Chapter 23 – Blue Ranks & Bloody Contracts

"The way I see it is that if I can hold the monsters back while Miss Stiletto poisons them up, you can focus on making sure we're kept fighting fit," Jordan said through mouthfuls of almond croissant.

"I was hoping for more of a mysterious title than 'Miss Stiletto'," Petra replied.

"Well if the shoe fits..." Titus said.

The large wooden doors then flew open, and the breakfast hall turned silent as everyone watched Miss Kane stride purposefully up the central corridor between tables to the red-sashed Instructors' table at the far end of the hall. It was hard not to notice that she was carrying a small wooden box.

"Another anywhere box?" Petra whispered.

"Looks like it," Titus said.

"Maybe she's using it to carry her breakfast?" Jordan asked.

"You know what?" Petra said. "I take it all back. You're far more switched on than I'd ever imagined."

Titus snorted and Jordan looked hurt, but they didn't have a chance to continue before Miss Kane turned to face the room and placed the wooden box on the stone floor in front of her.

"Contestants!" The Grandmaster announced in a loud and commanding voice. "Today is the day that you become more than you have ever been before! Because today is the day that I am pleased to announce the promotion of all of our newest White ranks into the fold of the Blue. You have all demonstrated the ability to fight with skill and precision, and that means you have all earned the right to serve our City out on the arena sands!"

A loud cheer erupted from the entire hall, along with whoops and whistles of celebration from Contestants of all ranks.

Titus felt his heart lurch at the announcement and couldn't keep the smile from his face as he felt a great sense of pride wash over him.

"And so each and every one of you is now able to accept battles against monsters for the delight of the crowds. And with this being said, in your dorms, you will now find a stone noticeboard. When you look upon it, you will see the list of monsters that The God of Balance has decided fit for your challenge. Alongside their names and levels are a number of small holes - in your cases, there will be three holes, one for each of your party. Once you decide upon the challenge you wish to undertake, place your finger into the hole, and the contract will be signed with a speck of your blood. Please note that once a contract has been accepted, the process cannot be undone and the fight will occur no matter what."

"I swear they just love going into our dorms when we aren't there, don't they?" Jordan said under his breath.

"I don't think they're doing it to go in and sniff your pants, big guy," Petra said. "I think there'd be a lot more deaths around here than usual if they did."

"Your journey as Blue ranks begins today, and with it comes great responsibilities and challenges. The monsters you will face are formidable, and the risks are high. However, so are the rewards. Fame and fortune await those who excel in their battles."

Titus couldn't help but feel a mixture of exhilaration and nervousness. The prospect of facing those monsters was both thrilling and daunting. He exchanged a glance with Petra and Jordan, and they shared a silent understanding that they would need to work together to make it through these fights.

Miss Kane reached down and opened the wooden box she had brought with her and inside, there were ten lengths of blue cloth, one for each of the White-ranked Contestants.

"Now, come and collect your latest, and perhaps most important piece of equipment to date: Your key to the Arena gates."

As Miss Kane revealed the blue bands, the atmosphere in the breakfast hall grew even more charged with excitement. The newly promoted White-ranked Contestants, now Blue ranks, eagerly approached the Grandmaster to receive their replacement armbands. As each took the new blue bands, they handed back their whites and most quickly tied the Blue armband around themselves.

Titus, Petra, and Jordan joined the line, their anticipation building with each step closer they got to their new rank. Titus couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as they moved closer to obtaining their blue bands, a symbol of their progress and newfound status, as well as the key to becoming a real Contestant - one who would fight against the monsters inside the Arena.

One by one, the Contestants received their blue bands.

When it was finally their turn, Titus, Petra, and Jordan each received their armbands from the Grandmaster. They carefully fastened them around their arms, and as they did so, it felt like they were donning new armour for the battles to come.

The first thing Titus did was analyse his new piece of equipment:

Blue Contestant Armband

Value: Unknown

Effect: None

He hadn't really been expecting the armband to carry any effect, but seeing that the effect of the White band had now disappeared, something inside him felt different somehow. Vulnerable perhaps.

Miss Kane watched with a hint of pride in her eyes as each Contestant received their armband. She knew that this moment marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives as Contestants; the blue cloth was not just a symbol, it was a reminder that each and every one of their lives had changed.

"Remember," Miss Kane said, addressing the newly promoted Blue ranks, "This cloth represents more than just a change in rank and colour. It represents your growth and your commitment to the path of a Contestant. Use it wisely, and may it guide you to victory in the Arena. For the people!"

"For the people!" rang out in the breakfast hall in a well-rehearsed call and returned with the Grandmaster.

The trio nodded their thanks to Miss Kane, grateful for the guidance they had received so far. With their blue bands proudly displayed, they were ready to face the challenges and adventures that awaited them as Blue-ranked Contestants in the Arena.

With their new blue armbands securely fastened and the desire to move onto the next stage of their training, Titus, Petra, and Jordan left the breakfast hall, filled with a new sense of purpose. They were now Blue-ranked Contestants, ready to take on real monsters within The Arena.

As they walked through the corridors, Titus couldn't help but feel lighter on his feet. He'd made it through the first couple of weeks in this place, and he hadn't been sent home, no matter how worried he'd been about it. He still had to figure out what he was supposed to do with his odd Class, though.

The group decided to go to their dorm before heading out to their training classes for the day. It was to be the first time that they were going to be separated for training, as each of their Classes differed. It also meant that the ten White-ranked Contestants that had just been promoted to Blue were going to join in with the rest of the Blue-ranked Contestants, a pool of individuals magnitudes larger than what they'd been used to so far.

