Arena Fight! Round Two

Agnes was worried when Hektor and Chloe made their way back to her. The thrill of battle helped them stay sharp in the moment, but Agnes had learned long ago anything to do with poison spreads quicker when one moves around too much. Despite her best efforts, her companions had to get close enough her wind magic couldn't repel all of the fumes.

“We might need to go a few rounds before the plan kicks off. Try to let me handle this next one alone.” She said to them.

“Best you're getting out of us is keeping a tighter formation.” Hektor replied, checking the clasps on the shield he was gifted.

“I packed enough powder to fight our way up here, may as well use it.” Chloe added as she checked her pistol for another round.

“Very good.” Boomed King Dunne's voice from above. “I see the Forest Witch is used to fighting beasts. What about one of your own?”

Agnes knew this was the plan. This was exactly what they wanted to happen. But when it did, she didn't need to feign a look of shock. The giantess hostess shouted something. The men quieted in anticipation. A lone giant lugged a single basket to the pit and lowered it in gently. Out stepped Alexander, her grandson. Tall, fair-haired, more grown-up than Agnes remembered.

He blinked slowly in the bright daylight. Agnes wanted to rush over, but they'd talked about this. Dunne called down in a mocking voice, “Look who came all this way to see you, little hero?”

Alexander looked first to him then to Agnes. That grimace, her grandson's face contorted with rage was something she never wanted to see again. “You...sick freak! She has nothing to do with this!” He snarled, drawing his sword.

“Hah!” King Dunne laughed. “Tell you what. Beat the shapechanger and I'll tell you how we knew to use that form.”

“You liar!” Chloe snapped back at Dunne, forgetting herself for a moment.

“Yes, yes! Such a great show, right men?” The crowd followed their King's cue. Most realizing enough of what was going on to respond with laughter. In truth Melo had laid it out in her announcement, but that was in the Giant's tongue. This was exactly what the companions wanted, they had even planned for this particular version. It was better than Alexander giving things away too easily, rushing and hugging his grandmother with an outright refusal to fight.

They wanted this. If Xander bought the ruse at first then Agnes could give the king a show. What they didn't expect was how tough a combatant her grandson could be. His first charge was fierce, slipping past Hektor and Chloe with ease and swinging his two-handed sword in a vicious upward arc. Agnes was quick enough to raise a shield of wind, but Xander quickly recovered to press the assault.

“How dare you!” He snarled, bouncing around Agnes in a circle and raining heavy blows against the barrier it took all her focus to move and keep pace. “How dare you! That woman raised me, what did you do to her?”

“Not a damn thing, Xander.” She fired back, followed by a jet of flame she never intended to actually hit him with when he balked at hearing the right nickname his grandmother would use.

“There's no reason for all this! Did you torture her? That village had nothing to do with you!” Alexander screamed, unleashing another vicious combo. Chloe also wasn't trying to hit him, but fired her pistol in the right direction to keep the boy wary of her. The last thing anyone wanted was for him to succeed in his furious misconception but Agnes couldn't help but be impressed when the young man dashed in and swiftly disarmed her.

“Stay out of this, cutie.” He said coldly, making Chloe blush. “I'll get to the bottom of why you two are here after I destroy this vile shapeshifter.”

A stone fist burst out of the ground and rocked Alexander. The others were surprised at such a wicked blow, but even if it was her grandson Agnes didn't like seeing someone underestimate her like that. She'd taught the boy better. It was also to their overall advantage to hit him once or twice, Agnes figured. Definitely had nothing to do with lingering frustations about the second of her progeny cavorting halfway across the continent.

He was quick to recover and once again press the attack. Agnes had spent much time watching Rhek and Hektor's sparring sessions. She learned a lot about battle on her journey. The speed, the power, how vexing his attacks could be. Deep down she was proud of the boy. Somewhere along this journey he'd clearly surpassed his father. As long as she could get him out of here and back home safely, he'd be a fine young man the village could depend on for years to come. Or he could follow his own path and be fine in the big city.

It made Agnes tear up a little. A crucial misstep in such dire circumstances. Finally her shield of wind couldn't hold. The clank of steel on steel told her before she saw the blow that would have ended her had it not been for Hektor's intervention. “That boy is so dependable,” she thought as she saw the scene unfold.

“That's...father's shield.” He said, stumbling over the words as his body relaxed. A gasp ran throught the crowd, wodering what development had occurred.

Hektor replied with a quick swipe, easy to block. Sharply informing Xander “Keep dancing, we've almost got him right where we want him.” before following with another telegraphed plunge that Alexander easily parried. He kicked at Hektor, catching him lightly but the Littlefoot sold a much heavier blow. Throwing himself backwards.

Agnes could tell seeing the shield got through to the boy. She summoned another stone fist that was easy for Alexander to dodge. Stumbling as she leapt back from another quick swipe of his sword. A roar erupted from the crowd as he closed in, raising his sword high. Then came the sickening crack of stone on skull.

It was a great stone. Rhek noticed it when Dunne was speaking to his attendant after exposing the familial bond. Giants would never expect their plan bult around arranging this fight. He'd be confident in his ruse. The only surprise was how fierce a warrior the boy was. It was a great show, all things considered. By Rhek's estimation, as long as Hektor could keep him busy for a moment Agnes's magic would be far too much to deal with. Had the fight truly been one-on-one? That might have been a problem.

Still, it was a great performance. Agnes blocking his combination slashes made for a stunning display, occasionally punctuated by jets of dazzling flame. A fan of gladiatorial combat had much to enjoy, all the more as Dunne watched the drama unfold. So much so that he never saw the smooth motion as Rhek picked up the stone and slammed it into the base of his neck.

Would human knights and nobles call such a tactic dishonorable? Maybe, but Giants didn't have the same concept of fair or unfair combat. To Rhek, it was simply a necessary tool to combat Dunne's foresight. Of course, Dunne was too tough for a single blow like that to take him down. But it was enough that with an extra shove allowed Rhek to dump the king into the fighting pits as well. The prophecy, after all, was not about him.

“Your turn, Witch.” He grunted as he caught his club tossed by Rhuk. “We make path home.”

Agnes wasted no time taking advantage of the situation. Dunne caught a glimpse of the first attempt, stone ropes springing out of the wall and leapt. The shock from Rhek's betrayal disoriented him enough though that he did not consider which way those stones prompted him to leap. It was too late by the time he heard the roar of cracking stone. First one, then two, then three, then four, then five, and finally six heads pinned him to the ground. She had set the trap all along, maintaining that spell the entire fight with her grandson.

Dunne, in a last showing of regal resolve, merely embraced his fate as the boy's sword plunged into his eye. “Merciful, like a true hero.” He croaked weakly, in a tongue the victors couldn't understand as his world grew dark. He couldn't help but take solace in the idea it would make a good story.

The boy pulled his sword from the felled king's eye and stared at the naked blade. Slick with blood, but in the reflection on a part it didn't cover...the last face he expected to see. He turned, finally realizing fully who it was standing before him.

“Grandmother...” He uttered, making his way toward Agnes. “What the? That magic...could you always?”

“No.” She replied with a warm smile, wrapping the boy in a tight embrace. “I learned a lot on this trip too. Just like you. What a fine young man you've grown into!”