured a question.
“What’s yours?”
The elf looked up at me with wide chestnut eyes, blazing with curiosity and suspicion. “What?”
“What’s your name?” I repeated.
“Why do you need to know?” she said while her eyes darted quickly up and down my body.
“I was just trying to be polite,” I replied, my voice backpedaling. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t worry. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“You didn’t offend me,” she responded. Even though her voice lightened, her eyebrows continued to narrow in on me. “You just surprised me, is all. No one asks for our names. None of the sign-ups talk to us except to answer our questions.”
“That seems rude,” I commented.
“Maybe,” the elf said with a shrug, “but it makes the process go faster.”
“Right,” I said with a definitive nod. “I’ll stick to the answers then. Don’t want you to have to be here any longer than needed.”
“Thank you,” the elf said, her gaze finally relaxing. “I’m Rachael.”
“Nice to meet you, Rachael.” I tipped my head toward her. “What else can I answer for you?”
“I need your title, height, weight, occupation, and proof of identification, please,” Rachael responded, her voice returning to its efficient tone.
“Rico the Resilient. Six feet, five inches,” I recited the numbers. “Two hundred sixty pounds. Farmer.”
Rachael whistled under her breath. “A farmer. No wonder you’re so nice.”
“What do you mean?” I wondered.
“Most of the sign-ups are dragon’s asses,” Rachael said conspiratorially. “And here you come along and ask my name, are considerate of my time. It’s refreshing.”
“It’s just good manners,” I reasoned, not understanding why I had done anything to warrant such a compliment.
“It’s more than that,” Rachael said as she held out her hand.
I shook my head, disagreeing, and handed over my papers. I kept my hand as steady as I could, but I could see a little shake as I slid them across the table to Rachael.
Rachael leaned forward, resting her elbows on my papers. She hadn’t even opened the folder yet. “You ever competed in the city before?”
“No.”
“You’re in for a surprise,” Rachael warned. “They aren’t going to play nice, not like you country folk. If you want to compete with the best of the best, you’re going to have to lose some of that country charm and get down and dirty with the rest of them.”
“I’m just here to fight,” I answered, unsure what exactly she was trying to tell me.
“I’m sure you are, Rico,” Rachael said with a soft smile.
Then, she opened the folder, and her eyes scanned down the page in a matter of seconds. Her eyes widened and snapped up to me in awe.
“And you’re another half?” Rachael blurted.
I swallowed. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all,” Rachael said as she looked back down at my forged papers. “It just means I’m going to be watching out for you, Rico the Resilient.”
The elf female collected the papers, my application included, and stamped the top with a green inked APPROVED stamp. Her elegant hand held them out to me, like a server delivering a meal.
“You’re one to watch,” Rachael said, her smile finally reflected in her twinkling eyes. “Go ahead on over to the next station where they will double-check your height and weight and run you through some exercises.”
I reached out and grabbed the paper before she could take them back and reexamine them some more. “Thank you, Rachael. I hope your day goes by quickly.”
She waved me off and called out toward the line of potential competitors behind me. “Next!”
I clutched the papers and the application in my hand. After all that worry and sneaking about the forged papers, all it took was a polite question and a smile. She barely looked at the birth certificate.
In disbelief, I stared at the application with its bright green stamp of approval on full display. It blazed across the top of the paper, right above my title: Rico the Resilient. Approved.
I never thought I would see the day when those two words were next to one another. The chances of me getting approved to fight were slim to none. While I still had more tests to go, still had to get my feet in the actual ring, seeing that green mark permitting me to fight made my heart swell. I was one step closer to making everything real and getting the chance I always dreamed about.
20
I passed the physical with flying colors. It was almost as though Barth trained me specifically for this event. It started with a stamina check with jumping rope and then moved to punching a heavy bag. I passed the obstacle course with one of the best times out of the whole group.
At least a third of the sign-ups dropped out due to inadequate times. One half-elf actually collapsed during the obstacle course. We had to stop the whole process so he could be carried out on a stretcher.
The number of hopefuls intimidated me. They continued to swarm in throughout the day, massive heavyweights down to the slightest lightweights. I had never seen so many different races in one place. Despite all of the diversity, not a single human ventured through the door.
I noticed this as I waited for my turn in the ring. Sign-ups were supposed to display their special move up in that ring. Some of them were quite a presentation. One demon could suck water out of the air. Another giant shrunk herself to the size of an ant for a solid minute, making it impossible for her to be knocked out. No one claimed to turn invisible, so my unique special move would stay prominent and noticeable.
All I could hope was that Gerry and I were able to pull it off. The gnome waited in the stands. He stood on one of the benches so we could see me clearly. I looked up at him a couple of times out of sheer nerves. Gerry growled at me every time, signaling that I needed to pay attention to the ring and let him do his thing. I couldn’t help myself, though. I needed reassurance that the gnome watched when gave him the signal.
