The Unfortunate

way the taller man clumsily handled the chain mace, not being able to turn his wrist with the mesmerizing speed acquired from years of practice, Awiergan could tell the weapon was new to the man. It was not too great a disadvantage, however. He was still able to swing accurately, and on a few attempts, he had missed his opponent by inches only. The smaller man’s actions suggested he was having more difficulty, and it was not absurd to question if he had ever seen battle of any type, but Awiergan did not abandon his prediction. He had seen lesser men defy overwhelming odds on several prior occasions.
Forth and back the men darted, and Awiergan noticed numerous opportunities that could have ended the fight, but that was why he was the champion. He had been trained to recognize the briefest of moments to achieve victory. With a heightened concentration, he continued to watch. If only the smaller fighter can wrap the chain around his blade and rip the handle from his opponent. All he must do is—
The crowd erupted with deafening cheers when the spiked mace impacted the smaller man’s thigh. Within moments streams of blood raced down the man’s calf to his foot, but he, except for a deep grunt, appeared unaffected.
Awiergan recognized the reaction as a show of strength and proof that appearances could deceive. With proper training the smaller man can become a formidable opponent not to be underestimated. He turned and offered Atelic a smile before quickly averting his vision back to the pit. The noise of clinking metal had been unmistakable. It had been like the sound of a rising drawbridge or gate as the chains were wrapped in a circular motion. The rapid clinking could mean only one thing! The smaller man had, by luck or skill or perhaps both, been able to wrap the chain around the longsword.
PULL! Awiergan nearly screamed. PULL!
As if the champion’s thoughts had been communicated, the smaller man quickly jerked, causing the chain mace to be flung across the pit.
Had the rules of the match stipulated winner by first blood, Awiergan’s prediction would have been incorrect, but it appeared he had again judged correctly.
✽ ✽ ✽
“Murderer, thief, rapist, or perhaps even bastard. You have all been called many names, but despite the reasons you are here, you all share three common traits.”
The next day along with Atelic and the other fighters of the academy, Awiergan stood to the side of the training yard as their owner lectured the newest group of recruits he had gathered from his recent trip to Yorcia and Armania.
“Unknown,” Gildas continued. “You are all unknown to your families. Your crimes have shamed them, and they have disowned you. Unwanted. You are all unwanted by the people of your villages. If you believe you can gain sympathy from others, you are bloody fools! And unneeded. You are all unneeded by society in general. You have been cursed, and there is nowhere you can go to escape the shadow of disgrace. For these reasons you stand before me.”
Unknown, unwanted, and unneeded. It had been nearly five years since Awiergan had been called those names. At the time he had not disputed the claims, and he had not despised Gildas for what had been implied. In Awiergan’s mind Gildas had rescued him and had provided him the opportunity to, to use the owner’s own words, prove his worth.
As Gildas lectured his newest recruits, he paced forth and back across the training yard and continued to sharpen a sword.
During Awiergan’s time at the academy, he had never seen the owner attack any of the men or even threaten them. The action was for intimidation purposes only.
“I do not care about the crimes you have committed,” Gildas continued. “It is not my place to judge your sins. That is the duty of Fate to decide if your crimes are too foul to warrant forgiveness. While I cannot absolve your sins, I have acted with your best interests in mind.”
When he had been brought to the academy, Awiergan had learned quickly that Gildas thoroughly enjoyed creating moments of suspense, and this part of the speech was one of the legendary examples. Having baited the recruits with the suggestion of forgiveness, the owner, in the same motion, had diminished those hopes and had replaced it with a mystery. All that remained for the recruits was to discover the unknown.
“Rather than allow justice to be served with your death,” Gildas finally added, “I have provided you an opportunity to achieve a greater destiny. Although I cannot guarantee all of you will live to see another harvest, because most of you will not, I promise you will die with honor. In your past lives, you may have been branded as unknown, unwanted, and unneeded, but that ends today.”
Yes, that ends today. Awiergan studied the men and began to form opinions because he knew he would eventually be asked by Atelic, or Gildas, or perhaps both, to share his thoughts.
✽ ✽ ✽
Later as the men sat at tables in the meal hall eating their suppers, Awiergan, as he usually did, nibbled occasionally, for his attention was directed to thoughts of years past when it was he who had been considered a recruit.
He and Atelic had both entered the academy the same year. They had developed a close friendship during that time, and they had realized many facts about the academy. Perhaps the most important concept, one which they would offer as advice to any recruit who inquired, was that a man’s will and ability were never truly known until his first fight. On many occasions they had advised, nothing, no amount of training, can prepare one for the Dorstor Arena or the lesser fighting pits, whichever comes first.
But Awiergan’s thoughts were interrupted when Atelic inquired, “What is your opinion of the newest victims?”
“Victims? I do not know if I would call them victims.”
“No?” The other fight finished what remained of his sausage and followed with