The medjay Bayek of Siwa sat down in the the training room, taping up his fists in preparation for his next match. His search for Flavius Metellus had brought him to the grand city of Cyrene, to the arena because he found out from a man named Diocles that There was someone fighting out of the arena who knew of Flavius' location in the city. Once Bayek finished taping his wrists, he slid a bracer on his right hand, followed by his Hidden Blade on his left hand. He flicked out the blade, and smiled. Bayek let out a deep breath, and made his way over towards the arena entrance. Bayek could hear the crowd chanting, eagerly awaiting the next fight. A guard standing beside the entrance tossed Bayek a sword, to which Bayek caught as he walked through the door. The door slammed behind him. Bayek looked around the arena, taking in the cheers from the crowd as the sunlight shined down into the arena. Once Bayek returned his focus to the combat grounds, he saw his opponent before him. He was surprised to see his opponent was female. She was wearing beige linen robe and a band of linen across her breast. She had a long braid of brown hair flowing down to her left breast. It seemed she was also covered in a pungent oil that smelled of myrrh. Bayek looked up to see a man clearing his throat.
"Greetings, citizens of Cyrene!" the announcer shouted over the cheers of the crowd. "Have we got a fight for you today!"
The crowd continued to cheer rabidly. The announcer paused for a few moments to take in the applause of the crowd.
"In the corner to my right. Hailing from the Islands of Kephallonia and brought here for your entertainment, the Champion of the Pephka Arena, Kassandra!"
The woman lifted up her arms, and curled her hands into fists. At her side was a broad dagger, black in color. The crowd began to cheer her name in unison. Kassandra responded by waving her arms up and down, hyping up the crowd even more.
"In the corner to my left. All the way from the bountiful Oasis of Siwa, comes the savage Medjay, Bayek of Siwa! Champion of Arena in Krokodilopolis!"
The crowd began to boo at the sound of Bayek's name. The man held his arm up to prevent the crowd from throwing tomatoes at the Medjay.
"The judges will decide the loser's fate!" The announcer stated, pointing over to the judges, which were three elegantly dressed men sitting at a boxed off area of the arena. "May the BEST FIGHTER WIN!"
The crowd roared with enthusiasm. Bayek let out a deep breath, and charged at Kassandra, sword in hand. Kassandra retaliated, unsheathed her blade, and the pair locked up swords in the middle of the arena. Bayek could feel the oil seep onto his skin. Bayek broke the lock between the pair, and slashed Kassandra across the chest. Bayek had drawn first blood. Kassandra looked down at her fresh wound, with blood starting to well from it, staining her top red with her own blood. Kassandra let out a scream, and kicked Bayek hard in the gut. The kick was so hard, that it sent Bayek hurling across the arena, and into the wall on the other side. Bayek propped himself up on all fours, feeling like he just got the wind knocked out of him. He looked up to see Kassandra standing over on the other side, taunting him. Bayek could hear the crowd was clearly cheering for Kassandra.
Could she be the one who knows of Flavius' location? Bayek thought, as he got up to his feet. I've got to defeat her if I want answers.
"Is that all you've got, Medjay?" Kassandra shouted.
"I'll show you what I got, you neket iadet!" Bayek shouted back, as he picked up his sword, and charged at Kassandra. Kassandra readied herself in a defensive stance, eager for Bayek to attack. Bayek circled around Kassandra, looking for any ways around her defenses.
Nick the wrist. Bayek thought, scouring Kassandra for any openings. That's how I will break her defense. Just like how Aya taught me. Now I just need an opening...
Bayek spied Kassandra's wrist, exposed with her weapon in hand. He nicked Kassandra's wrist, just cutting into the skin. Kassandra yelped in pain, and clutched her wrist, which also exposed her midriff in the process. Bayek saw this as his opportunity, and struck Kassandra with several slashes to the legs and abdomen, causing her to lose her footing, drop her blade, and fall to one knee. Bayek had her where he wanted her.
"You will give me answers, woman!" Bayek shouted, holding his sword up to Kassandra's throat. "Where is Flavius?"
Kassandra let out a few deep breaths. With each breath, her throat grazed Bayek's blade.
"You're gonna have to do better than that to get answers out of me, Medjay." Kassandra retorted, between breaths.
Before Bayek could run his blade across her throat, Kassandra lifted her knee up, knocking the sword out of his hands. Ever so frantic, Bayek tried to clothesline Kassandra. Kassandra countered Bayek's clothesline by performing a combat roll towards her blade, picking it up in the process. Kassandra managed to land a few slashes into Bayek's bruised gut, causing them to bleed through his white and yellow robes. Bayek mustered up all the energy he had to dodge an overhead swing from Kassandra. As he whirled around, he was unable to dodge an incoming elbow coming from Kassandra, which connected with the middle of his jaw. The pain was so immense that Bayek blacked out as soon as he hit the ground.
Bayek awoke, laying on the ground, his head still shaking after that elbow Kassandra had delivered. Bayek could taste blood in his mouth. All of a sudden, he felt a foot plant onto his chest. He looked up to see Kassandra, her shoulders and midriff stained with blood. The beige linen she wore was covered in crusted blood. He could hear the crowd cheer with adulation. Kassandra held her fist up in the air. Bayek looked around to see the judges, their thumbs extended to the side, yet to make a decision on Bayek's life. Within a few short moments, Bayek looked up to see the judges give a thumbs down, indicating Kassandra to kill him. Bayek held his arms up in the air. Kassandra hesitated for a moment.
