“Before we go out there, I got some questions?”
The Raptor paced up and down, inspecting her four gladiators. She was a little upset that she couldn’t get their customized armour ready in time for their big reveal, but it was probably for the best. The world knew Xeno Dessaron One as a team that wore basic green House Fighter armour, so showing them off in new gear may have raised some confusion and suspicion.
“Of course, Tenuk. Ask away.”
Tenuk hesitated, adjusting the sash underneath his chest plate. “Well, the first one is probably the one that’s been bothering me the most. Most people can’t see through my disguises, and I know these three have known me long enough to recognize my scent when I fail to create matching pheromones, but how did you instantly work out who I was?”
Phovos smiled weakly. Tenuk didn’t like that.
“We have met before.”
“When?”
“When you were a baby.”
Tenuk blinked all four of his eyes. “Like, a tiny baby?”
“Mhm. Lord King Ahvra was desperate to show off his new heir, he basically toured the universe with you. He visited the Great Arenas and let me hold you, and I recognized your scent when we were measuring you up for your house fighter armour. Us Ksithans are good with remembering these things, but you have always been quite insulated and have not met many long-lived Ksithans, so you have managed to keep your secret rather well.”
After a brief moment of acceptance, Tenuk breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s good. I thought I’d fucked up something early on or something. So, uh, anyway, is there anything we shouldn’t say? Or are you going to do all the talking?”
“I’ll do the talking. All you have to do is answer when I tell you to. Anything else?”
The four members of Xeno Dessaron One all glanced each other, then sighed and shook their heads. Satisfied, Phovos patted each of them on the shoulder then instructed them to follow her outside, into the Great Arena.
The crowds were restless and unsatisfied. Despite the Raptor having started the day with some big matches, with Timik Lilac-Crown, the master Temthan house fighter, winning his 300th match and Retha Squad One starting up a new win streak, they weren’t what the crowds wanted. Ever since the gods themselves had come down and nearly destroyed the arena, everyone wanted to meet the four mortals that had worked alongside them.
As soon as they spotted Xeno Dessaron One, a wave of excitement tore through the audience. Screams and cheers filled the air and drones buzzed by, catching everything in glorious high quality, streamed out to the rest of the universe. The Raptor waved to the crowds, then activated her little headset, a small microphone jutting out by her mouth.
“My, my, you are all very excited today! And I don’t blame you!” Phovos put on her nicest voice, the one she used to use when she did commentary. She also removed her hood somewhat, showing off her icy blue eyes. “I bet you’ve all been waiting for this for a while, waiting patiently to see who our heroes are! After all, while we all fled in terror as the gods clashed above us, the, well, lunatics of Xeno Dessaron One stood their ground, worked together and took down a being that even our deities were struggling against! And today, right now, our heroes have chosen to reveal themselves.”
Phovos turned around to face her champions. She was proud of them. Everyone was.
“I think we should all start with the obvious!” Phovos nodded at Retvik, and he removed his helmet. The crowd continued to cheer. “You can’t hide someone as bright and powerful as Retvik Rethianos, the Lightbearer! Our wonderful friend here has done what all Rethavok dream to do, to protect and defend others. Of course though, he didn’t act alone.”
Nyssi didn’t need a cue to remove her helmet. She whipped it off and immediately started waving. The Temthans in the crowd started whooping, many of them somewhat surprised that Nyssi was an attractive female, as her armour was quite androgynous at a glance.
“This is Nyssi Tharru, a talented beast-hunter from the Torn Islet, but she has proved to not just be a fine warrior, but an intellectual as well! A friendly face, a knowledgeable zoologist and, not to mention, an amazing shot. A Temthan you should all look up to!”
It took a moment for both Nyssi and the crowd to calm down. Phovos smiled at Nyssi, then turned her attention to Kayel, who was doing his best to hide his nerves. They’d gone over what the Raptor was about to say, but those negative feelings were still there as Kayel awkwardly pulled off his helmet.
“Up next, we have Kayel Theanon, a humble little Skyavok with a heart of gold. While many of you have seen him as a terrifying shadow warrior, a Phantasma, Kayel is just as much a kind and caring being as any other Skyavok, and he has a protective streak too, rushing to the defence of the weak and the lost.”
Finally, Phovos turned to Tenuk. He was visibly shaking, terrified that he’d be recognized. This entire time, only a handful of beings had seen him without his arena armour and now he was going to have his new persona announced to the entire universe.
