Meanwhile, cloaked and masked figures on giant branches of cypresses stalked the group of small naval vessels.

"Igur. Now's the best time to strike!" a man in a bronze mask said.

Igur, who wore a golden mask, raised his hand that held a black dagger. It was the signal.

The hooded figures simultaneously pounced from their hiding places. They landed with a light foot, slitting the guards before they could make a noise.

In just a few seconds, the gondolas' owners changed.

"Release them, quick!" Igur said. The boats smelled of rotten meat.

They pulled on the draping and found orange-haired women and children crammed inside wooden cages like animals. Their pale skin was full of bruises and the blood in the slit of their wrists or necks already dried.

"Igur, we're too late," the man in a bronze mask said.

"No...search for any signs of life!" Igur said. It was then that a cry echoed from the last gondola.

Something squirmed inside the leather sack that belonged to the knight guarding the boat. The hooded figure on the vessel ripped it open and found a baby whose hair was black with a tinge of orange like embers.

...

A twelve-foot circular platform stood at the center of the crowd, surrounded by a moat of burbling black substance.

Throughout Soden's coliseum, an army of knights guarded the seating tiers and the four towers that housed n.o.bles, royalties, guests, and beasts.

"Have you heard any news about those missing three?" Imogen said. He had a clear view of the arena at the top-most level of the eastern tower.

A man in a crimson scale armor shook his head. "No news nor clue, sir. But we have found a replacement for Igur."

"Hm. Tighten the security and prepare the first match, then. I don't want any disturbance," Imogen said.

"I understand," the man said. "Valfern asked for his sack. He said that if you want a good show, you must give it back to him."

"Give it to him then if that will comfort him in his death. And the artifact?"

"The artifact is with the King in the northern tower."

Imogen nodded his head. "You may leave now."

...

Valfern slumped on the cold floor of an underground room. Aside from the ten knights that dragged him out of his cell and guarded him close, mossy walls were his companion. To make things worse, the cheers and murmurs that came from above would not let him think in peace.

A heavy marching of metal caused the knights in Valfern's room to part ways. With a leather sack in his hand, the man in crimson scale armor finally returned. "Here!" he said.

Like a long-lost friend, Valfern opened his arms and embraced the leather sack. He checked its contents. Everything was there except the artifact they said he stole.

"You're the only one who did not pick a lot. So prepare your guts as the first one is about to begin, and then you're next," the man said.

Imogen's voice echoed in the entire coliseum. He spoke through the small horn on his pulpit—connected to a series of underground pipes—that amplified his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, the rules of this tournament are simple—die or surrender. However, for the beasts, giving up is not in their option. To win is the only choice they have!"

From the northern tower's gate, a man in a brown hood and golden mask entered the arena.

"All our twenty partic.i.p.ants picked their lots to determine their matches. But today, only one of them will be declared as champion! And as a reward, the winner shall receive a thousand gold coins and a chance to request something from King Longdon Egbert XIII!"

Meanwhile, a bulky olive-skinned man in an indigo vest entered from the southern tower. He wielded a huge silver spiked mace.

"For our first match, entering from the northern gate is a guest partic.i.p.ant who calls himself as Moon River. His opponent is Bachus, one of the two representatives of Belsar, our allied Kingdom from the west."

The crowd cheered. One would find the abundance of mediators among them collecting coins from bettors.

Knights dropped torches to the moat, and raging flames blazed into life, closing any means of escape from the arena.

"Let the first battle begin!"

After a loud clang of the gong, Bachus made the first move. He charged at Moon River with both hands gripping the mace.

Moon River stood in his place as two black daggers flashed from the sleeves of his hood.

When Bachus was a few inches from Moon River, he spun with momentum. The attack almost caught the masked-man, who backed away in time.

Bachus chased after Moon River, whirling his mace now and then. "Come on, when will you keep on dodging?"

The heat behind Moon River intensified as he neared the edge. He tried dodging to the side to change his angle, but Bachus was quick to cut off his path.

"Just save your life and surrender," Bachus said, but Moon River was persistent. "Don't blame me then! I gave you a chance."

Moon River was just a few inches away from the edge of the platform, and Bachus charged at full speed, keen on pus.h.i.+ng him out of the ring. He swiped his weapon upwards so that his opponent could not duck and pull off tricks.

Then there was silence.

The tip of Moon River's dagger stopped the full force attack.

With disbelief in his eyes, Bachus pushed harder, but it was like he was driving a boulder thrice his size.

"It's time to follow your advice," Moon River said with a m.u.f.fled voice.

"You fool!" Bachus backed away, then swung his mace. He hit nothing but air, and his heart skipped a beat. Moon River reappeared at his back and kicked him.

Bachus lost his balance, and his weight carried him to the edge. The gurgling flames were just a few inches from his face when his body stopped.

Moon River had a grip on Bachus' vest. But the latter smiled before taking off his garment.

The crowd gasped as the raging flames consumed Bachus.

Moon River sighed. He then raised one of his daggers. A round of applause and a series of cheers followed, marking the end of the first battle.

The eastern tower's gate opened, and an arching stone bridge connected itself to the platform. Moon River then pa.s.sed through it.

"For our next match! Let's all welcome two infamous criminals—Doug the Savage and Vance Valfern!"