by Gavin Magson
“Where is everybody? The streets are awash with people during the day; we haven't seen a soul since I left the tavern.” said Ajax.
They carried on walking a few steps before the woman answered him. “Maybe for someone like yourself these streets don't cause feelings of fear or trepidation, but the inhabitants know not to step out this late at night. The police are stretched thin, have been for years, and corruption is rife; you can't expect them to come to everyone's aid.”
“Corrupt? Why am I not surprised? You never told me your name. I'm working under the assumption you were the one who messaged me earlier, yet how do I know that you are not an imposter?” asked Ajax.
She stopped in her tracks and gave Ajax a perplexed look when he turned to face her. “Just call me Aiko, and don't be so stupid as to think I am an imposter. We're not here to become friends, so don't stress over names too much. Besides, we have arrived.” said Aiko, pointing at the arch of an alleyway behind her.
It was only now that Ajax realised Aiko was holding a tablet in her hands, similar to the one stuffed away in his pockets. He could see what looked like a map on its screen, no doubt it had been directing them to this location the entire journey. Considering how bright its display was he cursed himself for not noticing it earlier; he really had to get a handle on his curiosity.
Aiko walked down the alley without waiting for Ajax, he decided that the entire city was a good place for an ambush, so why would she wait until he was in an alleyway? He followed reluctantly, this time keeping himself vigilant against any potential threats.
Aiko was soon out of sight, the alleyway twisted and turned and she was obscured by lengthening shadows; perhaps he was not wrong about that ambush? He hastened along and it wasn't long before he caught up to her, stopped outside a doorway to one of the buildings. Aiko pressed a buzzer on the wall and waited, stamping her feet to ward off the cold.
Soon the noise of several bolts sliding back, followed by a scrabbling chain, came from the door. When it finally opened the door only came as far as the short chain allowed it.
After a short pause an unseen voice from behind the door spoke. “Ah, Aiko, it's been a long time. I didn't think you were still in the game.” The door closed, followed by the chain rattling against it.
When the door opened again it was to a short, old lady, almost bent double from her many years. She greeted Aiko with a friendly hug, pulling away quickly to inspect Ajax. It felt as if her gaze was weighing him up in her mind, Ajax found the sour expression on her face most unsettling.
“I thought you only dealt with the finest fighters, Aiko? This one looks like he is a light breeze away from death. Why would you even insult these men by bringing that here?”
“Trust me, I haven't lost it just yet; this one is a real fighter.” said Aiko. Ajax felt a swell of pride at her words, which lifted him from the dejection he felt over his body.
The woman shrugged her shoulders and relented, she knew that Aiko was far too stubborn to argue with and win. She moved aside to let them pass to the stairwell ahead and sank back into her armchair, watching over the door once again.
“What was all that about?” asked Ajax, following Aiko down the stairs.
“Think of her as a doorman. They are normally inconspicuous people, just in case the law gets wind of what's happening. Who would suspect a sweet, old granny?”
“What exactly is happening here?” asked Ajax.
Aiko didn't answer, leading the way in silence. The steps finally came to an end in front of a heavy metal door. Ajax was surprised when Aiko pushed open the door with apparent ease, though from behind he couldn't see the grimace of effort on her face.
The door opened into an expansive underground room, filled with people all jostling to get a better line of sight on something in the rooms centre. It was surprising how he had heard nothing whilst the door was closed, yet the orgy of voices was near deafening now that they were inside the room. Ajax followed Aiko down a set of worn steps and into the crowd. Soon she was in deep conversation with a group of people, the subject no doubt Ajax and his skeletal appearance. He stood back a couple of paces and waited patiently for her to acknowledge him once more.
Ajax took a good look around the room, for the first time he saw the seating area behind him, above the door they had entered the room through. It was lined with dozens of people, their clothing considerably finer than that worn by those on the ground floor. The crowd were reacting to what sounded like an unseen fight, their voices drowning out any sound made by the combatants. At all times people were exchanging money with men waving tickets around, he presumed them to be placing bets on the outcome.
