The world of Olestra
The Master Warrior Tournament
DAY 3
I awoke on day three with the image of the Centaurs raping men clear in my mind. I was waking much calmer than I had been, it was like the horror of my dreams was no longer as startling in this world of the Master Warrior Tournament. I told my cellmates about my dream and we all decided we needed to stick close together today so as to not fall prey to become the Centaurs’ breeding stock. None of us mentioned it but I knew we were all thinking about the chance that we would not be able to return home if we survived this tournament.
At the Arena the stands had fewer spectators and we were given our daily meal. Once the arena was cleared we were all given new cod pieces and quarter staffs as weapons this time. We were all prepared for what was to come next, or so we thought. The Centaurs were huge, their head standing nearly nine feet tall. The others who had gained back part of their power agreed that it was best to keep that fact secret. We really had no idea how it happened, if it was by mistake, if Henry had somehow done it or it was a trick of Decagon. I could tell that Fata was the most concerned about the Centaurs so I stayed close to him.
There were forty Centaurs, a number that was amazing to see as they trotted into the Arena. Like our first day of competition they were nude and weaponless, but we were far from having the upper hand on them. Their size, weight and four hooves gave them an advantage with which we had to contend. The Centaurs galloped out, spreading over the arena, encircling us. There were two more of them than us. We all stood ready to fight as Decagon addressed us. “Today victory will be had when human out numbers Centaur by half,” he announced. It sounded like an easy challenge, but I knew the truth. By the end of this day, some of these men would become Centaurs. Today I kept my eyes to my cellmates, not wanting to see the faces of the men who would soon lose their humanity. “Now begin!” Decagon shouted lowering his raised hand that wore the prized arsenal of weapons.
Most of the other men charged forward choosing only one Centaur to fight. Where as my cellmate and I moved forward slowly as a group, choosing two as our targets. The Centaurs appeared confused by our team work but not frightened as we moved to encircle them. Barton lead us forward, having had the most experience with wild horse in the rodeo. We chose two who seemed hesitate to join the larger herd. Barton was right to treat them like the wild animals they were at heart. There seemed to be very little humanity left in them as we began slowly by poking at them with our lances. Our greater number appeared to confuse them as they began to lash out at Barton giving me the chance to spring up onto the one’s back. The Centaurs had a mane that ran from their heads down the back of their necks and human spine. I grabbed hold of that hair trying to ride the beast like a horse. It was less compliant than a horse as its arms swatted back at me landing a few good punches. These hybrid were strong too, the punches almost knocking me off its back. The other Centaur we had corralled didn’t appear to care what I was doing to its comrade as it had to deal with Galio and Casper coming at it with their staffs.
I spied Fata out the corner of my eye as my mount spun around kicking trying to throw me. He looked scared I had to wonder why. He had made it through yesterday on his own. It was then that I felt Barton’s power take hold of the Centaur between my legs. “It’s really fucking strong, I don’t know how long I can hold it!” he called to me. That was my cue as the Centaur stopped resisting and was frozen in place. Its stillness gave the minutes I needed to move my fingers through the thick fur on the back of its neck to find the spot. I pressed both of my thumbs into the spot on the Centaur’s spine as Airmid had done to me. I could feel the muscles on the horse’s sides tense and then it broke free of Barton’s control sending him to the ground.
The Centaur was really pissed now as it reared up to trample my fallen cellmate. I quickly grabbed under its hairy and sweaty armpits putting it in a full nelson. Standing on its back I pushed off, flipping over its head backward only releasing the beast once it was airborne. I landed on the ground straddled over Barton. I reached down my hand to him. “That was a close one,” I said.
He took my hand as I helped him up. “A little too close,” he said looking to see where the Centaur landed. “How strong are you anyway?”
“Stronger than that asshole!” I grinned as we watched him crash down into the center of the war zone. We chuckled together for a moment like our disagreements of the past few days didn’t seem to matter anymore. “I was sure I did that pinch right, but it only seemed to make him angry.”
Not far away Fata had managed to get on the back of one of the Centaurs as I had. He held his staff under its neck. A sharp eye like mine could see that Fata had wrapped the thin braid from the side of his head around the beast’s throat like a piano cord to free his hand to use his fingers on the beast’s spine. The Centaur began to rear up to use its massive hooves a weapons as Casper and Galio went at it with their staff. The pinch didn’t seem to be working for him either as Fata tightened his choke hold. The Centaur began to pass out from the pressure Fata put on its airway. My small cellmate leapt off the Centaur’s back as it fell to the ground and Galio gave a death blow to the back of its head.
Continuing to work as a team we each got a chance to try the nerve pinch on a Centaur before deciding that although these beasts were once human their physiology had changed enough for the pinch to no longer work on them. It wasn’t long before each of us had killed a Centaur. Even Casper who had been so pro-animal that first day broke off his staff to stab one of the beasts through both of its hearts. We fought on through the day taking down many more Centaurs but the Centaurs were killing men left and right. After only about two I counted five men dead on the ground at a glance.
Of course, Bones, Ullery, Omax, Aberdeen, and Rook were doing well in battle. It was around then that I saw a face I recognized on one of the Centaurs, it was Coddalton. He was one of Bilk and Rook’s cellmates. He had a look of sad fear in his eyes, perhaps the transformation didn’t set in all at once before the new Centaurs were returned to battle. He looked as if it pained him to fight me. Centaurs didn’t seem to be able to speak making it impossible to tell me what he was going through.
It appeared that my dream was right, the Centaurs would be unbeatable if they could turn us instead of killing us. “Guys!” I shouted as I gave Coddalton a punch to his chest and hard knee to the location of his second heart in his horse chest. I don’t think I killed him but it brought him down to his horse knees giving me the chance to strike a two fisted blow to the back of his neck to put him out of his misery.
As my cellmates regrouped with me I spotted Bassion, the man from my dream that I watched being turned into a Centaur. He had a broken right arm and dislocated left shoulder. He had no way to defend himself as two Centaurs drug him to the side of the arena. “Come on!” I called waving my hand to my cellmates as I began to run toward the edge of the arena.
“No, no stop, let me go!” we could hear the shouts as we approached the entrance to the arena that the Centaurs entered through. As we drew close the screams of pain and cries for help became clearer. It was dark in the arena tunnels, even at mid-day. We followed the two Centaurs dragging Bassion by his legs.
“We must free him,” Casper whispered.
“We have to wait until we find out where they are taking him,” Galio replied softly.
“Galio is right we could get lost in these tunnels without them to follow,” I added. I could see that Bassion was barely conscious, racked with pain from his injuries, he didn’t even know we were following them.
“I can hear their screams as they are being turned,” Barton said putting his hand to his head and stopping to lean against the wall. “It is horrific!”
“Can you block it out?” I asked taking him around his back to help him along.
“I’m trying, but the pain and the fear,” Barton struggled to say. “It is like nothing I have experienced before, not even in the arena.” “These are brave, fearless man who are now being reduced to crying children.”
“What about the Centaurs?” Fata asked. “Can you hear their thoughts?”
“No, nothing,” Barton answered pulling away trying to stand on his own. “Once the transformation begins, there is nothing.” “The pain and fear ends.” “That guy is becoming one of them.” “We have to hurry before they start on the next one!”
There was a room with brighter light up ahead and the Centaurs dragging Bassion came to a stop at the doorway.
“Time to kick some horse ass!” Galio exclaimed as he ran ahead of us. He had sharpened the end of his staff to use it like a lance that he thrust into the hindquarters of the Centaur on the right side of the doorway. The Centaur’s hind legs instantly buckled to the dirt floor. I followed after him leaping into the air to land a dropkick to the other one’s lower back where it connects to the horse body. I had found that was a partially weak spot in their anatomy. I heard a loud crack as the human torso leached forward. It was a paralyzing injury that seemed to sever the Centaur brain’s control of its lower horse body. There was no way to even tell if these mute creatures felt pain as it collapsed completely to the dirt, nearly falling on Bassion. Casper pulled the wounded man to safety as Galio finished off the other Centaur.
Inside the room, it was just as I dreamt it. The thing that was not in my dream was the stench. The room smelled like the worst stable anyone could ever enter. We all stood silent for a moment taking in all of the sights. Off to the side of a second door in front of us was a large embryonic type sack where the last victim struggled inside as he completed his transformation. Around him on the floor were the remnants of many other such sacks. I could only guess that it was from them that the odor in the room originated.
