《A Life's Lie》


 Chapter 1: The life on the fields

    One more day¡­


    That¡¯s all I can really think about, when life in this little village is as boring as they come. Living life on the fields is terrible.


    Townsfolk imagine life on the fields to be peaceful and relaxing, until they discover the harsh reality behind the high taxes, low productivity, famine and the fact that only a handful of people actually work on the field to make plants grow. Oh, selling them would bring in the money needed to live better, you say? We have to pay taxes, ridiculous ones. The lords of this area fill their stomachs, while just leaving enough for us not to starve, since they need our field hands to keep living like kings. Oh, rebelling you say? A great idea, until you discover that over three hundred people were hung or burned alive in the last year or so.


    We have tried selling our goods in the past, but the system functions in a way that the nobles make more money if you make more money. And since they can¡¯t take more food from us in taxes without many people dying of famine, selling our goods would lead us bankrupt.


    And since we don¡¯t have money for a revolt, or weapons at our disposal for such a large scale castle seize, there¡¯s no point.


    But honestly, I¡¯d let all that slide¡­ if there were any women around here. Geez, my family keeps telling me to find a woman around here and marry, but honestly, I don¡¯t even think this village¡¯s women can be considered¡­ well¡­ women.


    When you go into town, you can see some ¡°well gifted¡± women, but here on the field, saying that they are as ugly as pigs would be an insult. To the pigs, of course.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re thinking about there, but you better start working, or we won¡¯t meet this month¡¯s quota. The messenger just said that it has increased.¡± Said the Village¡¯s old man. What was his name again?


    Right, Mr. Brown, Bernie Brown. A very slender and short old man, with long white hair indicating his old age. He was wearing a brown vest over his dirty white shirt, combining that with his long black pants that were way too large for a short man as himself.


    ¡°Still wearing those oversized pants, are you, old man?¡± I asked, smiling.


    ¡°Well, these are the only ones I own, you Idiot!¡± He started shouting at me.


    This line brought me back to reality for a moment. ¡®The only pants I own¡¯. Yeah. No money for more clothes. Geez, I wonder when was the last time my clothes were washed. Thankfully, we usually go to the river nearby to bathe ourselves. We usually use some plants from this area that cover up our smells. Yes, cover. We still smell like shit. While those fat men eat everything we make, leaving us little to eat, they don¡¯t even do anything for us. How is that a fair trade?


    Call me idealistic. I wouldn¡¯t mind working here from dawn to dusk if I saw those noblemen doing something for us. Something, I¡¯d take anything right about now. Anything.


    ¡°Did you hear me, kid? The Quota rose again, Start working!¡± Old man Brown shouted again.


    ¡°Wait, What? Again? We¡¯re going to starve!¡± I shouted, not knowing what to think. My family already came so close to starving last month, how would we get by this one?


    I decided to drop the hoe I was holding, leaving the field and running, still trying to find the messenger, which usually came with the noble decree, signed by the region¡¯s lord.


    Running through the village made me think about it. Even If I really find the messenger, what am I going to do? What can I do? To face the reality that you are indeed powerless, that everyone around you is going to die and you can¡¯t do anything about it.


    As soon as I found the messenger, he was walking back, in the direction where the closest town stood, all dressed in white, with a blue cape flying with the wind on his back, which held the crest of the Noble house of our Region, the Fluglal House, which reigned over the Fluglal canton, one of many that comprised the Estine Senate, which ruled over Estine, situated on the continent of Eloa.


    I could feel nothing but rage at seeing him all relaxed, followed by his entourage. All incredibly well dressed. The man walked right next to two carriages, pushed by white horses meaning that people from the Fluglal house were in those carriages.


    As I approached the messenger, I grabbed him by the collar, before shouting at him.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU WANT TO KILL US ALL?!¡± I Shouted at him, eyes filled with rage, before he pushed me away.


    ¡°Do not touch me you plebian. We may do as we please. You are a citizen of the Fluglal canton, and so, you must follow the laws imposed by the Fluglal house. Deal with it.¡± He said.


    The Nerve! But in my many years in dealing with stupid people, I¡¯ve learned how to manage it.


    Suddenly, a short and fat woman came out of one of the carriages, bearing the Fluglal House crest on her chest.


