by Jay Lynn
The man across from Alec glared at him thoughtfully. “I know you. You’re the wench’s brother.”
Alec didn’t bother to answer.
“He is? Good,” another gladiator interjected. “Let’s kill him first. Then, we can fight each other for the girl.”
“I’m game,” the last man agreed.
All three started towards the fighter. The platform swayed, tipping in Alec’s direction as everyone’s weight shifted at once.
“Hope you guys can swim,” Alec quipped. Nathan, I owe you one. He was glad the soldier had taught him.
Their movements ceased immediately. Glancing at each other, the gladiators nodded. The man opposite Alec once more strode forward while the others remained in place.
Alec willingly met him at the center of the platform.
Slashing with his knife, the slave charged full force at Alec.
Ducking under the attack, Alec followed with a strong kick to the man’s side. His opponent dropped his left arm to cushion the blow while Alec twisted back with a long horizontal cut.
Jerking away, the man barely escaped. Striking low, the fighter aimed for Alec’s knee.
Jumping up, Alec easily dodged it as he somersaulted over his foe’s arm. As he was about to land a killing blow, the two men waiting in the wings rushed forward. Alec was forced to draw back to get out of the line of fire.
“Alec!” Isabelle shouted, kicking her legs ferociously as she sought his attention. “Alec!”
Catching a man’s arm, Alec leaned back as a knife slashed by his face. “I’m a little busy.”
“No Alec, there’s something in the water!” she frantically replied.
A large, long silhouette glided through the somewhat murky lake below. Isabelle’s eyes tracked its movement as the creature slipped past her and headed straight for the structure rocking on the water’s surface.
Right after Isabelle’s warning, something nudged the platform as if testing it. The next thing Alec knew, they were all thrown off their feet as the over-sized raft was hit below the left edge.
“What the hell was that?” a slave questioned.
A scaly, serpent-like back broke through the surface of the water a few feet off as their new nemesis made another pass.
Instead of attacking again, the creature headed away from the platform. Still flailing about, Isabelle hung from the pole like a worm on a hook. Her constant movements attracted unwanted attention.
Charging up from the depths, the large serpent snapped its jaws at the sorceress.
Lifting her legs, Isabelle shrieked as a wide mouth, filled with large foot-long fangs, snapped to a close only a few feet beneath her.
The other gladiators were no longer looking at Alec.
“Was that a snake?” one asked incredulously.
“There’s no way in hell that was a snake. The thing was huge,” a second answered, gripping his knife as his eyes scanned the water.
“Isabelle, are you alright?” Alec hollered to her.
“Surely you jest. No, I’m not alright. That thing tried to eat me!” she shrieked.
The warrior’s gaze tried to track the serpent, but he was having difficulty seeing it from so close to the surface.
“Isabelle, I know you’re scared, but I need you to be my eyes. Do you know what it is?”
Inhaling with a shaky breath, the sorceress tried to focus as she nodded.
“Y-yes and it’s coming your way.” She peered at the water, following the figure slithering back towards her friend. “I’ve seen pictures of it at the academy. It’s a drakon, also called a Water Dragon. They average about twenty-five feet long and are very rare. Normally, they live in deeper parts of the ocean, and are known to be extremely territorial.”
“Water Dragon? Does it breathe fire?”
“No,” she began to answer as the drakon charged the raft. “It’s coming towards your right! Watch out for its poisonous—”
Isabelle’s words were cut off as the drakon shot out of the water and spewed a thick grey mist over the surface of the platform.
Alec covered his mouth, trying not to breathe in the toxins as his eyes burned. Nearby, the other men where unleashing various cries of alarm. The logs jerked to the side as the drakon snapped his jaws around one of the gladiators and pulled him under. He could hear Isabelle’s voice calling out to him, but her words were difficult to decipher amidst the general commotion of both the arena and the stands above.
Closing his watery eyes, Alec tried to clear his vision. It didn’t change the darkness which greeted him. The platform rocked violently. Still clutching his blade with an iron grip, Alec held his hands out by his sides as he fought to keep his balance. Another scream erupted close by. The warrior was tossed from the logs as the drakon dove onto the raft, killing one of the gladiators and breaking the structure apart.
Alec was suddenly stripped of his breath as he plunged into the icy lake. Clawing his way back to the surface, he jerked his head from side to side, yet couldn’t make out anything other than black shadows.
Wading in the water, Alec listened for Isabelle’s voice so she might guide him towards the sand. The garbled pleas of the last remaining fighter as he struggled to stay above the surface cut through everything else. Then it was gone, leaving nothing behind but the joyful screams of the crowd.
Alec knew who the drakon would seek out now. Blinded by its poisons, he was a sitting duck. No one, not even Isabelle, who was still swaying from the rope, could aid him.
The scrape of hard scales suddenly brushed by Alec’s side. He could feel the swift change of the water’s flow as a powerful form swam past. Coiling around his ankle, the drakon’s tail pulled Alec down into the depths of the lake. Running his hand over his leg, Alec plunged his knife into the creature.
A hissing shriek vibrated through the water as Alec was instantly released. It would be coming for him, though from where?
