The Arena Saga: Bronze Tier

One

Korn- Alone I Break

Maxed-Out Hall is not as pretentious as Black Skull. It's a huge old factory warehouse redesigned into loft space. It doesn't reach the cloud bank that separates us from the High Tower civilians but it gets pretty close to it. Max is in the first-floor garage when I arrive. He's working on his speeder.

"Lose something?" he smirks when I get out of my car.

"More like found some stuff. You busy?"

"Is it worth my while?"

"It involves he who you wish dead," I shrug. He looks up at me and smiles.

"I'll be up in a minute. You eat yet?"

"Nah, I had guests last night and I didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping,"

"Mari, breakfast for me and my sister," he shouts as he cleans his hand on a dirt rag. "Guests? You don't do guests,"

"No, I do not," I agree.

Some of the guild members wave at me. I'm probably the only outsider who can come in here the way I do. Most of them don't pay me any mind and those who I've gone into the area with all jokingly tell me I need to sign on already. We both go up to his loft space. I sit down on the old leather couch facing the arena building. From here, the view is spectacular—front-row seats on the gladiator matches.

There are trinkets and art pieces all over the place. Things Max has collected from his victories and offerings his people have brought for him. I think he likes to keep all these things because we didn't have a single thing we couldn't carry in a backpack growing up. If we couldn't carry it with us, we didn't need it. Learned that the hard way when I insisted on needing to keep my school books on me at all times. It's one of the reasons why I make a really good close-combat fighter. I'm an average-size model but I'm strong a heck. Which will be required for this particular arena.

"What's going on?" he asks as he washes his hands at his kitchen sink.

"Last night one of Freddy's prisoners washed up on my river bank,"

"Shut up," he grins. "Who was it?"

"Andras Kingston," I answer. He looks up at me getting serious.

"No, shit?"

"None,"

"You helped him, right?"

"Obviously,"

"And?"

"I don't know what they wanted but they worked him over pretty ugly," I set my phone on the counter and pull up the medical scans. He dries his hands and takes it. He goes over the scans and hands the phone back to me.

"They were probably trying to get him to sign over the guild rights. Fucker's been trying to get his hands on more masters since they took over Evermore. I can't believe he would try it with a Kingston. What a fucking idiot,"

"He was at the house with Midnight," I hold up a port. "Trackers in the food,"

"You sneaky fuck," he reaches for it. I pull away. "What do you want?"

"I want in on tonight's game,"

"You want the emerald bundle," he nods. "Fine. Fusia didn't want to play anyway and you're a better fighter. Anything else?"

"I have Andra's information. If you want that?"

"What do you want for the information, brat?" he smirks.

"I'm looking for a sword,"

"You're taking up swordsmanship? Good for you, Zaph," he smiles and turns around to open up his arsenal. "What are you looking for?"