Chapter Eight
The four of us made our way back to our inn, and the girls decided they were ready for a nap after all the shopping we’d just accomplished, but I was still fired up and wanted to play, so I left them in the room. I made a new save point as I made my way out the door, and I looked both ways trying to decide what to do first.
I took a second to think about what I wanted to learn. I’d already gained a lot of skills since I was first summoned in the catacombs, and I was proud of how far I’d come in this world. I’d learned how to fight right off the bat, and I had the sorcerer Raijin Thornheart to thank for that. Then I’d learned how to smith, fell trees, and how to fight in Bastianville.
While I’d traveled to the Duke of Bullard’s castle, I’d learned a few things along the way as well. I’d learned how to tan hides, count cards, and box while I’d visited the small towns between Bastianville and the duke’s castle.
Once we’d arrived in Bullard, I’d learned a lot of interesting and useful things, from butchery to baking, and everything in between. I’d tried my hand at candlestick making and pottery, and then I’d picked up a few techniques from the town’s sword master.
Just today, I learned how to weave a basket here in the Duke of Arginold’s dreary city, and I wondered what other masters lived in the town surrounding the duke’s castle.
It had been a good life so far, and I was eager to add more to my ever-growing list of skills, so I took a deep breath and headed off into Arginold in search of something new to learn.
I wanted Bastianville to flourish and thrive, and in order for the town to succeed, we would need to have various tradesmen and masters to populate the town. I wanted to be able to train anyone who came to town looking for a job, so I needed to know everything about this world.
I meandered down the street, and I dodged random townsfolk as I walked down the cobblestone lane, but I didn’t have a clear destination in mind yet. The city seemed so gray and dreary, I was really feeling the urge to brighten the place up with a few smiles and some color, but I had to stay incognito so I tucked away those urges for later.
Suddenly, I spotted a bit of green in my peripheral vision, and I swiveled to see a glass-walled building full of plants. It was a greenhouse, here, in the middle of this snowy, cold town.
I was definitely curious about how someone could grow a garden in what seemed to be the middle of winter, so I pulled the hood of my cloak tighter over my face and made a beeline for the greenhouse entrance.
The temperature was remarkably higher inside the glass-walled structure, the air smelled of fresh dirt, and I noticed a brown-haired man leaning over the rows of plants a few yards away from the door.
“Hi.” I cleared my throat to get his attention. “I was just walking by, and I saw all your plants through the window. It’s really beautiful in here.”
The man straightened himself slowly, and he kept his eyes downcast as he turned to face me. He was older, maybe in his mid-fifties, and his brown hair was graying near his temples. He was clean-shaven, but his clothes were covered in dirt and muck like he’d been rolling around in the garden beds before I’d arrived.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
He didn’t seem very friendly, but he hadn’t told me to leave, either, so I made a new save point before I continued the conversation any further.
“I’d like to learn a little bit about what you do here,” I began in a cautious tone. “Would you be willing to teach me?”
“No stranger is coming in to take my gardening secrets,” the man scoffed.
“What’s your name?” I asked with a friendly smile.
“Brent,” he grunted as he crossed his arms.
That was all I needed to know in order for us to not be strangers, so I reset back to my save point to start over.
Chime.
“How are you doing today, Brent?” I asked in a friendly tone.
“Have we met?” The gardener narrowed his eyes at me.
“Of course!” I laughed. “You don’t remember me?”
“No,” he replied as he crossed his arms.
“I was just here talking about learning some of your trade,” I informed him like this was common knowledge. “How could you forget so soon?”
“I don’t forget when it comes to my garden,” Brent muttered, and it didn’t seem like he was going to budge, so I reset again.
Chime.
“So, Brent, how much would you charge to teach me how to garden?” I asked as I pulled a bag of gold coins out of my pocket.
“How do you know my name? You want to learn my trade?” The suspicious Brent narrowed his eyes at me again.
“Yes, and I’m willing to pay you good money to do so,” I pressed with my most charming smile.
I would reset back to when I first walked in after I’d learned everything I could from him anyway, so I wasn’t worried about losing any gold. I’d give him all of my money, chime back to the beginning, and have the gold plus the knowledge.
“Very well,” he said slowly and carefully. “Twenty gold pieces for an hour lesson.”
“You think very highly of your craft,” I said as my eyebrows rose in shock at the number. Still, I dug in the bag of coins I held in my hand until I had handed him twenty gold pieces, and then I returned the sack to my pocket.
