CARNIVAL (The Spark Form Chronicles Book 2) (21 page)

              The walk to the Entrance Area has been as uneventful as the one before our match with Connor, thanks entirely to the now familiar fake staff members clogging up the halls. They didn't look too happy about being given nicknames like 'Freddie the Faker' and 'Deceptive Danny Liar' though. Maybe Finn trained them in the art of social interactions?

              But that's not important. Carnival's fur has been bristling for a couple of corridors now, and her ears are a-twitchin' far more than normal. She's sort of sweating too, which is new. From the light scent, I'm guessing that the slight dampness is comprised of leftover beer droplets. The funny thing is, the hand that's gripping the paperwork looks entirely dry. I wonder if she's keeping the 'sweat' away from them intentionally, or if it's a subconscious thing? For that matter, does she even really know that she's doing it? Maybe she's evolved a little. Or she's added it to her repertoire to help her case?

              That's an interesting thought actually. If she has, that means that either the physical traits of living things are important to her or she believes that it will help sway Lana. If it's the latter, then I think she may have missed the mark a little. I got the impression that Lana is more concerned with the mental side of things than the physicality. I could be wrong though.

              Either way, I was trying to make a point to myself. What was it? Oh yeah. Carnival's nervous. Even with the paperwork signed and ready to go, neither of us really knows what's going to happen. I'm actually pretty nervous myself, which is why I'm picking on the Disciples of De La Cruz. It helps me keep myself on track and ready to act as necessary should anything happen before the match. Afterwards will be more difficult. Battles with Fahrn take it out of me. A lot. Then there's The Surge.

              We round the last corner just in time to see Lana skid to a halt just outside the adjacent corridor. She's gotten changed into a business suit, so I guess that means that she's all business right now ... no, wait, she has the black blazer, jacket and shoes, but she's in a plain white vest top. No, not plain, there's some black tribal stuff on one side. Breathe John. You're so busy trying to see every angle that you're missing all of them.

              "No Finn?" I ask, trotting ahead with a passable impression of calm.

              "He'll be here in a bit," Lana wheezes. She smiles and glances towards Carnival, causing her to momentarily stop in place. "Are those the papers?"

              Carnival nods and steps forward, holding them out.

              Lana takes them and turns back to me, her face pensive as she asks, "And you signed them?"

              "Yup," I reply. "And we took multiple copies, paper and electronic, just in case."

              Lana nods. "So you know, should you lose tonight, we have a plan to get you guys out of there without giving the game away."

              "We know. You left a note with the papers."

              "Of course I did. Sorry. It's been a stressful day." Carnival grunts with a complete lack of sympathy, and Lana winces. "That
was
pretty thoughtless of me. Sorry." She pauses, her brow wrinkling as she thinks something over, then says, "Look, there are some things that you should know. First, there have been some issues with Finn that
may
affect his behaviour."

              "Issues?" I ask at the same time as Carnival lets out a light growl.

              "It shouldn't be anything to worry about," she says a little too quickly to be entirely sure. "I
think
I've taken care of it, but should anything happen I'll power him down, you have my word on that."

              I look to Carnival and she flicks her tail to show that Lana is telling the truth, intentionally exaggerating it for Lana's benefit. "What else?" I ask.

              "Do you know Maria Grace?"

              "Fahrn's partner? Not really. Why?"

              Lana sighs. "I was hoping you could help me get an idea as to how she's likely to act. My staff were careless, and she found out about Meera. And a little about you two. I cut a deal with her, but there's always the chance that she'll go back on it and tell Fahrn what she knows."

              "Why would it matter if she did?"

              "They had links to Meera Thorne. Close links apparently. If Maria talked and Fahrn got half as pissed about the whole thing as Maria did, you could be in for a tough one out there."

              "Fahrn's
always
a tough one anyway," I say. "They love each other; anyone can tell you that. I doubt Maria would do anything to hurt Fahrn."

              Oddly, that seems to relax Lana a little. "There's hope yet then. OK, you better get ready. We'll have time to talk properly when this is all done." She turns to Carnival, says "Good luck," and walks calmly back up the corridor.

