The Prey

by Joseph Delaney

  Then Deinon pushed through to my other side, also wielding a club. As our eyes met, he gave me a grin.

  But my initial optimism was shattered when I saw Cyro summoning reinforcements. Outnumbered, we fought on for another minute, but then they were all around us. Suddenly our line broke. People were fleeing inall directions. I was reluctant to run, but I saw Kwin sprinting away and tried to follow her.

  Then I felt a tremendous blow to the back of my head and knew no more.

  I opened my eyes and looked up to see Cyro frowning down at me. I was hauled roughly to my feet. A dozen or more of his thugs surrounded me.

  A quick glance about told me that I was no longer in the amphitheatre. We were in one of the tunnels – the dark ones. The only light here came from torches carried by Cyro’s men.

  ‘I don’t think Genthai should be allowed to fight in the arena,’ Cyro said. ‘You’re animals, just like the lacs. You belong with the ferals down there.’

  He gestured, and a cold shiver ran down my spine as I guessed what he intended to do. He was pointing towards a metal grille in the wall of the tunnel. Beyond it were steps leading down into the darkness.

  This wasn’t the grille I’d passed with the others, but it served the same purpose: to prevent feral lacs from getting into the Commonality. I noticed that the metal here wasn’t rusty, and it was larger and sturdier, withhinges and a lock. It was really a door. It could be opened . . .

  It was open now.

  They dragged me to the doorway and pushed me through. I almost fell down the steps. Before I could regain my balance the grille clanged shut behind me.

  Cyro grinned at me through the bars. ‘You won’t be missed and your absence will be easily explained. They certainly won’t dare point the finger at me. Every year people go missing in these tunnels, never to be seenagain. But your disappearance will deter others from intruding into my domain again. A few broken heads and a missing trainee – that should do it. It could have been any one of you, but I’m glad it’s a Genthai scumbag.You won’t starve to death, sonny, because you won’t have time. The feral lacs are very hungry. They’ll soon smell your warm flesh; the stink of your fear!’

  Cyro turned his back on me and walked away, his men following behind. I wasn’t sorry to see the back of him, but they took the torches with them. Soon I was plunged into absolute darkness.

  FULL OF MENACE

  Sycoda is the category of djinni to which Hob belongs.

  Spying and torture are its main functions.

  The Manual of Nym

  I stayed crouching by the grille as I sank into despair. Kwin had told me to keep to the illuminated tunnels of the Commonality; they were used regularly, and if you got lost, someone would find you.

  Nobody with any sense ever ventured into the dark. No doubt Cyro had chosen a particularly remote tunnel. My chances of being found were about zero.

  My head was throbbing, and when I put my hand to the back, I found a lump as big as an egg. It made me feel nauseous. After a while my eyes adjusted to the dark; I could just make out the shape of the grille and,looking the other way, the first two steps leading down. So there had to be some light in the tunnel . . . or maybe it was reflected up the steps.

  Would the feral lacs find me? I wondered. Could they really smell my flesh? It seemed likely. What would I do when they arrived? It would be good to have a club or a blade to defend myself with, but I’d nothing butmy bare hands.

  Despite that, I was determined to fight. Lacs were stronger and generally faster than humans, but I was fast too. I’d make sure I got a few blows in before they overwhelmed me. I turned away from the metal grille andsat down on the top step with my back against it.

  I would be ready for them when they came to get me. After a while I thought I heard sounds from below – a cough and then a snuffling. I listened carefully, my whole body tense, but there was no further indicationthat lacs might be climbing the steps. Then I realized that their approach would be hard to detect. They might not be wearing boots, and their bare feet would make little noise.

  When I did finally hear a noise, it wasn’t from the steps. It came from the tunnel behind me.

  I heard the sound of boots approaching, the steps slow and heavy, suggesting someone large.

  Who could be walking down the tunnel – one of Cyro’s men on patrol? Or maybe it was an escaped lac. But I was filled with terror when I suddenly realized there was another possibility.

  It might be Hob.

  The djinni preyed upon the city after dark, but it was said that he also roamed the lower levels of the Wheel and the Commonality. People went missing down here. Some blamed the feral lacs, but others pointed thefinger at Hob.

