Taken: The Life of Uktesh Book 3 (12 page)

Uktesh glared at the guards, who backed up until they were blocking the exit, but not Uktesh himself.  Which was fine, Uktesh wasn’t leaving. He grabbed a bowl, dunked it into the water basin, and then poured the water over the leg of meat until it was clear of sand.  Uktesh returned to where he’d been sitting and ate his food.  Astiau shook with fury and said, “Slave toss that meat away!”  Uktesh grinned and tossed the leg of meat into the fire under the hanging meat.  Astiau said, “What are you doing?  Grab that piece of meat!” 

Uktesh shook his head and said, “The Storm lord has told us to obey any nobilis, unless they order us to hurt ourselves.”

Astiau shouted, “Fine!”  He pulled a piece of meat off the animal and threw it to the ground, “Pick that up, don’t move, and eat it!”

Uktesh stood up from where he was sitting and said, “If I can’t move after I pick it up, how can I put it in my mouth to eat it?”

Astiau shouted, “Pick it up!  Don’t move your feet after you’ve picked it up!  Then put it in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it!”

Uktesh concentrated, picked up the meat, used his water magic to bring a blob of water to clean the meat off, put the newly cleaned meat in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.  Astiau pulled another piece from the animal and threw it on the ground and said, “Pick it up!  Don’t clean it.  Don’t move your feet after you’ve picked it up!  Then put it in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it!”

Uktesh picked it up and shook it once, used his earth power to remove all the sand and other grit from it, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.  Astiau pulled another piece from the animal and threw it to the sand, but before he could order Uktesh, Uktesh said, “We can do this all day if you’d like, but I really have more pressing things to do than horse around.” 

Astiau cocked his head to the side and an insane gleam in his eye let Uktesh know he was winning.

Astiau said, “Pick it up!  Don’t clean it.  Don’t move your feet after you’ve picked it up!  Don’t shake it.  Then put it in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it!”

Uktesh picked it up, he slowly brought it to his mouth as he forced the sand and grit off it, he put it in his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.

Uktesh continued to eat the meat, grinned at Astiau, and raised a, “what else have you got?” eyebrow at him.  Astiau stalked out of the kitchen and Uktesh sat back down with more meat.  The other gladiators gathered around him, “What was that about?”

Uktesh said, “He’s probably still mad about his eye.”

One of the gladiators said, “You did that?”

Uktesh nodded and said, “During the invasion.  He captured me, but I removed his eye before he did.”

The same gladiator said, “No wonder you’re so good. You beat an Equestrian.”

Or he beat me, and I hurt him while he was gloating. 
Uktesh had no intention of clearing up that misconception.  They finished eating and Uktesh headed out to the training area to find Ceftin.  Uktesh saw that of the dragons who’d been captured only three remained alive; Hailsby, who was grand master Dayho’s son; Yuros, a dragon who’d helped train Laurilli, and Royn, who had survived even with his ruined hand.  The three of them were training in the corner away from the group.  As a whole the dragons hadn’t mixed well with the other gladiators and viewed Uktesh as a traitor to the memory of the grand masters who’d been murdered by Neftalix.  Uktesh had taken a different approach to the gladiators and figured that they, like him, were desperate to win their freedom, and not in league with those who owned them.

Uktesh didn’t know how or where all the gladiators came from, but since he’d arrived at the Storm lord’s ludis three months ago, they’d had new fighters added to their gladiatorial ranks each month.  With that in mind it made even less sense that the dragons would view people enslaved after their own capture with hostility, but they did.  Inly their proven prowess on the sands had saved them from any backlash. 

The naga was in the middle of pushing Cielex, Omero, and Emexida hard. 

“Cssielexss keep that ssshield up!

Omero do you plan to fight for the death cup?

Emexida move faster, of all three,

you’re the only one that could go free.”

