Chp.24: The last night before the escape

It was soon apparent that Haku had made the right choice: Zamor turned out to be the perfect leader for the gladiators. It began with a few fleeting rumors, then with speeches, and in the end with real incitements to freedom. Soon, all the gladiators sided with him.

There were some dissidents, of course, but it had been easy for Haku to trace them: during that year, in fact, he had identified all the gladiators who received special treatment or even just had the smell of the guards on them, testifying that they were their informants. Those gladiators had not seen another day: that night, the dragon had silently slipped into the dormitory and slit the throats of each of them, then made the bodies disappear into his dimensional pouch. Even the few witnesses met the same fate. The following morning no one saw them again, but they didn't ask too many questions: the disappearances weren't unusual in the dormitory given the subjects who lived there. Furthermore, they excluded the dragon's responsibility, since they were sure that if he wanted to kill him he would have done it blatantly.

However, Haku obviously wasn't satisfied with so little. The major informants had been eliminated, but there could always be more. So he devised a cunning trap: during the first day, Zamor and Darbi spread the idea of ​​escaping, but they did it in a way that sounded like drunken talk, that no one would take seriously. That same evening, some of the gladiators clearly smelled of the guards on them, a sign that they had taken advantage of the moment they had gone out to fight to be able to inform them in the hope of receiving some recognition. Judging by their faces, the reaction of the guards had clearly not been what they expected: they had in fact interrogated the aforementioned gladiators and based on their description they had soon come to the conclusion that the alleged escape was only the words of a couple of lizardmen quite tipsy, and therefore they didn't take anything seriously, just like Haku had expected. For greater security, some guards had come to inspect the dormitory anyway, but obviously they hadn't found any escape plans, and so they were convinced that it was all a joke. Needless to say, those spying gladiators had closed their eyes for the last time that night.

With the road finally cleared and without the risk of someone snitching, Zamor had therefore begun to prepare the real escape. With Darbi's help, he had quickly begun rounding up the gladiators and explaining to them the plan to reach the armory and appropriate all the weapons. Obviously, both hid that the plan had been created by Haku: the gladiators would have been more reluctant to accept if they had known. They simply told them that Haku was essential to the success of the plan and that Darbi had convinced him, and therefore the dragon had given them permission to use his belongings as weapons as well as his promise to fight alongside them. Everyone knew that dragons never broke an oath; even those less experienced in the matter had heard it in stories and legends. Therefore this, combined with Zamor's charisma and the confidence his words instilled in them, led the gladiators to believe that at least for once they could trust Haku.

Within a few days, everything was ready. The gladiators knew exactly what their side was and there was no one left who didn't believe in the plan. Darbi and Zamor had also already used many of Haku's trophies to build some makeshift weapons. They couldn't hold a candle to real weapons, but they would suffice until they reached the armory.

The day before the escape, everyone was nervous anyway; even if they were sure of the success of the plan, they were still about to try to escape from the prison from which no one had ever escaped. The gladiators then gave themselves up to mad joy, as if it were the last night of their lives: they played the most disparate games, ate in quantity, had fun with their slaves and even some of them started friendly brawls, some sort of duels just with hands between two opponents while everyone else cheered. In short, a good way to release tension and at the same time keep fit. "I have to take notes" Darbi murmured as he watched that scene amused. "This game may become popular in our family"

"Two imbeciles fighting each other without restraint?" Haku grumbled. "At this point we might as well take two wolves, don't feed them for a week, lock them in a cage and make them fight"

"Well, actually put that way it sounds pretty silly, but maybe we could make up some rules" Darbi said. "Imagine, for example, if hitting the head or legs was forbidden, or only punches and headbutts were allowed. It would be a good way to distract ourselves and at the same time improve fighting skills"

"If you want my opinion, it would be the stupidest game that a living creature has ever invented in this world" Haku replied, but then he added: "But after all I thought the same thing about that game of stones too, so... I'll leave you play games, you understand more than I. By the way, did you find a suitable name for that one?"

Darbi nodded. "That's right. I called it 'Knock' after careful consideration"

Haku's eyes widened. "Knock? Seriously?"

