A Soldier's Life-Chapter 195: Blood Sport

Renna was tasked with oiling the furniture and decided to work in the kitchen while I prepped dinner. The oil had a lovely beeswax, lemon, and oil scent. She was being overtly obvious about her interest in talking with me after I had not seen her for almost a week. She asked about my food preparation and offered to help.

I deflected her help and kept her on task, but we talked about her progress with her spells, classmates, and what rumors had reached the students regarding the war with the Bartiradians. I learned a lot about Renna, and her views of the world had definitely broadened since she joined Castile’s company for the bulette and griffin hunt.

I believe she displayed a proper level of cynicism of the Empire while we talked. She was still promised to one of the Emperor’s sons, but the Empire needed powerful combat mages at the moment. No one had even mentioned her impending marriage to her in months. I think every wood surface in the kitchen got at least three coats of oil that afternoon. At sunset, Flora and Livia came to the kitchen, and I served them all a new recipe I had tried.

The food was one of the loose recipes in the folio. The noodles came out a bit chewy, and the tomato-based sauce was a little watery, but no one complained. Flora asked anxiously as she ate my attempt at spicy meatballs and spaghetti, “Are you coming with us on our hunt?”

“I believe so. Do you know what you will be hunting yet?” I asked as I tried making another batch of noodles using a different, finer flour.

Flora shrugged, “We were told we would be going to the farms west of the capital. A half-day in a covered cart. Some signs of lesser green goblins were spotted, large foxes getting after chickens, wolves taking down sheep, and some large rats getting into the grain stores.” I nodded while kneading the dough. With the food shortage in the Empire, that grain was probably highly precious.

“Are you coming with me to hunt gnolls?” Renna said while slurping up some noodles and unknowingly splattering the sauce on her robes.

“Yes. I believe Chancellor Zyna is going to assign me as your legionnaire bodyguard.” Renna’s face instantly lit up, and she couldn’t hide her smile, her cheeks and chin speckled with sauce. I fought back a laugh. “She said I should talk to you about your enemies so that I would be aware of whom I should be watching. Were there any in the class with you today?”

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Renna beamed happily, then her brow furrowed. “I think she means First Citizen Mage Cashius and his twin sister Ona. Both are just water mages and were not in class today. They also have a number of henchmen who do their bidding. And Cashius has a malicious legionnaire bodyguard, too.” She bit her lip worriedly as she talked.

“Well, let me know who they are when we travel to the eastern forests. Chancellor Zyna and other mage instructors will be with us, so I don’t think there will be any issues,” I reassured her.

Zyna took this moment to walk into the kitchen. I wondered how long she had been listening. Her eyes traveled over the group, a look of disappointment on her face. “Clean your faces and show some decorum while eating.” The young women grabbed the gray napkins to wipe their faces hastily. “If you three have filled your bellies, you can leave.” The two young mage aspirants, still anxious in Zyna’s presence, left immediately. Renna lingered for a moment but eventually departed without saying anything.

I retrieved Zyna’s dinner. I had finally used the intestine casings Maveith had prepared in the dungeon to make some bear sausage. I boiled them in beer and then grilled them. I thought it was a failure, as it was over-spiced, too lean, and dry. Zyna didn’t seem to mind and quickly devoured the three thick links I placed before her. When finished, she put a thick book on the table. I peeked at the title: Poisons and Powders for the Tier One Alchemist.

Zyna sipped some wine and commented on the book, “There are some useful things in there: how to purify myconid spores, blindness powder, sneezing powder, flash powder, smoke powder, and others. There are a few different ingredient combinations for each potential effect.”

“Thank you. I will take a look in my free time tomorrow,” I said, wiping my hand and paging through the book.

Zyna took my gratitude with a nod. “You won’t have time tomorrow. After the morning class, we will head to the Coliseum to see the games, as you requested. Antonia is not in the city, so we will not see her, but I may need to entertain others in Antonia’s box. You will wear your armor and carry your body shield. You will stand in the back of the box but still have a good view of the arena sands.”

“What is the class tomorrow?” I inquired.

“Basic spellcraft for mage aspirants. Your two lost sheep are not in it. They are promising mages but not in the top class. The class is for those that are close to forming their first true spell,” Zyna informed me while dabbing her mouth with a cloth and holding in a burp. Zyna left me to clean up. I would have asked for her to get me help with the basic chores, but I was still sore from Lareen’s betrayal and wary of spending too much time with women.

