“Normal? No. Like you, it is very muchnotnormal. You’ve made an impression, and you have won over the crowd. This gives us an advantage now. With them on our side, things could get interesting.”
“Wait, they’re here forus?”
“Yes. For you, really, though they don’t know our success was your doing. And I would not make that known.”
“Hey, but if I?—”
“It puts a target on your back. The five families are protective of the games. Very much so. I already have history with them.”
“More like bad blood.”
“Call it what you will. Regardless, my situation will not be any worse for today’s events. Yours, however? There is such a thing as unwanted attention. Especially from the heads of the families. We humiliated their heirs today, and we will need to be alert as a result.”
“Are you saying it was a bad thing?”
“Oh, by no means. That was one of the most satisfyingly humiliating defeats any of them have ever faced. And that it was you and I who perpetrated it and made Flagro squirm? Delightful.”
“You really do hate him, don’t you?”
“We have—history.”
Ziana heard the shift in his tone and left it at that. One day she’d ask those questions. But this was a festive moment, and she didn’t want to diminish it for either of them.
The transport ships landed, the elites exiting first, as was standard practice. But while the crowd noise increased for them, it was only when Dorrin and Ziana stepped out that they went wild, the cheers and shouts filling the air around them like a swarm of bees on a warm spring afternoon.
“This is really for us?”
“It is. Now stand tall. Andsmile. We may never experience the likes of this again.”
The other transports unloaded, the vast majority of their occupants grimy, sweaty, and even bloody from the day’s exertion. Standing out among them like a sore thumb were the two relatively clean winners. They’d gotten dirty, of course—there was no way one could run a course of that nature without it—but that was about the extent of it. Just some trail dirt, a few grass stains, and some sweaty streaks more from the heat than frantic exertion.
Dorrin’s face flashed onto the displays floating above, his scar enhanced for the crowd, Ziana noted, making him look more fierce than in reality. Ziana’s face was next, her eyes up and gazing at the crowd. She’d beenbeautified, for lack of a better word. Some sort of filter effect enhancing her cheekbones and making her eyes seem slightly larger.
“What are they doing?” she quietly asked.
“It’s all for the masses,” he replied. “Just go with it.”
Go with it she did, wisely shutting her mouth and making her way toward the beckoning exit that would take them away from the constant gaze—physical and digital—that had been upon them every moment they were outside their one private area. The elites grouped up together, as was typical, while the rest of the thinned competitor herd slowly congregated as theycrossed the arena floor. They’d landed farther from the tunnel than when they’d departed, Ziana noted. And from what Dorrin had said, it was all to afford the gamblers and adoring throngs some additional time to see them. It was all more than a little overwhelming, but at least this time it was in a good way.
As they drew closer to the tunnel leading to their bungalows, Gorrum and his violet-skinned partner fell into step with them, commoners walking near as the crowd cheered the day’s victors.
“Okay. I’ll admit that was pretty cool,” Drammala said without breaking stride.
Ziana felt a swell of relief in her gut. They weren’t friends, not by a long shot, but at leastsomeonewasn’t actually rooting for her failure. “Thanks.”
“You know they’re going to come after you extra hard now, right?”
She shrugged it off. “I figured as much. But the looks on their faces?” she said, nodding to the replay of Flagro and Galla’s expressions of shock and subsequent tantrums replaying on the floating displays above on a loop along with other highlights, much to the delight of the crowd. “Yeah. Totally worth it.”
“And you’ve moved up.”
“I know.”
“Wayup,” Drammala replied, looking toward the group of elites storming back to their own private lodgings. “It’s not just Flagro and Galla you’ll have to worry about now.”
Ziana had figured that out pretty quickly as well, the angry stares of disbelief coming fast and frequent as the elite teams finished one-by-one ahead of the commoners. At least, so they believed. Pretty much all of them had freaked out at the news they’d been trounced so badly. It wasn’t just about competition to them, it was their family honor, not to mention a considerable amount of ego on the line.
“Yeah. Thanks for the heads up.”