              Luck? I get a feeling that it's going to take more than that tonight.

              I'd settle for luck though.

              The camera cuts in abruptly on Fahrn Starchaser walking purposefully through the corridors, her eyes set dead ahead. For the first fifteen seconds of the video, the only sound we hear are the competitor’s footsteps and the occasional sounds of the Arena Staff as they go about their duties.

              Eventually, Gaz Davis runs up from behind, dropping into pace with Fahrn as he says, "Fahrn! Fahrn! Everyone wants to know one thing right now. Is this your year? Is this the year that you finally pull off the upset and beat John Forrester?"

              Fahrn stops and looks directly at Gaz as he holds the microphone out to her, a nervous smile on his face. "Beating John Forrester tonight," she replies, then shakes her head. "It's not an upset. It's a necessity. Then Dorian ... then. It's your turn." She pushes the microphone back into Gaz's chest and resumes her walk past the interviewer while the video fades to black.

Song: The Last Dawn

Band: Emblem Productions

Genre: Orchestral Score

              The video starts off with the sound of a heartbeat, each
thump-thump
accompanied by a black and white shot of the two finalists, John Forrester and Fahrn Starchaser. The video then switches to clips of last year's final, interspersed with stills from this year's tournament so far.

The living legend ...

"Last year was great, it really was, but this year, this year is gonna eclipse all of that."

The would be Queen ...

"I gotta find my own progress. Tonight, that means beating you."

The two titans of the modern game clash once more in the most anticipated rematch of the last ten years ...

"It doesn't matter what you throw at me, or how hard you wanna push. I'm not gonna stop. I'm not gonna give in."

"I'm a fighter John, a survivor. And it's only going to take one slip to make me a champion."

Coming up next on the Forty Third Annual Spark Form World Championships ...

John Forrester versus Fahrn Starchaser ...

It is time to ...

Light ... It ... Up!

              The video fades to black.

              By the time the video fades in, the crowd are already cheering and chanting, the words hard to pick out of the roar. The audible excitement only gets louder when the lights eventually fade down into the flashing blue and red entrance lights. The smoke starts to rise from either side of the metal framework holding up the entrance curtain. A count down queues up on the Big Screen, each number counting down with a light beep.

              5.

              4.

              3.

              2.

              1.

Song: Came Out Bruised (But Still Breathing)

Band: Addicted to my Rut

Genre: Grunge

              The crowd begin to stomp in time with the drums as the words'2916 SPARK FORM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RUNNNER-UP' flash up on screen then drop off to show 'FAHRN STARCHASER' just as she walks out through the curtain. Although her eyes remain as focused as they had been in her last interview, that she isn't rebelling against the mild support that she's receiving is enough of an acknowledgment to draw a few more cheers.

              As always, Fahrn brings her legs together, pulling her left arm behind her back as she raises her right to the sky and yells 'To the stars", cuing a large blast of pyrotechnics. This time, her walk towards the Competitor Area is accompanied by a UV light that illuminates the spray in her hair, leaving each braid to flicker as it splays out from under her bandana. While her determination remains apparent, Fahrn takes the time to nod to each section of the crowd that cheers and chants, and the camera begins to cut away to small sections of the crowd as they clap respectfully.

              The music fades down as Fahrn comes to a halt, and around a third of the ground level lights power up on the main stage, briefly illuminating the entrance curtain before settling into a series of intermittent flashes. Two figures step out through the curtain and take their positions either side of the ramp. A voice kicks in over the speakers, dripping with the cheese laden charisma of an old style game show announcer as it states, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, your 2916 World Champion John Forrester and his comrade in arms, Carnival!"

Song: Standing As One

Band: Shotgun Drive-By

Genre:
Arena Rock

              The crowd erupt the moment the sing-along vocals hit, and the flashing lights power on to illuminate the stage. The defending champion and his chosen Spark Form, still in her third edition form, march across the stage like hard rock frontmen, raising triumphant fists to the supportive fans as they go. The intro riff gives way to the first verse of the song, and both champion and Spark Form break into one of their more standard routines, dancing their way down the ramp as the lights come on two at a time. Once they reach the end of the ramp, two spotlights hit and begin tracking John and his Lopine as they weave their way across to the edge of the Battle Zone.

