The Arena

T
he Ascendancy

“We have been given the gift of magic to protect our world from the Pretenders. Humanity has fallen blind to our world, so it has become our duty to protect them from it. To this day the accords still hold, but there are always those who seek to push their limits. Together we must rein them in to secure humanity’s future.

We have spent the last two centuries ingraining ourselves into human society, feeding the flames of legends from the shadows. The myths we have created to dismiss the unexplainable are now considered pop culture. Werewolves, vampires, and fairies all exist, and all are bound to us by the accords. As one of the Gifted and a member of the Ascendancy, your new duty is to protect humanity at any cost.

Demons have risen from the depths and seek to claim the earth as their own. They have come to our world, seeking only to destroy what we have built here together. Which new alliances will rise? Who will join the Demons? Who will join us to stop them? These are the questions we must now answer!

The world as we know it is molded by the ongoing struggle of the Pretenders and the Gifted. We must find a way to destroy the Demons and maintain our relations with the Pretenders. We must defend humanity from the Pretenders while seeking to create new alliances with them. As a member of the Ascendancy, your job is now to ensure that our world remains safe, and that it remains a secret.

Novus Ordo Seclorum: a new order for the ages.

~Excerpt of orientation speech

T
he Ascendancy dispatched
us to a remote location on the westernmost coast of the newly formed United States of America. The year was 1851, and we had stumbled right into the height of the California Gold Rush. It seemed like every week there was a new town created to support the miners staking claims all over the mountains. When gold was found, a boom town would spring up almost overnight. An influx of new miners would rush in, laying claim to the land. There was nothing like the sights and sounds of a gold rush town; it was the perfect picture of capitalism. Everything was for sale, and everything could be negotiated.

These new towns were also the perfect place to blend in and move around unnoticed in what was now the state of California. With new people coming into town and leaving just as quickly, it was easy to move in and out of an area quickly without arousing suspicion from the locals. The problem for us was that it made it just as easy for those we were hunting to disappear.

The trail left in the wake of the coven’s passing was growing harder to follow. They continuously slowed our progress by splitting into multiple groups before exiting any town we tracked them to. Sometimes the small bands of fleeing witches would lead us for days in the wrong direction before turning to fight. The fights between us had been quick and brutal. Sometimes we questioned a survivor, but more often than not we were forced to kill them quickly.

This endless cat and mouse game had left a bitter taste in our mouths and filled us with the hunger to discover what kind of secret they were hiding. To sacrifice so many to keep moving forward meant whatever the end goal was, it wouldn’t be good for humanity. Endless weeks had been wasted chasing these splinter groups. We should have just continued to the east. In the end, they always continued to the east.

Luckily for us, the money and items we scavenged from the witches' corpses had kept us traveling long after we would have been forced to turn back. Small whispers continued to reach us about the coven’s leader, and if even half of what we heard was true, then we couldn’t turn back until she had been dealt with. I had the feeling when we finally caught her, we would be in for the fight of our lives. The thought of the battle to come filled me with the energy to keep moving.

Riding steadily east through the hills of California gave me the time to learn more about my traveling companion. It was a blessing to be afforded the extra time alone with Sarah. She was the key to completing Adam’s vision, and no one wanted that to come to pass more than me. The weeks bled together, and we found ourselves at the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold miners had been steadily pushing this way for years, trying to escape the massive competition in northern California. Even so, we hadn’t seen a decent town in well over a week, and Sarah was starting to complain about the stench coming from my clothes.

Riding our horses at a slow walk through the dense forest trail had a relaxing effect. I often found myself daydreaming instead of looking for tracks. Thankfully Sarah carried the heavy lifting when it came to tracking. I was more of blunt interment. Point me at what you want destroyed and step out of the way.

I was surprised when we entered a rather large clearing in the woods. Men were working hard, clearing the trees from the opposite end of the open space. Beyond the workmen, the narrow path we had been following broadened into something almost wide enough to be called a road. Two carts would be able to travel the new road without touching. We walked our horses forward and stopped just short of where the men were busy hacking with axes at the trees.

“Gentlemen, can you tell me, is there a town up ahead?”

