The Soul Engine Ch. 20 (Original Fantasy) (Patreon)

A/N: The Grand Melee is here!

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As they approach the Colosseum the very next morning, Mikael has to admit that it’s quite an impressive structure in both size and scale. Of course, what little he recalls of stadiums from back on Earth does put it to shame, but that’s comparing apples to oranges. They don’t have the same building techniques nor the access to materials that people back home had.

Though, that did go to show just how short-sighted Zadicus Quinn really was, didn’t it? Mikael didn’t know exactly what the man had done with his memories, but he certainly hadn’t used them. Or any of the other poor helpless souls that he had summoned to this world. Now maybe the Hero Summoning Ritual didn’t take exclusively from Earth. Mikael didn’t know. But even if it had only taken a handful of people from Earth, Zadicus should have had enough memories and knowledge from Mikael’s world to begin reverse engineering some of the more advanced stuff, right?

The fact that he hadn’t spoke of laziness. The fact that this place was magical medieval fantasy instead of on its way to being magitech uplift… well, it just went to show how lacking in vision Zadicus Quinn really was. No wonder the man had defaulted to another Grand Melee, just as Avina had theorized he would. He’d been Lord of Alether for years now, running his Hero Summoning scheme to keep his arenas propped up and only branching out into one new direction with the warehouse gambit. And the moment the going got tough, he reverted right back to old habits.

Mikael couldn’t complain, he supposed. Zadicus being short-sighted and predictable was what had let their plan go off mostly without a hitch so far. But even still, he had to admit that it worried him a little bit. All of this, everything they’d done, was for the purpose of getting close enough to Zadicus to take him down and put him in a position where he would be forced to give back Mikael’s memories and tell them what condition he’d set for Mikael to be able to return home.

But what would a man as short-sighted as Zadicus Quinn do with Mikael’s memories? What sort of condition would someone as narrowminded as the Lord of Alether set for Mikael to accomplish before he could go home? Admittedly, there was a wariness to Mikael as he found himself contemplating these things while approaching the Sign-Up Area by Thayla’s side. The Knight of the Rose, dressed in her full golden armor and wielding her sword and shield, strides forward and leads the way. Mikael just follows after her.

Avina’s Blacksmith really had come through for them. The armor that Francis had made fits Mikael almost perfectly, far better than he would have thought could be possible given Mikael himself had never even met the man for a fitting. But then, to be fair most of the armor was still leather. The metal pieces were more for reinforcement than anything and didn’t necessarily need to be molded to Mikael’s form like a set of full plate armor might need to be.

But also, on top of the armor, Francis the Blacksmith had also created a helm for Mikael. Also made of mostly leather, the helmet comes with a metal faceplate that, while it restricts his field of view, should also protect him. The slits for his eyes, nostrils, and mouth are too small for an arrow or sword to get through, anyways.

With the mask hiding his face and the chestplate hiding his Soul Engine, Mikael’s identity is secure. Not to mention, not a single thing he’s wearing can be tied to the arsonist who’d been burning Zadicus’ warehouses down these past couple of weeks, seeing as he and Avina had been smart enough to pick up a brand new sword and small buckler from Francis’ place on their way out too.

Even still, he lets Thayla do the talking as she signs them both up for the Grand Melee in an authoritative tone. The official behind the counter barely even pays Mikael any mind, scribbling down the fake name of ‘Raquel Vilanto’ that Thayla gives for him without a second thought. Then, the two of them are let through the gate into the ‘volunteer area’.

There’s still an hour until the Grand Melee, so it makes sense that they have a little bit of time left to kill. Needless to say, the volunteer area consists of MUCH nicer accommodations than what the so-called criminals are probably suffering through at the moment. Not only is it above ground, but it also has refreshments… and a whole lot less chains and shackles then Mikael is imagining exist down in the ‘pens’ said to be underneath the Colosseum.

The lounge area is steadily filling up, even as he and Thayla stay off to the side and wait for things to get underway. As they stand with their backs against the wall, Thayla’s eyes roam back and forth across their competition, leading Mikael to lean over to her and whisper through his mask.

“See anyone to watch out for?”

Quietly, Thayla nods her head towards a group that look to be armed to the teeth.

