Crimson and Gold

The fight agreed on with Beu Perius was supposed to take place in a small venue at the outskirts of the city.

According to the law, all fights had to be officially approved by the Arena. It was supposed to prevent organizing matches that were not in accordance with the official standards. It was also a way to fill the Empire’s treasury with additional fees needed for approval.

The moment Lysandra heard that the venue was right outside the city, she knew that whatever Perius got himself into was not approved by officials.

“Is something bothering you?” Saria asked suddenly.

She was watching Lysandra’s expression grow more and more troubled ever since they left the Palace.

The Princess snapped out of her thoughts, but the frown didn’t leave her face. “I don’t like that we’re leaving the city. The fight that Perius accepted must not have been approved by the Arena.”

“So it’s an underground fighting ring.”

“It is. And I don’t like it.”

“Why? Is it really that big of a difference?”

“Yes. All the fights have to go through the official approval process to make sure that they follow the standard established by the Arena. No dirty tactics, no offensive magic, and a very limited list of enchantments is allowed. It is to make sure that the match is relatively safe.”

Saria scoffed. “Safety in a death match sounds quite ironic.”

“It does.” Lysandra cast her eyes down, causing the guilt to wash over the other.

“I’m sorry. I know that you’re not responsible for it, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. You’re right. And I am responsible,” Lysandra’s gaze trailed outside the window. “I am the Princess of the Empire. If I am unable to do something, then who can?”

Saria watched Lysandra in silence, trying to get a glimpse of her thoughts, but no matter how long she looked, they remained unreadable.

“Do you think you could be in danger?” she asked eventually.

“No. I’ll be safe. They will take extra steps to ensure that nothing happens to me. I am worried about you. It’s impossible to predict what you will have to face.”

Unlike Lysandra, Saria was not concerned about her own life. “No rules work both ways. If they can use anything, then so do I.”

“Still. Don’t do anything risky.”

“I won’t.”

The carriage arrived at a small village located less than half an hour from the city.

Right before they got off, Saria gave Lysandra a small throwing knife.

“Take this and hide it somewhere where you can easily access it,” she said with a serious expression.

“I know you said you’d be fine, but there’s no harm in being too cautious. It’s a throwing knife, so it’s best used for thrusting. Aim for the eyes, neck, and groin. Those are the easiest to pierce through without using too much force. Then just find a safe spot and wait for me.

“I will make sure to get to you as fast as I can.”

Lysandra looked at the blade Saria was holding, and her hand hesitated just slightly. But looking at Saria’s serious expression and worried gaze, she couldn’t reject her.

She took the knife and put it under the golden cuff on her wrist. “You don’t have to worry about me. Just be careful.”

Seeing that the Princess was no longer completely defenseless, Saria’s mood brightened slightly. “I’ll be careful.”

Beu Perius was already waiting for them.

After a brief welcoming, mixed with empty flattery and even emptier assurances that everything is perfectly legal, he finally led them inside an unassuming inn at the center of the town.

From there, they were guided downstairs, where eventually they would be separated.

“Where are you taking her?” Saria stopped in her tracks and stared at the men guiding Lysandra towards a different corridor.

“Her Highness has a special loge prepared for her, we’ll take her there.” Beu answered.

Saria remained rooted to the spot, unwilling to let them leave out of her sight.

“It’s alright. I’ll be fine. You go prepare, and we’ll see each other soon,” Lysandra chimed in.

Saria hesitated, then approached the man and stared deeply into his eyes.

“If even one hair falls from her head, I will kill you and everyone in here. Then, I’ll find all of your other buddies involved in this and kill them as well.”

Perius laughed nervously. “T-There’s no need for so much violence. We would never allow for anything to happen to such an esteemed and important guest like Her Highness.”

Lysandra, seeing that Saria still wasn’t willing to separate, moved closer and stood face to face with her.

“I’ll go with them now. Make sure you come back to me all well.”

As she finished speaking, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Good luck.”

The arena in the inn was incomparably smaller than the one Saria was used to fighting at.

It would be more accurate to call it a ring, with a few seats arranged around it. Elevated above the crowd was the loge designated for special guests. This time, occupied by Lysandra and Beu.

There were no decorations, no set pieces. Just a plain round space with sand under her feet.

Saria stepped out on the ring and immediately found Lysandra. Their gazes met for a second, and she saw the Princess give her a slight nod.

She tried smiling in return, but she wasn’t sure if Lysandra could see it under her helmet.

Let’s end this fast and get out of here, she thought, turning her eyes to the opposite side of the arena.

