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Once I’d left him with the orc woman who’d taken sweet care of my pet the day before, I joined Jarum and his parents in the front hall.
“Are you both ready?” his mother asked, her gaze neutral.
At our nods, we followed them outside, where we climbed into a boar carriage. The vehicle took us through town and out into the countryside, approaching a huge stone arena that would give the Flavian Colosseum in Rome competition.
The carriage deposited us at the entrance, and we filed into the enormous building along with hundreds of orcs. Like at any sporting event on the surface, most had dressed in team colors, Brogis’s team green and the opposing team in red.
We took a long series of stairs and eventually stopped about halfway up, exiting out into the stands that looked a lot like those I’d sat in to watch events at home.
“Here,” Roktas said, leading us to a private box. It made sense they’d have nice seats since their son was a star goalie. I assumed that was the name of his position from his description last night.
I studied the field about forty feet below, frowning at the opposing ends. “How do they shoot the ball into the nets? They’re at least ten feet in the air.” And small, maybe five feet across.
Jarum squeezed my hand, and I assumed he didn’t notice the frown his mother shot my way. Please tell me it’s not against the rules to ask how the game’s played. She knew I didn’t understand.
“They leap.” Jarum released my hand and put his arm around me, tucking me into his side.
I savored how warm he was and his nearness, remembering the night before. At least we had that to savor.
“It will start soon,” Roktas said jovially. He nodded to Jarum. “Your brother’s been practicing all the time. He’s an amazing player now.”
“Brogis played all through school and the equivalent of college before joining our national team,” Jarum said. “He’s so good.”
I smiled up at him, enjoying the warm air and the glow of the creatures on the roof overhead. “He plays goalie, right?”
Jarum nodded. “They’re called gromets here and like with hockey or soccer on the planet’s surface, there are two goals.”
Cool. “How many players make up each team?”
“Seven play at all times, including the gromet,” Roktas said, his gaze trained on the wooden door mounted in the wall below one of the nets. “Five other players wait to take their turn on the field.”
“The goal of the game is to score the most points during each session, and the game is made up of two sessions, each lasting thirty minutes long.”
“I can’t wait,” I said, my grin widening. What an opportunity this was.
It wasn’t long before the wooden doors on each end banged open and players streamed out onto the field to the screams of the crowd. Everyone roared and jumped to their feet, and Jarum lifted me up so I could see over the tall orcs around us. As the audience settled back in their seats, the players raced to the center of the big sandy field, lining up facing each other. A ref strode between them, nodding to each player.
Ten players left the field, dropping onto benches on either side, and the ref held up a bright blue object the size of a softball.
He tossed it into the air, then pivoted and raced to the edge of the field.
The players raced toward each other, colliding with their chests while the two gromets—one Brogis—rushed over to stand beneath their nets.
The ball fell toward the ground, but it didn’t make it. An orc sprang into the air and grabbed it. Before he could land on his feet, another orc slammed into him, knocking him backward. He gained his feet and dove toward one of the others. The ball popped up between them, and all the guys flung themselves toward it. Claws scrambled and bellows rang out as one latched onto the ball and raced across the field.
Cheers rang out from the crowd as a guy dressed in green leaped onto the red player, dragging him to the ground. Others flung themselves at the pair, but the green guy rolled across the ground and sprang to his feet. He zigzagged down the field, making his way toward the red gromet.
“Yes, yes!” Jarum bellowed, his dad’s voice and fans wearing green echoing the cry.
The green player tumbled across the ground, not losing the ball, and sprang up, flinging the ball toward the net. With a hoarse cry, the red gromet flung himself upward, his face feral and his arms extended.
The ball slipped past him, hitting the back of the stone structure and scoring the first goal for the green team.
Jarum and those around us leaped to their feet, cheering as a long mark in green was made on a black rectangular surface mounted high above the middle of the field.
The play continued, the green team slowly gaining.
Brogis was amazing. He caught almost all the balls, only two slipping past him to score. By the end of the first session, his team led by four points.
