Once he got back to his hotel room, he spent the rest of the afternoon resting. The peace, quiet, and solitude of the room allowed him to recharge his batteries. At the same time, however, he went back and forth over whether that was the right choice. He couldn’t help but think of how many people would have loved to be in his position.
He’d been given a great opportunity, and there he sat in his hotel room for hours, snuggled up in the soft pillows and blankets. He finally told himself that he needed to go out and make another effort to connect with other gladiators.
Pepper could hear the rumbling of music when he approached the hotel. He saw a balcony high up where he assumed the party was taking place. It was bathed in colorful lights, and there was a scattering of people along its railings looking down on the city street below.
A large gathering of fans was plastered all around the hotel’s sidewalks. They did their best to call out for autographs and photos with the gladiators they recognized. Pepper couldn’t help but chuckle, as nobody asked for his photo, but a few people certainly seemed upset by the fact that the security guards waved him through when he flashed his VIP badge.
His throat tensed up slightly while he rode the elevator up. The high polish of the interior allowed him to see a blurred reflection of himself. A slight thud reverberated through his hand as he bumped his clenched fist on the wall. You got this… This may not be where we are now, but one day this will be our reality. Don’t give up on yourself; believe in yourself; you know you can do this.
The internal mantra of motivation provided by his inner voice helped calm his nerves an ounce or two. The arrival chime dinged and soon the elevator doors opened to a chaotic scene of lights and flashes. Pepper caught the scent of sugary sweetness on the air. It was a mixture of cotton candy and fresh-baked cookies.
He took two steps off the elevator and was stunned to see… foam? The dance floor was covered in a billowing ball, which people were dancing through. There were people in swimwear, others in costumes, some in business attire. It was truly an odd sight to behold, yet for some reason, it just seemed to fit. His entire exposure to the convention gave him the impression that it was impossible to predict what would happen at any moment.
“Oh great, you made it!” a woman’s voice yelled in his ear and he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He turned to see that it was Geneva. He smiled at the fact that her hair seemed to complement the pulsating colors of the party lights. Her head was bobbing along to the music and she had a drink in her hand.
“Yeah! I had to take a break earlier this afternoon but wanted to be sure to at least stop by.”
She smiled at him and softly patted his shoulder. “Well, you need to be sure to do more than just stand here like a statue! There are tons of gladiators here.”
Just then, Pepper caught sight of a short, stocky man. It wasn’t necessarily the man’s demeanor that grabbed his attention, rather the fact that he was wearing a custom pink leather lizard body suit. “Is that one of them?”
Geneva’s gaze followed Pepper’s nod. She started laughing and turned back to him. “That’s Daniel Schinhofen. He’s great! Everyone loves him, heart of gold… but… just maybe be a little hesitant if he asks if you’d like to wear one of his costumes. Last year, he and a few of his fans dressed up like a sandwich meal. One was wearing a sub sandwich costume, one was the bag of chips, a pickle, and a giant Coke cup.”
Pepper chuckled. “Good to know, thanks.”
“Okay, get out there! Make friends!” Geneva gave him a supportive nudge.
He took a few steps forward and wove his way through the crowd of people. Off to the side he could see some of his fellow rising stars huddled together. On the opposite side of the room there were what looked like some gladiators and businesspeople in a serious discussion. Pepper could see the exit to the balcony and slowly wandered towards it.
To his surprise, the balcony was far larger than it appeared from the street. The railing ran along the edge, but the balcony itself actually cut deep into the building. He discovered a large arrangement of patio furniture around a small gas fire. The nearer he drew, the quieter and more comfortable it felt.
He narrowed in on two slightly larger figures who he guessed could easily match Brandon Haag’s stature. They were seated within the fire’s circle, which caused Pepper to hesitate. One sat facing him and maintained a stern and frustrated expression. This man had copper-colored hair styled as a crew cut which connected to a long billowing beard. He adjusted his glasses and then adjusted his pink-flowered Hawaiian shirt.
Pepper continued to stand there staring at the man until he finally recognized him. Holy crap! That is Eric Ugland! He was sure a shocked expression came over his face, because once he recognized the famous gladiator, the man diverted his attention to him. “Wanna have a seat?”
What? Me? Eric Ugland is asking me to have a seat with him? Pepper was practically stuttering as he replied, “Sure… thanks.” As he slowly drifted around the furniture, he was able to look at the man sitting adjacent to Eric.
“Benjamin Kerei? Oh my god… Your vampire golem concept was incredible!” Pepper blurted out once he recognized the other gladiator.
Benjamin had just finished running his fingers through his black hair. “Oh, thanks, mate. That’s nice of you to say.” He shifted in his seat and adjusted a blue lap pillow that blended in with the blue polo shirt he wore. Benjamin kicked his leg up and rested his ankle on the opposite leg. He extended his hand partially towards Pepper. “Yeah, that was a concept I had been thinking about for months, and it finally dawned on me. As you probably remember, it totally took Sean Barber by surprise.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Pepper was still in disbelief at being invited to sit down. He had just settled into his seat when a young and attractive waitress walked over and knelt by him. She asked what he’d like to drink, and in what felt like a blink of an eye, an ice-cold Lion’s Blood energy drink was in his hands. The sharp blood orange and lemon flavor greeted his tongue, and within a few sips, he felt a hyper-awakened sensation come over him.
He could see that Eric was about to ask him a question, but before the gladiator had had the chance to do so, a regal figure appeared. “How dare you fail to stand for your queen!” The figure pompously stuck their nose in the air. A royal crown sat on their head, just slightly askew.
