Wings of Fire: Chapter 2

	Garr walked through the Arena, checking on the practice rings and making sure the
cleaners were actually doing their job. This week the Arena was closed for cleanup bacause
the busy season was just about to start. The winter had been slow this year but the summer
promised to be one of the busiest ones yet. Tickets had been bought so far in advance that
the first month of summer was already sold out. Garr knew he had his new assistant to blame
for that. 
	Amanda had come up with a new advertising campaign that went all the way from Duana
to Junk Town. Boyd had even offered to distribute fliers for free after Amanda pointed out
that everyone wanting to come to the Contest that lived east of Raphalia would have to use
his boats or the mountain pass to get to the Arena, both of which would make him money. One
thing was for sure, Emiti's daughter had more sense when it came to money than her father
did. 
	Garr stopped for a moment at the entrance to the Null Magic room. Amanda was inside
trying to teach one of the new mages how to fight without magic. It didn't appear to be
going well. She had to stop the man from picking up a dagger by the wrong end. Finally she
gave up on edged weapons and gave him a quarter staff. 
	Garr continued on, he didn't enjoy watching newbies make fools of themselves. Next
was the Fire Pit. No one was training in there except the men who held the platforms. Garr
had always wondered how they could stand that job. Even when he had been a Guardian that
would have been painful. Now, in his human form he didn't even like to think about it.
	He walked back to his office where he still had paper work to do. Paper work, his
least favorite part of owning the Arena. He could have hired someone else to do the paper
work for him but that was part of the reason the Arena went out of business for so many
years.
	He sorted through the day's mail. Bills and orders for tickets made up most of the
stack but one piece of mail caught his attention. It was an invitation to a party at Windia
Castle. Garr wondered what the occasion was. There had been little reason to celebrate after
Nina had renounced her birthright. He didn't think that Nina had returned to say she was
sorry, she was far too stubborn for that. He couldn't think of any reason Windia would be
celebrating, much less invite him of all people.
	A knock at the door broke him out of his pondering.
	"Come in."
	Amanda entered and closed the door behind her. She sat down in the only other chair
in the room and began. "Most of the fighters are ready for the summer but a few mages still
are having trouble with the Null Magic hall. They should be ready for a little bit of combat
by the end of the week if we keep training them several hours a day. Everyone else appears
to be ready." 
	"Good," Garr said, "Because I'm going to Windia for the rest of the week."
	Her eyes widened, "But the Arena is about to open! We need you here!"
	"You know how to run the Arena as well as I do and I'll probably be back before we
even open. I have to go."
	She realized there was no way to argue with him when he was that determined to do
something. "Fine," she replied, "But you'd better be back soon or else I send a Golem out to
fetch you."
	"I'll be back."