Impressed, would definitely be a word that Meredith used when the “Barbaric Beauty” was brought out before the crowd. From the physical beauty to the raw power that she saw within those golden orbs, Meredith knew this was a prize for them to have for sure.<br/><br/>“Where did you find this one, Max?” the question was asked in a casual manner as if her interest had not yet been fully grasped. A grape, a true treat for fruit of any kind was hard to come by these days and only those with the real power and influence could get such lavish items. With that being only a mere one or two grapes; Max had bowls full.<br/><br/>Even with such a question posed to him, Max did not tear away his gaze from the combat; eyes ever on his most prized possession. “Sheyera is special…” he began his voice at just the right volume so that it did not intrude upon the sounds from the match, nor was it hard to hear either. “Her history is one of pain, loss and vengeance. She was one of the originals that caused the war to begin, did you know that?” he looked over his shoulder then at Meredith before he continued. “When the veil was pierced and man saw into the world of the supernatural, she was there at ground zero. In that city when the werewolves fought the vampires in an open all-out war….she was there….”<br/><br/>Both of their gazes were turned back to the arena then, the clang of steel on talons that were as hard steel rang through the arena and cut through the uproar of the bloodthirsty crowd. Up into the air the Thunderbird would take off and then dive back down, talons extended as it struck Shey before it took off once again into the sky.<br/><br/>“What happened to her?” the succubus asked when once again her gaze was drawn to the look in those golden eyes. The pain, the misery and most importantly the hate; all of that reflected within Sheyera’s eyes which told a story on their own.<br/><br/>“Life,” Max said in an almost scoffing manner. “That war took everything from her; the humans took everything from her. Her mate, their unborn child, everything, they took it from her and left her with nothing but this burning hatred and a thirst for blood,” the Thunderbird squawked, Sheyera had managed to swing up onto its back at some point. The screen displayed a determined Shey with her sword plunged deep into the spine of the Thunderbird who tried to throw her from its form.<br/><br/>“If she hates us so much, how did you catch her?”<br/><br/>“A promise,” he said with pleasure and smugness at his own success. “She was in an abandoned town, tired, broken and only a shell of the woman she must have once been. The look on her face as my men closed in on her was…”he stopped and looked at Meredith, “…sad.” There he held her look for a few more moments before he returned to the fight, “The fight was all, but gone from her and she just looked up at me as if to beg me to kill her. And yet…she was too proud for that, not her, not my “Barbaric Beauty.” No, she was just lost and needed a purpose, needed a goal again. So, I promised her that, I promised that I would take away the pain and give her a purpose once again.”<br/><br/>Another clang in the arena and then a scream of pain found Sheyera pinned with just her sword between life and certain death by the beak of the monstrous bird.<br/><br/>“And she went along with you that easy?” Meredith asked, now fairly on the edge of her seat so caught up in the fight was she.<br/><br/>“No,” Max chuckled and watched with pride as Sheyera gained the upper hand and managed to slip free of the bird’s clutches. “She tried to kill me and nearly did too. You know that scar I bear across my chest?” At her nod he continued, “That was her. She tried to maul me and it took far too many men to subdue her, but once the collar was on her I had her…” he watched as Shey twirled the sword and sliced through a wing on the bird. Now unable to fly it threw itself at her with reckless abandon. A hush fell across the crowd as the two combatants were consumed in a dust cloud with only the occasional flash of energy and an outcry to inform the audience of the continued combat. There was a final squawk from the Thunderbird and then it all went still.<br/><br/>Every person was on the edge of their seats as they waited for the dust to settle.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Had the Champion been slain? Was this this end of Barbaric Beauty?</span><br/><br/>At last the dust settled and there in the center was the body of the Thunderbird and much to the dismay of her fans, no Barbaric Beauty. Meredith thought to say something, but instead held her tongue, concerned with the wraith she might incur should she piss off Max. The man had far too much money and power for them to make an enemy of him lightly.<br/><br/>“Ladies and gentleman, it would appear that our beloved Barbaric Beauty has fallen to the Great Thunderbird. Her lost is a he…”<br/><br/>“LOOK!” A member of the audience shouted and the focus was back in the center of the arena. The body of the Thunderbird began to tremble and convulse until at last, its body erupted in a torrent of blood. With a might howl Sheyera burst forth from its body, her now fur covered body slick with blood and gore of her fallen opponent. The audience went nuts at the sight, her name once again chant rose to the heavens and carried out across the whole of the city.<br/><br/>“The scar is more than worth the treasure she has become to me,” Max whispered to Meredith before he stood to clap along with the rest.<br/><br/>It was at that moment that Adam entered with Meredith’s present, it was a start to her not torturing him later.<br/><br/>“Darling, you missed quite the show,” her words purred from her mouth as she crossed over to him. Arms draped casually over his shoulders, a kiss placed on his cheek before she leaned into to whisper only for him to hear. “We have ourselves an opportunity to change the course of the world.”