Bloodfall Arena

by J. A. Ludwig

  “Sometimes.” He turns to her, his cold eyes meeting hers. “I don’t usually get to come out of my cell. They didn’t like how short my fights were.”

  “I’m sure it got boring to watch you kill without a conscience. This audience seems to like watching people with emotions,” Aya says, remembering Quin’s screams for help before Leid killed her.

  “You’re probably right. There’s no spectacle when I fight. I don’t see the need. If you’re going to kill someone, do it.”

  The crowd cheers and Aya returns her attention to the arena. One man is using his double-bladed spear to break away chunks of the earth engulfing his feet. The other man is struggling to free his spear from a tower of ice. Yme runs up to the man with his feet caught, and wraps the chain still attached to his left wrist around the man’s throat.

  “The others said you were put in here after you killed your family and a village,” Aya says.

  Leid takes a deep breath, the smallest crack in his emotionless façade. “My family was dying. I released them from their pain. But the village...” he fades off. “That was for fun.” She cannot tell whether he is serious or hiding something.

  The man Yme strangled falls to the ground, unconscious. Yme grabs the double spear before it hits the ground and stabs the other man in the back. The bell rings, ending the fight.

  It doesn’t take long for the arena workers to clear the floor, and the next fighters to enter the arena. Aya stares at the metal in the skin of a man and woman fighter: studded silver piercings cover their arms, legs, and torsos. The woman holds a sword in each hand. The man carries a metal whip with spikes.

  “If I fought Yme, perhaps I would give the spectacle the audience wants,” Leid says.

  Chills run through her. I think I liked him better when he didn’t talk.

  Yme struggles with the two fighters. Something about how they move seems to give him trouble. Aya watches the man with the whip carefully and realizes why. He and the woman are blind, but they easily dodge Yme’s attacks, sometimes with barely a move. The woman manages to slice Yme’s side. The man uses the whip to keep Yme’s attention away from the woman.

  Are they using magic? How else can they dodge his moves so easily? Aya finds herself wishing she were inside the cage.

  The whip wraps around Yme’s right arm and the man pulls, forcing Yme to counterbalance. He pulls against the whip, but the woman moves behind him and prepares to stab him in the back with both swords. Yme takes a deep breath and releases it forcefully, sending a whoosh of air in front of him. The force of the wind sends him into the woman behind him. The man with the whip is yanked to his knees but keeps the whip tight on Yme’s arm.

  The tries to avoid Yme’s body, but Yme slams into her and pulls one of the larger piercings in her side free from her skin. She screams and swings both swords towards him, but he quickly pulls on the whip. The man pulls back with a surge of strength, clearing Yme of the blades.

  Yme turns and throws the metal piercing at the woman, hitting her in the face. The sharp metal cuts her cheek. Yme uses the distraction to kick a block of earth at her. The earth hits her in the stomach and knocks her onto her back. A wind gathers around Yme, kicking sand up into the air. The sand circles around him and the man with the whip.

  “Have you figured it out yet?” Leid asks.

  Aya shakes her head. “Figured out what?”

  “Why they’re pierced?”

  That’s the trick. “The metal piercing allows them to see.”

  “It allows them to sense everything around them. It’s a common trick used in the south eastern villages. It helps them hunt.”

  “So, it’s not magic?” Aya asks.

  His eyes move quickly, easily following the fighters in the sandstorm. “I didn’t say it wasn’t,” he says. “You don’t seem familiar with magic users, Rare Kind.” He turns to her, his emotionless eyes sending another chill down her spine.

  “I was the only one with magic in my village,” she tells him.

  “Most magic users come from the homes where their magic is common. They’ve learned to use it without thought. Like an extra limb or sense.” Leid returns his attention to the fight. “Or to fill in for a sense, in the case of these two.”

  Their magic is common... Yme must already know of it, then. Has he fought these two before, in his nine long years here?

  The sand stops and the man is on the ground, blood on his skin from where Yme tore many of the piercings free. Yme stands above him, holding the whip around the man’s throat, but loose enough the spikes don’t cause serious damage to his skin.

