Flight of the Bumbling Bard

[Kali]

?Red sky at night, sailor take delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.? It was hard not to think of the old proverb while watching the sun rise, painting the clouds pink as they passed over head.

Kali was far from a sailor but the hymn held special meaning for her. She had heard it from a sailor on her first boat ride. Her troupe had to pool money for passage, and even then, they were restricted to the belly of the ship, but the novelty alone made it worthwhile.

The memory brought a smile to Kali?s face. She could only imagine what her troupe would think of a place like this.

All the excitement in the arena might happen during the day, but Kali was starting to appreciate the early morning hours the most, before the doors opened to the crowds.

Hanging upside down from the rafters of the Arena?s top level, Kali could easily see beasts scurrying about below. There was a certain energy in the air as slaves busied themselves with cleaning the seats, making repairs to guard rails and practicing their role in the day?s festivities. It took real work to keep the Arena running smoothly with only a few hours to spare before the audience come pouring in?

? to watch beasts die.

Kali cringed as the mango she was eating turned to ash. It was hard to enjoy her meal knowing it was bought with blood money, and there was simply no amount of wine or tasty treats that could erase the memory of the Culling.

Didn?t keep Kali from trying of course. Her diet was completely ruined from her attempts to escape the vivid images of ?glorious? combat, and the victim?s desperate pleas for mercy still haunted her dreams.

All for wholesome family entertainment.

?This mango was rotten anyway.? Kali sighed, stuffing her breakfast into the sack she brought with her.

Flapping her wings, Kali dropped from the rafters. Her sudden appearance at the stair well on the level below caused a few beasts to shout in alarm.

?Sorry, Leroy!? She called out. The bat continued to glide in a circle down the stairs, greeting beasts she knew, apologizing to others she narrowly avoided.

?Berry! Looking good! New tunic looks great! Pepper, did you polish your collar? Mr. Bone Crusher! How?s the pups??

The deeper Kali went into the arena the fewer beasts she knew. Nire kept her busy entertaining guests in the upper levels. Dancing and juggling and occasionally butchering a song as part of her act in-between matches in the arena. Kali tried her best to not focus on the fights, just her work. But it was hard to ignore the sounds of battle, and although the bat was ashamed to admit it?

? some of the fights really were good.

Trying her best to banish such thoughts from her mind, Kali finally arrived in the underworks. She decided to walk the rest of the way, poking her head around the corner of the bowyer?s shop rather than just barging in, determined not to startle the stoat? again.

The shop however, was empty. Bows laid half-finished on the table along with other crafting projects. And not one of them resembled her lute.

?Aldridge? Hello! Aldy?? The bat stepped into the bowyer?s empty room. ?Aldy? Mr. Stoat? Are you here??

?You won?t find him here.?

The bat was looking under the table when she heard the voice behind her. Kali jumped, smacking her head on the table with a loud shout. ?Blast it! Not again! Ow, ow, ow owie??

The vole standing behind Kali cringed. ?Are you alright??

?Mentally, physically or emotionally?? Kali drew a sharp breath as she rubbed her head, ?Miss Droven! I didn?t see you there, obviously.? The bat managed to chuckle despite the circumstances. By now the sight of the Luthier was a familiar one from Kali?s daily visits to check on her lute. ?I was going to visit Aldy before coming to see you??

?I was hoping Aldridge was with you actually.? The vole replied. Droven was a muscular beast and Kali found it odd to see such a powerful creature nervously wring out her own tail. ?He didn?t come into work this morning.?

Kali tilted her head to one side. She didn?t seem to follow why the vole would be so worried about something so trivial. ?Maybe he is just running late.?

?Maybe.? Droven said quietly, ?I hope it is nothing, but no one has seen Aldridge today. And there are rumors there was some kind of fight in the bar last night.? Letting go of her tail Droven laughed, ?I guess I am just worried is all. So many of my villagers have died in the past few days, I would hate to lose another one.?

Kali cringed. What kind of sympathy could she offer? Somehow, ?I feel sorry for your loss,? just didn?t seem to cut it.

?There is nothing to be done about it now though.? Droven rubbed something from her eye but still managed to smile, ?Ah, I almost forgot why I came down here in the first place. I was going to tell Aldridge to let you know the good news. I was able to fix your lute after all. I just need to polish it up. Swing by tonight to pick it up.?

This brought a smile to Kali?s face. ?Oh, thank you!? She wrapped herself around the vole with a hug.

