CHAPTER 11: THE ULTIMATE CHAMPION

As early as 5 a.m, Koven rings the bell for werewolves to gather around his cabin. "Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!" In a moment, there's a crowd of werewolves in their human forms dressed in their sporty wears. They all wore  sleeveless round neck tops with knee-length shorts ready for the picks about to be carried out by Koven. "

You all know why I have gathered you here. I will pick 12 individuals that I feel are deemed fit to partake in our soccer competitions. If I don't pick you, know that there is room for improvement in your use of abilities and powers." After asking them to make rows, he walks line-by-line picking certain werewolves with ultimate speed, strength, stamina and agility. He finally picked 11 but he was looking for someone in particular. He turns to some werewolves and asks, "where is Keira?" No one answers.

Then he points to one of the werewolves, "you! Go find her and bring her here." After some minutes he sees Keira looking all sweaty, like she had just ran an obstacle course.

"Why are you late?" He asks with a stern and serious face.

"Sorry man, I went for a run and something held me up, you won't believe what I saw." She tries to explain to him and he probably thinks she's lying.

"Keira, don't wanna hear it", he cuts her statement short and she gives an annoyed expression.

"You are part of the 12 that will play the soccer game therefore, you will prepare the team I will pick for you, as their team captain." Keira is  filled with much enthusiasm, "yo! that's great, I can't wait to crush the other team, whoever they are of course. Kovan divides them into the two teams of six and sets a black soccer ball in the middle of a cleared space, with two goal posts for scoring. This is werewolves soccer. The others sit at the side to watch who the special 6 will be.

The game starts off hot as keira's team plays offensive. One would expect that from her team as she's a very hyper and driven player. She passes to her teammate who is at the side of the opponent team and he shoots at the post with much force, the keeper catches the ball in the net and it's a goal!!!!

A goal in just one minute. When the other team seem to be getting closer to Keira's post with the ball, Keira zooms past the opponent player and that is smooth steal of the ball, she then passes to her one of her team defenders who shoots the ball as far as the middle of the field. One of her strikers gets closer  to the post and gets tackled by the opponents defender causing her teammate to fall. Since it was not a foul, Referee Koven says nothing. Keira to the rescue as she takes the ball from the striker the opponents defender passed to. She passes the ball again, with a corner kick from around the opponent side, to that team mate stationed at the opponent's post. This time, another defender gets it. And before anyone of Keira's teammate can get the ball from this fast player, he passes it to a striker. And man, this striker is fast, sprinting across the field through keira's defenders and he shoots. . .

Keira's goalkeeper has got the agility and so he catches the speeding ball. No goal, Keira hills heaves a breath of relief as she cannot imagine  going through a penalty game.

After 10 minutes of playing, there's a half time. Keira gathers her teammates to restrategize in order to tighten defence. She also encourages the strikers to move forward so they can attain their winning goal.

The whistle goes to alert the players it was time to get back to the game. This time the opponent team begins the second half, since Keira's team started the first half. In the first half, Keira waits for some seconds as the opponent team passes to each other.

Then, she launches like a lion towards the opponent with  the ball and gets a steal. She passes to her fellow striker teammate, as she runs forward towards the opponent's side. The ball is about to be taken by an opponent when Keira's teammates carries out some mad dribbling and finally, a pass to Keira.

Keira shoots the ball past one of their defenders and in slow motion, it bounces on the corner of pole of the post, hits the keeper's knee causing him to fall but still, the ball doesn't go in as he pushes it out.

That was a dreadful mistake of not catching it as Keira zooms towards the ball for another shot at the post and it's epic as everyone shouts goal!!!!

Keira runs around the field with her shirt raised as high as her elbows which are currently in the air, in uptmost excitement, her teammates run to give her that group embrace and there's much jubilation. The other teammates are looking very glum about the defeat. Koven calls the team forward, congratulates them and informs that they would be competing as individuals in competitions, coming up at noon. Everyone will be there so work hard as this can earn you a spot on the task force team the immortals are looking for.

Keira gasps, "so that's what all these realm competitions have been about, a quest for a task force. Ohh! I'm so getting into that. Koven smirks, "let's see how that goes and also, don't tell them I told you about it, I believe in preparing you guys mentally for the competition that's why I told you all."

By noon, the competitions had already commenced. The crowd of gifted and immortals is growing wild as Keira is on fire. Like literally on fire. Some of her fur is on fire, as she passes through the final obstacle, flaming loops, with much speed. She uses the shortest amount of time used to complete the obstacle course. Some werewolves run to pour water on her and the fire quenches. Then she transforms back to human form, all wet and dripping.

Her winning streaks are not over as she and the other two competitors engage in the weightlifting, after making it this far with the eliminations.

Her bulging muscles takes hold of that 501 kg weight as she slowly lifts it up. The audience is watching closely to see if she would give up and at last the 501 kg weight is over her head! Though, only one of her opponents is able to lift the weight thereby, automatically eliminating the other.

The last of all games is the duel. He is huge, muscular, agile and fast, that is Keira's opponent. He is all that and there is tension in the air, as it looks like Keira has already lost. The goal is to pin down your opponents for five seconds, like wrestling. Keira is not as huge but she can strategize. She knows some pin points and tricks to play on this guy.

After much blows and kicks, both opponents are drained in sweat and blood. Keira, with her swollen lip charges straight at her opponent and he's about to dodge to her right to land the final elbow blow on her back that will knock her to the ground. She goes low and gives the opponent's left thick leg an outstanding kick and a succeeding blow, causing a big fall with the opponent facing down on his belly. Keira cannot afford to lose this chance, she takes a firm sit on his back, raises his neck backwards to her chest with all the strength she could muster. The struggle was real and he tries to bulge against her firm grip.

At guess what happens? He tapped out as she's about to snap his neck off. Thereby, making Keira the ultimate champion. There was a loud chant of her name and a big smile on her swollen lips. She gets awarded by the immortals.

After an eventful day and night had befallen the forest, Koven sneaks to the portal and looks around to ensure no one is watching him as he goes to see his lover. Finally, he arrives back into the land and guess who has been waiting for him?

(Do you think it's an immortal or gifted? find out next chapter.)