  The woman stands, her blank eyes filled with panic. “Nero?” She moves her head from side to side as though searching for her partner.

  Is it because Yme pulled out the piercings? She can’t see anymore? Aya wonders.

  “We concede!” the man, Nero, yells.

  The bell rings. The woman rushes towards the man, nearly crashing into Yme as he releases the whip and stands. The man quickly gets to his feet and grabs her. She touches him where the piercings were and releases a relieved sigh. They’re escorted out by the arena workers and the next fighters enter.

  Aya stares at Yme’s back. His breathing is heavy and blood drips from his hand. The spikes on the whip dug deep into his arm. He pulls water from a nearby trough and washes it from his arm, tearing his shirt to create a make-shift bandage. He glances behind him to Aya.

  Two down. Two to go.

  The next fight drags on for longer than Aya thought it might. She can tell Yme’s energy is draining. But even with his slower reactions, he manages to defeat the third pair of fighters. As he waits for the bodies to be cleared, he walks to the bars of the cage.

  Aya rushes to him, wondering if he needs something. “One more to go.”

  Laughing, Yme shakes his head. “That’s only nineteen fights. Not a round number, remember?”

  “What do you think they have planned?” Leid asks, appearing next to Aya.

  Yme glares at him, but Aya sees his will to argue fade. “I don’t know. But you two shouldn’t get comfortable.”

  Fear fills Aya. “Do you think they’ll have us fight each other?”

  “No. The others would still be here if that was it.”

  The bell rings, ending their conversation. Yme turns to face the two fighters and immediately fills the air with his magic. Wind blows around him and earth rises in front of him. He walks towards the two fighters and attacks.

  “We should sit, then. Reserve our energy,” Leid says, walking back to his seat.

  Aya doesn’t move. She watches the final fight with her hands squeezing the bars of the cage. The two fighting Yme are skilled. One uses magic to make weapons appear from thin air, but there’s a limit to where he can make them appear. The other is able to teleport short distances. Together they make it a difficult fight for Yme. The two fighters work well together. When the one teleports, the other makes sure a weapon is waiting for him wherever he appears.

  Yme is kept on the defensive, unable to attack the fighter who teleports. But when he tries to attack the conjurer, the teleporter appears behind him with a knife. Yme gathers earth on his back, creating a thick shield, but the conjurer adjusts with blunt weapons the teleporter can use to crack through the earth.

  The sun disappears behind the wall of the arena as Yme finally defeats the two fighters. Workers light torches throughout the arena, fighting back the darkness.

  Yme spits blood from his mouth, his bottom lip cut from a sneaky back-fisted punch from the teleporter. But that had been the teleporter’s mistake. He attacked from the front, and Yme was able to stab him with one of the weapons the conjurer left on the ground. The conjurer fell easily after Yme took out the teleporter.

  But the bell doesn’t ring to end the fight. No workers enter the cage to clear the bodies. Confusion fills Aya and the audience.

  Chapter 45

  “My dear audience,” Dolus Otho’s voice rings out over the confusion.
“Nineteen fights we have presented to you in honor of our Great King. But twenty will create our finale.”

  A breeze moves through the evening air, blowing Aya’s hair around her. The familiar tingling of magic in the air makes her skin crawl and she turns. Something isn’t right.

  “Our most gracious King has brought a special treat for you, our most enthusiastic of audiences. A treat from across the Great Sea.”

  A sound echoes in the arena and the audience grows anxious. Aya tries to feel where the magic is coming from but sees nothing. Her eyes move to Leid, who is staring upwards. She follows his gaze and gasps. A shadow is circling the arena high in the sky. She turns to see Yme has noticed the shadow, too.

  Workers surround the cage in tandem, more magic filling the air. Raising their arms, the workers close their hands into fists and pull back, as though pulling on invisible ropes. The cage shudders and the top opens. The spectacle entices the audience and they cheer excitedly.

  “From lands beyond the Great Sea, I present to you a beast of legend, a monster of magic.” Dolus Otho pauses, the excitement of the audience growing with each word. “The final challenger to face our Champion: The Deadly Volacerta!”