              They turn to each other and pause, the spotlights converging as they stand, staring into each other's eyes. In unison, they swing their right arms forward and clasp hands, nod, and break away to their respective places in the Battle Zone and Competitor Area.

              For the final time this year, the video splits to a split screen of the competitors as the Connection Team starts plugging them into the spinal cabling.

              "It's finally here Sam. We are now moments away from crowning the forty third Spark Form World Champion."

              "That's right Dirk. An' once again it comes down to these two individuals right here. Defendin' champ John Forrester has had a Helluva tournament this year, goin' through Finn McCourt on night one an' then, earlier tonight, he took down the legendary Connor Ford."

              "Meanwhile, Fahrn Starchaser has had a mixed tournament up until now, hasn't she?"

              "Yeah. Slade Fury was on form last night, takin' Fahrn to the limit before finally fallin', then tonight ... well, we all know what happened there, both with Laqueta and Dorian Djorkiev."

              "The question is, will what happened knock her off her stride or will she able to bounce back and take John to the wire like she did last year?"

              "Or maybe further Dirk. She was shaken earlier though; you could see that."

              "And who could blame her, Sam?"

              "Absolutely. Didja see her interview on the way to the curtain though? An' the way she entered? She's focused now, real focused, an' what she's focused on is becomin' the first Offland champ in Spark Form history."

              "But can she do it?"

              "Who can tell? She's hasn't really gotten goin' yet this year, but John brings out the best in her, ya know?"

              "OK, well it looks like the Connection Teams are finishing up already, so let's head back down to the Battle Zone."

              Keeping her eyes dead ahead, Fahrn crosses her arms and waits. Finally, the electronic announcer commands, "2916 Spark Form World Championship Runner-Up Fahrn Starchaser, please initialise your deck." Remaining unsmiling, the Offland competitor reaches out and hits the initialisation key on her Sky Control System.

              As her cards fly across her screen in a rapid shuffle, her Data Wick starts to glow in the centre of the Battle Zone. The light builds quickly, creating a sudden blinding flash before burning out to reveal an Anthro type Drakalia. S cracks his neck, once, twice, and leaps forward. He lands just in front of his opponent, his hair hanging across his face as he opens his mouth wide and lets out a loud, raspy hiss of a growl before stepping back to his own side of the centre line.

Stand tall proud traveller,

And let the sun shine against the deep black talons of your well-worn feet.

Lay your head where you will,

And fight how you must,

So that others will remember you when you leave.

Know that whispers of the sand-scaled champion,

Lay both ahead and behind you,

Tales of a hero to the people that you have and are yet to meet.

'He will come,' they say, 'Trailing hope at his side,'

'For S remembers the roads once travelled, and will see the land grow green once more.'

              The electronic announcer cuts in again, this time saying, "2916 Spark Form World Champion John Forrester, please initialise your deck," and John taps the display on his Mobile Loader. Carnival, who has thus far remained in a ready pose, starts to run through a series of stretches while her intro plays over the speakers.

The one that survived,

The blue and the grey,

She lives now as though she could fall,

Each day a party, each dance her last.

This is how she makes the land her own,

Makes the passing time more a friend than a thing to fear.

Carefree?

Yes, she is that.

But she is also one of the few.

Carnival will not change, will not bow to the harsh reality of the world.

Nor will she allow it to be forced upon her, even if she must kill to keep things as they are.

              Carnival stands up straight and flashes S a vicious smile, then brings her right hand up and drags the thumb across her throat, finishing with an angry roar.

              "The staff now running through the final checks before we get the final underway. Any thoughts on John and Fahrn's choice of Spark Form Sam?"

              "I've gotta admit, I'm a little surprised that John didn't switch back to his first edition Carnival.              I mean, the deck he used against Connor Ford was pretty damn good, but he was still cuttin' it close, ya know? He made the most of the switch-up, but it definitely wasn't as strong as his normal deck."

