Bloodfall Arena

by J. A. Ludwig

  Kylii runs forward to meet the rotrauk. The beast opens its mouth to take a deep breath, preparing to spew its acid. Kylii rams his right arm down its throat. Grabbing the back of the beast’s head, he moves his right arm as far as he can.

  The rotrauk freezes, trying to close its jaws.

  Kylii winces as teeth dig into his arm. He feels the acid inside the rotrauk burning his hand. Smiling, he looks into the eyes of the animal. “Bye-bye.” He releases his magic, fire mixing with the acid inside of the rotrauk. The explosion throws Kylii into the air. But as he lands, gobbets of singed rotrauk flesh rain down. Acid hits slaves and Brüdel alike, screams echoing through the air.

  Daniil runs to his brother and stares at where Kylii’s right arm should be. Everything below the elbow is gone. Skin is still melting from the scorched, black bones and muscle.

  “Should’ve let you blast your own damned arm off.” Kylii howls as one last hunk of the rotrauk hits him. “Fucking bastard had to get the last word in, didn’t he?”

  Daniil stares at the remaining Brüdel and beast. “I don’t think we can win.”

  Kylii grabs his brother with his good arm, glaring at him. “What the hell kind of talk is that, after your brave brother sacrifices his arm to get us this far?”

  “It’s a Khorgoi.”

  Kylii looks at the animal. White eyes study the two brothers. “A Khorgoi? I thought those were just stories to frighten children.”

  “It killed that Brüdel with one scratch.” Daniil nods to the body of Scorch.

  “What do we do?”

  Daniil glances across the Arena at those fighting. He spies a small group running from one wounded slave to another. Recognizing Rava and Mava, he waves them over. When they see Kylii’s arm they both gasp, Mava turning away from the grave sight.

  “Take him to Aya. She has to be the one to help him.”

  “Daniil-li! What are you doing?”

  “It’s my turn.”

  “You can’t fight alone. Let me help.” Kylii tries to stand but yelps at the small movements. The sisters lead him away, able to overpower him due to his wounds.

  Daniil stands and walks towards the Khorgoi and Ears.

  The Khorgoi perks up and stands, pulling against its chain. Ears laughs. “Going to fight alone? Your partner didn’t fare so well.”

  “Kylii-li thinks more with his heart than I do. And I don’t think you understand who’s actually controlling whom.”

  “What’re you going on about?”

  “No one controls a Khorgoi. They’re intelligent creatures that choose when to be seen. They can kill a man with a single scratch. Or they can fight by your side to victory. They’re to be respected, not treated as common animals.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Daniil laughs. “You don’t even know what you have. You think you’re a great beast master because of how easy this animal was to tame, am I right? The thought probably never crossed your mind that this animal allowed you to capture it and only acts as though you’re in control.”

  The Brüdel sneers. “You think you’re fucking clever.” He whips the Khorgoi. “Kill him!”

  The Khorgoi doesn’t move, staring at Daniil. Ears whips it again. “Go on. Kill him, you stupid beast!”

  The Khorgoi moves faster than Daniil can see. Ears screams as his flesh is carved from his bones. When the Khorgoi is finished it turns back to Daniil. It breaks the chain around its throat easily with its front claws and shakes. It walks towards Daniil, staring with its emotionless, white eyes.

  Daniil takes a deep breath and raises his hands.

  Chapter 58

  Aya directs those carrying the freshly wounded. “Make sure to keep those with minor injuries separate from the severely wounded. If they can wait to be healed, ask if they can keep guard. Mark the severely wounded with an X on their forehead and move them closer to me.”

  “Mark with what?” Bon asks.

  “Mud, blood, whatever you can.”

  Bon nods and spreads Aya’s orders to the other healers and injured. Aya finishes healing the man in front of her and moves on to the next one, a woman with a broken arm. But a woman with her stomach torn open is quickly brought over and Aya hands the broken arm off to Tristan. Aya holds the woman’s abdomen together to prevent her insides from spilling out. Crying softly, the woman’s eyes fade in and out of focus, her face deathly pale, and her breathing staggered. Aya takes a deep breath to keep nausea from the smell at bay.

