by L M Preston
“We wait for the signal. They have to evaluate ye.” Luspardan removed his hand.
Kayson tapped EmVee’s elbow with his arm. “We will get in. If that’s all they have so far.” He tilted his head toward the carnage below.
There was a male fighting a giant. The creature towered over the guy by four or five feet. Its chest and back were massive but misshapen on one side. A huge eye spanned across its face. One side of the beast appeared as a well-shaped man. The other side was a monstrous creature with green bumpy skin, orange claws for fingers, overcrowded teeth, and the one huge eye that connected both sides of the split face.
EmVee took a moment to search the arena. It seemed like most sports events she’d witnessed before, people cheered or booed. At first glance, they appeared human. As she scanned the place, she’d realized that the human looking people seemed to have images that shifted as though it was a glitch in an illusion. There were creatures with pointed ears, oversized or snout noses, short stature, and long fingers. The small creatures reminded her of evil stumps of wood, carved into totems. The wooden creatures were animated in their gestures. Their hair bounced around them in waves of leaves mixed in with green hairs.
“The Bakru.” Kayson pointed to one. “They coerce possible fighters by doing them a ‘favor’. To pay them back for the gift they bestow, their victim has to sacrifice someone to battle for their debt.”
“The humans?”
“Yeah.”
“Are there other magicals here?”
“A few shapeshifters and vampires. This is their Province. The other creatures are invited in for the tournaments.” Kayson folded his arms.
Luspardan waved at them. “You are in,” he said then walked around EmVee to lead them through the archway.
Kayson laid a hand on EmVee’s shoulder. “You can do this. If you are in trouble, I’ll come for you.”
EmVee smiled. “Thanks, but I think I will be fine. Make sure you win your battle. I need answers to find my family.”
“You’ll get them,” Kayson whispered then grasped EmVee’s hand to pull her along.
She moved hers out of reach then followed Luspardan. EmVee stayed close to the outer walls of the amphitheater by walking around the creatures and beings rushing through the walkway.
“Here is the registration room. They will test you for fitness to fight. If you don’t die in this round, we move on.” Luspardan gave each of them a pinch of herbs from the pouch on his hip. “Take this. It will suppress the wild smell to ye blood.” Luspardan cleared his throat. “There are three rounds, each with another fighter that holds the century title for the round thinning. Just survive. It will be a few days.”
“Days? We have others waiting for us.” EmVee stopped following him.
Luspardan pivoted around and gave an irritated snort. “Child, days here are minutes in the place where your people await.”
Kayson stood next to Luspardan with his arms folded. “We will more than survive.”
“Don’t show off. If you do, it will raise suspicion, make them investigate you deeper. Then they will know your family lines. Can’t let that happen. Megan made that clear.”
“You want us to allow ourselves to take some blows?” EmVee sauntered behind Luspardan. She shook her head; Luspardan didn’t know a thing about fighting. Taking blows weakened the counter punches.
“No, you can run around the beast if you want. Don’t make it seem like you have an edge over the other humans fighting. Some of their sponsors pump them with steroids and herbs, but I’m known for my submissions being purely talented without enhancement. Until the century my brother’s jealousy tainted my name and got my charges disqualified and executed. Megan came through in finding the perpetrator. I never suspected it being him.”
“We won’t disappoint you,” EmVee stated as Luspardan pushed her through an open door.
A dwarf shorter than Luspardan chuckled from a large chair. “Well, it’s good to see you with me own eyes. I thought the kelpie seductress lied to me face again.”
The room had other women with similar features as Murdina. They were arranging items on stone tables attached to the walls. Candles were lit in sconces on the walls, and from closer inspection, EmVee held back a gasp as she realized the flames appeared to have eyes.
“I have two new charges to battle today. One for Soul Trainer and the other for Soul Thief.”
“Ah! I am impressed. You usually only work with one charge at a time. Until your last entry…oh, ah, under a century ago. Do you think it wise to be so ambitious a second time around?”
