by Marcus Sloss
Hundreds of thousands gazed down on me as an announcer shouted a few words about me, the challenger. The crowd snorted and scoffed at my accolades. No idea what they were and most certainly this crowd was not impressed. The arena was oval in shape and a few miles long as well as wide. Far more room than needed for two contestants. If I had to guess there were formation battles that were fought in here. I studied the walls and saw no weapons sticking out. There was also no cover anywhere. It would only be me and my foe. A battle of skill.
When the crowd quieted over my disappointing entry the announcer shifted to introducing Marika. I watched the twenty five foot ogre, the largest I had seen yet, entered the arena. There were more scars on this ogre than untouched flesh. He rippled with muscles and carried a sword with a shield. His only armor was a chest plate over the front of his torso. A long leather kilt covered his privates. My shield was on my back and my sword on my hip. This mighty warrior would chop through my shield with ease. I was going to have to keep it on my back.
The lengthy accolades of Marika finally came to an end and the crowd stood in ovation. There was silence from a new announcement and a bell rang. Perfect, I understood what that meant. I walked to the middle taking my time. Marika was bored and sprinted my way. Once he was a few hundred feet away, he slowed to a walk as well. He spoke to me in Horde. When I shrugged he swapped languages a few times. I never understood him. When he realized there would be no dialect he readied himself. His shield tight against his left side and his right hand poised to strike with a nine foot long sword.
When we reached a few dozen feet apart he charged. The first thing I noticed was for a massive ogre he was still very fast. He was not respecting me as a worthy foe. Or maybe he wanted to give me an opportunity. He closed the distance and thrust his shield for me, his sword carved the optimal space I would move to. Which was further away. I did no such thing. I poured immense amounts of aura into my body and shot between his legs. His forward momentum too much to adjust in time. My swing of attack carried so much force it was a blur as I dismembered his right leg below the knee.
Marika went to spin to face me when his leg gave out. I bunched my foot into the compact floor and launched myself after him as he toppled. He was focused on catching his suddenly falling body while screaming out in pain. I landed on his back, my aura propelling me faster than he could fall. As we hit the ground I swung for the back of his skull. There was a sickening crunch as my weapon embedded itself into his brain. It all happened within three or four seconds. I was so fast I was certain most would not have followed my movements.
The crowd was hushed as most were able to figure out I had killed Marika on the opening exchange. I wretched the axe out of the brains and embedded it into the compact dirt with such a force the ground cracked and a shockwave from the impact washed over the crowd. I unsheathed my sword dramatically. I pointed it to the sky while I walked on the corpse and then plunged it into the back of Marika. I then realized his heart was on the other side of his body. I dove my sword in again and sawed thick bones to get to his heart. The problem was my sword was a shitty saw. I went back to the greataxe and swung wildly to smash the ribs protecting the heart. I must have looked mad and I delighted in the gore being strewn about.
During this time the crowd finally reacted. Their campion had died and I was mutilating his body. To say there was anger, that would be an understatement. Even the announcer was yelling at me. A few spectators found my actions so offensive they tried to leap into the arena to halt me. Those stupid few were turned to dust by the contract magic that spectators were bound to. After a dozen dematerialized to atoms the rest merely screamed in rage.
After a few minutes of hard work and constant bombardment of insults, I pried the heart free. Satisfied with my grizzly work, I tucked my purple organ trophy under my arm. I then grabbed the champion's sword and walked causally toward my entrance. One of the three battles done. I was a demigod, and I had honed my purple aura. Not to mention Lily buffed me to an even greater level. When I finally reached the door the female cyclops cowered in fear as she opened it for me. I went down the stairs and into the room Roz and Bella waited in.
“Ugh, you are covered in blood husband? And you stink, is any of that blood yours? Tell me that is ogre muscle and not brains on your armor? We weren’t allowed to watch. Roz said I was allowed in as a breeding tool. Which is not exactly wrong. Demeaning but fairly true. I do have your baby in me.” Bella was rambling, and it was cute. She was nervous.
