Land of the minotaurs

Chapter 8

Helati carried the infants outside and stared in the direction in which Kaz had ridden off so many days ago. She knew he would not suddenly come riding up to her, but the desire to see him was so strong that she could not help but continue to wait and hope. The twins were unusually quiet, as if they, too, watched for their father's return.

"Not back yet, is he?"

She had been so preoccupied that she had not even heard the newcomer. Turning, Helati shook her head and replied, "No, Brogan, but it's much too early. You know how long it takes to reach the empire, much less Nethosak. He will have just entered the city by this time."

"Which doesn't make us any less concerned about him." Brogan walked up next to her and leaned forward. His voice was steady. "Just say the word, Helati, and I'll gather the others. We'll ride to Nethosak and help him."

"I can't do that, because he wouldn't want me to do that. Kaz works best with little assistance from others."

"Then what about that kender? I still can't believe you'd tell that little thief where he is but not let us follow! What aid can one of those creatures give a minotaur?"

The twins began acting up. Helati hushed them. "You don't really know Delbin or you wouldn't ask that. He's a kender, true, but he's come to Kaz's rescue more than once."

Brogan snorted. "I find that hard to believe."

The conversation died abruptly as the sound of hoof-beats made both look up. Helati's heart pounded, but her wild hope that it was Kaz and her brother faded as she saw that the riders were unfamiliar. There were two, yes, but one was a male and the other a female. New additions to their community, they had a look to them she had come to recognize.

"May your ancestors watch over you," Helati said, approaching.

"And yours, you," replied the male. He glanced briefly at Brogan, then returned his gaze to Helati. "I am Zurgas, and this is my mate, Keeli. Is this the clan Kaziganthi? We were told we could find others like us here. Others… who have tired of the old ways."

Clan Kaziganthi. Helati glanced at Brogan, who, despite their conversation, could not repress a smile. Kaz's fame had grown more than either of them had realized if the settlement was already being called by such a title among the people.

"This is the place, friends," Brogan replied, "and you're welcome here."

The two riders looked relieved, but Helati, despite her forced smile, was not. If these minotaurs had come to call the settlement the clan of Kaziganthi, then so did others.

Soon, if not already, the emperor's people would hear of this new clan, one that did not acknowledge the power of the emperor, the circle, or the high priest.

What would happen if they heard of this while Kaz was still in Nethosak?

It was not until the next day that Kaz was reunited with Hecar.

An older minotaur with half his teeth missing chuckled as they were led into the prison section of the circus. He eyed Kaz with great joy.

"I heard they had you in their clutches! By Sargas! It'll be good to see you in the circus again, even if it's for a short time!"

"What's that, Molus?" asked one of the guards, curious at the jailer's remark. "Who's this supposed to be?"

"You're young. You would've been a child. This is Kaziganthi, of the clan Orilg!"

"I know who he is."

Molus shook his head. "You know a name. This is Kaz the Undefeatable! He fought his way to the rank of Supreme Champion! He was the greatest gladiator in all the empire! There's been none like him since!"

Kaz pretended indifference but, beside him, Ganth smiled.

The guards were all impressed, but the same one who had asked Molus the question persisted. "If he was supreme champion, why isn't he emperor or dead?" Those were the only two routes generally left to the supreme champion. He had to challenge the emperor and defeat him or die in the attempt. "What happened?"

Molus eyed Kaz with curiosity. "I don't know why, but he quit. He abandoned the circus, abandoned everything he'd fought for. He turned down commissions, rank benefits, and every sort of glory that should've been heaped on him. He went into the war just a simple warrior!"

The others, save for Ganth, looked at Kaz as if he had suddenly turned into something distasteful. The guards muttered among themselves, trying to understand so uncharacteristic an action. Any warrior who had made it to the most exalted rank of Supreme Champion was expected to seek the throne. It was insane to work so hard and rise so high otherwise.

"Just why did you quit?" Molus asked Kaz.

