The Life of a Gladiator

[Kolodis]

Short chapter this time

Chapter 5

“Not to complain, but I’ve been wondering for awhile,” Lodis stared at his breakfast uneasily, “what is it?”

Macha and Tsukuyomi looked at each other in confusion. Hyunmi paused in scarfing down her food and glared at Lodis in annoyance. Kolodis merely kept eating.

“I mean, it doesn’t taste like chicken or pork, and the texture is wrong for beef. So what is it?”

“It’s meat, you idiot. It’s food. That’s all you need to know.” Apparently satisfied, the petite berserker went back to finishing her food. Lodis sighed. Hyunmi was still furious with him for his poor performance during his debut match. It wouldn’t be wise to annoy her any more, but Lodis was a bit uneasy eating some unknown meat. It tasted great and gave him more energy than anything he’d eaten back before he was a gladiator, but it didn’t look like the meat from any animal he knew of.

The thought reminded him of his life before he was a slave. He’d been close friends with the butcher’s daughter, and they’d often spent time together when he’d finished his work in his father’s forge. What was her name? Gods, he couldn’t even remember what she looked like. His past life felt like dim memories taken from another man now. It seemed as if he had lived the gladiator’s life forever. Lodis snorted. An arrogant thought for a pit fighter who’d only had one fight.

Tsukuyomi shrugged, bringing Lodis out of his reverie. “Dunno. It’s from Fat Louie’s Chop Shop. No one knows what it is.”

“Some say,” Macha leaned forward conspiratorially, “that Louie goes out and hunts dragon hatchlings and brings back their meat to sell. Others say we eat the slain remains of his kinsmen. However, I’ve heard from reliable sources what the meat truly is.”

“What’s that?”

“Gladiators who ask where the meat comes from.” The elaar dissolved into laughter and Tsukuyomi grinned. A faint smile flitted across Kolodis’s face and even Hyunmi couldn’t resist laughing. Lodis found himself chuckling, despite the fun being made at his expense. Macha was a born prankster, and couldn’t resist practical jokes and teasing any more than the sun could resist rising up into the sky.

“I’m glad to see all of you are enjoying yourselves.” Katrina marched into the barracks where the fighters were eating. She looked exactly the same as the day she had picked up Lodis from the slave market, dressed in black silk with her back ramrod straight, her eyes looking coldly and contemptuously around the room. Apparently satisfied, although by what Lodis couldn’t imagine, she passed out several scrolls of parchment. “Your next assignments. Kolodis, your first match in the Blood Games is in a week. Tsukuyomi, you’ll have a match in three days. It will determine whether you move up to the next bracket, so train hard. Both of you will report to the Trainer at once.” Nodding, the two left the barracks to enter the adjoining training hall.

“Hyunmi, I’ve picked up a contract for you. There are strange occurrences going on near the Wicked Tomb, north of the Borderlands. The client is concerned about possible danger to his assets in the area and is currently waiting in a tavern by one of the lesser temples. The directions are in the map I’ve given you, make sure you get more information before leaving the city.” Hyunmi made a grimace but didn’t protest.

“Macha, Lodis, I’ve picked up a joint contract for the two of you. Apparently a spite and a trug have been causing trouble in a village by the Wraith Moors. The authorities can’t be bothered to send men down there and have posted bounty contracts for the pair of them. I’ve secured exclusive rights for you two to kill the two for a week’s time. After that, you’ll be competing with other bounty hunters, so I would advise you to make it quick.” Noticing the expression on Lodis’s face, Katrina asked curtly, “is there a problem?”

“It’ll take us several days to reach this village. We won’t be able to reach it without adequate supplies. Also, the two targets aren't always in the village. They spend a lot of time by various trails as highwaymen, so there’s no assurance that they’ll be there when we get there.”

Macha looked at the young fighter curiously. “How do you know all this?”

“Well,” Lodis said numbly, “that’d be because I grew up there.”