Champion of the Titan Games

by Brandon Mull

  Her eyes returned to Seth, burning with hate.

  “I don’t think we’re supposed to kill people here,” he said.

  Growling, she sprang forward, lashing out with one leg. Seth skipped aside, and she kicked the wall instead.

  “Seriously?” Seth asked.

  She kicked at him again, and Seth caught her booted foot, leaving her balanced on one leg, truncated arm flailing. Still holding her foot, Seth started walking toward her, forcing her to hop backwards.

  “Who are you really?” Seth asked. “Who do you work for?”

  Jumping and turning, Lydia twisted her leg free from Seth’s grasp and tumbled to the floor. She struggled awkwardly to her feet, then ran off down the passageway.

  Panting from the stress and exertion, Seth watched her flee. The woman clearly worked for his enemies. Ronodin? The Sphinx? The Underking? The dragons? Humbuggle? It was hard to guess who his biggest enemy was anymore.

  He could not remember seeing the woman before, but she had seen him despite his shade walking, and she had known his name. Lydia had become so flustered when he had grilled her about Kendra that he doubted she actually knew his sister. Had she been serious about tasting her? Could Lydia be a monster or a dragon in human form? Was Kendra all right?

  Seth debated about whether he should chase the green-haired woman. Lydia was fast, and she was heading back the way he had come. What if she rounded up reinforcements? And what would he do if he caught her? He’d had her by the foot before she ran away, and that had yielded little. He decided it would be smarter to keep looking for clues about the Games.

  At the junction where the passage forked, Seth took the branch Lydia had used. He didn’t have to go far before the passage ended at a steel door. It was locked, and Seth could see no keyhole or other means to open it.

  Placing a palm against the cold metal, Seth focused on the dark power inside himself. He mentally probed the door, calling upon it to open, and felt considerable resistance. Gritting his teeth, Seth insisted with all his effort, and, after a trembling moment, an unseen locking mechanism released.

  Seth opened the door to find a more polished corridor beyond, the air still and cold, the stone walls black and smooth. When Seth released the door, it started to close. He considered propping it open before deciding a closed door might help foil Lydia if she found help and came after him.

  He advanced along the hall, impressed by the reflective finish of the black walls, ceiling, and floor, lit by the occasional dim crystal. A bronze door came into view at the far end of the hall, but before he reached it, Seth noticed a silver door on his right out of the corner of his eye.

  When Seth turned to face the silver door, it was gone.

  He immediately thought of the door to the shop that Virgil had shown him. Seth returned his gaze to the distant bronze door until the silver door appeared again at the edge of his vision. Stepping carefully, keeping the silver door barely in sight, Seth drew nearer, then reached out and caught hold of the handle. This time, the silver door remained when he looked at it directly, and Seth hoisted it open.

  Beyond the doorway, he encountered a natural cavern bristling with bluish, glowing crystals. Seth waited in the doorway, astonished at how the quartzlike crystals covered every wall and protuberance in the room while leaving the floor and ceiling bare. The even blue glow emanating from all directions left the room shadowless, though not very bright.

  Seth entered the room. The crystals were all roughly the size of his finger. When he drew near to a cluster of them, they glowed a little brighter, and he could hear them faintly vibrating. He cautiously extended a hand to touch one.

  “Don’t,” a voice commanded.

  Seth jumped and turned, letting out an involuntary yelp.

  A gaunt man with a fringe of white hair approached. He was a few inches shorter than Seth, with a large mole prominent on one cheek. His long robe hid his feet.

  “You do not belong here,” the man accused.

  “I’m a participant in the Games,” Seth argued.

  The man shook his head and waved his hands. “Move away from the crystals.”

  Seth took a couple of steps away.

  “Why have you come here?” the man asked.

  “I’m trying to figure out the Games,” Seth said.

  “Don’t you mean win the Games?”

  Seth shook his head. He figured honesty was his best chance for information. “I lost my memories. I want them back.”

