The young man sat on the bench, completely oblivious to any person or monster around him. Totally enveloped in his sketchbook, his right hand crossed over the same set of lines time and time again. Occasionally, his vision darted directly forward, but only for brief instances before resuming their original task.

His curly, blondish brown hair fell to just below his ears, and his blue bandana stood prominent over any other features. Directly in the center was a ying yang symbol that glinted the sunlight every time his head raised then lowered. The rest of his attire was a dingy blue, mostly from the wind’s desert contents collecting on it as they passed.

His face twisted in frustration as he wrapped the flapping pages behind the pad with his free hand. This wind would simply not do.

A firm gust then blew his hair into his vision. He closed his book, and raised his hand beside his eyes. Free from the oncoming wind, they gazed firmly at the dusty and downtrodden coliseum.

“Well, I’ll finish sometime tomorrow.” The young man spoke to himself, “Better go check on Pierrot.”

He rose slowly, tucking his binder beneath his right arm as he began walking. The wind died down drastically, taunting him to try again. He laughed at his own luck. Maybe the tournament will turn out better.

Walking through the arena’s archway, he instantly noticed the registration desk. Two men were in this room. One was at the counter, speaking with the lady behind it. He was easily six feet tall. A tan colored coat stopped just above his knees, and his black dreadlocks reached down to the middle of his back. His dark hair was a harsh contrast to his paleness. As he began scribbling a signature on a form, the slight scent of tobacco caught the young man’s attention.

The second individual leaned against one of the thick, cracked columns smoking a cigar. He was a huge man, with bald head and a brown suit. To say his green tie was outstanding would still give no justice to how much it stood out. He wasn’t as tall as the other man, but his frame pushed against every inch of that suit, and appeared to be pure muscle. He was easily the strongest of the three.

He blew a small smoke ring before his eyes darted to the man in blue. His lips pulled back instantly; smoke billowing from the sides of his grin. He stuck the smoldering end of his cigar into a nearby potted plant, and walked briskly towards the newcomer.

“Greetings, and welcome to Joxipo. I haven’t seen you here before, just arrive?”

The blue bandana bobbed once in response to the burly man’s voice. It carried a lot of power, that voice, and charisma. This man knew his way around selling something, which was obvious.

“Pardon me, my manners are a bit tardy. My name is Kilogel.” Extending his large hand as the name left his lips.

Taking the gesture in his own, the man in blue replied, “I’m Max. Nice to meet you.”

“A pleasure…” The man smiled, “And what brings you to this little hole in the wall, Max?”

“I’m here to compete.” He seemed to mutter, releasing the powerful grip.

“Ah, a rancher!” Kilogel exclaimed, “I myself planned on entering this event also. I hear the prize money is quite a sum. A rich labor patron in these parts is sponsoring, you know.”

“A slave driver’s event?” Max seemed to spit, “Some obvious promotional value, I guess.”

“Well, I don’t really like those slave masters anyway. Very underhanded, very cruel types.”

The man grasped his suit’s jacket with both hands, holding his head up as he spoke, like a true politician, “I plan to abolish human slaves in this part at some point, but I’ll have to get enough face in these tournaments to gather support, and money.”

“That’s very noble of you, sir.” Max smiled, “I have no love for people who profit from other’s pain.”

“Glad we have something in common.” Was his response, the trademark smile included.

The other man turned from the counter swiftly, and with a quick paced exited the archway entrance. Kilogel’s eye followed him briefly, and then returned to Max.

“Well, young sir, there are only two slots left in the tournament. Go right ahead, I have some business to attend to.”

“Have a most profitable day, Mr. Kilogel.” The man in blue said promptly, with a firm handshake and a smile.

“Oh, I most certainly intend to.”

With that, Max made his way to the registration desk as his new acquaintance exited in a similar fashion as the previous man.

Kilogel strolled onto the earthen road, the brisk wind died suddenly as he stopped.

“Well, should I handle him now?” The black haired man asked nonchalantly, leaning against the wall outside.

“I am paying you well, Graivyn. Do not jump the gun.” Kilogel spoke solidly, a stern look on his face.

“That is the twerp from the Torble Cup, eh?”

“Max is a legend in the smaller arenas, but always got slapped out of the big leagues. Some say he threw his fights to let other trainers ascend instead of him.” The large man crossed his arms and lowered his gaze to the road.

“Charity should be left for the low ringers. Let me get Death and handle this now.” The other man pushed himself off the wall, walking slowly up to his employer’s side.

