My first fight of the day was against a Salorian. I'd fought one of these guys before too. Skin as black as night in a collapsed cave. A network of purple veins bulged just under the surface and he was around six-eight and built like a brick shithouse. As tough as he looked at Level 16 I didn't give him much of a chance.

He pointed at my chest then spoke in a rumbling voice that sent a tremor through the ring. "Those wounds are looking fresh."

"The top one is," I said, indicating the deepest of the claw marks. "I take it you're going to try and target it?"

The bell rang and he charged me like a bull with a rapid combination instead of horns.

I back peddled, evading the first four, strikes then parried the fifth before smashing him with a big right to the chin that sent him stumbling all the way back across the ring and into the ropes.

"Good start," I said padding over to him.

He spat out a tooth and charged again. A little less intense, but still trying to take me out fast.

"Real tough guy, eh?" I said, as I parried, blocked and dodged.

"I'm not the one the Archons are slavering over like a fresh roast Oobel."

"Fuck those guys," I replied, throwing an irritated left hook to his body before wheeling away. I could have punched again, but I found my eyes flickering to Alassar and his cronies. They were watching, smiling and cheering each shot. Rubbing their hands together in anticipation of their winnings.

The Salorian took advantage of my distraction and caught me with a straight left. He followed up and I had to get on my bike to recover.

"You fought the Ogrid, in the next bracket up, didn't you," he asked, coming on, full of confidence after catching me.

When he swung again I slipped it, but an idea popped into my head. Barely formed, stupid, dangerous, but once it took root, I couldn't deny its hilarious appeal.

"Yeah, I fought the Ogrid."

He came again, faster than before as he herded me into the corner with the typical big man strategy.

"So I'll get extra kudos for beating you then." It was said as a statement as he started swinging for the fences with vicious hooks that landed on my arms as I covered up.

"Sure will," I grunted with the impacts. "You'll be the belle of the ball."

As he processed my words, I slipped out from the corner and walked casually to the center of the ring, hands down.

He came at me again, fast and determined. I sidestepped, swaying back, letting his punch pass. I jabbed him lightly in the side of the head and then stepped back out of range. The crowd cheered, my opponent scowled as he stalked after me. I popped him square on the nose but with no force, then danced away again.

He growled. "I hadn't heard you were a show boater."

"I'm not normally. But somebody other than you has pissed me off today."

He threw out a jab viper fast then stepped back to avoid me countering or stepping around him.

I chased him faster than he expected and unleashed a little flurry, striking gloves and then walking away again. The cheers from the crowd were still loud, but very confused.

I glanced over to the Archon table again. Alassar was watching me with an intense expression.

There was a little voice in my head, screaming. Earl! What the fuck are you doing? This isn't what you're here for! I suppressed it, grinned at the table of dickheads, then sidestepped, as I heard the footsteps of my opponent close in. He had thrown a haymaker, which missed. A little bit of luck on my behalf, but it looked great and the crowd went wild as I caught him with a lovely right hook to his side as he passed.

He oofed, and fell into the ropes and I sauntered back into the middle of the ring, satisfied that I'd made my point. He was tough, but he was barely a match. I could beat him easily.

The crowd was completely confused now and the boos started to filter in as I waited for him to recover.

He regained his stance, panting and growling as he glared at me. "What are you playing at? Fight me properly."

"I'll fight how I want to fucking fight," I said, as we started circling each other again. He thew a combination, I dodged each punch.

"How are you this fast?" he growled. "You're the same level as me."

"There are so many reasons. I might tell you later."

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He roared swinging in a wild succession of desperate strikes. It looked ferocious, but they were easy to avoid. Which I did for a few swings, then let him catch me with the next few. The blows had plenty of weight but so little technique I was able to absorb most of the power with head movement. When my baffled opponent paused, I slowly toppled over to the canvas. The crowd fell silent, he stared down at me wide-eyed disbelief etched in every crease of his butt-ugly face.

I tried desperately not to chuckle, peering through a slight crack in my eyelids as the ring master appeared in the ring waving the fight off. He checked on me and I gave a complementary groan so they knew I was okay, then he raised the Salorian's hand in victory.

Boos rang out across the room, but I remained where I was, until I heard the clear, arrogant voice of Alassar pipe up. "That fight was thrown! I'm telling you, he must have bet on himself to lose!"

I rolled over, slowly getting to my feet as the room broke into chaos. Angry shouts mostly directed at me, and the Foundry management. Cries of money back, and disqualification.

I forced the smile from my face as my plan developed further. "I don't leave the stable. I can't bet on fights." I said clearly so all could hear me. "Your book makers in here will tell you that much."

It was pretty obvious that would be the case so no one made any effort to prove otherwise, they just kept booing and calling it a fix.

Cero jumped into the ring now. "Settle everyone. I watched the fight. It was odd, but there is no evidence of a fix. It appears to me," he cast a withering glare at me. "That Earl decided to showboat and it backfired as it so often does."

"I say he threw the fight!" Alassar shouted again.

