Chapter 101: Blood on the Sand
The waiting hall of the East Vigil Coliseum buzzed with chaos, a melting pot of rough voices, clashing metal, and the rancid stench of sweat that clung to the air like a thick fog. Torches flickered on the stone walls, casting jittery shadows over the competitors: some sharpened weapons with nerve-grating screeches, others whispered prayers with closed eyes, and a few bragged with guffaws that boomed like hammer strikes on an anvil. Amid the whirlwind, Sebastián adjusted the belt of Plague Edge with trembling but steady fingers, the leather creaking under his grip. Beside him, Kaili watched with arms crossed, her black armor gleaming like polished obsidian under the wavering light. Her fair skin stood out against the jet-black hair that fell in sharp strands, and her eyes—black sclera with silver pupils like frozen moons—pierced him with a cutting intensity, her sexy figure wrapped in a purely human presence, devoid of any demonic traits.
"I pounded you for a hundred years, gardener," she said, her voice cold and sharp as a wind that tears skin, "and if you don't break something out there, I'll bury you myself in that filthy sand."
Sebastián let out a dry chuckle, running a hand through his messy hair, still damp with the sweat of anticipation. "A hundred years of your affection, 'wife.' I can split a tree with this thing," he hefted Plague Edge with a faint whistle, the red runes on the blade flickering like embers, "is that good enough for you?"
Kaili raised an eyebrow, her silver pupils glinting with an icy sheen. She closed the distance with a firm step, the ground quaking under her boots, and corrected his stance with a shove to his chest, her fingers grazing his shirt with a pressure that was both warning and taunt. "Make the sand shake, gardener, or don't expect a damn thing from me. If they squash you like a bug, I'm not picking up your pieces."
"For you, princess," he shot back, winking with a boldness that made her eyes flash for a moment, "I'll smash anything that gets in my way. Happy now?"
She snorted, a sound half-laugh, half-scorn, and pulled back with a sharp clack of her armor. "I'll be happy when I don't have to watch you crawl like a kicked dog. Move it already!"
A deep horn blared from the arena, vibrating through the walls like a heavy pulse that shook dust from the ceiling. "Sebastián, the gardener, to the novice ring!" roared an announcer, his voice amplified by some arcane trick that rattled down to the bones. The crowd roared back, a wild chorus of shouts and stomps that made the stands tremble.
Sebastián took a deep breath, the air thick with iron and dry earth filling his lungs with a bitter taste, and stepped toward the exit arch. Kaili tracked him with her gaze, her tall, lean silhouette framed against the dim light, silver eyes locked on him like a predator on the hunt. "Don't make me regret this, gardener," she muttered to herself, her voice a whisper lost in the horn's echo, before turning toward the stands with a step that thudded like a drum on the stone floor.
The novice ring was a circle of packed sand, hemmed in by half-filled stands where spectators screamed bets and jeers with feverish glee. The stone walls bore deep gouges and black scorch marks, scars of past battles, and the midday sun beat down with a blistering heat that made the air shimmer over the sand. Sebastián stepped onto it, his boots sinking with a faint crunch that kicked up light dust, and glanced up at the stands. There was Kaili, leaning on the railing with a stance both relaxed and taut, like a cat poised to pounce. Her black-and-silver eyes watched him with a mix of mockery and silent expectation, her pale face still under the sun.
"Ragna 'The Gray Wolf,' to the ring!" the announcer bellowed, and the crowd erupted into a roar that shook the ground beneath Sebastián's feet. From the opposite arch emerged a towering figure: nearly six feet of raw muscle wrapped in weathered furs and war-worn iron plates. His gray mane whipped like a wild banner in the breeze, and in his hands, he gripped a double-bladed axe, Ice Fang, its carved runes emitting a subtle chill that turned the air around it into wisps of mist. He slammed the weapon into the sand with a dry boom, leaving a two-meter crater that sprayed dust and gravel in all directions, the impact echoing like distant thunder.
"A little guy with a busted sword?" Ragna let out a guttural laugh, his voice rumbling like a war drum. "I'll turn you into mush, bug! A pup like you won't last a breath against me!"
Sebastián tightened his grip on Plague Edge, the red runes pulsing with a low hum that vibrated in his hand. "You talk like you're hot stuff, 'wolf,'" he replied, his tone dry but steady, spitting onto the ground in defiance. "Come on, let's see if your fangs cut deeper than your tongue."
Ragna narrowed his eyes, fresh scars on his arms glinting like silver under the sun. "I'll crush you like firewood and hang your scraps in my cave, gardener!" he roared, raising the axe with a whistle that sliced the air like a scythe, and the crowd went wild, stomping the stands until the echo rumbled like an earthquake.
