Chapter 5: Gift Horse

Rebecca's fears were just as unjustified as I had hoped. The other magicians welcomed her and assisted her. The tense arm problem was remedied quickly, and it wasn't long at all before she was teaching the same spell to novice spellcasters who were interested in learning it.

Galamoth sat with his back against the wall of the room and watched the witches discuss certain topics among themselves. Only a few were magic-related.

He didn't know if it was because they had a common interest or if they retained their bonds from being human, but he enjoyed seeing a group like that working together so well and accomplishing so much. It was rather tragic. If humans could have been more accepting of people like that and had devoted some effort to cultivating their efforts, they could have been using their talents for the common good long before they had a chance to become demons.

Then again, he realized, that would have given the enemy a powerful weapon to use against his kind.

Sometimes, Galamoth thinks, the things that catch his interest are not the things that actually matter to anyone else.

He looks back through the last few pages he has written. Most of the text is devoted to the witches. He had written about smithing before that, and reading, and he had detailed a number of his conversations.

Surprisingly few of the words are about the war. That's what the demons really wanted to know about, he supposes. Surely he had to have some stories about his involvement with the war effort and Dracula and the actual history of hell.

Galamoth sighs. Perhaps if there had been more involvement to begin with. It would have been very different, Galamoth thinks, if he had actually been ordered to fight. It's very hard to remember gossip and the suits of armor he produced.

The casualties? They were a joke. Every time a war was going on, he would keep hearing some of the demons telling each other about how they had been killed this time. It's very hard to have any emotional investment when you are guaranteed full returns.

Compromise, he decides. He fills in the facts he remembers.

The war effort went downhill again. Dracula had made a deliberate attempt to corrupt the son of the Belmont who had almost killed him previously. While initially successful, this action blew his cover, and the Belmont was able to storm his hiding place and kill him.

The portal was once again closed, and the war was yet again on hiatus. Thanatos was becoming testy again, and his actions afterward suggested that he was concerned with Dracula's resurrection process. Almost assuredly, he was hoping for a way to speed it up.

Once again, this cut off the literature supply and reduced the need for metalwork, so I was once again finding myself out of things to do. Sometimes it felt like socia

Galamoth stops writing suddenly. He can hear a conversation in the main room.

"...just appeared a few moments ago."

"Really? I thought most of them gave up on summoning."

"Looks high-quality. They put some effort into this one."

"Hey, look at the inscriptions. Heh. They want Death."

Galamoth smiles to himself. Thanatos has not been seen in a long time. Things are different now. These summoners are going to be disappointed.

"We should inform the lords about this."

"What about Galamoth? This might interest him."

"He said he didn't want to be disturbed. Wait till he shows up. Then we'll tell him."

Fair enough, he thinks. He wants to finish his task before he does anything he might regret. He had been taught the importance of having a backup plan. Right now, he is writing one.

Where did he leave off?

Sometimes it felt like socializing was the only option, and I found myself doing that considerably more often.

And when I least expected it, a new opportunity was given to me, and this time I felt like I truly deserved it.

It started innocently enough.

"Galamoth?"

He looked up from his reading. "Rebecca."

She walked into the library with a smile on her face and her arms behind her back. "I was just thinking. You helped me so much when I first got here, and I feel like I've never really made it up to you."

He shook his head. "That isn't necessary. You asked for my assistance, and I offered it."

"Yeah, but I could tell I was kinda annoying you back then."

She was, but he had long since forgiven her for it. "Perhaps a little."

"Anyway, I wanted to give you this."

She held out her arms, and what looked to be a small blunt instrument of some kind. Galamoth appraised it quickly. It was about two feet long, which meant that it fit in the palm of his hand and probably would not be very effective as a weapon.

He looked up at Rebecca again. "What is this?"

"When I was growing up, my tutors said I should use this. It's a scepter. It helps focus magic energy without needing too much control from the caster. I guess it's kinda a magic crutch."

"I have a great deal of experience in magic. I don't need this."

"Yeah, but I was thinking about it and I realized I don't need it anymore either. Especially since... you know, moving on from my past and all. So I figured I'd give it to someone else, and you were the first one to come to mind."

