Rescue

by R. A. Mejia

  Before heading home from training, I visit Charles the Blacksmith and chat with him about making me a special knife for tomorrow. We work late into the night figuring out the details of what I’d planned in design mode.

  After a good night’s rest, I’m up early the next day ready to face off against ‘Killer’ Kyle. As I anxiously sit in the gladiator locker rooms, I find my left leg bouncing up and down nervously. I can’t help but be filled with this fidgety energy, and my mind keeps wondering if I’ll be able to beat Kyle or if I should have trained harder or thought of some better plan of attack.

  “Armon Ellington?”

  I snap out of my reverie when I hear my name called and look up to see a man in official Colosseum robes looking around. I get up and grab my medium shield and spear and then follow the man out of the locker room through several hallways to a set of stairs that lead to the Colosseum grounds.

  The official I’m following holds out a hand stopping me from entering the field.

  The announcer's voice cuts through the sounds of the crowd and says, “Next up is an appetizer fight for you folks. ‘Killer’ Kyle versus the artificer from the Familia Pontius, Armon!”

  As the announcer says my name, the official holding me back pushes me forward onto the field. Bright light from the sun above blinds me momentarily, and as it clears, I look up and see the four stories of the Colosseum looming over me. The four stories’ worth of seats are nowhere near filled, but much of the first floor is. The crowd is definitely not on my side, and I hear the majority of the crowd booing me.

  Across the Colosseum, Kyle steps onto the field, and the crowd cheers as he raises his twin swords into the air.

  I quickly check that my shield is in place on my left arm, the newly made dagger with the custom amethyst in its center at my back, and the spear in my right hand. I chose a relatively light armor mix for the fight today. No chest armor in the tradition of the Familia Pontius, but padded leather along my arms and thighs. I’m relying on my shield to provide the majority of my defense. My current setup has a total defense of fourteen, but the weight limit is just under what I need to be able to use my dodge skills. The voice of the announcer catches my attention.

  “This match will feature two separate disadvantages purchased by Killer Kyle. The first disadvantage is hobble, a simple rope that is tied around the wearer’s waist with the other end of the rope being secured to the ground. The second disadvantage is Blind, a magical spell that will cause blindness for thirty seconds.”

  As the announcer speaks, a group of robed officials approaches me. A rope about as thick as my forearm is tied around my waist with the other end attached to a stake that is pounded into the ground. Another robed official mutters an arcane spell, waves his hands in exotic motions, and then my vision goes completely black.

  I’m startled at first and try to wave my hand in front of my face. But, no, still blind. I feel the people around me leave and hear the announcer shout, “The match will begin in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Go!”

  By the time the announcer says ‘go,’ I’ve begun enacting my plan to beat Kyle. We’d already suspected that he’d use the hobble detriment. He seems to like being the only one who has mobility. I stab the spear in my right hand into the ground and grab the rope at my waist. I feel along with one hand until I get to the end attached to the ground. I quickly use spellwriting to form the arcane symbol for ‘fire’ over the thick rope and pour my mana into the symbol. I hear the rope begin to burn and feel the heat as it catches fire.

  While part of my mind is focusing on streaming mana to the spell, another part is acutely aware of the sounds around me.

  “Oh, Armon is using some kind of magic to try and burn through the rope tying him down. Will he be able to finish before Kyle can reach him?” the announcer asks.

  I can not only hear the strands of rope burning away but also the sound of someone approaching. As the sound gets closer, I hear the distinct sound of metal on metal and realize that Kyle is going to open with his special move. The announcer confirms my suspicions.

  “Oh, it looks like Kyle wants to end this match quickly. He’s already using one of his signature moves, Battosai Cross Blade attack!”

  I know I’m out of time and activate [Sidestep]. The rope at my waist goes taunt for a moment but then snaps, and I’m propelled to the side with magically-enhanced speed. I trip on something and find myself rolling in the dirt. Thankfully, the magical blindness that has been affecting me ends as I scramble to my feet.

  The announcer cries out, and the crowd boos as Kyle’s special move misses. While my vision has returned, I’m still on defense since I only have the shield equipped on my left arm. A quick scan of the area shows my spear still sticking up from the ground. Unfortunately, to get to the weapon, I’d have to somehow race past Kyle, who is fervently trying to slash and stab at me with his two swords. His blades twist and whirl in a dizzying pattern as they try to get past my shield. If I weren’t trying to defend against his attacks, I’d find the sight quite interesting to study. But, as it is, I need to focus on just keeping my shield between his swords and myself.

  Damage received: 7

  As Kyle’s off-hand weapon gets around my shield and slashes my unarmored torso, I start to question the intelligence of not wearing body armor. However, if I had heavier armor on, I couldn’t have used [Sidestep] since it requires that I not be weighed down with too much armor. I need to change things up, or I’ll be defeated from a hundred small cuts.

