Kahlan and Richard ran down the corridors, closely pursued by guards. Rounding the first corner, they came upon a pair of soldiers and surprised them. Kahlan ran the first of them through with her stolen sword, while Richard smashed the other to the floor with a length of chain, snatching up his sword. It wasn't the Sword of Truth, but it was preferable to the makeshift weapon he had been forced to improvise.
He grabbed Kahlan, pulling her down one of the other corridors. Other prisoners seeing that they had somehow broken out of their cell were begging and pleading with them to open their cells too. Unfortunately though, other guards armed with crossbows were beginning to flood into the dungeon. They simply didn't have time to release the others, even if it would be helpful to have allies to bolster their number.
"Richard, this way!" Kahlan called as she found a stairwell, grabbing him and dragging him upwards. They had no idea where it led, this was not the stairwell they had been brought down into the dungeon, but that route was now cut off. All things considered, as long as they were going up, away from the dungeon, it had to be preferable to waiting for the guards to catch up to them.
As they reached the top and shoved open the barred door ahead of them, they rushed out into a sandy, walled enclosure. The walls were nearly 15 feet tall, and topped with vicious looking curved spikes to prevent anyone from climbing them. The walls had barred cage doors at intervals all around, and looking up, there were rows and rows of seats. It was then that they realised to their horror they had gone into the fighting pit.
They tried to turn back, only to see one of the guards closing and locking the door. Guards made their way onto the stands, completely surrounding them and aiming crossbows at them. They turned this way and that, looking for some form of escape route, but realised there was none. The fighting pit offered them no cover, and even if they could make it to one of the doors before they were cut down by crossbow bolts, they were sure to be locked. They were hopelessly trapped. Lord Helbrandt appeared at his section of the stands, taking his place on a golden throne and applauded them.
"You know you really have shown me that you'll give me a good show tomorrow Gladiator. You managed to kill six of my guards." He complimented him. "I'm sure I'll find you a suitable challenger. I'm a little disappointed by you though."
He pointed to Kahlan. Richard could see her grip on the sword tensing, and her jaw clenching. He knew how terrifying her anger was, and the look in her eyes told him that she hated Helbrandt with a passion. He could guess that she was already sizing up whether she had the strength to throw her sword far enough to clear the wall and kill him.
"I was planning on having you by my side, right here for the games." He told her, gesturing to the seat next to him. "Of course, it seems you prefer my cruelty to my kindness."
"I'd sooner die than let you touch me!" She barked, pulling a little closer to Richard. Lord Helbrandt caught the gesture, and the way Richard would look at her, before letting out a short, derisive laugh.
"So you would prefer to fight and die with a slave than come to my bedchamber." He stated in a lofty tone, coming to the edge of the arena. "Then so be it. If you will not be my concubine, then perhaps you will provide some entertainment as a gladiator. You two do seem to make an impressive team. Put them in irons and take them back to the dungeon."
As one of the guards opened a door and approached them with manacles. Kahlan lifted her sword to guard, but Richard held her wrist.
"We cannot win this fight." He told her. "Live today, fight tomorrow. That's what Zedd would say."
Kahlan looked around at the dozens of crossbowmen covering them from the arena walls and nodded in agreement, throwing her sword to the ground. Richard did the same, at which the guard came over to him, securing manacles around his wrists and his ankles, before moving on to Kahlan.
"I know that you will all look forward to having a little fun with the prisoners." Lord Helbrandt told the guards as he got up to head back to his chambers. "Don't do anything that will leave them unable to fight in the games tomorrow."
The guards started to enter the arena and grabbed each of them, tearing them away from each other. Richard tried to pull free to go after Kahlan, but a heave blow from a club sent him to the ground.
"Richard!" Kahlan screamed as she was dragged away, unable to do anything but watch as the guards kicked and clubbed him aggressively. He was unable to do anything but shield his head with his arms as they beat him.
Kahlan was dragged from the arena back towards the cells, where she was thrown to the floor. One of the guards surveyed her thoughtfully, before just turning and leaving the cell, locking the door behind him. Clearly his idea of having fun with her was curtailed by the fact she was still wearing the chastity belt. It felt like hours before they brought Richard to the cell, throwing his limp, battered body to the floor.
"Enjoy your night together." The guard taunted her as they left. Kahlan crawled over to him, turning him over and looking into his face. Though he was clearly in agony, he smiled up at her.