Luspardan snorted. “Trust me, Petin. They are prepared. I’d heard there was a shortage and huge prize, so I wanted in. I’ve searched hard and long for the right submissions for this tournament.”
Petin tilted his head and studied EmVee. “Once the girls confirm they meet all the conditions, you are in. You know the girl has to be pure. That has been a major obstacle for many of the charges of late.” Petin lifted an eyebrow.
Luspardan frowned. “My charges meet the conditions.” He pushed EmVee at her hip. “Go on over there. One of the Kelpie’s will check you for that first.”
EmVee bit her lip then meandered toward the woman with aqua-gold hair and green eyes.
“Come on over, sugar. I won’t hurt you.”
“You better not.” EmVee smiled at the creature. Hands on her hips, she kept some distance from the alluring woman. EmVee was mesmerized by the Kelpie’s eyes. They seemed to beckon her, so she glanced away, refusing to become prey to the Kelpie.
“I’m going to check your purity.” The Kelpie giggled. She faded into mist. The mist pulsed, losing the shape of the bearer. It floated around EmVee. With a hissing sound, it forced itself through her open mouth and nose. The taste of seawater and salty stink of the mist tickled her throat. She coughed and doubled over as a choking sensation pulsed through her lungs. It pushed down into her gut until her stomach felt so full, she stumbled from the bloated sensation. Nausea with the urge to vomit had EmVee placing her hand over her mouth. Then without warning, a rush of mist poured from her mouth, nose, and through her fingers.
The mist formed back into the Kelpie. “Clean as snow. Head over to the others.”
EmVee gulped down the pungent taste of salt on her tongue and warily eyed the three other Kelpies.
EmVee couldn’t help but be impressed. The dark skinned, muscled guy fighting the half-human and giant with bulging nodules within its muscles and yellow jaundiced skin was fast and brutal. The beast stood at least four feet taller than the guy fighting.
“He’s damn good,” Kayson’s deep voice affirmed from beside EmVee.
“He is well trained. Sloppy at some points, but still he’ll survive.” EmVee crossed her arms.
“Oh, he’s going to make it. Afanas will finally be able to pass some specimens to the Liege,” a woman whispered to the man next to her.
EmVee honed in on their conversation.
“There’s a shortage of the Soul Thieves ever since several of the family lines escaped him, I hear. They have gone rogue, and it’s suspected that they are gaining alliance to the Queen Kera.” The female snorted. “Humans, they should never have married a magical of such power to one in the first place. I guess the lot of them that escaped had disbanded or abandoned their bloodlines as humans tend to do. They should take lessons from Shifters. We stick together and protect our own. Those creatures have no loyalty to family or foe.”
“It’s to our benefit. Fewer of them being converted to Soul Reapers and hunting down the magicals for crossing to the Earth Realm barrier, the better. It is said that the Overlord plans to break the breach and kill his challenger. I don’t know if that would be good for us or not. He has always been addicted to power you know, much like his father,” the creature snorted. “We have enough problems of our own. Food supply is depleting, and hunting grounds are limited. Our Liege promises to fix this when he builds his army to the proper size, I’m told.”
“No one knows his methods or purpose, but I know his hold on our world has grown tighter. He controls many, and my lover on the Fae Province shared that they are disappearing in droves. He barely escaped to find safe haven here. Something is brewing, I’m sure. I don’t know whether our Liege builds his army with these Soul Thieves and Trainers he empowers or is recruiting something else, much worse. It is evident he’s using other Provinces’ magic to do it.”
“These humans turned magicals still hold a mind of their own. I’m sure our Liege will have his hands full controlling them.”
“Afanas can’t control the Soul Trainer overseer he works for. She drained him within a moment of his final death, demanded he bring her more specimens. I’d say they can’t be trusted either way.”
EmVee swallowed back the bile in her throat at their conversation. Taking a deep breath, she smelled fox and leopard and figured they were shifters of those races. She surmised that Kayson must have caught the ends of the conversation also. His lips were in a thin line, and his fists were tight. EmVee was glad the two moved on to another part of the amphitheater.
