Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable universe. Characters you do not recognize were created by me for the purposes of this story. This story is rated M for a reason. Contains scenes of a very mature nature; do not continue if anything of that nature could offend you (sex, violence, rape). This story will be quite dark at times, you have been warned.
Thank you very much for reading/reviewing! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter, dear readers :) I apologize for my continued use of cliff-hangers, they are just too much fun to write! - Fallon.
Chapter Thirty-One
Maya walked out into the arena the moment the gate opened up before her. The crowd cheered from the safety of the raised seats, shouting both taunts and words of encouragement. She ignored it all though and kept her eyes on the cage at the north end of the battlefield.
Von had been forced into his wolf form and was pacing the length of the cage, his eyes glued to her. She had a long way to go until she faced him and it looked like he was going to be forced to watch the entire thing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our newest contestant!" The commentator boomed, igniting cheers from the audience, "She's ready to kill and perhaps make you some coin, so let's hope she makes it past the first round!"
Trap doors opened up out of the ground, displacing the sand that had once covered them. Maya stumbled back as one opened up just in front of her and drew her sword. The rattling of chains could only just be heard over the roar of the crowd.
Maya heard the snarls first and before she knew it, the wolves were on her.
She slashed at one that tried to approach her from the side, clipping the beast's legs and sending him tumbling to the ground in a heap. Another took his place, continuing the attack relentlessly as more surrounded her.
She tried to count their numbers, but they all looked the same and began blending together as they circled her. Despite their healthy numbers, once she downed one of the smaller ones they all began to follow suit.
A brazen wolf leapt over the pile of carcases Maya had created in front of her and impaled itself on her blade. The creatures own weight pushed it down further and she had to push him off to the side to avoid losing her weapon.
Maya stepped away from the wolves and looked up at the crowd. To her horror, she saw children there, sitting with their parents and cheering just as loudly as everyone else. It was one thing to support such a disgusting place but to bring your own child there seemed like a new level of insanity.
Only Reaver could bring this darkness out of people...
The crowd quieted as the commentator announced the next round. Maya glanced over to Von and saw him looking at her with a very concerned expression. She didn't expect to be able see balverines express emotion but then again she hadn't thought they were capable of feeling until she met Von.
A gate opened beside Von and a small wave of hobbes poured out. Their twisted faces and gnarled bodies were an affront to all things decent and she always relished the opportunity to spill their blood.
But as she began slashing at them, she knew the second part of her plan had to be set in motion now that she knew Von was indeed alive. After clearing out those that surrounded her, Maya thrust her hand up in the air and shot out a ball of fire. It rushed above the crowd and exploded, sending sparks down over the crowd and illuminating the darkening sky.
Scarlet jumped when she saw the signal, out of shock more than anything else. It was a quiet night save the muffled rumblings from the arena but the fireball put an abrupt end to it. She tore through the trees, eager to bring the fight to Ezra's doorstep now that Maya knew Von was alive. Behind her, those that sought Ezra's fall just as badly as she did slipped out of the shadows and joined her in her march to the Mansion.
The group of balverines leapt down in front of the brigade Walter had established and calmly straightened themselves.
Walter, for his part, didn't flinch at their dramatic entrance. He was beginning to determine that all balverine had a flare for the dramatics that could only be rivaled by aristocrats.
"Maya gave you the signal then?" He asked of Scarlet, the only one he knew by name and sight.
Ben stepped up beside him and winked at Scarlet, "I take it we can get this show on the road then?"
Once Walter explained everything to him, Ben had been eager to take part in the plan. Though Page came up with a more survivable plan of attack, Ben had more men to offer to it.
Scarlet nodded slowly at the pair, unable to communicate any other way to them.
Walter turned to Ben, "Care to give your men a speech, Ben?"
Ben drew his blade, "Let's go kill some balverines," he glanced over his shoulder to Scarlet, "...just not these ones!"
Walter shook his head, "Brilliantly done!"
"Well if you would lay off me for just a second –
Scarlet got tired of listening to them bicker and took off. She had risked too much to get this close, and she wasn't going to let the foolishness of others stop her. The other balverines and the brigade weren't too far behind her and she hoped their numbers were enough to take Ezra down.