  The man seemed to relax a little. “How did you lose them?”

  “Stormguard Castle,” Seth said.

  “I regret to inform you that your memories are not here,” the man said. “You should depart.”

  “What is this place?” Seth asked.

  “A private repository where you are trespassing,” the man said. “A sanctuary where you could cause great harm.”

  “To the Games?” Seth asked.

  “To innocent lives,” the man said.

  “What about my life?” Seth asked. “Humbuggle wasn’t shy about harming me. Maybe if I smash some of his precious crystals I can finally get some payback.” Seth stormed over to a dense cluster of crystals and raised a threatening hand.

  “Stop!” the man exclaimed. “You don’t understand the consequences!”

  “Then tell me,” Seth insisted.

  “Listen,” the man said. “Certain competitors are granted access down here because learning Humbuggle’s secrets is part of the Games. Since you’re forcing my hand, I’ll tell you a little about this sanctum, and then you must depart.”

  “Deal,” Seth said.

  “You get nothing if you harm a single crystal,” the man said. “And you must keep this information to yourself.”

  “Sure.”

  “That means you promise to tell nobody,” the man emphasized.

  Seth thought of Virgil. “All right.”

  The man held out his hand. “I’m Willard.”

  Seth shook it. “Seth.”

  Willard gestured at the crystals surrounding them. “This is the Crystal Hollow. This is where the gladiators hibernate and heal until they are called upon to rejoin the combat.”

  Seth surveyed the room. “Where are they?”

  “Each crystal houses a life force,” Willard explained.

  Seth reconsidered the expansive cavern. “There are so many.”

  “All of them virtually immortal,” Willard said.

  “How do they come out?” Seth asked.

  Willard walked over to a waist-high pillar of stone. “When the time comes for a combatant to return, I harvest their crystal and place it in the slot.” He indicated a socket in the surface of the pillar.

  “And a person comes out?” Seth asked.

  “A gladiator emerges from a chamber elsewhere beneath the coliseum,” Willard said. “That’s outside my purview.”

  “You watch over the crystals,” Seth said.

  “I just follow orders,” Willard said. “Along with a few others. We take shifts.”

  “Exciting job?” Seth asked.

  “You’ll note some crystals are dimmer than others,” Willard said. “The dim ones represent injured warriors. They receive extra care until they achieve full health.”

  “How long are people trapped here?” Seth asked.

  “They rest here,” Willard said. “It’s like sleep. Hibernation. They relax and heal.”

  “And lose their memories,” Seth said.

  “Their memories are not taken,” Willard said. “Not stripped away like yours. They are simply . . . submerged. I help that process along.”

  “How?” Seth asked.

  Willard clasped his hands behind his back. “Let’s say magic. Leave it at that.”

  “You shouldn’t mess with their memories,” Seth said.

>   “It isn’t my policy,” Willard said. “I’m performing my job. Those above me consider the submerging of memories a mercy. Some of these fighters have been here for a very long time and have accumulated many lifetimes of trauma.”

  “I would want to keep my memories,” Seth said. “I would rather understand my situation.”

  “The choice would not be yours to make,” Willard said. “I suspect the great majority would thank me for hiding the vastness of this experience from them. Now you know about the Crystal Hollow. You arrived here haphazardly. Please do not return.”

  “Are there other secrets of the Games down here?” Seth asked.

  Willard smiled, his upper teeth uncommonly prominent. “There are secrets about the Games everywhere.”

  “How do I get out of here?” Seth asked.

  “I recommend you backtrack all the way to daylight,” Willard said.

  “I ran into some trouble on my way in,” Seth said. “An alternate exit would help.”

  “I’ll grant no extra favors,” Willard said. “You should hurry. Security will soon be summoned to oust you. I’ll give you a head start, in case you would rather see yourself out.”

  Seth gave the cavern a final sweeping glance. “All right. Have fun down here.”

  Willard offered a faint smile. “Enjoy your Games.”

