Nine years ago

Dragon Realm Scorch

Clad in a jet-black breastplate, black leather kilt, and a glossy black face mask, the Night Whisper circled the sand-packed pit while clouds of orange dust kicked up with every step. In one hand she clutched a chipped and blood stained ninjato, in the other a slender parrying dagger. New scars from her two years fighting tooth and nail had ravaged her firm athletic body, the new overlapping and shaping the old. She maintained a state of serene, complete control. The state of a killer.

Her opponent, a mangled kanis, thrust his trident at her. The wolf man whined in desperation as he fought to keep the distance between them.

His eyes widened as she inched in past his guard, and any minute she expected him to panic like the others. After all, she had built not only a reputation, but a sizable body count. She was unstoppable, as if she had made a pact with Alanna herself to rid the world of every gladiator in Scorch. She dealt with any fighter thrown against her with merciless efficiency. Her armor and demeanor were as black as the night and her heart and soul were just the same.

The kanis stumbled over a stone, and she seized the opportunity to bring in a single deadly strike. Her long blade pierced the side of the wolf folk's throat, spraying blood across her mask. She pushed the lifeless body off of her sword and threw up her arms in triumph. A crowd that once cheered her every victory was now a dull and bored audience. A lengthy chorus of “boo's” waved through the crowd as rotten fruit fell to her feet. A common problem she had met before. The price of being the best was a hard one to overcome, even more so now that failure meant a lashing or death.

Only one could ever beat her, but out of amusement he never killed her; knowing that each bout they faced each other would be the best battle he ever fought in. Bitter rivals, tangled together by hatred and the need to survive. However, the kanis wasn't Uther the Iron Soul. No, he was just another hapless warrior destined to be crushed under the foot of the Night Whisper.

She sneered through her mask, then smiled. What did she care if she no longer entertained them? She battled for necessity. She killed to survive, not for the show. She once thrived on the bloodthirsty cheers, now she was disgusted by them. They gave her the moniker “Night Whisper” the Black Rabbit captured and shown to all. She had the refined talent to gut and slay every body thrown into the arena with her, as well as the hatred and disgust towards everyone who would dare to challenge her. Now only she saw herself as Avalon.

***

Avalon slouched against the bars of the caged wagon. The wretched red sun turned the desert around her into a giant oven. Her only comfort from the heat was the shade of a tarp tightly wrapped over her prison. The wagon entered the Ashita Canyon, giving the slaves an hour of relief in the shade as they traveled home to their master's villa. It was on the border of the city of Nal'Jharubes. The cage in front of Avalon's held a rugged Draconian, a twelve-foot-tall red dragonkin, with scales chipped and torn off in gruesome scars. One of his horns had been broken and cracked and an eye was branded shut by a fire mage's burning hand. He fancied himself the last remaining friend of Avalon's, as she was forced to slay the rest.

“The crowd has turned on you Avalon,” spoke the draconian in his harsh, gruff tone. His throat was punctured by a spear last month and he had lost his once smooth voice.

“You think I don't know this, Embercall?” Avalon raised an eyebrow sarcastically.

Embercall stared through his cage's bars at buzzards scraping flesh off an unlucky jackrabbit. “See that rabbit? You will share an equal fate if you don't find a way to entertain the masses once more.”

Avalon pondered on the metaphor before responding, “They want me to lose, to show them tension and drama. They want an underdog to cheer for.”

“Yes, that would do,” Embercall laughed as he turned around. “Make your fights more exciting!”

“They can choke on the blood I spill. They tire of me? Dahlemar's mark, I tire of them!” Avalon spat with a voice full of ire.

“Do not say this, Avalon. The Master will have you flayed alive if-”

“Damn Airenfal to the deepest recesses of the Shredded Angel's circle. I would die a thousand deaths before I try to please him. I gave him too many years of my life! I will give him no more satisfaction!” she roared.

“Quit your damn ruckus!” a husky overseer shouted as he rattled Avalon's cage with a wooden billy club. He hefted up his belt, making sure to show off his whip to the rowdy Avalon. He eyed her until she settled down, albeit with much spite in a glare towards him.

“Damn him or not, Avalon, he owns you and he will get what he wants. You better wise up or you will suffer a thousand deaths at his hands,” Embercall whispered.

“Let him try,” she sneered.

***

Airenfal relaxed in his throne, kept cool by slaves waving palm fronds on either side.

“Blast this heat,” he muttered to himself.

“It ain’t dat bad once you get used to it.”

Aierenfal turned to see that his two favorite bounty hunters had entered his private box in the gladiator arena.

“Mr. Laroux, Ms. Sivella!” Airefal opened his arms to welcome his guests. “I trust you have good news for me.”

