1 The Dream Rider (14 page)

It was life and death.

I watched the next fights from my window with
apprehension. Every second pushed me closer to facing the reality of the arena
floor and Darwinius. I imagined him sitting in his holding area somewhere on
the other side of the stadium, planning how he would kill me. I doubted he had
much imagination in general, but as a killing machine in the arena he probably
had plenty.

The second fight was over quickly. Another warrior from
the red banner had made quick work of a blubbery yellow fighter. The obese man
from the yellow banner tried to play defense since movement wasn’t his strong
suit. The opponent, a man named Krull was happy to stay on the offensive. The
yellow warrior couldn’t even get a counter-strike in, and his weight made him
slow. Eventually, even the work of defending himself wore out the yellow
fighter and proved an easy kill for Krull. After only a minute and a half of
fighting, the red warrior finished him off with a simple strike through the
chest.

I looked up to the luxury box to see if Mallock’s
expression had changed, but he had the same stoic face as before. The game
master, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself, delighted at the
results of the evening so far.

The third fight lasted the longest. It pitted a yellow
fighter versus a member from the black banner. The yellow fighter, a young guy
named Ruta, ran around the arena trying to avoid getting too close to his
opponent, a move that displeased the crowd. They booed and
jeered,
some threw objects at him if he came within range. After several minutes of
watching Ruta run from his opponent, I glanced up again at the game master and
saw him give a slight nod of the head. Instantly, six wall panels opened up around
the arena. From the darkness within, massive lions with chains around their
necks leapt out onto the field. Their roars could be heard all around the
stadium. The beasts created a tighter perimeter and forced the two combatants
closer to each other. It was an unfortunate problem for Ruta, who was clearly
overmatched. He was fitter than his bulbous comrade that had died earlier, but
was equally inept at the art of hand-to-hand combat. He swung his sword
clumsily at his opponent, more from fear than a tactical line of attack. The
member of the black group, a wiry fighter with thin, sinewy muscles, deflected
the awkward strikes with ease. He toyed with the man for several minutes before
launching his own assault. When he did attack, it was only to drive the yellow
fighter backwards, ever closer to one of the lions guarding the perimeter. His
face spread in a sickly grin with every blow that drove Rufa a step closer to
the bloodthirsty beast. The clumsy yellow fighter lashed out a final thrust
then mistakenly took a last, fatal step in the direction of the waiting lion.
The animal roared loudly as it pounced onto the shoulder of the unsuspecting
victim. The animal’s sharp teeth made fast work of the man’s neck, ripping into
flesh while his screams turned to a muffled gurgle and then silence. The victor
smile wickedly at the sight of the lion feasting on his opponent while the
audience continued to cheer wildly.

I sat on my bench and watched with mouth agape as he
walked off casually. A few moments later, the beasts were returned to their
pens and the faux panels closed. What remained of the body was carried off as
the game master spoke over the system about how wonderful it was that the
emperor allowed the citizenry to enjoy such magnificent games. His banter was a
cheesy
segue
into the introduction for the main event.
My event.

I thought about my family as the door swung open. The
heavy metal clanked loudly against the wall startling me for a second. Jari,
the sardonic game master, announced my name first. But I didn’t get up. I sat
there on the bench, half-full of nerves, half-full of determination.

The crowd wanted a show. I would show them something
they’d never seen. They had been brainwashed by an evil invader. I thought
about the things Jonas had told me, about the innocent people Mallock had
killed, about the freedoms he’d taken. These people were blind. Now I realized
this was my way to open their eyes. And it might just be the means to finally
find my purpose, my path. Up until then, I’d been as apathetic as a person
could be. Not just toward school, but everything in life. Now was my chance to
do something that mattered.

I left my sword in its sheath, strapped to my back, as I
stalked towards the center of the arena. The crowd hushed as they watched me
saunter in. The silence was broken as Jari announced the name of my opponent,
Darwinius. The entire arena exploded into applause louder than it had been all
night. I kept my eyes facing straight ahead as a door across from me opened and
the herculean man stepped out, a massive straight sword in one hand, an equally
impressive shield in the other. His armor was also formidable, providing the
perfect balance of protection and agility. He waved to the crowd and took a bow
as he moved towards me. I could see a cocky smile growing underneath his
helmet. In the mind of Darwinius, winning was a foregone conclusion.

“You should have brought a shield,” I heard one observer
yell. “Probably would have been a good idea to bring some armor, too!” he
added. Scores of other people began to laugh at the insults. I ignored them and
continued to peer at Darwinius, who inched ever closer.

For a moment, my opponent paused as if sizing me up, like
a butcher deciding the best way to cut a slab of beef. Suddenly, he began to jog
then sprint at me in full stride. I could feel the tension in the arena as
everyone’s voices cheered him on in unison. They were saying that word again. I
couldn’t understand what it was. But they kept chanting it over and over. It
sounded like they were saying
bera.

Darwinius was closing now; the gap between us had narrowed
to only twenty feet. I waited, standing my ground, never showing any emotion. I
wanted to time my first move just right. Then, something took over, like when
I’d killed the guards. I felt powerful, faster,
stronger
,
like a foreign entity was coursing through me. Darwinius raised his blade over
his shoulder, ready to deliver a fatal blow on the first strike. He was less
than ten feet away.

