by Rhys Thomas
“Hey love,” I said to the draconic phoenix. Marisa reply was to purr against my chest as she nuzzled me.
“She’s missed you,” came a voice I recognised. I looked over Marisa’s body to see Ariana, the Valakharian scout was leaning against the open-door frame.
“I missed her as well,” I replied and hugged Marisa tightly to my chest. “And you,” I told Aria.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, “then you shouldn’t have left us.”
“I know,” I answered with a nod. Marisa whole body seemed to rumbled against me. I glanced down and suddenly realised that she had grown larger since I had last seen her.
*Distance makes the heart grow fonder,* came her voice in my mind.
“And bigger apparently,” I noted dryly. The draconic phoenix had previously been only 2-feet long in her body, with an extra foot and a half for her tail. Now though the feathered dragon’s body was maybe just over four feet in length, with her tail adding an extra two feet onto that. She now far too big to ride my shoulder’s now, and her head was narrower now, her neck stretching further and more sinuous.
The colouring of her feathers and scales hadn’t changed but I noticed how they bunched together more tightly like interlocking teardrop plates and feathers. There was uniformity to her feature’s now, instead of a ruffled feathered draconic chicken.
She now seemed more poised and elegant in her posture and features, like a noble dragon in a painting. Her wingspan had increased as well to five and a half feet wide, and I blinked as Marisa strutted about showcasing her increased size and beauty.
*You just thought of me as a chicken, didn’t you?* she growled as she stopped to glare at me.
“Anyway, what’re you guy’s doing here? And where’s Sishshik?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“He is with your new friend’s, the grove mother is caring for him as I accompanied Marisa down to see you,” Ariana informed me.
I nodded, “did anyone tell you what’s going on?” I asked them.
*You mean like, how you’ve been a busy boy. I swear I leave you alone for under two weeks and you’ve doubled the size of our harem. I literally can’t take you anywhere without you seducing-* Marisa voice rattled off in my mind.
“Yes. You’ve being challenged for the right’s to lead the ogres of Banes Horren. I must say Ally, I really don’t like your odd’s in this.” Aria voice became surprisingly concerned and I remembered the time after she and Marisa had defeated the nomadic ogre in the forest. She had been frightened for me.
“Yeah, but I got some new tricks,” I said to her and sent a mental call out to Shade. A second later a pitch-black portal swirled into existence against the wall. “Aria meet Shade, my better Primordial half.”
*Hey!*
“Hush you,” I told Marisa. Her predatory gaze softened a little as it met mine. *We’ll talk about us later, okay?*
*Of course, my love.*
*What do you think of my chances?* I asked my bonded.
*Good, I just worry about the spacing between each event,* she answered me. I watched as Ariana and Shade moved slowly towards each other like cautious animals. The Valakhari scout reached out a tentative hand and then flinch when Shade knocked his head against it.
*What do you mean?* I thought at her.
*You’ll be fighting what eight champions. Will it be all at once? Or will it be two at a time? And if so, how much time is there between each match. I just worry because you’ll start suffering from the weakness come night.*
*I’m not as concerned with that to be honest with you. The weakness though present come nightfall is barely felt,* I told her. *What’re the chances that they’ll allow me to use magic?*
*That depends, what are the rules?* Marisa asked me. I saw Ariana leaning towards Shade’s side and the big wolf relaxed to a more comfortable position as the scout gave his side a scratch.
“I – uh... Don’t actually know the rules,” I said aloud and some-what sheepishly.
*I swear Alaric,* Marisa started to say but Ariana spoke up cutting her off. “It is simple, the contestant’s cannot bring weapons into the arena. But the audience can throw weapons in,” Ariana said.
“Okay, so weapon’s provided by the audience are allowed. Then here you go,” I said and warped my runic claymore out of my inventory. “Simply drop this in for me,” I stated and handed the claymore to Ariana.
The Valakharian scout shook her head, as she looked the weapon over. I heard Marisa breathe a long exhale and I mentally spun down through our shared connection, to feel the trepidation rolling off of her in waves as she stared at the unfinished runic claymore.