“Not my blood, I checked the contract. I get to collect loot after the fight. Not sure what this is worth but maybe it will fetch some money. The heart! Hell yes, this heart can change a lot.” I said resting the ogre’s heart on the ground by Bella’s chair.
“How can an ogre heart be valuable?” Roz asked as she fidgeted being close to the purple organ.
“It will be explained later. Fill me in on the next opponent.”
“Rarnarsh the savage. He is all aggression and smaller than Marika was. Expect him to charge and use his size and speed to try to best you.” Roz said.
Okay, easy enough. I sat and rested by the door waiting for my next match. The current match had the crowd roaring in approval. It was a ten minute slugfest from the sound of it. The spectators were absolutely loving the combat. At one point the entire stadium shook as they locked step in a chant. It was impressive and the loose stones danced on the floor.
A few minutes after the fighting quieted a cyclops appeared. The same old one in the black tunic who gave us entry. He shouted at Roz and then turned to me.
“You will die here in this next fight or I will have you killed, I will have your pets killed, and your master killed.” The cyclops said this as he seethed with rage. There I found it. He violated the accords with his threat. I was in the clear to kill him. “Now, die with honor scum.”
The door opened and I shot a hand into his chest. His eyes widened with shock. I screamed in pain. Bella screamed, Roz screamed, and even the poor escort girl yelled. My hand was a mangled mess. A cyclops chest was much tougher than I thought. Bella raced to quickly heal me. When my hand knitted back together I returned to the stunned cyclops with a gaping hole in his chest. I ripped his heart out and left him to fall to his death. The shock of my actions never registered as his eyes glazed over. He died before he hit the floor. I looted his body and piled the best stuff beside the heart. The escort cyclops was crying in a corner. Roz stayed quiet and Bella vomited again. I walked away from them all and went up the stairs. I opened the door myself and the crowd went berserker again.
I was announced with a few extra words this time. The spectators were still very upset. My opponent had been announced before me this time and the bell chimed quickly. Sure enough, Rarnarsh the savage charged the entire distance. I pulled my shield off my back waited until the ogre was fifty feet away and hurled it horizontally at him. It soared with a whistle as it moved so fast it created a sonic boom. The shield entered Rarnarsh’s gut and shot out his back in an explosive red mess of matter. He was dead at my feet before he ever reached me.
A quick jog to the other side of the arena and I retrieved my shield that had embedded into the far wall. I then cut out Rarnasrh’s heart, the awesome ogre died on his back somehow. Made getting his heart ten times easier. I even thanked him by pissing on his face before I left. More attendees died by jumping to their deaths to get at me. I chuckled at my nasty work. I was thoroughly covered in gore. A bell chimed before I made it out of the arena. The announcer made a statement and then the crowds dispersed.
Huh, wonder what had happened. Roz excited the tunnel with a male elvath in tow. The male was hauling my loot while Bella nervously trailed the two.
The elf was all smiles. Roz was visibly upset and Bella was grossed out.
“We need to leave right now master, like this instant,” Roz said and poured magic into a portal. I did not argue with her and stepped into the portal.
∞∞∞
Roz
was a master at making smooth portals. I found myself back in Lakeland. It was only an hour after I had first left with the goblins. Duke Riza still stood by the portal talking with advisors. I watched him notice our arrival and grin. Then the elf entered our world and there were gasps. Aliens tended to do that.
I still held Rarnarsh’s heart under my arm and I had the battleaxe from the event. Did I steal this? I would need to ask after I talked to the Duke.
“Seven hells Gryff, you are dripping blood all over my fine city. Did you swim in guts? Nevermind, you clearly did. Let us walk to the bathhouse.” Duke Riza said.
“In public, I am Emperor Gryff, especially in front of my citizens. I will forgive the slight and still award you this heart.” I said offering the heart. The Duke had a guard grab the purple organ from me. “Better. Yes, a bath sounds lovely. Lead the way Riza.”
Roz couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Master you caused great offense. That cyclops was an ancient arena master that ran events for millions of your years. He was well respected and well connected. If some slavers find out you were the cause of his demise they will not trade with us.” She said with hesitation.
