Chapter 10: Putting the Yeast and Flour In

SLASH! Bransen recoiled back on the arena stage. A small amount of blood trickled from his left shoulder as the Yutilian woman held her clawed hands outward. The man cringed in pain but wasn’t out of the fight.

“Oh!” the announcer said. “Bransen has gotten slashed by Cerik’o. It was bound that she would finally get a hit on him.”

It had been two days later and nearing the end of the afternoon. Bransen stood facing a black-scaled Yutilian. Cerik’o was known as the “slashing wind,” a Yutilian born on Kre click Uio. She was topless, dressed in green and black shorts. Her yellow reptilian eyes, long black and gold feathers, black tail, and long clawed talons showed a vicious woman. She wasn’t cruel-hearted, but she occasionally gritted and showed her teeth in anger.

The fight had been long, lasting over ten minutes. Bransen had managed to score some hits on the Itrean. Her left arm was partially broken, almost limping as she was still using her legs and right arm to make sweeping jump attacks and the occasional right slashes. Her speed was constant for a woman of her size.

“You got this!” Saburo called out from his table.

“Bash her! Bash her brains out,” Girsha’lar yelled out.

“Make it explode!” Nir’vina added.

Bransen already knew that Girsha’lar and Nir’vina were not far from the stage floor. They remained close by, standing and cheering the man on as he was fighting. The audience seemed respectful, adding the occasional cheer. For the 1st day of fighting since his combat injuries, he knew he was doing well. However, the fight wasn’t over yet. If anything, Cerik’o could still cut the man open if he wasn’t careful.

“I have this...,” Bransen said to himself. Cerik’o’s movements were predictable and manageable for the most part. However, the fight had become a battle of attrition. Speed was on the Itrean’s side. With Bransen, he had to time his moves carefully. He kept a good pace of his adrenaline and breathing. Patience and impatience were the keys to victory, and he had something that was on his side.

“Bransen has been on a roll for today,” the announcer said. “Two fights and two victories. Can he make this his third victory?”

Cerik’o only hissed. Her knowledge of the English language was null. Taunting her was pointless, except in the use of body movements. Even then, the Yutilian competitor was a ball of emotion at times. Bransen knew he had to keep up, even though she cut into his shoulder. Blood continued to pour from his open wound, but it wasn’t egregious. He had moved out of it just in time that it was almost superficial. Almost...

On Bransen’s augmented arm were a series of gashes. Cerik’o had managed to score her hits, but only on the area that could be repaired. Bransen continued to shift his stance, often tilting his forward foot up to the point that it was on his toes. His left hand had been extended in an open palm to her as he kept his augmented arm close to his hip.

“Hissss,” Cerik’o threw her feathers upward. Finally, she lost her patience and charged again. The man altered his stance and pressed his forward foot to the arena floor. Then, he saw it. Her reptilian eyes looked down, noting the movement. Even in her quick gallop, she was making minor adjustments. She shifted to the left and then the right. Her left arm swung, claws extended. Bransen moved his left arm away and turned to block the incoming slash. The artificial arm glowed blue. Talons connected into synthetic flesh. At the same time, the right claw was coming in.

However, Bransen was quick. This was the third time she had tried to attack in this fashion. But, by now, he had gotten the pattern down perfectly. As the left claw hit, he spun his arm to his left, going into her hand. Then, just before her other claw was about to hit him, he lifted his elbow and brought it directly into her snout.

BAM! Her head recoiled as her other arm lost power. It was a direct hit, knocking her back and dazing her.

“Oh!” the announcer said. “Bransen got an elbow into her...”

Bransen had this mapped out perfectly. Her body staggered back. She was in the perfect range. The man spun to his right, pivoted his legs, and leaped. In the air, he turned around in an almost perfect 180-degree arc. His right leg was bent and stretched out so that his foot went outward. Like a spring, his leg extended outward, foot slamming into her.

Bransen’s kick was flawless in its execution, delivering a powerful blow that pushed the woman’s breasts and chest. The hit sent her hurdling directly into the metal pole of the laser emitters. She was barely aware of what happened but only rode the rows of energy delivered to her. Her back connected to the metal as her head whipped back and smacked it, further dazing her.

THUNK!

“OH!” The announcer screamed. “A well-executed jump kick by Bransen! I haven’t seen that kick since the UWAF tournament! Cerik’o is exposed. Is Bransen going to finish it off, and he looks like he is!”

“Finish it off, my boy!” Saburo yelled.

“Take her down!” Girsha’lar added.

Bransen closed in on the dazed Itrean. He ran and pulled his right arm back. A glowing light could be seen as his augmented arm supercharged. It went from blue to purple. By the time Cerik’o could see what was happening, it was too late. The man swung hard as his fist went straight into her chest.

