Bloodlust: A Gladiator's Tale

by C. P. D. Harris

  "So the Factions arose naturally?" she heard Gavin ask the stranger.

  "To a certain extent, yes," said the stranger, who Sadira had not yet identified. "People of like mind will always group together to promote their ideas and agendas. The people's assemblies made this even more beneficial and permanent alliances were drawn; these eventually became the first Factions. We did not intend for this to happen when we created the people's assembly, but it happened nonetheless."

  "And problems arose after that?"

  "Yes, as the Factions became more organized, it became easier to influence them through their leadership. The current Factions actually replaced the earlier ones when politics began to mix with people's love of the Great Games."

  "So a Faction can be problematic because it is easier for someone to cut a deal with the leadership of a large organized group than a group of individuals."

  "Quite correct, Gavin." said Marius. "But as the Factions grew older they started to become more identity based than issue based. The Blues and the Reds, for example, often oppose each other because they see the other Faction as an enemy more than for any other reason."

  "And the Faction games also give the Factions the ability to influence the Chosen to a certain extent; since the new Chosen will generally feel some obligation to those who helped them become Champions."

  "Yes, which was truly unforeseen. Most of the new Chosen are very involved with the Factions," said Marius, approvingly. "This can be a positive as well, however, as it keeps the new Chosen closer to the common people and involves them in the political process."

  "What about Factions among the Chosen?" asked Gavin, eagerly.

  "I hate to interrupt such a deep conversation, gentlemen," said Amoura, walking to Marius and embracing him possessively, "but Sadira and I have had enough of politics for one evening and too little of our men..."

  "It appears that we will have to take up our discussion later, Gladiator." Marius chuckled; there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at Sadira, whose tired brain was beginning to understand the scene. "Well met, Sadira. I am Chosen Marius."

  Sadira bowed, remembering the golden-dipped man massaging Amoura on their first meeting. "Hail, Chosen Marius," she paused, at a loss for words.

  "Yes, you have seen me before, here and elsewhere. Please forgive me for any deception on my part; I prefer to travel among the people as just another man in the crowd, when it is possible. A silly little game in many ways… As a friend of my beloved, you may now feel free to dispense with any formality required by my position, Honoured Gladiatrix."

  Gavin smiled, moving close to Sadira as she gracefully resumed her normal bearing, looking the Chosen in the eye.

  "Looks like you are the only Chosen she was unprepared for, love." said Amoura, leaning languidly against her lover. "You should have seen how she handled Giselle! I have rarely felt a greater pride at watching someone I have helped teach. Speaking of which, Sadira and I are tired from our mingling. I could use a massage..."

  "Consider it part of your birthday gifts, Amoura," said the Chosen, kissing his beloved before turning back to Gavin and Sadira. "I wish I could stay longer my friends; I am curious to converse with this woman Amoura speaks so highly of. But duty calls, even to the Chosen, and a proper introduction will have to wait. I will see you both again, fate willing."

  The Chosen picked up the smiling, radiant Amoura in his arms, and carried her up the beach. She waved at them both over his shoulder. They heard her musical laughter as the pair disappeared from sight. Sadira watched them go, eyes still a little wide from surprise, while Gavin smiled after them.

  "I really expected him to be... taller... or something," said Sadira. All the other Chosen she had met today had overwhelmed her with the strength of their presence; it was odd that Marius who was older and more powerful than most, had not. "If someone had told me those two were partners before today I 'm not sure I would have believed it; they are just... so different. Yet now, I can't imagine how I missed it..."

  "That's not so strange," Gavin said, looking at her, glorious as the sun rose behind her. "I bet some people feel the same way about us..."

  Sadira looked at him for a long moment, eyes smiling, and then they kissed.

  "Well, shall I carry you back to our bedroom, my love?" she said, mock-serious. He rolled his eyes and offered his arm as they left the party and the last of the revellers to seek more amiable company.

  She did not tell him about Valaran until later, unwilling to spoil the good mood.

