by Thomas Green
“How did you get them?”
“Bought them, obviously,” she snapped. Wait, what did he say about the female slaves? “You… you have experience with women?”
Raven blushed. “Nothing serious.”
Luna’s mind started racing. Blushed! Right, he is a functioning human male. I have forgotten about that part. Come to think of it… Her head felt like it would explode and her heartbeat sped up wildly. As a man, he was not only handsome, but he was attractive, very, very attractive. How didn’t I see this before?
The beast laughed into her mind. ‘You noticed, but you ignored it because of the whole chained-slave thing.’
Shut up, Wolfie!
Luna turned red. She imagined, no, remembered Raven naked and her heart wanted to jump out of her chest to punch her in the face. She bit her bottom lip into a bloody mess to the point where she had to focus to stop herself.
To sleep in the same cell with him was about to become much more challenging. The toxin’s effect started. Pink jousting dragons riding yellow unicorns filled the arena and exploded into rainbows when they fell to the ground. Better!
The match had long finished before Luna realized Raven wasn’t in the room anymore. Asshole. She sniffed out his scent, the thick smell of her lavender essences, and followed the trail, ignoring the bright-blue bears dancing on the walls.
She soon arrived at a larger stone-carved room. Inside were the winners of the qualifiers, team Rapacious Reavers, Raven, and a chained chimera. The Reavers wore satisfied smiles, their pink uniforms already cleared off the blood of the mercenaries. Raven had a grim expression and gazed into nowhere with glazed eyes. But the chimera was eyeing her. She ignored the dancing yellow bears and focused on the demon. It had two wolf heads, one lion head, a snake for a tail and a large, scaly body.
Prince Jonathan Stallington entered the room, beaming. “Greetings, my champions!”
“Greetings, your highness.” The apparent leader of Rapacious Reavers bowed.
“What is the meaning of this, Jonathan?” Raven asked without as much as looking at the prince.
The prince kept his face impassive. “What do you mean?”
“That monster doesn’t look like you brought it for dinner.” Raven grabbed a spear from a rack by the side and threw it at the chimera. Its steel tip dug into the monster’s side, making the creature snarl and the chains rattle.
Stallington arched an eyebrow. “What do you think you are doing?”
Raven walked to the demon. “I am not fighting alongside that.”
The prince’s face remained stern. “You fight alongside whoever I tell you to.”
Raven pulled out the spear to stab the monster again. This time, he aimed for its thigh, looking to cause pain rather than to kill.
Stallington pierced Raven with a glare. “Stop.”
Raven stabbed once more, ignoring the prince.
The prince raised his finger to trace a symbol into the air. Bolts of energy shot through Raven’s body from his shackles, sending him to the ground, screaming. Stallington waited until the spell knocked Raven unconscious. The Reavers stood stunned while Luna sat by the wall, grinning wide. She wondered if she shouldn’t have done anything, but the unicorns she watched wrestling each other were too entertaining to bother doing anything else.
Stallington turned to the leader of the Rapacious Reavers and measured the tall adventurer with a cold stare. “Finubar, I apologize for this farce. Rest assured knowing that in the future, I will keep Raven better contained.”
“Worry not, your highness. We shall handle this competition professionally. Since we are here, there is no more need to depend on slaves.”
Luna walked to them, wearing a wicked grin. “Be careful with that, pinky pants… I bite.”
Stallington turned to her. “Lady Luna, would you kindly escort Raven to his cell?”
“Sure, Johnny,” Luna said and grinned at Finubar while baring her teeth before she picked up Raven and threw him over her shoulder.
“Once again, I am terribly sorry for this farce. I will whip them to shape before the tournament starts,” Stallington said before Luna left. “Anyway, this is the team for the competition. You ten make the regular members, Raven, Luna and the chimera are our team’s monsters while Samantha and her assistant fill the last two spots as the healers.”
Finubar bowed. “Be at peace, your highness, for we shall represent you better than anyone else. We are professionals after all.”
“Your words are most reassuring, Finubar. I am happy to have you with us.”
5
Salazar
Count Salazar of Xona, the ruler of the largest city-state in the world, walked out of his chambers to see a sheet of paper pinned by a dagger onto the opposite wall. He sighed and tore it off, seeing the text written on the note read Meet me on the roof, L. Salazar shook his head and scaled the stairs.
His luxurious brown and green robes weaved in the wind as he stood atop his palace. The view that opened before him was breathtaking. Xona was the largest city on the continent, and even from here, he could not see its end. The endless field of houses lay intertwined with humongous trees, a testimony to the lushness of these lands. Yet Salazar’s eyes were fixed elsewhere.
At the roof’s summit, a man sat leaning onto the effigy of a tree, the symbol of Xona. He had long, silvery hair, clean-shaven face and wore a black leathery tunic with no symbols.
The man smiled as Salazar approached. “Are you getting ready to announce your team for the tournament?”
Salazar sat down next to him. “Yes, and I have been wondering when you would show up.”
“Your event is going to turn a little bloody, so to speak.”
Salazar narrowed his eyes. “How bloody?”