At the side wall two Centaurs held a nude man aloft face down by his legs and arms. I think his name was Jake and he had both of his hands covered in the clay that were good for fighting but not escape. They held Jake his face pressed the wall under a wooden rail, he was spread eagle. Their strength was such that he couldn’t even struggle to move at all. A third, larger Centaur approached the scene. Jake trembled and sobbed at the sight of the larger Centaur as is trotted up behind him. This one wore a braided gold chain around his thick neck and his mane was braided with golden beads as well. I could tell that he was revered by the others as they never made eye contact with him.
He trotted between Jake’s spread legs where he reared up on his hind legs. It stepped forward placing its front hovers on the wooden rail to mount the helpless man. All Jake could do was scream out when he saw us. “Help me, please!” he begged. As Jake was violated by the beast Barton was struck down again falling against the wall vomiting on the floor. The rest of us took different action. Galio and Casper went for the two Centaurs holding Jake, while I leapt to saddle up the bigger one. Fata ran around to try to free Jake who was screaming uncontrollably now.
I hated that I could remember the pain of having that long thick shaft shove inside of me over and over again from my dream. A dream that I was not going to let come true!
Casper and Galio drew off the Centaurs that held Jake’s arms and legs, although he was not freed from the grip of the monster over him. It held Jake by his neck and hair. On its back, I tried to find some leverage as I had before, but couldn’t get a hold on him. His neck and chest were too large. I used my staff around the breeder’s throat pulling it tight, finally getting the monster’s attention. “Be patient human, your turn will come,” he said to me over his shoulder.
I was in shock for a moment, they could speak. Or at least this one could. Where they more human than I had come to believe? It didn’t matter I had to free Jake from him. I looked down at Fata. who was pulling on Jake’s clay covered hands trying to free him for the large Centaur’s grip. I looked past him to the puddle of blood on the floor under Jake’s feet. I had to wonder if saving Jake from this brutality would be a blessing or a curse. “I’ve got an idea, get out of there,” I told Fata. Fata scrambled away and I went to work. First I took the beast by the back of his shoulders and gave it the hardest head butt to the back of its head, I could manage with my helmet. The Centaur’s cranium smashed into the stone wall actually dizzying it. I then leapt off its back to run a few feet away. If there was one thing I knew about horse they were easily toppled, like cows. I used a running start to give the creature a shoulder check in its hind section. The connection between man and beast was finally broken and Jake fell to the ground letting out a horrific cry. I was not done with the breeder. It was still confused and dizzy from the head butt as it tried to stand back up. I leapt up into the air again coming down with both of my knees into the weak spot on its back where the two halves of its body met.
“You filthy human!” it shouted as it crumbed back to the floor helpless, or so I believed.
I scrambled to help Fata with Jake. “How is he?” I asked, it was clear that Jake had lost consciousness and was in bad shape.
“He is losing a lot of blood from back there,” Fata said as I helped him lift the larger man. “I don’t know how we can help him.” I looked down at the blood running down Jake’s legs. “Look and see how bad it is,” Fata suggested as he examined Jake’s clay sealed hands. I was none too eager to check the man’s injury but I knew Fata was right someone had to look. Then Fata shouted, “Watch out!”
I had no idea what he was yelling about until I felt the tingle at the back of my neck. It was too late as the breeder struck me from behind knocking off my helmet. Before I could recover, it had me by the back of the neck. He jerked me around like a rag doll tearing off my garment. Almost instantly it had my face pinned to the wall. Galio and Casper were still fighting the other Centaurs not far away leaving only little Fata free to help me. I looked to Fata as he sat on the floor using Jake’s clay fist to hit himself in the head, over and over again.
“Your turn human,” the Centaur said its rancid breath on the side of my face. I could tell that I had injured it by the way it moved around behind me. That made my defilement take longer than previous ones. I had both of my hands on its forearms trying to free my head from its massive hand. It moved slower than it did in my dream but the end result was going to be the same. I released its arm trying to bring my elbows back to hit it, but couldn’t make contact. I was in a defenseless position.
Then I heard the beast looming over me begin to choke. In my dream I had come to this room alone, this time things were different, I had friends. Suddenly, I was free to fall to the floor. My utter relief overcame me for a moment as I knelt there catching my breath. When I turned I saw that Fata and I understood now what he had been doing. He must have used Jake’s fists to completely freed his incredible hair from the clay helmet. Now, he had the Centaur’s entire head encased with his thick mane, effectively blinding and smothering it.
I spotted my staff on the floor several yards away, I got up to retrieve it. By the time I got to my not so weapon of choice I heard the scream. “Noooo……..” It was Fata. When I turned around I saw what had happened. The Centaur had managed to grab Fata by his waist. It all happened so fast, I barely managed to take a step. The strength of Fata’s hair was too much for the Centaur to break but Fata’s body was not. The Centaur pulled on Fata’s thin body and his well anchored head was freed from it. It was horrific to watch as Fata’s face froze in pain and terror as his head was torn from his body. The severed head flopped down onto the beast’s back like some kind of medallion he wore around his neck.
Sadly it was too late for Fata but I was still on the move with staff in hand. The Centaur still struggled to free himself from my fallen friend’s hair when I struck. As it trotted around to face me I leapt up bringing the blunt end of my staff down into its chest with such force that it punctured down into not just one heart but two. My first meeting its chest I released my staff, allowing the breeder to fall over taking its last breath. I fell to my knees as I watched Fata’s amazing hair finally release the Centaur’s head.
The others joined me having dispatched their foes. Barton had finally pulled himself together to use his power to scoop up Fata’s head and body. Jake lay on the floor dead as well, having bleed out from wounds of his assault by the Centaur.
As we left we discovered that Ullery had followed us into the catacomb. He was tending his injured cellmate, Bassion in the tunnel. We must have looked like a ragtag team as we walked toward them. The snap of Bassion’s shoulder as Ullery put it back in place echoed in the tunnel as did his cry. “What the hell are you lot doing in here?” Ullery shouted at us. “You should have been in the ring with the rest of us!”
Before any of us could reply Decagon appeared at the end of the tunnel. He was accompanied by four armed guards. “They are winning this round for the rest of you!” Decagon announced. I was shocked to see that the ruler of this land would lower himself to our level. I looked to my left and Galio had fallen to his knees at the arrival of the Emperor. All I could think was that this was my chance to plead my cause to tell him I didn’t belong here. But then I looked to my right seeing Fata’s decapitated body floating nearby. He died saving my life, for me to leave now would mean he died in vain. I couldn’t let that happen. It was now that I realized how really important it was for me to win this tournament so I could put an end to them. “You were the only ones to realized what the Centaurs were doing,” Decagon said in his regal tone. “If the five of you had not stopped the breeding the Centaurs would have been the unstoppable winners of this round.”
“So this round is over?” Casper questioned.
“Yes, even now the Centaurs dwindle in number as your competitors slay them,” Decagon told us. “You have left them with no means of increasing their ranks.” “You may all return to have your wounds treated.”
“What about Fata?” Barton questioned moving the floating corpse forward.
“Your cellmate died a warrior’s death, he will be honored in the final ceremony,” Decagon replied motion in for his guards to take the body. Decagon and his guards left back the way they came taking Fata’s body with them. The others followed after them as I remained behind to help Ullery with Bassion.
Bassion was clearly in shock from his injuries. “Why did you follow us?” I asked as Ullery picked Bassion up in his arms to carry him.
“I wanted to make sure you weren’t trying to escape,” Ullery replied with attitude as Bassion’s face flopped against his chest.
We began to walk following the others as I asked, “Are you sure it wasn’t concern for your cellmate, Bassion?”
“That is just like you isn’t it?” Ullery’s statement confused me. “Trying to form an alliance in an everyman of himself competition!” “Do you want to know the truth?” he shouted at me. “I was hoping to end the five of you in secrets to increase my chances of winning!” I don’t know why but I felt like Ullery was lying to me as he trotted ahead to join with the others. He was definitely a mystery to me. But he was right. If I could find more men like my cellmates, men willing to join the cause against Bones it would be an advantage.
The after competition medical treatment was different again. We were taken to a waiting room that was basically an open latrine with five pit toilets. I hadn’t had a dump in two days thanks to my clay encasement of yesterday. I was glad to see the toilets however they worked. It would seem with the completion of each round we were treated a little more humanely.
Henry began taking us into the treatment room, only one at a time. Casper had the worst injury, a large bite on his shoulder that looked to become infected quickly. I hoped the bite was not turn him into a Centaur. Barton was next as he still complained of a headache from the mental stress he suffered in that catacomb.