Luspardan shuffled between EmVee and Kayson. “It’s your turn, boy! Let’s hustle you in there.” Luspardan led Kayson away.
Kayson turned his gaze back to EmVee and gave her a wink and a nod. She exhaled, relaxing her face out of the thoughtful frown it was frozen into, and returned his smile.
The beast in the ring swung a thick wooden club riddled with metal stakes. EmVee leaned closer as Kayson seemed to be pensively watching the beast taunting him. The sword in his hand was silver with decorative gold. The weapon was out of place against the black jeans and white shirt he’d worn under his jacket. Electricity seemed to pulse through her with the anticipation of the first blow. The beast roared, spreading its arms wide. One misshapen yet powerful, the other a perfectly formed human arm.
Kayson’s response was cool and calculated. He ran toward the creature without a sound; his lips firmly pressed together, his stare laser-focused on the beast, never moving. Smoothly, he leaped on one of the many rocks and boulders that littered the arena’s fight pit. From one rock to a larger rock then the last one he jumped. His head above the creature, Kayson raised his sword, slamming it down onto the curve of the beast’s neck.
EmVee cheered. “That’s the way to do it!”
The giant growled, reached out the clawed hand, and wrapped it around Kayson’s torso—not quite fully around him but enough for a firm grip. Kayson slammed his elbow down on the hand then sliced his sword up into the base of the beast’s neck. The creature stumbled then released him.
“Yes!” EmVee cheered him as did the crowd.
The beast blindly fisted the human-shaped hand and punched Kayson, who blocked the blow with the side of his sword. Pivoting, Kayson cut halfway through the forearm of the beast’s human hand. The creature stumbled to its knees.
The crowd yelled, “Finish it!”
Kayson raised his sword, but the creature slumped to its knees and bellowed out a cry.
“I am the winner! Declare me the winner now!” Kayson walked backward away from the beast with the sword held high.
The Kelpie referee sauntered into the center ring, flicked her gold and blue hair over her pale blue shoulder, and sang, “K-sung is a Round 1 winner. He will fight against his opponent in Round 2.” She faced Kayson, turned to mist, and reformed in front of him. “To the death!”
EmVee’s heart pounded in her chest. Round 1 was to win, but the others were do or die? Luspardan hadn’t told them the entire truth.
She searched the arena for the small, burly old man. He was at the bottom of the arena, leading Kayson out.
EmVee placed her hand on her chest when another beast ran out of the lifted metal door. This one had no apparent human parts. It was full monster with huge bug eyes, muscles, and black nodules on its brownish green skin. Fingered claws tossed a whip with knives from side to side.
A chunky pale guy with a shock of white-gold hair stumbled into the arena holding two knives. He didn’t appear happy to be there, but the determined frown deepened as he waited for the beast to charge him.
Smoothly, the fighter moved out of the way of the attack.
EmVee hurried down the stairs to confront Luspardan. The last few steps, she jumped, pushing some of the people out of the way to get to Luspardan. He’d lied to them. There had to be a way to get to the recruiter without fighting their way til the end. If they died, it would be for nothing.
EmVee stumbled onto the last row of seats then through the walkway as everyone stood and cheered. The fighter was running around the arena, basically trying to get away from the monster at his heels. The beast laughed in a broken rhythm. It swung the jagged whip, lopping off the head of the young fighter. EmVee forced the bile from the pungent metallic taste of blood that flooded her nose. Her stomach coiled. The beast ripped off chunks of the fallen fighter to toss them into the crowd who fought over the pieces.
“Luspardan is a liar!” EmVee mumbled and jumped into the arena to run after Luspardan and Kayson.
The Kelpie announcer appeared in front of her out of thin air. “Eager to fight, I see! The Soul Trainers are up in a moment. I can’t wait to see what you’re made of.” The woman poked her finger into EmVee’s chest.
EmVee ground her teeth at the finger. She took her hand and bent back the offending finger before the Kelpie could disappear.