“I’ve carried the secrets from my father, and his father before him, my entire life,” the gardener explained as he stashed his gold pieces in his pockets. “You won’t find anyone more skilled with plants this side of Vallenwood.”
“And in such a cold climate,” I complimented.
“The weather is always harsh in Arginold,” the gardener said. “I’ve had to learn how to make due with what I’ve got.”
“You seem to be doing very good at it,” I said as I turned to eyeball all the greenery around me. There were a few plants I recognized, the green sprouts of carrots, the round ball-like shape of lettuce, and the bright red shine of tomatoes, but most of the plants were foreign to me, and I was eager to learn more about them.
“Where should I even start?” Brent mused as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“If I were to desire to make a greenhouse like this,” I said. “Where should I get started with that?”
“I started by digging down into the earth,” Brent informed me. “I had to dig past the frost line, so about a yard below the surface. Then we constructed the glass walls. That was the hard part, as the glass was very fragile, and expensive. There is a glass blower in town who made all of this for me, but it cost me my life’s savings.”
“Money is no issue for me,” I assured him as I analyzed the windows with a shrewd eye. “But I may have to learn how to make glass on top of gardening today.”
“Impossible to learn all in one day,” Brent scoffed.
“Time is also not an issue for me.” I smirked. Little did he know how many skills I could learn in one day, but he didn’t need to know anything. He just needed to show me how to build a greenhouse and take care of the plants.
“Well, then I shall take my time,” Brent countered. “Where were we? Ah, yes, the construction of the greenhouse. After I framed the glass pieces in the wood, I nailed them together carefully, and then I applied a thick coating over the edges.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” I complimented.
“It’s my life’s work,” the gardener reiterated. “My whole family has always worked the soil. I don’t know what else I would do with my hands if it weren’t for the dirt. Speaking of dirt, it’s really important for the dirt to be rich and healthy.”
We spent the next couple of hours talking about soil, sunlight, and temperature, but Brent still hadn’t moved from his one position to show me around. He talked slowly and delved deeply into each topic with epic detail, but I managed to memorize everything he said.
Then the sun began to set, and I realized we’d spent the rest of the day doing nothing but talking about dirt. There was still more I wanted to learn from the gardener, though, so I reset back to my save point to start over.
Chime.
“Howdy, Brent,” I greeted like I’d just listened to him talking for hours, which I had, but he had no memory of it, so the gardener blinked at me in confusion. “I’m willing to offer you twenty gold pieces if you teach me about your garden here.”
I wasn’t about to waste my time with any pleasantries this time around. If I could pay him off quickly, then so be it.
“Twenty gold pieces, you say?” Brent asked as he narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion. “To learn my family’s secrets?”
“Yes, I already know a lot about dirt, sunshine, and temperature,” I continued undaunted. “I’d like to learn how to identify these plants and what each of their individual needs are.”
“What are you going to do with all this knowledge?” Brent asked with an awed shake of his head. “Run me out of business?”
“I come from a town far away from here,” I explained in a calm tone. “I simply wish to find more efficient and self-sustaining ways to feed my people. Winter could be harsh, and I want us to be prepared for anything.”
“Very well, hand over the gold, and I’ll teach you whatever you wish to know,” Brent said with an outstretched hand.
I grinned as I handed over the twenty gold pieces that would magically find their way back into my pocket when I reset back to my save point. It was like never ending gold sometimes, and I enjoyed feeling like a rich man.
After that, we went over the various plants Brent had growing in the greenhouse. There were all the predictable vegetables, from potatoes and tomatoes, to lettuce, broccoli, and carrots, but there were a few others I was less familiar with. Turnips, parsnips, and beets didn’t seem very appetizing, but I listened carefully nonetheless. Then he went over the grapes, and I paid close attention, because I’d always wanted to learn how to make wine. Finally, the gardener went on to talk about the different upkeep needed to maintain his garden. He went over weeding, watering, and rehashed the importance of temperature again.
By the time we’d toured the entire garden, the sun was beginning to set again, so I reset back to my save point once more.
Chime.
During my next attempt, I wished only to find out if there were other masters in Arginold I could learn from, so I greeted Brent with a friendly wave.
“I was just admiring your glass windows,” I told him with my most charming smile. “Who could have possibly made all that glass?”
“I have a friend in town who is a glass blower,” Brent informed me with narrowed eyes. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” I shrugged. “Nice grapes you have growing in here. How’s the soil?”
“Are you a gardener?” Brent’s eyes widened with excitement. “I haven’t talked to a fellow dirt worker in years.”
“I know a few things,” I laughed. “But I’m interested in your grapes. Do you make anything with them or just sell them?”