Galio and I were left to wait outside of the medic room on the toilets along the wall. I had tried to fix my garment but it was torn beyond repair so I sat nude on the cold stone commode next to Galio. “Why is Henry taking us one at a time today?” I questioned. “I hope the information he gave us hasn’t gotten him in some kind of trouble.”
“Today is the day he gives us information about the other warriors, how best to beat them,” Galio told me.
I have to say it was odd sitting next to someone our knees touching while we were both on the toilet. But it was far from the strangest thing I had done in Olestra. “How would you know that?” I asked surprised at his answer. I looked around guessing that TP was not something we were going to be offered yet.
“I have been a slave in Olestra for nearly ten years, I have done Henry’s job in the past,” he told me. “I spent the last five years training to join the tournament.” “I do not intend to be a slave here anymore, either I win or die trying.” It was a harsh statement, the first one I had heard Galio make in the days that I knew him. But I could understand how he felt.
“So if you become the Master Warrior you get to leave Olestra?” I quizzed.
Galio looked to me with a grin, “Of course not no one leaves Olestra.” “Decagon is far too paranoid for that to happen.” “But once you are a Master Warrior you are free to do whatever you please as long as you serve in Decagon’s army.”
“What are you talking about?” I exclaimed. “I can’t stay here, I have a home, a life to return to on Earth!”
“We all had lives before Decagon brought us here,” Galio told me. “If you live through the tournament and don’t win, you become a slave to Decagon.”
“I can’t accept that, I won’t!” I told him. “I have only stayed this long because of the lives that hang in the balance.” “Once this tournament is over I am leaving!” I sat there next to him fuming with anger. All I could think about was how much I wanted to go home now. I was going to be no one’s slave!
Then Henry opened the door to the treatment room and invited me in. He began by bathing me he was quiet as he went to work scrubbing my body. I was silent as well still contemplating my fate of never leaving Olestra. I wonder if when I didn’t return if anyone would come looking for me? Surely my mother would. It has been nearly a week since Mist sent me to Zeeza, my Mom might already be looking for me. Then I thought back to the night I left. Mom didn’t seem herself, she gave Mist several strange looks as he explained my mission. Mist was very rushed in dispatching me, almost as if he didn’t want to give my Mom time to say something she shouldn’t. Surely my mother would not have sent me on this trip if she knew this was the outcome. NO, no my Mom would never do that, unless there was more going on than I knew. I never understood my Mom’s relationship with Mist. She was always so against trusting magic users. What could Mist possible have on my Mom to make her cooperated with this final test if it was a trap of some kind?
Henry must have felt the tension in my muscles as he began to massage my back and shoulders. I began to relax and wonder why Henry was so quiet when Galio told me he would give me instructions. It was clear that he was no longer bathing me, only messaging me so I pulled away from his skillful hands to face him. He looked at me differently than he had on previous days. “I can give you a release if you like,” Henry said.
“Excuse me?” I questioned shocked at his suggestion.
“You do not belong here!” Henry said bluntly. “You are the son of an Amazon, have you no idea how rare the gift you can offer?”
I was surprised at what he was saying to me. He knew my secret. “What is it you know of the legend?” I asked him.
“I know that you are destined for greater things than being a slave in Olestra!” Henry shouted. “If you were to remain here Decagon will learn who you truly are, the gift you can offer!” “That is not something that can happen!”
“I agree completely, but how do we achieve that?” I asked as I got out of the water. “How do I do the impossible and leave Olestra?” Henry followed me picking up a towel to begin drying me.
“I have given that some thought,” Henry said finishing with the towel to retrieve his med-kit. “In the years that I have been here I have only learned of one Master Warrior to escape Olestra.” “His name was Samso.” “It was from him that Bones learned of the tournament.” Henry explained. “He told a tale of his escape and that is how Bones found his way here.”
“You know of this way to leave Olestra?” I asked as he tended the wounds on my arms.
“Yes, there is much risk involved but first you must win the tournament,” Henry told me. “The arsenal of weapons in key to unlocking the gateway.” He checked the wounds on my back and neck from the breeder Centaur that were deeper than the rest. “You must tell no one of this plan, not even your cellmates with whom you have allied yourself.” “All could be lost if you do!”
When Henry was finished with me I was returned to the dungeon alone. In the dungeon on the way to my cell I caught sight of Ullery in his cell. Sweat glisten on his brow as he was moved oddly. As I got closer I spotted Bassion who lifted his head from in front of Ullery. It was clear to me that Ullery had never taken the wounded man for medical treatment. His arm still broken clutched to his chest and I could see the pain on his face. As I passed by Ullery and I met eyes and he gave me an odd look.
DAY 4
It was early morning when I glanced down the cells to see Bones asleep on the floor. His final cellmate slept next to him. I sat there in my cell awake for awhile, all of my cellmates were asleep. I looked to the spot where Fata lay just the night before and felt sad and a little guilty over his death. How could I win this contest without causing the death of anyone else?
Then I heard whispering, it was coming from a few cells down. It was mostly likely wrong to listen but I did. It was Bassion, I could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke in low tones. “The guards will be coming soon, they will take me away.” “I want to feel you one last time.” A chill ran up my spine at the thought of what he was talking about.
“No, you are too injured,” I was surprised to hear Ullery reply softly. “When I am a Master Warrior I can come visit you, perhaps make you my personal slave.”
“That would be great but I still need one last time,” Bassion insisted. Ullery did not reply again but the sounds that followed told me that he had complied with his cellmate request. In some strange way their sounds let me drift off to sleep. As I slept I dreamt.
Then I sprang up from the cold floor shouting, “NO!” “I can’t!” I looked around to realize that I was still in the cell that I shared with three other combatants. They were none too pleased with my shouts waking them up. It was all a dream, a dream of a night that had yet to happen. I have had sex dreams before, but the fact that I am still a virgin proves that was all they were, dreams. This one felt different, the fact that it didn’t feel like I was in control of what happened to me scared me. If I were to lose my virginity on this trip, I certainly didn’t want it to be like that! I tried to convince myself that it was all just a dream, brought on by seeing and hearing Ullery and Bassion.
The others questioned me about my dream, all I told them was that it was not about the events of the tournament. I had no idea what we would be up against today. They all looked disappointed at my words. Yesterday my dream had saved the day not to mention literal my ass. Our attention was drawn away from my lack of insight as the guards arrived. Several cells down they drug the still injured Bassion for the cell he shared with Ullery. He would not be taking part in today’s event. I could see a sadness on Ullery’s face that I don’t think anyone else did, I almost believed he loved Bassion.
As we were lead from our cell I hung back to talk to Ullery. “So, you love him, Bassion?” Ullery gave me the most disgusted look I’ve ever seen.
“Love is for fools!” he replied. “Bassion is a fool, so easily manipulated by his emotions into giving me what I desire.” “He even begs me to take what I want from him, what a complete idiot!” Ullery might well be the most callus, cold person I have ever met. Although I did not believe him when he followed us into the breeder’s den, I did believe what he said to me about his feelings for Bassion. I had momentary considered that Ullery could take my place with my cellmate now that I had to take my own course, but his attitude pushed that idea from my mind instantly.
Today began much differently than all the rest that came before. We were not taken to the arena but to a room open to the sky. We were the surviving twenty-two to make it to the fourth day of the tournament. Everyone was silent for a change, it even appeared that many of the friendships that had been formed over the past few days were gone now. All of the men in the room except me picked another man who they stared down. Even my own cellmates appeared to have chosen foes. Barton stared down Omax, Galio eyed Rook, Casper gave Damian’s half clay covered face a look of disgust. I realized then that most of the men in the room still wore the clay covering some part of their bodies. It was Gabriel who stared at me. He had both his legs and arms covered in the hard clay, although he still seemed to bend them fine. I could only guess that the staring contest was because of the information the men were given last night. I had no such information. Henry and I spent the time planning my escape after I won this tournament.
Then the door to the room was sealed. I wondered if it was in fact meant to be the battle room but then gas began to seep from the bottom of the wall where it met the floor. It was not some kind of trap, anyone of us could have easily escaped over the walls. In fact no one did, we all remained standing there as the gas rose up over us to escape out the roof. As it did I saw that the clay on the other men’s bodies began to dissolve. I held up my gauntlets to watch as clay crumbled away. I would at last be able to use them in battle. There was a commotion in the room as some of the men breathed in the gas. It would seem that the clay was used on all of us if seen or not. The men with no visible clay on their bodies began to retch and vomit it out. When the gas had done its job a door on the opposite side of the room was opened.
