Sex, Death, and Money Vol. 1 Capitulo 19
19
Mahaup stepped into the prep area and bounced on the balls of his toes. He stood a respectable eleven feet and weighed in at just shy of three hundred pounds. He was fit, healthy, and his trainers were some of the very best. He'd chosen deep jungle for his starting area, which suited his species well, though it meant paying a penalty in starting gear.
Those were the terms. The more suited to the terrain a contestant was, the less they started with in terms of material resources. Everyone in the room with him had made the same terrain choice. Mahaup had a set of javelins in a quiver strapped to his broad back, pants, and moccasins. It would be more than enough.
The rules had been drilled into him, and he knew them well. Something between three and four hundred contestants would be starting all across the island in all sorts of different habitat. The first phase was over when half that number remained. While technically a battle royale, in practice alliances and factions were common, even necessary. Getting into a good one helped ensure a given set of contestants made it through the opening event, which was easily the bloodiest of the season.
"Remember," Banai said, drawing his attention. His trainer was a duoden, like him. She was also older and much more experienced, which had been good in a variety of ways. She'd had several contestants make it to the finals, and Mahaup planned to be her first champion.
"The short, furless biped in the picture I showed you. If he's here and you get an opportunity, form an alliance of convenience, but kill him as soon as you get a chance."
"What's so special about him?" Mahaup asked.
"He's a monster. Whatever you do, don't fight him fairly. No warning, just hit him here."
Banai lifted her foot and tapped the tendon at the back.
"Cut one, then get away and stab him from a distance. No risks."
"I'll lose style points if I kill him with a cheap shot," he said, frowning as he flexed both sets of hands, sliding fingers under his thumbs to pop his knuckles in series.
"You won't get style points off this one. I was there when he got his sponsor," Banai said, reaching up to catch Mahaup by the chin, jerking his head down and meeting his eye.
"He took a packwren down in one shot, and the only reason she isn't dead is because he didn't want to kill her. Do not blow me off, Maha. No posturing, no warning, no mercy. Do you understand me? This one's different. Once he's out of the way you've got a good shot. Matter of fact, if you see him, gather a few others and let them in on it, then gangbang him. You won't get style, but you'll get some social cred."
"This thing really scares you," Mahaup said.
"Yes he does. Don't give him a chance to scare you," Banai replied, the pointer of her upper left in his face. Then she slapped his upper right shoulder with her lower left hand as she gave him a smile.
"Go get 'em. I'll see you on campus once the field's been culled. Then the real games begin. Good luck."
"Thanks, Banai. See you in a week or so," he said, and watched her walk away.
"That ass ..." he muttered, eyes set on it and the long, prehensile tail switching back and forth across his view of it. It was an ass that could crack nuts. He knew ... he'd watched her do it.
Shaking himself out of pleasant daydreams, Mahaup turned and looked out across the room. It was a fair-sized, bare-walled room with a padded floor and several doors on every wall. Those doors opened on tunnels that would take the contestants to final staging just below the start area. Everyone in this room would start the game within an area of about half a square mile.
Mindful that whether he ran into the dwarf monster or not, he needed allies, Mahaup began mingling. There were quite a few other duos in the room, most of them had also chosen footwear and javelins. He saw a pair of syban males, hoods pulled tight to their necks as they spoke quietly to one another, clearly already having formed an alliance of their own. Their race was also well-suited to the jungle, but rather than javelins, these two had a brace of knives each and a pouch of bullets for the slings coiled around their waists. Both of them also had blades affixed to their tails. One was about seven feet tall, the other was closer to nine.
Mahaup made contact and had no trouble joining the pair. As he was finalizing their arrangement, the swirling crowd of males parted and he caught sight of a figure standing by himself.
Well, it's a dwarf, that's for sure, he thought, as he gazed at the creature. It was hairless, furless, and wore both pants along with a full-sleeved shirt. The clothing was mottled green and brown. It too had moccasins, and its face and hands were very curiously colored. It was obviously paint, extending the mottled green and brown of the clothing over every inch of exposed skin and leaving Mahaup uncertain what his actual color was.
"That'sss him," one of his new companions, Viver, said. "The one we were warned about."