The gate opened before a big, burly man, wearing a helmet covering his face and a simple cloth and a belt covering his waist. In his hand, he held a giant double axe.

Saria smirked. This was her favorite type of enemy. Big, strong, and incredibly slow.

In duels like this, everything she lacked in strength, she was making up for twice or thrice with agility, speed, and precision.

It was her playground.

That should be easy.

The gong sounded, announcing the beginning of the fight.

Wielding a short gladius in one hand and a dagger in the other, Saria dashed at the man immediately.

She aimed two fast attacks at his torso to feint, then swung her sword at his neck, but it never reached the target. Instead, the man quickly paired and countered with an attack of his own.

The hilt of the axe hit Saria’s diaphragm, pushing her back while gasping for air. The pain faded quickly as the damage was cured by the enchantments of her armor.

She recomposed herself and threw another two blows at the man. This time, he didn’t block or counter, instead, he simply moved out of the way without a trouble.

Another three attacks bore the same result.

Saria gritted her teeth, feeling that something was wrong, but having no time to ponder the matter, she attacked again.

The result was exactly the same as before.

The man moved out of the way of one attack, then effortlessly blocked another, finishing everything with a heavy punch aimed at Saria’s head with his giant fist.

She spat the blood filling her mouth and stared at him with eyes burning with anger.

It was almost as if he could predict her every move.

While she struggled to even land a hit, he kept putting pressure on her, not even breaking a sweat.

She couldn’t see his face, but with the way he moved and the confidence in his gestures, she could tell that he was laughing at her.

That only made her more furious.

Pressed to the limits of her patience, Saria launched a series of attacks at him. Each faster and more unpredictable than the other.

While the man managed to avoid any significant injuries, he was unable to keep up with Saria’s speed, giving her a clean shot at his head.

As the blade connected, the helmet flew off his head with a loud metallic clang.

Seeing the man’s face, Saria couldn’t help but feel confused. He looked reasonably normal, with the exception of a third eye located in the middle of his forehead.

“Three eyes? Really? Were two not enough for that empty head of yours?” She snorted.

“Bold coming from someone barely able to land a hit,” he barked back, flashing his teeth.

Suddenly, Saria heard Lysandra’s voice reaching her from the loge above. “He’s a cyclops! The eye allows him to see a short time into the future. He knows where you will attack next!”

“So that’s your game. Now things make a lot more sense.” Saria glared at the man in front of her.

She still wasn’t certain how she was going to defeat him, but at least now she knew what she was up against.

“Enough talking! We fight!” the man roared and swung his axe at her.

Saria dodged, then quickly stepped behind him.

She swung her sword at his back, but before it could land, he jumped out of the way.

The exchanges continued for a while. Every attack she threw at him, he easily avoided, while parrying with powerful blows of his own.

One of them sent her flying backwards, making the helmet fly off her head.

“Payback,” he sneered, launching another attack.

With the enchantments broken, Saria felt every injury on her body. All of the bruises and cuts were reminding her of their existence with an admirable persistence.

Tired and injured, it was harder for her to focus and keep up.

Hit by another attack, the blade of the axe sliced through her abdomen, leaving a long, painful gash that brought her to her knees.

Above the man’s shoulder, she saw Lysandra nervously standing up. Her panicked expression and worried eyes prickled at Saria’s heart.

She didn’t want Lysandra to witness this, she didn’t want to be another reason for her anxiety. For that, she needed to get back up and kill that bastard in front of her.

But everything she tried so far failed.

No matter how fast and unpredictable she was, he always knew where the attack would be.

Saria felt the rage boiling inside her.

If only you had lost that stupid eye!

Something hidden in the depths of her being responded to the call.

Her body tensed for a second. Her vision in one eye blurred as a tear fell down her cheek.

Then, to her surprise, she saw the man clutching at his forehead. Yelling and squirming in pain as the blood started pouring from between his fingers.

She didn’t know what happened, but she was not going to waste this chance.

She grabbed her sword and dashed at the man.

He wasn’t completely defenseless. Managing to just narrowly block two of her attacks, he couldn’t react fast enough to the third.

Her blade slashed right through his side.

Saria followed with another attack, but he managed to grab her sword and rip it from her hands to throw it away.

She didn’t give up.

Dodging him, swinging his axe, she delivered a powerful kick to his knee, breaking it. Using his weakness, she grabbed the hilt and ripped the axe from his hands.

Using her full body to swing it, she spun around and brought the axe from overhead down.

It lodged perfectly in the man’s skull, splitting it in half.

Completely worn down, Saria fell to her knees, too exhausted to stand on her own anymore.

“That was too close,” she gasped, sprawling on the sand.