Xalthra | Meereen | 257 AC
Twenty enemies charged across the arena floor, their war cries swallowed by the roar of the crowd. The sun beat down, hot and unforgiving to all but Xalthra who was used to worse.
At Xalthra's side stood Aurion and eight other fighters, though it would be an insult to combat to call the others as such for all besides Aurion were freshly captured slaves, untrained and full of fear. Compared to the enemies who were all veterans of a dozen fights the battle's outcome seemed obvious.
Obviously in favor of Xalthra's side.
Two arrows whistled through the air, released in near-perfect unison from goldenheart bows. They found flesh before shields could rise, felling two of the charging gladiators. Xalthra and Aurion both notched another arrow and fired again, muscles tight from pulling the heavy bows.
Aurion's arrow bursted through a shield, causing an enemy to fall to the ground screaming and clutching a hole in his forearm. Xalthra's arrow pierced clean through one man's eye to hit another taller man straight in the throat, instantly killing them both.
The crowd exploded into thunderous cheers and Xalthra threw a quick smirk to Aurion who shook his head with a small smile on his face.
Xalthra and Aurion continued to fire, every arrow finding its mark. They pierced through shields, muscles, and bones alike and soon only twelve of their enemies remained.
Waving at the crowd to their delight Aurion closed his eyes and rapidly fired two shots. The first hit a foe's leg causing him to buckle and kneel. The second hit the same man square in the forehead, killing him.
Xalthra could see that Aurion had squinted his eyes open for the second shot but the audience was unaware. They stomped their feet and chanted, "Bloodbringer, Bloodbringer, Bloodbringer."
Aurion smirked back at Xalthra as he gave the audience a dramatic bow.
In the pits where slave gladiators fought without armor archers reigned supreme from a distance.
But as their enemies closed said distance Xalthra and Aurion were forced to drop their bows. Xalthra picked up his long spear while Aurion's choices of arms were a large heater shield and heavy morningstar mace.
The two lines of men crashed into each other just as Xalthra placed himself behind Aurion. He recognized one of the enemies from being in the neighboring cage to his. That didn't stop him from thrusting his spear into his face as Aurion's blocked his sword strike with his shield. The spear split through skull and when wrenched free blood and brain fell to the ground in a wet slurry.
Aurion stepped forward to meet another enemy. He ducked under their horizontal sword swing and brought his mace upwards in a savage arc that connected with the enemy's loins. The crowd groaned at that.
Despite collapsing to the ground, bleeding heavily, the enemy was still very much conscious. With a voice full of pity, Aurion remarked, "Eunuch huh." He ended the man's misery with a blow to the head.
Xalthra spun his spear before he let it slip his grip until he held just the end. The steel tip met the throat of a foe who thought he stood far enough away, killing him.
In that time Aurion had already engaged and dispatched another combatant, smashing through shield and ribs alike in a powerful swing.
Xalthra cursed as he jumped to the side to avoid a thrown dagger. He was not surprised when he turned and saw five of his allies already lying dead. With the numbers now seven to five the enemies tripled up on Aurion while keeping up the pressure on the others.
Dogging again Xalthra zigzagged and made his way to the dagger throwing competitor. Having finished his own foe, one of Xalthra's allies charged at that man's back. He didn't get far, getting his chest punctured by three daggers and falling to the ground.
Still that was enough time for Xalthra to cut the distance. Leveling his long spear he thrusted it, skewering and ending the man.
Looking up at the crowds he saw that seated next to Great Master Nizdar seemed to be the Archon of Tyrosh, evidenced by the banners flying above him.
Knowing that a spectacle of this size wouldn't be enough of an honor to the Archon, Xalthra suspected Nizdar had something else up his sleeve. So in an effort to be prepared for what he was sure to come Xalthra cut his dead foe's arm off and hung it on his shoulders.
He then ran back to help Aurion. At nearly fifty years of age the action exhausted him.
Aurion now battled two enemies with one dead at his feet. His shield was discarded, ruined with an axe embedded in it. With powerful two handed swings he kept the men on the defensive but they kept their distance intent on tiring Aurion out. Their plan seemed to be working with Aurion covered in shallow cuts.
"Aurion," Xalthra yelled mid run. One of the enemies turned at his shout.