BOOSH! An enormous amount of force was delivered from Bransen’s mechanical arm. Artificial flesh impacted against flesh and bone. For a brief moment, the man swore he heard the sounds of a chest cavity popping. It echoed in the arena as Cerik’o was sent hurdling into the air. She flew past, ragdolled in the air, before smacking into the seats. Audience members actually got hit by the flying body.

“OH!” the announcer exclaimed. “Cerik’o was sent straight into the audience! I don’t think she’s going to get back up from that one!”

“Yeah!” Girsha’lar yelled. Her fist was in the air in triumph.

For a brief moment, Bransen’s eyes widened as he walked to the edge of the arena stage. He overlooked the audience members. Thankfully, two Itreans seemed unharmed by the body that landed on them. The lips and sides of the chair seemed to take the brunt of the hit before flesh impacted against flesh. However, Cerik’o was in obviously worse shape. She rolled down and landed on the aisle as onlookers observed. She was barely moving.

“Say it!” Saburo reminded him.

“Keupo Click? Do you give up!” Bransen yelled.

The Kop’ak had stood up from her chair. She was looking at Cerik’o. The black Itrean moved a little bit with her left hand. Her claws dug into the floor until she fell unconscious. Several seconds passed, and finally, a flash erupted from the Kop’ak’s hand.

“Point for Bransen,” the Kop’ak said. A small applause erupted from the audience. Medical staff responded immediately to the fallen Itrean.

“And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen,” Hudson said. “Bransen’s third victory in a row. What a turnaround, folks. I’m left speechless as to the former cook. Whatever he had for breakfast this morning, I would certainly like to have it! At this rate, Bransen may take the top 5 for New Atrea in the Gelta Tournament. Can he do it? Find out tomorrow!”

“Is she all right?” Bransen asked the Itrean medical staff.

One of the Yutilians of the medical staff had her tilon scanning her body as Cerik’o was being safely loaded onto the hover stretcher. Finally, she turned her head and did a quick nod to Bransen. It was all that he would get as a sense of relief filled him. He turned around and proceeded to get off the stage. Girsha’lar got up to the stage edge and held her arms out. Bransen welcomed the gesture as she helped take him down from the stage before putting him onto the ground. She put her hands on her hips.

“Well done, Bransen,” Saburo said.

“A good battle,” Girsha’lar commented. “Especially from my mate.”

Nir’vina did a slight nod and smiled at the same time.

Doctor Abril approached Bransen. She looked at the man’s shoulder before pulling out her tablet. She began to scan him.

“How are you feeling?” Abril asked.

Bransen had practically forgotten that he was still bleeding. A small trail of blood was still flowing down the man’s chest and hip. He looked at it and was shocked.

“Shit...,” Bransen commented. “Eh...,” he tried to put his fingers to it, but Abril stopped it. “Phew ... um ... besides that, I’m ok.”

As the man’s adrenaline was dying down, he could begin to feel a sharp pain radiating from it. However, it was quickly muted as Abril pulled out a hypo syringe and injected it near the wound. The pain reliever acted almost immediately.

“Hmmm...,” Abril commented. “It missed the bone, but you got a type 2 long laceration and two type 1s. So I’m going to try to seal it up.”

She pulled out a small suturing tool and applied it near the three gashes. Then, she began her work as the others spoke to him.

“Very good, Bransen,” Saburo commented. “If you can keep up this pace in the next few days, then you will hit the quota for New Atrea.”

“Good,” Bransen commented as he looked up at Girsha’lar and Nir’vina. “I don’t have to say that I have some reasons why I feel better.”

“Yes,” Girsha’lar said. “But you still struggled with the first fight of the day.”

“Bobin’lagera, was tough. She knew my weakness and kept trying to focus on my back ... almost succeeded as well.”

“But you used that to your advantage,” Nir’vina added.

“And she was the third-best fighter in the Gelta Tournament,” Sabruo commented. “I guess a ... human is just something that a lot of the champions aren’t used to fighting.”

Bransen nodded his head. However, Abril began to pull the medical tool away from her hand. She slapped it against her palm before she tried again, but the emitter light finally ceased. She shook her head. Only two of the cuts were sealed up.

“Having trouble, Doctor?” Bransen asked.

“My suturing tool is defective,” Abril commented. “I will need you to come to the medical ward so I can patch you up and run a few medical tests on your spinal clamp. You might have pulled off a small miracle today, but I’m sure that it’s taken some abuse. But, I’ve slowed down most of the bleeding.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Bransen commented. “Let’s go.”

The group proceeded to leave together and head toward the medical ward.

“If you faint, I will carry you,” Girsha’lar lightly mocked him.

