The Unclaimed (University of the Gods Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Her ears made a popping sound and suddenly she was able to hear again.

“That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen anyone do”, Ben hissed and handed her a piece of cloth so that she could wipe away the blood. “He could have killed you.”

Cassandra stretched out her hand and Hector, who had come running towards her too, helped her up. He threw her an angry look but Cassandra, feeling dizzy, was holding on to her brother when she was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of absolute terror. Then there was a terrified scream and a roar that shook the earth, a loud splashing sound and afterwards a terrible silence.

Cassandra whipped around. The noise had come from the general direction of the sea behind the training arena and apparently she hadn’t been the only one to hear it. Ajax and Hippolyta each snatched up a sword and told the others to follow them. Cassandra, Hector and Ben, swearing heavily, followed suit but were slowed down by Cassandra who had started bleeding again from the strain of running.

They followed the others down to the beach where the strange sound had originated. Ajax was scouting the area with Wolf and Bear and some of the Claimed but there was no urgency to their movements, like they knew that the danger was gone. Some of the students were already on their way up again, looking pale and shaking their heads.

“She must have fallen off the cliffs”, someone said but Cassandra doubted that that was the case.

Hippolyta and River were shielding the girl’s body and told curious bystanders to leave. Ben went to talk to River in low murmurs, his gaze never leaving the sea that was still foaming and whirling in places and River, who looked worried and distraught at the same, kept shaking his head every time Ben asked him something. Cassandra asked Hippolyta to be allowed to take a look at the dead girl and her teacher at first hesitated, then nodded. Cassandra, saying a silent prayer, bent down next to the girl.

“Something big snatched her up and twisted her in the middle”, Cassandra said slowly, indicating the girl’s dress that was drenched in blood.

Hippolyta, watching her closely, bit her lips, then nodded. Cassandra pointed at the cuts on the girl’s hand, the knife she was carrying and the bucket standing next to her

“They were collecting mussels”, Cassandra murmured and then gently removed the hair from the girl’s face. “She must have been standing with her back to the sea when it happened.”

“What makes you say ‘they’?” Hippolyta asked, drawn in by the contrast between Cassandra’s cool, almost distant words and the care with which she handled the dead girl’s body.

Cassandra, looking around until she finally found what she had been looking for, picked up a small flower and placed it next to the girl’s ear. The stem was still attached and Cassandra knew that she had worn it to bring a little joy to her otherwise grey, uniform life. She swallowed and briskly got up.

“There are two more buckets, there and there”, she said and indicated to the right. “She was too young to come here by herself.”

Cassandra turned around and looked out to the sea.

“Whatever took them was big and came from the water”, she said.

Hippolyta, who had come to a similar conclusion, nodded.

“You have an acute sense of observation”, Hippolyta said and Cassandra frowned. “Use it wisely. And stop picking opponents twice your size before I have trained you properly.”

She laid a small hand on Cassandra’s shoulder.

“You have potential, girl”, she said quietly. “Don’t ruin it by getting yourself killed.”

Cassandra looked down at her teacher and saw a will of steel. She nodded and murmured that it wasn’t her intention to get killed any time soon. Hippolyta smiled and pressed Cassandra’s shoulder, then her face turned sad again.

“And now I have to go tell a mother that she has lost her child”, Hippolyta said and turned to go away.

Cassandra watched her go over to Ajax who told some of the Claimed to make a carrier for the girl. Then they left together. There was nothing they could do down here anymore. They watched as the Claimed put the girl’s body on a makeshift carrier and left to take her back to the university. Cassandra thought of the families whose lives would be shattered soon and went to look at the other buckets lying close to the now absolutely calm sea.

“The creature must have reached them almost simultaneously”, Ben said beside her and Cassandra could hear the catch in his voice. “There were two more but they are gone now.”

“I am sorry”, she said quietly.

“Me too”, he murmured.