    ¡°Lady Elaine, you came for a walk, did you not? There is no need for you to step out, we¡¯ll deal with this bug.¡± He said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Bug? THE NERVE! I¡¯m going to kick his teeth in!! Damn it¡­ Just calm down, hitting him won¡¯t solve the issue.


    ¡°Oh, Lady Elaine. I see that you¡¯ve gotten quite fat off of other people¡¯s work! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re coming out here for a walk, to see if you lose that extra fat. Just a tip though. Next time you come out for a walk, don¡¯t bring your carriage, because with It you¡¯re not¡­ well¡­ Walking. Just to keep in mind.¡± I said, and I meant every word. That fat woman needs to be put in her place.


    The messenger grabbed me by the collar before shouting.


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you¡¯re talking to, you insolent fool? One more word, and I¡¯ll have your¡­¡± I quickly interrupted the messenger by punching him in the face.


    He fell back on the ground before completing his sentence.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have my what?¡± I asked eyes twitching, ready to beat him to death. This guy needs to be put in his place.


    As I approached him once more, a blade to my neck made me stop on my tracks.


    ¡°¡­ Your head.¡± He said as he got up. ¡°You must think of yourself as some sort of super hero, that would save your land, right? Well, you¡¯ll have time to think about what you¡¯ve said and done, in the arena.¡± He said.


    CRAP! No, not the arena. In The Fluglal canton, the Fluglal house could send anyone they pleased to the arena as slaves, as they watched them fighting to the death. Being Rash probably just cost me my life, didn¡¯t it? Crap.


    Multiple Soldiers grabbed me and locked me up, as everyone in the village had gathered around us to see what was happening.


    Old man Brown approached us, looking at me with an attitude of disapproval. Really old man? Can you blame me for trying to change things? Can you? Stupid old man.


    ¡°Old Man! Tell my family that I acted stupidly, and now I¡¯m going to the arena. If I ever attain freedom there, I¡¯ll come back. Promise.¡± I Said before the soldiers started dragging me to the arena.


    From the village to the neighboring town, where we¡¯d usually go trade some grown plants for a few seeds, to keep our small ¡°economy¡± ongoing, it was just a couple of hours of walk.


    This didn¡¯t bother me though. I had never been in a carriage for my whole life, and I wasn¡¯t about to begin. The Fluglal house head¡¯s wife, Lady Elaine, offered the spot next to her, for me to seat. But¡­ Why? Was there any reason for it? Or was she just not as bad as we¡¯ve heard?


    ***


    We had finally arrived at the neighboring town. It was quite a big town, Fluglal Canton¡¯s Capital, Cyika. Quite a good place for the women, terrible for everything else. The smell of burnt flesh quickly arrived on my nostrils, someone had been burnt today. I quickly looked around, and to my dismay, I see two tied young men, probably slightly older than me, both still burning. Already dead though, there were no shouts of pain anyway. So¡­ This is the harsh reality we live in, isn¡¯t it?


    And when I thought things couldn¡¯t get worst, Soldiers passing by with someone for the arena would usually start announcing it, as if some big event was about to happen.


    ¡°DEAD MAN WALKING! CLEAR THE WAY! DEAD MAN WALKING!¡± He kept shouting, as if advertising something.


    Stupid. Just stupid. Killing me in the arena for saying what I believe in? If people don¡¯t want to listen to criticism, change. If people don¡¯t want to be insulted they must strive to become worthy of praise. They¡¯re just mad I said the truth.


    Everyone came out of their homes, to see what the fuss was all about. Lots of good looking women as well. Didn¡¯t have their good bodies destroyed working everyday in the fields. Too bad this is a one way ticket to hell.


    ¡°DEAD MAN WALKING! CLEAR THE WAY! DEAD MAN WALKING!¡± He kept on shouting.


    ¡°SHUT UP, THEY ALREADY KNOW, NO NEED TO RUB IT IN!¡± I Shouted back to the soldier. I¡¯ve had it with these people¡¯s stupidity.


    The answer to my shouts was a push from the white dressed messenger on to a puddle of mud. My clothes were already dirty from working on the fields, but this took it to a whole new level.


    ¡°Oh, you motherfucker. I CHALLENGE YOU TO AN HONOR DUEL!¡± I Shouted.


    An honor duel was the worst thing you could be challenged for. Refusing an honor duel would dirty your name for the rest your life, and for generations to come. And the loser of an honor duel would always die. No exceptions. A battle to the death. If I was about to come down, I¡¯d sully his name and reputation with my death.