Mahaup glanced down to see Viver staring fixedly at the same male, and sensed his chance.
"Let's bring him in and cut him down once the game begins. I too was warned," he said.
The syban glanced sharply at him, then just as quickly back at the male, who seemed not to be paying any attention to anyone. He was making no effort to form an alliance, and was leaning against a wall between two doors.
"Isss it ssleeping?" Xeph, the other syban, asked.
"We agree," Viver said. "You are a mammal and the mosst impresssive of uss: you make the overture. We will wait here."
Mahaup nodded and strode across the room. There were a few others to match his height but none to obviously exceed him. He was pleased when all simply parted and turned to watch. When a male of his stature made a move, it was wise to take notice.
He came to stand a few feet from the curious little creature and looked him over. There was little he could tell up close that he hadn't made out at a distance. The clothing the male wore was unusually baggy, hiding his physique. There was also a thick cloth belt wound around his waist, and several small pouches were attached to it. He looked rather dumpy overall and that would win him no favors with the viewers. It left Mahaup wondering what kind of incompetent trainer this creature had, to have made such a poor opening choice.
"You look like you need partners," Mahaup said.
The tiny male opened his eyes and looked up at him, blinking several times before he said, "I do?"
Mahaup nodded gravely, then waved his lower left behind him at the two syban as he said, "Join me and my companions. We'll work together to survive the opener. Maybe form a longer term alliance. Sound good?"
He watched as the male tipped his head to see around Mahaup's bulk, then nodded and said, "All right."
Mahaup blinked. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. He asked, "What's your gear?"
"My gear?"
"What weapons are you bringing?"
"Oh, no weapons. Just this."
The male put his hand into a pocket and pulled out a thick, matte green bar. He flicked the end open and depressed a lever, causing a small jet of flame to appear.
"That's it? You brought a fire starter and no weapon?" Mahaup asked, having a hard time believing it. If the creature had a weapon, it would be good to know what it was.
"No. I figure I'll take one off the first thing I kill," the creature said, sounding bored. "I prefer a knife, but we'll see what turns up."
He said nothing more, and walked ahead easily enough when Mahaup gestured an invitation. A close look at the creature's back showed nothing hidden, though the clothing was baggy. Perhaps that was why.
It might also be in one of the many pouches, though beyond a sling and stones, there were few other effective primitive weapons that would fit in such small containers.
Viver and Xeph greeted the strange creature, who nodded quietly to each in turn. Mahaup asked, "So what do they call you?"
"Taz."
"You're a new breed, aren't you? What's your species name?"
For a long few seconds, the odd little creature didn't say anything. Then, just when Mahaup was about to repeat his question, Taz said, "Human."
It was obviously a word in a native language, but simple enough and Mahaup said it, raising an eyebrow as he silently questioned the pronunciation. Taz nodded and said, "Close enough."
"Well, Taz, what's your specialty?" Mahaup asked.
The human raised an eyebrow that Mahaup only now noticed, it being painted to blend in with the rest.
Viver clarified, "What are you good at?"
"Oh. Everything but sex."
Both syban and Mahaup burst out laughing, but the human only shrugged and said nothing more.
"You are ssseriousss?" Xeph, first to recover, asked.
"We're allies. I have no reason to lie," Taz said, then asked, "Does anyone know how much longer until we start?"
"Not long," Viver said. "Another ten minutesss or ssso. There musst be time to form alliancccesss."
"Oh. All right. Are we done doing that or do you want more?" Taz asked.
The three exchanged looks, then Mahaup said, "Four's a good number to start. We'll be fine with this."
"Who should we watch out for?" Taz asked, glancing around.
It was a good question. Mahaup straightened and turned a slow circle, looking over the assembly, which by now had mostly formed into small groups of two to four, as they had done.
At length, Mahaup pointed with his lower left as he said, "That one, there. It's a borealan. Heavier than they look, tougher, extremely good regen, resistant to toxins, and fast for their size."
Taz looked, then nodded. The borealan was ten feet tall and rippling with muscle. His face was feline and he had fur on his forearms and lower legs, orange striped with black. Aside from the loincloth the big creature carried a great spear and nothing else, not even anything to wear on his feet.