  The shadow in the sky drops to the ground, sending a large cloud of sand in the air. The ground shakes, Aya holding tight to the bars of the cage. Wincing against the cloud of sand, she can make out Yme backing towards the wall of the cage. His back touches the bars and his shoulders shake slightly.

  A low rumbling fills the air and the magic tingling over Aya’s skin increases. The cloud of sand settles and Aya’s breath catches in her throat.

  A massive, scaled beast stands in the center of the Cage of Conquest. A long, split tail hits the bars of the cage, sending shudders through the metal. Thick legs carry a lean, muscular body rippling with energy. Massive wings take the place of front legs, easily holding up the torso. Curved, sharp talons dig into the earth beneath the creature’s feet, thicker than a man’s arm. A triangular head sits at the end of a long neck, displaying massive spear-like teeth every time the large mouth opens. Eyes the color of fire sit deep within the head of the Volacerta, exhibiting an eerie intelligence as they scan Yme.

  Yme’s hands grip the bars behind him tightly.

  He’s afraid, Aya realizes. He can’t fight that thing alone. Aya pulls against the bars. She doesn’t think she’ll be able to open the heavy door, but she has to try. She bangs on the metal with her hands.

  The noise draws the attention of the Volacerta, and the beast growls loudly. Its eyes glow and the magic tingle in the air grows even louder. A glow fills the Volacerta’s throat and Aya’s eyes widen.

  Hands grab Aya and pull her away as flames erupt from the beast’s mouth. The fire blasts the spot Aya had been standing in, melting the metal of the cage. The flames catch surprised arena workers, who run screaming as the flames cover their bodies and they fall off the seating platform to the arena floor below. As the flames subside, the audience roars with approval.

  Aya stares at the hole where the door had been, glowing metal dripping to the ground. She turns to see Yme scooting away from the damage.

  “Not very smart to draw the attention of an angry Volacerta,” Leid says.

  Aya realizes he’s the one who pulled her clear of the flames. “We have to help him.”

  “What?”

  “Yme. He can’t fight that monster alone.” Aya scrambles to her feet, pulling free of Leid’s grip.

  Leid stands with her. “But it’s not my fight.”

  “Some fights start that way. But we decide when it’s time to make it our fight.” She doesn’t wait for his response. She hops through the melted hole into the cage and stays close to the wall, hurrying to Yme.

  The screeches of the Volacerta send fear through her, making her heart pound loudly in her ears. But she pushes to reach Yme. Kneeling down, she grabs his arm. He jumps at the sudden touch and stares at her with wide eyes.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Helping.” She pulls him to his feet. “You’re shaking.”

  Yme presses his back to the bars of the cage. He can only manage one word. “Fire.”

  Nodding, Aya turns her attention to the beast in front of them. “I gathered that after it nearly burned me alive.”

  “I can’t fight fire,” Yme says.

  “I’ve seen you fight worse things.”

  Yme’s eyes glance at her briefly before returning to the monster in front of them. “I can’t control fire.”

  “Neither can I, but the sharp claws and teeth frighten me more.” Aya takes his hand in hers. “Come on, champion. You going to let this be the end of your winning streak?”

  Yme squeezes her hand. “Daniil and Kylii would laugh me to the grave if I let that happen.”

  Leid appears on Aya’s other side. “Fine. This will be my fight, too.” He looks at Aya. “Only because I want to fight Yme another day.”

  Chapter 46

  “Can these do anything to that thing?” Aya asks, indicating the weapons remaining in the cage.

  “If I may,” Leid says, curiously polite for someone rumored to be a crazed killer. “I can take those things off your arms and legs.”

  Confusion fills Aya, but Leid grabs her right arm and takes off the chain still hanging from her wrist. He bends down and does the same to the one around her ankle.

  “How did you—” Aya starts.

  Leid waves his hand at Yme and the chains fall from his wrist and ankle. “I’m a metal mage. How did you think I killed an entire village?”

  Aya looks at Yme for an explanation, but he shakes his head. “I had no idea. He’s never used it before,” he says.

