Solstice Souls Book 2: Black Fire, White Flame

Fight to the Death

Lan Zhan's POV

Lan Zhan, Song Lan and Xiao XingChen followed the innkeeper as he led the way to the Arena. They had wanted to get there early...but so did everyone else.

They ran into crowds that covered all the streets leading up the Arena, and it was becoming difficult to move. Lan Zhan hated it.

He did not like crowds at all, precisely for this reason. It was an assault on all of his senses.

Sweat, body odour, and the general smell of people...it made him feel claustrophobic. And...these people were not orderly, mindful of their surroundings, or even quiet. There was so much unnecessary noise, jostling and pushing that a part of him just wanted to climb onto Bichen and fly the rest of the way.

Right in front of him, there was a mother carrying her child. The child looked petulant, and also as if it did not want to be here.

Lan Zhan could fully empathise.

But this kid kept staring at him, and then all of a sudden, it screwed up its little face and just bawled. Loud cries that made the people closest to the mother admonish her for bringing the child here in the first place.

Lan Zhan felt sorry for both of them, and his poor ears...but wishing that something stayed silent did not make it so.

Xiao XingChen took his wrist and pulled him along.

With regret, Lan Zhan realised that the innkeeper had made his way to the grand doors of the Arena and he was waiting for them on the top most stairs. Belatedly, Lan Zhan saw that while he had been distracted by...pretty much everything, the other three had carried on ahead of him. In fact, Xiao XingChen had to come back for him.

Yet another thing to add to the list of why he shouldn't be in espionage, Lan Zhan thought to himself, mournfully.

Once inside, after the guards at the door had identified the innkeeper, Lan Zhan discovered that there was a round circular gap which was the space between the actual arena and the sitting crowds, which were above them on the outside. This place was dark enough even in broad daylight to warrant torches mounted on the walls.

It was a large area too. The width was as big as ten men holding hands and spread out, while the circular size of the gap extended all around the Arena, like an inner chamber. There were marked doors of the directions and they were escorted to the South Gate.

And they were late.

The show had already begun.

**************

At first, Lan Zhan could not see Wei Ying at all.

But he could feel him.

His bracelet was already warm as they made their way into the private box...right next to Wen Rouhan and his henchmen.

Their innkeeper friend waved at someone standing next to their Sect Leader, and Lan Zhan had to calm himself, deny that primal urge to duck down in case he was recognised. Even his companions looked ill at ease at their close proximity to the Sect Leader, because of who stood around him.

Not only Wen Zhuliu, Core-Melting Hand, but Xue Yang too, was watching them as they sat down. It was hard to say whether or not he recognised Song Lan or Xiao XingChen because he soon turned his attention back to the huge empty space in the centre of the Arena.

Only...it wasn't as empty as they thought.

Four guards had fallen to the ground and the air was filled with the strongest smell of camphor and sulphur...