Gladiators of Warsong

by Thomas K. Carpenter

  Clan Bravebear has won the match!

  Quest Progress: Win the clan battle with Angry Owls – 3 wins

  You have gained conquest points: 12 CP

  They were up three matches to two. Alex thought about placing her stone into the bag instead of Tormane, but if he was against her, she needed to know. And since they were ahead on the clan battle, she could still win if she took the tie-breaking match. Never mind that it would be only her and Sorrow against a full team of five. She'd survived worse odds.

  When Tormane and his friends entered the circle, Alex knew it was over even before it began by the lazy way they held their weapons.

  "Did you see that?" asked Nayiri. "He smiled at Rinvet as if they were old buddies."

  When Sophia returned to the Alex's side, she whispered, "Something seems off. I think Tormane's going to throw the match. He wants to make you look bad so he can challenge you for battleleader soon."

  "I'm aware," said Alex. "He hides his intentions as well as a fart in an elevator."

  Sophia wrinkled her forehead. "What's an elevator?"

  "A box that travels," said Alex, but Sophia clearly didn't understand.

  Before the match began, Tormane turned to Alex and bowed deeply. "I fight for Battleleader Alex, whose tactics I will use to win the battle!" he yelled, raising his massive sword above his head as if it were as light as a toothpick.

  Alex hid her sourness with a smile, bowing in response. The bastard wanted to goad her into a reaction, but she didn't play his game.

  Further comments ended when the match began. Alex had to give Tormane credit, he made the fight look good, for the first half anyway. Clearly if it were a fair battle, Tormane would have won, but it was likely that Rinvet hadn't wanted to waste his best warriors on a thrown fight, which only made the farce worse.

  When Tormane started missing his attacks, overexaggerating the counterattacks as if he were on a stage playing to the back row, Alex knew it was over. The majority of the Bravebears thought he'd fought honorably, mostly because they were unskilled in the ways of battle. But any of her trained warriors, and especially her classed gladiators, knew that it'd been a joke.

  Tormane returned to the Bravebears to consoling back pats. Alex had no time for a snide comment because Rinvet crossed the circle.

  "It's a tie. Three wins for each clan. Which means that it's a win for Angry Owls because you can't field a seventh team," said Rinvet.

  "I'll be fielding a team of two," said Alex.

  Rinvet put his hands on his hips and rotated his body so the others could hear. "But the agreement was for five-on-five battles, no repeats."

  Her stomach dropped into her knees. He was right. They'd agreed upon matches of equal sides.

  When she didn't respond, he said, "We are in agreement that Angry Owl is the victor?"

  Her mouth opened and closed without saying anything. She needed the conquest points if she was going to progress her clan. Everything depended on it. Her life depended on it. Becoming the Champion of Warsong was the only way to reach level 40 and stay in the Hundred Halls to continue her cancer treatments.

  "Are you afraid to fight five against two?" Alex asked him loudly, playing to his clan.

  "Why fight when I've already won?" he said with a self-satisfied shrug of one shoulder. He laughed and his clan laughed with him.

  Tormane stood on the side of the circle, his mouth curled with malevolent glee. She felt like snapping that expression off his face with her whip, but she knew she couldn’t break form.

  "What if I offered an extra prize for bending the rules for a final battle? Let's say that if I lose, the Bravebear clan merges with Angry Owls," said Alex.

  Rinvet's eyebrows rose. "Why would I want your warriors? Except for a select few, they're worthless."

  His grin stretched his face. He knew she was in a bad spot and was trying to extract more advantage.

  "Then if you covet my warriors, win or lose, I offer Tormane and his team to join the Angry Owls," she said.

  Cries of disbelief came from her side, but she brushed them off. Either way, she was getting rid of Tormane the Traitor.

  But she was surprised when Sophia touched her arm and whispered in her ear, "If he joins them, they'll know everything about our clan. You can be sure they'll spread that to the others. It'll put us at a major disadvantage."

