Slave Girl 2: Chapter 122 (Patreon)

The night was cold.  The coldest I’d yet felt since arriving at my inheritance.  The acrid aroma of wood smoke fills the air from the two snapping, crackling fires that Cassie and I had build to the East and West of the ancient stone platform.  The fire’s melody is punctuated by the occasional hiss of a rain drop filtering through the thick canopy above to fall onto the hot stones encircling one of the fires.  Only the green copper plate at the center of the platform with it’s tiny window to the open heavens received the steady drizzle that had set in after the storm.  Thunder still shook the sky and flashes of Jupiter’s bolts still lit the clouds but the worst of it was receding southward down the long valley.  All around the impenetrable darkness of the surrounding forest the burble and babble of fresh streams carrying the recent deluge down the hill toward the swollen Aciris.  The riverside bath, the gazebo, and most of the lower garden would be flooded once again as I had had no time to build up defenses against the river’s fury.  All of that clean up Cassie, Rosa, and I had done would be erased in a single night.  But what did that matter now?

I sit kneeling beside the platform waiting for my foe to arrive.  The rise of Hercules might have been obscured by the angry clouds but it was not difficult to sense that Nox’s darkest hour had arrived.  Toke would be here soon.

Behind me my Lady rested upon her blanket where she usually sat during our training with Danae curled up at her side.  Just minutes ago I had heard her quietly pleading with the nymphs to hide away so that they did not give clue to Rosa’s secret connection to magic.  They had seemed to gather around her in response to her powerful emotions, as if to comfort Silvanus’ acolyte.  Thankfully they did Rosa’s bidding and returned to the canopy to dance and chime among the pitter-patter of rain drummed leaves.

At my side was Cassie, her stony expression a mask of war and her trusty bow at her side and full quiver at her hip.  When I asked why she brought her weapon she told me, ‘So that I might fall a foolish old northman if he goes too far.’  The chilling way in which she had said that made me believe it.  She had been every bit the boon to me that Rosa had hoped.  We had spoken tactics, her offering insights that I hadn’t considered, to prime my mind.  We had gone through some practice moves and light striking to ready my body.  At every turn she filled my ears with words of strength and victory to enflame my spirit.  And in the end, as she tied the supporting wraps around my wrists, fists, and ankles which evoked memories of my bondage the night before, she shared with me an iron silence to give me the calm I needed to harden my will.

Across the platform around the opposite fire sit Aristocles and Collywaddle huddled close together against the cool as they spoke quietly and somberly with each other while keeping watch for the others.  Their flickering faces looked as grim as I had ever seen them.

The time of life and death was here.  If I win, Toke lives.  If I lose, Toke returns to slay his master and surely falls in the resulting chaos.  When I agreed to Toke’s conditions I thought, deep down, that I would be able to steer him from this course through respect and kindness.  I had been wrong.  I trained with him, I treated him fairly, I gave him a window to enjoy the country life and the touch of a woman.  None of it mattered in the end.  The broken man’s will would not be altered.  Not since the harpy’s cave had the stakes been this high.  And in that case I never had the time to reflect on it.  I had been driven by my need to protect Rosa.  Courage didn’t even come into it.  I simply did what I had to do.  Having time to think about life and death while my blood was cold was so much more difficult.  But I was ready.

“They’re here.”  Aristocles announces as he and his slave rise to their feet.

Off to the West the tell-tale blue tinted glimmer of a sulfur torch stubbornly burning against the rain appeared and disappeared through the trunks of the trees as my crew made their way.  A trail of inky black smoke followed them as the pitch of their waterproof illumination burned away.

What the others were feeling as they entered the clearing I could not say as my gaze locked onto my enemy and never let him go.

Toke stood tall and fearless.  His face was painted black in the sockets of his eyes and dark gray in the hollows of his cheeks and his long reddish locks were pulled back into a tight braid.  The combination made his already fierce features look skull like, as if his was the face of death itself.  He was shirtless and his long, lean muscles shone from the cold rain that wet his flesh.  Whether by his northern blood or sheer pride he showed no signs of feeling the cold.  In response I pull off my tunic and scowl.  Something I instantly regret as he sneers my way.  Without meaning to I had made the first move and it was a petty one.  An aura of alpha dominance comes over him like a shirt of mail armor.  With infuriating calmness he breaks his eye contact with me to look down at the weeping goblin at his feet.  He kneels and speaks in  low tones to her and her master.

I let out a snort of frustration at my act of insecurity and his mocking response.  A soft hand touches my shoulder.  “Easy Quin.”  Cassie whispers.  “This is what he wants.”

Taking a long breath I nod and refocus my energies.  I continue to stare at him and nothing else.

Once I was calmed Cassie steps onto the platform and walks to the center.  “Why have you brought your weapons?”  She asks the men.  I had been so honed in on Toke I hadn’t even noticed.  “This is pankration.”

“This is a fight.”  Her brother corrects her.  “Do think we would travel at midnight without our arms?  This is the hour of magi and monsters.”

“Pfff!”

“You’ve got yours!”  He shoots back.  “Don’t worry.  The weapons are not for them.”  After a pregnant pause he adds.  “They’re for us.”

“Toke said that we should each take a side.”  Julian says.  “If either of them leave the platform we are to get them back on it.”

“As quickly as possible and by any means necessary.”  Gyasi finishes.  “Gladiatorial rules.  Nobody escapes, nobody rests, until the battle is won.”

“If you idiots think that you’re going to use those on…!”

“Cassie.”  I say.  “It’s fine.”

“But…”

“Leave it.”  I order.  “I trust them.”

She grumbles but backs away to return to my side.  Honestly I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having weapons close by for this but at this point the last thing I needed was a delay to squabble over rules.

Across the platform I can see Colly showing Toke the affection that I hoped she would.  Aristocles as well patted him on the shoulder to wish him a good fight.  Though Toke was my foe I could not help but feel glad that he had someone here to support him.  In Rosa’s words I was as ‘rough’ and ‘hard’ and 'manly' as I could get, but even now the soft boy inside of me empathized.  With touching gentleness he hugs Collywaddle, shakes hands with Aristocles, then rises and turns to me.

His icy blue eyes lock onto mine and drill into my soul.  In an instant I watch the warmth he’d shown to Colly switch off and his cadaverous visage go dead of emotion.  The casual ease of the transformation shook me to the core.  In that one instant I realize that he was harder than me.  Stronger of will than me.  Capable of a warrior spirit that I could not summon in myself.  He was better than me!  I had no chance!  All of my preparations come crumbling down around me.

The battle of wills already won he steps up onto the platform without a word…and waits.

Just as my resolve was ready to shatter there comes a soft voice on the breeze.  “Rise up, my boy, and conquer.”

My Lady’s words slay my fears in a single stroke.  My gaze burning back into Toke’s cold eyes I smile and say under my breath.  “Yes, my Lady.”

Rising to my full height, chin proud and chest out, my thick muscles taut and heaving, I step onto the platform.

Chapter 123