  She heals the woman but tells her to rest to allow her body to recover from the severe repairs. The woman nods and moves to sit against the wall of the arena next to others in similar need.

  Sagging back on her heels, Aya wipes the sweat from her forehead. Although many she’s healed multiple times are fighting bravely, more and more slaves lie dead on the ground—while the opposing side seems hardly reduced in numbers.

  Glancing behind her, Aya spots the slowly growing pile of those she could not save. There are even more left on the battlefield where they fell, but there are still too many in the pile.

  “Aya!”

  She turns and sees Rava and Mava carrying Kylii between them. He smiles at her, then winces in great pain. His face is pale and his eyes sunken.

  “Kylii! What’s wrong—?” she stops, staring at Kylii’s right arm in horror.

  “Got a little too close to a beastie,” he jokes.

  Mava and her sister lower him to the ground. Aya leans down to assess the damage. “Gods! How did this happen?”

  Kylii laughs. “Reached my arm down the gullet of a sweet little guy that spat explosive acid, and received this little memento.”

  Aya slaps his forehead. “That could’ve killed you!”

  “Hey! It was the only way to win. I knew you could heal me.” He smiles and leans his head to the side.

  “If you died, I couldn’t. What would Daniil have done then?”

  Kylii’s smile fades as he turns his head away. “It worked out.”

  Aya sighs and pushes him down onto his back. “Hold still. I’ve never restored this much bone before. It’s going to hurt.”

  “Not as much as getting it, I bet.”

  “That’s what you think,” she says, to make him smile. Then she places her hands on the remnants of Kylii’s right arm and concentrates. She feels her magic fill her and moves it into Kylii. Warmth fills his arm and his body responds. Bone grows. Muscle stretches into place. Veins, arteries, and nerves recreate their networks. Aya’s head fills with the sound of the repairs and the shocks of nerves reconnecting.

  Kylii takes a sharp breath and grips the earth. Rava grabs his left hand and, judging by her face, he squeezes hard.

  Skin grows from existing cells to cover the new arm. Aya feels the blood enter the remade arteries, veins, and muscles. Once she finishes, she falls on top of Kylii, gasping.

  He lifts her up. “You okay?”

  Aya shakes her head. She hears Kylii’s body, Rava’s body, the sound of flesh tearing and blood rates increasing, decreasing. She focuses on her own body and the warmth inside of her, silent until the overwhelming flow of information fades.

  Taking a deep breath, she stares back at the anxious faces around her. “I’m fine. It took more effort than I expected.”

  “You weren’t kidding.” He smirks and tweaks her cheek with his new hand. “That hurt a lot more than getting it.”

  A cheer from the crowd causes them to look across the Arena to where Yme has trapped the Brüdel with chains in earth and strangled him with the very weapon he’d used to kill the magic blocker.

  I hope he suffered. Aya wishes she didn’t enjoy the thought, but if she denied it... that would make her a liar, and untruthfulness bruised the soul.

  Immediately, more Brüdel attack Yme. He kicks the encased body at those approaching and continues fighting, with no evidence of fatigue.

  Kylii gazes at his new arm, rotating it. “Thanks. I have to get back to Daniil. He’s fightin
g something no man should ever face alone.”

  “Then maybe a man should go help him,” Rava says, smirking.

  Kylii shrugs. “He’ll just have to be satisfied with me.” He runs back out into the fighting.

  Aya watches him disappear into the chaos. Even injured, he exudes optimism. A vast change from the taciturn fighter she met on her first day.

  Rava and Mava head off to gather more wounded. Aya returns her attention to those desperately needing her help, quickly moving from one to another—healing and speaking words of encouragement. Until...

  “Guvie!”

  The oldest of the Arena slaves lies on the ground, clutching deep wounds in his abdomen and chest. His face is ghostly white, making the blood X mark stand out nearly black on his forehead. He smiles at her. “Life Healer, it is an honor to have fought at your side today.”