“I've booked you to fight in a few minutes, Ajax; we can set up in a room towards the back.” said Aiko, appearing seemingly from thin air to lead him through the baying crowds.
Through small gaps in the crowd Ajax caught glimpses of two women in a rough circle that took centre stage in the oval room. He studied the varying expressions on the spectator’s faces, their overwhelming exhilaration as the combatants beat on each other or frustration and misery as their choice came closer to losing them their wagers. These people bayed for blood and gambled on the suffering of others; they were his kind of people and he was going to give them a show to remember.
The crowd roared as the shorter woman managed to bring down her opponent, locking her legs around a flailing arm then savagely twisting it, the snap audible even to Ajax at the room’s rear. The low groan emitted by the crowd was followed by a bell, which Aiko informed him signalled that there was a victor. The tall woman with the ruined arm was unconscious on the sands underfoot, her arm twisted underneath her in an unnatural position.
“These fights aren't to the death?” asked Ajax, surprised by the brutality of what he had witnessed.
Aiko lead him back through the crowd into one of the small room’s near the door that overlooked the arena. She sat down on a rough wooden bench and removed the bag looped around her shoulder, which she placed underneath her seat.
“Not always,” came her answer, Aiko's tone slightly sullen, “but it has been known to happen. These fighters are normally people down on their luck, looking to make some quick money in a high stakes game. The fights usually get stopped when there is a clear victor, though I have seen some fools fight on until their opponent has no choice but to put them down. This is the small league, if it is a fight to the death you are after you are in the wrong place; only the slums fight without rules.”
A small man walked through the rooms arched entrance, carrying a bundle of clothing in his arms and setting it down on the bench next to Aiko. He flashed Ajax a quick look, scrutinising his starved appearance.
“Your fight is scheduled next, after this event.” he said, signalling behind him as two men entered the circle. The crowd began to bay and cheer as the fight started, an explosive flurry of punches landed by the taller man. Ajax was impressed by his turn of speed. “I trust that your manager will brief you on the rules. Good luck.”
The man turned and left without any more words, the look on his face slightly unsettling to Ajax; the man's expression had been full of sympathy.
“You did not mention that there were rules.” he said.
“Oh, he just meant you have to wear these,” Aiko said, unfolding the pair of shorts set down on the bench. “Apart from that it's advisable not to gouge your opponent’s eyes or strike them in the groin. Silly, I know, to have etiquette of sorts in such a brutal scenario. The crowds can get very upset by foul play; I've seen a fighter mobbed to death for not listening to that advice.”
Aiko passed over the shorts, which Ajax was not surprised to find were too loose for him. None the less he quickly removed his boots and trousers, slipping on the shorts and tying the cord tight to prevent them falling down. Aiko motioned at his shirt, which he reluctantly removed.
Ajax looked down at his visible ribs, the skin stretched so thinly across them that he could count each individual bone. He
knew it was superficial but he imagined the large afternoon meal might have put a little more fat on his bones, gladly welcomed if it were true. He hated looking so weak. He looked back up to see Aiko staring at his gaunt figure, her eyes flared wide. The look quickly disappeared, but the damage was already done.
“Hard to believe you are still alive, I've seen homeless with more meat on them.” said Aiko, watching the skeletal man drum his own ribs with bony fingers.
Ajax ignored her, he stood silent in the doorway of the room and watched the fight unfold. The room he stood in was slightly elevated, it gave him a clearer view into the circle than those spectators craning at the crowd’s rear. He could see blood upon the sand already, one of the men had crimson dribbling down his chin and onto his bare, scarred chest. Ajax thought his chances of beating his ebony skinned opponent, who was starting to rain heavy blows down on the bloodied man, were shrinking by the second.
He watched as the final blow was struck, the victim sagged to his knees and pitched forwards unconscious. Two burly men walked into the ring, they picked the fallen man up by each arm and dragged him out of the circle like a child's rag doll.
