Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 41: Beggar's Gambit - Part 2

Neterion takes his hand, gripping it tightly as he shakes, then places the crossbow on the table. Without wasting any time, the twins head to the bar to sign in. Rueben attempts to hide his worried expression as his friends comment about the twins.

"That twig will get flattened in a blink, " one of them says about Neterion's slim frame, which is more obvious since Natalia is wearing his coat.

"That girl has daggers for eyes, but some opium in her drinks will loosen her up for later once you win," another comments.

Though Rueben forces a laugh with his friends, sweat beads on his brow, and he steps away from the table. His steps feel heavier with each move before he finally stands at the bar a few feet from the twins.

"Alright, Net-eer-eye-on Ryder." The barkeep butchers his name. "Jeez, kid, your parents must have hated you to give you a name like that. You versus... name, please?" He asks Rueben as he approaches the bar.

The first thing he wanted to do was use an alias, but that would be pointless and only make him look weak to his friends. "Rueben Rochfort."

Before heading to the Everlasting Expanse, Rueben had won a few sparring matches when he was low on Coin. He earned enough respect that people wouldn't challenge him, as he appeared to be an easy pick compared to the veteran fighters. Those fights didn't earn him any reputation suitable for fighting circuits in the Magcore Cavity, but his fighting experience has helped him get by.

When someone representing the Sullivan Head offered the job some time ago, paying for the one-time visa so he and Alan could go to the desert, the pay was the most money he'd ever seen. Hence, the lavish spending on drinks and gambling in fights.

Though he took the crossbow and the sword, he gave the crossbow to his friend, thinking he wouldn't have use for it. The sword makes a nice bragging piece to anyone who sees it, though it's probably what got him caught by these two.

The barkeep scans a ledger and spots Rueben's name from previous fights. Seeing the dates, it's only for this year. He doesn't find Neterion's name, probably because the ledger only includes return fighters from the current year, and Neterion hasn't fought here in some time. They don't bother with fighters who come around occasionally.

"Alright, Rueben, you have three wins, one loss. Bare knuckle boxing, still your usual?"

Rueben nods, then the barkeep looks to Neterion. "Don't see you here, so you're a rookie. Style of fighting?"

Knowing his usual fighting style would make the fight too easy, Neterion chooses the closest Colonial alternative, "Kickboxing."

While the barkeep watches the two of them, he mutters to himself as he starts jotting things down in the ledger.

"Rookie is at +200, returner at -500. We don't have a ring open yet, so you have some time before you're up. Any bets are with the betkeepers at your assigned ring. You'll see which ring from your names on the board. Don't make a big mess for us to clean."

The twins must admit that the place has become more refined since they last came. More jobs, more money, and more bets lead to further improvements in a more organized fighting club.

While Rueben returns to his seat, watching the twins find an empty table, Natalia sits down, and Neterion remains standing, stretching before the fight. As he lunges with his legs, placing his foot on the seat, the friends with Rueben also watch, laugh, and shake their heads.

"Like stretching is going to keep him from an ass-whooping," one jokes.

They watch Neterion kick into the air to warm up his kicks and throw a few basic punches. Then he begins with some precise and swift kick and punch combos. It isn't until he takes off his boots and places his foot on the table, unfastening some leather coverings on his calves, that the men grow curious.

Attached inside the coverings are training weights, more on his forearms, which are also removed. Each of them makes a thud as they drop onto the table. Natalia collects the weights and holds them for safekeeping, then takes his swords and straps them onto her back. When he kicks now, it's fast enough to produce an audible swish in the air, even being some feet from them.

By now, the friends no longer comment. Even so, they still hype up Rueben, whose expression shifts from concerned to worried.

The more he observes Neterion, the more he realizes he's going to be beaten down. Looking at the sword and crossbow, they gradually became small trinkets in comparison to the blow Neterion is determined to deliver to his ego. For a moment, he is tempted to hand them over without a fight.

Neterion removes his overshirt in favor of a light, sleeveless undershirt. His frame is thin, but he's lean and well-toned. As he takes off his fingerless gloves, they notice identical whip scars on the backs of his hands that are on his face. While Natalia places the bandana she's borrowing on his head to keep back his hair and absorb sweat during the fight, Neterion is ready at any moment.

After some time, when a fight ends and the platform is cleaned, their names are posted on the board. While the twins head to the ring, Rueben has been observing all of Neterion's kicks and combos. He favors using his right leg more, with occasional punches from his right hand, while his left side is used to keep him grounded and for defense.

'As long as I watch his right side...' Rueben thinks to himself while stripping off his armor for his clothes underneath.

One can say he looks strong, but he doesn't have a daily routine like Neterion does. Since the alcove space only accommodates the fighting platform, all spectators must stand at the archway to watch. Two people standing at the archway on either side hold clipboards and handheld devices.

With the two of them going to their platform, they each place a finger into a port at the top of the handheld tool. Both feel a prick to their finger as it takes a sample of their blood, displaying their information to ensure they are who they say they are.

Besides one's name, a Colonial's most definitive identification is their blood. Since their technology is rooted in the magic buried in their blood, numerous technological advancements have been made in documenting, categorizing, and identifying every Colonial with it.

For people who place bets, a sample is taken from them, as a sort of blood-bound signature. That they initiated the bet, will be properly identified to collect winnings, and are solely responsible for any debts from a loss.

As the bet keeper looks at Neterion's information, their eyes widen at what is displayed. Place of Birth: Ebonsea Garrison.

Since Neterion has already climbed onto the platform, Rueben isn't far behind, though less enthusiastic.

After they place their bets, Rueben's friends gather around the entryway, nearly shoving Natalia out of the way to get a clear view. Rude, but at least they wouldn't notice her standing behind them. The moment they started watching Neterion warm up, she became invisible to them.

Neterion raises his hands, fingers slightly curled, his eyes focused on Rueben. As Rueben puts his hands up, he balls his hands into tight fists.