Emexida has more than seventy-five, “kills?” 
Uktesh watched as the naga continued to yell at the three gladiators who would be fighting in the Ultimate Rumble.  Each year every ludis in the city was required to send four gladiators to the Ultimate Rumble, and even though it was tomorrow, the fourth gladiator hadn’t yet been picked.  Uktesh feared that it would be Ceftin, and that Uktesh would have to try to learn the titanic form on his own.  The Rumble was usually considered a punishment, as it had been for the three that had lost to Uktesh, even though the winner would earn twenty-five, “kills.”  Uktesh shook his head at that thought of surviving in a hug melee against three hundred and ninety-six people who wanted to kill you.  That was, of course, assuming that your fellow gladiators didn’t stab you in the back.

Among those in the Storm lord’s ludis it was well known that the four protected each other until after the second round.  If they betrayed someone before then and won, even if they were given freedom, the Storm lord would have them killed.  Uktesh assumed it was because of the good reputation that would be gained if all four gladiators made it to the third, and last, round.

The first round, like all three rounds, pitted all the gladiators against each other until roughly half were dead.  Once they’d been whittled down to roughly two hundred, they would receive a ten-minute break where wounds would be treated and the gladiators would be given food and drink.  Then round two would continue along the same lines as round one.  It would end when roughly one hundred gladiators remained.

Round three didn’t end until only one remained.  Uktesh wouldn’t have volunteered to join that madness even if he had seventy-five, “kills.”
I’m currently three, “kills,” short, but that mess is something I would want to avoid even if Cavavos hadn’t warned me about it on the ship here.
  The only part of the fight that tempted him, other than the twenty-five “kills” was that the winner earned one hundred Imperial platinum marks and the right to free a slave of his choice. 
It would be nice to be able to free Talia, but I have to be smart.  She’s not my goal. Laurilli is the person who I’m fighting to get back to.
 

Uktesh had been surprised to learn was that each, “kill,” he had earned had also earned him a gold mark, and that if he earned his freedom he would be paid ten platinum marks, an amount equal to one hundred gold marks.  Uktesh had yet to see a mark; copper, silver, or otherwise, but he assumed that the empire used coins too.

Uktesh began his training.  He Stepped, used a true Palm Strike, then attempted a titanic Palm strike, but failed, Stepped again, and repeated the process. 

When he had started last month, it was tough for him to be able to train for more than a few minutes without collapsing in exhaustion.  Now, more than a month later, he was grateful to the giant snake for punishing him each time he’d failed to reach a goal that Ceftin had set. 

Nearly an hour later his titanic Palm Strike thundered away from him to push back several of the gladiators practicing around him.  Uktesh stopped, breathing hard, and looked at his hands.

Did I unconsciously add spirit to that attack?  Was it really a titanic attack, or a true attack with spirit.  If it was titanic, how did I do it?
  Ceftin slithered next to him and practically shouted in his excitement,

“Titanic you’ve finally achieved!

Far quicker than I would have believed!

Sssoon your enemiesss will you cleave!

On the sssand their livesss you will thieve!”

Uktesh smiled and said, “I did it!  Really?  That was titanic?”

Ceftin hissed out a laugh,

“If not titanic you tell me,

what it is that you sssee.”

Uktesh looked at the gladiators who had fallen and were picking themselves off the ground.  Uktesh smiled and said, “I have no reason to doubt you.

Before Ceftin could reply the courtyard filled with soldiers.  Like the rest of the gladiators he quickly lined up on the basis of his “kills” rank.  Only Cielex, Omero, and Emexida were out of order. As they were fighting in the Rumble they were considered dead until they either became so or returned from the Rumble.  The Storm lord stood on the balcony. With him was Astiau who grinned at Uktesh while glaring at him with murder in his eye. The Storm lord said from above, “You are my ludis. You are given the honor of providing tribute for the greatest Avian house in all of the Empire!”  Uktesh knew that the Storm lord was important, but hadn’t realized he was ranked in the social class that was second only to the emperor himself.

Uktesh and the rest of the gladiators shouted, “We live to serve!  We die to become tribute!”

