by Thomas Green
They stared at each other as awkwardness filled the air.
The prince’s gaze remained cold and analytical. “Thank you for your patience. Now, we should have a sufficient amount of privacy, given I do not hear Commander Wesley’s footsteps anymore. I shall be straightforward. The combination of the Union and the rulers of the most influential city-states have organized this tournament. Since I am both a ruler of a city-state and a longstanding member of the Union, I find myself in a position where I need my team to reach the finals, else I embarrass myself. Toward this goal, I am open to non-standard approaches.”
Luna narrowed her eyes. “Sounds like you should have had a team prepared before you organized the tournament.”
“The format I had proposed was a set of duels, one which my champion would dominate with ease. Yet the city lords pushed through ten-man teams with five more in reserves. Among the fifteen men, there can be three monsters, which is where your expertise comes. Beside you, I have my champion, and I will have the third monster by the time the competition is to start while I shall hold qualifiers for the positions of the human competitors.”
She couldn’t help herself but smile. That sounded like an excellent way to make a name for herself, so she could join an adventuring group later or maybe even get employed somewhere.
The beast within her growled. ‘Don’t forget to ask for a payment.’
Right! I still need to repay Jean Pierre. Luna rubbed her chin. “I suppose this is the point where we negotiate my salary.”
Prince Stallington smiled. “Yes.”
“I want a room straight next to your champion, a comfortable bed, freedom to move around, three times the pay the other combatants get, and a full service of food and drinks.”
“What manner of food?”
“Raw lamb and beef are enough, though I cannot guarantee the safety of my opponents.”
“I accept.”
Luna clicked her tongue. “I could have asked for five times the salary, couldn’t I?”
“Yes, and I will give you that if you desire.”
Luna shrugged. "Okay, thanks. Could you please arrange for me to be taken out of the city with no one seeing? I have a few people looking for me."
The prince nodded. “I shall organize your extraction for tonight. If there would be no problem from your side, I believe the commander would be calmer if he found you in your cage.”
Luna grinned, slid back into her cage and straightened the bars behind her.
Prince Stallington left.
***
Under the supervision of Commander Wesley, his men covered her cage with a new cloth and put her on a wagon among supplies destined for an outpost. Once the city lay beyond the horizon, the guardsmen left her cage by the side of the road.
Luna ripped a hole into the bars and sat onto the cage. Prince Stallington’s men arrived soon. She scanned them with a careful look, noticing their armor was mostly made of steel, which hinted at the prince being rich and thus capable of paying a much higher wage than she asked for.
They led her to an unremarkable carriage hidden by a patch of trees. The prince sat inside while piles of parchments occupied the rest of the carriage's bowels.
Luna greeted the prince and seated herself on the roof. Nobody seemed to be interested in talking to her, so she was left with her thoughts once more.
I’m sorry, Jean Pierre, but I refuse to destroy any more of your life. And I’ve had enough of working in your smithy. Her eyes were watery and ached whenever she thought of the famous blacksmith she worked for until a few days ago. She knew she would miss Jean Pierre every day for eternity. Yet she couldn’t bear to watch his life being ruined because he kept covering her accidents.
You are too kind, Jean Pierre, but your life will be better without me. Luna knew she did not deserve his kindness, not even in the slightest. And so she headed out into the world, alone.
2
Luna
Luna sat on the roof of the carriage, chewing her fingernails. The lush forests surrounding Illysaeas impressed her at first, yet now, after a week of seeing nothing but trees, she would exchange them for any other scenery. The chirping of birds, the fresh scent of the woods and the fall breeze had all blended into boredom.
She had long repaired her brigandine, washed the dried blood off herself and rearranged her mud brown hair to appear civilized, so now she had nothing to do. Thus, her ever-regenerating fingernails became her last source of entertainment.
The forests ended abruptly. Beyond a hundred feet of open grass, the tall walls of Illysaeas stood against the azure sky. Covered by limestone plaster, topped by spotless crenellations, they bore no signs of battle or erosion.
Being the first real city Luna had visited, the buzzing streets of Illysaeas, its high wooden houses and smoldering workshops dissipated her boredom. They headed straight to the center where the central square was the size of a small village. Hundreds of people weaved among the stalls, shops, and statues, swarming toward the tall, round building made of polished marble. She gawked in awe at the Grand Arena that stood at the square’s head.
Their convoy stopped by the side entrance, covered by a score of guards. Prince Stallington stepped out of the carriage and turned to her, looking pleased. “Welcome to Illysaeas. Since today’s match is soon to begin, I shall have my men escort you to your seat and instruct my attaché to see to your accommodations after the competition ends.”
Luna arched an eyebrow. “Is your champion fighting?”
“Of course.” Stallington walked away.
She followed the designated guard to her place, imagining the mansion in which the prince’s champion lives. The apparent wealth of the prince promised a home with a large garden and a pool. The thought brought a smile to Luna’s face. Sure, she had to prepare for the tournament, but it wasn’t like relaxing by the pool wouldn’t have been a part of the preparations.
