Trials of a Champion

by Thomas O'Gorman

  “If I may ask, how do you know her?” Vant asked.

  “I work in orphanages,” Sarah replied. “I know more street kids than I do noble kids. I know this girl because she was in the orphanage a long time. She is about my age, but with dark short hair and a scar on her face. I taught her LaVoran and Menegar myself, so I know she knows them well. She is smart and doesn’t run from a fight. She would be perfect for you.”

  “Sounds good. When do I get to meet her?”

  “Two nights from now at the Fifty-Five at 10:00 pm. She will find you.”

  “I will look forward to it. Thank you, Ma’am.”

  “You are welcome. It was a pleasure to meet you. Goodnight.”

  Vant turned to go out of the back hall and Sarah turned and went the way she came. She pushed open the kitchen door and it was partially blocked. She pushed hard enough to squeeze through the door and found Cera passed out on the floor. She cried for help. Some servants and guards came and took her down to the healing rooms and Fife Mote attended her.

  I wonder how much she heard, and I wonder if she fainted for the reason I think she fainted.

  Vant Resbon was at the Fifty-Five on the appointed night at 10:00 pm. The place was jam packed and he had to fight for the little two-person table he was sitting at. He hoped this girl the princess told him about was the real deal. He didn’t think the princess would lead him astray. But 10:00 pm came and went. Vant waited almost an hour and was about to give up when a tall girl dressed in tattered clothes came up to him.

  “You Vant?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Someone told me to meet you here tonight, about translation?” She said.

  Vant looked at her more closely. Her hair was almost black, and it was cut in a boy’s cut. Her clothes made it so you couldn’t tell if she was skinny or fat. Her face is what really caught his attention. She could have been really pretty if it weren’t for the horrible complexion she had and the prominent scar on her cheek. Vant felt a little sorry for her. A girl that looked like that wasn’t ever going to find a man.

  “Sit,” he said. “You want a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  Vant raised his hand. Costi Gem came over and he ordered two beers. Vant looked at the girl and he thought she was leering at Costi. I guess she is jealous of a pretty face.

  “What is your name?”

  “Resa.”

  “Do you know anything about this mission?”

  “No.”

  “I have to swear you to secrecy before I tell you anything.”

  “Who am I going to tell? But whatever, I swear to secrecy.”

  “OK, we are going to Menegar to rescue Winn Vaux. We are pretending to be LaVorian spice merchants. That is why we need you.”

  “That is crazy. What made you think I would do that? What is in it for me?”

  “How does 50,000 dreckels sound?”

  “How about 100,000 dreckels, half now and half when we get back?”

  “I know some LaVorian, let me hear you speak it.”

  “You are a big goofball and I could use another beer,” Resa said in LaVorian.

  “Good. Say something in Menegar.”

  “You have no idea if this is Menegar or not,” Resa said in Menegar.

  “Sounds like the foul grunts I have heard. You are in. I will get you the money tomorrow. Meet me at Harbinger & Cross at 11:00 am. After that, you are sticking with me until we launch. Got it?”

  “Yes, I understand you. Tomorrow at 11:00 am. I will be there.”

  Vant reached in his cloak and pulled out some dreckel notes.

  “Here,” he said. “Take this 1,000 now and buy some decent clothes. You can’t look like a street urchin where we are going.”

  “Thanks. Am I free to go?”

  “Yes, get out of here, I will see you tomorrow.”

  Resa got up and started walking out. A burly man stepped in her way.

  “Look here fellas, we have ourselves a street whore. She is so damn ugly, I bet she has to pay for men to fuck her! Aw what’s the matter honey? You pay me 50 dreckels, I’ll fuck you good and hard.”

  Resa didn’t say a word. She suddenly lashed out with a kick that knocked the man on his backside. The man was angry, he got up and took a swing at Resa. She side stepped it and punched the man three times in the face, breaking his nose. As he started to bleed profusely, he picked up a mug and attempted to smash Resa’s head in. She blocked his blow then turned and roundhouse kicked him in the head. The kick knocked the burly man out.