He turned it over in his hand. "But this would be more useful in the hand of a novice magician. Or someone who could wield it as a weapon."

She rolled her eyes. "I know. Really, I just want you to have it."

He stared. "As... a gift?"

"Yeah. You know, so you can look at it and remember that time you helped me. That way you'll never forget me and all."

"They tell me that I have a very good memory."

"Aww, you're no fun when you're like that. Just hold onto it." She turned and headed for the exit. "If nothing else, you can give it to one of the novices later."

Galamoth looked at the scepter again, feeling like he had missed something important in the conversation.

He remembers that scepter very well. He hasn't thought about it in a long time. Why was that? He remembers that it had been taken to the forge, and then he never saw it again. Knowing the forge demons, he figures it was mistaken for part of the output, delivered directly to the armory and later given to one of the others during wartime. In the middle of a war, things like that get lost. It truly was a shame.

Still, it had been very useful to him, and he had liked it for three main reasons. The first, he had discovered that day when he tried to figure out what exactly the scepter did.

It seemed simple enough. Grasp the scepter with two fingers, focus my magic energy slightly, and see what came out.

The result was a small blast of ice. I should have expected that. All the evidence suggested that she was specifically raised as an ice specialist. I started to wonder if there was a reason for it, and if she could have spent her life using a different kind of magic had she been trained differently. It was around the time that I was speculating what her human family must have been like when I realized that I was doing so.

When my thoughts stopped wandering a few moments later, I gazed again at the scepter. Were those thoughts one of its side effects? Was it truly the memento she said it was? Or did Rebecca's story truly affect me so much that I couldn't stop thinking about her tragedy?

Even without the scepter, he would have never forgotten about her. She was the kind of person that he never intends to forget. Even a demon who didn't remember conversations for centuries would have problems not thinking about her. The way she...

Next page. Now.

There was some truth to my thoughts. I would not discover it for a long time, because it was the next day that I discovered a second advantage that came from owning the scepter.

"Hey, Gally!" shouted a large sword-wielding demon as he approached Galamoth's position. "What's that you're holding?"

"It's a magic scepter. Rebecca gave it to me."

"The Frozen Half? Wow, that was really nice."

Galamoth held it where the demon could see it better. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, look at it. It's technology designed to aid magic. You can't say those humans never have any good ideas. I know a bunch of people who really wish they had something like that."

"I don't know. I probably shouldn't just give it away."

Another demon entered the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

The sword wielder gestured to Galamoth. "Not much. Gally just received a gift."

"He did? You know, I remember back in the day, he kept saying that he didn't have a possession to his name."

Interesting. Galamoth hadn't thought about that detail. He smiled. "When you put it that way, I guess having something to call my own is a nice feeling."

"That's it! I just had a brilliant idea!"

"What?"

"You should go to the arena. You're a tough fighter, right?"

Galamoth nodded. "It's been a century since I last fought, but I don't think I've forgotten my training."

"I'm sure they'll take that thing as a wager."

Galamoth looked at the demon incredulously, then at the scepter. He had heard about the arena many times. It appealed to him. Was this his ticket?

"Are you sure about this? I think she wanted me to have it."

The demon shrugged. "Hey, you'll only lose it if you lose."

"I don't know."

His opinion was quickly disregarded by a number of other demons who had been nearby and happened to overhear everything.

"Personally, I just want to see him fight."

"Really?"

"Look at his build! He's gotta be stronger than anybody in there! Don't tell me you ain't interested in seeing what he can do!"

"How much can he lift again?"

"Dunno, but the forge guys were impressed."

Galamoth sighed. He had completely lost control of the conversation.

"You know the fast ones are gonna run circles around him."

"It doesn't matter if he gets them first."

"That would be a match to see."

"You're telling me! I think I'd pay to see him fight!"

"What do you think of that, Gally? You already got some fans!"

What could he do in the face of such enthusiasm? Even he had to admit that this was starting to not sound like such a bad idea.

The arena was pretty much like every other chamber of hell, except considerably larger and with a makeshift ring in the center. It certainly seemed like a popular place to hang out, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had never gone in before. Then I remembered why.

"The arena has an audience?" Galamoth asked one of his entourage, gesturing to the demons that were already standing around.

"Of course. Half the fun is watching everyone else fight."

