Page 70 of Monster's Baby

I rubbed my sternum, trying to calm my heartbeat.“Thank you.”

“You will leave the homunculus in the tent and proceed to the fight platform.When the bell rings, you must call forth your creation and send it into the fighting ring.The arrival will be timed and scored accordingly.”

I swallowed hard, hoping that our small mountain could move quickly enough for the judges.It wasn’t as though we could practice in the tent.

“We’ve got this,” Bruce said encouragingly.“You provide direction, we supply the power.”

The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

“Ready?”the attendant asked, holding their hand up to the charm keeping the tent sealed.“Nobody will be allowed in or out once you have left, to prevent tampering.”

“Thanks,” I said again.“I hadn’t considered that.”

The attendant smiled grimly.“That’s our job, miss.”

Outside, in the arena, the announcer’s voice blared to life, and I suddenly realized that the sound-dampening spells had been removed.The attendant opened the tent flaps, and we left, to deafening applause.

Our fight platform was directly in front of the tent, and had rails all the way around.We stepped onto it, and I grabbed onto the railing, anticipating the lift before it started.

The movement of the platform into the air was smooth, and I didn’t feel jostled at all.

Sofia, however, turned green and sat on the floor of the platform.“I don’t feel so great,” she whispered.

“Not to worry,” Pierre said, crouching beside her.He pulled something wrapped in paper from his pocket.“Kelp with ginger,” he said.“It’ll help settle your stomach.”

Sofia blanched, but popped the tiny capsule into her mouth.Within a few seconds, her color improved and she stood.“Thanks.If I’d known we would be in the air, I would have prepared better.”

“I wish I’d known about that remedy before the flying challenge!”I said.

“You did very well in that challenge,” Pierre said with a frown.

“I also almost lost what little dinner I had managed to eat,” I said dryly.

“Now that everyone is prepared,” the announcer boomed cheerfully, “it is time to meet the fighters!”

Down below, six green rings of light appeared on the ground.

“Please direct your homunculi to the ring below you in ten, nine?—”

I gestured to the others to come in close to me, and I connected mentally with the homunculus in the tent.I had started the connection before we left, but renewing the link was easy.I felt the others join me, a powerhouse of a team, and took a deep breath.

“—two, one!”

I prompted the homunculus gently out of the tent.The fabric pulled, caught on the tip, before it released.

People in the audience chuckled, and I smiled slightly.It certainly looked silly, especially compared to the homunculi from the other teams.

Joining our mountain in the fighting ring were two human-looking figures, two beasts on all fours, and a winged monster with sharp teeth.

“The judges will magically examine your creations,” the announcer said.“Maintain your contact with your homunculus.”

The arena went as silent as thousands of people could get while the judges did their jobs.I wished I could see what ours were writing on their clipboards as they circled our mountain.

The judges returned to their box, and the announcer boomed, “Let the fight begin!”

A bell sounded, and the flying monster leapt into the air, one wing flapping slightly faster than the other and making it spin in a circle.

The four-legged beasts went for each other, as did the humanoids.

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