“I will destroy the Slaver Union.”
Salazar stretched his neck. “I suppose you are present to negotiate my cooperation.”
“Something along those lines.” The man laughed. “The Palai Order is putting a sword behind its preaching, and since our followers make half of your city’s population, I figured we should find common speech.”
“What do you want from me, Lucas?”
“You will win this competition as a member of a participating team.”
Salazar shook his head. “That would require more than a large favor.”
“I will erase the three large favors you owe me, and I expect you to dance to my tune through the entire tournament.”
Salazar sighed. “You know I can’t say no to that.”
“I do.”
Salazar took a swift pause, swallowing the curses that crawled up his throat. “All right, Lucas, have it your way. I accept.”
“Good.” Lucas smiled. “I shall give you more information when I acquire it. Until then, have fun.” He disappeared into thin air.
You always have to make things complicated, don’t you? Salazar ran his hand through his hair, got off the roof and descended into his office. Wood made the entire room while flowers besieged the walls on all sides. Spending the few minutes he had left, Salazar used the mirror hidden within his mahogany desk to rearrange his short, brown hair. A knock on the door interrupted him.
Salazar hid his mirror. “Come in.”
A group of fifteen people entered. At their head walked the captain of his royal guard, Katherine.
I should have banned my royal guard from participating. Salazar narrowed his eyes and scanned the rest of the incomers, seeing six members of his own royal guard, four young healers and five people he didn’t know, but could only describe as adventurers.
“Greetings,” Salazar said to the group. The royal guard remained calm while the adventures all stared at him, star-struck. “I congratulate you on making it through the qualifiers. Now that we settled the team, I suppose it would be appropriate to start with the introductions, so we all know who we are before we set out for the tournament.”
“Mark Nessel, the leader of the Fangs of Ciamath group,” a tann
ed black-haired man in heavy chain mail armor said. “And this is the rest of our troupe.” He motioned to the other four adventurers.
Three of them nodded, but a girl that stood straight next to him stared at Salazar with her mouth wide open, stunned. Her frame was small, her hair blonde and her dress dashing blue while she carried a harp by her side. Mark poked her with his elbow, but she didn’t move. He shrugged. “I apologize for Yvonne, your highness.”
The raven-haired woman at the head threw him a smile. “Katherine d’Airelle, the captain of the royal guard of Xona.” She motioned her men to add their names and ranks. They all introduced themselves.
Salazar nodded. “Count Salazar d’Ielle, the ruler of Xona and all its holdings.”
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Yvonne shouted before she fainted.
Mark caught her before she hit the ground while everyone else remained silent.
Salazar motioned them to the chairs. “Now that we know who is present within the room, why don’t we all sit down, have a drink and talk this tournament through?”
Yvonne awoke. “Of course! Drinks! Of course! Sorry!” She skittered to the nearest cabinet to pick up a few bottles and glasses. The second woman from the adventuring group jumped in to help her when Yvonne looked like she would drop it all to the ground.
They sat down, and Yvonne gave everyone a glass. Awkward silence echoed through the air since nobody dared approach the elephant stomping through the room.
Yvonne handed Salazar a glass. “Here you go… ehh… how should I call you? Your Highness? Lord Count? Count? Major Count? Major? Lord? Count d’Ielle? Your highness d’Ielle? Lord d’Ielle? Your highness count?”
Salazar accepted the drink, sighing. “Salazar will suffice.”
Mark cleared his throat. “Pray tell me, Count Salazar…”
Salazar pierced him with a glare.
“Salazar,” Mark said, “does this mean you will be a direct participant in this tournament?”
“That is correct, for I will lead this team as its captain.”
Katherine scratched her head and formed a faint smile. “By the rules of the qualifiers, the captain is to be voted after their finish. We had already gone through the process, honoring me with the position.”
Salazar’s expression remained neutral. “I do not remember having that on the poster.”
“The change was in the updated version of the organization sheet you approved two days ago. I am sure you must have noticed when you had approved it together with the monthly security reports.”
So you snuck in insurance that would make you the leader of the team… Salazar exhaled, toying with the glass in his hand. To adhere to his own rules was more important than the personal discomfort it brought. After all, rules were the foundation of sovereignty, for they were the difference between justice and tyranny. And he would not become a tyrant, not like his father once was. “Of course.”
Katherine smiled. “And repeating the vote is pointless as I received nine votes out of fifteen and thus won’t be outvoted by an extra vote. In any case, I humbly accept this great honor of being the captain of this team.”
Salazar sipped from the glass Yvonne served him, enjoying the intense flavor of the bourbon. “Anyway, since the team's captain is already settled, I would still like to address the elephant in the room. I am a full and regular member of this team, and I will participate in the competition in all seriousness. We do not need to win the tournament, but we will make a show worthy of our names.”
“Worthy of your name, I presume,” Mark pointed out.
“Well, am I not a part of the team? In any case, do not bother yourselves to shield me from any danger, for I am more than capable of handling myself in the arena.”
Katherine coughed. “That’s what he always says and then there is the royal guard paid to protect his highness whenever he cannot.”
