spoke. “What else would I do? I don’t have any other skills. Besides, this is what I’m made for.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince, him or me.
He seemed to pick up on this. “Is it what you want?” he asked. “Do you want to spend your life fighting for people who look down on you? Do you want people to be afraid of you everywhere you go? Do you want to risk your life following the orders of people who wouldn’t raise a finger to save your life, and watch those around you die fighting a losing battle?
Is that what you want?”
I didn’t know how to answer that, so I asked a question of my own instead.
“What exactly will I be agreeing to if I do this? What is it that you guys do that earns you such great pay?”
He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “We’re… soldiers, we hunt the Accursed ones so that their population doesn’t reach dangerous levels and we protect our kind when the need arises.” That didn’t seem too bad. “But that’s not how we earn most of our living; we fight against each other for the entertainment of our people.” He had a disgusted look on his face as he said that last part.
Now that was a catch I hadn’t anticipated. “What, like gladiators?” He dipped his head. “Exactly like gladiators.”
“But… we don’t have to, right? We can just kill Lamia and not fight each other if we choose?”
He finally looked away from me and a sad expression came over his face.
“Warriors, true Warriors, used to fight only out of necessity, only when those who couldn’t protect themselves needed protection. But when the other races decided to enslave them, and then hunted them into extinction,” he glanced at me and gave a small smile. My heart skipped a beat. “Or near extinction, the Brocken Vampires, like me, became our warriors and our race is not known for our intelligence. The same people who enslaved your people enslaved mine in a much more clever way. They offered us an easy way to make a living, fighting for not only our people’s safety, but for our people’s entertainment. Is that what you want, Warrior, to fight for the amusement of others?”
When I didn’t answer, he added, “I heard what you said in the Council meeting.
You said you only fight if you have to, only out of necessity, like a true Warrior. Were those just words, or did you mean what you said?”
I knew that he was just trying to help me and I appreciated it, but at the same time his words offended me. I was so sick of being told what I should and shouldn’t do. I didn’t need to be told by a stranger, a hypocritical stranger at that.
“I meant what I said,” I replied, through clenched teeth. “I don’t like to fight unless I have to, but what choice do I have here? I have no money, no family other than Nelly, and nowhere else to go. If I have to fight to live then that’s what I’ll do. As far as I’m concerned that is fighting out of necessity. At least it’s something I’m good at.” When he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off, standing up, I said, “And to be honest, where do you get off telling me that I shouldn’t fight? Last time I checked you fight for money too. What makes you different from me? And why do you even care what I do? You don’t even know me.” It was harsh, but I really couldn’t help it. I felt so angry and so wound up that I needed to let it out somehow. And honestly, I didn’t understand why he cared.
He stood up too and I had to plant my feet so that I wouldn’t back up. He was so much bigger than me that he literally had to lean his neck down to look me in the eyes when he spoke. I crossed my arms and waited for his reply.
“Fine,” he said, that unreadable expression back on his face. “You want to fight, that’s up to you. Follow me.” He turned and walked off toward a line of trees.
I stood there confused, before jogging to catch up with him. “Where are we going?”
He glanced back at me, but didn’t
He seemed to pick up on this. “Is it what you want?” he asked. “Do you want to spend your life fighting for people who look down on you? Do you want people to be afraid of you everywhere you go? Do you want to risk your life following the orders of people who wouldn’t raise a finger to save your life, and watch those around you die fighting a losing battle?
Is that what you want?”
I didn’t know how to answer that, so I asked a question of my own instead.
“What exactly will I be agreeing to if I do this? What is it that you guys do that earns you such great pay?”
He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “We’re… soldiers, we hunt the Accursed ones so that their population doesn’t reach dangerous levels and we protect our kind when the need arises.” That didn’t seem too bad. “But that’s not how we earn most of our living; we fight against each other for the entertainment of our people.” He had a disgusted look on his face as he said that last part.
Now that was a catch I hadn’t anticipated. “What, like gladiators?” He dipped his head. “Exactly like gladiators.”
“But… we don’t have to, right? We can just kill Lamia and not fight each other if we choose?”
He finally looked away from me and a sad expression came over his face.
“Warriors, true Warriors, used to fight only out of necessity, only when those who couldn’t protect themselves needed protection. But when the other races decided to enslave them, and then hunted them into extinction,” he glanced at me and gave a small smile. My heart skipped a beat. “Or near extinction, the Brocken Vampires, like me, became our warriors and our race is not known for our intelligence. The same people who enslaved your people enslaved mine in a much more clever way. They offered us an easy way to make a living, fighting for not only our people’s safety, but for our people’s entertainment. Is that what you want, Warrior, to fight for the amusement of others?”
When I didn’t answer, he added, “I heard what you said in the Council meeting.
You said you only fight if you have to, only out of necessity, like a true Warrior. Were those just words, or did you mean what you said?”
I knew that he was just trying to help me and I appreciated it, but at the same time his words offended me. I was so sick of being told what I should and shouldn’t do. I didn’t need to be told by a stranger, a hypocritical stranger at that.
“I meant what I said,” I replied, through clenched teeth. “I don’t like to fight unless I have to, but what choice do I have here? I have no money, no family other than Nelly, and nowhere else to go. If I have to fight to live then that’s what I’ll do. As far as I’m concerned that is fighting out of necessity. At least it’s something I’m good at.” When he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off, standing up, I said, “And to be honest, where do you get off telling me that I shouldn’t fight? Last time I checked you fight for money too. What makes you different from me? And why do you even care what I do? You don’t even know me.” It was harsh, but I really couldn’t help it. I felt so angry and so wound up that I needed to let it out somehow. And honestly, I didn’t understand why he cared.
He stood up too and I had to plant my feet so that I wouldn’t back up. He was so much bigger than me that he literally had to lean his neck down to look me in the eyes when he spoke. I crossed my arms and waited for his reply.
“Fine,” he said, that unreadable expression back on his face. “You want to fight, that’s up to you. Follow me.” He turned and walked off toward a line of trees.
I stood there confused, before jogging to catch up with him. “Where are we going?”
He glanced back at me, but didn’t
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