“No. I can’t jeopardize this yet, not with Erik’s allegiance still shaky. His nobility may pit him against us. That we cannot afford. He is a very skilled rancher, but worse…”

Kilogel stepped forward a bit, slowly turning his head slightly towards his accomplice, “He is clever beyond reason…”

“Don’t worry, Kilogel. I’m positive we can work whatever angle comes to us here. This will be a cinch.”

“Graivyn, I will say it once, so remember it.” The businessman turned abruptly, staring into his partner’s eyes, “Underrate no one in this tournament.”

The wind blew suddenly and harshly as they shared an equally cold gaze.

Meanwhile…At The Arena…

Erik stood silently. He hated how they worked these introductions. Kept everything under raps, then introducing all the competitors at once. Of course, there was about an hour before the first bracket, so people could go bet on whichever monster of trainer they thought could win.

Not a one of them knew who the competition would be…

He stared nervously into the wooden gate before him, his right foot tapping impatiently in this darkness. He was going to be the first introduced. The beams of yellowish light fought through various cracks, but did little to illuminate the cell he currently inhabited with his monster, as each trainer was also doing.

The announcer’s voice boomed.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!, Welcome to the Joxipo Exhibition Match of July! It is a scorcher today, but wow what a line up for you folks to sink your teeth into!”

Erik pulled a red handkerchief with scattered, white dots from his jacket, and wiped his forehead with one suave motion. Like he needed someone to tell them how hot it was getting.

“First up, this man’s name is synonymous with the mere thought of Master Class. Currently working his newest monster through the ranks, I am proud to introduce, Erik Van Krissler, and his monster, Taegar!”

Slowly, the light flooded his vision. Erik squinted as he placed the cloth back into his jacket, and began strolling out slowly.

The crowd erupted as he emerged and waved to them, the sun high and beaming upon them. Behind him, a shining blue came from the darkness. The light reflected off the Hound Knight’s armor made it like looking into the sun itself. His buckler held limply in his left hand, with a long, strait-edged sword in his right.

They stopped a few feet out, as told, and remained in front of their door as it shut.

Erik took in the field. Red stains and uneven sand mounds littered this arena. Obviously, it wasn’t very well taken care of. The announcer’s voice, once again, pierced his thoughts.

“Next up, we have the youngster from down under. From the Southern Islands, he has trained vigorously to beat the best. This quest has landed him squarely in our tournament. I refer to none other than James Nottap, and his monster, Galiant!”

The second set of timber gates screeched as they separated. Out came someone who would radiate confidence in the darkest of hours. Brown, curly hair to his ears, he emerged with a bright smile and both hands to the sky. His green clothes swayed lightly in a passing breeze.

The Gali floated out with the same high and mighty attitude his trainer did. The white cape fluttered lightly in the same gust of air. Nothing special, except the arrogance.

The crowd, of course, loved them.

“Our third competitor is no stranger to us. She is a native born Joxipo rancher, and is currently raising her ninth successful career monster. Give it up for our own Kaytelyn, and her fighter, Jeagornaut!”

The crowd nearly began falling into the stadium for this one. She walked out in a similar style to her predecessor, except that blowing kisses would have been strange on his part. A beauty would be an understatement, and it was strange that she lived here, and yet her skin remained a smooth, astonishing white. Her black hair bounced as she entered the coliseum, with whistles and wedding proposals bombarding the air.

Her monster was as white as she was. A White Tiger actually, but it had searing red eyes. Much like her, being so pale with those scarlet lips and a bright crimson necklace. Its teeth seemed unbelievably sharp, long, and not to mention, dangerous.

Everyone knew she had a sound advantage. She trained here, thus her monster would be used to the heat, unlike the others.

“The forth entry for our tournament is a former FIMBA title holder. Another young buck, he excelled quickly at a young age, and continues to ascend. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jared, and his monster, Goliath!”

Erik rolled his eyes as the gates opened. He was hoping it would be mainly speed, intelligence, or magic based, so that Taeger would only need to connect a few times to take them out.

Somehow, Goliath didn’t sound like a Wracky…

The lumber spread once more, and slowly, the young man came. He had black, spiky hair, with baggy jeans and a simple black T-shirt. His stare never left the dirt, and Erik wondered if he hated tournaments themselves, or the people that watched them.

The crowd applauded once more, but was cut short as the arena literally shook. Everyone paused and stared in awe at the opening. Jared looked to the darkness, and gave a quick jerk of his head to the center of the arena. A soft rumbling responded, then the dust itself bounced in rhythm of the monster approached.