There were so many moments where this plan could fall apart. While we had overcome the first couple of hurdles, I dreaded this one the most. Mainly because the whole thing was outside of my control. Once I gave Gerry the signal, it was up to him whether or not I turned invisible. It was up to him to help me convince everyone that I had the ability to do it all on my own.
I distracted myself by looking around the arena. Mostly coaches, also of various sizes and races, sat in the stands. Some of them clumped together and chatted. Others, like Gerry, took over their own section and observed the whole try-out process on their own, in silence.
However, at the very top of the arena, there was an overly shaded section. All the torches were out, leaving the last three rows swathed in darkness. Despite the blackness, I could make out the vague shape of three figures. There was a halfling that walked up and down the stairs to that section. He would disappear in the shadows for a little while and then pop back out and head down to the main area again.
These three figures hid from the other coaches and prospective fighters. I concluded that they wanted to be anonymous, but that made my curiosity peak more. Who were these scouts, observing the process? They could have been anyone. Owners of one of the MFL divisions. Other fighters. Coaches looking for their next client.
The most likely answer was they were professional stock players, looking to get a step above their competition by seeking out the next best fighter. They must have been rather important to be allowed their own private section, hidden away from the rest of the spectators.
While I gazed up into the dark stands, an uncomfortable s
hiver rippled down my spine. I had the distinct feeling that one of them looked right back at me. I might not have been able to see their direct gaze, but I could feel their eyes linger on me.
“Next!”
The call broke me out of my reverie and snapped my attention back to the task at hand. I reached the steps leading up to the ring, with no one in front of me.
It was my turn to step into the ring.
I hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and finished the walk with long strides to the center. The view of the arena from this raised center part of the space floored me. I could spin in a circle and see every corner of the place. It was the center of attention, right where I always wanted to be. Sure, some of the effect was lost since the ropes weren’t there, but I was still in an official MFL ring.
Overwhelmed, I missed the elf’s first question. I leaned forward and asked, “I’m sorry?”
“Your name.” The elf raised his bushy eyebrows. “What is it?”
“Rico Jacek,” I answered.
“And you’re a half-giant, correct?” the elf asked. His voice was sharp and distinct, easily heard over the din of the arena
“Yes,” I said as confidently as I could.
“On your paternal or maternal side?” the elf continued the questioning.
I pictured the false birth certificate in my head. “On my maternal side.”
“Hm,” the elf muttered. He sat at a table in front of the ring set on its own elevated platform so it could be level with the ring. “I don’t recognize either of these names.”
“You mean my parents?” I checked. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what he was asking before I answered. I didn’t need a stupid mistake to reveal our massive lie.
“Yes,” the elf confirmed as he squinted at my paper.
I gulped and waited. I thought it was best to wait until I was asked something directly. I didn’t want to voice any information, especially when I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of it.
“Ah!” the elf said triumphantly, and my heart dropped down to my stomach. “It’s because you’re from the country. That’s why. I’m not as familiar with family names on that side of civilization.”
I nodded like I understood what he was saying and not trying to resist the urge to vomit. After waiting my whole life to get up into this ring, all I wanted to do was get this over with so I could step down off here and out of their scrutiny.
“Well, alright then,” the elf said as he set down my papers on the table and leaned back in his chair. “Feel free to show us your special move when you’re ready.”
“Right, okay,” I said quickly.
I widened my stance and played into the idea that I needed a second to ready myself. I shook out my arms and cracked my neck from side to side. During this warm-up, I casually sniffed and tapped my nose with my hand. I looked at the floor of the ring the whole time, praying to Walden that Gerry saw me.
I counted to ten and then lifted my face out to the crowd. The only signal I had that Gerry’s illusion had done the trick was the surprised look on the elf’s face. His bushy eyebrows were sky high, and his mouth doubled down into an impressed frown. The elf’s head bobbed a couple of times before he made a mark on the papers in front of him.
Once more, I sniffed and touched my nose. We wanted it to appear as though I could turn the invisibility off at will, so when I gestured to Gerry, who could still see me, he would make me visible again. I popped back into view for the elf judges and the rest of the arena who might have been watching.
The elf still scribbled, but then he looked up. “Well done, Rico. We have approved your application, and you will be notified within the next forty-eight hours if you are accepted.”
I bowed slightly. “Thank you for your consideration. I appreciate you taking the time.”
“Uh…” the elf stuttered. He looked as surprised as Rachael had when I graciously talked to her earlier. “You are welcome, Rico. Best of luck to you.”
“Have a good day,” I said with a wave as I exited down the other set of stairs on the other side.
As I descended, there was a slow but thunderous clap. It interrupted the energy in the arena, causing every creature to come to a sudden halt. Including me. My feet stopped of their own accord, and I looked up to try to find the source of the noise.