We exited the room pushing and shoving each other like cattle in a stable. In the next room was what we would need for the day to come hanging on the walls. All form of armor was on display. Being the only one still nude, I made a beeline for the cod pieces to replace the one I lost yesterday. I also grabbed for a chest plate, sandals with shin guards and a helmet. There were no weapons but some of the men were trying to fashion ones from the armor. I had no idea what we were going to be up against, it seemed to be each other by the way the men acted toward each other. When everyone was dressed the guards returned.
Still we were not led into the arena, instead we were led to a small seating area at the edge of the ring that was not there before today. There were twenty-two seats in rows of four, each had a number on it for each of us. I had almost forgotten about the number on my back. It was 23 and when I reached over my shoulder to touch the sticky tar it was still there even after all the baths Henry had given me. I found my seat. I was next to Gabriel on my right, who was still giving me a snide look. I now could see what was under the clay that covered his arms and legs for the past three days. All four limbs appeared to be made of metal or at least coated in it. I looked at his metal fists and was sure getting hit in the face with one was going to hurt, I would want to avoid that happening. I had to wonder what he was told was my weakness, especially because I had no idea of anything about him. I knew only his name, I hadn’t come in contact with him in this tournament at all. Gabriel was oddly always out of view of me. On my left side was Tallion whose hands and feet I could see were huge, even now that they were free of the clay. He had claws like that of some reptiles dinosaur on both toes and fingers, they looked sharp and deadly. Next to him the final member of our row was Varik, who looked completely human to me. Although I do remember him being one of the men to vomit in the mist. The clay kept all of us from using powers or weapons Decagon could not remove from our bodies. Varik’s weapon could be internal.
In the row in front of me, Bilk stood up looking over the men behind him, he was the guy who had the clay chest plate. His chest cavity was now wide open, but it was not internal organs that were exposed. I was trying not to stare but he appeared to have an entire sun inside his chest. It was by far the strangest thing I had ever seen! He glares down at me making me avert my eyes from his oddity.
Looking out into the arena there was no food preparation set up today so it was clear we were not getting fed as we had on previous days. I had the strong feeling none of us were going to like today’s competition. Decagon stood up in his box to begin this day’s announcements. “Today it shall be man against Creature and Man against Man!” “You have each been given an opponent suited best to your weakness.” “Last man standing wins the round and moves on to the next.” “Yet there is another you must defeat as well!” With his statement he raised his hand to direct the guards in the arena to unlock and open a large door. From the door emerged a ten foot Cyclops! It was like all things that I believed to only exist in myth, existed here! It was huge and armored with a helmet and a chest plate with knives mounted on it. “Any who allow their opponent to be consumed by the Cyclops will be disqualified from the tournament!” “Now let the round begin!” Decagon shouted sitting back down into his throne.
The young man sitting next to Decagon who I believed to be his son then stood up, announcing, “Numbers two and nine, begin the challenge!” Two was Ullery and Nine was Gueydan, they both sat in the front. As warriors from what I had seen in the past three days, they were both evenly matched.
The match began with both men fighting the Cyclops who swung its huge fists at them. Ullery had no fear as the massive fist came in his direction. He took several hits before he was flung across the arena. He got up blooded but otherwise unbroken.
Gueydan had another tactic. He wanted the Cyclops to use his knives rather than fists, making it clear to all that watched that Gueydan’s skin could not be pierced. In the process he tricked the obviously dull minded Cyclops to give up most of the knives he carried. Collecting up the knives Gueydan began to put them to use. He had an incredibly accurate aim as he dealt out the daggers at both of his opponents.
Taking two knife hits one to the leg and one to the shoulder Ullery looked more pissed off than ever. But now he had two knives for his own use. He pulled the knives from his body, wiping his blood from them back onto his wounds. From the way he moved it was clear to me that the knife wounds were the only injury he had gained. I focused on the best I could from the distance I sat and it appeared that Ullery healed even faster than I did. As he healed he stood watching Gueydan’s every move.
Gueydan was making quick work of the Cyclops with the stolen knives. The Cyclops had tough skin but its knives were sharp enough to slice into it. Gueydan was a swift worker as he moved around the one-eyed giant, slicing and cutting it. The giant managed to get in a few swipes at Gueydan that made contact with his skin, but didn’t shed a drop of blood. It became clear as the fight continued that Gueydan’s skin could not be cut. The same could not be said of the Cyclops as its smaller opponent stabbed into the joint of its elbow. Slicing down through it, the forearm was nearly severed. Then the Cyclops roared louder as Gueydan slide down between its legs jamming the two knives into its lower abdomen under its chest plate. The warrior pulled the knives together effectively slicing open the giant’s gut letting its insides fall out. It was a disgusting mess as the Cyclop’s intestine and organs tumbled out of its body to the ground.
I looked away, back to Ullery, trying to put the image out of my mind as the smell of the murder reached my nose. Ullery had completely healed and was ready to make his move on Gueydan. Having studied Gueydan as he fought the Cyclops as I did, Ullery now knew his strength as well as whatever weakness he learned from the bath house slave the previous night. Throwing the knives aside, knowing they could do not damage to his opponent, Ullery charged across the field. Landing a flying dropkick on Gueydan the man was thrown back away from the fallen giant.
Ullery worked quickly, grabbing a hold on the Cyclops nearly severed arm. Pulling with all his might on the still clenched enormous fist Ullery ripped the forearm from the corpse. He knew all too well how it felt to be hit by the punch of this creature. Before Gueydan was fully recovered, he was hit again. This time by the Cyclops fist that Ullery wielded like a club. My attention so focused on the battle in the arena I could hear the cracking of Gueydan’s bones at the blow of the fleshy club. Gueydan raised his arm to defend against the next swing to the attack.
Gueydan’s skin may have been invulnerable, but it was clear to all of us that what was inside it was not. His femur was snapped by the assault of the club-arm. Ullery was relentless in his attack, aiming for vital organs in his opponent’s torso. Gueydan tried to retreat but as he turned the hard Cyclops fist struck him in the back of the head. The crack of bone and the final angle of Gueydan’s neck told me the fight was over. Gueydan crumbled to the ground his neck broken.
The spectators in Ullery’s section cheered him as he raised his hands in victory. Then Ullery added insult to injury as he relieved himself on his fallen foe’s corpse. When he was finished the guards lead him from the arena. Once out of sight, Decagon stood again to wave his hand across the arena. I looked back to Ullery and Gueydan’s sections to find both now empty. All of the innocents had been removed with a wave of the ruler’s hand. I hoped they had been returned home safely as Henry had told us they would be.
Next up were Bilk and Aberdeen, “Six and Forty-four take the arena!” came the son’s announcement before sitting back down in his smaller throne next to his father. Another Cyclops entered the arena as well, released from the large door by the guards. This Cyclops was armored and carried the largest sword I had seen since my dream of Bones and my Mom.
Sitting in the stands, it was the first time I took a closer look at the guards. Each of them wore an armband like that which Decagon called the Arsenal of Weapons. These guards has been the Master Warriors all along. I began to look at their face, or what I could see of them under their helmets. I recognized only about twenty faces, the same faces I had seen for the past three days. Was this what I was meant to become? A stable hand of freaks? I couldn’t help but wonder why of all the dangers my dreams could have warned me about it was of Henry. I am in a life and death tournament and I have a premonition of losing my virginity? I can only hope that means that whatever is to come today will be something I am more than capable of handling.
Looking back to the Arena the three combatants took their places. I was eager to see what Bilk could do with that thing in his chest. I was not disappointed. Bilk turned to face the Cyclops, who looked as if he could kill the smaller men with one swipe of his sword. Bilk place his hands on either side of his ribcage and a shimmering flood of light shot outward encompassing the Cyclops. The creature dropped his sword as he left out a cry of what seemed to be pain or shock, I couldn’t be sure. The giant was lifted from the ground. As it was bathed in the light it began to shrink. It was hard to see at my distance but the now tiny Cyclops looked to have been sucked back inside Bilk’s chest. The beam from his chest extinguished Bilk appeared weakened for a moment.
Bilk’s momentary weakness was all it took for Aberdeen to zoom in on him at what could only be described as super speed. He sought to retrieve the giant’s discarded sword. Even at his high speed he was not fast enough to acquire the weapons as Bilk fired another beam into his path to the sword. Aberdeen swerved to avoid the beam with less than millimeters to spare. His sharp turn sent the speedster tumbling to the ground. At the speed he was going he took a hard fall.
