Three years later

It was hot that night. The Heart of Gaia sat beside the Aortic strait and was surrounded by the Blood Ocean and the Endless, so the ocean breeze usually blew away any residual heat. But they weren’t situated in a polished stone building with a nice ocean view, enjoying the evening breeze and the clear night skies. They weren’t rubbing shoulders with the Gaian nobles that fancied themselves part of the Gaian emperor’s ‘court,’ because they dressed the part.

No, they were in a fighting ring, deep in a shitty part of the city where anyone could get robbed if they turned the wrong corner. A large circle of compact dirt surrounded by a ring of rough cut stone blocks sat in the middle of the smoky underground space. Immediately around the arena were an arrangement of large steps so those on the back steps would have a raised view of the ring. The northern and southern points of the ring led to wood and limestone passageways that would let in each contestant.

The interior wasn’t symmetrical. Beyond the fighting ring itself, the space was a haphazardly dug out cavern of sorts with strange corners and awkward angles, making viewing the fight beyond the ring and stone steps around it difficult on the ground floor. There was a second floor built through the jutting limestone and attached wooden platforms, but only specific people were allowed up there.

Nilda stood there now, on the second floor, sweating while enshrouded in her gray-brown cloak. Her back was almost pressed to the wall as her position meant the torchlight that focused on lighting the fighting ring would not reveal too much of her. On her right, the wooden platform led around the cavern space to a larger platform where Adlo sat on a wooden chair.

The Gaian mobster drank from a goblet of wine while he watched two men beat each other on the compact dirt below. On his knee perched a beautiful auburn haired woman dressed in a tunic and dress made of such a beautiful material, it sharply contrasted against the dirty, smoggy scene around them.

On Nilda’s left, a wooden platform led to another large platform, directly across Adlo’s seat. Midge, Adlo’s self-proclaimed ‘right hand man’ also sat on a wooden chair. His bulk barely fit between the arm rests and he guzzled the wine in his goblet while wolfing down cheese and meat set on a small table next to him. Even from where she stood, Nilda could hear his chewing and smacking.

A few dull thuds rang out in the fighting ring, coupled with pained grunts. The mob of people around the ring shouted and jeered. Midge’s jowls wobbled as he chewed faster, shoving more food in his mouth. In the fighting ring below, a darker, wide-chested man flung his fist at his equally wide chested opponent and landed the punch with a sickening smack at the side of his face. The lighter haired fist fighter staggered, but righted again after recovering.

Mallon the Blood Mouth had been the reigning fist fighting champion for the past week or so, growing to be a crowd favorite. Tonight, he was up against Dol the Deep Eye - the dark haired fighter that was Midge’s favorite. Although Midge wasn’t supposed to have a favorite, Nilda knew. He was tasked with running the arena.

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When Mallon righted himself, shaking out sweaty sandy-blond hair from his eyes, Midge’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. The crowd cheered their favorite on, only a few shouting profanities in protest.

Unlike Midge, Adlo didn’t look perturbed at what was happening. He drank his wine languidly and occasionally accepted kisses from the woman on his knee. The finely dressed woman played with his long dark brown hair while casting loving glances at his handsome face, completely ignoring the hubbub below.

The crowd gave a loud roar and Nilda had to shake herself slightly to refocus on the fight below. Mallon remained standing in the dirt ring, panting while his nose gushed with blood. The ringmaster ran in and proclaimed the light haired fighter as the champion as Dol looked to be half unconscious on the ground. Midge shot up to his stubby legs, nearly knocking over the small table of food beside him.

“Parts-damned fool. Fucking moron and a half. You, you’re coming with me,” he spat at her as he stalked past.

Nilda followed wordlessly. She noticed Adlo and the auburn haired women were already on their feet and headed to the same corner as Midge and they convened at the passageway leading away from the upper floor of the fighting ring. Midge led them to a small office dug out from the limestone where two of his lackeys guarded the entrance to.

While Adlo, the woman and Midge gathered at his fine dark-wood desk that looked very out of place in the rough-cut walls of the ‘office’, Nilda stayed right next to the door. The auburn haired woman cast a disdainful look back at her while clinging to Adlo’s arm.

“How much money did you lose?” Adlo asked, his baritone voice rolling through the room. He didn’t sound angry at all, simply amused.

But Midge’s eyes widened at his words, sweat staining unflattering places in his poorly tied tunic. Then he looked resigned. People don’t lie to Adlo. “A lot,” he said. “I will find a way to fix this, sir.”

“He must have taken a deal for more than you offered him,” Adlo shrugged.

“Y-yes. I will find him and have him return the money,” Midge said.

Adlo stilled and everyone else in the room stilled with him. “Hmm,” he said. Midge’s eyes widened again. “Do you believe that to be sufficient?”

“No!” Midge exclaimed. “Of course not, I just… didn’t want to offend your lady friend.”

The auburn haired woman gave Midge a mocking smile.

“I’ll have him punished,” Midge said hastily.

“You will take everything he has,” Adlo said slowly, deliberately. “And you will skin him. Is that understood?”

Midge nodded vigorously but Adlo didn’t see it, he had already turned to leave. He stopped at the door and grinned at Nilda.

“And what better tool to skin somebody than the flint knife I’ve given you?” he said. He reached forward and pushed back Nilda’s hood slightly and examined her.

Nilda looked up at his beautiful face, his dark brown eyes, his perfectly angular face. One day she would work for him instead of Midge. One day, Adlo would see her value and want her by his side. Adlo gave her a fond pat on the head and she hastily pulled the hood back over her face, but not before seeing the heated expression on the auburn haired woman’s face. Hatred radiated out of her. After Adlo left the room, Nilda stiffened, expecting his latest girlfriend to strike her. But the woman simply left after giving her a dirty look.

The door shut and she was alone with Midge in the room for a few seconds before he exploded at her.

“Well? What are you still standing there for?”

Nilda took that as her cue to start working.