              "Could he be banking on Fahrn expecting that though? Maybe he's sticking with the third edition to try to throw her off her game?"

              "If he is, it ain't workin'. You look at Fahrn down there, you can tell, she ain't gonna be givin' ground tonight."

              "Is Fahrn sticking with S a good move do you think?"

              "Hard to tell. It's a good card an' all, but we didn't really get to see what sorta deck she's usin' with him earlier. That could be to her advantage though."

              "With no upgrade cards being used in the final, we could be in for a long one again too, so John and Fahrn's choice of Data Fragment could prove crucial. John is still using a Burst Style Data Fragment and Fahrn is sticking with a Blast Style. Do you think that John has gone back to Ginga, or will he be mixing it up again?"

              "He's been full of surprises so far today, ain't he? I'm gonna say Ginga though. He knows how dangerous Fahrn can be, so he'll want something to help get him back on top if he drops behind."

              "It's interesting because the card was so important in his last two matches with Fahrn, so you'd think it would be almost suicidal to change it now. But then, you could say the same thing about his use of Ginga in any of his big matches really, and he still pulled off the victory over Connor without it."

              "Oh he's capable, there's no doubt about that. I just can't see him riskin' it again."

              "It looks like the checks are done Sam. Any last minute predictions?"

              "It's gonna be a close one, but I'm gonna predict ... that it's your turn."

              "I'm sorry?"

              "Yeah man, I'm always guessin' the results. It's your turn for a change."

              "OK ... erm ... I think that, thus far, John's been on better form than Fahrn. Based on that, I'm gonna say the champ retains."

              "No fairy tale ending for our favourite Offlander, huh?"

              "No, I think that John's just too good to lose here."

              "In that case, I'm gonna say Fahrn, jus' to make it interesting.  Loser buys the drinks?"

              "Sounds good," Dirk laughs. "Right, let's get back to the Battle Zone."

Song: The Sky Will Fall

Band: To This End ...

Genre: Symphonic Metal

              The keyboard intro queues up, sending the crowd into a frenzy, almost drowning out the electronic announcer as it states, "It is time to ... Light. It. Up. Competitors ... Begin!"

              "S moves in with a quick slash, Carnival weaves under and darts forward with a bite, but S gets a hand on her shoulder and guides her past. Carnival still in control though and she throws off a hook, but S blocks and nails a slash, stumbling Carnival back."

              "S now pressin' the advantage with a tail whip, but Carnival shoulder rolls over the top an' comes up with a Meia Lua De Compasso. Again, S gets an arm up an' guides it past. He follows up with a roundhouse kick but Carnival blocks, stumblin' back a coupl'a steps."

              "She's on the back foot now Sam, hopping back to avoid a slash, ducking under another and ... Big Diving Lunge by S!"

              "Carnival gets a leg up though an' throws him over on the way down, but S rolls to his feet an' darts in with another slash, duck by Carnival, tail whip, Carnival jumps it an' goes for a leaping kick to the head."

              "S blocks again and Carnival rolls away but S leaps forward with another Diving Lunge. She didn't get a leg up this time Sam!"

              "S ain't snappin' either though Dirk, Carnival's trapped the arm, slowly rollin' him over an' forcin' him up."

              "Just like with Jariah Sam, here it comes ... the crack echoes around the arena, and S's arm goes limp as he hisses angrily, stepping back ..."

              "An' the champ now sends Carnival forward, grabbing S around the waist an' deadliftin' him over into a hard slam, then follows up with a big hook to the grounded Drakalia, bloodyin' his mouth."

              "One more to go and S should force his arm back into the socket Sam, but the damage is mounting up. Hard kick by Carnival and S falls to the floor, rising up onto all fours ... and the crowd 'ooh' as he cracks the arm into place."

              "Carnival stalks around him an' ... S trips her with a tail whip! S now scramblin' over the Lopine an' firing off some quick jabs, boostin' his health back up."

              "Even without upgrades, the health points are dropping quickly Sam!"

              "Yeah man. Ya notice S's the only one bleedin' though, an' he's still in a worse position right now."

              "Carnival dodges a swipe and slams S down again, locking in a leg bar."