(Note: Khudok is a traditional hand-to-hand fighting sport practiced by the Renzar, a ursinoid alien species inhabiting the planet Grom, within the Chakat universe created by Bernard Doove)

(Art by )

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Bolang rose majestically over the ocean, illuminating the new day in the Eria City with its glow. Nathira woke up early and delighted in contemplating the beautiful spectacle of sunrise through her bedroom window. She rolled on the bed for a few moments before completely clearing her senses. Today was the long-awaited day, the one for which she had prepared for almost two Gromnian years. Ultimately, she would join Khudok's exclusive group of professional referees, those charged with directing in the world's prestigious professional league.

Only a few cadets from Grom's referee academy manage to achieve that goal. Most begin their career in amateur tournaments. However, Nathira was among the outstanding students who were given the opportunity to go straight into the major leagues. The kangaroo morph was determined to put on a flawless presentation today and prove that the opportunity she had been given was fully deserved.

She jumped up and opened the window, taking a deep breath of the cool morning breeze. Her athletic body, sculpted by arduous training at the academy, was reflected in the mirror as she basked in the warm embrace of Bolang's first rays on her hairy skin. With a smile on her face, aware of the importance of the event that awaited her this afternoon, she entered the modest bathroom of her apartment and took a revitalizing shower. While the water ran through her brown hair and refreshed her soft skin, Nathira thought about her father and how proud he would be of her on this special day. Although his work in Volthur prevented him from personally attending his daughter's debut in the professional tournament, he had promised to watch it via streaming of the event.

After getting out of the shower and fixing her hair and fluffy tail, Nathira began to stretch her body. Her powerful kangaroo legs, with strong toes, gave her the agility she needed to move among the stout Renzar fighters without getting in their way. Like any good Khudok referee, she knew that she had to be just as focused, if not more so, than the fighters themselves. She had to position herself properly in the circle, not miss any detail, and be impartial in applying the rules and awarding the corresponding points.
While Nathira was finishing getting ready and putting on her sports clothes, her doorbell rang. Opening it, she was delighted to find her friend Renzar standing in the doorway.

"Yamil! Nice to see you," exclaimed Nathira, who is five feet six inches tall.
"Nathira, I made it there before the tournament!" exclaimed Yamil, several inches taller, giving her a tight hug.
"I'm glad you can support me from the stands today. Did you buy the tickets?"
"Yes, here they are. Although I don't know if my brother will join us. You know he's not a big fan of the Khudok. Besides, he says he's very tired after his trip to the planetary market. But at least it was fun to be there," commented Yamil.
"That's great. I can't wait to see the things you bought!" Nathira replied while wagging her tail.
"There will be time for that. Don't worry. For now, it's important that you don't get distracted. You should focus on today's tournament. It's a very important step for you," Yamil said seriously.
"Yes, I know, dear friend. You're absolutely right! I need to be fully focused on doing a good job in the sports arena today," Nathira stated as she gazed out her bedroom window at the ocean.
"And by the way, Nathira, I was watching the tournament program and I found out that your favorite wrestler, Tanet K' Eyak, will participate", Yamil mentioned excitedly.
"Oh yes. That makes me very happy. Although his fight will be refereed by another colleague," Nathira replied with a disappointed tone.
"Well, at least you'll be close to him, who knows, maybe you can finally meet him! We've been following his career for so long, and now is your chance!" Yamil said excitedly.
"Our chance, Yamil. You are his number one fan too!" Nathira joked with a smile. Then they both held hands and exclaimed in unison: "What a thrill!"
After sharing a hearty breakfast, Nathira and Yamil prepared to go to the capital's sports coliseum, the largest arena on the Gromnia continent and one of Grom's main venues. There, one more date of the world championship would take place, where Nathira would debut as a professional referee.
The day in the capital promised to be hot, although the proximity of the sea softened the temperature. The bustling streets of the city were packed with people, mainly Renzar of all four races, with other alien species such as Voxxan, Rakshani, Chakats, Morphs, and humans in smaller numbers.
Nathira and Yamil walked briskly through the crowd toward the subway station that would take them to the other side of the city, where the sports building was located. As they traveled, Nathira remembered a smile on her face.
"Do you remember when we used to sneak out of school to come to tournaments?"
"Hehehe! How could I forget! Our dream was to meet those handsome and talented Renzar who were fighting in the arena," Yamil replied knowingly.
"Yes... My dad always got us tickets. Since he was a professional referee, he had free access to the arena all the time," Nathira recalled wistfully. Yamil nodded with a smile and sighed.
"Good 'ol times". After a brief moment of silence, the Renzar commented:
"Your dad must be proud that you follow in his footsteps."
Nathira sighed again, this time wistfully. "I would have loved him to be here today," she confessed.
"Don't worry. He and the whole planet will see you through the transmission. Doesn't that make you nervous?" Yamil asked with concern.
"Well…yes, a bit," Nathira admitted. Yamil hugged her lovingly to give her encouragement at that special moment.