“I grow them for a winemaker whose shop is down the street a ways,” Brent informed me. “I won’t sell them to anyone else. We have a contract, so don’t even bother asking me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I grinned. “Down the street, you said?”
“Yes.” Brent frowned. “Who are you? What are you asking me all these questions for?”
My grin widened as I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I left the greenhouse without saying a word to the gardener, and I went off in search of the winemaker. I would love to grow some grapes and have a Bastianville wine made, and I grew more excited as I searched for the winery.
I found it down the street a ways, exactly as the gardener had said, and the fruity aromas assailed my nostrils before I even opened the front door.
I made a new save point before I entered the building, and then I pulled the door open and strode inside with a confident air. I looked around for anyone running the establishment, but all I could see was a counter along the back wall, and the rest of the small space was filled with shelves full of wine bottles.
“Hello?” I called. “Anyone here?”
“Just a moment,” a man’s voice echoed from an open door that stood behind the counter. “I’ll be right with you.”
A short while later, a small man with wire-rimmed glasses strode out from the open doorway, and he clasped his hands together before he leaned his arms on the counter.
“How can I help you?” he asked. “Looking to purchase a bottle of wine?”
“I’m interested in something a little bit more sustainable,” I said with a sly smile. “What do I have to do to get you to teach me how to make wine?”
“You want to learn my trade?” The man pursed his lips in thought. “It is not as glamorous as you may think, but I already have an apprentice, and I’m not looking to take on more at this time. My apologies, but I will be unable to assist you.”
“I’m not looking for an apprenticeship,” I said. “I’m just looking for some pointers. I’d like to start my own winery in my hometown, so it’s not like I’ll be competing with your business or anything.”
“It is simply unconventional,” the man argued with a shake of his head. “I’ve never had someone walk in off the street and ask to learn. It’s strange. Who are you?”
I was getting nowhere, so I decided to reset and try a different tactic.
Chime.
I reentered the winery, and I walked past the shelves of wine bottles, behind the counter, and into the open doorway. The winemaker was bending over a barrel and didn’t see me enter, so I cleared my throat to get his attention.
“Brent sent me to see if you needed any more grapes,” I said in a casual tone.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” the small man murmured as he jolted upright and swiveled around to see me. “You can tell the gardener I’m fully stocked for now. Torin just fetched me some last week. Brent should remember that.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Belcher, why?” The winemaker narrowed his eyes at me. “Who are you?”
I reset back to my save point to try another angle.
Chime.
I once again walked behind the counter into the storage room full of barrels, and I cleared my throat to get the winemaker’s attention.
“Hey, Belcher,” I greeted like I’d been saying his name my entire life. “Torin just sent me back here to talk to you and said you could teach me more about wine making?”
“My wife sent you?” Belcher narrowed his eyes at me. “Very well. I’m sure she has a good reason, but I will have to discuss this with her later. Come back tomorrow.”
“I can’t.” I shook my head. “It’s now or never.”
“Are you dying, boy?” Belcher looked like he was in his late thirties to early forties, so I didn’t appreciate him calling me that, but I let it go in favor of learning more about his trade.
He wouldn’t remember even meeting me when it was all said and done, after all.
“No,” I laughed. “I’m just leaving town soon, and I wanted to bring the knowledge of the wine trade back to my people. Your wife said you could help me, but I’m willing to pay to make it worth your while.”
“If Torin sent you, then it’s like I said.” Belcher shrugged. “She must have a good reason to send you to me, so I will gladly show you around our humble little shop.”
“I’d really appreciate it.” I grinned. “My town will thank you for years to come, too.”
“Sure,” Belcher muttered as he beckoned me closer, and I followed him down a stairwell I hadn’t noticed earlier.
We entered a basement area of the shop, and there were huge vats of purple liquid, baskets full of grapes, jugs full of water, and bags full of sugar stacked everywhere the eye could see. Along the far wall was a shelf full of empty jugs, and the wall closest to me held pegs full of aprons.
Belcher headed to the aprons first, and he gestured for me to grab one for myself, so I did. Once our torsos were protected against the staining purple liquid, we made our way over to the vats and tubs full of wine in the process of fermenting.
Belcher talked me through the entire process from cleaning and mashing the grapes, to filtering and aging. It wasn’t super difficult to learn, and I thought about how prisoners back in my old world would make a wine-like beverage in their toilets. I could do much better than that, but I wanted to eventually get good enough to experiment with flavors, so I paid close attention to everything the winemaker told me.
The winemaker talked me through all the steps to making a good batch of wine, and I listened carefully to every single detail.