  Even before touching him, she knows he’s too far gone for her magic. Tears threatening to fall. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s no need for an apology, Life Healer. It’s my time to die. Don’t waste time on me. Heal those you can.”

  Aya leans down and kisses him on the forehead. His eyes flutter closed. She puts her hand to her heart for a brief moment before moving to the next wounded slave.

  The wounded slave wears a helmet covering his face. Aya sees a large dent in the metal and blood running down from underneath. She struggles to remove the helmet, wondering if swelling kept the metal on. The helmet comes off and Aya surveys the damage. The face beneath is heavily scarred, blood covering the man’s entire face.

  But she sees no wound and as her magic explores the body, there’s nothing unusual.

  The man grabs her throat. Sitting up, he smiles and wipes blood from his face. “You’re the little healer who has caused so much trouble?”

  Aya struggles to breathe. “Brüdel...” she gasps.

  He pulls her close and his yellowed eyes take her face in. “The Blood King has a lovely prize waiting for the one to bring him your head.” He pulls a jagged knife from his belt. “That will be me.”

  Aya tries to scream, but he tightens his hold on her throat and thrusts her to the ground and straddles her, placing the blade at her throat and his hand on her chest.

  “My favorites are the healers. They try so hard to help everyone, save everyone. So easy to trick, so easy to sway. My favorite was a high-level bone grower. Convinced her to heal me and I would save her from my brethren. Once I had my leg back, I sliced her into so many pieces no healer could put her back together.” The blade presses harder at Aya’s throat as he leans in. “But I only need one piece from you, little healer. Your tiny head.”

  A shout catches both the Brüdel and Aya by surprise. Guvie slams into the Brüdel, freeing Aya, but then he collapses. The Brüdel slices Guvie’s throat quickly, and grabs Aya’s leg before she can escape. He pulls her towards him, raising his blade.

  A spear stabs into the Brüdel’s chest, the wielder pushing him off Aya. He tries to turn, but a sword comes down on his neck.

  “Are you all right?” Bern asks, pulling his spear from the dead man.

  Aya nods. “Thank you.”

  “You need to be more careful.” Leid wipes the blood from his sword onto the dead Brüdel’s clothes and kicks the decapitated head away. “These assassins are far more deceitful than regular fighters.”

  Bern helps Aya to her feet.

  “Do I need to be careful of you?” Aya asks Leid.

  Leid turns his emotionless gaze on her. Bern tenses, his hands squeezing the wood of his spear tightly.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” he answers.

  Chapter 59

  A pointed rock piercing his skull signals the end of a Brüdel with sharpened teeth. He falls on top of his brethren. Yme takes a moment to catch his breath. The number of Klaeon’s assassins has decreased. But the number of slaves has decreased far more. It seems the fighting will never end.

  Two Brüdel try to trap Yme by attacking from both sides. He raises his arms at the elbow and earth rises in front of them. Once he’s stopped their forward motion, Yme pushes outward, causing the walls of the earth to drag the men back, smashing them against opposite walls of the Arena.

  “These are Klaeon’s greatest assassins?” he shouts.

  He runs towards a group of slaves fighting off two large Brüdel and three smaller, quicker men. The smaller men move in for quick slashes, taunting while the large Brüdel keep the slaves from escaping. Yme pulls water from buckets around the walls of the Arena and freezes the feet of the smaller men.

  While they’re distracted, Yme sends gusts of wind to separate the two large Brüdel, creating an opening for the slaves to escape. They surround the Brüdel and Yme leads them in a counterattack. Earth flies as earth magic users finally have use of their magic. A magic user kneels, placing his hands on his shadow. He slowly stands, raising his hands. Dark smoke rises, swirling as though alive. The shadows form into human shape and the slave throws them about, confusing the Brüdel, who attack the shadows, unsure what is real. Yme crushes the three smaller men and soon the group of five is dead. The slaves thank Yme with a wave and rush to help others. The slaves are finally taking control of the fight.

  A horn sounds and echoes through the Arena. He turns his attention to Klaeon’s private box and sees him whispering into Teron’s ear. Teron bows and disappears through the red curtains at the back of the box.

