Sadira heard the sound of someone landing and a weapon hitting a shield behind her, but she could not risk a glance. She pushed toward Sapphire Lotus, her long legs tearing through grasping plant tendrils that suddenly erupted from the sands underneath her, conjured by magic. The Blue's eyes widened in surprise as Sadira surged forward, jumped over a glaive thrust, and brought her curved obsidian blades down in lethal arcs. Both blades dug into her opponent's shoulder-guards, forcing Lotus to the ground, but failing to draw blood. Sadira darted back as Blue Calamity came to his team-mate's rescue, flinging fire at her face. Rishelle moved between them, shouting as his whip and spear met her blades, allowing Sadira to turn her attention back to Lotus.
Stonehammer seemed determined to push Gavin onto the jagged wall-spikes or into the pit. Gavin’s mind magic had little effect on the stoical Dwarf, and he could not get his spear past the other's expert defences. It was a fight that he could not win, but just keeping Stonehammer from helping the rest of the Blues was good enough in Gavin's estimation. He ducked under a brutal swing of the Dwarf's axe, his spear skittering off the other's thick armour as he counter-thrust.
After taking a rapier jab in her leg, fiery-haired Karmal channelled a tremendous burst of power into the pattern of an exploder spell. She locked wills with her opponent, shouting as she overcame the Quickling's resistance. The terrible spell caused Steel Harmony to detonate from the inside out. The tiny Quickling burst apart, showering all nearby with gore. The spectators roared, surging to their feet in support of this brutality. Karmal's triumphant laughter was, however, cut short as Blue Hornet appeared from behind her, slamming his fist spikes into her temple and throat. The flame-haired Gladiatrix sank to the ground, struggling to rise as her opponent plunged his spikes through her back, finishing her off. Sadira howled her war-shriek and ran toward Karmal, ducking under Lotus's swinging glaive. Lotus lunged forward, this time swinging her Glaive low to the ground at Sadira. Although the blade caught her on the leg, tripping her, she rolled nimbly to her feet and sprinted to her friend.
Blue Hornet twisted his blades out of Karmal and turned to meet Sadira's charge, his lithe form mocking. She whirled into him, blades flashing. He hit her with a quick jab in the shoulder, while parrying her blades with one of the broad bucklers attached to each of his gauntlets. She snarled against the pain, bearing down on him and bringing her armoured knee up into his groin, channelling power into a primal surge of strength. Her knee collided with a satisfying crunch, breaking the man's pelvis and leaving him momentarily stunned. She flourished her blades and cut down, filling the air with her vengeful war-scream as his head tumbled to the ground next to Karmal's prone form in a splash of blood. The audience roared its approval of her display. She could sense little life in Karmal or Blue Hornet and so left them to turn back to the fray. Blue Calamity advanced to meet her, whips whirling.
Gavin watched Vintia go down under a combined assault from Warsong, Desert Star, and Sapphire Lotus. Luck, and the skills of Masters Orsina and Stonehammer had bought the Blues a brief moment of opportunity. The little defender fought valiantly, holding them back for a long moment, but an expert spell combination left her weak and nauseous for just long enough, and the three Blues overpowered her, slamming her into the cruel wall-spikes. Ravius arrived too late to save her, but not too late to trip Lotus with his net and send her crashing face first into the brutal wall beside Vintia as he backpedalled away from the other two.
Cassius, Rishelle, and Tenisha engaged Countess Orsina in the middle of the arena. The elegant Gladiatrix did not give way before the storm of blades, greeting each attack with a well-timed parry or simply allowing it to glance off her armour. Gavin recognized her use of mountain stance from the champion school, meant to turn an opponent's attacks and return them in kind. Although Cassius tried to trip her with his whips, while blasting her with lighting and fire, her footing was too sure. Blades flashed, whips cracked, and spells flew, but the three lower-ranked Gladiators could not overcome the more experienced Orsina's perfect guard.
Sax had moved in to help Ravius against Azure Dream and Desert Star, quickly forcing them onto the defensive with broad strokes of his greatsword while the skirmisher tried to work his way onto the flank. Warsong moved in to help the Blues, swinging his massive axe and forcing Ravius to duck and backpedal. Now, Stonehammer snarled and started backing toward the main melee, harried by Gavin.