Cero shook his head and spoke calmly. "Why would he throw the fight? It makes no sense." The entire crowd was silent now. Listening intently to the exchange.

Alassar gestured at me. "He was clearly the superior fighter. He threw it because he knows that I bet on him and for some foolish reason he has decided to make an enemy of me."

"Is this true?" Cero asked me, looking to have aged about twenty years in the last twenty seconds.

"You think I'd throw a fight for this cheese dick?"

Cero winced and gave the slightest shake of his head.

"You dare insult me?" Alassar screamed.

"You insulted me first, saying I threw the fight? If you start throwing shit, don't be getting yourself upset when it gets thrown back."

"You!" he trust an angry finger at me. "Are going to be taught a very painful lesson for this, Earl Henshaw. One that will haunt you for the rest of your short life." He spun on his heal, and stormed back to his seat.

I jumped out of the ring about to grab another ale when Cero landed beside me and gripped my arm. I looked up and raised an eyebrow. I reckoned I could take him, but it wasn't a fight I was interested in right now so I let him lead me out of the cavern.

We went through to the fighters waiting area, eyes watching me like a hawk, no doubt they'd heard what had happened already. Finally we came to an office. His office, I realized.

Once we were both inside he slammed the door behind him.

"What are you playing at, Earl? You had him beaten in so many ways it's not even funny?"

"Alassar threatened me, and while it's tempting just to kill him… now's not the time. So I'll get my temporary revenge by fucking him over. I get the feeling he's spent a lot of money on me winning this bracket."

"Be that as it may, you really shouldn't be antagonizing him. It'll bring trouble down on us all."

I suspected that was already going to happen, but I was light on the details. The Siroth had told me just to be ready, and keep a low profile. I was certainly ready, so one out of two wasn't bad.

"Pricks like that are better off dead anyway," I grumbled.

"I don't think anyone here will disagree with you, but the Union is ran by pricks like that, and we're at their whim. So win your next fight and put this right because there's more than just the Archon who's got money on you to win your bracket."

"You too?" I said with a sly grin.

"Of course me too, you idiot. I put it on as soon as the betting opened, after I saw you fight Enho, Terran, and Brant. I'd have been mad not to. I got fifteen to one odds that you'd win this bracket. I'd be lucky to get two to one on you now."

I patted his arm. "I'll do my best. How many fights do we have to rank this time?"

First four fighters to get three wins go through to the next round. I scratched at my head for a moment. My plan would be risky. "I'm gonna throw my next fight. You can't stop me."

"You better believe I can," he growled and moved toward me. I didn't flinch but I was ready to fight to the death if it went that way.

"Nope. You can't stop me. You could disqualify me, but you'd lose your bet."

"If you lose your fight, then I've lost my bet anyway."

I shook my head. "Not if you give me the worst fighter next. A win for them won't make any difference."

I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes as I continued. "After them I'll need the top contender. Any of those who've won their first two fights."

He shook his head, like he was trying to clear it. "That's still not a guarantee. The numbers could still go against you easily," he grumbled.

It didn't escape my notice that he still hadn't said no.

"Not if you matched the other top fighters against each other. That way one of them would have to lose."

He nodded, rubbing his chin bones deep in thought. "What's the end goal?"

"Alassar has plans for me that I'm not too keen on. I suspect whatever he's got planned wouldn't look too good for your Pit, or your stable."

"Maybe. People have been disappearing from all around the moon for a year or so now. It's likely that…" He shook his head, stopping himself from whatever he was about to say. "That's not important right now. You still havent told me what result you expect? Annoy him so much and he kills you?"

"I don't think he'd try to kill me in front of all these people. Can he be sure everyone here wouldn't turn on him?"

"Then what?"

I grinned. "Irritate him mainly. Best case scenario would be for him to demand his money from the bookie and storm out. I don't want him to earn a damn decitol off my back. I know it's a bit of a reach, but I've started now, so I'm doing it. Help me, or watch your bet disappear."

"It's madness Earl. Why would I agree to such a ridiculous plan?"

"Honestly, Cero, I have no idea. But the fact that you even listened to me, tells me you've got your reasons."

That stumped him. He sat silently for about five minutes. I stood uncomfortably, but decided to give him his time. I considered telling him about the expected attack, and that I intended to Alassar when he brought Archons soldiers to attack the pit, but I held my tongue.

His chair screeched back as he suddenly stood. "Okay." His eyes burned with the fire of decision. "We'll do it. I'll make sure he gets his money back from the bookie, but you make it look convincing this time, Earl. That shitshow was embarrassing. And remember, if it goes wrong, Alassar is the strongest in the room. We have the numbers to take him and I have a couple of good lads I can rely on, but the biggest issue will be the Augur and the other mage. I'll see what I can pull together to deal with them, but it'll be rough."

I shook my head with a wicked grin. "No. Leave those two entirely to me."

"Mages? You actually want to fight mages?"

I nodded.

"You really are as mad as Loosh said."

"Trust me, Mangling Mages is what I do best."

He looked doubtful but shrugged. "Whatever you say."

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