  Still trying to cover my vulnerable body with my shield, I stop backing away from Kyle and reverse direction. A small smile appears on Kyle’s face as he realizes he won’t have to chase me around anymore. His blades work overtime slashing and stabbing at me.

  Damage received: 15

  Damage received: 5

  I take a few slashes to my legs from his sword, but I’m too close now to him for his weapons to be effective. From the look on Kyle’s face, I don’t think he expected me to get quite this close. Before he can back away, I activate [Shield Bash].

  Damage Dealt: 5 (Shield Bash)

  I get lucky and stun Kyle with the attack. He shakes his head, trying to shake off the stun effect, but I’m determined not to let this opportunity go to waist. I still have on the special gloves Dyblex made for me that add force damage to my unarmed attacks. I active the one on my right hand while at the same time activating [Multipunch]. I feel a pull on my mana as the glove glows blue, then a pull on my stamina as [Multipunch] activates. My right fist blurs as it strikes out at Kyle’s face, not once but four times with quick jabs.

  Damage Dealt: 12+4 (Multipunch, Force)

  While [Multipunch] has a chance of also stunning an opponent, it doesn’t do it this time. By the time my final punch hits Kyle, the stun from the shield bash has worn off. He slashes wildly with his main sword, and I quickly have to pivot to get my shield up in time to deflect it. Kyle activates some ability, and his body blurs for a moment, then he’s two feet farther back than he was a second ago.

  “It looks like Kyle did not like that combination of attacks from Armon. He’s used Phantom Step, a quick escape ability that creates a blurred image of Kyle while letting him invisibly take exactly two steps away in any direction. It’s a good ability to use when you’re in trouble, but it has a long cooldown timer,” the announcer says.

  While Kyle has created some distance between the two of us, I look up at his health bar to see how much damage I’ve dealt. My stomach sinks when I see that, even though I’ve gotten in a couple good attacks, his health is only down by twenty percent while mine is already down to about half. Again, I fume at my own stupid squishiness. Still, the battle isn’t over, and I have more tricks up my sleeves.

  My eyes return to Kyle as he widens his stance and raises his blades. His whole body glows and blurs, and then six exact copies of Kyle step away and quickly surround me.

  “It looks like Kyle is using his Phantom Clone ability. He seems to finally be taking
his opponent seriously after he was surprised with that shield bash and unarmed strike combo,” the announcer tells the crowd. They cheer, seeing Kyle use his signature move.

  I, however, am focused on figuring out which one of these clones is the real Kyle. The next part of my plan requires that I know exactly which one is real. I try to use the training I’d gone through these last two days and listen for Kyle’s footsteps, but the crowd is just too loud to hear anything except it and the announcer. Frustrated, I try to look for any details that might give away the illusion. What makes this difficult is that each clone doesn’t mirror the movements of the others. Instead, each moves like a distinct individual. Some step to the left, others to the right. One slashes at me with his main sword, while another tries to stab me with his off-hand sword.

  Unlike when Vrax was fighting Kyle, I’m free to move around the field, and I do. It’s a delaying tactic at best, but it forces all six Kyles to move with me. As I hug my shield to my body, I reach behind my back and grab the knife there.

  “It looks like Armon has pulled out his backup weapon, a short-bladed knife. I don’t know what he thinks he’s going to do with that, but the book makers are betting that he won’t last another five minutes now that Kyle has him surrounded.

  As the phantom clones slash at me, I try to block each attack with my shield and slash back with my dagger. But again and again, the attacks connect only with air as the blade passes through an illusionary Kyle.

  Damage Received: 12

  A sharp stab to my back forces me to twirl around, but three Kyles stand there, grinning at me. I think to look at their blades to see which has blood, hoping that will tip me off to the real Kyle, but they all have blood on their blades. I realize that I’m never going to be able to figure out which is the real Kyle based on visual cues. Whatever magic Kyle is using updates his clones’ appearance to match his own.

  Instead, I take a chance. I use [Sidestep] to get away from an incoming attack and then run. I turn tail abruptly and sprint to the side of the arena where the field meets the Colosseum wall and put my back to it. Kyle isn’t expecting the move and calmly watches me run away from him. All six versions of him point at me with their swords and then look around at the crowd. The audience in the stands begin to laugh and jeer me. Even the announcer gets in a verbal blow.

  “Armon seems to have realized just how outclassed he his and is running away now. I don’t know if he realizes that his mommy isn’t in that direction!”

  I ignore the jeering crowd. I’m near the 10% health limit, and I’m going to lose the match unless I figure out how to tell real Kyle from the fake ones. But I can only see one way to do it. With my back protected, I enter a defensive stance and close my eyes. Time seems to slow as my mind tries to enter a meditative state. I know my body will be vulnerable, but I need the focus meditation allows me.