    The man took a step back, before everyone in the town started staring at him and the guards dropped me on the ground, as if waiting to hear his answer to free me. After all, interfering with an honor duel was the worst thing one could do, especially in front of all these people.


    He stepped forward, going to the carriage to pick up a rapier, before throwing me a small dagger.


    ¡°Wow, How dignified of you to give me a small dagger. No matter, you shall die in a few minutes after all.¡± I Said, sweating bullets, trying to make myself look big.


    No matter the confrontation, or your opponent, you must always believe to be superior. Believing is half the battle, isn¡¯t it? Well, if not, I¡¯ll die here, nobody really cares about a farmer plebian like me, do they?


    As he stepped forward and held his rapier high, I picked up my dagger. Not knowing what to do, I decided to formulate strategies in my mind in how to beat him. With everyone watching, I at least had to give them a good show, even if I was about to die.


    Then I noticed. He was wielding a rapier. That gave me the advantage. As long as he couldn¡¯t poke me, he couldn¡¯t kill me.


    ¡°Ready yourself.¡± He said, looking high and mighty.


    I held the dagger as if I was wielding a sword, and nodded.


    As he moved forward he swung his rapier from his left to his right, as if to behead me where I stood. Unfortunately for him, as the rapier was about to touch me, I grabbed the rapier with all my strength, not letting him move it.


    ¡°You do know a rapier doesn¡¯t cut, right? It pierces. You¡¯re not supposed to slash with it.¡±


    He was even more pathetic than I thought. Seems like living in a noble house raises idiots.


    ¡°See you in the afterlife.¡± I Said before plunging my dagger onto his neck, cutting his jugular entirely.


    As soon as I pushed the dagger out, I let go of the rapier. Allowing the man to fall flat on his back, making it hit the ground. Nothing pleased me more than seeing him like this. Die motherfucker, the world doesn¡¯t need trash like you.


    But then I realized. I had just killed a man. And for the first time, I felt the thrill, the adrenaline shot, of having killed someone. I felt as if, my life had just attained meaning. The dull life I had lived until now as no more, as the thrill of the kill had taken over me.


    For the first time I had killed someone, and it felt¡­ Great!

 Chapter 2: The Wind before the Blood

    The Thrill was something I would never forget. Never. The blood dripping from the dagger was enough to wake me from my boring life. Interesting. When I woke up today, I never thought that I would end up going to the arena, and that I¡¯d be beating a man in a honor duel. All in all, the worst day in my life, the one that woke up my true purpose.


    The two soldiers told me to drop the dagger, noticing that the messenger was already dead.


    ¡°Come on Son, you¡¯ve had your duel, now, put it down so that no one else has to die.¡± Said the Soldier.


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m going to the arena to get killed, why not fight here now that I have the chance?¡± I Asked what was, for me, an obvious question. Why would I succumb to fate if I could oppose it now? We don¡¯t live in a free will based universe, we never have. Freedom of choice is something that has never existed, and never will. The Universe shall always condition or determine our choices for us, even if we think it hasn¡¯t. This makes our freedom an illusion, doesn¡¯t it? If that¡¯s the case, then fighting right here seems like right choice.


    ¡°Kid. We don¡¯t want to kill you. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll have a much more glorious death in the arena?¡± Asked the soldier.


    ¡°Glorious you say? What is there of Glory in dying like a pig for the entertainment of Stuck up fuckers who just let you starve in the end, even if you win? Is there Glory to be had in the arena? Thousands of people have lost their lives there. And I can guarantee that none of them wanted to be there. Forced by destiny¡­ Or by their hand.¡± I said, pointing to Lady Elaine, still sitting on her carriage before continuing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that killing those who cause oppression would save the weak? Did you not make a vow to protect the weak? Is this how you do it? If so, you¡¯ve failed as a soldier. And as a Knight.¡± I Said.


    Maybe I pushed it a bit there, but it still needed saying. Whatever I could do to prevent going to that coliseum they called arena had to be done. I couldn¡¯t go there. Honestly, I just don¡¯t want to die a virgin. Lame reason right? Well, there¡¯s no need to be afraid of death, after all, it¡¯s a part of life. But for the love of god, don¡¯t let me die as virgin¡­. PLEASE!


    And now, I¡¯m shouting in my own thoughts. Great, since when had I become so crazy?


