by Marcus Sloss
“These are fodder slaves. Lowest of the lows. This one says, for sale three hundred orcs, minimal fighting skills, not tested in battle. Opening bid three topaz. Buy out fifteen topaz, which is high on purpose. These will go for five topaz tops. In souls that is five thousand souls. They barter down here and accept stones. Most higher quality slave sales have zero barter, it is bid or buy, and souls with a bank guarantee are the only currency accepted. That is all. These orcs are younglings disguised as warriors. You would buy these to let your dvaren get experience. If you wish to compete we must hurry though. We can shop for slaves later.” Roz said and kept going.
I realized I should have brought Derfran, or at the very least practiced to learn Horde. I did not like having to ask for help to translate text. I wished the darn wooden walls were not so high, they obstructed my view of everything else. Ten minutes of fast walking later and we exited the tall wooden pens.
The sight before me was mind blowing. The largest arena I had ever seen dwarfed us. It was so tall and wide I was amazed I had missed it from in between the pens. It was built of stone, the crafters who built this were not Horde. To prove my point high in the air I saw my first dvaren. A team of them were repairing a section of marbled wall. This structure was beyond impressive. There were large arched entryways where viewers by the thousands streamed past. I realized I had zoned out and lost Roz. I quickly located her and raced to catch up while I still carried Bella. I wanted to study the arena more but Roz was on a mission.
She barked at a large cyclops in a loose black tunic who frowned at her. When Roz pointed to me he roared in laughter and went to hit her. His clawed meaty hand stopped as my contract flared and he realized someone's power protected her. This wiped the smirk off his face. Then his jaw dropped when Roz handed him two bibles for entry. He scoffed and muttered but allowed our entry. Behind the gray large cyclops was a tunnel down into the earth. It was lit by torches and utilized large shallow stairs over a ramp. The dramatic flair of the exterior transitioned into a drab dungeon type feel.
Roz led us down and stayed silent until we were alone in the tunnel. “We are lucky. We are technically late. There were only seven entries in this event that barely covers the cost of the male elvath. They still make enough off side sales and expensive seating sales. General admission is free to drum up hype and force the wealthy to isolate themselves behind pricy viewing booths. You are the eighth. Win three times and you win the event.” Roz said and turned into a preparation room at the end of the tunnel. We had bypassed large caged rooms where contestants got ready. Each door had a lock on the outside. For a free man like me, this was unsettling.
Everything was ogre sized. The seating, the doorway, the available weapons, and even some armor. I went to the wall of weapons and found a nice double headed greataxe. It was larger than the one I had in Fernlan but crafted to perfection. I yanked it off the rack, got distance from Roz and Bella and twirled it around. Yup the balance was divine. I looked at the shaft and sure enough, dvaren runes were etched into it. I laughed then at the irony.
“What has you so amused husband?” Bella asked as she struggled to find a comfortable place to sit.
“This is dvaren crafted, and I am going to use it to kill Horde. That is delicious to me. My soul yearns for combat. My blood is already pumping. How long until I can kill?”
“Master your match is up next, you face Marika the destroyer. He is favored to win the event. An ogre of renown across many worlds. If you can best him, the others will be easy.” Roz said and she sent me the terms of my contract for the event. “He is a cautious fighter and smart for an ogre.”
I studied the contract and had a new laugh at the loophole I found. Roz raised an eyebrow. I ignored her and continued to warm up. I had enough of watching Bella struggle to seat herself and chopped the legs of a chair down to reduce its height. She shimmied up and into the chair that made her look tiny. She gazed down on me and thanked me. There was some commotion from a cyclops outside my room.
Roz said it was time to go. I kissed Bella goodbye and told her to rest. Roz wished me luck and I followed the grey skinned female up a ramp. She motioned me forward. When we reach the top, I stepped onto the hard packed arena floor.
Hundreds of thousands gazed down on me as an announcer shouted a few words about me, the challenger. The crowd snorted and scoffed at my accolades. No idea what they were and most certainly this crowd was not impressed. The arena was oval in shape and a few miles long as well as wide. Far more room than needed for two contestants. If I had to guess there were formation battles that were fought in here. I studied the walls and saw no weapons sticking out. There was also no cover anywhere. It would only be me and my foe. A battle of skill.
