I am Ak Maru. I’ve spent the past five years of my life fighting these weak monsters, protecting my innocence from their greedy clutches. In exchange for these fights, I am given food, clothing, and a place to sleep, and even though they only cover the necessities, it is still better than sleeping on the streets and eating only what I find. My only virtue is my strength, and being good at fighting is the most coveted treasure an ogre could ask for, however, I am not a normal ogre.
I was born in a small village from my mother who, like most, was impregnated in this very arena by a great warrior that nearly killed her in the process. I grew up with a critically wounded mother that was missing an arm, and had a severe limp that she would never recover from, but I loved her like more than life itself. Every night, my mother went out, and would come back even more broken and battered than before, sometimes even unable to stand, so I took care of her.
I didn’t know I was different, and I didn’t know why my mother was always getting hurt or why she always seemed to get watery eyes whenever I asked to go out. When that happened she would only smile and tell me that I may do whatever I like as long as I stayed inside. I was foolish.
One day, my mother went out as usual, and per custom, I would see her off with a hug and she with a pat on my head. The night passed, and she didn’t come back. A day passed, it was now night again and there was still no sign of my mother, but still I waited patiently by the door. I didn’t eat. I didn’t sleep. I knew my mother would need care when she finally made it home, but days passed, and I was becoming weak from exhaustion and hunger.
After four days passed, I resolved myself to go out in search of my mother, shakily getting on my feet before slowly opening the door. I learned about he real world that day, one with my mother who would sell herself to keep me a secret, a shameful act for an ogre who is only meant to mate in an arena. My mother died that night, and I never even saw her body. What I did see was the men that came, stealing me away in my weakened state before the exhaustion finally took me, and the world went dark.
I woke in a cage, greeted by stale bread, dirty water, and a tattered change of clothes. I was in the arena at the age of twelve, and found my speed and strength was unmatched by any of the ogres, not even one able to survive a direct hit. I earned the name Ak Maru by defeating the arena’s champion who was previously recognized as untouchable or Taug with one blow. The name was derived from the old language epithet “Ak maru ik iltat” roughly meaning “one that brings death”, and is directly translated to “one”. This specific version of “one” is referring to a lone person of being, and is often used when describing great beasts like “Ak maru tak haltem” or “One that wields fire” in reference to a dragon. In most situations, the naming would be based off of the second part, such as the legendary dragon known as Tak Haltem, but I am considered a special case, one that the ogres take great pride in. I was the mutant ogre known and feared by all other ogres as “Ak Maru”, the one.
Now, for the first time a new creature stands before me, one that has already survived several direct hits and yet seems unfazed. I am pretty sure I saw him retract an attack earlier for some reason, though I don’t really know why since he probably could have taken me down with that blow. Did he see something? He may have been spooked, but I doubt it since there was no indication of fear in his face or movements, so... what is it? I heard him tell me he was only fighting for a friend, probably that girl up with Ru’Ilna, so why hasn’t he even attempted to fight despite her urging?
“Ha ha ha! I can’t believe that twig is still standing after that! Sit down or I’ll have you flogged for impeding my view!”
The fat ogre reached forward, girl by her hair with his massive hand, and jerking her head back so she fell heavily into her seat, tears welling up in her eyes from the sudden shock. Ru’Ilna really is a despicable being, and if this boy was smart he would get his little girlfriend away from that ogre before he gets bored. I looked back to the boy that calls himself Ash, and saw rage reflected in his eyes, untamable, uncontrollable anger that enveloped the world around him. I shuddered. There was something different about this boy, almost as if he didn’t seem to belong in this world, and when he got angry I thought I could feel the air vibrate slightly.
I knew there was nothing he could do, since there was a magic field surrounding this area to protect the audience and yet another one around Ru’Ilna’s area. It would take a master magician or one hell of a hit to break through it, and failure would mean all the energy you just used would be rejected back at you and probably kill you. Still, the boy shook from anger, and the world around him shuddered in response. I stepped back as the dirt that made up the arena floor slowly began to rise floating in the air as if unrestrained by the laws reality provides, but that was not why I stepped back. I had seen magic before since I had battled many mages, and had felt energy flow from them, into the world around them. I stepped back because the magic that surrounded this area was undisturbed, yet the boy seemed to command the very universe itself.