    ¡°Kid. Stop being delusional, they are the ones who rule our country, they are absolute¡­.¡±


    ¡°What if they were wrong?¡± I interrupted the soldier. ¡°What If everything they said went for their own interests, and not of this country as a whole? Is it right to sacrifice thousands for personal entertainment? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Enough. It seems like you won¡¯t listen to reason. I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Stand down, or I will kill you.¡± He said.


    Suddenly, the fat woman left the carriage allowing her white hair to flow with the wind. I imagine she thinks that she looks stunning, but from where I stand, even the women from my village were better than her.


    ¡°You two have to stop. Come on, there¡¯s no more reason for bloodshed is there? You¡­.¡± She said while pointing at me. ¡°Thou shall go to the arena, and perish for my amusement.¡± She said before soldiers put themselves in front of her, as if acting like meat shields.


    Die for her entertainment? Interesting. I even thought for a moment that she wasn¡¯t as bad as other people thought. Seems like I was wrong though. The Bitch¡¯s NERVE!!!!!!


    As soldiers quickly surrounded me as well, I decided to surrender. With this many, I wouldn¡¯t be able to run away, but might just have a chance to guarantee freedom in the arena.


    According to the Fluglal Household, as long as a slave fighting in the arena won One hundred battles to the death, he or she would be granted freedom once more, and some money to restart their lives.


    And due to the fact that I¡¯ve just killed a messenger and insulted the Lady of the Fluglal household, my head¡¯s on the chopping block. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! This can¡¯t get any worse.


    I guess I¡¯ll take my chances in the arena. I quickly decided to drop my weapons on the spot before I was killed.


    They all moved towards me, before grabbing my arms and arresting me to take to the arena.


    ¡°Rest well my dear. I shall personally make arrangements so that you shall die like the dog you are tomorrow.¡± She said before getting on her carriage and leaving.


    Everyone who had watched what just happened didn¡¯t even want to believe. They had all watched a murder, a political debate between a convict and a soldier, and the lady of Fluglal calling all the plebeians pigs. Incredible. She didn¡¯t even make an effort to look good in public. She just acted like the stuck up bitch she is. Great.


    That is all I could think as I was being taken to the arena. Even though the town was giant and colorful, I didn¡¯t feel like looking around and enjoying my surroundings. Could you blame me?


    ***


    We had finally arrived in the Arena. As soon as they were taking me in, they had to register me in the list of combatants, to announce matches.


    ¡°Alright Kid, what¡¯s your name?¡± Asked the Arena Manager, the one preparing the combats.


    ¡°Clayton. Shane Clayton, 17 years old.¡± I Said, not even knowing why I was throwing my age into the mix, it was maybe into hoping that someone would feel sorry someone as young as me had to die here.


    ¡°Oh, here¡¯s a letter from the Fluglal Household. This one is to have a pre-arranged match for tomorrow on the morrow. Get it ready.¡± Said the soldier before freeing me and throwing me into the catacombs of the coliseum, where all the slaves lived.


    I knew the Conditions for slaves were degrading, but I never imagined how poor they actually were. Geez, there are no beds, just rocks. There are no tables to eat. We eat on the ground. No windows, just the bars that separate the catacombs from the main area where the ¡°Gladiators¡± would die¡­


    These bars were everything that separated this miserable life, and a miserable death. Who the hell had been arranged to fight me tomorrow? I know it sucks, but I don¡¯t intend on dying. Not yet. I¡¯m still a virgin!


    In any case, I decided to walk around and see if I could meet anyone, maybe that would ease everyone¡¯s tension¡­ or not. Everyone here looked as if their life had been sapped from them. Truly, most slaves here had already heard the whole stadium shouting ¡°Kill¡± for them to finish the business.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Entertainment¡± she called it. Entertainment my ass. People die here. Things one day will change, I¡¯ll change them. And when time comes, I¡¯ll make that bitch die for MY ENTERTAINMENT. And for that, I¡¯ll have to survive tomorrow¡¯s duel.


    Suddenly, a young girl started shouting about how she would live one more day.


    ¡°ONE MORE DAY! ONE MORE DAY!¡± She started shouting. If not for the place we were in, I would definitely have called her crazy. Who knows why she was saying it though. Decided to ask her.


    ¡°Hey there, why are you so happy? Did something happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, someone got moved to tomorrow in the morning, so my combat was delayed for one more day! I¡¯ll get to live one more day! Thank you, god!¡± She said, as if it was all she had asked for.