"I saw no good reason to continue."

"Maybe he turned coward," suggested a guard.

"Him?" The jailer laughed. "Not likely. But it doesn't matter. He'll be fighting in a day anyway. You boys should watch. It'll be a good battle, even if it's a little onesided." He turned away. "Bring them this way. They can share the cell with their friend."

Kaz and Ganth were dragged to the door of a dingy cell that contrasted greatly with the clean environment of Nethosak. Molus unlocked it, signaling the guards to put the prisoners inside.

The cell was dark, which was why they did not see Hecar at first. When the flames of one of the guards' torches finally revealed the other minotaur, Kaz and Ganth dropped their jaws at the pitiful sight.

"He was… more skilled… than he looked," Hecar muttered, forcing a smile onto his battered face. "I heard them… talking about you coming here. I'd like to say it's good to see you, Kaz, but-" Hecar glanced at the other minotaur and frowned. "Ganth?"

Hecar had lost a great deal of weight, and scars covered his chest, arms, and legs. Bandages were wrapped around both his left arm and his right leg. He was covered with the grit and grime of the arena, not to mention a layer of dried blood.

"This is no way to treat a minotaur," Kaz snarled at his captors, losing his temper for the first time since being led from the sanctum of the high priest. "By right of victory, even as a criminal, his wounds should be cared for and his body cleaned."

"By right of victory, he should be a.free warrior now," Ganth pointed out, eyeing Molus. To his credit, Molus lost some of his good humor and briefly looked even a little guilty. "He should once more be an honored member of the race."

"The orders come from the emperor and the high priest," the jailer mumbled. To the guards he commanded, "Chain these two up next to Hecar. He can entertain them with stories of what to expect."

"Where's your honor, Old One?" snarled Kaz, struggling against his captors. "What has happened to the honor of the circus?"

As they forced the two new prisoners to the wall and chained them, Molus whispered, "You idealistic fools wouldn't understand."

Moments later, Molus and his guards departed, leaving the trio to themselves. Kaz's eyes grew accustomed to the cell's dimness. He looked at Ganth, then at Hecar. "What happened to you, Hecar? How did you end up here?"

"I don't really know." Hecar sounded better now that their captors had departed. There was a glint in his eye. He was obviously worn out, but evidently hardier than he wanted the jailer to know. "I've broken no laws that I can recall. I looked around, asked a few questions, and suddenly found others asking me questions. I stopped to see an old friend, but I couldn't find him. That's when they came for me." He took a breath. "Kaz, you remember Scum?"

"We met him," interjected Ganth. "He brought us in."

Hecar looked at the older minotaur for some time. "You! You're supposed to be dead."

"You should be, too. Give me time."

"But Gladiator-"

"He'll explain later, Hecar. Go on with your story." Kaz needed to hear everything.

"They seemed interested that I knew Jopfer, but-"

"I told you he did, Kaz, remember?" Ganth said, interrupting again. To Hecar he asked, "And did you ever get to see Jopfer?"

"No, I didn't."

"You would've, if you'd been brought before the high priest himself."

Hecar snorted. "What does that mean?"

"What he's saying in a roundabout way is that your old friend Jopfer is the high priest now."

"Jopfer?" The other minotaur sounded incredulous. "Jopfer as high priest? This is a jest, isn't it? A sorry jest."

"It was him all right, even if he pretended not to know me. Imagine that. Me!"

"Jopfer?" Hecar still sounded incredulous. "Jopfer never cared much for the calling. He followed Kiri-Jolith if he followed anything."

"Well, he's the high priest now, and a mighty strange one," Ganth concluded.

"Jopfer…" Hecar shook his head. "If he is high priest, then what's he up to? And why would he throw me into the circus just for asking a few innocent questions?"

"They're worried about the settlement, Hecar," Kaz said. He told the other minotaur about what the chief cleric had said and how there had to be at least one spy among the settlers. "This is a nation at war. Everything seems tensed toward some lightning strike. They expect to use a fleet, but whether they intend to travel north or south, I don't know."