When the crowd quieted over my disappointing entry the announcer shifted to introducing Marika. I watched the twenty five foot ogre, the largest I had seen yet, entered the arena. There were more scars on this ogre than untouched flesh. He rippled with muscles and carried a sword with a shield. His only armor was a chest plate over the front of his torso. A long leather kilt covered his privates. My shield was on my back and my sword on my hip. This mighty warrior would chop through my shield with ease. I was going to have to keep it on my back.
The lengthy accolades of Marika finally came to an end and the crowd stood in ovation. There was silence from a new announcement and a bell rang. Perfect, I understood what that meant. I walked to the middle taking my time. Marika was bored and sprinted my way. Once he was a few hundred feet away, he slowed to a walk as well. He spoke to me in Horde. When I shrugged he swapped languages a few times. I never understood him. When he realized there would be no dialect he readied himself. His shield tight against his left side and his right hand poised to strike with a nine foot long sword.
When we reached a few dozen feet apart he charged. The first thing I noticed was for a massive ogre he was still very fast. He was not respecting me as a worthy foe. Or maybe he wanted to give me an opportunity. He closed the distance and thrust his shield for me, his sword carved the optimal space I would move to. Which was further away. I did no such thing. I poured immense amounts of aura into my body and shot between his legs. His forward momentum too much to adjust in time. My swing of attack carried so much force it was a blur as I dismembered his right leg below the knee.
Marika went to spin to face me when his leg gave out. I bunched my foot into the compact floor and launched myself after him as he toppled. He was focused on catching his suddenly falling body while screaming out in pain. I landed on his back, my aura propelling me faster than he could fall. As we hit the ground I swung for the back of his skull. There was a sickening crunch as my weapon embedded itself into his brain. It all happened within three or four seconds. I was so fast I was certain most would not have followed my movements.
The crowd was hushed as most were able to figure out I had killed Marika on the opening exchange. I wretched the axe out of the brains and embedded it into the compact dirt with such a force the ground cracked and a shockwave from the impact washed over the crowd. I unsheathed my sword dramatically. I pointed it to the sky while I walked on the corpse and then plunged it into the back of Marika. I then realized his heart was on the other side of his body. I dove my sword in again and sawed thick bones to get to his heart. The problem was my sword was a shitty saw. I went back to the greataxe and swung wildly to smash the ribs protecting the heart. I must have looked mad and I delighted in the gore being strewn about.
During this time the crowd finally reacted. Their campion had died and I was mutilating his body. To say there was anger, that would be an understatement. Even the announcer was yelling at me. A few spectators found my actions so offensive they tried to leap into the arena to halt me. Those stupid few were turned to dust by the contract magic that spectators were bound to. After a dozen dematerialized to atoms the rest merely screamed in rage.
After a few minutes of hard work and constant bombardment of insults, I pried the heart free. Satisf
ied with my grizzly work, I tucked my purple organ trophy under my arm. I then grabbed the champion's sword and walked causally toward my entrance. One of the three battles done. I was a demigod, and I had honed my purple aura. Not to mention Lily buffed me to an even greater level. When I finally reached the door the female cyclops cowered in fear as she opened it for me. I went down the stairs and into the room Roz and Bella waited in.
“Ugh, you are covered in blood husband? And you stink, is any of that blood yours? Tell me that is ogre muscle and not brains on your armor? We weren’t allowed to watch. Roz said I was allowed in as a breeding tool. Which is not exactly wrong. Demeaning but fairly true. I do have your baby in me.” Bella was rambling, and it was cute. She was nervous.
“Not my blood, I checked the contract. I get to collect loot after the fight. Not sure what this is worth but maybe it will fetch some money. The heart! Hell yes, this heart can change a lot.” I said resting the ogre’s heart on the ground by Bella’s chair.
“How can an ogre heart be valuable?” Roz asked as she fidgeted being close to the purple organ.
“It will be explained later. Fill me in on the next opponent.”