After emerging from the train station, Yamil exclaimed excitedly:
"Here we are! The place where dreams come true!" as they looked at the imposing building in front of them. Nathira nodded with a smile.
"The size of this place never fails to amaze me," she commented, admiring the grandeur of the arena.
"Hehehe! Yes, it's tailor-made for us Renzar," replied Yamil proudly, who was wearing an elegant pale red dress with striking geometric patterns, while wearing her trademark round-framed glasses on her face.
After going through the first entrance, Yamil stopped and looked at Nathira with excitement. "Today is your big day, Nathira! I'm sure you'll be an incredible referee! Let's enjoy this moment together!" She exclaimed excitedly, to later add.
"I'd better go take my place in the box. This will fill up with spectators in a while."
"You're right," Nathira replied. At that moment, a familiar voice echoed through the venue.
"Wow... So you finally came. I hope you put our academy's name on good terms, miss kangaroo," said a brown-furred Voxxan approaching them.
"Renzo!...I was hoping I wouldn't have to see your ugly face here," Nathira exclaimed, annoyed by his presence.
"Well, that was unavoidable. But don't worry, I just came to wish you luck, believe it or not," he replied with a certain haughtiness.
Yamil, not understanding the situation, asked quietly, "Who is this Voxxan?"
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. My name is Renzo, professional referee from Khudok..." the newcomer said with a bow.
"Yes, it's the nasty fellow from the academy who, like me, earned the right to debut in this tournament," Nathira replied, crossing her arms.
"Well, I'd drop the word 'nasty' if we give ourselves a chance to get to know each other better, Miss Renzar," Renzo replied politely.
Nathira decided to break away from the Voxxan, taking Yamil with her. "Goodbye and have a good debut, Renzo. Yamil, come with me for a moment," said the kangoroo as she walked away from him.
Concerned Yamil asked, "What's wrong, Nathira? What's wrong with him?"
"That guy happens to be a pedant. He thinks he's superior to everyone at the academy. He and his Voxxan friends make fun of me for being a morph. I don't like him," Nathira replied, frustrated.
"Oh, Nathira, I'm sorry. But don't be upset. Remember, you must not lose focus today. You must concentrate on making good refereeing," advised Yamil.
"Yes, yes... I know. Well, now I have to go to the referees' dressing rooms to put on my uniform. The head referee of the coliseum will give us the necessary instructions", answered Nathira, focusing on her objective.
The stands of the coliseum were filling with spectators, and an excited murmur began to fill the environment. Both adults and children enjoyed this ancient sport and the expectation was growing.

Meanwhile, Yamil was walking up a flight of stairs to a higher position in the stands. In front of her, there was a huge screen that allowed us to appreciate in greater detail what was happening in each of the combat circles. The Renzar continued to climb until suddenly she collided from behind with a burly Renzar in Federation uniform. The male instinctively moved his arms to maintain his balance and accidentally made Yamil's glasses fly to the ground.
"Grrr…I'm sorry, miss," the officer said as he bent down to pick up the glasses from the floor.
"Don't worry. It was my fault for being distracted", answered Yamil, a little nervous. As the stranger arose, the female of the desert, the smallest of the Renzar races, was impressed. The male was at least eight feet two feet tall, with a thick, stocky build that stood out beneath the tight-fitting uniform that covered his dark fur.

"Here," he said with a smile as he held out the glasses.
"Th... Thank you...", Yamil replied shyly.
"Please be more gracious to the lady and offer her to come to our box," a skunktaur also wearing Federation uniform interrupted helpfully, joining them. "Miss, as compensation for the incident, I would be honored if she would join my friend and I in this privileged place," the Renzar added politely. Yamil, somewhat disconcerted at first, decided to accept her invitation after noticing the kindness of the two officers.