Siv folded her arms and frowned, “When Guster made this deal with you, he kept me in the dark about the details.”

Airenfal looked towards Guster. “Has my arrangement caused a rift between you two? Were my slaves not procured?”

Guster wiped his mouth in frustration. “Listen, we have de slaves ready for you, but we had to break a few minor rules to get dem-”

“A few minor rules!?” Siv threw her hands into the air. “Guster we broke the whole damn code! Straight up tore the book in half and pissed on it! The Network will have our hides!”

Guster lowered his derby hat to hide his face from the wrath of Siv. “It ain’t dat bad Si-”

“Ain’t your old man teach you anything, Guster?” Siv ripped his hat away. “You never

double cross another Network employer! Especially one we’ve done business with!”

“Alright. Ok.” Guster snatched back his hat. “But have you seen how much we're bein’

paid?”

Airenfal snapped his fingers and two servant boys brought over two small chests loaded to the brim with silver and gold sendetti.

“Think of what we can buy with dis, Siv!” Guster dipped his hands into the coins.

“The Network will take their cut, and more for what we did to them,” said Siv. She leaned against a wall to sulk in the shadows.

“Bah!” Airenfal waved a hand away from Siv and turned to Guster. “Come my friend, take a seat.” He snapped his fingers for wine to be served to his guest. “The matches have already begun. I hear you have been earning a bit of sendetti on the side betting on fighters. Any take your fancy in particular?”

“I have.” Guster slurped down a goblet of wine. “I like Avalon. She fights pretty good and she keeps gettin’ better.”

Airenfal sneered at the name. “I should have had you two kill her when I had the chance. The Night Whisper has always been a thorn in my side.”

“Oh?”

“She kills everyone she faces in record time; that bores the crowd, which makes my ticket sales go down. I’m giving her a final shot to draw the crowd.”

Guster licked the last droplets of his drink from the goblet. “She always had hands full with Uther. You can always put dem together again.”

“Oh, I know. I’ve told Uther to kill The Night Whisper and he can have his freedom.” Airenfal smiled.

Guster blinked. “You can’t kill Avalon.”

“It’s already done.”

“Den why don’t you give her freedom if she wins?” offered Guster, “If she does win, she’ll be out of your hair.”

Airenfal brushed his thick beard. “You really like this one?” He pondered the idea. “Fine, if she wins, she can have her freedom. Now let us watch, her match is next.

***

Avalon saw the hulking Uther charge her again. He carried no weapons, favoring only his meaty fists. They hit like a sack of stones. He wore little armor as his skin was tough like leather and his bones were as hard as iron. He felt no pain; he felt no remorse.

Avalon arched backwards, nimbly dodging another swing. The air from the attack blew her blonde hair sideways. She replied by stabbing her sword between Uther's ribs and spinning a roundhouse kick into its pommel to drive the sword even further.

The giant man grunted and wrapped his massive hand around Avalon's face. He lifted her upwards and smashed her into the sandy floor, quaking her body with the force of the impact.

Avalon lay stunned, but recovered fast enough to roll to the side as Uther stomped at her with a weighted foot. Pivoting around, he caught Avalon in the face with a kick, sending her head over heels tumbling over the ground.

The crowd cheered once more as the myth of the untouchable Night Whisper was shattered.

“Iron Soul! Iron Soul! Iron Soul!”

The chant sundered the air over the clatter of armor and steel, scraping sand, spattering blood.

Avalon winced in pain as she pushed her dislocated shoulder back into place. She rotated it, testing her movement, and spat a mouth full of salty blood across the sand as she slid out her dagger.

He’s being rougher than usual. I wonder if Airenfal finally wants me dead?

Uther limped forward as he pumped his fists, cracking his shoulders in a satisfying pop. He squatted then leaped into the air.

Avalon skittered backwards, keenly watching as the monster gladiator dropped down in front of her.

He swung a devastating punch, breaking through her guard, and into her gut. The blow popped her off her feet and knocked the wind out of her.

She heaved up blood and stomach bile onto the bulked up arm of her opponent, but smirked.

Idiot, he’s becoming predictable!

Snatching his wrist and pushing herself on his arm like a springboard, she leapt up, twirled her knife in her hand, and drove it into the base of Uther's neck.

Uther roared in anguish, throwing Avalon off him and slamming her into the high walls. He rounded on her before she recovered and crushed her, pushing her with each hefty punch further and further into the stone.

“Iron Soul! Iron Soul! Iron Soul!”

Avalon collapsed onto her knees, bruised and bloodied. The crowd went silent in anticipation of her loss.

