The OP MC 5: God of Winning

by Logan Jacobs

  Jax, Janus, and Stryker stepped forward from the group, which left five of the Bullard guardsmen in the other half. It wasn’t quite even, so I’d have to separate them more randomly.

  “Jorgen, you go with the first group,” I instructed, and the hunter obliged. “We’re going to have two matches happening at once, one fight for each group, so for the first one I’ll let you choose your own opponents.”

  The men shot each other anxious glances, but then they quickly paired off. Once everyone was divided up the way I wanted, I nodded my approval, and I turned to the judges with a questioning look.

  “Ready when you are!” Eva called out to me in a sing-song voice.

  “Our first set of matches consist of Bastianville’s own blacksmith Jaxtom versus the mug-wielding tavern keeper, Stryker!” I announced in an excited voice. “This one’s gonna be good, folks. Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen!”

  By this point, the sun was drawing dangerously close to the horizon, so I felt a little hurried to finish the tournament before we lost all daylight. There would be seven matches total, so I hoped doing them two at a time would give me enough leeway.

  Plus, it allowed me to play out one of my lifelong fantasies of being a referee for a pro wrestling match.

  “In our next ring will be two of the Bullard Boys!” I declared with a dramatic flourish. “We’ve got Bryn the Bandit facing off against Ian the Inevitable!”

  Cheers and shouts came from the audience, so I could tell everyone was enjoying my theatrical announcements, and I chuckled to myself as I got everyone into place. We’d created two circles on the field and stamped down the grass and dirt until it was flat and hard, and then we’d roped the circles off. It wasn’t a WWE level ring or anything, but it would do for now.

  I’d managed to get a hold of a bell to ring, too, so I paced between the two rings holding it aloft while I waited for the four fighters to climb inside the rings. Once Bryn, Ean, Stryker, and Jaxtom had all nodded their consent, I dinged the bell with one of the spoons we’d used earlier.

  With that, the contestants locked arms and began their struggles, and it was a comical sight since most everyone was coated in mud, oil, and sweat. I kept my eyes on Jaxtom and Stryker since I felt like that would be the fight to watch, and I heard the murmured bets being placed among the audience. This time, they were split evenly between the two men, and I wondered how the two men would feel about the spontaneous popularity contest going on unbeknownst to them.

  Stryker gripped Jaxtom by the forearms as he attempted to twist the blacksmith’s arms off his shoulders, and the two men swiveled before smashing back together in a battle of strength.

  Bryn and Ian were a little more hesitant to get their hands dirty, and they jabbed experimentally as they danced around each other in the circular ring. Then they let out growls of determination as they crashed together with a thud of muscle against muscle.

  The air was filled with the sound of grunting and skin slapping against skin as the contestants grappled with each other, but a moment later, Bryn had Ian on the ground.

  I rushed over to smack the earth three times to count the guardsman out while I counted out loud, and when I reached three, Bryn leapt off his opponent’s back to release him.

  “Bryn is our first winner!” I announced, and I ducked under the rope to lift the guardsman’s hand into the air. We walked in a circle around the ring just like they did in the professional wrestling matches, and I suddenly wished I’d had my girls dress up in bikinis for the event.

  I supposed there was no need to rub my massive good fortune in everyone else’s faces, though, so I shrugged off the thought and refocused on the wrestling match still going on in the other ring.

  Jaxtom and Stryker were still evenly matched, and the shouting from the audience grew heated as they jostled each other back and forth. The dirt beneath their feet was even more stamped down than it had been when they started, but there was also a spattering of footprints from where they’d shuffled their feet.

  Suddenly, Stryker lunged to the side, and he left an opening for the blacksmith to tackle him around the waist. Both men went down in a tangle of limbs, and their struggle caused dust to fly up and block my view. When the dirt settled, Jaxtom had the barkeep locked in a headlock, and Stryker’s face was turning a deep shade of purple.

  I rushed forward, slipped under the rope, and began to count. “One… Two… Three! Jax wins!”

