"I won't let you win!" Sweat was pouring from Vral's forehead as she threw her miniature javelins as fast as she could at her targets.

"You talk a big game, but you're four points behind me!" Tristan didn't throw her javelins as fast, but she was far more accurate. And she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Not for long!" The goblin nailed a target right off the bullseye.

"Oh yeah?" Tristan threw another and hit a target directly in the center.

"Shit!"

"How are you two so good at this?!" Tristan had over one hundred and fifty points now, while Vral was somewhere in the one hundred and forties. I had like fifteen. "This is so hard!"

"Get good, loser!" Vral's arm flashed, and she hit another target.

"Sucks to suck!" Tristan hip checked me just as I tried throwing another and threw, nailing another bullseye.

After playing games and shopping around until nightfall, Tristan had guided us to one of her favorite festival games. It was one of those bullseye target games, but instead of a cart with small targets that levered up and down at random, we were in a field, and the targets appeared all around us. You threw the javelin, and whether you hit or missed, it teleported back to your hand, but hits returned faster than misses. What was worse was that the targets were all shapes and sizes, and the smaller the target, the more points you got. Hit the center, and the points were doubled. Oh, and physically interrupting your opponent's shots was an expected and encouraged part of the game.

The problem was, I was nice, and the girls were ruthless.

"That's two more!" Vral did a standing backflip right before her javelin returned.

"I already got three!" Tristan said back, grinning like a madwoman.

"Fuck!"

"Okay... You've got this, Alex..." Finding a small target at the edge of the field, I pulled my arm back, focused every bit of my willpower into my javelin, and threw.

"Oops." Tristan knocked her javelin against mine just as it left my fingers. Mine flew to the forty-five, wobbling violently in the air as it soared directly at the sweetest old lady I'd ever seen in my entire life.

"Oh my!" The woman screamed as the pointy stick nearly brained her.

"Sorry!" It vanished an inch from her head and returned to my hand a moment later.

"Heh, that was a good one." Vral leapt and high-fived Tristan. "Keep the boy in his place, girlie."

"Oh, I will," Tristan laughed as she threw another at my head.

"Hey!"

[Iron Skin]

Her javelin thunked next to my ear. Looking to my side, I saw that a target had appeared two inches from my head.

"And that's the game!" A shockingly familiar voice called out nearby.

"Damn it!" Vral threw her javelin into the dirt. It vanished a second later.

"The winner of this match is the stunning, the beautiful, the radiant woman with the deep blue eyes!" A brown-haired, baby-faced, tired-looking halfling who had to have been at least four inches shorter than Vral marched out into the field holding a large stuffed animal in one hand and what looked like a cordless bronze microphone in the other. "Not only have you won a riveting match of 'The Hurling,' but you've scored higher than anyone in the history of this game. No! In the history of this country! IN THE HISTORY OF THIS WORLD!!!" He had possibly the biggest case of radio voice I'd ever seen.

"Is that true?" Tristan asked.

"IT IS!" Holding his mic, or whatever it was, up to Tristan's face, he asked, "Tell us, fair maiden, what's your name?"

"Um..." Tristan clearly looked uncomfortable. Her face turned red, and she started wringing her hands and shuffling nervously. If I had to guess, it looked like she actually had stage fright. "T-Tristan."

"You heard it, folks! Her name is Tristan! And what's your secret, Tristan?"

"Um..." Tristan shuffled. "I, uh, throw the javelins the best I can, and I... um... I bump people when they throw theirs."

"YOU HEARD IS FOLKS! THAT'S HOW THE GAME'S PLAYED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS! YOU COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THE FANTASTIC, THE FABULOUS, THE FABLED NEVER-MISS TRIS!!!"

Tristan's eyes unfocused. Then, her face went white. "That couldn't... It can't... There's no way..."

A couple of bystanders turned and gave some halfhearted claps before returning to their business.