There, emerging out of the shadows, was a large, flat-faced creature. His skin had a grayish tint to it which made his muscles look like stone in the firelight. He walked down the stairs from his perch at the top of the stands, clapping in a steady rhythm the whole way down.
I recognized the silhouette before the half-giant even came fully into the light. Warpin the Relentless stomped down the stairs and approached me. He didn’t lower himself to my level, instead choosing to stay on the stair so he could be taller than me. We stood several feet apart from one another, and it took all of my self-control to stay standing.
Warpin stood within spitting distance of me, and my heart, which had only just returned to a normal rate, sped up again. Surges of emotion plagued my brain, making it turn to sticky dough like the kind Deity hated but always made some of the best smelling pastries. Any coherent thoughts slugged through the mesh in my mind. They came out in the form of a soundless babble. My mouth opened and closed like an unhinged door.
“I take it you know who I am?” Warpin asked with his arms outstretched.
The arena, once joyous and bustling, swam in a still silence. All eyes were on Warpin. Some were on me, but most marveled in awe of this epic fighter.
“Warpin the Relentless,” I muttered. “I’m a huge fan.”
Warpin laughed, and the sound rocketed through the arena. It shook the room like a thunderstorm. “Well, I’m a fan of yours.”
“You are?” I replied, utterly dumbfounded. “You know who I am?”
“I do now,” the half-giant said. “I will say, I am rather impressed you eluded me this long.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice dropping its squeaky tone.
“I make it my business to keep track of all the halves aspiring to fight in the MFL,” Warpin explained. “Especially ones coached by my old friend, Gerry.”
The half-giant waved over at the gnome who gave a small wave in return. Gerry trotted over to meet us. He shot a closed-mouthed smile up at Warpin.
“Good to see you, Gerry,” the half-giant said, matching Gerry’s unamused expression.
“Same to you,” the gnome said. I could hear how hard he was trying to keep his voice even.
“I see you managed to get out from under that dragon ass’s thumb,” Warpin said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Good for you.”
“I was never under Barth’s thumb,” Gerry corrected. “We were partners.”
“Funny,” Warpin sneered. “I didn’t know partners abandoned one another or chose their drinking habit over their agreements.”
Gerry’s tiny fists curled in on themselves, but his face remained serene. “What are you doing here, Warpin? Repeat competitors were supposed to check in yesterday.”
The whole time he stood on the stairs, not only talking to me but seeming to speak to the whole arena. “I like to see who my competition is. I have scouts all over the city, at all the local gyms. But I haven’t seen you, a half-giant, before.”
“Well,” I gulped, “it’s probably because I am from the country. I didn’t train at any city gyms.”
“Really?” Warpin said, intrigued. He folded his massive hands behind his back. “A half and a country bumpkin. You really are a unique one, aren’t you?”
His tone raked across my back like a bunch of nails. Something in his words made it sound like he wasn’t all that impressed with me. I got the impression that he was annoyed with me, but how he’d reached that conclusion, I had no idea. This was the first time I had ever met the iconic fighter, and I would have loved to just shake his hand, tell him what an inspiration he was, then get out of there. Instead, I somehow found myself at t
he center of everyone’s attention, side by side with him.
The sheer amount of eyes on me made my stomach curdle.
“I guess so,” I answered as casually as I could, “but there are a lot of unique first-time sign-ups for this tournament.”
“Oh certainly,” Warpin said. While his words agreed with me, his tone implied an entirely different sentiment, one of disappointment and suspicion. “What did you say your mother’s name was? What giant family was she from?”
“Um…” I cleared my throat before responding. “Ursula Intripidi.”
“Intripidi,” Warpin mused. He glanced up to the corner of the arena as if the answer were written on the ceiling there. “I don’t recognize it.”
That’s because Barth made it up, I thought, but I didn’t dare voice the truth aloud. “There are a lot of giant families.”
“Indeed,” Warpin said with a closed-mouth smile. “I thought I had studied them all, but I guess I missed a few of those country ones. I never thought I would need to know them, but I guess I was wrong.”
The half-giant leaned forward a little on the step but didn’t descend. He remained at eye level with me and seemed to pierce his gaze into me. I knew he wasn’t using his x-ray vision, or his eyes would have flashed red. Still, the narrowness of his look made my fingers twitch.
“Rico, is it?”
“Yes,” I confirmed before I realized it was a rhetorical question. He knew my name. Whether I wanted him to or not was a different story.
“Rico the Resilient,” the half-giant said in a semi-mocking tone. “Alternative. Catchy. Implies a stubbornness that I bet is good in the ring.”
“I find it to be useful,” I said, finding the need to go on the defensive though of what I was being accused I didn’t know.
“I look forward to encountering that resiliency in the ring, Rico,” Warpin said with a smile. The thing looked crooked on his face, something that a drunk artist would have drawn.