“Tell me…”, Dirtha asked before stopping to dodge a ball and the gang of children running behind it, “…what is it that you do again?”.

Diego remembered how the only reason he was still living was that he knew how to fight. He’d enjoyed learning his style, but the idea of hurting other people had always been hard to swallow, and now it looked like that was how he was going to be putting bread on the table, “Krav Maga”.

“So…”, Dirtha looked at him with genuine curiosity, “Does that make you a kravmaxer?”.

The question shook Diego so much that his mind froze for a second. An idea crept into his brain that shook him for a second time. Was she trying to make a joke?

“No…”, he answered, still dazed from the comment, “I’m a kravist. Just kravist”.

“Very well”, her response was as dry as sand, even more detached than usual, as if Diego’s confusion had managed to offend her. It could also be that she wanted to hide any embarrassment, but it didn’t seem to fit her, “Tell me about it”.

“It’s more a self-defense system than a martial art”, The revenant’s answer was slow, as most of his attention fell to the city that surrounded them. It was very similar to the older neighborhoods in his hometown, and from other cities he’d visited, but now, it was as if the clock had run back. A long time back. Everything looked like the pictures in history books, from the dresses with wide skirts, to the cable cars passing by the cobbled streets and businesses named after the families that owned them. The only thing that he missed was seeing everything in black and white.

The air was bathed in the unmistakable smell of salt and the sea, but it was contaminated by the stench that came from factories vomiting a thick black fog to the sky. It was the smell of industry, one where safety was more of an afterthought. He thought of his grandfather, of the time he took him to the factory where he’d worked before, but the smell was so much stronger now.

“And what makes it different?”, Dirtha asked inquisitively, trying to bring Diego’s attention back to what was important.

“There’s no rules”, He answered to keep things as simple as possible and save his strength, “We train to hit as hard and fast as we can where it hurts the most, and survive whatever threat comes our way”.

“I can make use of that”, The woman claimed, more to herself than her reluctant employee.

As they kept walking, the oddities began to appear, to test Diego’s mettle. The natural colors made way to skin tones the young man didn’t even know people could have, like a blue as deep as he sea. New shapes started to enter the picture, and a woman as tall and pale as Dirtha walked past them with a basket full of groceries. Then it all exploded as soon as they arrived at the market square, and Diego’s senses were overwhelmed with the sights, sounds and smells of the strange creatures around him. Beastly people with backs covered in fur, beings whose shape changed as if it were a liquid, skins that looked like tree bark. He felt dizzy, his head spinning around like a merry-go-round, so much that he bumped into someone.

“I’m sorry…”, The young man began to say before he saw what he had crashed against and froze in place. The thing, vaguely humanoid in shape, had segmented skin, like a worm, and strange hair-like protrusions around where its face should be. Diego had no way to understand whatever it was.

“Sorry friend”, the creature raised its hand as an apology before going on its way, leaving the young man standing.

“Don’t worry, you all get used to it sooner or later”, Dirtha tried to calm Diego as soon as she noticed his shock, “It’s only a matter of time”.

Those bizarre beings were all around the revenant, carrying on with their daily lives just like normal people, and no one bat an eye. He even caught a glimpse of one accompanying what looked like its grandmother with her shopping, just like he himself had done so many times before.

Diego sat down on the first thing he found, a pile of boxes. He felt the need to look at the ground and rearrange his thoughts. Next to him, the woman waited once more, and took a watch out of her pocket to check the time. It was an ornate device that spoke of the wealth of her owner, but the signs of time around its border and a pale luster told a long story that the woman held close to her heart. She patiently watched the hands of the clock move, until they made too many rounds for her taste.

“We should be moving, we’re running late”, The woman announced as she placed the clock back into her pocket.

“Late for what?”, Diego raised his head after minutes of looking at the calming ground.

“One of your coworkers is having a match. I think it’ll be informative”.

The revenant shrugged his arms and got up, slightly recovered. He didn’t have the energy to protest, and just wanted to move alongside the currents of the day and hope that his worldview wouldn’t take too many hits. Still, he kept his eyes glued to the ground as he tried to slowly adjust to all the new experiences that surrounded him. They walked in silence until Dirtha suddenly stopped and Diego almost bumped into her. He raised his head once more, and witnessed a large building that oozed history out of its walls.