After cleaning the kitchen, I consumed a major earth essence and retired to my room and the dreamscape. I added the tier-one poison book to my library and then studied the spell form before training with Konstantin and Maveith. After a few hours in the dreamscape, I was back on the balcony under the cool night air, doing my physical training. The sky was clear this morning, and Neptune’s Tear lit the city eerily below. Street lights lined the upper city streets, and other lights bounced among the streets, with people moving purposely in the pre-dawn city below.

I moved inside to practice my sword forms when the sun cracked the horizon. I still found it odd how the muscle memory from the dreamscape translated so readily to actual-world practice. I wasn’t going to become a sword master in just a few weeks of work in the dreamscape, but my gains were much more rapid, and I could risk experimentation there without fear of permanent injury.

I found Zyna working on the oven in the kitchen. Had she been watching me train? She looked up, fresh soot covering her arms and cheeks. “You must charge the regulator runes in concert with the thermal stone, but your oven should work. I hope this will help you improve your cooking skills.” I took note that she didn’t criticize my efforts to date. “We will leave in an hour for class.” Zyna left me in the kitchen after appreciatively taking in my sweaty, naked torso. After she left, it didn’t take long to figure out the oven. The new runic device had four temperature settings.

I suited up in my parade armor, and while I waited on Zyna, I studied the alchemist’s book on poisons. It was not as impressive as it sounded. It was more of a primer for more complex poisons and powders. Not a single recipe inside required gem dust and aether as a catalyst. All the recipes were about purifying and mixing ingredients.

The myconid spores seemed to be one of the primary ingredients for this type of alchemy. All the powders used the spores as a medium for delivery. I first learned of the spores from Konstantin as a means to obscure your scent from animals and beasts. It only took a tiny amount of the purified powder to block the smell receptors in the nose completely.

“Don’t forget your shield,” Zyna stated, smirking when exiting her room. She was dressed in more formal robes with golden embroidery. I grunted as I was not too fond of the large body shield with the Kraken, house symbol. It was cumbersome and designed to be used in formation, and I think the only reason she had it made was so her house crest could be easily identified when I escorted her. At least it could be easily rested on the floor when I was standing guard.

I led our two-person procession, and Zyna directed me from behind to across the courtyard to another tower. The classroom was full of tables with nervous white-robed mage aspirants fidgeting in their seats. They all looked so young and innocent, like Flora and Livia. I positioned myself at the door, getting uncomfortable glances from the students.

Zyna began the class, which was very basic. The Chancellor was still imperious in her tone and speech, but she also had nuggets of wisdom if you paid attention to her terse comments. Being able to filter aether through the correct aspect of your core was paramount to casting powerful magics. The class was focused on the second step for spell formation: aether control and manipulation.

When the class ended after three long hours, Zyna collected me, and we walked through the grounds again. “Why are you teaching such a rudimentary class?” I asked the High Mage two steps behind me.

Zyna clicked her tongue in what I assumed was amusement. “Would you believe I enjoy it? That is true, but I also want to identify those among the mage aspirants with the highest likelihood of becoming true mages.”

That made sense. “Is your interest in them because of Antonia?”

There was a pause as we passed the outer wall guards and entered the streets of the upper city. “Partly,” she admitted and didn’t elaborate further as she directed me toward our destination.

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I walked in front of the Chancellor as we headed toward the Coliseum. I liked to think the crowds parted for me in my impressive armor, but it was the Chancellor’s robes that the populace recognized, and they paused in their evening activities to clear the road and watch us pass. The path to the city’s western side proceeded rapidly, and we reached a massive circular building with Roman arches and columns surrounded by a wide plaza. Stone mosaics decorated the plaza, depicting various fearsome creatures. Men and women in extravagant and colorful clothes shopped the various vendor carts dotting the plaza. Pairs of legionnaires—not city guards—patrolled this plaza.

The Coliseum was less impressive in scope than I recalled of the one in Rome back on Earth. Imperial legionnaires guarded the entrances as Zyna ignored the merchant’s carts. She took the lead as we entered the structure and quickly made our way through the brightly lit interior halls to a covered box on the first level of the arena. The arena looked impressive but was nothing compared to the sports stadiums I was used to back on Earth.

