Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,71

Bassorine. Bassorine watched from Heaven as the king used the horn again and again. I was told the gods were displeased, but they don’t take away the free will of man or beast.”

Sam felt pity for Mosley, thinking, He doesn’t know there’s not a Heaven. He sighed. “This free will crap can cause problems. What’s this Barbarian King’s name anyway?”

Mosley growled “Sam, have you not been listening? I have been speaking about the past. You must pay attention. The king’s name was Bude Bloodvain. He recently passed. It seems the benefit of the horn does not stop the aging process completely. His great-great-great-grandcub, Senchae Bloodvain, has taken the throne.

“Bude passed the secret of the horn’s benefit to Senchae before he perished. The only thing worse than the new king’s use of the horn, is that Senchae has been the Barbarian Champion for the last 15 seasons. He’s the strongest and best warrior the Barbarian Kingdom has ever seen. The barbarians fight to the death when entering their arenas. The fact that Senchae Bloodvain is still alive should give you an idea of what kind of warrior he is to survive in such a hostile den.”

Sam walked across the room and looked out the window. A group of small children were taking turns at tossing a small wooden hoop, attached to a string, in an arching motion. It was their goal to throw the hoop onto a metal spike that protruded from a wooden post. It was a simple game, and the joy on their faces warmed his heart.

Sam turned away from the window to find Mosley sniffing the hearth of the fireplace. “This Senchae guy sounds intense. He’s someone I can relate to. I love to fight. I just won my first fight before I—”

Mosley did not let Sam finish. “I wouldn’t get excited about challenging this man’s ability. Allow me to explain how the barbarians fight in their arenas. They are a vain race, vain to the point of stupidity. All barbarian kings throughout history have kept an open invitation with the humans of Grayham to fight their champion in the king’s arena in hand-to-hand combat. Any human who can beat the barbarian champion, without weapons, wearing only a cloth to cover his loins, will be rewarded with a chance to fight the king for his crown. If he defeats the king, all barbarians will bow and live in service to that human. Many have attempted, for the power they would wield would be immense, but they have all failed and perished. The current barbarian champion, since Senchae Bloodvain’s ascension to the throne, is Churnach Fergus. In order to fight the kingdom’s best, who is undoubtedly Senchae, you would first need to kill Fergus.

“Bloodvain is a nightmare. His sheer size intimidates any being. He would tower over you, and his physique is far more defined than yours, Sam. He’s well-known within the kingdom for his ability to fight for long periods without tiring. The king trains with angered bulls to keep in shape. He strikes the bull, causing the beast to charge, then meets the creature head on as it slams into him, and then he wrestles it to the ground. He does this over and over while striking the bull with his fists. Eventually, the beast hits the ground exhausted and unable to continue.

“Before Senchae became king, he would serve the meat from the bulls to the leaders of his grandfather’s army as a gesture of respect. They admired, revered and respected him in return. Now that he’s the leader of this bloodthirsty pack, Senchae is loved by his army and does not need to rule by fear, for they are loyal. He is loved, and his control over his kingdom is stronger than his grandfather’s reign ever was.”

Sam was impressed, but he still looked for a solution. “In my experience, a big man is also a slow man. I bet if a man was fast enough, he could defeat him.”

Mosley laughed as he leapt onto the bed. “I have not finished telling you about Senchae’s training. Fighting this single bull is a warm-up. Do you think you could defeat three bulls during the same moments, Sam? Because that is what the king does to improve his agility and speed.”

Sam flopped onto the bed. “Okay, okay. I’m sold. This guy is a champion. How am I going to achieve fame? I’m pretty tough, but it’s going to be impossible to gain an audience with the people in power