by Joe Fowler
“Time that would be spent running and hiding. Any miraculous recovery like that would be an obvious tell of what happened. The council would come after us then. Cheng would win.” I reasoned.
“So what! I want you! Forget the council!” Arria was almost in tears now.
“I won’t let you throw away four thousand years for me when I won’t last another month. If I can’t recover, then find Loki and have him kill Achilles.” I took Arria’s perfect face in my hands and kissed her softly. “I love you, Arria. I will try to win tonight. That is the best we can hope for.”
Arria left weeping. It took some amount of time for Noah and Sweetie to come back into the room.
“What did she say?” Sweetie asked. She glanced at Noah out of the corner of her eye.
“She offered me her blood, but I wouldn’t drink it.”
“Why not? If it would make you better, then you should.” Sweetie stated.
“Because it would be wrong. Everything that Arria has built, her place on the council, and even her life could be taken from her if I drank her blood. I love her too much to do that to her.” I smiled sadly. “It’s not like I will have a long life ahead of me anyway.”
Sweetie’s tears fell in a flood. I pulled her to me and hugged her.
Chapter 25
We stayed in that room for the remaining time leading up to when I would have to leave for the event. Noah said the donor room would be on the way and I could drain another donor. I wished for three donors but I would make do.
“It’s time.” Noah stated.
I motioned for them, just in case. They stood beside me as I stood. I was able to hold myself up now, at least. We began the journey through the beige hallways. I didn’t remember the donor room being that far away, but I made it.
I sat by a middle aged male donor. His blood tasted great. I drained him and looked to Noah to see if I could have another. I didn’t say it but he knew. He shook his head to tell me no. I stood and figured I would have to make do.
Noah took me and Sweetie to the training room to meet up with the others of our group. They seemed shocked but happy when they saw me approaching.
“I thought you would be recuperating for days! Why aren’t you still in bed?” Comet asked. He looked worried.
“They aren’t going to let me out of my fight. I will still have to enter the arena.” I told them. They all started arguing the unfairness of it.
“We need to go now.” Noah said. His tone didn’t allow for argument.
We fell in line behind Noah as he led the way through more beige hallways to the viewing room. We were forced to wait for some amount of time for it to be our turn. I leaned against the wall and looked at the others. I saw a fairly large male that must be the newbie.
“Who’s the newbie?” I asked.
“Pete. He has the incorporeal gift. He took to the fighting quickly. He should do fine in the arena.” Comet informed me.
“Good.” I liked that they handled things well enough without me.
Noah was given the signal and we entered the viewing room. I was tired but mostly alright. I wanted to sit but knew I would sleep as soon as I sat down. We stood on the platform as all the old ones stared at me. I began to wonder why Noah bothered calling out the other names and levels since the old ones never took their eyes off of me.
Arria’s eyes hurt me to see. She was doing all she could not to cry in front of the others. I could see the strain. I gave her a small smile. She almost broke down when she saw it. That was when Noah led us away.
I collapsed on the bench in relief.
“I will wake you when the ninth level is ending. Go to sleep now. You need the rest.” Sweetie told me.
To be honest, I’m surprised I stayed awake long enough for her to finish telling me that.
I felt them shaking me but I didn’t want to wake up. I might not have if I hadn’t smelled the blood.
I opened my eyes to see a tiny wrist in front of my face. I bit into it without thinking. As soon as the taste hit me I knew it was vampire blood. I made myself pull away.
“The blood will help you!” Sweetie almost shouted. It had been her arm I was drinking from.
“If I add a gift, it will wear me out even worse.” I managed to say.
I heard the others arguing with me but I knew what the consequences might mean. I knew they meant well but I couldn’t drink much from them without it doing more harm than good. I was about to tell them when I had a thought.
“Some blood from each. Just a couple of swallows from each of you. As long as I don’t drink enough to add a gift, it might help.” I told them.
Comet was first in line. I drank as much as I dared to before I quit.
Amy was next. It was only after I was drinking that I realized she had survived her second fight. I was so happy for her.
Ethan put his wrist up next. I felt a little odd drinking from him. He reminded me of me in a lot of ways. Then again, maybe it was just the name.
Pete was next. I guess they were right. He survived his first. I didn’t see a mark on him but if there had been a lot of fights, he might have had time to heal.
I must admit, I felt better. My mind became alert and I felt fine. I didn’t reach for my gifts. I made sure they were not active. I didn’t want a drain on what little good the group’s blood might do me.
“…Let the game begin!”
I looked up to see two males fighting in the arena. I didn’t care who won, I just wanted them to finish. After a quick move by one, the match was done.
I watched as they cleared the arena.
“Our next fight will be between Hitler and Houdini! Let’s give a round of applause for our fighters!”
I put my head down. It wasn’t my turn yet. They would likely save my fight for last. The so-called main event. My fight would either be over really quickly or it would be a drawn out how long can I fight thing.
If my gifts worked, I would turn his off and take his head quickly. That would be the optimal way of things. I knew I couldn’t count on that.
If my gifts didn’t work, I would beat him around the ring only to see him rise and continue to come after me.