One of the men, possibly the foreman of their crew, turned around and, after wiping sweat off his face, responded with, “There is, good sir. The newly formed Miner’s Streak. It’s not much yet, but it is growing every day. So far we have an established trading post, general store, saloon, and if you’re interested in a bit of a treat, they have some of the finest ladies I have ever seen offering companionship. The salon has extra rooms for rent, with or without the before-mentioned companions.”

I looked over at Sarah with a raised eyebrow, and she gave me a slight nod. I turned my eyes back to the gentleman. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how nice it would be to sleep in a real bed for the night. Not to mention some clean clothes and a bath. I hoped they had someone good working in the kitchen; I could use a few extra carbs in my life. “How much further along is the town?”

He smiled back at me. “About four miles up the path.”

I reached into my pack and found two silver dollars and flipped them over to the man. “Enjoy a round of drinks, on me. Maybe we will see you in the saloon later.” The man nodded and quickly pocketed the money. Turning away from us, he hollered at his crew to make room. The men were quick to obey his command, and we moved onto the road, each step bringing us closer to the rest we so richly deserved. Before we had moved more than five horse lengths down the road, the men started working behind us again. The sounds of axes and saws filled the air.

Miner’s Streak wasn’t much of a town, but that would all change if they continued to find gold around the area. Some gold must have been found already or the town wouldn’t have had the chance to grow as large as it had. Several of the towns we had passed on our way east had been little more than tiny shacks huddled in one place. This town had actually been laid out. The general store and the trading post were on one side of the road, and the saloon and sheriff’s station on the other. The buildings were flanked by several large homes, probably belonging to the owners of the main stores and the people who worked for them. The miners would have smaller homes closer to their claims.

We rode our horses at a gentle walk toward the saloon. Jumping down, I tied both the horses to the hitching post, and then helped Sarah off her mount. She didn’t actually need any help, but it was best, at least while we could be watched, to keep up appearances for the locals. After removing our limited possessions from the horses, we headed inside to inquire about a room for that night, and hopefully a hot bath.

Entering the saloon, I was impressed to see how clean it was. Most of the places we had encountered on our journey had sawdust on the floor to catch the blood and spit of their patrons. Here the floors were solid wood and had spacious rugs in many spots. Spittoons were placed on every table; they also had ashtrays, believe it or not. The place reminded me of something we would walk into in the city, not something you find in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice surprise to find out the manager of this place was bringing a little class to the west coast.

I could tell that the bar was well kept as we approached. The glasses were clean; the bar man had a towel over his shoulder that was still white. The various liquors were lined up along the bar shelves behind him. We stepped up to the bar, and even that had been created with care. The lacquered and stained top impressed me.

The bartender caught my eye and asked, “How can I help you?”

I smiled before replying, “Two shots of whiskey, hopefully something with a good taste.”

The barman gave me a little smirk. “We only sell the best at The Horsetail, sir.” He turned around to grab a green bottle from the counter. He set the bottle down on the bar in front of us and placed two clean glasses on the table. After pouring a shot into each glass, he turned around and continued his work behind the bar, no doubt preparing for tonight’s guests.

I sipped the whiskey with a little grimace on my face, only to find it was actually pretty good. I didn’t expect a town this far from civilization to have good whiskey. I nodded to Sarah to let her know it was ok to drink, and she picked up her glass and gave it a gentle sip. After coming to the same conclusion as me, she shot the rest of the glass down with one quick flick of her wrist.

She then spoke to the barman. “Another shot for us, and are your rooms as good as the whiskey?”

The barman came back with the bottle and poured each of us another measure. “You won’t find a better room within a hundred miles of this place. Unfortunately, at the moment, all of them are being used by the workers the boss has brought in, unless of course you would be interested in our only suite. It will cost you a little more money than our standard room, at four dollars a night.”

I looked at the man, thinking about the price. “Does the four dollars include a bath?”

He looked back at me with a shark-like grin and said, “It does, and for an even five, it includes a warm meal.”

He seemed to be shocked that anyone would be interested in the suite at such a price. I looked back at him and decided not to try and haggle the price down, but instead to shoot for a few extras. “If we can get the room for two nights with a bath each day and the rest of that bottle of whiskey, for ten dollars, we might have a deal. I will also give you a dollar for our two drinks and a dollar for yourself. If you can provide food and lodging for our horses for both nights, it would be worth another five dollars to me.” The barman clapped his hands, a broad smile breaking across his face. He reached out his right hand to shake with me.