The vole chuckled, ?I thought that might make your day.? She gently tore herself away from the bat, hesitating before asking, ?Can you ask around about Aldridge for me? There are only so many places I can go as a slave and??

The bat laughed. ?I?m sure Aldridge is fine. You?ll see. I can?t imagine him getting into too much trouble.?

?Then you don?t know Aldridge.? The vole replied, ?If you see him, let him know we are worried about him, okay??

The bat gave the vole a thumb up sign with her wing. ?Oh, I will! You can count on that. I?ll give Aldy a good ol? scolding for making all of you worry. Just you wait.? The bat turned on her heel to walk away, her smile instantly melting from her face.

Where was Aldridge?

She just hoped that he didn?t go and get himself into trouble after the last time they spoke. Kali could only imagine how the stoat must be hurting after losing friends to something like the Culling.

Not enough volunteers willing to die for your entertainment? No problem! Just throw some slaves into the games.

Half the beasts who died had no choice but to fight?

?I already knew that.? Kali said out loud as she walked up the stairs. Beasts had to step around the bat, narrowly dodging her wings as she gestured with them, ?Slavery isn?t new for you batty. You?ve seen slavery from one end of the continent to the next. Sure, it?s sad, but there isn?t anything you can do about it. It?s just? a way of life for the beasts here.?

But this isn?t slavery. This is slaughter.

Stopping on the next level, Kali growled to herself, ?Oh, and what am I supposed to do about it? What can I do? I?m just a bard! A bard with a paying job!? Briefly Kali thought about what would happen if she went back to working taverns like before. An image of a scrawny bat filled her mind, dressed in rags and shivering in the cold.

?Oi! My tender sensibilities of right and wrong sure are keeping me warm this winter!?

Kali rubbed her shoulders as she shivered. She didn?t want to be homeless again, not through another winter like the last. But what if she stayed?

Another image of a bat filled her mind, this one sleek and beautiful, dressed in a blue silk dress. Pearls wrapped around her neck and diamonds hung from her ears. ?Darlings,? Wealthy Kali said to an adoring crowd, ?I know you all want me to preform for you, but I?m booked solid! Maybe this time next year??

Kali scrunched her nose. She was walking again, nearing the office corridors. ?Right. I doubt that would really happen but?? The bat?s voice trailed off. She stopped halfway down the hallway, ears twitching. She glanced quickly over her shoulder but only statues of famous gladiators returned the bat?s stare.

This didn?t stop Kali from squinting her eyes however, and eventually the bat smiled coyly.

A moment passed. Cautiously a beast peered around the corner. The vole blinked in surprise that the bat was missing from the hallway. Her head looked left and right for the beast until she seemed to conclude that there was only one conceivable place Kali could be and looked?

?Hi!? Kali waved, hanging upside down from the ceiling above the vole.

The beast let out a squeak, instinctively shielding herself with her book. When no attack came, the vole carefully began to peer over the top of her makeshift shield.

Still hanging from the rafters Kali offered another wave of her wing, ?Hi there! So sorry to startle you. It just seemed like you were following- Oh Fates! What-has-happened-to-your-face!?? The bat made a high-pitched wail as she covered her own muzzle with both wings.

The vole pulled the hood of her cloak closer. ?It is nothing. Really.?

?That doesn?t look like nothing.? The bat descended from the ceiling, landing on the floor. ?Are you ok? You look?? Noticing the dangerous stare the vole shot her way, Kali quickly swallowed her initial reply, ?Good. Good. Hardly noticed it.? Kali hid behind a shelter of her own too, using laughter to try and remove the foot she so gallantly put into her own mouth, ?I?ve seen you around before. I?m afraid I never caught your name, but you are a scribe for Nire, right??

The vole nodded.

Kali would be the first to admit that she wasn?t very good at picking up social cues, but even she could tell when a beast wanted nothing more than to bolt away from a situation rather than start a conversation.

So, naturally, Kali tried to start a conversation. ?What happened? Did you fall? Because I?ve nearly done that half a dozen times just on the way here and let me tell you, this floor is not forgiving.?

This only caused the vole to smirk, ?Yes, a fall.? Her eyes shifted away from the bat, ?I fell after a jar leapt up and attacked me.?

The bat gave her a curious glance, wondering if her head wound ran deeper than it looked. ?Jars, don?t normally leap.?

?They do with help?? The vole waved off the bat?s concern. She let her book drop but kept her head turned slightly away from the bat so her wound was hidden. ?It is inconsequential.?