"Begin!" shouted the referee, a burly man with a horn in hand, his voice carried by the wind, and the fight exploded like an unleashed storm.
Ragna charged like an enraged bull, his steps pounding the sand like hammer blows against the earth. He swung the axe down in a brutal arc, the blade splitting the ground into a three-meter crater that flung shards of earth like jagged shrapnel. Sebastián rolled aside with a ragged gasp, the impact jarring him to the bones, the edge missing his shoulder by inches and kicking up a hot gust that tousled his hair and filled his mouth with dust. "Damn beast!" he grunted, springing to his feet, and slashed Plague Edge at Ragna's chest. The sword struck the iron breastplate with a high-pitched screech, sparking and leaving a jagged crack in the metal, but Ragna countered with a wild elbow that slammed him into the ring's wall. The stone cracked with a dry snap, a web of fissures spreading from the hit, and a trickle of blood seeped from Sebastián's left arm, staining his sleeve a dark red that dripped onto the sand.
"Run, you useless punk!" Ragna roared, spinning the axe with a laugh that boomed like a broken drum. "This is real strength!"
Sebastián staggered off the wall, panting, the metallic taste of blood mingling with dust on his tongue. "Kaili hit harder than you, you animal!" he shot back, spitting a red gob onto the ground, and charged with a hoarse yell. His sword arced fast, aiming for Ragna's leg, but the barbarian blocked with the axe haft, the clash ringing like a gong that shivered through the air. "Not so fast, runt!" Ragna spun in a fluid motion, his axe slicing the air in a devastating whirl that shattered a wooden pillar in the ring. The meter-thick trunk snapped with a crash, sending splinters flying like arrows as dust billowed in a thick cloud, and Sebastián leapt back, deflecting a shard with a "Wind Slash" that made Plague Edge whistle with a cutting hum.
From the stands, Kaili gripped the railing until the wood creaked under her fingers, her silver eyes narrowing with a razor-sharp chill. "If that brute flattens you, gardener," she muttered, her voice low but slicing like an icy blade, "I won't bother picking you up."
The dust had barely settled when Ragna threw a punch with his free hand, a blow that rang like a hammer on a cracked bell. Sebastián blocked with his sword, the metal shrieking under the force, but the hit snapped two ribs with a dry crack that tore a choked scream from him, hurling him to the ground in a cloud of sand. Blood splattered the earth, staining the sand a vivid red, and he rolled to dodge an axe strike that left a steaming half-meter gouge, the blade's heat grazing his skin. "I'll split you like firewood, runt!" Ragna roared, raising the weapon with both hands, his arm muscles bulging like steel cables under the weathered furs.
"A hundred years… I don't give up…" Sebastián hauled himself up, limping, pain stabbing him with every breath like red-hot needles. He charged with a ragged howl, Plague Edge slashing at Ragna's leg. The blade tore through flesh and bone with a wet snap, blood gushing like a geyser that soaked the sand, but Ragna answered with a brutal headbutt that sent him reeling. The barbarian's forehead smashed into his with a dull thud, splitting a gash on his brow that blurred his vision with hot, sticky blood. "Your arm's mine, gardener!" Ragna bellowed, and his axe descended in a diagonal strike that cut the air with a deadly whistle. Sebastián tried to dodge, but the edge caught his left arm, ripping muscle and splintering bone with a gruesome crunch that echoed through the ring. The arm dangled useless, flesh torn in strips and blood dripping like a dark river, a hoarse scream ripping from his throat as he fell to his knees, the sand pooling red beneath him.
Kaili leaned forward in the stands, her silver pupils gleaming cold as ice under the sunlight. "Get up, you useless fool," she whispered, audible only to herself, her tone sharp and firm, a command cloaked in mockery, "or I'll bury you with that wolf."
The crowd roared, a savage chorus fueling the frenzy, their shouts pounding against the stands like a relentless drumbeat. Ragna advanced, his axe raised for the killing blow, the sand quaking under his heavy boots with each step. "I'll smash you like a busted sack!" he roared, and the weapon fell like lightning, cleaving the ground into a four-meter crater that sent waves of dust and gravel into the air, the impact rattling the stands. Sebastián, vision hazy with blood and his left arm hanging like a shredded rag, fumbled into his pouch with a desperate jerk and flung a handful of blinding powder—a mix of dried herbs he'd kept since Veridian. The dust burst into a gray cloud that engulfed Ragna, wrenching a furious yell from him: "My eyes, you cheating son of a—!"
