The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 20

The dwarf was sent off to the market to get something to eat while the giant worked the bellows and Hugh tried to work the Vulcan steel. It wasn’t particularly heavy, but after Hugh was positive that he had heated it up as much as he possibly could, it was still as solid as cold steel. He hammered it harder and harder, until he split the handle of the hammer.

He held it up before a shocked looking giant, wiggling it about on the last wood fibers still holding it together broke and the head clanked on the ground. The giant started laughing.

“What’s unfortune,” said Hugh, “Is that I might have the strength to work it… if I had a set of tools already made of the same material.” He pointed to a small dent he made.

“I wonder how they got this stuff in the first place,” said the giant.

“Generally, you get iron by heating soil that is rich in iron, then you usually have to work it a bit to get it to the point where it’s steel. Or, it can be mined from rock… but not in a huge slag like this.”

“Can we get the furnace any hotter?”

Hugh looked at it. “I can modify the forge to make it more efficient, and we would get a lot more heat if we had additional or bigger bellows… I guess that’s what we need to do, is have both you and your brother on the bellows.” Hugh shook his head. “I don’t even know if this will make a good weapon. It’s so hard, I bet when I hammer it out, it will be brittle and have no bend.”

“So make it thick,” said the giant. “He said don’t make only one weapon with this. You could make two big weapons from this.”

Hugh shook his head. “Three, at least, probably with a bit left over, maybe enough for a dagger… I’m thinking a sword, a mace and an axe. Then I guess the dagger, if we have enough left after the axe.”

“You have it all planned out,” said the giant, “Except for the part where we actually work the metal.”

“I have that figured out, too,” Hugh said. “If we have to, we’ll just keep adding people on additional bellows.”

“At some point,” said the giant, “There won’t be any room for more, and what then?”

“We’ll have to build a bigger furnace,” Hugh said, smiling.

“You’ve got it all figured out,” she said, grinning as she shook her head.

The dwarf came back with several small fish, as well as three star shaped fruits. After they were done eating, they set about making two large bellows. They finished around sundown, and decided to give it a try in the workshop’s furnace before retiring for the night.

Even with both the giant and dwarf, it was not enough. Everyone got sweaty, and the fire got white hot, but still the Vulcan steel remained unworkable. Before Hugh could break another hammer, he decided to call it a day.

The next morning they went about creating a furnace over twice as large. The first step was securing a space. They had Henry send a request to Walker, who immediately granted them a small tract along the Lys river on the outskirts of the city. When they got there, Hugh noted a strange contraption attached to the side of the building across from their lot. It was a large, wooden wheel that spun with the current.

They decided the best thing to do was just build the forge out in the open. It had seemed silly to Hugh that the other workshop was indoors. They went back to the barracks and began firing bricks. They loaded a wheelbarrow, and then the dwarf slowly brought it to the site. When he returned, he loaded the newly completed bricks and made another trip. This continued until the dwarf said they had enough.

They then brought shovels and plenty of wood with them to the new site, and when they arrived they began building the furnace. It would be only slightly larger than the one they had built at home on their island. When it was complete, they began to stoke a massive fire with fresh wood to coat the inside of the furnace with ash and tar, helping to seal it. By the time they began digging a pit to make charcoal, the sun was starting to go down. They abandoned work on it, deciding they didn’t have enough wood anyway.

The next morning they returned, dug a shallow but large pit, and filled it with all the wood they had. They went to get more, and ended up making two more trips. They covered it with the dirt they had excavated and sod they cut from the ground, creating a large mound of dirt-covered wood. They left a hole in the middle open, where they poured lantern fuel, then lit it. Once they knew it was burning, they covered the hole with a large piece of sod.

The dwarf was on mound watch first, as any breaks in the dirt that showed fire had to be quickly covered with dirt again. The giant prepared the forge while Hugh went to fetch an anvil, tools, and some iron and steel. He decided he would make a set of tools in the new forge while he waited for the charcoal.

Hugh crafted several hammers, swages, fullers, a few different sized punches, a couple broaches, some chisels, a handful of auger bits, and a chopping axe for felling trees, as he could see woods off in the distance that were actually closer than the walk back to the workshop.

As the axe head was cooling, the sun began to go down. The giant and dwarf brought the axe head to the workshop to affix a haft, while Hugh stayed to watch the clamp. The giant promised to come relieve him later that night.

Hugh sat in the grass watching the sun setting over the city. The moon was barely a sliver in the sky. The rushing sound of the river was enough to make Hugh want to close his eyes and fall asleep… so he got up and walked around the clamp, looking for any spots where the dirt had fallen through or rolled away.

“Hey!” someone shouted. It was distant, from across the river. Hugh squinted in the twilight and saw a woman waving at him. “How are you?” she yelled.

“I’m fine, how are you?” replied Hugh.

“What?” she yelled.

“I’m fine, how are you?” hollered Hugh.

“Great, now that I have a new neighbor!” she said. She went inside her house, the one with the strange wheel in the water, and came back with a bow and arrow. “Here, take hold on this,” she shouted, then shot an arrow across the river some ways away from Hugh. It landed with a thud. The arrow had a metal weight on the end of it, and was trailed by a rope. “Tie it off on that tree stump, I want to cross over.”

Hugh tied the rope to the stump while the women dragged a small boat into the shore, which she carefully set in the rushing waters. Using the rope, she pulled herself and the boat across, debarking and pulling the boat up onto shore when she got to Hugh’s side. “Sorry,” she said, “All the bridges have been knocked out for miles.” She pointed to a stone structure further up stream, and Hugh saw another just like it on the other shore.

“I’m Hugh.”

“My name’s Theora,” she said. “What are you building over here?”

“A forge,” said Hugh. “And over there we’re making charcoal.”

“What’s charcoal?”

“It’s wood that has been burned in the absence of air,” said Hugh. “When it’s ready, it will burn much hotter than a wood furnace.”

Theora nodded. “Interesting. So you’re a blacksmith?”

Hugh nodded.

“What do you make?”

“Pretty much anything,” said Hugh.

“I’m glad you’re here, then,” she said. “I have all sorts of things that could use forging. I’m sick of changing the shaft on my water wheel, which is wood and breaks every few weeks or so.”

“Is that what that is?” Hugh asked, pointing to the large wheel.

Theora nodded. “I use it to turn a few large vats which I put gemstones into. The vats spin as the wheel spins, which causes the stones to rub against each other. I also pour in some abrasive materials like sand or little bits of marble. The constant rubbing causes the gems to become smooth, like river rocks. I call it ‘an infinite stream,’ and I end up with several pounds of shiny, lustrous gems every month or so.”

Hugh nodded. “Clever. I’m sure I could forge an iron axle for that. Just give me a length and diameter measurement.”

“How much will it cost?” asked Theora.

“Don’t worry about it. I can get the iron I need from Walker and have it forged tomorrow. The charcoal will take a few more days, anyway, so I have nothing to do while we just wait.”

Theora’s eyes went wide. “Thank you! That’s very generous of you… though if you know Chancellor Edward enough to still call him ‘Walker,’ I guess that’s hardly much of an imposition.”

“You don’t know me?” asked Hugh. He had gotten used to people staring at him and whispering knowingly as he passed.

“Sorry, I don’t get out much,” she said. “I’m what you might call a bit bookish. Should I know you?”

“No,” said Hugh. “I would prefer this was how you first heard of me.” He smiled.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Hugh,” she said, walking back to her boat. “Would you like to come over for some tea?”

“I would love to,” said Hugh, “But I can’t. I’m watching the charcoal to make sure it stays covered in dirt. I will be relieved of my watch later tonight, but I fear you might well be asleep by then.”

“No need to worry there,” said Theora. “I don’t sleep well. Just come on over whenever you can, day or night. Odds are good I’ll be awake, probably reading. Just give one single knock at the door and I’ll know it’s you.” With that, she boarded her boat and pulled herself back across the river. On the other side, she shouted, “Better untie the rope so any ships that pass by don’t snap it.”

Hugh untied it and she pulled it back over to her side.

Hugh inspected the clamp again, adding more dirt to some areas that seemed thin to him. Late in the night, the giant came to relieve him. He walked into the waters of the river.

“Where are you going?” asked the giant.

“The woman across the river invited me over tonight,” Hugh said.

The giant shook her head. “Scandalous, Hugh, scandalous.”

“Just watch the clamp,” said Hugh, before diving beneath the water. He swam effortlessly to the other side through the current. When he got to the far shore, he removed him cloak and wrung it as dry as he could. He came to the door, knocked, and heard rustling inside.

“Hugh!” she said, looking him up and down. “You’re soaked to the bone! Come in, sit by the fire.”

They stayed up talking in front of the hearth. Theora had inherited the house from her father, who was a foreman for a company of lumberjacks. He had built the home himself. Theora’s mom died in child birth, and she was raised mostly by her uncle, who was a retired magician. She never took to magic, but she did see the value in harness nature without spooky words, fancy hand gestures, or sacred runes.

“Yet, it’s all I know,” she said. “These gems I make will be inscribed with spells and curses, or made into charms. I also make lead tablets, which people inscribe with the name of the one they hope will fall in love with them, or else the name of a charioteer they hope will win… or lose.”

“Do you think they work?” asked Hugh.

“I find that magic tends to favor the faster horse,” said Theora.

Hugh smiled and nodded.

“What about you?” asked Theora. “Who were your parents?”

“My mother was a water nymph, and my father was a cyclops. People say I look like my father but act like my mother, which I suppose makes sense, since she stuck around to raise me.”

“What brings you to Polity?”

“It’s a long story,” said Hugh. “Suffice to say, I didn’t really intend to be here. It just sort of happened.”

“You don’t miss your home?”

“Sometimes,” said Hugh. “But me, the giant and the dwarf are the only ones living on our island. I imagine some traders might wonder where we are, but they’ll just pass on through.”

“I wish I could do that,” said Theora, “But I’m not suited for independent living.”

“You seem to take care of yourself,” Hugh said, looking around her house, which had strange objects strewn across every surface, including on top of piles of books and tablets.

“I rely on the city,” said Theora. “If I went off to live by myself, even if I found a place safe enough, I wouldn’t be able to make my own food, let alone build a home.”

“It’s not that hard,” said Hugh. “You learn quickly when you’re forced to do something.”

“I hope I’m never forced to give up this life,” she said. “I make a very comfortable living doing very little work, and I get to spend my time on my own projects, like this.” She stood and picked up a strange looking object that looked like a bow with a large box running across the middle. “I made this to shoot the arrow across the river, though I’m still working on getting it to work well. I bet metal parts would help.”

She handed it to Hugh and he looked at it a bit. He noticed a little peg, which moved.

