Žudrė grits her teeth and says, "It seems he is still standing."
In front of her, Mõõk, Ikaras, Pumnflacără, Pumnpiatră, Orb, Dumnorix, and Iancu stand facing them, with Orb, Iancu, and Dumnorix all in shorts and jerseys. Iancu stands on their monster truck, which is a quadrupedal machine with a giant platform that resembles a castle, and four pillars, along with their chess piece placed all across the board.
Zbur shouts, "WHAT IS THIS! FOR SOME REASON, THE KNIGHTMARES HAVE SWITCHED OUT THREE OF THEIR MEMBERS FOR STRANGERS! THIS IS ODD, PERCULIUR, DERANGED, PHASTAMGORIC!"
The crowd shouts as their anxiety and confusion bring their screams to the forefront. Some of them are filled with excitement at the unexpected events, some are filled with rage as their favourites have been benched, while others just copy the energy of everyone around them.
The three ministers watching from a distance look on with confusion as Dragoste enters the room. Stiprais, turning to him, says, "Looks like a mockery is being made of our sport by your little friend."
Sitting down, he says, "What do you mean by th-, Orb! What is he doing in the match!"
Veekeeris laughs and says, "That boy has massive balls, I will give him that."
Stiprais says, "Do you not see this as an insult to tradition to allow him to play?"
Dragoste, putting his hands on his face, says, "I will go get him off the field."
Vėja says, "Oddly cooperative for you."
"I thought you hated people who act against the rules, Vėja?"
"I hate spineless cowards who have no direction and quit at everything they try. Yet the child is the opposite, as you have seen by all the help he has given us. My gut is telling me something is off, and that he would only participate if something went wrong. Please send someone to investigate what has happened to the three missing members of the Knightmares, ok?"
Stiprais says, "Fine. Yet if nothing comes up, I will take this as a favour you two owe me."
Veekeeris, smiling, says, "I think this will be fun."
Dragoste quickly sits down and taps his foot against the ground, whilst saying, "Orb, please be safe."
Soon, a letter is given to Zbur, and he opens it, then says, "Apparently, three of the Knightmares came down with a sore tummy and cannot participate, so three new members were secretly scouted by the interim manager of the Knightmares, the great Elípidio!"
He quickly jumps out of his seat, and flies over to the side of the Knightmares' technical area, where a woman where a black cloak and a mask made out of hair stands beside José of Bendícon.
Bringing his mike towards her, he says, "Lady, we have never heard of you in any matches before, yet I heard that you are now their interim manager? Doesn't this go against the principles of the Knightmares?"
Elípidio turns her body and, in an extremely deep and unrecognisable voice, says, "No more questions."
ΦI am going to die, I am going to die, I AM GOING TO DIE! Why do I have to deal with this? It's too much, my mind can't keep up with it all. First, I have to put on this gaudy cloak, and then I have to tie up my face in my hair, and now I have to stand in front of everyone within the fucking STADIUM! I am just going to go, I am just going to leave, who is going to stop me? Let me locate where Avram and everyone else are sitting.
As I turn my head to see where Avram is, I smile, but as I do, I see Elia stand up and cross her thumb through her neck towards me.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That was a threat! She I going to kill me if I go back. This is so unfair! I didn't even sign up for this! I am going to die from a heart attack!!!
Messiah, don't you love your children? Then why don't you just pull me out of her as fast as you can? Because I can't deal with this shit anymore!!!!
ΦAs panic moves through Ivana's body, Zbur, under his breath, says, "It looks like she isn't grabbing, I guess I've got to pour some oil on this fire."
Bringing out all of the passion in his voice, Zbur says, "The team is full of orphaned rug rats, who were never able to get hired by any professional club. So they had to work odd jobs every single day while practising to death just to make sure they could play in the league, and could never hire a manager because they would be laughed away or defrauded. Yet they never stopped and finally debuted, with one of the promises they made to their fans was that there would never be a manager for the team as proof of their through that the only supporter they had was their fans! And you telling me today they have chosen to betray that? ARE YOU TELLING ME THEY ARE TRAITORS!"
Ivana turns her body, pushing her head against the mirror that makes Zbur face, she says, "WHAT WAS THAT YOU CRACKED REFLECTION!? How dare you insult the Knightmares! Till this day, they still personally write letters to all their fans, constantly thanking them for their support, they have never once betrayed their supporters and constantly donate to the repurchase fees of all their supporters' families' corpses that have been stolen. Yet you think they would betray their fans in the slightest? Understand this, you smudged mirror, I am only here because I am necessary for them to keep putting a smile on the faces of those fans, and if you think otherwise, I am going to shove my fist down that stupid head of yours!"
Cowering Zbur says, "SORRY!"
Ivana grabs his mike and says, "Listen up, today the lineup for the Knightmares is a super star Mõõk Ja Kilp in the front, prepared to strike down all of the chess pieces in front of him. Following this up, we have the ultimate powerhouse of the Knightmares, Pumnpiatră Spargător, he full power throws will shatter through any wall in front of him. Now Ikaras Dangun, the nightmare who soars past all his foes, and brings the ball to the striker through the skies above, and the strongest defender, our flaming bombardment, Pumnflacără Spargător."
Zbur brings his hands close and says, "Can I have the mike back?"