Aurion used the lapse in his enemy's attention to smash him in the face. The spikes of the morningstar punctured through the gladiator's skull like butter and he collapsed to the ground, shaking in death throes.
Xalthra kept up his jog but by the time he reached Aurion he had already dispatched the other foe.
"Good idea," Aurion said, nodding to the torn arm.
Breathing heavily they both assessed their situation. Four of their enemies still stood having finished murdering the rookies. One was heavily injured though the rest were in good shape.
It's more than doable, Xalthra thought.
He pressed up back to back with Aurion as they had done over a hundred times and waited as the enemy circled them.
It was at that moment two of the arena gates opened and from them out stepped both a tiger and a grizzly bear.
The crowd, who were tense with anticipation as the fight drew near its end, exploded with noise at the arrival of the beasts.
Damn, Xalthra thought. I knew Nizdar wouldn't go that easy on us.
"Old man, do you want the animals or the men?" Aurion queried, elbowing him.
A smile stretched Xalthra's face, his white scars standing out on his ebony skin. He tapped the dismembered arm on his shoulder and answered.
"Let the real man handle the real threat." With that he dropped his spear, picked back up his bow, and turned to face the animal threat.
He expected at least one of the enemies to follow him but it seemed no one wanted to willingly near the animals so they all continued to draw on Aurion. Xalthra trusted Aurion to last long enough for him to do the usual method.
Cold sweat began to drip down Xalthra's face as he saw the animals were larger than the norm, powerful muscles corded all over their bodies. As he met their eyes he saw they were red from basilisk venom, the madness inducing poison.
Good, he thought. I can use that.
Notching his arrow he fired first at the bear. The arrow found purchase on the beast back but its layers of fat and muscle made it so it did nothing but enrage it further.
With the tiger's longer strides quickly cutting the distance between them Xalthra turned to focus on it. He fired multiple shots, most useless landing in the dirt where the beast once was or on its back. Finally one pierced through its right eye.
The beast stopped in its tracks growling in pain and Xalthra kissed his fingers in thanks.
Deciding it time he pulled the dead man's arm off his shoulders and ripped off two fingers to throw at the bear and tiger. They quickly snapped it up in their mouths.
Cutting up the hand with an arrowhead to increase the smell of blood Xalthra waved it at the bear then threw it just outside the circle of enemies.
The bear bounded after it and with a single swing of its palm it crushed the gladiator nearest to the arm. It swallowed the arm whole then turned to feast on the new corpse.
The enraged and injured tiger did not take well to what it considered its meal being taken away. It fell upon the bear's back, its long fangs biting deep.
The beasts, each weighing hundreds of pounds, bucked and tore into each other in a crazed struggle. They swiped their claws and used their fangs, dead set on killing the other.
Aurion used the moment he and the three enemies moved to get away from the beast's to switch off from the defensive.
He attacked the wounded enemy who fell a step behind the others, striking him with his mace and collapsing his chest inwards. The man's corpse fell to the ground then got torn up in the tiger and bear's fight.
An arrow pierced through another combatants eye courtesy of Xalthra.
Now one on one Aurion moved with practiced ease dodging and parrying blows. He swiftly ended his foe with a single strike to the head. Blood splattered across Aurion's face.
He lifted his mace to the crowd and screamed. The crowd responded with their own scream. Glancing at the beasts Aurion decided to do as he did best and excite the crowd some more.
Instead of letting the beast finish their fight and pick off the weakened victor, Aurion picked up his bow and fired at them.
Arrow after arrow fell upon the beasts, some being no more of a nuisance than a fly but others serving tendons, piercing paws, and worse.The beast continued on in their struggle, minds gone in madness.
Aurion engaged with the crowd by asking for suggestions on where to shoot. Xalthra looked at him with pity knowing that all his grandiose performance was an act that very much disgusted Aurion. He still remembered how hard the boy shook after his first kill and how much he threw up after playing to the vicious crowd's interest.
In the last two years since Krollos death Aurion had been buried with fight after fight which forced him deeper in his role, breaking Xalthra's heart. Xalthra was ashamed he claimed himself the boy's adopted father for what man had the right to call himself as such after being helpless to stop his son's suffering.
Still Aurion had not completely lost hope and become blood-crazed as others had. He never stopped thirsting for freedom with him angling for it even now.
