Chapter 18 – An Unforeseen Victory

"It's nice of you to finally join us," Henderson said as the three arrived at the training sands to join in with whatever it was that was happening.

The wide open room was filled with all kinds of people, from Instructors to Contestants to their friends and families.

Titus' eyes bulged at the sheer number of people there were present, given the fact that there were only ten White-Ranked Contestants in the Arena, who all stood in a line like they were cattle at a market.

Henderson seemed to have no qualms with speaking his mind as usual, and nobody turned to tell him otherwise.

"What's the matter? Oversleep?" the large boy continued, now grinning from ear to ear.

"Trust me, Henderson, there's no bigger nightmare than having to stand out there with you," Titus said automatically. Petra laughed, and then squealed as her eyes fell upon the crowd.

"Mum! Dad!" she exclaimed and bounded off to a man and woman who were dressed simply, but were smiling as soon as they'd seen Petra.

"Can't see yours?" Titus asked Jordan.

"Nah, they won't come for this," he said. "They know the real fighting's done up there on the sands. Yours not here?"

Titus scanned the crowd but came up wanting.

"Nope, but my stepmother probably has my father locked up in the cellar by now or tied to a chair maybe," he said, to which Jordan frowned.

"Don't worry, just your typical evil stepmother stuff," Titus said. Jordan nodded once, sensing that it was best not to press the matter.

Petra returned from greeting her parents just in time for Miss Kane to cough loudly and begin her announcement. Titus, Petra and Jordan joined the line of the seven other White-Ranked Contestants and stood facing the crowd.

"Thank you all so much for coming," Miss Kane said, her voice again somehow amplified so that it was clear and loud. "These fine individuals you see before you have pledged their lives to the people, and on this day they stand before you on the cusp of greatness. Their training is slight and their skills new, but potential burns deeply within each and every one of them. These Contestants are not only your friends, your family, your sons and your daughters; these Contestants are the sons and daughters of The Arena. Remember their faces, because these are the Hunters of the future, the people who will keep you safe whilst you sleep in your beds at night."

She let her words hang in the air for a moment before cracking a smile.

"So today, and what you are all here to witness, is the budding skill of these new Contestants. Though their training has been short, this marks the moment as their first official match here within the Arena. Both these Contestants and all of you will remember this moment in years to come when these individuals are alight with fame and fortune. Take it from me: remember the names of these Contestants, because seeing them here today may very well be something to tell your grandchildren."

Titus felt warmth radiate through his body as Miss Kane spoke, and when he looked around at everyone else present, he saw that every single one of them had a smile on their face.

"So let us begin!" Miss Kane announced.

"I would like my boy to be the first," a man immediately announced in a deep, well-to-do tone. Titus saw Henderson step forward on his father's words to differentiate him from the rest of the group.

"But I want him to take that armband off. He is not some infant who requires a flotation device, and to fight with such a thing equipped is like swimming with a balloon. Give my son a real challenge so that we can all see the true skill of these Contestants."

The entire place fell silent. Clearly Henderson's father knew the significance of the armbands, and Henderson didn't look shocked at the proclamation. If anything, he looked rather smug.

But in that smug smile, that look of knowing nothing he ever did was wrong, Titus felt his blood begin to boil, and involuntarily his fists balled and his cheeks began to redden.

But there was an opportunity here. An opportunity to pay back the grinning, pompous, self-righteous boy who'd gone out of his way to make Titus' life more difficult.

"I volunteer as his opponent!" Petra's voice rang out before Titus could speak.

"No!" he wailed reflexively.

A few faces turned to peer at Titus, perhaps not understanding that his outcry was because this was revenge that he wanted to take for himself but had been a second too late.

"Step back into line, girl…" Henderson's father started to say but was cut off by Miss Kane.

"Mr Valeri! Every single Contestant here today is ready and able to stand alone, so it would do you well to refrain from finishing that sentence."

Henderson's father looked furious. But then after a moment, his harsh expression morphed into a grin.

"Then why not give the girl a fighting chance? And take this suggestion as a way to improve the odds in this fight. Let the girl choose a weapon, and let my son fight bare-handed. That way, he will have to prove himself for everyone here to see."

