Royal

I followed him and the guards followed me again. We went up one floor and entered the hallway. The rooms behind the doors where a little bigger then the ones I had sensed down stairs. The first man who would also be fighting for the house was there. He answered the door and stepped into the hallway. He said nothing as we moved along. He didn't seem to like the idea of me fighting for his house. His body language radiated hate and loathing but he kept his tongue.

The next man lived only a couple doors down from the first. He was younger then the first, I had wondered what the first had done to end up needing to risk a royal, the second clearly just needed to make a name for himself. A stupid risk but I wasn't really in a place to judge.

We stopped on the last landing before heading to a different door. We stopped in front of an iron gate, I could see the sun reflecting off the sand. Time to roll the bones. "For the house until the last."

Both men looked at me like I was crazy. The trainer snorted. Basically I was promising not to kill them first. Which is good for the house if not for us. I had no reason to make the offer, they might not think they had a reason to accept such an offer. The trainer spoke first, "If all of you honor until the end I will give the losers 3, and the winner 5." Holly shit, that was a big wadger.

Clearly the other men thought they had some debt that would follow them to our lord because they both spoke up, "For Estro, until the last."

The gate was up and we stepped out into the light of the angry sun together. "I will draw them in, if you want to circle around." I didn't move my lips much as I talked but I knew they heard me. They tried to school their expression, no one in their right mind would do what I just proposed, even if it didn't kill me outright odds were good I wouldn't survive.

I stepped into the sand and moved up to the marked center just within an arms reach of the sides. Much closer then anyone else. The other two for my house hung back, if they hadn't promised until the last I wouldn't have put them behind me. I was still taking a risk they most certainly had nothing to lose by not honoring their word, except the death price the trainer had promised.

The stands were not empty this time. They were not full either, most of the fighters were too young to really matter, but the matriarchs had a lot running on this so they came to see, and where they went so did their daughters, who might take their place one day. There might be a few other people as well but not many. Never risk a show in a Royal, if you must accept one, end it, or it will end you. Father had been full of hate for his own people. His lessons were the only thing keeping me in this life still. The second my feet touched the sand I was dead. I could only be alive again if I got off the sand. The only way off the sand is through the other 20 dead people on it with me.

Not people, beasts, the question is which ones are they. The last group stepped onto the field, and the spectators got quiet, the host of this game nodded to the woman holding the signal and the same clear note rang out. I didn't wait to make sure it was the signal to start this time. I was over the line before most of my opponents could even move. The man I lunged at didn't have time to change directions before I crushed his windpipe. He became much more occupied with trying to clear his airway and get breath then attacking the fool that had made himself the obvious target.

His two brothers turned on me, but my smaller size made me much faster. I pulled the knife off the suffocating man before he could react and gutted the man to his right. In a one on one fight I wouldn't have used the weapon, but for now it is better for me to just survive the fight, I can do the calculations later. The third man seemed to have figured out that he was in trouble, he just wasn't fast enough to do anything about it. As I ducked his punch and punched him in the throat.

The three on each side of the group I had just slaughtered started towards me. I was clearly a dangerous threat and I had abounded my support it had seemed. The two beasts from my own pin seemed to be following the plan I had laid out anyway, but I didn't really have time to look around. As the six were clearly willing to work together for now if it meant getting me out of the way.

Too bad they didn't have any skill working as a unit, or it might have worked. As it was now I was armed and only two were in reach as the third man fell. I let my mind go blank and I wasn't really sure how the fourth and fifth man died. I was breathing hard after so much sudden movement but I didn't let myself slow. Six got within reach and Six died. Seven, eight and Nine finally learned to surround their opponent and try to get at my exposed back. They were just too slow to execute the plan they had come up with. I kept Nine in my sight since he was also armed. The other two both entered my range at the same time and I moved like I was able to see them. Seven and Eight died, they bleed more then I would have liked but at least it was them and not me.

When nine followed his brothers I had a second to look at the field. One of my pin had fallen in that time, but the other had clearly taken out four opponents. Another two laid dead on the other side. We paused a moment just the four of us taking note of each other. I was surprised it was the young of my pin that had survived. He could break his word now, and join with the other two to try and kill me. With the mountain of bodies around me I wouldn't have judged him for it, but instead he jumped at the man who was in front of him.

I moved to block the path of the other before he could team up on the one that attacked. He was better then the nine I had just killed but not on my level of training at all. He died before he could get a grip on me.

I waited while the younger from the house finished his opponent. It would have been easier if the man had lost. It didn't matter that we came from the same house, only one person is able to leave the arena. I stepped back and threw the knife to the side. So that it was out of reach. This was now a one on one fight. This one had fought with honor until the last, if I still have the strength I will kill him cleanly but preserve as much for our Lord as possible. The boy tossed his weapon away as well. Before charging at me. He was going to try and break my spine, I was small enough he should be able to get enough force.

I dropped before he could reach me leaving my arms up. His arms wrapped around mine as mine wrapped around his head. I pulled down with enough force to drive his head into the sand. I heard his neck snap as it took the force of his charge before the rest of his body flipped over it. He wasn't breathing.

I turned as one of the guards started to step forward. The house trainer called across for them to stay where they are if they didn't want to be put down. The guard heistitated. "Call the end my lady, or that one will continue."

The woman who the trainer was talking to seemed shocked by the outcome and by the trainer's statement. It took a moment for her to understand, "Kneel, son, and let the priest collect the sacrifice."

Letting out a breath I focused on returning to myself. Kneeling in the sand, the priest came out and started their job. 20 bodies were going to take some time even for them. The trainers and guards from the other house left before the priest had even removed the first body. The women started leaving while I just waited. My breathing slowed and I kept my head down turning almost into a statue while I waited.

The matriarch came down and was talking to the trainer. They were very careful not to talk about me, but the matriarch seemed annoyed. The priest had only removed ten of the bodies before she said, "Come, wilder, there are things to do."

I didn't move. I felt the trainer wait as the matriarch's anger started to rise. The trainer bowed to the woman and she looked back at him. The trainer didn't straighten as he said, "Sorry, mistress Estro, this wilder seems trained in the old ways. Unless you want to risk dragging him out of the ring, I would think it might be better to wait. As the victor is the last to leave."

The matriarch frowned; giving the order would cause one of two things to happen. Either the guards would enter the ring at which point they would become fair targets and could possibly die trying to restrain the wilder or they would bulk the order as the events within the ring are no place for any woman no matter who she thinks she is. Either would lower her standing and the first could possibly risk the wrath of the priesthood as well.

"Very well, we will of course let the priesthood work undisturbed." Good, I didn't really think her standing was such that she could play the fool, but I hadn't been sure. The trainer straightened and turned back to watching the priests work.