Telovir led me past the courtyard and towards the arena. No guards escorted us, which is what I expected. I had Telovir recount his experience with Hector repeatedly the past few days until I knew every little detail.

"This is as far as I go, Alex," Telovir said as we neared the entrance. I stopped and turned towards him, my face sober.

"See you soon," I replied.

I continued alone into the empty arena. In the center stood a man in a lavish purple robe that lacked any sleeves. He had dark brown eyes that were watching every step I took. The man's head was covered in black, curly hair, and he had a ridiculous mustache that ended in a twirl on each side. He was flanked on each side by a guard in silver armor. The guards had long, curved swords and purple cloaks that matched the mage's robes. I knew, thanks to Tel, that these weren't Bainmourth guards but men and women Hector himself employed. I examined them, although I knew what to expect.

[Guard - Level 29 Warden]

[Hector Azad - Level 16 Dominator]

[Guard - Level 34 Brawler]

Apparently, Hector didn't view me as much of a threat. I expected that he'd bring higher-level guards. Telovir had told me that Hector wasn't a fighter and preferred to utilize his abilities to make himself rich, which is why his level was only 16. I made it halfway to the trio before Hector held out his hand, gesturing me to stop.

"That's close enough. Drop everything out of your hidden stash right there," he commanded in a smooth, modulated voice.

I gave him a sarcastic smile, then carefully placed my armor on the sand. A moment later, I equipped my shield and spear and set them next to my other gear. I went to take a step before Hector interjected.

"The sword, too!" he shouted.

"You did your homework. I'm impressed," I replied. I equipped the gladius and stabbed it in the sand beside my spear. "Anything else?" I questioned.

Hector waved for me to approach, so I took a slow stroll toward the three men. I stopped when I was within reach of the guards' swords.

"Liana was smart to have you come now. Just after the battle, when my stamina would be diminished and my major defensive ability on cooldown," I told him.

He smiled and nodded. "She's a... calculating woman. I respect her greatly. It was unwise to upset her," he admonished

I genuinely laughed. "You respect her coin, you mean?" I asked. Hector gave me the impression that he'd sell his own mother for the right price. "I don't suppose I could beat her offer?" I further interrogated.

It was his turn to laugh. "Maybe you could, but the loss from the Bainmourths as a whole would be a sum no single person could outbid," he responded with mock sorrow.

"I understand. Let's get this over with, then. I can't stand looking at your stupid mustache any longer," I said casually.

"Not so fast. We need to prepare you first! Guards, remove his shirt and bind his hands." he ordered with a smile. This man clearly enjoyed his work.

I began to panic a little bit. Telovir hadn't mentioned being bound. I'd have to improvise now. This was my only chance at escape, and I couldn't afford to fuck this up. The guards approached, removed my shirt, and tightly bound my hands in front of me with thick rope. Hector then began placing various gemstones around me in a circle. The gems all glowed brightly, despite the blazing sun overhead.

"Now we can begin," Hector said with an evil smile. He began with a short chant, and my entire body became numb and frozen. I swear I could feel Liana's smug gaze from her viewing window above the arena.

[You have been paralyzed by 'Hector Azad'.]

The guards remained on either side of me but visibly relaxed their grip on their swords as their boss's paralysis spell took effect. I was struggling to stay calm under the extremely discomforting spell. I inspected the icon in my upper right interface. It had 20 seconds remaining and was counting down. Hector quickly began a second chant, and I knew this was it. The branding ritual. A runic circle with dozens of tiny runes inside materialized in the air, just centimeters from my chest. The air around it rippled and warped as he continued the chant, and it began inching closer to me ever so slowly. My brain was screaming danger at me despite my continued effort to remain calm. The rune circle now appeared like a genuine brand of red hot metal. Telovir had told me the ritual takes roughly ten seconds. I had a window of five seconds to make my plan work. Hector seemed to take pleasure in the fear on my face, grinning ever wider as the brand came closer. I could feel the heat radiating from the spell now, and the hairs on my chest were being singed away by it. I began pushing against Hector's control, slowly at first. It was much more difficult than before since he was six levels above me. I pushed and raged at the spell holding me hostage. Then, in one final heave, I steeled my resolve and mentally crushed the paralysis spell. I immediately cast War Stomp and then Reflection. The brand seared into my bare skin, but nothing happened. Hector howled and quickly chanted again.

