Chapter 1 - Beast Tamer

He could hear the crowd long before he could see them. A thundering wave that shook the ground as the thousands upon thousands of people roared above. The gladiator stood in darkness, eyes shut tight and fingers curling around his twin axes. Distantly, a voice could be heard above. Disembodied. Thrilled. “In just a short while, we will be revealing to our guests the pride of our esteemed arena! Prepare yourselves, for today - we shall see the blood of beasts spattered on the sand!”

He could hear a bloodthirsty roar. The roar of a monster. The roar of the crowd.

It made no difference to the arena’s champion.

The man could feel a weight and thick, shaggy fur pressing against his side. He twisted his fingers into the lion’s fur. The floor beneath his feet began to heat up with arcane magic, and the man pushed out a breath.

Here we go again.

An unnatural sensation of being shoved through a straw overtook him, teleporting above and into the blinding sunlight. His sandals brushed hot sand, and he blinked away the light, gazing numb up into the crowd. Thousands of people that screamed above like starving beasts all looked the same to him from down below. Faceless.

The crimson, starburst banners of Aeliorn spilled downwards and caught the wind. The hot sun blared down on his bronze skin and he rotated in a slow circle, twin weapons held aloft in his hands.

“Ladies and gentleman!” A mage hovered above the crowd, standing on a silver floating disk, his voice augmented to echo throughout the arena. “Today, we welcome a most royal guest to witness a battle of man and beast. Prince Lucian has honored us with his presence!”

Prince Lucian. The Beast Tamer’s brown eyes scanned the crowd before landing on the King’s Box. Flanked by curtains of blood red and golden pillars, the prince stood out strikingly against the nobles. Golden blonde hair was braided down his back, his dark blue - nearly black tunic done up to his chin.

“In Honor of the Prince’s arrival,” the announcer continued. “We bring a gift! A battle between a rare beast imported from the lands of Katashaka and our very own Arena Champion! A man whose blades have tasted the flesh of man and monster! A man who’s brought brutes to tame under his heel. Your majesty, we bring you - the Beast Tamer!”

The Beast Tamer knew the drill. And he knew what the people wanted. His lion gave a fierce roar to match that of the crowd, muting the pound of blood in his head. Disgust twisted the barbarian’s features into a permanent sneer as he glared into the crowd of screaming filth.

“Tsch.” He pushed his fingers through the lion’s mane. Another day. He wondered briefly what special treat they’re sending out to kill in the wake of his highness. “Ready, Kion?”

The lion pressed his head against the Beast Tamer’s hand.

Prince Lucian stood up from his seat. The entire stadium held its breath. From far across the arena’s length - the Beast Tamer was sure that for a single moment, he felt the Prince’s striking blue eyes meet his own. Then the boy turned his attention to the crowd, lifting his hand.

“Begin.”

The Beast Tamer could hear the now familiar grind of a gate being lifted. Kion curved around the man, growling into the darkness of the pen, fangs bared and the Beast Tamer twirled his axes, sandals planted firmly into the sand. They waited. They watched.

With a burst of red hot fire, a creature emerged from the darkness. Molten flames dripped from a draconic maw. Lips pulled back from a lion’s bloody maw. Goat hooves clawed into the sand, and a serpentine tail whipped about behind the three headed monstrosity.

A chimera.

“Fuck me,” the Beast Tamer groaned. He popped his knuckles, hefted his weapons and in a single moment - the crowd was gone. The roar of their screams dulled to nothing but the sound of his own heart slamming against his chest.

Slowly - the two predators began to circle one another. The Beast Tamer’s twin axes were gripped firmly in his rough hands. The chimera’s body was low to the ground, body tense. The man distantly remembered watching cats hunting in alleys between run down buildings. He knew what it meant. Their eyes never left one another.

The chimera was the first to make its move.

Scaled wings snapped out at its side and with a powerful, downward thrust - it took off into the sky. The crowd screamed in fear and delight and the chimera arched around in midair, opening its maw - chest heating with a red hot light. “Kion, move!” The Beast Tamer snapped, shoving his boot against the lion’s flank. A cone of fire erupted from the chimera’s maw, striking the ground where they’d been only seconds before.

Damn it. The Beast Tamer’s eyes narrowed to slits, following the chimera’s movements as it flew overhead. Every time it drew close to the open sky or the crowd, he could see a transparent net spark with electricity, sending it back towards the arena with a roar. He couldn’t hit the thing if it was flying. And he was sure he wouldn’t have to wait long for another round of flames…he had to ground it.

The Beast Tamer hefted his axe. Watched. Waited. It was coming closer. Great wings pounded at its side, fanged jaw opening wide. He could see the telltale heat gathering in its chest. Not yet… not yet…

Now.

