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Auren grunted as he racked the weights he was lifting above his head, laying back on the bench press bench, and slowly catching his breath. As he mentally counted to sixty before starting the next set, the dragon replayed the last few days in his head, both in marvel and disbelief.

It had been three days since his and Nate's appointment at BITN, and each day had been nonstop work for the four companions. When they weren't involved in one of the daily challenges for the school's 'gladiators', Professor Reston was putting them through their paces in the gym. Physical fitness, magical practice, and any other exercise routine she could think up, they did it all. The Professor was not just another teacher, she really knew her stuff. The workout routine she had drafted for the boys was extensive, highlighting multiple muscle groups in very effective ways to maximize their efforts and gain. Auren had always thought he did pretty well in keeping himself in shape with his own routine, evidence by the shape his body was currently in. But after just one day under Reston's sharp guidance, he could just feel the extra strain in his muscles, and knew every twinge of pain and fatigue would be worth it.

Coupled with the new diet program she had put them on, the four boys rapidly felt themselves starting to develop more. It was as if school had been replaced by training for the Olympics, the way the panther professor put them through the workouts. Only, in addition to the physical training, she drilled them in developing their magical abilities as well. Starting at 5 am the first day back after their day off, she led them through a brisk cardio routine before hitting the weight training. This lasted until midday, or until the daily challenge popped up, then which she ensured the boys got a high-protein and balanced lunch. After the challenge in the afternoon, she took them into the back rooms of the gym where they were put through a rigorous series of exercises designed to expand and strengthen their magical abilities. This lasted until dinner time, where they again made sure to eat a meal high in protein and other nutrients, before given a few hours of free time before she ordered them to bed to ensure to get enough rest. Although, since they were geared into some serious fitness training now, the 'free time' in the evenings usually saw Auren and Nate returning to the gym to work out further, while Renfear and Glauron remained at the dorm, either practising magic, or going over strategy.

Rolling his shoulders, Auren sighed and hefted the barbell above his head once more, dropping into another set. As part of his mind maintained concentration on his reps, the other part drifted to thinking of the challenges these past three days. The day after their 'break', the challenge for the five teams of gladiators been a relay of sorts involving all four members of each team. Each team member was required to complete a task themselves, before the next member could begin theirs. It was not only a race against time, but against the other teams as well. Auren's station had been one focused on his magic, and ability to manipulate his element - in his case, Fire, - to perform a series of randomized tasks as dictated by a computer program. It had really stretched his abilities and control to the limit, but in the end, he pulled through and sent Glauron on his way with his own station.

The day after, it was a purely mental challenge. The four teams were gathered in the auditorium for a trivia contest, played out like a game show. The Dean of Ivalice asked sets of questions through multiple categories, and naturally, the team that ended up with the most correct answers would win. It amazed Auren at how much seemingly random knowledge he and the others had in their brains, the topics ranging from pop culture to world events and history. Ivalice ended up coming in third place that day, but the four companions never let it douse their spirits, knowing these challenges were going to be as much mental as they were outright physical.

Speaking of physical...

Yesterday's challenge had been blunt and very trying indeed. It was straight up fighting match, pitting two members of each team against another pair in a tournament style series of matches. Naturally, each gladiator was outfitted with a ward collar to keep injuries to a minimum, but it also allowed each student to not hold back in battle. Auren still grinned when he thought about it, grunting in effort as he continued to pump the heavy bar above him. He and Nate had finally gotten to unleash nearly everything they had in terms of training and experience, going head-to-head with members from the other schools in a no-holds barred match to defeat the others. It was hard, fast, and at times, slightly scary seeing themselves and their opponents put aside all sense of civility and just try to knock the other's lights out. Auren and Nate had managed to tie with Outback for first place, drawing Alex and his partner to a draw after nearly an hour of battle, leading all four fighters to basically collapse from exhaustion.

Still....that was a blast, the drake chuckled to himself.

"Something funny, stud?" came a gentle growl from beyond his legs. Auren sat up to find the silvery-gray form of Nate grinning at him from his own bench a short ways away. The wolf's arms bulged with muscles and veins, having just finished a serious arm routine, and he eagerly guzzled some water as he cooled down from his sets.