I headbutted the guard on the left while using Crushing Blow. I lunged toward Hector, noticing the full Rune Tattoo on his arm was burning away, leaving terrible scars in its wake. I bowled the mage over, then raised my fists and hammered them into his face. Cass had warned me that at lower levels, the difference in power between levels was much more severe, and Hector was now level 1. My hands crushed his skull as if it was a watermelon.

The stunned guard was still unmoving, but the slowed guard was nearly on me, his sword raised. I watched as a fist tore through his chest from behind, then tossed him away like a ragdoll. Telovir then moved to the stunned guard in a blur and delivered a casual chop that audibly broke his neck. When Hector died, the magical brand on Telovir had vanished. He was free from the magic that restrained him for so long. I quickly looted both guards and Hector as Tel cut my bonds with a small knife. We ran towards the exit, and I knelt to pick up my discarded equipment.

"There's no time, Alex! We have to go now!" Telovir yelled as he sprinted past me.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

I managed to grab my shield and spear but nothing else. We sprinted through the exit and into the hallway to the courtyard. Cass and Leo were waiting, fully equipped. They knew what to do, and we all ran towards the exit with the guards I had scouted earlier.

"Wait!" a voice called out. It was Sam. "That's a trap! That corridor leads to the barracks. Follow me!" he exclaimed.

I never had the chance to ask Samuel about this or tell him my plan. It seemed he was willing to help anyway. He led us back towards the way we took to reach Liana's room. He stopped at a solid wall, held up an amulet, and I gaped as the wall vanished. A new corridor I had never seen was behind it.

"Go!" Samuel pleaded.

"Sam, come with us!" I pleaded.

He answered by shoving us into the hallway, and the wall reappeared behind us. We ran for roughly two hundred yards before we saw the exit to the compound. There was no gate, no portcullis above, and most importantly, no one guarding it. We came within fifteen yards when a portal materialized at the entrance, and Liana stepped through it. Telovir went toward her, but she pleaded for him to stop.

"Wait! Wait! Just listen. Please!" she begged.

"Why should we? Telovir should snap you in half right now!" I growled at the woman.

"Listen to me. You're free to leave. I won't stop you, but my uncle will find out, and he will send people after you. Either to bring you back or, more likely, assassinate you. I have a different proposal in mind," she said, her eyes never leaving Tel.

I looked at the others, and they nodded. I told her to continue.

"Okay, hear me out. I have a way we all can benefit from this. You're all free from this point forward, and no punishment will be issued. The guards will be instructed to let you come and go as you please. I'll give each of you an amulet that lets you open the wall to this exit. Hell, I'll even portal you to and from wherever you want to go! Just finish the last few fights of the games," she begged.

"Why would we agree to that? You're not making any sense," I replied.

"Because I am a practical woman, and there are three scenarios that play out here. First, you escape. My uncle has you killed or dragged back here. He also cuts me off from the fortune for letting it happen, and I'm cast out. The second option is Telovir kills me here and now, which leads you all back to the assassination problem. In the third scenario, you finish the games as willing participants, and my uncle never knows the difference. I'll pay you each 75 silver a day and give you each an upfront bonus of 5 gold for gear and other items. You come and go as you please. I provide you with disguises in the city here so you can shop, fuck, get drunk, or do whatever you want. All I request is that you be here for the last two fights," she said.

We discussed this quietly while Telovir kept his gaze on the spatial mage. It turns out she was offering a very good stipend to each of us and a large upfront bonus for equipment. We'd be able to score some serious upgrades from shops in the city. We'd also be able to sleep on real beds. The only real downside was that we'd have to finish the games.

"Why would Lord Bainmourth let this happen? Wouldn't someone report to him and tell him what would be happening here?" Leo asked her.

She scoffed. "My uncle is hands-off these days. He stays cooped up in his estate, and no one is allowed to bother him unless there is a dire situation." she answered before adding, "Look, you have no reason to trust me, I know, but you've already defeated the strongest team. This is the best-case scenario for all of us. If you can't trust me, trust that I look out for myself first and foremost." She held out her hands in a gesture of surrender. "The choice is yours," she stated.

We whispered for a few more seconds, and I finally answered.

"I have a few questions before we agree to any of this," I declared.

"Let us talk somewhere more comfortable," she said as she gestured toward the shimmering portal.

"No chance," Telovir responded without hesitation.

"Fine. Ask away, Alex," she instructed.