Aiko walked past Ajax, heading straight for the action and not waiting for him to follow. He rushed after her, watching the faces all around him turn to stare. The whispers that followed were heavy with criticisms and doubt, their speakers pointing out his gaunt appearance above all else.
As he went to pass Aiko and enter the circle she grabbed his arm gently, tugging him back. “Just remember,” she whispered, “they only pay the winner.” She released her grip, allowing him to step into the circle.
He felt strange, stood in front of a couple hundred spectators, perhaps more. The eyes he felt upon him quickly turned as his opponent made his way through the crowd. The man had certainly seen a few more meals than Ajax, his bare barrel chest testimony to this. As the man strutted in, exuding confidence, Ajax found he felt perfectly comfortable fighting this arrogant idiot. He didn't look like a fighter, just someone who thought they could breeze through the walking skeleton in front of them. The man started to circle the perimeter, his back to Ajax as he shouted at the crowd, telling them he would down Ajax with a single punch. The crowd cheered at his boast.
Odds were being shouted out all around, none of them sounded to be in favour of Ajax. It didn't bother him, if these people were foolish enough to bet on the wrong man it would be their own fault when they lost their stakes.
A young woman entered the ring and checked the large man, running her hands inside the waist band of his shorts, through his cropped hair and behind his ears. She walked over to Ajax to do the same, the whole time he didn't take his eyes off his opponent. A loud voice from nearby announced that the bout was about to start, followed by the ringing of a bell.
Ajax stayed still, allowing the man to advance on him. The fighter had raised his fist and lowered his chin, adopting a standard fighting stance. Has this guy ever been in a fight, wondered Ajax?
The punch was slow and lazy, a fist lunged out towards Ajax's face lacking speed or surprise. He stepped forward to meet the blow, throwing up his left forearm and blocking the punch, countering quickly with an explosive jab to this attacker’s rib cage. The crowd groaned as the winded man pitched forwards, hitting the sand with a dull thud.
The man narrowly dodged an attack, rolling just as Ajax's leg kicked the sand he had occupied. He was still fighting for breath as Ajax advanced, watching the man struggle to rise whilst trying to use his arms to shield the cracked ribs. The man wanted to continue, despite him still reeling from Ajax's first blow; he was more than willing to give the fool a lesson in how to fight.
Ajax feinted to the left, his opponent trying to shift his weight to defend; he wasn't fast enough. Ajax landed another punch, this time in the man's gut. The blow caused him to tuck up, trying to protect himself from the assault. Ajax grabbed the man's head for balance and pulled it down whilst driving his knee up into his victims face, feeling bones give way. His nose broken, blood pouring down his face, the man tumbled backwards into the sand.
Ajax's breathing was ragged, the brief exertion had taken its toll and he was flagging. He became aware of the silence all around him, no one in the crowd so much as whispered a word. Ajax was shocked to see the man lift his head, attempting to raise his injured body. He had to respect the man's resilience, he was not going to quit.
His opponent managed to clamber to one knee by the time Ajax had walked over, blood streaming from his distorted face and being soaked up by the sands below. He looked up in time to see the living skeleton in front of him raise a fist, bringing it round in a powerful arc that connected with his temple. The man was thrown back by the punch, sprawled on the ground unconscious.
Still nothing from the crowd, just the looks of dumb shock that ringed Ajax wherever he looked. Whispers began and Aiko appeared, she grabbed Ajax's arm and dragged him out of the circle as he sucked in heavy breaths. He looked back as they walked over to the small waiting room, watching as medics attended to his opponent. The limp body was stretchered away, but Ajax was sure that he would recover from the beating he'd be a fool to forget.
“You seem a bit distracted there, Ajax. You should be a lot happier with a fight like that.” came the hushed tones of Aiko.
“I'm happy I won, but that man should have known to stay down. He could have saved himself more pain. Anyway, why do you sound so shocked?” he asked.
The silence between them grew before Aiko cleared her throat and answered the irritated Ajax. “It was a brutal beating, Ajax. I hadn't expected it to be so one sided, you were up against a strong fighter. If anything I had my doubts you could best him, even after what I heard you did to Rascas and his goons.”
