บท 109: No Pain, No Gain, Part 1

"Boo! Boo! Boo!" 

The jeering became louder the closer I got to the center of the arena. I didn't mind them though. I would shut up the naysayers soon enough. 

I waved at the stands and predictably riled the spectators up even more. 

"I hope you lose, veslingr!" someone cried. 

"Get maimed, you little vargr!" someone followed up. 

"Die, die, die, die!" and someone just stole my new catchphrase. 

"Seriously," I frowned. "It took killing a maenad queen's serpent crown for me to think that up too." 

I glanced down at my hand. It wasn't shaking. That was a good sign. Regardless of how many life-and-death situations I'd been in, anxiety sometimes cropped up when I least expected it. 

"My condition's good…" My gaze drifted to the scabbard strapped to my belt. "…What about you?"