by Robin Roseau
I laughed.
"Do you wish me to choose your challenge?"
I thought for a moment, looking at all three of them, but their expressions offered no clues for me. "All right," I said.
"My decision will be binding," Dark Skies clarified. "Are you sure?"
"No, but go ahead."
"Very good." She switched languages and spoke rapidly. Jasmine answered with two syllables.
"Not fair," I muttered.
"My apologies," said Dark Skies. "If it's any consolation, Administrator Brighteyes declined to comment. This is your challenge. You shall both begin in the center of the arena. Andromeda, your goal will be to escape to the south. Jessica Maple, your goal will be to drive the human into a cage to the north."
"This isn't going to last long," I muttered.
"You will each be issued a power staff," Dark Skies continued. "Andromeda, you saw them used earlier."
"Oh, shit," I said.
"The staffs will start weak," Dark Skies continued. "Each contact will increase the power of the staff. The power will dissipate over time. Andromeda, the staff you hold will start higher than that of your opponent and will weaken more slowly. This is one of two handicaps."
"Oh, please," I said. "I'm never going to get close to her with it."
"Jessica Maple," said Dark Skies. "You may not touch your opponent except with your staff. Any other contact will enact a penalty. Andromeda, that means if you touch her, she receives the penalty. This is the second handicap."
"What penalty?" asked the Ardent.
"You'll undoubtedly find out," said Dark Skies. "Do the two of you agree to this competition?"
I looked at Jessica. "Be kind."
"If you retreat from me, I will not touch you with the staff," she said. "But are you going to make it easy for me?"
I sighed. "No."
"Good."
"I will consider that assent," said Dark Skies. "Now we must determine rewards for the winner and prices for the loser."
"I'm going to lose, so my price better be small."
"Andromeda Hayes," said Dark Skies. "You and your opponent may negotiate a personal reward if you wish. However, The Center offers this reward. If you win, you may pick from amongst a variety of privileges. You will retain the privilege for a period of three days. This is The Center's reward for you for all events while you are here. If you accept a sufficient number of challenges, you could build and retain several privileges."
"What sort of privileges?"
A list appeared in my visor. I scanned through it and laughed. "A swim suit?"
"I thought you might like that one," Jasmine said.
"Is there a price if I lose?"
"You will lose a privilege for 24 hours," said Dark Skies.
I sighed. "What privilege."
"First: any clothing worn while in your cell," said Jasmine. "It probably won't get past that very often, if at all."
I sighed again.
"If you are ungracious as a competitor," Dark Skies continued. "There may be additional consequences."
"Right." I smiled and turned my gaze back to my competitor. "Did you wish a private agreement between us?"
"I would, but there is no obligation."
"Tell me."
"We are to have dinner together afterwards. I wish to ask a question. Is this a date, Andromeda?"
"I don't know," I said. "You invited me. Is it a date, Jessica?"
She paused, studying me. "Yes."
"Good," I said. "Yes, it's a date."
"Then during our date, if I win our challenge, I wish permission to hold you."
"Hold me, how?"
"However I wish."
"Is this a euphemism?"
"I do not know that word."
Jasmine spoke briefly in a different language. Jessica leaned back in her chair. "No, Andromeda. It is not. I only wish to hold you."
"Then if you win, you may hold me, however you wish. And in exchange, what do you offer if I win?"
"I do not know what you may like that I am allowed to give you."
"Hmm." I leaned forward a little. "If I win, then during our date, you will hold me however I ask to be held."
All three offered laughter, and then Jessica said, "I agree."
"Then we are agreed." And my visor dimmed.
* * * *
It was perhaps thirty minutes before we stepped out into the late afternoon sun. We'd taken one of the jumpers, which didn't surprise me. It was Jessica that guided me into position, sitting next to me on the jumper and eventually pressing my hands into the stone pillar. She removed my restraints, and then the visor came to life.
The jumper was already gone.
I looked around. We were in a cut circle of a grassy plain, the grass outside the circle tall, well above my waist. The land was rolling, not flat, and here and there were small clumps of trees. From where we stood, I couldn't see any other distinctive features.
I turned back to Jessica then gestured with my nose towards my hands. "This is going to be a quick competition if I'm stuck like this."
Jessica gestured. "Our weapons are there. Have you ever fought with such a weapon before?"
"Yes," I said. "It's just a big Nerf stick, right?"
"I do not know these Nerf sticks, so I do not know."
"Jessica Maple," came Dark Skies' voice. "Collect your weapon and retreat towards the blue marker."
"Good luck, Andromeda," said Jessica.
"You could let me win, you know. I would really like that swim suit."
She offered a laugh, collected one of the staffs, and then turned her back. I watched her walk away perhaps fifty yards.
Then I heard Dark Skies' voice. "Andromeda, I would help you win if I knew how."
"This is in fun, Dark Skies," I said. "All I have to do is get past her and run like the wind. No problem. Dark Skies, could I ask a completely different favor?"
"Of course."