?Are you sure? Because it looked like you were following me for a reason.? Kali said, thinking that reason was a cry for help.

?Yes, I was?? The vole seemed to struggle on how to explain. ?I was taking notes.?

?Notes? About me??

?Yes.? The look in the vole?s eyes was something Kali was not familiar with. It was a sort of insistent curiosity she had never seen before, and made her quite uncomfortable.

?T-that?s nice.? Kali took a step backward, ?Oh! I-I think I just heard Nire calling me.?

?Doubtful.? The vole snapped her notebook open, turning it to the page she needed without looking at it. ?Now, Miss Kali, was it? What kind of bat are you??

Giving the vole a rather worried stare, ?Whyyyyyyyy do you need to know??

?Why not?? The vole?s stark yet serious reply completely floored the bat, allowing her to continue, ?I am Nire?s scribe, Adeen. Noticing anomalies in the Crater is my duty and goal. As a bardic bat, you fit both.?

Adeen?s explanation was met with a blank stare from Kali. ?So, for Science??

?If it lets me get my job done faster, then yes. For Science.?

?Oh! Okay. That I can understand.? The bat relaxed, ?It wouldn?t be the first time someone was fascinated by the appearance of little ol? me. Heck, just being a fox-bat has got me a few jobs that way. Although an alchemist did want to dissect my brain once. As long as we don?t go that far, I am fine answering a few questions.?

?I promise nothing.? Adeen jotted the term ?fox-bat? down into her notebook. ?Do you have any actual fox in your blood, or is fox-bat just a term people give you??

Kali laughed, ?Depends on who you ask back home, I guess. The older ones in the village used to spin tales about how we came from a fox who traded his tail for bat wings.? More notes were jotted down into the book, causing Kali to chuckle. ?You know, this could actually be kind of fun.?

The vole nodded. ?Excellent. Are you of average height and weight for your species?? Adeen prodded the bat?s belly with a claw. ?Are you all so? squishy??

And this is no longer fun, Kali thought. With squinted eyes she said, ?As far as you know? Yes. We are very squishy beasts.?

Kali wasn?t sure how much time passed after that. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes of prodding, poking and measurement taking. Kali answered the vole?s questions to the best of her ability, forcing herself to answer even when they got a little too personal for her tastes. In the end, the vole might have satisfied her curiosities, but all Kali got from the exchange was a stark reminder of just how plain she was in the bat world. She might draw attention of these Mossflower beasts, but Kali doubted a creature of her dimensions would turn very many heads back home.

Surely Kali?s wings were not that short, nor were her hips so? rounded, were they? Kali shook off her self-doubts. There was a purpose to enduring these uncomfortable questions.

?Now that I have answered your questions, perhaps you can answer some of mine?? The bat clapped her wings together.

?Do you not have voles where you come from??

?Our voles don?t usually have bruises.? Kali said with what she hoped was a comforting smile. The vole tugged at her hood once again.

?I told you. It is nothing. Just a disagreement between me and another slave.?

?Then you really should tell Nire about it. I?m heading that way now to provide entertainment for his breakfast. If you want, I could let him know you were attacked by a-?

?Do you want to get me killed?? Adeen snapped at the bat so quickly it made Kali flinch. ?What do you think Nire is going to do once he finds out I got into a fight??

Kali continued to back away from the vole?s sudden fierceness, ?I don?t know? f-fix the problem, m-maybe?? Given the way Adeen looked at Kali, she could tell she gave the wrong answer.

?Nire fixes nothing. He only destroys and tears apart. How do you think I got here in the first place? Do you think any of the beasts who wear a collar were slaves bought in some auction?? The vole lowered her voice but hardly softened her tone. ?No, he put us here. And if he thinks anyone of us can fight, he will make us do so for crowd?s amusement.?

Kali had no response except to regard the scribe with horror. ?I-I am sorry. I didn?t mean to cause you any trouble.?

?It is not my trouble that should concern you, but your own.? The vole said quietly but just as urgently, ?I hear how Blasio talks about you, I hear how Nire?s friends talk about you. They whisper in his ear of putting you in armor. They think you would last in the games after you stopped that assassin.?

Despite the seriousness of the conversation Kali found herself holding back laughter, ?Me? In the arena? They are just joking about that! All I did to that assassin was beat him over the head with a lute. It was more comical to them than serious. No beast in their right mind would want to see a bard thrown into combat.?

