Chapter 9: What Is He?
Siroos's eyes wandered towards the people. Only a few cheered for Cassandra and he noticed it all. Even her father, who had an affectionate smile going on when her elder sister was introduced, now sat with a stoic face.
The presenter moved ahead, presenting the other teams and laying out the rules of the tournament.
There weren't many except one requiring to spare a life if someone yielded.
Killing the opponent was allowed if one didn't surrender.
The winning team would move to the next round and the last remaining two teams would face each other in the final.
"Let's take a bow for our special guests and officiate the tournament. May the best team win," the Presenter finished his speech, and everyone bowed in respect of the guests of honour.
Siroos made eye contact with an Alpha that sat right next to Cassandra's father. He seemed young, in his early twenties and knowingly nodded at Siroos. The elegance and class so apparent from the way he sat with his index finger perched on his temple. A flicker of a smile played on his supple lips. His eyes wavered between Siroos and Cassandra, making her wonder if he was the Alpha of Dusartine.
Tholarian LeBlanc stood up and flicked his index finger towards his mouth, hence enhancing his voice.
"Let the Arena of Death begin. May the best team win. The reward for winning the event includes. Picking any jewel from my collection. Name it and I will grant it to you. Apart from 2000 gold coins. Good luck."
King Tholarian had an extensive jewels collection. Every kind of precious stone and jewel was part of it. Some enchanted, others holding unique mysterious powers. People died to get their hands on one of his jewels and this was quite an opportunity.
The crowd roared at his words, excitement running through them like thunder. Tholarian took his seat and the presenter announced again.
"The first match will take place between the team of Princess Cassandra and Siroos Vs the team of Gaudria and Hashi."
The war drums banged and the arena was set on fire by the mages with fire ability. The roaring fires forged the shape of dragons and soared over their heads. Mesmerising the onlookers, followed by mages with water affinity who formed water serpents and chased the fiery dragons in a dance of fire and water.
The spectacular site blew everyone's minds and reverend guests couldn't help but be entertained as they sipped wine from their golden tankards.
The other contestants left the ground, leaving the four. Once the conundrum of dragons and celebration died down, everyone settled for the real fun.
Siroos took his position in front of Cassandra, his back facing her. Seeing the opponents, Cassandra was slightly shaking. Her hand held the hilt of her sword.
"Remember to trust me; I will not let any harm come to you," Siroos whispered to her over his shoulder and she nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the duo of orc and mage.
They menacingly watched Cassandra and Siroos, probably thinking they were easy targets.
Gaudria was an orc Hashi had met during his travels to faraway lands. He brought him along for the arena after his first warrior was killed in the last one.
"Hashi has nature affinity just like Lotus. Beware of his poisonous vines. I will handle myself, my sword is imbued with magic," Cassandra told Siroos. Hashi had trained with Lotus so Cassandra knew all about his powers.
"I appreciate the heads up, and I believe in you," Siroos answered tenderly, narrowing his eyes at the duo; his eyes flickered with specks of brown as the gong to start the match went off.
Cassandra instantly retrieved her sharp sword. It was light but was infused with magic.
Standing at least 8 feet, Gaudria let out a spine-chilling snarl, his thick skin was black with mouldy patches of brown. His mammoth hands were fisted and the black skin of his lips was peeled back to reveal his sharp yellow teeth.
He charged on towards Siroos, who stood calm and collected. Suddenly his body began to change as Gaudria drew near. His smooth hands grew thorns and so did his arms and back.
The crowd and guests watched in befuddlement as Siroos had half-transformed into something like a hedgehog. Gaudria jumped in the air and tried to punch and plummet Siroos to the ground.
But, Siroos was quicker and more agile. Dodging his punch he bent down and landed his own spiky one in the orc's stomach. The spikes punctured his thick skin while the force sent him flying towards his partner.
Hashi was trying to back him with thorny vines sprouting from his hands, they wriggled on the ground, reaching towards Cassandra and Siroos like rapidly moving snakes.
