Jaihar gazed up into the sky, squinting at the sunlight. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought the lizard familiar was purposefully positioning himself in front of the sun. However, he knew such a level of intellect and strategic thinking was impossible for the familiar of a measly True Mage.

But did he really?

He shaded his eyes with his left hand, trying to make out the silhouette of the giant, flying reptile. His right, he raised above his head, palm out. He was prepared to lose a flurry of spells at the drop of a hat. However, the thing seemed content to circle high above, far out of reach.

Jaihar’s eyes were inadvertently drawn to the back of his palm, aiming upward. The hand he extended to the sky was trembling, and not just a little bit. It was shaking like the hand of an old drunk who had not gotten his daily dose. He grimaced, remembering the reason for his current state.

That roar—that primal, terrifying roar.

The moment the beast had growled at him, he almost lost control of his bladder. His knees had felt like pudding, and his mouth had gone dry. It had been the single most terrifying experience of his entire life. If he was being honest, the mere fact that he had managed to stay upright was a miracle in and of itself.

He had been so certain that this was the right course of action—that he could solve his problems with this challenge. Heck, he had been so certain that he had bet his entire fortune, everything. All he had left of his family’s vast fortunes was now in the possession of those snakes of the Varun family—all for the promise of vengeance.

They promised that the boy would agree to his challenge in order to save that little girl. Jaihar had believed them, desperate for a way out of his predicament, and, to his utter relief, they had been right.

He had actually agreed, all but throwing his life away.

The stupid little True Mage had actually agreed to fight him one-on-one. Him—a Grand Mage with decades of experience fighting in the Rings. Oh, how elated he had been. His entire world seemed to light up with endless possibilities, and for the first time in a long while, he had dared to dream of the future. Of all the things he would accomplish once the specter of death no longer hung over him.

However, his pleasant dream was shattered the moment his opponent stepped into the arena. With his pale, bloodless face and sunken cheeks, the boy looked about ready to collapse. Yet death followed on his heels. With razor-sharp teeth the length of a hand, the beast had eyed him with its canny, predatory gaze. For a moment, Jaihar thought the creature was taking his measure. Its eyes slid over his frame as if sizing him up.

It was then that Jaihar realized the easy victory he had imagined was now out of reach.

The shrieks of the crowd brought him out of his musings and Jaihar focused on his opponent again and saw that it had started to dive. Its speed was breathtaking, and a moment later, it was already in front of him. However, he was ready.