“Last but certainly not least, may I introduce you to the first ever Spast to bless our great arenas. While amnesia has destroyed Tenuk’s past, his future burns bright. In his short time here, Tenuk has proven that, with enough dedication and a little bit of elbow grease, you can go a long, long way. Sure, we can’t all shapeshift the way little Tenuk here can, but that power means nothing if you don’t have the determination to better yourself!”
The crowds roared and cheered, mostly just thankful to be able to see their heroes and champions. Both Kayel and Tenuk felt better, realizing that they weren’t being judged, they were being accepted and praised. However, all of a sudden, the entire arena fell silent as something bright flashed in front of the Raptor and Xeno Dessaron One. As the light faded, two beings appeared, one of which was far more recognizable than the other.
“I don’t think anyone believed we’d be back here so soon, but, well, here we are, I guess…”
The more recognizable being was a tall, lean, yellow-plated Rethavok with one and a half dark wings protruding from their back, and black, star-studded smoke twisting around its lower arms, legs and tail. The other was a colossal Temthan with pink skin and emerald scales and long, snaking, hair-like tendrils running down its head and back. This one was obviously female and was completely and utterly naked, aside from a starry fabric belt wrapped around its waist.
“Hello everyone. I’m pretty sure you all already know me, my name is Arkay, and I am the Lord of Death and Decay. This here is my sister Sini, the Allbirther, the Goddess of Life and Love. And if you’re wondering why we’re here, I mean, of course you are, well, the reason is pretty simple. You’re not the only beings here who want to thank these four!”
With a flap of his tattered wings, Arkay moved the Raptor out of the way, and Sini approached the four heroes. She silently placed a hand on each of their heads in turn, before stepping back and bowing deeply. Arkay then returned to Sini’s side and bowed as well.
“Thank you, our Dessaron!” the Thantophor announced, both to the four heroes and to the now silent audience. “Thank you for putting your short lives on the line. As a parting gift, Sini has blessed you all with long, fruitful lives, free from illness and disease. Gifts anyone could earn, if you are willing to sacrifice yourself for others, as Xeno Dessaron One did.”
Arkay bowed again. The Raptor also bowed.
“T-thank you, blessed Thantophor, thank you, blessed Allbirther!” Phovos felt a little uneasy now, especially since two gods had kinda just stolen the show from her. “And, again, thank you to Xeno Dessaron One! We now know that our universe is in good hands, that our deities do care. Our heroes have training to return to, and we will see them battling in the Great Arena soon, please, everyone, give them a hearty farewell!”
Sini smiled, waved, then disappeared in a puff of pink smoke. Once the Allbirther was gone, the Thantophor brought Retvik, Nyssi, Kayel and Tenuk together into a group hug, before leading them all back inside. Phovos remained in the arena, announcing the next few matches they’d be hosting, settling down the audience once more.
“I thought we were already immortal?” Nyssi asked as Arkay pulled them all to one side.
“Well, yeah, but you definitely weren’t immune to things like influenza, feral kardia and the common cold. Now you are…” Arkay hesitated a little. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know what to get you all, so I gave you plausible deniability. Now you don’t need to hide the fact that you’re immortal.”
“That’s… pretty clever, actually!” Tenuk had perked up quite a bit. “Thank you, Arkay!”
“Nah, you guys deserve it. You going to take some time off now?” Arkay smiled, before abruptly shaking himself down, getting rid of his wings and starry smoke and making himself look more mortal.
“Phovos offered us a week of whatever we want…” Retvik paused. “Hang on, you said you had some time off too, Arkay?”
Arkay’s smile faded. “I already had my time off. I’m back to working overtime, especially since Kairos is kinda… still pissed and I’m covering for him. But I guess I could make some time for you guys. I do still technically owe you.”
Kayel waved his hand dismissively. “Eh, we ain’t gonna be doing much. Just pop by whenever you’re free, we’re always happy to see you.”
The Thantophor nodded, then stepped away. “Cool, I can do that. I’ll see you round, alright?”
The four heroes all waved as Arkay disappeared in a puff of black particles.
“So, uh, who wants to go get drunk?” Nyssi eventually asked.
“Sure, why not?” Retvik grunted as he walked off. “We need to stop by the shops though. I think my alcohol supplies are running low…”