Chapter 128: Interlude - Ferrovia
If Ferrovia ever thought life at the palace would be better than what he’d been forced to do before, he’d quickly learned that the luxurious conditions came with a price.
A price paid by sacrificing honesty, empathy, and self-respect.
His master, Lanoch, was a leokin man with vast appetites. With Lanoch having secured his position in Aaru’s palace, the tournaments that had been almost non-stop took on a different pace.
Tower Lord Savat had ordered Lanoch to test every arena champion, and those that could hold their own against him were allowed to remain. Those that couldn’t...
As Ferro applied makeup to the bruise on his lip, he remembered what Lanoch had done only last night.
He’d been testing a beastkin man, one with tiger-like features. The two of them seemed to hate each other at first sight, but Ferro had only been there to hold the drinks. Lanoch was a maven, and his ability to manipulate weight was how he conquered the Coliseum.
His weapon of choice was a quadruple-headed axe - more like a staff with axeheads on both ends - and he swung it lightly when he needed speed, only to increase the weight suddenly for the strike.
And it wasn’t just his axe he could manipulate. The braces he wore weren’t for show, even if they’d had a more ornate reincarnation since he came to the palace.
Lanoch’s tigerkin opponent had made the mistake of thinking an unarmed brawl against Lanoch was a good idea... and when they were done...
Ferro shuddered. He’d never wanted to see anyone die... much less be smashed into a smear of red on the sands of the palace’s private fighting pit.
Lanoch had taken him hard that night, drunk off the victory and heedless of Ferro’s comfort.