“Come on,” she said, going outside. Hugh followed her. She took the contraption, pushed something, stuck her foot in a loop at the end, and pulled up. She handed it to Hugh. He gripped it in his hand awkwardly, and she pointed to the movable peg. He fidgeted with it, and when he moved it, the string on the cocked bow released. It shocked Hugh a bit.

“That’s nothing.” Theora went back inside, brought back an arrow attached to a long length of looped rope. The arrow was very short and appeared to be made of metal. She took the contraption, loaded the ammunition, and aimed it over the giant. “Incoming!”

In just a few moments, the whole length of rope was out and pulled taut, the other end held tightly in her hand. The giant looked at the rope as it hit the ground near her.

“It can go twice this far, probably farther,” she said.

“You’ll have to show me how this works,” said Hugh. “I could definitely make you metal parts for this.”

They went back inside and Hugh looked at all her things, as she explained them. He learned about wooden puzzle boxes, which have a trick to opening them. He saw dozens of wooden, bone, horn, clay, and reed instruments. She played a few to show how each sounded, and Hugh took a crack at using a bamboo flute, to squeaky results. He inspected piles of glistening gems. In the candle light, their surfaces glimmered.

“I need to get going,” said Hugh. “I need some sleep. I’m sure I’ll be back tomorrow.”

As Hugh lay in bed that night, he had trouble falling asleep. His mind was racing.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 19

Hugh forged a sword that looked like a question mark, with a sharpened edge on the outside of the curve, while the reverse side was to be left dull to be used in parrying. He also forged a very thin but long bladed axe, the head of which looked like the sun just peaking over the horizon, the point of which extended out several inches beyond the haft and could be used for stabbing.

Since Hugh gave Verne the day off, Hugh had the dwarf and giant working with him. He worked much faster with the two of them, as he had worked with them for years and the dwarf in particular had become skilled enough that he could hammer the same blade as Hugh, each striking while the other was lifting their hammer, while the giant would hold the piece in place with tongs.

After most of the work was finished, the giant sought out a haft for the axe and leather for wrapping. She began by fashioning the handle, pressing raised dimples to form grooves for the hand. By the time she was finished with this, the axe head was finished. The axe attached at two points, once at the top of the haft, where the wood had to be whittled down a bit to fit into eye.

It attached a second time at the bottom of the blade, where Hugh fashioned a flat peg at the bottom of the axe blade. This was wrapped tightly to the haft with leather to add stability during hard impacts, especially those made near the tip. They sent the sword off to have a hilt made after Hugh made a few more corrections.

“It’s nice not having to fashion a hilt,” said the dwarf.

“That was sort of one of my favorite parts,” said the giant.

“I can fashion you some carpentry tools,” said Hugh.

The giant smiled at Hugh. “Nah, it takes so long… it’d be nice to just have a break.”

The dwarf handled the new axe a bit. “I dunno… the one thing it’s really missing is a guard for the hand,” he said.

“Here,” said Hugh, pulling a short handled axe off the wall. “This is one of the axes carried by all the soldiers.” It had a small double sided blade that formed a wide U on top and an even wider U at the bottom. “It can be used for parrying or entrapping, and it’s weighted to throw.” Hugh wound up and hurled it at a large wooden support on the other side of the workshop, where it stuck with a dull thud.

“Nice,” said the dwarf. “Still, I’d rather have a shield than an axe.”

“Why?” asked a voice outside. The three of them turned to look at a man as he entered. He had a rough beard, lots of scars, a crooked nose, and close cropped brown hair.

“How can I help you?” asked Hugh.

“Well, I thought I’d come down and see the mythical monster who will be forging my weapons,” he said.

“My name’s Hugh.”

“It’s nice to see you have respect for our traditions,” said the man, walking up to the axe and pulling it out of the wall. “The polyaxe is a symbol of freedom. It’s kept us independent for centuries.”

“You shouldn’t stop using it,” said the dwarf. “You should just add a shield. If anything, you should have two of those polyaxes, since apparently you’re throwing them all over the place.”

“You think this city is just made of money?” the man asked.

“Um, yeah,” said the dwarf.

“Maybe it is, in the privileged corners you’ve been through,” said the man. “But most of the city goes hungry while a few grow fat.”

“If the rich want to keep what they have,” said Hugh, “They ought to be willing to protect the city to the best of their ability.”

“How much bronze or iron do you think we have?” asked the man.

“I’d prefer steel,” said Hugh.

The man stared at Hugh for a bit. “So would I,” he said.

“Who are you, by the way?” Hugh asked.

“Zador, master-at-arms of the Politian Navy. And whether you know it or not, the city’s naval forces are more than twice that of our land forces, so when the city changes its armed tactics, I’m responsible for explaining to over thirty thousand men why we are no longer using the weapons that have served them well for their whole lives, for their fathers’ whole lives, and for their grandfathers’ whole lives… you see where I’m going with this, I’m sure.”

Hugh nodded.

Zador walked over to Hugh and looked down at the axe he had just forged. “Now this I can use,” he said. “Did you harden the tip?”

“Yes,” said Hugh.

“This would made a perfect boarding axe,” said Zador, waving it about. “I bet you could even make these from bronze to save money.”

“Definitely,” said Hugh. “You might want to shorten the length of the toe, maybe to no more than a finger length.”

“What’s in it for you?” asked Zador.

“What do you mean?” asked Hugh.

“Why do you care what happens to the city? How do I know you weren’t sent here by the Otros to sabotage our defenses?”

“This city has treated me well since I arrived, I wouldn’t hurt anyone here,” Hugh said. “I just like helping people.”

“Is that what you did in the market?” asked Zador.

Hugh looked down.

“You think people will mistake you for some other cyclops?” Zador asked, craning his neck down to look into Hugh’s eye.

“What’s he talking about?” asked the giant.

“I had no idea what was happening until it was over,” said Hugh.

“Until what was over?” asked the dwarf.

Zador set the axe down. “He dumped coins in the market to distract people while an army of street urchins stole everything they could carry away.”

“What law does that break?” asked the giant.

“Disorderly conduct, for one,” said Zador. “Aiding and abetting theft, for another. Conspiracy to defraud market vendors… oh, and trespassing, since you walked through someone’s home.”

Hugh looked up, “I’m sorry.”

“Save it,” said Zador. “The Chancellor already took care of everything. He actually seemed all too happy to do it. He laughed when he heard what you did. I can’t say I reacted quite the same.”

Zador walked out of the workshop and turned back. “I don’t think you’re here to destroy us,” he said. “But it’s still my job to make sure you don’t do it accidentally.”

“I’ll make sure you have an easy job,” said Hugh.

Zador nodded and left.

“What was that about the market?” asked the dwarf.

Hugh told them about Theoson, from when he saw him begging at the statue until that morning when he had thrown coins into the market.

“It sounds like he’s mad,” said the dwarf.

“He’s too calculating to be crazy,” Hugh said.

“He’s just angsty,” said the giant.

“He’s too motivated to be miserable,” Hugh said.

The twins both shrugged and went back to work. Hugh stood there for a moment, thinking, then he smiled. “You can sit this one out,” Hugh said the dwarf. “I want to try something different.”

He chose a relatively small piece of steel, and hammered it into a very long blade, except Hugh fashioned the blade to be round in the middle.

“Is that a double ended sword?” asked the dwarf.

“No,” said Hugh.

Hugh tempered it for a long time, much longer than normal, giving it a more ductile, bendy quality.

“It must be some sort of mechanism or tool,” said the giant.

“Nope,” said Hugh.

After some more hammering, Hugh pinched notches at each end, and the twins both got it.

After it was cooled and strung, Hugh and the twins went to go find an arrow. There was a fletcher located kitty-corner to the workshop, and they bought five blunted arrows to test out the bow. When they got to the archery range within the barracks, the giant shot first. She thought it had a difficult draw and much less power than most bows. The dwarf and Hugh both agreed after they had taken a few shots.

“Still,” said Hugh, “If you keep it oiled, it’s far more durable than a wooden or horn bow, and it’s definitely not going to be damaged by the moist shore air like layered composite bows.”

“Why is it so long?” asked the dwarf.

“I am fairly sure a shortbow made of steel would be little more than a dangerous toy,” Hugh said. “It’s more of a curiosity than anything else, a bow that can be repaired and used again and again. It should resist most wear and tear, plus I made it completely reversible, so if it starts to lose its integrity in one direction, you can flip the string.”

“Maybe for an army that is marching into a desert,” said the giant. “But I could make a bow better than this with just a few tools. And you still need to make string, so it’s not completely replacement-free. ”

Hugh nodded. “Well, like I said, it’s a curiosity.”

When he got back, Walker was in the workshop with a small group of people, including Brad.

“Ah, Hugh, so glad I found you,” said Walker. “What’s that you got there? A new creation, I hope.”

“Steel bow,” said Hugh. “I was testing the tensile strength. I think I’d need it thicker for it to be viable”

Walker shook his head. “I need to teach you the golden rule. Find a way to do it cheaper. What I ultimately need is to figure out how to make everything you’re done in wrought iron or bronze, maybe even impurity ridden copper if you can manage it. I like this,” he walked up and lifted the thrusting axe. “Not much metal, wooden handle. We have unlimited wood, but we don’t have any mines of our own, let alone miners to work them.”

“So where do you get it?” asked Hugh.

“We trade for it,” Walker said. “With spices, salt, pottery, glass… maybe even some of your weapons. Your talents far exceed that of designing weapons for the everyday soldier, you know.”

Walker took something with both hands from someone with him. He set it down on the anvil with a clunk and motioned for Hugh to come over. Hugh pulled back two layers of sack cloth to find a thick, irregular hunk of metal, pitted but mostly smooth, with a sheen like that of silver, only less white and more blue.

“This is Vulcan steel,” said Walker. “If you can figure out a way to work with it, each weapon you make could be sold for the price of a large ship or a flock of livestock or… dozens of slags of steel.”

Walker left with his entourage. He turned back as he got to the street. “Don’t use it all in one weapon,” he shouted.

Hugh was about to set to work when he remembered something and ran after Walker.

“Walker, I mean… Chancellor Edward,” Hugh shouted down the street. He jogged to catch up.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I forgot to… well, I’m sorry about the market, but Theoson wanted me to tell you that ‘your old teacher wonders if you are living well.’”

Brad chuckled and shook his head.

“Tell my old teacher…” Walker began, trailing off and thinking for a bit. “Tell my old teacher that I am living as well as a rich man can.”

“Again, I’m sorry about the whole –”

“Don’t mention it,” said Walker. “When I heard what had happened, I knew you were an unwitting pawn. Just see to it that you don’t facilitate his antics anymore… and try not to involve me next time.” Walker winked. “I did get a kick out of hearing about it, but it wouldn’t look good if people knew that money came from my own coffers.”

