by Dante King
Then it stepped out. The creature was a misshapen man at least fifteen feet tall, his muscles bulging and powerful. And, most notably, he had not one head, but two. One head was bald and shaped like a sphere of lumpy clay. The other was bearded, with a mane of unruly hair.
The crowd went wild at the sight of the two-headed thing.
Alright, Ben thought. Two heads means two targets. I’ve got a good feeling this thing doesn’t use much magic. The coin toss is going to be more important than ever.
Ben watched as the beast-man approached, coming to a stop ten or so feet from him. Both heads looked down at Ben, two dumb smiles spreading across their faces.
“Alright!” the wizard shouted. “Heads magic, tails melee!”
With that, he flipped the coin into the air. Before it could land, one of the massive hands of the giant shot out with surprising speed and snatched it. The crowd gasped, watching as the giant gently set the coin down on the ground—tails up.
“Melee,” the giant spoke, both heads speaking at the same time.
The wizard was stunned. “But…” Without saying another word, he closed his eyes—The One was speaking to him. “We’re… going to allow it.” The crowd burst into applause, making their view of the matter clear. “The rules are simple—only bladed weapons. Any use of magic will result in the fighter’s immediate loss… and execution.”
The wizard snatched the coin from the ground, faded into his translucent form, and was gone.
The crowd roared, and the fight was on.
Ben watched as the giant reached behind him, taking out two weapons, one with each arm. The first was a huge, wooden club. The second was a jagged, rusty knife. Neither weapon seemed too precise or well-crafted, but Ben knew that with weapons like those, they didn’t need to be.
The giant let out a roar, spreading its arms into a massive span. The crowd loved it, going wild as the giant bellowed and stomped. Ben slipped his short sword from the sheath and glanced down at it. The weapon seemed pathetically useless compared to what he faced.
Nevertheless, he held the sword in both hands, readying himself for the fight.
Not a chance in hell I’ll be able to take him out in a straight-up fight. Going to have to figure something else out.
It was all he managed to think before the giant stepped forward, raising the club and slamming it down. Ben dove out of the way, the club crashing into the ground where he’d been only a moment before. He landed hard on his shoulder, pain blasting through his body.
Ben looked up just in time to watch the rusty blade come down on top of him. He rolled to the side, the blade missing him but hitting so closely that he could feel the wind move from the strike. The blade came up, and Ben rolled again and again, each strike missing him and kicking up blood-stained dust and sand into the air as it chopped with the speed and precision of a sushi chef—with Ben the piece of raw fish.
He finally pushed back, his sword falling from his hand as he did a small summersault out of the path of the blade. When he rose to his feet, he saw that the attack had stopped. The giant rested leaning forward on his weapons, his big chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Ben took the opportunity to run forward and grab his sword from the ground.
He can’t fight non-stop, he thought. He needs to take a breath. Makes sense with how big the guy is. That’s looking like my only advantage.
The giant caught his breath and tucked the blade behind his back. He took his club and held it like a baseball bat, then swung. The club whooshed through the air, the giant swinging it in big circles. Ben’s eyes flashed as the club swung toward him. He dropped to the ground as the weapon flew over his head, then rolled out of the way with his sword stuck out in front of him.
Once he was out of the giant’s reach, he stood up and watched the attack continue. There was so much momentum behind the swing that the giant seemed to not have control over the wild circles he made. When he finally stopped by slamming the club down into the ground, he once again had to catch his breath.
Now might be my chance.
Sword in hand, Ben ran over to the giant’s huge leg, the bottom half as tall as him. With a yell, he pulled back the sword and jabbed it forward with his enhanced strength. The giant’s muscle was so thick and solid that it was almost like stabbing his blade into a tree stump, but the flesh gave way, the point sticking into the giant’s leg. Ben yanked out the sword as quickly as he could, jumping back in time to watch the giant leap in pain.
The landing of the giant’s feet was enough to shake the ground. The crowd burst into wild applause as Ben ran clear, blood trickling down the giant’s leg and onto the sand.
Finally, the giant composed himself and stood still.
“You’re going to pay for that one,” the bald head said.
“We’ll make you suffer twice as much,” the other said.
Ben glanced down at the wound. There was blood, sure, but nothing severe. He’d risked his life to get that stab in, and it’d been nothing more than a flesh wound.
I’m going to have to do better than that, he thought as he caught his breath. If I go in for another stab, there’s a damn good chance I won’t make it out alive.
He knew he had to plan out his next attack a little more strategically. The giant turned its attention back to Ben, preparing for another strike. Once more, he slipped the blade from his back.
I know this attack, Ben thought. He’s going to swing the club down, then do the chop with the knife.
Ben kept his distance. Sure enough, the giant attacked with the club, bringing it down hard onto the ground. Ben jumped back at the last moment, the club smashing into the ground, just like he’d anticipated.
Ben grinned. He’s tough, but not all that bright. Next, he’s going to do the chop.
Sure enough, the giant recovered from hitting the ground, then began to chop the sand wildly with his rusty blade. Ben kept his distance from this attack, too. When the giant stopped the attack and began to take deep breaths, Ben moved in for his strike.
