Poison Pellets (Original story by Villa)

CHAPTER TWO

When we enter the club, it's not what I expected. Creatures of pastel colored skin lean on walls, some chat, some examine tables of weapons for sale. One boy around our age sits in the corner. He places a picture of a lion into a small fire surrounded by obsidian shards, which then float up into the air and form together into the same lion from the picture.
"Woah," I whisper.
A sort of bouncer stops us.
"Are you here to watch or battle?" He asks.
"Oh, stop it, Trey." He scoffed. "You can't charge us fees, you're not a real bouncer."
"You ruin my fun," trey whines, and stops the next couple walking in who laugh at him.
"You're lucky you're here with someone," Jason says. "He fishes for newbies and charges them fees until they realize its fake." I laugh and we walk into the room.
"Are you fighting today?" I ask. He nods
"I signed up, yeah. You obviously can't, cause you haven't done it before. But I'll teach you sometime." I smile.
"Thanks." I reply. "This is all just so cool."
"Yeah. I'm surprised you're taking it so well."
"Like I said. I can't be taken by surprise, I have a-"
"Is that a dragon?" One of the elf-like girls with the pastel colored skin stops me.
"Uh,yeah. This is crystal."
"Oh!" She says, and holds her hand out to crystal. "I'm Jeeya." She says to me.
"Villa." I reply. "You have a cool name!"
"Wait a second," she says, gently pulling my wing so it unfurled and then dropping it. "You're human!" She says excitedly.
"Uh, yeah. I'm here with Jason."
"He's the only human we've had for years. This is so cool!"
And then she bounced away. I send Jason a look.
"Humans get wings in magic realms." He says. "That's how she knew. And as far as her excitement, we're considered rare here."
I look after her, seeing her talk excitedly to her friends, pointing at me.
"God," I say. "I may actually have a social life here."
He laughs.

Suddenly, the crowd quiets down a bit, and a dude stands on a little stage with a microphone. He has mint green skin, and white hair.
"Battles start in five! Weapons and armor stands close in ten and food vendors will take the tents." He shouts. "First up is Jeeya against Evaline!" He says. I look over at Jeeya who's nervously glancing at another girl by the weapon stand- her purple skin contrasts to Jeeya's yellow, and the girl- Evaline- smirks and makes a snapping noise at Jeeya. I run up to Jeeya.
"You got this!" I say, and high five her. She smiles nervously.
"Thanks, V." Then she pauses. "Can I call you V?" I laugh, and nod.
"I like it."
"Cool!" She laughs. Then frowns. "Id better go- I have to be in the pit in five minutes or it's an automatic forfeit."
"GO GET HER!" I shout after her as she hurries off.
I breath in slowly and then let out a laugh.
I fit in here. How the heck do I fit in anywhere?!?

FIVE MINUTES LATER- BATTLE HOUR BEGINS

I watch the battle pit from right at the edge- this place is like an underground club, and the walls and floor are dirt. Metal beams and netting support the ceiling and keep rocks from falling. The pit was right in the. Center, and went down about twenty feet and had two stairways down to each end where the fighters enter. A fence connected to a net that went up to the ceiling and connected to the net there kept people from throwing things in or falling. There was no ceiling above the pit, and it opened up to the sky. The opening was surrounded by trees. More people crowded in the forest clearing at the top, leaning over a fence and cheering loudly. The weapons venders who had traded tens inside with the food caterers were now in stands in the clearing. Apparently they switched when fights started.

I watched as the same mint skinned boy stood between Evaline and Jeeya, who growled at each other. Jeeya had on brass knuckles that extended into claws on both hands, and a metal band wrapped around her face, two long and sharp tusks protruding from her cheeks, and a face guard covering what was between them. She was wearing a pair of stretchy leggings and a tank top, cloth covering her arms.
Evaline had on the same kind of outfit, as did most of the girls waiting in the "VIP area," an elevated wood platform with four tables that people fighting sat at. Jason was there, but I had declined his invite to sit with him so I could watch Jeeya fight. But instead of claws, Evaline held two short handles, with two blades floating above them.
"All right, first battle of the evening! You know the rules but we'll go over them for anyone knew to the party. I hear we've got a new human up in the crowds!" He shouts.
"Rule one, no death blows! Rule two, no black magic. Three, stop when I say or if the opponent surrenders. Rule four, final rule. Any flying cannot go outside of the clearing. You may be above it, but not over he trees! Ready? GO!" He shouted and ran out of the way as Evaline lunged for Jeeya.
"GO JEEYA!" I shout as loud as I can, and Jeeya smiles as I call her name, blocking the blade swinging at her with one of her metal tusks, stopping it short and fling her head to the side, sending Evaline's arm flying to the side.
"Oh my god, this is the best!" I cry.

Magic clubs are so AWESOME!