– T A Y A H –

I hissed through my teeth as my wound woke me. I didn't risk a glance down at it but I had disturbed Yanu. His big eyes were cautious under the mop of dark hair. His skinny arms rushed to get the flask of water.

I shook my head silently and gestured for him to drink. He frowned and stared at my leg again. The wheels of his mind turning. Then he placed the flask down and moved to the metal bars of our cell. I watched with mild curiosity as he slid his small arm through the bars and reached for the flame torch. My eyes widened and I hissed at him in case a guard walked by.

But he clenched the torch and drew it slowly through the bars.

"Yanu if a guard sees you–" I began.

But he dropped it close to my leg with a gesture to my leg before I understood what he sought to do. The fact that a kid this young knew to cauterise a wound alone let me know just how bad this part of the realm was...

I clenched my teeth and gave him a curt nod, raising my leg and biting away the pain. It would increase tenfold once the flames started licking it.

He lowered it quickly and my flesh began to burn. I shoved my fist into my mouth to avoid screaming and waking every other member of our cell. The boy's eyes were wide but focused as the angry red wound was burned shut before us. The pain was familiar and wicked–

He finally yanked it back and I sighed and sunk onto the cool stone floor. He got up and returned the torch behind the bars again before coming to my side with the flask. I felt cool water poured onto my leg and couldn't even protest at the waste because it felt so good.

I opened my eyes again and met his little concerned face with a weak smile. I placed a fist on my chest and nodded.

"Thank you, Yanu."

He gave me a boyish grin that told me he understood enough. He replied in the foreign tongue but finished with, "–Teaya."

I smirked and shook my head.

"How does a good kid end up in a crap hole like this." I muttered to the ceiling.

He sat watching me curiously and I glanced at him. Wishing we could communicate seamlessly. I was sure my Valkyrie studied every language on the realm. She would be able to hold conversations... I chuckled thinking of the calculating and practical immortal before a child. Perhaps she was good with the young generation–perhaps not. She would likely have more patience with a little one than she does with most mortals.

Footsteps interrupted my thoughts and I heard a set of keys.

Two guards appeared in fighting leathers holding short swords and clanged one against the bars. I glared them down as they made a demand in the foreign tongue and pointed at me. The door was yanked open and I limped onto my feet before them. A helmeted guard jutted his jaw out and I pulled Yanu up with me without hesitation.

They did not argue the move this time which saved me from breaking someone's nose.

We walked down the dimly lit stone halls. I watched the back of the first muscled meat in leather and metal. We turned a number of times and I was too dazed to keep a note of it. If my Valkyrie was on her way I needn't bother too much.

We finally arrived outside a large oak door with two more guards posted outside it. One rapped a knuckle on the door. A shout in something came from the other side.

I opened quickly and skull face leered down at us with a grin. He swept an armoured arm inwards like we were dining together. I watched cautiously and passed the guards with Yanu tucked close behind my arm. Once the door closed I relaxed minutely.

I cast a look quickly around the study space. But it was not the type to hold books and intellectual documents. It held many weapons on the walls and chests that seemed brimming with pouches and coin. I then noticed a smaller and thinner man with caramel skin sitting before the desk. He pushed a hand over his bald head and glanced anxiously at me.

I looked between them before skull face snapped something at the man and he flinched out of the seat and stood before me with a visible shake. He spoke in another language I didn't recognise. Then switched finally to my own.

"I am–to translate?" He stammered. Finally relaxing when I recognised the words.

Skull face moved to sit behind the large desk and kick his feet up upon it. He spoke clearly at ease and glanced at the thin man expectantly. The balding man nodded and looked back to me.

"Lukon wishes to know where you hail from?"

I stared at the sweating man before staring at the white face paint of the dark man.

"You may tell Lukon I hail from Vayleron in Uccella." I stated slowly.

Lukon grinned widely in response when the thin man translated for him. He spat something back and the translator turned to me.

"He says you fight very well for a woman."

I barked out a laugh.

"Tell him he has no idea."

The thin translator winced and sent the words back to Lukon who boomed out his own laugh in response and smashed a fist down against the desk. He said something back simply and quickly with a smirk in place.

"He says he has no female warriors before the crowds and wishes to use you to entice more to watch the fighting."

I stared at him closely measuring my reaction. The last thing on the realm I wanted was to join in on this blood cult. Let alone if I had to despatch someone as young as Yanu for sport. But refusing could end his life there and then. He watched me closely as I considered this and controlled the anger that burned closely behind the surface.

"Tell him I will fight for him only if the boy stays with me and does not fight." I stated flatly.

The translator sent the words back and skull face barked out another laugh and spat more words at me with a hand wave.

"He says you could find a better slave... but he agrees to them."

I clenched a fist at the way his mind worked. But dropped another curt nod. Yanu looked up at me in confusion clearly thinking along a similarly painful narrative. I shook my head at him quickly looking back up to the heathen.

He spoke something again loudly and slapped a hand on the desk. He then flung a pouch at my head dismissively.

"He says you must buy some worthy armour from the smith outside the arena. The guard will escort you." The translator got out.

Lukon grunted something else.

"You will earn your next cut if you survive." The translator added quickly. 

I rolled my eyes and tucked the pouch away as he barked out something else and guards returned through the doors. He met my eyes again and jutted his chin up with a grin.

Gods if only I could wipe the smirk off with immortal power. I gave him a dark look as a guard pushed my shoulder back towards the doors.

* * * * *

I flinched when the sun finally hit my skin again.