Galamoth could only shake his head in disbelief. He had been so concerned about the price of being a fighter that he had never considered the possibility of just watching. Still, it looked like this was going to change very soon.

He looked at the fight that was occurring in the middle. And hesitated.

"I think I want to watch a few matches before I wager anything."

The demon turned to him in surprise. "You're not afraid, are you?"

"I have no knowledge of the rules."

"Ah. A good point."

Galamoth starts to wish that he had taken notes. The arena has changed its rules several times during the past four centuries, and he has trouble remembering which ones would have been in effect in those times.

Each demon wagered something, and the battle began when both agreed to the amount. Normal fights were won by incapacitation, counted as five seconds of motionlessness, or by ringout, touching a body part outside the twenty-five foot diameter ring.

Those were normal fights. They had special rules for other types of demons. If the match was between two flying demons, they would call that touching a wall, ceiling or floor counted as a loss. For zombies, they had to draw the line at a certain level of dismemberment, as it was impossible to call any of the parts incapacitated and matches ended too soon if arms leaving the ring counted as a loss.

The demon in charge was known as the arenamaster, a strong physical fighter of wereanimal form. He once told Galamoth that he originally came up with the idea after watching a brawl break out in the main room and realizing that the battlers were not only entertaining to watch, but could not actually accomplish anything against immortal opponents. Thus, by starting the arena, he moved the fighting out of the way of the main room and made it organized and lucrative.

He was often open to new ideas, Galamoth recalls. Good thing, too.

Finally, I felt like I was ready to try my luck.

"Present the wager", the arenamaster said as Galamoth entered the central area for the first time. On cue, he handed his scepter over.

"A magic talisman of human design. Apparently structured to aid in the casting of ice spells. Who is willing to wager against this?"

The group was hesitant. Finally, a demon that resembled a unicorn-man stepped forward and handed a small bag of money to the master demon. Standing next to Galamoth, he came up to his waist, which was larger than many of the demons in the area. The arenamaster was now the smallest demon in the ring. This did not seem to distract him.

The arenamaster counted the contents of the bag. "100 gold coins." He looked to Galamoth, who nodded. "Move to the center of the ring. I will give the signal to begin the fight."

If Galamoth had not been so interested in competing, he might have noticed one key strategic aspect of the arena design. The ring was about 25 feet in diameter. He was in excess of 30 feet tall. In short, a knockdown would guarantee his loss.

He took a fighting stance, and then realized the trouble in which he had gotten himself. Between his feet, he covered half of the ring's width.

This would not be Galamoth's chosen style of fighting, he realized. To accomplish anything, he would have to essentially remain motionless for the entire battle. As he wondered what he had gotten himself into, the arenamaster gave the signal to begin.

The unicorn went for an immediate lunging punch. Galamoth blocked it with his open palm and swiped at him with his other arm. The unicorn ducked to the side and attempted to kick the reptile with a spinning hoof. This caught him in the leg and caused him to react, but it did not knock him off balance. Recovering, he attempted to grab the unicorn with one hand. As soon as he was grasped, the unicorn bit the reptile's hand, who released him immediately in recoil. The instant he hit the ground, the unicorn leapt toward Galamoth with intent to strike him in the chest. Surprised by the two moves in quick succession, Galamoth prepared to block, taking a step backward to brace for impact.

He was interrupted by the arenamaster's voice. "Galamoth is out! Amducias wins!" The one step had been sufficient to put him outside the ring.

I grumbled at my bad fortune, and wondered if I really had a hope of winning a match in a ring that I could cross entirely in two small steps. Even worse, I had just lost the scepter. Too quickly. I had been a fool to think that I could have used it to turn a profit.

My disappointment was soon drowned out by the complaints of the crowd. I should have expected backlash.

"You call that a match?"

"That ring is too small!"

"We want to see a real fight!"

"I've waited decades to see Galamoth in here!"

"Oh yeah? I think Amducias can still take him!"

"Do it again! No ringouts!"

The arenamaster did not blink. "Match decisions are final."

Silence filled the arena. It was shortly followed by the nearly inaudible sound of small pieces of metal striking each other.

One of the demons from the audience held them out to be seen. "I'll give you five gold coins if you give us a rematch without ringouts being counted."

