Chapter 300

“You ready for this?”

Max nodded at Aimee, noticing how she didn’t seem to agree as she stood there with her hip cocked to one side.

“I’ll be fine. Stop worrying,” he replied as Max folded up the pad that had been lying on the stone bench. “From what I have learned, these first few fights will be easy.”

“Nothing here is easy,” she growled. “Everyone here wants you dead. Even the ones who bet money on you are looking forward to the day they can win money off you losing. Champions rise and fall. Some are smart, staying here, not risking their life in the next arena until they are certain they can win.”

Sighing, Max lay on the stone bench, the pad tucked under his head, glad for a little bit of comfort.

“Well, are you at least going to do what we talked about? Jazzjak doesn’t feel like you are going to inflict enough pain before ending the lives of your opponents. Don’t forget, each arena wants more suffering. They want to watch you bleed out your opponents.”

Closing his eyes, Max couldn’t help but try to ignore the way that rabbit had looked, bouncing up and down, angry when he wouldn’t commit to slow kills.

“Each death can earn more tokens. People pay to see that kind of suffering.”

“Then why don’t they fight in here?”

Silence was her only reply as Max felt Aimee moving to the window that looked out onto the arena floor.

“You need to watch this and learn.”

Her tone felt cold. Almost distant. She had been off this morning, having born the brunt of whatever ire he had stirred up. Even Kauakan and Romandis had said their host was correct.

Holding back a groan, Max got up and moved to the window, watching a pair of fighters tearing the flesh off each other.

One was a large lionlike beastkin that had a pair of horns and a long lizardlike tail. The name never translated right, but it was a rare breed from somewhere months away by normal travel. The claws on the multicolored beast were at least four inches long, and right now both hands were gripped on the shoulder of a wolfkin.

The gray wolf was trying to rip the throat out of his opponent, ignoring the channels of flesh he lost every second as the lionlike creature clawed him over and over.

Blood flowed as the pair were fighting in close, and the small piece of leather armor that matched Max’s own neck piece was holding off the sharp teeth from ending the fight quicker.

“Why are they here?” Max asked, turning away, unable to watch the spectacle while trying to ignore the shaking of the room from the roar of the crowd. “Why travel this far just to die here?”

“You still don’t get it,” Aimee stated as she moved to stand before him. “We have nothing here. Without power we are nothing. Those people you watched picking fruit and working the fields have nothing. They come home to nothing. If at any moment one believes they have a chance of getting stronger, they will kill and take it.”

She punched Max in the chest, shaking her hand and hissing, as it didn’t even move him.

“I can’t even hurt you! Actually, I hurt myself just trying! Do you have any idea knowing what that is like? … No, you can’t.”

Aimee’s nostrils flared, and Max knew she was mad as she stomped around the room.

“Parents kill their own children if they think it will make them stronger! We don’t have dungeons like you told me about. There is only one tower, and it is controlled by Igarra. If you want to become strong enough to leave this world and finally be able to rest without always wondering who might try to attack you for what you have, you need to prove to her you are worthy of such an attempt!” ṟ�

Max nodded. Aimee had already told him about the tower and Igarra’s death grip on it.

“But there is order, even in this district and the others.”

“Order,” she scoffed. “It is fear… absolute fear. If one wants to kill another from the third ring on, you’d best do it in a way you won’t get caught, or you challenge them. Just be warned that if you do, others will line up, challenging you. Whole families have been killed in a matter of weeks, only for another person to come and continue the cycle.

“Romandis was honest with you. He is trying to survive and get stronger while not drawing attention. If he gets too strong and doesn’t have anything to offer, then someone can either kill him or force him to be a slave.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

Groaning, she waved her hands in the air.

“Yes… we all believe that the mighty Ifrit will stay here forever, protecting us from those who might want what we have.”

The real pain of all this hit again. He was going to leave, and the day he did, they would be vulnerable.

“What if Igarra was gone?”

Both of Aimee’s eyes widened, and she clamped a scaled hand over Max’s mouth and shook her head.

“Never say that,” she whispered. “Do not be foolish enough to think you stand on the same level as she does.”

“I’m not saying I would, I’m just asking if—”

“Don’t! That is foolish because the balance we have now would be removed.”

Aimee took a step back, and her jaw opened for a moment before closing quickly.

Instead she moved to the stone bench and kneeled down near it, pulling out her token purse, and started lining up the different tokens she now possessed.

Eight red tokens were in a pile, while two green ones were stacked on top of each other. Finally she pulled out one of the yellow tokens.

“I wish I had an amanguel… a white one, but I do not…”

A chuckle came as the pouch was left on the bench, and Aimee tapped the yellow one.

“This one pieces holds all the rest of these in check. If someone were to remove this, which of the green ones would take its place? How would they treat the other ones beneath it? How much death would come as everyone attempts to gain power in the chaos?”

“But isn’t that how your world works?”

She nodded twice and then shook her head.

“It is and isn’t. Order… honor… power. In chaos, many die, and enough of us know that chaos isn’t our friend. When you killed Kaurma”—Aimee picked up a red token, waving it in the air—“every other one in my village will now try to fill that void. Many will die.”

“So life is pointless and hopeless?”

Groaning, she tossed the red token at him.

“No! Should you stop eating when you are young just because you will die one day? No!”

Grabbing the purse she stuffed the tokens still on the bench into it and then moved to retrieve the one on the floor, huffing as she moved.

“I swear you are going to get me killed with your inability to understand such simple things!”

***

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“TONIGHT WE HAVE A NEW FIGHTER! You have heard his name! You know a little about his power!”

Max sighed as the announcer took a few seconds between each statement, trying to work the crowd.