"I thank you very much, gentlemen. You are very kind," she replied as she settled in the box next to them.
Meanwhile, in the lower part, Nathira had already put on the regulation uniform and was together with the rest of the referees in a room to the side of the arena. The head referee, an experienced wolf morph with light gray fur, gave final indications in a firm voice.
"Greetings to all. Today we are pleased to welcome two new members of the referee team: Mr. Renzo Kamil and Miss Nathira Kenet, who have recently graduated from the Grom Referee Academy. We wish them much success on this day." , he announced, generating curiosity among those present.
A cat morph approached Nathira and asked: "Kenet? Are you related to Rengo Kenet?" The kangoroo nodded with a smile and replied, "Yes sir. He is my father. Do you know him?" The morph expressed appreciation of him: "Of course I know him! He is a great referee and his reputation is well known in the Khudok circuit. Welcome, and I wish you the best of luck, daughter," he said as he took her hands. .
The room was dominated by bipedal arbiters, including Voxxan, morph, and human. Among the assistant referees there were also a variety of species, although humans were slightly more numerous.

The head referee took up the floor to recall some recommendations: "It is important that you do not hinder the work of the wrestlers, since they are the true protagonists of the Khudok. Keep a prudent distance and move carefully inside and outside the circle. Above all, be professional and apply the regulations judiciously. I wish you all good luck on this day", he concluded.

Everything was ready to start. The lights of the coliseum were turned on, generating a great expectation in the public. Entire families of Renzar and other species came to enjoy the spectacle. Children held toys and stuffed animals of their favorite wrestlers in their hands, while adult fans held up banners and T-shirts with images of the contenders, waiting for an opportunity to get autographs.

The shrill sound of a buzzer marked the start of the tournament. The murmurs in the audience died down, and all present rose to their feet in respectful silence. To a soft tune, the Renzar and the other resident citizens solemnly sang Grom's official anthem, while the planet's flag slowly unfurled from the top of the dome.

Nathira, along with her fellow referees, was lined up at the center edge of the arena. She watched intently as the Renzar fighters, both male and female, entered the center in an orderly file and with synchronized steps. Each wore the distinctive combat uniform: the males bare-chested and bare-legged, sporting a simple loincloth with a unique design and colors to represent their family clan. The females, in addition to the loincloth, wore a bra of the same color.

Suddenly, among the fighters, Nathira could make out the unmistakable figure of her sporting idol, Renzar Tanet K'Eyak. His white fur with tabby patterns gleamed in the lights of the compound as he advanced solemnly toward one of the fighting circles. The kangaroo was amazed to see it up close. Tanet was the youngest continental champion in history and, thanks to his extraordinary skill in the Khudok, he had serious aspirations to become a world champion.
In the stands, Yamil let out an excited squeal at the sight of Tanet, which drew the attention of federal officers.
"Is something wrong, miss?" asked the Renzar.
"Eh? No! I'm sorry. It's just... he's my idol. I'm sorry", replied Yamil embarrassed.
"Oh, I see. You are a fan of Tanet K' Eyak," the Renzar said.
"Yes," Yamil answered blushing.
"Hmm... I think I spoke to him once. He's nice. My father introduced him to me in Chakona, if I remember correctly."
"Oh... is your father a Khudok fighter too?" Yamil asked curiously.
"It was. He is retired now," the Renzar replied.
"Oh... how about you? Do you practice Khudok?" Yamil inquired again, looking at the officer's stocky body. The latter, after exchanging glances with his skunktaur co-worker, responded.
"Oh no, no. Fighting was never my thing. Although my father made me practice in my youth, I was never interested in Khudok."
"Yes, I remember the times I had to cover you up to prevent your father from dragging you into the arena by your ears," the skunktaur chimed in.
"Oh come on Teo, there was no need to mention it," the Renzar said with a smile. Yamil found the anecdote funny and continued asking questions.
"If you don't like the Khudok, what are you doing here?"
"Good question," the skunktaur interrupted again. The Renzar sighed before answering.
"I came to look for my nephew. He was here for several weeks doing the basic referee course and now, as a final test, he will act as an assistant referee. He will not go up to the ring, but he must be there to help the professionals in everything that is necessary."
"Oh, I understand. I'm also here waiting for my friend Nathira's debut as a referee. She will go up to the ring! I'm very excited and nervous about it. I hope she does well," Yamil shared.
"Calm down, miss. Everything will be fine," the skunktaur said wagging hys tail, while the Renzar nodded.

To be continue…