Energetic Rishelle threw herself at Orsina in a desperate gambit to overcome her defence. The countess sidestepped, tripping her and slamming her greatsword through Rishelle's back with perfect precision. Tenisha shrieked with anger as she and Cassius sprang forward to take advantage of their team-mate's sacrifice. The countess, seeing no good options, elected to surge forward and thrust the long blade of her greatsword into Cassius's throat instead of focusing on defence. Her armour did not save her as the wrathful Tenisha stabbed her in the lower back with one sword and then punched her brutal gauntlet-spike into the countess's snarling face. And oh, the crowd, they did cheer as the blond Gladiatrix, drenched in blood, screamed her rage and triumph over the limp bodies of friend and foe alike.
Sadira danced around Blue Calamity, testing him with her blades. His spear darted in and out, attacking from all angles, while he sought to trip her up with his whip. He was fast, but no match for her. She pressed him hard, slashing at him, eager for blood and victory.
"You should have learned your lesson the last time we fought, Calamity!" she mocked as she landed a slicing cut below his shoulder, just missing a small but important artery in his arm.
She heard a grunt from behind the mask."Maybe I have," he said.
Sadira was not sure if the words were actually spoken or she just heard them in her head. His damned mask kept her from seeing his face. She felt him channelling power and stepped forward to attack. A shiver passed through her, and she paused. Her attack faltered. She suddenly felt weak and disoriented, the world around her becoming somehow less focused, losing definition. It took her a moment to realize that she had been severed from her power. No, not severed, but restrained, held down by an external force. She had felt this before; it was like the spell the Grey-Robes and the Chosen used to control the destructive powers of the Gladiators, known as the Chain of Ezuis. Every Gladiator dreaded that feeling. It was the leash that kept them obedient, the weapon they had no answer to She backed away, eyes wide, heart hammering. Lina's warning rang out in her head. She raised her weapons to defend herself. She could die, here and now. This magic might even affect her bond with the life-sustaining Keystone, or her ability to heal. She felt fear twisting inside her, cold and sharp, robbing her of strength.
Blue Calamity lazily unfurled his whip. "You've made some powerful enemies, bitch," he said. She could just imagine the sly, spiteful smile on his face beneath his featureless mask. He launched a mental assault that left her reeling, feeling like her head was being pressed by a vice. Her vision blurred. She gritted her teeth against the agony, but his forbidden power had left her almost defenceless against his magical attacks. Anger swept through her fear: this man was cheating! Someone had to notice. The world reeled.
The whip cracked, lightning quick, snaking around her throat. The metal coils tightened, cutting into her neck, choking her, pulling her toward her haughty assailant. She heard him chuckling and snarled pulling backwards with all her might. "Time to learn your place," he hissed, raising his spear, its hungry tip gleaming in the sun. She reversed course suddenly, throwing herself forward with the added momentum of his pull, ramming into him with her armoured shoulder. The grim spear bit into her chest, but the whip loosened and she rolled away, free, running, shouting to her team.
Gavin, Sax, Tenisha, and Ravius were fighting side by side against Warsong, Stonehammer, Desert Star, and Azure Dream. They heard her shout of alarm, and could sense something wrong in the weave of magic around her. Unfortunately the Blues were between Sadira and the rest of her team. The Reds pushed hard, but could not break
through quickly enough.
Sadira heard Blue Calamity move in behind her, his power slamming into her like a sledge pounding into her brain. She turned to face him, focusing in spite of the agony from the mental assault. She could feel the warm trickle of blood dripping from her nose and ears.
Gavin watched Stonehammer turn at the sound of Sadira's distress, ignoring a trident thrust from Ravius that glanced off his thick armour. The Dwarf channelled power and leapt toward Sadira, covering ten paces with a jump spell. Sax reacted by slamming a massive shoulder into the Orc, Warsong, which opened just enough space for Gavin to flow through the enemy line. A blade bit him in the back as he pushed through, but he ignored the wound. He powered forward, desperately sprinting toward Sadira. Something was wrong; he could feel it now. He remembered the warning that Sadira had brushed off; how could he have forgotten such a thing!
Stonehammer leapt again, landing far out of Gavin's reach and a short distance behind Sadira, axe at the ready.
