a fun day. I’ve really enjoyed this tournament, let me tell you.”
The Sovereign leaned against the wall, bored. “Get him standing.”
“You think he can manage it?”
“He’ll have to stand eventually.”
Kaleo rested his hands on his hips. “Well, come on then.” He nudged Tobias with his foot, and when nothing happened, he kicked him hard in the ribs. “Come on. Do you want another? No, I don’t think so.”
Still reeling, Tobias pulled himself to his hands and knees, then stumbled to his feet. He steadied himself, staring hard at the two men before him—the men who incited his rage.
“Look at you, lamb!” Kaleo cheered. “Good as new and ready for slaughter.”
Tobias swung his shackled fists only for Kaleo to jab him in the nose. He nearly fell to the floor, cringing as blood spouted down his lips.
“He’s a tenacious little shit.” Kaleo chuckled.
“Give him another go,” the Sovereign said.
“Another?”
“Just to play it safe.” He gestured at Kaleo’s hands. “Use your fists. Break a few of his bones, whichever ones he doesn’t need.”
“Well, I imagine we need all our bones, that’s why they’re there.”
“Just do it.”
Kaleo shrugged. “All right then.”
A fist barreled into Tobias’s jaw, pounding the thoughts clear from his head. Each swing sent him spinning, the blows traveling from his mouth to his nose, his gut to his ribs, marking him with breaks and bruises. Everything was an agonized blur, and when he toppled from his feet, a realization hit him along with the floor.
I die today.
The next stretch of time was a muddled haze. He wasn’t in the dungeon anymore; he was moving, as two armored guards dragged him through a narrow tunnel. The tunnel disappeared, and he staggered within the shadows of a green mass—the leafy wall of a hedge maze.
“See that?” one of the guards said. “That’s where you die.”
The guards forced him into another barred cell—the dungeon, except this one was smaller, leading to a dirt path bordered by lush, green walls.
The Culmination.
One guard yanked at his ankle, tying sandals onto his feet, while the other strapped a familiar set of golden plates across his shoulders. Tobias cried out as the leather bands pinched his gashes, fighting to free himself, though the guards forced him still. Finally finished, they tore from the cell and locked the door, leaving him a well-adorned, bloody mess.
Tobias clung to the gate in front of him, struggling to keep himself standing. A clank sounded, and Flynn waltzed into the cell at his right, his armor placed and chin high. “I trust you thoroughly enjoyed your time with The Savior…”
Flynn’s words died once he caught sight of Tobias’s crisscrossing gashes.
The cell to his left opened, and in came Kaleo, suited and smiling. “Oh my, someone’s done a number on you, haven’t they?”
Feet scuttled behind them. Tobias glanced over his shoulder, as it was all he could manage, and watched as Wembleton waddled their way.
“Gentlemen.” He glanced over Tobias’s marred back before looking away. “Welcome to the Culmination, the final challenge of the Sovereign’s Tournament.”
Tobias turned away, not bothering to look at the man as he spoke.
“The journey you’re about to embark on is perilous, and only one of you will make it out alive,” Wembleton said. “Ahead is the dreaded hedge maze, a tribute to the glorious labyrinth. Each of you will take a different path, and each of you will be faced with a familiar set of obstacles. There will be no instructions, no warnings. You must remember your days underground and handle each danger accordingly.”
Lies. Kaleo’s path was harmless. He eyed Tobias sidelong, winking.
“The maze stops where the arena begins,” Wembleton continued. “All those who survive will find themselves on the arena sands, where a sword will be waiting for you. There, you will fight to the death, and the last man standing will be The Savior’s Champion.”
Tobias wouldn’t be that man. He wouldn’t even make it to the arena.
“Are there any questions? Well then, if that’s all—”
Wembleton cleared his throat. “May the best man win.” He spun on his heel, scurrying away.
Tobias stood in silence, focused on staying upright. The other two men watched him, their gazes crawling down his back with his blood.
“You are a stubborn one, aren’t you?” Kaleo said. “Clinging to what’s left of your life with all your might. It’s commendable, Artist. I might even feel a hint of remorse when I kill you. Maybe. Probably not.”
Flynn madly glanced between the two, perplexed. Still Tobias didn’t