After several hours of touring his batches, however, his wife Torin came in to fetch the winemaker upstairs for dinner, so I reset back to my save point, and I started over with a secondary level of knowledge.
“Hey, Belcher,” I greeted in a familiar tone. “Torin sent me.”
This started the whole conversation over again, but this time I summarized what I already knew and asked him to continue on from there. Then we continued to discuss the finer details of the wine making process until I started to feel like I was getting the hang of it.
Belcher showed me how to mash the grapes into a paste, and I rolled up the bottoms of my pants up to my knees before I jumped into the large vat of semi-mashed fruit. My feet were stained purple moments later, and I laughed as the juices squelched between my toes.
The winemaker critiqued my techniques as I stomped, and a short while later, the entire vat was pureed perfectly. Then we moved on to the recipe of sugar and water being added to the grapes. Belcher had a big scale that he poured the sugar onto, and then he scooped it into a vat of boiling water.
“You want the sugar and water to merge together before you add it to the grapes so you have a consistent flavor profile,” Belcher informed me. “Too much sugar, and the alcohol will be too strong.”
“No such thing,” I chuckled. “So, if I want it to be stronger, then I add more sugar?”
“In part, yes,” the winemaker replied. “It is also important how long you age it for. I would recommend several months pass before you attempt to enjoy it. The fermentation process takes a while.”
“I can be patient.” I grinned. “Sometimes.”
“You’ve been a very studious learner so far,” Belcher complimented with a small smile. “I think you know almost as much as me now.”
Just then, Torin came in and summoned the winemaker upstairs for dinner, so I reset back to my save point.
I talked to the winemaker one more time, and he was astounded with my close knowledge of his practice. I could tell him what stage each of his vats were at, and I could smell a wine and identify ingredients.
Finally, I asked to be taught some of the finer details of the craft, and Belcher laughed.
“You already seem to know everything,” he said in an awed tone. “How could I teach you more? It’s been a pleasure to talk shop with another skilled wine man.”
“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me,” I said before I clasped Belcher on the shoulder and sighed. “It’s been nice getting to know you, my friend.”
Then I reset back to my save point, and instead of entering the wine maker’s shop, I turned and continued on down the road. I ended up finding the glass blower, and I had to bribe him to learn how to make the panes of glass like Brent’s greenhouse was made of. Then I spent my time learning from a cobbler, and I made several pairs of shoes before I reset back to the beginning.
I roamed around the town, and I helped anyone I could find, which eventually ended up getting me involved with some masons. The heavily-muscled men layered a goopy mixture between huge slabs of rock as they created a structure bit by bit, so I joined in, and I learned how to make the sealing mixture of cement-like goop.
I was on my way to being able to build my very own castle, but I knew I would need a lot of manpower to finish it within a lifetime. I’d heard stories about the castles back in my old world taking generations to get built, and I wasn’t about to wait that long for mine.
I’d get the population of Bastianville so high that I could have an army of builders creating my castle.
After I taught them how to make the cement mixture, that is.
Finally, I decided I’d learned all I could from the master craftsmen of Arginold, and I reset back to my most recent save point before I made my way to the inn to check in on the girls.
“Come and see the wonders of the Traveling Tails Circus!” a man shouted as he handed out leaflets to the people passing by.
I remembered Eva mentioning the circus, so I veered toward the man and took the paper he shoved into my hands.
“Dangerous animals tamed into harmless pets! Beautiful damsels in distress rescued by fearless heroes! Music and acrobats galore! Come one, come all, to the circus!”
I grinned, and I nodded my head at the man before I turned to continue on toward the inn. Now that I’d reset to the early afternoon again, I could spend the evening at the circus with my beautiful women by my sides.
What could be better than that?
I hurried up the steps to our room, and I danced through the portal with a shit-eating grin on my face. The girls were all still asleep, but I didn’t want to waste any time getting to the circus before it started, so I cleared my throat.
“Good morning, beautiful ladies!” I sang sweetly, and Mahini’s ice-blue eyes popped open instantly.
“Back so soon, Great One?” The desert goddess was on the edge of the bed, and she nudged Elissa, who was sleeping in the middle.
“Is it time for dinner already?” my wife murmured.
“I just closed my eyes,” Eva groaned from the other side of the bed.
“But ladies,” I said, and I paused to build up dramatic tension. “We’re going to go see the circus.”
“The circus!” Evangeline’s eyes shot open, and she flashed me a brilliant smile.
“I thought that would wake you up,” I chuckled.