"Mr Valeri," Miss Kane started again. "These Contestants do not need to prove themselves here today. Fighting in the Arena is everything they need to concentrate on..."

"I'll do it," Henderson said in a low tone.

"Excuse me?" Miss Kane asked.

"I said I'll do it. Let her have her weapon. Besides if everything you lot have been telling us is true, then the higher the risk, the better the reward, right? I'll fight the girl, and I'll do so with my own two hands. Hell, I'll fight anyone here with my bare hands, one at a time or all at once if I have to."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Miss Kane said. Then added: "But if there are no objections, then a challenge has been made and accepted. Petra, Henderson, please ready yourselves upon the sands. Petra, please select a weapon from the stockpiles. And... make it a good one."

Titus watched as Petra made her way to the weapons in a pile near the wall. He saw the wicked glint of revenge in her eye and the purposeful march towards the weapons. But he was worried too. Something wasn't adding up.

There was nothing he could do except stand and watch.

Petra returned to stand opposite Henderson, who hadn't moved from his place on the sand. The crowds of people all made their way to the edge of the arena of battle and stood awaiting the start of the fight. Titus could see that Petra had chosen a short, curved blade to fight with and it indeed looked like a good choice.

"Now Contestants," Miss Kane announced loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You know how to fight, so I expect nothing other than your best effort. That being said, we don't want anyone to die here," she stared at them both pointedly. "So a clean fight until one of you yields or is otherwise rendered unconscious. I trust I don't have to remind you both that as you aren't wearing your protective armbands, there is the very real possibility of a fatality in this fight. Slim, but possible. I do not expect to have to bury you once this ridiculous fight is over."

Titus wondered why she didn't just stop the fight there and then, but he knew it wasn't his place to question it. He was just glad it was Petra who held the blade.

"So when you are ready, make your first proclamation to the people, and begin."

"For the people!" Petra announced, placing a fist to her chest. Henderson mirrored the act, though with a lot less sincerity than Petra had.

Then Petra took up her fighting stance, her feet shoulder-width apart and her blade cocked in one hand.

Henderson didn't move.

Titus saw that Henderson's inaction on the sand puzzled everyone. Petra, with her weapon at the ready, stared at him, not sure what his game was and not wanting to make a mistake. The crowd held its collective breath.

Then, with a sudden burst of movement, Henderson shifted his weight onto his back foot and launched himself at Petra with remarkable speed. Petra barely had time to react as Henderson's massive frame closed the distance between them in an instant. She narrowly avoided being tackled to the ground by dancing to the side. Henderson turned like a raging bull with a grin that displayed his overconfidence, and Henderson came at her again, swinging a heavy punch. Petra ducked and weaved, using her speed to evade the attacks. Her short blade remained cocked in hand though, ready for a counterattack but Henderson was so aggressive and so overbearing that she hadn't yet had the chance to bring the weapon into the fight.

Petra's strategy became clear as she focused on quick and precise movements to avoid her rampaging opponent. Titus worried that if just one of his powerful strikes landed, then she'd be in serious trouble. And Henderson didn't look like he was pulling any of his punches either.

Petra finally drew first blood. As Henderson charged her again and she spun out of the way, she whipped out her short, curved blade, and it bit into Henderson's arm. Blood leaked from the wound and Titus couldn't help but smile as he analysed Henderson to see his HP had dropped by five points.

Henderson didn't show any signs that the attack had caused him any hardship and changed his attack pattern from wild charges to close, powerful strikes without pause. He struck over and over, jabbing and hooking, but Petra darted in and out, landing quick jabs and slashes on Henderson's exposed sides and limbs as he continued to miss her.

The crowd could see the frustration growing on Henderson's face as he struggled to lay a hand on his nimble opponent and as more and more tiny cuts began to bleed all over his arms and hands.

But then everything changed.

Henderson had had enough and he roared. The large boy then raised a boot from the ground to land a powerful kick to Petra's stomach. She hadn't been expecting it, and Titus saw her HP drop by twenty points. But it was worse than that; Petra was winded, and the kick had caused her to drop to her knees and hold her stomach.