"Nah, just remembering yesterday," Auren rumbled, replacing the bar for the last time and sitting up. He stretched and twisted in place, working out the strain in his muscles as he began his own cool down. Nate made no pains to hide the hungry gaze as his eyes drank up the shirtless form of his dragon, licking his lips as he admired the chiseled torso. Their heavy routines combined with the meal plans and supplements Reston had introduced was rapidly improving their physical states, and Nate took a moment to further admire his silver-scaled boyfriend's form. The last vestiges of fat had burned off the dragon's body these past few days, leaving nothing but iron-hard muscle to bulge out against his scaled hide. His chest and abs were ripped, as were his arms and legs. Thick cords of muscle were accented by the veins that stood out with them, evidence to just how fit the boys were getting. Nate was forced to lick his lips again as he drooled over that tight six-pack, the heavily worked abdominal muscles on the verge of of getting promoted to a full blown, sexy eight-pack. The simple thought of that made his sheath stir and twitch.

Auren stood and stretched, reaching down to the floor and giving his wolf a clear view of that tight ass, only causing Nate to whine in need under his breath. If there was one downfall to Reston's new fanatical approach to their training, it was that Auren and Nate still_hadn't gotten to make love yet, and it was beginning to drive the poor wolf insane. It wasn't for lack of trying, that's for sure. Last night they had _almost_gotten down to the deed, when Glauron poked his head in the bedroom and said Blayde wanted to see them down at the club for a quick meeting. Nate practically howled in frustration, being on top of Auren's waist as the pair of them were down to just their boxers, their arousal _very clear and evident. Several items were thrown that night, before the four companions hitched a ride down to the club to see their boss. Admittedly, the meeting did end up being important, but the young wolf's mood was seriously fouled. When they returned later that night to their dormitory, both he and Auren grudgingly decided to put it off for another night due to fatigue catching up with them.

I swear....tonight there better be no interruptions, the lupine muttered to himself as he and Auren wiped down their machines for the last time, and headed for the showers. Neither of us has gotten off since our appointment three days ago, and every bloody day, we're sweating and working out with each other, half naked. This is freaking torture. Nate fought the urge to pounce and pin Auren to the lockers right then and there, and tear off his tight gym shorts. Really, would the dragon complain?

He was brought out of his revere by a scaled paw waving in front of his face. "Woohoo....earth to Pup. You still with me?"

"Erm, what?" the wolf blinked, bringing his focus back to the here and now. He saw Auren standing there with a questioning look on his face, towel in paw. "Sorry...I was lost in thought..."

"Uh huh," the dragon chuckled, flashing that brilliant grin of his. "I asked what you are planning to get Garcia for her promotion. I'm at a crossroads between a gift basket, or some more little trinket-y things for her desk that she likes."

Right....Garcia's promotion. That had been the whole topic of Blayde's meeting last night. Apparently, the spunky vulpine that worked at BITN was getting transferred to another posting, although she and Blayde had been suspiciously hush-hush on just what the new job was. All the big wolf would say was that he was taking Garcia to 'bigger and better things'. A new receptionist that was coming up from one of Blayde's other places would be taking her place shortly, ensuring the club continued to run smoothly, but it did little to quell the questions of the four curious boys.

Shrugging, Nate dismissed the topic with a gentle wave of his paw as he and Auren stripped down to get in the shower. "Right now, there is so much on my brain I can barely focus on anything," he grunted. Sliding down his boxers, he gave a gentle sigh as his plumped sheath was free from its fabric constraints, giving it a small tug as he kicked his shorts haphazardly into his open bag. Nate's eyes instantly snapped up looking for that sexy silver ass he knew would be bare to the world, and practically snarled in frustration as he just managed to glimpse the last of Auren's tail as it disappeared into a shower stall. Sonofa-