"Say we do all this, finish the games, are 'granted' our freedom. What stops us from running to anyone who will listen and describe the situation here?" I began.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. In truth, I never wanted this role. I took over from my uncle when he decided he'd rather enjoy his money in luxury than oversee all this. He gets to relax and host parties at his estate while I sit here and micromanage every little detail. The old man doesn't have much time left anyway. A year, two at the most. You have my word that when this is all directly passed down to me, I will do away with the barbaric practices and only allow willing combatants," she explained.

"That doesn't exactly agree with how you treated me during our first meeting, and how you sent me to be branded by that asshole," I said flatly.

"It doesn't excuse it, either. I have an appearance to maintain. I needed you to hate me, to motivate you to fight against the system I personified. It's regrettable, but it was effective for the longest time. I had a choice, play the evil overseer while secretly aiding the fighters or rebel against my uncle and be replaced with someone who actually felt the way I acted. Why do you think you had access to good food, excellent equipment, and your own quarters?" she asked.

"Not sure I buy it, but let's pretend I do. What's to stop you from rounding up your guards and executing us the moment we return?" I grilled her.

"Nothing, except that it raises questions about why I executed the most profitable team in recent history. So once again, I get cut off and cast out. It's simple. We have to trust each other for now," she said calmly.

"What about Hector? Won't his people come looking?" Cass added.

"I never liked that guy, but yes, I'll deal with them. I'll say he came, performed the ritual, got paid, and went on his merry way. They'll buy it because Hector has been working for us for decades. I'd have no reason to lie," she answered.

"Why do this now? Why wait for an escape? You could have treated us this way from the beginning and avoided all this!" I snarled.

Liana shifted uncomfortably, then unconsciously reached up and gripped a pendant on a necklace she wore. It depicted a silver wing.

"I could have, hell I should have. As I said, hate is a powerful motivator, but that is not the sole reason. I tried it at first. I was more involved. I was kind and made befriended many. Then I had to watch the people I interacted with daily die horrible deaths. Over and over. It became unbearable. Then I remembered my uncle's words to the staff. He told them don't befriend the combatants. Avoid them. You'll only suffer when they die. It was a selfish choice. I was a coward. I chose to sequester myself in the room rather than take active measures to help you all," she said sorrowfully.

"Then why not at least pay us? Surely you could have done that?" Leo questioned.

"The books here are meticulously kept and delivered to the Bainmourth estate weekly. My uncle is extremely paranoid about his coin. Accountants will dissect them and inform my uncle of any discrepancies. That will warrant an investigation here. I can only pay you now because I no longer have to pay Hector anymore. I'll mark the books as if Hector's fee was paid, but the money will be given to you," she replied.

I nodded in understanding as the others looked at Telovir for guidance. We spoke amongst ourselves. Tel was on board for this, and we trusted him. Two more fights, then off to do whatever the hell we wanted.

"We'll do it. I am choosing to trust you on this, Liana, but if you betray us, I will not forget it. Take us to the city now, Liana," I demanded.

She nodded, opened a shimmering portal, and then handed me a drawstring pouch containing three gold coins and two hundred silver ones. I immediately stashed them. She raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. She passed each of us the promised coins, then opened a bag on her waist and removed four black cloaks. The bag was definitely too small to hold them all, so I guessed it was some dimensional storage. She also handed each of us a small gold ring, explaining how to use them to request a portal back.

"Wear these, although I doubt anyone will recognize you without your armor. It's not a risk we should take," she instructed.

"The portal works both ways?" I asked her.

"Yes, for as long as it remains open," she answered.

"Alright, listen, guys, I'm going to go through first, but do not follow until I return and say it's safe. This could be a portal to a prison or an ambush." I instructed. Liana scoffed, but I glared at her, distrust clear on my face.

I put the cloak on and went to step through, but Leo interjected.

"Alex, maybe put a shirt on first?" he said with a laugh.

I looked down at my bare chest, facepalmed, equipped a spare linen tunic from my Cache, and hopped through the portal. I walked back through the portal and gave the team a thumbs-up before entering it again. Cass and Leo followed. Finally, Telovir jumped through.

Larell was breathtaking. They claimed it was a small town, but this place was enormous. We were on the outskirts, standing near a quiet cobbled road with buildings that I could see. In the distance, I saw various shops, inns, taverns, and homes. There were people everywhere! Hustling and bustling like they would be in a typical city on Earth. The portal closed behind us.

We began walking towards the busier section of the town. I was in awe of all the people here. There were elves, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and all manner of different races. Humans were the majority for sure, but it was still fascinating to see beings from fairy tales and myths walking around us. It also felt amazing to no longer be confined to that damned arena.

"Where to first?" I asked the group with a sly grin on my face.