The group walked away, except for Brad. “If you want to learn,” said Brad, “Come to the Scholia. Henry can give you directions, or you can ask around. It’s a well known building. It’s where we hold public discussions that are open to all. We don’t think knowledge comes from mischief or madness, but from thoughtful debate. Consider this my personal invitation.” He bowed a bit and walked off.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 18

Hugh woke up early and brought the bags of coins to the fountain across from Theoson’s tree.

“I’m here,” said Hugh. “I have the coins.”

Theoson grumbled something unintelligible, and after a minute or so he climbed down the tree.

“That was quick,” he said. “Well, hold onto them for today, I need to talk to some people. Come back tomorrow and I’ll be ready.”

Hugh went back to his room, stowed the bags under his bed, then made his way to the workshop in the barracks. Verne was smelting ingots when he arrived. Hugh talked with him as he worked regarding what needed to be done. Verne said he needed to design a sword that was heavy at the end but which could also be used to stab. It would not be used by cavalry, and would need to be used in close quarters.

Hugh thought for a bit as Verne finished, then proceeded to spend the day forging a sword no longer than from fingertip to elbow on most adult men. The back edge was straight, but the sharp edge was like a rounded L with an angle greater than 90 degrees. The thickest part of the sword was slightly over half as thick at where the sword would meet the hilt.

“Nice blood groove,” Verne said, pointing to a long, deep indent that ran straight up the length of the back edge.

“Actually, it’s a fuller,” said Hugh. “It’s not for allowing blood to flow out, it’s for shaving off some weight and for tweaking the balance. I want as much weight in the front of the blade as I can get.”

Verne nodded. “Can you stab with that blade?”

“You can,” said Hugh, “Though the point is probably not capable of cutting thick armor. It’s more of a slashing weapon, and even stab wounds will have a tendency to leave large, long wounds rather than facilitate deep penetration.”

Verne chuckled. “Penetration,” he repeated.

“Anyway,” said Hugh, “I will make another where the angle is even more extreme, so it will still be tip-heavy, but it can be used more for stabbing. I just figured I would try something new for the first attempt.”

Hugh began work on the second blade, and worked well into the night, much to Verne’s dismay. “I promise you can have the whole day off tomorrow,” said Hugh.

“That’s not how it works,” said Verne. “I still have to be here in the morning to smelt.”

“I’ll try to be back in the afternoon,” said Hugh. “I’ll say I need your help, and you can go someplace where you can take a nap.”

Verne just kept working the bellows.

Not long after, Hugh took the hint and decided to call it quits for the night. Hugh left the partially forged blade hanging by a strap from the rafters.

The next morning, Hugh skipped eating and went to see Theoson. He stood facing the direction Hugh usually came from, smiling with one side of his mouth.

“Bring those and follow me,” Theoson said, pointing to the bags.

They walked towards the market and turned into an alcove with stairs. At the top, they crossed a roof and came to a parapet overlooking the market. Theoson took one of the bags from Hugh’s hand and shouted down below.

“A gift to the city’s merchants!”

He then buried his hand into the bag and threw a handful of coins down below. He did this a few times, then moved further down the roof and threw more. He climbed and jumped along closely set rooftops and continued tossing coins down on the market. Vendors and customers scurried on hands and knees for the coins in the street.

Theoson looked back to Hugh, who hadn’t moved, and waved him over. Hugh caught up to him and Theoson asked, “Why don’t you join me?”

Hugh began tossing coins down as well. They slowly made their way along a good length of the market, until they got to a point where the rooftops were separated by a wide ally, with no way to cross. Theoson began chucking coins as hard as he could, as far as he could. Hugh joined in.

Before too long, both of them were turning their bags upside down over the street below. Theoson began laughing. Within seconds, there were angry shouts form the market.

“Come on,” said Theoson, turning and heading down a set of stairs. This led through someone’s home, and the two of them quickly walked past a women making bread, trying not to make eye contact. Hugh couldn’t avoid glancing at her. She just looked nervous.

“Sorry,” Hugh said, passing through.

Once in the street again, Theoson began walking away from the market, while Hugh turned back to look. There was loud shouting coming from the market. When Hugh caught up with Theoson, he was laughing.

“There couldn’t have been more than a handful of silver pieces worth of coin in those bags,” he said. “We’ve fed all the poor in the city for a few days with it.”

“What?” asked Hugh.

“Look.” Theoson pointed to two young boys carrying cherry-apples in their shirt, which they held like a small basket. He pointed again to an old woman with two big loaves of bread tucked under her arm.

“You made that possible,” said Theoson, smiling.

“I don’t get it,” said Hugh.

“They stole it while we distracted the merchants.”

“No…”

“Yes,” said Theoson. “But don’t feel bad. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made more money from what we threw than what was taken, since so much of their food goes bad before they can even sell it. Can you fathom that, Hugh? They let perfectly good food spoil right before their eyes while thousands of people around them starve.”

“I don’t feel right about this,” said Hugh.

“Of course not,” said Theoson, “You’re a good person. You think about what you do, and you want to do the right thing. So think about this: a rich man is like a berry vine that grows over the edge of a cliff. It grows well, has the privilege of unobstructed sunlight, and produces fine fruit, but it does no one any good… because no one can get to it over the edge of the cliff.”

Hugh just remained quiet.

“When wealth moves into a city,” said Theoson, “Virtue is evicted. And yet, frugality is a virtue that can be practiced by anyone, even in the presence of such decadence. Ultimately, one must realize that there is only one kind of happiness, and it cannot be bought. True happiness can only come from your ability to live properly, for this is the only happiness that does not rely on the fickle nature of the Fates and Graces. If your happiness is derived from your own actions and attitudes, then you have a happiness that is completely under your own control.”

“What does that have to do with facilitating a mass theft?” asked Hugh.

“Laws and conventions are mortal, ethics are eternal,” Theoson said. “What we did was feed the hungry. If we had physically hurt someone, or perhaps even threatened to hurt someone, I might see how horrible our actions were. What we did was play on the insatiability of greed, the obsession for more, and the inherent inclination for this weakness to allow people to drop their guard.”

Hugh remained quiet for the rest of their walk back to the tree. Once they were there, Theoson turned to him. “What is wisdom?”

“Knowing what is right,” said Hugh.

“That’s not enough,” said Theoson. “Wisdom isn’t only knowing what is right, wisdom is the ability to figure out how to actually do the right thing. If wisdom results from just knowing what was right, then everyone who knows what the right thing to do is would be wise. True wisdom is in the doing, not the knowing.”

“That sounds more like ethics to me,” Hugh said.

“There is hardly any difference between the wise man and the ethical man,” said Theoson. “The one possible exception is that the ethical man who has no idea what he’s doing is right is little more than a moral fool. If a fool does something without understanding why it is right – say, if he were merely told to do it, and he obeyed – it’s not as though he really made an ethical decision.”

“If what you say is true,” said Hugh. “Then I am a fool, for if what we did was right, I had no idea.”

“Good,” said Theoson. “That’s the first step: admitting that you are a fool. The next step is to abandon all that you care for. We must demolish what has already been built, and lay a new foundation, upon which you will a build stronghold of wisdom to defend a happiness which will always be safe.”

Hugh just stood quietly.

“You have made a good first step,” said Theoson. “Now, we need to get you to give up the last of what you own.”

“I don’t own much,” said Hugh.

“I used to own only my cloak, my staff, and a bowl,” said Theoson. “Then, the other day, I saw a child cupping her hands and taking a drink from the fountain. It angered me greatly, because a young girl was able to beat me in simplicity. I stomped my bowl to splinters right then and there. I am still lobbying to have the public nudity laws abolished so that I may abandon even my cloak.”

“And your stick?” asked Hugh.

“That’s where you come in,” said Theoson. “I imagine as long as I have you around, I won’t need this.”

“You expect me to carry you?” asked Hugh.

Theoson laughed. “No, I walk just fine. I sometimes limp to give the appearance of weakness.” He tossed his staff to the ground, walked into the grass under his tree, crouched, then did a backflip. Hugh chuckled despite himself.

“I won many Triumphants in my time,” said Theoson.

“I don’t know what that means,” said Hugh.

“They’re the triennial pan-Kolic games.”

Hugh just stared at him.

Theoson sighed. “They’re a set of sporting events that happen every three years that are open to all cities and towns within the Kole Empire, which includes the city you are now standing.”

“Oh,” Hugh said.

“You’d probably throw a mean hammer, and I bet you’d easily win boxing, wrestling and all-in fighting. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get recruited. Where did you say you were from again?”

“A small island in a pond,” said Hugh.

“I should like to see it one day,” said Theoson. “Your dazzling description makes it sound so idyllic…”

Hugh smiled.

“You like sarcasm, do you?”

“I do,” said Hugh. “I rarely use it myself, but it reminds me of two people I know very well.”

“Are they alive?”

Hugh nodded. “They’re staying with me in the city.”

“If you must love someone,” Theoson said, “Love someone who is dead.”

“Why?”

“You cannot lose a dead person again.”

“I don’t want to think about that,” Hugh said.

“Of course not, and yet everyone will die.”

Hugh sighed. “Yes, I suppose everyone will die.”

“That should comfort you,” said Theoson.

“Why?”

“True wisdom is to despise wealth, pleasure, education, and even life itself. One should embrace the inevitable. Just a bit of wealth and pleasure results in poverty and hardship for many. Education is pointless, because for every man who attains wisdom, a thousand fools are born, and there is no use anyway, because that wisdom will soon be extinguished when the inevitability of death comes to the wise man. But… death also comes to the fools, and to the liars, and to the thieves, and to the murderers… no one can escape their mortality. Death keeps us free from the wretchedness of our ancestors.”

Theoson walked up to Hugh and leaned in close. “Do not fear death, for it is the only thing in life that is fair. Everyone will only get one.”

He went and sat down under his tree. He yelled to Hugh as he was turning to leave, “If you see the Chancellor, tell him his former teacher wonders if he is living well.”

Hugh went off to the workshop to work on a new sword idea he had.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 17

Back at the docks, Hugh told the twins he would meet up with them later at Walker’s estate.

“Disappearing again? Gee, Hugh… should I be asking what her name is?” the dwarf joked.

Hugh tussled the dwarf’s hair. Hugh walked back to the market, where he knew how to get to the fountain across from Theoson’s tree. When he got there, Theoson was walking around the courtyard carrying a lit lantern in broad daylight. Hugh came up to him.

Without looking him in the eye, Theoson said, “I am looking for someone.”