"I'm not going to have dates every night. Do you think you'd like to visit me some of the nights I'm alone. I know you don't want a human for your octal, but maybe we could be friends."
"I would consider you for my octal, but in a battle of wills, my entire family fights with the other family. You are unable to fight, and so it would be two against one. If not for this, then I would be very interested in making you mine."
I laughed. "I imagine I'd be very happy."
"You would," she said. "I would like to be friends, but does this mean you do not want me to ask you on a date?"
"It doesn't mean that at all," I said. "I didn't think you were interested."
"I think I would enjoy human style dating, Andromeda."
"Would our evenings end in a battle of wills?"
"Yes, but I would release you in the morning."
"I believe I would grow addicted."
"If I were to toy with you, you would. But if I release you fully, then it is only a very pleasant evening."
I smiled. "Perhaps I should focus on this event."
"Of course." A moment later my hands were released. "Andromeda Hayes, collect your weapon and retreat to the red marker."
I nodded, stepped to the weapon rack, and collected the staff. It was heavy, but not unreasonably so. I hefted it in both hands and practiced swinging and thrusting with it as I moved away from Jessica. I nearly whacked myself. Twice.
"I'm so going to lose," I muttered.
I reached the marker and turned around.
"Are you both ready?" Dark Skies asked.
"Ready," I said.
There was a pause, and then Dark Skies called out, "Begin!"
Jessica began running straight for me. I turned to my left and began running at an angle to her. Of course, she moved to cut me off, and soon we were both running east, Jessica keeping pace with me, cutting me off, and jabbing at me with her staff as we ran. Each time she did, I veered away.
I ran at full speed. I couldn't tell if Jessica was. But I realized something.
I was a lot, lot smaller than she was.
I came to a stop. She did too, but it took her a good half dozen paces to do so, and in the meantime, I slipped past her and began running for the exit.
Of course, I didn't get far before Jessica ran past me, and I learned she was far faster than I was. In a straight line. As soon as she passed me, I knew she'd turn right, trying to cut me off, and so I cut behind her. She tried to stop, spinning around, and I was able to get another twenty yards. And then she was there, and this time she pushed me in a curve to the left until we were heading to the edge. I put the brakes on again, but she anticipated me, stopping almost as fast as I did, and while it wasn't quite as fast, she made up with the staff.
She whacked me with it, right across my left leg.
It stung, but no more than a Nerf stick. I cut hard right and ran the other way, Jessica in pursuit.
She caught up and managed to hit me twice more with the staff. They weren't hard strikes. But I swung with my own stick. She blocked it and swung, but I ducked underneath and dashed behind her again.
* * * *
It looked like I could actually win. I was far more agile than she was. It took twenty minutes, most of it of hard running, but the visor told me I was halfway to winning.
At that point, Jessica changed strategies. She managed to turn me sideways to my desired path, and just as I was about to stop, she thrust her staff in front of me and then came to a skidding stop. I wasn't able to block her staff -- she actually slid it underneath mine and in front of my stomach, and so in effect, I gently ran into it. She used her staff to drag me to a stop.
And it began to hurt.
She didn't pull back for another swing. Instead, she began using her staff somewhat like a hockey stick, and I was the puck. She didn't hit me with it. She pushed me with it.
And it really began to hurt.
I managed to use my own staff to finally push it away, but then she moved straight towards me, using the other side against my back, and that hurt. I shied away, and then it was the first end in my stomach again, and then my back, and then my stomach, and then it hurt so much I turned and ran from her.
She gave chase.
* * * *
Her new strategy was working. She let me run away from her, and she followed me, not touching me with the staff, but every time I turned, her staff was there. If I slowed, her staff was there.
Finally I dropped to the ground, and she had to jump over me to avoid trampling me.
I jumped to my feet and ran.
But I was growing winded and had long been sweating. Jessica gave chase and soon caught up to me. Then she caught me with the staff, and I turned off my course. A moment later, she had me turned back towards the cage again.
So far, I hadn't done much with my staff. I tried fighting hers off, but she was a lot better with hers than I was with mine. I could bat her staff away, but then she just used the other end.
I ran from her, got out ahead, and then spun to a stop, holding up my hand and panting heavily. She came to a stop a few paces from me. We both bent over, breathing hard.
"I'm not pausing long enough for the staff to reset, Andromeda," she panted at me. "I intend to win."
"It really hurts, Jessica."
"Run that way and I won't touch you."
"Funny."
"It's a good challenge so far," she said. "We're still on my end, not yours." Then she took two steps towards me. I held my ground.
"Negotiate," I said.
"Negotiate what?"
"I don't think it's fair I haven't hit you yet."
She laughed. "You may try."
And then she came after me. I think she actually went easy on me. I tried thrusting the staff at her, but she used hers to brush it aside and then touched me with hers. It hurt, and I pulled away. That became our new pattern. She let me try to hit her with my staff, deflected my blow, and then touched me with hers, and I took a few steps away from her.
And so while I wasn't running, I was now walking backwards towards the cage, although it wasn't even in sight yet.