This time, he had his eyes locked on the giant’s Achilles tendon. Ben was no medical expert, but he knew enough about the body to understand such a strike would be a crippling blow. He ran hard, his blade gripped tightly in his hand. When he was close to the giant, he pivoted to the right as the giant recovered his breath. When he was close, Ben used Whirlwind Strike to target the back of the giant’s foot.
It worked. Ben had to hack away at the tendon, but it soon snapped like a rubber band, the giant dropping to his knees as he tried to stand.
“What… what have you done, tiny human?” the giant bellowed from its bald head. He tried to stand once more, but his injured leg only buckled under his weight. He tried to swing backward, but had no luck with his attack.
Not going to get another chance like this, Ben thought. Get him while he’s down!
Ben tucked his sword into his hilt, then jumped onto the giant’s back. The beast tried to shake him off, reaching back to take hold of Ben, but Ben moved out of the way each time, soon reaching the giant’s shoulders.
“Get… get off me!” the long-haired head shouted.
Ben paid him no mind as he hung by the scruff of the giant’s neck. He took his blade from the hilt and brought it forward against the neck of the bald head. With all the strength he had left, Ben carved into the giant’s throat, blood pouring down. Once the first neck was cut, he repeated the process for the second. More blood gushed out of the wound, and this time the giant pitched forward and fell into a heap. A massive pool of blood grew around the body.
It was dead.
The crowd was silent—the first time Ben had heard this from the stands. As Ben stood on the back of the giant, his heart pounding and blood dripping from his sword, they all looked at him like he was the one with two heads.
Then they burst into wild applause.
The wizard came over to him, taking his hand and lifting it into the air.
“Our winner!”
Ben’s eyes went to the black-shrouded seats above. He grinned, knowing he was even closer to his goal.
Chapter 16
SWORD SKILLS
LEVEL INCREASED
The words appeared in front of Ben’s face as he made his way back to the ready room. The sword skill Whirlwind Strike wasn’t magic, so he had been able to use it without disqualifying himself from the match. That, together with the extra strength energy he still had from the previous round, had allowed him to best the two-headed monster.
“That was amazing!” Gelus shouted as he walked with Ben. “Kid, I knew you had skills, don’t get me wrong, but I was positive that thing was going to smash you into the dust!”
Ben wasn’t much interested in conversation, instead focused on the blade in his hand. He twirled it around, spinning it in loops and circles. It was strange—he was able to use the blade with so much more ease than before. The level gained by the fight with the giant had drastically improved his swordsmanship.
“All I need to know is who I’m going to fight next.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to keep you posted, kid, but like I said, it’s going to be a three-way fight. So, you’d better rest up and get ready.”
They reached the doors to his preparation room.
“See you soon. And nice work. No doubt in my mind that you’ve caught The One’s attention.”
Ben nodded, then stepped into the room. To his shock, Graven wasn’t there—but Melody and Imogen were. They were around a large, wooden tub filled with steaming water.
“Ben!” Melody shouted. “You’re here!” Before Ben had a chance to react, Melody rushed over to him and threw her arms around his body, squeezing him so tightly that he could hardly breath.
“Whoa!” he shouted, his eyes going wide from surprise. “Good to see you both!”
He hugged Melody right back, and Imogen hurried over to give him a hug of her own.
“This is a wonderful sight,” Imogen said, looking Ben over. “You’re in one piece.”
“For now,” Ben said, “and I’m hoping I stay that way. What’re you both doing here?”
Melody smiled, her tail flicking with excitement. “We heard talk about the battles, and you’re the subject on everyone’s lips, Ben. All the women in the pleasure gardens had been desperate to meet you after your first battle.”
“And word was already spreading about your victory only a few moments ago. I was out fetching the last bit of water for the tub, and you were all anyone in the tower was talking about.”
“We managed to, ahem, talk one the head guards of the pleasure gardens into letting us be the ones to give one of the three champions his bath,” Melody said. “Amazing what a man will agree to when he’s got a tail wrapped around his throat.” She winked.
“This… this is all a lot to take in. ‘Pleasure gardens’? What’re those?”
Melody flicked her eyes up and down Ben. “First, get out of those disgusting clothes. You’re going to need a bath to relax before the final battle.”
Ben’s eyes turned toward the warm, inviting water. His muscles ached like crazy, the exertion of the last two battles catching up with him. Without another word, he took off his helmet and his armor, then his tunic and shoes. Imogen and Melody eased him into the tub, the water feeling like heaven against his sore muscles. Melody and Imogen went to work, rubbing his shoulders and arms.
“I wish we could do more than clean you,” Melody said with a smile, “but we don’t have time for that.”
“Plus, you’re going to need your strength,” Imogen added, “but we can do this.”
She reached into the small bundle of supplies they’d brought with them, taking out a flask with a glowing, green liquid inside.
“What is that?” Ben asked.
“It’s a restorative potion,” Melody said. “Imogen was quick enough to swipe it from the tower’s crafting station.”
“The tower has a crafting station?” Ben asked.