"Here you go, little lady. You've... EARNED IT!" The halfling shoved the stuffed animal into her hands. "Now, go over to the cart and give my assistant your autograph. We're going to plaster your name across every inch of this kingdom."

"O-okay!" She smiled. "I've never been famous for anything before!"

'Well, you can't say that any longer, little lady!" Pushing her toward a nearby cart, he watched as she made her way over. Then, when she stepped into it, he turned, gave me and Vral a curt nod, and started walking away.

His voice was so familiar... Where had I heard it before...

The announcer!

"Hey!" I called out to him and started forward.

Turning, he wiped his face and looked me up and down. "What do you want, meathead?"

Stopping in front of him, I dropped to one knee and was still two heads taller than him. "I always wanted to meet you!"

"Yeah, yeah. I hear that all the time. What of it?" The halfling yawned.

"Well, I kind of know you, but... also not. I'm just excited to put a name to your voice. I've heard it a thousand times."

"Can't remember ever seeing you." He rubbed his eyes again and looked me over. "You a big gambler or something?"

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Vral sauntered up. "I want to play again. I deserve a prize, too."

"Sorry, doll. Only one big prize a night." He sized Vral up. "Plus, you've got no chance. That broad over there is in a league of her own." His eyes slowly narrowed as he took Vral in... and by taking Vral in, he mostly focused on the tops of her breasts.

"Brother, watch your eyes."

Stepping close, he whispered, "Don't cock block me, man."

"My guy..." They always said never to meet your heroes.

"Hey, sweet thing." The announcer stepped up to Vral, his eyes fully locked on her tits, and shot his shot. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Having fun with my hot ass friends." She pointed at his eyes, then hers. "And eyes up here."

"Heh, sorry." The announcer laughed. "Not often I get a good view from down here. Gotta take what I can get."

"That's fair." Vral looked irritated for a moment, but then she looked up at me, and a sly grin spread across her face. Puffing her chest out, she twisted so that he got an eyeful. "You know what? I'll take the compliment. They are great tits. Second best I've ever seen."

"They really are." His voice got hazy. "Wait, second best?" Stroking his chin, he added, "Tell me more."

"Come on, man..." I sighed. What the hell was happening? "Those tits are taken."

"Oh, they are, are they?" Vral was pretending to act all innocent, but the mischief was as clear as day. "I don't remember taking your hand. These tits are wild and untamed."

"You would have, if only that fireball hadn't almost ended us."

"Cocky! How do you know I was going to do it, huh?"

"You're fingers were curling around mine for starters."

"So? You didn't even know what you were doing, Mr. 'I just thought I was helping you up.' I deserve better." She turned her chin up.

I sighed. "I agree with that last part, at least."

Her face reddened. "A-at least you know it!" She pointed a finger into my chest. "You'll have to work even harder next time! Twice as hard!"

"Next time?" It took a few rounds of verbal sparring, but I got her.

When she realized what she said, she squeaked.

"Huh?" The announcer's eyes finally tore away. He shook his head like he was shaking off a spell. "Fireball?"

"Yeah, fireball."

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Vral slapped his shoulder. "We almost got roasted back in the Pit!"

He looked at me, then her. I could see the wheels turning.

"How do you know my boy toy?"

"Boy toy?" His eyes tracked over to me, looked me over, then moved back to Vral's breasts. "If you're the Slasher, then... does that mean... the Sentinel?"

I shrugged. "That's me."

In an instant, his entire demeanor changed. He went from sleazebag to smiling fan in a breath. "Sentinel!" Spread his arms and wrapped me in a tight hug. "How the hell've you been, man?!"

This guy was wild. "I've been good. Can't complain."

Stepping back so that he could take me in but keeping his hands on my arms, he asked, "What've you been up to? It's been so long!"

"Well, I've been working, doing escorts between the twin cities. Not fighting in death matches. You know. Living the dream."

"Good for you, man. Good for you." He looked me up and down. "You look great. Never seen you without your helmet before. You're a heartbreaker, you are."

