Forged of Fire (36 page)

“This is not love. This is rabid sheep pawing mindlessly at a brick wall.” Ash cut his eyes back to Dante. “Congratulations. You have fostered and reared an empire of delusional slaves.”

One of the dignitary’s mates standing nearby gasped, but Dante only laughed robustly before moving closer so that only Ash could hear. “Every nasty word you speak makes me look all the more forward to later.”

Ash took his seat without waiting for Dante to take his first which earned him another gasp from a second female. He smirked at the offended idiot and leaned forward to address her issues. “Forgive me if I fail to follow your customs, but Dragons do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.”

The female almost swooned which made her mate have to grab her by the arm. The male hissed, a fatal mistake. “Take him to the ring with the other entertainment!” Dante ordered and three guards rushed forward. The male, clearly a high ranking Lord, paled and sputtered, apologies flying from his pleading mouth as the guards hoisted him from his seat. His mate cried and protested as he was dragged away. Ash feigned boredom with the scene, but he closely followed where the Original was led off to.
Second tunnel, four rows down.
Dante flipped his robe to the side and took his seat on the throne. “To disrespect my guest,” his voice boomed out over the crowd as a warning. “Is to disrespect your King!” He waved a hand, signaling for the festivities to begin.

Once all eyes turned back to the arena, Dante growled low in Ash’s ear. “Keep it up and I will let them all watch.” Ash’s nails dug into the arm of the chair and he clenched his jaw.
Hold it back!
He mentally warred with the beast inside him raging to get out. It would do no good to release him early. He felt Dante smile sinisterly at his side before his fingers snaked out to caress Ash’s hand. Ash forced himself to not flinch. “Your body betrays you,” Dante cooed. “You’re as tightly coiled as a bow string. Save yourself this pain and submit to me.”

Ash was saved a flippant retort when the crowd erupted in shouts as the lower quadrant’s iron doors lifted and matching teams of chariots raced into the arena forming a large circle. He really could not wait to kill the mother fucker! The thunderous and pawing demonic steads looped the outer perimeter several times, their eyes glowing red, froth foaming along the edges of their mouths and dripping over silver plated bits as they galloped. They snorted, pinned their ears and snaked their heads challengingly towards the spectators before, one by one, returning back into the underbelly of the stadium. The spectators grew silent again as the first slaves were marched out. The jailers released their bonds, handed them each one weapon and left the prisoners in the center of the ring before returning to the pits. The iron doors lowered, barring any hopes of escape. A giant bowl of terror, Ash mused. Trapped and exposed with no chance of freedom. All while thousands of faces looked on from above.

He looked closely at the victims, six, all Originals. One looked already half dead. Two stood tall, their bravado radiating off them in a fine display of false courage. The other three mostly cried and begged for either a timely death or divine intervention. Ash felt himself chuckle at the irony. “Even your own kind looks to God in their darkest hours. That must really tick you off.” Ash saw Dante’s fist clutch out of his peripheral and he grinned.

“Only the weak are defectors,” Dante hissed and pointed to the largest male marching about and beating his chest like a caveman. “That one is not begging to be saved! Now that is a warrior.” He concluded, his tone evening out. “Of course they have all been drugged with Ashwood to slow them down,” Dante added. “We had to level the playing field, of course.”

Ash nodded to one of the betting bookies standing beside the dais. “Put five thousand silvers on that one.” He pointed to the old woman that had moved to the edge of the ring and was crouched against the wall, hiding in what little shadow could be found. “She will be the last one standing.”

The bookie looked to the King for approval. Ash had no money. It was Dante’s coin Ash was betting. Dante nodded and the bookmaker jotted down Ash’s bet. “Interesting champion, Ash. But, seeing you finally engaging is worth the loss.”

“I won’t lose.” Ash watched as the iron doors on the far side slowly lifted and two starved Hell Lions slinked onto the dusty arena.
Cats
. It was a gruesome death. The slaves would be eaten to near death by the ravenous demons, for however long it took, just to be shot through the heart by one of the poised snipers positioned high above on the arena’s perimeter.

The half dead Original was, as expected, the first to go, her screams coming to an end when her throat was ripped out. The lions fought briefly over the carcass before one conceded and began to stalk the two strongest slaves. The singing of an arrow sliced the air then thudded into the female chest, confirming her death. The iron doors lifted on one side of the ring and a large metal box with holes around the edges marched out towards the slain body, carried by guards from within the contraption. Before anyone could escape the iron door slammed down. Ash had seen this device before. This was how they insured the cats would not over indulge on their first kills.

As expected, when the metal device got closer to the feasting lion, spears emerged from the holes. The large cat roared, red eyes blazing in its huge skull, and swiped angrily at the box just to be driven back by the encroaching weapons. As soon as the lion moved back the box stepped over the dead body, protecting it from further mauling. As soon as the lion fixated on its new target the guards moved the box back towards the iron door to dispose of the body.

The first lion was still circling the biggest slave that Dante had favored. The large male swung his battle axe wildly at the cat with his enhanced speed, delivering quite a few blows before the second cat charged his back. He whirled around, but not in time. His head was ripped from his body by one cat at the same time as his left leg was tore off at the knee by the other tugging beast. Dante snarled beside him.

Ash shrugged and tapped his fingers against the chair. “It’s not always the obvious choice.”

Without warning Dante stood and threw up a hand. A servant rushed over and he leaned in to whisper. Even Ash wanted to shiver at the sinister smile that curled Dante’s lips when he sat back down and the boy hurried off. “Seems we need more choices.”

“What do you mean?” Ash said, a nagging foreboding sense began to crawl up his spine. “Do you mean to add in more slaves?”