With a roar, he hurled his axe forward. It flipped in the air once, twice - then smashed against the chimera’s wing, tearing through scaly membrane. The creature screeched, crashing into the side of the colosseum. A cloud of dust was thrown up into the air, and the nobles directly above cheered wildly.

The chimera had barely managed to stagger to its feet before Kion was slamming into it. The lion pounced, claws tearing into the chimera’s flank and teeth sank into its neck. The massive beasts howled, grappling and wrestling and thrashing. The chimera’s tail snapped wildly to the side, crashing into the arena wall so hard cracks ripped up its side.

The bloodthirsty crowd screamed as red splashed across the sand. The beasts tore at one another, claws slashing and fangs gnashing. The Beast Tamer rushed to reclaim his weapon, snatching it off the sand - and his gut twisted as a pained cry sounded through the chaos.

Kion. He turned just in time to watch as his precious companion fell in an exhausted heap, claw marks raking down his back expelling rivers of red that dripped down golden fur onto the sand.

Red flooded the Beast Tamer’s vision. Rage thrummed hot through his veins. It consumed him, carrying the man in a charge across the arena and swung his axe up alongside its head. A line of blood tore across its draconic face. The chimera roared, lunging forward and swiped a paw that the Beast Tamer side stepped, scarcely missing by inches. The dragon’s head came next, teeth gnashing and the man lifted his axe, deflecting the powerful jaws that clamped onto the steel of his weapon. But what he forgot - was the goat’s head.

Curved horns rammed into his stomach, smiting the breath from his lungs. His skull cracked against the arena wall. The crowd erupted into cheers - mute to the man that slumped to the ground.

His head spun. He could taste metal in his mouth. Through the blur of his vision, he could see the chimera licking its wounds and beginning to approach. The man grit his teeth, pulling up his head to wipe the blood from his lips - when he felt a hand touching his shoulder.

The hand touching his shoulder was gloved - but there was no mistaking the blonde hair that cascaded down the prince’s back in an elegant braid. Even amongst blood and sand, his visage was delicately serene…save for his eyes. The eyes were cold, like chips of ice as they locked on to the Beast Tamer’s.

"Don’t die,” he said. “I do hate bad investments.”

Bad investments. The words scarcely got through to the Beast Tamer. He could see nothing but red across the prince’s pale features. His head fell back into battle, eyes narrowed and a snarl ripped through him, sweeping his axes into his hands and sprung forward.

Survival. Instinct. It was the blood in the veins, the will that drove him forward. He ducked down beneath a paw that swung at him, tumbling to the side and drew his axe along its underbelly. The great beast shrieked, whipping its tail around towards the Beast Tamer who leapt, bringing his blades down on its back. They sank in, crunching into its scaly hide. The chimera was in a state of panic. It thrashed around, struggling to sink its teeth into the Beast Tamer.

The man’s axes flashed red in the sunlight, vision swimming with desperation. It was over in seconds. He stood over the body of the trembling chimera, shoulders heaving and knuckles white around his axes. The chimera struggled to stand, crimson stained paws pushing into the sand, whimpering.

“Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.” The single word was chanted from the frenzied crowd, thundering across the arena.

The Beast Tamer gripped his weapons tight. “…trust me,” he pushes out between heaving breaths. “You’re better off dead than a slave to the masses.”

A trio of strikes fell upon the chimera - each head tumbling from their necks and onto the sand.

The crowd roared. Deafening. Consuming. It shook the sky and rattled his heart in his chest. He paid it no mind. The Beast Tamer stumbled towards his lion that was pushing to its feet, bloody saliva dripping from his maw. The man collapsed beside it. He took the great lion’s head into his hands, digging fingers across its tawny fur. The lion tensed at the touch. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s okay…I’m going to fix you up, all right? Trust me, bud..”

He looked at no one. Not the screaming crowd. Not the man who hovered above, shrieking about another marvelous, perfect fight - and not at the Prince, whose eyes were digging into the back of his head. Supporting his lion and helping the cat to its feet, the Beast Tamer led the two of them across the length of the arena, blood dripping from their wounds and towards the tunnel leading down into the colosseum depths. The roar of the crowd faded behind him.

The arena’s undercroft was a labyrinth of twisting tunnels that lead to cells and pens. Monsters howled and screeched, clawing through iron bars at him as he passed, Kion baring his teeth defensively.

The Beast Tamer’s head still spun. Every muscle ached and the chimera’s claws made his side burn. All he wanted was to wash off the blood, sweat and grime and fall face first into his bed.

Sleep. It was the only out he had anymore. The moment he woke up in the morning - it was the same thing. Again and again and again.

It was fucking never ending.

Entering into the armory, he lifted up his axes to place them on the rack just as the new group of gladiators entered in to be teleported into the arena above. He turned to leave - when a young voice called out from behind.