“Are you looking for me?” Hugh asked.

“I don’t know. Are you the one I’ve been looking for?”

Hugh took the lantern from his hand, blew out the flame, and handed it back to him. Theoson looked up at Hugh and grinned, a crazed look in his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re on board,” Theoson said. “Your next lesson: procure two large bags of coins.”

Hugh stared at him.

“I don’t have any coins for you, what are you looking at me for?” asked Theoson.

“You want to use me to acquire wealth?” asked Hugh.

“It’s not for me,” Theoson replied. “It’s for the wealthy.”

“For the –”

Theoson shushed him and pointed off towards Walker’s estate.

Hugh walked off as Theoson leaned against his staff and relit his lantern.

Hugh found the twins inside Walker’s home talking to Henry.

“I need to make some money,” said Hugh.

“Ha, it is a woman!” said the dwarf.

“No, there’s just something I want to buy.” Hugh stared at Henry.

After a few seconds, Henry said, “I’m not a bank, Hugh.”

“Maybe there’s something I could do that I could be paid for?” Hugh asked.

“I’m also not a recruiter.”

“Henry, please,” said Hugh. “I don’t know anyone else in the city who can help me.”

Henry sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples with his fingers. After a few seconds of this, he said, “You know what? We need a stableboy at the moment. You can do that for now. If anything comes up, I’ll be sure to keep you… and your unique talents… in mind.”

“Okay,” said Hugh. “What’s a stableboy?”

Two hours later, Hugh had shoveled thirteen horses worth of shit from their stalls. When Henry came in to check on his progress, Hugh was brushing a small bay.

“As it turns out,” said Henry, “The Chancellor has need of your services.”

“Does it involve killing anyone…” Hugh looked at the horse he was brushing, “Or anything?”

“No,” said Henry, “He wants to discuss a project of vast importance to the city.”

Hugh met with Walker in the chancellery. As Hugh entered, Walker was talking with several people he didn’t recognize. Walker motioned Hugh to come over, saying, “Hugh! We’ve been awaiting your arrival. What do you know about walls?”

“I know you build them if you want to keep someone out, or if you want to keep someone in.”

The group laughed. When he was done chuckling, Walker asked, “We were thinking more along the lines of… do you know how to build them?”

“What’s there to know? You stack something up high in a long line,” said Hugh.

This time, there was nervous laughter. “There’s more to it than that,” said a man sitting on a couch. “There are calculations, material concerns, issues with topography and foundation integrity…”

Another man added, “There are questions of specifics, like how tall and how wide…”

“I’m sorry,” said Hugh. “I’m no architect.”

“Here’s the situation,” said Walker. “I’ve ordered our fleet to begin pillaging the outlying villages of Otros. If their invading forces turn back, we can harass them until winter, which will buy us time until spring. We’ve decided to begin production of poleaxes, complete with the hook for dragging cavalry off their horses. We’re also going to work on making those portable walls you mentioned.

“If this delays the invasion, we’re also going to begin construction of a fortified wall on just the south side of the city, as this is where they will be coming from, and it will extend along the Lys river, which runs northwest out of the city. That wall will extend as long as we can make it, and it’s necessary for protecting our source of water in the event of a siege. We don’t have to worry about them sailing around it, as they have no navy to speak of.”

Hugh nodded.

Walker cast his hand over the room. “These are the city’s best architects and stone masons.”

“I’m afraid I’m out of my league in this group,” Hugh said. “You won’t need me.”

“Don’t you want to learn?” Walker asked. “You strike me as a curious person, and these are the best instructors you’ll ever find.”

“Not to diminish their talents,” Hugh said, “But I haven’t noticed many military walls around here. I wonder how much more experience they have in the matter than I do.”

There was grumbling, except from one of them. That one said, “He’s right, you know. We’re not qualified to do this, that’s why we were waiting for him and hoping he could guide us. We’re trying to do something we’ve never done before, and we face an enemy that is capable of crushing us with little effort. We know they have engineers who are capable of building siege weapons that can bypass every defense they have faced so far. We need to come up with something new, something we and no one else has thought of, and that’s why I think you should stay, Hugh. You’re just as likely to hold the answer as we are. You might even have the advantage of being an outsider, with strange, foreign ideas.”

Everyone was quiet, and Hugh slowly moved over to a chair and took a seat, leaning in like he was listening to someone who wasn’t speaking.

It was Walker who broke the silence. “Someone surprise me.”

“The basic principle behind a defensive wall,” said Hugh, “Is that it provides both a barrier of advancement for the attacker, and a height advantage for the defender. If you expect them to sustain a long siege, you need a wall wide enough that your troops can move easily atop it. You also want the wall to be slightly curved outward, never straight, so that impact on the wall will be better distributed, like in an arch. It’s also a good idea to dig a depression in front of the wall along the entire length.”

Everyone nodded. “What do we build the wall out of?” someone asked.

“What do you have?” asked Hugh.

“We have vast sandstone quarries.”

“That’s too soft,” Hugh said. “You want something hard, heavy… like granite.”

“We have granite,” Walker said, “But nowhere near enough of it to construct a wall of this size.”

“Enough to do the front side of the wall, up to about a man’s height?” Hugh asked.

Walker thought for a bit. “Possibly… we’d need a surveyor to make estimates.”

“That’s a good idea,” said someone said. “Granite on the bottom will form a sturdy foundation, and that is probably the part of the wall that will take the most punishment.”

“How tall do we ultimately make the wall?” asked someone else.

“As tall as you can,” said Hugh.

“We already need to make it as long as we can,” someone said. “It’s not a good idea to build endlessly upwards and longwise.”

“We’ll have estimates made once we know the materials,” said Walker. “What I need is to know what we’re using, and how long it will take to construct. We won’t have longer than a year.”

There was more discussion on types of stone, brick making, use of mortar, the dimensions of the battlements, and even the possibility of constructing a mud wall in front of the wall of stone. At one point, servants came in with large platters of sliced cheeses, fruits, and bread. By the time the meeting was finished, it had been dark for a while. The architects and masons left, while Hugh lingered.

“I hear you want money,” Walker said once they were alone.

“I need two big bags of coins,” said Hugh.

Walker got a confused look on his face. “That seems vaguely specific…”

“Tell me about it.”

“Do you care if they’re copper coins?” asked Walker.

“I guess not,” Hugh said.

Walker got up, went over to a small chest and pulled out two bags. “For all you’ve done for me, this is a pittance: two bags of copper petties,” he said. “I don’t think you could feed yourself for a week with this, but it is, indeed, two big bags of coins.”

“Does this mean I’ll need to start paying for my food?” asked Hugh.

Walker laughed. “As long as you’re my guest, I assure you: you’ll never go hungry.”

Hugh put his hands on the bags, but Walker did not let go.

“Keep smithing for me,” said Walker. “Herbert likes your designs, but he has some alterations he wants to make.”

Hugh nodded and tried to take the bags again, but Walker still held them firmly.

“And I want your help building the wall for as long as you’re here,” Walker said. “If you want to leave, you’re can do so, but I need every free hand in the city committed to building the wall. We can’t begin until we get a wall license from the new King, but until then we can still begin surveying and preparing the labor teams. Can I count on your participation?”

Hugh nodded again, and this time Walker let go.

“Why do you need a license to build a wall?” asked Hugh.

“We’re actually a vassal city of the kingdom of Kole. The only reason I think we might get permission is because the wall will only be along the southern side, while the seat of the kingdom and their armies are to the north. If the wall we proposed completely encircled the city, they might see it as a threat to their ability to control us.”

“How do you know the invaders won’t go around the wall?”

“They have no means of crossing a vast waterway like the Lys with all their troops and horses,” said Walker. “We will dismantle all of the bridges upstream, and we can even sail our warships up the river to repel any of their attempts to make crossing. They won’t be able to build any bridges or ships as long as we maintain our naval advantage.

“Besides, any attempt to cross would cause their forces to bottleneck, which would benefit us greatly. Herbert even thinks we ought to leave a bridge open for them to attempt a crossing, and then ambush them, maybe even rig the bridge to be easily demolished, thereby killing those on it and isolating any troops we allow to cross.”

“War is such a horrible thing,” said Hugh.

“Yes it is,” Walker said before turning to walk off. He looked back at Hugh and said, “So let’s work to end it.” Walker went upstairs and Hugh left.

When Hugh got back to Walker’s home, he put the bags of money under his pillow and fell asleep.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 16

Hugh woke up starving, his mouth dry, and sore everywhere. He just lay there on his back for a while, staring at the ceiling, thinking. Slowly, he sat up, letting out an inadvertent groan. He rubbed both his knees a bit, took a deep breath, and stood up. He slowly took a few steps forward, rolling his neck around, rubbing his shoulder, and basically just tried to ready himself just to leave his room.

After a minute, he walked outside, and he felt like he was hiding his discomfort well. He walked to the entryway and saw no one he recognized. He asked a woman passing by if she knew where the twins were.

“Kane and Lang are playing with the tibear in the yard.”

Hugh went outside, looked around, and saw the twins brushing the large beast.

“Hugh, you missed dinner, and breakfast. You’re just in time for lunch, though,” the dwarf said upon seeing Hugh approach.

“I guess now that you’re awake,” the giant said, “We’ll eat and then go out in the boat.”

Hugh nodded. He put his hand on the tibear, which was lying on its back, arms and legs splayed out, like a huge, furry starfish. Hugh rubbed its belly and smiled as it moaned.

“We have to get one of these, maybe two,” said the dwarf.

“We’ll see,” said Hugh. “I’m starving, when do we eat?”

“Now we’re talking,” the dwarf said.

They left the grounds and went to the market. They got a large smoked fish and a head of lettuce, which the twins paid for out of new purses tied to their belts. Hugh suggested they eat by the fountain. They sat on the edge, tearing off pieces of fish and wrapping it in lettuce. Hugh kept his eyes peeled for Theoson, but he didn’t see him at all by the time they finished. Hugh also noticed the body was gone.

They found Henry back at Walker’s home, who had arranged for the old man’s body to be wrapped in silk and given a funeral procession through the town. They walked alongside the donkey-driven cart on the way to the docks. People they passed turned to watch them pass by and they offered their condolences for the deceased.

When they reached the boat, the old man’s body was carried on a large stretcher by Hugh and the twins on board. It was a relatively small ship, with two masts, two triangular sails and a handful of crew members. Henry accompanied them, as well as another man who had followed them in the procession who the three of them didn’t know, and before long the ship was out of sight from the land.

“Is this far enough, do you suppose?” asked Henry.

“This is fine, I guess,” said the giant.

The dwarf went over to the body and began lifting the stretcher.