"It'll take forever if we walk," I said, swinging again then backing away as yet again, she easily touched me.
"I'll make you run again soon."
"I don't even know what I'm doing wrong." Swing, deflect, touch, and back away. "Stop that!"
I did that again. And again. And then again but this time instead of backing away from the staff, I spun around, sliding past her staff myself, releasing my staff into my left hand, and I touched her arm with my hand.
She yelped and backed quickly away from me, using her staff to fend me off.
"Oh, when Dark Skies said you'd be punished for contact, she wasn't kidding."
After that, I managed to drive her backwards for a while and then when she shied away from me again, I took off running, slipping past her.
I got forty yards before she caught up, but then she was almost cruel. She slipped her staff underneath my arm, and then she tripped me. I started to fall, but she slipped her staff further underneath me, and I fell onto her staff.
She held me up; she held me from falling, but the pain was intense, and when she pushed me back towards the cage, I scrambled away, whimpering.
Jessica stalked after me. But she apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trip you. I was just trying to catch you."
After that, she was able to fend me off, and I wasn't able to touch her further. The staff began to hurt more and more, and I began yelping each time she touched me. She gave me mercy at that point and only feinted at me, letting me back away. But then she got me running, tapping me if I slowed, and it hurt so much I let her drive me most of the way to the cage before I spun around. I blocked her thrust with my staff, but she reached with the other side and caught me, and my defiance was short lived.
I tried running back and forth, trying to get around her, but she moved me closer and closer to the cage, cutting me off more and more efficiently.
I ran out ahead of her again, then spun around. I tried defending with my staff, but she crowded me, and soon my back was to the cage opening.
At that point I put up my best defense, fighting as hard as I could. Jessica actually let me, defending from my strikes and not counterstriking. We fought that way for far longer than I thought possible, although if I tried stepping from the cage opening, she cut me off instantly.
Then she took a full step back and held up a hand. I paused, and we both bent over, panting.
"Tired?" she asked after a minute. "Enough exercise?"
"Yeah," I said, wiping my face against my arm. "But I don't think I can bring myself to walk in voluntarily."
"I know."
And she came after me.
Oh, she did it slowly. She reached with her staff, striking mine, then tugging it above my head and thrusting with the other end. I edged away. She did that again, and again. And then she said, "I'm sorry for this part, Andromeda."
"What part?"
She swept my staff up with hers, high above my head, and then with the other end of her staff, she pushed against my chest.
I practically exploded backwards from the pain and flew into the cage, coming to a slow stop in mid air. I dropped my staff and clutched my chest, slamming my eyes shut and whimpering.
"Are you all right, Andromeda?" she asked softly.
I nodded. "You won," I whispered. "God, that hurt."
"I'm sorry. I wanted you fully caught in the cage."
I opened my eyes. I was still floating in the air. That was when I realized there was no door to close. It was the same sort of cage that had been used in the arena earlier.
"You won," I said again. "Good match?"
"Good match," she agreed. "You did well, I think better than you expected."
"Did you go easy on me?"
"I tried to avoid hurting you more than necessary. I could have hurt you more. But no. Your gains were your own. I didn't go easy on you."
I squirmed,
trying to move towards the door, but the cage held me where I was, my feet a foot from the ground. I couldn't reach anything.
"Um. A little help?"
She moved to the very edge of the cage door, one hand on the side. Then she reached in, offering her hand. "Will you give me your hand, my mating candidate?"
I reached forward and set my hand in hers.
Dinner
My vision dimmed and my hands and feet shackled, Jessica returned me to my cell, releasing the restraints before drawing me into a hug.
"You have one hour to prepare," she said. "Dinner is in my room. Do you mind? I don't want to share you."
"I don't mind."
"Good." She squeezed me tightly, and then she was gone. Then my visor came live, and I could see.
Immediately I received an incoming call from Dark Skies. I accepted it, and her image appeared.
"I hope you didn't hate it, Andromeda."
"No, although wow! That hurt."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine," I said.
"That was the first challenge I've run."
"It was my first challenge, too," I said. "Well done, Dark Skies. Thank you for the exercise."
"You are welcome. I am told you will wish to shower, and we have clothing for you. Normally mating candidates are escorted by the guards, but I am told you are allowed to go alone."
"I haven't figured out Jasmine's rules about that. She lets me walk to the pool alone, but she sent guards when it was time for my challenge."
"You will be escorted to your dinner," Dark Skies said. "But your visor will lead you to the showers. There will be clothing here when you return. You may wear one of the robes during your walk back."
"Thank you, Dark Skies."
I expected her to terminate the call, but instead she stared at me. Then she asked in a small voice, "Are you sure it was okay?"
"What is wrong, Dark Skies?"
"I've never seen a mating candidate get hurt the way you were today."
"It was only an hour previously we watched a very similar event."
"I know, but it was in the arena. It was a much smaller area. And the human is trained in fighting of that nature. Have you seen the way they fight?"
"Once," I said. "A video. It looked brutal."
"You've never done anything like that. I didn't realize how much you would be touched by the staff."