Eleutheria

I

I

“Come now, Hypatia, there's no need to look so surly. You act as if we're taking you to fight in the coliseum.”

Hypatia continued to ignore her mother as she had ignored both of her parents for the entire, somber ride. It wasn't easy as both of them had maneuvered their horses directly beside her. She wasn't sure if they had taken those posts out of coincidence or if this was somehow their plan to keep her from turning her horse and returning home.

Which was likely as she had been bullied into coming along. Not only her parents, but the archon himself had declared that it was finally time for her to participate in the games. She had been commanded to come here today in no uncertain terms. Hypatia might not be so mad – doing things you didn't like was just a part of life – except that she was against the games fundamentally and they all knew it.

The Igesia Games – named after the archon that had started them – were a long standing tradition in the city of Thandros. They were held once every two years and were open to any and all contestants no matter their origins or status. People from cities all around came to try their hand at winning the notoriously difficult and bloody games for the prize was without equal.

Besides the glory bestowed upon the winner that lasted for the entirety of their lives, the winner was also given a single wish to be granted by the power of the archon. Many poor came out for the chance to win money, to live in luxury, or earn a title and land so they could earn that money and luxury. The winner could request a marriage into the royal family, they could request for retribution to fall on their enemies, or for a marvelous villa beside the palace. The only rules for the wish were that you could not ask to be archon yourself and you could not take from the high court.

The first rule was to protect the archon, the second was to protect his people. Other than that, anything you dreamed of could be wished for. Buildings had risen and fallen, political alliances formed and broken, and laws created or destroyed with the wish.

You could enter into the games as many times as you wanted with as many people as you could afford, but you could only win once. A winner of the games could not ever participate again. This bothered no one as once was enough to get their heart's desires.

More often than not though, the winner was the archon himself. He did it solely for the glory and honor as he could not grant his own wish. Defeating the archon's people was often the hardest part of the games as those people trained all the two years between games for the next games.

The high court usually did not need the wish granted by the games. With money, land, and royal connection already theirs, most of them wanted only for the glory and the right to boast of their accomplishments. However, every member of the high court was required to enter.

To ensure that his closest people were suited to their post, the archon insisted that they all participate until they couldn't any longer or they won. The games were a test of strategy and leadership for the contestants, not strength or courage. Winning the games proved that you were skilled at leading troops into battle. It proved your skills at tactics and strategy; all things Archon Igesia deemed necessary for the high court when he created the games.

Those in the court who couldn't win past the first round were rarely given positions of power. They retained their title and rank, but the archon rarely, if ever, used them for important positions. They had no voice for telling how the city should be run, they didn't command troops, they were useful only to marry and keep their line going.

Hypatia's own father, Harmocydes, was a great military general. He himself had never won the games though he entered every year. He had managed to reach the final round twice but lost to the archon on both occasions.