"What's this all about?" He asked her with a weak smile as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "I was the one that was beaten."
"Richard, I can't bear to see you hurt like this." She told him. She pulled over to the corner, where she rested him against her shoulder, holding him tightly to share their body heat in the cold cell. "I'm sorry, if we hadn't taken that turn..."
"You weren't to know that would take us to the fighting pits." He interrupted her. "It was bad luck; we could never have won against so many guards."
"I just couldn't bear the thought of losing you." She told him, cradling his head and gently stroking his hair. "I couldn't just watch you being killed, I had to try."
"I appreciate the effort." He told her. "I just wish it hadn't ended up with you joining me in the pit tomorrow."
"It's preferable to the alternative." She told him, looking deeply into his eyes. "You're the only man I'd ever want to give myself to."
"Kahlan?" He replied, slightly bemused. They both knew that the love between them was strong, but they didn't talk about it. It was much too painful a subject for them, knowing that they could never be together because of her powers. "We can't talk about this..."
"We must talk about this; we may never have another chance." She reminded him. "I love you so much, I just wanted you to know, that I would have gladly given myself to you."
"But you know that's impossible." Richard stated. "If we..."
"The only thing that stops me right now is this damned belt." She told him, kissing him deeply. He looked up at her as she smiled at him through her tears. "Richard, if we get out of this, I could never go back to the way things were. I love you, and I want to be with you."
"Kahlan, I could think of nothing I'd want more than to have you in my arms like this forever, but we know that can never be." He told her.
"But if I keep the collar on..."
"If this experience has shown us anything, it's that your power is needed." He told her. "If you had been able to confess the guards, the fight might not have been so one-sided."
"But Richard..."
"I want this too, but you have to admit that your powers have helped us on more than one occasion." He reminded her.
"I don't care, I just...why do we have to miss out?" She asked him. "Knowing we could have had that life, it's breaking my heart."
"It's killing me too. I want to agree with you, to tell you not to take off that collar and to have that life with you." He assured her, caressing her cheek gently with his hand. "I need you Kahlan, but right now, the Midlands needs you more."
"One night." She whispered, looking at him, her eyes pleading with him for it to be true. "Just one night, that's all. Please, if we can't have a life, then please give me one night."
"I want to say yes, but I can't." Richard said sadly, shaking his head. "I have to refuse."
"You don't want me?" She asked him. He shook his head.
"I want you too much." He replied. "I know if we had that one night, that I'd never be able to let you take the collar off. Would you be able to?"
She just shook her head and pulled into his grip, accepting that he was right. She would never be able to have the strength to do what she had to if she was allowed the fantasy of that one night. She held him as he changed position, settling into him. This was as close as she was ever going to get to having that life with him, and it broke her heart to resign herself to that fact.
Her heart felt nothing but hatred for her captor, but not because of anything he had done to them directly. She could handle the beatings, and she could bear the humiliation. The cruellest thing about her captivity was this moment. Knowing that she was so close to having everything she wanted, and having it taken from her again by fate devastated her more than any other pain he had ever endured.
The following day, Zedd made his way into the tavern, finding the inn keeper eating a plate of bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs. Looking over, he could see Heather, hard at work cleaning.
"I trust the room was comfortable." The innkeeper greeted Zedd. He turned back towards him and forced a smile. He hated the thought of him mistreating her, forcing her to work for him, but right now he wanted to get to Richard and Kahlan, and starting a ruckus in the local tavern was sure to attract unwanted attention.
"It was perfectly comfortable. I have been travelling so long; I almost forgot what a bed felt like." Zedd answered him. "Would it be possible to have some breakfast?"
"Girl! Get some food in here for our guest!" He roared at Heather. "Hurry up!"
Heather went back to the cooker and quickly served up another plate, before bringing it over to him. She didn't dare to look her master in the eye. As she put down the plate, Zedd looked up to her.
"It looks fantastic, thank you." He told her.
"What are you thanking her for? It's what she's here for." The innkeeper quizzed him with a little sneer as Zedd took a mouthful of eggs.
"In my experience it is best to have a kind word for those I trust to prepare my food." He told the innkeeper. "I have heard many disturbing stories of what happens to food when the serving staff feels slighted."
"That's what I have a whip for." The innkeeper responded. This made Zedd's blood boil. He noticed Heather pausing for a second as he said this. Clearly she was no stranger to the whip, since she noticeably flinched at the mere mention of it. He forced a little smile though to keep in the good graces of the innkeeper. "I heard there are games at the fighting pits. I thought I might go along."