    What a measly god. Offering his people ¡®one more day to live¡¯ under these terrible conditions, instead of easing their suffering.


    ¡°I was the one who was moved to tomorrow morning.¡± I Said. ¡°I came from out there. Killed a messenger that said he was going to increase the quota, and then insulted Lady Elaine from the Fluglal house. Of course she wants me dead tomorrow. No matter what. Great meeting you though.¡± I Said, with a weak smile.


    I had given up on hope. A corrupt senate, ruled by corrupt households, all forcing the innocents to die in their behalf, all so that they could live happily. I Just couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Suddenly a hand lay down on my shoulder. The girl was probably trying to comfort me. Knowing that you would die the following morning didn¡¯t give you anything to be proud of. Especially when I look at all I didn¡¯t accomplish. Well, no wife, no kids, nothing to really be proud of. Nothing. Is there anything that may have given my life meaning?


    I hadn¡¯t noticed before, but her weak, but sweet voice tried to comfort me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do well out there, I just know it.¡± She said, with a smile that could captivate any man.


    The wind blowing from the racks in between the bars that separated our ¡°homes¡± from the stage made her long and beautiful dark hair move with the wind. A moment that I would never forget. If I had to die know, I would die a happy man. I know, I¡¯m a simple guy


    Her looks weren¡¯t something incredible. From living as a slave she had acquired some muscle, especially on her legs, but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything.


    She stared at me for a moment, trying to understand whatever was going on my mind, until I woke up from my trance.


    ¡°Sorry, should have presented myself. Shane Clayton. What¡¯s yours?¡± I Asked.


    She again, stared at me. ¡°My what?¡± She asked, oblivious to my question.


    ¡°Your name¡­ Don¡¯t you have one?¡± I Asked. It sounded like a silly question, but slaves in our country weren¡¯t granted any names, at least if they had never met their parents.


    ¡°Oh, my name¡¯s Sophia.¡± She said, smiling again. Geez, if you keep smiling like that, I¡¯ll fall for you right here. Or would, if my death wasn¡¯t so close. And even if I survived my next battle, she would be the one to die. What a ridiculous life to live here.


    ¡°No last name though. I actually didn¡¯t have a name. A good friend of mine gave it to me before she left.¡± She said. So, my guess was right. She didn¡¯t have a name. But now that one was given by the person she admired, she must wield it with honor.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name, just like her owner.¡± I said, trying to ease the atmosphere. I Couldn¡¯t expect the reaction that came next though.


    She took a step back, completely embarrassed. Well, as slave, not experiencing love was normal. Not that I could say anything, even as a ¡°Free¡± citizen, I had never experienced it.


    But I couldn¡¯t think more about it. I had to rest. If I wanted to survive tomorrow, I knew I had to keep my strength up, and so, I decided to retire, knowing that it was getting dark.


    She was still freaking out of the fact that I had called her beautiful. It¡¯s not like she was bad looking, she could actually catch the eye of many guys, mine included of course, not that there weren¡¯t any better looking women out there.


    Her beautiful dark hair flying with the wind, somewhat curvaceous figure, damn it, what am I Thinking?


    I decided to take a seat on a corner to see if I could fall asleep, after all, it¡¯s not like there was anything to do around here. And since I arrived after ¡°dinner¡± had been served for the remaining slaves, I would go to sleep with no food on the stomach. Not like I wasn¡¯t used to it, life on the field was like that.


    I didn¡¯t really know what to do. I could hold my own in a fist fight; I¡¯ve always been tall and bulky enough to withstand most impacts, without negating my speed. I might not be the as fast as a lightning bolt, but my endurance was still nothing to scoff at. But even so, this wasn¡¯t a fist fight. Oh no. A fight to the death, using real blades.


    Honestly, I am afraid of death. It¡¯s not like you can see it coming. You know, your story is something that is written on a book as you progress. Until you meet your end of course. I felt as if my story was finally reaching its final pages. Didn¡¯t even know how to feel about that. How was I supposed to come to terms with my own death? Even if I had today just killed a man, and revealed my psychotic nature, that still didn¡¯t mean I could still look death in the eye and smile. No way, I still haven¡¯t gone that far.


    I Put back my head, trying to rest, as tomorrow would be a big day.


