Dan woke up feeling like he'd been hit by a truck. Every muscle ached, and his head pounded. The first thing he noticed was the gentle swaying, as if he were floating on a calm sea. Opening his eyes, he realized he was lying on a bed, soft and warm. Beside him sat Naya, her eyes sharp and vigilant.
"You're finally awake," she said, her voice a mix of relief and reprimand.
Dan tried to sit up, groaning as pain shot through his body. "What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"You collapsed after the battle," Naya replied softly. "You pushed yourself too hard."
Dan rubbed his temples, trying to piece together his fragmented memories. The last thing he remembered was the roar of the crowd, and then darkness.
"I didn't have much of a choice. At least we came out alive," Dan chuckled.
Naya sighed, her expression softening with worry. "I know, right."
The door to their makeshift quarters opened, and a guard stepped in. "The chief demands an audience with you and the remaining champions," he announced.
Naya helped Dan to his feet. He noticed a chain around his ankle, holding a small iron ball. 'What's this?' he wondered as they followed the guard through the winding corridors.
Long candles lit the way as they walked what seemed like an endless path. They finally entered a grand hall where the chief awaited them. He was a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression. Beside him stood his daughter, a striking young woman with long blonde hair and piercing red eyes.
Dan and Naya joined the five remaining champions, who were already there.
"Congratulations on your victory," the chief said, his voice booming. "You have proven yourselves worthy."
Dan and Naya exchanged a wary glance. The chief's words were kind, but there was tension in the room.
"As a token of our appreciation," the chief continued, "we invite you to a feast tonight in your honor. It will be an opportunity to celebrate your triumph and meet some of the nobles of our land."
The invitation felt more like a command. Dan and the rest bowed in respect.
The chief dismissed them with a wave of his hand. As they exited the hall, they encountered the man who had hosted the battle and imprisoned them.
"I am Cornelius," he introduced himself, his voice smooth and calculated. "And I am here to explain what it means to be a champion."
"First and foremost, you are prisoners, and those chains on your legs show that," he said bluntly. "You may have won in the arena and are called champions living a luxurious life, but you are still bound to serve the nobles and the people of this land."
Dan felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered why he came here—he had no reason.
"You will be called upon to fight in the arena at least once a week," Cornelius continued. "Your victories bring honor to the nobles and entertain the masses. Failure is not an option."
"And what if we try to escape?" Dan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Cornelius's eyes hardened. "Escape is punishable by death. There is no other option."
Hearing those words, Dan sunk deep into thought. None of this was going as planned, even though he hadn't planned at all.
They were trapped, bound by their new roles as champions. The price of victory was steep, and the road ahead was fraught with danger.
"Remember," Cornelius said, his voice a low warning. "Your lives now belong to the arena. Make the most of it."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Dan, Naya, and the remaining champions to ponder their fate. Some accepted it, while others struggled to come to terms with their reality.
As they made their way back to their quarters, Dan's mind raced with thoughts of their new reality. The celebration tonight felt like a mockery of their situation, a hollow gesture meant to placate them.
That evening, still in chains, they dressed in the finest clothes provided for them and made their way to the grand dining hall. The room was filled with nobles, their laughter and chatter a stark contrast to the tension that hung in the air.
Dan and Naya took their seats with the three remaining champions. The feast was lavish, with platters of exotic foods and goblets of fine wine.
The nobles, including the nine chiefs and their families, were seated at the high table. Upon the arrival of the champions, the feast began. The chief who had met with them earlier stood up with a glass of wine in his hand, prompting them to stand in respect.
"Welcome," his calm voice echoed throughout the hall. "I'm pleased you all came this evening for this feast. Today, we shall enjoy and make merry. Don't hold back and make sure you eat your fill," he said and drank from his cup.
The hall burst into cheers and laughter. Dan was utterly confused and stupefied. If this was the treatment for prisoners, wasn't it better to stay a prisoner until he died in the arena? Dan thought, although he wasn't ready for any of that. One opportunity, and he would be out of here.
"Psst," Dan hissed, getting Naya's attention. "Who is that man?" he asked, pointing at the chief who had made the toast.
"That's the head chief, Lord Lucien Mason," Naya answered.
"Oh, he looks younger than the rest," Dan said, glancing at the remaining eight chiefs.
"Yeah, his father died not too long ago, and then he became head chief. Rumour has it that he killed his father to become the head chief."
"Hmm? That must be tough for him," Dan said and focused on the meal in front of him.
As he was about to eat, he heard a call from one of the chiefs.
"You over there…" An old, fat, and ugly-looking chief pointed at Naya.
"Me?" Naya exclaimed, pointing to her chest.
"Yes, you. Come over here," he said.
Naya stood up and walked to the high table. The man finished the drink in his hand and dropped the glass on the table. "Fill the cup," he said.
"Oh…" That wasn't what Naya expected, but even so, she picked up the bottle of wine and was about to pour it when she felt a hand under her skirt touching her from behind. Shocked, she looked at the old man and saw the perverted look on his face. She wanted to scream but managed to hold herself, making only a small sound.
Everyone in the hall noticed what was happening. The other chiefs weren't perturbed, including the champions, except Dan. He didn't know what the man was doing, but he felt bitter inside. His heart ached and pounded with insane speed. It was rage.
Unintentionally, he rushed at the chief with insane speed, about to pierce his hands into the chief's eyes but was stopped just millimeters away. The chief shrieked in fear and fell on his back.
Dan calmed down and looked at his neck. Resting there was a long blade about to slit his throat if he moved any closer. Following the blade, he saw the handsome man he had almost fought in the arena.
"Move your sword," Dan said, his voice surprisingly calm.
"I'm guessing you don't know your duty as a champion," the man said with a stoic face.
As the two had their moment, a loud slap echoed throughout the hall. It was Ella, Lucien's daughter, who had slapped the ugly chief.
"Don't you have any pride as a chief, no, as a man?" she asked before rushing over to Naya, who was on the ground looking helpless.
"Are you alright?" Ella asked, but Naya, too shocked, responded with a nod.
"Can you stand? If you can, then follow me," Ella said, supporting her to her feet as they left the hall.
Dan gave the young, handsome man a wary look before leaving. After unlocking his Ryo tracts, he had never seen anyone as quick and strong as him. This immediately gave him the impression to be careful and train harder.
Later, at the female quarters, Dan took permission to see Naya, which he was granted through Ella's influence. Naya was seated on the bed, and beside her was Ella, holding her hand. Dan walked up to them, scratching his overgrown hair, not knowing what to say.
"A-are you alright?" Dan stuttered.
"Yes, I'm alright. It was no big deal," Naya replied. "Thank you for standing up for me. You saved me once again."
"Sure, it was no big deal," Dan said.
"You were brave out there, sir," Ella said, looking at Dan with her red eyes.
"You can call me Dan. And besides, that's no big deal. You guys are just exaggerating it," Dan chuckled.
Ella stood up, alarmed, and walked close to Dan. "No, no, you've got it all wrong, Dan. What you did today is punishable by death. And since it was committed by a guardian, you'll be tortured before you are killed."
Hearing those words, Dan stood there with his mouth gaped open. What he had thought was an adventure had just become a quick journey to his grave.