“A circus sounds like a lot more fun than napping,” Elissa giggled as she sat up in bed.
“Well, then you need to get ready to go.” I grinned. “I think it’s going to be starting soon.”
That got them up and moving, and a short while later we were all ready for the circus. Elissa wore her sparkling emerald-green dress that matched her eyes, Mahini put on a white cotton dress that made her look like an innocent maiden, and Evangeline slipped into a dark-gray scooped neck piece that made her skin look creamy and smooth.
“You all look amazing,” I said with a wide smile. I stayed in the same clothes I was wearing since I didn’t see any reason to change, but I exchanged my brown griffon feather boots for a pair of shiny black ones that matched my vest.
“You always look dashing, husband,” Elissa replied with a flutter of her eyelashes.
“I’m so excited for the circus,” Eva squealed with delight. “I’ve always wanted to see one, but they’ve never come to Bullard before.”
“Today is your lucky day,” I said, and I took a dramatic bow. “May I escort you to your heart’s desire, my love?”
“Please do,” Eva giggled, and she took my hand gingerly. “Thank you, my lord.”
Then we were off to find the circus, and we skipped down the stairs and out of the inn full of exuberant energy. It didn’t take us long to find a line of people pouring down the street in one direction.
“You there,” I said as I grabbed a stranger by the arm to get their attention. “Where are you all going?”
“To the circus,” he answered, and he ripped his arm free from my grasp. “Haven’t you heard? The crier has been yelling about it in the market place all day.”
“That’s where we were headed.” I grinned, and I ignored his rudeness. “Thank you.”
The city of Arginold wasn’t the friendliest, but I had a feeling the atmosphere would be changing soon enough.
The girls and I joined the crowd of people moving down the street, and Eva giggled every few steps as her excitement grew. Then we turned around a corner onto another street, and the vast expanse of the circus tent stood out before us. It was brightly colored in rows of yellow, blue, green, and red, and the entrance flaps were pulled wide open. Music and laughing echoed out from inside the massive tent, and the girls and I quickened our pace as we hurried toward the opening.
“A copper coin per guest, please,” a voice called out over and over again, and I pressed through the bodies of the crowd until I found the source. It was a small, thin man wearing a yellow bodysuit and comically large shoes.
“Here you go,” I said as I handed the man four copper coins. “For me and the three ladies.”
“Thank you, sir!” he said with a broad smile. “Enjoy the show!”
We made our way inside the huge domed tent, and bleachers had been created in a semi-circle around one side. That was where everyone else was headed, so we followed along with the crowd. A short while later, we were seated in the second from the front row in the middle of the rows of seats, and we had a perfect view of the circus ring.
“This is so exciting!” Evangeline’s eyes were lit up with joy, and she clasped Elissa’s hand tightly.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed and focused on the center of the ring. A single man rode out into the middle of the tent on some kind of four-legged beast, and the crowd roared with excitement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for a show like no other!” The man’s voice echoed out very loudly, but when I squinted I saw he held a megaphone of some kind, and I wondered if there was magic involved. “Hold onto your hats, your seats, and anything not strapped down, and let the show… Begin!”
A round of applause followed his announcement, and the single man rode in a swirly circle before he exited the stage.
“He reminds me of Racine’s jester,” a man with a bald head sitting in front of me said. “What ever happened to the poor fool?”
“Racine caught him flirting with his wife and had him killed,” the woman sitting beside him said. Her copper-colored hair was tied up in intricate swirls on the back of her head, and she wore a blue dress embroidered with silver string. “You know how he is about his wife.”
“The duke will find himself in hot water eventually,” the man said. “If his court wizard can’t control his own jealousy, how powerful is he in his role as duke?”
“Arginold will keep Racine in check,” the woman assured the man. “You can bet your life on that. My uncle would never tolerate such volatile emotions among his employees.”
This woman was the duke’s niece, and it seemed as though the court wizard’s name was Racine, who seemed to be known for being hot-tempered when it came to his wife. I tucked away this newfound information, and I smirked as I returned my attention back to the circus.
Next came the trained animals, and the circus performers paraded bears, tigers, and monkeys around the ring. Each animal could do various little tricks, and the crowd oohed and aahed over the spectacle. Then the acrobats tumbled out into the middle of the stage, and a round of applause echoed through the big domed tent.
Even Mahini’s eyes were wide with wonder and amazement as she gazed upon the performance before us. Her lips parted slightly, and when an acrobat performed an especially death-defying feat, she gasped.
Evangeline was beside herself, and she practically bounced in her seat. She applauded with enthusiasm for every act, and her gray eyes were locked onto the stage.