Bilk ran for the sword while Aberdeen was still in the dirt. He could barely lift it. I don’t know how he thought he was going to use it as a weapon. Then he surprised me, as he held the sword it began to shrink to a size much more manageable for him. He marched toward Aberdeen on the ground, sword draw at the ready. Bilk had taken only a few steps when he realized that Aberdeen was gone, racing away at super speed. The battle picked up pace now as Bilk tried admiralty to defend against the speedster. He even managed to get a few slices at Aberdeen that caused him to stop running.
With Aberdeen still and injured, Bilk was able to focus on him long enough to fire a blast from his chest. Aberdeen was down but not out, even limping he was faster than Bilk’s aim. The cat and mouse game of Bilk firing at Aberdeen went on for several missed blasts. With every blast Bilk appeared to grow weaker, if he was aware of it or not. Aberdeen, on the other hand was healing quickly becoming stronger with every passing moment. From the stands it became clear who was going to win this battle even if Bilk couldn’t see what was happening.
Fully healed Aberdeen did not give his foe another chance to injure him. He began running in a circle around Bilk kicking up the dust from the ground. At first I thought he was trying to create some whirlwind that would carry Bilk high into the sky, but I soon realized Aberdeen did not have that kind of speed. As it turned out the dust was enough to choke Bilk unconscious. As he fell to the ground Aberdeen stopped running. He stepped up taking the sword still clenched in Bilk’s hand he lifted it up over his head.
Suddenly the sword returned to its original size, I would guess because Bilk lost physical contact with it. The weight was too much for the thin Aberdeen. It wasn’t clear if what happened next was what Aberdeen intended but the sword was pulled to the ground just the same. It fell on Bilk’s face slicing his head in half across his nose. It was another horrible murder before my eyes.
I looked to Gabriel who sat next to me, blood lust in his eyes as he watched another man die. It finally sunk in, if I was going to win this contest, I was going to have to take a life! Sure I had killed Sabertooth-tigers and Bears in the past days, even several Centaurs, but I didn’t think of them as people, as lives worth protecting. I even thought I could kill one of these Cyclops, knowing that such a thing would easily kill me without a thought. But a man, that was different. I looked to the friends I have made here. I knew there was no way I could bring myself to kill any of them. Then I looked over to Gabriel again he was staring me down, still not saying a word.
“Numbers seven and thirty enter the arena!” Decagon’s son announced returning my attention to the arena. Their names where Derek and Homurto eager for battle as they stepped down from the stands. The moment their feet hit the sand they began fighting. The two men wrestled on the ground by the time the Cyclops entered the ring. The men’s match was cut short as were both their lives as the ax wielding Cyclops came up on them as they rolled on the sand. The Cyclops killed both of them with a swipe of his massive ax. I thought it would have been end of the round but Decagon did not get up from his seat nor did the Master Warrior guards attempt to corral the Cyclops. Instead we were forced to sit and watch as the Cyclops sat down on the sand using his ax to cut apart the two men and eat them. After a few minutes the sight was just to grotesque to be believed. I turned my eyes to my feet but Gabriel seemed to enjoy watching the monster feed on the men. I glanced up to his face as he smiled and giggled. Perhaps taking this man’s life to save my own would not be that great of a sacrifice.
When the Cyclops had picked the last shred of meat from the bones of the last two competitors Decagon’s son made his announcement, “Numbers 10 and 35 take the arena!” They were Varik and Tallion the two men sitting next to me, Gabriel and I would be next. The first round with a Cyclops already in the ring, learning from the last round, the two men wasted no time attacking it. Tallion lunged at it, his sharp clawed hands and feet out to attack. Tallion slashed at the Cyclops’ face, nearly taking out its eye before he was thrown aside to the dirt.
I now learned what Varik had to offer, he opened his mouth in a wide grin revealing rows upon rows of sharp teeth, like that of a shark. He was vicious as he attacked taking a large bite out of the Cyclops’ arm causing it to drop its ax. The Cyclops howled and slammed his fist down onto Varik’s head, causing the chunk of Cyclops’ flesh to fly from his jaws. Tallion returned attacking the Cyclops from behind, slashing into its back. The Cyclops turned in anger trying to catch his attacker but Tallion was too nimble as he sprang over the giant’s head. Coming down in front of the Cyclops, Tallion began slashing at it with both hands, tearing off its armor and into its flesh. Tallion moved fast to cut the giant to shreds. Thick Cyclops blood covered everything including Varik who still lay unmoving on the ground.
By the time Tallion was done he had used his hands and feet to strip most of the meat from the Cyclop’s torso, its guts spilling out it collapsed to the bloodied sand, dead. When Tallion turned his attack to his more human opponent Decagon stood up announcing, “Contestant thirty-five, you are disqualified!” The crowd groaned in shock and disappointment. “Contestant ten was killed by the Cyclops before you ended it!” “Take him to the slave camp!” But Tallion was not going down without a fight as the guards approached him. He reached out slashing at one only to be blocked by the appearance of a sword from the guard’s wrist. A wave of Decagon’s hand and the ground beneath Tallion seemed to come to life encasing him in clay as had happened to me days earlier. Decagon would not be defied!
I didn’t even have to hear the next announcement to know Gabriel and I were next. I had to make some hard choices now and I had no idea what they would be. When I stood, I looked back to my cellmates who still waited behind me. Galio smiled holding up is hand that glowed with a strange energy now that it was free of the clay in support of me. Casper looked supportive as well but Barton reached out with his mind telling me, *Don’t get killed, remember what we tried with the Centaurs.*
I remembered what we tried and it didn’t work. As I walked down to the arena I eyed the back of Gabriel’s neck, he was no Centaur, perhaps it would work, if I somehow managed to get on his back. On the field of battle I looked at how Gabriel struts with confidence, he looked eager to fight, but I said it anyway, “Together we can find a way out of this.”
“Prepare for death, coward,” he said crudely.
We both waited for the Cyclops to enter the arena, I assumed we both knew it had to go down first from watching the previous matches. This one was different it almost seems to have an intelligent look in its eye as it peered at me. It carries a large mace high over our heads as it charges. It roars like none of the others did. This one is clearly angry over something. Gabriel and I both braced for that attack, but it quickly cast Gabriel aside with a swing of the mace. It stopped the to stare down at me with its softball sized eye. The Cyclops looked as if it was going to cry just before it swung its mace at me. I raised by arm using my gauntlet to absorb the momentum and force of the mace. He swung again, this attack was clearly a personal, directed at me or whoever it thought I was. I fended off mace hit after hit absorbing more force into my gauntlets with each blow. It was so good to have them back at their full capacity.
Gabriel returned jumping up onto the giant’s back with a knife he found in the sand from a previous round. He stabbed down into the Cyclops’ chest with the dagger. The wound only pissed the creature off more as it reeled back slamming to the ground crushing Gabriel under it. My first instinct was to help Gabriel, if he was killed by the Cyclops I was doomed to slavery. I grabbed the giant by the ankle lifting it up and casting it aside, it rolled across the arena like an oil tanker. I rushed to aid Gabriel, he didn’t look too badly injured as I lifted him from the ground. His eyes opened and he grinned a me, “The slave was right your compassion is your weakness,” he said as his metal hand and arm transformed into a long metal spike. He jabbed it forward at me thrusting in completely through my chest just below my shoulder.
For a moment I was impaled on his arm, then I pushed him away freeing myself. Gabriel had done some damage, I could feel it, I could no longer lift my right arm as I staggered back. My left hand instantly went for the wound trying to stop the blood, even though I knew it wasn’t a lethal injury. Gabriel wasted no time springing up from the ground coming at me with both arms transformed into sword-like weapons. He swung at me and I dodged his attack. I had to up my game, using my left arm I deflected his right with my gauntlet. I was distracted by the feel of the blood flowing down my chest as I continued to deflect his attacks. I had to concentrate, I wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever or even as long as he could. The look in his eyes made it clear he fully intended on killing me. I feared he might accomplish that task if I didn’t think of something fast.
My right arm was still pretty much useless, making it impossible for me to release the stored energy in my gauntlets. I could feel my left gauntlet grow warmer on my wrist as its charge grew stronger with every strike of Gabriel’s metal arms. He said my compassion was my weakness, that was not what I thought. It was my strength. If anything I rescued him to save my own skin. I wondered if he would do the same?