Ivana kicks him in the stomach and then yells, "Now we have the remaining three members. First, is Orb Rian an emissary from another land, a friend of Captivant, and the man who stood with you all during the revolt at the graveyard?"
Throughout the stadium, cheers rise up with the voices of people from all four regions screaming down towards Orb.
"My mom almost suffocated. Thank you for saving her."
"If it wasn't for you, I would have lost a leg."
"Thank you for making sure the purification grounds got to remain safe."
Orb, hearing all the praise, feels his hair turn golden with joy, and a cheeky smile appears on his face as he turns to Iancu, then says, "Looks like I am popular."
Iancu activates his legacy to increase the gravity around Orb, then says, "Get the disgusting face out of my sight."
"I would have you know I am a handsome young man, Pine tells me so all the time."
"Then go pester her, you dumb dog."
Ivana then shouts, "NEXT! We have Iancu Bogdan! You heard that right, the son of Avram Bogdan, the great hero who has helped both our agricultural and medical industries, unlike anyone else in our generation. Iancu himself spearheaded his father's efforts in reclaiming curse items while aboard!"
Iancu, scratching the back of his head, says, "This is getting stupid. Ivana is really pulling her all to make me sound greater, how ann-."
As Iancu talks, cheers from the crowd explode all over towards us, and they scream down towards him much louder than towards Orb.
"YOU'RE AVRAM SON!"
"WHAT A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN!"
"LOOK AT THAT ATTITUDE, A LITTLE REBEL LIKE HIS FATHER!"
"A VAMPERIC CURSE LIKE THE QUEEN!"
"THANK YOU FOR RESCUING OUR PEOPLE!"
As the praises and admiration fall upon him within the stadium, Iancu's face turns red, and he completely clams up and shakes a little bit. Orb, sneaking up behind him, says, "Is someone feeling happy with all of the praise? Is someone feeling chuffed knowing he is super duper popular? Is some little boy happy with all of the praise being directed at him by women? Is someone hoping to find the love of his life out their who he will make a bunch of cute little babies with."
Iancu turns around and smashes Orbs in the face the puts his head in a leg lock, and says, "Die."
"Hey, you're choking me! I am going to die!"
Ivana takes a deep breath and says, "The single strongest warrior from a foreign land who has graced us with his presence, the one and only Beas-, I mean nightmare, Dumnorix Rogha Dé!"
Dumnorix, walking forward, spreads his arms out and holds his head back as he stares at the sky, waiting for the cheers to drop down towards him, yet only silence follows as the people around start to chatter amongst themselves.
"Who is that?"
"Am I supposed to know that name?"
"It kind of sounds like a beastkin one doesn't it?"
"I heard that some nightmares aboard name their children with beastkin names to piss off the humans."
"Weirdo's."
"START THE MATCH ALREADY, WE DON'T CARE!"
Ikaras moves over to Dumnorix and says, "Don't let it bother you; they booed us off the field the first few matches we had."
"Don't worry, I plan on showing them something so unbelievable they will have no choice but to bow the knee to me."
"That's the spirit I like, I think both of us will get along," Ikaras say, sticking out his hand.
Grabbing it, Dumnorix says, "Me too!"
They both shake hands, and Zbur quickly grabs back his mike and flies away in fear, saying, "And you heard it, folks. That's the introduction between the two teams, and now all that remains is for the match to start."
Both Mõõk and Žudrė walk to the centre of the pitch and hold out their hands, shaking them, and as they do, Mõõk face contorts in pain which makes a smile appear on Žudrė's face.
"You're enjoying the marks your assassin left on me."
"I have no idea what you mean? But if you're feeling ill, I suggest you sit out before a serious injury occurs across your body."
"So you can incite violence against the people of this country?"
"Do you really think the actions of our ministers aren't already violence?"
"There is no nuisance in war, there is no logic in war, there is no kindness in war. War isn't a game like this. There are no rules, and no matter how you think it will play out in your little head, I can guarantee you that it will always take more than it gives, especially when it is against your own people."
"It's better to inflict pain upon us now than to pass on that pain to future generations. Or are you simply that selfish?"
"It seems talking is pointless, let's solve this on the pitch."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Both turn and move towards their respective sides of the pitch. Then, standing tall, they look around, and the ball drops down from the sky and lands in front of the Distorted Sky.
Red, picking up the ball, says, "It's time to crush them!"
"TO NOTHING!" The rest of his siblings say.
Mõõk says, "Everyone bring out your best, defeat is unacceptable."
"OF COURSE!"
Name: Laumė
Height: 150 cm
Type: Cursed Wonderbeast, Herbivore
Description: A blue spectral childlike creature, covered in a flowing gown and a veil, that flies through the sky. Across its face it has six slit eyes, and for its hands it has a trumpet which is often brings to its mouth to play. As it plays, it turns red, which has the effect of amplifying the sensation within the bodies of those that surround it. This can be used to increase the anxiety of its target, or their sensitivity to pain, but if they like their target, it will instead increase their sensitivity to taste and increase the depth of their food's flavour.
Fact: It is unknown which wonderbeasts make up the original Laumė; many have left their own speculation with a prominent idea at a time of their discovery being they were merely the dead souls of children which had revive for vengeance. Yet to this day, their uncursed form is still a topic of debate.