As soon as the group entered their dorm, they immediately found the stone noticeboard that Miss Kane had mentioned. It had been affixed to the wall by their door and displayed a list of monsters, each with their level shown but nothing else. Titus looked at the board with a fair amount of confusion.

Deadlands Boar: Level 2

Treent Sapling: Level 2

Reanimated Skeleton: Level 1

Cellar Rat: Level 1

Frostbite Spider: Level 3

"How are we supposed to know what to pick?" Titus asked. "I don't really know what any of these are... well, except for the Deadlands Boar obviously."

"Well," Petra said. "Miss Kane said we should never take the easy way out, so we should probably ignore the level one stuff, right?"

"That makes sense," Titus said. "And... hang on, you know all about this stuff, don't you, Jordan?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "I've seen all these monsters fight before."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Titus asked.

"You didn't ask," Jordan said with a shrug. "Ouch!" He added as Petra punched his arm.

"I'm telling you, being stupid is going to start getting painful. So think about what you're going to say before you say it."

"Jees, fine!" Jordan said. "You know what the boar is, the Treent Sapling's this little tree dude that likes to hold you down in its roots. It's kind of scary when it grabs a hold of something but generally it's geared to more hardiness, so it wouldn't be too much of a challenge. Skeletons are damn scary and it'll probably have a sword and shield when facing a Blue-Ranker - nothing really out of the ordinary there. The skeleton and the rat are level one anyway, so we'll probably ignore those, right? And then last is that spider," Jordan shuddered at the mention of it. "They're usually pretty big, like dog-sized, and most of them have both poison and the ability to spin webs to stick the Contestants in. Fire's usually the way to get around those guys. Also, because it's a Frostbite Spider, I'd say it has the ability to cast some ice spells or freeze you with its venom maybe."

Petra stared at Jordan with her mouth open. "Now why can't you be that perceptive all the time?" She asked.

Jordan just shrugged.

"So go down the middle and pick a level two. The Sapling or the Boar?" She asked.

"Good idea," Titus said. "I'd say the boar because we already know what that can do, and we can use the same tactic as the last three - hold it off and cause it damage over time. That's what your new knife's for, isn't it?"

"Stiletto, and yes," Petra agreed.

"Happy with that, nature boy?" Petra asked Jordan, who nodded.

Their decision made, each of the group placed a finger into one of the small holes next to the monster they had chosen: the level two Deadlands Boar.

Titus felt a tiny prick on his finger and when he retracted his hand, he could see the minute speck of blood on the notice board that signified his contract to fight the boar. Similarly, Jordan and Petra had left their bloody marks too.

"Now what?" Petra said, her eyes fixed on the noticeboard.

But she didn't have to wait for an answer because right before their very eyes, the text on the board dissolved into nothing, leaving behind the single line showing the boar, its level, their blood, and the words 'Tomorrow, 9am.'

"I guess that's it?" Titus said. "I wonder how it knows what time to schedule us for."

Petra shrugged this time. "Probably best not to question it. But you know, if we're in a fight tomorrow, we better start training as best we can."

That sounded like a good idea to Titus, and the three then left their dorm and all made their way down to the training area where they'd spent the last two weeks working nonstop on their basic combat skills.

When they arrived at the training area, Titus saw that all the other newly promoted Blues had arrived before them, and Theodore was standing before them all with his hands clasped behind his back. It appeared he'd been waiting for the group to arrive.

"It's good of you to join us," Theodore said, gesturing to the group. "Can I assume that you've signed up for your first fight, and that's what took you so long?"

Jordan spoke before anyone else had the chance.

"Yeah!" he announced loudly. "We're facing off against a level two Deadlands Boar. I bet you're all so jealous, aren't you?"

There were one or two laughs, though for the first time in almost two weeks, Titus heard Henderson's snarky voice return louder than the rest.

"You three are pathetic," he said. "You think you're so big because you just signed up for your first fight – and against something we've already all seen. It must've been so difficult to pick that. Some of us picked something far more interesting, a real challenge."

"Oh yeah?" Jordan replied, still riding his high. "Find yourself a wyvern did you? Or a golem? Why don't you tell us what the almighty Henderson has chosen for his first victim."

Henderson turned bright red. It wasn't a normal occurrence that Jordan could get under someone's skin with his words, but this time with Henderson, he'd managed it.

"If you must know, I'll be facing off against a Horned Gator, not that I expect you to know what one of those even is. And it's level three, so why don't you shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself?"

"I just hope you don't turn your back on it before the fight's over and get yourself hurt," Titus said, unable to resist the opportunity. "You know, like you did against Petra here."

"You insolent little worm!" Henderson spat and began walking towards the group until he was stopped by a shout from Theodore.

"That's enough!" the Combat Instructor bellowed. "It looks like it's going to be a good thing that you four will be practising separately from now on. But hear this because I will only say it once. While there are monsters to fight, it's best to keep your focus on those and not your fellow Contestants. You're going to need to keep your mind clear if you want to survive out there. It's not a game any more, and you can't afford to get distracted. Do you understand?"

Titus, Jordan, and Petra nodded to the Instructor, but Henderson just turned his back on the three and walked back into line.

"I'm out there mid-day today," Henderson said at a more sociable volume. "Come and watch the fight, and maybe afterwards you'll realise it's best to keep your mouths shut, if you know what's good for you."