I wished for a few more donors.
“What if you drank a little more from each of us? Maybe you still wouldn’t add any gifts and you would get more blood.” Sweetie suggested.
I thought about it. I knew any extra blood would help but if I added another gift I would be in trouble.
“We can try.” I finally decided. I was too hungry to refuse the offer of more blood.
Sweetie’s arm was first. I drank a few swallows. No gift.
Comet was next. I drank a few swallows, without adding his gift.
Amy, Ethan, and Pete all went the same way.
I felt better.
I heard the crowd roar and saw a vampire holding the head of another. He was led into the crowd and the arena was cleared.
“Finally! Our main event! Titan will face Achilles!”
I stood and made my way into the arena. The roar of the crowd was deafening. I went to one X and watched Achilles stand on the other.
I kept my gifts inactive. I wanted to wait until we were about to start to see if I would be able to do this.
I looked into the crowd and saw the bloodlust. My stomach wanted to turn.
“We will now open the five minute betting period!”
I knelt on the mark and waited. I glanced up at Achilles and saw a mixture of bloodlust and fear. Obviously, he knew the situation. Depending on my gifts, one of us would be earning his freedom soon.
He met my gaze and nodded in greeting. I nodded back.
“Achilles, Titan, please stand and face your opponent!” The announcer bellowed into his microphone. As I stood, I reached for the gift. I couldn’t get it. “Let the game Begin!”
Both Achilles and I stood there. He realized what must have happened and broke into a huge grin. He lowered his head and walked toward me. When he came close to
me I hit him full strength. He flew backwards into the concrete wall of the arena. He had barely landed before he was walking toward me again, still with that huge grin plastered to his face. I could knock him around all I wanted, but I couldn’t kill him. He knew it.
“You should just give up. Save yourself the trouble. You can’t hurt me. I will keep coming until you are too weak to fight back.” Achilles stated.
He walked into another punch. This time, the concrete cracked when he smashed into it. He was walking back toward me before the dust finished settling.
I knew this would weaken me the more I used my strength. How could I stop him? How could I make him unable to attack?
As he neared, inspiration struck. I still couldn’t kill him but I could nullify him temporarily, anyway.
“I’ll just keep coming.” He said.
I sped behind him and grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted. His feet were off the ground. His arms couldn’t reach me to hit me. He grabbed for my fingers to loosen my grip. He didn’t have anywhere near the strength it would take to do that.
I held on to him for some period of time. I was busy thinking, trying to figure someway to kill him. I wasn’t getting any ideas. I could feel the beginnings of the drain.
“Booooo!” The crowd wasn’t liking this.
I didn’t give a damn what the crowd liked. I continued to hold him up.
I finally realized I couldn’t win. I wasn’t the kind to give up lightly but I couldn’t see any way to do this. I hung my head in defeat. I don’t know how long I stayed that way but I was starting to drain too much.
This wasn’t how I pictured going out but I couldn’t see another way. I thought back to the diner and Cindy. I hoped she would fare better in her tenth fight.
I lifted my head and was preparing to meet my fate, when I saw her. Arria had made her way to the glass in front of where I stood. The sight of her tears broke something in me. I wanted to weep knowing the pain she would face.
I made one more effort to reach the gift I needed. I still couldn’t reach. The sight of Arria’s tears streaking down her face drove me to reach further. I felt myself fading but instead of giving in I concentrated harder.
I knew the second I had it.
I activated the gift and instantly nullified Achilles’s gift.
I tore off his head.
I stood there, barely conscious.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of Arria. She was now smiling.
I knew there could never be a more beautiful sight.
I heard the mixed reviews of the crowd.
I heard the door guard coming to lead me up the stairs to my freedom.
I still couldn’t take my eyes off of Arria.
I heard Sweetie’s yells.
I felt the guard’s hand trying to get me to follow him.
I didn’t want to take my eyes off of Arria.
I collapsed unconscious to the floor of the arena.
Chapter 26
“Where are those donors?” Arria sounded desperate.
“They will be here in a minute, Arria.” I knew that orchard. Cheng, I think.
I wanted to open my sandwich but couldn’t. I wanted to look at Arria.
“Finally!” Arria’s voice was flooded with relief. “Here, hurry!”
I felt a tractor brush across my cannon. It smelled like canary. I opened my fan to leap. The ointment running down my mattress was wonderful! There wasn’t enough of it.
“The other!” Arria’s voice.
I smelled the blood and opened my sewing kit. When the plane passed my lips, I gulped the grass down blissfully. There wasn’t enough of it.
I waited but no more clowns were forthcoming. I managed to open my eyes. I saw Arria’s clock smiling at me. I wanted to fly but my paper wouldn’t work.
“Don’t try to talk. Let the blood heal you.” Arria took my homework.
“I am still not convinced he didn’t drink from you before the fight. How could he knock Achilles across the arena hard enough to crack the concrete if he hadn’t drank from you, Arria?” Cheng sounded fumigated.
“He was already that strong. He was stronger than Cerrus the day after he was turned.” Arria replied red-handedly. She was still looking at me.