"Do it, nek!" He shouted angrily, as Kassandra lifted her blade into the air. "You defeated me! Kill me!"
"Is that the Blade of Darius?" Kassandra asked, looking down at the blade.
"What's it to you?" Bayek retorted. "I got this blade from my wife!"
"You're here for Flavius Metellus, aren't you?" Kassandra asked curiously, lowering her blade.
"Yes! But it seems my quest has come to an end." Bayek chirped back. Kassandra looked around, the crowd demanding that she kill Bayek.
"No it hasn't. I've heard that the man with the Blade of Darius shall gut Flavius the Lion." Kassandra whispered. "I know where he is. Come with me, and I will tell you all I know."
Bayek's eyes widened, as Kassandra extended her right arm, offering to help him up. Bayek hesitated for a few moments before grabbing her hand. The crowd began to boo angrily, and began to hurl tomatoes and other fruits at the two competitors.
"Let us get out of here." Kassandra muttered. Bayek watched as her dagger turned into an elegant golden Staff, with snakes coiling at the top. Bayek stood there dumbfounded by what he just saw. Kassandra gestured to Bayek to come over and grab onto her. Once Bayek grabbed onto her right arm, and with a gentle tap of the staff, the pair quickly disappeared from the arena, much to the chagrin of the judges and the hostile crowd.
Bayek and Kassandra landed in the living area of a small clay hut on a hillside. After dusting herself off, Kassandra walked over to a rag, soaked it in water, and handed it to Bayek. Bayek smiled, and began to wipe his wounds free of blood. Once Bayek finished wiping his wounds, he turned around to see Kassandra, dressed in a blue and white toga, all of the blood on her body gone, along with her wounds. Bayek tried to process what had just happened as he bandaged himself up. Kassandra led Bayek outside, where they stood overlooking the city of Cyrene, with the Arena in the far distance.
"I must say, you are quite the fighter." Bayek said happily, as the pair stared into the sunset. Kassandra looked over to him, smiling.
"I can say the same thing about you, Medjay Bayek." Kassandra replied, as she flattened her toga. "You are one of the best fighters I have seen in years. From Egypt nonetheless. They don't call us champions of our respective arenas for nothing."
Bayek nodded his head, acknowledging the compliment from Kassandra.
"What do you know about Flavius?" Bayek questioned Kassandra, crossing his arms. Kassandra nodded her head in disgust before answering.
"The man is a vile monster." Kassandra replied, spitting on the ground. "The malaka left nothing but a path of destruction in his wake, all the way from the Siwa Oasis to here. I started to track him from the Green Mountains, and noticed that wherever he went, the people would worship him like a god."
Bayek froze.
"The Oracle's Relic." Bayek stated sternly.
"I'm aware of its power, Bayek." Kassandra replied, as the golden staff returned to her hands spontaneously. "Before I could examine further, I was captured by his Order, and forced to fight in the arena for the entertainment of the people."
Bayek let out a deep sigh.
"I've got to stop him." Bayek informed Kassandra. "I've got to stop him, and let my son walk through the field of reeds."
Kassandra let out a deep breath.
"It seems you are the man the prophecy mentioned." Kassandra stated with a hush tone.
"What prophecy?" Bayek asked, sounding confused.
"The prophecy I spoke of in the Arena. The Man with the Blade of Darius shall Gut Flavius the Lion."
Bayek squinted his eyes.
"Where did you get this prophecy from?" Bayek asked, still sounding very confused.
"A priest wrote it, long before you were born." Kassandra replied, looking back down at Bayek's hidden blade. "I recognized your blade design from a sketch I have, and immediately thought of the prophecy."
Kassandra pulled a piece of papyrus from a jar at her feet, and handed it to Bayek. Bayek examined the sketch. It was of a man who looked Persian, wielding a Hidden Blade that looked eerily similar to Bayek's. After examining the papyrus, Bayek handed it back to Kassandra, who returned it to the jar.
"Incredible." Bayek replied, sounding awestruck. "Whomever owns Darius' Blade was meant to slay Flavius. I will be sure to fulfill this strange prophecy, but in order to do so, I'll need his location. Do you know where he is?"
Kassandra returned her focus to Cyrene.
"He is back in Cyrene, atop the Roman Akropolis." Kassandra reassured Bayek, pointing at the large Roman structure overlooking the city. "Hiding behind guards, with himself guarding the relic."
"Thank you, Kassandra." Bayek said, patting her on the shoulder. "Where did you get this information from?"
"Word goes around the arena faster than the lightning of Zeus." Kassandra replied happily, before returning to a stern state, looking Bayek in the eye. "Bring Flavius Metellus to an end, Bayek of Siwa. I wish you nothing but the best of luck in your upcoming fight."
Bayek nodded his head sternly, and began the long walk back to the city of Cyrene, to confront Flavius Metellus, the man who made life a living nightmare for his family and the people of Egypt, and bring him to justice.