FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I'm not entirely sure what to make of my current situation. Even though neither of us were in any real condition to do anything, after a moment or two of them tending to the dragon's injuries and another person coming to check on mine a very loudly dressed individual comes up into the ring to begin talking to them. I think he was talking about the match and officially declaring me the winner, but by that point exhaustion had creeped in on me again and I fell asleep. And so, for the second time since coming here I find myself waking up in my own bed, dressed in a nightshirt and little else. Well I suppose this time that is not entirely accurate. They've apparently felt the need to bandage me up quite a bit. Which I guess I can be grateful for. I wasn't exactly in the best of shape when I collapsed. I suddenly remember one part of the fight and reach behind me, feeling for the stump and finding it completely missing. Apparently, they felt that it was better to remove what all was left of it rather than deal with how it was, which I would probably have to agree upon. What I did in the fight was to stop it from bleeding anymore. If I didn't manage it just right it'd likely get infected or something. My arms still feel like they've been through the shredder, though not nearly as badly as it was before I collapsed.

Standing up I take a look at myself. Given my current form I'd guess that really only like maybe half a day had passed. I switch to more normal clothes and step out, facilities and food being my top two priorities right now. As I step out of my room I see Gabriel standing by the door waiting for me, half napping it would seem based on how his eyes were initially closed. Once I step out he opens his eyes and pushes himself away from the wall.

"Come, we're going to Ingrid's."

"What about?" I start to ask but don't really know what I'm asking about myself.

"That'll just have to wait. There is a protocol to observe. I would have woken you up anyway in an hour. Anyway, you are to appear on their main talk show again."

"But I haven't even had time to heal."

"And that's the point. And don't heal any of your wounds. At least not until after the interview. You've gone through a duel which means in their society you are absolutely untouchable for the next week. Doing any sort of thing that could constitute harm to someone during the grace period of their duel is one of their most heinous crimes. The entire point of having you do a talk show now is because the fight will be fresh on everyone's minds. Which is why we didn't heal anything but the more serious injuries, and only so that they won't cause any problems. It'll actually be preferred from a ratings standpoint if you play up your injuries a little. After all, they want the people to really appreciate just how hard that fight was for you. If you showed up after a spectacular fight fully restored then that would drastically reduce the impact the duel would have had."

"That explains why no healing, but why no food?"

"There will be some food along the way. With a fight of that caliber they're throwing you a banquet as a sort of publicity stunt between you and Prince Arell. Again, another symbolic gesture that they require. The two of you will be eating together after the interview in an open enclosure where people can come in and dine with you if needed. It's to show that there are no lasting grudges between the two of you. You don't need to talk, just give him his first plate and eat the plate he gives you. As such, to not come off as rude we will be denying you food for the time being."

He brings me to Ingrid's and almost immediately I'm brought in and the measurements are started. It is at this point that I realize something. Even if we are a bit more empty than normal, the only person I saw the entire trip from my room to Ingrid's was Gabriel. Ordinarily I'd end up running into at least a dozen or two people just going about their day, especially in the residential area. And yet the entire way was cleared out. Was it because they were avoiding me? Does my managing to stay alive break some sort of expectation of what they're supposed to do around me? Knowing how hard those fights usually are supposed to be, I guess that it might be a bit of a shock to think I beat someone by myself that ordinarily even a well-coordinated squad cannot do. That would be an issue. Ingrid's work is oddly much different than normal. Though it is still fashioning clothes that fit their kind of aesthetic, at the same time it's also taking extreme pains to make sure that all my injuries are also on full display.

After that the two of us make our way to the gate room and step through. I half expect to end up right inside the studio like how they did with the arena but instead find myself in the same room that I came through the first time I came to this side of the portal. And there are easily twice as many guards waiting for me than last time, all of which decked out in full regalia. As before Gabriel has not followed me through the portal, meaning that I am now at the mercy of whatever this side has for me. And given that I wasn't allowed to heal I can't exactly do much to defend myself anyway. If need be I might be able to go ahead and trigger the change, but it might be too soon after doing it the last time. This side things are in almost the exact opposite as before. On my side I didn't see a single other soul beside Gabriel and Ingrid. Here the streets are practically packed full of people wanting to get a glimpse of me. It's almost like I'm being paraded around for their amusement. However, one big change compared to last time I was walking these streets is that this time the guards seem to be here for my protection rather than my control. They do a very thorough job of making sure that though I am still visible to the outside public, being able to actually get at me just about anything, physical or magical, would have to go through them first. I even see a few of the guards push back some of the crowd that got a little too insistent on closing the distance. In the grand scheme of things, though, I don't know how much is for their sense of honor if they broke their own rules and harm came to me so soon after the duel or if it's to protect their own citizens for if they did do something stupid.

Thankfully none of the crowd seem particularly upset at me or angry with me in any way. From the way some are looking I'm not sure how much is more just passing interest or are actual fans. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a few people who are being paid to cheer. It wouldn't really make all that much sense for them to do it in my mind but the fact remains I wouldn't put it past them to do so. I'm seeing what would likely be their version of a camera going off on several people but no one seems particularly interested in trying to get my attention. Part of that might be I'm heading to an interview anyway and part might just be they don't care. I can, however, only imagine how this reception might have been different if I had lost or if I had won in a much more underhanded manner. Hopefully I'll never have to find out. This time when I arrive at the studio they don't put me in a small room off to the side where they can watch me and keep me out of the way. Instead they already point a camera in my face and ask me to sit down just outside the set, though not before going through and getting a good deal of pictures regarding my current status.

"It's truly an honor to have you on my show again," the host says as he comes up from behind me. "Please, enjoy the show."

He then walks past me and begins to go about giving his opening monologue, which I can't understand much due to not knowing much of the references. I catch Prince Arell on the other exit to the set as he has someone else whispering in his ear. He definitely doesn't look all that pleased. But after a segment or two and what I'm assuming is a commercial break the host begins to talk about clips from our battle before standing up and gesturing at the wings.

"Please welcome to the stage, Prince Arell and Rose," the announcer states, eliciting a fairly loud roar of applause.

Shrugging, I make my way out into the room, coming from the opposite side of the room from where the dragon is entering, and also giving me a good view for the first time of just how much the battle took its toll on him. Granted I'm more than sure at least some of it is stuff that is dressed up to look more impressive in the same manner that I can use my arms but they put me into these two slings anyway. And though he does look considerably bandaged up, he looks mostly fine. He does, however, seem to be breathing a bit strained, implying that there is at least still some damage to his ribs remaining. On that end I guess I lucked out. Other than now lacking the vast majority of that damnable appendage and part of one of my ears I'm mostly unscathed. Well, aside from the fact trying to move my arms quickly or pick up much of anything is pretty much impossible for me at the moment. Even, still, he does definitely look the worse for wear.