    ***


    From turning around, my head hit a rock, which made me wake up with a jump. Damn it, that hurts! Still, it was hard to think it was already day¡­ Or so I thought. It was still dark, the middle of the night. Did I actually sleep anything? I decided to get up and take a look around.


    As soon as I got up, I heard a voice praying. It was a woman¡¯s voice. One that I could easily recognize. Weak and soft voice could come from no one but Sophia. As I heard her praying, I decided to approach her.


    Looking around, there are many more slaves here now than when I came in. All of them sleeping on the floor. To think that from now on, I¡¯m one of them. Well, maybe not for that long.


    As I approached her, she heard my footsteps and turned around. She quickly recognized me in the dark.


    ¡°Oh, Shane. It¡¯s you. Nervous for your big combat today?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, too much. Can¡¯t sleep.¡± I lied. I had just hit my head, but the more I thought about the subject, the less I could come to terms with it. When you have lived all your life , always trying to make the best out of everything you came across, to finally see it being taken from you¡­ It was terrible.


    ¡°I can imagine. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep for a while.¡± She said, noticeably holding back her tears.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, may I know how you ended up here?¡± I Asked, foolishly, not knowing I was treading on prohibited grounds.


    ¡°I used to be a sex slave.¡± She said. This shocked me. How have I had the right to complain about my life? HOW? When she had lived like that, and still kept her beautiful smile?


    ¡°My best friend and I used to live on the Fluglal Household¡¯s catacombs. Raped every night. Who knows how many men have had their way with us¡­ Until one of the women in the household decided to free us. She was probably one of the maids. At least her outfit indicated so. As soon as she freed us while everyone was sleeping, we decided to make an escape. For a better life you know? If we ended up escaping to another Canton, our status as Slaves would be revoked, and that¡¯s what we left our hopes on. Trying to run from that castle was infinitely hard however. We had never seen the outside of the catacombs, and so, we could not navigate in it properly. Ended up meeting one of the Household¡¯s knights on our way out. When he said to surrender, my best friend decided push me away as we started running. Of course¡­ That man¡­ I¡¯ll never forgive him¡­. He did¡­ Everything to her¡­ IN FRONT OF ME¡­ Before finishing her with his lance. Her final words¡­ ¡®Live Sophia¡­ For my sake as well¡¯ And¡­ That¡¯s why¡­ I have to smile!¡± She said tears flowing out of her face¡­. I didn¡¯t even know what to say¡­ How could have I been so selfish? To have only looked on my life because it was convenient? So many more people have had it much worse¡­ And I¡­ And I¡­ Selfishly only thought of how I was about to die.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m saying this to someone I just met¡­ But¡­ To think that everyone you cared about died before your own eyes¡­.¡± She said.


    As soon as she said that, I knew I had to comfort her¡­ Somehow.


    In a split second decision, I decided to hug her. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡± I Said. As if it mattered the fact that a stranger she had just met tried to comfort her. I meant nothing to her.


    She grabbed me as well, allowing her tears to flow down my clothing. Or what was left of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die tomorrow. Promise?¡± She asked with teary eyes.


    ¡°I Won¡¯t. You have my word.¡± I said, trying to convince not her, but me. That I would somehow be capable of surpassing this obstacle. This battle would either be the end of my story, or be the beginning of a new act.


    Which one will it be?

 Chapter 3 - My first Deathmatch

    It was time. The combat was about to begin. Trying to convince myself I¡¯d make it was my number one priority. Even if It was indeed pointless. Well, I thought so at first.


    As I made my way to the gate that separates the catacombs from the stage where the combat would be held, a young man with an eye patch called me.


    ¡°Hey. Good luck out there. Fortunately for you, this month¡¯s champion doesn¡¯t have any weapons apart from his wooden sword. Doesn¡¯t kill, but will definitely hurt. One more thing. When you kill someone, you get their equipment. Bring me that wooden sword, and we might just be able to strike a deal. In here, we trade whatever we can get our things on. You know how it is. Good luck.¡± He said before patting me on the back and pushing me forward as the gate finally rose.


    It¡¯s time then. Now, think. If it¡¯s just a wooden sword, then I should be able to handle it, unless the opponent is a huge mass of muscle. Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s not the case.


    As soon as the gate had finished rising, two guards had come for me, each grabbing one of my arms, without saying a word.


    As soon as they passed the gate once more, they threw me into the ground. This was unmistakably the arena grounds. It was time then.