Then there was movement in the water. Ben immediately drew his sword but it was only a flock of sea nymphs who stuck their heads out of the water. The Nereids had long green hair that flowed down their backs; their bodies ended in a kind of fishtail but strangest of all was their translucent skin through which their red hearts could be seen beating. Cassandra shuddered. When they saw people standing on the shore, the sea nymphs shrieked and disappeared under water again.

“The Nereids are upset, too”, River said beside them and started to undress.

“What are you doing”, Cassandra asked and River, now almost naked, grinned.

“I am a son of Poseidon”, he said and winked. “I can talk to them.”

And with that he was gone. When he didn’t reappear, they decided to go back to the university.

“Will you tell me what he found out?” Cassandra asked and Ben nodded.

“Of course”, he said.

Hector, who had been waiting for her, gave her a short wave and Cassandra went over to meet him. They left, both lost in thought, both throwing back one last look at the spot where the dead girl had lain before they turned towards their new home together.

On the day of the first challenge, Cassandra still had a dull aching feeling in her right wrist and sometimes had trouble hearing. Ajax had done more damage to her arm pounding on the shield than she had first thought but she hadn’t wanted to go to the infirmary for treatment and had relied on Summer instead. Now she was outside with Hector, testing the weight of the sword in her hand in the cool of the early fall morning and found that she was able to hold it with a more or less tight grip. It would have to do. That was the good thing about being partly divine: you didn’t break that easily.

Beside her, Hector was already working up a sweat and then indicated to her that it was time to leave for the Colosseum where the first challenge would take place. Just like in the old days they would have to fight a creature coming from the dungeons for the entertainment of the masses.

Cassandra was nervous about having to perform in front of the whole university and in such an imposing environment, but she also felt excited. She bumped playfully into her brother but instead of reacting in kind, he snarled at her to stop. And suddenly Cassandra remembered that what they did for fun today, he had done for real only a week ago: fight for his life in the underground pits so that others would be entertained. Suddenly her excitement felt shallow.

As if sensing the change in her mood, Hector laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. They knew it was important for them to fight today and that it might eventually lead to something good. When they arrived, the others were already there. They were admitted at one of the side entrances and immediately led into the tunnels under the Colosseum. Cassandra, who had never seen the huge building from within, felt slightly disappointed but knew she would see the insides soon enough.

The tunnels smelled of damp and earth and the further they went into them, the colder it got. Cassandra felt a shiver run down her spine when they passed several empty, cage-like structures and other, more spacious rooms with beds and tables where the gladiators had waited their turn in former times.

They were led into one of those rooms where there was no natural light, only torches that painted flickering shadows against the stone walls. In the distance, they could hear the noises of caged animals. They sounded big and Cassandra could smell the fear and anticipation of the other contestants. Bear, clad in his bear hide again, was carrying his hammer and was all pumped up about fighting and pacing restlessly but it was Wolf who looked like a warrior.

Despite the morning’s freshness, he was wearing nothing but a loincloth and had painted his eyes and cheeks dark. Black stripes covered his body, highlighting his long, sinewy muscles that were in stark contrast to Bear’s leathery bulk. River, whose armor looked like it was made of fish scales, sparkled with every move he made. His movements were irritatingly slow, like he was moving under water, and still she felt he was only lying in wait and that his attack would be fast, efficient and deadly. Beside him, Sol looked the complete opposite with his head ablaze in red hair that he had put up in spikes and his armor which was painted with flames that looked like they were alive. Ben, who had done nothing to enhance his appearance, was wearing a black hooded sweater that he had drawn over his head and was calmly resting against the wall, ignoring the commotion beside him and only talking to River from time to time.

The longer they had to wait, the more nervous Cassandra got. She repeatedly checked her weapons and heard Hector do the same, a sure sign that he wasn’t calm either.

Eventually, they got into position and were then led out of the room. They had to line up in front of a closed heavy wooden door where they could hear the low hum of people talking on the other side. Cassandra wished she could sit with the crowd, just for a moment.