The first level, just above the sands, had dozens of private boxes close to the action. Bench seating went up into the stands, and another ring of boxed seating was at the very top. I guessed the entire stadium could hold maybe fifteen thousand, not the twenty thousand I was told.

There were seven seats in the private box, and Zyna motioned for me to stand at the back. “This is Antonia’s box. You’ll stand against the wall. I’m not sure if anyone will join us today, but stay still and silent if they do.”

A young man in a light brown toga entered after her statement. “Chancellor High Mage, your pleasure?”

“Wine and fruit,” she said, waving him away. He bowed formally and left. I took my position against the wall and waited. Large trays of cut fruit were delivered with multiple pitchers of cold wine. Zyna just poured a single goblet of red wine and sipped it.

We were considerably early, and a number of colorfully dressed men and women visited the box to pay their respects to the High Mage as we waited for the stands to fill. I could tell Zyna was doing business with brief conversations but was too far back to discern what was being spoken as the murmuring crowd noise got louder and louder.

The stadium was filled with vibrantly dressed nobles of the capital. Drab brown-dressed servants rushed among them to accommodate their requests. Clearly, this venue was for the sole entertainment of the privileged. That was different from what I remembered in my history. The Roman emperors of Earth used the Games to entertain and impress the ordinary citizens of Rome as well as the wealthy.

A horn sounded, and Zyna was left in the box alone. Apparently, no one else was using Antonia’s box today. The stands were about ninety percent full. I realized there were two upper walkways that increased capacity by providing additional standing room. I reevaluated my estimates of the capacity of the Coliseum.

My thoughts were interrupted as a troupe of tumblers and acrobats trailing streamers entered the sandy arena floor. The group put on an amazing display with their acrobatics' height, rotations, and power. I had to remember that magic was likely involved with their athletic displays.

A man in shimmering black robes floated down from above. At first, I thought this man might be the Emperor himself, but his booming voice echoed in the stadium. “I welcome you once again to the Emperor’s Games! We have twenty contests this evening!” The crowd cheered, drowning him out. The structure's acoustics were impressive as I felt the stone beneath my feet vibrate from the crowd's roar. But then again, it might just be aided by magic.

When the crowd settled, he continued, “Our first contest is between Champion Cassian the Red and his challenger Herculianus the Wall.” The Champion got the loudest cheers, and two men in shiny steel armor entered. The armor was only the cuirass and helm, but leather skirts and wraps protected other vital areas. Cassian had a round blood-red shield in his left hand and a medium-length blade in his other. The challenger was easily a foot taller and had a mace and white shield.

As I watched the pair fight, I quickly became disgusted. It was a noisy show for the screaming spectators, with frequent strikes on the shields and cuirass. The two fighters were obviously quick and skilled, but Cassian passed numerous advantages to draw out the fight. Herculianus was bleeding from a dozen cuts while he never connected solidly once with Cassian.

The fight finally ended when Herculianus had slowed too much from blood loss and conceded. Cassian removed his helmet in victory, his black hair matted with sweat. The smile on his middle-aged face was fabricated as he turned slowly and waved to his fans.

I was certain the Champion could defeat me easily in true combat as he had held back and fought down to his opponent’s level to give a good show. I stepped forward, seeing an opportunity. I whispered to Zyna through the crowd noise, “Can someone hire the gladiators for private lessons?”

Zyna turned, a smirk on her face, “You wish to become a gladiator now?”

“Just a better warrior,” I stated flatly. After fighting for my life so many times, I was kind of disgusted with this entertainment spectacle.

“I will inquire.” Zyna turned back to watch the combat. Four more pairs of gladiators fought in the sands, and I became less and less impressed with the spectacle and skill displayed.

The sixth match of the afternoon was eight Bartiradian soldiers: four humans, three elves, and a dwarf. Their armor had dried blood, but none of them displayed any injuries. One of the humans was clearly in charge as he organized the group. The gladiators who had won the first five contests reappeared in the arena to oppose the prisoners of war.