  Leid lifts his hand and Yme’s chains rise from the ground, floating to Leid’s hand. “I’ll make an exception today.”

  “But not before now?” Aya says.

  Leid stares at her. “I assume you’re speaking of the woman I killed earlier.”

  “Quin.”

  “Why put the target on my back for someone who was going to die anyway?”

  “Now isn’t the time for this,” Yme interjects, angrily.

  “Fine. Do you have any tips for fighting a...volatera?” Aya asks.

  “Volacerta. Don’t stand in front of it. Watch out for the tail. Watch out for the fire,” Leid says. He combines the chains into two long ones after detaching the ones on his ankle and wrist.

  “And the claws...?”

  “If you’re close enough to worry about the claws...” He leaves the sentence unfinished.

  Arena workers standing behind the Volacerta cautiously move forward and poke the beast with long poles. The Volacerta roars and swipes the bars of the cage with its tail, scaring the men back. But soon its attention turns to the three in front of it.

  Magic fills the air like a song, and its mouth glows. Leid runs clear and Aya grabs Yme’s arm, dragging him in the opposite direction. Flames erupt from the Volacerta’s mouth, and this time, it turns its head to follow Leid. He stays ahead of the flames and throws one of the long chains at the beast’s eye. The metal hits the fire-colored orb and the Volacerta roars, rearing back and swatting at the chain. Leid releases the chain and it snakes its way around the Volacerta’s throat. He squeezes his hand and the chain tightens.

  The Volacerta panics, scratching at its throat with the talons on its wings. Using the distraction, Aya moves behind Yme as he gathers earth and water. She places both hands on his back and brings her magic forward. She heals the wounds Yme received during the last four fights. His body shivers at the feeling of her magic healing him, but Aya can feel his magic growing as his body heals.

  Yme mixes the earth and water, creating thick mud. He throws the mud at the Volacerta, hitting it in both eyes. He quickly releases a breath and pulls one hand back. The water is pulled from the mud, leaving dry, hard earth in the beast’s eyes. It roars again, this time in pain.

  The Volacerta slams its wings on the ground and turns quickly. Its spli
t tail swings towards Leid, but he easily avoids it. Then it suddenly reverses direction and the tail slams into his arm and side. The chain around the Volacerta’s throat loosens and it manages to claw it from its long neck.

  Leid slams into the cage wall and falls to the ground. He sits up, but Aya can see his arm is twisted, broken. “We have to keep that thing away from Leid.”

  Yme turns his head to look at the fallen man. “For someone who wouldn’t do the same for us?”

  “He’s in here, isn’t he?”

  Lowering his arms, Yme clenches his fists and bends his knees. He sucks in a deep breath before jumping. He releases his breath as his feet hit the ground and the earth beneath the Volacerta’s wings rises quickly. The beast is thrown back before it can balance on its rear legs. Its back hits the cage wall, bending the metal and sending the Volacerta out of the Cage of Conquest, hitting the earth below with an earth-shaking thud. Audience members nearby scramble for cover.

  Leid uses his second chain to pull himself to his feet. He moves away from the new hole in the cage, his right arm hanging limp.

  Wind rushes towards Aya and Yme. Wings stretch and the Volacerta is soon rising from the ground.

  “Tear the wing skin,” Leid yells over the rushing wind.

  “How are we supposed to do that?” Yme asks.

  Aya glances around and spots a circular blade on the ground. She leans down and grabs it. The handle is at the center encircled by the blade.

  Yme takes the weapon and inspects the blade.

  “You’re the elemental mage,” Aya says.

  Furrowing his brow, Yme uses his left hand to raise earth in front of him. “Distract it.”

  “What?”

  “Distract it, so it doesn’t shoot fire at me.”

  Aya grabs a sword remaining on the wall and runs away from Yme. She bangs the sword on the bars as she runs, keeping her eyes on the Volacerta. The creature moves its head, following the noise. Rearing back, magic tingles through the air. It exhales a rush of fire towards Aya, but she deftly avoids it.