  In my inner mind, I float without a body, surrounded by every thought, emotion, and sensation. In front of me, there is a single flame. I picture myself feeding all my unnecessary distractions into the flame. I toss in my fear of losing, worry about my friends’ disappointment, and even the excitement of the battle into the flame. The flame consumes them. I add in the stray thoughts like the ones about my group’s bigger purpose in Attilius, what I’ll have for dinner, or if it will hurt if Kyle stabs my spleen. The flames consume them. I even throw into the flame the physical sensations I’m feeling. The shallow cuts burning my skin. The taste of the sweat running down my face. The weight of the shield on my tired arm. Most importantly, I toss into the flame the distracting sounds of the crowd. I feed everything to the flame until my mind only perceives what I need. There. The sound of boots pressing against the dirt. The creak of worn leather armor rubbing against itself. The jingle of a loose metal guard on one of his swords. There. I have him.

  My eyes open, and time returns to normal. All the Kyles are still trying to rile the crowd and put on a good show. I stare directly at the real Kyle. He’s the second one from the left. A notification pops up, but I dismiss it without looking at it. I don’t want to lose my quarry. Without blinking or looking at my own weapon, I raise the hand holding my dagger up above my head like I’m reaching back to scratch my head. Then, pressing down on the amethyst embedded into the knife’s handle, I throw it forward in one smooth motion. Real Kyle’s eyes widen as he realizes I know where he his. The knife flies toward him in a wobbly path through the air. Kyle tries to block the throw with one of his swords, but his blade is just too far away to catch it. His expression shifts from worry to laughter when he realizes that he need not have bothered as the knife passes harmlessly between his legs and into the ground with a thud.

  The announcer groans, and the crowd begins to laugh louder. “And now he’s thrown away his only remaining weapon. Perhaps Armon should give up fighting and join the circus as a clown! It seems like he’s doing a better job making the audience laugh than harming his opponent!”

  The announcer says something else about me needing to run away again, but I ignore him. I was never particularly good at throwing knives, but Keans had taught me the skill when we were traveling through the desert. Still, my throw is good enough. I can’t help but smile, knowing that only I seem to notice the glowing light from the amethyst on the knife handle. The next second, a burst of magical energy seeps from the amethyst, down the blade of the dagger, and into the ground. The ground beneath the knife loosens and is infused with water. Kyle notices something is going on beneath his feet, but not recognizing the effect, he is slow to try and move. Before he can activate his own special ability to dash away, the ground beneath his feet is turned to quicksand. Kyle sinks to his knees instantly and, unbalanced, he falls forward. He panics as his body beings to sink, and he loses his grip on his swords as he tries to swim through the muck. But the quicksand keeps pulling him down, and all his efforts only quicken his descent.

  The entire Colosseum falls silent as the crowd watches Kyle struggle. I’m glad that Kyle was too concerned with making the crowd laugh at me to chase after me. Otherwise, I may not have been able to get outside the radius of the quicksand effect. I know exactly how much mana I fed into the modified Amethyst Quicksand Grenade I attached to the dagger I crafted. So, knowing that I have a moment to spare, I jog to retrieve the spear I’d embedded into the ground earlier. As I head back to Kyle with my weapon in hand, I note that the crowd is watching silently. Only when I start to stab the man in the back and head as he lies helpless does the crowd react. They start to boo and hiss, not appreciating my methods. I ignore them, knowing it’s not exactly sporting to stab a defenseless opponent but not caring one iota. I’m in it to win it.

  By the time the mana in the amethyst runs out and the ground returns to normal, I’ve dropped Kyle down below ten percent health and won the match. The announcer declares my victory to the continued boos of the crowd. As bottles and food are thrown at me, I grab my special knife from the ground and leave the Colosseum sands immediately to avoid any more critical feedback from the displeased crowd. In the locker room, the other gladiators nod respectfully towards me, and one even congratulates me on my victory. There are a few mutters about cheaters getting what they deserve, but I’m not sure if the jab is directed at me or Kyle.

  An official comes by shortly after. The man is wearing the robes of the Colosseum but has salt and pepper hair, telling me he’s likely been here for a while. “Well, Artificer Armon, that was certainly a surprise turn around. I don’t think anyone expected you to win.” I’m not sure, but I think I see a small smile on the man’s face as he speaks. But his expression becomes stoic once again as he continues. “I’m required to inform you that Kyle has logged an official complaint about you cheating. He claims you used unfair tactics and magic to disable him.”

  My stomach drops a little at the statement. After all the effort I put into coming up with an effective strategy, am I still going to lose?

  “But his claim has been denied. All the weapons you used were cleare
d through your familia before the match ever started. It’s up to the opponent to research what their competitors are capable of. Just as I’m sure you did research about what Kyle could do, Kyle should have done a modicum of research about what an artificer could do.” He holds out a hand for me to shake. “Congratulations, you’ve won your first match at the Silver Level.”

  You’ve won a gladiator match at the Silver Level. You’re awarded 30 XP, a 5 silver purse, and 200 gladiator points for this fight.