"It's magnificent. I've never seen an event center this large before," Emory choked, still overwhelmed by the sheet scope of the arena, "What kind of events do you even hold here?"
Soren mused, "All the important events are held here like the festival and the Sphere trials. Then, for smaller events, the field can be divided into four smaller stages for sports or concerts. It only gets this full for main events."
Emory slowly nodded as she took in more of her surroundings. Every hundred seats or so, a small walkway split up the stands and gave the spectators a way to get down to the commons. They had walked out to a decent sized platform, though, which only stood a few feet higher than the central platform and allowed them a great view. Several people with masks were already in the area as well as a few workers carrying trays of food and drink.
"Soren and Emory! We were beginning to wonder if you two had snuck out to do your own activities," a man with a wolfish mask called, "You're just in time; they're going to start at any minute."
"My apologies, Bramimond, Emory here wanted to do some shopping while we waited, and it went long," Soren explained, "It's good we haven't missed anything yet."
A man with a demon kabuki mask walked closer, "Is that a mask made of magik? You really are impressive. It truly was good fortune when I met you a couple of weeks ago."
"Athos! I didn't recognize you with the mask on," Emory jumped slightly, "I think it was good fortune for both of us. Thank you for your guidance."
"Nonsense. I merely helped you understand a couple key concepts; you did all the work yourself," Athos laughed heartily.
"I may have charged quite a bit to your account," Emory apologized, "I wanted to get gear for my friends back home, and Soren helped me find a lot of good pieces. A weapon and armor set for all eight of us."
Athos sighed, "You should have said something; then I would have had some elite gear made for you."
"That's what Soren said as well," Emory rolled her eyes, "I did get one of the master forgers to make the armor. Is that all alright? I'm sorry if I spent too much."
"Don't you worry about a thing. The value of having you and humanity as allies far surpasses the little change you spent tonight. Now let's enjoy the rodeo," Athos gently patted her on the back. Bramimond and Soren had gone off to one corner while Athos and Emory took a couple seats near the back.
"Speaking of the rodeo, what kind of animals do they ride?" Emory questioned, "Back in the Sol System, they do rodeos with cows and horses."
Athos smirked, "Well, two of the three animals are like that. The first event is Hasda riding which is very similar to a cow, though their horns are long and curled. And the second event is unicorn riding so like horse riding with the horn for added danger. However, the final event is wyvern riding." A trumpet rang out through the arena, drowning out the deafening roar of the audience which quieted down to a low roar.
"Welcome to the Mabon Festival! I hope you're all kicking the festival off on a good note. As summer turns to winter, the cycle of life and death continues on," the announcer boomed over the stadium, "Tonight, we going to kick this off with the Hasda portion. As usual, four riders and their Hasda will be released into the arena. The last one still on their Hasda will move up to the semifinals and onwards until your champion has been crowned. Remember to visit our stands for refreshments. And let the show begin!"
Immediately after he finished, a loud bang echoed throughout the colosseum, and four large creatures burst onto the stage with a person on each animal's back. The stage had a dirt and gravel floor which caused dust to fly as the creatures jumped and jostled around. Emory could see none of them were using magik to increase their grip strength, just muscle and skill. She also noticed that Soren was still talking to Bramimond, and Athos caught her staring.
"He's a good man," Athos nudged Emory, "But both of them have a hard time relaxing. Even at a social event like this, they're still war planning."
Emory coughed, "What are you talking about?"
"It's fine, only natural really," Athos teased, "He's the first peer you've truly had, though we all pale in comparison to the power you are capable of wielding in your normal form."
"Who, Soren? He has been very nice, but I'm sure he's just a nice person," Emory blushed before turning back to look at the event.
"You younglings are so fickle," an older woman Emory assumed to be Elimine cackled, "And if you're waiting for him, you'll be waiting for a long time because he's just as dense as you are."
Emory shook her head in embarrassment, "No, it's not like that at all. Besides, even if it was like that, there's a whole galaxy of problems to deal with first. He's leading an army; I'm leading an army. It just wouldn't work right now."
"It sounds like you're making excuses," Athos laughed, "Just go tell him you like him already. Or don't. After all, you seem to be luckier than I, so you'll get more opportunities." Emory slumped a little in her chair while her unknown feelings welled up inside her. So, instead of dealing with them, she tried to distract herself with the rodeo.
Most of the contestants couldn't stay on the bucking beasts for even a minute in the first several rounds of the event. Those who did easily secured first place spots. When someone got thrown off, they would quickly get escorted out of the arena while another person would calm the Hasda down and lead them through a different exit, After sixteen sets of four competed, the contest continued to the semifinals. This time, however, each of the competitors lasted at least two minutes with the round champions lasting three minutes. With magik, this would have been an easier task, but without it, it looked much more difficult than the rodeos Emory had seen before.
Hasda were bulkier than cows, with each hoof driving into the ground a couple inches just from normal walking. At the shoulder, they were roughly a foot taller than cattle as well, and their horns stuck out from their heads at least three feet. When someone got thrown, they could tumble as far as twenty feet away. The impact would seriously injure most humans, but because Elandrian had magik bodies, they would walk away with only bumps and bruises. Still, the impacts made small craters on the field's surface.
Finally, when the championship round started, Emory noticed Bramimond and Soren pause their discussions to watch the event. Soren turned around and immediately caught Emory staring at him. Instantly, her cheeks turned bright red, and she turned her attention to the event. He continued to stare at her for a few moments before returning his gaze to the action as well. The Hasda were even bigger than usual with each one the size of a shorter SUV. With each jump, they leapt several feet in the air and made a resounding thud when they landed. After two minutes, so much dirt and gravel had been kicked up that the field that it was hard to see the competitors. Then a figure flashed into one side and pulled a rider from the dust cloud. A minute later, another figure dashed in, pulling another rider from the competition. At the five-minute mark, two people held onto their Hasda for their lives as the dust finally died down since the creatures themselves had begun to tire.
Everyone in the audience sat on the edge of their seats as the clock showed six minutes. Then one rider's grip slipped slightly, and the crowd held its breath. With its last ounce of strength, the Hasda popped up four feet off the ground, propelling the rider into the air. But as they came down, the beast viciously kicked out its legs. Time seemed to slow as an aura began to grow around the competitor at the same speed as the legs lunged towards their chest. At the last moment, the shield wrapped around the person completely. Yet when the hooves connected, a sonic boom exploded in the arena, and the entire shield orb flew into the opposite wall, drilling several feet into it. Both Hasda collapsed from exhaustion the next moment, causing a trumpet to sound.
The announcer echoed, "Well folks, there you have it. Please give a big round of applause to all those who competed today! We're going to take a short intermission to set up for the next event. So, refill your drinks, get some food, and empty those bladders; we'll be back in thirty minutes." Moments later, workers carrying new trays of food and beverages arrive through a second opening in the box stage. Emory scarfed down the food since it was gone when she and Soren arrived, and she was starving. After consuming several handfuls of appetizers, she grabbed a goblet and returned to her seat though Athos was no longer in his. Surprisingly, Elimine and Hanon pulled up chairs next to Emory as well.