Culling

Part I • Chapter VII

Still, I was kind of nervous about meeting more people even if they were his friends. I was certain that I looked unkempt from when I wandered around the garden. Then of course, falling on the ground probably didn't help matters.

I wanted to make a good first impression.

I pulled out the hair pins that held up the rest of the curls on my head, undid the braid, and let my hair fall down around my shoulders and down my back. After all, I didn't want to look like a complete mess when it was time to meet Kota's friends.

I brushed through my hair with my fingers, and I even found a few twigs and leaves. I wondered how in the world had that happened? It's not like I had been crawling through the brush.

I just pulled out another twig that was tangled in some of the bouncier curls when I heard the sounds of arguing off the patio area.

Normally I would avoid something like this, but from what I could tell it sounded like there were multiple men taunting another man. The lone man was not fighting back. I didn't like bullies. Even though I wasn't sure how I could help, but at least I could be there and get someone else if the situation escalated?

As I got further away from the door and closer to a remote corner of the patio the voices became more pronounced. The ballroom was the last room in the building, and so I had very nearly reached the edge of the outside wall before I could see them.

My knees scraped along the concrete as I knelt down behind the solid banister and watched.

An extremely tall and well-built man stood silently while three shorter, but just as formidable looking, men circled him slowly. There was another tallish man standing to the side. He had been the one doing most of the talking. He was about a head shorter than the giant, and he had red hair and a sharp angular face.

Something about the ringleader spoke of wealth and entitlement, and he did have the appearance of someone who was not used to getting his way. From what I could tell of the situation, what he wanted now was for the giant of a man to be one of his group members.

"You look like you'd be good muscle." The leader of the group contemplated out loud, while the other three also gave the dark-haired giant appraising looks. "Between the five of us we'd take on the rest with no problem."

The giant scoffed, as if he found the group leader to be funny, and crossed his arms.

"While I wait for you to stab me in the back on the last day? Not interested." He had an accent that I couldn't place and a deep voice that sounded as if it could melt butter.

I crawled closer as I made sure to stay hidden.

"Move along now." He sounded almost bored and did not appear to be worried about being outnumbered.

The leader seemed offended and scowled at him. "Do you not know who I am? I am Chet Adair! I've had more training in strategy and fighting than most of the people here combined. If you join my group, you might stand a chance. You clearly aren't with anyone so why not?"

"Don't care who you are." The man jerked his head, gesturing to the building. "Go find someone else to be your monkey, I don't have time to deal with you."

"Why not?" The man was almost whining now.

The giant smirked at him, dark eyes glittering. "Maybe I just don't like your face."

Chet frowned. "That's just rude." He waved his right arm to the other men, signaling them, and they started closing in on the giant a bit. "Do you think you are too good for me or something?"

The tall man didn't seem concerned in the least, in fact he was full out grinning now, but it still seemed like unfair odds to me.

Then there was the fact that fighting before the start of the games was against the rules. Also, if they fought then everyone would probably come outside to watch. I knew men liked to do that sort of thing - watch each other fight.