The horn emerged fist, fooling most with a glance. The huge, brown fingers that reached out and grasped the side of the entryway, gave the Golem away. With the blood of the great beetle in his veins, Erik realized the power this foe would have.

The ground halted its quivering as the monster stood beside his master, completely dwarfing every monster and human in the arena. It was monstrous, even by monster standards.

“Halfway through our roster, this man is known in IMA for his monster’s utter domination of opponents. Former champion of the Torble A Class last year, and one of the youngest competitors ever, I give you Max, and his newest creation, Pierrot!”

The arena was alive with buzzing conversation, not applause. The gates spread slowly, possibly the slowest. The man in blue was known to Erik, the 16 year old devastator of Torble. His blue bandana paraded the Ying Yang symbol proudly.

The Ripper emerged shyly. It was a tannish-brown, and had numerous scars across its entire body. The most notable, was across his forehead. Somehow, it wasn’t a clean, direct slice like you would receive in combat. It was slow, and jagged, like someone had cut the monster up on purpose.

It was rather small for a Ripper, made readily apparent as it reached Max, leaning forward and pressing to his leg, eyeing the competition with what could best be deemed fear. Namely; the Golem.

“In our sixth slot resides another known trainer from the far western coasts. He competed here last year, and lost in the finals. The runner up is back with the same monster in search of some good retribution. I give you Deis, and his monster, Garu!”

The arena clapped again as the doors assumed their task. A tall man walked out, looking very stern. No smile, no wave, just a walk. Erik would go as far to call it a march.

The Garu walked out, chest high, like it was bigger than Goliath. He jumped suddenly, landing with crouched knees and extended claws, hissing at the Ripper beside him.

Pierrot, surprisingly, didn’t even flinch. It merely blinked a few times, more confused than surprised.

Of course, Garu saw things differently. He marched onward, like a true arrogant champion that had just intimidated all of his competition.

“Uh, yeah. As our seventh combatant, making his first debut in Joxipo. He made quite a stir earlier this year with his debut monster taking all the gold up to this competition. For someone’s first monster to be undefeated is indeed worthy of praise. I present none other than Frost, and his monster, Sleet!”

The crowd roared loudly, clearly showing his growing fame. The shabby, fallen trees separated, as the others had: slowly and creaking.

Erik’s first thought was more of a gothic relation to the person’s outfit. Black hair spiked back, easily as pale as Kaytelyn. Long, dark black pants ran down his extremely long legs, and a long sleeve, Navy blue shirt covered his lengthy arms. On each wrist, resided a spiked band.

Somehow, Erik knew he wouldn’t duck a Joker today. The Blue Terror floated out, smiling as all Joker’s smile. The clown mask seemed so lifeless, but the weapon seemed very painful. The head of it was easily as large as the monster itself.

“Nearing the end, we have our eighth entrant. Known far and wide for his Spartan training and insanely tough monsters, this man is no stranger to victory or defeat, and has also tasted the gold of a Master’s Championship. I give you, The Crimson Cyclops himself, Dowle, and his monster, Darkmane!”

The crowd bellowed again as the gate of poor carpentry opened. The man walked out slowly, the tallest thus far. His short, red hair ran down his face, and into a similarly colored light beard. He was too far away for Erik to see the famed crimson right eye.

Erik felt a smile creeping across as not one, not two, but three monsters emerged from the shadows. How long had it been since he had seen a Koropendora compete, now? Three, four years maybe?

The Baku bloodline was obvious, as it seemed three dogs were following their master.

Three pitch black hounds, at that. A rare find, indeed.

“Second to last we have a competitor known mostly for his brutality in the S class ranks. A certified champion with many breeds, today he grants us one of the deadliest monsters ever to be produced from his farm. I mean Graivyn, and his monster, Death!”

Erik’s eyes narrowed instantly. What is that worthless, backstabbing dog doing here?

The forest-made door swung open as the crowd wailed in approval. They enjoyed bloodbaths, and this man usually delivered. He walked out slowly, instantly eyeing Erik.

Smirking lightly, he shook his head, his dreadlocks following with the gesture.

Out of the darkness came twin scythes, smaller ones, but scythes nonetheless. The boney and unmistakable form of a Zan eventually pulled its figure from the darkness behind it.

The ebony body walked slowly, taking in its competition with each step. The arms on its back were each equipped with a small scythe, and its face had a white skull that looked almost painted on.

Whether it was created naturally, or just a rare breed, it was the first Zan/Joker Erik had ever seen.