  I froze, hardly daring to breathe as the steps drew closer.

  A bulky figure appeared through the gloom. For a moment I hoped it was a guard who would just continue past. But there was no question of that. The figure came right up to the grille as if that had been his intentionall along.

  At last I saw the huge head and abnormally long arms. It could have been a feral lac, but now the creature’s forehead was almost touching the bars, and I remembered the large hooked nose from our last encounter.

  I was face to face with Hob.

  I knew that I wasn’t safe behind these bars, even though they were thicker and tougher than the other grilles. He could easily rip them away to get at me. My knees began to tremble and I took a deep breath to steadymyself.

  ‘Do you remember our first meeting, boy?’ Hob boomed.

  I tried to say yes, but my mouth was dry and I couldn’t speak.

  ‘Well, I remember how you threatened me. I remember how you dared to draw a blade in my presence. But I didn’t realize who you were then. I do now. You are the son of Mathias, whom I fought in the arena.’

  ‘Yes, the Math who defeated you fifteen times!’ I snapped back, anger and hatred suddenly filling me with hot, reckless courage.

  ‘In the end I defeated him. I had your mother in thrall to me. Each night I summoned her to the river bank and sipped a little of her blood. I did that for a reason. I wanted your father to come in her place. I wanted tofight him blade against blade one more time. But he never did. His courage failed him.’

  ‘My mother wouldn’t allow him to go in her place. You’d threatened to kill me. She was trying to protect both me and him. He was brave to the end.’

  ‘Do you know the real reason why she wouldn’t allow him to take her place?’

  Again I didn’t reply. I was standing close to the bars, aware that Hob might reach through at any time or tear them away. One part of me wanted to retreat, but my pride wouldn’t let me.

  ‘She wanted to meet me by the river, boy . . . When I drain the blood of a human female, it gives her intense pleasure. She was addicted to it. That’s why she wouldn’t let Mathias take her place.’

  ‘No!’ I cried, stepping closer. ‘That isn’t true!’

  Faster than I could have imagined, Hob’s arms shot towards me. I had no time to move. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me hard against the grille so that the metal dug into my face and shoulder.

  ‘Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now.’ It was hardly more than a whisper. The djinni’s eyes were cold; I couldn’t discern any emotion in them.

  Our faces were inches apart and I was staring into those eyes – the whites unusually large, each small dark iris just a pinprick. I was conscious of the power emanating from him and my legs turned to jelly. Hobreleased me, but I was no longer able to move. Those eyes were staring hard into mine, and I was completely in thrall to him.

  However, my hatred and desire for revenge soon returned, and I broke free, staggering backwards. Then, instead of retreating, I rushed back towards the bars.

  ‘In the arena!’ I shouted, almost spitting in his face. ‘We’ll fight in the arena. That’ll be your chance to kill me – that’s if you’ve got the courage! That’s if you’ve got the speed and the skill!’

 
For a moment Hob just stared at me. Then his hands came through the bars and he grasped my shoulders again, his grip tightening. I sensed his great strength: his huge hands were capable of crushing my shoulders.My courage was replaced by terror. I was about to die or be maimed so that I’d never be able to fight in the arena again.

  Then, suddenly, he released me. I fell back onto the steps and rolled down three or four before I managed to stop myself. Trembling, I came up onto my knees and stared at the figure behind the grille.

  ‘Have you learned to love yet, boy?’ Hob asked , his voice full of menace.

  He’d asked me this before, when I’d gone with Tyron to buy back Kern’s remains. Angered by what he’d done, I’d drawn a blade and Tyron had been forced to beg for my life.

  Then Hob had asked that strange question:

  ‘Whom do you love, boy?’

  My answer had been that I loved nobody. After all, my parents were dead and I’d had no close friends.

  He’d then threatened that when I did care for someone, he’d kill them before he killed me so that I would suffer the pain of their death first.

  Once again I didn’t reply, keeping my distance so that he couldn’t reach me.

  Was he just playing games with my mind? I wondered.