“My dear captain, you worry too much about me.”
Katherine smiled. “You literally pay me to do that.”
Salazar finished the contents of his glass. “Yes, and? After all, I did raise both the wages of you and your men multiple times in the past few years, and you all are about to receive the full contract on top of your regular pay.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “I am sorry for interrupting, but why? Why would the count of Xona, one of the most powerful politicians in the world, enter an arena tournament, which will be fought by slaves?”
“A moment.” Salazar waved his hand, and the door locked itself, all windows closed, curtains glided to cover them, and the small trees around the office blossomed, all at the same time.
Mark frowned. “That was an impressive use of aether, one without any symbols or noticeable effects. Yvonne?”
She smiled. “There was no shift of power to be felt, suggesting the user is well versed in hiding his strength, but his highness did make a gesture under the table though, so he channeled the spell through his fingers.”
Salazar rubbed his brow with his hand. Of course, the fainting girl is the best aether wielder from the rest of the team. Why can it never be someone normal? “Excellent observation,” he said with a satisfied smile. “This tournament was organized by the Slaver Union to promote their business—”
Katherine kicked the leg of the table while she motioned toward Mark and his group. “Sorry to interrupt, but do they have their backgrounds checked?”
Salazar stopped himself from sighing. “If there was a problem with any of them, I am sure my secret services would have informed me already. Anyway, I have no intention of letting the Union do that and therefore plan to steal the show for myself, so to speak.”
Mark’s expression turned grim. “What is your relation to the slavery industry?”
“Do you know how many slaves are there in Xona and its directly owned territories? Over two hundred thousand, which is almost one in every five people. That is over two hundred thousand people who are not subject to my laws, do not pay my taxes and can be mobilized against me.”
Mark failed to hide his surprise. “Why would you tell us this?”
Salazar drank from the refilled glass. “What will you do with that information that could harm me? Sell it to the slavers? They already know. Conspire with my opposing nobles at the city’s council? None of them are in the position to challenge me. Plus, whoever might be willing to buy this information from you would first have to offer more gold than the tournament contract I offer, which is impossible for most of my potential opposition.”
Mark’s expression remained grim. “So we walk in there with an extra-large target painted on our back. That sounds dangerous.”
“The competition will indeed be dangerous, which is why the reward is so outrageous. After all, if I wanted a random team, I would get more than enough volunteers without offering any pay.”
Yvonne ran a finger over her lips, smiling at Salazar. “Will we wear uniforms? Because we need to look good for this.”
Salazar’s face hardened to stone. “I will not wear a uniform, but feel free to dress in whatever you deem appropriate. For the team preparation and organization, Katherine will handle them.” He turned to her. “Beware though, captain, for I will be vengeful if you as much as propose putting me on the bench.”
She nodded. “Of course, your highness.”
The meeting continued for almost an hour. Once the visitors had vacated the premises, Salazar poured himself a large glass of bourbon, knowing what was about to come next. Not even a minute later, Katherine walked back into his office, closing the door.
“I ask for the permission to speak freely, your highness,” she said in a tone that did not invite a discussion.
Salazar sighed as he waved his hand through the air in a futile gesture. “Granted.”
“Let me start by saying this course of action is against every safety policy we have ever had. Now, I would like to inquire about what happened to your promise not to lie to me about your plans, especially when they contain f
acts necessary to the execution of my job, which is to keep your highness alive and well.”
“A set of unforeseen circumstances has forced me to reevaluate my decision of not participating in the tournament. I shall uphold our arrangement henceforth, and I do apologize for this abrupt shift in the plan.”
Katherine shook her head, her expression softening as she rested her hands on the table. “What are you doing, Salazar? There is nothing for you to gain by doing this, but you can lose a lifetime of effort.”
“I am aware.” Salazar smiled. “Is there anything else you desire to say, captain?”
“Just tell me why we are doing this, so I have something to etch on my tombstone.”
Salazar forced out an awkward smile. “Lucas called on his old favors and wants a free man to win the tournament.”
“A tournament? You mean a war, right? Because that’s what happens every time Lucas appears. Also, why does it have to be you?”
Salazar shrugged. “He did not exactly negotiate with me about this.”
Katherine shook her head and stormed out of the room.
He wished he could tell her she was wrong. He couldn’t.
6
Luna
Luna hated every second of the journey to Grimdawn. Their convoy, made of multiple covered wagons, moved at a snail’s pace while Rapacious Reavers sang one insufferable song after another. She sat atop the cage that contained Raven, bored to tears.
To tackle her boredom, she practiced the breathing exercises that were supposed to help her manipulate more aether before she would backlash from its overuse. While the constant snowing was annoying, her breath freezing before her face entertained her. Samantha attempted to persuade her to stop and interact with others, but a single look at the singing Rapacious Reavers made Luna snarl at her until she gave up.
As their time of arrival to Grimdawn peeked over the horizon, she overcame her disgust and approached Finubar to find out what was in store for the beginning of the tournament. Apparently, the competition was to start with a festival that coincided with the end of the year and thus the celebration of the First Dawn.