It had to be done fast if they were going to get the upper hand but with the brigade they had given up the benefit of stealth for manpower. She doubted few of the men had ever faced balverines before, but Walter spoke highly of them so she tried not to worry herself too much.
They broke through the trees and leapt onto the Family's property. Scarlet saw a small group of younglings notice them and begin to turn. She and her kin didn't give them a chance to fully change. They were on them in an instant, tearing and clawing at their tender pink flesh.
The brigade, lead by Walter and Ben, sprinted past them to the stairs that would take them to the Mansion. Scarlet ripped a chunk of flesh from her former kinsman and spat it out on the ground beside her before taking off after them.
Gunshots rang out and powder filled the air around the soldiers. Over the commotion she heard the howls of Ezra's followers as some changed and others took shots. She pushed past the soldiers and took out one of them that had nearly completed his transformation.
Scarlet looked down and realized she knew him.
She knew them all, had laughed and cried with many of those who were now dead at her feet. Ezra's cruelty and insanity had spurred them on, but Scarlet couldn't argue that it had a similar affect on her.
It made her hate Ezra even more...if that was even possible.
Walter and Ben worked together to bring one down, with the knight making the finishing blow. The balverine's head rolled across the floor, through a pool of blood, and hit Scarlet's foot.
That gentle yet morbid contact made a shiver shoot up her leg and permeate her entire body. Before she had a chance to think any further on it they were hit with another wave of attackers. She just kept trying to tell herself not to look at their faces and that every one brought her closer to those she really wanted to kill.
The last of the remaining bandits stared her down from across the battlefield. They had been let loose upon the field after she made quick work of the hobbes and felled the hollow men in less than fifteen minutes.
Her sword arm was getting tired and that worried her because she still had a few more bandits to finish off and three more rounds after them before she got to Von. One of them charged her wildly, his sword striking erratically as his resolve was worn down by exhaustion and fear.
Maya deflected his blows and quickly set him on fire.
The crowd cheered as the man ran around in circles a few times before collapsing in a smouldering heap. The man's last remaining comrade tried to get the upper hand on her, but he stumbled when she met his swing and she took that opportunity to slice her blade across his neck.
His head flew free of his body as blood spurted across the sand.
The commentator's voice was high and joyous, "Excellent round! Now...can she handle the creatures from across the seas? The horrible...beautiful...sand furies!"
Damn!
Maya swirled around just as one of the creatures spawned from the sandy ground. Before she could make a move against the exotic creature, it jumped backwards and disappeared into a puff of sand and smoke.
Another hooted and danced around her, followed by several more. They dodged her swings effortlessly, so much so she was getting sloppier in her frustration. One of the creatures reappeared behind her and got a swipe in across Maya's shoulder.
It wasn't enough to do serious damage, but it did nothing to lessen her rage. She wanted to hurt them, the faster the better.
Tired of playing games, Maya ran past them to the center of the field. Once she was sure most of them were within range, she activated her fire gauntlet and called a ball of fire into her palm. They noticed what she was doing too late.
Maya spread the fireball between her two hands and forced it to the ground, sending a pulse of searing flame out from her.
They had taken down a fair number of Family members, but Scarlet knew they still had a long way to go before they reached what they came for. The mansion was old and full of secret passages and long forgotten escape routes – knowledge the Alpha would surely have.
But if there was one thing she was still confident Ezra held to, was his refusal to ever back down from a challenge. It wasn't that he was honorable, but that he was too proud to ever pass up a chance to prove that he was the better. A group of rogue balverines and an entire brigade of soldiers were too tempting a challenge for him to ever back down from.
She had warned Walter before about what she wanted done should they encounter Ezra's daughter. Scarlet knew the girl idolized her father and was unaware of his crimes, and was against harming her in any way. Walter for his part agreed with her, being far too honorable to ever strike down a child – even if she was a potential threat.
"Where is that smug bastard?" Ben shouted from behind him, still working to catch up to the old knight.
Walter ducked to avoid the flying body of a balverine Scarlet tossed behind her. She had insisted on leading them and clearing out the path. The halls were familiar to her, so Walter hadn't argued. But he hadn't been expecting to have balverine corpses thrown at him.
"I'm not sure, let's just trust Scarlet knows what she's doing!"