"Yes, because... it's the sound rocks make when they hit each other, so it was appropriate" Darbi explained, then noticing his brother's smug look he snapped: "Oh, come on! Do you have a better name?"

Haku shrugged. "If that's the name you gave it, just know that 'Rocks' was better for me"

"Ugh! Nothing ever suits you!" Darbi exclaimed throwing a light elbow on his side. Haku pretended not to notice.

"Um... sorry? What kind of game is Knock?" Misune asked curiously, who was sitting nearby and obviously listening to the conversation.

"As soon as we're out of here I'll show it to you. You'll see, you'll like it. If that curmudgeon of Haku likes it, it means anyone can like it" Darbi replied with a smile. Misune chuckled at the joke, though she held her hand up in front of her face so as not to be noticed.

Haku ignored his brother and turned to her: "Misune, how's your training going?"

In response, Misune turned so the other gladiators couldn't see her and then moved her arm, snapping the wyrm's sting. This time, however, she did it much faster and with much more precision. During those days she had practiced using the weapon secretly, and that had paid off. While she was far from anything that could be called a fighter, at least she could defend herself against direct attacks.

Haku let out a snort. "Well, I can't say it's a great achievement, but at least it's an acceptable result. Besides, we literally don't have any more time" he said. "Tomorrow, when the gladiators have broken down the gates, you wait a few minutes and then reach the gates to enter the arena and hide. Wait for my call and then join us. Is all clear?"

Misune looked a little discouraged, but deep down she knew she wasn't going to be of much use to the plan. After all, she'd only been training for less than a week, she couldn't hold a candle to warriors who had years if not decades of experience behind them. "Fine. What about the other slaves?"

Haku looked at her confused. "What about them?"

"Well, we want to take everyone away, don't we?" Misune asked. "So we have to save them too"

"What bullshit are you saying!? They would just be a useless burden. We bring the gladiators with us because we need their help, not because we want to save them!" Haku exclaimed.

"Well, but I want! I don't want to leave them behind!" Misune answered. "Please, I can take care of them myself. I'll lead them to the gate and we'll stay hidden, and wait for the signal"

"It would be risky and you could expose yourself more easily" Haku said. "The guards may notice you"

"Sure, because surely the guards will have time to deal with a group of slaves while there will be a dragon and an army of gladiators on the loose" Misune pointed out sarcastically.

"Well, she has a point" Darbi commented.

Haku glared at him. "Are you siding with her? We can't change the plan now!"

"And we won't! Let Misune get the slaves to safety. With the guards focused on us and the arena barrier up, there will be practically no one who can pose a danger to them" Darbi said. "Let her do it. Give her some trust"

Haku was clearly annoyed, but he finally gave in. "Okay" he said to Misune, who smiled satisfied. "But on one condition: if someone gets into trouble, don't play hero. Just run away, even if you have to abandon everyone along the way"

Misune swallowed slightly at that prospect, but nodded anyway. "As you wish, sir" she said, though from her eyes she didn't seem too sure of what she was saying.

"Good. Now go to Zamor and tell him about your involvement, so he'll know not to worry about the sudden appearance of a group of slaves" Haku grumbled. Misune promptly obeyed and walked off towards the other gladiators to look for the lizardman.

Darbi smiled as she walked away. "You made the right choice, brother. You will see that..."

"Why do you keep trying to make her think that she's important?" Haku snapped. "I already told you to not give her false hope!"

Darbi sighed. "Haku, seriously, she's good. Give her at least one chance to prove it"

"I don't need any proof. Tomorrow we'll run away from here, she'll go her way and we'll go ours" Haku replied. "That's the way it's supposed to go, so stop trying to convince me otherwise. She'll go back to her kind and we'll continue on to a safe place, away from here"

He expected the conversation to be over, but instead Darbi asked: "And where is this safe place, Haku?"

"What?" Haku was surprised. "Have you forgotten? We will go to the Thul Oasis. We will be safe there"

"Yes, until we run out of supplies"

"It will only be in years. By then we will already have our wings and fly to the ocean"

"And then? How far do you want to go?"