  “Anyone else?” Resa asked.

  No one said anything, and Resa walked out of the bar and left.

  “I guess she can handle herself in a fight,” Vant said to himself. “She reminds me of someone, I just can’t place it.”

  Chapter 10: Hate

  August 8, 850 A.A.

  It had been over two months since the dark wizards and the evil goddess Melevia had been putting distorted thoughts in Winn’s mind. Jaunty had only seen him a few times since then. That was when they put him back in this cell. No doubt to test if he had forgotten Jaunty or not. Winn still remembered Jaunty, but not much of what they had done together as adults. Jaunty was never let out of the cell in that time. He had a lot of time to think. He thought a lot with great dread about what they were doing to Winn. He wondered if he was next or if he was going to be killed. He thought a lot about Alana, and what she must be thinking at that moment. Surely, she thought that he was dead and had given up on him. He couldn’t blame her. He had given up on himself. Jaunty looked back and regretted many things. He wished he would have asked Alana to marry him, so she would know how much he meant to her. He wished he had drawn and painted more. In fact, his big dream was to start his own newssheet. He would be more critical of King Landis’s policies, and have more of a worldwide view, not just Aviel centric. All that was on hold now, probably forever since he would likely meet his doom in that awful place. He felt better than he did in a long time. He had no idea what the ill effects of being healed by an evil goddess were, but he seemed to have overcome them. He had no idea what they were feeding him, but it seemed like mostly porridge and beans, which he thought was safe enough. It turned his stomach every time he heard a hard crunch when he was eating, for fear that he was chewing on a human bone. Jaunty reasoned that if he knew they were feeding him human flesh, he wouldn’t eat it, he would rather starve to death. He couldn’t afford to make assumptions though, so if they didn’t say what it was he didn’t question. They wouldn’t answer his questions anyway, and if they did, they would probably lie.

  Jaunty felt good enough that he started doing exercises in his cell. He did push-ups and sit-ups and he ran in place and he tried to jump to the ceiling of the cell. He was careful to not work up too much of a sweat because they only gave him a little water every day and he didn’t want to get dehydrated. It still ached in a dull way where his toes and nipple were. He tried not to think of them being gone, he was staying as positive as he could. He had his negative moments, where he would break down and cry and wish he was dead, but he came out of them determined to see this through for himself and for Winn.

  The cell door opened and light streamed in. Winn came through the door like he was pushed through. The door slammed shut and it was dark once again.

  “Winn, over here,” Jaunty said. “How are you feeling? Do you remember me? Are you resisting them?”

  Winn was silent for a long moment

  “Who are you?” Winn asked. “Where am I?”

  “Winn, I am Jaunty. You have known me since you were five. Remember, we grew up together in Barristan Village?”

  “I remember a child by the name of Jaunty, but he was small, and had a child’s voice. You can’t be him.”

  “Winn, that was me. What you are remembering was from a long time ago. The black wizards have confused your mind.”

  “Those strange ladies? They cause me great pain though I remember them being my friends, I rememb
er laying with two of them, but when I look at them when I am awake, there is no happiness in their eyes, just hate.”

  “Winn do you remember anyone’s name besides mine?”

  “I remember mama and papa, Keyland, and baby Tiga.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “There is one other, a name and a face that is always in my mind, telling me I will get through this, telling me to be strong, telling me she loves me. It’s a young lady, a very pretty lady named Sarah. What is she to me?”

  “She is your wife, and the love of your life. They can’t get rid of her, that bond must be too strong.”

  “My wife? I should be so lucky. She is more like my angel, keeping me sane and giving me hope.”

  “She is both then, Winn. I was your best man at the wedding. I saw you marry her with my own eyes.”

  “OK, prove it. What was the name of my horse?”

  “Hooch.”

  “Oh, you are right. You really are Jaunty all grown up? I married the angel?”

  “Yes and yes, Winn.”

  Winn buried his face in his hands and grunted like he was straining.

  “I remember a dance,” Winn said. “Was there dancing?”