“Our final combatant is known and laved by all. If not for his charisma, or his kindness, than it would have to be his prowess in the arena. This man truly needs no introduction, as I present Kilogel, and his monster, Yamigel!”

The final set of poorly erected woodwork began to tremble as it spread.

Erik watched Kilogel enter the way he expected him to. Hands with a firm grip on each side of his brown business jacket, lips locked onto his newly lit cigar. He always walked with a sense of leadership.

Erik remembered following him into combat many times.

The short flashback was sent scurrying when the short figure followed Kilogel out. An Antlan/Joker. It wobbled, like most Antlans do, in part to their insect-like, as Erik thought of it, a tail.

The other monsters all looked towards it instantly. Erik noticed Taeger grasping his hilt firmly with a sudden purpose, Pierrot instantly darted to the other side of Max, Goliath took a step back, made apparent by the quick rise of dust, and even Death’s scythes twitched and faced this new foe.

Something was wrong with this monster, and all the others knew it.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, here is your entertainment for the next three days! We will have the initial fights this evening, the semi finals tomorrow, and the grand finale on the third day. An unprecedented three way monster Battle Royal for all the gold!”

Erik blinked a few times. Man, those fights were tough to win, and thank goodness they were allowed to rest that day for it.

“The battlers have been paired to compete this evening as follows:

First round, we have Sleet vs. Galiant.

Second round, Death vs. Pierrot

Third round, Darkmane vs. Jeagornaut

Forth round, Yamigel vs. Garu

Fifth round, Taeger vs. Goliath

Would both the trainers for the first match please report to their assigned gates in an hour. Be ready to fight. Ladies and Gentlemen, this tournament is ready to explode!”

The crowds began filing out to various locations. Food, restrooms, and souvenirs, but most went consult their bookies.

Erik sighed as trainers and monsters began exiting the field. He glanced over at Graivyn.

He was shaking hands with Kilogel, and laughing. They both nodded a few times with an exchange of words, and then retreated to their respected gates.

Erik felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned quickly.

The man with the plain black shirt stood their, smiling, “Good luck in our match. Don’t hold back.”

The extended hand affirmed the caliber of this young competitor, and Erik grasped it firmly, “With that attitude, you’ll be the best of the best one day.”

He nodded, and then headed back to his monster. Erik realized then that his Durahan was squaring off against the Golem in round one.

“Well Taeger, looks like you better be light on your feet and precise with your blows.”

The metal monster merely nodded in agreement.

Later…In the Balcony Seats…

Kilogel sucked down the last bit of his cigar with a long inhale. Death’s trainer emerged moments later.

“The preparations have been made?”

“Of course.” was Graivyn’s reply, “Yamigel has One in Fifty odds, while Death is taking a portion of the pot at One in Five. Only Taeger is over him, One in Three.”

“Well, that means our little team is sitting quite nicely.”

“Van Krissler will never trust me again, you know?”

“Does he trust you now?” Kilogel smirked as he planted the smoldering end of his cigar into the barricade wall.

“Well, just seems pointless to work trust back with him, just to stab him in the back before the third day of the fights.”

“That is why you leave the thinking to your employer.”

“Of course.” Graivyn seemed to spit, rolling his right arm in small, circular motions.

The brown shoulders of the business suit bounced a few times with the light chuckle. The still smoking cigar end spun wildly into the arena as he smiled, and turned to his conspirator.

“So, it begins.”

--Sorry for the wait, as well as any typos. Looks like the action is fixin’ to go up a notch. It is good to be back.-- CHB

Suddenly all is right with the world again.

Top-notch addition, as always. Professional and detailed without being unnecessarily descriptive...my only hope is that the next enthralling chapter doesn't take so long to complete.

Good job CHB. Well worth waiting for. Happy to see you back.

So many interesting characters, so many interesting matchups, oh!, where will it end? I don't expect that unkempt arena to look the same when they're all done. So much damage to be done. Hehehe.

Great addition as usual CHB been waiting for the next chapter of this story for a while but it was worth the wait.

I'm on work internet right now.

The internet in my room is fizzing up, which will make the next Champion Rising (already completed)a little longer to post.

I loved it, nice addition. Can't wait for the first round in the next post. As always, a great chap by CHB.

Room internet back.

Flying alot this week, but I promise to try my hardest to have Harvenger back on the map by this weekend.

Hey, wow, its been a while since anyone has posted anything new, i really wish you had time to post more of this story, or yer other ones CHB. You are an awesome writer, but i understand life being to busy sometimes. So, eagerly awaiting the next chapter of any of yer great epics... or maybe you should just publish em, hehe.