"I think it might be south, Lad. Good land down there. Makes sense to spread the empire where the resources are best. Doubt if anyone there will be expecting an armada of minotaurs."

"Maybe, but I'd opt for north, Father. That place, Istar, is growing too, despite the effects of the war. It'll probably be the next big empire. I'd go there. It would satisfy their taste for revenge, since we've been beaten back before, plus it would quickly remove the biggest threat to our western border."

The old mariner considered that. "You could be right."

"Which still doesn't help us any," Kaz added. He tried the chains, but they were of good minotaur workmanship and easily held despite his most strenuous efforts.

"I've tried that over and over with my own chains," Helati's brother informed him. "I've pretended to be weaker than I really am just so they don't tax me in the combats. Now that you're here, though, I guess they won't worry about keeping me alive." He grunted. "All I am is bait."

"The emperor wants to tidy up loose ends before beginning his campaign. Kaz here was a big loose end. He was giving the people an option other than blind obedience to the cause. He told my boy to either join up or meet his end in the circus." Ganth broke into a smile. "Strange as it might sound, I'm happy to say that he turned the bugger down."

"I don't think it's the emperor as much as the high priest, Father," Kaz remarked. "I think he runs the empire, not whatever fool happens to sit on the throne."

"It's still Polik, Son."

"Is it?" Kaz grew silent.

Beside him, Ganth snorted in anger. "Polik, yes. They left that scraping cur in power even after he more or less played a puppet on a string for the warlords!"

"He keeps winning all of his blasted challenges," interjected Hecar. "That's enough to keep him in power, Master Ganth. He wins about ten to twelve challenges a year, all of them issued by him."

"And he wins-"

"He killed Raud, Father," interrupted Kaz, unable to keep the fury within him a secret. "He challenged Raud to combat even though Raud hadn't achieved the Grand Champion level yet."

"Raud…" Ganth stared at his son. "By the horns of the Just One!"

"Now that I think about it," Kaz continued, "the combat had to be sanctioned by the circle… and it was, after support for the emperor's challenge by the high priest himself. Not Jopfer, but his predecessor, I think."

"Comes back to the sons of Sargas again," Ganth muttered. There was still a trembling in his voice. "You had just become supreme champion, then…"

"He should've beaten the emperor, Father. Raud was good enough that he could've beaten me, eventually… not that he wanted to face me. Raud said he wanted to become a grand champion, then use the title to get the ship he wanted."

"How'd he lose? How'd Polik beat him?"

How indeed? Kaz recalled the day of the fight. For some reason, he had been kept from visiting his brother, who was preparing for single combat. An emperor could issue his own challenges, in this way eliminating rivals before they were ready to face him, but never could anyone recall someone below the rank of Grand Champion being challenged. Grand Champions were the top gladiators of a minor circus, of which there were eight in each of the two capital cities, Nethosak and Morthosak. Only after achieving this rank could a warrior move on to the next level, the Great Circus.

Although Raud had not been a grand champion, he had risen to fourth on the list at his particular arena and would have achieved his goal in less than a year. Kaz now knew the true reason for the challenge. His other siblings, save for a sister who had just given birth to her firstborn and another sister, Fliara, who was too young herself, had all been active in the arenas; but none had risen as high in ranking as Kaz or Raud, the sons of Ganth and Kyri. They were often touted as the champions of Orilg with the best hope of becoming emperor.

Polik was a tool of his masters. He had been chosen more for his ability to keep the race under control than anything else. It was essential that someone like him and not someone like Kaz be ruler. The human Crynus had desired that. Yet, even the Dark Lady's most devious warlord had known that to outright assassinate a supreme champion would turn the minotaurs on their masters. Even Polik would be unable to keep the revolt from spreading.