  “You met Sarah at a dance. You danced with her most of the evening, till you got drunk.”

  “I can remember fragments Jaunty. I can tell they are real memories because they aren’t tainted with hate.”

  Light emanated from the center of the room. Eksela was standing there, glowing in an eerie light. Beside her stood Melevia.

  “After two months with him you have failed, Eksela. He still remembers this boy and the girl. His mind has to be blank!”

  “Mistress,” Eksela said. “I know how to blank his mind, but Jezel said we must not damage him, and to make his mind totally black, I would have to damage it.”

  “But how child? Have you forgotten the spiritual protections?”

  “No most high, but they are spiritual protections, not physical ones.”

  “You aim to disable his synapses. How would you do that?

  “I have a wand that can pass through physical barriers. I can also see through physical barriers, and I have a spell that allows me to see miniscule things. I have studied thousands of brains and know what synapses to turn off. The procedure will harm him though, because he won’t be able to develop any long-term memories. He will forget something as soon as it is out of his mind. When he wakes up, he will be like a newborn babe every day. He won’t remember anything more distant than yesterday.”

  “Do it,” Melevia said. “I will convince Jezel it is the only way.”

  Melevia disappeared. Eksela waived her hand and Winn was locked in an invisible grip and hoisted in the air.

  “Its time for your final operation, my dear Winn.” She turned to Jaunty. “Your friend will never know you again. Your usefulness to me is over. Someone will collect you for the sacrifice.”

  The cell door opened and Eksela and Winn left the cell. Winn was looking around and struggling against his invisible bonds. He knew his life was about to be essentially over. The grip was tight though and Eksela magically carried Winn to her work room without Winn being able to escape.

  King Ajani was there. He had come to witness several of Winn’s excruciating sessions. Winn hated Ajani more than even Eksela. Ajani taunted him and told him he would be Ajani’s slave. Ajani told him he was a dog and he spit on Winn. The memories they planted in Winn made it seem like he should love the Menegar. He didn’t. He hated them. He hated Ajani the most. He hated everyone except Jaunty, his parents and siblings, and the girl, Sarah. He would kill anyone else who stood in his way. They were all strangers to him.

  “Here is my dog,” said Ajani. “Are you finally going to be ready to be my little wolf? You are going to kill two nations worth of dogs for me, boy.” Ajani turned to Eksela. “How many more treatments, wizard?”

  “This will be the last one, then he will be ready.”

  Hezza and Yhadi entered the room but they stood to one side and were silent. Eksela pulled out her special wand from her stores and started speaking a spell as she moved to the table where she deposited Winn.

  She finished the spell. Ajani and the two wizards crept a little closer to the table.

  “Step back, way back,” Eksela said. “I need total concentration and I don’t want to hear a sound. Not even a breath.”

  The other three stepped way back against the walls. Eksela began another spell and this one took longer. When she finished the incantation, she pointed the wand at Winn’s head and moved it toward him.

  “ENOUGH,” said a sonorous voice as Mikel appeared in the center of the room and cut Eksela’s head off with his mighty sword. He turned to Ajani and took two steps then Jezel appeared in front of Ajani.

  “I knew you would come at some point,” said Jezel. “You can’t have any of them. Including Winn.”

  “Winn’s time of freedom is nigh,” Mikel said. “I destroyed what was forbidden. All the evil you have done here will be undone. Your plan is foiled, beast.” Mikel disappeared as Jezel launched a powerful beam of blue light at him. The light hit the wall instead and blew a hole 10 span deep in it.

  There was silence for a second. Then Jezel spoke.

  “Mikel slipped through my fingers. It won’t happen again. Hezza and Yhadi, you must finish the preparation of Winn now. He must forget the boy and Sarah. Melevia!” She appeared. “Melevia your disciples must not fail. You have two days to prepare him or you will feel my wrath.”

  Jezel disappeared as did Melevia. Ajani turned to the wizards.

  “Can you do it?”

  “Of course,” said Hezza.