“Those look like bounty hunters. Watch out for them Si- err, Raquel. Their kind will stop at nothing for a payday. Normally they’d be hunting the criminals to turn in for rewards… but I suppose they see this whole event as a chance to make a whole lot of coin without having to do the legwork first.”

Hm, fair. Bounty Hunters… just looking at them, Mikael can tell they’re hardened fighters, one and all. And they’re a well-rounded group too, with differing get-ups and skill sets, no doubt. Mikael grimaces under his mask as the dead men in his head point out one that looks like an offensive spellcaster as the sort that needs to go down first and go down HARD. The foreign memories forced into Mikael’s head are quick to flash images of what an enemy wizard on a battlefield can do… the sort of devastation and mayhem that they can deliver.

It doesn’t help when Thayla points out the spellcaster herself a moment after he’s had the foreign thought forcibly shoved in front of his mind’s eye.

“If they go for us, we’ll want to take him out first. Otherwise he’ll rain havoc down upon us with his magic.”

Okay, so maybe the instincts swimming around in his head would be worth listening to in the coming battle. It didn’t make Mikael any happier to do so though, especially not when he’d quite literally been tricked into fights he didn’t need to have by those instincts. But… it was only a little while longer, hopefully. Once they got Zadicus squealing like the pig he was, they’d force the bastard to fix his mind and send him home. If all went according to plan and the condition for his return home wasn’t too strenuous, Mikael might be back on Earth by the end of the day.

Whether that would be with Avina or not, he didn’t know. She would only tell them that she would be nearby. Since she wasn’t joining the Grand Melee for obvious reasons, Mikael had to assume she had another way of sneaking into the Colosseum that would allow her to be close when he finally got alone with Zadicus.

For now, Mikael couldn’t worry about her. Not when he and Thayla had a battle to the death looming in front of them. It rankled to be fighting for the Lord of Alether’s amusement though. Speaking of which… as Mikael and Thayla continue to stand there against the wall, Zadicus Quinn himself enters the lounge area. With Bula by his side, the scarred Lord of Alether is all smiles as he sweeps his gaze back and forth across the room… before ultimately, his eyes land upon Thayla herself.

The City Lord makes his way over to the two of them and Mikael stiffens up even as he feels Thayla do the same beside him. For a moment, Mikael fears they’ve been made… but Zadicus doesn’t so much as spare him a glance. Bula sizes him up momentarily but doesn’t seem to recognize him. Hopefully.

“Ah! Dame Dawnguard… I must admit, I’m surprised! A Knight of the Rose taking place in the Grand Melee? Why, your presence alone makes this event more prestigious than I could have hoped for! You must have gotten a taste for the arena from that one match I set up for you.”

At being reminded of how Zadicus effectively sent her to kill him, rubbing her face in his illicit Hero Summoning activities and making her complicit in Mikael’s murder without her even knowing about it… Thayla bristles. How can she not? Only, the female knight isn’t supposed to know that Zadicus tricked her. She certainly isn’t supposed to know that the Lord of the City is the very criminal she’s come to Alether to find.

For a moment, Mikael worries that Thayla is going to blow their cover right then and there with how instinctively angry her reaction is. But… to her credit, Thayla recovers admirably, and even provides a decent cover for why she’s so mad.

“Your guards have been overstepping their bounds for days now, Lord Quinn. Not every ‘criminal’ that is to be thrust into your Grand Melee today is guilty of the charges that your guards have levied against them.”

Zadicus raises an eyebrow but keeps the smile plastered across his face.

“Oh? A hefty accusation, Dame Dawnguard. I assure you; I have full faith in the ability of my guardsmen to sniff out the criminal scum that pervade my great city.”

“I do not. That is why I am here today. To protect the innocents that are slated to suffer for your… spectacle.”

That brings the Lord of the City pause, but Thayla is playing her role perfectly because after a moment, Zadicus just scoffs at her.

“I see. Well… good luck with that.”

The Lord of the City ends the conversation there on that dismissive and derisive note, moving away from them and over to the front of the room where he turns and claps his hands together, drawing the attention of all of the other volunteers that fill the lounge area.

“Attention everyone! Welcome, all of you, to Alether’s second ever Grand Melee! The first Grand Melee, hosted to celebrate my ascension to the position of City Lord, was such a great success back in the day that I decided to bring it back! Who knows, perhaps we’ll make it into an annual tradition going forward!”

