– T A Y A H –

I walked out into the sunlit arena with two other heavily armoured competitors. The only notable change were that they were not here to kill me but to work with me.

Three others emerged from the opposite side of the dusty circle and twirled weapons to the cheering crowds with confidence. They were large. In fact I even noticed the double headed axe from the arrogant buffoon simple enough to spit in my direction last sun.

I smirked as he spun it in a wide arch and rolled his neck.

I glanced around the many faces above us shouting. Somewhere among them would be John and Kaden. I dropped to a knee and grabbed a handful of dirt. It slipped through my fingers and I let the dust coat my palms. The fighters around me prepared by showing off weapons and armour like they were the only thing that mattered.

I plucked up two short swords of similar size from the arena ring and spun them quickly feeling their weight and judging the way they would sing in the air. The only thing that mattered to me was putting down these excuses for challengers and not losing a night's rest.

The horn sounded and the two men on either side of me rushed forward to start the fight quickly. I sighed through my nose in no hurry and flexed the twin short swords in my hands a few times.

The sound of metal clashed and the largest meat with arms broke through my competitors guard like a hot knife in butter. The axe head went through his helmet and sunk into the man skull. He dropped to his knees before the gigantic man kicked his boot forward and ripped the axe out.

The crowd roared and blood sprayed.

But he was now focused on my slow prowl forward. I wore no helmet like the rest. I never had. Helmets cut out vision and dulled the senses. I moved with speed and my strikes needed to be sharp. My high plait went down past my shoulders and only a few loose strands kissed my cheek in the dusty air.

Another man died, outnumbered and too untrained in the art of the skilled fight.

The largest man ripped off his spiked helmet and showed me his scarred and bald head with a leering grin. The crowd seemed to respond in kind to the dramatics and urged on the three fighters closing me down cautiously.

They were better. But not enough.

A trident jabbed for my head and I rolled away. This sent the other fighter into action and he swung a two handed hammer down on me. A slow weapon. But one I could not afford a hit from–it would break bone.

I slashed a quick blade across a thigh and met another swing of the trident with crossed swords.

The crowd erupted again and I kicked a leg forward into the trident wielder sending him staggering into the injured man. But the largest was upon me now and cut the double sided axe down at me with a roar.

I smirked at him dodging to the side with half a thought and watching him try a wild swing again in rage. I slipped back and threw my hand with a sword forward encouraging him on. I knew wherever the men were–they would be grinning. It was a trademark move of mine. To get right inside the head of a slow brute... Then make him pay.

His breathing became heavy and his forehead became red as his eyes glared a pure hatred down upon me. Another man tried to engage me but the brute was lost to his rage now and instead sent the axe right into the back of his skull making him stop dead in his tracks.

The crowd drew in shocked surprise and then found a new reason to cheer. Unpredictability.

The third fighter whirled on the largest man and shouted something in the foreign tongue before thrusting a trident at him. He moved his head surprisingly fast for his size and seized the trident, ripping it from his grasp before bringing the axe up in a high swing and tearing through his jaw under the helmet.

The response from the crowd was deafening. The sheer carnage and turn of events.

I didn't take my eyes off his heaving shoulders as he turned to glare at me. He beat a fist against his chest and roared.

"Adorable." I told him in a calm voice. I placed my swords over my shoulders and smirked at him.

He snarled droplets of spit my way and put both his hands back on the hilt and swung a huge blow for my stomach. I stepped back at ease and closed in tight to his guard jabbing a sword for the gap in his armour. But he twisted sharply and snapped his head down into mine. The force made my vision sing–but I still had the fore thought to cut the other sword down into his thigh.

He roared and sent a punch into my jaw. I fell back and rolled away from him. He glared down at the short sword and ripped it out of his thigh like it was a splinter.

I tasted blood and spat it his way with a red grin. He lunged at me and I swiped a handful of dirt throwing it into his eyes and dodging in the last moment as his axe swung. He shouted in the strange language as I moved behind his hulking form and gripped the sword with both hands swinging cleanly at the back of his neck.

I didn't bother to watch as his head hit the ground. Then the louder sound of his heavy body.

