"Are you headed to the Darkwood Arena as well, Lady Frost?" A handsome fair-skinned youth in a purple suit peered out of the window of a Silver Stallion Series M-S30.
Night in the world of Eden is always eerie. With the constant oppression of humans by other races, magical beasts and monsters that lurk in the shadows, it can be difficult to be comfortable.
But as long as there is hope, there can be comfort.
Aside from the lines of patrons looking to enter the arena from this level, the only other vehicle was a Cherry colored Lancer Gx with a frosty blue rose insignia on the hood.
After centuries of technological development and countless wars, vehicles began to represent strength, wealth, and power in society.
For the onlookers the two vehicles were something they could only dream of possessing but what they didn't know was that the level of fascination they felt for both vehicles could also be seen on the face of Fronz West, the fair-skinned youth.
The M-S30 was a state of the art vehicle bred for war. Guns and armor was the only focus in its conception. With a max speed of 580 mph and the toughness to withstand most village level threats, it is a must have, in any young aspiring soldier's arsenal.
But⌠the Lancer Gx on the other hand is a technological beast. The latest product of Lancer, one of the number one motor vehicle companies in the kingdom of David. From transforming into a jet, to turning into a War submarine. There weren't many things this ride couldn't do.
Worthy of the only daughter of the Frost family, Luana Frost.
"I am, Fronz, may I assume this to be the Farra family establishment run by the young Prince Adoli?" Although she referred to the boy as a prince it was merely a public formality. The Farrar family is a noble family of the Kingdom of David headed by two Dukes.
As Dukes of the Kingdom of David their family status held weight second to the royal family. Added to the fact that the Kingdom of David consisted of such vast lands stretching countless miles, in their territory the weight the family held was near equivalent to a royal family in their respective regions. So this wasn't seen as disrespectful.
"Indeed, this place is run by the Bloody Prince. Tonight he is hosting a tournament to enlist fellows into the State of Abe Siege League. Have you heard of it?" The youth couldn't help but feel a wave of encouragement after hearing the esteemed young miss speak to him so willingly.
In the State of Abe, the original home of the Farrar Family, it was culturally inappropriate to not be amiable whenever possible. Ever since the old Duke Albert Farrar II the people of Abe had ascribed to the belief that the greatest resource to man was fellowship.
Albert Farrar held the country together long ago facing off against the hordes of magical beasts from the Machu Mountains. With his army of warriors wielding powerful earthern elemental abilities they were able to keep the East safe. In thanks the Farrar family was awarded the State of Abe which they began to lord over for generations.
Albert shared many of his rewards with his soldiers and began to grow the state of Abe with him. All on the belief that we are stronger together. As this became a principal for his family, it also became a standard of society.
As a visitor to this place Luana felt it was only right that she respect the local customs. Although she couldn't figure out why her cousin asked her to come here to find the Bloody Prince, from the clues she put together she began to get an idea.
"To be honest with you Fronz I am interested in joining the tournament. I heard that it is done in a building that can let you fight to the death without really dying? Is that true?" While she had more of an idea as to why she was here, she was still astounded by some of the rumors she began to hear on her way here.
'It was said the Prince built this arena at the age of 8. In the arena you can fight to your heart's content against many kinds of opponents. With the Bloody Prince's creativity he was able to turn this into a massive profit. As a nine year old he was touted as the youngest self - made millionaire in the Kingdom.'
'With the power of media influence the fights in the Darkwood Arena became a staple of the Kingdom of David. When he was 10 he developed an idea for a league. Gathering many of his fathers soldiers, local guilds and schools, he created the Siege League.'
A no holes barred 42 v. 42 Siege competition. In short, the two teams would fight to invade the other team's village and destroy their village stone. This quickly blew up on the internet and quickly caught the attention of investors turning into one of the country's biggest forms of entertainment.
"It is true, Lady Frost. I can attest from personal experience, but I must warn you that the trauma of death is real as well on both sides of the sword. Are you sure you wish to join the tournament?"
"I am."
"Do you know the contents of the tournament, my lady?"
"I was hoping I could ask you, sir Fronz, I was told to come without being given all the details." Luana said, slightly embarrassed.
"No problem, tonight's tournament will be a battle royale. Everyone will be split into groups of 7. Each group will have 21 lives. Your team is eliminated when you run out of lives so be careful when picking teammates. If you choose a pig-like teammate who is constantlantly kill-feeding the other team you could be out before you even get the chance to unleash your abilities." Sensing the anguish and anger in the young man's speech Luana decided to just let him speak. It sounds like there was a story behind the lesson.
"Each time you eliminate a member of another group your group gains a point. In the end the teams are ranked by time of survival, and points scored. Tonight the 6 new teams in the league are recruiting, including the team led by Princess Vana. They will select from all the participants in a draft style picking process until their rosters are full. One of the best parts of the process is even if the team wishes to select only a specific player they still have to take all the warriors on their team. Every team in the league was picked this way. So, once again be careful of all the leeches looking to team up with you and ride on your coattails."
"..."
"Umm, by the way, we have one more slot on our team, would the Lady like to-" All that could be heard was the sound of the engine as a cherry red blur sped off into the distance.
"Darn ittttttttt!!!! So close." The youth ordered his group of disgruntled teammates toward the arena in despair. He only wanted a nice comfortable backpack to be carried in. If he could find that one broad shoulder to lean on he was sure that with his business acumen he could raise his family to the next level.
"Why is it so difficult to be carrieeeedddd!!! Oh want you Caaaarrrrryyyy mmmeee cause you're all I need." One of the future pillars of the Kingdom of David began to bawl his eyes out in the parking garage of the Darkwood arena, while singing along to Smam Sith's song 'Carry Me'. If anyone were to recount this day to him in the future they would surely be hunted down without fail.