  “You had better. Jezel is out for blood.” Ajani turned to Winn. “Your fight to save your memories is almost lost for good. Don’t worry, I won’t let my men rape you too many times.” Ajani walked out of the room laughing. Winn’s desire to kill that creature was the strongest feeling he could remember.

  Yhadi went and called for someone to clean up Eksela’s dead body. Some servants came and they did not look sad or disgusted, instead they were fighting back smiles. Winn wondered why. When they were gone Hezza spoke.

  “We are going to try some new things. We are going to push harder than we have been. I don’t care if it breaks his mind, because that will work as well as wiping it. Yhadi, let’s begin with the memorizing spell.”

  They caused Winn great pain the rest of that day and the next. At the end of the two days, Jaunty was brought into the room. Hezza went to stand behind him then she drew a long knife.

  “Tell me his name,” said Hezza. “Or I cut his throat.”

  “I don’t recognize him.”

  “Speak boy,” Hezza said to Jaunty.

  “Don’t say anything Winn,” Jaunty said. “My life is over anyway.”

  “He is Jaunty, I can tell by his voice.” Winn said.

  “Who is your wife?” Hezza said.

  “Wife?” Winn said.

  “Tell me or your friend dies.”

  “I think her name is Sarah,” Winn said.

  “Yhadi get him out of here,” Hezza said pointing at Jaunty.

  Yhadi left with Jaunty and Hezza went up to Winn and whispered to him.

  “I’ll make you a deal, young Winn. I will leave Jaunty in your head if you swear to deny knowing him to anyone. Do we have a deal?”

  “Ok,” Winn said.

  “If you break the deal, I’ll kill him and eat him myself, understand?”

  “Yes, what about Sarah?”

  “Oh, Sarah will remain in your head, but I am about to change the way you feel about her.”

  “No, No!” Winn yelled.

  “Yes, yes,” Hezza laughed. She cast a compelling spell on Winn.

  “Say her name, think of her face!”

  Winn tried not too but he felt compelled to think of her and say her name.

  “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…”

  “Keep saying her name!” Hezza said as
Yhadi brought a young girl over and strapped her to an altar designed to catch a sacrifices’ blood in a bowl at the bottom of the altar.

  Winn kept repeating Sarah’s name. The little girl was blond and pretty. She reminded him of the picture in his mind of Sarah as a little girl. The girl was crying and screaming. She knew her life was about to end. Yhadi slit the little girls throat. The girl fell silent and blood pumped out of her throat. Yhadi let the bowl fill then brought it to Hezza. Hezza drank some of the blood then she compelled Winn to drink it. Hezza spoke a spell in a language that was dead for over 5,000 years. Winn understood every word and roiled in horror. He kept saying Sarah’s name. His love for her started to turn rancid. It started to have a pungent stench. It was turning to disdain. It was turning to revulsion. It was turning to hate. After a while he found himself growling her name. He found himself hating the image he saw in his mind. He wanted to kill her.

  Hezza pulled the wand out and leaned over in Winn’s ear.

  “Sarah,” she whispered.

  Winn snarled and bucked, desperately trying to break free so he could find this Sarah that haunted him and kill her. He didn’t want to see her face anymore. It drove him crazy.

  Hezza laughed.

  “Too bad you won’t ever forget her. You will just have to kill her to get her out of your mind.”

  Hezza cast a spell and Winn blacked out. When he woke up, he was back in the cell. Jaunty was beside him shaking him.

  “Get off me,” Winn yelled, pushing Jaunty away.

  “Winn, it is me, Jaunty.”

  “Jaunty, at least I don’t hate you.”

  “What do you mean, Winn?”

  “I have a hatred; it is deep within me. It drives me Jaunty. I hate everyone and everything but you, my mama, and baby Tiga.”

  “Tiga is a grown woman of seventeen now Winn.”

  “Then I hope I never see her, because I am liable to kill her if I do. I just want to kill, Jaunty, I crave it.”

  “You didn’t say Sarah.”

  Winn grabbed Jaunty by the shirt.

  “Don’t ever say that name to me again!” Winn screamed.