I stood in an arena, reflecting on the past few hours leading up to this moment. After boarding the golden ship that had descended down to Ella and myself via a wooden board that acted as an elevator, we began our short trip up to the much larger ship that was still sitting half-way in the sky, ominously hovering a couple hundred feet over the ground, yet still managed to pierce the clouds. Ella filled me in on the current circumstances, while omitting the tedious and boring stuff due to time restraints, and only telling me what I needed to know.

Ella was the daughter of Charles Woodlocke, the elf king’s right hand man, and the greatest warrior in all the elven kingdom, with a perfect record of 794 wins and 0 losses, though that only counted the fights that were recorded. His daughter, Ella, was the light of his world, and he made a demand when his daughter came of age to marry, to discourage the men who sought after her for lustful or prideful reasons, saying that whomever seeks his daughter’s hand in marriage must first beat him in a sparring match.

Knowing her father, Ella had figured out that he was planning on finding a man that he considered worthy of his daughter, and was going to intentionally lose the fight, however, her father had set his expectations too high, and would not accept anyone with any flaws. Ella herself did not mind her father though, being disappointed with all the men she came across that tried to win her affection by offering her wealth, power, all while showing off their muscles. I noticed Ella make a face as she said that, and decided big bulging muscles weren’t her thing, which was, sadly, part of her reason for being interested in me.

We arrived at the large ship in a few moments and dismounted the ship the same way we boarded, riding a large wooden plank that had intricate carvings engraved on it, and I looked around my curiosity running wild. I tried my best to hide my excitement, and was able to keep a straight face, but anyone who looked closely could see my eyes darting back and forth, analyzing everything that was happening around me. On the deck of the ship, there were many large orchards stretching out an incredible distance, some with trees as big around as a small house while others were about the width of my little finger. Assorted plants were growing, though I didn’t recognize any of them, and signs with strange words written on them were posted outside each section of plants, likely labels to keep everything organized.

People darted back and forth, some running, some walking, some riding strange animals that resembled large wolves the size of horses, looking fierce, but having an oddly docile mood, as if it was just enjoying a leisurely stroll. The elven men seemed to be more focused on muscular growth, training and honing their physical abilities to their peak, while the women seemed more focused on training the mind, seeing as most of them carried staffs similar to Ella’s, though there were a few exceptions. The ship had landed on a wooden platform that conformed perfectly to the hull of the ship, holding it securely in place, as the other boats landed on their own designated platforms, each customized to a specific ship.

I took a couple of steps, noticing the ground was covered in grass which padded my bare feet, and felt comfortable to the touch, almost like walking on a soft rubber. My thought were interrupted by a conversation between a father and a daughter, with a subject that made my stomach churn.

“Dad! You’ve seen him, if you spar with him, there will be nothing but pulp left!”

“I know dearest, but rules are rules, and it’s not like anyone would believe this shrimp could best me-ah-I mean, there’s no way this shrimp could best me!”

“But I said I would take care of him!”

I turned toward the voices, locking eyes with the shorter of the two, Ella, who rushed over to me, and gripped my right arm tightly. The ship began to move, though I could only tell by seeing the land around us disappear, unable to feel any change in gravity or wind.

“He’s mine! The goddess Lilah gave him to me!”

My gaze drifted off the ship, and out into the sky that lay spread out endlessly now that we had risen above the clouds. I was shocked at how rapidly we accelerated with absolutely no effect on the ship or the things on it, though I suppose this world does have magic, not to mention the fact that this was likely made by elves. I’m pretty sure elves are usually depicted as tall, slim, beautiful beings that excelled in magic and intellect, but when I look around I see that most of the women fit that description, but the men seem to be more brutish and muscular.

As if to prove my point, a small fight broke out between two ridiculously muscular, though small when compared to Ella’s father, were at least twice my size, elven men. It started with just a few rude comments spoken very loudly, but escalated as the one closer to me grabbed a nearby tree, ripping it up by the roots, which released a loud tearing and booming sound as they were pulled from the ground. Seeing this act of aggression, the other elf brought his fists up in preparation of a fight, though it ended up being useless when the large tree came down on his head with considerable force and knocked him unconscious, shattering the trunk of the tree.

”These are the rules, dear, I can’t back out now! Not to mention, he does resemble a twig more than a man...”

I looked at myself, scanning my physique, which was lean, and muscular but was dwarfed when compared to any of the male elves here. I’m sure my tattered clothes didn’t help his impression of me either, since I looked like a homeless person, but thankfully I wasn’t planning on being here long. I thought of escaping, but they would probably just pursue me and capture me and consider me a coward, so my plan was to, hopefully, beat this guy in a fight somehow, then take my leave quickly before I get roped into something troublesome.

While my plan wasn’t exactly foolproof, I couldn’t think of a better one at the moment mostly due to Ella’s chest enveloping my arm, making it hard to focus. I habitually reached up to my hat, pinching the right side of the brim with my thumb and index finger, and sliding it across the edge to the left side. After doing that, my mind seemed to sharpen, and I was able to focus more easily as my muscles relaxed. A quick image flashed in my mind of the previous owner of this hat doing the same thing, but then disappeared just as fast as it came.