“Can Ifrit take down the Mudaro cousins?!”

Shouts came from the stands, some saying yes, others shouting no.

“One minute remains for any of you who haven’t placed your bets!”

Across from him, Max saw the pair of rhinokins, each wearing leather armor and holding large two-handed hammers.

Both snorted and growled at him; one actually stroked the tip of its horn before pointing at him.

With fifty yards of arena space to work with, Max felt himself not worried at all. He just needed to not get hit.

As the drums played and the crowd’s shouting grew louder, Max waited to see what this pair of ten-foot-tall warriors would bring.

Perhaps we can get some stats or skills from them.

I doubt stats are going to be available anytime soon. Nothing moves with your speed or shows strength higher than yours.

Max nodded as the bells chimed, and both of the rhinokins charged, each coming slightly from the side as they faced him, swinging their hammers that were as long as they were.

At least they work well together.

The one on his left went high, while the one on his right almost had the hammer brushing the arena floor.

Jumping backward slightly, he was impressed to see them plant their feet, shifting their grip and stopping the swing midway as they thrust forward, a sharp point of the weapon on top of the hammer now coming toward him.

The dance began as the pair swung and thrust, sometimes one charging outright, trying to tackle him while the other used their weapon to keep him in place.

Sadly, neither were fast enough, and while their weapons made the ground shake upon connecting with the arena floor, not once had an attack been good enough to hit him.

After a few minutes, the crowds’ calls turned to boos, and Max sighed, knowing it was time for him to do something.

Charging the one on his left, Max got in close, using his fists as he had left his staff in the waiting room.

Aimee had tried to hold it for him, and was almost upset when she couldn’t take it and learned it was bound to him.

Now he sent out a barrage of kicks and punches, impressed at how well the armor and hide of his opponent seemed to absorb and mitigate each attack.

The one on the left came to assist, barreling toward his back, and Max danced out of the way at the last second, watching as the pair collided and rolled across the floor.

Not waiting for them to get up, Max moved into the mess of limbs and bodies, kicking and punching.

It felt good to use his bare hands, but the fact that it didn’t do much damage made Max realize they were probably weaker to piercing weapons than blunt or slashing ones.

Perhaps some sort of natural protection from their hide?

Most likely. Are you going to toy with them longer? Not to agree with the crowd, but this is boring.

One had gotten on its feet while Max kept up his beatdown on the other.

The crowd was booing, and tired of being a spectacle, Max decided to make his move.

Ignoring the thicker parts of the rhinokin’s body, he punched the throat and jugular multiple times, dodging each swing that came at him or parrying them with ease.

As the one on the ground choked and coughed, he brought his boot down, crushing the windpipe and turning to its cousin, who was charging again.

[ Power Strike ]

His fist connected against the side of the rhinokin’s lowered head, an attempt to skewer Max bringing its face in close.

The bones crunched, and Max heard a snap as his fist felt for a moment like it was going to go through the hide and bones and into the brain, altering the charge from the strength of the impact.

The beast slid along the ground, slamming into its fallen cousin, not moving at all.

Groans and boos came as the pair lay on the floor, neither moving or breathing.

“It appears Ifrit has won, but we all can admit he did not win our hearts!”

Shaking his head, Max ignored the crowd and moved toward his gate, able to see the frustration on Aimee’s face.

***

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

Max wasn’t sure if he should laugh or yell back.

Listening to Jazzjak shout was almost as funny as hearing Cordellia talk sometimes.

“They HATE you! HATE YOU!” he yelled again. “You are a smooth skin! You are a danger to us all, and yet you do not even give us the satisfaction of a death worth watching!”

The vorpal rabbit bounced up and down, hopping mad to say the least.

Its pink nose moved like a dancer, twitching every second.

“I was sent a message by others, and you should heed its warning. They will not tolerate such simple killing!”

Max saw Kauakan, Romandis, and Aimee all nodding, each of them keeping their eyes aimed at the floor and not the rabbit who didn’t care that Max could snap its neck in a moment.

“What are they going to do?”

A stubby, furry finger pointed at Kauakan.

“Teach him. I’m done…” Jazzjak huffed. “I made a promise and must keep it. Grab your smith, and follow me. I need a walk.”

***

Max felt the hug Romandis had given him finally ending, even though it had been well over three gentle taps on the beastkin’s back.

“I cannot thank you enough! My own shop!”

Max nodded, watching the smith turn once more and look at the building, the entire floor covered in stone and a metal door leading into it.

“Now we just need to get you trained and some equipment,” Max stated as he motioned toward the door. “Ready to head back?”

“No!” exclaimed Romandis. “I’m going to stay here… I… I’m not sure you can understand how much this means to me!”

“Then at least fetch your pad from the house and enjoy it,” Max replied, seeing the way his newest friend’s eyes seemed to dance in the blue light of the room.

“That is a great idea! Come, let us hurry!”

Now Romandis was moving toward the door almost like a bolt of lightning, laughing and talking nonstop.

Well, at least something good came from today.

***

“Max! Max!”

The pounding on his door wasn’t what concerned him; it was the tone in Aimee’s voice.

Moving to the door, he opened it after stashing the sand and stone he had been practicing with under his mattress.

“What?” he asked as he flung the door open, seeing Aimee with tears running down her snout. Even Kauakan looked upset.

She stopped, choking on her own words that didn’t seem to work.

“You need to see this…” the insect said, his tone not hiding that something bad had happened.

“What?”

“Romandis, he—”

The words didn’t hit his ears, Max was past the pair and gone.

A metal door was somewhere on the courtyard of the property, ripped off when Max ran through it.

Like a crazed devil he raced through the city, a blur to anyone who might have seen him coming and going.

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