"Can't beat me fairly?" Sadira mocked Blue Calamity, raising her weapons. She was trapped. From behind her, she heard Gavin shout a warning. Chosen's Oath, she would not let this be the last time she heard that voice!
"Everything is fair on the fighting grounds, bitch," he said, sneering. Behind her Stonehammer seemed to be waiting, even though he had a perfect opportunity to strike. Blue Calamity darted forward. Sadira heard the Dwarf move behind her, the crowd cheering, felt the bright sun on her face. Anger shot through her, a righteous molten flow, burning away fear and doubt. She danced forward to meet Calamity, blades held high, screaming her defiance.
Gavin sprinted forward, every muscle straining to close the impossible gap between him and Sadira. Sadira thrust one blade at Calamity while swinging the other at the Dwarf behind her in a bid to defend herself. But Stonehammer ignored her weapon, letting it glance off his armour, and instead of attacking her he placed himself in front of Sadira to block his own team-mate's spear. Confusion ensued.
"HOLD!" The sound of the arena Master's voice thundered. Most of the Gladiators skidded to a halt, long training and magical command forcing them to freeze in place. They all felt the leash of power in his voice. Blue Calamity, though, threw his spear as the last syllable of the command fell. Sadira raised her blade to ward it off, but the Blue Gladiator, Stonehammer, who was in front of her now, contemptuously knocked the missile out the air with his axe.
"FOUL CALLED: BLUES FORFEIT!" shouted the Arena Master, his every syllable dripping with anger and disdain. Blue Calamity dropped to the ground, wracked with spasms as the Grey-Robe's magic coursed through him. Gavin noted that all the remaining Blues appeared shocked and confused, except for Stonehammer; he now realized that the veteran Blue Gladiator had moved to protect Sadira, and that he must have done so with the Grey-Robe's sanction, since he had full mobility still. "MATCH TO RED: FULL POINTS!"
The crowd was muttering excitedly now, as five thousand spectators began to speculate on what exactly had occurred to bring the exciting match to such an unusual end. The Grey-Robed Arena Master, Hork Bloodsmith, ignored the audience and the confused Gladiators, stern eyes focusing instead on Blue Calamity’s writhing form.
-----o
The Gladiator Blue Calamity disappeared; he simply vanished. No one saw him leave, but the lack of concern among the Grey-Robes spoke volumes. None of his former friends or enemies mentioned him again. He had used forbidden magic in an attempt to harm Sadira, and there is only one punishment for such a crime.
Chapter Thirty: Revelation
1144/11/11 AR, Scorpion's Oasis, Faction Score: Reds 3116 points, Blues 3002 points
"Even now the Domains are constantly threatened by outside forces. Soldiers die every day to keep the chaos of the tainted lands from spilling over into civilized lands. The monsters we see in the arena are meant to remind those who live in safety of this fact." Warbound Victor diTavalon
"I'm just saying that I'd rather have won without a forfeit," said Karmal with a pronounced pout. "The audience was so pissed off that I only got base victory tokens for the match, which means I won’t be able to afford to enchant this fire ruby for my sword until after my next match..."
Gavin rolled his eyes at Karmal's remarks. They were walking one of the broad cobbled streets of the Gladiator's quarter in the city of Brightsand Halls, perusing the rune-smiths, enchanters, and other services, taking a break from their hectic schedule in Scorpion’s Oasis. Karmal's constant bemoaning of her lack of funds to buy the weapon enhancement she currently desired had worn thin days ago. He wished he could transfer some of his victory tokens to her, just to make her happy and quiet, but that was not allowed; the tokens were closely regulated to prevent cheating.
"Karmal, my dearest friend," said Sadira, looking back over her shoulder, sounding exasperated despite the softness of her tone. "Please try to show a little concern, at least, over the possibility that I could have been killed when Blue Calamity sundered me from my magic."
Karmal coloured slightly and bristled at this rebuke. Gavin and Vintia looked away, pretending not to notice; they did not want to give the volatile Karmal an excuse to vent her temper on them.
Sadira stopped, flashing a smile at her temperamental friend, not wanting her to get too angry. "Besides haven't I told you that the whole fire motif is a bit cliché for a red-head?"
