“What’s going on?” I murmured.
“Nothing good, I imagine.”
The charts of the six Champions competing in level two suddenly appeared on the dome like holograms on a screen. Two of them exploded and Faust and I took shelter from the shower of shards. The four remaining charts were scrambled and then lined up in a single row. The message was clear: no more teams. The rules had just changed. I clenched my fists but didn’t turn to look at Faust. We had both known the time would come when only one of us would triumph.
The beast emerged from the ground again and I instinctively whipped out my scythe, injuring its tail. An infernal shriek echoed through the Arena as it disappeared beneath the surface again.
Faust and I stood back to back, on our guard.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be a challenge among Champions?” I whispered, trying not to make too much noise.
“It still is. The Witches like to have fun, that’s all.”
I shrugged. “The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory.”
“Quoting Cicero won’t help you level up,” he said with a derisive laugh.
What happened next was so fast neither of us saw it coming. The earth beneath our feet erupted and I found myself hurled upwards. I came crashing down, the ground shaking from the impact. Or maybe it was my bones that shook. It was like falling off the Empire State Building. Every part of my body felt broken. Aching, I tried to get up. Faust came over to me. “Do I at least look sexy?” I asked him. The pain was crushing me like a boulder.
Faust grinned. “Yeah, I was just about to ask you to marry me.”
I coughed and managed to haul myself to my feet. “Sorry, I’m already taken.”
The walls around us exploded from the fury of the beast, which charged me again. It opened its jaws and I realized I had no way out. It was going to devour me.
All at once Faust pushed me out of the way. The serpent-dragon sank its teeth into him instead.
“No!” I screamed, running to the spot where he lay as the beast slithered back into the ground. I coughed again, my bones still feeling broken. Faust, though, was in far worse shape than me. His belly had been slashed open. He would never make it. “What were you thinking, dumbass?” I shouted at him. We were opponents. He wasn’t supposed to sacrifice himself for me.
“You’re my fiancé, don’t you remember?” He laughed and blood trickled down his chin.
“You freaking idiot, you shouldn’t have eliminated yourself for me.”
“Conceited as always. I didn’t do it for you.” He motioned me closer and I leaned over him. “It wasn’t my decision. This is your chance. Don’t waste it.” He winked at me and then vanished, exploding as the horn blared.
“Take care of Stella while I’m gone,” I murmured to the wind.
Faust hadn’t been able to give me the details of the decision he’d mentioned, but the message was clear: it had been his Amìsha who had given him that order. It certainly hadn’t been to help me; rather, it showed she cared more about her Champion than glory. Sacrificing him for a game would have been a waste. The other Witches didn’t seem to understand that, blinded as they were by the infamous glory to which they aspired. That was why Faust’s Amìsha had kept him out of the final level, where leaving the game meant ending up in Oblivion.
This time I had managed to get my hands on Faust’s gun before it vanished with him.
The ground shook again, warning me of the beast’s return. I turned, my eyes aflame. The second it emerged I fired nonstop while striding toward it. It shrieked and writhed from the electric shocks. The thunderbolts enveloped it like a deadly vortex, but I didn’t stop. I flung myself to the ground to dodge its attack, and when it charged me again, I threw myself on top of it, grabbing hold of the small horns on its head. The electrical current spread through me, making me grit my teeth. I didn’t care. I wasn’t letting go. The objective of the trial wasn’t to kill the beast. I’d realized that when our charts appeared on the dome: the last category without a score was physical endurance. All I had to do was resist longer than the others.
“Want to take me for a spin, you big brute?”
It screeched and took me at my word, rearing up and preparing to disappear underground with me riding on its back.
“Shit.”
I held on tight, bracing for impact, but the ground turned into water and the beast dragged me down into its depths. I clung to it with all my might, disoriented. Was it hoping to drown me? Normally I didn’t need to breathe, but when I felt the water closing my throat I realized that things were different for my character in this game.