“Um, are you going to say anything before you just throw him over?” Henry asked.

“Oh, I guess,” said the dwarf. “Like what?”

“Usually, people talk about the person a bit before they are laid to rest,” said Henry.

“Okay,” the dwarf said. “He was an old man when we met him, blind, maybe a little nuts, but always interesting to be around. I remember he was always eating things he shouldn’t have… uncooked beefnuts, grass, dirt, animal dung… and of course that poisonous mushroom that killed him. He died before his time… which is an odd thing to say about someone so old, but really, he was so spry that I bet he’d still be here today, standing with us on this boat, had he not eaten that mushroom… although, I don’t know why we would be here, on this boat now, if he hadn’t died. I guess you might say that we’re all here today because of you, old man. You, who wouldn’t tell us his name, and who might actually be a crazy, murderous king or something. We travelled all this way just to make sure you got your mansion under the sea, to fulfill what may very well have been your dying wish. May the Eagle guide you now, in death, as it did while you were alive. Good bye, dear friend.”

Everyone stood there for a bit, and the giant shook her head. “I’ve never heard a eulogy in my life,” said the giant, “But I’m pretty sure that was the worst one every given.”

“Shove it, you overgrown sack of piss.”

Hugh put his hand on their shoulders. “Guys, it’s time.”

The three of them lifted the stretcher, brought it to the edge, and the dumped his body in. It hit the side of the boat before splashing into the water. They all watched and it floated in the surface further and further away from the boat.

“Uhh… I don’t think it’s sinking,” said the dwarf.

“Bodies don’t sink immediately,” said one of the ship’s crew members. “If you wanted it to sink, you should have added some sort of weight to it.”

“Well, thanks for the advice,” the dwarf said.

“No one asked me for any advice,” the crew member replied. “I didn’t want to ruin your… solemn ceremony here. I figured you knew what you were doing.”

“We don’t,” said the giant. “We have no clue, really.”

“What do we do now?” asked the dwarf, as he watched the old man’s wrapped body bobbing with the waves.

“Well, the easiest thing would be for us to bring the body back on, then we can weight it down with something. We have rope, canvas bags and some ballast rocks under the deck. We can probably get it to sink that way. Or, you can just let it drift. It will sink eventually, and we’re far enough out that it probably won’t wash ashore.”

“Probably?” the giant asked.

“Well,” the crew member said, scratching the back of his neck. “I guess a storm could easily wash him in. He might float for a few more hours, but after that he’ll sink.”

“Can we stay with the body and make sure it goes down?” asked the giant.

The crew member slowly blew out a long breath, puffing out his cheeks. “I guess, it’s just… we’ll have to maneuver quite a bit to keep it in sight, and like I said, it could be hours.”

“But what if we – ” the giant stopped midsentence when she saw a shadow cross over the boat. She looked up, and everyone’s gaze followed hers. They watched as a giant bird swooped down and grabbed the old man’s wrapped corpse, then took off and flew away. Everyone just watched as the bird grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

“I wonder if that was the Eagle,” Hugh said. Everyone turned to look at him. “I mean, he was always talking about a great Eagle, and that sure looked like one.”

“Did that just happen?” the dwarf asked.

“Follow that bird!” the giant screamed.

“Follow that bird?” the crew member asked with a strained look on his face. “Lady, you better start flapping.”

Hugh tried to stop himself, but he started laughing. The more he tried to stop, the harder he laughed, until he was literally straining to breathe.

The giant looked at Hugh, then the dwarf, who was smiling. “It is pretty funny,” said the dwarf. “In a dark sort of way.”

“Well…” said the giant, “I guess… I guess there’s nothing left to do except go back to shore.”

As the ship was turned around, the giant continued staring off into the distance where the enormous bird had flown. She leaned on the ship’s railing and squinted, then walked over to one of the crew who was sitting down in the back, controlling the rudder.

“What’s off in that direction?” asked the giant.

“More sea,” said the sailor.

“So, it’s just sea forever?”

“No,” he said, “There’s land. That’s… south, south-east, so if you kept going in that direction, you’d probably see the Ruby Isles, and beyond that are the lands of the Silver Coast, which is a whole different continent, and you’d land in one of a few possible countries, depending on the precise bearing.”

The giant walked over to Henry, who was conversing with the man who had accompanied them from the estate to the docks. Hugh walked over as well.

“I need a ship to the Ruby Isles and the Silver Coast,” said the giant.

“That won’t be cheap,” said Henry.

“Henry,” said the man, “Think about what the girl just saw. She’s not asking to commission a ship. You know you could find her a merchant vessel already going there. She could get passage within a week for the cost of her labor. Just look at her,” he said, eying her up and down, “She could pull her own weight on a ship.”

Henry sighed. “Hugh, Lang, this is Brad. He is the… what is it you actually do, again?”

“Oh, I’m just a humble educator,” said Brad, bowing deeply. “I am but a quiet thinker, an instrument of the Divas, and a lover of discussion.”

“The Chancellor was one of his students,” said Henry. “And now you have hitched your wagon to your star pupil.”

“My star pupil is right now on Mount Ippa collecting plant and insect specimens. My most rich and powerful student… he is in the Chancellery.”

“Only you would think Wencelas greater than Chancellor Edward.”

“While Walker will one day be a footnote in history, the whole world will remember Wencelas long after the city of Polity sinks beneath the waves.”

Henry chuckled. “Like I said, only you, a teacher, would think a teacher would one day be more important than Chancellor Edward.”

Brad turned to Hugh. “I saw your performance in the arena last night. You were like an artist who painted with blood.”

Hugh looked away.

“Ah,” said Brad, smiling. “While I say that I’m humble, you truly are.”

“I’m more ashamed than humble,” Hugh said.

The giant touched Hugh’s arm.

“There’s no dishonor for you in being stabbed in the back,” said Brad.

“The dishonor was in killing twenty unarmed men.”

“Technically,” said Brad. “You only killed nineteen unarmed men. One was armed. In fact, at one point he was literally armed with an arm.”

Hugh shuddered.

“I must say,” Brad said, taking a step closer to Hugh, “And I mean no insult… but I would not expect this from the fearless warrior I saw slaughtering men just a day ago.”

“I’m not insulted,” said Hugh. “I…have you ever been good at something you didn’t like doing?”

Brad nodded, “Say no more. I understand perfectly. And such a messy business your unwanted talent is. It is actually inspirational that a seemingly monstrous murderer actually has a conscience.”

“Usually, I don’t do anything I would regret,” said Hugh.

“Let me guess,” Brad said, stepping even closer Hugh, and leaning in near to him. “Walker talked you into it.”

Hugh nodded.

Brad clapped his hands and stepped back, chuckling. “That rascal! It’s nice to see my rhetoric lessons didn’t go to waste.”

Hugh frowned and looked at the giant.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” said Brad. “If it’s any consolation, he didn’t talk you into doing a bad thing. Those men were criminals, and not just petty thieves stealing a loaf of bread for their starving family. Their actions caused others to die. They forfeited their lives.”

“He’s right,” said Henry. “You’re not a murderer, you’re an executioner.”

“Yes,” Brad chimed in. “The ethical executioner is always plagued with guilt, as anyone who takes a life ought to deeply question such a grave act.”

“Right,” Hugh said.

Hugh walked to the front of the ship and watched as the port came back into view.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 15

As the games let out, there was a crush of people at all of the exits, all trying to leave. Hugh looked down at the exit and saw someone pushing to get in.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” said Hugh.

“No rush,” said Walker, “I have to leave last, as per tradition.”

Hugh managed to find his way to the exit he saw from above, and he even found the man pushing through everyone. As Hugh made his way through the crowd, people recognized him and cheered his name. Many reached out to touch him, while many more just stared as he waded through everyone. He finally reached the man trying to get in, and he recognized him. It was the man who was begging at the statue.

Hugh positioned himself in front of the beggar and cleared a path for him. When they had made it through to where it wasn’t so tightly packed, the Hugh turned to the beggar.

“Did you forget something inside?” Hugh asked.

“To be honest,” said the beggar, “I don’t want to be inside.”

Hugh looked at his quizzically. “The games are already over, you’re too late, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry,” said the beggar. “I’m actually right on time.” He smiled and joined those exiting. Hugh stood there a bit longer, then went to rejoin the twins and the Chancellor.

When he got there, everyone was discussing the fights, sometimes mentioning his match and looking over at him expectantly. He just sat quietly, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. As the last people were leaving, everyone in the Chancellor’s box began to exit, as well.

The dinner was extravagant, with two long tables set with meats, fruits, cheeses, nuts, and heaping piles of rice. The dwarf went straight for the ham, while the giant loaded up on fruits and nuts before adding a thin strip from a leg of lamb. Hugh just wandered about, and sat down next to the twins without take anything.

“Did you see the plates?” the dwarf asked Hugh.

“Yeah, I’m not hungry.”

“You can eat off my plate, if you want anything,” the giant said.

Hugh nodded and just sort of stared at nothing in particular. Thoughts flashed through his mind… horns being blown, men screaming, flashes of fear in their faces, the taste of sweat and splattered blood on his lips, the desperation in their voice as they said, “No, please,” the surprise in their eyes as he dispatched them…

Everything around Hugh seemed to go on in fast motion. The smell of the food disgusted him. All of the people around him laughed, shouted, chewed with their mouths open, then laughed some more. They almost looked like pigs at a trough.

Hugh stood up, perhaps too abruptly. A few people turned to look at him, though most just glanced over and continued what they were doing.

“You okay?” asked the dwarf, looking up at him.

“I need some fresh air,” said Hugh. “I’m going to step outside for a bit.”

“Do you want some company?” asked the giant.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. I just… I need to think, and…”

“I understand,” said the giant, grabbing his hand. “You know where to find us when you’re ready.”

Hugh smiled at her and squeezed her hand in his before letting go.

“Here,” said the dwarf, handing him some bread and ham, “Just in case your appetite returns while you’re out.”

Outside, Hugh couldn’t just stand around, so he began pacing, which seemed odd to him, so he took a stroll. He decided he would just go down one of the roads, then when he felt better he could just turn around and head back, which should keep him from getting lost.

As he walked through the streets, he saw a man with no legs holding out a bowl, begging. Hugh leaned down and put the bread and ham into it. “Thank you!” the man said. “That looks delicious.”

“I’m glad you’ll enjoy it,” said Hugh.

Further down the road, Hugh saw an old man hobbling through the streets, making slow progress. Hugh came up to him and asked, “Want me to carry you somewhere? It wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all.”

The man looked him up and down. “Well, I suppose. My hip is in great pain, so be careful.”