  “That’s more like it!” The blacksmith tossed back his head and let out a big belly laugh.

  “The event isn’t over yet,” I warned with a smirk. “You still have two more matches to fight, my friend.”

  “I’ll kick anyone’s ass ye throw at me, Bash,” the blacksmith countered with a wink.

  “Looking forward to it.” I grinned, and I clapped him on the shoulder before I turned to the men who hadn’t fought in a match yet. “Next, we have Janus versus Jorgen, and Thanor versus Riondale! Hang onto your socks, people, it’s gonna be good!”

  Hoots, hollers, and whistles echoed from the audience, and the competitors waved to their fans as they made their way inside the rings. Even the strait-laced, duty-focused Riondale was grinning as he took his stance in the circle across from his cousin.

  This was the time for the underdogs to prove themselves, and I held my bell aloft again before I signaled the start of the next two matches. At the ding sound, the four men launched themselves forward and locked arms in a tight struggle. It seemed as though the two pairs were just as evenly matched as the first set of fighters had been, but this time I was mostly paying attention to Riondale’s fight.

  I secretly hoped my young lieutenant would be able to travel with us since I knew I could rely heavily on the honorable man, but I didn’t want to play favorites at all, so I made sure to keep an eye on Janus and Jorgen as well.

  The young apprentice blacksmith was the same height as the hunter, but that’s where the similarities stopped. Jorgen was thin, limber, and built for the hunt while the younger man was bulked up like he hit the gym every single day, but I knew his career forced him to exercise regularly.

  As I watched Jorgen struggle to maintain his footing amidst the onslaught of the apprentice’s moves, I realized the younger man could very well win the match. Janus proved me correct an instant later, and he flung the hunter to the ground like he was as light as a feather. Jorgen hit hard with a loud “oof,” and he didn’t move to get back up.

  I slipped inside the ring and squatted down beside where Janus held Jorgen down, and I counted out loud just as I’d done before. “One… Two… Three… Janus is victorious!”

  Surprised gasps erupted from the crowd followed by some disappointed grumbles, and I wondered how many people had just lost money.

  “Bash!” Mahini called out. “Behind you!”

  I turned around just in time to see Riondale sweep Thanor’s feet out from underneath him in a swift kick, and then the young lieutenant leapt onto his opponent faster than I could track with my eyes.

  I rushed over to count Riondale’s cousin out, and then I held up the lieutenant’s hand. “Riondale wins!”

  This news definitely pleased the crowd, and I saw a lot of money exchanging hands as the losers and winners separated from each other. We now had only four contestants, and our winner would be determined in a few more matches. I eyed the remaining competitors with a shrewd eye to make sure no one was hurt, but they all seemed eager to keep going, so I nodded approvingly.

  So far, so good.

  “In our next two matches we have some audience favorites,” I announced loudly as I paced in front of the four remaining contestants. “Jaxtom will face off against his very own apprentice, Janus, while Riondale fights another cousin, Bryn.”

  “My money’s on the blacksmith winning the whole thing.”

  “You’re crazy, the soldiers have this one.”

  “Go, Jax, go!”

  “Kick ass, Riondale!”

  The crowd was in a
n uproar, and everyone seemed anxious to find out who the toughest man in town was. These four men had gone through all the challenges of the day, and while they hadn’t won an event yet, they still had more grit and determination than anyone I knew back in my old world, and I was eager to have men like that on my team. The next set of matches would determine our final two contenders, though, so nerves were raw as the two pairs faced off.

  Soon, my entourage would be complete, and we’d be off on yet another adventure through Sorreyal.

  I rang my bell again, and the sound of grunts once again filled the air. My gaze flicked back and forth between the two matches anxiously since I wasn’t sure which was the most nail biting of the two. On the one hand, I fully expected Riondale to beat his cousin, but the lieutenant had failed at every other event so far. In the other ring was Jaxtom against his own apprentice, and if anyone knew the burly blacksmith’s weaknesses, it would be Janus. Still, I’d be embarrassed for my friend if he ended up getting beaten by a kid.

