Crimson and Gold

Over a week had passed since the day Thirteen awoke without her memories.

And during that time, not much had changed on that front either.

Aside from the discovery that her body was trained to fight with nearly every single weapon made, she knew no more about herself than she did upon waking up.

She still didn’t remember who she was or what led to her enslavement.

The necklace was also a mystery. She would spend night after night staring at it and examining it from every angle, hoping that it held some answers.

But the pendant remained silent, unwilling to share its secrets with her.

Without her memories to guide her, Thirteen also wasn’t sure what to do next.

She could try running away, since it wouldn’t be a problem for someone like her, but then what?

Where would she go? Where would she even begin to puzzle her past back together?

In the state that her mind was in, she was too vulnerable to wander around aimlessly.

After all, if aptness at killing was the only thing needed to survive, she wouldn’t be in this predicament in the first place.

At least, the Arena provided basic shelter and provisions. It gave her time and distance to recollect her thoughts and make a proper plan.

Thirteen’s life there wasn’t so bad either.

Fighting and killing came naturally to her, so each fight she participated in was a spectacle. The crowd quickly grew fond of her.

Every time it was her turn in the battle, people would rush to the Arena to watch the fight. That, of course, earned her the respect of peers, as well as the sympathy of the Handler.

That being said, not everyone shared the sentiment…

Sitting by the table in the dining area, Thirteen sensed someone approaching.

Tally, sitting across from her, raised his head from his plate to look.

Bald, dull, and made almost completely out of muscles, the giant stopped right behind the girl.

He was a fairly new addition to the Handler’s collection, but had quickly become recognizable.

Mostly for his unparalleled size, but also for the ease with which he was able to split skulls with nothing except his bare hands.

Noticing the giant’s gaze fixated on Thirteen, Tally muttered a juicy curse under his nose.

Just once, he wished to have a calm meal.

In the past week, he had quickly realized that the girl was like a magnet for trouble.

The display of her skill in the arena earned her no shortage of fans, but also an equal number of competitors.

There wasn’t a day when someone didn’t try to either court her or kill her. Sometimes both at once.

Tally thought that it would probably be wiser to stay as far as possible from her. For his own good. However, knowing her situation, he couldn’t help but pity her a little.

He was also the only one that she seemed to tolerate enough to stick around, so for better or worse, Tally became her friend.

Across from him, the giant reached out his massive arm and took the bread off Thirteen’s plate.

“I was eating that,” she said calmly without raising her eyes.

The thief devoured the stolen bread in two bites and burped loudly.

“Too bad. But you can have this piece of meat, if you want,” he said, grabbing his crotch and laughing, breaking the silence that had befallen the dinner when he first approached.

Given the example, the copycats naturally followed. Table by table, the people joined in on the opportunity to score a few points with the Giant, who was seen as the new leader of sorts.

Thirteen slowly raised her crimson eyes to look at Tally.

Her eyebrow quivered.

“Don’t,” Tally pleaded, but the second the word left his mouth, it was too late.

All he saw was a flash.

The fork dug into the giant’s crotch, sending him to his knees.

Second stab connected at his throat. The third was aimed perfectly at his eye.

Then, finally, Thirteen smashed his head against the table, driving the fork deep into his thick skull.

The diner drowned in silence once more. Nobody dared to move. Nobody dared to breathe.

The giant’s body slumped to the floor with a dull thud, raising a small cloud of dust around him.

Tally sighed.

“Did you have to be so brutal?” he asked, wincing from the phantom pain.

You could’ve at least spared his…, he thought.

“I did,” she answered plainly, “I had to make sure the others won’t get any more stupid ideas,” she gestured behind.

The air in the dining area grew even heavier from the not-so-veiled threat.

Tally had to admit, there was logic to her words.

From a very young age, he learned that in this world, it’s kill or be killed. Thirteen already had a massive target on her back, so allowing the Giant to walk over her was inviting trouble.

In the end, he just waved his hand and went back to eating.

Not long after, the Handler, accompanied by a group of guards, came to deliver some news to them.

Seeing the dead body and the blood splattered around it, the mercenaries immediately rushed to examine the crime scene.

“What by Ten happened here?” asked one of them, grimacing at the gore in front of her.

“He tripped and fell on my fork.” Thirteen’s voice was calm and collected, as if she were talking about the current weather and not a murder she had just committed.

The guard looked at the body, then at her. “Three times?!”

“It was a long fall,” she shrugged.

The guard sighed in resignation and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Whatever. Get him out of here and throw him to the animals. We have more important things to worry about,” the Handler ordered.