  -----o

  It was during the grand event that Regina diCouture, chief promoter of the Blues in Scorpion's Oasis, made a decision that she had been avoiding for a long time. She had been treated like a pariah at the event; people who would normally have sought her favour or complimented her on her accomplishments for the Blues in the past had been quick to avoid her. It was not unexpected, she supposed.

  Late in the night she had been called to a meeting with some of her more powerful superiors in the Blue Faction. They had told her she would lose her position if she lost the season to the Reds, chastising her for how she was failing the Faction. She had protested, trying to defend herself with her unblemished record and long duty to their cause, but it fell on deaf ears. They expressed a disappointment at her inability to "take the Red Queen" off the field, a cryptic comment that could only refer to Sadira, the Red Scorpion. One of them even told her that they had made arrangements to deal with Sadira themselves since she had failed to do so. A chill went down her spine.

  Sulius, her counterpart among the Reds had been sympathetic. She had almost thought the man was playing some grand jest being so kind to her when they met by chance, but she could tell he understood her troubles. Minerva, the Gladiator from her Faction known as Azure Dream had also been very kind... everyone else had turned against her or treated her like a disposable tool despite her past service. It was not unexpected but it angered her, and so, in defiance of her cruel superiors, she made a visit to the Arena Master the next day.

  -----o

  Sadira's challenge match against Blue Calamity never came to pass. Instead she found herself facing her new friend, Azure Dream.

  The two women fought hard, filling the arena with valiant war-shouts and the sounds of weapon-play. The match was a ferocious display of skill and the crowd demanded more when the time ran out and both Gladiatrices were still standing. The arena master assented and the two warriors fought on with Sadira finally overpowering Azure Dream before an audience awed by both women's prowess.

  The victory went to Sadira, but as predicted, a strong showing from Azure Dream against such a fearsome opponent made her the talk of the town for weeks to come. Their budding friendship blossomed in full, watered by the blood they both shed and fed by the mutual respect won on the fighting ground that day.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Machine Man Massacre

  Scorpion's Oasis 1144/09/09 AR; Faction Score: Blues 2507 points, Reds 2449 points

  "The artifice revolution has changed life in the Domains more than any series of events since the Reckoning. Steam-ships, steam-wagons, and artifice powered factories have increased production and sped up trade. Link crystals have greatly simplified communications, making scrying pools and palantirs seem quaint and archaic by comparison. Even basic infrastructure has improved with artifice mechanisms in our sewage systems, water supplies, and bridges." An Introduction to Artifice: the Magic of Machines.

  "I don't like slaughter matches..." said Gavin, his last objection falling away. "But I have less of an objection if we're just fighting machines."

  "You are getting awfully sensitive for a Gladiator, Gav," responded Karmal with a hint of censure. "Killing is part of the profession..."

  Gavin shrugged. "I would like to think that we are more than just killers, Karmal."

  "Bloodshed is what the people pay to see," she rejoined, emerald eyes flashing.

  "Some, perhaps; others want to see skilled, heroic warriors
striving against difficult odds... slaughter matches are not designed to be challenging."

  "I don't know; I like to think the skill in a gank match is not in how challenging the opposition is but in how creative you are in dispatching them. We are entertainers and performers in that respect, I'll say..."

  Sadira shot Karmal a warning glance before she could continue; she did not want her team to start bickering over trivial matters. She could see that Karmal was trying to get a rise out of Gavin; the two often clashed, more and more lately. The two of them saw the world in very different ways, but Sadira was becoming aware that Karmal was jealous of her own popularity, but also bitter that Gavin had taken her place. If only we knew the seeds we sow when we act, she thought, smiling at her old friend, watching the flame-haired warrior's challenging gaze soften, just a little.

  "Sorry, I'm just tired of fighting these boring clockworks all the time. I need a little more variety, I think," said Karmal.

  "No apology needed Karmal," said Gavin. "I know my views are unconventional, for a Gladiator. I don't want to seem like I am forcing them on the rest of the team."