I let him back me across the arena as if my stamina was already failing me. He was so fierce in his continued attack on me he never notices as we moved toward the Cyclops that still lay unconscious in the sand. I needed to revive the monster quickly. I remembered how I was woken that first day in Olestra. Although I couldn’t lift my right arm, my hand worked fine. “Is this how you intend to win this battle?” I prodded. “You couldn’t chop your way out of a paper bag.” I don’t even know if he knew what a paper bag was but it kept his attention on striking at my left arm and not on what my right hand was doing or where we had moved on the field. I stood over the Cyclop’s head using my right hand to free myself from my garment and then relieve myself on its face.
It didn’t take much pee to wake the sleeping giant. It reached up with its huge hand grabbing me by my back and shoulders. If he didn’t hate me before he sure did now. It was he spit my piss from its lips and wiped it from its eye. It held me aloft trying to crush me, but I was made of stronger stuff than that. The Cyclops most likely could crush the bones of a normal person, my bones were much stronger. The pressure of its large fingers on my wound actually felt good. Gabriel didn’t know that, “If he kills me, you lose!” I called to my opponent.
Gabriel’s sword arms instantly turned from attacking me to the giant that held me. “You coward, using this beast as your defense!” he shouted stabbing at the Cyclops who had now retrieved his mace to defend himself. Unfortunately I couldn’t allow the giant to kill Gabriel either. I was still hanging free so I tried the same trick a second time aiming for its wide open eye. “Cyclop’s eye!” I shouted as I hit my target forcing the monster to drop me to wipe my burning urine from its only means of sight. Temporarily blinded Gabriel landed his kill shot to the giant’s chest.
I was free flipping around to land on my feet. I spun to face Gabriel, who was ready to kill me and take his place in the final round. I had no choice, it was the most pain I ever felt as I jerked to flip my right arm up to meet my left. Gabriel charged at me and the concussion blast from my gauntlets struck him sending him across the arena, his back hitting the side wall and severing one of his metal blade arms. I expected to hear the crack of his bones but I didn’t, all I heard was the angry cry of the Cyclops as it sprang up from the sand.
I would guess what looked like I heart wound to both Gabriel and I was not on a Cyclops. Even thought it was Gabriel that wounded it, the Cyclops was still focusing his attack in me. It wasn’t easy but I did a one handed backflip to grab up Gabriel’s severed blade. The Cyclops was faster than I thought as it grabbed my leg in mid-air. It yanked me around not knowing I had claimed Gabriel’s blade. I swung around reaching my left arm slicing through the Cyclop’s neck. Its head popped from its shoulders. Its hand released me sending me flying across the arena. My shoulder was throbbing now making is hard to maneuver myself while airborne.
As I tried to right myself I saw Gabriel up and running. I was losing altitude fast and had nowhere to go but down. I managed to twist to land on my left hip. I skidded over the sand trying to tuck with one hand as I went, my hip would resist the impact but my junk wouldn’t. I rolled over to see Gabriel running toward me on legs that looked like spring stilts, giving him added speed. He was moving fast and I was in bad shape, but I still held his severed arm. I was sure it was the one thing that could take him down.
When he was just close enough I threw it, impaling him in the thigh. He stumbled and fell to the ground next to me. I sprang on to his back forcing his face into the sand. I searched the back of his neck and found the place where the nerves and vertebrae where to trigger the paralysis. I made it look as if I had smothered him unconscious before rolling him onto his back. His eye stared blankly up at me, I could see the anger behind them. I stood up raising my one good arm to the cheers of the people in my box.
I limped from the Arena clutching my right arm to my side. I spotted Henry waiting for me just as he had in my dream. I knew what would happen next and the thought of it almost sickened me. I couldn’t let my guard down like I did in that dream. I would never be able to live with the memories if I let what happened in my dream come to pass in reality.
Henry lead me to a private suite where he began by tending my wounds. This time he wiped a strange smelling ointments down my left hip and leg that sealed the scrap almost instantly. The stab on my chest took more time to close. It had stopped bleeding by the time I got to the room, but I was still having trouble lifting my arm. My injures treated, Henry then lead me into the next room where a bath waited. I stepped into the three foot deep pool as Henry followed me. For the first time I truly felt uneasy as he touched me. “Do you like doing this?” I asked him.
“Doing what?” Henry asked as he lifted my left arm to scrub the stubble of hair in my armpit.
“Tending to the tournament competitors?” I inquired as he moved to my chest, dabbing the healing sponge on my quickly healing wound. We stood in the water, both nude, face to face as we looked into each others eyes. He seemed frightened by my question as he quickly turned away. Lifting my right arm I could feel that it was already loosening up as he began scrubbing that pit. “How many men have you ‘tended’ like this?”
“Hundreds,” Henry replied moving to my back, gently wiping over the exit wound.
“Does it bring you pleasure?” I asked.
“Pleasure?” Henry repeated. “I take no pleasure from doing what I must.” “It is my duty, not my pleasure.”
“Then why do you do it?” I asked.
“I have no other choice in the matter,” Henry told me, “I am a slave.”
“How long have you been a slave here?” I asked as Henry stopped washing me for a moment.
Henry’s answer was something I didn’t fully understand at the time. “I’m a slave class Nozama, being a slave is all I’ve known for a very long time.” “Since I was truly the age that I appear to be to you.” “I was brought to Olestra by a Nozama Warrior who wanted to compete in the Tournament seventy-three years ago. He failed and I became a slave of the tournament in Olestra.” His hand holding the sponge slid down my back, over my butt as he spoke. “Of all that I have tended you have been by far the cleanest.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I replied not having been given such a complement in my life. This exchange was weird knowing what I saw in my dream. But it didn’t happen in my dream so I knew I was already changing the events.
Henry moved back in front of me on his knees to gently use the sponge to cleanse my private parts. I felt that tinge of uncomfortably again, this bath was getting far too personal. “I think it’s clean enough now,” I said fearing what might happen next as he held his face so close to my junk. “Did you become this friendly with the Nozama that brought you here?” I asked, not sure if it would change the subject or not.
“I was but a slave to him, no more,” Henry answered before moving down to wipe over the front of my legs under the water.
“So you were never, intimate with him?” I asked no sure if I was being clear to him.
“Nozamas are a passionate and violent race,” Henry replied. “I did whatever it took to keep him happy.” His answer concerned me. My bath finished Henry climbed out of the pool, I thought intentionally to show me his back side. He stood over me, his nude body looking like a teenage boy. I climbed out of the pool next to him. I had to stop dancing around the subject. I watched him as he retrieved a towel, he stood nearly a foot shorter than me. I had fought a Cyclops today, surely I could stop this boy from taking advantage of me. My dreams were something I preferred to keep to myself, but I had to just make myself clear before things went any further I thought as Henry dried my body.
After drying me he walked back into the other room and removed the chairs from the table as he did in the dream. I stood in the bathroom, not wanting to move. Then Henry called me into the other room for my massage. I reluctantly followed asking him, “Bones was that Nozama, wasn’t he?” Henry didn’t answer as I stepped over to the side table. Picking up one to the flasks of oil I asked, “What is in this stuff?”
“The healing oil,” he replied. “It is oil, minerals and a numbing agent to help healing.” “Come lay down it will help relax you for your massage.
“I guess that explains why the massage relaxes me so much,” I commented. “I need to ask, are you gay?”
“Gay?” Henry repeated. I could tell he didn’t understand what I was asking.
“Do you like having sex with men?” I asked point blank.
“Why so many questions tonight?” Henry said a confused look on his face. I could not have been clearer this time. I remained quiet waiting for his answer. “No, I don’t like doing that, but it is my duty.” “It keeps the men happy and calm.”
“How many of the men from the tournament that you served, have used you in such a way?” I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer.
“All of them, until you,” he replied sitting down on one of the chairs. “After tonight that will no longer be true.” “Please get on the table.”
I walked over putting my hand on his bare shoulder, “I don’t want to have sex with you and I don’t want you to force me to either.” “You are not a slave to me, you are my friend.” “That is why when you help me to escape this place you are coming with me.” “You have been a slave for long enough, it is time you were a free man.”
We dressed in togas before moving onto another room where a victory meal awaited me. I ate my fill urging Henry to eat as well. After dinner we spend the rest of the night planning our escape that was much more preferable to what I dreamt. It wasn’t going to be easy or timely. After I won the title of Master Warrior I would have to go alone with my new status in life until Henry was sure about the details of his plan. I had to wonder why he had never just escaped himself or why I was so important to help escape. Mostly I wanted to know, “If you gave everyone else instruction last night about the weakness of their opponent, why not me?”