That last comment is clearly a jab meant for Thayla, given the way Zadicus flicks his eyes in her direction for a moment as he says it. The Knight of the Rose grits her teeth and glares daggers at him, but stays where she is, even as Zadicus continues on.

“Now, as I’m sure you all know, the Grand Melee is a Free for All. Last Fighter Standing wins. And as I’m sure you’ll all agree, the winner of this Grand Melee will certainly be one of you volunteers, just as it was in the first Grand Melee. Certainly, none of the worthless rabble down in the pens can hold a candle to the assortment of strength, skill, and valor I see on display here before me!”

There’s some shuffling at that. Some chest puffing too from the idiot blowhards that don’t seem to realize Zadicus is purposefully hyping them up. Grinning wickedly, the scarred Lord chuckles.

“Of course… don’t let their lack of ability fool you. Cornered animals can achieve impressive feats when desperate. Do not take the criminal scum that will be sharing the Colosseum Floor with you today lightly, my friends. Give them no quarter, because they will give you none in turn. If they see the chance to kill you, they WILL take it. They are murderers, rapists, thieves, and brigands one and all.”

Mikael feels how heated Thayla is beside him. Every word out of Zadicus’ mouth is enraging the Knight of the Rose more and more. But… she has impeccable self-control. She doesn’t even speak up or do anything when the next exchange happens.

“Are you saying this whole thing is to the death? I was given to understand we can retire at any time.”

One of the bounty hunters said that. Made sense, Mikael supposed. They seem to be a whole group coming together to try and win the prize. If they’re forced to kill each other for it at the end though, they might be less inclined to actually participate.

Zadicus, however, is quick to shake his head.

“Aha! No, my friend, no. I know that my arenas tend to have a… reputation for being quite bloody. But you understood right. As volunteers, none of you are obligated to participate in this event for a second longer than you want to. If you wish to surrender the field and retire from the Grand Melee, you may do so at any time.”

Here, Zadicus looks right at Thayla. And this time, he holds her gaze as he says the next part.

“The criminal scum, however, are under the same rules that they always are. They have forfeited the right to retire from the field. They have forfeited their right to freedom. They have forfeited their very lives with the crimes they’ve committed in MY city. The only way for any of them to earn back their right to live and go free is the same way as any criminal who finds themselves in one of my arenas. By winning. Of course, I don’t imagine any of you will let that happen, now will you?! Bahaha!”

While some of the volunteers DO look at least a modicum of queasy at the thought of killing a bunch of defenseless poorly armed shmucks, far more of them laugh right along with Zadicus. Whether it’s because they don’t have a single moral fiber in their bodies, or whether they actually truly believe that all of the ‘criminals’ Zadicus is pitting them against did the crimes he accused them of, Mikael doesn’t know.

He does know one thing for sure though… Zadicus needs to go down. He needs to go down HARD.

“No… no, you most certainly won’t. Especially when the reward is so damn lucrative! Haha! The prize for the first Grand Melee was only five thousand gold… which is why I’m pleased to announce that the prize for this Grand Melee has been doubled! Whoever is left standing at the end of the day will walk away with ten THOUSAND gold, handed over by me, the Lord of the City, personally!”

A lot of backs straighten at that, and some murmuring starts up around the volunteer area. Mikael himself goes wide-eyed at that number. He might not know jack shit about this world’s economics, but ten thousand gold certainly sounds like it’s a lot. Especially if five thousand gold was the grand prize last time. For Zadicus to be doubling up… he really wanted to incentivize brutality among the volunteers, didn’t he?

Nothing for it, in the end. It wasn’t about the gold in the end. Mikael and Thayla weren’t here for the coin. They were here for that last bit. Zadicus handing over that much gold would be Mikael’s opportunity to get close to him and hopefully finally force a confrontation on Mikael’s terms.

Of course, there was still Bula to consider. But… looking around the room at all of the volunteers so ready and eager to slaughter defenseless ‘criminals’ for coin, Mikael finds himself staring at an all you can eat buffet. He needs to be strong enough to take on both Zadicus and Bula when he finally gets them alone if it comes down to it. And all of these bounty hunters, knights, and mercenaries have just helpfully volunteered to help him get there.

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A/N: Next week, we get into the fighting and the climax of this particular arc. Will Mikael finally get his confrontation with Zadicus? We shall see!

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