  "Don't worry, Sophia. They don't really know us. Not the us I want Bravebear to become," said Alex.

  While she'd never wanted to become a clan leader, now that she was one, and in the thick of a dangerous negotiation, she found that she was enjoying it. Especially as her mind whirled with ideas on how she could shape the Bravebears to become a fighting force.

  Rinvet glanced back to his clan. If he turned her down, it would look poorly on his leadership. The clans were made to battle, and avoiding an opportunity like the one she'd given him would impact their renown negatively.

  "Agreed," he said.

  +50 Renown for Bravebear Clan

  You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Leadership

  "Pick your five, you know who you'll be fighting," she said, spreading her arms.

  As Rinvet returned to his side, Tormane followed.

  "That bastard," said Nayiri as they huddled up. "He's going to tell them everything about you."

  "I hope he does," said Alex.

  Sorrow joined them, his arms curled around himself as if he were giving himself a hug.

  "I hear you want to use me as bait for the Owls. Point me in the right direction and I'll let them poke me like a horny porcupine," said Sorrow drolly.

  "You're not going to be bait, Sorrow, you're going to win this fight," she said.

  Sorrow looked like he'd swallowed a toad.

  "Win this fight? I think you've mistaken me with someone who has ever won a battle. Not only have I never won, but we're outnumbered. You're a miracle worker, oh glorious Battleleader, but I'm a wet blanket on your little adorable campfire. You should have bet on someone else," he said, his fingers splayed across his chin as he fluttered his eyes smudged with ash.

  Alex grabbed him by the shoulders. "Not only are you going to win this fight, but it will be glorious. No one will forget it for as long as they live."

  His expression went flat. "You're being ridiculous."

  "I'm not," she said. "But you have to believe in yourself if this is going to work. I need the real you, the one that sings by himself in hills when he thinks no one else is listening."

  His shoulders bent inward. Sorrow shrank as if the attention caused him pain. He was on the verge of tears, which made her ache inside.

  "Sorrow," she said, holding back a sigh, "if you really don't want to fight with me, I'll release you from your duty. I'll take them on myself if it causes you too much pain."

  The corners of his eyes rounded with appreciation. Sorrow reached out and touched her hand.

  "I'll fight," he said. "That you would let this burden pass from my shoulders means a lot to me. I'll give you my best. I promise."

  "Good," she said. "Because we're going to need your best."

  "What is it you want me to do?" he asked.

  "Your song," said Alex. "The one you sing each night. It's powerful. When I heard it, it stopped me in my tracks, took over. I could do nothing else in that moment. If you sing it in the circle, you'll mesmerize them. Winning will be a formality after that."

  He flinched when she mentioned singing in the circle, but he nodded his head. Sorrow looked like he could break into a million pieces at any moment.

  From behind them in the circle, Rinvet called out, "Are we going to battle or are the Bravebears afraid?"

  Alex ignored him, putting her arms around Sorrow and squeezing him tight. "If you do this, I promise I won't make you fight anymore. We'll find another way for you to help the clan."

  "Thank you," he said.

  When Sorrow strode into the battle circle with his arms held out, each step was as light as a dream. Alex imag
ined him as a lead singer marching onto the stage before a stadium.

  "Stay in the back," she said. "I'll protect you until you can get your song going."

  Sorrow squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. He stayed at the furthest edge of the circle. A light breeze would knock him out.

  Alex positioned herself in the middle towards the front, twirling her whip in the dirt to loosen up her arm. Now that she was in the circle, her focus dialed in like a laser.

  Using her Analyze skill, Alex took stock of her enemies. Rinvet carried a fencing sword on one hip and a long dagger on the other. Both blades were covered in faintly glowing runes. It was the first time she'd seen another gladiator with a magical item.

  She wouldn't be able to avoid his blades if she allowed him in range, so he'd have to be the first to go. Next, the two in the rear carried short bows and had a quiver of arrows strapped to their backs, while the other two held massive shields to protect the archers.

