Page 10 of Ironhold, Trial Two
I keep training, knowing that every moment of practice is precious. That any skill I learn could make the difference between life and death in the Colosseum this season. I spar with my friends, I undertake the endless grueling workouts set by Lord Darius. And in between it all, I travel down into the city to train with Lady Elara.
“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” Alaric says, in the middle of one of our training sessions. He seems happy enough to work with me, perhaps because he knows I don't pose a threat to him, or maybe because he just wants to show off his particular genius for fighting.
I pause, because I must admit I'm exhausted. I've been working so hard that I don't seem to have the energy for anything else.
“People keep telling me that I need to be ready. That I have so much to learn.”
“And that's true,” Alaric replies. “For example, you have a glaring weakness here .”
He thrusts at me with a practice sword, darting around my attempts to defend, poking me in the side with the point.
“Alaric!”
“Protesting won't help you. Keeping your elbow closer, so that you can use the haft of your trident to defend, might.” He says it is if I'm a wayward pupil. Worse, he says it as if my efforts have started to bore him. Alaric has started to deign to train with me, but only for as long as I keep his interest.
“Let's take a break,” I suggest. “Today's the day the matchups go up for the coming season, right?”
That catches Alaric’s interest. “I hope I've been matched with someone worthy this time.”
He says that as if getting to fight him it is a boon to be bestowed. He still views the Colosseum as a place to gain fame and honor, rather than as a place of blood and death.
We hurry back to the main dining hall. A few eyes glance our way at the sight of us entering the room together. Rowan gives Alaric an unfriendly look. It has been clear almost from the start that he doesn't like Alaric much. Ravenna looks a little surprised, as if not expecting me to be there with Alaric, although her look is not hostile, but merely seems to be calculating the implications.
“Great,” I mutter to Alaric. “More fuel for the rumor mill.”
“I'm sure being seen with me will enhance your reputation, not diminish it,” Alaric says, with his usual grin. His arrogance really does seem to know no bounds. “Now, ignore all of that. We need to find out who I'm fighting. And who you're fighting, of course.”
I suppose it's nice he's remembered that I'm fighting as well as him.
We both head over to the spot where a large board stands, matchups chalked on it. All of the others are gathered around. Rowan is there, checking his name. He has four bouts this season. I hope that will not be too many. He was injured last time. Worse, there seems to be another blindfold match up there on the board. Exactly the kind of bout he was almost killed by. But if he feels afraid at the sight of that, he does not show it.
“Five!” Alaric calls out, sounding almost joyful that he has so many fights to come. Five is a lot, given that the holy days on which the games occur typically last no more than two or three days. But Alaric seems to relish the chance to show off more. In his mind, five fights just means five chances to demonstrate his skills.
For a minute or two it is hard to get to the board, because there are so many people crowded around it. Vex and a clump of the noble gladiators walks forward as if expecting the rest of us to part for them. The worst part is that we do because none of us needs conflict this close to the games. Any injury could slow us down enough to get us killed in the arena.
The board varies. Some of the gladiators have matches set up in brackets so that the winners will face one another. It is more common though for the later matches to be left blank, so that the organizers can fill them in once they know which gladiators have survived to be able to fight in them. I notice that with the noble gladiators their matches tend to be more defined, as if the organizers expect it is more likely that they will survive. Perhaps the assumption is that they will be shown mercy even if they lose, although my last bout with Vex shows that that is not always the case. The emperor himself commanded me to finish him. Vex is only still alive because I chose to walk away.
Many of the bouts have symbols next to them indicating particular nuances of the rules or conditions. Some have a double mark against them, indicating a pairs match. Others indicate the presence of beasts or special situations. Rowan’s blindfold match is one such, the scenario designed it to test his ability to feel his opponents’ movements through the earth.
It seems that many of the bouts, at least for those gladiators who have already survived a season, are designed to test the abilities they possess. Vex has a bout against multiple opponents, obviously designed to show off his ability to keep multiple daggers flying through the air in different directions. Naia’s first opponent is someone deliberately large and tough, Which is likely to devolve into a drawn-out brawl, where she must absorb and heal damage to be able to continue. Zara’s first fight is marked by waves, as if they are somehow going to find a way to make her fight on water, the element that she can control.
There are three bouts marked up next to my own name. Last season, I was told I got three because the organizers did not think I would survive for long enough to make it worth them putting in more. But I have showed them that I can do so, so I’m not sure why it’s the same.
“They gave me three bouts again,” I say. “Do they still not think I’m going to live long?”
“Possibly,” Alaric says. “Or maybe they have decided that you are sufficiently rare and unusual in the way you fight that they don't want to overuse you. The crowd will want to see your control over beasts now and again, but if it is overdone, they risk making a hero of you.”
“Worried that Lyra will outshine you?” Zara says.
“Well, she is nearly as good looking as I am,” Alaric says, sweeping a bow in her direction. “Although in this case I suspect it has more with the nature of her powers.”
“They don't want the citizens seeing too much of me because they think I'm a beast whisperer?” I guess.
Alaric nods. “They're happy to see you dying in the arena, but they won't want you getting too popular. Three bouts again, and my guess is that they'll make them tough ones for you. Although I note that they've gone for a beast for the first one.”
The symbol of an animal's head is up there next to my name. There is no clue to what creature I am to fight, though. It is clear that they want that to be a surprise.
My second bout is to be against a gladiator. Which seems more standard, although the name of the gladiator is not there. Perhaps they really don't think I'm going to survive more than my first bout. Maybe they think that everything I achieved in the last season of the games was down to luck. Or maybe they're planning to send the most dangerous beasts they can at me in the first bout, and they don't think I have a chance.
Not knowing which gladiator I stand to face second means that I don't have a chance to prepare for their style of fighting, their choice of weapons, or their powers. Again it seems that the noble gladiators have an advantage, because they know who they will be facing for the most part. How am I meant to prepare if I do not know what I am preparing for?
The third bout has been left blank. They haven't even told me whether it's going to be a beast, a gladiator or something else.
“This third bout could be anything,” Rowan says.
“It will probably have a beast in it somewhere,” Alaric replies, sounding certain about it.
“You can't possibly know that,” Rowan snaps back.
“Of course I can,” Alaric says, looking amused that anyone would dare to doubt him. “Lyra has shown all of Aetheria that she is a beast whisperer. The people want to see that. They will want to see her blood but they want it to be at the claws of some creature, not just on the point of a sword. They will want the spectacle of it. Whenever we show strengths or weaknesses, the arena takes note.”
He pointedly looks at the board, at the spot where Rowan’s blindfold match is.
“Has it occurred to you that someone who can feel your every movement through the earth is the perfect antidote to your illusions?” Rowan says.
Alaric shrugs. “If they put me against you, I hope you will do your best to make it an interesting fight. And when I beat you, maybe your former mistress will beg mercy for you.”
I can see the anger on Rowan's face. I have to put a hand on his chest to stop him from advancing towards Alaric.
“Don't fight. If you injure each other…”
“Yes, let's not rob the crowd of the entertainment,” Alaric says. “In any case, I must go. I have a visit to the city.”
“To see your mysterious sponsor,” Zara says. “Who is it?”
“Why? Have you all been taking bets?” Alaric asks. He shakes his head. “That is not your concern. He turns his attention back to me. “Prepare for beasts, Lyra. That is what they will send at you, and you must be ready for the worst of them.”