Hugh gently swept him up in his arms and carried him where he directed. It was just over a block away, and when he knocked on the door, a young woman opened it. Hugh slowly set the man down and waved goodbye. The old man thanked Hugh and went inside with his wide-eyed daughter.

Further down the road, he saw someone lying on the side of the street. He knelt down and shook him. Hugh felt his skin, and it was cold. He slowly roll his body over to reveal a strained, gape mouthed expression. The man was dead. Hugh looked in either direction down the street and saw no one. He looked at the body again, a man he had never known, and he wept. He hugged it close to him and cried, rocking forward and back, kneeling in the street at night.

Hugh picked the body up and ran. He didn’t know where he was going, he just had to take the body somewhere, anywhere but the street, alone and neglected. Before long, he was at a fountain that looked familiar. He stopped, set the body down, and splashed water on his face.

“Couldn’t get enough killing done in the ring, huh?”

Hugh turned around and saw… no one. He scanned all around him, though he was sure he had heard the voice behind him. All he saw was a tree.

“Tell me, are you born a killer, or do you have to learn how to do it?”

Hugh squinted into the night. It was almost as if the tree was talking to him.

“Come on, I know you can talk. You talked just fine earlier.” Out from behind the tree walked a man who slowly approached him.

“It’s you,” said Hugh, recognizing him as the one who begged from a statue and who earlier wanted to enter the arena as it was letting out, only to leave again.

“Yes, I’ve always been me, or at least I have been for as long as I can remember. But seriously, I want to know, how does one become a killer?”

Hugh looked down at the body. “I didn’t kill this man, he was dead in the street when I found him.”

“So why are you running with his body through the night?”

Hugh took a deep breath. “I was just at a party, and I saw a hungry man, so I fed him. Then, I saw an old crippled man, so I carried him home. But then… I found this man dead in the road, and… I couldn’t stand to think of him just rotting in the gutter.” Hugh began crying again.

“Hold it together, man. I hear you killed twenty men today, and here you are crying over…” he looked down closely at the body, “Ha, over a petty thief and consummate rascal. This bastard has groped just about every respectable lady who ever set foot in the market place. Even if you did kill him, they might give you a damn medal.”

The man walked up next to Hugh and put his arm around him. “Come on, let’s go sit down under the tree, I’m sure you’ll feel better soon.”

“I’m Hugh, by the way.”

The man stuck his hand out to shake, which Hugh reciprocated. “I’m Theoson, the wisest man in the world.” Theoson smiled. “You look skeptical.”

“I just… I only know you from doing two things, and I thought you were insane.”

“I am the only vessel of sanity on this great sea of madness, my boy. Come, let’s sit down and chat.”

They both sat down in a grassy patch under the tree.

“Why did you do those things?” asked Hugh.

“Oh, I have my reasons,” said Theoson.

“I want to know them,” Hugh said.

“I’m a teacher,” said Theoson, “And I only teach those who have given up everything.”

“I have nothing,” said Hugh.

Theoson’s eyes opened wide. “Really?”

“I have the clothes on my back, and another, dirty set in my room. I suppose I could give up some swords or spears that I’ve been working on, though they may not be mine to give.”

“Ah,” said Theoson, “So you have a room?”

“Well, I don’t own it,” Hugh said. “It’s being let to me for… I guess for my services.”

“As a killer?”

Hugh looked down. “I suppose so.”

Theoson stuck out his staff and lifted Hugh’s chin with it.

“Since you have basically nothing, I will teach you the basics. Your first lesson is: go over to that statue and beg for food and money until you have learned.”

Hugh just stared at him.

“What are you waiting for, a horn to blow? Get your ass up and get over there!”

Hugh got up, almost startled, and walked up to the fountain. He tried not to look at the dead man lying nearby. He stepped into the water and approached the statue. He looked back at Theoson.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t have anything to give you. Ask the statue.”

Hugh coughed a little, put his hands out, and asked, “May I have some food?”

Nothing happened. Hugh looked back again.

“Don’t tell me you gave up already!” Theoson said.

Hugh asked again, and again, and again. He begged for something to eat, for some money, for bread, for coin, for meat…

“Meat?” Theoson called out. “You think beggars eat meat? What kind of fool are you?”

Hugh tried to ignore Theoson’s criticisms. He asked some more, with varying levels of enthusiasm, for quite a while. Finally, Hugh sighed and said, “This is pointless.”

“I begged that statue for food and money for days on end. Do you know what I learned?” asked Theoson.

“That you’re insane?”

“No, Hugh, I assure you, I’m quite sane. I just possess a nearly incomprehensible kind of sanity.” Theoson walked over to Hugh and stepped into the fountain with him. “This statue will teach you a lesson you will never forget. Now, keep asking until the sun comes up. I’m going to get some sleep.”

Theoson went over to the tree and lay down against some roots. “I better hear you begging when I wake up, or so help me I will crack you upside the head with my staff. And may the Divas save you if I find out you fell asleep.”

Hugh stood there, his feet and shins cold in the water, begging at the statue for hours, until finally, morning broke. Theoson woke up, sauntered over, and got into the fountain once more. Hugh had begun asking in a long, continuous, repeated pattern. He barely registered Theoson’s presence next to him.

Theoson put a single berry into Hugh outstretched hands. Hugh looked at it, then at Theoson, then he ate it.

“That,” said Theoson, “That was practice for dealing with rejection.”

Hugh looked at Theoson. “So… why did you want to get into the arena?”

Theoson slapped Hugh on the back. “It was just practice for going against the crowd. That would be an easy lesson, especially for you.” Theoson got out of the fountain and walked over to his tree and leaned against it. “Go on, get out of here and get some sleep. You’re no good to me tired.”

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 14

At the top of the ramp, Hugh could see most of the arena floor through a wrought iron gate. The announcer shouted the names and crimes of the prisoners.

All twenty were men. Thirteen of them were murderers, four were rapists who killed their victims, one was a serial arsonist who had started fires that killed dozens, and one was a soldier who was caught spying, and who was responsible for the slaughter of an entire legion in their camp at night as they slept.

“And the man who will send them to the icy depths of Hel… is no man at all, but a cyclops from a far off land, here to dole out justice for your approval. People of Polity, please welcome, Hugh Mungous.”

The squire looked at Hugh. “You last name is seriously ‘Mungous?’”

Hugh nodded.

“Alright, Hugh Mungous, are you ready?”

Hugh nodded once more.

“When you’re done, look for me. I’ll wave my arms in case you get disoriented during the fight. You’ll exit back through this door.” The squire turned a key and swung the gate open. “Now, get out there, you huge bastard.” Hugh ducked down and walked at a slow pace through the gate, and the squire locked it behind him.

Hugh continued to walk to the middle of the floor. The crowd cheered, gasped, whistled, woohooed, and shouted. When Hugh got to about where he thought was the center, he stopped. The drums also stopped, and the crowd grew quiet. There was a loud horn, and a gate in front of Hugh opened.

A dirty, bearded man came running out, completely naked. At first, he ran right at Hugh, but he quickly turned off. Hugh walked to close the distance. The man hugged the wall and kept moving, but Hugh continued walking towards where the prisoner was moving, not where he was. After a few more seconds, Hugh had closed the gap to within ten feet. With his back to the wall, the man tried to run to Hugh’s right.

Hugh slid his grip on the poleaxe to near its butt, and swung it in a wide arc at the man’s legs. The axe head made contact with his ankle, and he fell face first into the dirt. The man rolled over on his back and tried to scoot away, but Hugh closed in on him, adjusted his grip, and stabbed him under his jaw up into his skull. The man spit blood, and Hugh withdrew his weapon.

Another horn blew, and a gate opened far behind Hugh, on the other side of the arena. This man stayed where he was, struggling at the gate he was pushed from. Hugh was upon him quickly, and he turned to run far too late. Hugh used the hook to catch his leg, tripping him. As he was standing up, Hugh swung the poleaxe down into his back. The man fell motionless, and Hugh put his foot on the man’s hip to wrench the axe head out of his spine and ribcage.

The third horn rang out. A nearby gate opened and the man ran right at Hugh. Hugh stood there, watching him approach. As he got near, Hugh swung the butt of the spear up, hitting him in the jaw, snapping his head back. His legs kept moving forward, and he fell hard into his back. Hugh took a few steps forward and gave him two quick stabs, one on either side of his chest.

The fourth horn trumpeted, and a man limped out, looked at Hugh, and slowly hobbled in the other direction. This man was older, and he seemed barely able to move. Hugh walked up to him and swung the axe at his neck. It sliced deep, and the man slunk forward, the axe head lodged over halfway through. Hugh choked up on the pole and kicked the man off.

The fifth horn blared, and the man released came from a gate right behind Hugh. The man ran right at Hugh, who swung his shield at him. He connected with the man’s forehead, causing him to stagger and wobble on his feet. Hugh stepped into him and smashed the broad side of his shield into his face, knocking him over. Hugh stood over him, his face turned to the side, convulsing. Hugh lifted the spear high in the air, pointed up, and smashed the butt into the man’s temple, splattering a bit of blood onto his shins.

The sixth horn was heard, and a gate opened on the far side. The man tried to keep away from Hugh, but again, he was unsuccessful, meeting his end with an axe blade to the left side of his face.

The seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth horns signified similar circumstances, of men running about, and Hugh effortlessly mowing them down. The man who came out at the eleventh horn had his skull crushed under Hugh’s foot. The twelfth horn introduced a man who was tripped up and chopped right in the middle of his forehead.

The thirteenth horn brought in a man who tried to dodge Hugh’s swing, but who ended up taking a hard chop to his shoulder, nearly severing his arm. As he desperately shuffled away, his arm dangled uselessly, and he ended up run through while groveling against a closed gate.

The fourteenth horn bellowed and a man came out, looking nervous and confused. He stood staring at Hugh as he brought the axe head home between the man’s neck and shoulder. Hugh had trouble dislodging his weapon.

When the fifteenth horn blasted, Hugh’s spear was still not free. The man did not approach, so Hugh methodically removed his sword from the leather wrapping, swung it in the air a few times to acquaint himself with the balance of it, and advanced on the prisoner. He slashed the man’s chest, then in one fluid motion brought the blade back around and slashed his neck. The man kept standing, grabbing his throat as blood poured out around his hand. Hugh thumped him between the eyes with the pommel of his sword, causing him to fall over.

The sixteenth horn sounded, and the man was large. He ran to the body of the thirteenth man and desperately pulled at his arm. He tore it free, held it by the wrist, and approached Hugh, who bent his knees low and peered out over his shield. When the prisoner was close, Hugh swung and the man easily dodged it and hit Hugh’s sword hand with the arm.