  Pungent smoke percolated through the holes of a brass incense burner on the corner of the expansive desk. Seated together, Kendra, Vanessa, Warren, and Tanu watched Dectus pace back and forth, hands moving animatedly as he talked.

  “You four did very well in Stratos,” the giant said.

  “We got caught,” Kendra said.

  “But you returned with the map,” Dectus said. “And Madam Ladonna weighed you, taking the guesswork out of your motives.”

  “You got what you expected,” Warren said.

  Dectus held up a finger. “I had to be sure about you. I hoped for this outcome. And not a moment too soon. The Perennial Storm has been spotted.”

  “You’re kidding,” Vanessa said.

  “The storm visits here every seven years, give or take a couple of weeks,” Dectus said.

  “How bad is the storm?” Kendra asked.

  “It’s enchanted,” Tanu said. “The storm roves the magical world, never ending, bringing torrential showers and brilliant displays of lightning.”

  “I heard it hailed gold for a while on Isla del Dragón,” Warren said.

  “Legends about the storm abound,” Dectus said. “We know thunderbirds flock inside those tenebrous clouds. But, most important, we know the entrance to our Dragon Temple opens only when the Perennial Storm is present.”

  “You want us to go out in the Perennial Storm?” Vanessa asked.

  “Sounds about right,” Warren murmured.

  “My most trusted courier will bear you safely there,” Dectus said. “Even giants respect the Perennial Storm, but, in a pinch, we sky giants can brave any weather.”

  “I heard at its peak there can be a thousand lightning strikes a minute,” Vanessa said.

  “Maybe at the very heart of the storm,” Dectus said. “We will insulate Bernosh and his passengers against lightning. The primary question is whether you will undertake the quest for the Harp of Ages.”

  “What do you know about the guardians of the temple?” Warren asked.

  “We have no details,” Dectus said. “Expect three monsters or dragons of great renown.”

  “How do we open the door?” Tanu asked.

  “You will need to use the lightning key while the storm is raging,” Dectus said.

  “You have the key?” Tanu asked.

  Dectus pointed at the map.

  Kendra looked at the parchment. “Ptolemy and the lightning key,” Kendra read, tapping the labeled spot.

  “Use the map to find the lair of Ptolemy,” Dectus said. “Take the key from him.”

  “Who is Ptolemy?” Kendra asked.

  “A three-headed giant,” Warren said. “Really tough customer.”

  “You need not defeat him,” Dectus said. “You just need the key.”

  “Ptolemy is notoriously unpredictable,” Vanessa said.

  “And the Dragon Temple will be more perilous still,” Dectus said. “Will you make the attempt, or should I find other champions?”

  “The Harp of Ages puts dragons to sleep?” Kendra asked.

  “By the hundreds, provided they are within range,” Dectus said.

  Kendra looked to Tanu. “We have to stop Celebrant. But we also need to find Seth.”

  “You go after Seth,” Tanu said. “Warren, Vanessa, and I can chase down the Harp.”

  “If you’re going to the Dragon Temple, you need a dragon tamer,” Kendra said.

  “We have potions,” Tanu responded.

  Kendra shook her head. “I don’t think Seth wants to be found, but the satyrs can take Knox and Tess to look for him while we go after the Harp. If we lose the dragon war, we’re all doomed.”

  “I can help your friends make their way to Humburgh,” Dectus said. “If your brother has interest in Humbuggle and the Titan Games, it is the sensible place to investigate.”

  A human-sized door opened and Raza entered, bowing. “Apologies, Dectus, but you have a visitor.”

  “I explicitly directed we not be disturbed,” Dectus said.

  “Understood, your excellency, but this is an emergency visitor seeking Kendra Sorenson,” Raza explained. “I believe her message is urgent and perhaps relevant to your discussion.”

  “Very well,” Dectus said, sounding intrigued.