Then I was forcibly yanked away and walled off, I glared at Marisa’s feathered head but didn’t say anything. But she still smelled of fear. “I can’t, you have to buy the equipment you wish dropped in from the arena’s quartermaster,” Ariana explained to me and I refocused on the present. “Though you can keep what you kill.”
“Well shit, I guess I’ll just-” I was interrupted when my entire room shifted and rumbled.
“This is it,” Ariana called to me over the echoing noise, like stone grinding against stone.
“Both of you better go,” I said and gestured at the door. Both women nodded at me and I watched as Shade retreated through a portal to continue his lazy nap.
*Good luck, we’ll be guests of the Queen and watching from her booth. Thi'thoron'nai, my Lord.* Marisa’s parting words sent a spinning numbness swirling through my head for a second and then it was clear. Marisa’s words had seemed more like an impression than actual speech towards the end. As if there could be multiply meanings, like the different perspectives of a painting. And I knew distantly they meant something along the lines of show no mercy. I wondered for a brief instance if her words had been spoken in the Planar tongue, or if there even was such a thing. Which got me considering my runes. I remembered Ra’al having a series of books with rune-like script labelling them, but I hadn’t been able to understand them, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d taken my runic decorations from those books or from Marisa herself.
The rumbling stopped all of a sudden and the locked door at the opposite end of the room from the entrance swung open soundlessly. The thundering roar of hundreds, possibly thousands of ogres filled my bones with a mixture of dread and excitement.
I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, noting how the passage to the arena grounds smelled strongly of iron. I immediately saw and was blinded by a bright light filtering through a lowered portcullis gate at the end of the passage.
I saw through it to the open grounds of the arena as I rested my arms on the barred metal gate. I heard the voice of the queen as she announced the fight, but my focus was on the two ogre champions already on the arena grounds. “So, they’re starting with the advantage,” I muttered with a grimace, “wish I could bet.”
The audience jeered as Loryn announce the rival of the two champion’s, which was me. “This human has come to us in our greatest hour of need,” Loryn spoke regally, and the crowd went silent. “He has brought us a plan and a hopeful idea of salvation,” she paused, and I began to grow impatient. “He knows of the Shi’en and has offered us help in our defense against them. But even I must admit, the plan he proposes isn’t ideal. It would mean leaving our Bane, and our mountain.” Her voice rose higher as she spoke, and the crowd suddenly boomed an outcry of rejection.
After several seconds of this, Loryn spoke once again. “My people, it’s a betrayal of you, when I admit that I back his plan wholly. That I would rather see we all lived to fight another day, than to stone ourselves in and slowly fade away as Zwericania had.” Her words were saddened and quiet as they came out in an almost whispered plea. “If you choose death over freedom, the rage and madness over the calm stillness of thought. Then you are no better than those who call themselves Nomad’s.” There were a series of sharp gasps and gruff responses to the Queens words. “I have spoken with this Alaric Rosen, th
e human is more than he appears and today he will show you all just that,” her words met the frosty air of the unnerved audience.
“Let the match begin. Nacu, champion of Liu clan and Raza champion of the Ruun clan. They will both face the human Alaric Rosen for a chance at the chains that hold my daughter and all our lives entwined.” As the words left her mouth and permeated the arena air, the portcullis barring me in grinded open as it slid up with a piercing screech.
Which I realised had the unfortunate effect of alerting my opponents that I was being released. The left ogre immediately started charging towards the gap I was in with a roar. The other ran to the wall where a weapon was being rolled in. “Shit!” I yelled frantically and crouch slid on my belly under the gate as it gained a slow yard off the ground and I rolled to my feet and sprinted away from the lumbering 8ft speedy slab of meat racing towards me.
I felt the press of air as a fist flew over my head and smacked audibly into the arena grounds wall. The sound reverberated throughout the entire arena and I heard the deafening cheers and then sighs when the ogre failed to kill me in one blow. I cast a glanced at the other ogre, the one who had been retrieving a weapon. He now bore a black steel trident and net, I cursed at myself for how foolish I was when I realised the only way to win this and the coming matches were to procure a weapon as soon as possible.