  Riondale growled as his cousin got him in a headlock, and the young lieutenant did an evasive maneuver to free himself. Then he whirled on his opponent and once again tried his kick move that had succeeded in his previous match. Bryn saw it coming, though, and the dark-haired soldier hopped nimbly over the swing of his cousin’s limb.

  The lieutenant jumped to his feet, and he lunged at his cousin’s arms. Riondale held Bryn in a bear hug, and then he pulled him to the ground. The two rolled around and each took a turn holding the other down, but then Riondale held firmly to the top position while he gripped Bryn’s arms in his fists.

  I rushed over to do my counting thing, and when I got to three, Riondale released his cousin with a relieved sigh.

  “Ri-guy wins!” I shouted, and my lieutenant flashed me a grateful smile, but then I turned my attention back to the match between Janus and Jaxtom.

  I was just in time to see the tall blacksmith lift his apprentice clear into the air, and he slammed the young man back first onto the ground with a loud roar. Janus hit with a thud, and he shouted in pain, but he didn’t move to get up.

  Worry filled my stomach as I made my way over to the young apprentice, but he was still conscious and breathing fine, so I went ahead with my counting thing.

  “One… Two… Three!” I shouted. “Jaxtom wins!”

  That’s when I realized the final showdown would be between the two buddies, and the men I considered to be my best friends, Riondale and Jaxtom. I wanted them both to win, but that was impossible given the circumstances, so I’d have to settle for only one winner.

  I swallowed hard, but at the same time, a shiver of excitement ran down my spine. At the very least, it would be an entertaining match.

  The sun was casting its last dying rays of light across the sky, and the brilliant orange and purple hues created a living painting as the backdrop to our final match. It was theatrical, and dramatic, but that was perfect for the scenario. We had just enough daylight left for one more fight, so we had to make it count.

  “Do you guys need some water or a quick break?” I asked the two last contestants.

  “I’m good,” Jax growled, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he shot a competitive glance at Riondale.

  “No, thank you, sir.” Riondale shook his head, and his gaze flicked sideways to Jaxtom.

  The two were almost comical the way they were getting competitive over the spot on my entourage, but I wasn’t about to stop them from creating some entertainment for the entire town.

  “Alright, then.” I nodded. “To the ring.”

  Both men nodded in response, and they slipped beneath the rope to enter our makeshift wrestling ring. Their clothes were already dirty from their previous scuffles as well as from the prior events they’d gone through, but they both had stone-faced expressions.

  “Ready?” I asked as I held the bell aloft, and when they nodded again, I rang it loudly to signal the start of the match.

  The two men locked arms, and they stared sternly at each other as they both looked for weaknesses. Their feet shuffled back and forth as they fought over control, and they both kept their footing as they maneuvered around in a circle.

  The audience was quiet as everyone watched intently, but it was getting harder to see in the steadily growing darkness of twilight. Suddenly, several torches were lit, and I smiled in gratitude at the townspeople who stood holding the lights up so everyone could see the fight clearly.

  The two men grappled with each other, and they grunted with effort as their muscles bulged from the strain. They shuffled back and forth, and around in a circle, and we all held our breaths as we waited anxiously for someone to get the upper hand. Minutes passed without anything changing, and I began to wonder who would get the final spot on my entourage.

  “How’d a tiny guy get so tough,” Jax growled in a strained voice.

  “From taking on big guys,” Riondale replied with a cocky grin.

  “Enough banter, time for one of you to win!” I laughed from the sidelines as two of my favorite people fought over the right to travel with me.

  They went back and forth a couple more times, and I started to sense the crowd getting bored. They were so evenly-matched on strength, skill, and grit that this match could go on all night long, but I knew everyone was just as eager as I was for the full entourage to be announced. It felt like hours passed without much change, and I was beginning to wish something, anything, would happen.