  "Karmal just likes to argue, Gavin," added Vintia with smile. Karmal rolled her eyes.

  "It is the only monster we can specify for this type of match at this arena," said Sadira.

  "The Blues are more likely to go for a slaughter match," noted Ravius. "The main strategy is to kill lots as fast as possible, which appeals to most of them. They are being very cautious lately, trying to hold onto their lead."

  "It’s true," said Sadira. "They've even gone so far as to replace Regina diCouture, the woman who has led them to victory time after time... Apparently the Reds of Scorpion's Oasis are now so intimidating that few Blues wants to step in and take a risk coming up against us. They know they have to take a challenge eventually though; we may as well entice them with something they think they can win. I want you all to know how proud I am of all of you; we turned things around here. Us. The other Reds may have rallied and given it their all, but we woke them up. Us. I may be getting all the attention right now, but without you four backing me up I would never have gotten this far. We trained harder, we fought in more matches, we risked more. And because of the sacrifices we have made we will leave this place wearing the Victory Laurels that we all have earned, every one of us."

  She looked to each of them in turn, as she spoke, drinking in the pride that her words kindled. She realized that she revelled in their trust in her, as the team leader, and the confidence that this made her feel. Her eyes were on Gavin's as she finished. She had told him many times how much his support and love meant to her; as great as she was, he made her better, more complete, and she hoped he knew it.

  -----o

  "How did you arrange this tour, Ravius?" Gavin asked as the steam-wagon that he, Ravius, and Vintia were riding came to a hissing halt. They had just arrived in front of a massive sandstone building studded with shining copper domes and smokestacks belching flames into the desert sky. The heat was oppressive and the air was heavy with pollution, but the Gladiators paid it little heed.

  "Ah, little brother, you wound me," professed Ravius, shaking his unruly hair, placing his hand over his heart emphatically. "I do not spend...all... of my time carousing, you know. I am resourceful and tactically minded. I figured knowing how our metallic victims are built might give us some advantage over them. Besides, I know how much you and Vintia enjoy educational field trips."

  "I'm just sad none of us thought of this earlier," said Vintia, shaking her head.

  "We've been rather busy..." said Gavin."Let's not beat ourselves up over missed opportunities now. This is a great idea Ravius; seeing how the clockworks are built will give us a real advantage in fighting them."

  "Thank you," said Ravius. "Just remember to thank me later, as publicly as possible!"

  Artifice, the magic of building animate mechanical devices was one of the few major magical disciplines with no representation among Gladiators. Building clockworks, steam-powered contraptions, and engineering fabulous devices was a powerful magical skill but rarely directly useful in combat, much like rune-smithing. As far as Gavin could recall, all artificers were vassals, the only contact they had with the arena being as patrons, fans, or in creating clockwork monsters for their more violent Gifted brethren to fight. He wondered if any of the artificers considered it unfair that their art made them unsuitable for becoming a Chosen.

  After spending long minutes in a well-appointed office, they were met by a Quickling man wearing green glass goggles with intricate brass dials and gears on the side who introduced himself as their guide without giving his name. He gave the distinct impression that he felt he had better things to do than conduct tours.

  The Guide ushered the three Gladiators and their three Grey-Robed escorts out of the comfortable, carpeted office and into a massive workshop and factory filled with noise The floors were made of unyielding concrete. The building was a maze of copper pipes, compressed air hoses, assembly-line belts, and row upon row of workbenches where solitary artificers worked on parts that were then conveyed by belts and tubes to the main production line to be assembled. The whole place was humid and the air was filled with the smell of metal and oil and the choir of a thousand mechanical rhythms. As they moved through the massive open floor space, their Quickling guide pointed out various features of the shop including the automatons whose sole purpose was to aid in production and the cavernous open space where the monstrous juggernauts were assembled. He moved at a pace that was difficult to match and left little time for questions. His enthusiasm for the machines was quite obvious.

