Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable universe. Characters you do not recognize were created by me for the purposes of this story. Story contains scenes of a very mature nature; do not continue if anything of that nature could offend you (sex, violence, sub/dom, non-con). This story will be quite dark at times, you have been warned.

***Special Warning: This chapter contains scenes of a particularly gruesome nature (torture). While the acts themselves are not described, the results are.

Thank you very much for reading/reviewing! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter - Fallon.

Chapter Thirty

There was no turning back now.

Events had been thrown into motion that couldn't be halted and Maya's only choice was whether or not to rise above the tidal wave or allow it to overcome her.

I'm doing this for him...

Admittedly, she had never seen the Silverpines Arena but now that she had, she knew it had to be destroyed as soon as she had the chance. The arena was made primarily of stone quarried from the nearby mountains and lumber from the surrounding forest. Commoners hurried past her to the gate and shoved their coin into the guard's hands, eager to witness the carnage within.

She pulled the hood tight around her face, hoping to hide as much of her hair as she could. The cloak she wore was a muted green and it had seen better days. But it was exactly what she needed if she wanted to blend in to the crowd.

"It takes a lot of coin to watch the bloody fun, lovey," the guard sneered as she approached, "but I don't think a little girl like you has the stomach for that!"

Maya glared at him. He was even more worn than her cloak and she guessed he was a bandit from the dozens of tattoos his coat couldn't hide. He reeked of dung, sweat and smoke, a sickening combination to say the least.

"I'm here to compete," Maya said confidently, her voice not faltering for a moment.

The guard was incredibly tall, something he probably used to his advantage often, but she wasn't going to let him get between her and Von. Part of her felt like a desperate fool for believing so eagerly that Von was alive, but the pain of his loss was too much to bear – any chance he was alive had to be looked into.

The guard laughed, "You? Can you even lift a sword, girl?"

Furious and growing more impatient by the minute, Maya quickly drew her blade and pressed its tip to the man's throat. The blade had been her father's and had transformed from its original shape to match her own preferences. It pulsed with magic, having drawn her power through her hand and woven it through the steel.

"Can you?" She asked smugly.

His eyes opened wide, having not seen the action coming, and he held his hands out. He could see the anger and determination in her eyes, and he knew then that he had gotten in the way of the wrong woman.

Years of thieving taught him to always listen to his gut and his gut was telling him the woman before him was more than she seemed.

"Alright, alright," he said with a well-timed and light chuckle, "head on in and speak to Fredrick, he will get you set up."

Maya slipped past the man and hurried down the corridor. It was dimly lit with a few sporadically placed torches and the ground was damp under her feet, the water seeping in through the holes in her boots. She had snagged the entire outfit from one of her more trusted servants, one she was confident wouldn't ask too many questions. She knew if she was recognized by anyone other than Von things would get even more unpleasant.

The tunnel widened and she entered a small room with a rotten table and chair. The man sitting there glanced up to her and lowered his book, "Are you here to fight?"

"Yes, I was told to find Fredrick."

He stood and gestured to himself, "Well...you've found him. What's your name?"

Maya said the first thing that came to her, "Carina."

Fredrick nodded to her sword, the hilt of which poked out from the folds of her cloak, "Can you use that?"

"Yes."

"Good...wouldn't want you dying in the first round, Carina."

"I wouldn't want to disappoint the crowd."

Fredrick dug through his pockets and produced a key, "Leave your entry fee on the table there, and if you win you get it back plus a hefty sum. If you'll follow me, I'll fill you in on the rules."

Maya did as she was told and deposited a pouch of gold onto the table before following him. Five hundred gold pieces was all they asked for, and she paid it gladly for the chance to learn firsthand if Scarlet was telling the truth.

Avo please let her be telling the truth...please let him be alive!

The rogue balverine was perched nearby, waiting for Maya to enter the ring with Von and give the signal so she could alert Walter and his troops. When Maya saw him for herself, soldiers would be ordered on the Manor and the entire nightmare would be brought to an end.

At least that was what Maya hoped.

"There are eight rounds," Fredrick explained as he lead her deeper under the Arena, "you win larger chunks of coin with each round you complete. We start you off easy with hobbes and bandits, then move you up to trolls and balverines."

Her ears perked up, "In what round do I face the balverine?"

Fredrick smirked back at her, "Do you like killing them?"

Maya nodded.

He laughed, "You face lesser balverines in round six, a troll in round seven and a seasoned balverine in round eight. The seasoned ones are veterans of the Arena; each has killed at least fifty competitors and a troll or two. "

Von is strong; he must be "seasoned" – especially after being here so long.

