Emperors War
/ Emperors War 21 Beginning of His Story
Even when he took out the trio of Kulga One Eyed didn't think anything of it and continued on gloating and bragging to the people around him about what an incredibly great and grand idea he had. He couldn't help but announce to the entire room that once the boy died the profit The Pit would make this time would probably break the records.
Just prior to the fight starting there was a huge uptick in the bets and suckers betting on the boy to win. One Eyed had just heard the numbers and he couldn't wait to brag to all of the idiots around him. This, his very first time being in charge of an operation and it was a huge success.
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Why was everyone so stupid besides him? The more he thought about it the more he realized that Fastagio needed to pay the price for oppressing him and cheating the entire Underground of his amazing talent.
It wasn't until the remaining three Kulga submitted to the boy that One Eye felt the tinge of helplessness and fear for the first time. Seeing this his inner monologue kicked in telling him it was 'impossible' and 'the last beast is clearly the most ferocious'.
However much his inner monologue was speaking to him it couldn't drown out the chatter and clamor of all of the idiots around him as they talked about the battle.
With bated breath One Eyed watched on, from arrogance and mockery to his last hope. He began to pray to the gods, because the thought that never occurred to him was playing out in the grand arena. There was no way to silence it. There was no way to stop it. All he could do was watch in abject horror.
Sneed stood there and stared down at the boy who was saving his daughters life. While Sneed understood that the boy had no idea that his actions saved his daughters life it didn't change the fact that without the boy his daughter was headed down the yellow river.
After paying for his daughters' treatment from his last winnings he had 30,000 franar left over. In reality 30,000 franar was a huge sum of money and would probably be enough that Sneed could retire if he was careful with his money. It took Sneed almost his whole life to save up the 5,000 franar he had originally bet on the boy in the first fight. While people watching The Pit matches always bet, it was pretty rare for there to be bets over 100 franar. It was only due to the reason that a small boy was fighting and it was a certain win that the bets in the first fight got so out of control.
The same thing happened in the second and third fights as well. Everyone was trying to win their money back as the amounts they lost were devastating and surely the boy couldn't survive through another fight after his injuries.
To their utter disappointment and nightmare, the boy survived the second fight. Unlike the first fight where Sneed was there to bet on the boy not a single person had bet for him to win.
The crowd had been devastated. Usually the crowd that watched and gambled in The Pits would change out daily. Of course, there were the normal group that gambled and survived on The Pits, this was how they made their living. Some would keep records of the fights and create their own odds that they then sold to others. They could be considered insiders with connections to guards and even the management of The Pit. For the most part though the crowd would change out day over day as people had to go rob, scheme, plan and make a living.
However, the crowd that stared down at that boy right now was almost identical to the one that stared down at him two days ago. Outside of Sneed almost all of them were desperately trying to win their money back.
Sneed was not able to catch the boys second fight because he was making arrangements for his daughter to start getting the cure. Now that his daughter had already started receiving the cure, he planned on watching the boys next fight in the next day or two. He regretted that he didn't get to see the last one but there was nothing he could do.
His surprise when he learned that the boy would be fighting again only a couple of hours after his previous fight was enough that he may never show surprise on his face again.
Coming to this fight Sneed had taken the rest of his money all 30,000 franar and bet it on the boy to win. At this point did it even matter? His daughter was already taken care of, the miracle that he had been searching for and praying to the gods for had been given to him.
When he showed up with every intention of betting it all on the boy, thinking that he could never show surprise on his face again he was proven to be a liar when he heard that the boy would be fighting ten Kulga at the same time.
In the fight that Sneed had watched on the first day the boy barely survived his fight with a single Kulga. He hadn't heard anything about the second fight other than the boy won, but now that same boy had to fight ten Kulga? This was beyond madness and crazy! When Sneed heard the announcer state that only ten Kulga could match up to the boy Sneed couldn't help but reflect on the scene of the boy peeing his pants and shivering in fear a couple of days ago.
Death. Certain death. His daughter's savior would die and there was nothing he could do. However, it didn't change anything. He was still going to bet the 30,000 franar even though he knew he would lose it all. This was the honor and respect he owed his daughters savior.
