TSAR Round One Chapter One

Round One: Adaptation

Pilotzen was known throughout the multiverse for Her intelligence, wisdom and, above all, Her attention to detail. So when She decided to hold the first test for her potential apprentices in a jungle, Pilotzen decided to go all out. When not recruiting entrants, Her many judges had been sent throughout time and space to bring anything dangerous, bloodthirsty, or otherwise unpleasant for Her little world.  By the end, She was enamored with Her project. Not only had She created the perfect death trap for Her contestants, but She had also created a place with countless points of life. This was quite relaxing. Maybe she should do this more often. It was a great stress reliever…

Elzdrek stomped through the ferns, her eyes scanning the sky. She had already been ambushed twice by air dwellers, and was only able to escape by virtue of her small size. She stumbled, then snarled.

"That's it! These have to go!" She clawed at the heels on her feet, ripping them off, breaking the heels, and chewing on one of the straps. Her acid quickly melted the cheap plastic, and she swallowed it, wondering if her new form could digest it. Would she even need to digest it? She had never needed sustenance before.

Elzdrek shoved the other shoe inter her mouth, then sniffed the air. Aside from the smell of smoking plastic, she could detect something… scaly?

"Ohhhhhh. That's not a good sign." She glanced from side to side, looking for a tree to scale or a river to dive in. When she had first entered the clearing of ferns, it had felt like a good idea. Nowhere for enemies or predators to hide and an open view of the sky seemed ideal, the perfect way to formulate the demise of her opponent. Now, she just felt vulnerable. I have to get out of the open. She swallowed the remains of her shoe, and burst into a sprint, making her way to the other side of the ferns, where the shade of the trees and giant flowers could provide her with cover, head swiveled to scan the area behind her.

Elzdrek was so focused on the smell of blood and scales, she didn't notice the eight foot man with a BIG DAMN WRENCH until she ran into him.

Maghendan didn't see the dangers of the jungle. To most of the creatures inhabiting it he was utterly unappetizing and to the remaining ones, he was an eight-foot sadistically joyful metal janitor with a BIG DAMN WRENCH. All the creatures he had encountered so far had wisely backed down. Now, all he needed was to find his stupid opponent, clobber it upside the head and leave it to the beasts to eat. Maghendan was looking forward to this. This could make his eternity.

Not that he was expecting it to be easy. Far from it, Maghendan knew how tricky the bastards could be. Of course, tricky wasn't the same thing as intelligent. This Elzdrek was probably as stupid as they came.

But she (it was obviously a she) couldn't be this stupid! Maghendan looked down at the god which had just collided with him. She had already snapped back, gasping with pain and shaking her head. He looked down at her, impassive. She was to be his oppenent? She didn't even have a weapon.

"Who are you?" Elzdrek looked at the being across from her. He was big, and was wielding a HUGE CHUNK OF METAL. Maybe she could team up with him! "I'm Elzdrek! We should team up!" After all, there was safety in numbers, right? Who would say no?

"I am Maghendan, your opponent for this round. I refuse to ally with you." Maghendan rumbled, shifting his weight on the BIG DAMN WRENCH. "And even if we were not opponents, I would still refuse to be associated with you." Maghendan sneered and backed up, allowing her space to charge him. After all, she had no weapon. How else could she attack? And, as it turned out, he was completely right.

Elzdrek flung herself at the metal man, tongue out. See how he liked this, that arrogant guy! But before her tongue could even connect with his flesh, he had shifted the BIG DAMN WRENCH of his shoulder and swung, hitting her right on the ribcage. Elzdrek was thrown back a good twenty feet, where she lay in a crumpled mass, watching the dancing colors and vibrant shapes. Maghendan's smile grew wider. He hadn't expected it to be this easy. He started over to where Elzdrek lay, ready to deal the incapacitating blow. As fate would have it, he was denied the chance.

Just before he reached her, he noticed the shadow. A huge creature, tens if not hundreds of times larger than himself swooped down, scraping his opponent off the ground and, with a snap of its scaly wings, zooming off into the sky.

Well. That was one way to deal with an opponent. One down, more to follow.