"This, coming from a busty Shadow-Elf babe who likes scorpions and fights in a skimpy red thong!" said Karmal, rising to the challenge. While Sadira had learned to control her anger, perhaps even use it as a weapon over the past few years, Karmal had not. Gavin felt a small pang, realizing that soon, she too, would be gone from his life. Despite their clashing personalities he still regarded her as a friend. He wondered if he would ever get to hear her version of what had happened when she killed Meady Mox in Dreadwood Junction. He pushed the thought away, while she continued speaking. "With my skill in fire magic a ruby fire-burst enchantment is simply a must. I can make it stronger, you know. I'm so close to being able to afford the enchantment and I've been saving this Ruby for ages... it's so aggravating. Also, I think I look good with fire in my hands...!"
"I like runes better myself," said Sadira. "More reliable, you know? I'd rather have a constant effect than an enchantment that I have to feed energy into for a short burst of power. I noticed that my runes worked even after that goat-rutting man-harlot Blue Calamity severed my magic last match. Reliability is important in a fight. Also, I find it interesting that you always bring up my attire and never criticize Ravius or Cassius on theirs, which are plenty revealing."
Vintia giggled at this observation. "Who cares what men wear?" Karmal responded, causing Sadira to raise an eyebrow.
"Let's change the subject, shall we?" asked Vintia. Gavin realized then how vital the little defender must have been in keeping the peace between her two passionate friends when they were younger. "I want to enjoy the day. Besides I think the joyful, crazed look you get when you talk about fire gems Karmal, makes our escorts uncomfortable, especially with us being out in public near all the burnable stuff."
Karmal rolled her eyes. Gavin laughed. The others joined him, even Karmal after a moment. He saw one of their Grey-Robe escorts hide a smile. He wished he'd had the time to get to know some of the Officers of the Deliberative here like he had Cleothera in Camp Valorous, but he'd been training and fighting almost constantly since the day he arrived in Scorpion's Oasis. The last twelve months had brought nearly as many matches as the first four years of his career. It felt like they had been in the desert for ages, but in reality little time had passed.
It was a slow, easy day for them so far. They were taking a break from their gruelling schedule in order to enjoy some time together in Brightsand Halls. Gavin was relaxed in spite of his upcoming ranking match later in the day. He was fighting with Sadira, which filled him with confidence.
Since they had brought a full escort with them they were able to go anywhere they wished, even leaving the Gladiators' Quarter n
ear the monumental Brightsand Halls arena. Gavin had only visited the outskirts of the city before, while visiting a workshop that produced clockwork soldiers. The city, founded by the Chosen Giselle, was certainly not as beautiful as the pristine and wickedly opulent Scorpion's Oasis, but it was full of the sort of energy and life that one would never find in an indulgent resort town catering only to the elite. The wide streets were packed with people, merchants selling wares from ramshackle carts on every corner, even in the tightly controlled Gladiators' quarter. He overheard Tauran monks on pilgrimage from the Brighthoof Plains debating the finer points of natural philosophy with a gaunt Light-Elf Dervish from the Sylvanwood. He saw bored looking caravan guards escorting a column of hissing steam-wagons laden with raw materials from the rich Red Hill mines, heard the sounds of a dozen accents mingling with the chimes of the little bells that decorated the white lace of a beautiful palanquin carried by four burly Ogres, smelled the scents of exotic spices, fresh cut spice melon, horse sweat, the sharp metallic tang of a nearby foundry, and the heady aroma of the layered hanging flower gardens surrounding Chosen Giselle's great palace. He encountered Gladiators and Grey-Robes, workers and rich men, children and the elderly. The city was so alive, so full of promise; he wished he could slip away from his escort and just wander the streets, going wherever whimsy and chance led him.
"I'm surprised you didn't stay behind with Ravius and Sax while we went shopping," said Vintia from beside him. "You know we are going to meet up with Rishelle, Tenisha and some of the Blues to go to the bazaar and shop for clothes and jewelry, right?"
"I don't mind," he said. "I just want to spend some time with Sadira. I also want to enjoy your company as well, my friend."
She smiled, eyes misty for a moment. Neither of them mentioned that they would soon part company, perhaps forever. For Gavin, his friends represented the only family he had ever known.
Bloodlust: A Gladiator's Tale Page 47
