The sun warmly caressed the skin of his face. There was no wind to speak of, but he felt it unnecessary on this day, the heat of the sun failing to puncture his robe. If anything, it was likely quite cold, but he was always dressed head-to-toe in his robes, which provided more than enough heat.

The royal carriage pulled up to colosseum entrance, where Nalmet and Bertold, along with his servants and some knights, awaited. The carriage itself was without a doubt upper class, made of smooth, dark wood and decorated with an abundance of markings and artwork. The Uthain family seemed to be quite fond of artistry, it seemed.

The four horses that led the carriage were of the finest breed, each better groomed than most men, their coats shining in the light of day. They were healthy and well trained, with a fine musculature that exhibited the best traits for carriage horses. Indeed, they were a royal breed specifically bred by the Beastmaster Luthin for the royal family, and had since come to be named after the man. Had he been alive, Nalmet would have very much liked to meet him.

The horses stopped, and the carriage with it, the knights accompanying them approaching to form two walls of armor. The one closest to the carriage, the resident Domicus of Sansbrook, knocked the carriage door. Words were exchanged, albeit out of ear shot, and then he opened the door.

The first man to exit was of average height and build, though balding, the hairs on the sides of his head beginning to grey and whiten with age. From what Nalmet could remember of Bertold’s descriptions, this would have been Trade Minister Plebus, the richest man outside of the royal family. Of course, he had heard rumors that he may have, in fact, been even richer than the royal family, but when trying to match countless wealth against countless wealth it was hard to say.

The second individual was a man of smaller stature, in both height and build. His stature was straight and proud, but the man himself was thin. Clean shaven he could be mistaken for a adolescent from a distance. His hair was full, a deep black that brought images of a moonless night, and it was obvious he was a man who cared much about his appearance. The king’s brother had much to prove.

As he moved out of the way, Nalmet noticed that the carriage held another occupant. As she stepped from the carriage, her features became more clear. Her hair was a mix of golden blonde and red, her face and figure well formed, and her dress a simple emerald, though still decorated with a minor assortment of frills and laces. Nalmet could guess as to who she was, but her appearance here was quite an interesting surprise.

They approached slowly, and Nalmet stepped forward to greet them. “Welcome Trade Minister Plebus, Lord Robb, Lady Uthain. I hope your trip did not bring you any trouble?”

Each one returned with a polite smile, though Plebus was the one to speak. “It was quite good. Clear weather greeted us the entire way.”

“Ah, quite good, then,” Bertold interjected. “Would you care to view the city, or perhaps have a meal?”

“I’d like to walk about the town for a bit first, if you don’t mind,” Robb said, stretching his arms. “I could use the exercise.”

Plebus shared the desire. “I could make use of my legs as well. Care to join us, Bertold?”

“I would be much appreciative. And what of you, Lady Uthain? Care to join us?”

Lady Uthain looked between each of the men there, finally settling upon Nalmet. She did not ponder long before giving her response. “I shall galavant about the town some other time. For now, I’d like to see some of the animals held here. I’ve heard they can be very exotic.”

Nalmet nodded. “That is certainly true. Bertold has procured many fine creatures, and I have brought a few myself for study.”

“I will not be a bother, will I?”

“Certainly not, Lady Uthain. It would be my pleasure to show you. A Beastmaster has no pride but for the beasts he cares for.” Her smile widened for but a moment. It seemed the second princess of the kingdom was an animal lover. Nalmet could not fault her.

“Then, shall we depart?” Bertold said. Lord Robb nodded, following behind as they left with due haste, Bertold no doubt having become impatient. A fortune sat before him, and yet it was not quite his.

“Shall we, my lady?” Nalmet said, gesturing toward the colosseum. She nodded, following behind as Nalmet led the way. Lady Uthain walked by his side, perhaps no more than a step back, as they traversed the ill-lit corridors, though soon enough they reached the door leading to the bestiary. Marked with only the etchings of a lion, the door was otherwise inconspicuous and easily missed. It had taken Nalmet three nights to memorize its location on the outer wall, having missed it time and again.

As he unlocked the door, the musk of fur and dirt and the various brown droppings of all manner of beasts struck his nose. He breathed deeply, taking the smell into him. He long grown used to it, having found it best to accept that the smell existed and to take it for what it was, though as the musk of animal struck Lady Uthain he was reminded of how far his tolerance had gone.

