Page 36 of Storms & Sacrifice
“We’re still meeting up later, yeah?” Ragnar stretches as he asks.
“That is still the plan, yes,” Khazak agrees before yawning.
“Good. Because after last night, I need a shower and at least three more hours of sleep.” Ragnar pauses as his stomach growls.For once, it’s not mine. “And a really big breakfast.”
“Me too.” Nylan’s head finally pops up.
“Oh, you gonna join us now that you’re hungry, boy?” Ragnar smirks down at the elf.
“Sorry, Sir.” The elf stretches himself over his owner’s lap, face down. “I guess all that meat you fed me last night just wasn’t veryfilling.”
*smack*Ragnar spanks the on-display rump in front of him. “Smart-ass.”
The four of us get ready to leave after that. After getting dressed (and Khazak leaving averygenerous tip for the people who presumably have to clean all this up), we climb out of the tent and exit the park. There’s a little talk about getting breakfast together somewhere, but I think everyone really just wants to go home and clean up, so we splitup there.
Once we’re home, we head straight for the shower together. We spend the first fifteen minutes or so just standing under the hot water, letting the water running over our sore muscles. I can’t even remember half the positions I was bent into last night, but there’s plenty of stickiness in my butt to let me know none of it wasimagined.
We don’t go back to sleep, but we do spend the rest of the morning on the couch, not really doing much of anything. I know Khazak and Ragnar mentioned meeting up again later in the day, but I’m not sure what for. It’s only when we’re eating lunch that I get any real information about our plans forthe night.
“So, what are we doing tonight, exactly?” I hope it’s nothing crazy. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but partying three nights in a row might betoo much.
“We are seeing a play.” Oh, that doesn’t sound bad at all.
“A play?” I saw a few of those in school, but that was years ago. “What’sit about?”
“I think you will like it,” Khazak tells me as he cleans our plates. “It is about the honorees of the festival, one of whom was a founder ofthe city.”
That does sound interesting, especially when you consider everything going on at this festival.Must have been a pretty cool guy.I’m surprised that the clothes Khazak pulls out are a little on the boring side. I know it’s the last day; it’s just been kinda fun getting to wear things that are less-than-normal out in public. Though around here, they’re notthatout of theordinary.
When we leave the house, I realize I still don’t know where we’re going.Have I even seen a playhouse in town?When I notice that we’re heading in the same direction as most of the other people out right now, I figure out that we are going to the arena. They must use it for more than just fights. That brings up some weird feelings. We haven’t been there since...
Since I challenged Khazak to a fight, lost, and got fucked in front of a crowdof people.
After that, he owned me. Technically forever, if that’s what he wants, but thankfully, he only wants to own me for the amount of time my friends will be in jail. There have been a few hiccups since then, but I think we’ve managed to reach an agreement and establish a nice friendship. A friendship-with-benefits.Really funbenefits.
We walk around to the north side of the building, where we’re supposed to meet Ragnar and Nylan. As we approach the doors, the crowd slows down, everyone congregating into lines. We join one briefly but step to the side once we’re in the lobby, looking around for our friends. We spot them looking at one of the wooden panels along the walls. The bottom floor of the arena is covered in them, each one depicting a different scene.
“Zratza, Ragnar,” Khazak calls as we approach them.That’s the Atasi wordfor hello.
“There you are!” Ragnar turns to face us before throwing his thumb behind him. “Have you guys seenthis yet?”
“Seen what?” Khazak asks as we both step around him to look atthe panel.
It’s...us.The scene on the panel—it’s the two of us. At least I think it is. I can only see half my face. It shows Khazak on the right, his sword drawn back as he charges toward me on the left. I have my own sword drawn, and it looks as though I’m about to leap out of the way. I think this might be the final moments of the fight, right before my false win, when I hadhimon the ground.
“Is that...?” I need confirmation that I’m not seeing things.
“You and me?” Khazak is looking at the panel in awe. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Why?” It doesn’t look like he expected this either.
“All the panels adorning the Hall of Honor depict great battles or performances that took place here.” He looks over at me, proud. “It would seem ours madethe cut.”
Something about the way he’s looking at me makes me blush, and I’m glad when Ragnar cuts in a second later. “Alright, quit staring at yourselves so we can find a place to sit before all the good seats are taken.” I can hear the people filling the standsabove us.
We rejoin the crowd as they file their way up the stairs and into the stands. The front rows are all taken, but we manage to find something in the middle. Once we sit down, I get a look at how the arena is set up. At the center is what looks like a small camp: a number of tents set up around a fire. There are even a few trees spread out, setting the opening scene. There’s no backdrop, which means the stadium’s full audience can view the proceedings.
People around us continue to fill the stands, and I can see from across that the place is pretty packed. Everyone is talking but not about anything important, just waiting for the show to start. When one of the gates on the arena floor opens, the audience breaks intoapplause.
