Chapter 11
Finally, the day before the Contest arrived. Tephrayana was packed with warriors from all around the world who had come to compete.
Kathryn told Ren, “Let’s not go anywhere today. Everyone will want to see the competition. There’s no reason to show yourself.”
Ren didn’t mind, but Chance decided to go out anyway, and to his surprise, Brenin joined him. The old man seemed very focused on learning about his surroundings. But they came back after a couple hours with troubled faces.
Ren asked, “Did you see General Xian?”
Chance nodded grimly. “Yeah, we did. We also saw General Valen and one other guy that I didn’t recognize. But if my instincts are right, which let’s be honest; I’m always right, then he’s an assassin.”
Ren frowned. “Why would an assassin come to fight in an out and out battle like this?” he questioned.
“I doubt he did. Gregory may have sent him to take you out,” Brenin told him. “We avoided them; no need to tip our hand. But I heard him asking people questions. He was looking for you.”
Kathryn bit her lip and gave Ren a sideways glance. He seemed singularly unbothered. “Well, that’s great. Let him come. I’ll rip his head off,” he said pleasantly. Brenin’s eyes seemed to say that Ren wouldn’t get the chance.
As Ren spoke, a servant approached. “General Ren,” the servant said nervously, “A man is here to talk to you.”
Kathryn asked quickly, “Just one?”
“Yes…he introduced himself as General Valen from Iridalys,” the servant explained.
“Where is he?” Ren demanded.
“He’s waiting by the gate. Should I tell him to leave, sir?” the servant asked.
Ren glanced at Kathryn. She shook her head slightly, but to her surprise, he said, “No. I’ll talk to him.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Chance questioned. “You have to fight in the Contest tomorrow. You can’t afford for something to happen today.”
Ren shook his head. “It’s fine. I know Valen. He’s not the sort for dirty tricks. If anything, he’s coming to warn me about the assassin. Anyway, I want to talk to him.”
Brenin frowned, but didn’t protest.
Kathryn put a hand on his arm. “I’d like to come along, if you don’t mind,” she said softly.
Ren wasn’t used to her asking his permission. He stumbled over his words before replying, “That’s fine I guess if you want, Kat.”
Chance watched them leave and then followed at what he felt to be a respectful distance. After all, he didn’t want to be left out of any excitement. Brenin joined him.
Ren’s face broke into a friendly smile when he saw Valen waiting for him. “Osric!” he said cheerfully.
Osric turned and a look of relief crossed his face. “General Ren!” he began.
Ren grabbed his hand and shook it heartily, saying, “I’m not a General anymore, sir. But it’s good to see someone else from Iridalys. How is your family?”
Osric managed a smile, though there were new worry lines in his face and he seemed unhappy. “They are all right. We just had another son right before I left. I’d rather be with him right now, to tell you the truth.”
“I can imagine. Come on in and sit down. Let’s talk,” Ren invited.
Osric followed them. He noticed that Kathryn’s face was watchful and she hadn’t said a word yet. He bowed to her awkwardly, and she curtseyed in return, but that was all.
As they sat on the comfortable satin cushions Zafiyah kept for her guests, Osric remarked, “Seems like you’ve done pretty well for yourself. I take it you found a sponsor.”
“Yeah, I did. What brings you here, Osric? Are you really going to fight me? You know you can’t win,” Ren said bluntly.
Osric tapped his finger against the pillows without replying for a moment. At last he said, “I will have to if you insist on fighting tomorrow.”
Kathryn broke in quietly, “So Illian asked you to come and dissuade him?”
“Yes, Miss Kathryn.” Osric clasped his hands in front of him and fixed his eyes on the floor as he continued, “It so happens that I traveled here with General Xian.”
Ren flinched noticeably at the name. As much as he had prepared himself mentally for the idea of facing Xian again, his leg and his shoulder still ached at the thought. But he tried to hide his discomfort by saying, “Well, yes, that’s kind of what I expected.”
“I’m sure you did. But I heard you were severely wounded the last time you attempted to fight him. The last two times, in fact. Do you really believe that you can fight me, come out completely unscathed, and go on to fight him and win? You will be hurt if I fight you. I won’t like it, but I’ll have to fight you as hard as I can.” Valen looked up, his dark eyes sad. “You know that I will do what Illian has asked me. But you have another option. You can simply withdraw from the competition. You and I will go our separate ways.”
“You’re forgetting that this whole thing is just an excuse for Xian to fight me,” Ren reminded him. “He’ll still come after me one way or another. It’s better to have it done with this way.”
“Why does Illian feel the need to send you?” Kathryn interrupted, fixing her brown eyes on Valen’s face.
“Er…because it is obvious what you intend to do, my lady. You are planning to win powerful allies and retake your throne.”
“Illian does not know me.” Kathryn leaned forward for emphasis as she continued, “I have no intention of returning to Iridalys.”
From his dark corner where he was lurking and eavesdropping, Chance jumped in surprise at her words. “News to me,” he muttered.
Evidently, it was also news to Valen, who started violently. “You’re not? But…why else would you want to become a lady here?” he demanded.
