Arik groaned. “You boys don’t listen. You lead with emotions not credits. Credits are steadfast and dependable. Emotions will destroy you! Just look at Hornse!”
Erzo nodded. “I know.”
“And now look at this mess.”
They entered the main entrance to the Pit, into their observation seats. The Pit, an area used primarily for combat training, had been cleared of any equipment and set up for the combat between Polly and Breal.
“Surely there has to be another way,” Erzo said, staring at the pit. Neither had entered yet, but all the observation seats were filling up quickly.
Evidently, this was a very anticipated fight.
Erzo’s stomach tightened. He trusted Breal not to seriously wound Polly, but Polly certainly hadn’t been trained to be a warrior. She had no chance of winning this fight.
“If you can find a way out of the contract, I’m open to listening,” Arik said. “But Hornse wrote it. You won’t find a tougher one than his.”
Erzo glanced at Senaer, worried about the details. They would make or break any contract, and Charro prided themselves on their vacuum-sealed contracts. Finding any wiggle room would be a challenge.
Senaer mouthed “We’ll find something.”
Erzo hoped so. Even with Senaer helping him, he knew the odds were very low.
30
“There,” Polly said as she hooked the opening for the tail shut on the body suit that had been brought in for her to wear.
“At least my ass won’t be hanging out during the fight,” she muttered.
She’d been waiting, hoping and praying to God, to the local universe’s deities and everything else she could come up with to get out of this fight with Breal.
Even that someone would bust in and rescue her. At this point, she’d take anyone to get her out of this.
But no luck.
She wrapped the belt around her waist and clipped her bat onto it, and slipped on the combat gloves.
As soon as her hands got in them, they blew air out, deflating to fit her hand perfectly.
“Well, that’s a nice feature,” she said.
“Are you ready?” came Carvassa as she walked into the little staging area. At least this area wasn’t her cold cell. It wasn’t much better, but it wasn’t the stinky cell.
“Shouldn’t you be with Breal?” Polly asked.
“Eventually,” Carvassa replied. She crossed her arms. “Are you ready? Weapon charged?”
“Uh, I think so?” Polly pulled the bat out, and hit the release. The bat burst out of its shell.
“Nice club,” Carvassa said. “Close it up and let’s go. The sooner we can get this over with, the better.” She could see Carvassa’s worry on her face, though she tried to hide it.
Polly didn’t blame her. There were four lives about to change because of the fight that was about to happen.
It was all so unnecessary, Polly thought.
“I’m sorry,” Polly said as they walked out.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because, all of this mess. I’m sorry, it’s affecting us just as much as it’s affecting them. This is just foolish, the whole thing.”