"Good luck." The innkeeper snorted as he gulped down some bacon greedily. "Lord Helbrandt doesn't let just anyone in. He charges ten gold pieces just to get in. Even then, he only lets in all his fancy noble friends. No offence meant sir, but one who dresses such as you would never be allowed in, even if you did have the entry fee."
"Well, perhaps I can find something more appropriate to wear." He suggested, mopping his mouth a little. "I'm afraid your portions exceed my appetite. This was wonderful."
The innkeeper got up from the table and made his way to the door. Heather gathered the plates sheepishly as Zedd gathered his robes around himself.
"Even if you get in, you can't help them." She told him. "They search everyone at the door; they do not allow anyone in with weapons. You would never get them out alive."
"Young girl, you seem to underestimate me because of my appearance." He told her, pulling out the Sword of Truth and holding it point first into the ground. "Perhaps I can alter that."
She gasped as a mist surrounded him, before quickly dissipating, leaving him looking completely different. He had grown a long, dark beard and his hair was now raven black and immaculately styled. He was wearing brightly coloured, silk robes that looked like they cost more than most people's houses. The sword meanwhile had turned into an intricately carved oak walking stick.
"You're a wizard?" She asked him in shock. He just smiled at her.
"Appearances can be deceptive." He told her. "Thank you for breakfast."
With that, he hobbled out of the inn with a slightly ungainly loping gait, obviously as a ruse to explain the necessity for the cane. Heather watched him go, feeling something she hadn't in a long time. For the first time, she thought she had met a man that might actually have a chance of standing against the unjust rule of this region.
Richard and Kahlan were lying, sleeping in each other's arms, huddled for warmth on the floor when a guard came to their cell. He threw a bucket of what they hoped was only water over them, wrenching them from their slumber aggressively.
"Wakey wakey there love birds." He told them. "It's almost time for your debut."
He opened the door, and a few of the guards came in, grabbing them and guiding them to the preparation area. There, the shackles were struck off, leaving them in the room with a couple of other gladiators. They all looked at the new arrivals, completely taken aback by Kahlan's appearance. They were used to new gladiators coming into the pits, but it was rare that they put women in with them.
Richard made his way over to one of the water troughs and started to wash up as much as he could. The other gladiators continued with their preparations. Strapping on piecemeal armour, readying weapons and saying prayers to whatever gods they believed in for protection.
"Where are our weapons?" Kahlan asked Richard as she looked around. One of the gladiators looked up at her and started laughing.
"Weapons?" He asked her disbelievingly. He hit the man on his left gently to attract his attention. "Can you believe this? The first timer wants weapons!"
They all laughed as Kahlan and Richard just looked at each other.
"All of you have weapons." Richard stated incredulously.
"We've earned them." Another of the gladiators told him. "You don't just get given weapons here. You earn them in the pits!"
"So we're to fight completely unarmed?" Kahlan asked him.
"You have what comes to hand in the pit." One gladiator told them. He was a massive man, towering over Richard, with colossal hands that looked like they'd be capable of crushing a man's skull. He had much more armour than the others, and by the look of the array of weapons he had to choose from, he had earned quite a few with the blood of his fellow slaves. "Sometimes you get lucky and someone sneaks in a weapon that they throw into the pit. Other than that, I just hope you have the wits to survive."
Outside, the guards were searching the patrons as they entered. One of the guards looked up to see a dark-haired stranger in colourful silk robes hobbling up to the gates. He stopped him with a gesture.
"I need you to check any weapons." The guard told him as he searched Zedd's robes. "I've never seen you in these parts before."
"I travel the midlands seeking sport such as this." He told them. "I heard that Lord Helbrandt has some of the finest gladiators in the land in his games."
"That is true, that's why everyone is happy to pay 10 gold pieces." The guard informed him. Zedd pulled out a purse, taking the money out and handing it to the guard as another checked his cane.
"If you would be so kind as to return that, my hip is no longer what it once was." Zedd told him. The guard just shrugged and handed him back the cane, not knowing that it was in fact, in the hands of Richard Cypher, the most powerful weapon in the known world.
"Enjoy the games." The guard told him. Zedd just smiled at him.
"I'm sure the games will be very interesting." He replied with a knowing glint in his eye. "I'm sure I'll get my money's worth from Lord Helbrandt's hospitality."