“Y-you might have t-the Night Whisper beat…” Avalon gagged before she reached into her mouth and broke out a molar. She smirked, spitting out a mouthful of iron tasting blood, “But as a Black Rabbit, I’m undefeated!”

Uther stumbled backwards, exhausted from the sensation of agony and light headed from the pooling blood and sweat gathering around him.

“Give up, Night Whisper. Take death in peace,” Uther boomed.

Avalon glared upwards, blood pouring from her numerous wounds. She scowled, red saliva seeping between her teeth. “I will never surrender!”

“You think you can beat Uther?” he laughed, shaking his body.

“I already beat you.”

Avalon clenched a pile of sand in her fist and threw the makeshift blinding powder into Uther's face.

As the giant recoiled in surprise, she unleashed a torrent of body shots as Uther clawed at his eyes, weakening his already raw muscles. Avalon took hold of her sword, still impaled in his side, and mustered enough energy to rip through his back with a barbaric slash.

Uther's eyes rolled upwards and he groaned loud and long. He took a single step forwards and then fell backwards like a chopped tree crashing through the forest. The undefeated Uther had taken his first loss.

Avalon rested her bloody sword onto her shoulder and scanned the silent crowd before catching the eye of Airenfal quivering in rage.

“Would you look at dat!” Guster hooted and hollered. “She beat ‘em!”

However, Airenfal ignored him as he called forth all his guards, overseers, and the rest of his gladiators into the pit. “Kill her! Slay her where she stands! I will not be humiliated by some common slave!”

Avalon faced the mob of armed guards and lifted her hands, gesturing for them to come after her. “Come and die,” she spat. She limped forward, dragging her sword across the sand. “Fight me or kill me, it matters not. I will take every last one of you with me to the Roaming Plane!”

“Wait! Now hold up!” Guster shouted over the crowd. He turned to Airenfal, “She beat de Iron Soul, she earned her freedom!”

Airenfal raised a lip and hissed, “I own her, I say when and where she dies.”

“Guster, come on,” called out Siv, “We don’t want to piss off another Network employee.”

Guster glanced down at the doomed Avalon and back to Airenfal. “Give her to me, let me

buy her freedom. I’ll give you my share of what I earned today.”

Airenfal stared long and hard into the eyes of the bounty hunter. “All of your sendetti?”

“All of it,” Guster said sternly.

“Fine, she's yours.” He called down to his overseers, “Get her out of my sight!”

***

Avalon limped to where the Bounty Hunters stood arguing outside of the arena.

“First Lady Ellana and now Airenfal don’t want our business!” Siv held her hips and shook her head. “When’s this going to end, Guster.”

“Listen, Siv. You saw her out dere, she earned her freedom!” Guster spat back, “I have a code and it says I ain’t gonna let a fellow scraper get screwed!”

“Oh, you have a code now?”

“Yeah, I do, Siv!”

Siv bared her teeth. “Then why can’t you follow our code that you swore allegiance to?”

“I-” Guster turned to Avalon. “Hey, blue, how are you feelin’?”

Avalon glared at Siv and then to Guster, “A few broken ribs, a concussion, and I’m in a world of confusion- Why did you buy my freedom?”

“He doesn’t know, he’s just some damn fool,” sneered Siv.

Guster shot Siv a stink-eye, “Don’t listen to her, blue. I just thought we underdogs should look out for each other.”

“You could have started by not capturing me in the first place!” Avalon stole a dagger from Guster’s coat and held it up to his neck. “I’m going to kill you where you stand!”

“See, Guster, she doesn't care about your code.” Siv smiled, smugly and turned to Avalon. “He saved your life, hon. He lost a big pay-out and an employer. You owe him your life.”

Avalon squinted her eyes in disbelief, “You did?” She waited for Guster to nod before dropping the dagger. “Fine, I owe you... I suppose. I’ll come to your aid if you ever need me for something.”

“Wait-” Guster reached into Siv’s loot chest and scooped out a handful of sendetti, ignoring Siv’s protests. “Take it, blue. It’ll buy you enough for a charter passage to Alva and then some.”

Avalon looked at the coins in her hand and shook her head, “This doesn’t make up for the misery you put me through. As far as I’m concerned, we are still enemies.

Siv watched as Avalon walked off and then picked up her chest. “Guster, we’re through.”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying the Knives and Needle crew is no more,” she explained, “I can’t deal with your spontaneous rule breaking. I still want to do right by the Network and if I’m going to do that, you have to be out of my life.”

“Wait, Siv!” Guster reached out for Siv and tried to pull her back, but she kept walking. “Siv, come on! Don’t be like dat! Siv! Siv? Siv…” Guster lowered his head when he realized he was now alone.