Part 10 - The Greatest Sin

Chapter 162 - Guides and Champions

Max was given a short chance to clean the blood off, then was taken back to his cell. However, the loneliness was short-lived as four guards and someone wearing some expensive looked clothes arrived. He clambered back to his feet as the well-dressed person began to speak in the first language he didn't know. One of the guards, the one who had spoken to Max when he'd first arrived here, said something to them and they nodded before turning back to Max.

"It is interesting a person speaks only Dovahzul." They said in the language of the dragons.

"I'm not really from here." Max replied in the same language.

"I can tell. What languages do you speak? I speak many."

"Err…ever heard of English?"

"No."

"Français? Dansk? русский язык? Svenska?"

"I'm afraid I am unfamiliar with them. Shall we stay with Dovahzul for now?"

"That's fine with me."

"If you are not from here, you may be unfamiliar with the lesser known customs. There are a number of slave fights before the main events. Some there are animals, others there are well trained warriors. The third fight, the deathmatch, is the most bloody. For this reason, only the best fighter survives it; today that is you. It is a long standing tradition that the survivor of the deathmatch be offered the chance to compete in the main competition as an alternative to returning to slavery."

Max wasn't entirely sure what to say. He had no idea what this main competition was, but being in an arena he had a feeling it involved fighting. He broke it down into simple terms for himself: be a slave or be a warrior. Nobody wanted the former, so the latter it was. He informed the person of this.

"Very good. I will have quarters and a guide prepared for you. I wish you great success."

The person turned and walked away making a remark to the guards which they laughed it.

"Looks like I'm getting an upgrade." Max muttered to himself.

The upgrade was surprisingly luxurious for a colosseum. It was a room with solid wood walls instead of iron bars, a bed with a straw mattress, and a desk with a polished piece of metal that acted as a mirror screwed into the wall above it. In the middle of it all was a table and chairs. Max wondered why he'd need four chairs, but perhaps the other contestants had friends they could invite over? He pulled one out and sat down, wondering what to do with his time. However, the door opened again and a girl, who looked about eighteen at the oldest, appeared. Her plain clothing made Max wonder if she was a slave like most of the other people he'd met. Her skin was about the same colour as his, which given what he'd seen already made him a little more certain of his theory. The door was slammed shut and there was silence. Max and the girl just looked at each other, the former with a confused look and the latter a scared look.

"Should one of us say something?" The former asked in Dovahzul.

The girl went down on one knee and bowed her head.

"Innumerable pardons, my Champion. I am Alisha, your guide."

"Guide? I'm…not from around here so you'll have to explain. You can stand up too; I hate people kneeling to me."

Alisha stood up straight, cleared her throat and said:

"Every competitor, or Champion, is assigned a guide to perform chores and answer questions. I am your guide."

"Oh. That guy said something about getting a guide sorted for me. If you answer questions, I've got plenty. Here, sit."

Max kicked the chair opposite out for her to sit on. She looked at it, a little confused.

"Slaves do not sit with their masters, my Champion."

It confirmed his theory, but it upset him a little.

"You aren't a slave to me. You're a human being with as many rights and privileges as anyone else. And never call me your master."

She still looked hesitant, but sat anyway.

"What questions do you have, my Champion?"

"One last thing: just call me Max."

"Of course, my Max."

"No, not 'my Max', just Max. We aren't in a weird…oh never mind."

"What questions do you have, Max?"

"One: where am I? Two: what competition have I signed up for? Three: where can I find food because I'm starving?"

"You are in the great colosseum of Dovah Island, home of the Dovah King."

"Dovah King? Someone important messed up their spelling test." Max joked to himself in English.

"I do not speak that language, Max. I'm very sorry."

"It's OK. It was a joke to myself. Keep going."

"This competition is the annual Dovah Games. People from all over our world come to the Island to watch or compete."

"What does the winner get?"

"They are crowned Dovah King, a great honour."

"What does the Dovah King do?"

"He speaks with the dov, spreading the word of Dei Volente to the people of our world. Only Dei Volente's champion will be crowned Dovah King."

Max frowned. He hadn't expected to find a religion worshipping him in a world he'd never visited. Or had he sleepwalked here?

"So…Dei Volente…he…I'm very confused."

