"You cost me a lot of keys," Gill said, Oroc and the others tried to intervene. Amir gestured at them not to.
"You have to fight in his stead," Gill said and let go of his shirt. He straightened it and tapped his shoulder.
"Okay come with me" They went down much smaller stairs. The others followed them to a fighting pit.
Gill walked Amir to a table.
"This is my fighter," Gill said just before The Brooker cut in.
"No he is not," Amir stepped back away from both of them.
"I will fight for 30 keys," Amir said looking at Art.
"Deal," Gill said and Amir wondered if he did not ask for enough.
Anyway, that was Amir's plan all along. The Brooker and Art had killed the guard. He could not rat them out, not knowing what Gill would do to them.
Fighting is what he did, among them, he was the best. Though, Oroc would debate that.
"It is only right I fight," Amir thought as the situation unfolded.
Amir was pushed into the pit.
"Let's hear it for the reigning champion, Grotesque. A patch guard walked into the pit. He was at least 6 feet tall, stitches ran across his body. He was made of muscles, there were barely visible joints. Like the other guard, he was a piece of patchwork.
A number of body parts are stitched together. Amir on the other hand weighed 182 pounds. Though he was quick on his feet there was nothing he could do. At least not against some who weighed two or three times more.
The crowd cheered as he walked in.
"Wait, can I die?" Amir wondered the moment Grotesque walked into the pit. As Amir contemplated his fate. A bell rang and Grotesque ran towards him. With every step the ground shook.
Two swords suddenly materialized in Amir's hands.
"No weapons," Gill yelled from outside the pit.
"You've got to be kidding me," Amir said then the swords disappeared.
As Grotesque charged toward him he dived out of his way. He turned and looked at Amir, then turned towards him.
He walked slowly towards him. Amir walked away from him.
"Get on with it," someone screamed from the crowd. Amir turned for a second just to feel pressure on the side of his face. Grotesque's fist was huge it covered Amir's whole face including his neck.
Amir staggered left, his right eye was bloodshot. His vision was blurry and inside his head was pounding. Before he knew it another heavy blow pummeled him to the ground.
People watching did not care. Rather they loved it, they cheered chanting his opponent's name. After a while, he passed out.
When he came to, he saw Aria, Oroc, and Art standing over him. Gill walked over with a bag of keys. He counted 30 and handed it over to Amir.
"You bet against me?"
Amir asked, looking at Gill with disappointment.
"No heart feelings, I don't know you. It doesn't matter how good a fighter you are, no one wins against Grotesque."
Gill said and walked away.
Gill put the bag of keys in his pocket. Amir noticed the keys disappeared when Gill put them in his pocket.
"Where did the keys go?"
Amir asked as he tried to sit up.
"Oh, he put in the liminal space." The Brooker said and they looked at with confusion.
"Where your weapons come from." The Brooker said and put out his hand. The air in front of him distorted. Like rippling water, the space shook.
The Brooker put his hand in the ripple which was about 22 centimeters in diameter. Art waved his hand where The Brooker's hand disappeared.
"Oh I get, you don't have a liminal weapon. Don't worry, I will teach you all I know as we climb.
Immediately after The Brooker said that the tower horn sounded. Amir, Aria, Art, and Oroc suddenly lost their memories.
"Where am I?" Amir asked, stepping away from the others. The others did something similar.