They followed Ben, who naturally had taken the front position again, and when the door opened, he led them into the huge arena of the Colosseum. It was so big that they had trouble seeing to the other end. There was sand on the ground and it smelled of straw and animals and of fire as if someone had burned something not too long ago. They walked towards the rows of spectators, passing a huge metal cage in the process where undoubtedly the fighting would soon take place, and stood looking up at Alexander, Arissa and Heracles who greeted them with a nod.

The stone walls below the spectators were seven times as high as Bear and Cassandra couldn’t help but think that they had been built in a way that no animal, or other creature, would ever be able to get up there. There were thousands of rows for spectators but only a few of them had been filled with students, teachers and staff. The rows at the back were filled with Unclaimed and Cassandra saw Pandora, Jim and Summer wave excitedly at them while Charlie, who was nursing his flask again, seemed mostly bored and on the verge of falling asleep.

Just when Ben, the other demigods and the rest of the contestants stopped to kneel before Alexander and Arissa, Hector and Cassandra raised a hand to greet their friends and the other Unclaimed. Ben shot her a sharp look from under his hood while there was a murmur of displeasure from the Claimed but Cassandra didn’t care. No one had bothered to explain the rules to them. She looked to Hector, who gave her a small nod, and then they knelt down as well. Arissa started to say something to her brother but Heracles interrupted her by raising his hands and asking for silence.

“Welcome to the first of the challenges”, he boomed and indicated to the contestants that they could rise again while he simultaneously managed to throw a stern look at Cassandra and Hector indicating that he would deal with them later.

“As you already know, our contestants are each going to face a dangerous creature coming out of the dungeons and I think we have found a fitting one for each of you”, he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “You, my dear contestants, will either overcome your opponent with your own bare strength or perish in the attempt. But don’t faint yet, ladies and gentlemen. We will intervene if there is true danger for your favorite contestant’s life.”

He indicated the part of the arena that would be used for the contest. There were several small doors leading into the metal cage guarded by at least one or two guards and a big trapdoor leading into a tunnel through which the animals would be released and that was currently closed. Cassandra could also make out several smaller trapdoors on the floor that were mostly covered by sand. Black lines filled with tar were snaking through the sand and there were torches at the sides that were burning a little too close to the tar pits for Cassandra’s taste.

“The challenge counts if you kill the animal or severely wound it”, Heracles continued and raised his arms. “Give us your best and make it entertaining.”

The crowd roared and Heracles bowed to Alexander who raised his hand to ask for silence.

“Good luck to everyone”, he said, looking at each of the contestants individually. “Let the games begin!”

As one, the contestants raised their weapons and their battle cries were met by the loudest cheer from the crowd yet. Alexander nodded to Bear to begin while the other contestants retreated to a spot below the spectators to wait their turn.

They watched Bear make a show of displaying his muscles, dancing nervously in front of one of the small doors. When the guard didn’t open it fast enough, Bear pushed him aside and opened the door himself. He entered the cage with his hammer raised, then waited for the trapdoor to open. He laughed at the boar coming out of it but Cassandra had never seen a boar that big nor one with tusks so long that they almost reached the creature’s forehead. She wondered whether there was some kind of magic involved or whether the university had access to a special breed of animal but Bear didn’t seem intimidated by the creature’s size at all. He waited for the animal to charge at him, killed it with one blow to its giant head and then waited for the crowd to cheer. Instead, there were murmurs of displeasure from the spectators’ rows. Apparently the killing hadn’t lasted long enough and the crowd actually whistled when Bear left the cage. Bear swore at them and then went to steam in his own anger. He didn’t even wish Wolf good luck as he went in next.

Wolf did a better job at entertaining the crowd when he faced a majestic lion. He circled the beast, teasing and provoking it before he killed the beautiful creature with a powerful throw of his spear. Sol came up next and had to go against a gigantic snake while River faced a pack of white wolves. He killed them with fast, elegant strikes of his sword but when he was done, River looked at the mess around him with something bordering on disgust. He threw away his sword and walked out of the cage with his head hung low.

The crowd, who didn’t like to be reminded of the senselessness of what was happening before them, booed until River had reached the safety of the shadows below the spectators. Ben pressed his shoulder but River shook his head and slid to the floor, refusing to watch the rest of the show.