I pulled out my dagger and stabbed the serpent-dragon in the ear. It bucked and I lost my grip on it. I hung onto the dagger for dear life as the animal streaked upward through the water. We broke the surface and with a lurch the beast freed itself, flinging me onto a rock.
The cheers from the crowds filled my ears. I looked around, catching my breath. The dome separating us from the spectators had disappeared. I could even see the Witches peering down at us from above like vultures, waiting for the last of us to fall.
The entire Arena was filled with water. I could see the other two Champions who had earlier been hidden by the walls of the ancient Colosseum also clinging to the rocks.
Three of us were left. The first to admit defeat would send the other two to the final round. We looked at each other. Who among the three of us would be the last man standing?
The sea serpent attacked again. I abandoned the rock and jumped onto a floating metal disk. There were lots of them, and I discovered they formed a path, which I followed, teetering with every step, until I finally reached the center of the Arena.
Wrong move. The water receded all at once, sending me and my two opponents tumbling to the ground. I glared at Assin, forcing down the hatred I harbored for him. I had to stay focused.
Suddenly I heard the roar of water. I sprang to my feet. It was a shock when I looked around to see the Arena filling with water again. It stopped, leaving a straight strip of dry land.
“Ah. Something biblical. I should have expected it,” I murmured, glancing up at the Stage Director. Now that we were at the bottom of the Arena-sea she was so high up she looked like a drop of black blood in the twilight.
Assin raced toward one of the rocks and I realized it would be a good idea to do the same. A split second later, the water came crashing down onto the strip of land. I would never reach the nearest rock in time so I leapt onto a metal disk an instant before the blast hit me. It wasn’t easy to keep a firm grip with the waves knocking me every which way like savage beasts determined to do me in. I had to hold on. At least until one of the others gave up. At that point there would only be two of us, and we would have earned our spots in the final round.
But the Witches had other plans for me.
The monster surfaced again, veered, and rammed me. My mouth filled with water and I lost my hold on the disk. I rose to the surface, treading water and thrashing around for something to cling to. The Russian Champion was in trouble too. The serpent burst up between us like a giant waterspout, then crashed down onto the surface of the sea again. The impact raised a wall of water that risked drowning us all. I ended up right in the middle of the towering waves and was sucked down into a whirlpool. As my head went under, I saw Misha grab hold of a disk and save himself.
I had failed.
Below the surface everything was calm. I let the tranquility cradle me as I waited for the horn of death to sound for me. I closed my eyes and Stella’s image filled my mind.
A second later I snapped them open, shaking myself out of my daze. I might be defeated, but it certainly wouldn’t be by choice. I struggled to resurface before it was too late. Something grabbed my arm and dragged me up as I heard the sound of the horn.
Had I lost? Still dazed, I saw Misha being sheared in two by the beast.
I was still in the game.
I turned toward the hand that had saved me.
Assin smiled at me, amused. “I didn’t want you to miss the final round.”
Misha and I had had the same chances of dying, but Assin had chosen to save my life. There could be only one reason: this way he could finally really kill me.
The water drained away, taking with it the beast, which disappeared into the floor of the Arena. The Empress’s voice filled the silence. “Level two complete.”
All that remained was the final trial. The trial of strength.
The one where you either lived or died.
30
Like the First Time
It was worse than an earthquake. It’s not easy to keep your balance when an arena transforms beneath your feet. The entire battlefield detached itself from its foundations and levitated into the air like an uprooted plant.
Something was happening below us. I saw it on the screens, which now formed a halo suspended over the Arena. The ground folded in on itself, becoming a silver cube. Each of its six sides had a different surface: one was covered with burning coals, another with sharp spikes, while still another dripped with black oil. Or was it demon blood?
The worst part, though, was the dark vortex materializing beneath the cube: Oblivion, the only realm capable of annihilating a Subterranean’s soul for all eternity.
