Patricia and the stingers lazed around the day before the tournament. she had reserved the training gym for most of the day and had set out a blanket on the floor. Patricia lay on her back and watched as Hope flew lazy circles above her. On a tarp further into the gym the butchered remains of a few of the training beasts had been laid out for the stingers to feast on as they pleased. the rolling beatle meat was particularly popular. Hope had snacked quickly before returning to Patricia to stand guard.
the rest of the stingers were now spread across the gym, hanging from the ceiling, attempting to construct nests from pieces of equipment, sitting amongst the food waiting for their hunger to return, showing each other displays of strength in attempts to establish a pecking order. all in all they were doing whatever they enjoyed. Patricia on the other hand, did her best to relax, but it wasn't going well. her thoughts kept inevitably falling back to the next day and all she would need to do.
She sighed. "Well we've done what we can. As long as we stick to our training we should be good." Hope landed near Patricia's head and buzzed her agreement, sending waves of encouragement and faith. Patricia smiled "If I was half as confident as you the competition would forfeit with one look at us." Hope continued to buzz happy she had broken her masters sour mood.
---
Later that day Emilia came calling. She stood awkwardly at the edge of the gym eyeing the stingers hesitantly. "Is it really ok to have them all out at once?" She said seeming worried.
"Oh, yeah they are fine. They have plenty to eat and listen when I tell them to calm." Patricia said confidently, before adding. "Most of the time."
Emilia's worry grew. "What happens the rest of the time?"
"Hope pins their wings until they remember who's in charge!" She said with clear pride. She rubbed the little wasp perched on her shoulder below the chin, receiving an appreciative buzz in return.
Emilia looked confused. "But she's so small."
"You don't need to be very big when you're fast." She said as if this one success justified everything she had done up until now.
Emilia was unconvinced, but as the stingers were maintaining their distance and seemed completely uninterested in the new arrival she let it go. "So you feeling ready for the tournament tomorrow? Read up on possible competition?" She asked her friend.
"Oh yeah me and the stingers are ready for anything." Patricia said with a bit of forced confidence.
"Good because you're not going to have an easy time of it."Emilia replied flatly.
Patricia squinted. "What do you know?"
"One of the tamer guilds decided to use this tournament as an exam." Her friend said her concern plain.
"Which guild?" Patricia asked feeling apprehensive.
"Grove Trotters." Emilia broke the bad news.
"Uuuuuuugh" Patricia groaned in frustration. The Grove Trotters were one of the premier guilds. Their emblem a boar covered in treelike growths and tusks made of cruel wooden spikes. "Is it the main branch?" Patricia asked dreading the answer.
"No, an off shoot. Though a good one. Several of the students are on track to transfer over to the main if they do well in the tournament." Emilia said. Then her face split into an involuntary smile. "Drake is going to be there."
Patricia wanted to groan again. Emilia was usually a very analytical and collected at almost all times, but she was not without her faults. One, a gambling addiction that only avoided being crippling due to her uncanny ability to recognize up and coming talent.
Another, her obsessive fangirling over said talents. Her favorite of which being Drake.
Patricia had once been dragged to a match he was participating in, and admittedly he was very good. Capable of executing careful strategies or overwhelming opponents with quick fire changes in tactics. He was not someone Patricia was looking forward to facing, but as she looked back at her stingers, she felt a fierce competitive spirit build in her.
She smiled "well you better bring something to wipe your tears then. Because your boy is going to get thrashed."
---
64 participants, 127 matches. If Patricia lost her first match, she would need to win 9 matches in a row to claim victory. If she went undefeated, she would only have to win 7.
Each match was determined randomly between all possible competitors, with seperation between winner and looser brackets. The contestants would announce three of their six beasts as possible fighters. Then would secretly decide which of the three would actually participate. This gave the best mix of advantage for knowledge of different beasts, without assuring one sided slaughter of the person who chose their beast first.
Patricia currently sat in a comfortable but small room with her six stingers in cages. The door to the room was locked, but this was to be expected. Participants were not allowed to watch the matches between other competitors. The arena management didn't want anyone getting an early look and forming strategies before their bouts.
Patricia felt twitchy. This tournament would only go for two days, and with the large number of matches that would take place they couldn't afford to do them one at a time. Only the last couple matches would be held individually. Until then the participants had been split into groups to compete at the same time in less grand arenas.
Patricia was in the second group, but that still meant she had to wait until the first had finished.
"I wonder how many fight have already finished." She asked herself. She held Hope's cage on her lap. It brought her comfort even if she couldn't hold the stinger herself. All beasts had to be locked up until they were chosen for a match. The arena took a hard stance on this. They wouldn't allow any loose beast to go out of control and hurt their guests, intentionally or otherwise. Patricia was just glad her stingers were small enough to be kept in the room with her. She didn't think she could bare siting in this room alone.
She looked over her beasts. They looked almost as restless as her. "I know guys its not very comfortable but we will get our chance soon." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than someone knocked loudly on the door, before beginning to unlatch it. Patricia tensed. her heart hammered like a drum. she suddenly didn't know if she was ready, but it was too late. the door opened and the arena employee entered.
"Miss Patricia your match will soon begin. please place your beasts upon the cart and I will escort you to your arena." Patricia swallowed her unease and began to load up the cart.
following the employee through the maze of corridors Patricia soon found herself standing under the open sky, all around pits were being prepared for the next round of contests. she was guided quickly to the pit her own fight would take place. across the way she saw her opponent was just arriving as well. after unloading their carts the two tamers walked around the side of the arena to shake hands.
her first opponent was a young man with tan skin and an earthen floral scent to him. neither spoke, but nodded solemnly, before passing each other to go examine their opponents beasts. they had to remained at a distance from the cages but could freely move around and check from different angles. Patricia was excited to see that all of the creatures seamed to be of the Plant attribute, her poison should be very effective. her excitement continued to rise when she saw two dandies among them. if her opponent chose to send either of them she had high hopes for her victory. her expectations took a slight hit as she noticed the beast in the last cage.
it looked like a clump of dirt about a half meter in every dimension, held together by shaggy grass that sprouted from its top. along its bottom the roost of the grass could be seen poking out like a thousand tiny tendrils. from the sides several thicker roots sprouted. Patricia recognized it from Emilia's notes, it was a hybrid plant earthen attribute beast known as a Sod Crawler. she had hoped to avoid seeing any earthen beasts so soon into the tournament, especially one that was proficient in grabbing its attackers. if it were to get a hold of any of her stingers they would be unable to fight back and would quickly be defeated. combined with its natural resistance to poison it would be a formidable opponent.
Patricia was willing to bet this would be the monster she would have to contend with. but she wasn't too upset, knowing what her opponents beast choice was sure to be made it easier for her to choose her own fighter. she quickly considered her options and settled on a plan.
her examination time ran out and she and her opponent returned to their respective sides. the employees approached each combatant and accepted the three chips which represented the three of their beasts they would be choosing between. Patricia chose to enter Little Hope, Buzz, and Tox. her opponent chose his three and when their choices were announced she was unsurprised to see the Sod Crawler among them. she knew what decision she must make. both contestants handed their choices chip to the employees.
"I choose beast 6, the Sod Crawler."
"I choose beat 4, the Stinger, Tox."