Dante continued to smile smugly, pleased with his secret. “This game is boring me. I’m ready for the next.”

The iron door opened again, but this time two metal boxes emerged and marched toward the cats. Within the span of a few minutes the snarling beasts had been backed into the tunnel they had come from, dragging with them the body parts of the Vampire they had been able to hold on to. The remaining slaves were removed and a third door opened on the far wall. Out marched five of the biggest Original warriors Ash had ever seen. The crowd roared to a thunderous volume around them.

A fourth door lifted and Ash’s blood thinned in his veins when out from the black hole walked Dax and Marsala. He was prepared for this event after the tailor’s slip earlier but he could still not keep the venom from his tone. “You will never get what you ultimately want if you harm Marsala.”

“A few interesting turns of event, my dear boy.” Dante grinned as a third bender walked out.
Marcus.
“I believe you know this bender too.” He kept his eyes glued on the tunnel the Air-bender had just come from. “But, I bet these two will surprise you.”

Ash watched with sinking dread as the tall form of the blonde Water-bender, Kizer, emerged. His heart stopped beating when the slender frame of his beloved mate walked out next.

Dante laughed. “Choose your champion now.”

****

Stefen kept his eyes glued on the elevated dais that housed Dante and Ash from his perch atop the coliseum’s battlement. He had the perfect bird’s eye view of the arena and the throne box from an old archer’s nook. He had taken back his natural form once he had gotten to the top. Now, cloaked in a commoner’s attire and far enough away from any Originals that would sense his difference, he watched. Alaric wanted to wait until the last event, but Stefen had finally convinced his older brother to at least let him observe in case anything fell out of order. Alaric, of course, refused at first, stating that a scout should go instead, but Stefen held his ground. No one knew Ash better than him and thus, Stefen would sense changes in the Fire-King quicker than anyone else. It was a solid case and even Alaric had to admit it was the truth. So here he now stood, waiting and watching.

Stefen sent the images unfolding telepathically to Alaric as they were transpiring. The sudden interruption in the first event was unexpected, but by the way it seemed Ash was continuing to bait Dante, not surprising. Although, Ash himself seemed to be a bit taken aback when Dante stopped the slaughter. Stefen knew how much the restraint was costing the Fire-bender. To have to sit there in the first place, like a trussed up bride, was too much to ask. Expecting Ash to also curb his natural arrogant nature on top of the humiliating situation was even beyond anything Stefen could act out.

Stefen watched as the slaves were replaced with five trained warriors and then to his horror, five benders were marched out. The last ones, Kizer and Kielyn!
What the fuck!
He sped the image to Alaric as he withdrew his sword from its sheath. Not a second too soon for a roar unlike any he had ever heard erupted from the dais. All heads whipped to the murderous sound. Before Dante could even contemplate a reaction, Ash eviscerated four rushing guards and was now standing protectively in front of Kielyn on the field. Complete and total pandemonium ensued throughout the stadium. Many spectators began to flee, trampling one another in their haste to make the exits. Others charged to the edge of the arena, hungry with unbridled excitement for the turn of events.
Mother fucker! Here we go!

Stefen took flight just as Dante bellowed out for the guards to seize Ash. Taking an arcing swing as he descended on the arena, Stefen severed two of the advancing warrior’s meaty heads from their bodies. Marcus, Dax and Marsala were already engaged in battle with the remaining three.

“Get her out of here!” Ash growled, his eyes already thinning into cat-like slits. He thrust Kielyn into Stefen’s arms. “Now!”

Ash charged five advancing soldiers as Stefen made to grab hold of Kielyn, but she jerked quickly to the right. “I won’t leave him! Not again!” She yelled through the roar of the crazed crowd, half scrambling to place bets, the other half franticly making their escape.

Stefen thrust his sword backwards from the hip and penetrated the heart of a would-be attacker rushing up behind him. “It’s too dangerous, Kielyn!” He spun and sliced another Original through the middle, making him three feet shorter.

Kielyn shot a lasso of fire over Stefen’s shoulder and yanked a Vampire, thrashing about, past him as her noose tightened around the guard’s neck. Stefen ran his blade through his heart. A battle horn sounded as Alaric’s army began to rush over the walls. “Thank God!” Kielyn said as she rotated her wrist and froze another warrior in place.

“No, thank his favorite,” Stefen corrected as he parried a swing from a new aggressor, twisted and unarmed the Vampire. He caught his opponent’s sword in his left hand on its airborne descent and used it to remove the Fanger’s head from his body. Stefen looked up. The sky was now a raging battle above them. It was too risky to take flight with Kielyn. “Dax, dig down!” He yelled out.

The Earth-bender threw up a wall of clay, shielding himself from the guards rushing out of the main tunnel, Marsala and Marcus flanked his right and left while he dug down deep into the solid surface. Alaric’s forces were clashing against Dante’s from all sides, in the stadium, on the pit’s floor, above in mid-flight. Stefen reached out and grabbed Kielyn, yanking her towards the newly crafted escape route. Before she could protest a primal roar rippled across the earth like an advancing typhoon, dampening the chaos around them and reducing its united voice to a mere whimper.
The Dragon…

Stefen scanned the battlefield. Ash was nowhere to be seen and then a shadow covered the arena, blocking out all the light. His gaze shot up. Massive black leather wings unfolded and flapped backwards away from pit, kicking up a dust storm in their wake as the beast rose higher into the sky. Angels and Vampires alike retreated out of the way as the Dragon, his red breast plated scales and silver claws glistening, continued to advance upwards like a positioning hawk.