  ‘I can see that you have changed since we first met,’ Hob said, holding me in thrall once more. ‘I sense that you do care for someone. The object of your love is female – I am certain of it. Perhaps I will take her soul.Or maybe I will wait until we have fought in the arena. I could take you both into my citadel. I would enjoy that. You could watch her cease to be fully human. There are worse things than death – as you will discoverone day.’

  Without another word, he turned and strode off into the darkness, in the direction from which he had come.

  I crouched on the steps for a long time, thinking over what he’d said. I was terribly afraid for Kwin. What I felt for her . . . was that love? How could you really love somebody if your love wasn’t reciprocated? WasHob’s threat really directed at Kwin, or was he just bluffing?

  But, I reflected, anyone Hob thought I loved might be in danger . . .

  These questions whirled around my head, but I had no answers.

  I tried to sleep, but it was very uncomfortable on the steps and Hob’s words tormented me. Finally, utterly exhausted, I drifted off.

  I was awoken by harsh laughter and the sound of a key turning in the lock.

  The metal grille was opened and I was dragged roughly to my feet.

  Before me I saw four of Cyro’s men: two to grip my arms and two to hold torches to light the way. They marched me along the tunnels.

  I wondered where I was being taken. The answer came quickly enough, as we emerged into the amphitheatre. The arena was empty, the blades marking its perimeter invisible.

  Cyro was waiting there, legs apart and arms folded. They brought me to a halt in front of him, still gripping my arms tightly.

  ‘Did you have a comfortable night?’ he asked with a grin.

  I remained silent.

  ‘Were you brave enough to go down the steps and explore?’

  Again I said nothing. I suspected that anything I said would be used against me in some way. My captors were chuckling at each of Cyro’s questions. I was the only one who didn’t get the joke.

  ‘You stayed at the top of the steps. I can tell from your face. Well, if you had been brave enough to go down them, you wouldn’t have found any ravenous lacs waiting to eat you. The feral lacs can be reached downsteps such as those, but they are contained by fixed grilles. Down those steps you’d have found a storeroom, that’s all. You were never in any danger.’

  I thought of mentioning Hob’s visit, but what purpose would that have served?

  ‘I’m not a murderer, Leif – and yes, I know your name, just as I know that you’re also one of Tyron’s trainees. In this city, knowledge is power. I’ve no intention of killing anybody, but don’t force my hand. I willdefend what’s mine with everything I’ve got. Take that message back to your friends.’

  Suddenly he pointed to the arena. I could see dark patches in the sand. Was that blood?

  ‘After Tyron dismisses you, as I’m sure he will – he’s a shrewd businessman and knows what he needs to do in order to keep profits rolling in – I might have a role for you here. Once you lose your place as a trainee,you could always turn to stick-fighting. And soon I intend to pit human combatants against lacs in that arena, one against one, without armour. What do you say? I was hard on you before because I wanted to teach you alesson. But it’s come to my notice that you have great potential as a fighter. We could work together.’

  I shook my head. ‘That’s not for me. In any case, I’ve taken the oath not to use blades outside the arena.’

  Even as I spoke I remembered I’d already broken my oath by fighting the werewight. But then I was struck by what Cyro had said. It was as if my future was already sealed. Would Tyron dismiss me because of this?Would he yield to Cyro?

  ‘You’re not listening carefully, Leif. I said after Tyron dismisses you. You will no longer be an Arena 13 combatant and the oath won’t apply. Think about it. We all have to make a crust somehow. Take him away!’Cyro commanded, and his thugs marched me away up the steep path.

  I could hardly believe that I was being released – though what Cyro had said disturbed me. How much pressure could he bring to bear upon Tyron? Could he persuade him to sack me?

  It was daylight when I left the Wheel – late morning, judging by the position of the sun. I hurried back to Tyron’s house. When I entered the yard, Kwin ran out to greet me. I was surprised to see her there. She wassupposed to be staying with Tallus and Ada.

  ‘Are you all right?’ she asked, her face full with concern.

  Before I could reply she ran forward and threw her arms around me, pressing her face against my neck. Then she gave a sob, took a step backwards and looked at me. To my astonishment I saw that her eyes werebrimming with tears. Did she care about me after all?