I dropped down on one knee, keeping an eye on the
approaching menace. Just as he began to bring the sharp edge of the weapon
towards me, I pushed hard against the ground. My body soared over him, clearing
his head by at least twenty feet. His blade crashed into the ground, sending a
divot of dirt flying. I flipped through the air and landed easily, thirty feet
behind him, cushioning the landing in a kneeling position again. I looked over
my shoulder, both hands planted firmly in the ground

The crowd’s chants became instantly silent. A reserved
hush settled over the arena, interrupted by a few hundred whispers. I could see
Darwinius’s confused and frustrated expression under his helmet. The crowd
slowly began to chant again, with a little uncertainty this time, urging on
their champion. I kept my hands on the ground and could feel it vibrating
harder and harder. Darwinius was charging me again. I could hear his grunting
breaths as he neared; all of my senses had become extremely sharp. Still, I
never turned around. My ears heard everything. My fingers’ felt him approaching
as the dirt thumped faster. He was close now. Again I jumped, this time
backwards, flipping over his head once more. I flew high through the air again,
clearing at least forty feet off the arena dirt as my opponent missed a second
time with a wild swing of the sword.

Silence fell on the audience again. I risked a quick look
at the luxury box to see the reaction. Mallock was frowning and had one hand
resting on his jaw. Jari was incredulous next to him, sitting on the edge of
his seat.

Darwinius turned towards me again, his eyes full of rage.
I could see his nostrils flaring from the fifty feet that separated us. He
raised his weapon in a defensive position now, and moved more cautiously
towards me. I stood, unmoving from my spot.

“That’s a good trick, boy,” he taunted as he drew closer.
“But your tricks won’t save you tonight. It’s good of you to give the crowd a
show. Now, though, it’s time for you to die.”
 

The throng began to cheer him again, but now they were
much less enthusiastic. The arena was awash with a confused urgency. Many of
the fans had grown silent in their confusion.

Darwinius was within striking distance now. This time, he
was more careful with his attack, using the length of the weapon with a quick,
precise stab. I shifted my feet to the left, easily dodging the volley. He
lunged again, and again, I slid my feet and twisted my torso, this time
smacking the flat of the blade away with my hand like I was swatting a nat. My
senses were so heightened that his movements seemed lethargic and when I struck
his sword, it was with a strength I’d never felt before. The force of the
unexpected jolt sent the blade flying from his hand, and he
raised
up his shield instinctively, expecting a counter.

He cringed, but never showed fear. His eyes were a torrent
of fury. “Did you drop something?” I asked in a sarcastic tone. “Go ahead,” I
flicked my wrist at him like I would command a child. It was my turn to taunt
the beast. “Pick it up.”
 

His eyes risked a quick glance to where his sword lay on
the ground, twenty feet away. He began to back up, trying to make sure he kept
his body between
myself and his estranged weapon
. His
head went back and forth between
me and the sword
,
afraid I would pounce when he wasn’t looking. He took his eyes off me for a
second too long and I jumped again, faster this time, and landed next to his
destination. His eyes had shot back to where I’d been only to find I had
disappeared. He turned his head and realized I was standing over what he so
desperately needed.

“What dark sorcery is this?” he asked, the first signs of
fear were beginning to creep into his mind.

I stood casually with my hands on my hips. “Sorcery?
Sorry, I don’t know any magic tricks,” my disparaging words could be heard by
some of the people on the front rows. “See, on Earth, bad guys like you always
end up getting their comeuppance. Maybe you should look into it.”
 
I looked down at his long sword lying
at my feet. “I’m sorry, did you want this?” I reached down and picked it up.
The object should have been extremely heavy. Instead it was as light as the one
on my back. Maybe Jonas was right after all. On Sideros, I was some kind of
superhero.

“Here you go,” I said and tossed him his weapon.

He snatched it out of the air and immediately resumed a
defensive position. Darwinius sneered, “It is unwise for you to return my
sword, boy, no matter what magic you’re using.”
 

“I told you, I don’t know any magic,” I shrugged at his
comment and launched towards him. He tried to lift his blade but my movement
was too quick. I brought my foot across his face, knocking the metal helmet to
the ground and sending him staggering backwards. I didn’t hesitate, and jumped
again, this time sending my boot straight into his chest piece, caving in the
metal armor like it was cardboard. Darwinius bellowed, the impact sending him
through the air and crashing to the ground. The audience was still as they
watched on in astonished shock. My opponent lay on his back for several
seconds, clutching his chest. A few seconds later he unsnapped the leather
buckles holding his breastplate in place and tossed the armor aside. Gradually,
he pushed himself up off the ground. His ripped muscular torso was exposed to
the crowd and everyone in the stands seemed encouraged by the show.

He yelled out in a blood-curdling tone and charged at me
with only his sword in his hands. Only then did I reach up and pull my own
weapon from its sheath. The shiny, thin metal glimmered in the lights of the
arena. It was brilliant, as if it glowed with some sort of unseen power.
Darwinius jumped into the air and raised his blade high with both hands, intent
on splitting me in half. At the last second, I surged forward and slid
underneath him, just between his legs. I felt him land behind me and, without
looking, thrust the point of my sword backwards underneath one arm. I felt it
sink deep into my opponent’s back as I continued to push it to the hilt.

His huge weapon clanked on the hard dirt next to me and I
could hear him begin to gurgle. I twisted the end of the blade and yanked it
out, and held it firmly by my side, just in case he attacked again. It was
covered in dripping crimson. The dusty floor eagerly soaked up the thick
liquid.

The crowd became a vacuum of silence. No one said a word as
the giant man wavered for several seconds, clutching his abdomen in disbelief.
He turned and managed to shuffle his feet so he could face me. His mouth and
eyes were wide, filled with confusion and fear. A few moments later,
Darwinius’s body dropped sideways with a thud.

I stood over him as he breathed his last wicked breaths.
“That was for Petra,” I sneered at him.

He tried to swallow in vain. His arms began to twitch
against the coming death. “Who are you?” he spat through bloody lips.

“Me?” I asked. “I’m just a college kid from Earth. My name
is Finn McClaren.”
 
The last thing
he heard was the smart-ass tone in my voice. His eyes suddenly fixed on the
ceiling and his head relaxed permanently on the floor.