Arena 13 #2 THE PREY
Read Arena 13 #2 THE PREY Online
Authors: Joseph Delaney
Contents
10: A Travesty of Arena Combat
13: Something has been Altered
ABOUT THE BOOK
IN THE ARENA
People flock to see fights where blood is shed. Boys work their way up through the ranks to become combatants on the biggest of these stages: Arena 13.
MANY FIGHT TO BE THE BEST
Leif knows the risks. In spite of this, he has followed his dead father’s footsteps into the arena, determined to avenge him.
OUTSIDE THE ARENA
Leif is not the only one to have suffered – others are also planning their revenge.
THE FIGHT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Will victory in the arena be enough? Or is Leif destined to stand with those who will pitch men against gods in a battle for the whole world?
RULES OF COMBAT
PRIMARY RULES
- The objective of Arena 13 combat is to cut flesh and spill blood. Human combatants are the targets.
- No human combatant may wear armour or protective clothing of any kind. Leather jerkins and shorts are mandatory; flesh must be open to a blade.
- An Arena 13 contest is won and concluded when a cut is made to one’s opponent and blood is spilled. This can occur during combat or may be a ritual cut made after a fight is concluded. If it occurs duringcombat, hostilities must cease immediately to prevent death or serious maiming.
- If death should occur, no guilt or blame may be attached to the victor. There shall be no redress in law. Any attempt to punish or hurt the victorious combatant outside the arena is punishable by death.
- The right to make a ritual cut is earned by disabling one’s opponent’s
lac
or
lacs
.
- The defeated combatant must accept this ritual cut to the upper arm. The substance
kransin
is used to intensify the pain of that cut.
- An unseemly cowardly reaction to the ritual cut after combat is punishable by a three-month ban from the arena. Bravery is mandatory.
- Simulacra, commonly known as lacs, are used in both attack and defence of the human combatants.
- The min combatant fights behind one lac; the mag combatant fights behind three lacs.
- For the first five minutes combatants must fight behind their lacs. Then the warning gong sounds and they must change position and fight in front of them, where they are more vulnerable to the blades of theiropponent.
- A lac is disabled when a blade is inserted in its throat-socket. This calls the wurde
endoff
; the lac collapses and becomes inert.
- Arena 13 combatants may also fight under
Special Rules
.
SPECIAL RULES
- Grudge match rules
The objective of a grudge match is to kill one’s opponent. All
Primary Rules
apply, but for the following changes:
- • If blood is spilled during combat, hostilities need not cease; the fight continues.
- • After an opponent’s lac or lacs have been disabled, the opponent is slain. The throat may be slit, or the head severed from the neck – the decision belongs to the victor. The death blow is carried out byeither the victorious human combatant or his lac.
- • Alternatively the victor may grant clemency in return for an apology or an agreed financial penalty.
- Trainee Tournament rules
The objective of this tournament is to advance the training of first-year trainees by pitting them against their peers in Arena 13. For the protection of the trainees and to mitigate the full rigour of Arena 13 contests, there are two changes to the
Primary Rules
:
- • The whole contest must be fought behind the lacs.
- • Kransin is not used on blades for the ritual cut.
- A challenge from Hob
- • When Hob visits Arena 13 to make a challenge, a min combatant must fight him on behalf of the Wheel.
- • All min combatants must assemble in the green room, where that combatant will be chosen by lottery.
- • Grudge match rules apply, but for one: there is no clemency.
- • The fight is to the death. If the human combatant is beaten then, alive or dead, he may be taken away by Hob. Combatants, spectators and officials must not interfere.
SECONDARY RULES
- Blades must not be carried into the green room or the changing room.
- No Arena 13 combatant may fight with blades outside the arena. An oath must be taken at registration to abide by that rule. Any infringement shall result in a lifetime ban from Arena 13 combat.
- Spitting in the arena is forbidden.
- Cursing and swearing in the arena is forbidden.
- Abuse of one’s opponent during combat is forbidden.
- In the case of any dispute, the Chief Marshal’s decision is absolute. There can be no appeal.
For Marie
The dead do dream.
They dream of the world of Nym and twist hopelessly
within its dark labyrinths,
seeking that which they can never reach.
But for a few, a very few, a wurde is called.
It is a wurde that summons them again to life.
Cursed are the twice-born.
Amabramsum: the Genthai Book of Wisdom
PROLOGUE
The combatants gather in the green room. Nobody speaks. Their faces are grim. In turn, each of them is offered the glass lottery orb. As Vitus draws a straw, he feels a sudden premonition of doom. His hands aretrembling and he already knows that he will be chosen.
He is.
His straw is the shortest.
His straw means death.
He has been chosen to fight Hob in Arena 13.
Before he leaves for the arena, his mother always says the same thing:
‘Come back to me. Be safe!’
‘I will,’ he promises.
Then they hug and part.
This time he will not be able to keep his promise.
His worst fear has finally come true.
There is not even time to say goodbye to his family. His mother never visits Arena 13 – she finds it barbaric. His father encouraged him and paid for his training, but he is dead now. His two older brothers work theirlarge farm, which is close to the city. Time after time his mother has begged him to stop fighting in Arena 13 and help his brothers, but he enjoys the challenge and needs to make his own way in the world.
He likes being a combatant, and during the two years that he’s been fighting the money has been good. It pays the bills, with some left over; that is important. You can’t fight for much more than fifteen years in Arena13. You get older. You slow down. Your legs start to betray you. Vitus is only nineteen, but it is vital that he saves now. He needs to accumulate enough capital to start his
own
business. Just ten more successful years, and he could do it.
But every year Hob visits Arena 13.
Vitus always fights from the min position and is defended by a lone lac whilst his opponents, fighting from the mag position, have three lacs. It is harder to fight from the min but it offers the greater challenge and ismore lucrative.
But here lies the ultimate danger faced by every min combatant. Hob fights behind a tri-glad and his challenge is always to the min combatants.
Every year there is a chance that Vitus will be chosen by the lottery to fight him.
