Downpour(II:5) The Fighting Pits

5. The Fighting Pits

     As they approached the center of the city, Nick began to hear chanting. It was difficult to make out, but to him it sounded like “kill him”. “How much farther?” he asked Mansen, wanting to think about anything other than the gladiator match he was about to enter.

     “Not long now. The pits are positioned at the exact center of the city, ensuring that the all-seeing eye has a perfect view.” Mansen gestured to the large crystal sitting atop the massive pyramid that Nick had seen earlier.

     “All-seeing eye?” It sounded like something more akin to an Illuminati conspiracy than the Aztecs.

     “It is the one piece of this city I have yet to understand. The Aztecs wouldn’t have had the resources to cut such a stone, and yet there it sits.” It was as if Mansen had forgotten entirely where they were going, and was lost in his own thought.

     I bet he thinks it’s aliens, thought Nick. “Some trader must have brought it in,” said Nick, stupidly. He had ignored the objects substantial size and weight in an effort to keep the conversation moving. Anything to keep his mind off the event to come. With each step they took, the clanging of steel, and the roar of a sizeable crowd became clearer.  

     “I sincerely doubt it Nick,” said Mansen, still lost in his own thoughts. “They were not as advanced as some historians would give them credit for, and clearly this society valued gold above all else.”

     Above them, a full moon glowed, casting its pallid rays down upon gold, making it look more like bone. The streets had become crowded. Dense groups of people were all shuffling around a corner ahead of them, and Nick could guess why. Blood Sport always draws a crowd. It had been true since the dawn of man, and Nick was convinced that as long as humans wanted to kill each other, people would pay to watch.

     They rounded the corner and Nick felt a hard lump form in the pit of his stomach. A large gate stood at the end of a wide street. There were deep holes in the sides where hot orange flames bloomed. Gold walls ran out from either side of the gate, forming the beginning of a ring. On the parapets, men and women beat drums, filling the air with their aggressive sound.

     “Well, here we are,” said Mansen, broken from his reverie. “El Dorado’s legendary fighting pits.”

     The streets had a hue of red to them. Even as they approached the gate, Nick watched as a fighter stumbled out, still bleeding from a wound, and likely near death. Anger burned in his eyes, and a sword was still held limply at his side. It curved in a crescent, like a scythe, and was stained with blood. “You made me do it,” the man yelled.

     A portly man turned from the crowd moving away from the gates to face him. He wore a long silken robe and had his shaved head reflected the moonlight. “We entered into an agreement. You were to participate in five fights. You never specified that you wouldn’t be willing to fight him.”

Nick thought he heard a slight hiss behind the man’s voice, like a snake coiled and watching its prey.

     “He was my brother.” The man held the sword aloft. The crowds had dispersed around the two of them, giving the conflict a wide birth.

     “Careful. You wouldn’t want to do something you’ll regret. I’d hate to send two members of your family to the grave today.”

     The man began to edge forward.

     “You’ve only got one fight left. Then you can have your supplies and be on your merry way.” The bald man was treating the presence of an aggravated warrior as if it were no more than a minor inconvenience.

     Nick did not like the fact that he was not the only one fighting for supplies. People who needed something were desperate, and would do anything to obtain it. At least career fighters were predictable. They were just in it for the blood sport, and tended to make more mistakes due to overconfidence. His heart began to beat faster in his chest.

     The man let out a primal scream and charged, bringing the sword around in a sweeping arc as he did so. It looked as though the portly man was about to be sliced in two, when a bright light shone down on the city streets. Nick looked up to see that the diamond above the pyramid was blazing white hot.

     The man holding the sword had a moment to look confused, and then horrified as his flesh burned from his skin in an instant. His screams were silenced, as if the light were holding them in. Flesh turned to bone, and bone turned to dust. Over the course of a few seconds, the man disappeared, and only a neat pile of dirt remained, which blew away in the wind.

     “The city prevents it huh?” said Nick, watching as the portly man straightened his robes and muttered something about a waste of time.

     “I did say that you were safe.”

     Lopsang’s mouth was open, horror struck. “That man just had his flesh peeled from his bones.” The way he said it was matter of fact, but betrayed a deeper feeling that Nick had often sensed. Lopsang abhorred violence. Being immortal, he didn’t see the point of it, and had often felt disenfranchised with the human race as a result. If James hadn’t been involved, Nick wasn’t even sure that Lopsang would have accompanied him on his journey.