  Raza stepped aside, and a human-sized fairy came through the door, one wing mostly torn off, soiled and limping. Her golden hair was tangled, and what remained of her wings blazed in fiery colors, matching her slip. “Kendra Sorenson?” the fairy called.

  Dectus strode to her, crouched, and carried her to the desk. The fairy gave a feeble smile and bowed her head. “I’m sorry it took me so long. I had to walk from the fairy shrine because my wing was damaged.”

  Kendra felt deep alarm that something might have happened to Bracken. “What is your news?” she asked.

  The fairy’s chin quivered and she collapsed, sobbing. “I never imagined I would utter these words. The Fairy Realm has fallen.”

  “What?” Kendra asked. “Is Bracken all right?”

  “Nobody is all right,” the fairy said. “Ronodin has claimed the Fairy Queen’s crown.”

  Kendra could not move. She could find no words.

  “That’s impossible,” Warren said.

  The fairy shook her head. “The former Fairy King sent me to find you after Ronodin claimed the crown. My former king wanted me to tell you the fall of the Fairy Realm was his fault. He also wanted me to assure you that after I came through, he would seal off the Titan Valley fairy shrine.”

  “How was the fall his fault?” Kendra asked.

  “The former Fairy King let Ronodin inside,” the fairy said. “And many dragons.”

  “Why do you call him the former Fairy King?” Kendra asked. “Was he killed?”

  “Ronodin is the new Fairy King,” the fairy said.

  “Then shouldn’t you be serving him?” Vanessa asked.

  The fairy held up her hand. “This bracelet from the former Fairy King enables me to act independently of the new king.”

  “Why would the Fairy King admit Ronodin to the Fairy Realm?” Kendra asked.

  “I don’t believe he was himself,” the fairy said. “When he spoke to me, the former Fairy King was devastated.”

  “Is Bracken alive?” Kendra asked, trying to brace herself for the worst.

  “Before I departed, I believed he and the Fairy Queen had been captured,” the fairy said. “I cannot confirm their current fate.”

 
“What is your name?” Kendra asked.

  “Gwendolyn,” the fairy replied.

  “You’re injured,” Kendra said.

  The fairy whimpered. “I feel faint.”

  “Does this mean Ronodin controls the fairies?” Kendra asked, extending a hand to steady Gwendolyn.

  “All fairies who serve in the Fairy Realm,” the fairy said. “And most other fairies everywhere. He also controls the astrids, nymphs, and satyrs who swore fealty to the crown. Especially those who remain in the realm. All except the unicorns. They had power to resist him.”

  “This is a nightmare,” Kendra said.

  “We tried to repel him,” Gwendolyn said. “Once Ronodin claimed the crown, we were helpless.”

  “He had dragons with him?” Kendra asked.

  “The dragons gave him clout,” the fairy said. “And some demons helped. A few wizards.” She coughed and stumbled. “I don’t feel so . . .” Gwendolyn collapsed flat on the table.

  Vanessa rushed to the fairy’s side and stroked her cheek. “She’s unconscious but alive,” Vanessa reported.

  “Could this be a trick?” Warren asked. “The Fairy Realm has always been untouchable.”

  “That was before the fairies took over the demon prison,” Vanessa said. “The Fairy Realm was protected by purity. We saw the darkness gaining inroads there.”

  “Forgive me,” Dectus said. “This must be reported to the Giant Queen immediately.”

  “Of course,” Tanu said.

  Dectus set Kendra and her companions to the floor, including the unconscious fairy. Then he crossed to the door, pausing to issue orders to Raza. “See that Kendra and her friends have any assistance they need.” Dectus exited.

  “This is what Ronodin wanted all along,” Kendra said. “We have to get the crown from him.”

  “Kendra,” Tanu said. “This is a tragedy worse than the fall of any sanctuary. But without a fairy shrine, we have no way to go help.”

  “Be glad the Fairy King closed it,” Vanessa said. “He may have saved Titan Valley by doing so. If the shrine remained active, Ronodin would have unrestricted access to the sanctuary.”