Page 21 of Ironhold, Trial Four

But with the dampener on my wrist, I don’t knowwhatI will be able to do.

“And now for her opponent!” The announcer says. “A creaturewith the strength of mountains, the solidity of granite,the crushing force of an avalanche. I give to you… the stoneheart!”

The creature that walks out from the gates at the far end as the crowd roarsis easily twice the height of a man, although only vaguely humanoid in appearance. Itsbody seems to be made from stone, giant granite fists opening and closing as it waits. It opens its mouth to reveal teeth like diamonds and it bellows, an animal sound that carries around the colosseum and makes some of the crowd gasp.

The emperor stands. He nods to me, looking confident.

“Begin!” he commands.

The stoneheart is already lumbering towards me, and it is heavy enough that every step seems to shake the sand beneath my feet. I dodge around it, avoiding its first rush. It is big, but it's slow, and that’s a good thing. My lingering tiredness slows me too, and I will need to move quickly if I’m to avoid being crushed by it.

I avoid a punch from those giant fists, rolling and moving, keeping my distance. I must be cautious, because I do not know how powerful this creature is, do not know whether my powers will be able to stop it. I hope they will. Even with my dampener, I hope I will be able to gain some control over it, but I do notknow, and not knowing frightens me.

In any case, doing so will require time, and for now, I must focus on dodging its attacks. I hear the crowd roar with every attempt it makes to crush me with those stone fists, and I keep moving. Lady Elara is probably pleased by this. I know she wants me to build the love of the crowd for my performances.

But, as another blow lands close to me, I know I must make use of my powers, must make use of the small fraction of my abilities the dampener allows me.

I reach out for the stoneheart with my powers. At least, I try to. Even with my dampener, I should feel a slender threadof connection running from me to the great stony beast. The dampener is designed to restrict me, not cut me off completely.

Instead, there's nothing. Is there something about the nature of this creature that means I cannot control it? I'm still thinking about the answer to that question whena blow of the stoneheart’s fist comes at me slightly quicker than I expect. I throw myself out of the way, but it still clips me, sending me flying back. I roll and come back to my feet, bruises already forming on my side.

Something's wrong. I should be able to make some sort of connection with it even if I don't have enough power to completely control it. I should be at least able to speak to the creature. That facetof the beast whisperers’ power is so weak thatthose with it barely even count as beast whisperers.

I reach out for the crows above the arena, trying to connect with one of those, to at least gain that much of an advantage in the fight. But I can't connect with them either. I feel blind and helpless, my powers contained completely.

Is this something Callus has done? Some side effect of his powers? No. I had my powers last night, could feel the creatures around me, while now I feel blind and helpless.

I canfeelthe problem. The dampener around my wrist is glowing with power, siphoning it and containing it. It is shutting me off from everything I can do now rather than allowing me at least a little magic.

I think back to my massage earlier, to the trainers who have helped me with my weapons, to the guards who have escorted me. One of them has done this. Someone has tampered with it. Someone has made it so that I have no access to my abilities whatsoever.

I don't have any time to process just how terrifying a thought that is, because the stoneheart is charging at me again, forcing me to dodge. I create more room, trying to find the space inwhich to think, trying not to let my fear overwhelm me. I am afraid now. Where before I was confident, maybe even a little arrogantabout my ability to deal with the creature, now I am wondering if there is any way for me to survive this battle.

I start to attack it with my spear, looking for any weak spot, hoping that the Stony skin is just like plates of armor, and that there will be soft gaps between those plates to allow it to move. I thrust perfectly into the stoneheart’s armpit, traditionally a weak spot for any armored foewho wishes to be able to move their arms, but again my spearskims off.

Worse, the creature strikes down with one fist, slamming it into the haft of the spear, so that the weapon breaks into with an audible crack. I toss the broken half of it asidebecause it is clear it will not do me any good here. I'm left with just my weighted chain, a hooked blade on the end of it.

Does the creature have any weak points I can jab that blade into? Maybe its eyes? Maybe not. My guess is that this creature has been brought in specifically for me, and the idea is that I will control it, but with my dampener clamping down on all my power, I have no way to do it. I must think of another way to win, to survive.

For the moment, even that looks doubtful as the creature attacks me again and again. It is not fast, but it is relentless. It does not seem to tire. Its massive body is big enough to blot out the light as it stands over me, and I must throw myself to the side once more. How long can I keep this up?

I know when the tampering must have taken place: during the massage I had before the bout. Could someone have disguised themselves as a servant in order to do it? Could they have paid a servantto interfere in this way? I know that this kind of trickery is common, although it's more usual to drug a gladiator, or ensure they are wounded in training.

I can't let my thoughts drift away, however. I must focus on the beast attacking me if I want to have any chance of surviving. I dodge its blows, knowing that I cannot take even a single one head on. It is so massive, so strong that I cannot hope to contend with that strength. It could kill me even by toppling on mewithout even needing to strike me.

That is a strange thought, but it is one that gives me a brief moment of hope. Maybe there is a way I can beat this thing.

I start to whirl my weighted chain, ignoring the calls of the crowd as they want me to finish the beast. They think I'm still playing with it; they don't know what's happened to me. I know I must wait for the perfect moment, for an instant when it is charging once again.

Finally, it runs at me, a massive slab of rock heading straight for me.

I swing my weighted chain out, aiming for the stoneheart’s legs. The throw is almost perfect, wrapping around its ankles. I step to the side, running around the creature, avoiding the swing of its fist by inchesas I pass it. I keep going, and now it is completely tangled in the chains.

If it were stationary I would not be able to move it, would not be able to bring its legs together or trip it. Because it is running though, its own momentum tangles it further, and the creature fallslike some great stone pillar being pushed over, toppling slowly, falling to its back. The impact reverberates around the colosseum, sending a shower of sand high into the air.

The stoneheart thrashes, trying to get up again. I move in, knowing that this is my only chance to find a weak point. But then I realize something: I don't need to. I watched the stoneheart thrashing, and it's clear that it cannot get up. It has fallen with such force that it has made a dent in the sand, a hole in which it is now partly trapped. It cannot get out, cannot getup. I yank my chain free from its legs, and still it thrashes there, like an overturned turtle.

The emperor stands. “The bout is at an end. The gladiator Lyra is victorious!”

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