Behind you! the strange woman’s voice warned him as Alec felt his dragon mark warm.
Twisting around, Alec held his hands out in front of him. Sorry Malcolm, he thought sadly. If he wanted to live, if he wanted Isabelle to survive, then he would have to break his promise.
A soft flash of light passed from his hands through the drakon as Alec silently cast a paralyzing spell. The murky water absorbed every beam, locking the secret of Alec’s creation-less magic below the surface.
Reaching out with the blade, Alec tapped the drakon. It didn’t budge a single muscle. Swimming closer, he searched for the creature’s throat. It would be better to slit it open than to use his powers to obliterate the serpent. This way, no one would know what he had done.
Surprisingly still, Isabelle stared at the lake. She didn’t dare move or speak. It felt like an eternity since Alec was dragged down into the darkness.
Come on, she silently pleaded. Alec, where are you? He couldn’t be dead. The sorceress refused to believe it.
The surface rippled.
Leaning forward, Isabelle watched as the long serpent’s body bobbed to the top of the water. Black, inky blood swirled around it in a growing puddle. Popping up by its head was the sorcerer himself.
Gasping for breath, Alec coughed as he sucked in some much needed air.
Isabelle called out to him.
Twisting his neck, Alec tilted his head to the side as he sought the direction from which she was summoning him. Cutting through the water with powerful strokes, Alec swam to the sand mound and trudged onto its dry land. His vision was improving quickly, yet he still couldn’t make out anything useful.
Relying on Isabelle’s guidance, he managed to find the rope holding her aloft and lowered her to the ground. The instant the warrior sliced her bonds, he was knocked back as his friend’s arms curled around his neck.
“Don’t ever scare me like that,” she commanded with a sob.
Alec managed a short huff of a laugh. “I’ll try not to.”
“Alright then,” she whispered back.
In that moment, as Isabelle briefly tightened her embrace, she thought nothing could stop this man. Who else could accomplish the feats he did? To her, Alec was invincible. Isabelle had no idea how wrong she was.
The following day, Alec was taken away from their shared cell as Isabelle was left to pace the floor impatiently. She didn’t know how long she was forced to anxiously wait. When the door to their chamber creaked open, she stopped and raced to the bars.
Alec, surrounded by guards, slowly shuffled towards her. Isabelle’s face lit up with a grin. When she fully saw him in the dim torches of the chamber, her expression instantly fell.
His skin was a pale sheet beneath the layer of blood covering the side of his face. The red stain soaked his hair and was still slowly running down his throat. Splashes of blood colored his entire body. Thankfully, it didn’t appear to be his own. As Alec drew near, there was a distinct tremble to his hands as well as an unusual slump to his proud shoulders. The warrior’s eyes however, were the most troublesome. The normally sharp, watchful chocolate irises had a dull, somewhat glazed look about them.
Sluggishly walking into the cell, Alec dropped down on the floor by the back wall. Curling his legs up to his chest, his body continued to shake as he slightly rocked back and forth.
Locking the cell door, their guards smirked. They glanced at each other prior to departing with loud chuckles.
On the other side of the room, a few slaves jeered and called out some taunts.
Isabelle ignored them. Her attention was solely on the warrior. After more fights than she cared to think of, Isabelle knew some of the terror that a gladiator faced in the ring. A shudder raced through her body that she couldn’t suppress. The few times she battled pushed her beyond limits she never knew she had. As a result, the sorceress’s hands were no longer clean of blood. To think, at one point she wanted real experience.
Alec on the other hand was always a source of calm and complete control. Looking at him now, the warrior was merely a hollow shell. There was no spark left. Whatever took place levels above them in the arena did what Markus sought all along. He’d finally broken Alec’s spirit.
This is all my fault, she thought, for not the first time.
Isabelle tried to swallow the lump stuck in her throat. There had to be something she could do to help. Eyeing the blood covering him, the sorceress grabbed a few rags and a little bowl of water used to catch droplets from the ceiling. First things first, she could at least get him cleaned up.
Setting the items on the floor, Isabelle knelt in front of him. Dipping the cloth in the water, she started wiping the stain from the side of Alec’s face.
He didn’t so much as even acknowledge her presence. Rocking quietly, he stared at some invisible point on the ground.
Pausing, Isabelle leaned closer.
“Alec?” she softly called.
He said nothing.
“Alec, I’m going to clean you up, alright?” She waited a moment. Receiving no hint that he even heard her, Isabelle continued speaking. “I don’t know what happened, but whenever you want to talk, I’m here.”
Another seemingly long minute passed prior to his voice breaking the silence.
“I killed them,” Alec whispered, his words painfully raw.
Isabelle’s hand stilled for a second. Blinking, it took her a brief span of time before she was able to speak. “You did what you had to.”
“I killed them,” he repeated without the slightest change in his behavior. “I killed them all.”
Isabelle couldn’t bear to ask who. In a sense, it didn’t matter. Each life Alec took within the arena was like another weight around his heart. She knew they would stay with him always. Yet, something about today’s battle seemed to be affecting him differently than the others. It was torturing him, pushing him past broken and to the point where he might shatter all together.