     “Yes he did, and if we’re lucky, I won’t be experiencing a similar fate in an hour or so.”  Nick’s voice was cold and detached. The only way he had made it out of the last fighting pit he was tossed in was through the use of an illegal armament. He had hidden a gun in his boot before entering. The man he was fighting had showboated for a second too long, and Nick had gunned him down. The memory still made him uneasy, but he had done what he needed to for survival.

     “Nick, don’t do this. Don’t fight. We can find James another way.” Lopsang wasn’t pleading, but was strongly urging. The last place he wanted to go was into an arena made specifically for murder.

     Nick turned to him. “I don’t want to do this either, but without the Book of the Dead, how are we expecting to find the entrance?”

     “We didn’t have a plan before; we were just going to start searching.”

     It was true. Their initial plan had been to go to the bandit port and look for leads, but they had solid evidence now. “Lopsang, we both know that this is our best shot of finding the entrance. If we don’t want to spend the next five years groping around the jungle only to come up empty handed, then I need to do this.” His tone was calm, and his statement final. Nick had accepted his fate the moment he saw the gates, and despite the horrible feeling in his stomach, he felt ready.

     “Alright,” said Lopsang, with an air of defeat. “But I’m coming into the prep area with you.”

     “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Nick, and they began walking forward again. The roar of the crowd intensified, and Nick heard a loud crash from above. One of the walls shuddered, as if pressed by heavy weight. He looked at Mansen, asking for explanation.

     “They, don’t just fight humans in here.” He tugged at the collar of his shirt awkwardly.

     “Great,” said Nick, his body going cold. I’ve fought plenty of half-breeds before. “Don’t suppose our friend William will be up for a fight?” Nick had hoped that the vampire would be the one entering the ring. He thought it would be a nice twist of fate to skewer him in front of an arena of people, and then take his supplies.

     “I don’t think so. He’s been a pacifist since coming to the city, moving away from the old ways and such. If you hadn’t insulted him; he might have given us the information for free.” Mansen raised his eyebrows in an expression of “I told you so”.

     “Figures.” A vampire leaving the old ways behind? Unlikely. I bet there’s a reason he likes the fighting pits so much. Nick knew that as vampires aged, they did not need as much blood to support them, and William could have likely been feasting on the freshly killed gladiators after combat.

     As they passed under the archway, they came into a long tunnel with a series of alcoves leading to long tunnels. From the end of one, Nick heard a roar that sounded chillingly familiar. “How do they get these creatures here?”

     “I’m not entirely sure, but I think somewhere in the city there is a portal to another plane. They likely harvest them there.”

     Nick looked at Lopsang. “What are the odds it leads to Shangri-La?”

     Lopsang shook his head. “I heard it too, but I don’t think so. We closed that portal when we killed the beast. It may have similar creatures, but I doubt it’s the same.”

     “Don’t worry, I doubt William will have you fighting one of them,” said Mansen casually. “It wouldn’t make for much sport to put you in the ring just to be eviscerated. William is an entertainer, and will likely want the fight to continue on.”

     “Well I feel better,” said Nick with a bitter laugh. Nick spotted William standing by one of the alcoves up ahead, lingering in the shadows, red eyes still gleaming. “It seems that our friend is already here.”

     “A bright, good evening to all of you,” said William, bowing what little he could due to his girth.

     Neither Nick nor Lopsang said anything.

     “Right, well, if you’re ready, I’ll lead you to the prep area.”

     Nick followed like a condemned man, and Lopsang stepped with him.

     “Leave the demi-god.”

     Lopsang moved so fast that Nick barely saw it. William was pressed up against the gold wall and spluttering for breath.

     “Easy Lopsang, remember the burning flesh,” warned Nick. It was quite enjoyable to watch the fat vampire struggle against Lopsang’s grip and gasp for air. Had it been a normal human, he could have easily gotten out of it, but Lopsang’s grip was far too strong.

     “I’m going with him, and if you’ve got a problem, then we can settle it in the ring.” Lopsang released him, and William landed hard on the ground.

     Brushing himself off he said “fine, but no interference.”