“I couldn’t risk interfering with your destiny,” Henry told me. “It is important that you win this tournament with no outside help.” “Because if you don’t any chance of escaping Olestra might be lost.”
“You keep mentioning my great destiny, why, what is it?” I questioned. “What is it that you know that you aren’t telling me?” Henry didn’t seem to eager to tell me anymore but I insisted. “How can I trust you if you won’t be on the level with me?”
“I dare not mention his name, but there was a seer,” Henry began looking more frightened that I thought he could. “Many, many years ago, before I came to Olestra, before I was even ageless, A man told me of a true Master Warrior.” “The seer told me that this champion would rise all on his own.” “He would be of my people.” “It would be my job to make sure when the time was right the champion would be able to return home.”
“You believe that I am this true Master Warrior?” I asked not fully believing in clairvoyance, even with my own gifts. “How do you know it is me and not Bones?”
“Bones is a heartless bastard only out for his own glory,” Henry told me, couldn’t say I disagreed. “You are like no other to come to this tournament, you are the impossible champion.” “A warrior with compassion.” “A warrior who wants only to help not conqueror.” “Most of all you are of my people.”
I sat back in my chair taking in every thing Henry had said. It was a lot to think about. I had never looked at myself in these terms before, but I again I still couldn’t disagree with him, what he was saying was true. “You say I am of your people, what do you mean?” I asked wiping my mouth with a cloth as I finished my dessert.
“I was born long ago on an island in the Aegean sea, Themyscira,” Henry told me to my surprise. “After the seer gave me the prophecy I began to look for this Master Warrior he spoke of among my people.” “I believed that I had found him, his name was Achilles.” “It was before the Trojan war and Achilles spoke of leaving home to take a great quest in search of the mystic swords of the Sea and Earth.” “I was sixteen when Achilles began his quest.” “He agreed to take me with him as a squire.” “We journeyed to the continent of Atlantis in search of Achilles’ prize.” “Achilles was a brave and daring young man, but he was not the Master Warrior about which the seer told me.” “We were outside a great walled city when a glowing rock fell from the sky.” “The rock crashed down within the walls changing its people into the Nozama.” “Achilles and I were affected too, not as much as outside the wall as the people inside of it.” “Learning what had happened inside walled city we continued our search elsewhere.” “In time Achilles and I were separated and I was captured by the Nozama to become a slave.”
There was a missing piece to his story, “If you were a slave to the Nozama, how do you know I am of your people?”
Henry smiled at me perhaps for the first time since I met him. “Because I was a slave to the Nozama, I was there when they attacked the Amazons.” “I learned that these warrior women were from Themyscira.” “I even recognized some of them as family and friends.” “If you truly are the child of an Amazon, you are of my people, you fulfill the prophecy.”
DAY 5
The final battle, when Henry woke me from the first soft bed I slept in since arriving in Olestra he told me that only seven combatants remained after yesterday’s competitions. He also told me that the final round was a fight to the death, only one competitor can walk out of the arena today. “And that man must be you!” he said with authority.
After checking my wounds that had almost completely healed overnight, Henry brought me the clothing I would be wearing for the final day of battle. I was surprised to see my “Wonder Man” suit again that I had been wearing when I arrived in Olestra. “It is very colorful,” Henry commented as he held up the shirt.
“Don’t I get any special armor for today?” I asked. “It is a fight to the death after all.”
“You must enter the final round as you entered Olestra,” Henry explained. “This is what you wore when you arrived here.”
The suit had been cleaned and sown where I had torn it. I was none too eager to put it on again, but I had spent enough time running around nude to last me a lifetime. I dressed in my red, gold and blue suit, leaving the mask behind on the bed. I had no need for a mask, everyone here already knew what I could do, there was nothing to hide. I really didn’t want to die wearing this outfit, I had done that once and I was sure I would not be getting reborn again today.
Then Henry and I left my room to walk down the clean, well lit corridor of Decagon’s fortress toward the arena. It was a big change from how I had been treated for the last week. It felt like a condemned man getting his dues. I was a little nervous, I had no idea who had survived yesterday’s match. I also face the same dilemma as yesterday. Could I kill someone in self defense? I had no idea how long Gabriel would be paralyzed and I didn’t know if I had gotten away with my trick or if I would been thrown into slavery for it. I wondered how many of my fellow cellmates had survived their matches. In a way I hoped none, I knew I could not kill a friend, even to save my own life.
At the arena each of us entered through one of seven doors that now lined the field. It was no surprise to me to see that Bones had made it to the final round. He stood at his doorway in full armor carrying a large sword like the one he wielded against my mother in my dream. It almost didn’t seem fair that he had such a weapon, but like Henry told me we were to fight with what we arrived with in Olestra. For the first time I wished I had been in uniform wearing my gun when I got here. Of course there was Aberdeen and Ullery whose matches I watched them win. Aberdeen was dressed in some kind of sleek, skin tight, green suit. I would guess to cut down on his wind resistance. Ullery was armored up too, almost like Bones, but his weapons appeared more scientific. He had a lance that crackled with electricity.
The other three combatants to make it to this round made me both happy and sad. Barton, Casper, and Galio stood looking my way across the arena. Barton was dressed like the rodeo cowboy he told me he was in jeans, boots, and a flannel shirt complete with lariat. He was the first to make contact with me in a telepathic message, *Casper and I followed your lead, Galio was not so inclined.*
Casper did not look at all happy to see me. He was bare-chested wearing only what looked like scuba diving shorts. Galio’s outfit was the strangest it was like a cross between an Arthurian Knight and a football player. He waved a long handled spiked mace at me, I figured it wasn’t a threat, just his way of saying hello.
Decagon made his usual speech that I don’t think any of us even listened to anymore. We all knew why we were here and what we were meant to do. All we waited for was Decagon to announce, “Begin!”
Instantly Barton linked our minds saying, *We still need to take down Bones!* None of us disagreed as we all converged on the Nozama. We all still agreed that our best chance of stopping Bones from becoming the Master Warrior was for us to work together to take him down. As the rest of us ran to attack Bones, Barton struck him down with his telekinetic power. A trick he would not be able to use twice.
Casper was the fastest of us as he pounced on Bones’ chest grabbing away his sword. But before he could use it Bones retrieved a knife from his belt that he thrusted into the gill slits on Casper’s side. “Filthy Amphibian!” Bones grumbles as he twisted the blade into Casper’s side. He forced his arm into Casper’s chest cavity up almost up to his elbow. The blade was through our friend’s back shoulder before Galio and I could reach him. Casper was dead by the time he dropped Bones’ sword to the sand. Bones cast Casper’s body aside to raise his bloody fist still holding the dagger.
Galio swung his mace at Bones as I scooped up the fallen sword. Together we attacked the Nozama. When Bones reached for his shield that was strapped to his back it was tossed away as if by a strong wind, leaving Bones to defend himself with only his strength and tough skin. He used the foot long dagger he killed Casper with to fend off our weapons. Strangely he didn’t feel as strong as the last time we fought. Sweat poured off of him as if he was fighting us harder than he had to. Then I caught sight of Barton his hand to his head as he visibly strained. Barton was using his power to mentally hold Bones back, that just might be the advantage we needed.
Bones caught Galio off guard by pulling a second dagger from his belt. He slashed at Galio, catching him across the face and chest. My partner fell back for a moment leaving me to fight our huge opponent alone. Bones skillfully used both daggers to defend himself and turn the tide of our struggle. I was plenty skilled with a sword, even one as big as this one. I could tell that Barton’s hold on him was weakening as Bones began to gain the footing on me. Bones locked the sword with the daggers and spoke to me with a grin, “Your mother trained you well boy!” “I will wear your nuts as a necklace when I find her and take her as my bitch at last!” He was trying to provoke me and it was working. The surge of anger gave me the strength to break the lock and shove him back, tripping him to the sand.
My focus on Bones had almost made me forget about the other two competitors in the arena. I looked to Barton as he was struck down by Aberdeen, freeing Bones from his mental control. Galio came back to join me as Bones was now unbound. Galio had blood running down his face and chest but he fought on. Bones was even stronger than I remembered now, far stronger than me. It was almost impossible for Galio and I to contain him. Bones managed to get through my defenses opening the still healing wound on my right shoulder. Then he elbowed me in the face, bloodying my nose.