His growl turned into a yelp as a paw darted out from the stall to grab his arm, and jerked him inside. His tail barely cleared the door before it snapped shut, and the little lock clicked into place. The wolf's face was assaulted by the warm spray of water jetting from the head for a brief instant, before he felt himself pulled perpendicular to the spray and his vision cleared to see the grinning face of his dragon staring back at him. Before he could smile in return, Auren pulled them together and mashed his muzzle into Nate's, making the wolf quiver as that dexterous tongue invaded his mouth and rubbed sensually against his own. His knees shook as he went weak, letting himself fall into the embrace of the muscled arms around his waist, his own toned arms looping up and around Auren's neck as his brain finally kicked into gear and he began kissing back. Their chests and groins pushed together, stirring the heat and lust inside them even more as the kiss broke, leaving the pair panting but smiling hugely.

"Well_hello~_" Nate purred, his nose touching Auren's, all previous and extraneous thoughts now as flung far away as possible.

A deep rumble echoed in the small shower stall and through Nate's chest, making his loins stir even more. "Hey yourself, sexy boy," the dragon growled, rubbing his snout against his partner's. Their lips touched again, briefly this time, as Auren's hands slid down to grope the very grabable buns of his wolf. "I seen the way you were eyeing me up out there."

Nate's first response was to pushed his mouth back to Auren's, drawing him into another heated kiss as their bodies moved gently against one another. The wolf's tongue slid slowly and tenderly into Auren's mouth, only to be caressed by its partner, making them both whine and gasp happily. He pulled the dragon tight to his body, feeling the heat and throbbing in his groin escalate ten-fold as they made out, Auren's grip around his waist getting tighter as well. "Are you kidding?" Nate breathed huskily as the kiss broke once more, his nose still pressed against that of his dragon. "I was about ready to fucking pin you to the lockers."

The dragon chuckled, the deep baritone rumble in his chest vibrating against the wolf he held close. He pulled back slightly to lick Nate's nose, earning a soft 'woof' of happiness, hearing the whipping of the wolf's tail behind them as it sprayed water everywhere. "I hate to get you so worked up and leave you hanging," Auren murmured, rubbing Nate's waist. "But you know we have places to be."

Nate folded one ear down in the classic sign of canine confusion, then both ears went flat against his head as he sighed, grumbling under his breath. "Right....dinner." His arms drooped slightly, even though they still remained around Auren's neck. His sigh was cut off as a pair of warm, scaled lips pushed against his again, and his tail instantly picked up.

This kiss was soft and short, but it made his heart flutter all the same. Auren nosed his muzzle gently, smiling. "Hey...its only a few hours. Besides..." his smile became more devilish, showing off those brilliant fangs. "After that, I can take you back to our bedroom...and...well...." The response to his teasing was another fierce kiss, and a wide canine tongue invading his mouth. Auren's paws reached down to grope those lovable buns of his wolf, gripping tightly and lifting Nate up with a slight yelp. Instantly, the lupine locked his legs around the waist of the dragon lifting him, letting Auren take his weight as he felt a familiar bulge press under his tail, making him wriggle all the more.

Despite the very tempting position they were now in, the pair actually did manage to focus on their shower, Auren having no problem holding Nate up as the wolf's legs were around his waist. One part of him was impressed he could so easily support the wolf's weight like this, but Auren pushed the trivial thought aside as he helped Nate scrub the sweat and grime from their bodies, giving the wolf a few gentle bounces now and then as they giggled and played in the shower together.

---

A little over two hours later, the four companions were stepping through the door at BITN and heading towards the restaurant, packages of various sizes tucked under or being carried in their arms. The head waiter on duty ushered them to the back of the restaurant where a large booth had been reserved for them and their host, who stood slightly to wave them over. Blayde greeted each of the boys with a firm paw-shake as they sat down, taking their packages and setting them to the side as they each hugged or kissed Garcia on the cheek in greeting. The bubbly vulpine giggled at all the attention, her smile as bright as it always was as Auren and the others pulled up to the table. "So, G, you going to tell us where you are going?" the silver drake asked.

"Nope, sorry stud," she purred playfully. "Unless you end up following me, my lips are sealed."