“I angered the Horde, perfect. Why did I not have a third match, I wanted the extra heart? And did I steal this weapon?”
“There was no third match because the last ogre surrendered instead of meeting you in the arena. The weapon is yours because you now own the arena. It is yours by conquest. I am certain that Arena Master Xeq had offended many before you. None would dare challenge him, let alone murder him. You ripped his heart out as if he were pathetic goblin… Oh… to you, he is…” Roz said and it made me slightly proud. She removed the loot for the elf that he carried and handed it to me. “You will need a new clean outfit before you return. I shall go back and sell the arena immediately. A bad deal is better than a prolonged deal. I will be waiting by the portal when you are fresh and cleaned.”
Roz said and excused herself. I stopped her.
“Elvath can you speak my language?” I asked and he looked to Roz. They spoke Horde quickly.
“He can since he is your slave, it is part of the slave to owner contract magic. Unlocks a new language so owners and slaves can properly communicate. He will not lower himself though. Do you wish for me to sell him too?” Roz asked and I nodded. “He will not mind, he sees no females here worthy of his greatness to mate with. Only your inferior kind. His words, not mine. Selling him will fetch a lot. That arena far, far more. Your contract protects me during negotiations so I shall return in an hour maybe two. See you at the portal.” Roz said and the elvath male followed her.
Duke Riza paused for us as we conversed. Now that they were gone, he talked to Bella. He asked her what happened and she summarized. There were tens of millions of slaves and an arena. I killed some ogres and a cyclops. Then we fled back to here. He nodded at this, then turned to me.
“You couldn’t help yourself could you. You had to make waves. I like that about you, Emperor. Consequences be damned. I do find the ogre heart worthy of my investment in this endeavor.” Riza said with a head tilt to himself. As if confirming ten inmates sentenced to death was a good trade for a massive heart. “By all that is holy Gryff, that ogre heart you are holding is even larger than the one you donated. Do you want me to have someone help carry that and the sword?”
“Yes, please. If you can have a water mage freeze it. There is actually a cyclops heart too. No idea what they do. Anyway, have these cleaned and placed in my room frozen. Well, don’t freeze the sword.” I said this as two guards hefted the sword combined. They struggled with the weight until a third helped them. Then a fourth guard grabbed the two hearts with a disgusted face. “It is only a little Horde blood.”
When we reached the estate Bella ran for Trish in the gardens. She had enough blood and violence for today. I was escorted to a first floor bathhouse. The Duke ensured me Trish would come with a fresh set of clothes. I stripped naked and left my stained armor for servants to clean. I entered the steamy water and five minutes later Trish joined me. She was diligent in cleaning me. I had my post battle sex and then soaked in my bath for at least an hour.
∞∞∞
I was dressed in fresh noble clothing. A loose white tunic with a collar and tan leather pants. I was clean and energized to get back to Kikra. Trish, Bella, and I ate an early lunch of salad with bison strips. There was some delicious venison that I gobbled two plates of. We had a great time chatting while we ate. When it was time to leave I got kisses and goodbyes. Bella had no interest in coming with me again and I let her stay. Duke Riza was interested in going on this trip so we headed down to the portal area.
“What will you do with your ogre heart?” I asked as we contoured our way through the slums deciding to break our silent walk. The streets were cleaner than when I first visited. With the winter chill, I saw some residents shivering not prepared for the cold.
“I was thinking of a layered cavern. Not expansive like Dais, but instead with ten foot floors with stairs. I like your mushroom idea. If I can get a mushroom farm built I can fill the entire quota with them. The reports of how fast they are growing in Xiq is really impressive. Runtlets and many other animals do not need that much sunshine either. I guess I could do rats maybe. There are very few limitations placed on what is allowed by the Horde quota. The main restriction is feeding Horde to the Horde… which makes sense. I heard you got some sandworm hearts and that other ogre heart.” Duke Riza said as we passed people waving to us from behind our escort of lightly armored guards.