    I decided to look around, to take in my surroundings. That¡¯s when I noticed it. Full House.


    Everyone was up cheering, waiting for blood to start spilling. Geez, the other guy didn¡¯t even enter the stage yet.


    Suddenly, as I looked around, I saw them, crying. My family¡­ They probably got in debt just to see my final moments. No. These aren¡¯t my final moments. I must prevail. For them, for me, and¡­ for Sophia. I promised her after all, I couldn¡¯t lose here, could I?


    That¡¯s when it happened. The other gate finally opened. And what I saw shocked me. A Tall man, though slightly shorter than myself, with a good build, wielding an iron sword. What happened to the wooden sword? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ They gave him an iron sword to improve his chances of winning. All to see my blood spilled.


    I took a glance to the top of the seats and I saw her. The Lady of the Fluglal Household herself. Lady Elaine. Mark my words, if someday I walk out of here... Heads will roll. But never mind that for now, to even be able to escape, I¡¯d have to win this match first. That¡¯s when I decided to ask.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I get a Weapon?¡± I shouted, loud for the whole arena to hear my outcry. Whatever my destiny may be, I shall die on my feet, holding a weapon, I shall not die on my knees. This is how I got used to thinking, after all, if I can¡¯t convince anyone else that I¡¯m going to win this fight, I¡¯ll have to at least convince myself.


    My Question was suddenly answered with a wooden sword landing right next to me, thrown from the seats upstairs. Great, a wooden sword. Just what I needed. His iron sword didn¡¯t look too sharp. Maybe I¡¯d be able to block attacks from that sword with wood? Won¡¯t risk it.


    Suddenly, the lord of Fluglal stood up and rose his hands. Damn, the guy¡¯s even fatter than his wife. Damn, guess being ugly, fat and loving to eat other people¡¯s food just runs in the blood.


    The man grabbed his daughter and made her take a step forward. Standing next to her, the man spoke.


    ¡°Today, the man that is to marry my daughter shall fight the slave you see before you. So dishonorable, that even asks for a weapon¡­¡± The whole stadium bursts into laughter.


    ¡°FUCK OFF! WHY DON¡¯T YOU COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME!¡± I Shouted. Even though challenging someone to a duel of honor was something that you could do, challenging a lord of a household was a bad idea. Lords have the choice to make someone fight in their stead, or even calling the best royal knights in the kingdom to fight you.


    But it seems like I¡¯ll be fighting the one who is to become the next lord of the Fluglal Canton. Fine by me.


    ¡°Are you challenging me for a duel of honor?¡± He asked, in a loud voice that could be heard in the whole stadium.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go so far! Just come down here! We¡¯ll take a crack at it!¡± I Said, in a somewhat low voice, thinking about it, I¡¯d imagine not even my opponent being able to listen to what I had just said.


    The Lord ignored me, and proceeded.


    ¡°Now, Sir Michel! FINISH THAT SUPOR FOR EVERYONE TO SEE!¡± He shouted, demanding blood. Wow, even more primal than I had first imagined.


    He bowed to the whole public. And while he had his back turned, I decided to start running.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He probably heard my footsteps, as when I got close, he did a full spin, making me jump back, almost severing me in two.


    ¡°A wound on the back is a swordsman¡¯s greatest shame.¡± He said, loud enough for the whole stadium to hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a swordsman, or a knight for that matter. I¡¯m just someone who is eager to live. And for that, your head will need to be on the chopping block.


    Tell me; is your story ready for another act? Or will it finish today?¡± I asked, trying to confuse my opponent.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no clue of what you¡¯re talking about. But I¡¯ll make sure your story ends today.¡± He said before holding his iron sword with two hands and trying a large swing, I took a step back and held high my wooden sword, using it to block his slash, a wooden sword which surprisingly parried his attack.


    With the recoil from hitting the wooden sword, I charged into him with a full body impact, taking him down.


    While he was down, I decided to try to kick his hand, to make him drop the iron sword, a kick which unfortunately went too late, as he was already getting up, fortunately for me, I hit him right in the shoulder, prohibiting him from more reckless slashes like the last one.


    And he must have been injured by my full body impact. I still stood slightly taller than him, and much more muscle due to working in the fields every day, my constitution was nothing to look down on.


    Not being able to move his sword like before, he decided to take a defensive stance. As I suspected, my full body charge did wreck him up a bit. Jackpot.