Blayde looked at the four younger males out of the corner of his eyes, the dark green orbs twinkling with some hidden insight, even as he turned to the smaller vulpine. "Just know that you will be missed, my dear." His eyes flicked back to the young males once again. "However...if they do follow you-"

"Hush now," Garcia chuckled, elbowing with big wolf in his ribs. "You'll only serve to antagonize their curiosity even more."

"Like its not already," Nate grumbled under his breath. His ears suddenly flattened and his fur fluffed out slightly as something trailed up his inner leg, and he shot a glance across the table to the silver drake opposite him. There was a teasing grin on Auren's face, even as the dragon struck up a conversation with Blayde about their appointment the other night.

As dinner was served, the issue of just where Garcia was going had been put aside as more lively and civil topics echoed around the table. Both Garcia and Blayde were most interested in the training Nate and the others were going through during their down-time between challenges at the Tournament. The large wolf commented at how much the 'pups' were developing, his eyes roving over the fit and muscular frame of his nephew in pride. "You keep up this level of development, boys, and you may just find yourself with more work," the owner grinned, a twinkle in his eye as he threw back the remainder of his drink.

The night drew on, and after several hours of good food and better company, Auren and the others had to call it a night. They bade farewell to Blayde and Garcia as they took a cab back to the campus. Other than a few late-night creatures like themselves, the campus was practically empty as the four boys made their way back towards the room. There was plenty of groping and teasing along the way, especially from Nate whose tail had not stopped wagging since leaving the bar. His left hand had not left the pocket of Auren's jeans the entire ride here, and was now questing for that delicious lump in the front of his jeans. Glauron and Riku were just as bad, the snow-white wolf having picked the slightly smaller golden drake up and was now carrying him, Glau's legs around Renfear's hips. The walls would be shaking tonight.

Finally coming to their dormitory door, Nate's nose twitched, but not from arousal this time. There was a slight metallic tinge to the air, but before he could give it any thought, his eyes found themselves glued to a muscular bubble butt with a silver tail in front of him. Somehow, the four horny teens managed to direct themselves into the room as the groping became more pronounced. As the door swung shut, Nate buried his nose into the crook of Auren's neck, inhaling that cinnamon-like musk of the drake that drove him crazy. Auren's paws were already fumbling with the wolf's pants and belt, when Nate's nose started twitching again. His eyes grew fuzzy for a moment, before he shook his head. "Hey...you guys...uh...smell that?" The wolf started to feel a little hazy, and he shook his head once more.

Over by the couch, Glauron was drooping over-top of Ren as he straddled his waist. "Hmm? No...I..." His voice trailed off as he pawed at the snow wolf's face slightly, his face scrunched up like he was trying to squint. "Why are you...you....." The golden drake started to sag, and Auren, who had been leaning heavily over the chair himself, felt his mind start to grow sluggish.

"Wha...what the hell?" With a thump, the silver dragon's knees hit the ground, his vision swimming. Ren and Glauron tumbled off the couch onto the floor, already unconscious, and Auren made a grab for Nate as he pitched forward. The moment his face hit the carpet was when the whole world went black.

---

Auren's eyelids felt like they were glued down as he groaned and tried to open them. His body groaned in stiff protest as he rolled himself over, wiping his eyes with a paw. He blinked and tried to focus on his surroundings as his hazy mind started to reawaken. From the sunlight on his scales, Auren figured he had been out for some time, as he shakily rose to his knees to look around.

He, and the others that he found laying beside him, were sprawled out on a large mattress in what appeared to be a large warehouse. Outside, he could hear birds chirping, and in the distance, the faint rumble of the sounds of civilization - traffic, sirens, people and whatnot. Groaning, the drake reached over and shook the nearest form he could feel, and got a similar groan in response from the snow wolf he was grabbing. "Nngh...what the fuck?" Renfear grumbled, sitting up and wincing at the sunlight. "Who the hell sprayed the roofies?" The lupine held his head in his paws as he grumbled and massaged his temples.