  "Do you make steam-wagons here?" Gavin asked the guide, when they finally paused.

  "No, this facility is dedicated to weapon grade artifice." There was a note of pride in the engineer's voice as he spoke, shaking his head. "Brightsand Halls has a long history of clockwork magic; Chosen Giselle has been an avid supporter of our craft since her first southern campaign. She was one of the first Chosen to make use of mechanical automaton soldiers and steam weaponry for her soldiers. When others saw her success, most were quick to adopt it. Proper use of Artifice weaponry has given the soldiers of the Domains a tremendous advantage in recent conflicts. You Gladiators fight in a rather... anachronistic fashion."

  "Who needs a steam-powered spike thrower when you can throw lightning at your foes?" said Vintia in a frost-laden tone.

  "Ah... an elementalist," said the little engineer, pronouncing the hated word as if might contaminate him. "Haven't the elemental theories of the composite universe been refuted by modern observations?"

  Vintia bristled, bright eyes shining with anger. "Our magic seems to work well enough on your machines. I've sent countless clockwork to the scrap heap with my spells..."

  "Oh please, the arena is where we test new models and work out the kinks; we don't send our best work off to be destroyed for the amusement of the bloodthirsty masses," said the little man to an annoyed-looking Vintia. One of the Grey-Robes cleared his throat, a polite warning, but the engineer kept on, voice dripping with superiority. "Our field models are much better armed and much better armoured than anything you've ever seen. Their vitals, engines, motors, and most importantly their power sources are far better protected than anything you will see in the arena. From our tests we have determined that most of our machines are rendered non-functional by power source failure. I dare say your little lightning blasts would do nothing against a Mark Fifteen with triple shielded redundant power cores." The engineer gestured to a looming juggernaut being assembled in the background.

  "These power cores sound like a true marvel of your exceptional craft." said Ravius in a wonder-struck tone, stepping between their guide and a red-faced Vintia. "Perhaps if we were to get a look at one, my friends here would gain a greater appreciation of your art."

  "Science, actually," the engineer corrected automatically, but he seemed pleased by the skirmisher's flattery, smiling now as he gestured for
them to continue. Gavin looked to Vintia, who relaxed and grinned now that the engineer's attention was elsewhere. The green-goggled Quickling led them to the heart of the factory, a series of pristine, sterile workshops filled with workbenches. The Grey-Robes conferred briefly with two uniformed guards before they were allowed to progress further. The air within this sealed area was cool and dry, free of the smells of oil and alive with magic.

  "This is where we assemble our power cores. We have twelve vassals and seven free artificers working on this line and we are expanding rapidly as demand from the border Domains increases. Assembling the core is a time consuming and delicate task that requires a lot of channelling and spell-forging. I won't bore you with technical details; you would need years of training to understand. You can look around for a minute; just don't interrupt the craftspeople please." Their guide spoke with the self-satisfied tones that reminded Gavin of a holy man showing off a great temple.

  The three Gladiators split up and moved around the workshop, trailed by their escorts. Gavin moved to examine the power core shielding structures, chatting with a few of the friendlier artificers while they worked. As he suspected, they were for the most part, more friendly than the guide; but it was evident that some disliked Gladiators; no doubt they had watched many of their creations dispatched by 'anachronistic' brutes like himself.

  Using a simple Cogimantic spell, he was able to memorize the schematics of several power cores and dozens of clockworks in a matter of minutes; his Grey-Robe escort noticed, but made no effort to interfere. Ravius kept questioning the guide while Vintia took a look at the design diagrams for the various types of automaton produced in the factory. When they returned to Red Faction residence at Scorpion's Oasis, they would reproduce these for further study.

  Gavin looked again at the Grey-Robe nearest him, a lean man who was chatting with one of the younger engineers, who simply shrugged; apparently there was nothing in the rules against Gladiators learning about automaton anatomy. Gladiators were already under too many restrictions to be deemed as a threat for industrial espionage or military sabotage he guessed.