Which ultimately meant running head first at the trident wielding ogre all the while speedy chased me from behind. Another impact shook the ground near my feet which caused me to hop two feet off the ground reflexively, and just in time as speedy had leapt the short distance between us and came down on my side trying to sweep my legs out from under me with one of his own.
Clearing the sweep, I hit the ground at a roll and came up running once again. The crowd booed and trident ogre began to swing his net about like a lasso up above his head. “Ssshhit!” I cursed in a hiss as the net was propelled towards me, I instantly slid down on my ass as the net hit Speedy racing after me.
The charging ogre was immediately caught and tangled up which caused him to fall to the ground with a frustrated roar. The net was apparently made out of some kind of thin metal that constricted the more it’s capture fought against it. Sharp serrated hooks dug into Speedy’s body and I saw lines of blood were the net had already began to slice into his stone-like grey flesh.
Then I caught the flash of black steel and roll to my side as the now net-less ogre jumped at me with his trident extended. I moved too slowly though and one it the three forking spears snagged on my clothing. Without missing a beat, I rolled back into the weapon and smashed my foot into the side of ogre’s knee with enough force to cave the join inwards.
It cracked and popped audibly as the ogre gasped and grunted in pain, and half fell to a knee as he awkwardly leaned against his trident. Speedy chose that instance to break free of his net, get to his feet and rush us. I had expected him to immediately make for my snagged and prone form, but instead he lunged at the wounded ogre barrelling into him and driving them both to the ground.
The crowd cheered and yelled as speedy began pummelling the wounded ogre. Slamming his massive fist’s down over and over. Rolling away I manage to tear my clothing off the trident and bounce to my feet. The trident thankfully was still stuck in the ground. It was a foot taller than me at about 7.6 and looked more like it was made of black polished stone than any metal.
I reached out and caught the tridents shaft and lifted. I grunted in surprise as I did so only because I had expected the thing to weigh a ton. Instead I freed it easily and it weighed no less than the clothing I wore. I grinned as I realised the arena may just be the perfect place to test my physical limits and capabilities.
I hefted the trident in my hands, its height was the biggest disadvantage for me, and made swinging the weapon around into a more comfortable grip a pain in the ass. As I kept knocking the back end against the ground behind me. By the time I had readied myself; speedy jumped to his feet and turned to glare at me. I thought about just throwing the weapon like a javelin at him and ending this now. But, a part of me wanted to play a little with the muscly slab of grey meat. “Well, aren’t you just a cheery ogre,” I said smirking at him.
“I’ll punish you by devouring you slowly as you lay crippled, pink flesh,” speedy growled at me.
“Now, are you grunt or are you growl?” I asked and looked pointedly from him to the dead ogre by his feet. “I can’t remember which of you which, so I’m having a pretty hard time introducing you in my mental diary,” I said cheerily and reached up to tap my temple. “I was going to go with, fat grey pussy, but I’m pretty sure you just beat the shit of him a second ago,” I said as I paced thoughtfully. “Wait, hold up!” I exclaimed throwing up my hand when I saw him starting to move towards me with menace in his red eye, not that a large red Sauron looking eye, could look anything other than menacing.
He actually stopped though, “what?” he exclaimed loudly in a growl.
“Do you guy’s even know what a pussy is?” I asked and watched his face contorted.
Then I looked up to the silent crowd, and my eyes fell on the queens booth. I was pretty sure I caught my companions all face palming. “Eh, fuck it,” I sighed and snapped the trident up in my hands and tossed it lightly across the short distance to impale the fucker directly in his chest.
The foot-long tri-spear heads sunk partially into the ogre and he stumbled backwards a bit as he look down at the weapon sticking out of him. He looked really unbalanced as he moved with a grunting effort to remove the 7.6ft unwieldy weapon away from him. I watched as he hissed and threw the trident aside, “well it was only a light tap. Can’t really blame a guy for trying,” I said and backed away slightly, wanting to draw him in.