“If you do the layered cavern I will send lava stones to beat back the worst of the winter for your residents. If I forget to get this done. Send word to Bella to tell Amber you caught the voles. As for my heart, I don’t know yet what I intend to do. My treasury is doing well, and the Empress wants a castle. Probably a castle is my best answer. One built to withstand far more than the Horde dealt with before. The wives want to add a lot to it. If they plan it right we should call it home for a very long time. Why? Are you interested in coming with me to Kikra?”
Duke Riza reflected on this then answered. “I want to see what the universe holds. Seeing that elvath should not have shocked me. You call them elves or elvath?” He asked and I said elvath.
When we reached the portal Roz awaited us with three sacks of stones. I was interested to hear how her trades went. When Riza and I got close enough she spoke.
“I had to portal a few times to get the deals done. I can move us back to Kikra and then return with no more than a few thousand souls today. It will have to do. I will then need to recover with my harem for twenty four hours. We can probably purchase more than I can move today and pay storage with handling fees. After I recover I can move probably twenty thousand a day, maybe more. You have enough in stones here now to be buying a lot of slaves. Let me start with the male elvath. That guy was a conceded asshole. I don’t think he would have gotten along with you. You are a killer, and a savage to be certain. You also are nice and cordial. That elvath loved to swear which I noticed you avoid. I traded him to a breeder family that is renowned for its stock. They said they had many female elvath for trade, but on an isolated planet called Entria. When you are ready there are five thousand female elvath waiting to conclude your deal. You can always revert the deal to souls instead, but we got more females worth of value than raw currency. If that makes sense. I politely refused a tour because I needed to conclude the arena business and told them I would return soon with another servant to help select the females.
“The arena went to a rival arena master. I sold it cheap and he jumped at the offer. Literally jumped with joy. I cared not and I wouldn’t if I were you either. You got twenty bibles worth of stones for that stupid colosseum. I transacted quickly and was out before someone could protest. The funds, unfortunately, have to sit in escrow for fourteen days. There is still plenty to utilize for my bible sales and the little I won from gambling on your victory. You showed no fear in losing so I tho
ught it was a good bet.
“There was an adverse reaction to you winning the event. Human slaves have soared in value. I am sure they will plummet again, but for now, I would avoid buying them. It will take time for slavers to learn not all humans are as mighty as you, master. If you are ready we can tour the elvath planet or go tour the general sales. Do know the tour will be lengthy and you may miss out on some sales in the general market. The event did bring a lot to the market. There is a bank I can take us to. They will hold our funds in reserve for a fee and that way we don’t have to trudge around with three bags of stones. I wanted to do this first but did not have your permission.”
I grumbled and mumbled to myself. Upset that buying humans was inopportune. It was my goal to free many from slavery not increase their desired worth. Duke Riza noticed my frustration and stayed quiet. It irked me how something so drastic could occur with my single impact.
“Bank first, then open market. We can always tour the elvath planet Entria at any time. I am most curious about it all.” I said to Roz. She ejected her magic into a portal and we stepped through.
∞∞∞
A new landing pad greeted me as we returned to Kikra. There were no large obstructive walls or doorways to pass through. Instead, there was a giant square with thousand of smaller squares. The openness and the deafening crowd noise of the millions of Horde was slightly disorientating. Shamans were each on their own pads, ferried small groups, back and forth. There were thousands of Horde moving from the insertion area and onto the clogged roads. Shamans, cyclops, orc chieftains, and the odd alien were in the midst of the crowded streets. A few brightly colored aliens brought contrast to the green and grey skinned swarm.
Roz led us off the pad as she lugged the three sacks of stones. I snatched two and handed one to Riza. She immediately sped up. The Duke never hesitated, he kept pace with us not letting the mass of enemy mixed with unique aliens deter him. We headed straight for a large five story wooden structure. Unlike the block colosseum, this was finely carved wood. As we walked up the set of stairs I noticed the columns were a cedar wood that danced with swirling colors. Projecting from each support cylinder was intricately carved mermaids and fairies. The art was exquisite and the detail was incredible. I realized I had dropped back behind Roz and caught up.