Beside the pair, Nate and Glauron started to rise as well, each with their own groans and expletives of bafflement. Auren stood shakily to his feet and stretched, looking around. The office-like room they were in was pretty much barren. The only thing beside the mattress they lay upon was a small duffel bag near their feet, and a laptop set up on the desk a few feet away. When a paw touched his arm, the drake whirled around, only to find the concerned face of Nate staring back at him. "Whoa...easy," the wolf yipped. "Just...you aright?"

"Yes? No?" the dragon growled, looking around again and gesturing with his arms. "What the hell is going on? Why are we....wherever we are?"

"I can answer that," came a cool voice from the side. In unison, the four boys turned towards the laptop, stepping closer when the screen flickered on. The image resolved into the face of Professor Reston, her feline features set in a stoic mask. Her eyes flicked over the four teens before her in a brief show of concern, before her visage steeled itself once more. "You've awoken. Good."

"Professor? What in the bloody-" Glauron began.

The panther on screen held up a paw, silencing him. "This is the final challenge. I apologize for knocking you out boys, but this is all part of the Tournament. This challenge is nothing like what you have faced before, so please, let me explain."

"You better," Auren growled, crossing his thick arms over his chest. His normally bright blue eyes were narrowed in anger.

"Each Tournament, the final challenge is designed to test you in the most realistic and demanding ways. No two final tasks have ever been the same, so as to constantly keep the gladiators guessing and unawares." She paused for a moment, before going on. "You're in a warehouse in Colorado-"

"What?!" Nate exclaimed. "You knocked us out and drove us three states to dump us in a warehouse?!"

"Nathaniel," Reston growled, cutting off his explosive outburst. Her eyes flicked back over the group before resuming her instruction. "The challenge is this; make your way back to Ivalice Academy by any means necessary. Along the way, you must collect four medallions - the location of which can be found using the GPS tablet in the bag in front of you." The four boys stole a quick glance at the duffel, and Glauron grabbed the tablet, turning it on. "The location of the first medallion is shown, but the next will not appear until you collect the first. There are six locations in total along the way."

The panther's eyes narrowed as she frowned. "You won't be the only ones going after them, however. There are only six medallions in total, which means each team of gladiators will be hunting for them. You are racing against them, as well as time. Only the team that brings four medallions back to the Academy will win the Tournament."

"So, we beat the other teams in big old scavenger hunt," Ren shrugged. "Sounds easy enough."

"Hardly," the image of the professor scoffed. "I did say 'by any means necessary. If you'll notice, the four of you are wearing ward collars." With shocked expressions, each of the four boys grabbed at their neck in horror, only to confirm the professor's words. "This is a no-holds barred challenge. You will be _fighting_the other teams to get the medallions you need....as well as others."

"Others?" Auren growled.

This time, the panther's features grew darker - almost annoyed. "Local law enforcement in each of the surrounding states have been alerted to your presence and objectives." She quickly held up both paws to silence the outbursts. "Peace....they know this is part of the Tournament. Hells, the whole country knows - this is a national event after all." Shaking her head, the panther went on. "They have been told to stop and apprehend you on sight. Be at ease, for no one will use lethal force, but force will be applied nonetheless."

"So let me get this straight," Auren snorted. "We were knocked out, dumped three states over, and now have to participate in this hunt for four medallions against the other teams AND law enforcement, with nothing but the clothes on our backs and no rules?" A nod was his answer. "What kind of fucked up challenge is this?"

"A real one," Reston replied coolly. "Running through an obstacle course on school grounds is one thing. This is what an Academy championship is really about. Throwing you to the world to see just what you are made of." Her eyes held a gleam of pride as well as expectation. "The Tournament is not just about school pride and competition, Auren. Its about seeing just what kind of people our students are capable of becoming, to see if they have what it takes to be more than an average citizen with a gift of magic."

"So, what, this is a job interview?" Nate growled incredulously.

"Something like that," the panther muttered. "Each Tournament, the hosting school gets to choose its final challenge. As long as there is no mortal danger to the students, the sky is the limit. This is my test." She jabbed a claw at the four of them. "Enough talk, you time is ticking. You four show me you have what it takes, and maybe...maybe school isn't the only thing in your future." With that, the screen blanked, and he laptop shut down, leaving the four friends standing and staring in utter disbelief.

