Chapter 45: THE PLAN
"And that is what a god of the arena looks like" the officiator informed the officials gathered around with a smile.
Khiduf nodded in happiness for his handsome winnings which mostly came from the nobles who was didn't believe that a female, especially one as tiny as Aia could beat a skilled and powerful fighter like George.
"Still, I think you were wrong to kill Furman. Maybe he was no god, but I believe he could have gone a long way before his death came at another's hand." Heisn refused to back down from his previous opinion.
"Maybe I was wrong, but what's done is done. I'm more concerned about General Orion's bet now. That skinny boy looks lost down there" the officiator said pointedly with a mocking grin at Orion who returned the grin in full confidence.
"Oh, don't worry about me or him. We're never wrong, and that boy will deliver. Easily" Orion said confidently.
The spectator's attention was now back to Joda and Einarch's fight after they had witnessed Aia's gruesome but impressive performance. They did not doubt that the next fight was going to be boring at best. It was evident that the golden-haired boy was scared, inexperienced, and stood absolutely no chance against the much bigger adult, even with his poor equipment and stance.
The boy's failure was a given in the crowd's eyes but his teams' victory was assured as long as they were concerned. They knew that even without the boy, Aia was going to carry the team to victory so most people bet on her team winning the duel and left the boy's fight to fate.
"Fight already!" More than one person yelled from the stands and others took the phrase up.
Aia, who was still holding George's head by its hair slowly turned her gaze from the stands to look straight at Einarch who took a step back in fear.
Her face was back to its composed mask and she showed no trace of emotions at all as she continued looking straight into Einarch's eyes. She took a step towards the Viking with George's mace still held tightly in her hand, and Joda quickly stopped her by stretching his open palm at her in the universal sign meaning 'halt'.
Aia looked curiously at Joda for a long time before dropping her mace to the ground. Then to Einarch's horror, she threw his partner's head straight at him. The head flew one-half of the distance between the two parties and rolled the remaining half to Einarch's feet.
The man gulped as he looked at the severed head then back at the small female who was now sitting in a lotus position some distance away from the skinny boy.
He knew he was already a goner. Even if he killed the boy, he will still have to face the girl that had lain waste to George. A superior fighter compared to him. He stood no chance at all of surviving such a confrontation, especially now that she was resting and would be completely rejuvenated by the time he was done with the boy. Oh, why did he even kill that official? He wouldn't be running from the law if he had just accepted his wife's death. And he most certainly wouldn't be facing death now if he had just calmed down enough to plan his revenge properly.
The crowd was going mad with boredom and Einarch was going mad with grief and confusion.
Joda knew the man didn't want to fight him. It was why he himself had made no move to attack the man during Aia's fight or even after. He wanted the Viking to make the first move so that he could kill him in self-defense. That would abate his guilt a little but he had waited long enough and the man still wasn't attacking so he decided to make the first move.
The ex-prince took a couple of steps forward and the man came alive. Finally.
Even from the distance, Joda could tell that the man's demeanor was no longer the same as he rushed for the boy. True, Einarch had come to terms that he was going to die in the arena that day and had decided that if a dog's death was his fate, then he will go down with at least one person. That person being Joda, the only easy target in the arena. Or so Einarch thought.
Joda jogged lightly towards the advancing Viking warrior whose axe was raised high over his head, his mouth twisted with hatred and his eyes glinting maniacally. The ex-prince sped up when Einarch was a short distance from him.
The moment Einarch's axe was within range, he brought it down towards the boy's head with all his strength. All those watching held their breaths as they wondered why Joda hadn't used his long spear from a distance. They wondered if he was mad for charging in close to the much bigger opponent. And some even insulted his stupidity. But the next course of the boy's actions explained everything to the bewildered crowd.
Much to the surprise of everyone present, the skinny boy's head did not get split in two like they had expected to see. Instead, he had escaped the no doubt gruesome death that the bigger man had intended for him by sliding right under the attack and rolling away from his opponent.
Einarch turned to dish out another attack to the boy and everyone watching held their breath as he got right into position for Joda's spinning spear attack which contrary to what the spectators expected, did not cut Einarch's throat but rather knocked him flat to the ground since he had been bluntly hit on his temple by the butt of Joda's spear.
The man lay still on the sandy ground and Joda walked toward him calmly. The crowd wondered just how strong the boys hit was to knock the man out, but that was the least of their problems when he looked towards the official's special booth and got a thumbs down from Khiduf once again.
Those who had bet on him losing the fight with his opponent held their heads as they realized their folly. Those who had sat out on his fight smiled and thanked their stars for saving their wallets and the crazy ones who had either bet on him for fun or hoped that his frail look had been a hoax like Furman's jumped in Joy when Joda lifted his spear to finish Einarch.
"I'm sorry" Joda whispered to the passed-out Einarch and with a grunt plunged his spear deep into the man's heart. A quick and painless death followed suit immediately. That had been Joda's plan all along.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone