Page 14 of Gladiator Moon

There are nobles. Advisors. Military commanders. But removing a royal bloodline is not as simple as replacing one person with another. A kingdom is not simply a throne awaiting someone to sit upon it.

Are there warring factions within your kingdom? Opposing parties? Religious groups?

No. We do not live in such dichotomy.

That is almost a relief. I have no desire to overthrow one government only to create a power vacuum that plunges an entire world into chaos. Revolutions sound noble in theory. In practice, they often leave a lot of dead bodies behind.

Then again, I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, my biggest concern is staying alive. And I really, really want to avoid killing someone. For now, I will have to watch, listen, and adjust. I have lived long enough to know that plans rarely survive first brushes with reality.

The arena seems carefully designed to prevent escape. The contestants are contained. The guards are positioned strategically. Baltazar and his people have clearly spent generations perfecting the system.

But after only a few minutes of talking with Timrick, I notice something important.

The system has blind spots.

A telepathic vampire like me entering a competition where opponents are constantly revealing their fears, weaknesses, and strategies? That is almost unfair. And since Baltazar had read the vibrations of my life, surely he knew the extent of my telepathy... or had he missed the fact that I regained it after losing it with the removal of Elizabeth? I don’t know.

I’d like to think I’m not a psychopath. I don’t kill unless I have to. Though I also suspect they might force my hand, but we’ll see. Ideally, they won’t detect my reticence for killing. How I keep that from them remains to be seen.

Do you know anything about my opponent tomorrow?

‘Tis a fierce little warrior. I would not want to go up against her.

Her?

Yes, she is a female of her kind.

What kind would that be?

I believe she is considered a wood sprite.

What, exactly, is that?

An elf or a fairy who uses nature to her advantage.

There wouldn’t be very much nature in the arena, correct?

Correct, but I believe she possess the ability to bring nature to her. Be forewarned... do not mistake her diminutive size for weakness.

Noted.

Yours will be the first fight on the card. You are considered the underdog.

There is betting on the matches?

Betting is a big part of the Games.

Who controls the betting?

The king’s official bookmasters gather all wagers and distribute the money. Citizens who come to the Games are expected to place a bet, even if it is a small one.

How much of an underdog am I?

Wood sprites are fierce warriors who generally go deep into the competition.

How about energy vampires?

Not so much.