Chapter 12: Pinvey's Offer

Pinvey acts on her plan, shamelessly enjoying the favoritism she is privileged with because of her physical beauty.

 I didn’t leave Lumenovus until it was time to prepare for lunch.  I still had no idea what Pinvey could be up to, except I noticed she was wearing her best dress and had paid meticulous attention to her appearance.  I hated to admit to myself, she did look stunning.  I hated it more when she caught me staring in open jealousy.

 I took my place at the table in the arena’s royal balcony, waiting.  The members of the army filled the arena stadium seats.  When the food was served, they finally brought Lumenovus out.  He stood on a raised platform in the arena pit.  I ached, torn that I still didn’t know if I was looking at him for the last time ever, or if he was to stay and eventually get butchered.  There was still no official word of even a single challenger.

 The chamberlain bellowed, “Dear citizens!  Yesterday, we were treated to a one of a kind spectacle.  A battle of man versus beast!  Amazing to say, the beast prevailed.  Or was it a one of a kind spectacle, and did the beast prevail?  For it is not too late, dear soldiers!  Who amongst you feels justice has not been served?  Who will stand, and challenge this beast from beyond, this force of nature?”

 Not a soldier budged.  None so much as sneezed.  “No one stands...  Well then!” the chamberlain began, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

 “Wait!”  Pinvey!  Every head in the arena turned to look at her.  She stood, then stepped up on the table.

 “Pinvey, get down,” Father said.

 Instead, she slowly and seductively unfurled her wings, completely.  With her arms and shoulders held in a sexually provocative pose, she began a slow, tantalizing fly around the arena.  Even the chamberlain forgot he was speaking.  Father forgot he was yelling at her.  I would never have gotten away with this.

 “For one full year,” Pinvey said, “I will be the personal consort of the man who brings that piece of filth down.  Every night...  All night...”  She continued as she flew in a slow circle.  “I will submit to your every whim, and there is nothing, no act I will not do to please you.  If you will only be the one to strike him down...”  There was a mock pleading in her voice as she finished.

 She fluttered down and stood between the chamberlain and Lumenovus.  He cringed away from her, clenching his fists.  “Chamberlain,” she said.  “Ask the men one more time, if any of them wish to stand.”

 The chamberlain’s face was completely red.  It took him a full few seconds to realize she’d spoken to him.  He’s thinking about f*****g her, too.  How many times her age is he?  “Oh, erhm...  Well, lads, I do believe we all heard the lass.  A bit of charity, eh, if you will?”  He laughed.  “I will give you all one last chance to make history, and slay a human in our own arena!  Who amongst you feels justice has not been served?  Who will stand, and challenge this beast from beyond, this force of nature?”

 “Ay!” the auditorium itself seemed to roar, as it shook with the force of hundreds of armored soldiers jumping to their feet.

 “Right then, boys!  Matches start in fifteen minutes, be ready if your name is called!”

 Pinvey stood with her hands on her hips, a look of quiet satisfaction on her face.  She was staring at Lumenovus, daring him to look at her.  He wouldn’t.  He was looking around in wonder at all the men who now wanted to slay him.  She looked up at me.  When she saw I was looking at her, she flew up to hover in front of me.  “You may have the admiration of a useless brute who doesn’t know ugly when he sees it,” she said.  “If you start getting a big head about it, just remember.  With these wings alone, I can move an entire army.”

 I took a deep breath, determined not to let the truth of her words get to me.  “It’s not your wings they’re after, Pinvey,” I said.

 There was a satisfying moment where I could imagine I’d gotten to her.  Her expression was blank for a second before she said with a laugh, “No.  They’re after the blood of that animal down there.”  With a flirtatious loop, she flew over me and took her seat.

 The soldiers left the auditorium to prepare, and to let citizens who wished to watch the combat in.  The seats were still filling when the matches began.

 I had never been excited by watching fights before.  In fact, I usually only saw them when I was required, or when I was avoiding something else.  Now I felt like I had something on the line.  Every time I saw a soldier swing at Lumenovus I held my breath.  Every time he sent one of them staggering away from him with a blow from his staff, my heart skipped in joyous relief.

 It was also thrilling just to watch him move.  He moved with a grace and agility that just didn’t exist with our men.  Where they would stand and stiffly hack at each other, Lumenovus leaned, dodged, rolled, jumped...  All with a quickness that brought the terms people had been using to describe him back to my mind.  Beast, animal, force of nature...  Only in my mind, they were compliments.

 I saw him take a few minor blows to his arms and torso.  It looked like his jacket, thick material that it was, was offering some protection.  It wasn’t always enough.

 The one direct blow he received during the whole hour, and the only one to draw blood, came from Pinvey’s treachery.  At one point, she got up and leaned over the edge of the balcony with her wine, as if to see better.  Then as the two combatants were nearing each other for another exchange, she raised her arm and threw her goblet.  She struck Lumenovus squarely in the head, and in the second he turned to find its source, the soldier swung and gashed his arm.

 “Pinvey!” I yelled, pushing her away from the edge.  Rather than fight me, she laughed at my anger.

 “Huh?  Where’d that come from?” she said in a deep voice with her eyes crossed, mocking him.

 “Pinvey, this is still a court proceeding.  Do not interfere,” Father said.  She sat, giving me a look that said, I got away with it anyway.

 I looked on, and soon saw blood trickling down his hand from the wound hidden under his jacket.  Still, he fought for his full hour without slowing.

 He’d won some matches by hitting the soldiers until they yielded.  Others he had to wrestle to the ground and force to submit, as he had with Simon.  The last one, after screaming yield, drew a dagger.

 For once, I was on time.  “Look out!” I yelled to him.  He turned just fast enough to deflect the thrown blade with his staff.  He took a step toward the soldier, who fled, then smiled at me gratefully with a little bow.

 “What a finale for the day, folks!” the chamberlain said, coming into the arena.  “I guess it never pays to underestimate the power of nature, the beast within!  Will he be so lucky tomorrow?  We will see you all then, to find out!  Human, you may leave the arena now, and go revel in your amazing victory!”

Reviews

[Sarah]

This chapter was good, although it felt rushed through all of the fighting. I wanted to see and hear more of the action, but it was so quick paced. I never felt like Lumenovus had a chance to lose, which sort of made the chapter less entertaining than it could have been. Other than that, I'm shocked that Pinvey would exploit herself like that, and also shocked that so many people would be willing to risk their lives for her. I mean, yeah she's pretty, but if I was in the same situation, I don't think I would want to fight someone. I'd figure it wasn't worth it. But that's just me.