"You do not know of Dei Volente?"

"Of course I know of him. But explain it to me; I'm curious."

"Dei Volente is king of the High Elder Gods. He watches over us, sending the dov to guide us in the ways of his worship."

"Oh, OK. Seems simple enough. So the Dovah Games…tell me more."

"The first day is taken by the slave fights. The next ten are taken by the main competition, then on the eleventh is the final fight between the surviving Champion and the reigning Dovah King. Only the one Dei Volente chooses will reign supreme."

"OK, one more question before we go back to three: why?"

"The idea is Dei Volente may one day return to us and rise to be Dovah King forevermore."

"That makes sense. So, back to my original number three: where can I find food?"

"A Champion's guide fetches it so other Champions may not harm each other. Do you wish me to get some?"

"If that's OK. I haven't eaten in…a long time."

Alisha returned with a tray of food and watered-down wine. Max ate ravenously as she stood and watched. As he came to the last slice of bread, he stopped and looked up at her feeling a little ashamed of stuffing his face in front of her when she looked hungry. He offered the bread to her. She shook her head.

"The Guides eat when they wake up and when they go to sleep."

"You look hungry, though."

"That food is for you, Max. I will eat later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Max ate it, feeling a little self-conscious now. When he was done, he sat back and beckoned for her to sit again. She did so.

"Can I do anything else?" She asked.

"I've got a couple more questions if you feel like answering them."

"Your wish is my command."

He shook his head.

"Please don't treat me like a master. Treat me like a friend. I don't like slavery; it's horrible."

She looked a little confused by this, but moved on.

"What are your questions?"

"Eh…it doesn't matter anymore. Actually, any chance you know when my first fight will be?"

"Your first fight in the main competition will be tomorrow. I advise plenty of sleep tonight."

"Sounds like good advice. Any idea what time it is?"

"It is the end of the third."

Max wondered what time system these people used. If it was like the Roman one, daylight was split into twelve hours. If it was the modern system, that meant it was nearly ten o'clock at night. He closed his eyes and used his power to try and work it out for himself. He worked out it was around ten in the morning in modern time. He'd go to sleep at nine tonight, he decided. He opened his eyes and turned back to Alisha who was watching him curiously.

"You speak really good Dovahzul." He said.

"It is why I was chosen as your guide."

"How do you know it so well?"

"I was taught as a child."

"Where did you grow up?"

"The Kingdom of Sunor."

Max wondered if he should ask this question, but decided letting her tell her story might make her trust him a little more.

"So…how did you end up as a slave?"

"When I was twelve I was upset by the way the Sunor are treated. While visiting Dov Island for the Games, I attempted to steal Dei Volente's sword to prove my people are just as great as the people of the Tuta Empire. As punishment, I was given two choices: face the Breaker or be enslaved. I chose to be enslaved as I had heard horrible stories of the Breaker."

"Wait…Dei Volente's sword?"

"Yes. Furore Mortale."

"It's here?"

"It hangs above the throne of the Dovah King. Many people have held it, but few people have survived."

"It does like to leave people in the dust."

"May I ask you a question, Max?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you a Sunor?"

"What makes you ask?"

"Your skin. It is similar to mine."

Max looked at the back of his hand and said in English:

"And there was me thinking the world was past casual racism. Must have been a different one."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand." Alisha said in Dovhazul.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. I'm not, no. My skin colour is inherited. My grandfather was black, my grandmother was Puerto Rican, and that was passed on to my father who screwed my mother who was white and that made me."

"Puerto Rican? I do not know those people."

"Puerto Rico is gone, along with everywhere else I'd ever consider making my home."

"Your home is gone? What happened?"

"I…don't want to talk about it. Maybe once I know you a bit better I'll tell you."

"My apologies. I didn't mean to intrude."

"No, no. It's OK. It's just a sensitive subject. I'm going to get some sleep, so I don't know if there's something you do or somewhere you go at night?"

"The Guides return to their quarters when their Champions allow it. Is there a time you wish me to return at?"

"Just whenever you're ready. Maybe a couple of hours before my fight."

She stood up and bowed a little. Max stood up too.

"Goodnight, Max."

"Goodnight."

Crossovers in this Chapter

- Skyrim

I suspect this part will take a while to settle in to.