She had recoiled for only a moment, pulling herself back together quickly enough. Opening the door fully, it revealed a large section built on the side of the colosseum wall. There was no ceiling, instead substituted for a large fabric mesh intent on keeping away mosquitoes and other perilous insects. On each side of the central pathway was a caged enclosure of various sizes, of which almost all had been filled with some sort of predator or other deadly creature.

They trotted along between the cages, Lady Uthain’s attention obviously grasped by the beasts, though only a handful could currently be seen, the rest hiding way amongst water or trees or brush.

“Would you care for a tour, my lady?” Her attention finally snapped back to him, her head swivelling up so that her eyes met his.

“Well, it should be obvious which beast I am here for,” she said.

He sighed, head shaking. “My apologies, my lady, but I’m afraid the Khor isn’t quite ready to be seen.”

Her face fell in disappointment, though they returned with renewed interest just as quickly. “Could you tell me about the beast?”

Nalmet smirked. “If you don’t mind, I shall give you a full tour, first. It is hard to appreciate the Khor without something to compare it to.”

“Please, go ahead.” Nalmet walked to the first cage and tapped the iron bars, a ding ringing out. Lady Uthain looked around, first inside the cage, then in the others, no doubt expecting a reaction.

“The first thing that must be learned is that the beasts residing here are predators. Hunters. They do not react to sound with violence, but with attention, and often not even that. They do not view the sound as a threat, nor as prey, as they have become used to it.

“The creature within this cage is nothing special, a mere mountain cat. Though large, it is a stalker, like many predators. It waits in hidden silence for the perfect moment to strike.” He walked to the next cage directly across and took but a moment to find the creature, hidden behind a tree in the back. Turning, he spoke. “Look closely,” he said, pointing to the back. “This is a Madrag, a large reptile that hunts in packs. It uses a long tongue to lash out at prey, with many thin thorn-like protrusions helping it deliver a neurotoxin that paralyzes prey.”

Lady Uthain nodded along, following as he approached another cage. The next beast was in clear view, requiring nothing of Nalmet but to speak.

The creature was as large as the mountain cat, and easily outweighed most men. It stood in its cage, watching them as they watched it in turn, all four feet planted on the ground, its horns raised to the sky. “This is a Sersene. While the horns may seem threatening, they are no more than decoration, used mostly for courting females, though it is also used to intimidate other predators. No, the real danger are its claws. They can kill most creatures up to the size of a lion in a single strike.”

Her attention began to wane as Nalmet provided details on the next few animals. Her attraction, it seemed to him, was to the apex. A lion would not due when a tiger was so close, nor a dog when there was a wolf. He guided her along, skipping all but the last creature, the gesture proven successful by the smirk that grew upon her face.

“I must clarify that this is not the Khor, as it is being held in the arena.” The cage was hidden behind a curtain the draped down from the ceiling, blocking all view of the beast that lay inside. It was obvious from the curtains length that this cage was the largest, and Lady Uthain’s smirk did not retreat even as sidestepped her hopes.

“What is it, then?” she asked. Nalmet himself gave a smirk, his heart beginning to beat just a bit faster.

“We only retrieved it earlier this week, after being granted permission from your uncle. Normally, the beast would not be allowed within a city, or even alive for that matter.” Her eyes enlarged as he spoke, the pupils of her eyes dilating as he spoke. Attention raptured, Nalmet pulled away the curtain slowly, revealing the cage and, within, the beast. Lady Uthain took a step back as it was revealed, her face contorting in shock, awe, and fear.

“Shocking, isn’t it? A brown sessel. So large, so muscular. They hunt elephants, you know.” He could hear his own voice begin to crack as its volume raised.

“What are elephants, again?” she asked. Of course. He should have remembered. Not many knew of them.

“Large creatures, very large. Larger than this, mind you, but not by much.”

She turned to him, face and eyes aglow. “Will we be seeing this fight the beast?”

Nalmet smiled. “Indeed we will, my lady.”

“Is it to the death? I cannot imagine this creature to be tamed.”

“Yes, my lady. It will be to the death.”

“How big is it? The beast?”

“Not this large, I’m afraid. Still, it is… intimidating to see up close, and it is difficult to measure. You’ll be able to see it first hand in the coming days.”

“Do you think it will win? The beast, I mean?” Nalmet gave a chuckle as he heard the question. It was only to be expected. She had come for a fight, after all.

“Oh, it will win. I have no doubt about that.”