Raud had been challenged. Kaz had been shocked. Something was amiss, and he had tried to convince his younger brother of that, but Raud was too honorable and competitive to reject so important a challenge. He did not want to become emperor, but neither did he care to lose face.

They would not let Kaz see his brother, and so he had sat in the stands with the rest. His brother had come out onto the field, but only Kaz had noticed that he moved a little slower than usual and seemed hesitant. Nonetheless, Raud had made it to the huge, rotating platform where a combat against the emperor always took place. He mounted the platform and faced the emperor with determination. To all, save those who knew him as Kaz did, Raud seemed ready and able.

He died within a minute of the fight's beginning. His reactions were too slow, his moves foolish, unthinking. There were only two ways to leave an imperial combat: victory, or death. Kaz could do nothing as Polik brought his axe down and ended Raud's life. He could do nothing, not even voice the truth. Something had been done to his brother to prevent him from making full use of his mind and skills. It was almost as if he had been drugged or bespelled. The outcome had been decided before the start.

Furious, Kaz had almost leapt to the floor of the circus, but then Polik had glanced his way. The look in the emperor's eyes said many things to him. He understood that if he challenged Polik, he would enter the arena in no greater condition than his brother had. More important, his other siblings would also be marked, not because they would ever be any great threats, but because of Kaz.

Shortly after, he had simply quit the circus, given up his special status, and been added to the ranks of the slave-soldiers. As it worked out, he was suddenly thrust into the war as part of the latest advance. It must have galled Polik that he had survived the war. Paladine knew that it galled Kaz to think Polik still ruled.

"The only way Polik could ever win," he finally responded to his father's question.

His statement was enough for Ganth. "Then we can't expect much when they take us out there. There'll be none of this foolish stuff they have been doing with Hecar while they preserved him as bait. Whatever we face will be ready and able to kill us." Ganth tugged at his chain again. "Well, I'll make them remember how I went down. They'll be talking about it for years!"

"We have some hope." Kaz leaned closer to the others. "We have to wait for night before we can do anything, though."

"What've you got in mind, Lad?"

"Given the proper weapon, we could break out of here. That's why they never give out weapons until we're sent out onto the field. They can't know that I have access to a weapon."

A slight gasp escaped Hecar. "You mean Honor's Face!"

"Honor's Face? What's that?"

Kaz told his father the tale of how the good elf Sardal Crystalthorn had given him the battle-axe, and the powers Kaz had eventually discovered the weapon contained, including its ability to materialize for Kaz whenever the minotaur needed it.

"That was the weapon you carried, and you didn't mention all that sooner, Boy? I'd have liked to have hefted it once!"

"You'll get your chance after we're out of here."

"Now I understand why you weren't so disappointed when Jopfer had us sent here."

"Where is the axe now?" Hecar asked.

"Scurn has it. For some reason, he couldn't see his face reflected very well in it."

Helati's sibling grunted. "I'm not surprised… but I guess he'll be a little taken aback when the axe disappears."

"What about your little friend, Lad?" Ganth suddenly asked his son. "Think he'll be okay? I feel sorry for the little one. I've met some kender, and they're not too bad… from a distance. He's a good one, though, a real surprise. I hope he makes it to safety."

"They haven't told us anything, which makes me think he's managed to avoid them. I can only hope Delbin gets out of Nethosak and heads west or south. If west, he can join up with his own kind again and disappear. I'm wondering, though, if maybe he might go to the human areas in Solamnia. He always liked the knights. He might very well ask them for help." Kaz shuddered, thinking what might happen if Lord Oswal or Sir Bennett took Delbin seriously. Would they try to send aid? He hoped not. That would only tangle the situation further.

"He'd go there all by himself?" Hecar asked, astonished the kender was capable of such a trek.

"You'd be unwise to underestimate him, Hecar. Scurn and his bunch have made that mistake. So have a lot of others since I've known Delbin. I cannot guarantee that he will make it, but he has a better chance than most."

