Outside, the Ring Mistress was riling up the crowd, speaking of Utter's achievements, of just how long she'd been trapped in the world of the Petting Zoo, and how much of a favorite entertainer she was there. The men upstairs began barking, pounding their fists on the sturdy iron gates of the pit-cage. "Please welcome my elder and the matriarch of the Petting Zoo: Puppy."
It only took the girls within the Pitting Chamber moments to hold Utter down and give her quite appropriate attire--magically-enhanced shackles for the neck with a metal stake at the end--before sending her out to greet the uproarious crowd, deafened by just how loud the seemingly teeny crowd had become. They barked, they howled, they pounded the cage bars, they toasted one another to a good fight and drank, they called out pointers--it was enough to send Utter to her knees.
And it did.
Utter, overwhelmed by the realism of what it was like to be caged within the Pit, dropped to her knees, looking at the ground. The neck shackle-and-stake, which had been leading her to one side of the pit all on its own, yanked on her chain, pulling her back up to her feet. Tail now between her legs, shaking all over, she was lead to her starting position. Some men in the audience who found this submissive position slightly attractive, whistled and hooted and catcalled, causing Utter to blush with embarrassment and shame.
"Now, Matriarch Puppy's contender," the Ring Mistress hollered over the roar of the crowd, "has only been here for one day. Unfortunately, due to certain events, Miss Insanite has decided to rid herself of this nuisance. Granted that this little newbie doesn't survive. If she survives, Miss Insanite may change her mind--maybe even make her the new Matriarch. Please welcome...Sugar."
Many men whistled and catcalled as the little girl with the wings-for-ears appeared, white sweetshop maid outfit and all. Her head was hanging low, wings folded on themselves. As her--and Utter's--stakes momentarily buried themselves into the ground, Utter tried to get the girl's attention. She was refusing to look Utter in the eye.
Now Utter understood.
The little wretch had ratted her and Liir out to Miss Insanite, sparking this whole thing. Unfortunately, she didn't know that newcomers who know absolutely nothing of the true intentions of the Petting Zoo are immediately disposed of if they even catch a single whiff of foul play going on.
The whole thing could have been avoided. But because this girl wanted her job...she had to fight her. Utter's tail came from hiding very, very slowly.
The wretch.
"Shackles...off." At the Ring Mistress' command, both Utter's and the newbie Sugar's shackles fell from their necks. They would have taken off immediately had it not been for the strong magic it had left behind, putting an egg-shaped barrier about her. The Ring Mistress raised her hand. "We all know the rules. But, for those of you in the audience who don't, we'll explain briefly. The battle will last for as long as needed. Be ready--they can last up to days at a time. Whoever survives will be proclaimed the winner. Unfortunately, because we have cases where both contenders collapse, we have to check often to see which contender dies first. The one who dies last is proclaimed the winner. Understood?" She asked, looking from Sugar to Utter. Sugar shut her eyes tightly. Utter nodded, keeping her now-glinting eyes on Sugar.
The wretch.
"On my mark. One...two..." The Ring Mistress nodded to the crowd, who then proceeded to throw items like daggers and swords into the ring. Utter dared not touch the items. The girl, on the other hand, chose a very delicate-looking, very sharp rapier that she held out in front of her with shaky hands. The men "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed at Utter's valiant stance, realizing she was going to fight barehanded. "...three."
Sugar charged. Utter waited.
The men above cried out to Utter, asking "What are you doing?!" and screaming "Trip her!" All sorts of things. Utter ignored them.
Once Sugar was close enough, she used lightening speed to duck and trip her opponent, sending her falling face-first into the dirt. Utter mounted and held her rapier-wielding hand hostage, beating it into the ground until it had flown quite a ways away from the two. As Sugar kicked and bit, Utter growled into her ear.
"You ratted me out."
"I wanted your job."
"Figures. Let me kill you."
"What?! Why? So you can reap the glory?"
Utter bit the hand that was busy pulling at her hair. Her sharp canines began drawing blood, the taste of it awakening her father's genes--her deadly side. She put her face down towards Sugar's again. "What! What glory?! Do you see this?? This is all the glory I will face. I won't have a life after this. This is all that will be available to me. If you live, you'll have no more of a chance at freedom than I will. You're in slavery." Utter seemed to hit it home with Sugar--Sugar's eyes began widening. "Your only hope at freedom is death right now. Do you hear me? Death."
Sugar snapped herself out of it. "You liar!" In a puff of hot steam, the girl's little wings had grown a little longer. Not only this, but she sported wings that could've rivaled a dragon hatchling's. She flapped them once, sending Utter flying into the air in a whoosh of dust...and daggers.
With the finesse of a dancer, Utter weaved her way through each dagger that shot her way, missing many by mere inches. She landed un-gracefully on her feet, staggering and falling over a moment. She righted herself, putting herself in a crouching position. The fur on her tail and hair were standing straight up.
"You don't want to listen? Fine. I'll make you see the difference between freedom and slavery. Whether you want to or not."