“That won’t be necessary,” Bransen replied.

“You never offered to do that for me,” Nir’vina commented to her.

“There...,” Doctor Abril commented as she sealed up the wounds. “Now to check up on your back.”

The medical ward was busy with the last sets of fighters that finished up for the day. Bransen already knew that Cerik’o was in the adjacent room being looked at. Doctor Abril was running her scan on the man’s back. Nir’vina was inside the room as Girsha’lar had her hands braced to the door frame blocking entry for anyone else. Besides Doctor Abril, there was an obvious missing person.

“Has your coach left for good?” Nir’vina asked.

“I don’t think he has,” Bransen commented. “I know that he’s gathering his things before his departure.”

“Has your coach left for good?” Nir’vina asked.

“I don’t think he has,” Bransen commented. “I know that he’s gathering his things before his departure.”

“Hmmm ... weeks off from him,” Girsha’lar replied. “Sounds pleasant.”

“Ugh ... he was pretty vital in my winnings.”

“Eh ... quit whining. You never needed him.”

“He is his friend, Girsha’lar,” Nir’vina replied. “Even if he is annoying.”

“He has us, now. Besides, in two days, he’s been with us more than he has with him.”

“Hmmm...,” Doctor Abril mumbled. She had a questioning look on her face.

“What?” Bransen asked.

“Ummm. I noticed that your hormone levels are higher than they should be.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Are you taking any form of hypersteriods or other forms of medications besides the ones that I prescribed?”

“No.”

“Anything that you’re eating that maybe increasing it?”

“I eat the local fish given from the hotels. I cook them and eat them.”

“They wouldn’t carry anything that would affect you,” Nir’vina added.

“How would you know?”

“Because she would try to find out if she could make an explosive out of it,” Girsha’lar answered. Nir’vina only smiled upon hearing that.

“What do you mean that my hormone levels are higher than they should be?” Bransen asked the doctor.

“I noticed in the last couple of days that your male hormone levels have been increasing. Your body is producing a surplus of gonadotropins and testosterone.”

The doctor showed a simple line graph that showed the last couple of days. It started two days ago, and there was a sudden spike yesterday. However, it was easing up as it reached the current day. Regardless, another line graph was present where it showed where it should have been.

“This is what you should be generating, but this is what it is now,” Abril explained. “All human adults and Itreans generate a certain amount of it, but it’s been increasing.”

“Is there any issue with that?” Bransen asked.

“At the moment, no. It seems to be slowing down its increase. However...,”

The doctor took her tablet and continued to scan the man. Eventually, the scanning beams went below the beltline. Abril seemed to be focused on the man’s crotch.

“Is there something about my mate that concerns you, Doctor?” Girsha’lar asked.

“Bransen, have you noticed anything different about your body in the last couple of days?” Abril asked.

“Well ... now that you focused down there,” Bransen explained. He trusted Girsha’lar and Nir’vina since they were close to him. “My ... testicles have been getting bigger.”

“It has,” Girsha’lar commented. “I noticed it.”

“Your scrotum has increased in mass by 15%,” Abril said. “In the next few days, it will be about 45%.”

“What!?” the man reacted. “This is being caused by the hormone increase?” Bransen asked.

“It looks like it. Something is causing your levels to rise. This isn’t natural unless you are taking anything that’s affecting it. Ingesting ... augments, it’s affecting it.”

“What are the other side effects?” Bransen asked.

“Normally, this would be similar to the old days of steroid use. Increased muscle mass, growth of hair, higher aggression. It can damage your body if you’re not careful. Are you sure that you aren’t ingesting anything that might be causing this?”

Bransen seemed to think about it. Girsha’lar looked away and toward her breast. She cupped one from her bra and jiggled it slightly as if she already had the answer. She then gave a mean look at Nir’vina.

“I...,” the man thought about it. “Unless it’s something that I ate. I’m not taking anything to enhance my body. Hell, I try to avoid that stuff. I don’t want to be known as some junkie that’s taking enhancement drugs. I already have to fight with an augmented arm as it is. No.” Bransen waved his arm. “I can’t figure it out...”

“Ehmm,” Nir’vina jumped in. She was poking her fingers together. “I ... might be the cause of it.”

“Yes, she might,” Girsha’lar added.

“Mind explaining?” Bransen asked. “Doctor, I trust you can keep things secret?”

Abril held her hand up in oath. “I swear it,” she said. “I know all of you are close.”

“I ... lactate,” Girsha’lar commented. “I never had a child, nor am I induced to have ... m ... milk.” She seemed a little embarrassed and angry in admitting it. “It all seemed to happen once I met my mate, Nir’vina.” The Shal’rein waved her hand at Bransen. “It’s possible that it is affecting him too.”