Defiant

by Aaron Hodges

  But so long as it remained dull, his only hope of defeating the powerful Geitsen was Aureli’s training.

  “Right, enough lounging about,” Aureli announced, his voice rising to a shout. “Trainees, fall in!”

  Rydian, Hazel and Johanas stumbled immediately to his feet, while the three newcomers took longer, as though they still resisted their new fates. Finally though, they the six of them stood in line looking at Aureli, wating for his next instructions. The man stared back, appraising them with those unknowable eyes.

  “Stay here,” he said at last, then turned abruptly and strode off into the nearby building.

  Rydian watched him go, frowning, but the man soon returned, a long sack slung over one shoulder. It rattled as he tossed it down in front of the recruits, and Rydian knew instinctively what it contained: the weighted practice blades. Another sack followed, spilling open as Aureli dropped it before them. Rydian recognised the padded vests within and swallowed. It seemed Aureli’s training might not be so different from Falcon’s after all.

  “You want to try with a blade?” the ex-gladiator asked. “Very well, find yourselves each a gladius, then suit up. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

  A few minutes later the six of them were dressed in the thick padded vests, and Aureli’s training started in earnest. Partnering up, the ex-gladiator ran them threw a series of drills involving cuts and blocks with the sword—he explained the shield would come next. Paired with Hazel, Rydian still struggled to fend off her blows, though at Aureli’s instruction they did not swing with all their strength.

  The morning progressed until finally Aureli called a halt, then gestured Rydian, Hazel and Johanas to join him. Despite the deficiencies of their own training regime, the three had performed much better than the newcomers. Their blows were cleaner, connecting with their target more often than not, while Ruby and the others began to lag, their bodies unused to the prolonged exercise.

  Aureli allowed them a quick breather, then pointed a finger at Ruby and Kelvin. “You two,” he ordered, “pair up and run through drills one to six.”

  Kelvin exhaled sharply at the command, flashing Aureli a glare, while Ruby hesitated only a moment before lifting her blade. The two stepped forward as the ex-gladiator turned his jade eyes on the rest of them.

  “Watch,” was all he said, before nodding for the pair to begin.

  Ruby was the first to attack, swinging her practice gladius through a series of three attacks. Watching her, Rydian nodded his approval. Her strikes were clean, and while Kelvin evaded them easily with the corresponding blocks, it was obvious which of the two had been listening to Aureli’s instructions.

  Footsteps shifted nearby as Aureli approached, the familiar hound still at his sound. “What do you think, Mouse?” he asked.

  Rydian hesitated as the hound sat beside him. When the beast made no attempt to maul him, he reached out a tentative hand and stroked its head as he’d seen Aureli do. It seemed to enjoy the touch.

  “What do I think about what, sir?” he asked, focusing on Aureli.

  The warrior gestured to where Kelvin had just begun his turn on attack. Unlike Ruby, his strikes were wild and inaccurate, though he made up for it with an excess of power. He could see the hesitation on Ruby’s face as she struggled to block his swing’s, saw her flinch at each contact between their blades.

  “About our recent arrivals,” Aureli replied. “This is their first time with the gladius. What are they doing wrong?”

  Rydian looked again at the pair. “Kelvin is aggressive,” he said immediately, “too aggressive. He holds nothing back.”

  Hazel shifted closer. “Ruby is struggling to defend herself without a shield,” she spoke up, “but she strikes well.”

  Across from them, the pair changed again. But this time as Ruby went on the attack, her blows were no longer so steady. She seemed to be holding back, hesitating before each strike, as though…

  “She’s afraid,” he said.

  As he spoke, Ruby finished her sequence of attacks. Rather than waiting for her to recover, Kelvin leapt straight into his counterattack. The young woman cried out as a blade flashed for her, but instinct kicked in and her own gladius leapt to deflect the attack.

  Growling his frustration, Kelvin pressed the advantage, swinging an unscripted blow. This one found its mark, the blunted gladius slamming down against Ruby’s shoulder. A cry tore from the woman as she dropped her weapon and stumbled back from him, one hand clutched at her collar.