“Not that it is any of your concern, but my plans here are entirely separate from Iridalys. You can tell Illian his throne is safe. And you can leave Ren alone,” Kathryn said dryly.
Valen shook his head. “Even if that is true, Miss Kathryn, I have no choice but to fight him if he’s determined to join the contest,” he insisted.
Ren grumbled, “That’s silly. Why should I have to fight you? If you’re so sure about Xian winning, just let whatever’s gonna happen happen and leave me alone. Pretty simple, right?”
“I can’t,” Valen repeated.
Ren stood up abruptly. “Osric, you’re a pain in the neck sometimes, but I’d rather not take your head off. Go home to your kid. If you’re still here tomorrow, you might not. I won’t have the luxury of playing nice.”
The general was silent for a long moment. They could hear the low “drip, drip” of a water fountain nearby. It seemed to add to the tension.
Then Valen rose. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow in the field.”
Ren glared at him as he turned to go. “Blast it, old man; use your own mind for a change! You don’t have to fall at Illian’s feet for the rest of your life. Just tell him no!”
Valen chuckled grimly. “Sure. I’ll go and tell the king that I just don’t feel like obeying him. I’m sure that will go well.” He paused. “By the way, Ren. At Illian’s order, I came with another man…his name is Hal. He’s an assassin, and he’s supposed to kill you if I can’t dissuade you.”
“Huh? Why are you with trash like that? And why are you telling me about it?” Ren demanded.
Valen shrugged. “You know I’m not the sort of man to approve of assassination. I’ll fight you fairly, but I won’t stab you in the back. Anyway, keep your eyes open. He’ll probably come tonight or he’ll attack tomorrow when you’re least expecting it.”
Kathryn asked quickly, “Is he a Viper?”
“No. He’s something else. I’m not really sure. But he’s done work for Navinor in the past.” Valen hesitated. “I can tell you that he’s ruthless. As we were leaving Iridalys, we ran into a kid who seemed to know your names.”
Chance and Brenin flinched and listened intently as Kathryn said quickly, “Cal? Is he all right?”
“He is…thanks to Xian. I wouldn’t have gotten there in time, but Xian saved the boy’s life when Hal was ready to kill him. Perhaps you will keep that in mind tomorrow. Anyway, look out for that man. He is utterly ruthless and will hurt anyone without hesitation.”
“If you let an assassin attack Cal, then maybe you don’t deserve the respect I thought I had for you.” Ren’s voice was cold and hard, unlike anytime Osric had heard him before. “Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow. And you know what? I hope that trash comes after me. ‘Cause I’ll tear him apart and he won’t bother anyone again.”
Osric left without another word, and Ren stared after him with a grim face. Kathryn put a hand on his arm. “Are you sure about this?” she asked gently. “Things are getting more dangerous now; it’s not just Xian who will be waiting for you tomorrow.”
“Oh no, I’m not backing out now,” he retorted firmly. “That assassin guy sealed his fate when he went after Cal. And even if Xian supposedly saved Cal, he was there. I won’t forgive them for bothering that kid. I’m going to end things permanently at the Contest so those guys can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“For once I agree with Ren.” Brenin’s voice made both of them jump.
Ren exclaimed impatiently, “Why are you too skulking in the corner?”
Chance patted him on the shoulder with a grim look. “You worry about Xian and Valen,” he told him. “I’m going to take out that assassin myself.”
Kathryn raised an eyebrow. Ren started to protest, “But that trash tried to hurt Cal; I want a piece of him!”
Kathryn put a hand out to stop him. “I think that’s why Chance wants him,” she said quietly.
From the deadly look in the young man’s green eyes, that much was plain. Ren took one look and sighed resignedly. “Fine. You can have him. But the other two are mine.”
“Deal,” Chance said quietly.
“Only if I don’t get to him first,” Brenin muttered.
As Kathryn studied their faces, she reflected that things didn’t look good for whoever that assassin was.
Despite Chance and Brenin staying up all night to keep watch, the evening was uneventful. Ren was too wound up to sleep, and Kathryn claimed she was going to bed, but she looked as sleepless as the others in the morning.
At the breakfast table, Zafiyah remarked, “You all seem so terribly nervous! But you shouldn’t be. The first day of the Contest will be light work for you, General.” She smiled up at Ren and lightly touched his arm as she spoke. “It will be fighting the rabble. Tomorrow, the winners of the first battles will face each other. But it is unlikely you will face the most dangerous people today.”
“It’s possible, though,” Ren returned, shifting uncomfortably away from her touch. He didn’t see any reason to tell her about the assassin.
Chance muttered in a low voice to Kathryn, “D’you think your friend Valen might have lied about the assassin? Just to throw us off?”
“I doubt it,” she returned in the same low tone. “I think he expected him to attack tonight. But it makes much more sense to attack today. No one will even notice during all of the fuss. He’ll try to attack Ren during one of the fights. You and I will have to keep our eyes open.”
“What are you whispering about? It’s rude to whisper,” Zafiyah interjected authoritatively.
“Just discussing the bets I made for today,” Chance replied pleasantly with a wink at Ren.
“You bet I’d win, right?” Ren demanded.