Ajax turned away so that she could not see the pained look on his face. “He was nothing. Probably someone who is used to watching from the crowd and thought he could cut it on the sands. A cruel opponent could have killed him there and then. I hope that proved what I am capable of.”
Aiko let the silence continue and decided not to continue the conversation with Ajax. She motioned for him to sit next to her, patting a pale hand on the seat. She rummaged around under the bench as he took a seat, finally she fished out the small bag Ajax had completely forgotten Aiko had been carrying earlier. She placed it on her lap and opened its metal clasp, Aiko started removing what looked like medical supplies, lining them up by her feet.
Aiko pulled out a large jar, filled with a cloudy salve that seemed to shimmer in the low lighting. She opened the lid with a loud pop and scooped up a large dollop of the salve with her fingers. Aiko applied it to Ajax's bloodied knuckles, his wounds began to sting yet the salve was cool on his split skin. He had to suppress showing his discomfort as the salve began to heat up inside his wounds in an attempt to save face in front of Aiko.
Ajax watched in wonder as the cuts started to close before his eyes, his healing seemingly sped up to an incredible rate. When Ajax ran his finger over a closed wound his knuckle no longer felt sore; it was completely healed.
“Damn, this stuff is really good. How does it do it?” he asked, genuine wonder and intrigue on his face.
“I'm not sure you would understand, nor believe, the explanation. Not many people come into contact with this, it is highly expensive stuff. Rine said he thought you showed promise, so I was told to use this on you, if needs be. Inside this salve are small machines, too small for the human eye to see, that can knit your flesh back together. I don't know exactly how they do it, but they will heal you a lot faster than your body is naturally capable of. Since they are so small they burn through their own energy supplies swiftly, which is why they can only really deal with minor wounds. Don’t expect to repair internal injuries with this.”
“Thanks. I mean it, this stuff is fantastic. The pain is already gone.” Ajax said, flexing his hands. The pain of his split skin was certainly gone, replaced by a slight tightness from the newly healed flesh.
&n
bsp; He thought that Aiko was about to speak again when the small man who had brought Ajax his shorts appeared in the doorway, holding a clipboard tucked under his arm. He pulled it out, quickly checked something written down, before looking back at the duo.
“We've had a drop out, Aiko, a contender was arrested for some trumped-up charges. We have an open spot, I've been offering the fight to all of tonight’s winners. Would your fighter feel up to filling in?”
“Who is the other combatant?” asked Aiko.
“It doesn't matter,” said Ajax, rubbing at his healed hands, “I will do it.” He turned back to look at Aiko's concerned face, “I need the credit's, after all that's what I'm here for.”
“Excellent. There are two more fights scheduled before yours, so you have some time to recover. Oh, and the other fighter is Kayne.” said the man, before leaving their waiting room. Neither saw the smug look on his face.
“Kayne?” whispered Aiko, her face contorted with pure horror; Ajax felt nervous seeing the woman so afraid. She had seemed like a rock up until now, what had got her so spooked?
“What is wrong with you? You almost sound scared of this guy.” said Ajax, trying to keep his tone light-hearted.
Aiko stared through the room’s doorway for a while, seemingly unaware of the question he had asked. When he was about to repeat it she said, “I used to manage Kayne, a few years back when he was just starting out in this business. He was an average fighter, probably lost more fights than he won. His last fight with me, he ended up being beaten close to death by this brutal thug. The man had no remorse and injured without thought, almost left Kayne for dead that day. He was fortunate enough to be mended by a practising doctor, who kept him alive, barely.
“A benefactor came along and funded some experimental augments, which messed with his mind, made him lose his ability to reason, left Kayne with no conscience. We were all shocked he survived the treatment, but he was not the same afterwards. He has killed five men in the ring, and if the stories I constantly hear are true, dozens more outside of this.” she said, waving her hands to encompass the crowd now cheering on two more competitors.