Aurion had said that this fight could lead them from Nizdar's hands and eventually to freedom though he was vague. All he had mentioned was Tyrosh. Xalthra looked up again at that city's Archon. He shivered as their eyes met.
Surely Aurion does not mean to trade one horrible master for another.
Eventually the bear pressed the tiger beneath it with its weight and paws and ripped out its throat. It stood on its hind legs and roared at the sky in triumph.
It was a short-lived triumph as Xalthra and Aurin both took the opening and fired multiple arrows at the bear's face, throat, and eyes. With a heavy thud the bear collapsed though both Aurion and Xalthra did not dare to near it.
The crowd clapped with cheers of Aurion's title ringing out once more. Aurion smiled back, waving his hand. His red eyes burned with hidden hatred as he looked out into the crowd. Soon they dispersed with the day's events at its end.
Great Master Nizdar made his way into the arena with a gaggle of the who's who of Meereen behind him. The reason for today's bloody spectacle also walked behind him, the Archon of Tyrosh. The dozens of guards by their side warily watched Aurion.
"Kneel," was the clipped command of the Archon.
Xalthra did so, pulling Aurion to follow him. Even in the fighting pits of Meeren he had heard tell of Archon Alleander Veria's character and it was nothing good.
The man supposedly lived only for pleasure and received it in truly deplorable ways. Worse, he had a sharp mind that allowed him to control the city of Tyrosh with an iron fist.
"Archon Alleander did I not tell you that there would be no greater pleasure in Meereen than watching my Aurion fight." Nizdar proudly said.
"You were quite right in your assessment." The Archon stared at Aurion and Xalthra both with greedy eyes. Stepping forward he grabbed Xalthra by the chin. Xalthra lowered his gaze long since used to such treatment.
"How much to buy this one?" Alleander asked.
Giving an oily smile that almost seemed sincere Nizdar answered.
"Regretfully that slave is not for sale."
Alleander released his grip on Xalthra and grabbed Aurion now.
"How about this one?"
Again Nizdar repeated himself. The Archon's gaze hardened, clearly unused to being told no.
"Twice I asked you to sell, not gift, sell me something. And twice you have refused me. I had thought considering the history and trade between our two cities that I would be welcomed as an honored guest. I thought wrong."
Snapping his finger Alleander's guards fell in behind him and he made to leave.
Nizdar started to sweat. He may have been a powerful man in Meereen but even his head would be on the chopping block if Tyrosh decided to stop buying and selling with Meereen or even if they simply hiked up the prices.
Already some of the other Great Master's of Meereen who envied Nizdar's recent fortunes started to smile and whisper.
Chasing after him, the blobs of his fat shaking with every step, Nizdar grabbed Alleander who frowned at his touch.
"I was too hasty. Let me gift the Summer Islander to you." Nizdar gritted out.
The Archon threw his hand over Nizdar's shoulder and smiled, a small sharp thing. His purple eyes flashed with hidden emotion and he walked forwards, forcing Nizdar to walk with him.
"I thank you but it is not just that gift that I want. In truth one of the reasons I personally came to Meereen instead of simply sending a member of the conclave was to see the Bloodbringer for myself. For if the rumors were true, who better to be the Archon's guard." He paused and waved to the carnage on the field. "As such I must insist that you sell that boy to me."
Displeasure washing over his face, Nizdar frowned. He threw the Archon's hand off his shoulder and turned to face him.
"Do not presume to command over me. I am no mere merchant or magister of Tyrosh but rather a Great Master of Meereen."
Instead of growing incensed, Alleander smiled. He stepped forward taking up Nizdars space, forcing him to step back. Alleander quickly took another forward, his chest now inches away from Nizdar's face.
Nizdar stepped back again and again, with Alleander not stopping moving forward, until he tripped. He fell back not on the floor but onto the fur of the bear. Nizdar stood up with a face red from anger. He opened his mouth to speak.
But his words never came.
Instead he screamed as what was thought to be the corpse of the bear shot up and in one last act bit the head off of Nizdar. Blood showered over Alleander who smiled so wide it was a wonder why his lips did not tear.
Stepping away from the now dead bear and Great Master, Alleander turned to the rest of the Great Masters of Meeren. Pointing at Aurion and Xalthra he spoke.
"About those slaves."