"May I choose which seasoned balverine I face?"

He glanced back at her with a curious look, "Why?"

"I wouldn't want you to stick me with a puny one just because you think I can't take your best," she spoke sharply, "I want to know what I face, want to look him in the end before I rend his head from his body."

That seemed to be what he was looking to hear.

"You're a sick one," he said with a smile, "but the crowd is going to love that! Fine, it's not how we usually run things but I think you're going to make a lot of people rich tonight! Besides, one less balverine will be a service to all of Albion."

Ezra paced back and forth in his parlour.

She had yet to arrive, and he was growing more agitated with every passing moment. He ached for her, and had been looking forward to relieving his pain.

"Daddy?"

He glanced up and smiled at his daughter, "What are you doing here, Shiloh?"

The little girl hurried across the room to him, her skirt swaying from side to side as she ran. She wrapped her arms around his thighs and squeezed him as tightly as she could.

"You're upset, daddy."

"I'm fine, dearest one...return to your room and amuse yourself with your dolls."

She shook her head, "I want to stay with you!"

Ezra swatted her away from him, "You can't! Someday you'll be without me, Shiloh! You have to learn to take care of yourself for when that time comes!"

She stared at him with large, innocent eyes, "Daddy?"

Furious, he threw his wine glass across the room. It hit the fireplace and shattered, spewing wine all over the priceless antique rugs.

Shiloh covered her eyes with her hands, "Daddy, stop!"

She had always hated loud noises, and wanted so badly to run away from him but her feet wouldn't listen to her. She knew in her heart that something was terribly wrong with her father, but what pained her was that she couldn't help him.

She had failed him, the only thing she had left in the entire world.

Ezra grabbed her by the arm and stormed over to the door, tossing her into the hall like she weighed nothing, "Leave me alone, you spoiled brat, or I swear you'll join that bitch you called mother!"

From across the sea, the Darkness retracted its tight grip from Ezra's heart and laughed.

Von stirred in his cell. His dreams had stopped a long time ago, but he still went to sleep in the hopes he would see her there.

"Oi! Get up off your arses, you filthy mongrels!"

The guards were coming, and they sounded like they were in a hurry. The door to his cell swung open and large hands clasped a collar tightly around his neck and jerked him up to his feet. Eli had died the week before in a group fight against a troll and since then Von's days became longer and lonelier.

Dried blood covered his chest, but it wasn't his own. They had only allowed him to bathe a handful of times since arriving in the barracks, but he couldn't remember when the last time was. Also unknown to him was the last time he'd been allowed to wear clothes.

"You're going on a parade today, hound!" The guard hissed as he led Von out of the small piece of hell that had been his home for far too long.

They called him an animal, and he was treated as such.

Von knew if Maya saw him now, she wouldn't recognize him. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and sores had formed on his legs and arms. His hair had begun to grow back and hung to his ears in dark, greasy tangles.

He felt insignificant and weak.

Surely Ezra was closing in on Maya by now and his chances of saving her were diminishing, along with his will to live, every day. And yet every night he prayed to Avo before slipping into a restless sleep, pleading with the seemingly forgotten deity to save Maya, even if it meant the end of his own life.

Maya...my Maya...

How long had it been since he saw her?

The battle for the throne seemed so long ago now, and the night they spent together in Aurora seemed like it was from a past life. Death would be the easy way out. It wouldn't be difficult, he'd merely have to let the next combatant he faced slit his throat. But he couldn't do it, couldn't lie down and die – not while there was a chance to save her, however small that chance may be.

The guards placed him last in a line of naked men and women and forced them all forward. He had no idea what they were planning, as nothing like this had ever happened before, but he was too tired to concern himself with it too much.

There were about half a dozen of them in total, and they were ordered to stand side by side and face the bars. On the other side Von saw Fredrick standing beside someone shorter by comparison who was wearing a tattered hood and robe. The blue scar on his cheek pulsed and the scent of something familiar filled the room, but he thought nothing of it.

That's it...I'm finally losing my mind...the bastards have won...

Fredrick stepped up to the bars and crossed his arms, "You'll all take a step forward."

They did as they were told, and the guards in the cage stepped behind them to chain their hands behind their backs. The cold silver restraints dug into his already sore wrists and he stifled a groan as they began to throb. Von guessed they were being presented to someone and the guards didn't want to risk anyone taking a swipe at the bars.

Fredrick cleared his throat, "One of you will have the honor of being slain by this new combatant tonight," he began, "she has requested the right to select her prey, and we are only too willing to oblige her."