From the inside, the arena appeared larger than from the outside. Endless tribunes brimming with wooden benches encircled the grass-covered ring that lay at the bottom. Luna sat upon her bench, a first-row seat less than two dozen feet from the prince’s throne.
The swarm of people flowing into the arena did not subside until the tribunes were filled to the brink.
Saliva burst into her mouth, making her lick her lips while her eyes darted around. So much food, so many smells… all so close. Luna reached into her pocket, pulled out a purple mold of a toxin and swallowed it. This should keep me calm for now, but I will need to restock before the next event.
As Prince Stallington sat upon his throne, the announcer waved his hand to silence the crowd. “Today’s match will be a spectacle to behold. Lured in by the infinite riches generously offered by none other than Prince Stallington himself, a team of representatives of the famous mercenary band named Golden Claws shall grace our arena with their debuting presence.
“And from our home comes the worthiest warrior of them all. Coming in with the standing record of three thousand, eight hundred and forty-three wins, zero draws and zero losses, please welcome our champion, the Child of God, Raven!”
The crowd erupted into chants, “Raven! Raven! Raven!” Noblemen, merchants, soldiers, the unwashed masses. Everyone chanted as if in prayer.
Luna stared at him, her mouth gaping. Three thousand eight hundred wins? How long has he been doing this? In retrospect, I should have asked more questions.
A hole at the side of the arena opened, and a man slid out onto the well-trimmed grass. His hair was midnight black while his heavy chain mail, a shield and an arming sword were painted alabaster white.
Luna sighed. While his tallness met her standards, he looked too ordinary to impress her, sending her expectations crashing to the pit of disappointment.
Raven stared at the heavens with his arms slacked by his sides. She followed his gaze. Blue sky, nothing exciting. He doesn’t get to see outside too often, does he? She turned her eyes back to him and focused, realizing the hea
vy irons around his neck, ankles, and wrists were shackles. He was a slave. One with a good record, but a slave none the less. The image of a large mansion with a pool disappeared, leaving behind nothing Luna liked. I should have asked a lot more questions!
The gate at the side of the arena sprung open, making a path for six men and a giant beast. A panther of a size of a cow and its escorts wore matching armor, typical of mercenaries. Raven ignored them, staring at the sky. Beneath the thunderous cheers, the men and the panther spread into a semi-circular formation and advanced on Raven. The crowd fell silent.
Luna started tapping fingers on the wooden bench. He’s either strong or a total moron. Or both.
Raven lowered his gaze toward the man in the middle of the formation. “Why did you come here?”
A man from the side replied. “Your head’s worth a hundred thousand gold.”
Hundred thousand? I’m getting paid five golden coins a day. I should have asked Stallington for a way higher wage! Luna glared around, seeking for something to break or at least a rotten apple to throw. She found nothing.
Raven shrugged. “Others have died for less.” He drew his blade, stepped to the middle of their formation and slashed at the beast. The panther leapt away from the blow. Raven sprinted into the opening. The mercenaries stabbed their spears at him, but the hastened strikes bounced off Raven’s armor.
The men turned and attempted to remake their formation. Raven advanced to the closest man, swinging down with his blade. As the man raised his spear to parry, Raven shifted his weight and rammed the edge of his shield into the man’s throat. The mercenary collapsed, his spine broken.
Out of the five remaining men, four dropped their spears to draw their swords. One charged at Raven while the others moved to surround him. Raven weaved from the slashing blade and stabbed the man above the knee. The mercenary groaned and wobbled. Raven stepped in to run his sword through the man’s throat.
The mercenaries surrounded Raven. The three men with swords each attacked from a different angle. Raven parried the blows of the man in front of him and to his right. The man to his left grabbed Raven’s shield. He stabbed the mercenary ahead of him through the visor of his helmet, but the man by his right gripped his arm.
The massive beast leapt at Raven’s back. In a move so fast it was but a blur, Raven spun on his foot and slammed his shield into the head of the jumping panther. A loud thud echoed through the air and the beast’s skull splattered like an apple hit by a hammer, unleashing an explosion of blood and brains. The men holding Raven flew to the sides as if they were rag dolls thrown by a storm.
The crowd roared out in a chant, filling the arena with Raven’s name. Luna shifted on her seat. He was killing the mercenaries so effortlessly he must have been using plenty of aether, but she noticed no hint of it. No matter how much she thought about it, she had to conclude he was either ridiculously lucky or excellent at hiding his powers.
The rest of the match was but a formality of Raven slaughtering the remaining mercenaries. The crowd added thundering applause to its chant, so deafening it made Luna’s ears ring. Prince Stallington rose from his throne. The people fell silent.
The prince walked to the edge of the arena and peered down at Raven. “That took forever. Don’t tell me you are getting rusty.”
Raven dropped his shield and dashed across the bloodied grass to grab the spear of a mercenary.
Stallington’s face twisted into a vicious smile. “At least you haven’t lost your brain.”
Raven threw the spear, fast and strong. With a booming echo, it split the air. A flash of blue light ended its flight, shattering it an inch away from the prince’s chest.
The crowd exploded into cheers, and Raven collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Luna narrowed her eyes, reasoning his sudden fall must have resulted from a poison they had given him before the match.