?Is anyone here really in their right mind?? Kali found no response to the vole?s raised eyebrow, ?Some advice, bard. Whatever keeps you here, whatever Nire holds? Let it go. Beast, object, blackmail. Leave it for lost and disappear before your blood fills the Crater.?

Before Kali could reply she was distracted by the sound of a door opening down the hall. Just another servant scurrying about from office to office. By the time Kali turned back to Adeen she was already gone, tail disappearing around the corner of the hallway.

?T-thanks for the chat.? Kali called out to the vanishing vole. Slowly Kali turned and began walking for the room at the end of the hall. Nire was taking his breakfast in the podium today, and she didn?t have much more time to waste. Yet, the conversation with Adeen left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her knees wobbled as she walked.

It wasn?t wrong to want the good life, the bat told herself, no matter what ill-conceived notions a single vole may have.

But they were not ill-conceived, were they?

Kali could not deny the Arena?s purpose. To entertain in the bloodiest way possible. She also couldn?t deny that most of the beasts here were kidnapped, by the Arena. And those slaves did not lead very happy, or long, lives.

What would it really be like if she stayed?

Kali jumped as a paw tapped her on the shoulder. Kali spun on her heel, ready to defend herself with her wings against an imaginary rat assassin. Instead she found Baxter behind her, holding up his paws defensively, ?Whoa, easy there, lass. I?m a friendly, remember.?

?What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?? Kali demanded. ?Blazes, Baxter, I was almost killed just half a month ago!?

The fox gave a curious glance at the bat?s reaction. ?I called out to you, twice.? His curiosity turned to concern, ?Are you, okay? You seem distracted today.?

Kali crossed her wings, ?What?s this I hear? The great and mighty Baxter showing concern for ?a little freak of nature??? She was surprised when her fellow bard cringed at hearing his own words used against him.

?Well, you got to admit, you are a freak of nature.? The fox?s chuckle fell flat, ?But I can see now that I should not have called you that.?

Kali tilted her head curiously to the side, ?What?s this? An apology? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Baxter? And can we keep you??

?Oh, har har, do you want an apology or not?? The fox rolled his eyes, ?Look, I admit that we didn?t get off on the right paw. To be fair, someone did burst into the room demanding the gig I had.?

Kali nodded her head. She could agree with that.

?But,? the fox continued, ?I would like to think that I do have some scrap of decency left in me, enough to admit that you do have talent. Even if it?s a bit unorthodox. You can play a lute, you can dance, you can even sing in your own odd, ear splitting, batty way.?

Despite the swirl of emotions waging war inside her, Kali managed to smile, ?Thank you, Baxter. That, that actually means a lot to me.?

The fox smiled, ?What truly impresses me though, is the fact that you can do all that while carrying a child.?

Kali nearly tripped into the door.

?At first, I thought you were just some upstart kit trying to make a name for herself, but I can see why a single mother would claw and fight so hard for a? um?? The sheer amount of murder channeled through Kali?s stare was enough to make the fox pause, ?Unless of course you are not pregnant and just very?? Baxter waved his paws in the air while searching for a more tactful term to describe the bat.

Eventually he gave up, ?I?m about to be slapped, aren?t I??

Standing nose to nose with the fox and glaring at him with all the fierceness her eyes could muster, Kali reached up to Baxter?s head, and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

?I deserved that.? The fox admitted while Kali turned angrily for the door. This day was just going so well, she could hardly imagine how much worse it could get.

And then it did.

?Huzzah! The bards cometh.? Nire looked up from the table in the center of the room to greet the bards, ?I was beginning to wonder if you lot got lost. Come in, come in. Quickly beasts! Our guests are already here.?

Nire wasn?t the only beast in the room. Not counting the guards, a small party of wealthy looking city elites mingled with each other near the far wall of the Podium, which was open to spectate over the arena.

They came in all sorts of manner of size and clothing. Some beasts wore silk so fine that a single garment could fund a small army. Others wore the official dress and garb of their station of office around Northvale. And still, others were so spoiled by their own decadence, they were as plump as even Blasio, who reminisced about old gladiator fights with a beast wearing the gown of a magistrate.

The wealth however, matter not to Kali, who only stood at the door, eyes fixated on the contents of the long table in the center of the room.

?What is? this?? Kali?s wing shook as she pointed at the table.

Nire blinked, a grin forming over his face as he got to explain the collection around the table, ?These, my dear bard, are the future additions to the Hall of the Greats.? He waved for the bat to come closer. ?These beasts proved themselves worthy for such an honor. They fought valiantly, like this fellow here.?