"A kender. He's that dedicated to you?"

"He is. Never underestimate their kind. I know."

"Well, his chances are better than ours right now, Lads, so what do you say we think on it while we wait for our meal… We do get one, don't we, Hecar?"

The other minotaur grunted. "Some might call it a meal, Master Ganth. Some might even dare call it food. You'll see what I mean, but I'll warn you now not to smell it, or concentrate your hopes on the taste."

Ganth and Kaz looked at one another. The former finally spoke. "We'd better see about trying to escape soon, then. Dying in combat in the circus is one thing, but dying from bad food would be an embarrassment to our ancestors."

Delbin sat in the dark, in the small room he had discovered the night before, chewing on a piece of meat that had somehow found its way into his hands. Delbin Knotwillow had an amazing tendency to find just what he needed, just when he needed it.

I hope I can get him out.

Delbin was fairly certain that Kaz was somewhere near the circus. Had not Kaz said that matters of justice were decided there? Since he had been taken by the guard, he would probably go to the circus at some point. It sounded good to the kender, who was naive enough to discount a thousand other places the prisoners could have been taken. It also sounded good because Delbin wanted to see the circus anyway.

Delbin had no way to accurately measure time, but he was certain the other minotaurs had long ago ceased searching this area. Still, to go out in the daytime might be too risky, even for him. Kaz would have thought so, and Delbin was trying to think like Kaz as much as possible.

At least he did not have to fear discovery here. Delbin had found a small room in a storage building that was filled with equipment used for sailing… or so the kender had decided after a cursory examination of some half-hidden objects. Delbin had no idea what some of the other various items stored in the building were used for, but they had a military look to them.

I have to go outside soon, Delbin decided. Something terrible might happen to Kaz. Yet, still he did not move. He needed a brilliant plan.

He ate a piece of fruit that had accidentally fallen into his pouch, and wondered where all the food had come from. Fortune had smiled on him.

His journey through the city had been a fun time, despite the danger. Delbin had come seen gully dwarves running around picking up trash, and had used their similar heights to fool a couple of his pursuers. In fact, any time he thought someone might have noticed him, he squatted low and put on a befuddled expression. No one had stopped him, so he was pretty sure they thought him a gully dwarf, though Delbin didn't think it was right that the poor creatures were forced to clean the streets in the first place.

He thought about Kaz and his possible whereabouts. Kender liked to talk, and so, with no one else to talk to, he went over matters with himself, the most loyal audience any kender had. "He should be at that big arena they call a circus but which really isn't, because I always thought a circus was a fun place with animals and jesters, but this is supposed to be a really big place where a lot of people just fight one another, and sometimes they must fight animals, because there's supposed to be a menagerie there, too, but I don't think-"

Delbin absently took another piece of fruit from his hoard and bit into it. Swallowing, he continued, "I'll bet they've got some cells really deep down below the big arena. They've probably got Kaz and Ganth prisoner down there. I'll bet if I went there, I could find a way to free them…"

The kender thought hard, his expression as intense as possible for one of his kind. Delbin wanted to do his best to find Kaz and rescue him. Kaz would do the same for him, after all.

"I'll have to wait until night, that's what I'll have to do, because then I can go looking in the circus without a bunch of big minotaurs bothering me. I can at least see what's there, so that I can think of a really good plan." The kender frowned. The topknot in his hair bobbed back and forth as he shook his head. "But Kaz would want me to stay away from there, because if I go there now and they see me, then maybe they might catch me-"

Delbin straightened, steeling himself. Even if Kaz got mad at him, he had to try to help the minotaur. Ideas began to form, neat, ingenious ideas… at least in the eyes of the kender, that is.

It would be so simple, so masterfully done… and even if there was an element of danger to it, the kender saw that only as added excitement flavoring this new, grand adventure.

"Don't you worry, Kaz," he whispered into the dark, eyes shining in anticipation. "I'm coming to save you!"