Sebastián rolled under the axe with a torn gasp, pain searing every muscle like liquid fire. "Not today—I've got a kiss to win!" he shouted, voice breaking, and drove Plague Edge into Ragna's thigh with all the strength left in his good arm. The blade pierced flesh and bone with a wet crunch, blood spraying like hot rain over the sand, and he shoved with his uninjured shoulder, toppling the giant in a crash that kicked up a dust cloud and shook the ground. Ragna hit the sand with a low groan, his leg buckling under his weight, and Sebastián, swaying like a drunk, raised the sword to the barbarian's throat with a trembling arm, the tip grazing his sweaty skin. The referee's whistle cut sharp and clear through the crowd's roar, and he collapsed sideways, gasping in a pool of his own blood, his mangled arm limp and his vision fading to near black.
Kaili flashed a sharp smile from the stands, her fingers tapping the railing with a slow, steady rhythm. "Not bad, gardener," she said under her breath, almost a whisper lost in the uproar, "but you're still a mess."
The crowd exploded into cheers and boos, some stomping the stands with a frenzy that made the whole structure quake, the echo thumping like a wild heartbeat. Kaili vaulted the railing with a fluid motion, her boots hitting the sand with a dry crunch, and strode toward Sebastián with firm steps, her black armor glinting under the sun as the dust settled around her. He lay flat on his back, left arm a wreck—torn flesh hanging in strips, splintered bone jutting out like a broken fang—his shattered ribs sinking his chest with every ragged breath that wheezed like a busted bellows. Blood soaked his clothes, dripping into the sand like dark ink, pooling thick beneath him.
Kaili knelt beside him with a creak of her armor, her black hair falling like a curtain over her pale face. "Don't die, you idiot," she said, her voice low and cutting, not a tremble in it, a frigid taunt that hid any hint of softness. "What am I supposed to do with a broken gardener?" She stretched a hand over his chest, and dark energy surged from her fingers in an instant burst—a purple whirl flecked with crimson that enveloped Sebastián's body like a living storm. In a blink, the flesh of his arm knitted together, torn muscles snapping back with a dry click, the shattered bone fusing into a solid but fragile line; his broken ribs realigned with a quick crack, and the gashes sealed with a hiss that turned the blood to wisps of vapor. The healing flashed complete in less than a second, leaving Sebastián exhausted but physically whole, his breathing steadying though his eyes stayed clouded with fatigue.
Sebastián blinked, hauling himself up with a groan, the pain replaced by a bone-deep weariness that weighed him like lead. "I've won your bet, my sweet wife…" he murmured, voice hoarse but steady, a faint smile curling his lips as he pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the mended ribs.
"Shut up and stay still," she snapped, her tone sharp and dry, rising with a smooth motion. "I pulled you out of this mess for today, gardener. Don't think it's free." She grabbed his good arm with a firm grip, hauling him to his feet as he panted, his body trembling from the effort.
From the upper stands, Lord Valerius Thorne, leader of the East Vigil Guild, frowned, his gray cloak billowing in the wind as he watched the scene with wide eyes. A tall man with a weathered face and eyes sharp as blades, his gaze fixed on Kaili when the dark energy flared and vanished in an instant. Beside him, a young aide with glasses dropped his pencil, his notebook shaking in his hands.
"That energy…" Valerius muttered, his deep voice thick with awe, narrowing his eyes. "A cleric? But I've never seen anything that fast… or that dark. What's that, purple with crimson?"
"My lord?" The aide retrieved his pencil, adjusting his glasses with nervous fingers. "Was that… healing? In a second?"
"I don't know," Valerius replied, drumming his fingers on the railing in a rapid beat, his tone hardening. "Healing, yeah, but not like anything we've seen. That speed… it's impossible. Where's she pulling power like that from? That woman doesn't fit here."
"And the gardener?" the aide pressed, eyeing Sebastián staggering but intact. "He was shredded… and now…"
Valerius tilted his head, his eyes glinting with cold curiosity. "It wasn't luck. That final blow had more strength than I'd expect from a rookie. But her… she's something else. Keep your eyes peeled, just in case."
The crowd buzzed, some pointing at the energy flash with awe, others shrinking back from its eerie aura that lingered like an echo in the air. The referee raised an arm, his voice booming over the clamor: "Sebastián, the gardener, victorious!" Cheers erupted again, a chaotic mix of applause and shouts that reverberated through the stands as Kaili guided Sebastián out of the ring, her hand firm on his back. He limped, his patched-up arm hanging stiff but usable, each step wrenching a ragged gasp from the sheer exhaustion crushing him.
