"That's not strictly true though, is it?" Blade interjected. Scale and Melon looked over at one another confused.

“Yes it is.” Grim lied, denying it. He didn't want to touch that topic.

“I know you, Grim. You put up a front when you want to avoid the problem.”

"Shut up! If you know what's good for you, you will shut up!" Grim bellowed with full front rage but underneath that rage was a forgotten sadness.

Scale wanted to know more of Grim and perhaps in a weird way, understand him.

He knew that angering such a powerful being was a foolish and stupid thing to do. It was something a neanderthal would do, not Blade.

"Why should I not tell them? We are brothers after all, and brothers share those moments together. Moments that were inspired by the other."

"I inspired you?" Grim said sarcastically, trying to hide his genuine bewilderment and emotion.

"Of course, you protected me from a deranged psycho, who you actually cared for. You had the choice between me or her, and you chose me. How can I ever forget that?" Blade reminded him.

"I poured my heart out for her and she betrayed me, she stabbed me in the back." Grim confessed related to his first love.

"Well, it was technically Dad whom she stabbed in the back." Blade commented, trying to lighten the mood. Grim laughed, it sounded sarcastic.

“Love is a weakness! Love makes people blind! It's a snare that keeps you captive, your heart becomes a jailer that comes in and beats you senseless at any given chance. The one who you fall for becomes the warden, that warden has you bound to do their whim. I can never love again because it's a curse!” His whole body twitched in a sadistic manner as he cackled words of insanity. “I fell victim to its grasp, even to this day, I think about her, how I let her just get away.” Grim turned to look at the spineless Reptilian. “You better watch out, Scale. Love can put you on your knees at your weakest. If you're as cunning and slippery as your race, don't give your heart out to anyone. If that alien cop has you bound, it's over.”

“If that were true, Blade and I wouldn't be together. You've seen it with your own eyes, Grim.” Melon said as she went out to grab Blade's hand. Both Grim and Scale have witnessed the trials, their age differences and the hurdles Melon and Blade went through to strengthen their bond and trust each other. “We wouldn't be married if we didn't love each other.”

Grim acknowledged how solid their union was. An immortal Shadow Soldier and a mortal goddess. The question is that their love would endure the test of time or expire upon Melon's departure.

“Scale, don't believe everything Grim tells you. Love is not a prison, is a communion.” Melon advised, “Love is a bond of mutual trust, communication, selfless, sharing each other's joys and sorrows. It takes a lot of trial and error to strengthen a relationship.”

“That won't last long, believe me.” Grim affirmed. “It will ruin your life.” The onlookers began to gather around at the unraveling scene.

“You became a deranged psycho and I married a Goddess.” Blade said, not with the intent to rub salt in the wound, but to see that an immortal like his brother found someone that genuinely loves him and Grim could also have that chance.

"Yeah, I ruined my life. So what?" Grim cried.

"Yeah, you did!" Blade went to comfort his estranged brother.

“You think a hug is gonna pull my heartstrings? Nice try bro. I'm not going down without a fight.” Grim backed away like a vampire fled from the sunlight. “I'm going to make her pay! Oh, I'm so ready for this, I'm coming for you Mathdias, so you had better be—” Grim stood his ground before a zesty effervescent beverage came into view, “Wait! Is that a Cröstnack?” A random bystander was watching as he sipped the beverage out of a straw.

How did an insignificant mortal get a hold of a beverage native to the Shadow Realm.

“You! Where'd you get that?”

The bystander slurped, then responded; “on one of the stalls over there.” The stranger pointed to a decorative stand with a sign with neon green lights glowing CRÖSTNACK SHACK parodying the monster logo as fog came out of the stand. Nothing screams Shadow Realm like a dark fog as Grim disappeared in a puff of smoke and surprised the poor man that was selling it.

The bicephalic twin dragon's arrived to the stadium and Claw was already ecstatic to enter and fight. “We're near and we're here!”

Saw surveyed the entrance.

“I'm ready to make some minced meat outta them.” Claw said as she brandished her rows of teeth before she chomped the air to emphasize her hunger for battle.

Samoht already sat on a retractable chair near the entryway, snoring. Claw lowered her long neck, her maw only inches away when she snorted smoke on the snoozing receptionist. It only took nearly a minute to cough himself awake.

“Dammit Vilma! Quit smokin' I'm tryna sleep here.” Sam grumbled as swatted the smoke away before he felt something hard and scaly. As he opened his blue eyes, he got scared by the sight of Claw that he shrieked and fell backwards from the retractable chair.

“Talk about a warm welcome,” Claw commented distatefully, “You'd think that the service would've improved by now.”

The back of Sam's head slammed against the floor, releasing a yelp.

“You scared the living daylights out of him.” Saw critiqued while the receptionist stood up rubbing the back of his head, groaning while picked up the retractable chair.

“I can't help being myself.” Claw remarked, “It's the impression I make when they see me.” Saw couldn't argue with that, she was intimidating to see. Her bloody crimson eyes, nigh impenetrable fiery scales and rows of sharp, bone-crushing teeth screamed Dangerous Infernal Dragon in a 50 mile radius but the myopic old turtle complimented her eyes and talonesque lashes. To Saw's bewilderment, the centenial old turtle suceeded in wooing Claw. The couple being complete polar opposites with Claw being the loud, outgoing, untamed and spunky hellion that she is while the old turtle being wise, simplistic and humble with his own sense of humor.