An explosion rocked the mansion.
"What was that?" Walter demanded angrily.
"I may have given the lads some dynamite before we headed out," Ben confessed, "I thought it would make our work here a little easier."
"And when the roof comes down on us? Will it be easier then?" Walter snarled back at him as he tried to fight the overwhelming urge to strike him.
"Hey! It was a good idea...at the time."
"Balls!" Walter spat, "You wouldn't know a good idea if it lurched forward and grabbed your –
Scarlet silenced them with a glare. There was too much at stake and while she knew they were aware of this, she needed to focus and try to use her senses to find Ezra.
He was their target; everyone else was just in the way.
Blocking out the screams and howls, she breathed in deeply, searching the wind for his scent. Walter and Ben stood on either side of her. Both of them were eager to keep moving, but were willing to humor the balverine. They were fighting in unfamiliar territory with creatures of stunning ferocity and Scarlet was their guide, they weren't about to leave her side.
They watched her like curious children seeing something amazing for the first time.
She felt drunk, but on scents and not ale.
Underneath the haze of it all she found what she was looking for – the scent of red wine and expensive cologne. She took off down a side passage and ran into what looked like a solid wall between two suits of armor. The wall gave way though to reveal a hidden passage.
Sneaky bastard!
Scarlet continued to lead but calmed her anger and crouched down. Barging down the hall would get her killed, a clear head was needed from here on out. At any point she knew Ezra could jump them, and she wasn't going to let him get the upper hand - he had too much to pay for.
But these were his escape tunnels, she was certain he knew them like the back of his hand. No doubt he was trying to confuse them in the maze and ambush them once their minds were exhausted.
The passage forked, but Scarlet did not hesitate. She led them left and then took a sharp right.
Almost there...I can feel it!
The dirt ground turned into worn marble and she knew they were getting dangerously close. Ezra had been able to plan and execute the removal of Von, a seasoned warrior, from midst of a fierce battle – she expected him to have something planned for them when they finally confronted him.
That's when she heard the piano.
"What is that?" Ben asked Walter in a hushed voice.
Walter listened closely, "Music...what's he planning?"
Scarlet growled low and peered ahead of them into the darkness. She lacked the ability to tell them, but they were nearly on top of him. His scent was overwhelming now, filling her nostrils and clouding her mind. It would have been enough to drive a youngling to madness, but she was strong enough to resist it.
Ezra was no longer her master, and thusly had no claim over her.
Maya screamed in fury as she forced her blade into the creature's chest and pierced its dark heart. The sounds of bone breaking and flesh tearing could be heard by those in the crowd near her. She put her foot on its chest to brace herself as she jerked it out. Blood shot out of the massive hole and covered the sandy ground, turning the area around it into a thick paste.
The crowd was cheering in unison now, each and every one of them thrilled at the newcomer's tremendous success. Somehow, she had managed to keep her hood up through the entire thing, but she was past the point of caring now. If they knew it was her, so be it! She was going to get Von out whatever the cost.
But she was so incredibly tired!
Maya stumbled a bit as she walked away from her enemy's body. She longed for the comfort of her bed, but told herself it would be all the more enjoyable with Von there with her.
I have to keep going...have to get him out of here!
She had no idea what he had been subjected to during his time under Reaver's care and that of the Arena. The things he had seen and heard...she became sick every time she thought about it.
At that moment, five rounds done in the most important competition she'd ever take part in, she swore to herself that she'd not hold back any longer. The thought of loving him didn't scare her any more – as she realized she always had. All it took was recognizing it for what it was. She was willing to spend the rest of her life making up for her earlier cowardice and she prayed that Avo would allow her the chance.
She stared across the blood soaked field and locked gazes with Von. Soon they would meet on the battlefield and be expected to fight to the death. She was not sure what she would see from him, whether or not he'd be able to act along with her until the most opportune moment or if he'd be feral from his time in captivity. But the way he had looked at her in the cell...she knew he was still there, despite the horrors he'd been forced to endure.
Another round was announced and she forced her aching body to straighten. She'd endure it all to get him out from behind those bars...
The cages opened and three lesser balverines dashed towards her in a blind panic to see which of them got the first bite. As their footsteps neared, she called fire into her hands and closed her eyes.
For you...my love...