“You have been struck, stabbed, deceived.” The Empress’s voice filled the amphitheater, capturing Assin’s and my attention. The Damned in the stands obediently fell silent. “You have demonstrated your endurance by rising up again after each defeat. Your bravery has led you here. Now you will be called upon to test your strength in the player-versus-player arena.” The word Strength began to flash on the screen. “Prepare yourselves for the final great challenge that only one of you will survive. Fight, Champions. Battle to achieve victory in the final round . . . or die trying.”
The audience burst into excited whistles and cheers—ogres, Damned Souls, and deformed beasts that had all come to witness one of the Champions being slain. I forced myself to look away from the screen and focus on my opponent.
A tingle ran through my fingers as a new suit of armor, complete with helmet, formed over me. I stared at my arms, amazed. Though you couldn’t tell from the look of it, it was digital. That was why it was so light.
I’d played too many video games not to feel like I was in one of them. I had ventured through Hell to reach the Castle and save my princess. Kreeshna was right: my challenges had begun long ago. What I hadn’t realized was that I was only a pawn, a character she had developed battle by battle, forging and sharpening my abilities. All that was left now was the final match, the one inside the Castle. Luckily for me, I was good at PvP games. It wouldn’t be so different from playing Mortal Kombat except for the pain, the wounds, and the very real risk of ending up in Oblivion.
Our charts were displayed side by side on the screen: Assin vs. Drake. Two of us were left. The bravest, the cleverest, the toughest. Which of us would prove to be the strongest?
With his new helmet on, all I could see were my opponent’s eyes. Fine. First thing I would do was gouge them out.
“We meet again,” he said, an evil look in his eye.
I smiled, ready to take him on. “Assin. Is that your name? I bet that’s short for ‘Assassin.’”
“That’s the short and the long of it.” He thrust his arms forward and two swords shot out from his wrists. I dodged them just in time, sliding across the ground on my knees.
Something glinted on my arm. The armor. It wasn’t only for protection, it was a virtual weapon. I tried to figure out how the tiles spinning around my forearm worked. They were digital buttons. I pressed one and my arm transformed, lengthening into a giant sickle. A heavy chain dangled from the tip of it, ending in a mace. Version 2.0 of my old weapon.
“This gear ain’t bad,” I said to myself. My new toy was kind of like a kusarigama, a ninja weapon I had often used in video games. I heard my enemy approaching from behind, spun around, and swung the mace at him. The chain wrapped around his neck several times, pulling me toward him. I leapt onto his back. “We’ll see which one of us is the assassin this time.” I was determined to finish what he had started back on Earth.
Assin broke free and came at me with both swords. I had waited a lifetime for this moment. I hadn’t been sure I would ever find the Subterranean who had killed me, but the Witches were capricious; for reasons of their own, they were offering me the chance to avenge myself. It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to miss.
“You should be thanking me,” he said. Sparks flew from our metal weapons as we took turns delivering brutal blows. “If I hadn’t sent you down here, you never would’ve been reunited with your lovely lady.”
Maybe so, but the circumstances weren’t exactly the ones under which I would have chosen to find her again. Both our lives depended on this tournament. They depended on me. Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t found her again. At least she would be back in her cave, safe.
“I’ll thank you if you help me get all this over with quickly. That way I can get back to her.” I pressed another button and a harpoon attached to a chain shot from my arm like a missile. The audience gasped when it lodged in Assin’s helmet. The blow left him dazed but he stayed on his feet. Steam rose from his armor. Small, pointed icicles formed all over its surface before continuing up the harpoon. The whole chain froze.
“Sorry,” he shot back, “I’m not about to do you any favors. If you want victory, you’ll have to earn it.” With a jerk of his arm, he shattered my weapon into a thousand pieces. “May the best man win. That is: me.” The darts of ice obeyed his command and flew toward me.