“Aven!”

Aven’s blood ran cold. He slammed his eyes tight. No. He dared to turn his head. Tallin. The young boy stood in the line of gladiators, barely up to their shoulders garbed in armor much too loose on him. The boy’s eyes burned red hot under the threat of tears. “They’re… they’re making me..”

Aven’s heart wrenched in his chest. He winced and approached, going down on one knee to take the boy’s hand. Small. Only just a week ago, when he placed a weapon in the child’s hand for the first time, he could barely hold on to it. And now…

“…your armor is crooked,” Aven murmured. His massive hands were gentle as he tightened the buckles to fix the boy’s breastplate further up towards his neck. “Do you remember what I told you.”

The boy sniffed. He pushed the back of his hand across his dirty face. “To stay on the outside… and that if someone attacks me... get in close because I have the shorter weapon.”

“That’s right. You’re smaller. Lighter. They might be stronger… but your faster.”

One of the guards snapped at Aven from the side to get a move on. He shot them a scathing glare and turned his gaze back towards the boy. The child looked white with terror. His fists shook. Aven closed them in his hands and squeezed.

“…you’ll be all right,” he whispered. He lowered his voice. “When you come back…why don’t we visit the horses. We can find the one you like. Shadow.”

“Promise..?”

“I promise.”

“Oi!” A guard shoved between the two, sneering at Aven. “Get back to your cell, Beast Tamer.”

He leveled his spear at Aven’s chest - before it clattered to the floor as Kion roared. Furious and powerful even ripped to ribbons, the lion’s lips were pulled back to reveal horrible fangs. The guard staggered backwards, white faced and Aven pushed his fingers through the creature’s mane. “Easy, Kion,” he soothed. “Can’t eat this one. Wouldn’t want to give yourself a stomach ache.” He looked back towards the boy. “I’ll find you once you’re done.”

He wasn’t going to test his luck. Being the champion of the arena gave him certain freedoms, but all of his liberties were limited. It was like saying he was the prized cattle ready to be slaughtered.

He turned and made his way for the slave cells.

It was dirty, dingy and dark. He passed by men who were returning from battle bruised and bloodied and paid them no mind. You don’t make friends in a place like this. Chances were - you would eventually face them, and be forced to push your sword into their chest for sheer entertainment. Aven wanted nothing more than to fall into his cot and sleep, but as he pushed open the door to his cell he was forced to suppress a groan.

His cell had little more than a dirty bedroll and a table and chair for meals. And sitting in the chair… “Beast Tamer,” purred the pudgy little man. “That was a fine fight.”

“Master Joran.”

Joran was a disgusting display of humanity and everything that was wrong with it. Fattened from years of gluttonous feasts and adorned in gold paid for in blood money, his greasy black hair was pushed back and beard tied with jewels and lavish adornments. He counted coins, careful to keep his opulent silks from touching Aven’s dirty ‘pen.’

“I say it often,” Joran continued. “You’ve been a fine asset. One of the best gladiators this arena has ever seen.”

“Thank you, sir.” The word curled on Aven’s lip, head bowed so that the man couldn’t see the look of utter contempt drawn over his tight features. “Will that be all, sir?”

“No. That is not all.” Satisfied, he pushed the remaining gold crowns into his pocket and turned on Aven. “A buyer has come to me during your match. Congratulations, Beast Tamer. You’ve moved up in the world.”

“A buyer.” Aven’s features twisted with disgust. His mind reeled over the arena fight. Investment…. that boy.

“Aye. He was impressed with your prowess. The Prince himself offered to purchase you from me.” The man smiled. Gold teeth flickered in the torch light. “You’ve made me a rich man, boy.”

Aven’s nails curled into his palms. He forced a calmer breath. “How long exactly do I have to prepare, sir.”

“You will have an hour. Pack your things and wash yourself before meeting his Highness in the slave gallery.” He burrows his beady black eyes into Aven’s. “You would be careful to keep your tongue still lest you lose it in the Prince’s presence. I will not suffer another embarrassment.”

The first instance was fresh in Aven’s mind. His teeth threatened to give under the clench of his jaw as he bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you soon.” The man hobbled from the room like a bloated pig.

As soon as he was out of sight, it took all of seconds for Aven’s fist to slam into the bars of his cell. A loud clang echoed throughout the room, pain shooting up his arm. “Fuck!” Aven snarled, eyes pinching closed. He leaned into his cell. His legs shook.

He’d finally found his place. Not content. Never content. But accepting. And now… now it was all crashing around his head. He was to become some servant in a stuffy castle serving prudish nobles. Or perhaps a slave for pleasure. All because of him. All because of that boy.

Prince Lucian.