As we were shaking, he winked and said, “As long as the cash is paid upfront, we have ourselves a deal.”

After I released his hand, I reached into one of my saddlebags and placed the money on the counter. All told, it was more than anyone in their right mind should pay for a room out in the middle of nowhere, but I was happy to pay the price for a few nights of comfort. Sarah would be happy to have me cleaned up, and more than ever I found myself caring about the things that made her happy.

The man rang a little bell behind the bar, signaling for someone to come and lead us to our room. He quickly pocketed the money before they arrived, and placed the green bottle of whiskey on the counter with two clean glasses. Sarah and I finished the last of our whiskey, and the barman quickly took the glasses and began to wash them.

I moved to follow the woman waiting to escort us to our room, but Sarah stayed behind for a bit to speak with the barman. I saw her pass the man a few dollars, and wondered what she could possibly be doing. Everything I could think of had already been paid for, and handsomely so.

She sauntered over as the serving girl and I waited at the bottom of the stairs for her. When she noticed me watching her, she gave me a look and put her hand on her hip.

“What?” Sarah said. “I just asked him for a few special services.”

The feeling that Sarah was up to something was starting to take root in my mind. What else could she have possibly ordered that we had not already paid for? Together we followed the woman who was only covered in a corset, leggings, and a small skirt, up two flights of stairs to the top floor of the building. There was only one door, which she opened for us, and then she handed me the key before heading back down the stairs, making sure that each step revealed her long, barely covered legs.

The room was even more lavish than what I was expecting for the price we paid. Every inch of the floor was covered with thick rugs, except where the cast iron bathtub was. That area was slightly raised and tilted toward the outer wall. I noticed that little notches had been carved and sanded into the wood so any water spilled or removed from the tub would be carried outside. I hid our oilskin bundles in the corner, using a simple spell to mask them from sight. Oilskin was the perfect cover. It made people assume we had rifles. The appearance of guns seemed to keep most of the vagabonds away from us. It was an easy cover to maintain while riding on horseback. The packages did not contain rifles, but they did serve to hide our swords and my staff.

Just as I finished hiding our weapons, a knock sounded at the door. It was the barman, with three strong men behind him holding another tub.

“We have the second tub that your lady requested, sir.”

I moved out of the way and let them set it up by the other tub, overlooking the forest outside. I pulled a dollar out of my saddlebag and handed it to the barman on his way out.

When he passed me, he said, “We are heating the water for your baths now. It should be ready in ten minutes or so.” Without another word, he left.

I hoped Sarah noticed the confused look on my face when I said, “Two baths?”

She smiled. “Yes, your stink is so bad I paid to have an extra one brought up so you could bathe twice.”

I knew that wasn’t the reason. Being from a pack of werewolves, she had different feelings about nudity than I did. I hailed from London originally, and was used to ladies there being covered from the neck to the tips of their toes almost all of the time. Men and women didn’t see each other naked unless they were married or decided to purchase some company. Sarah was used to being naked, because she had to be when she shifted into her Lycan form. The entire pack, as far as I could tell, was equally comfortable around each other with or without clothes. Since we’d started our journey, Sarah had noticed her nudity made me slightly uncomfortable, and had decided to rub it in whenever she could.

The heated water had been carried in to fill up the baths, and Sarah wasted no time stripping down. As much as I wanted to, I could not look away. Apparently I was not as much of a gentleman as I thought I was. She slipped into the water of her bath and turned to watch me finish undressing, a process made slightly more uncomfortable for me due to my heightened state of arousal. I backed up to my bath, hoping to keep myself shielded from her view. A light laugh followed my antics, letting me know that I had failed. Giving up on modesty, I turned to face her and climbed into the tub. I looked over at her once more, only to be greeted with a sultry smile that did nothing to alleviate my current condition.

We spent the rest of our baths in a semi-awkward silence. I turned my focus to scrubbing myself clean. The soap washed away the dirt, and I finally started to relax. Both of us finished bathing and donned clean clothes from our packs. I took special care to make sure that I kept my eyes to myself while getting dressed. A repeat of my previous performance would be incredibly embarrassing. I was sure Sarah had enjoyed that laugh at my expense, and I was loath to give her another opportunity to do it again.