Algernon Black

(Chapter 88) The Coliseum

"That is the king of Merra?" Selice asked now that they were away from him and in the coliseum's waiting room. Trist had been only a year or two older than Loy and a third of his maturity, which put him at the approximate age of three.

"Unless someone else comes along that's what this country is stuck with," Loy said, strapping the one arm armor he wore from the top of his right shoulder down to his wrist. Usually, he wasn't so cautious when fighting, but he had heard of Merra's strongest new talent who was currently undefeated in the kingdom's coliseums battles.

"But that's the last thing I want," Loy added as Beal strapped the armor down his back. "The dumb monarchs are so much easier to predict." Loy grinned, looking to the only source of light coming from a wide-open arch leading out to the battlegrounds.

"I don't know Loy," Cal said with his chin trapped between his fingers. "Something about him seemed suspicious like he was trying too hard to come off transparent, come off too naked."

"I mean yeah!" Beal said, tightening the straps too much and cutting off Loy's blood circulation. "Did you not just see the orgy?"

Loy straightened out his arm and the metal crashed into Beal's nose with a loud thud.

"Try to be more observant." Loy scolded, readjusting his armor. "You teenage brat."

Loy left Beal with a fresh wound as he gazed out at the battlegrounds. The dirt field was covered in a layer of red dust, and thousands of people stood fifty feet above him in the stands. A balcony twenty feet above the ground was where King Trist sat alongside his guests. He met Loy's eye and waved. Loy waved back.

Selice noticed the exchange and joined the prince. "Loy, why are we really here?" She asked, knowing there was a reason behind everywhere they had traveled to thus far and this was not likely just a stop for a fight or an orgy. 

Loy smiled down at her. "Figure it out." He said as drumming started to signal his entrance. "I've got to put that brain to good use." Loy unhooked his necklace, calling his artifact to hand, and started to make his way to the center of the arena, but before Selice was out of earshot added, "And later I'll make good use of your body."

Selice's pout returned in full force, and Loy felt reassured by it as he went off into battle. Beal, who had heard the comment, went bright red, and Cal missed the comment as he was keeping careful watch of the prince and king.

Loy raised his arms up to the thousand of excited spectators shouting for him and walked to the jutted-out balcony where he faced Trist. The king raised his hands and Loy's opponent marched to meet him in the center of the field. The crowd's cheers turned deafening with the entrance of the all time favorite of the stadium warriors.

"Loy of Etilia!" Trist yelled over the cheers that started to die down. "We welcome you to Merra and we welcome your challenge!" The screams started back up and Loy addressed the crowed with a raise of his hand.

"And to Cyril of Merra!" Trist yelled, and the crowd erupted once again. "We welcome back our undefeated warrior!" The stadium's cheers exploded louder this time, and Loy took the moment to analyze his opponent. Cyril looked about 30, with slashes across his bronze face and nothing but lean muscles in his arms and legs. But it was the weapon clasped around his thin waist that gave Loy pause.

The king looked at both men below him with pure excitement in his eyes. "Begin!" He yelled as the crowd did too. Loy turned to his opponent, his ball and chain steady.

His opponent lowered his hands to his waist and started to undo his belt. Loy got concerned for a second thinking Trist perhaps mistakenly set him up for something similar to the orgy of before, but once the thin metal belt was in his opponent's hand, it uncurled into an iron whip with serrated razor-sharp edges. The man straightened it out with a whip of his arm and it stiffened to its more sword-like form.