What happened next was not a fight but a slaughter. The common Bartiradian soldiers were clearly outclassed, and the gladiators were trying to cause as much pain and bloodshed as possible. The crowd was enjoying the unbalanced contest. One gladiator made a small error and got tackled by an elf and momentarily restrained. The dwarf scrambled and drove his blade under the chin of the felled gladiator, up and into his brain. There would be no healing the gladiator from that injury. The dwarf was beheaded by Cassian a heartbeat later, to the satisfaction of the roaring crowd.

After the floor of the arena was cleared, the next display was more gore. Three unarmed brown goblins were released while a beast tamer and his monstrous black cat hunted them around the arena. Without weapons, the goblins had no chance as the sizeable cat clawed and tore their bodies apart one by one.

The next three fights of the day were honor duels between First Citizens. The announcer spent minutes explaining the duel and what was at stake for the victor and loser. The combatants had some skill, but when a serious injury occurred, a healing mage rushed out to treat it, ending the fight. Usually, this occurred with boos from the bloodthirsty crowd.

There was a pause in the combat as three mages entered the arena and proceeded to cast large illusions of various creatures. A hydra forty feet tall with nine independent necks whipping about was the most impressive illusion and got the most awes and appreciation from the crowd. I hoped I never encountered such a beast personally.

With the intermission finished, four large, bare-chested, gray-skinned humanoids were marched out onto the sands with their wrists shackled. I recognized the race from my dreamscape. Orcs.

These orcs had elaborate black, red, and white tattoos across their upper bodies and faces. I recognized the intertwining lines immediately for what they were: spell forms. While the announcer was detailing these pirates' crimes, I asked Zyna, “Are those spell forms?”

“Yes. This is the highlight of the evening. I doubt those warriors are pirates, as they are proclaiming. The orc shamans grind up essences and embed spell forms in the flesh of their elite warriors. Those orcs are elite warriors of the Caliphate, stronger, faster, and more durable in battle than common orcs. The only drawback to the method is how rapidly the tattoos draw aether to maintain their spell forms.” Zyna studied the four orcs, who looked disdainfully up at the crowd.

“I am guessing they have already been drained of their aether and cannot activate their spell forms,” Zyna said as she assessed the situation below.

The opponents of the orcs were four men in Imperial Legion Armor. The orcs held their hands to the crowd to show they were shackled and couldn’t fight. It didn’t take much to figure out that this fight was to show how superior the legionnaires were to the elite orc warriors of the Boutan Caliphate.

The orcs were given impressively large blades and wooden shields but no armor. When the stage was set, their restraints fell from their wrists into the sand. One of the orcs roared in concert with the crowd and charged. The skilled Imperial Legionnaires worked in pairs while the four orcs fought independently. I could tell the orcs had the strength advantage as their strikes stumbled the legionnaires, but their insistence on not working together quickly worked against them as the first of their number was hamstrung and limping.

At least I was getting the opportunity to witness real-life and death combat between skilled opponents on both sides. The legionnaires were not trying to draw out the fight for the crowd but were fighting to finish the orcs as quickly as possible. The crippled orc was soon killed with a thrust through its eye. The death of their companion enraged the other three, and one suddenly moved much faster than before.

Unfortunately, as Zyna had noted, the orc didn’t have a lot of aether to sustain his physical enhancement from the tattoo. The legionnaire he closed with blocked the flurry of attacks expertly and slashed his throat when he slowed after a few heartbeats. He didn’t die quick, gurgling and foaming blood as he tried to take his killer with him to Pluto’s Gates. But when enough blood drained, he slowly slumped to the sands, with the crowd responding with loud approval.

The remaining two orcs finally decided to work together, getting back-to-back against the four uninjured legionnaires. It was too late, and the fight ended ten minutes after the orcs sustained many injuries.

One thing I was sure of was these elite orcs of the Caliphate were dangerous. By my estimation, the Imperial Legionnaires I had just watched were master swordsmen and veterans. They would have lost if the four orc warriors had worked together, had armor, and had access to their aether. Even now, I could tell the intense twenty-minute fight had exhausted them.

“Have you seen enough? The remaining contests will be a disappointment after that.” Zyna asked me, looking up. I realized I had left my station on the wall and had crowded behind Zyna’s seat for the entire fight. She seemed amused at my closeness.

“Yes. Thank you for taking me.” I replied as I watched the cleanup crew come out for the bodies. We soon returned through the crowds back to the Mage College.

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