After betting the 30,000 franar there was nothing for Sneed to do except to sit and wait for the start of the battle. Amazingly enough though as Sneed sat there, he heard rumblings throughout the crowd of people betting on the boy.
A tall fat man who was sweating just sitting in the crowd called out after seeing Sneed's bet.
"Aren't you the one who bet on the boy in the first fight?" As the man called out it caught the attention of everyone in the immediate vicinity.
Sneed couldn't help but think to himself 'how did he know about that?' Before he could ask the question a much smaller and thinner man who's face let everyone know he was certainly crooked spoke up.
"You are that guy...I remember when everyone else was crying and slapping their face from the loss you were laughing and praising the gods. I clearly saw you that day." How could that crooked man not remember the look of this man. He had watched him as he laughed and thanked the gods. In a crowd of misery and pain he was a beaming light.
Sneed had won a lot of money. Who would believe that he had spent almost all of it already? It was better if he pretended like he didn't know what they were talking about.
"Everyone this is my first time to The Pit, so I'm not sure who you're talking about but since it sounds like this man was so lucky I can only say I wish he was me." Sneed announced loudly enough for the immediate group to hear but not so loudly that it would travel to people who were currently not interested in what they were talking about.
As Sneed had looked around the group he didn't recognize anyone there so his little lie while it may not be completely believed was enough to get the people around him to settle down. However, if someone he knew recognized him there was no doubt, they would know he was the one who won the other day.
In reality Sneed never considered that after he had won all that money that the people in the crowd would be angry and jealous. He had only thought about curing his daughter and then trying to do something for his daughter's savior. After the first fight he left immediately following the boys win not because he was thinking ahead about trying to evade all of the people who were going to be targeting him, but because he couldn't wait to begin his daughter's treatment. Little did Sneed know his simple action of leaving immediately to take care of his daughter saved at the minimum his winnings and at the most his life. Due to the loss the crowd was so despondent that he didn't even have to deploy any countermeasures to sneak away. Under normal circumstances there was no way he would have succeeded.
While most of the people in the Underground were not good people there were still a few of them. Sneed was one such example. Sneed had turned to the Underground when his daughter got sick. He had tried to pay for her treatments and look for a cure before turning to the Underground but he simply couldn't make enough through honest means. Despite the many crimes that Sneed had committed he was still deep down not only a good person but an extremely loyal person. Sneed might not have recognized it himself but Sneed had already begun to view the boy as someone he needed to look out for and protect.
"I'm certain you were that fellow that won all that money a couple of days ago!" said one of the bystanders. While most of the others hearing Sneed's comment weren't completely convinced they decided to let the matter drop, however this fellow didn't believe Sneed at all.
Just as Sneed was about to refute that fellow the battle had begun. Everyone's attention including that fellows moved down to the arena. Even if he won so much money the other day it could wait until after the fight, everyone here had money riding on the outcome of this battle. In the area that they were in everyone except for Sneed had bet against the boy. When Sneed bet on the boy he did so secretly, thankfully, as he still remembered the eyes filled with hatred from the other day when everyone had seen that he had won.
Sneed's eyes were glued to the arena as he mumbled only loud enough for himself to hear "don't die".
As the boy moved Sneed's eyes widened and his mouth opened ever so slightly. He watched as the boy aggressively moved toward the first Kulga and attacked sliding across the ground cutting its leg.
He was astounded as he watched the boy gracefully attack a trio of Kulga and his slightly opened mouth then opened a little further as he watched the three Kulga fall helplessly to the ground.
He was overwhelmed with shock as the boy flew through the air and stabbed into the eye of the Kulga.
He stood up in fright as he watched the attack of the lone Kulga reach the boy screaming out ever so slightly in fear. He was dumbfounded when the boys arm reached the back of the Kulga's mouth preventing it from fully attacking. He had no words as he watched that Kulga fall lifelessly to the ground.
Sneed's mind froze as he watched the scene before him play out. Could there be such a thing? Could a child grow so fast in such a short time? Sure, throughout the universe there are millions of stories of children growing at a pace that defied all logic. How could there not be amongst the trillions of people. For someone to grow to the extent that he saw today was not beyond the realm of believable. Outside of the Underground it probably wouldn't even make someone turn their heads.