The man then kicked Hugh in the knee, who showed no sign of the blow even registering. Hugh stepped into him with his shield and pushed hard, knocking him back. The man maintained his balanced and began circling Hugh. He swung the arm, which Hugh blocked with his shield. He swung the arm again, and again, each time being blocked by Hugh. The man feigned a swing, causing Hugh to flinch, and the man ducked low before burying his shoulder into Hugh’s gut.

Hugh didn’t budge, and he kneed the man in the stomach before hitting him on the back of his head with pommel of his sword. Hugh stepped back, but the man still didn’t fall. He steadied himself with his hands and stood back up. Hugh back pedaled with his shield raised. Hugh adjusted his shield, and the man shook his head a few times, trying to gain composure. He screamed and ran at Hugh, the arm raised high above his head.

Hugh had removed his arm from the shield grips, and he now gripped it by its edge. He hurled it like a discus at the man, who was hit right in the sternum. He dropped immediately to his knees, the arm falling to the ground as he grabbed his stomach with both hands, struggling to breathe. Hugh took a few deep breaths before walking forward. Hugh drew his sword back, and the man looked up before quickly grabbing sand and throwing it up at Hugh.

Hugh closed his eye and shielded his face with his free hand. He swung blind and connected with something. He looked, and the sword had sliced from the forehead of his left side to his right cheek. A diagonal line of blood grew wider by the second, and he fell over.

The seventeenth horn burst through the roars of the audience, and Hugh retrieved his shield. He stood panting for a bit, and the prisoner gawked at the carnage around him. Hugh approached him and the man put up his hands in protest. Hugh slashed some of his fingers off his hand, then proceeded to open every artery in his neck.

The eighteenth horn announced another entry, and he ran with one good leg towards Hugh. Hugh stood with his arms at his side and watched the man approached. He was small, reaching only to Hugh’s waist. Hugh watched as the man slammed into him, then proceeded to grip his leg and bite. Hugh pounded him in the head with the pommel of his sword until he let go. When he lunged at his leg again, Hugh stepped back and swiped down, slashing a bit of his head.

A small flap of his scalp flopped over, but he scurried away on his hands and knees, only to stand and charge once more. Hugh stepped forward and kicked him square in the chest, planting his foot there and bringing it down on his ribcage as he fell back. Hugh leaned in close, put the sword nearly at the hilt to his neck, and slashed the full length of blade. The man’s tongue stuck out and his eyes went wide.

The nineteenth horn went off, and the man moved slowly away from Hugh. The man kept looking back at Hugh, but he didn’t look afraid, he just kept moving, seemingly faster and faster. The distance between them grew, and the man was nearly at the wall. He now sprinted, as if he was perfectly unhurt, and Hugh turned to cut him off. The crowd began to react strangely, with many people shouting and pointing at Hugh. He stopped and looked up into the stands. Suddenly, his back really hurt.

Hugh turned to see the large prisoner holding the poleaxe. His back stung horribly.

The man swung and Hugh deflected, shattering his shield. Hugh’s arm stung from the sheer force of it. The man stabbed at Hugh’s head, and he dodged it while grabbing the pole right below the axe. Hugh bent low and placed the spear head almost on the ground, then stomped on the pole. He managed to splinter it, maintaining control of the spearhead.

The man swung his part of the shaft, which was over a meter long, hitting Hugh in his sword hand. He dropped the sword, but managed to slice the man’s arm a bit with the spear head, which was left with a handle no longer than a foot.

They faced off again, each sizing up the other. The sword lay on the ground between them, neither one closer to it than the other. Hugh looked around for the second man, who was cowering on the far side of the arena. The large prisoner feigned diving for the sword twice, with Hugh not budging. Finally, the prisoner stepped in and swung at Hugh’s knee with the pole. Hugh grabbed it with his bare hand and brought the axe down in the middle of the shaft, not breaking it but freeing it from the man’s grasp.

The prisoner pivoted and dove for the sword, but Hugh was too close. His foot came down hard on his arm, which barely had time to grab the handle. Hugh dropped his weapons, took his opponent’s head in both his hands, and spun it completely around so that his body lay chest down and his head was face up. He picked up the spear head and sword, moved toward the other man like nothing had happened, and he buried the point of the sear directly into the heart of his screaming, terrified victim.

Finally, the twentieth horn resounded through the arena. Out stepped a man, who calmly walked towards Hugh, who stood where he was, allowing the man to approach. There was no fear in this prisoner’s face, no anger, just a look of calm.

“We do what must be done,” said the prisoner.

“Yes, we do,” said Hugh.

“And we all pay for our crimes.”

“One can only hope,” Hugh said.

“Give me the death I deserve.”

“Turn around,” said Hugh. “If I strike you neck first, you won’t feel a thing.”

The man gave him a slight bow. “Good bye.” He turned around and stood perfectly upright.

Hugh held his sword out at arm’s length, lined it up with the man’s neck, wound up, and lopped his head clean off. The body crumbled in a pile and the head rolled a ways before coming to rest face down.

Hugh stood, waiting, but there were no more horns. He looked around and saw his squire waving frantically at him. Hugh jogged off the arena floor to deafening applause.

“Wow,” said the squire. “That was one hell of a performance.”

“My back,” said Hugh. “I got stabbed in the back.”

“Let’s take a look.” The squire helped him remove his armor. He used a rag to wipe the blood away to locate the wound. “There it is.”

“How bad is it?”

“It’s nothing,” said the squire. “I’ve cut myself worse chopping vegetables. Here.” The squire reached into his satchel and took out a glass vial. “This will stop the blood and help it heal. It won’t do anything for the pain, does it hurt?”

“I guess a little,” Hugh said. “It’s hard to tell.”

“Come on,” the squire said. “Let’s clear the area.”

They walked down the ramp and through another gate. Hugh removed all of his armor and stood there in just his pants. “Where’s my shirt?” he asked.

“Probably still in the armory, unless some fan has already gotten to it.”

“What?”

“I’m kidding, no one took your shirt.” They walked back to the armory, Hugh carrying his armor, sword and the broken spear. When they arrived, Hugh located his shirt, had his back bandaged up, cleaned his weapons, and made his way to the Chancellor’s viewing box.

There, he found the twins, who ran up to him, asking about his injuries and congratulating him.

“Everyone up here seemed really impressed,” said the giant.

“It was crazy when that guy got up and stabbed you with the poleaxe,” said the dwarf. “I wanted to jump down there so bad and kick his ass.”

Hugh just smiled.

“Everyone here said he was a highly trained soldier,” said the giant. “I was so worried about you.”

“Lemme see where he stabbed you,” the dwarf said.

Hugh turned around and lifted his shirt. The dwarf peaked under the bandage. “Ah, it doesn’t look that bad.”

“I think it’s deeper than it looks,” said Hugh.

“Naw, see,” the dwarf stuck his finger into the wound. “It’s not even two knuckles deep.”

Hugh winced. The giant smacked the dwarf on the back of his head.

Walker came up to Hugh. “That was the most dramatic Zombie Match I’ve seen in years, literally years. It was probably the most exciting one I ever saw where the executioner survived. Usually it’s only that interesting if a prisoner wins his freedom, but there was so much back and forth with the soldier… I’m telling you, there are trained gladiators who can’t put on a show that entertaining.”

“Great,” said Hugh, “How did the new weapons go over?”

“No one was surprised when that shield shattered like glass. Everyone in this city knows an axe will neutralize a shield, and a heavy axe will reduce a shield to splinters.”

“It was a poorly made shield,” said Hugh. “I should talk to your carpenter about reinforcing the edges and curving the face a little. There’s also got to be a better wood to use, because that shield was far too light.”

“Well, no one in this city really makes or uses shields. Our gladiators tend to rely on heavy metal gauntlets and arm guards to fulfill the function of blocking with the weak arm,” said Walker. “Let’s watch the last two fights and then we can retire to the banquet I have prepared for us.”

Hugh took a seat but he didn’t watch the fights. He mostly looked around at the crowd, watching them foam at the mouth with rage, and at other times go red in the face screaming. Occasionally, he would look down at his hand. Sometimes he just closed his eyes and imagined he was somewhere else, that he wasn’t surrounded by people yelling at the top of their lungs.

To be continued…

The Several Adventures of Hugh, Part 13

After eating, the Hugh and the twins went to the Chancellery. Inside, Walker was talking to a large group of people huddled around him. He smiled and nodded when he saw them enter. He said a few more things, excused himself, and came over to them.

“I take it liger hunting was no challenge?” asked Walker.

“I don’t think it was worth going. It was less like hunting and more like selecting a spice from the shelf,” said the giant.

“I must confess,” said Walker, “You didn’t have to do it. I mean, it had to be done, but I could have sent just about anyone. I was trying to keep you two out of the city. Your fight is stirring quite a bit of controversy among those who know the true nature of it. I’m selling it as ‘Kane vs. Lang, a battle of sibling rivalry,’ but most people won’t know it’s between a man and woman until you step out for the fight. I think that’s the best way to do it.”

The three of them looked around at each other.

“You have to understand,” said Walker, “People here think of women as… more genteel creatures. I think letting them see that a woman can fight may change some minds… though it will also rub some people the wrong way.

“I think if we spring it on people as a surprise, it will happen and people will come around to the idea after the fact. If we warned people it would be happening… people would make snap judgments before the fight even began, and we’d be lucky if it wasn’t blocked from occurring. But what’s important now is getting you guys prepared.” Walker called someone over and gave him instructions to take them to the arena.

The three of them followed the man through the streets to an enormous stone building.

“This is the Imperium, the larger of our two arenas. It seats up to around 40,000 people, and it fits more if everyone stands, like today. There might be over 50,000 people watching when you fight.”

They approached a large archway with a line of guards in front of it. The guards moved aside as they approached and passed by. Torches and lamps provide a little light in the dark hallways. The smell of sweat and damp mold hang thicker and thicker in the air the deeper they walk. The soft rumble of a crowd began to grow and grow, the hallway ahead got lighter and lighter, until finally they were looking out over a large oval arena floor surrounded by shouting fans.

“So that’s what it looks like up here,” said the man leading them. “I’ll take you down to the armory and we’ll get you all set up, then we’ll have you seated in the Chancellor’s viewing box until you’re called for.”

They walked back through a series of hallways, went down a few sets of stairs, walked through even more hallways, and they entered a room with weapon and armor racks full of equipment lining every wall.

“Kane and Lang, this is where you’ll wait before your fight, though obviously you won’t need to be outfitted. From here, they lead you to your respective entrances. Hugh, this is where you’ll obviously equip yourself. Your weapons are already there.” He pointed to a rack with a length of red ribbon tied around it. Both swords, both spears, and three shields were resting next to a suit of leather armor.

