Chapter 8

Basics

I and Tota are meant to compete only a single match later. Normally it would annoy me to be so many fights before the main event. And what's worse, so many before Morean. Today though I'm fighting for Kalon who absolutely deserves to be in the middle.

We never actually figured out who we are fighting. Instead devolving into quiet chatter about how one would try to beat the flame witch. The shock of seeing an Itti’atti in action cuts through the tension enough to have something reassembling a normal conversation.

The three of us even share a laugh at the idea of Morean just letting her burn all his skin off to get in range.

When Harrk calls for us to get ready I take a deep breath. I'm nervous again, and I'm not sure if it is because of the fight or the talking. "Just….just stay to the right of me" I grunt at Tota. He makes a weird face obviously not realising I'm trying to protect his wounded arm. "JUST DO IT!" I practically roar in his face. Tota nods eyes wide. Just like he did in the tower. Morean looks over at me with his usual lack of expression but lets out a long sigh. What's his problem now?

We sidle up to Harrk. The pair of Saffron boys we will be fighting do the same with their escort. It's strange to be this close to my opponents before the fight starts. Most places keep you in separate cages. Not Saffron. He has to flex his power. Show off that we won't dare offend him. Our owners would make our lives seem like the world of shadows if they didn't just kill us outright for a sin of that magnitude. I imagine that's also why we let the Saffron team go first. When the cage door opens Harrk makes us wait patiently until they have passed down the stairs and entered the pit.

It's sort of an advantage. They have more time to pick out their preferred weapons. It won't matter. Saffron's pitters are like Saffron's family. Richly adorned but soft.

As I walk down the stone stairs to the pit I look up at BloodRock. He is having a good time. I can tell by the dozen or so empty cups arrayed around him. The Fire blessed houselord is laughing and gesturing at me. Once again or I guess still chatting to Saffron himself between tables. The two men are gambling, and it's obvious Saffron is having a less enjoyable time. I've seen this before. BloodRock likes to get extremely drunk while he watches fights. The other Houselords have a tendency to assume that means he won't make savvy bets. It's true. He isn't savvy about anything while drunk. It doesn't matter though BloodRock pit slaves win far more than we lose. So it doesn't matter if the bets are well made BloodRock will win most of them anyway. I'm a little surprised Saffron fell into the trap, but I guess with his mountains of gold. A fortune or two, lost gambling is irrelevant.

Once we get to the pit floor I cast my gaze around the walls. There is a small metal door I couldn't see from the cage. A pair of Saffron’s mercenaries casually leaning against it. That must lead to where hurt pit slaves are taken for treatment. It certainly makes more sense than having your slaves drag them up a tower.

"There," says Tota quietly pointing. I follow the gesture to a type two medium axe. Big enough to be used two-handed, small enough to be used one-handed if you're strong. A Larger head than the type one medium axe. It's my favourite weapon by far. I use it whenever I can.

"Thanks" I mutter. Realising I have no idea what Tota prefers to use, and can't return the favour.

“ARM!” comes the call from the judge. All four pit slaves explode into motion. Each of us making a beeline for our preferred option. I snatch the axe off the wall and dash back to the centre of the pit. Tota for his part has armed himself with a halberd. Normally I’d think that was a good choice. The fact that I felt his arm bones splinter inside my mouth a few short days ago robs me of some faith. If he's recovered enough to use it. The halberd is a great weapon. It will allow him to stay behind me and still be effective. Also, the sheer leverage generated by polearms means it's almost impossible to block outright. If Tota isn't recovered. He won't be able to use the weapon at all.

I paw at the sand with my left foot. My final pre-fight ritual. I’ve done it ever since I was little. I don't remember why I started but something about feeling the sand under my claws has always helped me calm down a little.

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The Saffron boys in their fancy armour have both opted to dual-wield short swords. I almost laugh at the sight. I swear Resh has ruined a whole generation of pit slaves. It makes me feel a little better. Dual wielding is fine, but short swords are side arms at best. It only works for 'The Rush' because he’s so fast.