I was the distraction now as Galio managed to take a chunk out of Bone’s arm with his mace. Anyone else might have been taken down by such an injury but not Bones. It only seemed to make him madder. He turned to retaliate on Galio and I had my opening. I jabbed forward with his huge sword stabbing him between the ribs as he had done Casper. The large man jerked in pain pulling the sword from my grip. I fell to the ground and Bones turned toward me the sword still sticking out of his side. I watch as he screamed in pain pulling the blade from his body. His blood gushed down on me as he raised his sword to strike at me. I raised my arms crossing my gauntlets in defense as the blade came down striking them with surprising results. All of the force that Bones wielded behind the sword was turned back on him two fold. He was blasted airborne as was his sword as it sailed straight up.
I sat up to watch Bones sail off into the distance. I was glad to see that Barton had snagged Aberdeen with his lariat. He swung the speedster by his legs, his mental strength added to his physical. Releasing his rope Aberdeen flew in a direct path toward Bones. The two men hit making a horrible sound. Both fell to the ground in a heap. It was then that my danger sense warned me of the return of the sword. I looked up to see the large blade falling at me point first. I rolled out of the way as it hit the sand burying itself to the hilt in the ground.
“HEY ASSHOLE!” I heard Ullery shout as his lance sailed through the air impaling Barton through the chest. At the end of the lance a charge of electricity crackle. I moved to get to Barton, but it was too late as his body was covered in electricity, he strangely exploded. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I stood up my red and yellow shirt was slashed and torn so I ripped it the rest of the way off. I was angry now as I threw the torn fabric to the ground. Barton was the from Earth, he didn’t deserve to die like that! I reached out to pull Bones’ sword from the sand and raised it to charge Ullery.
My danger sense alerted me again telling me to spin around using the sword to defend against Galio’s mace. “I’m sorry Steve but I have to do this!” he said as he continued his attack on me. Galio was in much worse shape than I was, there was no way he could take me down. I think he knew that too. He just kept swinging the mace at me his chest and face bleeding. He began to stumble and I couldn’t bring myself to take him out of his misery. Just as I thought he was ready to collapse he swung his mace hitting me in the face. I turned back to him spitting blood on the sand.
“Please Galio, stand down!” I begged as he swung his mace at me again. I blocked it this time and it was more than he could stand against as he collapsed to the ground. I had Galio down on the ground, the point of the sword to his chest. He was defeated, helpless below me. “Stand down!” I looked in his eyes to discover I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take the life of this defenseless man, my friend.
He looked back at me to say, “If not for you I would have died that first day.” Then he reached up grabbing my wrist and forced my blade down into his chest. Blood dripped from his lips as with his dying breath he gasped, “I owe you my life and I give it freely.” I let go of the hilt of the sword and his head fell back down to the ground dead at my hand. He told me he could not return to being a slave and he had kept that promise. I stood up over Galio to look out over the arena. They were dead, friends and enemies alike. Only Ullery and I remained, he glared at me across the field.
“I am impressed Steve,” he said calling me by name for the first time. “I really didn’t think you had it in you.” “All that preaching you did about the importance of life, look at you now, a killer of your friend, no less.” He walked towards me carrying his lance with both hands. As he got closer he twisted controls on the shaft and an arch of electricity flowed from the end. All that stood between me and going home was this man. He was a cold heartless killer of how many? I had no idea. “To think I wanted to be like you, a Master Warrior!” “More like a hypocrite!” Now I had no idea what he was talking about. “I made my first kill at fifteen!” “It was frightening at first, but then I realized I liked it.” “The power, the feeling of superiority as you take another’s life!” “It was then that I thought I could never live up to your standard.” As he got closer I couldn’t help but to be distracted by his monologue, trying to figure out what he was talking about. When he fired his weapon at me I caught the bolt of electricity with my right gauntlet. But it did not stop it. The bolt became like a continuous arch of energy that tethered my arm to Ullery’s lance. “I continued on the path I had begun for years.” “Soon the killing lost its joy.” “I needed a new thrill.” “Then I remembered your high and mighty talk.”
I wasn’t paying too close of attention to Ullery at this point or I would have picked up on what he was saying. My focus was on freeing myself from the chain-lightning. I could feel my gauntlet absorbing the energy but I couldn’t stop the flow. In the past I had learned that my gauntlets did have limits. When those limits were reached it wasn’t good for anyone.
“Then the sadness set in, followed by regret” Ullery said as a second bolt fired from the other end of his lance. The second bolt struck my left gauntlet without me even trying. “I couldn’t move forward or change the past deeds I have done.” “That was when I realized this was all your fault!”
“My fault what are you talking about?” I shouted now that both of my arms were held by the chain-lightning. Ullery raises his lance up and my arms were pulled over my head. I was completely bound to his lance. When he moved the lance to the right my arms moved to the right at the end of the chain-lightning “We have never met before this Tournament!” “I had nothing to do with your life choices!” I shouted at him. Back then the idea of time travel never even crossed my mind. I still had so much to learn about the universe.
“I had a plan of how to fix my life, the mistakes I had made,” Ullery told me. “If I could stop you from becoming Master Warrior, it would rewrite history.” He sounded completely insane to me now as my gauntlets get hotter with the electricity that bound me. “I brought this weapon to Olestra especially for you.” “It is Celaerian made.” “The energy it uses will be more than enough to destroy your gauntlets as well as your hands and arms with them.” “Even if you live, what good would an armless Master Warrior be?”
If he was telling the truth one Celaerian weapon could destroy another. That meant that what he had planned for me I could turn back on him. The charge in my gauntlets was reaching a critical level, it wouldn’t take much to release that energy, only a small tap. I focused all of my will on just that, to bring my wrist together. My freshly reopened chest wound gushed blood again as I used every muscle I had fight against the flow of the chain-lightning. Pain quickly became agony as I crumbled to my knees in the sand. Ullery found the pleasure he had claimed to have lost as he laughed at my struggle. I don’t know why but suddenly Dan Aykroyd’s line from Ghostbusters was in my head, “Don’t cross the streams!” I had only managed to move my arms less than an inch since I started trying, how was I going to cross the streams. I couldn’t move my arms but falling to my knees said I could move the rest of me. I instantly spun around to put my back to Ullery and the chain-lightning bolts twisted with me touching each other.
The reaction was beyond anything I could have imagined. The blast sent me sliding face down in the sand several yards. When I came to, all I could smell was the odor of burning flesh. My back was numb from the pain and I knew I was that odor. I struggled up onto my hands and knees and the cheering from the stands began. I knelt there spitting sand for a while trying to clear my mouth of it. As the air cooled my back began to burn. I managed to stand back up, bracing myself on my knees, glad to see I still had arms. My gauntlets were still intact but wrists and the backs of my hands were burned. I dare not touch my back I could only imagine the mass of burnt meat it had become. I stood the rest of the way up to turn and look at the blast zone.
It looked like a bomb crater. The bodies that lay on the sand were charred beyond recognition. I couldn’t even tell that Galio had once been human and not some large burnt animal. Several yards away from me the sand had been turned to glass by the heat of the blast. For about ten yards around where Ullery stood the ground looked like an ice rink. As for Ullery, he and his weapon were gone without a trace. I could only guess they were atomized in the explosion. I felt sorry for him in a way, he was so intent on killing me, he never thought about how dangerous using these two Celearian weapons against one another could be. Most of what he said to me in his monologue still made no sense. He was clearly out of his mind with rage and desire to win.
The cheering in my ears grew to be nearly deafening after the blast. I finally turned to face Decagon in the stands. He waved his arm and the people in Ullery’s section vanished, then another wave and the ones in my section did as well. Decagon’s son came down to the field now accompanied by several of the Master Warrior guards. He walked toward me, looking not much younger than me, carrying the Arsenal of Weapons I had won. The pain in my back was growing now, I only wanted relief from it. The young man touched the blade of the Arsenal to the blood on my chest and then handed it to me. “It is now yours to command,” he told me.
My brain couldn’t really focus on what I was to do with the Arsenal sword, I almost think they wanted me to make a move on Decagon’s son, but I didn’t. I lowered it to my right leg, touching it to my thigh. “Leg band,” I commanded and the arsenal sword changed its form wrapping around my leg. It was then that Henry arrive to place a cool wet blanket over my shoulders and back. I could smell that it was soaked in one of his healing ointments as he led me from the Arena.
That is how I earned the title Master Warrior all I had to do is get home to live up to it.