Von stared at the ground and prayed to Avo that he wouldn't be chosen. He was tired of fighting and of the pain Reaver's guards so willingly inflicted upon their captives. Every day he tried to go unnoticed by them to avoid a beating, but it didn't always work.

Maya fought the urge to throw up.

Standing before her were four men and two women who were completely devoid of clothing, and who had all obviously been subjected to torture. Bruises, scrapes and burns of every colour and size marred their filthy bodies from head to toe.

She approached the bars, not bothering to lower her hood, and stared into the eyes of the first man. He was perhaps forty, and was missing one of his ears and his lower lip. The mutilation caused the poor man to drool horribly, giving him a sinister appearance, but she saw in his eyes that he was already defeated.

Maya summoned up all of her strength and moved down the line.

The next man was younger than the first, but was just as disfigured. A chunk of his cheek looked like it had been ripped away and his teeth, tongue and gums were visible. His eyes were sunken and dark. Maya swallowed hard – he looked like a hollow man.

The next two were the women, which she hurried past. Their eyes were cast down and their frail bodies trembled as she moved by them. While their faces were free of scars, she caught glimpses of dried blood between their legs. It was obvious both had been terribly abused, and she did not want to harm them further by ogling at their misery.

Avo damn you, Reaver!

The next man was pale and slim, his body free of dark bruises, mutilation and gauges. She looked up to examine his face and saw, much to her horror, that the man's eyes had been burned shut, probably with the burning end of a cattle prong.

Maya fought the urge to turn around and slay the guards behind her. Doing so would only cause the guards in the cage with the prisoners to attack their charges and she couldn't risk that since she still hadn't found him.

Only one left...

Maya inhaled sharply and moved down the line, keeping her eyes on the ground. Once she stood before the last man, she allowed her eyes to slowly rise. His pale skin was barely visible under the layer of dirt and blood that coated his legs. Her gaze trailed up his legs, quickly across his groin, and to his blood covered chest.

She heard the man begin to breath heavily and strain against the chains that bound him. She knew without a doubt that his eyes were on her and she looked up to meet them.

Oh gods...

It was him!

"V-

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. His distinctive hair style was gone and the soiled locks that had taken its place hung in his sad eyes. His cheeks were hollow, but the blue scar she had given him remained. She saw the large bite on his shoulder, which was still in the process of healing. The entire joint looked stiff and bruised.

She had no idea how he had survived so long with his arm as damaged as it was.

Her lip trembled as she realized he'd been left to suffer, probably alone in some dank hole, with numerous injuries.

He was staring at her in disbelief and she knew she was doing the same.

She hurried to find her voice lest the guards become suspicious, "I-I'll fight this one, gentlemen."

Fredrick stepped up beside her, "Ahh, fine specimen indeed! Reaver broke this one, took him a while though – stubborn mongrel, eh?"

Maya looked away from Von, "Yes...very."

"He'll put up a good fight for you, Carina," Fredrick assured her, "I'm sure I can trust you to make sure his end is fitting? You can't let these animals get away with a slow death, got to draw it out a little and give the crowd something to cheer about!"

Maya looked back at Von. He still looked incredibly shocked, like he still couldn't believe she was standing in front of him, but she also saw tremendous shame and sadness there. Maya knew he hated having her see him in such a state. And she hated having to agree with the guards and play their sick game, but she could only hope she'd be given the chance later to tell Von the truth.

"This mutt will get what he deserves, Fredrick, I assure you!"

Fredrick laughed and nodded to the men to take Von away, "You heard the woman, boys!"

Maya watched with a heavy heart as Von pursed his lips together and struggled against the pull of the guards. She knew he wanted to say something as badly as she wanted to, but it was literally causing him physical pain.

Von struggled to get closer to the bars, closer to her, "Run –

One of the men jerked the chain back enough to agitate Von's shoulder and his eyes flickered in pain as he stifled a scream.

"Don't injure him before I get a chance to!" Maya demanded, her anger as real as the wounds marring Von's body.

One of the guards restraining Von smirked wickedly, "Eager are we? You must really hate balverines, miss."

"More than you'll ever know," Maya muttered.

"Do as she says. It's fighters like her that pay your landlord and keep food on your table. Lock the balverine up in the Arena cage near the north wall," Fredrick glared at her, "if she's so worried about him she can keep an eye on him as she fights."

A/N: It wasn't easy to write this chapter but we're leading up to something big so this had to be intense! If you're wondering about the fake name Maya gives Fredrick, refer to chapter four, "Lick of a Whip". The next chapter is already in the works so unless editing takes longer than I expect, you won't have to wait too long for an update :) Thanks for everything - Fallon.