The shouting became a living thing around me and I couldn't hear myself think as things were thrown into the arena. Cloth. Flowers. Garments. It was madness.

The doors behind me opened again to two more contenders that came to stand on my sides. But what I noticed more than anything else was the gleaming chrome shield in the hand of one of the fighters.

I froze and stared as he raised his armoured arms to the cheering with my shield in his hand.

I didn't think it through as I walked in a straight line for him. The horn sounded again and the far side opened up to a group of people. They were not fighters. But the farmers and breadmakers from the cells. One of them. Who was pushed to the front and much too small. 

Much, much too thin and–

Yanu.

"No." I murmured, watching the two fighters turn and swing their weapons in anticipation.

"Not him." I growled, running two quick steps and slashing both blades down on the unsuspecting fighter who held my god damn shield. He drew it up in shock and snarled something. But I didn't care. I wasn't about to watch that child die in this place.

I moved faster than a mortal should or could.

I slipped his guard and my sword found the inside of his helmet in no time at all. I kicked his body away with a snarl and took the shield from his lifeless grip.

The surge hit me like a long lost friend. The immortal power glowed a stark blue and I felt myself smile as the immortal energy rushed me and every wound and injury sealed shut all at once. Every voice and cheer became nothing around me. I felt my fists rip into raw flame brightly and engulf the sword in my rage. 

I opened my eyes slowly and they burned.

* * * * *

It took me all of one breath to draw a fist up as the fighter ran towards the group of civilians unaware to the immortal behind him.

His body suddenly crumpled into a heap of ash and armour before them and the crowd went silent. The dead silence that was appropriate for this sought of sport. I smiled slowly as I dropped the rusted sword and walked with the shield in my grip. I stood in the centre of the ring and let them drink in the impossibility.

Voices started murmuring. Eyes fell upon the shield rippling blue and my hands that held flame.

Even the group of civilians were whispering unsure. But Yanu spotted me and ran quickly shouting something. The moment he reached me the doors opened from multiple sides of the arena and dozens of fighters poured in.

"Stay close, kid." I told him quietly.

I let the power from the recently made relic pour into me. I felt my hands grow so hot. I watched the mortals stumble to a stop and stare wordless as the flames took my hands and burned brighter. 

"If it is death you want!" I called, slowly turning in place to watch each of them surround us. "–Step forward!"

Despite the language barrier no one dared step forward. No one could scarcely believe the woman before them with fire in her hands. That was until Lukon with the skull face paint threw a man aside and roared something in the foreign tongue.

They ran at me in unison. Closing in on their death circle thinking numbers would overwhelm me entirely. I dropped to the ground and placed my palm in the dusty ground. A bright ring of flames ripped up around us and engulfed three men as they ran too fast into the fire.

Their screams were enough to stop the rest.

No one cheered for this. Because an immortal was among them now and had just about lost patience with the sport. I strode forward calmly and turned back to Yanu flicking my chin towards the edge of the flames. He stared wide eyed but rushed to me without thinking more of the bright power decimating any who challenged it.

Skull face snarled something in my direction as I parted the ring of fire for us to walk through.

I paused and turned over my shoulder. I looked over at the farmers huddled over at the other side who had already dropped their weapons. Helpless. Unsure. Just like my village was. I turned back to the slaver and walked slowly.

His fear finally entered his face and he pushed a guard before me and tried to stagger away like all cowards in power did. I drew up a fist and fire ripped around us in a close circle again. The guard raised his arms before me in surrender and I pushed him aside.

Lukon whipped his head to the flames looking for a way. Any escape. There was none.

He turned to me the moment I seized his throat and drew him off the ground. His white face paint had begun to flake and melt away from the sweat. I watched him and drew his face close.

"The ones with power are all the same when it comes to their final moments on the realm." I murmured simply, knowing he would never understand. "They squirm like the cowards they are. They show their fear like spineless wretches they are." I pulled his face inches closer and breathed the last part. "They die like the wicked deserve to."

The power grew so bright in my fist at his throat and his gasping face became nothing more than grey ash in the dusty air in the next second. Then the screaming in the crowds started. People began running and struggling from their seats. I ignored it. 