  ‘Yes, I’m all right now, but last night was pretty scary,’ I replied. ‘They locked me behind a gate and left me in the dark. I thought the steps below me led to the domain of the feral lacs, but it was all a trick to scareme. To be honest, it worked. What worries me now is that Cyro said he was going to get your father to stop training me.’

  ‘I thought you’d been killed by his thugs – until we got a message from him late last night. I thought I’d never see you again, Leif. Don’t worry about being kicked out again – that won’t happen.’

  ‘What was in Cyro’s message?’ I asked, watching Kwin wipe away her tears with the back of her hand.

  ‘Cyro complained about our part in the protest. He said he was going to hold you overnight to cool your heels. My father went to the admin building soon after first light for a meeting with him. He’s due back any timenow. Come and have some breakfast while we wait.’

  ‘Where’s Deinon?’ I asked. ‘Is he all right? And what about the others?’

  ‘There were a few cuts and bruises, but everybody got back safely. Deinon’s working in his study. He got a big ticking off from my father – though nothing worse than we’ll get.’

  ‘You two don’t wait for trouble,’ Tyron said. ‘You go looking for it.’

  I was sitting at the table opposite Kwin. Tyron sat down beside his daughter.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said lamely.

  ‘We’re both sorry,’ Kwin said. ‘But not sorry for protesting. Terrible things go on down in the Commonality and they must be stopped. No, we’re just sorry for causing you trouble. By the way, Palm was down therewatching the lacs fight. He was with a big man with red cheeks. Was that his father?’

  Tyron nodded. ‘His name is Jefferson – he’s one of the main supporters of those contests. As well as being a rich and successful farmer, he owns many of the lacs that fight down there. He was at the meeting I’ve justhad with Cyro. He had the cheek to threaten me. He said that if I
didn’t get rid of Leif, he’d withdraw his son from my stables. I told him to go ahead, but he won’t do it. Palm’s very happy here. It was just a bluff.However, I’ll be having a quiet word with young Palm. I don’t want my trainees watching what goes on in that arena of Cyro’s.’

  ‘What about Cyro?’ I asked. ‘He recognized Kwin and said he was going to have words with you about her and get you to stop training me.’

  ‘Well, he certainly did his best,’ Tyron said with a smile, ‘but his best wasn’t good enough. Let’s say we parted on less than amicable terms. Consider it over – but I want you both to promise that you won’t protestagain. Next time somebody could get seriously hurt. Push Cyro into a corner and things might get very nasty.’

  ‘So we’re supposed to allow things to continue as they are and do nothing?’ asked Kwin.

  ‘He’s got new plans,’ I said. ‘He intends to pit humans against lacs in his arena.’

  ‘Does he now? Well, we’ll certainly knock that scheme on the head,’ Tyron growled. ‘Let me deal with the situation in my own way. Many of us disagree with what Cyro does and it certainly is illegal. Give me timeand we’ll bring pressure to bear.’

  ‘How much time?’ Kwin demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.

  ‘Until the end of the season,’ he replied.

  ‘That’s too long! Lacs are dying down there.’

  ‘This has been going on for decades. A few months more is too long? Let me try my way. Your way can’t succeed.’

  ‘Just until the end of the season – but if nothing changes, we’ll protest again! In fact, we’ll go further!’ Kwin exclaimed. ‘The lacs that fight down there are stored in a locked compound. I’ve never seen it, but I couldmake it my business to find it. Next time we won’t just protest – we’ll release those lacs!’

  ‘That would be an extremely reckless and foolish thing to do. First of all, those lacs have owners – remember that. Releasing them would deprive those owners of their property. It would be theft. Somebody likeJefferson wouldn’t hesitate to press charges. You could end up behind bars for a long time. Secondly, lacs released like that would band together in a mob. They’d be angry, afraid and out of control – their fightinginstincts would take over. Innocent people could get hurt – maybe even killed. Anyone responsible for that could be charged with manslaughter by the Wheel Directorate. Your life would be over. They’d throw away thekey. I’d be unable to help.’