by Joe Fowler
“Dorian, thanks again for having me, especially since I was such a late addition. I was busy dealing with the council and their paperwork.” I smiled as I said this. He seemed to appreciate it.
“We all know how that can be. Welcome to our ranks, Darius. I am glad I can have the honor of hosting you first. If you have any questions on protocol, feel free to ask me. I will be more than happy to help you along.” Dorian was clearly genuine. I found myself liking him.
“Thank you, Dorian. I may need your help. I was told some but not much.”
“We will meet at 7:30 tomorrow night in this room. The fights will start at 9:00 sharp. Have a good night.”
“And you as well.” I shook hands with him and left the room.
I took my time heading to my suite. Dorian’s walls were painted light brown. It was an even color that seemed calming to me even though I spent most of my time watching the scuffed hardwood pass under my feet.
Once in my suite, I sat in my usual chair and tried to relax. I looked across and wished Arria was in her usual chair. I figured she probably was only she was halfway around the world from me.
Arria was giving the pretext that she was helping Feng redistribute the employees and facilities of the now dead old ones. She was helping but it was a cover so she could avoid events as they were offered. My absence would be too glaring to overlook. She would keep her team, both fighters and employees, there at Feng’s until I could return.
I thought of pulling the cord for a donor but decided I would wait until I woke up. It would help me be stronger for what I would be facing tomorrow night. The drain of the illusion was bearable now. I would make sure to keep the illusion up, even as I slept.
Chapter 10
As my donor was leaving, Petra appeared in my doorway. I was surprised but tried to not let my shock be apparent. She wore a smile as she entered my suite.
“Welcome, Petra.” I said, in confusion.
“I figured you might need some guidance. I was bored and thought I would see if I could be of assistance.” She offered.
“That might be a full time job. I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. I’m sure it will all become second nature after a while but for now I am feeling a bit lost.” I didn’t have to lie.
She laughed and sat in what I can only call Arria’s chair.
“I wondered if you planned on greeting your newbies the way Arria did with us.” Petra surprised me with that one.
“I didn’t know Arria was your old one!” My surprise didn’t need to be faked.
“I came through her facility about two hundred years before you did. I went to work for Aegeus after winning my freedom. I stayed with him until I reached the status of old one. I knew from the start that I wanted my own team. Aegeus was kind to me. He made sure I knew how to make my money grow enough that I could accomplish it.” She was improving my estimation of her.
“I met Aegeus briefly while I was at Feng’s trying to arrange for my facility. I liked him.” I wanted to be careful of what was said and how I said it. “As for the meeting my newbie…I thought it was standard practice. Since I was among humans all these years, I know even less of the customs and practices.”
“That is understandable. What time were you going to meet?” She asked.
“I was about to head that way now. You are welcome to join me unless you have other plans.” I actually wanted her company. I knew I might be wrong but she seemed to be kind.
“I would love to.” She said, as we made our way to the door.
“Reptile, my second, knows to bring her to the lobby room. He should have her there in fifteen minutes or so.” I informed her.
“That should be perfect. It will give us time to meet your new one and be in Dorian’s meeting hall with time to spare.” Petra beamed. She seemed happy about how things were working out.
“My new one isn’t as new as she would normally be.” I stated as small talk while we walked.
“How is that possible?” Her surprise was real.
“Feng and Arria helped me hire my employees. They had more than they knew what to do with after that fiasco at Tristan’s. Three of the employees I hired had made vampires on the side. I was told they came forward on their own and wished to have their new ones entered in the gauntlet. Feng suggested I take these three since it would help all involved.”
“That is rare. It is unusual for someone to admit to breaking such a huge rule. How did they get away with it without being killed for their crime?” Petra’s intensity was obvious.
“From what I understand, one of the violators spoke with Titan and explained his situation. Titan eased the council into it by telling them it was done out of love. The council decided that since they came forward on their own, the three violators would be pardoned. The vampires they created would be entered into the fights with a chance to earn their place among us.” I related the story. It felt weird using my name in the third person like that.
“Well, I’ve never heard of such. You can’t argue with the council though.” She said, sounding upset.
“Only once.” I said and laughed. It took her a second before she got it.
“Yes, a second time isn’t possible if you’re dead.” Petra was shaking her head. I wasn’t sure why this was so upsetting to her.
We reached the lobby room. I looked at the room and smiled. A room like this was where I got my first real look at Arria. I saw her briefly the night she turned me but didn’t get a real taste of her beauty until I was led before her in her facility’s version of this room.
“This room brings back memories.” I said, solemnly.
“I feel it each time I come here as well. I used to greet my newbies too. I was like you, I thought all the old ones did this. It was only later that I found out most did not. Only the sentimental ones like Arria still do.” Petra almost sounded resentful. It was a total turnaround from how she had acted up until that point.
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.
“Yes and no. I have no problem with sentiments. I still like Arria. She is good to her fighters. I grow tired of developing relationships with vampires who won’t survive. That is the reason I wanted to stop doing this. It caused me some pain to see so many die after I grew fond of them.” Petra explained.
