'Get me down there! I'm going to rip his throat out through his-'
I was smiling grimly at the people behind us; they were no doubt wondering why an Elf in a worm costume wanted to get down to the pitch so bad. 'Don't mind him, too much ale,' I explain to them, pulling a face. 'What the hell are you doing? You're going to get us caught!'
Sameth rocked backwards, rolling on the costume's stuffed fabric to prop himself up in his seat.
'Didn't even know he played Runeball.' Asher commented.
Molly snarled. 'Well let's hope the Red team tear him apart!'
As though reading her thoughts, Frozna began talking again. 'Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present this year's Red team. Standing at four foot, seven is a creature who claims to be the fastest person alive. With a food christened beard, hanging down past his knees and thick, shiny armour, only time will tell if this Dwarf is the real deal.'
'You didn't even announce my name!' The Dwarf cried. 'Agnar Butzblender! And don't forget it!'
Rasia giggled, trying to mask her laughter from the little player's prying ears. 'Oh, we won't,' she managed to say, before exhaling slowly. 'Wait for it, Frozna... There it is, the Red Team will be sporting Fire warding for the first half! If only they'd chosen a Lightning rune, they might have won the match without breaking a sweat.'
'What's that noise?' Alistair asked.
'Stab, stab, stab. Stab, stab, stab. That's the sound of the Lunar Crab.' The introduction was certainly catchy, if not unusual.
The yellow and orange-spotted crab came out dancing, with hulking pincers snapping at either side of its solid brown shell. 'Standing at around eighty-five feet, we have Gwendelin Varus. The biggest crab I've ever seen, how about you, Rasia?'
'Sure is. If that thing came up to me on a beach, I'd think the sun had set, Frozna. Look at that damn shadow! But where did it learn to sing and dance?'
'Beats me, Rasia. It's sure getting the fans going, though.'
'Next up, we have Galadrin The Impaler. How original. Is that a cow, or a bull, Frozna?'
'I'm a Minotaur!' It growled, actually cleaving up a heap of turf at the sideline and launching it at the commentator's box. Those two were not popular today.
'It's a good thing this glass is shatter-resistant, Rasia.'
She just laughed.
'Look at those horns! Standing at a whopping one hundred and ten feet, if that thing wanted to, it could kill us all.'
It flashed its jutting teeth at them. 'I still might.'
Before Frozna could call out the next player, I felt a gust of wind battering against my face, with the people on the lower level having to hold on tightly to their seats.
'What a gale ladies and gentlemen, and wouldn't you know it, here comes Stormfall!'
I could see Rasia standing up in the commentator's box, with her face pressed against the window. 'Look at her move, and here I thought all dragons were angry, violent creatures.'
'The game hasn't even started yet, Frozna. Maybe she is.'
'I can't argue with that, Rasia. Now, saving the best for last. Here comes the Red Team Captain. He's lean, he's mean, and he's spoiling for a fight. I give you, Avrae The Dread!'
I must have been cheering louder than anyone else in the stadium; even Sameth next to me looked rather uncomfortable. As though I was somehow the one was embarrassing him.
'There are Red Team fans on our side.' Someone yelled, calling for security. I sat back down, covering my face.
To think I created that dragon; I couldn't help but watch him with pride, as a father would watch over his child. He was short-tempered and prone to flaying people alive, but Avrae had grown on me nonetheless.
What happened next took me by surprise, though.
'Looks like there's romance in the air, Frozna.'
The fans were catcalling and cheering for the pair, and I took the opportunity to join in.
'Way to go Avrae!'
Perhaps Stormfall would have a calming effect on that bull-headed dragon; or maybe not.
'Hey, worm. I'm going to cook you, then me and my girl here are going to pick the flesh off your bones with our teeth.'
Nagar spun around, ready to confront the flying duo just as the referee's whistle blew. He was on top of this game. Honestly, it was a refreshing change to what we'd been subjected to in the past.
'Its that time. Let's play, Runeball!'
An obscure circus melody began playing as the team coaches started to wave the players out to take their positions.
'And, drumroll please, Rasia. The ball has been inscribed with, a Void rune. How unusual.'
'Neither team saw that coming, Frozna! This first half could be anyone's to win!'
'Separate those two, will you?'
I looked down onto the sideline, where the Red team's coach seemed to pass the responsibility on to an assistant, and another assistant and then to the ball boy. 'Are they seriously sending in the ball boy, Rasia? That poor kid.'
Avrae and Stormfall withdrew from their lasting embrace just as the ball boy cautiously approached them with trembling legs and both hands held out in surrender.
Avrae swung around, gliding toward the small boy but winked at the last second, charging instead towards the coaching staff. The head coach to be precise.
Avrae opened his jaw, flying low to the ground, like a shovel scooping up snow. 'Oh, this dragon flew far and wide, and this little coach, he just died.' The dragon chomped down as the hapless coach fainted. Only to wake up, with Avrae's eyes piercing into his. Then he passed out again.
The dragon soon got bored of tormenting the man though. 'Can we start the game now?' He asked.
The referee shook his tiny head, not daring to approach the dancing dragon.
Receiving the signal to go ahead, Frozna turned his microphone back on. 'Here it is at last Runeball fans, Blue Team versus Red Team in a game where there are no substitutes or injury breaks! I can't wait. And Kick-off!'