  "When the clan bleeds."

  "It bleeds as one."

  As Sophia backed out of the circle to start the match, Alex had to remind herself to breathe. If she was going to win, it was going to take all her skills.

  "Begin!"

  Before Rinvet could advance on her, Alex snapped her whip near his face, sending out prismatic clouds, which captured his focus.

  Rinvet Oldhome has been mesmerized by Whip Tricks!

  But while she was dealing with the Angry Owl leader, the archers fired two empowered arrows into her, dealing damage of 15% of her health.

  Alex risked a glance behind her to see that Sorrow was standing still, chin down to his chest, staring at the dirt.

  "Come on, Sorrow," she whispered to herself.

  When the two archers fired their bows a second time, Alex tried to misdirect one, but the shield bearers blocked her magic.

  Fineous Gray has resisted your Misdirection!

  The shield bearers were worse than she'd thought. They were using magically resistant shields, so Alex wouldn't be able to deal with the archers until she got rid of the shield wall.

  Alex fired a Cloud Taunt into the locked shields, hoping to get them to attack her. The first one didn't work, so she fired a second, which goaded them into breaking formation. As they marched forward, Alex misdirected the next arrow into their backs.

  Rinvet Oldhome is no longer mesmerized!

  "Crap," said Alex.

  She'd hoped he'd stay locked down longer. He sprinted forward, jabbing her twice with his rapier, which made her miss the next misdirection.

  As she caught another arrow, she was down to half hit points and faez.

  Alex cast Dewdrop Orb on Rinvet, which forced him to claw at his face while he was being suffocated, but the two shield wielders had closed the distance and pulled out their short swords.

  Using Wind Gust, she knocked the next two arrows off course and staggered the shield warriors, but her delaying tactics weren't going to work forever.

  Over the din of battle it was hard to tell that Sorrow was singing softly to himself.

  "Louder, Sorrow, they can't hear it," she yelled over her shoulder as she cracked her whip, mesmerizing a shield warrior.

  But this gave an opening to the archers, who pegged her with another two arrows. The impact from their piercing blows was adding up, making it more difficult to cast her spells and wield her whip.

  When Rinvet broke free of the Dewdrop Orb, she tripped him into the dirt, then misdirected an arrow into the other shield bearer.

  "Hey! Watch your shots, Fineous!"

  Alex hit him with another Cloud Taunt since the first one had worn off. The two shield warriors were nearing half health, but none of the others had been damaged, and she was at less than a quarter.

  "...all their pokes and stares..."

  A brief line reached her ears as arrows flew in her direction.

  "Louder, Sorrow, louder!"

  As she rolled out of the way of a shield bash, coming up on her knees and tripping Rinvet again, she saw Sorrow's cheeks were streaming with tears, his ashy makeup smudged like black rain.

  "...in halls we break and never take, the meaningless of strife...what is this show, this stage upon which we stand, a farce, a dream, a life we leave in hand..."

  The power of his words punched her in the gut and wrapped around her head like a dream snake. The whip in her hand felt heavy, which made her miss a chance to rip the rapier from Rinvet's hand.

  The enemy leader reached her, ready to stab her through the heart, but his eyes unfocused and his blade hesitated in midair.

  "...skin and bones, skin and bones, dancing upon this mythical stage, a myth, a land, a dream for the age..."

  Before long, the battle in the circle had come to a halt as the participants stood with their arms hanging down, weapons slipping from their fingertips.

  "...we go to the twilight, the place between light and dark, a hell on earth, a dousing of the spark..."

  The power of Sorrow's song wove through her head, silencing her thoughts. She was vaguely aware that the stillness had reached the crowd. The chanting and cheering that came with every match had turned dry as dust.

  "...when chains they rumble, disguised with a lark, like snakes they latch on to us, pull our souls into the dark..."

  She felt like she was attending her own funeral, watching herself be lowered into the ground. Alex pictured her mother standing over the grave, covered in borrowed black, weeping with her whole body, bending with pain.