I felt the presence of the looming muscular elf grow closer, looking down on me both literally and figuratively, and I caught Ella give him a quick glare out of the corner of my eye. I smiled inwardly at how innocent they seem, but not underestimating Ella’s father who was clearly putting on a playful act for her sake.

“Come, I don’t take pleasure in killing weaklings, so I would rather get this over with.”

The big elf let out a small sigh, and turned to his right before beginning to walk away, not checking if anyone was following. Ella began to follow, pulling on my arm as an indication to walk with her, and I obediently followed. There were several large structures up ahead, starting several hundred feet in front of us where the farmland ended, and continuing to the bow of the ship and spreading from port side to starboard. The entirety of the ship behind us was farmland, arranged and organized neatly into sections all the way back to the stern.

The sun was back now, brightly shining down on the ship now that it was unhindered by the clouds and heating the land around us. Silence permeated the air, and I figured this was as good a time as any to learn what I can about this world. My thoughts were interrupted by a memory forcing its way into my brain, pushing all other thoughts aside, and I welcomed it, closing my eyes and opening my mind.

What I saw was the same man from the previous memory, but he was now slightly older with more wrinkles on his face and pain weighing on his soul that was reflected in his eyes. He was looking down at me, though not by much, with a smile on his face, subconsciously readjusting the black cowboy hat on his head.

‘Education, my boy, is key. Learn how to speak intelligently, read, write, and solve problems, and you might be able to pull yourself out of this grave I’ve dug. Remember, you can only have this hat once you become a man, and as a man you must fight for yourself and the ones you care about, whether it’s with fists or with words.’

The man’s eye’s glistened slightly, but no tears fell as he reached out, resting his large hand on my right shoulder heavily.

‘I’m afraid I can’t teach you how to fight with words, so I’ve decided it’s best to send you to a nearby school. From what I hear it’s pretty rough there, but an education is an education. From today onward you will learn to fight, school will teach you what I can’t, and I will teach you what school can’t.’

The man was very serious, and his voice never wavered once as he looked into my eyes with a very stern look filled with several emotions.

‘Make sure you learn as much as you can.’

I hesitated, not used to seeing my father show anything aside from his usual playful mood around me, but eventually nodding in response to his words. His face softened, and a familiar smile formed on his lips as he pulled me in and gave me a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of me.

I snapped back to reality, and quickly looked around, uncertain of how long I was out, but I was still in the same spot, waking mid-step at the exact same time I fell into the trance. I let out a small sight of relief before turning to Ella, bringing several pressing questions to mind.

“Hey, Ella.”

I spoke in a hushed tone, trying to keep the conversation just between the two of us, and Ella turned towards me, still pouting childishly, and obviously not taking a hint.

“What is it?”

She spoke with a normal tone, making me feel more than slightly awkward for whispering in the first place, and I decided to give up on keeping the conversation quiet.

“I was wondering how this ship flies with so little effect on the things inside.”

Ella looked a little surprised at the question, as if I had just asked something along the lines of ‘what is 911’s phone number?’ and just stared at me with that look for a couple of seconds. She eventually snapped out of it, probably remembering how she found me, and that I was likely not from this world, so it would make sense for me to be unable to understand this world’s laws.

“Ash, are you special?”

She asked the question curiosity, looking at me with big, eyes filled with confusion, and more that a small trace of pity. I hesitated for a moment, half expecting her to say ‘just kidding!’ and continue on to explain how the ship worked, but she didn’t. She really thought I was mentally handicapped. I gave up, pity was one of the things I really hated, right up there with being the center of attention in a crowd, and stupid people, so I asked a different question in an attempt to change the subject.

“Where are we going?”

It was wildly successful, she immediately forgot about the previous conversation, and even stopped pouting as pride pushed it’s way to the surface. We were nearing the end of the farmland, and the first buildings were approaching, and I noticed most of them looked pretty much the same. Concrete, or something similar, worked as the base of the structure, leading up to walls made with dark wooden shingles and a grey roof, the top of which wasn’t visible from my position. They were all built in a simple salt box style, with a cube shaped structure and a basic triangular prism roof, with one side coming down further than the other.

“We’re going to the Dragon’s Maw! It’s legendarily known for having a higher mortality rate than any other arena in the world!”

She beamed with pride, swaying back and forth as she walked, which was incredibly cute, however her words caused me to shudder slightly. I’m almost certain the 794 wins of the elven hulk in front of us might be responsible for that legend, and I’m going to fight him in a sparring match without knowing my own limits. Ever since I came to this world, I’ve been able to feel and control every muscle in my body, down to my own heartbeat, but I still don’t know the limits of my strength and speed. I’m absolutely certain the elf in front of me has the advantage when it comes to skill and combat experience, so even if I can match him physically, I would still most likely lose, so my only hope is to be significantly stronger and faster.

We entered the area with all the houses, and I noticed my bare feet touch an almost asphalt ground, though it was much softer than I thought it should be, and felt more like walking on a grainy synthetic rubber. We continued to pass the saltbox style houses one after the other, and the few people who were out and about respectfully stood to the side as the general passed before beginning their gossip after seeing Ella clinging on to my arm. I could feel their stares on the back of my head, and I had to use my left hand to readjust my hat to keep calm.