Cassandra swiftly manoeuvred her sword, it rippled with magic as she cut them down one after the other. The purple gem glistened and imbued the sword with more of its magic as it glowed and lilac misty light coated the silver blade.
Tholarian narrowed his eyes in confusion. There was no rule against the use of charmed weapons but hardly anyone ever used it. And that stone, he was sure belonged to his late wife. But this fight was turning out to be so interesting and he had no desire to stop it. He will deal with his daughter later.
Gaudria collided with Hashi and both of them tumbled and fell on the hard ground. Leaving the people stunned at the strength Siroos had portrayed. No ordinary shifter could pull this off.
Gaudria let out a hurtful grunt as he gathered himself and stood up to see his yellow blood leaking out from holes Siroos had left in his skin.
"You are dead, shifter," he growled and blindly rushed to him.
Hashi forgot Cassandra for a second and focused his attention on Siroos as well. His gold-dusted eyes were the same colour as his hair now as they rolled in his sockets judging the enemy rushing towards him.
The crowd watched the battle from the edge of their seats, too stunned at what was unfolding.
The vines sprouted feet away from where he and Cassandra stood and tried to wrap themselves around his ankles but he jumped and shifted again into a hawk, this time. A mighty hawk which had razor-shaped claws.
It instantly attacked Gaudria's face and plucked both his eyes out in one swift move.
Gaudria hollered in immense pain, the crowd roared while Cassandra was left shaken at the move her partner had pulled.
Did he just turn into a hawk from the half-hedgehog human hybrid? What in the names of the gods was he?
The yellow putrid smelling blood oozed from Gaudria's eyes as he sank to the ground holding his face.
Without wasting a single second, Siroos's claws dug into the skin of his face and twisted his head. Crunching sounds could be heard as the head was ripped clean off and thrown towards Hashi by the mighty hawk. Its brown feathery wings, which spanned at least 3 meters, flapped mightily in the air. His beady angered eyes remained fixed on Hashi. He had dared harm Cassandra with poisonous vines.
Hashi screamed in horror seeing the beheaded body of his comrade and the Hawk's dangerous eyes focused on him now.
"Noo, I yield, I yield," he shouted, shaking on his legs. He had understood they were no match for Siroos and whatever he was.
Cassandra had cut off all the vines that were trying to wrap themselves around her feet and poison her and the rest retreated as soon as Hashi yielded.
While Siroos shifted back to his human form Thalorian couldn't help but dumbfoundedly ask the Alpha sitting on his right.
"What in the world have you sent?"
"An abomination," he answered with a knowing chuckle, his eyes shone with pride.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Sunny_Shumail
Sunny_Shumail Today is the last day of the competition, please support with your power stones. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 10: Crime Of Existence
The crowd erupted in loudest cheer seeing what Siroos and Cassandra had pulled. They had been underdogs until they saw Siroos transforming into two different animals and Cassandra chopping away the magical vines like vegetables.
No attack had been able to even scratch them. The gong went off again, announcing the match was over.
Siroos had shifted back to his human form, and his clothes hadn't slipped; they were back on his body where they were supposed to be. Cassandra stared at him in bewilderment as he took her hand with a smirk and raised it in the air, announcing their victory.
"What are you?" Cassandra apprehensively asked, ignoring the delectable sparks tingling where their skin touched. Her whole concentration was on him.
"Shifter," he carefreely answered as they walked off the bloody ground while the crowd still celebrated.
"Shifters don't turn into hawks and hedgehogs. They turn into werewolves or only one kind of animal (this was very rare). What kind are you?" Cassandra jerked her hand free from his hold and she could only do it because he let her go.
"A unique kind. Nice sword." Siroos tried to shift the attention from himself. Cassandra sheathed her sword and didn't stop glaring.
"You could have informed me, and what does your alpha even want with me? Why am I living through all this bloodshed?" She asked, furious at how Siroos was unbothered at taking a life. It seemed so natural for him.
"You will see once the arena ends." He slumped on the paved ground in the small room they had been instructed to wait, while the other matches took place.