"Walk straight, gardener," Kaili growled, her tone sharp and impatient, "or I'll dump you in an alley for the dogs to eat." The sun dipped low, painting the sky a blazing orange that bathed East Vigil's streets as they left the Coliseum behind. The cool evening air eased the arena's scorching heat, carrying the scent of fresh-baked bread and the sour tang of open drains. The streets thrummed with the city's bustle: vendors hawking wares with hoarse yells, coins clinking between hands, and the distant rattle of a cart on cobblestones. "No more of that 'Sleeping Dragon' rat-hole this time," she added, her voice cutting as she steered him with purpose. "I want something decent, luxurious, with a bed that doesn't stink of dead vermin. We're heading to 'The Silent Raven.'" Sebastián stumbled, his left leg buckling under his drained weight, and Kaili caught him with a tighter grip, her arm sliding under his good one to keep him upright.
"What's wrong, you useless lump?" she said, her voice low but dripping with mockery as she steadied him, the metal of her armor brushing his sweaty skin. "Did you burn out all your strength in that pathetic fight?"
Sebastián let out a weak laugh, broken by a gasp, the air heavy in his lungs like he was breathing lead. "Still… got enough to… walk, 'wife,'" he mumbled, his head tilting toward her, sweat dripping from his brow and staining the sand still clinging to his boots. "You won't… shake me off that easy."
Kaili snorted, a dry sound that cut through the cool air, her silver eyes narrowing as she glanced at him sidelong. "Keep dreaming, you walking sack of manure. Trip again, and I'll drag you like a potato sack and sell you to the first butcher I see." Her tone was biting, but her fingers tightened slightly on his arm, holding him up with a strength that belied her words. They passed a spice stall, the sharp scent of cinnamon and cloves filling the air, and a weathered vendor stared curiously, his hands pausing over a sack of turmeric.
"What're you gawking at, old man?" Kaili snapped without breaking stride, her voice a whipcrack that made him flinch with a mumble. Sebastián chuckled, the sound turning into a cough that drew a groan, and she shot him a raised brow. "Laugh all you want, disaster. Die before we get there, and don't blame me for leaving you."
"I'm not dying…" he wheezed, leaning harder into her as they rounded a corner, the buildings' shadows stretching over the cobblestones. "Not after… winning that kiss."
She turned her head toward him, silver pupils glinting with a mix of amusement and menace. "Keep talking, gardener, and that kiss'll be the last thing you taste before I chuck you down a well." But a fleeting smile, sharp as a dagger, curled her lips before she faced forward again, guiding him to "The Silent Raven," an elegant stone building rising in a quiet corner of the city, its sign swaying with a whisper in the evening breeze.
The inn's interior smelled of polished wood and spiced wine, mingling with the crackle of a marble fireplace in the corner, casting warm shadows over walls adorned with tapestries. A polished oak staircase led them to a lavish room: a wide bed draped in soft furs and linen sheets dominated the center, a mahogany table held a crystal lamp flickering with golden light, and a window let in the distant murmur of the city at dusk. Sebastián collapsed onto the bed with a hoarse groan, the fight's exhaustion weighing him down like lead. His left arm, patched up by Kaili's magic, hung stiff but functional, a tangle of stitched flesh and fragile bone that quivered with every move. His torn shirt revealed the fight's scars, now sealed: ribs whole but bruised under the skin, cuts closed with dark lines that still stung like a memory.
Kaili shut the door with a firm thud, the bolt clicking into place, and approached the bed with steps that echoed on the wooden floor. She stopped in front of him, arms crossed as she eyed him with a blend of mockery and something deeper, something she kept buried behind her cold front. He was half-asleep, head lolling against the fur pillow, eyes half-shut from a fatigue that dragged him under like a tide. "You look like a corpse they didn't bury right, gardener," she said, her voice sharp but edged softer than usual. "Did it really take that much to beat that sack of muscle?"
Sebastián managed a faint laugh, hoarse and broken, barely a whisper slipping past cracked lips. "My prize, Kaili?" he mumbled, words slurring with drowsiness, his eyes struggling to stay open.
She snorted, a dry sound that bounced around the room, but sat on the bed's edge with a creak of the boards under her weight. They traded barbs for a while, their usual jabs filling the air—he teasing about his win, she grumbling about his clumsiness—until silence settled, heavy and warm. "Time to sleep, disaster," Kaili said, standing with a stretch that made her armor creak. "And I'm not resting in this junk." Her silver eyes locked on him, expecting him to turn away with an unspoken cue, but Sebastián grinned, leaning back against the headboard with lazy boldness.
"And miss the show?" he countered, voice rough but laced with mischief. "Come on, 'wife,' I don't get to see a chaos queen strip down every day."