I leapt back to the stone wall of the arena as fast as I could, creating cracks in the walls when my body struck it, but I still didn’t look away from the boy. The mud and grime that was meant to add padding to hard falls was now moving, circling around the boy, moving clockwise while emitting massive gusts of winds, and I clung on the wall to keep from being blown away. The entire arena floor had risen about three feet and was now rapidly rotating with the boy at it’s center, the same look of hatred displayed plainly for all to see directed at Ru’Ilna.
“What? I’ll do as I please with my possessions, so don’t get that way with me! Fight! Kill! That’s what I came here to see! Blood being spilt!”
Seeing Ash’s rage, the obese ogre became irritated, and attempted to command the boy from the safety of his seat, raising his hand in the girl’s direction threateningly. The boy would have to resume the fight if he wanted any chance to save his friend from a fate worse than death. No matter how strong he was, that barrier was made of pure magic and could absorb any direct attack he threw at it.
The dirt stopped, then fell back on the ground but the boy didn’t move, his defiance still visible in his eyes and stance as the two stared each other down. Seeing the boy wasn’t going to back down, Ru’Ilna snorted, and shifted his gaze over to me, who was still up against the wall, cautiously waiting out the confrontation.
“Get over there and fight you coward! What? Was that little display enough to scare off the Ak Maru itself?”
I flinched. That ogre sat in the stands resembling an overfilled water balloon while shouting taunts at an enemy who couldn’t reach him, and he calls me a coward? I grit my teeth in frustration, and detach from the wall, starting toward the boy who still hadn’t removed his gaze from the fat ogre next to his friend.
“Gods help me, that girl’s mother was less of a hassle. Always complaining about her wounds rather than just shutting up and taking it. Damn, I wish I could put an end to her daughter as easily as I did her.”
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A ringing filled my ears and my head became dizzy at the revelation. I stopped walking, staring blankly at nothing as my mind made connections between my mother and the fat asshole. Ru’Ilna had never competed in the arena, therefore when he wanted women, he would take the ones rejected by society for his own, threatening them with blackmail or bribing them with money. The boy shifted his gaze from the ogre to me, a look in his eyes I hadn’t seen since my mother died, and I didn’t really understand it. I couldn’t speak as anger that had long been buried resurfaced ten times more powerful, gripping my chest and stiffening my joints as the fire burned inside me, no longer controllable.
“Apologize.”
Before I could react the boy spoke, not loud but with power an confidence. I looked over to him, and saw him placing his black hat back on his head, the silver buckle reflecting the sunlight and casting a glare into my eyes.
“Or what!? Huh!? I got your girl here, do you think you could make it to me through both of those fields before I crush her head in the palm of my hand!?”
The ogre responded with a sneer followed by a taunt that made my head ache, and my stomach churn because I knew he was right. Even if they could get through the barrier, the boy wouldn’t risk his friend’s life for something as simple as an apology. This fight would end with me as the loser, broken and dishonored in front of a crowd of animals cheering the boy on. I don’t blame him though, he at least tried, which is more than anyone else has done for me since my mother died, and I appreciate it with all of my heart. I’m glad I lost to someone like him.
The boy didn’t falter, and continued to stare, the anger inside him changing into a burning determination to destroy the being in front of him. Slowly, with measured movements, the boy raised his hand, and pointed directly at Ru’Ilna with unwavering defiance reflected in his eyes.
“Who said I would come to you?”
A bright white flash enveloped the green blob next to the girl, followed by another, this one inside the arena next to the one named Conqueror just moments ago. My vision was impeded for a couple moments, adapting to the sudden flash that had temporarily blinded me until they came into focus, and rested on the third figure that had just entered the fight. There, sitting on the ground with a look of confusion displayed on it’s ugly face sat an incredibly obese green ogre with a superiority complex that had just pissed off the wrong person. The silence created a vacuum that not even the wind dared to whisper and break.
As the situation’s gravity descended on him, Ru’Ilna’s breath quickened, emitting a deafening noise that filled to the world around him with disgust. He squealed in fear, his hands gripping the dirt floor, pushing himself away from the imposing figure who simply stood watched with a serious expression. The creature continued to scream at the top of it’s lungs, but it’s attempt to escape was foiled as it was lifted by an invisible hand, hovering over the ground while frantically thrashing out in every direction. Ru’Ilna’s fat was now pushing the glamorous clothing out in awkward positions and creating a rather grotesque scene that is better left to the imagination.
The screaming slowly faded as the ogre’s initial shock wore off, and was replaced by an indignant look that was unwisely chosen to defend itself. Crossing it’s arms as it floated about six feet away from the boy while I watched intently from about fifty feet to his left, unable to tear my eyes away from the terrifying scene.