“Rarnarsh the savage. He is all aggression and smaller than Marika was. Expect him to charge and use his size and speed to try to best you.” Roz said.
Okay, easy enough. I sat and rested by the door waiting for my next match. The current match had the crowd roaring in approval. It was a ten minute slugfest from the sound of it. The spectators were absolutely loving the combat. At one point the entire stadium shook as they locked step in a chant. It was impressive and the loose stones danced on the floor.
A few minutes after the fighting quieted a cyclops appeared. The same old one in the black tunic who gave us entry. He shouted at Roz and then turned to me.
“You will die here in this next fight or I will have you killed, I will have your pets killed, and your master killed.” The cyclops said this as he seethed with rage. There I found it. He violated the accords with his threat. I was in the clear to kill him. “Now, die with honor scum.”
The door opened and I shot a hand into his chest. His eyes widened with shook. I screamed in pain. Bella screamed, Roz screamed, and even the poor escort girl yelled. My hand was a mangled mess. A cyclops chest was much tougher than I thought. Bella raced to quickly heal me. When my hand knitted back together I returned to the stunned cyclops with a gaping hole in his chest. I ripped his heart out and left him to fall to his death. The shock of my actions never registered as his eyes glazed over. He died before he hit the floor. I looted his body and piled the best stuff beside the heart. The escort cyclops was crying in a corner. Roz stayed quiet and Bella vomited again. I walked away from them all and went up the stairs. I opened the door myself and the crowd went berserker again.
I was announced with a few extra words this time. The spectators were still very upset. My opponent had been announced before me this time and the bell chimed quickly. Sure enough, Rarnarsh the savage charged the entire distance. I pulled my shield off my back waited until the ogre was fifty feet away and hurled it horizontally at him. It soared with a whistle as it moved so fast it created a sonic boom. The shield entered Rarnarsh’s gut and shot out his back in an explosive red mess of matter. He was dead at my feet before he ever reached me.
A quick jog to the other side of the arena and I retrieved my shield that had embedded into the far wall. I then cut out Rarnasrh’s heart, the awesome ogre died on his back somehow. Made getting his heart ten times easier. I even thanked him by pissing on his face before I left. More attendees died by jumping to their deaths to get at me. I chuckled at my nasty work. I was thoroughly covered in gore. A bell chimed before I made it out of the arena. The announcer made a statement and then the crowds dispersed.
Huh, wonder what had happened. Roz excited the tunnel with a male elvath in tow. The male was hauling my loot while Bella nervously trailed the two.
The elf was all smiles. Roz was visibly upset and Bella was grossed out.
“We need to leave right now master, like this instant,” Roz said and poured magic into a portal. I did not argue with her and stepped into the portal.
∞∞∞
Roz was a master at making smooth portals. I found myself back in Lakeland. It was only an hour after I had first left with the goblins. Duke Riza still stood by the portal talking with advisors. I watched him notice our arrival and grin. Then the elf entered our world and there were gasps. Aliens tended to do that.
I still held Rarnarsh’s heart under my arm and I had the battleaxe from the event. Did I steal this? I would need to ask after I talked to the Duke.
“Seven hells Gryff, you are dripping blood all over my fine city. Did you swim in guts? Nevermind, you clearly did. Let us walk to the bathhouse.” Duke Riza said.
“In public, I am Emperor Gryff, especially in front of my citizens. I will forgive the slight and still award you this heart.” I said offering the heart. The Duke had a guard grab the purple organ from me. “Better. Yes, a bath sounds love. Lead the way Riza.”
Roz couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Master you caused great offense. That cyclops was an ancient arena master that ran events for millions of your years. He was well respected and well connected. If some slavers find out you were the cause of his demise they will not trade with us.” She said with hesitation.
“I angered the Horde, perfect. Why did I not have a third match, I wanted the extra heart? And did I steal this weapon?”
