The Elementalist: Sky City (Book One)

Chapter Six: The Arena

"Wade!" he exclaimed, helping him to his feet.

"Whoa--" Wade muttered, holding his hands out to find support before falling from dizziness. "I feel like I was hit by a stampede of screaming-buffalo."

"Just relax."

Ben's eyes drifted from Wade back to the arena where Fred was still methodically dodging the soldier's attacks, returning her own parries swiftly. His eyes stayed on her as he continued.

"The dizziness will pass soon."

"Where are we?"

"I wish I knew for sure. But wherever we are doesn't really matter right now. We've got trouble."

A roar of applause radiated among the trees as Fred swept her legs under the man's and he crashed to the ground. As he scrambled for his sword, she thrusted her boot onto his chest, pinning him to the dirt. Pointing the blade in her right hand at him, she raised the other to garner more applause. The crowd, meanwhile, went crazy, and the smile on her face showed just how much she enjoyed the acclaim.

"Alright, pay up!" a voice from the crowd yelled to the accompaniment of groans.

Among grubby, disgruntled hands in the crowd there are several exchanges of coins and bets, anyone foolish enough to bet against her feeling just that. Ben thought to himself that those who lost their money must not have been from around these parts, or they'd have thought twice about betting against her.

Despite how easily she'd defeated her opponent, the large man next to Ben raised his weapon in the air, with a grin that showed he was ready to fight. The weapon, like the man, was large and intimidating. A large hammer was held by his muscular right arm, and by the looks of it, Ben wouldn't be able to hold the hammer with both arms, let alone just one.

"Aren't you worried she'll beat you?" Wade asked the man as he went to enter the circle. "Pummel you like that last guy?"

"I can only wish," the man laughed heartily. "I've been looking for years for someone good enough to beat me."

"I see..."

"Quit chit-chatting," Fred yelled at them from the center of the arena.

A chant began to echo among the crowd for another fight, as two large men grabbed and pulled the shoulders of her first opponent, his legs leaving a trail in the dirt as he was dragged. He could be heard muttering incoherently as he was brought to the end of the arena opposite Ben and Wade.

Looking at her opponent being dragged away, and then at the man whose turn was next, Fred smiled her then-familiar, deep smile and twirled both small blades in her hands simultaneously.

"I'll teach you to make fun of my name," she yelled. "A name to be feared by all who know it."

Ben realized immediately that this was not some pre-scheduled sport, but rather just people that'd offended Fred that day. It became apparent that, in the course of twenty-four hours, she had apparently challenged at least three people to a fight.

The crowd cheered as the large brute with the mallet hammer entered the arena and the two began to circle each other. While the man appeared as stiff as the last. Fred could not have appeared more relaxed. She slowly circled the arena in a leisurely trot, barely even watching him, but rather admiring the crowd.

"Who knows," Wade yelled in Ben's ear over the sound of the crowd. "Maybe this guy will beat her... Then you're free to go."

Screaming with fury, the man launched his hammer through the air, bringing it down at Fred. With ease she quickly moved away from the blow. Dust exploded as the heavy hammer smashed into the dirt. With fury in his cries, the man tried again with another powerful swing, but with the same results.