The Darkness Before the Dawn - By Ryan Hughes Page 0,104

from the four Jedra had fought last night; these were both middle-aged women. They hadn’t made any hostile moves yet, but Jedra could feel their presence hovering near him, ready in case he tried anything. His danger sense also warned him of a threat from behind, but the soldier holding him had one hand around his neck so he couldn’t turn his head to see who or what it was.

Kayan had been hauled to her feet by Jedra’s side. She was awake again, but she was being held by the neck as well, so she couldn’t do more than roll her eyes in his direction.

The noble spoke in a nasal, but still haughty, voice. “I suppose congratulations are in order. Kitarak did manage to escape in all the confusion. Fortunately, you didn’t make it away yourselves, so we’ll consider it a fair trade.” He didn’t wait for a response, but went right on to say, “My first impulse when we caught you was to have you beheaded a quarter inch at a time, but I’ve decided against that. You do seem somewhat resourceful, and I hate to waste anything valuable. I certainly hope you make good gladiators, though, because you just robbed me of a champion, and you’re going to replace him whether you can fight or not.”

“Gladiators?” Jedra croaked, his mouth dry.

“Yes, gladiators. Your training will begin immediately, and this will be your master.” The noble nodded to someone behind Jedra, and the soldiers holding him and Kayan loosened their grip so they could turn around to see who it was.

Jedra recognized the swarthy, musclebound elf the moment he saw him. “Sahalik!” he exclaimed, his voice rising to a squeak.

Kayan’s eyes were wide with shock or terror or both.

“Oh, you already know each other?” the noble asked. “Wonderful. That will make things move along even faster, I’m sure. Sahalik, I leave them in your hands.” He turned away and walked toward the soot-blackened mansion, his soldiers following him.

The psionicists stayed behind, as did the two soldiers holding Kayan and Jedra. And of course, Sahalik. The big elf grinned his gap-toothed grin and clapped his meaty hands on his new gladiators’ shoulders. “We might as well get started,” he said gleefully. “If you’re going to replace Kitarak, you’ve got a battle to fight in six days.”

* * *

The first “practice” session was every bit as brutal as Jedra had expected it to be. There was no pretense of instruction; while the psionicists kept him from using any of his mental powers against his trainer, Sahalik merely beat Jedra senseless, pummeling the young half-elf with his fists until he could no longer stand, then kicking him in the ribs, back, head, and groin until Jedra had curled into a tight ball of pain. The elf warrior was an expert; he didn’t break any bones, but he left no muscle unbruised. Even so, as soldiers dragged Jedra from the practice field, he found strength enough to say with his bloody tongue and lips, “If you touch Kayan, I’ll rip your heart out with my bare hands.”

Sahalik laughed. “She is mine to do with as I please, half-breed. But I’m not interested in your woman. I’ve got better ways to spend my time now.” He waved an arm toward the two other gladiators who had been locked up with Kitarak, who were now helping rebuild their quarters, and Jedra saw the elf woman stop work and wave back at him. She was tall, with light skin, long blond hair, and slender arms and legs. She was no doubt the model of beauty among elves, but Jedra thought she looked like a sun-bleached stick.

Sahalik called out to her, “Shani, come here.” While she laid down her tools and trotted over to the practice field, Sahalik said to Jedra, “You need not worry about me. Shani will train Kayan.”

Sure enough, as the soldiers dragged Jedra off the field and the psionicists began to heal his wounds for the next session, he watched the elf woman batter Kayan the same way Sahalik had beaten him. Kayan got in a few good licks of her own, bloodying Shani’s nose with one lucky punch, but Shani soon got the better of her. It wasn’t long before the soldiers dragged Kayan over to the edge of the field and laid her on her back beside Jedra.

He was just on the edge of blacking out from the pain. The noble’s psionicists were experts at healing the damage to his body