"Begin!"

Having discussed no strategy beyond me yelling at him. Tota and I fall into a standard two-person pattern every pitter drills. He has the longer weapon so I take point. The spiked boy a little behind and to my right.

This is another problem with the short swords. The Saffron boys only have two options when it comes to formation. Either they split up entirely or they stand side by side. Anything else and they will just end up fighting us two against one.

It's that moment I remember I was supposed to wave at Resh's sisters. It might be a bit arrogant of me but I point my axe at the BlackMist table and shoot them a wink. This is a fairly personal arena. They might have even been able to see it. In a smarter decision than I would have given them credit for, the pair of Saffrons use my momentary distraction to rush me. You want to have the initiative in a fight. It's almost always better to be first than to try and react to your foe. Even more so if your weapon is shorter than your enemy’s. I bring the axe back down, pivoting off to the side as I do. From behind me, Tota’s halberd comes swinging down at the head of the boy closer to me. It has the added advantage of blocking his partner from pursuing me as I move off to the side. My own partner is using his weapon backwards, the Halbard’s blade pointing towards himself rather than the Saffron boys.

Makes sense I guess. If Tota cuts one of these boys in half we will be disqualified by the little kid rules in place. The backwards halberd can still knock a boy’s wits from his head. Or kill him. But as long as the boy dies after the judge declares us the winner it doesn’t matter.

The Saffron boy manages to avoid the descending polearm. Barely. The dodge breaks his posture and he stumbles a little. Terrible. Now actually prepared I launch myself at the off-balance boy. It’s hard to feint with an axe like mine. It doesn't respond to little twitches of movement the way a lighter weapon might. It can be done of course, and there are a number of other tricks it does facilitate. The most basic of those tricks is to batter your way through one of those lighter weapons. Basic doesn’t mean bad. Sometimes the basics are the best course of action. I swing my axe two-handed at the Saffron boy’s chest. He has regained his balance but not in time to move out of the way. His only hope is a sort of cross-bladed block with both his weapons. Axe head meets twin swords. I’m bigger, I’m stronger. My weapon is heavier. The swords are driven back into his chest but slide off his fancy armour.

Tota is having no issue keeping the other Saffron at bay. Matter of fact he is practically chasing the boy around the pit.

Good.

Seeing no reason to change it up I swing my axe at my opponent’s chest again. He blocks the same way. Feet more solidly planted this time he does a better job repelling my axe, but he winces when he does it.

That's good too.

'Why mess with a winning strategy?'

I swing my axe a third time in the exact same way. He winces again.

A moment later I am surging past him as he preemptively raises his swords for what he assumed would l be a fourth strike at his chest.

Another example of the basics might be establishing a pattern, and then breaking it to catch your enemy off guard.

Twisting my axe I slice up into one of the few unarmoured places the boy has. Under his armpit. I figure since the Saffron pitter was nice enough to raise his arms and expose the weakness for me. I may as well take advantage. Dark blood begins to pour from where I have cut him, thick and heavy flowing. He will probably be fine. But if he isn’t treated it will kill him fairly soon.

“ I give, I give. You win!” He hisses at me, dropping his swords. I guess the boy knows how badly he’s been hurt. A few heartbeats later I hear a sickening crunch and turn to see Tota has snapped the other Saffron’s leg with a blow from his polearm. I nod at him. Easiest fight of my life. I'm not even out of breath.

“Guess you didn’t need to stay to my right huh?” I say forcing myself not to smile. He was actually useful. Who would have thought?

“Guess not” He pants back. His grin is a mirror of the one I'm repressing.

Raising our weapons in celebration we both look up to the judge. Seated on his own observing the fights. At this point, he should be standing. He’s not. He should be calling ‘end’. He’s not. He should be declaring House BloodRock the winner. He’s not doing that either.

I share a confused look with Tota. Who clearly has just as little idea of what's going on as I do.