After several more hours of traveling across the rugged terrain, the group finally arrived at their destination. The town wasn't large—much smaller than places like Grenskar—but in its center was a colossal stone arena that dominated the skyline. The rest of the town was modest, with small, simple homes huddled around the arena. A few stalls lined the dusty streets, selling everything from weapons to food.
The group made their way directly to the arena. As they approached, two orcs in heavy armor stood at the main gate. They crossed their weapons in front of the entrance, but as soon as one of them saw Naguk, recognition lit his face.
"Mister Naguk," the soldier said, stepping aside and bowing slightly. "The match will begin in two hours. Let me lead you to the room where you can prepare."
Naguk nodded curtly. His leg was still stiff, and he limped slightly as he leaned on his axe for support. The sight made Amukelo's stomach tighten. Naguk's condition hadn't improved enough for what lay ahead.
As Naguk, accompanied by a small group of his closest people, followed the soldier, Eliss leaned toward Amukelo. "I don't like it," she said quietly. "He's still stumbling. He doesn't look ready for this."
Amukelo nodded. "Let's hope all his rallies will make up for it."
The rest of the group lingered near the entrance, chatting quietly or adjusting their gear. After a moment, Xulgag approached Amukelo and Eliss with his usual grin.
"We're heading to the tribunes," Xulgag said, motioning to a few others from their group. "Do you want to come with us? We can have a good seat."
Amukelo was about to agree when Eliss interrupted. "We still want to walk around," she said quickly, earning a confused look from Amukelo.
"Walk?" Amukelo asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why? I want to get a good seat."
Eliss, grinning mischievously, said, "I want a good meal. There's no point sitting on an empty stomach."
Amukelo stared at her blankly for a moment before sighing in resignation. "Ah… right. I forgot." Then, turning back to Xulgag, he said, "Hold us a spot? We'll join you soon."
Xulgag chuckled, clapping Amukelo on the shoulder. "Sure thing, but don't take too long. The later you come, the harder it'll be to keep that seat free."
Amukelo nodded, and Xulgag and the others headed into the arena. Amukelo turned back to Eliss, who was already heading toward the stalls, her eyes scanning the options with enthusiasm.
The stalls outside the arena were bustling despite the town's small size. Smoke rose from grills, carrying the savory aroma of roasted meats and spiced vegetables. Weaponsmiths hammered on their wares, and one stall even showcased decorative trinkets carved from bone and stone.
Eliss moved from stall to stall, her eyes lighting up at every new dish she spotted. "This looks amazing," she said, pointing to a skewer of roasted meat glazed in some kind of dark, shiny sauce. Without waiting for Amukelo, she handed over a coin to the merchant and took a large bite. "It's actually good! Surprising for orcish food."
Amukelo rolled his eyes as she devoured the skewer. "Are you really surprised? This is a big event, surely orcs will try to make as much money as possible."
Ignoring him, Eliss moved to the next stall, where a large cauldron of bubbling stew emitted an enticing aroma. She eagerly handed over another coin, receiving a bowl in return. "You have to try one yourself" she said, suggesting for Amukelo to buy one himself.
He waved her off. "I'm good. I'll eat after the match. You should save some of that excitement for the actual event."
Eliss gave him a skeptical look before taking another bite of stew. "Food is the event," she declared, already scanning the next stall.
Amukelo sighed, following her as she flitted from one merchant to another. After what felt like eternity, Amukelo finally spoke up.
"Eliss, don't you think you've had enough? You've eaten more than I've seen some of these wrags eat."
Eliss turned to him, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's, and said through a mouthful, "It's called appreciating culture, Amukelo."
Amukelo facepalmed. "If you keep 'appreciating culture' like this, you'll run out of coins before we even get back to Grenskar."
Eliss grinned mischievously. "Don't worry. I have enough. It's nothing."
Amukelo shook his head in disbelief but couldn't suppress a small smile. "You're unbelievable."
Meanwhile, in the quiet room beneath the arena, Naguk sat on a low bench. One of his orcish healers knelt beside him, carefully casting the last healing spell Naguk's injured leg before the match.The healer glanced up at him with concern.