The seven Claimed contestants had to test their luck next. Four didn’t fare well and had to be rescued; in the end only three of the Claimed contestants earned their right to enter the next of the challenges.

When it was Ben’s turn, the crowd grew silent while Cassandra felt her heart beat faster. Again, he looked smaller at first than he actually was. He slowly drew back his hood and tucked it fast at the sides. He seemed to grow with every move and then he ripped off the sleeves of his shirt, revealing perfectly shaped muscles, the crowd started to murmur. Eventually those murmurs turned into cheers when he swung the pieces of black fabric over his head and they turned into two black sticks as if by magic. Cassandra guessed that it was some kind of trick but when he put the two sticks together and they fused into one with sharp edges on each side, she wasn’t so sure anymore. She saw Heracles frown but he didn’t interrupt. He knew very well that the son of Hades was about to give the best show to date and he didn’t want to ruin it.

Ben turned towards the trapdoor and a hundred or more black birds came screeching out of it. They looked unnaturally thin, almost skeletal and had eerily glowing red eyes. They threw themselves on the son of Hades, covering him in a cloud of feathers, beaks and wings. There was a cry of relief when Ben finally managed to fight his way out from under them.

Cassandra admired the speed and elegance with which he fought. It looked like he was performing an intricate dance that had nothing to do with the simple art of surviving they had been taught. He never went for the easy kill: he delayed attacking the birds, working so much faster the next moment that it was hard to follow his movements with the naked eye. Just when she thought that he was putting himself at an unnecessary risk, he made a mistake. The three last remaining birds came shrieking at him and Ben stumbled and fell. The birds were on him in an instant. He rolled away from under them and killed them unceremoniously. The crowd cheered and called his name but Ben threw away the stick and went away without acknowledging the sudden enthusiasm with which he was met. When he passed Cassandra, he had a similar look of disgust in his face as River and that he hadn’t enjoyed the fight after all. To her surprise he didn’t go back to his friends but stopped beside her to lean against the wall while they watched Hector enter the cage.

“Good show”, she said evenly and saw a cut on his face already healing itself. 

He gritted his teeth and balled his fists.

“That’s what it is all about, isn’t it?” he said and Cassandra thought that this was more than a general observation. “Put on a good show for everyone.”

He unrolled his fists and lightly touched her arm, then quickly drew back again as if remembering where he was.

“Good luck to you and your huge friend today”, he said and with that he left her standing alone again.

Wolf threw her a curious look while Bear looked like he would like to go straight at her. Just then the trapdoor opened and Hector stood facing a bear that was anything but happy to be standing in a cage smelling of death and blood. The giant beast roared and when it saw Hector, it went straight at him. Hector threw away his sword and took it on with his bare hands. He gave a good show, cheered on by the shouts and worried cries of the crowd, and in the end he held the bear to the ground, cutting off its air supply until the creature passed out and lay there like it was dead. Hector, a knife at the ready, looked up at Alexander and Heracles, waiting for their decision whether this counted as having passed.

Cassandra saw Summer, Charlie and Jim biting their nails with anxious delight and then saw them scream with joy when Alexander gave Hector the thumbs up.

Her brother left the cage under the loud cries and enthusiastic cheers of the crowd. Everyone liked a happy ending, especially when it came in such a delightful package, Cassandra thought and hugged her brother when he came back to stand beside her, managing to look proud and humble at the same time.

“Good job”, she murmured and Hector smiled at her, then nudged her on.

She was the last one and entered the cage through the same door her brother had just left it. She stood waiting before the trapdoor, her sword resting lightly in her hand but it seemed to take a while to get the animal. Finally, the crowd was getting restless and Heracles asked what the hold-up was about. The guards shrugged, telling him that they had no idea, so one of them was sent into the tunnels to see what was going on.

Cassandra felt dizzy all of a sudden. At first she put it down to the smell of sweat and animal and feces and that of tar that pervaded the arena but that wasn’t what was bothering her. There was a hint of acid in the air, something that made it difficult for her to think straight.