Page 6 of Gladiator Moon

“Wait! Do not summon the flame!”

“Okay, why not?”

“Because here on Grandar, the mind flame is real and will burn your head from your shoulders.”

“Shut the front door.”

“There is no front do.... oh, what this is another expression from your culture. You are offering disbelief. But let me assure you, summoning the single flame of teleportation will kill you. And painfully, too.”

“You’re saying I’m stuck here?”

“Quite. You are stuck here until you either win or die.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Indeed we will. Here, let me show you something.”

He waves his hand in a circular motion, and as he does so, the air shimmers before him. Within the shimmering, a hideous face appears. A man, I think. He is looking this way and that, eyes darting erratically, head turning imperceptibly. He is panting, breathing through a slightly open mouth. One side of his face is bloodied, scraped. A bruise on his chin and around his eyes. He doesn’t look entirely human: eyes too wide apart, nose too big. Wait, his ears are pointed. His image hovers in the air before me, displayed within a backdrop of curling mist. The little sorcerer before me continues circling his hand, stabilizing the shimmering mist and, thus, the face shown within it.

“This was recorded just last year, during the last Games. The being you see had won his first two bouts, defeating creatures far bigger than he. But he had grown dissatisfied with the process, claiming he wasn’t a killer and wanted to go home. Like all combatants, I warned him against summoning the flame, but he did so anyway. Observe, Samantha Moon, and be forewarned...”

The scene continues playing out. The man who isn’t quite human closes his eyes... and his head suddenly erupts into flames. He screams, clawing at his face, but within moments, he is a fireball. Seconds later, nothing but ashes drift down from where his head had been. His headless body pitches forward, dead the instant he tries to summon the flame. The fire burns all the way down the majority of his neck, leaving a charred space between his wide shoulders. It is all very hideous and disturbing. Never have I considered that the single flame in my thoughts is a real flame that could somehow ignite.

“Please do not summon the flame, Samantha Moon. It is the surest way to immediately die.”

“Fine, and what happens if I win the tournament? How do I get home then?”

“Those who win are given a small window to return home.”

“Given by whom?”

“His liege, of course. And me, since it is my magic and my spells that keep you bound to this planet. That said, you will have to fight to return home. And not just fight, you must win, too.”

“Where am I, exactly?”

“Grandar is part of a fourteen-planet solar system orbiting what scientists on your home world call a brown dwarf star. A small star with not much heat. You might not realize the cool temperature here.”

“Not really.”

“Well, many do and choose to wear heavy cloaks. I could fetch you-“

“I’m good.”

“The outer planets in our solar system are not fit for life, but the three closest to our star are teeming with it. The planet you are presently on is about a quarter the size of your Earth, and is ruled exclusively by my liege, of whom I am his chief sorcerer.”

“How long has he ruled?”

“Nearly a hundred years, in fact. He and his family have been our rulers since time immemorial. Though we have not traveled through space, we travel between dimensions. Rather easily, in fact. My liege is constantly seeking warriors for his Games, you see.”

“Not really.” I scan my surroundings, not the red sky and weird shapes flying high above. They could be dragons, or birds, or even flying crocodiles. Hard to say. “So, what now, little man? I just stand here until your liege makes his grand appearance and sends an alien to fight me?”

“Close, but the games are still being assembled. They are not quite ready. You will know when they are ready, my eager beaver.”

“Say that again and I will smack you.”

“Noted,” he reddens. “But yes, this is where the tournament shall take place. Perhaps I should show you to your quarters, where you can ‘meet’ the other warriors, though I would recommend you don’t get too chummy with them, as you will literally soon be fighting them to the death.”

“I don’t see myself as a warrior.”