Another moment of silence. Then the arena erupted in voices.

"Me too!"

"I'll join in on that."

As the demons continued to express their interest, Galamoth was dumbfounded by the events. He knew that he had undertaken a large amount of battle training, but he had no idea that the others were that interested in his ability. Then again, he thought, his opponent may have been popular as well. He certainly hadn't been a pushover in the ring.

The arenamaster motioned for him and the demon he had called Amducias to return to the center of the ring. "Huh... they really want to see you two fight."

Amducias shrugged. "I don't want to lose everything I wagered just because they want to dispute my win."

Galamoth looked at him. "I'm willing to do a wagerless match."

"I don't know. It's no fun to fight if we can't win anything."

The arenamaster piped in. "We've got about six hundred coins worth saying they want to see this fight. I'll cut you a deal. Fifty to both of you, I'll take two-fifty, and the rest will go to the winner. No ringout, just incapacitation."

Amducias visibly smiled at this. Galamoth, seeing this, decided to push his luck. "Throw in the scepter and we have a deal."

The unicorn nodded. "I'll agree to that."

The arenamaster raised his voice again. "It's been decided! Five coins to see a no-ringout match between these two!" This proposal was met with cheers.

Once everything was counted and paid, the audience was a fair bit smaller, so the arenamaster had everyone move to the outside of the room to give the fighters enough room to battle without interference.

The arenamaster gave the signal, and the match began. Now that they were able to move around freely during the fight, Galamoth could see some of the major differences between himself and Amducias. The unicorn was smaller, of course, and it was unlikely that he was used to being the smaller fighter in a match. He was pretty fast on his hooves for his size, though, and the previous fight had definitively proven that his attacks were enough to hurt Galamoth. Galamoth was slower, but he was convinced that his attacks had more power behind them, and that he would have a definite advantage in grappling should the match come to that. Also, he would be considerably more difficult to knock down, although he would be slower to get up.

Finally, Amducias made the first move, and one Galamoth hadn't expected. He charged up his magic power and shot a bolt of lightning at the reptile.

Lightning, Galamoth noted. A pushover. He forcibly redirected it away before it could hit him. Seeing that Amducias didn't expect this, he sent the bolt back toward him. The unicorn recovered quickly, though, and he was able to stop it from striking him as well. The battle of willpower had begun. The bolt remained halfway between the two, never making progress toward either opponent.

Galamoth made the next move. He weakened his control enough to allow the bolt to slowly approach him, while redirecting his focus on compressing it. By the time the lightning had reached his position, it had been compacted into ball lightning. In this form, it was easy for him to grasp it with one hand. Holding the ball of electrical power as if it was a small toy, he looked up at Amducias again. Once their eyes met, he smirked. The unicorn smirked back.

Staying at the ready in case he tried something, Galamoth casually tossed the ball of lightning at his opponent. He caught it easily, looked at it, and then made it dissipate. They had reached an unspoken agreement. They could both handle lightning easily. There was no need to fight using it.

At this point, Galamoth reaches an obstacle. The rest of the fight had gone on for several minutes, and there is no way that he can possibly remember it well enough to give a detailed blow-by-blow description.

He remembers how it ended. Amducias had charged at him. He had ducked and slid to the side in a manner that allowed him to grab the unicorn's leg, use his momentum to swing him around several times and pick up speed, and then whip his head directly into the ground. He had failed to rise from that, and Galamoth had left the arena considerably wealthier and with the scepter in his hand again.

He wonders what Rebecca would have said if she had found out what he had been doing with her gift.

Since that day, he had fought in that arena many times. Most of his opponents were expected to hold to the no-ringout rule that had become associated with him, but eventually the demons seemed less interested in trying to defeat him. This was solved by making a deal with the arenamaster in which he would take on all fighters, wagering 50 of his own coins against 20 of anyone who challenged him. He ended up losing some of those matches, but won enough to turn a profit.

He considers that he may have been responsible for changing the way the arena battles were structured. He dismisses the thought quickly. Knowing the arenamaster, it probably changed every time a new popular competitor arrived.

The important detail was that I finally had some wealth of my own, and there were a few things that I was thinking about doing with those coins.