The beast within her stirred. ‘There’s one thing I can’t wrap my mind around.’
Me too… skulls don’t splatter. They cave in until you reach the base of the neck. I thought he was using standard strengthening aether, like everyone else, but that was something different.
Luna remained in her seat, waiting for Stallington to leave. When he turned to do so, she prowled at his heels. The prince’s guards were negligent, allowing her to stalk him with ease.
He walked to a stone room deep within the bowels of the arena complex. Inside, Raven lay wrapped in chains. She crept behind the corner so she could listen to every word they spoke.
Stallington’s voice was cold and sharp. “We need to talk.”
Raven’s chains rung as he sat up against the wall. “Jonathan.”
“I am organizing a cross-arena tournament, and I expect you to win it. Questions?”
Raven laughed. “Why are you telling me about it?”
“The tournament is set to have five rounds, each in a different city, only one of them being our home. I want your word you will not sabotage me and go through the competition until the end.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“I will have you transferred from my arena to my armed forces.”
Raven scoffed. “Not interested.”
Stallington smiled. “Why not?”
“See no improvement in being dragged in chains between battlefields. Though I would enjoy a cell with windows.”
The prince clicked his tongue. “Who’s talking about chains? The shackles are more than sufficient to keep you in check. And don’t tell me you haven’t ever wondered what it would be like to stand in the rain?”
“Will you pour poison into me before every match?”
“Not if you promise me you will win the tournament.”
After a moment of a short silence, Raven said, “alright, Jonathan, I will give you your victory.”
Luna abandoned her hiding spot, walked back to the tribunes and prepared herself to accidentally meet the prince. She intercepted Prince Stallington a few steps before he left the arena complex. She greeted him with a bow, wondering how many of these fake bows had he seen during his career. “I would like to see my teammate, your highness.”
He pulled a ring of keys from within his robes. “Of course. Give them to my attaché once you sate your curiosity.”
Luna narrowed her eyes. “You are awfully carefree with this.”
Stallington laughed. “I am old, and I have been doing this for my entire life. I know neither you nor Raven will cause any trouble.”
“Why not?”
“Raven hasn’t attempted an escape in over a decade, and you want something from me, something you cannot obtain by a betrayal.” He motioned toward a corridor. “Head this way and follow the trail of furniture. You will recognize his cell the moment your eyes rest upon it.”
Luna watched the prince leave before she headed into the hallway. As she advanced through the arena complex, the air turned progressively fouler, stale, filled with the stench of blood and piss, which did not bring happiness to Luna’s nose. Even less happiness brought her the realization that demanding a room next to Stallington’s champion was an elegant way to imprison herself.
The beast within her scoffed. ‘A few weeks ago, you were a fan of being caged.’
I have changed my mind.
‘And there goes the penitence. It’s not like moving between cities changes anything about what you did.’
That town is in a different region, so the bounty put on my head there doesn’t apply here. Yes, I still have to eat, but if I can devour people nobody would miss, I might make myself a life here.
‘You wish.’ The beast laughed. ‘Just admit it. You are a human-eating monster, so cities will never be a home for you.’
She closed her mind, pushing the beast away while doing her best to banish what he said from her thoughts.
Lit only by the occasional oil lamp, the dark hallways were grim. The dirt ground was a contrast to the carved stone floors above. Following the marks of dragged furniture
, Luna descended deep below the arena, walking past a score of empty cells.
Minutes later, she found herself standing in front of a massive steel door while the track led to a cell by her right. She peeked in to confirm it was indeed her new home. Stallington’s men did what they could to make the place appear civilized, yet despite the pretty paintings, oaken bed, stylish wardrobes, barrels of water and an oaken table surrounded by chairs, it was still a windowless room deep within a dungeon.
Luna unlocked the steel gate leading to Raven’s cell and headed into the corridor beyond, opening three sets of bars, passing a wooden stool and a pair of racks holding books about military tactics standing by the final bars.
She pried the last lock open and entered. The room was stone and barren, save for its inhabitant. At its far end, Raven sat leaning against the wall. Thick chains connected his heavy shackles to steel rings embedded into the stone. He was naked aside from a loincloth, allowing her a perfect view of his sculpted body. She bit her lip.
While his hair was long and greasy, his face was akin to a work of art. To call him handsome would have been an insult.
Raven arched an eyebrow toward the gaping Luna. “Something wrong with my face?”
The beast used her lapse in focus and took over. Controlled by the spirit, Luna shook her head as her cheeks flared up. “Damn, you are ugly! And you stink! Ever heard of soap? S.O.A.P. Soap!”
He stared at her, lost for words, his face catching red.
Luna screamed in her mind, trying to regain control of her body. The beast did not let go and instead forced her to pierce Raven with a glare. “What are you staring at? Creep!” By the beast’s command, she spun around and slammed the bars shut behind her.
With a victorious smile, the beast made Luna return to her cell, closing everything she passed through on the way. As she returned to her room, Luna pushed against the beast. The spirit refused to let go, grappling with her for control. She slammed her head into the wall.