Pepper was pretty sure the crown was made of plastic, but either way, the thing glistened in the dancing colored lights. Pepper worked to hold in his laughter when he saw the giant pitch-black curved sunglasses. They looked like something straight out of a weird and distorted fashion show runway.
The royal theme was continued by a robe draped over their shoulders and buttoned at the neck. It was a deep purple velvet with silver embroidery along the edge and was trimmed with what looked like fur. Pepper couldn’t make out what exactly the individual was wearing underneath that, but it almost looked like a yellow sundress, blue jean shorts, and Chuck Taylors.
“Harmon, what in the world are you wearing?” Eric asked.
“Wait… you’re Harmon Cooper?” Pepper cut in.
The royal-costumed figure turned to him. “I am Queen Donut to you, young Pepper Walker—gladiator to the golem known as Mala, who just took second place at their KBVS Club match. Who was also selected as the rising star from Status Academy.”
Pepper’s jaw was on the verge of falling off. He was shocked, shaken even, with the eerie sense of… how did Harmon… THE HARMON COOPER… know all of that? “You… you know who I am?”
A quick snap of a response. “Of course I know who you are, Pepper Walker! A queen needs to know all of their peasants in order to rule accordingly.”
A slight chuckle came over the other two gladiators, while Pepper still sat there stunned. Benjamin asked, “Why are you dressed like that, though, Harmon?”
“Is there anything more perfect than the thought of Queen Donut?” Harmon replied in a playful and sarcastic tone. Pepper was about to speak, but Harmon cut in. “Duct tape is silver and silence is golden, young Pepper. Hush, hush.”
The three gladiators all started to chuckle as Harmon continued to act out his performance. Eric then followed with, “If that is the case, then cancel my subscription, Harmon, because I clearly don’t need your issues.”
“Preposterous… You can only dream of the issues I have. Hell, not even my therapist has them all figured out. She should simply consider herself lucky that she has me as a client. I certainly didn’t see her crying when I flew her out to the Bahamas for our monthly session.”
“You were never in the Bahamas,” Benjamin countered.
“Know your place, young Benjamin. You have no business questioning the queen with such criticism.” Harmon cleared his throat.
Eric then added the slight counter. “Besides Harmon, it’s Princess Donut not…”
“Enough!” Harmon sarcastically shouted while raising a stern finger in the air. “I see how it is here. Fine! I will go and bless with my presence others who appreciate all I offer.” Eric looked as if he was about to speak, but Harmon once again cut him off. “I have spoken!”
A quick wave of his hand and Harmon departed, his chin tilted upwards with a smug expression. The three gladiators all laughed and took sips of their drinks. Benjamin looked over at Pepper. “All right, mate, since you’re new to the party, what are your thoughts regarding the Venn Diagram rune?”
Pepper felt his cheeks begin to flush. He was unsure what exactly the seasoned Golem League competitor was referring to. Though his thoughts raced, trying to determine the best response, he finally chose to be honest. “I’m not sure what exactly you’re referring to.”
A sincere smile greeted him from Benjamin. The gladiator glanced across at his counterpart, who merely nodded. “So the Venn Diagram is where you have three circles which interconnect. When the first demonic gate appeared, generating the portal which then started the Rift Wars, there was a rune on the gateway which had this displayed. Granted, the Arcana Files speak of this rune, and there is a theory which states that each circle represents a plane: earth, heaven, and hell.”
Eric then chimed in. “I am one of those who believe the rune represents that and there’s nothing more to it.”
“I believe the rune is actually giving us a far greater piece of information,” Benjamin countered. He must have been able to see that Pepper’s ears were burning for more information. “I believe that the portion in the dead center of that rune is … the void.”
Pepper smiled, and his spirit swelled with excitement as he contemplated what was being shared. “So… if there’s a heaven, hell, and earth… and if your theory is accurate, that means that the void is its own plane of existence.”
Benjamin extended his arm towards Pepper, quickly pulling himself to the edge of his seat. “Precisely! If there truly is a void in time and space, then that means there’s a whole other world of possibilities and opportunities. This could change the very fabric of existence as we know it!”
Pepper looked over and saw Eric was sitting with his head tilted back. “I dunno, man… I just don’t think that there is really something there. The center of the diagram is referencing the portal itself, not a void within the three planes.”
“How do we know there is a heaven?” Pepper asked.
“That’s another great question. For me, it comes down to the balance of all things. Hot, cold. Sweet, sour. Light, darkness. Our world, or even universe for that matter, has balance incorporated within it. Additionally, there is great scientific proof of designed systems, whether it be mathematics, etcetera… So if there is a hell where the hordes of the demonic reign, the balancing act would be a heaven,” Benjamin said.
“Or it could just be earth,” Eric countered.
A sarcastic voice intruded to Pepper’s left. “I don’t know what all you’re saying, but what I will say is the line to use the bathroom is certainly hell on earth.” Pepper glanced over to see another familiar gladiator walk past them. Rose Reynolds’ power walk informed them that there was no stopping the determined gladiator. “I swear if there’s a line at the other bathroom, I am going to lose it!”
The group greeted Rose, but Benjamin quickly returned to his train of thought. “This goes back to one of the things I’ve been saying for years. All runes have a purpose. The runes you incorporate into your golem need to have a purpose. Though I love Brandon to death, he seriously should not have configured his golem the way he did against James a while back. He was lucky, very lucky, and accepted too great a risk. We are still so young in understanding the power of the ethereal essence and how it is now incorporated into and influencing our world. Every year we find new ways the runes interact with each other. The runes that were just adopted into the Golem League can truly change every aspect of competition. The more you can understand this concept, the greater your success will be.”