“Welcome to the Colosseum, or whatever name the stadium has.” Samoht said as he entered into the stadium with the closed retractable chair in one arm and rubbed his head with his free hand.

“When is the Redemption Round gonna start?” Claw asked.

“Tonight at 8.” Sam replied.

“That long?” Claw whined, then groaned.

“Yep, that long until my shift ends. If you'll excuse me.” Sam said as he retreated to the reception.

“I can't wait that long!” Claw protested.

“Of course you can, you just have to be patient.” Saw told her.

Claw groaned, which scared some of the onlookers that spotted them. “Or--” Claw craned her neck, perked her ears and ceased groaning while he spoke, “--you take a nap and wake up refreshed to fight tonight.”

“You know I get cranky when I'm drowsy.”

“Which could come in handy, as long as you don't go overboard.”

“No promises.” Claw said flatly.

“Do us both a favour and rest.” Saw offered.

“You just want to have some alone time with the host dontcha?” Saw glared daggers at Claw while she wiggled the creases above her eyelids smugly—since reptiles nor dragons have eyebrows—and teased him.

Saw hissed, “Sleep.”

Claw still had a smug look on her face.

Saw hissed the letter S while he stared Claw straight in the eye.

Long curved eyelashes lowered as she raised them again.

Unknowingly falling under hypnosis as her eyelids got heavier.

Massive rows of teeth parted as her jaw slackened to yawn.

Bobbing her head as she fought to stay awake.

Eyelids drooped down as she succumbed to slumber as her eyes closed and her head craned back.

Rest assured that Saw had finished spelling the word SLUMBER as he successfully lulled her to sleep.

“Finally I don't have to worry about her causing trouble.” Saw said.

Scale sat far off from at the edge of the handrails next to a wall, adjacent to the awning from the open space that led to the arena muttering under his breath. His friends had gone off in search of a stall that was apparently selling Cröstnack, a zesty beverage native to the Shadow Realm.  

But, Scale stayed behind, telling his friends that he needed some time to think. 

Although, Scale was more crying than thinking. I mean, he didn’t show it, but he was hurt and, no, it wasn’t because someone had called him a name or because Blade didn’t want to be his friend anymore. It was because he felt like a…

Failure. 

Scale felt foolish for entering the Tournament, he felt his cowardice rushing back to him and that moment in which he stood up to Grim, was no longer seen as courageous, just a temporary moment of madness. 

Adrian’s words come back to mind, “Your defense is left to be desired. You barely managed to escape and certainly you evaded your opponents attacks with little success.” “Consider yourself fortunate that your opponent dropped out, and his participation became nullified for that matter.” Causing Scale to further descend down the miserable staircase of Solemn. 

Scale curls himself up into a ball, repeating the word failure, over and over again, sort of like a mantra. 

A few moments passed, before an elegant voice chimes “You shouldn’t feel inadequate at the loss, no, you shall bring yourself to cherish each victory, no matter how small it may be.” 

Scale lifts up his head and finds a two headed dragon towering over him. 

To his right there was a sleeping female, with hardened skin and bloody red eyes, who even in her slumber, had her teeth lined in a menacing row.

But, to his left, was the opposite, a fluffy skinned creature, with a warm and welcoming smile. 

"I'm Saw" the gentle creature introduces.

To which Scale responded with his own name in a dismissive and grating tone. He instantly regretted his behaviour and apologized profusely to Saw, before then opening up and telling Saw of his story. 

Saw listened with patience and understanding, until some point mid speech, where he turns away, his mind drifting into a world of fantasy. Imagining the hostess stand on the balustrade, with her fingers brushing against her wavy dark hair as her errant curls flip as she gave a dimpled smile.

Scale followed Saw’s gaze to the balustrade, with a dazed look on his face.

“Uh, Saw, are you there?” Scale asked. Is that how it looks like when someone sees you gawking like that?

Saw snapped out of his daydream blushing

and he couldn’t help remark “I hope you’re not using your influence, in order to win.”

They both shared a laugh and what started as an encounter, began to blossom into something much greater, a friendship. 

Once the giggling subsided, Saw turned to Scale and asked, “What about you, has anyone caught your attention?”

“There may be someone.” Scale replied, as he scanned the stadium for the beautiful Izarian that captured his heart. 

Stella entered the office when the host and Brandon were talking in person while they were trying to resolve the potential Wi-fi issue along with the security cameras.

“I already informed Erica and Penumbra about the security cameras. Only Erica hasn't called back yet.” Brandon stated.

“You know how she is, once she's questing with Clyde there is no stopping her.” Nat commented as a grin crept on her face.

“Yeah, using a rubber duck as a detective to investigate is as wacky as it gets.” Branson commented.

“Quacky you mean.” She guffawed at the flimsy pun while he simply headed out the door.

“I'll be getting lunch if you need me.” Brandon said in a bored tone as he passed by Stella.

“Do you want some cheese with that quackers?”

She teased, the only response she got from Brandon was the clicking sound of the closed door.