“It has that and so much more,” Imogen said. “Whoever The One is, he’s had much more of a chance to really settle this place. It’s like our tower, but with even more people and equipment and everything else.”
“Like the pleasure gardens,” Melody said. “It’s where The One keeps all of his women, the ones who’re required to… entertain him on demand.”
“They’re not like us,” Imogen said. “They’re not there because they want to be there. He makes them live in the tower. They’re all slaves. Melody and have managed to ensure we won’t have to attend to The One for at least the next few days. But any more than that…”
“You’ll be out by then,” Ben said. “I promise. Now, where are Brock and Nipper?”
The two of them shared a look of worry.
“We don’t know. One of The One’s wizards took them down to the basement area. I think they wanted to experiment on them.” Melody cringed and hugged herself.
“Don’t worry,” Ben said. “We’ll get them back.”
“And what about Shrike and Lexi?” Melody asked.
“They’re here somewhere,” Ben said. “I think The One might be keeping them close.”
Imogen pulled off the cap of the potion. The scent of fresh mint filled the air. She dumped the contents into the tub and right away Ben felt strength return to his muscles, the minty scent bringing a small smile to his face. After a minute or so of soaking in that, he felt as refreshed as if he’d just finished a good night’s sleep.
“I need you to be ready,” Ben said as he soaked, Melody and Imogen rubbing his shoulders and arms.
“Why?” Melody asked.
He told them about the plan, how Graven had been putting the revolt together and was only waiting for the signal to start it.
“That’s a brilliant plan,” Imogen said. “We haven’t had much time to speak to the other women in the pleasure gardens, but I have no doubt they’ll be more than ready to join in when the revolt starts. Most of them, they… don’t have fond feelings towards The One.”
“It would be quite a coup if we manage to wrestle control of this place from The One,” Melody said. “If we could get the staff on our side, we’ll have this place fully operational in days! And we’ll have access to all the resources of the region.”
“First step is freeing the monsterkin,” Ben said. “When that’s done, we turn our attention to the forests, try to undo some of the damage that The One has done collecting resources for his army. But before that, I need to actually win this fight, then kill The One, then make sure the revolt goes off without a hitch.”
He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief at all that needed to happen before the day was out. But he was determined to get it done. The sooner he won, the sooner he could free the slaves.
When he was ready, he stepped out of the tub. Melody and Imogen quickly dried him off, putting him in new, fresh clothes and boots. After that, he found some new armor—a thick breastplate—and had the women help him into it. They finished his gear off with greaves and armguards and the helmet he’d had on before. A longsword and dagger finished his kit. He swung the longsword, noting right away how it was much easier to handle.
“You’re starting to look like a professional with that,” Melody said with a smile. “Your hard work is paying off.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to need all the strength I can get in the next battle.”
“Between your sword skills and your magical abilities, I’ve got no doubt you’ll come out on top!” Imogen said.
Ben didn’t get a chance to respond. Another bang sounded at the door, the orc poking his head in once more to grunt that the fight was on.
“That’s my cue,” Ben said. “Wish me luck, ladies.”
Melody and Imogen wasted no time hurrying to Ben’s side, each planting a kiss on his cheek. Though he’d said the words in a joking way, the kisses and encouragement made Ben feel more confident about the battle ahead.
He bid them goodbye before opening the door and
stepping out. Gelus awaited him down the hall toward the entrance.
“You certainly smell… minty, and you look rather refreshed.”
“I took a soak,” Ben said, his eyes focused on the arena ahead. “What’s coming up?”
“Well, you’ve got the two champions from the other battles. The best of the best in a three-way fight.”
“And who am I up against?”
“A battlemage—a wizard who’s just as strong with weapons as he is magic. He’s one of The One’s men who entered the competition in hopes of fame and glory. The other is a monsterkin that one of the wizards has been… working on down below.”
“Like the two-headed giant?”
“A little more drastic than that. I know you might have some reservations against killing a monsterkin prisoner, but from what I’ve heard about this poor bastard, you’d be putting him out of his misery. Anyway, it’s going to be a hell of a threesome!”
Ben wryly noted that he’d gone from being bathed by two beautiful women to battling two fearsome opponents.
Life’s just full of contrasts, isn’t it?
“Oh!” Gelus said as he raised his finger. “And you’ll have access to both magic and melee. So, use whatever you can to win.”
The roar of the crowd grew more and more with each step he took towards the arena.
“I hope you pull this off, kid. One, because I don’t want to see you dead. And two… well, I may have bet on you.”
“Is that right?”
“It’s right, but it was a risky bet. You’re not the favored to win, you see. So… do me proud!”
Ben flashed him a wry smile before turning his attention to the orcs. They looked him up and down, then spread apart to let him in. Ben stepped into the now-familiar arena. Once more, his eyes went to the black box where The One was seated. Ben couldn’t help but smile—he knew he would be meeting him soon.
Ben stepped into the middle of the arena, his body refreshed and the new power of his increased blade skills at the ready. Part of him wished Zito could have been watching to see how Ben was using what he’d learned.