Okay, this was getting weird. I stood up and held back the wave of regret I was feeling for stopping him in the first place. "So, uh, what are you doing in a place like this?" I pointed around at the festival. "Seems like small fish compared to your old job."

"What old job? Who the hell is this guy?"

"Who's your friend, Alex?" Tristan walked up to me, all smiles and holding her stuffed animal to her chest.

"Girls, meet the announcer. Announcer, meet Tristan and Vral."

The announcer's eyes hovered on both women for a long moment before he leaned into me and whispered, "Damn, man. You got two of the hottest bitches around! You're a lucky man! They got any sisters you could set me up with?"

I was taken aback by how brazen this guy was, but then Jorn's face popped into my head, and I couldn't help but laugh. This guy and Jorn would be two peas in a pod. "No, sorry. Tristan's got a cousin, but she's taken, too."

"Damn..." Sucking his teeth, he backed away, turned to the girls, smoothed his shirt, and bowed. "Arturus of the Dreg—" Shaking his head, he said, "of Khozad'Thar, at your pleasure."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Arturus." Tristan held out her hand.

Taking hers in his, he kissed the back of her hand and smiled. "The pleasure's mine."

Her eyes met mine as she pulled her hand free. "Uh, yeah."

Vral crossed her arms over her chest. Apparently, the game she'd been playing with me was over now. "Arturus."

Arturus waited for a moment, but when she didn't extend her hand, he frowned and looked back up at me. "So, you're out now and living life. That's good. Real good. I'm happy for you." Turning to Vral, he added, "Happy for you both. You two make a great couple."

"We're just friends!" Vral squeaked.

"Huh, thought you two got hitched."

"Not yet," I said.

"You make a great couple. Get on it." He looked at Tristan. "And her, too."

"Oh, he will, " Tristan said under her breath.

"I'll work on it." I side-eyed the girls. Tristan was grinning, while Vral's ears had turned red. "But what about you? What are you doing these days now that the Pit's shut down?"

He pointed at the nearby cart. "I'm doing this until something better comes along. I don't love it, but it pays the bills."

"I can't say I'm sorry for losing you your old job, but I hope you find a new one that you love."

The halfling chuckled. "I know you said you ain't sorry, but don't be." For the first time since I'd met him, he looked serious. "That was dirty business down there in the Pit. Sad stuff. Can't say I'll ever miss the place, even if it did pay good."

That was a relief. He really did remind me of Jorn. The Templar was a sleaze, but he had a heart of gold. Maybe Arturus was the same? "You don't miss it?"

"You kidding?" Arturus pulled what I realized was his magical mic from his pocket and started twirling it. "The roar of the crowd... the sounds of battle... the crunch of bone... It was like nothing else. I miss it every day." His eyes grew heavy. "But I'd never wish that on anyone. At least, not the good people." His eyes focused again, and he looked at me. "And, now that I know you lot were innocent the whole time, it weighs on me knowing I was a part of something like that."

"You didn't know?"

He shook his head. "Not one bit. I mean, there were always rumors, but who would've believed 'em? Prisoners always say they're innocent, you know? But I saw how those nobles acted around you all, always looking like they were shopping. And it always seemed suspicious how they went about pardoning the best of the best, or the most attractive, regardless of their crimes. But that was beyond my pay grade, and even if I'd have tried to do anything about it, I'd only have ended up with a dagger in my back. Thus, in the end, Arturus of Khozad'Thar was merely the voice of the Pit, not its heart. I'm glad to see it go."

That was a relief, too. It often felt to me like everyone in the stands knew what was really happening down there in the Pit. However, the more I talked to people on the outside, the more I learned that only a small number of people actually knew the truth. And, the more the word spread about what really went on down there, the more people in Galden disapproved. In that way, while brutal and barbaric, the Pit of Galden was no worse than something like the Coliseum had been back on Earth, and in many ways, it was quite a bit better. A lot fewer war slaves. Those thoughts had redeemed some of my lost confidence in the people and kingdom of Istaera these past few months.