"As much as needed. We'll find an island or something, and we'll settle there"

"Yes, until the newcomers find us again, or some god decides to tip them off"

Haku looked Darbi straight in the eyes. "May I know what's wrong with you? Since when are you so pessimistic?"

Darbi sighed deeply. "I'm tired, Haku. I'm tired of only thinking about running away. This is not life, brother"

Haku had rarely seen Darbi so serious. "We'll build a life... someday"

"When? Tomorrow? In a year? In ten years? In a thousand years?" Darbi asked. "How long do you want to wait? How much time do you want to spend just running away, Haku?"

"I don't know!" Haku exclaimed. "Look... I don't like running away as much as you do. But that's the way it is. We can't change our destiny"

"Only if we give up, Haku. It has nothing to do with destiny" Darbi said. "We've been running away since we were born. Maybe it's time to... change direction"

The dragon looked at his brother somewhat surprised. "When would you have heard that line? You weren't there when Misune..."

"She told me about it two days ago" Darbi answered. "And personally, I don't think she's wrong. Maybe we should really try to do something different"

"And you expect taking a half-elf slave girl with us will change anything?" Haku asked sarcastically. "Dragons are one thing and newcomers are another, and they've been fighting since time immemorial. It's always been that way. If even one of them will be nice to us, do you think the others will be?"

"I didn't say that" Darbi answered. "I don't expect our problems to be solved overnight. But perhaps, we can take advantage of that single newcomer who is nice to us to learn from each other"

Haku scratched the floor lightly with his claws. "And what on earth could a person like Misune teach us? She has nothing. No strength, no wisdom, no magic, nothing"

"But it's thanks to her advice that you managed to convince Zamor, right?" Darbi asked.

Haku froze for a moment at those words. He seemed to be thinking about something, then rested his head on the floor. "I told you, she'll be better with her own kind"

Darbi was silent for a moment, then walked over and sat down in front of his eyes. "Brother, listen to me. The choice of taking Misune with us or driving her away is yours, and yours alone. Whatever it will be, you will have my support. But please, before making that decision, stop considering yourself a danger"

Haku almost raised his head in shock. "What? That's not why..."

"Maybe you have other reasons, but I know that's what's holding you back so much" Darbi interrupted. "I recognize your look. It's the same look I used to see when we chased our siblings after they left us. You wanted to reach out to them, you wanted to make sure they were okay, but at the same time you didn't want to get too close to them because you were afraid of hurting them... one more time. And now it's the same. From your point of view, you are a greater danger to Misune than anyone else in the world. You are afraid that you will harm her, or put her in a position of danger. Don't deny that it is, I'm your brother. I can recognize your emotions"

Haku turned away. "I tell you again, it's not for that"

Darbi shook his head. "As you wish. But listen to me anyway" he said. "Haku, if no one will ever do anything to change the situation we live in now, then it will never change. I'm sure if there's anyone who can change… who can make this world better, it's you. You've made many mistakes, and you will surely make more, but this mustn't become an excuse to always hold back. You must leave the past behind if you want to build a future for all of us"

Having said that, Darbi got up and walked towards the other gladiators, intending to join in the games and amusements. Haku remained on his bed, immersed in his thoughts and constantly thinking about his brother's words. He lay there, almost motionless, through the night, barely sleeping a few minutes from time to time.

When the guards came for him the next morning, he was ready. The longed awaited day had finally arrived. As he walked towards the exit he barely glanced at Zamor, who nodded slightly as if to tell him that he knew what he had to do.

Haku followed the same path he had followed for a whole year, until he was in front of the gate. He had seen those bars many times, but for the first time he was tenser than usual. As soon as they began to move, the dragon was ready to fight to the death, and flames burned in his eyes so intense they could have melted rock. The usual commentator's voice entered his ears.

"And finally, after a week long wait, we can welcome our champion again! Acclaim him as the invincible and unstoppable creature he is! Here he is, the one and only king of the arena, Haku!!!"

As the dragon entered the fighting area, the audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Haku listened to them one last time, knowing that today was the day the king of the arena would finally give up his crown to pursue freedom.