  Several tense moments later, Mahini appeared silently by my side, and her ice-blue eyes scanned my face for a moment before she spoke. “What if there is no clear winner, Great One?”

  “I was just having similar thoughts,” I admitted in a reluctant tone. “They could do this for hours.”

  “If it were up to me…” Mahini trailed off, and then she shook her head. “Never mind.”

  “What?” I pressed, and I bumped my shoulder against hers. “You can tell me anything, just speak your mind, my love.”

  “What if we announced a tie?” The desert goddess arched an eyebrow as she presented the option. “The other judges and I agree that would be the best approach.”

  “I’d hate to have to choose between the two of them,” I mused, and then I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  “By your command, Great One,” Mahini murmured, and she slunk away as quietly as she had appeared.

  A moment later, the three women and Elrin approached the ring where the two men still held each other at arm’s length and struggled to get the upper hand.

  “Stop the fight!” Elrin called out in a loud voice.

  Jax and Riondale paused, but they didn’t release each other from their grasp.

  “We have made a decision,” Elissa announced.

  The crowd gasped, and whispers swept through the audience.

  “Both of these men have fought hard all day long,” Eva said in a loud voice.

  “Therefore, we proclaim the match a tie!” Mahini finished.

  A cheer erupted from the people, and everyone clapped their hands in approval. Jaxtom and Riondale glanced at each other in confusion, and they shot me a questioning look.

  “It’s true,” I chuckled. “You’re both going with me to Vallenwood.”

  “It’s about damn time!” Jax growled, but then a huge grin split his face, and he dropped his hands from the lieutenant’s shoulders.

  “Are you certain, sir?” Riondale questioned, and his gaze flicked to the happy faces of the audience. “Wouldn’t the people prefer their blacksmith to win?”

  “Everyone watched you both,” I explained in a patient tone. “I think they’d rather celebrate your victory than watch you two move an inch at a time all night long.”

  “Good point.” Finally, Riondale grinned, and I clapped him on the shoulder as I mirrored his expression.

  “Besides,” I said, “I couldn’t leave my two best men behind, now could I?”

  “I would hope not, sir,” the lieutenant replied, and he stuck out hi
s hand to Jaxtom. “Good match, my friend.”

  “Aye,” the blacksmith growled. “Yer a tough one, kid.”

  That was high praise from Jaxtom, and Riondale knew it. His face bloomed a brilliant shade of red, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

  “I think we’ve all earned a drink or two after this day,” I declared, and I tossed my arms around each man’s shoulders. “Stryker! You got any ale left?”

  “Aye,” the barkeep hollered from across the field. “But save some for the rest of us.”

  “Did you hear that?” I laughed. “Party at the tavern! Everyone’s invited!”

  My words were greeted with another round of cheers, but I noticed a final round of money being swapped as the audience began to disperse. The people holding the torches led the way toward the street, and then everyone in town filed behind them toward Stryker’s tavern.

  The small bar wouldn’t be big enough for everyone, but I could at least buy everyone in town a round before the night was over, so I hurried after the crowd. The girls caught up to me about halfway there, and they all gave the two men their congratulations as we walked.

  “It will be good to serve you again, my lady,” Riondale told Eva.

  “Let’s see what all this fuss is about,” Jaxtom murmured to Mahini in a conspiratorial tone.

  “It will be much easier with you on our side,” the desert goddess replied, and I couldn’t agree more.

  A short while later, I was sitting in the crowded bar with my newly formed entourage gathered around me. My girls sat by my side as we toasted to the various winners of the day, and the rest of the town took turns coming up to congratulate the victors.

  I had twelve people to travel with me and my women to Vallenwood, and I couldn’t be happier with who’d ended up on my team. I had the married couple, Sarah and Bron, to keep us all grounded, Bellona to outfit us in the best attire, Caelia to coax out of her shell, Adelina and Celest to get to know, and Kylor, Corvis, Niconor, and Jeron were all strong enough fighters to act as my guardsmen.