  The large cranks opens. A giant emerges out of the darkness. Towering over all the Brüdel, he looks around the Arena with large, empty eyes. Long, greasy-black hair hangs to his shoulders. Two Brüdel enter the Arena after him, yelling words at the giant in a strange language.

  The giant turns his head as though it’s too heavy for his neck. He sees the slaves fighting the Brüdel and an expression flashes across his face that reminds Yme of an overexcited child. The giant yells loudly, swings his long arms around, and stomps his feet before tromping over to the nearest fighting group. Raising his monstrous feet, he crushes slave and Brüdel alike, like a child squashing bugs. Any who try to fight him are smashed by a fist or sent flying into the audience. Slaves run in terror from the monster. Brüdel move out of the giant’s path and cheer him as he passes, using the same guttural language.

  The excitement shooting through the audience at the giant’s arrival is palpable and increases with each kill—until he crashes into a wall at full speed. The size of the giant destroys not only the wall, but also a large section of seating, killing many audience members and dropping a number of them into the Arena. They scramble to find an escape, but workers keep them away from the gates, unwilling to risk any escapes just for these few citizens. Brüdel who come across the frightened people kill them without a second thought. Others scamper to climb back up into the seats, but only trample each other.

  A few, friends or family of those who were killed, break down in shrill cries. Even so, most of the remaining audience remains at high energy and the Arena overflows with roars of excitement. Those sitting near the damaged area climb into other sections.

  The giant bellows and moves around the Arena at random, attacking any who wander into his line of sight. He moves to attack the audience directly, but a voice in his harsh language from below stops the giant cold. He turns his large head and Yme notices a strange motion from the giant’s lips.

  Is it trying to smile?

  Yme follows the giant’s gaze and his heart turns to ice. The giant charges the area where Aya and the healers are treating the wounded. And the giant’s attention is locked on Aya. She and the other healers are too busy working to see the immense man heading for them.

  Yme curses and runs for the group. Other Brüdel, seeing Yme, chase after him or try to block his path. He crushes them with his earth magic, knocks them away with his air magic, or drowns them with his water magic. He shouts to Aya, but the noise of the fighting and roar of the audience drowns him out.

  Kylii runs forward, and Yme changes his path and grabs
the twin’s arm. “Have you seen that monster? Aya is in danger!”

  “Have you seen Daniil? I can’t find him or the beast he was fighting.”

  “Later! Right now, we have to stop that thing from reaching the healers!”

  Kylii sees the destination of the giant’s rampage, bites his lower lip, and nods. “All right.”

  The two race after the giant.

  Chapter 60

  Aya finishes healing another severely injured man and stands. All are running out of energy. Aya experiences more strain each time she heals. If the fighting doesn’t end soon, they won’t have anything left.

  An enormous hand grabs her around the waist and lifts her. Aya screams as she stares into the face of a giant. His expression is empty, his mouth hanging open. But the lips are twisted into a deranged smile. He touches Aya’s hair with his other hand, breathing heavily. She slaps the hand away and tries to wriggle free.

  The giant grimaces and squeezes. Aya gasps, her chest tightening to a narrow passage, and she claws at the hand holding her. Small tracks of blood appear, but the giant only squeezes tighter. Concentrating, she attempts to use her magic to strengthen her body against the pressure. She screams as she feels a rib crack, but she pushes her magic harder to keep any more from breaking.

  She reaches for one of the knives hidden in her wrist cuffs and aims for a large vein visible under the taut skin. The giant yells in pain and grabs his fist with his other hand, only squeezing her harder.

  Her vision darkens around the edges. She tries to raise her arm to stab at the vein again, but her limbs have gone limp. Her knife falls from her hand and her head rolls forward. Her magic fades and she feels the darkness grow stronger.

  The giant releases her, air rushing past as she falls. Then a strong updraft slows her descent. She lands in warm arms and hears the grunt of the one catching her. She inhales deeply and coughs, nearly choking. When her vision returns, she sees Yme’s face. He lowers her legs to the ground, keeping an arm around her waist for support. He leads her away from the giant.