The cat?s paw drifted towards the skull of a weasel. It was one of many, laid about the table in one big circle.

It wasn?t the skull per se that made Kali?s breath quicken, nor was it the fact that the skull had been polished and still wore its owner?s helmet. It was the fact that she knew who it belonged to.

?Sir Darkpaw the scourge, felled by Gregor the Lancer. Oh, what a battle that was.? Nire was giddy with excitement while a vivid image of the beast being cut down by a spear flashed across Kali?s mind

?Thought he had Gregor, there at the end, but man, that comeback,? Standing on the other end of the table, Blasio laughed, ?One of the few battles I didn?t mind losing money on, unlike our poor champion.?

?I do admit, The Monster hardly left anything to put in our collection.? Nire said sadly while regarding Hammerpaw?s skull. It was horribly deformed even before the otter-wife plunged a spear through it. Kali cringed, remembering how the wearet took a fish hook to the eye.

Nire beckoned her to draw even closer. There were more than skulls on the table. Weapons, armor, pelts fresh from the taxidermy. Nire explained each one with childlike happiness. Kali could only listen as the world began to spin around her.

All these trophies, each one belonging to a gladiator who had fought, bled, and died in the Arena. Displayed like collectables for the wealthy to gossip over. She wanted desperately to turn away but her eyes fell upon one last object on the table.

With confusion Kali reached a wing tip out towards a claymore with a familiar hilt.

? ye might wanna trade that lute fer a sword if ye want tae be competing in the games.

?MacRaff.? Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, ?Wait a moment, he didn?t die in the arena! I know he didn?t die!?

Nire peered at the sword, ?Who, Kentigern? Ah yes, a shame really to lose a fighter to something as mundane as a tavern brawl.?

Blasio scoffed, ?Do we really want to add him to the Hall of the Greats??

?It?s more of a ?what could have been? thing. He had potential. Just to up and die at the paws of a slave like that.? Nire shrugged, ?It?s a well-made sword. It would be a shame to just let it rot somewhere.?

Kali drifted away from the table, finding it hard to breath suddenly. Words failed her to describe what she saw here. Beasts had spilled their blood to fill their pockets with gold, and they treated it like a joke? Desperately Kali looked for a beast in the room who was just as horrified as she was, but the only beast who came close to looking remotely fazed was Baxter, keeping his head low in the corner of the room. How could he be so calm? Didn?t this bother him too?

Didn?t this bother her?

?So,? Nire clapped his claws together, ?Bard, bard-et. What song do you bring to our ears this fine day??

?I want to go home.?

Nire paused in surprise. Tilting his head upward he stroked his chin, ?Is that some kind of sea chanty? I swear it?s familiar.?

?I think the slaves sing it to themselves every night.? Blasio laughed.

Baxter nearly dropped his lute in horror, ?Y-yes! A fine sea melody! Something with a quick lively pace, isn?t that right, Kali??

?No.? Kali?s voice was timid, still finding it?s courage. ?No more songs. No more dances.? The bat turned to Nire. ?I want to go home.?

Nire didn?t reply at first. He squinted as he pinched the bridge of his muzzle, ?I?m confused, I thought you wanted to work here. So much so that you burst into my dining room to beg me for a job.?

Kali cringed, but she would not be deterred. ?Nire, I?ve seen beasts die before. I?ve worked in the seedy vermin pubs, I even played a tune at a warlord?s wedding. But I?ve never seen them slaughtered like cattle for? for this.? She waved a wing violently at the table, ?These are not? toys for children to gossip about. They were beasts, living things, who had friends and family and they DIED.

?This is wrong.?

A stunned silence fell across the room. Glances were exchanged among the wealthier beasts. Baxter could only nervously bite into his own hat.

?Wrong?? Nire repeated the word as if it had a bitter taste. Something flashed behind his eyes that made Kali shiver. ?You didn?t seem to be offended by my arena when I gave you my food, and let you sleep under my roof.?

?That?s not what I?? The bat?s words fell away as Nire stepped closer, looming over her.

?You see a slaughter, I see? magnificence.? Nire pointed at the table, ?These beasts came from nothing, picked up from backwater villages and forest groves. What else were they supposed to do with their lives? Become farmers? Raise a family?? The cat?s voice turned sour, ?How droll. They died, yes, but they died with style and they will live on forever as legends. The Crater gave them that.?

Kali shielded herself from Nire with her wings. She knew she had lost control of the conversation and anything she said right now would only make matters worse.