The 8ft ogre growled like a predator warning off scavenger’s trying to peck at its prey. He was annoyed, “enough trick’s pink meat. Time to eat,” speedy growled.
“Well I do taste good, just ask your clan head, I’m sure she’ll be happy to tell you,” I wiggled my eyebrows and smirked at the ogre. Speedy roared and charged me, his meaty hands fanning out to capture and enclose me. I was pretty certain he was aiming to eat my face off, so I darted away. By now the sound of the audience had become nothing more than background noise and something I could easily block out.
I manage to avoid him twice more by dodging his attempts to catch me. *Finish this my love. There is no honour in toying with an opponent as weak as this. It simply makes you look bad,* Marisa mentally chastised me.
Spinning on my heel I jog directly at speedy, the big ogre grinned showing off sharp pointed teeth, “yes! Give in!” he roared and lunge at me. I ducked under his massive hands and got within his guard and clenching my fists I proceeded to batter away at the ogre’s wide torso. Each of my jabs were quick and the sound of each strike impacting the ogre was loud and booming.
It reminded of a time when I had done a forestry trip in school and we’d gone out into the woods and proceeded to smack away with thick branches against the bare surface of a tree, I couldn’t remember what for or why. But the sound was loud and sharp, and only lingered for a split second.
This ogre was a lot like the tree, I still didn’t really know how to properly fight, I had done some boxing against a bag, but I had probably only thrown a real punch maybe twice in my life. I didn’t even feel as if I was putting any real effort into my strike’s either.
I kicked up and forward with my foot and caught the inner thigh of his right leg I heard and felt the crunch as I made contact. I couldn’t hear speedy grunting or growling anymore. So, I shot my hand up and slammed a fist into his chin snapping his head up and then thrust out with my other hand to palm strike the centre of his chest.
His body stumbled backwards, shook wobbly twice, and then immediately flopped lifelessly onto his back dead. I looked on in shock at the state I had made of his torso. Each of my initial blows that had pummelled in were then proceeded by a punch that had actually broke skin, flesh, mus
cle, organs and bones.
Multiple visceral craters littered the geography of his body and each was a mushy impact zone. His entire lower jaw was hanging loosely; obviously dislocated, and his leg jutted at an odd angle. The silence was deafening, I could hear the slam of my heart in my chest, and I knew it wasn’t from exertion but more from excitement and adrenaline. “Light taps,” I muttered, looking up to the queens booth.
Then down when I realised my hands were dripping in sloppy innards and sticky blood that was quickly drying. Small iris-like lenses perched high on thin rods around the rim of the entire colosseum twisted and opened wide to projected more degrees of light about the arena grounds.
I heard the distinct sound of clapping and I noticed Shre, the dryad was near the edge and looking down at me from the queen’s booth. Then slowly, by increments, more applauses came as a few others joined in. It wasn’t many, and most of those came from Loryns booth but I bowed gratefully anyway.
Turning I walked backwards to the open passageway leading to my waiting room, as Loryns voice began to fill the air. “Congratulations, Alaric Rosen on defeating his opponent’s. The next match will began in two marks,” her voice faded from my hearing as I made my way into the room.
I spend the next 30 minutes or so washing off speedy’s blood from my hands and arms. I sat down and was just about to plate myself some food when the door opened and Queen Loryn and two of her sisters walked inside.
“Queenie,” I greeted with a smile.
“Alaric,” she greeted me kindly in return. I noticed that her two sisters had their heads bowed and wouldn’t look at me, that was understandable considering I had just defeated the equivalent of their husband.
Though technically Speedy killed the net guy.
“I’ve come with my sisters to reintroduced them to you. Now that you’ve beaten their champion’s they are now yours to mate and champion also,” Loryn informed me.
I shifted in my seat on the bench, “okay...” I said slowly. Loryn took my words as affirmation and turned to the side and gestured for her sisters to come forward. They hesitated only briefly before complying, the one on the left was reintroduced to me again as Liu, her wavy grey hair gleam silky as it hugged her neck and shoulders. She like all the other sisters of the queen were almost identical to Loryn in every way, except for the lack of small horns, red eyes and pale cream skin.