"Could he beat you?" Taz asked, turning his attention to Mahaup.
Without any hesitation the duoden nodded and said, "They're the best killers out of all the livestock. My trainer said there's always only one allowed in every season, but they never win."
"Why not?" Taz asked.
"Because it's not all about killing," Mahaup said, turning to grin widely down at Taz. "Borealans fuck hard, but they tend to break their toys and usually wind up getting disqualified for fighting when they aren't supposed to. They're also shit at forming alliances and half the time they don't make it through the season opener because everyone gangs up on them."
"No self-control and bad with people," Taz said in a musing, wry tone. "Duly noted."
"Not bad at sssex, though," Xeph said, obviously amused. "Sssuccubi love them."
"They can have them," Taz said, and there was no humor in the words.
Mahaup blinked, then inwardly shrugged. This human's motivations didn't matter. He was going to be the game's first casualty.
Time passed, and at length the doors all around the room flipped open. Groups began filing into them, and after each group left through a door, it shut behind, keeping others from following.
Mahaup shouldered his way to an open door and led the two sybans and their short-lived human into a tunnel of rock. It had a flat floor and a pair of cables running the length of the ceiling that glowed brightly enough to illuminate everything.
The four of them loped to the end of the tunnel, which was over two hundred yards distant, and found themselves standing on a platform ten feet square.
"Any minute now, the fun begins," Mahaup said, grinning down at the human. "The first event is where the weak get weeded out."
Taz simply nodded his head once up and down, but said nothing. Mahaup watched him out of the corner of his eye, and saw Taz glancing around, eyes never staying on one thing. He was extremely alert, which was natural, but a little disappointing.
The human asked, "When is the official beginning?"
"A great gong will sssound, when the game officially sstartss," Viver said. "It'll happen as sssoon as the platformsss all reach the top."
The light above them grew larger and brighter as they ascended, and Mahaup turned his attention skyward. Over the rumble of the machinery raising their platform he could hear the jungle sounds and grinned broadly.
He had trained for two years for this moment. His future was truly about to begin, and he bounced on the balls of his feet as he said, "Soon now! Just a few more seconds!"
"Yesss, thiss will be a gloriousss game!" Viver said, also looking at the broadening arc of a brilliant blue sky already edged with canopy and the hoary trunks of vast old trees.
The air grew humid and hot. The sounds of the jungle grew louder.
Then with a subtle thump, their platform came to rest flush with the surrounding loamy ground. Mahaup turned a circle, looking in every direction as he thought about where to go first. The best bet with a pair of syban was to set up an ambush post with the snake men in the canopy while he drew attention from the jungle floor.
The jungle cries were shattered as a tolling gong — its sound bigger than the whole world — rent the air, vibrating even the platform beneath their feet.
That sound faded and for a moment the entire jungle was silent, as though held in spellbound awe of what it had just heard.
Then a hissing scream rent the air.
Mahaup spun in time to see Viver drop, both hands clutching his throat in a vain effort to stop the arterial spray. A few feet beyond the dying syban, Xeph had his knives out, facing off with Taz, who had one of Viver's knives in his left hand.
Xeph slashed with his right. Lightning quick, Taz caught the extended arm, yanked the syban in, and his own dagger flashed. Once, twice, three times, and Xeph staggered away with blood spraying from punctures in his thigh, throat, and just under his ribcage.
"Betrayer!" Mahaup roared, leaping back as he pulled a javelin from his quiver.
As he drew back, he felt a sharp impact on his chest and looked down to see the hilt of a dagger pressed tight to his flesh.
Pain like nothing he'd ever known surged through his chest, and he howled and threw his javelin. Taz stepped neatly aside, but didn't otherwise move, waiting. Beyond him, Xeph sank to his knees, then fell on his face and spread his blood in a broadening pool on the platform.
Mahaup wobbled, pulled another javelin from his quiver, then blinked in confusion as he realized he was on his knees. He couldn't remember falling. He threw his second missile but this time Taz didn't have to move. Mahaup missed.
He never missed.
His last thought as he crashed headlong to the platform was the lunatic regret that he wouldn't even be credited as the first to die.
At best, he was third.