?Fly back to your tavern, miserable wench.?

And so, the dream came to its sudden but inevitable end. Tears were running down Kali?s cheeks now. But she remembered her thoughts from weeks before, when she was desperate to become a bard. If she was going to be thrown out then she was going to be thrown out with style.

She wanted desperately to say something, to make a witty comeback, to go out with some form of honor, but the fox-bat feared her voice would choke. Instead she simply bowed, finishing one last performance before turning for the exit, waiting for the guards to escort her out.

?Are you? sure you want to just let her go?? Blasio sounded disappointed.

?What do you expect me to do, Blasio? Bind her wings and march her down to the Drag?? Nire chuffed. Back turned to Kali, the lynx grabbed his wine goblet off the table.

?That?s what guards are for.?

Swords were drawn on the bat, the guards blocking her path to the door. Kali gasped, ?W-what are you doing?!?

?Blasio, you were right after all.? Drinking from the goblet, Nire?s smile returned. ?I think she will turn some heads in the arena after all...?

Adeen?s words came rushing back to Kali. They really wanted to see the bat in the arena? Surely, they must be joking! This was all some terrible, horrible joke! They? they couldn?t actually throw her into the arena, could they?

She let out a pathetic squeak as the guards advanced on her. ?Y-you can?t do this? I? I?m a free beast!?

Nire glanced around the room, from the law enforcer to the judge, ?Well, any objections?? When he was met by indifferent silence, the lynx shrugged, ?It seems you stand corrected, Kali. You were a free beast.?

Only Baxter shared Kali?s terror. He looked torn between standing still and acting. But, ultimately not enough to help Kali.

No one was coming to her aid.

?Please Nire, don?t do this. I just want to take my Lute and go! I promise you will never see me again!? Despite her please, the guards only advanced. Her only hope now was the open wall to the arena, but surely, they would be ready for such an obvious source of escape.

Casually the lynx nodded to the guards, ?Try not to damage her wings. She will be needing those soon.?

Kali squeaked in terror. She stepped backwards, seeming to trip over her own two feet, instead she fell into a roll right under the table, appearing on the other side. She leaped upward, grabbing the edge of the table cloth with her feet and pulling it with her as she ascended.

Nire nearly choked on his wine. ?No! Stop her!? His voice was more anxious now that his precious trophies were in danger. The guards were upon Kali in an instant, but were still too slow to stop the beast. Trophies went everywhere as the table cloth fell upon the guards.

One tried to slash his way through the fabric, the other tripped over Hammerpaw?s skull. In death, the warrior managed to defeat one last opponent as the rat fell into his fellow guard.

Kali didn?t wait for more guards to arrive, she just bolted for open wall of the Podium, leaving a chorus of shouts behind her. Briefly her mind went to the things she would be leaving behind; her lute, her souvenirs of her many travels, her spare clothes and supplies. All of it an acceptable loss if she got out of here alive.

The bat reached the opening and veered upward, flapping her wings as hard as she could to reach those cloudy red skies above her.

? red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

Kali didn?t know why the old hymn chose now of all times to surface. Not until a shadow fall upon her from above. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes wide as she let out an earsplitting scream.

An instant later the hawk snatched her from the air.

Carrying the bat off like a rag doll, the hawk circled once around the arena. Kali wasn?t sure which was worse; keeping her eyes open during terrifying ride, or closing them and imagining what would happen when it finally ended?

Finishing the circle around the Crater, the hawk slowed before landing on the edge of the Podium.

Nire was the only beast who dared approach the bird, raising an eyebrow to the pathetic form of Kali dumped roughly at his feet. She was curled into a shivering ball, hiding behind her wings, but she had no injuries other than the near heart attack her capture brought upon her.

The hawk looked expectantly at Nire. Hovering a talon over the bat, its intent was clear without words. 

Nire?s face was impassive as he considered Kali?s fate. He idly tapped a claw against the broken skull of Hammerpaw in his hand. ?There won?t be any need for that, Thunder. I think Kali got the lesson.? Nire kneeled beside the bat, ?Now, now, Kali. Don?t be upset. I?m giving you everything you ever wanted. This is your chance to be famous, to do something really? amazing. And if not??

Nire?s laugh chilled the bat to the bone, ?Well, Thunder here will teach you the real meaning of slaughter.?

Kali cried as the guards grabbed her by the arms. As she was led away, the only thought running through her mind was?

I should have listen to the Vole.