“Don’t count on it.” I raised my arms to protect myself and a metal shield took shape from my armor, absorbing the impact of the ice darts, which was so powerful it pushed me to my knees. When I stood up again to face my opponent the shield withdrew. “This gear is freaking awesome!” I marveled, noting how the pixels joined together, molding themselves around me. “Let’s see what else it can do.” I ran my hand over my chest in search of more buttons. Finding one, I pressed it, and an electric charge ran through me from head to toe. I watched as miniature bolts of lightning shot from my fingertips, reminding me of the gun I had taken from Faust. It was then that I understood: our armor integrated and amplified the powers of the weapons we’d managed to collect over the course of the game. I was the lightning now.
Assin jumped aside when I hurled the first bolt at him, followed closely by another. Inside me, I could feel the storm quivering, longing to surge and strike. Destroy. Burn. I hit him with another lightning bolt and he whirled through the air, crashing to the ground a good distance away.
I closed in on him to strike the fatal blow. He was facedown on the ground. At first he showed no sign of life, but then his hand reached out and clasped me weakly by the ankle. I chuckled. He didn’t even have the strength to hold on to me, let alone get back on his feet.
Ice condensed on his palm and melted into water, dampening my ankle. The shock was so powerful it sent me hurtling back, steam rising from my body. Lightning bolts and water didn’t mix. I struggled to focus my eyes. We were both on the ground. The Witches wouldn’t have a winner at all if we fried each other to death.
Was it my head that was spinning or were their thrones moving? Assin and I sat up, both gripped by the same doubt. It wasn’t a hallucination. The Witches were circling the Arena. The surface beneath us trembled. The cube began to turn horizontally along with them. I quickly staggered to my feet as the Witches decided our fate. Their faces swirled around me, haunting my mind like ghosts. When their thrones stopped, the cube did too. The surface changed, turning to ice.
It finally dawned on me: it wasn’t a cube. It was a die. The Witches were playing dice with us.
Assin laughed and drew strength from the ice. His entire suit of armor crystallized and a volley of razor-sharp ice darts came rushing at me. If only I’d gotten the flamethrower from Amhir!
I tried to ac
tivate my other weapons but the mechanism seemed to be damaged. Assin realized I was having difficulties and charged. Where the hell were my weapons? I blocked his attack with a roundhouse kick, and a circular blade formed around my body. It struck Assin hard, shattering his icy shell, then retracted as swiftly as the little crescent-shaped blade that had been concealed in my glove. Now I was the glove, and the blade was human-size.
A new layer of ice formed over my opponent. He stamped up to me and his head-butt sent me flying. I groaned from the mighty blow, but Assin didn’t give me the chance to get up. Like a sledgehammer, his massive fist of ice smashed down, barely missing my head. I rolled away and something in my armor activated: rotating blades sheared through the ice all around me. But I hadn’t pressed anything. Not intentionally, at least.
The sharp sound of ice cracking warned me just in time. I shot my javelin to the edge of the die just as the ice gave way beneath me, opening a chasm. I dragged myself out of danger using the chain, which had regenerated.
Assin charged at me, heedless of the ground’s fragility. Instead of avoiding the chasm like I had, he leapt into the air, front-flipped, and dove into it.
“What the fuck?” I retracted the chain and squatted to see what was down there. The crowd rooted for me to follow him. I didn’t want to go inside the die but I had no choice. “Aw, to hell with it,” I murmured a moment before diving in myself.
Assin welcomed me with a punch. It wasn’t a punch of ice. His bare knuckles smashed into my jaw. I looked around as the audience continued to cheer. We were still in the Arena, but everything had changed. We had left the virtual reality scenario. No more armor. No digital weapons that materialized on command. Just him and me. Like the first time.
With a sneer, he dared me to come at him. I slugged him in the face and continued to attack him with punches and kicks, forcing him back. We were in the real Arena now, the real deal. The brutal one, where the only special effects were punches and blood. During my imprisonment in the Castle I’d spent much of my time battling in that same Arena, one Opalion after another. Now for the first time I was facing the final challenge against another Champion and actually trying to win.
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