     Lopsang nodded. “Show us the way.”

     William turned into the tunnel and led them into the darkness, fuming.

     “I’ll be watching from the stands,” called Manchester, turning tail and rushing to get a good seat. Nick expected no less. Mansen had probably been waiting for the opportunity his whole life.

     They walked in silence, passing empty cages and other tunnels that seemed to extend infinitely. Eventually, they stopped, and William opened a large wooden door to reveal one of the most beautiful sights Nick had ever seen. Gleaming from wall to wall were weapons from all different eras, cultures, and theological backgrounds. Nick’s eyes fell to a set of silver daggers that looked as though they were inlaid with golden holy water. Nick had only used the substance once, but he had never seen a demon explode so violently since.

     “It’s fighter’s choice. Bring as much as you want with you. You’ll be fighting in an hour.”

     “I’ve said some nasty things about you William, but god damn if this isn’t beautiful.” Nick was in awe.

     William cracked a smile. “It’s a shame Nick. Given more time, I think you and I might have come to be friends.”

     “Unlikely, but nice try blood-sucker.” Nick gave William the finger, and then shooed him away. The vampire slammed the door.

     “That didn’t seem strictly necessary,” said Lopsang.

     “It was for me.” Nick was running his hands down the barrel of a gun that looked like it shot slugs the size of his head. “Where do you think they get all these?” The room was over a hundred feet long, and covered floor to ceiling with shelves and mounts. Even still, some weapons were lying on the floor, with not enough space to store them.

     “A lot of people must come through here. Immortality gets boring after a while, and going back to the jungle is less than appealing.”

     “Sounds about right,” said Nick, picking up a sword with two blades that felt lighter than a feather. “So the real question is, what do you think I’m going to fight?” The possibilities were endless, and Nick wasn’t willing to bet on the creatures a vampire could summon.

     “Let’s just hope it wasn’t whatever we heard earlier. Go with a good general weapon.” Lopsang walked around the room, looking at their many choices. To him it must have seemed like a museum of horrors.

     Nick felt overwhelmed by his options. There were guns, swords, bows, anything he could think of. Mostly, he had preferred to use guns in the past, but it seemed far too easy to bring a simple pistol into the arena. On a table at the end of the room, he saw a plethora of bullets, infused with various holy and unholy substances. “It’s a guessing game,” said Nick, unable to think of what he might need. “They could throw anything at me in the arena. We need a cure-all.”

     “So it’s got to have some silver in it,” said Lopsang with a laugh. Nick had made it a habit to get every weapon he owned infused with silver in some way. In the realm of mythical beasts, it was the closest thing he had to a surefire solution. It had served him well in the past, and it seemed like a good idea to bring it with him into the arena.

     “You’re going to want something versatile. I’d say a spear, but if your opponent fights close up then your doomed. I think a mid-range sword is going to do you best.” Lopsang was speaking as though he had some experience in the matter.

     “Is there something you’re not telling me Lopsang?” Nick watched his reaction suspiciously.

     “I didn’t just guide climbers up the mountain Nick, and I wasn’t always a pacifist.” He said it in a quiet tone that told Nick to drop it. Lopsang did not often speak about his past, and Nick had learned that it was not a prudent course of action to pry it from him.

     “Alright, what about this?” said Nick, stepping up to a particularly mean looking silver sword. It was sharp on both sides and about as wide as Nick’s wrist, widening in the middle before narrowing to a point.

     “I’d say it’s about as good as we’re going to get with such little time.”

     “Such confidence Lopsang, I feel much better now.”

     Lopsang shrugged. “It’s silver, and it’s versatile. All we have to hope now is that your opponent doesn’t rip you to shreds.”

     Some pep talk, thought Nick.

     They spent the next hour waiting in silence, Nick occasionally swinging the sword through the air, trying to get some practice in. It was light and cut through the air smoothly. He actually quite liked it and thought that if he were to make it out alive, he would have to get one of his own.

     Lopsang was huddled in prayer in the corner of the room when there came a knock on the door. A gruff voice came from the other side, “It’s time.”

     “Well old pal, I guess I’ll see you on the other side,” said Nick.

     “Good luck Nick.”

     Nick smiled, opened the door, and walked into the darkened hallway.