“But did you also know that there are other perks to victory?”
“There’ve been some rumblings floating around, but no one’s really talked about it. I did hear someone say something about getting a wish. I ignored them though. No such thing as genies.”
“Genie?”
“A magical being that grants wishes.”
“Ah. Then no, there is no such thing. But wishes? Yes, to a certain extent, that part is true. And in my case, what I strive for is not out of reach.”
“So, this isn’t just about getting rich?”
“Hardly. I care not for wealth or position, though I will not turn it down. But what I truly want? What I am actually fighting for?”
“Yes?”
Strangely enough, Dorrin’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I fight for my father,” he said, wiping them away. “He is imprisoned, and I fight for his freedom.”
Ziana felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Here she had been so concerned about her own situation, thinking he was just treating the games like an opportunity to get rich. But rescuing his dad? That was a whole different sort of thing, and one that made her plight seem so much less serious by comparison.
“What happened? If you don’t mind my asking.”
Dorrin took a deep breath. “While his fate is not secret, I do not share this story.”
“I understand.”
“I wasn’t finished. I do not share this story outside of those closest to me,” he continued, his glistening eyes locking on hers. “And you have become that, and more.” Dorrin composed his thoughts a moment, then settled himself to tell his tale. “My father, as you know, competed in the games. That much is common knowledge.”
“Yeah, Flagro was talking shit about that.”
“Yes, and he would. But I will get to that. My mother and father did all they could to raise my sister and me in the best way possible given our standing. We weren’t rich, but we weren’t poor. Just another family living from two incomes and going about our lives. Sure, we watched the games, but we were just kids, and it was all no more than an exciting spectacle for us. And my parents never gambled. Not once. But then, when I was still a boy, my mother died, leaving my father to care for us both.”
“Oh, Dorrin. I’m so sorry.”
“I am not so self-centered as to believe I am the only child who has lost a parent unexpectedly. But in any case, it became a strain on my father. Too much for him to shoulder alone. With only one income, he found himself falling behind. He hid it from my sister, but I was older, and he confided in me, making me swear that if anything ever happened to him, I would look after her.”
Ziana could sense what was coming next. At least the basic gist. “What happened to him?”
“He took a risk. The ultimate gamble in hopes of winning vast riches to support my sister and me.”
“The games.”
“Yes. That was how he entered. But he put it all on the line when he did that. You see, without a regular partner to enter thegames with him, he did the most foolish thing imaginable. He offered himself up as a replacement.”
Ziana gasped. Even she realized what that meant. “But replacements wind up in servitude.”
“Yes. But he had a trick up his sleeve. You see, the woman who had lost her partner was an old friend of his from his youth. A very strong and skilled fighter and a fierce competitor whose athletic prowess was second to none. Kohlmalla was her name, and she was a heavy crowd favorite to win the games, and the betting pools reflected that. Naturally, the elites couldn’t have that, but they didn’t dare risk harming someone so closely watched. Her partner, on the other hand, well, he was expendable.”
“Hence a convenient vacancy.”
“Exactly.”
“So he took a huge risk and lost.”
“Yes and no. It was a huge risk, most certainly, but he and Kohlmalla were a potent team. So much so that before the games were even two-thirds complete, it was all but a given they would win. This dampened the gaming considerably.”
“And the elites do love their gaming revenues.”