We emerged from the stone arena and four guards surrounded us watching closely for any wrong move. I scanned the crowds of the dusty, hot town. People were dressed for fighting or drab cloth for labour. It seemed like those in the industry of blood did well for themselves...

I watched hagglers barter for spices and meats over tents. Weapons dealers shifted strange curved swords and spears. Hooded patrons drunk from wooden cups outside a seated bar below palm trees and draped cloth that looked like tapestry.

My guard pushed me forward and I fought a growl. But at least my leg didn't feel like it was eating all of my energy now. I was starting to feel more aware of my situation and that made me more dangerous.

We stopped outside a busy blacksmith and a number of other fighters cast us curious looks surrounded by other guards or simply there without a watch. Perhaps they all weren't slaves to the fight. Maybe they chose it.

One thickly muscled man hefted a double sided axe onto his bare shoulder and gave me a mocking grin that missed a few teeth. Perhaps I could knock the rest from him–

He spat at my boots and I stared him down wordlessly before one of my guards shouted something in the foreign tongue and he moved on. At least my troop of ridiculous mortals had a use outside of testing patience.

I moved before the blacksmith then and started assessing the armour. Lukon hadn't said anything about purchasing weapons... I glanced at a set of short swords. They were better than what I had seen in that arena. But my mind cut back to the wound on my leg. For my temporarily mortal condition I could use the defence.

I ran a hand over the curves of a metal cuirass with two well balanced shoulder pauldrons. It would keep my torso safe from blades and was light enough to handle my speed. But metal armour was higher in price and I had no idea how much coin was in the pouch.

I did the simplest form of communication and emptied the pouch before the smith.

He glanced at it and set his hammer down to frown at me in confusion. I pointed at the cuirass and his eyes cleared in understanding. He plucked out a few silvers from the fray and tossed them back my way before hefting the cuirass from the stand and passing it to me in a foreign tongue. He took the rest on the table.

I nodded my thanks and he had already turned to the next customer.

I turned to Yanu and threw him a smirk as he stared at his reflection in the metal. I doubted he had seen such craft up close. Then a guard pushed me and I growled.

He said something in the other language and spat before throwing a hand back in the direction of the arena.

Why did everyone spit so much in this damn place. 

We passed through the crowds again before my eyes landed briefly on a large man. A very large man–MY buffoon.

"Kaden?!" I yelled, catching his eyes between people in the dusty street and watching his expression open into clear shock. His bearded head turned to me in confusion then his eyes widened.

"TAYAH!" He boomed, throwing people out of the way with all the subtly of a raging boar in a glass makers.

My guards drew arms on him and he glared ready to fight them bare handed. John was at his side quickly and they stared at the swords drawn on them. It then doubled as more armed men working for the arena sensed disruption. There were too many to take without weapons in a town run by the fight.

"Don't!" I said quickly, raising my hands between the swords. I threw them quick looks. "I'll be in the arena. They are using me as a competitor–bide your time and–"

My guard snapped something in the foreign tongue and my guard pushed me in the other direction. I kept Yanu close as they ripped us apart and the other guard watched Kaden and John distrustfully. 

"We'll find you again Tay! Hang in there!" John called out.

Another guard shoved Kaden who didn't budge an inch and cracked his knuckles down at the man. "–I'll go through these weeds myself!" He snarled back.

I couldn't hide my grin as I was pushed deeper through the crowds towards the arena again. More relieved than ever that they had the sense to get that gods damned vessel to shore and avoid capture from slavers. In Kaden's defence they would take one look at his size and conclude he was just not worth the trouble.

Well all wasn't lost. A Valkyrie closing in on our continent and now my closest companions were going to join in on the fun. The arena hardly knew what it had gotten itself involved in.

I grinned down at Yanu who looked at me with more confusion than ever. I ruffled his hair and shook my head, eyeing the arena as it cast a shadow over us and we walked lower underground. This time we weren't ushered back to the cells. I watched as we followed another series of corners and torch lit walls and stopped before a door among others down the hall.

My guard unlocked it and grunted something.

I didn't hesitate to get some distance from them. I pulled Yanu inside with me and they quickly shut it behind us locking it back into place.

I cast my eyes around the quarters which were much more favourable than the shared cell. Yanu stared too. His little jaw hanging open as he saw a moderate living area and large bed at the back of the room. There were dried fruits in bowls and a lot of dried meat too–clearly fighters had diets like this...

Yanu shouted something in his language before my name and grinned.

I chuckled as he rushed to a low table and grabbed a handful of dried fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Beats sleeping on stone." I murmured, looking over at a weathered map hanging on the wall. I walked over, and eyed it intently.

Yanu continued enjoying the best meal he'd had in his life behind me while I took careful note of the coastline the town was situated on. There was no trace of the islands we sailed from but the map noted several other towns to the north and west of our location. I couldn't read the names but I would draw this in detail for Kára when the time came.

Yanu said something behind me with a giggle.

I turned to see him wearing the cuirass of armour now. It was far too large and sunk over his shoulders as he looked down at it with a grin.

I laughed and approached him with a raised brow.

"You wanna step in for me? Honestly they fight like old ladies."

He said something with a grin and wielded an invisible sword in the air. I shook my head at him and lowered his hand. "Trust me. It's not as fun as it sounds."

I pulled the suit of armour over his little arms slowly before he lost interest and went for the fruit again. I plucked a flask off the table and drank a long slither. There was a water vase in the corner of the room I assumed was for bathing. 

I picked up a piece of dried meat and sat down in one of the chairs by the table with a nod.

"You're going to love John and Kaden." I told him flatly with a smirk, knowing those innocent and curious eyes had no idea what they had in store for us.