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“What about weapons? Or does that interfere with your movement too?”
“No,” I said, grinning at her and picking up a large broadsword in one hand and a spear in the other.
I reached up and fingered the gold and silver rings that belonged to my parents. One of the best tattoo artists in the city lived inside the fighting pit’s walls. After eating in the dining hall, I asked him to pierce my ears with the rings and he agreed.
“They look good,” Alice said.
Some of the gladiators made it past the first round, few made it past the second. None passed the third. It was a relief, as otherwise the prize money would have been reset virtually to zero.
As the competition progressed and the number of gladiators grew thinner, Alice grew more nervous. Finally, as we were the last to signup, we were alone. Alice worried at her bottom lip and couldn’t sit still. Even when she could bring herself to sit, her legs jittered up and down on the spot.
“Try to stay relaxed,” I said.
“I can’t!” she said. “How can you be so calm? We’re going to go out there and die!”
I took her hand in mine. “No, we’re not.”
“I’m not brave like you. I can’t do this.”
Outside, the audience clapped, and we were called forward. “Your turn.”
“Ohhhhh!” Alice said, terrified. She looked like a kid at the dentists.
I pressed my lips against Alice’s and hugged her close to me. “You are bonded to me now. I would never hurt you or let you be harmed. All you have to do is stand out of the way and give me the weapons when I ask. Okay?”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“Are you coming?” the stagehand said.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Are we?”
Alice shut her eyes and then opened them again. “We got dressed up, didn’t we? We might as well make the most of it…”
I kissed her again. “Let’s go win our money!”
We followed the long dark hallways that always made me think of what it must feel like after you misjudged an attack and a blade claimed your life. A long series of hallways leading to your final destination.
I didn’t share my thoughts with Alice.
The audience stamped their feet above our heads. Dirt fell from the ceiling and dusted our heads. We approached a set of gates. They were rusty and dented from a thousand collisions.
And a thousand deaths.
They groaned open and a pair of stagehands dragged the previous pair of gladiators across the floor, leaving a bloody streak in their wake. Alice eeked and hopped out of the way. And still, she continued walking forward.
She was braver than any of these other pretenders. They knew what they were fighting, what they were up against. Alice was heading into blind darkness, and had the courage to ignore what her senses were telling her—“Run! Run far away!”—and to trust me, the smuggler who’d abducted and fallen madly in love with her.
That took guts. And yes, more than a little desperation.
Sunlight blossomed bright and I had to shield my eyes as we proceeded out. The crowd rose to their feet and roared. I raised my arms, encouraging them to cheer. Alice shuffled forward beneath the weight of her armor and fear of impending death.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I thrust my blade in the dirt and twirled my spear in an intricate display. The crowd quietened as it turned invisible to the naked eye. I performed one last turn and a backflip.
The crowd rose to their feet and cheered.
Yes, I hated this place. I hated the training, hated the cruelty, but I loved the crowd. And they loved me in return. I laughed as I hugged Alice closer and planted a big sloppy kiss on her cheek.
The crowd roared even louder.