The tablet in Glauron's paws beeped, and a location marker appeared, showing the first medallion. For a moment, no one said a word. Then, Ren spoke up. "This....is insane." He ruffled his headfur and growled. "I mean, seriously?! Trivia games and sparring is one thing, but this? This is reality-survial TV show bullshit." He looked at his friends with narrowed eyes. "We were drugged, kidnapped and dumped three states over for some challenge? We're expected to fight past other teams and the freaking cops to do this crap?" No one was able to answer him. The others just remained silent, contemplating what they had been told.

For a few minutes, there was silence. Then, Auren spoke up, his voice a soft growl. "This is more than some Academy championship." He looked up at Nate, giving the wolf a firm stare. "For weeks, something has been nagging at me. Reston...Blayde....they know something." At the mention of his uncle's name, Nate's ears flicked back, then rose back up as he too thought about it. Auren's voice echoed his thoughts. "The club...these jobs...the Tournament...I mean, doesn't it seem like this is all one big test? Like, we're being evaluated for something? Blayde is creepy knowledgeable about stuff - no offense, Nate - and I get this vibe from him like...like he's into something. He's got money, connections, influence..." He ran a paw over his head, fingering the tips of his ivory horns. "And Reston; how does a professor know so much about training? The magic 'shortcuts', the workout program...and that SUV of hers, that ain't stock. What does an Academy professor need a custom built car for?"

"I dunno, man," Renfear muttered, leaning against the wall and starting up at the roof. "This is way over my head." Glauron mumbled and nodded in agreement, rifling through the duffel bag. There were some canteens and ration packs, along with a fully-stocked medical kit. "I mean, do we go through with this?" the snow wolf continued?"

Nate shrugged, moving towards the door. "Better question; do we have a choice? We're three states from home, no money, no cellphones...what else do we do? And I don't know about you guys...but I think I want some damn good answers." Those blunt words seemed to strike home as the others frowned, realizing they were indeed backed into a corner. One way or another, they needed to get back to California to get some answers.

Auren snorted and stomped out of the warehouse, the other three following after a moment of shocked pause. Glauron was tapping away at the tablet as Renfear hefted the bag over his shoulder. Moving through the entrance, Auren led the group towards the parking lot, where a few vehicles were sitting. The warehouse looked to be in the middle of a wooded area and fairly isolated, the only way in or out was a gravel road heading off between the trees. From the sounds of it, the the nearest roadway was several miles down that dirt road. The silver dragon paused a moment, before turning and heading towards a four-door sedan near the edge of the lot. Striding up to it, he grabbed the handle on the door, only half-surprised it was unlocked.

Swinging the driver's door open, he slipped into the seat and reached under the dash. Nate and the others caught up and watched him with curious expressions, but Auren ignored them for the moment. It was a later-model sedan, so after a minute of reaching around, the drake found the panel he was looking for and yanked it off. Glauron let out a surprised yelp as Auren dug his paw in under the column and started pulling wires. "Wha...what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" the silver-scaled drake snorted. Twisting a few wires together, he was rewarded with the sound of the car's engine turning over and roaring to life. Looking over at his stunned friends, the dragon gave them a thin-lipped smile. "You getting in or what?"

It took almost a full minute of staring one another down, before Glauron and the others moved and got in the car alongside Auren. The doors thumped closed, and Nate slid in the passenger seat next to his dragon. "Didn't take you for the car boosting type."

"Yeah, well, I get the feeling we're going to find out a lot of secrets in the next few days, might as well get the ball rolling," Auren growled humorlessly, shifting into drive. He turned and looked at each of his friends squarely in the eyes, his mouth turned upwards in a slightly wild smirk, the dragon's rebellious side showing through. "Besides, if we really gotta do this....I say we play to win."

A trio of dark smirks and nods were his answer, and Auren jammed his right foot down. Gravel shot out from the back tires as the sedan took off down the road.