Hugh walked over to it and picked up the second sword he made. He inspected it closely, stepped back, and swung it hard. He nodded and noticed that they had sharpened the flat end of the sword. He shook his head… oh well, it wouldn’t damage the sword to have a sharpened edge that would never be used to cut.

He put the sword back and looked at the spears a bit before picking up the armor.

“They used your measurements from the tailor,” said the guide. “Feel free to try it on.”

“No, I’m sure it’s fine,” said Hugh. He stood there a bit more, looking it all over. “Go on to the box without me, I don’t want to watch any of it. I’ll go up to watch the twins, then I’ll wait down here.”

“As you wish,” said the guide. He led the twins off.

Hugh picked up the spear with the axe head. He gripped it at various points, then looked at the butt of the spear, wishing he had fashioned a counter weight. He set it back, and picked up the first, single-blade spear. He gave a few quick thrusts, handled the head gingerly in his hands a bit, then he put it back on the rack.

After looking at the three shields there, he settled on the single, equilateral triangle shaped one. He picked it up, and he knew immediately it was weak. The wood was too thin, and upon inspecting the handles, it looked like they had been fastened by someone who never used a shield in their life. Hugh set it back and found someone to ask for some tools.

Before long, he had made a few adjustments so that the shield could be reasonably used, but he was thankful that there was no chance of his life depending on it deflecting a real weapon blow. He wasn’t sure it would even stop an arrow. Before he had time to inspect his armor, the twins came down. The guide led Hugh up to the box for viewing.

The last fight hadn’t ended when they got up there. A man with a giant warhammer chased another man around the arena for a bit, before the hammer-wielding combatant managed to corner his opponent in an alcove on the outskirts of the arena floor. Spectators above the action leaned far over the side to watch as the hammer came down repeatedly on the cowering loser.

The winner held his hammer high and paraded around the arena as the crowd went wild. He exited the floor and two people dragged the lifeless body of the loser away.

A hand rested on Hugh’s shoulder. He turned to see Walker. “This is a big moment,” he said. “I hope you’re as excited as I am.”

Hugh tried not to look worried. “I guess.”

A man came out to the middle of the floor and announced the presence of the Chancellor, which drew loud applause. He then announced Kane, who entered the floor from the far end. Then Lang was announced, and Hugh struggle to see over the edge of the wall below to watch her enter. When Hugh saw her, he realized she was naked. Hugh looked again and saw the dwarf was also nude.

The announcer left the floor, and the twins ran at each other. The dwarf tried to punch his sister, but he missed and she drove her shoulder right into him at a full run, pushing him back, though he stayed standing. They grappled for a bit, the giant pushing the dwarf back for the most part. The dwarf stomped on his sister’s foot, but she remained unfazed. He tried to stomp on her foot again and she moved it and swept his anchor leg.

They tumbled to the ground, still holding onto each other, with the giant on top. The dwarf tried to roll, but the giant kept him pinned. Hugh looked over at Walker, who was laughing with a few other people.

The giant had the dwarf pinned, and before long she had one of his hand under her knee and she began punching him repeatedly in the face. He jerked violently on the ground, trying desperately to buck her off of him. He freed his hand from under her knee and he grabbed her hair. The crowd booed.

The move succeeded in allowing the dwarf to get out from under her, and he was on his feet first. He ran at her swinging, but she blocked his punch, then blocked another. She tried to kick him, but he grabbed her foot. She hopped a few times, trying to keep her balance, while the dwarf twister her foot. She tried to jump and kick him with her free leg, but he let go and backed out of the way.

Now on the ground, she crawled backwards quickly through the dirt as the dwarf took a second to catch his breath before jumping at her on the ground. Though he was on top of her, she managed to wrap her legs around his waist. She continuously grabbed at his wrists to keep her brother from striking her, and he struggled to wrestle his wrists free to get a few punches in.

She managed to get a hold of one of his hands, and it appeared that she had begun bending fingers, because he screamed and began hitting her furiously with his free hand. He went from his knees to standing up, her legs still locked around his waist. He used his free hand now to grab the wrist of his own hand, which she still held tight, and he raised her high above him. He then dropped forward and slammed her into the ground. She did not let go.

Instead, she aggressively twisted her body to gain leverage, and released one of her legs from around his waist, swung it over his head, and she now straddled the arm she was holding. She extended herself and pulled. The dwarf screamed so loud you could hear him over the crowd. He pulled his arm straight and kept bending it back until he yelled, “Stop,” and she let go.

The crowd was a mix of applause and jeers. The dwarf sat up and hung his head, rotating his sore arm and bending he elbow. The giant helped him up, they both waved in all directions, then they jogged to an exit. Walker looked over at Hugh.

“A good show, perhaps a little quick, but you couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. I think she shocked a lot of people tonight.”

“Not me,” said Hugh. “She’s always won about half of the time.”

Walker chuckled. “I should have asked before I placed my bet on her. I never would have bet on a coin toss.”

The man who led them to the arena tapped Hugh on the shoulder. “It’s time.”

Hugh was first fitted with a sort of thick, quilted, cloth poncho which was secured around his waist with a belt. The leather armor went on over that, and it fit Hugh pretty well. The helmet was too small, and after trying many others, he decided not to wear one at all. He was about to pick up the leaf-bladed spear when he heard someone behind him say, “No.”

He turned to see Herbert.

“I just came down to congratulate you on your designs. They are more than I could have hoped for, and your pole ax is going to revolutionize our army. I need you to use that one.”

Hugh picked it up, checked the edge, and asked for a whet stone. He ground the ax blade a few times, touched it again, and grabbed the triangle shield.

“Don’t forget the sword,” said Herbet.

“Where am I going to put it with no scabbard?” asked Hugh.

Herbert called over two boys, who took the sword, wrapped it in leather, fastened a small strap around it, and ran a belt through the strap. Hugh looked at it, opened and reclosed the buckle on the securing strap, then slung the whole thing over his shoulder, letting the wrapped sword hang against his back. He adjusted it so that the handle was just over his shoulder.

Hugh nodded to Herbert, who nodded back and walked off. The two boys opened a gate and motioned for Hugh, who went through and looked down a long hallway. He looked back to the boys.

“Just go to the end, turn left, and your squire will be waiting with your instructions,” said one of the boys.

Hugh breathed deep and walked down the hallway slowly. Just after the turn was another gate with a teen-aged boy in leather leaning against it. He was chewing on a piece of straw.

“Hugh?” he asked.

Hugh nodded.

“Okay, here’s the deal. After the match before yours is finished, we’re going to go through this gate, up that ramp over there, then wait at the final gate for your name to be called, which will be after all the condemned and their crimes are listed. It will take forever, so if you want to warm up, do it then, not now. Then, your name will be called, and, I’ll ask if you’re ready. You affirm that you are, and I’ll unlock the gate. Make your way to the center of the arena. The announcer will leave, then you’ll hear drums.

“There will be twenty, but you don’t have to worry about counting, because a horn will be blown before each prisoner is released into the arena. When the horns stop blowing, you can relax. Most of them will run from you, so what you want to do is walk them into an alcove with a gate. We starve them, but you can definitely tire out quickly trying to chase people who are running for their lives. If they run for too long and the crowd starts to turn, archers will shoot them, but it will still be your job to finish them off.

“Other than that… I’m told you have never seen one of these before?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Hugh.

“Well, these guys go free if they kill you. Some of them will put up a fight. One of them is huge… not huge like you, but huge for a person. You’re free to use any means necessary, as are they, so look out for them throwing dirt or using sharpened shards of pottery they may have picked up and kept hidden.”

“Okay, thanks.”

The squire nodded. “You’ll do fine. I’ve done this for three years now, and only two people in your position ever lost in that time. And both of them were nothing compared to you. When did you eat last?”

“Around midday,” said Hugh.

The squire nodded again. “Good call, never smart to eat before going in there. You don’t want a cramp after the third guy.”

“Why is it called a Zombie Match?”

“Well, they used to beat the prisoners mercilessly, so they would limp around the arena, often with broken arms and large bruises. It got kind of boring, so they started injuring them less and less beforehand. Now, they usually get some solid blows from a mace to the knees and ankles to keep them from running at full speed, but they’re mostly just starved so they’re weakened. Plus, I guess people think of them as ‘the walking dead,’ since their execution is inevitable.”

“I guess that makes sense,” said Hugh.

“Do they have gladiator matches where you’re from?” asked the squire.

“No, we kill because we need to, not because we want to.”

“But you kill criminals, right?”

“I guess,” said Hugh.

“So, how do you kill a criminal who is condemned to die?”

“I’ve never had to do it, but I guess… I guess I would hang them or something, maybe behead them quickly.”

The squire shook his head and spit. “What a waste. Where’s the fun in that?”

Hugh looked at him and blinked a few times.

“I mean, they have to die, right? Why not make a big show of it, to make an example of them, so people know what happens if you break the law, and so that their death can give something back to the community?”

“How is this giving back to the community?” asked Hugh.

“It’s entertainment, and it provides jobs for all kinds of people, least of all me, but also the food venders, security, animal handlers, people who makes weapons and armor… it’s an entire industry. A lot of people’s livelihoods rely on this.”

“But… if they weren’t doing this, which is kind of awful, if you ask me… they would be doing something else, maybe something meaningful and worthwhile.”

“Worthwhile,” the squire repeated. He laughed. “If I wasn’t here, doing something I genuinely love, I would be at the docks loading boxes and jars in and out of ships. I would be paid less, and the work would be hard. It wouldn’t be worthwhile at all.”

“Those are your only two options?” asked Hugh.

“I’m no artisan. I don’t have any skills or education. I’m not a big strong guy like you, either. If I could be a soldier, I would, but I’m way too small. Maybe I could be a steward on a ship or something, but I don’t have any real future outside of this arena. After I get too old for this, I’ll probably work to maintain this place, keeping the gates oiled, the floors swept, the weapons sharp, the animals fed, the all the shit and bodies removed… maybe if I’m lucky, I can be the announcer one day… but these will probably be the best years of my life, the time I’ll look back on and think, ‘I did something worthwhile.’”

Hugh leaned heavily on his spear. “I hope I didn’t insult you,” he said. “I just… you’re so young, you can do anything.”

“I can do anything, huh?”

“Well,” said Hugh, “You may have to work at it.”

“If I could do anything, I’d like to piss wine and shit gold. How do I work towards that?”

A clang rings out in the distance. Two people walk towards them down the ramp. As they get closer, Hugh sees that they are dragging someone behind them, who is leaving an intermittent trail of blood in their wake.

The squire opened the gate and after they passed, he walked through it. Hugh followed.

To be continued…