The only thing left of the slaver was a pile of armour, leather at my feet and a set of keys. I grabbed them and flung them in the direction of the wide eyed captives remaining in the arena. Perhaps they had enough sense to set the others free. But that was up to them. My part was finished.

"Tayah!" John shouted, dropping heavily from the rafters into the dusty arena. Kaden joined him and landed like a sack of lead. He groaned and dusty himself off jogging over to me.

"Quite the god damn show!" He called, coughing past the dust and smoke.

I glanced back at the flames and cut it out with a clenched fist. I threw them a grin briefly before my eyes landed on the child that wrapped his arms around him and stared at the carnage. I moved slowly towards him and his wide eyes found me finally. Unsure.

I couldn't blame him.

"Yanu." I murmured carefully. He stared back.

I dropped to a knee before him. "It's alright. You're safe now."

I heard John and Kaden jog up behind me and he flinched back again seeing Kaden's size. I threw a hand back stopping them and shaking my head.

"Friends." I said slowly, watching him shyly take another look at Kaden's towering form and John's beard. I pointed up at him.

"John." Then pointed over to my other buffoon. "Kaden."

His eyes became marginally less panicked and he took an unsteady step forward.

"Tayah, we need to go." John murmured urgently.

I reached my hand out slowly and watched Yanu carefully grip it in his little warm palm. That was a start. I stood to my full height and flicked my eyes to the weapons littered around the arena.

"Grab what you can. We're going through anyone that tries to stop us." I stated plainly.

"That's what happens when you kill the leader of a Kanton clan." Kaden chuckled darkly.

"So you know where we are too?" I demanded, thinking of how easily Kára had gathered as much.

"Not everyone gets involved in the fighting ring from day one–"

"They did not ask me, John." I seethed, pulling Yanu along to the edge of the ring.

He shrugged, taking guard beside me while Kaden held the rear.

"I thought you just wanted someone to direct that anger at, I'm not judging." He said easily.

I sighed through my nose and focused on lighting the way through the dark tunnels.

"That's what happens when I'm too busy saving your ass from a storm and getting dragged ashore and taken by slavers." I retorted, turning us down another hall.

Yanu glanced at John before looking back down the hall and shaking his head. He yanked my hand and pointed left. I followed him as Kaden stuck close behind.

"They had it coming." He grunted in a low voice. "There's no glory in pitching amateurs against fighters."

"See, Kaden gets it." I quipped, pulling us up the stairs and back into daylight.

John snorted. "Kaden is the reason they assumed we were part of this madness. They took one look at that tree and assumed he's a fighter."

"I thought as much." I muttered. "Apparently I fight well... for a woman." I drawled.

John and Kaden burst into laughter as we rose out onto the streets that were much more empty than last sun. 

"A woman that just turned a man into a pile of devil's sneeze." John muttered. 

Kaden grinned and hefted the double headed axe on his back. Of course it had to be the one he chose... At least the daggers John stole were subtle. My short sword at my hip was merely a last resort. My shield would do enough now. 

Yanu kept glancing back at Kaden to make sure he didn't start swinging it. Honestly the boy looked terrified of the realm's softest man. 

"Come." I told them, pulling us down a short alley to a stable I had noticed on the way to the smith. It was totally empty of people and making me on edge. "There's another town to the west of here. Maybe two day's ride." I told the men, thinking closely of the map on the wall.

John nodded and pulled a stallion from the stall with a pat. Kaden did the same and we saddled quickly. I secured Yanu on the back of my own horse who looked very nervous. It was likely the first time he had ridden a horse. I moved my shield to the saddle side so he could grip my back securely. My armour clanked in places on my torso and shoulders. I was glad my legs were free of it.

It was then that I heard a rapid set of hoof beats charging down the streets and kicking up dust for metres. The men tensed and whipped their heads to the town and back.

"Go now!" I called, kicking on my horse and surging out of the stalls. 

We tore down the dusty streets away from the Kanton clan with death as a sport and a dead leader. Past dusty palms and strange stone buildings that looked like they were part of the landscape. With the men at my sides and a new mortal to worry about at my back.