    As he moved forward for a downward slash, stopping midway, putting his left hand on his right shoulder due to the pain.


    ¡°Done Already?¡± I asked. Even though if it came down to it, he could probably beat me in a fist fight, due to the fact that I never had much training, destroying his morale was much more effective.


    ¡°No, I WON¡¯T LOSE TO TRASH LIKE YOU!¡± He shouted, for the whole stadium to listen.


    At that moment, I just my rage take over.


    I quickly moved forward and gave him a piece of my right hook, to teach him manners.


    On the way however, I dropped my wooden sword, just like he had dropped his iron one. This had turned into a fist fight.


    Unfortunately for him, he could only use his left hand. Damn, my kick must have really hurt for him not to be even able to move his right arm correctly.


    He took a couple of steps backwards, as if moving towards the iron sword without me noticing.


    As soon as I noticed, I charged against him once more, throwing him into the ground.


    I quickly hit him with a couple of kicks while he was on the ground, picking up his iron sword and throwing it closer to my wooden sword that was on the ground. I wanted to make everyone watch as I pummeled this guy to death.


    ¡°What is it princess? Is there a problem?¡± I Asked, as his eyes were filled with anger. He quickly Charged towards me, throwing me onto the ground and landing on top of me, before starting to punch me in the face, until I finally grabbed his left hand, as he was still not using his right one.


    I pushed back my right arm before allowing my right hook to kiss his face. He fell to the ground once more. Damn, those punches had hurt. But still, even though it did hurt, I could still move everything.


    He got up and moved towards me, trying to hit me with a quick combo of left and right hooks, throwing himself to the ground right after he missed both attacks, hand on his shoulder. Damn, now I¡¯m convinced that something¡¯s broken. And if it wasn¡¯t before, after these reckless movements, it was now.


    I moved towards him, kicking him in the face. I didn¡¯t want him just to die. I wanted to humiliate him. To make him suffer as much as I could. He was another one of those who just ate the work of those who starved. Another man the world would do well without. Easy.


    He couldn¡¯t stand up anymore, so I sat on top of him, punching him repeatedly. 17 years of Rage in these punches. 17 years of starvation, of disease and extreme poverty, all of it caused by that man who in that chair stood. The Lord of the Fluglal Canton.


    And in the middle of all that, I just kept punching him. Nothing else popped into my mind. All that there was in the middle of the arena was the rage I had being all discharged into that man. Blame whomever made him a highborn.


    Blood was already dripping from his nose and mouth, and his face covered in it. I grabbed him by the collar, before giving him one last punch and getting up. Walking towards the Iron sword that on the ground lain.


    I grabbed the iron sword and approached him. The crowd was all on its feet, ready to go frantic over the blood that was about to spilled.


    I grabbed him by the hair, pushing back his head and allowing the edge of my blade to lay itself on his neck.


    ¡°NOW! DAUGHTER OF THE LORD OF FLUGLAL! IS THIS MAN TO BECOME YOUR HUSBAND?¡± I shouted, looking for another form of humiliation.


    ¡°STOP! I DEMAND IT!¡± She shouted. Great, seems like I struck a nerve.


    ¡°KNEEL THEN. AND LIKE THE DOG YOU ARE, LICK THE GROUND, AND APOLOGISE. ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, AND I SHALL LET HIM GO!¡± I answered, loud enough for the whole stadium to hear.


    She hesitated for a moment before answering.


    ¡°NO! YOU SHALL KNEEL!¡± She shouted.


    OH well, seems like I won¡¯t get my fun out of this..


    ¡°Any Last words?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°LADY ELINCIA! I LOVE YOU!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°SIR MICH¡­¡± Her shout was interrupted by the crowd¡¯s delight.


    A Head was rolling on the ground. I had just beheaded a man. And if wasn¡¯t on the Fluglal household¡¯s shit list, I was now.


    For one last moment of glory, I grabbed the head from the hair, and held it high, allowing the whole crowd to cheer. At that moment, I felt¡­ invincible. As if no one could touch me.


    I turned around towards the south end of the arena, where I saw my family, with an air of disapproval. What did they want me to do? Die here?


    As the cheers died, and the Lord got up from his throne, hugging his crying daughter, I picked up the wooden sword as well, they were now both my property. Making a deal inside didn¡¯t seem like a bad thing to do.


    The gates opened. I walked back into the catacombs, wondering what would come next.