Elissa seemed to get more enjoyment from Mahini’s shocked expression than she did from the performers, and she giggled every time she glanced over at the desert goddess.
“Shh,” Mahini urged with a sharp glance at my wife. “I’m trying to listen.”
“Sorry,” Elissa chirped, and she shot me a wink before she settled back into her seat.
Then a man with a wide belly and a long white beard stepped out into the middle of the ring wearing a tuxedo. He carried a staff in one hand and the megaphone thing in his other hand, and silence fell as the lights moved to focus on him.
“Are you enjoying the show?” the man asked in a loud voice through the megaphone.
A scream of approval replied to him from the crowd, and Evangeline’s voice was one of the loudest among the group.
The circus continued, and we all returned our focus back to the show. The clowns came out and performed a bunch of silly tricks that should have been deadly but ended up just being comical. One jester jumped from a high diving board into a small tub of water while another clown rolled somersaults into the others like a bowling ball.
The girls laughed until tears came out of their eyes, and no clowns seemed to be hurt in the making of the show, but I had to wonder how they accomplished such dangerous feats without killing anyone.
The performance finished with a trick riding exhibition, and the horses galloped around the center of the ring while their riders performed flips from their backs.
The crowd roared with approval as one man rode two horses with a foot balanced in the middle of each animal’s bare back, and he flourished his hands dramatically to show he wasn’t holding onto anything. It was definitely a trick I’d like to learn myself someday, and I made a mental note to spend some time learning tricks while riding with Goliath.
Finally, the announcer man returned to the center of the ring with his megaphone, and he listed off the performers one at a time while the crowd applauded. Then he cleared his throat and paused dramatically.
“Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the after-hours performance event of a lifetime?” His voice was low and husky, but it sparked a wave of enthusiasm from the audience. “We have a lot more entertainment where that came from. But first, a very important announcement! We are hosting, this very night, an open competition! We are taking volunteers from the audience, so do I have any takers?”
A hush swept through the crowd, but then on the other side of the bleachers, a man’s voice called out.
“What kind of competition?” the man asked as he wrapped his hands around his mouth to throw his voice further.
“Yeah!” the crowd agreed.
“It is not for the faint of heart,” the announcer said, and then he paused for dramatic effect. “Tonight, we will find out who is the strongest man, or woman, in town. A battle of blades, bodies, and brains for all to witness. The winner will be richly rewarded with… Five-hundred gold pieces!”
The audience gasped, and then everyone started talking at once, and the background noise grew to a high-pitched frequency that hurt my ears.
How could a travelling circus afford to give away that much gold as a reward?
It didn’t make any sense, and I had a feeling something weird was going on. I supposed the competitive part of the performance could draw large crowds, and they would fund the reward that way, but either way, it was a lot of money.
Five-hundred gold pieces would go far in my hands, too. I would put the money toward the betterment of many people, and it would boost the economy of Bastianville significantly.
“Do I have any volunteers?” The announcer walked up close to the audience and gazed up at us. “Any fearless fighters willing to face any foes? Simply raise your hand to indicate you wish to participate, all are welcome.”
Mahini shot me a sideways glance, so I quickly shot my hand up into the air.
“Ah, our first volunteer!” The announcer pointed my way with his staff, and then several other men began to raise their hands and voices.
“Ooh, how exciting!” Eva bounced up and down in her seat. “You’re going to beat everyone, Bash, I can already tell.”
“I was thinking about entering myself,” Mahini confessed with a sideways smile. “But there’s no way I could beat the Great One.”
“I’d go easy on you,” I teased with a wink.
“No need,” the desert goddess laughed. “I would much rather watch you than participate myself.”
“It’s going to be so much fun to watch you win this competition,” my wife gushed with an electric glance up and down my body. “You showing off your power is one of my favorite things to see.”
“Mine, too,” Eva purred as she gave me a look that spoke volumes.
“I’m glad you girls are all excited.” I grinned. “We’re going to make a lot of money. It will be easy, too, like taking candy from a baby.”
“Why would you ever do such a thing?” my wife asked with a confused tilt of her head.
“It’s just a saying,” I laughed, and her look of confusion slid into one of amusement.
“Just so long as you never actually take candy from babies,” she allowed with a waggle of her finger.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied in the most serious tone I could manage, and my wife nodded her approval.
Suddenly, trumpets blared from somewhere off stage, and the announcer cleared his throat loudly.
“Will all my volunteers please make their way down to the center of the stage?”