She did her best to place her weapon between her and Henderson, but he smiled and approached slowly, grabbing hold of her wrist and wrenching the blade from her.

The match was clearly over. A single attack had been landed by Henderson, and it'd been enough to down Titus' friend.

But Henderson didn't turn away to claim his victory.

He walked past Petra and turned at the last minute to grab hold of her hair and snake the sword around her neck. He stopped. One more move and it would be the last breath Petra would ever take.

And nobody was doing anything to stop this.

Titus looked at Miss Kane pleadingly, who watched with wide eyes, he looked at Henderson's father who was smiling and slowly nodding. He looked for Petra's parents but couldn't see them through the crowd of people.

Surely this was the end of the fight?

"OK," Miss Kane announced as she stepped forward. "I think we've seen enough, and haven't they fought well!"

"No!" Mr Valeri shouted. "We cannot interfere with a fight that has not reached its conclusion. It is against everything that the Arena stands for, is it not?"

Miss Kane opened her mouth to speak but said nothing.

"Henderson, boy. My son. Finish this battle the way it was intended to be."

Henderson looked up at his father, and then to Miss Kane. And in that moment, Titus saw something that he hadn't seen in the large boy's eyes before: sadness. Sadness and uncertainty.

He stared at Miss Kane for a second longer but did nothing.

"Do it now, boy, or forever be cast aside!" Mr Valeri shouted, his face reddening.

Henderson kept staring at Miss Kane.

"Now! Do it now! End this fight!" Mr Valeri continued, his voice getting louder and louder with each word.

Miss Kane said nothing.

"I'm going to come down there and kill you both!" Mr Valeri practically screamed and took a step onto the sand.

Henderson turned his attention back to Petra, the sword, and his fight, and sliced Petra's throat with her own blade.

There were a few gasps from the crowd as Henderson carried out the act, and his father stopped in his tracks with a grin from ear to ear.

"No!" Titus screamed.

But there was nothing he could do to stop this.

But then, there was, wasn't there?

Titus focused all of his attention on the blade as it bit into his friend's neck and called upon the one single ability he had: Sacrifice.

Titus immediately felt his skill flare into being, and his health pool dropped by fifteen points. That told him that if Petra had taken the blow herself, it would've been enough to end her life.

But the drop in HP wasn't the only thing that the skill caused because all of a sudden, a burning, stinging sensation scored itself into existence around Titus' neck. He was now sharing in Petra's pain. He yelped and brought his hands up to his neck to feel the warm, wet blood there, and he turned away from the battle and ran from the training sands before anyone could see what'd happened.

He couldn't see Petra anymore, but coming to a halt just outside the door he fell to his knees, keeping hold of his neck to keep the blood from spilling out.

Back inside and still in the fight, Petra had fallen to her front and lay at Henderson's feet. His eyes were red and wet, but he stood tall nonetheless. He'd dropped the sword the moment his grim task had been completed.

Petra had not fallen to the ground because she'd been killed though. The shock and pain had done that. But she still had fifteen health points left, a fact that Henderson would've seen if he'd been paying her any attention at all.

Petra opened her eyes in surprise at the fact she was still alive, and then saw Henderson still standing over her, facing away.

In a split-second decision, Petra swept Henderson's feet from beneath him, causing the large boy to clatter to the ground.

The crowd gasped again, though only half of them had seen what had happened as they, like Henderson, had assumed the fight was over.

"Yes, Petra!" Jordan's voice rang out, and as though buoyed by the exclamation, Petra immediately clambered on top of Henderson, snaking her legs around his and flattening him on his back. Then she drove her forearm forcefully but steadily into Henderson's throat.

His eyes widened as he gasped for air, but Petra didn't let up, not for a second.

Not until Henderson's eyes finally rolled up into the back of his head, and his body went limp, signifying the fight was truly over.

Petra kept her hold for just a second longer, not entirely convinced she should let the boy live, but when his eyes had closed it reminded her of her humanity, and she rolled off the boy to lay on the ground next to him. Her throat hurt and she was covered in blood, but touching the cut there, she felt that it wasn't as deep as she'd feared.

And she'd won.

She'd won.