I knew I would like her now. She was being too honest for there to be an ulterior motive. I would still be cautious around her but would try to consider her a friend.
“It is good to hear you still care though. So many of our kind are monsters. I can understand the love of the fights. I feel that myself, it is what brought me back to this world. What I don’t care for is the power-hungry motives most seem to live by.” I said. I wanted to feel her out some more to see what else I could figure out. She might even divulge some needed information.
“You couldn’t have said it better. I was ecstatic to hear of the incident at Tristan’s event. He and those friends of his were horrid. I never understood how the council could put up with Cheng in the first place. He was as bad as any of them.” She offered.
“I never got to know them but all that I’ve heard agrees with what you said.” I was about to say more when the door opened.
Reptile led Lucy to me. Reptile was average height and rail thin. He had a large hooked nose. I only hired him because Ghost and Blur were sure this was the best way.
“This is Lucy, your new fighter.” Reptile stated simply.
I rose from my chair and looked at her as Arria always did with her newbies. Lucy’s gift was speed. I like that! She was red headed and full figured. She had some freckles covering her nose. I smiled knowing what Bear would see in her. Her thoughts were both excited and fearful as she stood quietly.
“I hope you survive, Lucy.” I turned to Reptile. “Take her to the donor room and get her something to eat.”
He bowed. Lucy saw the bow and did the same. Reptile knew he would be the one helping prepare Lucy for her fight since I didn’t have a team there to help her. Th
ey left out the door and I wanted to smile. Speed! This was usually the best gift to have in the arena. I held back on the smile since I couldn’t explain it to Petra.
“Shall we go?” I asked her.
“Certainly.”
We passed some small talk on the way but nothing serious was said.
We were the last two in the meeting hall. Dorian greeted us. We found ourselves all talking in one group instead of breaking up into smaller groups.
“What about it Emelia? Care to bet on our first round match?” Dorian asked.
“I should know better than to bet before I know what my fighter’s gift is but I can’t help it. I will if you aren’t scared.” Emelia said, to the delight of the other old ones.
“You’re on. The usual million dollars?” He asked.
“Sounds good.” Emelia smiled. She looked over at me. “If Petra is willing, you should bet too. It makes the fights more interesting.”
“I’m okay with it.” Petra volunteered.
All eyes turned to me.
“Sure. I love to wager.” I didn’t see a problem with it.
Arria and Feng set up a huge account for me. They prepared me for what I should bet and when. This was somewhat expected as many old ones preferred to bet among themselves instead of betting in the arena.
Knowing Lucy was gifted with speed made the bet almost a sure thing.
I watched as the others placed bets for many of their match ups. This went on for some time. I was being thoroughly entertained by their banter. Emelia was particularly funny. Caleb was the pooper of the party. He refused to make a bet.
Once the betting was done, some splintering occurred. Like last night, groups of two or three became the norm. I found myself talking to Dmitriy and Caleb.
“I heard you were there when Tristan died. Tell me of it. I haven’t heard any of the details yet.” Caleb requested of Dmitriy.
“The council made plans to ensnare Cheng. We were tired of his shenanigans. With the help of Titan, we created a hoax that brought out Cheng’s true nature. Cheng, along with ten other old ones were caught in our trap. If you ask me, we rid ourselves of some trash.” Dmitriy offered.
“That Titan scares me. How do we know he won’t turn out like Ares and start killing us?” Caleb’s fear was apparent.
“He is ridiculously in love with Arria. She has him so wrapped up that he isn’t a danger. I met him and grew to like him. His fight with Gronk was fun!” Dmitriy laughed.
“What! Nobody told me about that!” Caleb exclaimed.
The other old ones heard his shout and came over to hear what was going on. Dmitriy noticed and smiled wider. He seemed to love my hearing this without being able to contribute.
“Oh yes, Gronk and Titan fought at Tristan’s. It happened just before all the old ones started dying. They were going at it pretty hard. I think I could have sat and watched them trade blows all night. I knew we needed to have some order since I knew what was planned for later. I broke up their fight.” Dmitriy had a captive audience.
“I heard something to that effect but didn’t believe it. I figured if those two fought, Gronk would have killed Titan. I can’t say I would shed a tear. Titan is supposed to be okay but he scares the hell out of me.” Jonas commented.
“Who won the fight? I don’t know this Gronk but I’ve heard so much about Titan. The way I heard it, only a handful could still beat him.” Emelia said.
“It was an even fight. You still haven’t met most of the old ones, Emelia. Gronk is a legend among our kind. He is a huge, fun-loving brawler. He has been known to beat vampires much older than himself. The fact that he is 2300 years old and Titan matched him is a shock to many. Some of the council are a bit worried although they are careful not to say as much in Arria’s presence.” Dmitriy gave me a pointed look when he said that last bit.
I didn’t want to hear that. Feng’s attitude had been great. Lorac was a friend to me now. I hadn’t seen anything that would change those opinions up to this point. That left Sabina, Agda, Aegeus, and Alethea.