“That’s your cue,” my wife said as she nudged me with her elbow. “Get down there.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” I chuckled as I stood and squeezed past the three women. I made my way down the bleachers to the stairs, and then I hopped over the short fence that separated the stands from the stage. I waved up at the girls as I stood beside the announcer, and the man chuckled to himself.
Little did he know, a god had just entered his competition.
A handful of other men joined the ranks with me in the center of the ring, and the announcer laughed jovially as the group grew.
“This is going to be fun, gentlemen!” He flourished his hand toward the side of the stage, and I saw there a shelf full of weapons and gear.
This could get ugly, fast, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. The last thing the city of Arginold needed was another reason to be grumpy, so I was determined to make sure this friendly competition stayed friendly and safe.
“What kind of fight is this supposed to be?” I asked as I inspected the sharpness of the weapons, and a couple of the other men followed suit and began to rifle through the gear provided for us. I had half a mind to go back to the inn to get my own weapons and armor, but I had a feeling that would be against the rules since they had some here.
“It’s not to the death or anything like that,” the announcer man chuckled. “Each contact with the flat of a blade counts as a hit, and every part of the body is worth different points.”
“Okay, I can handle that.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “What are the different points for the body parts?”
“Arms and legs are one point, torso and back are two,” the announcer said, and he flipped open fingers as he counted. “And the head counts as three points. Five points to win a match, does that make everything clear?”
“What happens if someone gets hurt?” I pressed.
“We will halt the competition, of course!” The announcer rubbed his hands together. “Now, is that all the questions?”
The other men didn’t say anything, and the announcer’s gaze swept across each of our faces.
“First, you will break off into random pairs. The winner of those fights will then pair up again, and so on and so forth until a single winner is proclaimed. Are you ready?” The announcer grabbed his megaphone, lifted one eyebrow, and paused, so we all nodded. He cleared his throat before he held the funnel up to his lips, and then he shouted into it. “Let the matches begin!”
The other men and I all looked at each other kind of awkwardly for a moment, and then the announcer began to separate us off into pairs. I grabbed a pair of daggers from the shelf, twirled them in my hands to test their balance, and then turned to face my first opponent.
I made a new save point as I scanned him over, but he didn’t look like much. He was shorter than me, with disheveled brown hair and a dull expression on his face.
“Are you ready?” I asked in a friendly tone.
“You’re going down,” he growled, and then he charged toward me with a furious shout. “Arrggh!”
“Oh, it’s going to be like that, is it?” I chuckled as I stepped to the side to avoid his downward swipe.
“You’re not supposed to move!” His sword bit into the dust of the circus ring, but he hurriedly raised it once more. “Now, hold still so I can get a point!”
I stepped up toward him with nimble grace, and I used the dagger in my left hand to swat his sword away like a pesky fly. Then I took my other blade, flattened it, and tapped him on top of his head.
“Three points to the fine gentlemen in the black vest!” The announcer clapped his hands, and I could hear the audience cheering in the distance.
I’d gotten so focused on the fight I’d almost forgotten there were people watching, but the applause distracted me just long enough for my opponent to attempt to swing his blade again.
I lifted my dagger and caught his sword with the edge of my blade, and I tossed it easily aside. Then I used my right hand to tap my dagger against his torso.
“You’re out,” I said in a calm tone as his face turned beet-red.
“W-W-What! How did that happen?” His eyes filled with rage.
“The winner!” the announcer said as he stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and lifted my arm up into the air.
The loser spat in my direction, but he turned and sulked toward the stands without another word. Then the announcer led me to a small chair situated on the edge of the ring and gestured for me to sit down.
“Watch the other fights from here,” he said, and he flashed me a toothy grin. “Size up the remainder of the competition.”
“Thank you.” I returned his smile, and then I focused on the fights still in progress.
There were ten fights going on, but two ended shortly after I started watching. The winners were both average-sized men, and they’d both chosen swords as their weapon. The losers rejoined the audience to watch the rest of the competition. The fights still in progress were beginning to heat up, and we all held our breaths as we watched the men dart back and forth in circles around the ring.
A humongous man with rippling muscles down his exposed arms whipped out his arm, and the flat end of his spear point smacked into his opponent’s torso. The announcer rushed over to call the match and lift the big guy’s arm up into the air, and it seemed like he would be the man to beat if I wanted to win this thing.
The rest of the fights ended shortly after that, and the announcer broke us off into pairs once more. I made a save point as I faced off against one of the first men to win a match, an average-sized bloke with curly red hair. He used a sword against my two daggers, and I grinned as I sized him up. My opponent was slightly shorter than me, but heavier set, so I knew I could be faster and more agile than he was.