"If he is trying to win any favours from my father through me, he will not succeed. My father doesn't care what happens to me, I thought it was evident enough," she seethed out, still shaking from the experience of the arena as she crossed her arms on her chest to keep it from heaving and pressed her legs together so they wouldn't shake so much.
"Nor does your sister or that ill-looking fiancé, I wonder what you did to piss so many people off," he playfully stated, his eyes held a tease, they had returned to their original golden shade.
"Existed," the single word was uttered by her with such pain that all that tease dropped from his eyes and was replaced by anger and fury.
Getting up slowly he approached her like a cheetah. With his skin, eyes and hair he indeed resembled one.
Cassandra tried to take a step back but hit the wall behind her. He casually invaded her personal space observing how her heart rate accelerated every time he was in her proximity.
"That's not in your control but how you use it to your advantage that surely is." His hand reached out as if he wished to touch her cheek, feel the flushed skin under his fingertips. But she turned her head in unease. His other hand landed right beside her face, caging her in-between.
"I don't need dictation from you on what to do. You can't understand my position or what I have to go through." Cassandra tried to shuffle away from him, their chests almost touched.
Siroos let out a scoff as his nostrils flared, not only in anger.
"Point, how can a lowly slave understand the predicaments of a Princess? Who lives in a castle and has never done a day's labour. What a miserable life you must have."
There was almost a hint of mockery in his voice as his eyes scanned her. She quickly turned her head understanding he had taken her words wrongly.
"That's not…" she began but was interrupted when they were called for the next match.
"Princess Cassandra, it's your and your warrior's turn," the guard announced and she nodded. Siroos let her go and backed away but his expression seemed soured.
"Let's go," Siroos said before exiting the room and Cassandra quietly followed, carrying her sword.
"Prolong the match for the crowd, don't go for killing intent. Your opponents will do the same, King Tholarian's orders," one of the guards conveyed.
Siroos seemed apprehensive, but he decided to go for the plan; it was always fun to play with the enemy.
They arrived back in the pit which held the mingling smells of sweat and blood now. The roaring in the stands was getting louder seeing Siroos. They hadn't seen a shifter who could turn into multiple animals. That was pure entertainment for them.
This time they faced a mage and a lion shifter (a werelion, who were extremely rare.)
Cassandra was unfamiliar with the mage, he was someone new. The smirk he held told her he had his eyes set on her, and the way Siroos kept guarding her with his body made her seem even more vulnerable and the weak link. The gong sounded, and the shifter didn't waste any time transforming into a huge lion with a brownish-orange glistening mane. His size alone was intimidating.
He raised his head and roared loudly sending the crowd into a frenzy. Siroos accepted the challenge and jumped, transforming mid-air into a lion as well, a white one.
His size and roar were even louder than his opponent's. They clashed with claws outstretched and fangs bare. The mage eyed Cassandra; she had her sword out as he flicked his hand, and she saw the blinding blue light dancing at his fingertips.
He had the electric affinity and her sword wouldn't help her against him. He raised his hand and electricity cackled above, darkening the skies. A thunder was heard as the air split and became charged from the current. It flew and went straight for Cassandra, ready to burn her to a crisp.
"You are dead, princess," he remarked, almost tasting the victory on the top of his tongue. The sweat broke out on her forehead as her legs uncontrollably shook.
Cassandra shifted just in time and jumped sideways as a bolt of electricity fell to where she had been standing a second ago. A blue halo had formed around her and the second attack was repelled by it.
The crowd roared in enthusiasm from the edge of their seats, even the chief guests watched with keen interest while chomping on the rare fruits and glazed meat.
She watched in amazement, how there was a protective halo around her. The snarling of the lion had her eyes lifted to where Siroos was.
He had jumped towards the mage who had been attacking Cassandra. The lion shifter was clinging to his hind leg but was profusely bleeding from the injuries Siroos had given him.
The mage's magic pulsed as he directed his attack from Cassandra to Siroos. The electricity cackled in his hand as he tried to shove it into Siroos's hairy chest but was repelled and flew to a distance of a few feet, baffling everyone.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
59 Power
stone 
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