The main entrance was guarded by sculptures of women holding instruments, greeting the visitors that walked over the red carpet covering the white stairs outside. Next to them, other women embraced the columns that held the building’s exterior on its place, while two large banners hung from the roof, showcasing the two fighters involved in the match inside. On the one on the left there was a black and white picture of a fire-eyed woman looking fiercely at her rival on the other side, a fur cloak covering her wide shoulders. She was gnashing her pointed teeth together, the same way a wolf would do to threaten its prey. Her name appeared in bold red text that trapped any nearby eyes, Umalda.

On the other side, there was a much thinner woman smiling with confidence, with a ball of wild curly hair barely held in place thanks to a bandana on her forehead. Her picture was sharing a thumbs up with anyone that looked up to her, as if saying that there was nothing to worry about. In blue, her name was Lightning Lita.

“Over here”, Dirtha said as she guided her employee past the stairs that led to the main entrance, and instead turned around the corner. To the side there was a simple green wooden door, without any of the fancy décor that the front of the building wore with pride. The woman knocked on the door, and in a matter of seconds they could already hear the racket of locks being undone at the other side. Once it opened, one of those creatures that couldn’t hold the same shape for more than a few seconds greeted them face-first. It’s skin, the same tone as dirty snow, moved in every direction, inside and outside, as if it had water where the bones should’ve been. A swarm of eyes swam to the front of its face to focus on the revenant.

“Question: Could you kindly tell me who are you?”, the creature announced its intentions, as it seemed to be the only way to understand it in a conversation. Every single word that came out was completely devoid of any emotion or change in its voice.

“Dirtha Meyer, from Brick’s Wrestling promotions. This is my employee”, the businesswoman spoke, encouraging a couple of eyes to move to the side of the creature’s faces and focus on her. The glint of recognition shone on them.

“Relief: Welcome Ms. Meyer”, the rubbery being said as its eyes moved away from each other. Most of them looked at the woman, but two remained fixated on the young man, “We found it strange that you weren’t here early, as usual”.

“Had to take care of some unexpected issues”, she said within earshot of Diego, the source of the unexpected issues in question.

“Welcoming: Please, come in, the match has already started”, the creature invited them inside, as its head went from the shape of an egg to something that reminded of a random splotch of paint. It moved to the side, welcoming them with one of its arms.

Dirtha accepted the invitation and walked through the building’s backstage, closely followed by the revenant. With every step, the distant roars of a large crowd drew closer and closer. At first, they were only uncomprehensible noises, and then they could make out the excitement of the people inside, until it finally exploded when they reached the stalls, the very same moment the whole building got off their seats in a wave of pure emotion.

“That’s going to leave a mark!”, a female voice boomed throughout the venue, clear for everyone inside to hear it, whether they where on the balconies or right next to the ring.

“That’s because Umalda never disappoints, Misha, just look at the public!”, another voiced joined the other one, quick and masculine. Diego recognized immediately what they were. He was listening to sports commentators, “But can Lita get up, or was that fall too much to take?”

“Well May, I think she heard you, because not only is she getting up, she looks ready for payback!”

Inside the ring, Lita stood back on her feet after being thrown down to the mat. And just like the commenter had said, she looked like she wanted to defy any doubts about her with the carefree smile that adorned her face. The public on the upper floors leaned over the railing in their excitement, desperately wanting to see what was about to happen.

“You know Umalda, there’s this thing that has caught my attention. For someone so big, you really fight like a little girl”, the woman with the wild curly hair said as she stretched her back. Her eyes, surrounded in makeup the shape of lightning, were latched to her rival, “Are you going to shove me next?”

“What I’m going to do is send you flying off the ring”, The enormous Umalda said as she towered over her rival, even bigger than her picture could paint. She took her cloak off and threw it away, showing the bright red color of her skin as she flexed the boulders she called her muscles.

“Looks like we missed a good match so far”, Dirtha said in her usual cold tone, same as a researcher taking notes of the world around, “Let’s move, we have some of the best seats in the house”.