“Don’t touch me,” EmVee growled. She pushed the woman out of her way and ran toward the exit where Luspardan had taken Kayson. The little manipulator would have to find another way. If she had to fight to the death, she wasn’t afraid of dying. She was afraid of how it would change her.
Unbelievably, she made it this far without giving in to the beastly rage that simmered under the surface. Kayson had made himself visible during the previous battles. He’d communicated to her with hand signals and yelling when necessary.
Luspardan was useless and seemed uninterested in the results of the fights up to this point. Now though, even he was anticipating how this would end and was pacing the opposite side of the arena, his eyes never leaving her.
The final round. She’d fought beasts and creatures up to this point, barely surviving the fight to the death clause because of a technicality. Who knew that when a giant bit her, he’d be incinerated from the taste of her blood? Something within them didn’t mix well with her tainted Fenrir blood.
She nodded at Kayson’s signal to wait and watch. He faked near death during his second round. Even now, he still was recovering and limping side-to-side and rubbing his chin in agitated concern.
EmVee wanted to hit herself on the forehead for not giving in to the injuries of her last fight. Even still, the wound from the gash on her side leaked blood on her sash. She’d retightened it around her waist after the last match. That would have to be taken care of before she met Afanas, and no doubt about it, she was going to meet him.
Sighing, she sized up the giant cyclops. It stuck its tongue out as it tossed a knife from side to side. EmVee had chosen to use a metal rod with a nasty pointed end. It would do the job.
Everyone had a soft spot making it easy to kill them if she had to. At this point, she’d come to terms with having to end this giant of a creature with his one large eye and sharp pointed teeth. Meeting Afanas, to get her answers, would be worth it. Besides, the creature deserved to die for what he’d done.
Drool slid from the sides of his mouth. His teeth still had residue of blood from the girl he’d torn to pieces before EmVee’s turn with him.
He had to go down. Taking several deep breaths, she wondered if she should kill him quick and end both their miseries early. The pulsing at the base of his neck, his one huge eye, and soft tissue potbelly were all good choices to do the deed.
The crowd’s boos and cheers didn’t faze her; she wasn’t budging until the monster did. She’d observed his every move in the previous fight while Lu
spardan stitched the wounds for this round.
“You are going down!” EmVee yelled, tired of his taunting. She tapped the base of her weapon to the dirt floor.
The creature snarled loudly, sucking in some of the spit that tried to escape its crowded mouth. Then charged her.
EmVee couldn’t help the smile on her face. From one rock to another, she jumped to side-shuffle away from his attack. Taking one swipe at the beast, she stuck the sharp end of her rod into the soft tissue under the back of its rib. Then, she flipped herself onto the dirt ground to land a powerful kick to the beast’s upper torso. It tumbled forward onto its knees.
She jumped onto his back, straddling him. EmVee slipped the rod under his neck. She pulled backwards. The creature bowed its back. Its head jerked side to side. Roaring, the giant cyclops steadied then reared itself upward with EmVee on its back.
The crowd went wild with cheers. She felt Kayson’s eyes on her.
EmVee tightened her legs around the hybrid creature and pulled hard against its neck with her rod. The monster coughed, jolted, and attempted to unseat her. She squeezed her muscled legs snug around him then forced her shoes into the soft pressure points under his ribs.
The crowd booed then roared.
Taking the small knife out of her boot, she’d put there for safekeeping, she aimed for his neck.
The giant must have felt threatened. It stood straight then fell rearward, pinning her under him.
“Ah!” The pain! The beast had broken some of her ribs, she was sure. EmVee coughed and spat out some blood-tinged saliva. She patted the ground searching for the small knife she’d hidden in her boot. EmVee struggled for air but stretched. Wiggling her fingers, she grasped the knife then pierced it through the creature’s back. It shook enough for EmVee to scramble out of reach. She didn’t move fast enough. The beast grabbed her booted ankle, lifted her up by it, then swung her over his head.
