Arena

A clear note rang out as one of the guards blew a horn. The other moved then, reaching out to try and grab me before I could move. He had been too far away for such a trick to work and the surprise of my reaction was written clearly on his face. Humans really aren't different from other animals, if they want to kill you and you cannot scare them off with a show of strength then there is really only one option left.

I knew the ereana, the altar on which a man paid the blood price for his life. There was no crowd in the stands today, there shouldn't be anything interesting to watch here after all. I had already decided there was no need for a show then. The other was dead the second my hands landed on his shoulders.

His neck snapped and all movement in the ring stopped. I let him drop and stepped back barely moving my lips as I said, "May your blood feed our Lord, and your spirit find peace."

I snapped my eyes up as one of the guards that had escorted the boy stepped into the ring. The match hadn't been called, but I was sure the man was not supposed to be an opponent. The man charged as another man with him yelled out at him.

I waited watching the charging man. I made my expresion look scared and took a step back as if to run. Hoping the veteran wouldn't notice that also put me in a good position to fall to a side and end up behind the man. See only what you wish to see, bullish creature.

Sure enough I was able to roll to the left seconds before his arms closed on the space I had been in. Being smaller wasn't always a bad thing.

I struck him from behind pushing him into an overbalance forward fall. I was standing on his back with both his arms twisted back behind him. Just a bit more pressure would either break his arms or break his back. He couldn't get the leverage to throw me off. I was heavier then my small size might suggest, I might have had a nicer life then this bullish creature but it hadn't been a plush one.

I was facing the right way to see the trainer that had led me out into the arena. "Is the house going to give me two to sacrifice on the altar today?"

One of the guards standing next to the trainer narrowed his eyes, but the trainer raised his hand to restrain him. "Our house has no use for men who don't know their place." I didn't move even as the bullish creature started to twist harder. The trainer's answer wasn't really an answer. I saw the man's lips twitch towards a smile. "The match continues."

I nodded and pulled. The bull's back snapped and then his arms. He was now living dead, he would not be able to fight. I let the man fall to sand and stepped away. It was a very bad insult to a warrior to be rendered so in the arena. The other trainer had a frown on his face but neither he or the other guard looked interested in joining the bull. The two on my side of the field looked unsure, but the man between them just nodded and looked up at me. Everything waited until the bull's voice finally gave out.

"Kneel, let the lord's priests collect the blood price."

I knew the words. I fell to my knees but I kept myself aware of what was going on around me. I knew what father had told me but I wasn't sure I could trust this house that had bought me. The old priests looked exactly as I had pictured them as they collected the bodies. Priest was about the only profession you might grow old doing in the town as a male. A woman might have it better but their young adult lives weren't a dream either. A couple of Priests hesitate before coming close enough to collect the bull. I wasn't having an easy time not thinking about what was going to happen to that one next. The elder of the priests frowned at me in puzzlement as he walked by. I kept my eyes on the sand in front of me. I am calm, I am not a threat.

I felt the men that were on the other side leave the way they had come in and after the priest cleared the field. The trainer stepped out into the sand and the two guards stayed a step behind him. He stopped where I could see his feet. I still didn't move, I hadn't been told I could move yet. If I didn't want to find out how quick a man armed can take out an unarmed man it was safest just to wait.

The man squatted down in front of me. He seemed to be looking for something, but I had no idea what so I waited. He nodded again as he stood, "Come."

I stood and followed the man. The other two followed me, they were there to discourage a fatul idea on my part not really to protect the trainer. The man led me back down to the hall with my cell. He motioned with his left hand and the two other men stopped on the landing above, but we continued on. He opened the first door at the bottom. I already knew that inside was a metal table and two metal chairs. I tried not to think about how hard it would have to be to forge things like this. The man entered the room and stepped to the side. I had to fight my instinct not to move within reach of the man as he was clearly waiting for me to enter. Logically I knew he wouldn't kill me down here it would be too much work for the priests to retrieve the body but my implus understanding of how dangerous this man could be almost stopped me anyway.

He looked me up and down right after closing the door. I didn't flinch or move away from him. He may be dangerous but so was I. There is no reason to fear death, just be respectful and it may move you down on it's list.

"Sit." Apparently the man only knew one word at a time when he was thinking. I moved to the chair that he had pointed to, sitting or standing made little difference really. My muscles were making their abuse known and so was my stombic not that I could do anything right now.

The man walked around and took the other chair. "Who trained you?"