  Rydian leapt to intervene before Kelvin could land another blow, his blade deflecting a third strike.

  “Aureli said drills,” he snarled, levelling his blade at the new recruit. “What the hell was that?”

  Kelvin sneered at Rydian’s intervention. “What, are you going to come to her rescue in the arena as well? There’s no such thing as drills on the sands.”

  Anger flushed through Rydian at the man’s words, and he felt a flicker in his palm, a soft pulsing of heat. Teeth clenched, he raised his blade, prepared to teach the arrogant young man a lesson, but a sob from behind Rydian distracted his retribution. Lowering his sword, he turned towards Ruby…

  …and found her racing way across the field, towards the darkness of the jungle.

  Nearby, Aureli cursed and made as though to start after her.

  “Wait,” Rydian murmured, stepping in front of the ex-gladiator and meeting his eyes, before turning towards the forest. “I’ll talk to her.”

  Rydian set off after her before anyone could respond. Thankfully, Ruby hadn’t gone far. The injury seemed to have slowed her and he hoped it wouldn’t interfere with her training. He’d recently learned that the Alfur would use their own Manus readers to heal injuries that might prevent a gladiator from competing—but not until the day of the games.

  He caught her at the edge of the jungle where she’d come to a stop and stood now staring into the shadows beneath the trees. A shiver passed through Rydian as he joined her, his gaze drawn inevitably to that unknown wilderness. He could see no sign of primates or other beasts, but then, anything could be hiding in the dense vegetation and they’d never know…

  Shaking himself, he forced his attention to the trembling trainee standing beside him. Fear showed in the young woman’s eyes, but to her credit she met his gaze, at least for the moment.

  “You’re afraid,” he said softly.

  “I…I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I…I’m trying not to be, but…” Her voice broke and she wrapped her arms around herself. “I…I don’t know what to do. I’m not strong enough, but…but I don’t want to die!”

  The hairs on the back of Rydian’s neck stood on end at her words, so similar to his own spoken to Aureli just the day before.

  “We’re all afraid,” he said softly, reaching out a hand to squeeze her shoulder. “Me, Hawk, even Bloodlust,” he had to chuckle, using Johanas’s new name. It was almost as ridiculous as his own. “That’s the truth. None of us know whether we’ll survive another games.

  “At least you won your first,” Ruby whispered.

  She glanced at him, then at the ground again. Hesitantly, she raised her hand, and a soft Light sprang from her Manus reader. Rydian watched as two figures took form in her palm, then began to do battle. Several minutes passed before he realised it was his own fight against the aggressive Boustoran trainee.

  “I watched each of your fights,” Ruby murmured. “I can’t imagine doing what you did. I’ll…I’ll never be a true gladiator.”

  Rydian was surprised to find himself smiling. Her words were so similar to his own, that first strange night he had spoken with Aureli. Gently he reached out and turned the young woman’s face to look at him.

  “Listen to me, Ruby,” he said. “Just a month ago, I stood where you stand now, terrified I could never survive here, that I would smile.” He drew in a breath, staring into the woman’s hazel eyes, seeing the fear there and wishing he had the power to take it away. “Somehow I survived, despi
te any training or real preparation. We were alone, the three of us. But now we have Aureli. I’ve seen him fight. With him on our side,” he paused, drawing in a breath. “Well, none of us know what will happen when we step into that arena, but with his help, I…I can almost have hope.”

  Ruby fell silent at his words, though she continued to stare at him, as though he were some my mystic who held the secrets of the universe. His eyes were drawn down her neck to where Kelvin’s blade had struck her. A purple bruise was already beginning to swell around her collar.

  Without thinking, Rydian laid his Manus reader on the discoloured skin. His hand began to pulse as a glow lit the device, not the brilliance of the day before, but a steady pulse still greater than he had a right to possess. Ruby’s eyes widened, though she said nothing as they stood there in the shade of the nearby jungle.

  When he finally removed his hand, Rydian was surprised as the young woman to see her skin had returned to its normal hue. A look of wonder appeared in Ruby’s eyes as she looked at him, but he raised a finger to his lips, a smile tugging at his face.

