Out with the old

Edric's POV

My breathing was ragged and my head was light, similar to when you stand up far too fast, and as my eyes drifted back from seeing the bubbling darkness, I noticed that the fight wasn't announced as over yet. In fact, everyone was still quiet.

I figured that maybe they were just waiting for some kind of signal from their new champion.

Raising my sword high in the air, and feeling the building pride and astonishment that I had finally done it overwhelm me, I let out the loudest battle cry I could. So loud was it that I felt the sand below my feet trembling a bit.

I opened my eyes, with a wide smile on my face, and did a slight turn in place to gauge the crowd. My vision drifted over the rows and rows of people—only to find not a single person cheering…

No. Instead, they looked mortified and disgusted.

Some openly cried and covered their faces, while others shielded the younger members of the crowd from the sight.

Why would they do that?

I looked at my wings and the embers floating around and figured maybe I looked too inhuman, and that's why. I was disheartened, but I could understand the reaction to a degree, so I tried to let it not bother me.

It ultimately didn't matter what they thought. I was free now, anyway—well, with a bit of extra steps.

The princess had already made it clear she would want me to bend the knee to her and be part of her personal retinue. So I would have to abuse the short window of real freedom I'd have before that to escape.

I would just need to find Heather and Kushim to get out of this place.

I was already sure Heather had left. I hadn't a solid reason to think that, but my gut told me she wouldn't want to stay here after our fight.

As for Kushim, he had to be around, considering he was my instructor—and that gave him a fair amount of pull. I knew he might be in a bit of trouble for interfering with the match, but it shouldn't be that bad. 

I waited in the stillness that had befallen the arena. It was odd… I was more than used to being looked at by spectators, but this time there was almost no pressure at all. It was as if they had their eyes on something else.

I looked at the lower rows, closer to me. I could sort of make out the features of the people there. And sure enough, they weren't looking at me. No—instead, it was behind me that they all seemed to be staring.

I felt a bit perturbed by this. I mean, I had just fought for their entertainment—risking life and limb. People died and came back in unlife. But they chose to just blankly stare at something other than the victor.

I felt sweat drip down my neck… the announcer hadn't said the fight was over yet… I whipped my body around and brought my blade to a high ready.

Only there was nothing behind me but the dead—the real dead, not the shambling corpses of the lich's mob.

Still, I tried to follow their gazes the best I could, slowly stalking forward. That's when I found a trio of bodies that didn't match the others. No—these looked much more… More in every respect.

I moved toward them. That sweat felt colder now, and to join it, a knot had formed in my stomach.

The wounds on them didn't make sense. No one here had a dagger or shortsword that could make the puncture wounds present on their bodies.

I moved to the smallest body first, as it was the closest. I peered down at it—no, him. It was a young boy, at an age I could guess very well. He looked well-off and well-fed. His eyes… they looked confused, like he didn't understand something. Even in death.

Alas, I didn't recognize him, so I moved to the next one.

It was a woman—middle-aged—and had to be related to the boy. They looked very similar…Actually, they looked close to the princess.

I shifted my neck and shoulders uncomfortably.

I didn't want to look too long at the woman—her expression of rage and murderous pain still lingered in death. She had found no peace in her passing, it seemed.

The man—well, I needed to flip him over to see his face.

Steeling my nerves, I leaned down and placed my hand on his shoulder.

With a gentle movement, I lifted him just enough to see the face and nothing more.

I stammered back and fell onto my butt.

I didn't know what to do.

"The king… THE KING IS DEAD!"

A loud voice echoed. I couldn't tell who had said it, but whoever it was sounded confused and pained. They sobbed so loudly it was distracting.

That's when it dawned on me—it was I who had said that.

I was the one sobbing now. Why, I wasn't sure. I was never that close to the king, but I felt a real connection to him.

Maybe it was just the fact that he was our leader… and to see him like that was just painful.

It wasn't fit for a man like that.

Another thought jabbed at my mind as well—now that the king, his wife, and their son had all passed… who could protect the little freedom I needed to make my escape?

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! YOUR EYES AND EARS FOR THE PRINCESS!"

The announcer's voice boomed over everything. My ears rang from the force of it—I was fairly close to him when he spoke.

She walked out, eyes red and looking shaken. I—and everyone in the crowd—felt her reaction was understandable. I mean, her whole family had just been killed, and it seemed she had only barely managed to avoid the same fate.

She moved to the edge of the balcony and looked down.

In that moment, I felt it—in her gaze… a pure and unfiltered glee. She looked at me and only me—not her family—and smiled. Just a bit. But it reached her eyes. And then it was gone, replaced with the tears and subdued sobbing of a grieving daughter and sister.

"Dear citizens… I wish we could celebrate this day! The day a new champion walks among us… but no—it seems that while our champion fought, those closest to him—and to us—plotted. They plotted a plan most foul.

You see, Champion Edric's own instructor sabotaged his pupil's blade and made a show of throwing his own to distract us all. It was a truly heart-reaching moment… but during that moment, we royals came under attack!

Not by one—but by two attackers. An unknown female… and our champion's very own instructor!

They conspired against us—and killed my family.

Luckily, my retainer was able to protect me long enough for the royal guards to detain the traitor Kushim… but the female escaped."

She gasped for air and continued.

"This is why, while we search for the missing female, we will test our champion one last time!"

She pointed down at the doors adjacent to me.

"BRING HIM OUT!" she let out—a torn scream of an order.