Kayess-En, Kass for short, was a huge being. Standing at nearly 3m tall, she towered over most, even her fellow Rethavok, and had the strength to back herself up. As the leader of Retha Squad One, Kayess-En had lead her team to victory over and over, to the point that they were considered one of the best teams to ever grace the Great Dessaron Arena.
However, outside of her work as a gladiator, Kayess-En didn’t get on with other Rethans. As her unusual name suggested, she wasn’t born among them. Somehow, a pair of young Skyavok had found her as an unhatched egg, and they had raised her as their own kid, even when it quickly came apparent that she wasn’t a Skyavok herself. It wasn’t until Kayess-En turned ten that she was taken away to be raised as a Rethan proper, but by then, the damage had already been done, and she found herself unable to relate to other Rethavok.
Thankfully, her aptitude for combat, her tactical skills and her sheer strength meant that Kayess-En found a focus for herself, and she quickly enrolled into gladiatorial combat, excelling to the point that she began to represent the Rethavok on one of the biggest stages in the universe. All in spite of her heritage.
Lately though, Kayess-En was longing for something else. A challenge. Retha Squad One had recently just ended a feud against the Fangs of the Whenvern, a Thraki Dessaron team that had cost them several matches, but after three decisive victories in a row, that feud had sizzled out, with the Rethans once again proving themselves superior. Kass was tempted to challenge a Banikan team, but with one of her squad currently out on an injury, she needed an easier target. And she had just spotted an answer to her problem.
Retvik had been minding his own business, taking a quick break from everything. Kayess-En was perfectly aware that he had just finished a battle of his own, taking out a Temthan challenger in a 1v1 battle, his first in a while. This was the perfect time to talk to him, while he was unaware.
Kayess-En didn’t know why, but she had never liked Retvik. Most Rethans seemed to dislike him, purely because he was an exile, and he clearly didn’t fit in, despite being an almost perfect representative of his race. For Kass though, it was more than that. Retvik was a rival, a threat. Doing a job that Kayess-En should have been doing. While she enjoyed working with a team, her forays into 1v1 combat had been somewhat miserable, and, the one time she had fought Retvik, he had beaten her soundly. Maybe it was embarrassment more than anything else. However, Kayess-En had a plan to rectify that.
“Lightbearer.”
“Oh, hello!” Retvik looked up at Kayess-En, smiling weakly. There was a smear of blood across his face, he hadn’t even managed to wash himself up from his recent battle. “How are you, Kayess-En?”
Kayess-En smiled back, doing her best to be polite. Was it weird that she wanted to grab this exile by the throat? After all, there had to have been a good reason why he wasn’t allowed within Rethan society. “I am good, thank you. However, I have a small problem, a predicament that I hope you can help me solve.”
Retvik gave Kayess-En a confused look. She didn’t understand why Retvik didn’t fear her, like everyone else did. However, that look turned into another smile.
“I appreciate you coming to me, how can I help?”
“As you may know, Retha Squad One has defeated the Fangs of the Whenvern enough for us to no longer consider them a challenge. Thus, we require someone new to fight. As leader of Retha Squad One, I wish to challenge Xeno Dessaron One to a standard arena battle.”
Retvik’s smile vanished. Kayess-En knew she had caught Retvik off guard. She also knew that Retvik, being a house fighter, a gladiator for the Great Arena itself, couldn’t reasonably refuse the challenge.
“I… I see…”
“You do not like this challenge.”
Retvik sighed. “I do not. I have been running this team for barely a month, and I feel you are taking advantage of that for an easy win against us, but I am aware I have little choice in this matter.”
Kayess-En continued to smile, stepping closer in a bid to intimidate the exile. “So you accept my challenge?”
“I have to accept your challenge. But we will have to speak to the Raptor to arrange a date. And, as the challenged, I must choose an arena for us to do battle in.”
“Ah, I see…” Kass hesitated. She hadn’t considered that. In her desire to claim an easy victory, she’d made a crucial error, in letting her enemy define the battleground. And while Kayess-En didn’t know the names of the other individuals on Retvik’s team, she was perfectly aware that one of them was a Skyavok, one capable of harnessing blasphemous powers. Still, Kayess-En was more worried about Retvik himself, she had studied him well and knew that he was an incredibly dangerous individual.
“Do you mind if I go and wash myself up?” Retvik asked, a bid to excuse himself. Now that Kayess-En was looking at him up close, she couldn’t help but admit that he really was a fine specimen of a Rethan. But that only confused Kayess-En and made her more angry. “I admit this battle was a tad bloodier than I intended.”
Kayess-En backed off slightly. “Very well. But I want this battle. Sooner, rather than later. I have a reputation to ruin.”
Retvik paused, then tutted. “Have I done something to anger you, Kayess-En? You are being rather hostile towards me.”
“You are an exile. You deserve all the hate you get!” Kayess-En snarled, pushing Retvik back against the wall. “It takes a lot for a Rethan to be ejected from our society.”
“Hmph.” Again, Retvik wasn’t at all threatened. “You do not know why I was exiled. You just seem to dislike me because everyone else dislikes me. Which I find curious, considering your past. You even gender yourself, the same way I do, because you do not quite fit in. But rather than accept that, you take your frustrations out on me.”
“You are… not wrong…” Kayess-En relented. “Still, you are an exile, and we are taught that exiles are not to be treated as we treat our own.”
“Yes, I know that, but I was given a choice, to be exiled, or to be killed, because of something I have no control over. I did not choose to be the third of a lineage that is only supposed to have two individuals per generation.”
Kayess-En blinked, then backed away again, looking Retvik up and down. “So you actually ARE a Rethianos? You did not simply take the name in mockery?”
Retvik grunted, then pushed past Kayess-En, attempting to walk away. Kayess-En grabbed his arm, stopping him from doing so. “You are as ignorant as every other Rethan. And vok wonder why I do not get along with you all.”
“I…” Kayess-En swallowed her pride. “I am sorry.”
“Keep your apologies,” Retvik grunted, freeing himself and storming off down the hallway. “And prepare your team. Because you have angered me now, and I am not going to let you win this stupid challenge of yours.”