  “It’s natural to be afraid, Ruby,” he said instead. “We all are. We just can’t let it rule us.”

  The young woman swallowed at his words, and her eyes flickered from his face, back to where their companions had resumed their training.

  “Kelvin isn’t afraid,” she whispered. “He…he says he’s excited for the games.”

  “If that’s true, then he’s a fool,” Rydian replied.

  Ruby shivered. “So…if you’re afraid, how…do you do it? How do you seem so… assured?”

  Rydian raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think of himself as assured at all. But maybe… “We fake it,” he chuckled. “No…well, maybe a little. Truth is, we keep going, put on a brave face, because there’s no other choice.” He gestured to the trees. “We could run, step into that darkness, and finally be free of the Alfur. But, well, we both know what creatures await us out there. Me, I’ll take my chances in the arena.” He hesitated, glancing at the sky, recalling the stars, and the strange Light of his Manus reader. “At least that way I can still have hope...”

  “What hope?” Ruby whispered. “The Alfur will never give us our freedom.”

  Rydian found himself smiling. “The hope of the infinite.”

  17

  The sands were still hot beneath Rydian’s boots as he strode across the arena, ears ringing to the jeers of the Mayenken crowd. Just his luck, that he would face a second gladiator in front of their home city. The fiery sun was far hotter here than it had been in the Boustoran arena. The air was sweltering, each breath like inhaling steam from a boiling pot.

  Rydian did his best to ignore the heat and the crowd, focusing instead on the barrier of Light that divided the arena—and the dark figure waiting beyond. Geitsen’s face was concealed beneath his helm, but it was not hard for Rydian to imagine the smirk on his face, the laughter in his eyes. Geitsen had already faced the Mouse of Goma once, and he was not impressed.

  As though to confirm Rydian’s suspicions, the figure beyond the barrier of Light turned and raised his sword to the crowd. A deafening roar answered the gladiator’s salute, followed by a thundering applause as the Mayenken people rose to their feet in support of their man.

  Narrowing his eyes, Rydian watched as Geitsen worked the crowd. The man was putting on a show, just as he and his friends had done for Rydian back in the practice arena. Swallowing, Rydian struggled with his inner doubts. He had trained hard beneath Aureli’s watchful gaze these last four weeks, pushing his body to breaking point. The six fledgeling gladiators had barely spent a waking hour each day without training, and had grown close in their shared hell—he and Ruby in particular.

  Now the time had come for them to test the fruits of their labour. All except Johanas would fight today, and Rydian was the first of the Goman team to step onto the sands.

  Sweat dripped down Rydian’s face as he glanced again at the crowd, listening to their roars. The Alfurian ship had carried them to the city that morning, a shorter trip this time, jetting from the complex out over the nearby ocean. He still struggled to comprehend the vastness of that seeming infinite expanse of water. It had been almost two hours before soaring Alfurian towers of Mayenke had appeared above the endless blue—the first sign they were approaching the island city.

  It had been smaller than Rydian expected, half the size of Goma, though he was surprised to see that here as well there were walls surrounding the city. He’d thought the vast ocean would offer protection from the beasts, but as they neared, he realised his ignorance. As their ship swept along the coast, he spotted movement on the rocks. Massive beasts swarmed across the stone, terrible teeth bared as they battled amongst one another, until scarlet blood stained the waters. Rydian shivered at the memory. Pinnipeds, Ruby had called them, beasts from the depths of the ocean.

  He snapped back to the present as the first boom of the drums sounded. Heart suddenly racing, he lifted his sword and offered his foe a salute. Geitsen might have no honour, but that didn’t mean Rydian had to stoop to the man’s level.

  A hush fell across the stadium as the pounding of the drum increased in frequency, building to a crescendo in preparation for the bout. Beyond the Light, Geitsen fell into a warrior’s pose, though Rydian had positioned himself far enough back from the barrier to ensure there would be no surprise attacks.

  Silence.

  Rydian exhaled as the barrier separating him from his foe vanished, bracing himself for the unknown. To his surprise, though, the Mayenken gladiator did not immediately launch himself to the attack. Rydian frowned, eyeing the man as he edged closer, then flinched as laughter echoed from behind the dark visor.