“Well, I might have bet a bit on both sides. Honestly, with the way the betting was going, the odds were better against you,” Chance told him bluntly. Brenin nodded in agreement.
Ren rolled his eyes. “That’s just ‘cause they haven’t seen me fight yet. You wait until the end of today,” he promised.
Chance raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going to fight with a staff the whole time?”
“Yep. I don’t plan on killing anyone unless I have to,” Ren replied calmly. “Besides, it’s actually the weapon I’m most familiar with. I’m great with a sword, of course, but even with blunt practice swords it got a little destructive against my sparring partners, so I switched over to do less damage.”
“We’ll see if you maintain that luxury,” Zafiyah said cheerfully. “Well, my dear champion, I forgot to mention, you will have to wear my sash on your arm. It shows I am your sponsor.”
Ren looked vaguely alarmed and glanced at Kathryn as he said suspiciously, “But that doesn’t mean we’re walking out together or anything.”
Zafiyah laughed heartily. “No. Though I’m hurt that you would mind if it did.”
Kathryn hid a smile, but wisely refrained from saying anything.
Later, as they stood at the arena where the fights would take place, Kathryn caught her breath in amazement.
The sandy-floored arena was massive. It could probably hold more than 1000 people at once. And the seating contained nearly 20,000 people. They were on their feet, cheering as warriors from all around the world made their way to the gate that led into the arena. There was a table there where the participants had to sign in with their sponsors beside them. Ren cast his eyes around to see if he could spot Valen or Xian, but the crowds were too thick.
Zafiyah called over the crowd, “Chance Frey, you should find seats for the three of you. General Ren, join me; we will sign you in as a fighter.”
“Right.” Ren turned to Kathryn and gave her a quick grin. “See you soon, Kat.”
“Wait.” She grabbed his hand and then threw her arms around him, laying her head against his shoulder as he froze in surprise. “Be careful,” she whispered in his ear. “I need you safe.”
Ren’s smile returned and he hugged her back, replying coolly, “I’ll take the lot of ‘em, Kat, so just don’t worry. And I’ll keep an eye out for that assassin too.”
“No. This time, trust me. We will take care of the assassin. Don’t think about anything else except the fight right in front of you,” she said firmly.
“Okay. I’ll trust you to the end.” He caressed her hair briefly before releasing her and turning to Zafiyah. “Let’s go,” he announced.
As she watched him go, Kathryn felt fear clutch her heart. Would he really come back? Would he survive the next day?
Chance jogged her arm with a smirk. “Can’t stand to be away from him for one minute, huh?” he teased. “Come on; let’s find a place where we can get close and watch out for the assassin.”
There was so much noise that Kathryn could barely hear herself think. As they shoved through the crowd to try to get closer to the arena, the first fights had already begun, leaving bodies in the sand of the arena. It seemed the fighters were matched up randomly.
Zafiyah explained to Ren as she signed the paper that indicated she was sponsoring him, “You will climb up the ranks and at the end of the day the best 100 fighters will be chosen by King Tarik or his representatives. Those fighters will undergo a series of tests and challenges tomorrow. And then there will be a day of rest for the 25 that remain. The next day, the 25 will brawl in groups of five. And then on the fifth day the ones that remain will each fight a representative of King Tarik. This will typically be a previous champion. However many are able to defeat the representative or at least make a good showing against him will be considered a champion this year and win the prize.”
“There can be more than one winner?” Ren questioned.
“Yes, because Tarik wants warriors. But the trouble is that it’s almost impossible for all four to make it through unscathed. There are usually severe injuries or handicaps.” She paused as she glanced at the list. “I’m afraid you had very bad luck from the start.”
Ren looked over her shoulder, chewing his lip thoughtfully. “General Bjorn Dagur from Hirahja? Where the heck is that?”
“Hirahja is also known as the Barbarian Kingdom, though that name has gone out of style.” Zafiyah tapped the page lightly. “The people there are strong. Extremely so. And Bjorn Dagur is famous across the world. Hirahja is fairly close to Navinor. In fact, Navinor considers Hirahja to be a subordinate state…but the ‘barbarians’ have no intention of submitting, so they have a pretty uneasy relationship.”
“Well, that was a lot of info I didn’t need,” Ren said cheerfully. “So this Bjorn guy is pretty strong. That suits me fine.”
“It’s almost as if that girl has foresight,” Zafiyah observed.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, General Dagur uses a hammer to fight. A one-handed sword would be smashed almost instantly, but a two-handed staff…is an excellent weapon to use against a heavy hammer like that.”
Ren smirked. “Wouldn’t surprise me if she somehow found out he was going to be fighting today. She’s pretty clever.”
“You like her a lot, don’t you?” Zafiyah observed.
“What, you just noticed?”
“This way, General Patrick,” a man standing nearby said.
“Be careful,” Zafiyah warned. “Remember, the man you are up against is not one of the rabble.”
Ren gave a careless half-salute and grinned. “Don’t worry about me. Just watch.”
She cocked her head slightly and watched as his confident frame made its way down the stairs to the arena floor. Without a doubt, this was going to be interesting to watch.
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