Kaili raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a sharp smile. "You asked for it, gardener," she growled, and started peeling off her armor with deliberate slowness, a striptease dripping with defiance. Her fingers undid the straps with sinuous moves, the metal dropping piece by piece with a soft clink that rang through the room. The chest plate slid free, baring the firm curve of her breasts, nipples stiff and gleaming against her fair skin under the lamplight. She turned slightly, letting the back armor fall with a dull thud, revealing the line of her spine and the lush arc of her hips. The boots came last, shed with a motion that stretched her muscled legs, sweat glistening on her skin like a shimmering veil. Fully bare, she stood tall, her commanding figure outlined against the light, a lascivious sight that stole the breath.
Sebastián swallowed hard, heat rushing to his face, and eased a hand toward her backside, fingers shaking with a mix of lust and playfulness. Just as he was about to touch her, Kaili flicked her wrist and gave his hand a light slap, a gentle smack that echoed with a snap. "Perverted gardener," she growled, her tone sharp but tinged with a laugh, her silver eyes flashing with challenge.
"Damn it, Kaili… you're a masterpiece," he murmured, his voice a blend of awe and desire, rubbing his hand with a crooked grin as he took her in from head to toe.
She laughed, a low, cutting sound, and grabbed a pajama woven from shadow threads and iridescent feathers, its daring cuts barely covering the essentials. She slipped it on with the same sensuality, sliding the fabric over her thighs with a slow caress that highlighted the heat between her legs, the material hugging her voluptuous breasts and leaving little to the imagination. The feathers brushed her skin, hips swaying as she adjusted it, and she turned to him with a provocative pose. "Better than your grimy sand, huh?" she growled, sitting back on the bed, the pajama rustling against the furs.
"You earned it, disaster," she said, and leaned in with a fierce move, her lips crashing into his in an aggressive, sensual kiss that settled the bet. It was a hungry collision, her warm breath mingling with his as her fingers tangled in his hair with a possessive tug. As she started to pull back, panting faintly, Sebastián caught her hand with a quick, gentle grip, drawing her back to him. His good arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her with a desperate strength that made the bed creak, and he deepened the kiss with a passion that stole what little breath he had left. He eased her down onto his chest, the furs crumpling under their combined weight, his hand sliding up her back as their bodies' heat melded. She matched his fire, their breaths ragged and mingling, until she broke away at last, silver pupils blazing with raw flame.
Sebastián, with an effort that dragged a low groan from him, kept his hold on her waist, fingers trembling against the soft fabric. "A hundred years were worth this…" he whispered, voice rough against her skin, and Kaili laughed, a dry sound that sliced the air.
"Don't get used to it, gardener," she growled, her tone thick with mockery but husky with desire. "This doesn't happen every day." She pulled away with a fluid motion, leaving him sprawled as sleep claimed him like an unstoppable tide.
He smiled, eyes drifting shut as he mumbled, "We'll see, 'wife'…" the words barely audible, and his body sank into the furs, exhaustion pulling him under with a deep sigh.
Kaili watched him in silence, her face softening in the room's dimness. The lamplight danced over her pale skin, highlighting the sharp lines of her jaw and the silver glow of her eyes, now warmer, less cutting. She reached out a hand, slow and almost hesitant, and ran it through his messy hair, the strands slipping through her fingers like threads of shadow. He stirred in his sleep, an incoherent mumble escaping his lips, and suddenly his arms—the good one and the patched-up one with a faint tremble—wrapped around her, pulling her to his chest with a clumsy but firm grip. His hands found her pajama, sliding with sleepy boldness to her breasts, toying with them over the fabric in a mix of innocence and cheek, fingers pressing with a touch that warmed the feathers against her skin.
"Kaili… soft…" he mumbled, voice a whisper lost in sleep, barely audible over the fire's crackle, hands moving with drowsy slowness.
She tensed for a moment, silver eyes flashing with a mix of surprise and amusement, but then let out a low, sarcastic laugh, sharp as a freshly forged blade. "What're you doing, pervert?" she growled, her tone cutting but laced with suppressed laughter. "Even asleep, you're a damn mess." She didn't pull away, though; her hand kept stroking his hair, a gesture that betrayed the tenderness her words so fiercely denied, and for a moment, the inn filled with a warm silence, broken only by the fireplace's pop and Sebastián's soft snores, echoing like a quiet hum in the gloom.
In the room's shadows, Kaili's figure stayed still, watchful and calm, her gaze fixed on the man who'd defied the odds to survive the sand and her own relentless nature. Her silver pupils shone in the dark, reflecting the lamplight like twin frozen moons, and somewhere in her mind, a spark of something new—something she wouldn't name—burned quietly, as fierce as the fire lighting the night.