A Viper's Venom

Sponsor

Fifteen are down in the space of a second. The arena is complete chaos. Blades and bludgeons swing left, right and center, taking out any and all people in their path. Gold and red and bronze blood merge as it soaks into the sand.

A whoosh of air off to my right makes me duck just as a long sword attempts to swipe at my head. I spin on my knees and drive my katana through the stomach of the sword's wielder. While I yank my blade free, I use the other to block another sword trying to slice my throat. Stealth killing was more my style, so this free for all bloodbath will prove to be an interesting experience and a bit of a challenge. With my katana now free, one swift movement is all it takes to cut him off at the knees, and create a nice deep gash across his jugular. I whip my head around just in time to catch an arrow sailing towards my heart, and back-hand it into someone's eye.

Slice, feint, strike, parry, stab, repeat. My body takes over, every movement precise and purposeful. My mind goes blank as I send body after body crumpling to the floor. Blood of all kinds stains my blades, and my hands, as they have never done before.

Something slams into me, sending me sprawling across the red, bronze, and gold sand. I land hard, and the wind is knocked from my lungs. I gasp for air, reaching for my blade, but another strike, this time to my back, makes me collapse again. My spine crackles from the impact.

I manage to roll over, my abdomen aching terribly, but I have to leap out of the way of a massive arm about to smash my face in. The fist hits the ground with such force that I hear the cement under the sand crack. The Herc behind the hand turns to me, an annoyed grumble deep in his throat. I glare him down for a moment, then grab my katana from the sand and launch myself at him. He may be inhumanly strong, but strength is no match for speed. I slide on my knees to avoid one of his blows, and quickly spin on my heels, driving my blade straight through his chest. The Herc collapses instantly, and I move on to my next target, forcing back the aches and pain.

A few times I catch glimpse of Soren, and he works with as much precision and skill as me. He will certainly prove to be a worthy competitor.

Before I know it, a voice echoes across the arena, stopping everyone cold. I have to blink the blood lust out of my eyes so I can focus on the voice. "AND THAT FOLKS CONCLUDES THE FIRST EVENT OF THE VIPER TRIALS! THE CONTESTANTS YOU SEE BEFORE YOU WILL BE CONTINUING WITH THE TRIALS!" My eyes flick around the arena, taking note of the forty or so people still standing, one of them is Soren, not to my surprise. "SPONSORS! CHOOSE YOUR CONTENDERS!"

The announcer moves around the arena with the assistance of a portalkeeper, disappearing from one person's side and reappearing a second later in front of someone else, sometimes right across the other side of the arena. I've always wondered what it would feel like to teleport.

The announcer keeps yelling names of contestants, and then their sponsors, but my name hasn't been called yet. I don't care though, I don't need a sponsor. They basically just provide you with money and company to events.

"LIEUTENANT SOREN MAESTROM! YOU ARE SPONSORED BY COUNT ATTICUS DARIAN, LORD OF HOUSE DARIAN!" The crowd cheers, but I hear groans from various points around the arena, obviously from nobles wanting to sponsor him themselves.

Soren takes to the stairs that had appeared with the help of some telks after the event had ended, and stands beside his sponsor. He stands tall and proud, his head held high and his intense stormy eyes staring out at the rest of the arena. He had several cuts across his arms, and small streams of gold glinted brightly in the setting sun as they ran across his skin.

Several other contenders find sponsors, and I'm getting bored just standing around. I wipe the blood off my katanas with my skirt.

"PHOENIX RENARIS! YOU HAVE BEEN SPONSORED BY GRAND DUKE ADRIEN ERUTTARE! WHAT AN HONOUR!"

I do a double-take as the arena applauds, but several gasps and whispers of shock catch my ear. Surprised, I glance around the arena, until my eyes fall on the man from the garden last night. Chocolate curls perfectly framing his face, striking amber eyes visible from a mile away, skin pale against the red, gold and black of his suit. I raise an eyebrow, but stride towards the stairs at the edge of the arena, sheathing my katanas in one smooth movement. In a matter of moments, I'm standing beside him, and the announcer continues on. I remain silent by Adrien's side.

As I gaze out to the arena from this new perspective, I realize just how large this place really is. My eyes catch sight of a familiar figure on the royal terrace, seated next to a grey-haired man with a stern gaze. The boy's raven hair and perfect stature are impossible to mistake. The Crown Prince sits quietly, perfectly poised and back straight, the gold trim of his uniform sparkling in the setting sun, contrasting nicely against the silky blue fabric. Next to him are two other boys, and I assume they are his brothers. One looks to be around six or seven, but the other is probably only maybe a year younger than Vel. While the younger one is basically a smaller version of Vellan, the older boy has the same golden hair as the queen. Behind the queen and king, are two men in dress uniforms as black as midnight, the only splashes of color were the silver trim, the royal emblem - a blue and white eagle behind a golden crown - and several medals of honor. Their gazes were stern and alert, and their stance was just as vigilant. The Vipers of the king and queen.

I don't even notice that the announcer has stopped speaking. Save for the hundreds of dead bodies on the field, everyone has found themselves a sponsor.

The king rises from his seat, and Vellan follows, taking his place next to his father at the edge of the terrace. The entire arena falls silent when the king raises his hand, and his image is displayed on the illusion screen.

"People of Solaria," the king begins. I fight the urge to scoff. This isn't all the people of your kingdom, this is only the people worth taking notice of. The only people worth your attention. "The Viper, is the highest honor one can receive, and it is wonderful to see so many contestants worthy of becoming my eldest son's Viper. His most skilled guard, his most trusted advisor, his right hand. I look forward to bestowing the title of Viper on the young man or woman who stands above the rest, and proves themselves worthy of such an honor."

The entire arena erupts in applause. Even though I am on the other side of the colossal stadium, I lock eyes with Vellan. I find my fingers tracing my wrist again, feeling my skin for a power-binding mark I know I won't find.

Win the trials, then the God-forsaken oath will disappear, and I will finally be able to kill him. Beat the other contestants, and win. How hard can that be?