“There was no third match because the last ogre surrendered instead of meeting you in the arena. The weapon is yours because you now own the arena. It is yours by conquest. I am certain that Arena Master Xeq had offended many before you. None would dare challenge him, let alone murder him. You ripped his heart out as if he were pathetic goblin… Oh… to you, he is…” Roz said and it made me slightly proud. She removed the loot for the elf that he carried and handed it to me. “You will need a new clean outfit before you return. I shall go back and sell the arena immediately. A bad deal is better than a prolonged deal. I will be waiting by the portal when you are fresh and cleaned.”
Roz said and excused herself. I stopped her.
“Elvath can you speak my language?” I asked and he looked to Roz. They spoke Horde quickly.
“He can since he is your slave, it is part of the slave to owner contract magic. Unlocks a new language so owners and slaves can properly communicate. He will not lower himself though. Do you wish for me to sell him too?” Roz asked and I nodded. “He will not mind, he sees no females here worthy of his greatness to mate with. Only your inferior kind. His words, not mine. Selling him will fetch a lot. That arena far, far more. Your contract protects me during negotiations so I shall return in an hour maybe two. See you at the portal.” Roz said and the elvath male followed her.
Duke Riza paused for us as we conversed. Now that they were gone, he talked to Bella. He asked her what happened and she summarized. There were tens of millions of slaves and an arena. I killed some ogres and a cyclops. Then we fled back to here. He nodded at this, then turned to me.
“You couldn’t help yourself could you. You had to make waves. I like that about you, Emperor. Consequences be damned. I do find the ogre heart worthy of my investment in this endeavor.” Riza said with a head tilt to himself. As if confirming ten inmates sentenced to death was a good trade for a massive heart. “By at that is holy Gryff, that ogre heart you are holding is even larger than the one you donated. Do you want me to have someone help carry that and the sword?”
“Yes, please. If you can have a water mage freeze it. There is actually a cyclops heart too. No idea what they do. Anyway, have these cleaned and placed in my room frozen. Well, don’t freeze the sword.” I said this as two guards hefted the sword combined. They struggled with the weight until a third helped them. Then a fourth guard grabbed the two hearts with a disgusted face. “It is only a little Horde blood.”
When we reached the estate Be
lla ran for Trish in the gardens. She had enough blood and violence for today. I was escorted to a first floor bathhouse. The Duke ensured me Trish would come with a fresh set of clothes. I stripped naked and left my stained armor for servants to clean. I entered the steamy water and five minutes later Trish joined me. She was diligent in cleaning me. I had my post battle sex and then soaked in my bath for at least an hour.
∞∞∞
I was dressed in fresh noble clothing. A loose white tunic with a collar and tan leather pants. I was clean and energized to get back to Kikra. Trish, Bella, and I ate an early lunch of salad with bison strips. There was some delicious venison that I gobbled two plates of. We had a great time chatting while we ate. When it was time to leave I got kisses and goodbyes. Bella had no interest in coming with me again and I let her stay. Duke Riza was interested in going on this trip so we headed down to the portal area.
“What will you do with your ogre heart?” I asked as we contoured our way through the slums deciding to break our silent walk. The streets were cleaner than when I first visited. With the winter chill, I saw some residents shivering not prepared for the cold.
“I was thinking of a layered cavern. Not expansive like Dais, but instead with ten foot floors with stairs. I like your mushroom idea. If I can get a mushroom farm built I can fill the entire quota with them. The reports of how fast they are growing in Xiq is really impressive. Runtlets and many other animals do not need that much sunshine either. I guess I could do rats maybe. There are very few limitations placed on what is allowed by the Horde quota. The main restriction is feeding Horde to the Horde… which makes sense. I heard you got some sandworm hearts and that other ogre heart.” Duke Riza said as we passed people waving to us from behind our escort of lightly armored guards.
“If you do the layered cavern I will send lava stones to beat back the worst of the winter for your residents. If I forget to get this done. Send word to Bella to tell Amber you caught the voles. As for my heart, I don’t know yet what I intend to do. My treasury is doing well, and the Empress wants a castle. Probably a castle is my best answer. One built to withstand far more than the Horde dealt with before. The wives want to add a lot to it. If they plan it right we should call it home for a very long time. Why? Are you interested in coming with me to Kikra?”