  “What’s the matter, little Mouse?” Geitsen cackled, spinning his sword in one hand, its blade flashing in the sunlight. “Come on, don’t be afraid. I promise, I’ll give you a quick death.”

  A weight settled in Rydian’s stomach, but he offered the man no reaction, only widened the fighting stance Aureli had taught him a fraction, so that his feet stood shoulder width apart. But still the gladiator did not attack. Instead, he paced around Rydian, his stance relaxed as he circled. Unlike Rydian, he wielded a longsword rather than a gladius, and wore a steel buckler on his wrist in place of a full shield. He held the blade casually at his side, presenting himself as an easy target.

  Rydian swallowed. He knew what the man was doing, trying to goad Rydian into something rash. He resolved not to fall for the man’s trap.

  “No?” Geitsen asked, hefting his blade. “Very well then, Mouse, let’s get on with this farce, shall we?”

  Tensing, Rydian dropped his head a fraction, so that he could just see over the brim of his shield, presenting as small of a target as he could to his foe.

  Despite his preparation, the Mayenken gladiator came close to finding his mark with the first blow. Moving with deceptive speed, Geitsen launched himself forward, his longer blade hissing for Rydian’s face. Only a last moment thrust of Rydian’s shield drove the longsword aside.

  The thump of its impact jarred Rydian’s bones, forcing him back a step. Again he saw the four Mayenken gladiators as they fought in the practice arena. They fought in a brutal, merciless manner, beating their opponents down with overwhelming force.

  But with the benefit of Aureli’s training, and four weeks observing his fellow gladiators as they trained, Rydian could se the weakness behind Geitsen’s strategy. The man held nothing back, putting too much power into his blows, just as Kelvin had during training. He would be overbalanced, if one of his blows failed to connect. It was an opportunity Rydian might exploit, if he had the courage.

  Watching the man preparing for another attack, Rydian struggled to hold himself in place, to ignore the inner voice screaming for him to leap back, to retreat from the terrible force behind the weapon levelled at his head.

  But there was no retreat in the arena, nowhere to run. If Rydian wanted to survive this day, he had only one op
tion.

  Face your fear.

  Gritting his teeth, he dug in his sandals, and as Geitsen raised his blade for another attack, Rydian launched himself forward and thrust out with his shield. Caught out by the manoeuvre, the shield struck Geitsen in the chest just as his sword reached the tip of its arc. The larger gladiator cried out and stumbled backwards, thrown off-balance, and Rydian thrust out with his gladius. There was a soft crunch as its point found flesh.

  A grunt came from Geitsen as he leapt away, then staggered on the soft sands. This time Rydian made no attempt to follow. Instead, he crouched back behind his shield, blade held low, inviting his opponent to make the next move.

  Silence fell across the stadium as all eyes focused on the Mayenken gladiator. A splash of red now stained his shoulder. Standing well clear of Rydian’s blade, Geitsen hesitated, then reached up a hand to touch the wound, as though he couldn’t believe what had happened.

  “You bastard,” a growl rumbled from beneath Geitsen’s helmet as he lowered his arm. “I’ll make you pay for that.”

  Rydian said nothing, only raised his blade in a mock salute. A snarl came from his foe, then Geitsen was upon him, long sword lashing out, a glittering arc of steel that flashed for Rydian’s face. Gasping, he ducked beneath the blow, and the blade passed narrowly overhead. Belatedly, he thrust out again with his shield, but this time Geitsen was ready for the attempt and sidestepped easily.

  Thrown off-balance, Rydian barely had time to twist and deflect a second riposte. The thunk as Geitsen’s sword struck wood sent a tremor down his arm and he clenched his teeth against the pain, forced to retreat before another strike broke bone.

  Howling his rage, Geitsen advanced, unleashing a torrent of blows that left Rydian scrambling to keep himself upright. Gasping, stumbling, he defended with shield and gladius, all thought of counterattack forgotten as he ducked and weaved, anything to keep that razor edge from his flesh.