  The cancer. It was going to kill her. She knew in her bones it to be true.

  Alex clawed at her face as horrible visions assaulted her.

  The light had gone out in the world. Though it was day, the sun no longer felt warm. What was the purpose of this existence? A horror show of pseudo-meaning?

  The urge to wrap her whip around her own throat broke the spell of Sorrow's song. Her chest heaved with anguish, though she had no reason for the pain.

  Broken free, Alex was able to move while the rest of the circle, and the crowd, was as still as death.

  She dispatched the five Angry Owls one after the other. It was a distasteful exercise, only lessened by the knowledge that they wouldn't die.

  Clan Bravebear has won the match!

  Quest Progress: Win the clan battle with Angry Owls – 4 wins

  You have gained conquest points: 28 CP

  Quest Completed: Win the clan battle with Angry Owls

  You have gained conquest points: 500 CP

  You have gained experience: 1,000 XP

  Special Achievement Reached: You have won against overwhelming odds without a loss in the battle circle!

  You have gained conquest points: 500 CP

  You have gained experience: 5,000 XP

  +1,000 Renown for Bravebear Clan

  Bravebear clan is now Unsung renown!

  You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Leadership

  You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Whip Tricks

  When it was finished, Sorrow ended his song. His face was wet. He looked depleted by the effort.

  Alex wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tight against her as he heaved with pain. Now she understood why his class was called Pyrrhic Bard. He was capable of powerful magics, but at great cost to himself.

  "I'm sorry," she told him. "You'll never have to do that again."

  "Thank you," he said when she finally pulled away.

  "No, thank you."

  As the Bravebear clan came out of the spell, they gathered around Alex and Sorrow. They were victors of the clan battle.

  It was a relief, but it was only a start.

  The work had just begun.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Alex was awake with the dawn, standing on the highest point of the camp to watch the Angry Owls march into the distance. She wanted to make sure Tormane the Traitor left with his crew. Somehow she didn't think it was the last time that she would see him. His mischief had cost her valuable warriors and clan memb
ers.

  On the good side, she had 1,079 conquest points to spend on upgrades. The bonus she'd received for winning an outnumbered match without losing a single fighter was critical for the next phase. It certainly was a nice reward for taking extra risks. But what choice did she have? Gamemakers Online was as hard as advertised.

  Alex knew where she would need to place her abundance of CPs. Her teams were woefully lacking. She'd managed to piece together some wins through sheer ingenuity rather than individual superiority.

  As Sophia said, there would be consequences to losing Tormane. His animosity would ensure the spread of information about their side, but Alex planned to use that against him. If new clans showed up with knowledge about her clan, they would be in for a rude surprise.

  The first thing she did was assign two of her gladiators as healers and another two as ranged for a total of 800 CPs. This would give her options in group makeup.

  She would have liked a few more unique classes. Those seemed to be significantly more powerful than the regular ones, but none of her clan had that option available.

  Next, she spent another 100 CPs to level up every classed gladiator to level 2.

  And though she'd said she wouldn't make him fight, Alex planned on using Sorrow for another task. She assumed the higher level would support that mission, so she spent the 35 CPs to give him his second level as well.

  She checked her stores of materials. The blacksmith had little ore and other raw materials for making weapons, while the armorer had a healthy amount of leathers. Alex would have preferred to have a few heavily armored tanks, but she had to start somewhere, so she leveled Nadia Alathair for 50 CPs.

  With only a little under a hundred CPs left, Alex considered her options. She could spend them on powers for herself, or upgrading Wisewoman Zelda, but the clan morale, despite the victory, was still only at poor, which came with a -20% penalty. At level 2 clan, they got a +10% bonus, which meant they were overall negative.

  Upgraded tents for the whole clan would only cost 70 CPs, which would get them close to neutral. She'd have to figure out a way to close the final gap, which would help them in the next clan battle.