The Storm lord continued, “Tomorrow is the Ultimate Rumble!”  He gestured behind him for someone to step forward and Cavavos stepped next to him.  “Cavavos was the champion six years ago, and earned his freedom!”  There was no response needed for that statement, but Uktesh could feel the desperation rising from the assembled gladiators.  “Cielex, Omero, and Emexida step forward.”  The three gladiators faced the Storm lord from a few steps ahead of the rest of the gladiators.  “Each ludis is honored to provide four seasoned gladiators and this year, like six years ago, we plan on winning the Rumble!”

The gladiators shouted, “Hoo!”

The Storm lord continued, “This year we will be sending two champions!”  Uktesh suddenly had a sinking suspicion concerning Astiau’s grin.  “Uktesh, step forward!”  Uktesh didn’t hesitate, but stepped forward to stand at the front with the other three gladiators.  The Storm lord looked satisfied with the selection and Astiau looked delighted. 

The four chosen raised their swords or fists and shouted, “We salute you, Dominus!”

With the spectacle over the nobilis on the balcony headed back inside.  Ceftin slithered over to the four as the rest of the gladiators headed back to what they had been doing. 

“You mussst have been born under a bad ssstar to be so poorly blessed.

Fear not young Uktesh, with more training your fate won’t be messed.

You three continue to practicsse your ssskills.

Remember to kill isss the goal, abssstain from frillsss.

Uktesh tonight you mussst massster the form called titanic.

To do ssso you will practicsse like a manic!

Come there are only three hoursss of sssunlight left,

before the sssun risssesss again you mussst become deft.”

Uktesh nodded, and began to train again, this time under the guiding eye of the naga grand master.  Well into the night they trained until the grand master called a halt and released Uktesh to go to bed.  He wearily walked to his cell and silently slipped under the covers with Talia, who woke up just long enough to wrap and arm and a leg around him to help warm him up. 

He woke up the next morning as Talia rolled over him and headed out of his cell.  He yawned, sat up, headed over to his bucket and relieved himself.  After he was done he headed to the kitchen where a special meal had been provided for the four who would fight in the Rumble.

He ate quickly and hurried back to his room where Talia was waiting for him.  She flung herself into his arms and said, “I know you don’t want me, husband, but before you die, just once I want to feel a love like you feel for Laurilli, even if it’s not me you’re thinking of.” 

Uktesh gently pushed her away and said, “You’ve gotten to know me pretty well in the three months I’ve been here.  In that time have I done anything to indicate that I would agree to do that with you?”

Talia shook her head, tears in her eyes, and said, “You’re the first genuinely good guy I’ve ever met.  You truly don’t want to use me in some way, but I want you to.  All kidding aside--I call you husband, you call me wife--let’s make it official in the eyes of the gods.”

Uktesh said, “I’m not dying today anyway, so don’t worry about that.”

Talia said, “You can’t be sure of that!  Hundreds will die today!”

Uktesh looked her in the eyes and said, “I have a plan. It’s not brave but it should get me past the first two rounds without too much trouble.”  Uktesh planned to get a one on one fight right off the bat and pretend to die killing that person, and just lay down and watch the rest of the first and second rounds.

Talia said, “You like to gamble. If you lose but survive, then will you be with me as a man and woman should be?  If you win, I’ll never ask you again.”

Uktesh thought the odds of his losing but surviving far lower than winning, so he said, “Sure.”

Talia smiled and said, “I knew you wanted me.  If you didn’t want me at all you would’ve said ‘no’ like you normally do.” 

Uktesh thought about what she had said as she put his armor on him. 
Okay, so I know that I find her attractive, but could she be right that I want to sleep, except not actually sleep, with her?

Uktesh’s darker side thought,
of course you do, you little pervert.

Uktesh feel like he was betraying Laurilli with his thoughts and replied,
you may want to Duktesh,
he named his darker side;
but I don’t have to do what you want.