I felt the air shift, and heard the footsteps of people behind me as they gathered, following us to the arena to witness my death. We stopped outside one of the buildings, the world seemingly silent as Ella’s father turned toward the door, and knocked three times with the side of his fist, which gave out a resounding boom each time. I came closer to the small wooden building, and was able to read a couple of small words that were inscribed across the top of the doorframe. It read [Dragon’s Maw], which confused me, since I was expecting a colosseum or at least something bigger, but this building, aside from the inscription, was the exact same as the others. Why do I feel like this is some shady, underground fight club?

The door opened, revealing an older man with a short, grey beard, blond hair, and green eyes that looked at everyone with suspicion, which just seemed to support the fight club idea.

“Ah, got another one I see. At this rate we’re going to run out of able-bodied young men, Charles. You should think more before you speak next time.”

The older man addressed Ella’s father casually and with familiarity, probably because he was here almost every day fighting some cocky, self-centered young man out to get his daughter, and the power that came with her.

“We’ll talk later Jonathan, I’d like to get this over with.”

The large elf dismissed the other elf known as Jonathan with heavy words and a wave of his hand, stepping in the doorway. Jonathan backed off, nodding with an understanding sigh, while Ella returned to her previous pouty attitude, and clung to my arm even tighter. I followed suit, walking through the door, and letting my eyes adjust to the darker room for a couple of seconds. The room was solid white with a pale, round light fixture on the ceiling, and was nearly empty, only a single white chair in the middle of the room, and two doors seemed to stick out, one on the wall to my right, and one to my left.

Charles Woodlocke opened the left door, then turned to face me with a tired expression on his face.

“You have ten minutes, you may use whatever you like.”

With that he closed the door, disappearing from my sight. Jonathan walked by me, passing on my left, and sat down on the chair with a relaxed expression, and gestured to the door to my right. I nodded, understanding what he meant, and approached the door, opening it with my left hand, because my right was still being held by Ella, and revealing a small room. I entered and closed the door behind me before looking around.

The room was small, a couple hundred square feet at most, completely empty aside from a rack directly across from me, where various weapons, armors, and clothes hung. I approached, pulling Ella along with me, to see what the rack had to offer, and noticed a list pinned up on to the rack.

[Items for contestants/gladiators/challengers in the arena:

-Heavy armors (all in various sizes)

-Dwarven Heavy Armor

-Elven Heavy Armor

-Beastkin Heavy Armor]

Etc...

My eyes followed down the list, reading a long line of assorted weapons and armor, but my greatest ally in this fight will, hopefully, be my speed, so thick armor was out of the question. I need something like a hunting cloak, or even just ordinary clothes to replace mine would be sufficient. As I read down the list I felt something slide across my chest, warm and smooth, and I looked down, slightly surprised.

What I saw were two thin, delicate arms wrapped around my chest, and I inhaled sharply. Apparently while I was distracted, Ella had shifted her position, standing behind me with her arms wrapped around my chest, and her face pressed against my back.

“I-“

I heard her voice for a second, but it was shaky and uncertain. Something wet ran down my back, and I heard her sniff a couple of times, which led me to believe she was crying. Ah, shit... what am I supposed to do now? Comfort her, I guess, but how? I don’t even know what she’s crying about. Damn, I need a flashback before this gets worse.

“I... didn’t want... this.”

Her voice came again, and she buried her head deeper into my back.

“I’m sorry... i-it’s my fault. P-please... *sniff* don’t hate me.”

The part that came after the sniff was barely audible, and she squeezed my chest harder after saying it. She really is such a child. I pulled myself free from her grip, her arms releasing without much resistance, and I turned to face her. Ella’s face was soaked in tears, and her green eyes were now red and puffy from crying. I was about to start talking, but I felt a little awkward, and wasn’t quite sure what to do with my hands, so I placed them on her shoulders lightly, and hopefully in a comforting way.

She looked up at me with big, Bambi eyes, and I suddenly understood why her father spoiled her so much, how could he say no to that? What should I say? Well, she said it’s her fault, and asked me not to hate her... so I can at least start with that.

“It’s not your fault, and I don’t hate you.”

I spoke with a soft voice, not wanting to startle her, and it seemed to work. A surprised look caused her eyes to widen even more, which I didn’t think was even possible, and was quickly replaced by a look of relief, and several other emotions I wasn’t quite able to pinpoint. She dove at me, wrapping her arms around me again, and burying her face in my chest while shaking her head back and forth as if burrowing.

“H-hang on a second.”

“Ehehe...”

Caught off-guard by the sudden development, I stumbled back again, but Ella just laughed, returning to her original, playful voice.

“Hey, Ash.”

“Yes?”

Ella looked up at me, her tears still visible, but a bright light shining through them.

“Don’t die.”

I smiled, and nodded, my eyes drifting down to the list which was still in my hand, and resting on a couple of words near the end.

[Vampire’s Hunting Cloak]

That’ll work.