The loss of one slave was nothing compared to the money Thirteen made for him in such a short time. He was willing to look past it even more now that a great opportunity was looming over the horizon.

“Tomorrow’s fight will be special,” he started explaining, “the Emperor and his daughter will be watching and will participate in the auction afterwards. There will be… an additional attraction this time, so make sure to do your best. For your sake and mine.”

He looked around, then his gaze stopped on Thirteen.

“Especially you. I have high hopes for you,” he told her, “if you do well enough, you may not only make me rich but also save yourself. Don’t disappoint me.”

Thirteen wasn’t sure what exactly the Handler’s words were supposed to mean. She didn’t care much either.

In her short time in the Arena, she grew perfectly accustomed to the danger and the pressure of each fight.

A significant portion of that confidence came from the skills she was equipped with by her past life. But there was also another factor.

Thirteen’s lack of any sort of memories made her numb to the matters of life and death.

Without remembering anything of her past, any experiences, good or bad, it wasn’t far-fetched to say that her mind was like a tabula rasa.

Any moment spent beyond the arena made her feel empty.

There was a part of her that felt somewhat excited for the rumored ‘attraction’ the Handler mentioned, as it meant a breath of fresh air compared to the standard fights she got used to.

Whatever the Arena prepared for her, Thirteen was certain she would be able to handle it.

“What will happen during the auction?” Thirteen asked Tally on their way back to their bunks.

Since their meeting on the way to the Arena, he had explained a lot about Aelius, their situation, and everything that she needed to know. If there was anything unfamiliar, Thirteen would always ask him, and he would patiently answer any question she had.

“This is when we’ll have a chance to be bought by someone,” Tally said, clearly excited about it. “A bunch of rich folks will come to see the fight and then they will compete over who can throw more money to buy the daethri that caught their attention.”

Thirteen stared at him blankly. “Is it a good thing?”

“Well, yeah, it is!” he exclaimed. “Most of those who buy daethris need a bodyguard, or a servant in case of thaels. Others want someone who will fight for them professionally. No matter what the reason is, it always comes with better living conditions and a better life.”

“What’s wrong with current living conditions?” Thirteen wondered. She didn’t have any memories of better places, so as far as she was concerned, the Arena provided everything she needed.

Tally looked at her with a pitying expression. “You’ll understand once you see how the rich folks live.”

He ran a hand through his brown curly hair. A roughish smile bloomed on his face, emphasizing his boyish charm.

“If you’re really lucky, you’ll be bought by the Emperor himself or his son,” Tally hanged his voice, the previous smirk turned into a wide grin, “and if you’re super lucky, you’ll be bought by his daughter.”

He put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, walking leisurely next to Thirteen.

“Why is being bought by his daughter the best?” she asked, looking curiously at the dreamy expression on his face.

Tally laughed and looked at her like a parent looking at their ignorant child.

“Well… let’s just say that the only place the slaves bought by Princess Lysandra have to fight is her bedchamber,” he said eventually. “And to make it even better, she is one of the most beautiful women in the Empire, or in the continent even!”

Seeing that Thirteen didn’t appear to share his enthusiasm, Tally scratched his head.

She still doesn’t get it, does she?

“If I were you, I’d try to show off as much as possible tomorrow,” he said after a moment of silence. “I mean, either way, it won’t hurt to get those rich bastards to fight for you.”

Later that night, Thirteen was lying in bed. Her mind drifting between thoughts.

The past. The present. Everything she knew, and all the questions she had.

Eventually, the chaos in her mind settled on the auction.

If she were to be bought, it would give her more freedom and more resources to slowly work towards getting back her memory. Maybe she’d be even lucky enough to be bought by someone who would help her.

From what Tally said, there was no comparison between being a slave in the Arena and one in a rich family. With her skill, it was safe to assume that it was probably her last night in this place.

The only question that remained was: who would be the one to claim her?

A name crossed her mind.

Lysandra.

There was something about it that made it stand out. Something that made it echo in her mind since she heard it for the first time.

Like it meant something.

Just like the killing and the fighting, her body reacted to something her consciousness had forgotten. Perhaps, their paths had crossed once before? Maybe seeing her face would shed some light on the questions she had?

If there was a chance that the Princess was somehow connected to her loss of memory, she had to take it.

After all, the worst that could happen was to become an entertainment for a rich and influential woman. Not exactly the worst fate to meet.

One way or another, being bought by Lysandra was something that would be the most beneficial to her at the moment.

Thirteen smirked at her own thoughts.

Suddenly, she felt like tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.