The announcer clapped his hands together to signal the start of the second round of matches, and I made a new save point before we started. My opponent and I circled each other as we each waited for an opening, and I gripped my blades tightly as the moment stretched on. This guy was slightly smarter than my first opponent, and he didn’t rush headlong into an overhead swing, but his eyes flickering gave away his intentions, and I was able to easily block his first blow.
He swung at my head, and I knocked his blade away with the edge of the dagger and then followed up with my own strike at his head. He ducked in the last instant, though, and my blade swung through thin air. I swiveled and came inside his circle of reach, and I flipped my daggers out and touched each of his arms.
Then I jumped away again just before he brought the flat of his sword across my torso. I emerged unscathed with two points, but I knew I could get him in my first try if I started over, so I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I circled around the average-sized man while I waited for him to make his first move. I saw his swing coming from a mile away, and I easily stepped out of reach, but then I darted out my hand and smacked the flat of my dagger’s blade against the back of his head.
“Three points.” I grinned. I only needed two more to win.
The man growled, and his anger made his movements sloppy, so he left himself wide open when he swung his blade over his head. I blocked it with one hand, and I held his blade above his head with my dagger while I smacked my other weapon against his torso.
I was the winner yet again, so I returned to my seat to watch the other two matches finish up while the loser once again stomped off to sit with the audience. The crowd booed the man as he returned to his original seat, and he shouted at them to shut up, which made it harder to concentrate on the fights still taking place.
The humongous guy won again, but that was no surprise. The other two winners were both bigger guys, and I swallowed hard as I wondered who I would be up against next. There were only three of us remaining, so the final winner would be declared soon enough.
“Now, we shall have two more fights to determine our champion!” The announcer lifted the winner’s arms in the air and did a little jig. “Are you ready to see who is the strongest man in Arginold?”
The crowd practically screamed at us with enthusiasm, so I considered that to be a resounding yes.
“You two smaller men,” the announcer said as he beckoned toward me and the other less than humongous man. “You duel it out, and the winner will fight the big guy.”
That made sense to me, but I’d been holding out a small amount of hope that the big guy would have failed before I reached him in the ranks. It looked like he would be my final challenge, though, after I got this other guy out of the way.
I made a new save point, and I twirled my borrowed daggers in my grip as I stared down at my new opponent. He squatted and looked up at me from behind a shield, and the protective barrier was filled with dents and dings from previous skirmishes. I wondered how long the circus had been doing these bonus shows at the end of their performances, but I shoved the thought away for now.
Then the man charged, and he bashed his shield into my torso.
“Two points!” the announcer called out, so I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I didn’t really consider it cheating since I still beat each man with only a couple of borrowed daggers, but I now knew to expect the charge.
When my opponent barreled down on me, I stepped to the side, and I smacked my dagger’s flat edge against his back as he ran past me.
“Two points!” the announcer called out, and I flashed my opponent a grin.
“Sorry about that,” I taunted as I grew more comfortable with the flow of the fight.
He growled and charged me again, but this time I grabbed the shield and ripped it out of his grasp. I held up the stolen shield as he brought his sword up to swipe at my chest, and his blade thudded harmlessly against the barrier. That’s when I darted my right hand out with my dagger loosely gripped in my fist, and I whacked him on the side of his head with the flat side of my blade.
“Annnnd he’s out!” the announcer shouted, and the crowd roared with approval over my victory. The next thing I knew, the announcer was holding my hand up high over my head to announce me as the winner of the match. “Congratulations, lad, you get to face off against the behemoth for the entire pot of five-hundred gold!”
I shook out my arms and decided to change weapons as I cast a sideways glance over at the behemoth. The announcer was right to be excited, this was going to be a good fight. Since my opponent was using a spear and a shield, I decided to do the same, and I realized I didn’t know very much about this style of fighting.
Maybe I’d learn a thing or two while earning myself a hefty pile of gold.
We squared off against each other, and I made a new save point before the match began. Then I mimicked his motions as he angled the spear above the shield and got low to the ground. My opponent didn’t comment on my copying motions, but he inched slowly from side to side as though he was testing my patience.
I was eager for a worthy enemy, so I was excited to see what kind of skills this man could teach me during our duel.
I planned to win no matter how many attempts it took, but I could already tell it was going to take more than one. By the end of the day, I would be a master of spear and shield, and I would be five-hundred gold richer as well.
I was Sebastian, the God of Winning, and this behemoth was about to learn that for himself.