“That’s impossible. Cerrus was over seven hundred years old!” Cheng drove.
“Are you calling me a liar, Cheng?” Arria sounded scary. I knew what that tone meant from her. Her eyes were full of love as she stared at me.
“I didn’t drink from her.” I managed.
“You wouldn’t tell us if you did! You would know it meant death! I will be calling a council meeting!” Cheng declared.
“No you won’t. He didn’t drink from her.” Noah said, calmly.
“You have no place in this argument, Noah. Why are you even here? Go to your quarters!” Cheng ordered.
“Noah works for me, Cheng. You don’t order him around.” Arria was still smiling down at me. Through all of this she never took her eyes off of me.
“Arria, step away from Titan.” Noah stated. He seemed to want to come to my side but Arria was in his way.
“Noah, you don’t want to mess with me right now.” Arria’s voice carried her threat. She meant it. I could see it in her face.
I knew then. Everything fell into place in my confused brain.
“Arria, let him come to me.” I said. Arria’s eyes grew confused. She didn’t want to leave my side. “Noah, can I tell them?”
“Yes.”
“His name isn’t Noah.” I swallowed. It was hard to talk. “His name is Ares.”
I watched the shock on Arria’s face. I saw her back away. I saw Cheng stumble backward. Ares took the few steps to Arria’s bed and laid his hand on my forehead.
The fevered confusion lifted instantly. I felt the strength returning to my body. My gifts all became active. Noah left his hand on my head for three more seconds after my gifts returned. I took a moment before I sat up.
Once I was in a sitting position, Arria finally turned back to me. Her fear of Ares let up enough for her to see me healed. She wept.
Cheng was still cowering in the corner. He was shaking in fear. His eyes never left Ares. He wasn’t even blinking.
“Thank you, Ares.” I held out my hand. He shook it. “I understand why you had to wait. Did you tell Sweetie everything?”
“I told her enough. I still want her to come with me when her freedom is won. I hope you don’t mind.”
“That will always be her decision. She’s earned the right to choose for herself. I will hope for visits if she does go with you though.” I told him with a smile.
“Definitely.” Ares smiled. He made a quick decision as I watched. The illusion of ‘Noah’ went away. “That’s much better! It can be a drain when you keep an illusion up constantly. I will be happy to say goodbye to that one.”
“I imagine.” I said, with a smile.
I stood and went to Arria. I put my arms around her and held her as close as I could.
“How? You were dead!” Cheng finally managed to speak.
“An illusion.” Ares said simply. He didn’t explain it further.
“All this time. Where have you been? How could we not know?” Arria asked.
“I’ve always been here. I’ve been watching all of you. I will let Titan explain what he figured out. I promised Sweetie that I would let her know once Titan was healed.” Ares stated. He started toward the door. I wanted to thank him again but he stopped me. “I will be around for a few days more until Sweetie has her last fight. We will talk more.”
“I look forward to it.” I replied.
Chapter 27
“How did you know it was Ares?” Arria asked. We were in bed. We had celebrated in a glorious way.
“It was a lot of things. It went back to when Gray told us of Cronus.”
“Cronus! He’s dead isn’t he?” Arria sat up from where we lay in her bed.
“Not according to her. Anyway, she was t
elling us that Cronus was hiding as he had done for so long when he heard about Ares. According to Gray, Cronus cared deeply for you and was coming to stop Ares when you stopped him just before Cronus arrived. Noah told me he was working for Cronus, like Gray was supposed to be.”
“I remember Cronus. He did seem to take an interest in me but he never said anything to me about it. He was supposed to have died around three thousand years ago. How could that tell you about Noah?”
“Noah always seemed a little off. Even the way his gift of illusion read was off. Now, I realize why. He cast an illusion that his gift was illusion. Since he is so much more powerful than I am, I couldn’t see through it.
“Noah slipped some. He answered a question or two that I thought but didn’t ask out loud. I shrugged it off at the time because the questions were kind of obvious. The more I thought about him the closer I came though. It wasn’t until you were standing by me determined not to leave my side that the last few pieces fell into place.”
“You will need to explain this better.” Arria was losing patience. I thought it strange that a four thousand year old who had eternity stretched out in front of her could be so impatient. I started to laugh but didn’t think she would appreciate it.
“Ares wasn’t trying to kill all of the old ones. I wasn’t there to know for sure, but if I had to guess, all the old ones he killed were bad. Think Pyro, Lajos, Cheng, and Cadoc. Since I was turned, there has been spying and lobbying constantly. I think it was Ares’s goal to clean things up. He was like me, he was tired of the lying and self-serving nature that dominates among vampires.
“I spoke with him some nights while he was guarding over my sleep. He was so taken by Sweetie’s innocence and purity. He sounded so saddened by the things he was seeing around us. I was growing suspicious of him even as I grew to like him more.”
“None of these things are telling me how you knew.” Arria persisted.
“If I hadn’t fought Pyro, I might not have figured it out. Pyro was two thousand years old but wasn’t much stronger than me. When we were bringing the prisoner to the council meeting, I found out a little about how strong Noah was. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. When you compared the two, Noah was way stronger.