Not the nobility, though. Fuck the nobility. Minus Elise. She was okay.

"So, what's next for you, Arturus? Got any big dreams for the future?"

The halfling smiled. "Aside from finding my long-lost future wife?" His eyes shone with barely restrained passion. "What I'd really like to do is find something like the Pit again. Or maybe, if I got really lucky, I could start it. Just like it had been, in all its glory. But..." The intesity was clear on his face as he arranged his thoughts, "but this time, I'd want to do it right. Professional fighters. The best healers. Great equipment. Varied arenas. The works. But also, I'd want it to be for everyone. People from all walks of life could come on down, watch some heart-pounding drama, eat great food, cheer for their favorite fighters, and have a great time, all while knowing that the fighters get to go home to their families at the end of the day. That's the dream right there."

"I could get on board with that." While the death and torture weren't great, the actual arena was some of the most fun I'd ever had. "I'd totally do it again. Maybe not professionally, but an exhibition match or ten? Hell yeah."

"Me too! I wouldn't mind showing up some newbies." Vral was looking up at me, her eyes sparkling. "Plus, what a place for a rematch!"

"I could heal." Tristan was smiling at us. "It would make me feel good knowing I was supporting something like that."

Arturus looked at each of us. "You mean it? You think it's a good idea?"

I laughed. "Why not? If it had everything you said, I think it'd be fun."

The halfling's smile grew. "Can't say this dream of mine'll ever happen, but it means a lot that you three support it. Maybe one day, I'll have a real business plan and some investors. On that day, I'll be able to say that the Slasher and the Hero of the Pit both threw their hats in my side of the ring. That would be something."

"When the day comes, you tell them that, and we'll put a good word in for you with the Counts."

"You mean it?" His eyes were filled with hope. "Don't mess with me, now."

"Not messing. I mean it. Get it put together, and we'll do what we can to help."

The halfling jumped into the air and clicked his heels together. "You have no idea what that means to me!" Taking my hand in his, he shook it vigorously. "I still have my old connections. I'll get on it!"

"Connections?"

Arturus whistled. "Oh, I know just about everyone and everything that happens in these cities. You ever need to know anything, you come see me, and I'll fill your ear and then some."

Huh. Maybe running into him wasn't so bad after all. "If that's the case, I do have a question." I looked over at Tristan. "There's a vine floating at the entrance, one from an elven grove. You know anything about any elves who've come for the festival?"

"Yeah, of course I do." He pointed to the south. "The coalition from Fael-Na is here in Galden this year. People were excited, but they've mostly been staying to themselves."

"Fael-Na?!" Tristan stepped closer. "Tell me everything you know!"

Arturus took her in for a moment before speaking. "Three or four elves are staying over at Thumgol's Rest. One of them, a younger man who looks about your age, has been stirring up trouble with damn near everyone, but those women are a damn dream if I ever saw one." He looked Tristan over again. "Fact, you look a bit like the one. Add the pointed ears and take a bit from the chest, and I don't think anyone'd be remiss at thinking you two were kin."

Tristan's eyes went wide. "You're sure she looks like me?"

"The longer I look at you, the more alike you seem."

The quarter elf's face nearly split in two she was smiling so big. "Alex, Vral, I'd like to come with me to..." She paused, and her smile faded. "You said a man's with them?"

"Yeah. He looks like you, too. Real similar, at least. But he's got that thin look those elves get when they haven't fully grown yet. A silver leaf, I think they'd call him? Why you ask?"

Tristan's jaw worked. "Alex, Vral, do you mind if I step away tonight? I'd like to go meet with the elves." Our eyes met. I could see something behind them.

"But the night's just getting—"

"Not a problem at all." I stepped up to her, wrapped my arm around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss. "I was thinking about getting a room over at Boradan's Lodge once we're done here. Come by whenever you're done."

