“Volatis.” Hearing my name inside of my head caused me to physically jump. It was Eris’s voice and it sounded like she caught me doing something naughty. I may have been letting my eyes wander a bit too freely at the scantily clad hostesses all around us, and I wasn't expecting her to reach out to me through the ring. Especially when she was literally two feet off to my right.
“What is it, why are we talking through the ring?” I imagined myself responding with the softest voice possible as a means to show my perplexed state.
“Just in case. I noticed something strange when we were talking with everyone about what to do earlier.” Eris gave my soft whispering a solid look, otherwise choosing to ignore it before answering.
“Like what?”
“There was a faint trace of mana enveloping around the room we were talking in. It wasn’t until we left the room to leave that I could sense it all around us. Almost like it was watching us.” Eris mentioned some disturbing news, almost like the place was haunted.
“What does that mean exactly, are we in danger right now?" I stopped with the whispering and transitioned to a serious tone of voice.
“I think we’re safe. I don’t feel anything since we left the premises, but I don’t really think it would be wise to return to the Flower Garden without some kind of preparations first.”
“Alright..., maybe Marcus can shed some light on what you experienced.” We ended our telepathic link and weren’t far from the edge of the red light district. It was only a couple more minutes until we could call on a carriage and soon enough we were stepping up into the windowless transportation.
Jade said our destination aloud and shortly after we felt the sensation of being lifted off the ground. It was a mystery to me how these carriages functioned, knowing exactly where they needed to go from a simple command. It hasn’t been long but I’ve already encountered several unique forms of magic ever since entering the undercity.
“Selka will be a better guide when it comes to the fight ring. I’ve never actually been there.” Jade suggested for Selka to take the lead.
“Does that work for you?” I asked Selka if she didn't mind taking over.
“Of course, I’ll introduce us to some people I know. ” Selka mentioned possible acquaintances, “There’s a high chance they should be around. No promises that they will be the friendly sort though.”
“All I ask is to be warned, ahead of time if possible. Lead the way.”
We were not able to see the surrounding area during the flight and were dropped off with a large complex in front of us. The dark gray and black aesthetic of the structure added to the dread of the environment. It felt like we left a shady yet posh neighborhood to an even shadier slum, the complete opposite side of a coin.
There were many homeless, something that didn’t exist topside. It made me wonder if they were all tossed down here or if this was instead a safe haven for them. Oddly enough the streets and alleyways had near nonexistent amounts of littering. Almost like cleaners made sure to keep the place in check. Other than my simple observations, Selka guided us at a quick pace to the location she was familiar with. Stopping right before an entrance to the large cube-like structure.
Two ushers suited in black stood guard though did nothing to impede our entry as we walked by without any hassle. They must be there to stop any obvious and unwanted visitors. It looked like we wouldn't be bothered so long as we looked like potential customers.
“This place is big. How much further do we have to walk down this corridor?” The cement passageway could fit a crowd of ten side by side without having any issues moving forward. There was plenty of neon strip lighting on the floor to illuminate our path as if placed to guide us along the path.
“Not much longer, this will lead us to the pit.” The incline turned ever bit steeper as Selka finished replying. For it to be referred to as the pit, then my only guess was we would keep being led down until we reached the center part of the structure.
“So, what should I expect to see on the other end?” There wasn't much else to do or look at other than chat with each other and find out as much as possible, of the things we would come to encounter.
“There’s going to be the main fighting ring in the center with four smaller ones surrounding it for lesser events. The organizers pride themselves on an eight-hour block of entertainment each day. With an event ongoing at all times with very few intermissions.” Selka described a little about the hours of operation.
“That's intense…, and what are the rewards for the fighters?” I could already tell there was a whole gambling setup in place for bets, so there was no need to ask about the spectators. I figured it worked the same way as the tournament I was forced to participate in.
“That’s where it gets a bit unique...” In another breath, Selka explained the whole point system in place for prospective fighters. “They’ve got a list of items with points assigned to each one. Many of them are rare merchandise ranging from high-value slaves to medical elixirs and weapons. I believe they have a deal with the black market auction to acquire stock to attract an endless stream of contestants.” Selka added on another tidbit as I processed everything.
“If you ask me, I feel the whole thing is rigged in the first place. The worthwhile items are all priced crazy high.” I felt her opinion on another level with the way she became heated over the situation and the way things seemed to work.
“It’s that bad?” There had to be enough incentive for the fighters to be willing to risk their lives against such odds. The quality of the rewards was the only way for it to outweigh the cons.
“That’s not even the half of it. The only way you are allowed to gather more points is if each fight is tougher than the last. They manage this with a win-loss ranking of sorts.” Selka exhaled her assessment, but that only grew my curiosity for these said rewards.
“It sounds like you're on the crap end of the stick with one-sided negotiations as the only way to be given more fights.” It sounded like they catered to fighters that brought them in more money and didn't have an issue finding others that were desperate enough to accept the unfavorable conditions.
The light and cheering from the end of the long corridor began to rush in as we neared the pit. I would soon find out each participant's desire to fight and the reason they carried on even with such manipulative techniques in place.
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