“D-d-do y-you think y-you c-c-can get aw-way with this!? *cough* I am royalty and my people will defend me with their lives!”
The ogre began shakily, but cleared his throat for the last part, looking around at the surrounding audience, expectantly waiting for a response. None came. Both the Conqueror and the crowd remained silent as the doomed desperately searched for help that never came.
“Guards! Where are my guards!?”
Silence answered him, and he knew there wasn’t a guard in this, or any world willing to challenge the young boy with a hat for the sake of Ru’Ilna whose name meant tongue. The ogre fell silent, and looked at Ash with immense fear building up in his soul which pressed against his weak heart until the terror threatened to strangle it. The boy looked on without pity as the ogre’s life now rested in his hands, giving up on it’s futile attempts to escape and submitting in hopes of avoiding getting snuffed out.
“Apologize.”
The boy repeated himself after a moment of silence, speaking in a normal tone of voice so only the three of us could hear. Immediately the ogre threw away his thin guise of dignity, and began to grovel loudly.
“I’m sorry sir-no-your majesty, please forgive your humble servant! I didn’t mean it! It’s all for show! Please, I-“
“Not me.”
The boy interrupted it’s ramblings with two clearly spoken words before lifting his left arm, and pointing at... me? Why me? Wasn’t the person threatened his friend? I was deeply confused, but now thought it safe enough to approach, and began to walk in their direction cautiously, though I don’t really know what I’d do if the boy suddenly decided to attack me. The ogre turned it’s head, a look of dread appearing on it’s face as it’s eyes followed the path of the boy’s finger to me, the Ak Maru that was his largest source of hatred.
“Sorry.”
Clenching his teeth in frustration, the ogre answered reluctantly with an insulting look on his face that made his displeasure clear as day.
“Why?”
The boy pressed, and the ogre’s face twisted in response.
“I’m sorry the bitch was ever born! That stupid, nose-wiping little-Gah”
The boy jumped up, and roundhouse kicked the back of Ru’Ilna’s head, sending his face into the ground with an audible thunk. The boy landed next to the ogre’s head, which had just barely lifted it’s bloodied face off the ground, and stepped on the back of it’s neck, pinning it to the ground.
“So far you’ve fought out of necessity, but this situation is different.”
The boy began to talk, this time to me directly, serious eyes looking deep into mine with a mixture of concern and care peaking through and brightening his entire demeanor.
“You can kill him now and exact your revenge, fully accepting the title Ak Maru, and be a renowned killer. Or... you can leave now and start over, adopting a new name if you want along with a new life, one that you get to chose for yourself. If you decide to leave, I will make sure he won’t hurt anyone else.”
I had no intention of letting Ru’Ilna go, he had to be stopped, he had to die before the same thing that happened to my mother happens to someone else. I looked down at the face of the ogre which was almost hidden behind a mask of blood and dirt from the arena floor. I wanted to be the one to kill him. I raised my foot off the ground, holding it above it’s head with every intention to end it’s life when the image of my mother flashed in my mind. It was a memory I often used to visit until it became too painful, and began to fade, leaving only the image of her face in it’s stead.
I remember her smiling warmly down at me, with eyes revealing a mixture of worry and care that seemed to appear often before she left each night. The image flickered in my mind, then was replaced by another, one of a boy wearing a black hat and a vampire’s cloak looking at me with those same eyes. A stone formed in my stomach as I looked back at him and saw only disappointment. Pain welled up in my chest as I tried to think of a way to get that old look back in his eyes, remembering his words and thinking about how he said them.
A new name and a new life... that’s it! I know what I’m going to do. I stomped down, shattering the ground next to the ogre’s head with a resounding boom, while leaving him relatively unharmed. I looked up at the boy’s face, knowing what I wanted, and completely unafraid to say it. I wanted to see that look as often as possible, to the point where I am willing to dedicate my life to doing just that.
“Ash the Conqueror, from this day forward I will serve you in whatever way I can to the absolute best of my abilities in return for food, and a place to belong.”
I clenched my fists, knowing my words were bland and my face unchanging, but I still retained the glimmer of hope that he would still accept me. He didn’t reply and just stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.
“I’m not charismatic, or wealthy... I’m not pretty, or good at chores or cooking, but I promise I will work hard to make you happy, so please don’t refuse me.”
He chuckled nervously, probably because he didn’t know how to refuse me without hurting my feelings. However what he said next was anything but rejection, in fact it was something I’d never heard anyone say to me before.
“I thought you were pretty...”