There must be something I can do. I can’t let Markus destroy him.
“It’s not your fault, Alec. Markus is forcing you to do this. He’s the one to blame for these misfortunes.”
Alec’s hands gripped his knees, squeezing tightly as the rocking still didn’t cease.
“Kill them all,” he muttered. “I have to kill them all.”
A deep frown creased Isabelle’s brow. Having finished cleaning the skin on his face and neck, she studied him again. There was no improvement to the haunted look in his frighteningly dull eyes.
He’s losing it.
A pressure tightened around her heart with the intensity of a vise. Isabelle instinctively knew she had to do something, anything, to snap him out of this traumatic state immediately or risk Alec slipping away permanently.
Gently placing her palm over his cheek, the sorceress turned Alec’s face towards her.
He’s eyes didn’t meet her gaze. They remained unfocused, empty.
Isabelle couldn’t say what made her do it. At the time, it seemed like the only way to reach him since words held no sway. Cupping his face with both hands, Isabelle leaned forward and covered his lips with her own before she lost the nerve. It was not a soft and gentle kiss, but a firm meeting of mixed pain and passion. Isabelle placed everything she could into it. Things that even words could not express. She kissed the broken man before her with the compassion of a dear friend, with the love of a woman who knew he would never love her back, and with all her heart.
Pulling back slowly, she peered into Alec’s eyes. The dark pools were brimming with sorrow as he finally gazed at her. He didn’t say anything. There was no need. Closing his eyes, Alec dropped his chin to his chest and buried his fingers in his hair.
“They were so young. Barely older than Linus.”
Isabelle blinked, unsure if she heard him right.
The warrior’s low voice sounded again in the same gruff mumble. “They were so frightened. I—I can still hear them begging me to stop. And I slaughtered them all as he stood there…smiling.”
Alec didn’t need to say who. Isabelle knew it was Markus. Her jaw tensed. If it was the last thing she did, she would get him for doing this to her friend.
“I’m so sorry, Alec.”
Her arms wrapping around him, Alec willingly allowed Isabelle to pull him to her shoulder. He said nothing more as they sat together in the dismal space. A few quiet sobs shook his body as Alec finally allowed himself to morn the lives cut painfully short at the command of his sick and twisted master.
Edmund strode away from the stables as he crossed the courtyard towards the castle. He spent most of the morning checking in on a few of his stewards. From time to time it served him well to make an unannounced visit. This way, he could best witness the true character of those charged with watching over his fief.
Across the courtyard, Roderick made a beeline for the duke.
The noble frowned as he gazed at the other man’s set expression.
The knight bowed quickly prior to joining Edmund’s side. “Your Grace, I just received the latest report concerning the two lost assets in Zerrok,” he told him quietly, glancing around at the people milling about.
Edmund’s steps paused. “Are they alive?”
Roderick sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know. His Majesty is officially postponing the search. They’ve found no leads on either their location or the soldiers who were selling them. Apparently, it’s as if they’ve disappeared without a trace.”
“A difficult choice to make. I doubt Malcolm is taking it well.”
“To be sure. He won’t give up—not that we should.”
Edmund tilted his head to the side. “It’s been several weeks. Do you believe they are still alive?”
Roderick lifted his gaze to peer over at a few soldiers making their way to the indoor training hall. He saw firsthand some of what Alec endured. If anyone had the will to survive slavery a second time, it would be him.
“I’ve learned not to underestimate a stubborn warrior,” the knight finally declared, turning back to his lordship. “Malcolm’
s right to believe in them.”
Edmund nodded thoughtfully, “Then we shall offer whatever aid we can. Contact Theron Kinsley and everyone you can who is connected to our trade network in Zerrok. Find him, Roderick.”
Edmund knew he couldn’t leave Alec to rot if there was a chance he did indeed survive. He still owed the warrior for saving his life.
Just then, Jade strolled around the back of the castle and headed towards the portcullis along with Ariel and three guards.
Eyes following her movements, the duke glanced back at his right hand man. “Jade is not to know of this.”
“You have my word.”
Days gradually passed as Isabelle unhappily waited in the confines of their prison cell, or at least what she thought was days. It was difficult to decipher any true sense of time. However, the dwindling number of slaves sharing their chamber allotted her some idea. Markus would be coming for them soon. They had been in the arena long enough to have a general layout of the facility. There must be some way to escape. The sorceress was having trouble coming up with anything and Alec was of no aid. She glanced in his direction.
Alec had seldom moved since his return from the colosseum. His shaking ceased and some color once more shaded his skin, but still, he was far from himself. Slumped against the jagged stone in a dark corner, he gazed blankly at one of the other walls.
Isabelle sighed. She might have helped pull the warrior back from the brink of madness, yet he was nowhere near healed. Isabelle was at a loss. He barely ate and spoke even less. There were times she actually missed the taunting calls from the other gladiators. Otherwise, they were all just sitting there in a strained silence.
Getting up to stretch, Isabelle strode over towards the iron bars. Leaning her head against the cool metal she exhaled with a long dramatic hiss. Fingers tapping one of the bars, she fought the urge to start pacing.