Not even counting the millions of Emperor Candidate children whose growth can't even be measured there were countless of geniuses whose growth defies all normal people's common logic. But to see it in person. To watch as a scared and helpless child who not only knew fear but was fearful grow into this in just a couple of days.
It had an impact on the heart and soul of Sneed who was already feeling a tinge of loyalty to the boy who had saved his daughter. Now seeing that this boy could be considered a genius, his respect towards the boy grew a notch higher.
It wasn't just Sneed who recognized that the child who was fighting in The Pit could be considered a genius, as most of the crowd had begun to come to the same conclusion. Most of the crowd had also watched this boy grow in just two days' time from scared prey to a strong predator.
Sneed watched as the boy turned his head after killing the Kulga. The eyes of the boy seemed to have changed as the boy made eye contact with the remaining Kulga. Sneed could not explain the change or what it was but he knew he wasn't mistaken as he watched the Kulga cease their attack and step back from him in fear.
This was beyond reason and understanding. Sneed could not take his eyes off of the sight in front of him. Had he ever seen such a thing? Perhaps in the stories they would tell each other on long trips when they discuss geniuses like this. They would brag about how they heard whatever amazing tale it was to one another while they drank their wine and laughed at their shame for, they would never measure up to an ounce of the stories they had heard.
Most of the stories they heard where gargantuan as the characters were beyond life. Their stories would be epics that would always begin with a tiny moment. A moment that seemed at the time small and insignificant. They would kill a Fentar or Beston while hunting alone at a young age. Their story would begin with a moment that was beyond shock and reason but became more amazing as the character grew.
Sneed looked around aghast and he could feel his blood boiling and his excitement growing. It wasn't just him but the rest of the crowd must have realized it too. They must have realized that at this moment they were perhaps, just maybe witnessing the beginning of a character that was beyond life. The beginning of an epic. The crowd couldn't keep down their excitement but because of the moment no one dare make a move. No one dare make sound for fear that the moment would be lost.
Sneed watched as the boy recovered his knife and stared up and into the crowd his eyes wandering through as if though a conqueror surveying his enemy.
Sneed watched as the boy walked slowly towards the Kulga who had been solo in the arena from the moment it entered through the gate. This Kulga had acted as if though the entire fight in the arena had nothing to do with it as it silently enjoyed its meal never paying attention to the battle that played out.
Sneed stared intently as the boy finally stood before the Kulga and waited. He waiting with the rest of the crowd.
"You're not going to cower down too are you?"
Sneed could not keep the excitement he had been containing inside any more. Like a volcano erupting after it had tried so hard to suppress it, he found himself cheering for the words at the top of lungs. Without realizing the entire crowd had been hinged on the boy waiting to find out how this would play out.
It was obvious the fight was over. He could walk out now as the remaining Kulga did not want to fight. There was no rule that stated that the enemies had to kill each other, in fact leniency and mercy were granted all of the time in The Pit. While the enemy in this case was a beast, it had happened before where the beast and fighter fought to a draw or submission. There are plenty of examples where strong fighters fought beast into submission in The Pit. Who doesn't know about the beast taming clans in the universe? It is widely known that in order for them to become true beast tamers they must tame at least one beast through force, it is a well-known rite of passage.
There was no one watching this fight who didn't recognize that the boy had fought the beast into submission. How he was able to do that was a mystery to them but it didn't change the fact none the less. If he elected to walk out now there was nothing that could stop him.... but would that fit the story of an epic?
No. That's why everyone in the crowd waited with baited breath. Certainly, there was no one who watched today's fight who wouldn't recognize that the young boy was a genius. Did it matter? So what! Tomorrow they would just throw a more dangerous beast at him. Kulga were not just called the weakest predators in name only. They were without a doubt the weakest predator.
Everyone who was watching this battle had heard the stories of the grand characters, most of them have told the stories themselves, that's why they all recognized it. Something more had to happen. Something more for this battle to move from a genius to an epic. No one knew what it was that's why they waited. They wanted to see, to witness.
As the boy called out to the Kulga they all realized it. This was it. Would the boy survive The Pit? Would he continue on and become an epic character? Would he die facing this lone Kulga? None of those questions mattered because those were the end of the story. At this moment, at this exact second his story had just started and that's what they were witnessing.
Chapter end
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