"You two go have fun. I think I'll be staying out tonight, but I'll meet you for breakfast, okay?"

My eyes asked the question.

Leaning close, she said, "I think my moms are in town."

Her moms! If I met them, I could ask them for permission to... "I'd love to meet them."

She kissed me again, this time tenderly. "I want that more than anything, but tonight isn't a good night. My..." Her jaw started working again, "I'm confident Na-Ya's brother is with them, and he's... difficult. I'd much rather you two meet my moms when it's just us and them. Then, I can ask them if you can..." Her nose turned red, and her sapphire eyes pulled me in. "You know when you know, right?"

"You know when you know." I kissed her nose.

Giggling, she pulled away, knelt down, cupped her hand against Vral's ear, and whispered something. Whatever she was saying, it was making Vral blush terribly. When Tristan finished, she stood and said, "Have a great night, you two. I look forward to hearing all about it tomorrow!" With that, she walked away.

Vral, Arturus, and I watched her go. Looking down, I saw Vral was still blushing, but Arturus... "Hey man, eyes off her ass."

"It's a great ass." He shrugged. "And it's head height for me. Where should I look?"

Vral laughed. "It really is a great ass. And it's very head height. You wouldn't want our necks to crick, now would you?"

I sighed. "Anyway, thank you for all the information, Arturus."

When Tristan disappeared into the crowd, he turned and said, "Anytime. But drop to a knee real quick. I got one more bit of info for you now that I'm thinking about it."

Doing as he asked, I leaned closer.

"That little noble lady of yours, you still spending time with her?"

Noble lady? "Who, Elise?"

"That's the one. The Duke's daughter, right?" He moved closer. "Word is, she's pissed off just about everyone with real power she could have with that stunt of hers. And, her dear ole' da' ain't too happy about the shit she pulled."

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that I'd be careful sticking around her if I were you. If it'd been anyone else who'd done what she did, they'd have woken up with a dagger in their throat the night the Pit fell."

"So you think she's in danger?"

"All I can say is don't get attached, and keep your distance."

I knew that, by supporting me, she'd ruined any chances of building a faction with the other nobles, but I didn't realize it was that bad. Elise had really given everything to help us. "We've been staying with her when we're down in Khozad'Thar."

Arturus whistled. "Not sure if I'd do that anymore, but it's your choice. Chances are, you've already got marks on your heads, but not many would try to take on the Hero of the Pit and the Slasher unless they had the numbers to put you two down, which, judging from your last match, would take damn near fifty people, if not quite a few more. That, and neither of you is exactly a high priority, not when you have what's essentially the backing of two lords, so I don't think anyone's coming for you yet. Plus, you're strong as hell, but you don't have power. There's no point in fighting you. Still, keep an eye out."

That made me worry. Looking back toward where Tristan disappeared, I asked, "What about Tristan? Do you think she's in danger? Should we go get her?"

Arturus shook his head. "No one knows anything about that one. At least, not that I've heard, and I hear a lot. That elf boy with the coalition is no slouch, though, so I wouldn't worry about her tonight. Just know that that won't last." He stepped back. "I'd like to have you there when I open my own Pit one day. So be careful, yeah?" Rubbing his hands together, he said, "Anyway, I've got work to do, but don't be strangers, now. I always like meeting with old friends.

"Night, Arturus."

"Sentinel. Slasher." He turned on his heel and disappeared.

"If they come at us, we'll cut them all down." Vral's voice was hard. "And if they ever even look sideways at that sweet, beautiful woman of ours, you and I'll hunt down every fucking one of their kin and give them second smiles. Right?"

"You know what I'd do." Vral and I hid from Tristan the hardness we'd developed in the Pit, but sometimes, when we were alone...

"Good boy." An instant later, Vral was on my shoulders, her legs dangling down my chest. "Now that that's settled, I have a plan for this evening. Since we've done Tristan's, I want to do mine. You game?"

I laughed. "You know what?" Her night sounded wild, but fuck it. "Let's do it."

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