“Darius, you were at Feng’s facility the last few days. Did you meet Titan?” Emelia asked. Dmitriy barely held back his laughter.
“I met the council members but Titan and I were never in the same room together. By the sound of it, I might be glad I didn’t.” I actually found a way to mostly tell the truth.
“We should head to the viewing room now. It is almost time.” Dorian noticed.
I was thankful without being able to say thank you. After the viewing area, we all traveled Dorian’s light brown corridors to the arena. This would be much more familiar territory for me. I stood guard over Arria at several of the events. I still got a kick out of the thought of having to stand ‘guard’ over Arria. I only wish she was here now.
“Darius, why don’t you sit next to me?” Dorian asked. “Since this is your first event, I can answer any questions you may have.”
“That sound great, thank you.” I took the offered seat and looked out over the mass of humans and vampires in the gallery. Jonas took the seat to my right.
The gallery was mostly humans. It was often that way. While any free vampire can attend these events, it is hard for vampires not working for an old one to travel. Any employee not required to work during an event is allowed to join the crowd and watch the fights. Anyone present can bet as they wish. Arria spoke of those with the gift of identifying others abilities as becoming rich from their betting. I smiled to myself thinking of the advantage that would give me.
The funny thing was that no bet was too big or too small. You could see a wager of ten dollars followed by a bet of five million. Lorac and Feng joked that I could rack up during this time. They told me that any money over what they supplied, I would be able to keep. I planned to take full advantage of that!
I saw Dorian give his announcer the nod. This announcer was overly tall and lanky. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen a man of that height be that skinny. He was better dressed than most announcers though. He wore a tuxedo.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight’s festivities! We have seven teams here to fight! Let’s give a huge round of applause for our first combatants. Welcome first timers Stan and Ned!” The announcer waited as they took their places. “You will now have five minutes to place your bets!”
I didn’t know which of them was Stan and which was Ned. I did know that one of them had invisibility and the other was a mind reader. I would normally expect the mind reader in a first round match. The one with invisibility would not have learned how to put up walls in his mind yet.
“Which one is yours?” I asked Dorian.
“Stan, he is the one with the purple shirt.” Dorian informed me.
The mind reader.
I saw Emelia and Jonas placing their bets. They were betting one hundred thousand each. The bet collector was making his round. I made a one hundred thousand dollar bet on Stan.
“Just remember, there aren’t any refunds.” Dorian laughed. “We all love the betting but it can add up. Even as rich as we are, you will feel it if you have a bad night.”
“Thanks for the warning. I will make sure I don’t overdo it.” I replied.
“It is time! Stan, Ned, please stand and face your opponent…Let the game begin!” The announcer teleported and both fighters took their stances.
They circled each other warily before Ned attacked. Stan dodged and hit Ned solidly. He wasn’t able to follow up on his strike though since Ned recovered quickly. They began to circle again when Ned disappeared. I could see his gift of invisibility even when I couldn’t see him. I was used to this. Stan followed most of Ned’s moves even though he couldn’t see him. When Ned rushed in for an attack, Stan struck first. He couldn’t see Ned but he could read his thoughts plainly. Stan was able to follow up this attack. He hit Ned a few more times which caused Ned to become visible again. Stan ripped Ned’s head off to claim the victory.
“Let’s hear it for Stan!” The announcer roared as he
reappeared in the ring. Two other employees began clearing the arena for the next fight.
“Good win for you, Dorian. He did well.” I said.
“Thanks. These first timers are hard to predict. Glad you won your bet.” Dorian seemed pleased.
I had witnessed Arria and other old ones congratulating each other when one of their fighters won. I figured I could further my goodwill sentiments this way. I looked down at Emelia to see her actually pouting a little.
“Our next fight will be first timers Charles and Lucy! Let’s welcome them to our arena!” The announcer made his intros. Once they were standing on the X marks, the announcer continued. “You will now have five minutes to place your bets!”
Charles had the gift of flight. I figured Lucy’s speed would beat him easily. As the others were placing their bets of one hundred thousand, I placed a bet for one million on Lucy. They looked at me with expressions that called me an idiot.
“We usually don’t bet that much on first timers. It is too hard to predict how they will do since we don’t know their abilities yet.” Dorian explained the looks.
“I know it is a huge risk but I want to show confidence in my fighter. Believe me, I wouldn’t normally risk so much on an unproven commodity. Call it a hopeful beginning for me.” I laughed and Dorian saw what I needed him to. Jonas and Emelia heard my explanation as well.
“I was thinking you were crazy but then I can understand your enthusiasm for your first fighter.” Jonas said. It sounded like an apology for the look he gave me.
“You only have one first time. That’s the way I’m looking at it.” I said.
“It is time! Charles, Lucy, please stand and face your opponent…Let the game begin!” The announcer teleported.
Lucy waited a heartbeat longer than I would have liked but she did attack quickly enough. She struck Charles twice before he could move. She followed up well with her next attacks. She took his head.
I was shocked at how proud I was of her. I now understood Petra’s earlier statement a little better about when one of mine wins their freedom.