"Sir Naguk," he asked softly, "are you certain you'll be able to fight? Your leg... It's not fully healed."
Naguk grunted, testing the weight on his leg as he stood. "It doesn't matter. Injured or not, I will stand."
The healer hesitated but nodded, rising to his feet. "Then may the God guide you through the match."
Naguk's closest allies stood around him silently. Tidgug placed a reassuring hand on Naguk's shoulder. "We'll be watching, Naguk. Whatever happens, you've already proven more than enough."
Naguk nodded solemnly, gripping his axe tightly as the muffled sound of a drumbeat echoed through the stone corridors. A voice from above boomed out, calling for the candidates to make their way to the arena.
On the tribunes, the seats were quickly filling. Xulgag sat with their group on their seats. He had saved two seats to his right for Amukelo and Eliss, but as time went on and more people pushed through the narrow paths between the benches, his patience started to wear thin.
An orc approached and gestured at the empty seats. "Those places free?" he asked.
Xulgag shook his head. "No, they're taken."
The orc raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "And where are the people taking them? Don't see anyone here."
"They're on their way," Xulgag replied with a gruff tone.
The orc snorted. "If they're not here, it's their loss. Get out of my way."
Xulgag clenched his fists, his frustration bubbling, but he couldn't argue. The orc was technically correct, and the longer he waited, the more attention the empty seats drew. Soon others began eyeing the spots, ready to pounce if he didn't give in. With a resigned sigh, Xulgag stepped aside. "Whatever," he muttered, annoyed at Amukelo and Eliss for taking so long.
Meanwhile, After sampling nearly everything in sight, Eliss finally seemed satisfied. They began making their way back toward the arena, Eliss humming happily while Amukelo carried the few things she had bought but hadn't yet eaten.
"See?" Eliss said, nudging him. "That wasn't so bad. Now we can go sit and wait for the match."
Amukelo gave her a look. "We could've done that an hour ago."
Eliss laughed, ignoring his complaint. "Let's hope Xulgag kept those seats for us."
As they stepped into the corridors of the arena they heard drums. The opening ceremony had begun. Amukelo's eyes widened, and he broke into a jog. "Great. Now we're late!"
Eliss followed at a leisurely pace. "Relax, it's just the introductions."
As they entered the arena, the tribunes were already packed. The noise of the crowd was deafening, with orcs shouting and cheering as they prepared for the match. Amukelo scanned the sea of faces and spotted Xulgag among their people, but the seats around him were full.
Amukelo groaned, rubbing his forehead. "See what you did? Now everything's taken!"
Eliss grinned cheekily. "Oh, come on, old man. Can't you stand for a while? It's good for your posture."
Amukelo shot her an annoyed glare. "This brat... Unbelievable."
With a resigned sigh, Amukelo leaned against the wall at the back of the tribunes, crossing his arms. Eliss stood beside him, happily munching on her snacks that Amukelo carried, as if nothing was wrong.
Down in the arena, Naguk and his opponent, Vakorr, stood facing each other. The sandy ground between them was marked with faint traces of previous battles. Vakorr was a massive orc, his armor gleaming despite its crude design. He wielded a massive warhammer.
Amukelo narrowed his eyes, observing the scene. "Only two candidates? What happened to the third one? Weren't there supposed to be three?"
An orc sitting nearby turned to answer. "Didn't you hear? Drelgar, from the Ashfang tribe, was assassinated. Just announced it before the match."
Amukelo frowned. "Assassinated? That's… one way to win, I guess."
The orc shrugged, grinning slightly. "Fair or not, it's how things work here. You gotta survive to compete."
Amukelo sighed, leaning back against the wall. "This system gets better and better..."
As the drums rolled, announcing the start of the match, Amukelo couldn't help but feel a sinking unease. Naguk's limp, even after all the healing, was noticeable, and Vakorr didn't look like the kind of opponent to hold back.
"Let's hope Naguk's speeches will be enough to win the decision," Amukelo muttered.