Epilogue

  I wake up somewhere I have never seen before aching from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Instantly I know my pain is less than it should be, not the true intensity of torn flesh and fractured bones but the ache of wounds that are already a decent way towards mending.

  I let out a groan that has nothing to do with my pain and wonder just how much more of me has been replaced by Forspoken Stone. Exhaling and reminding myself that it doesn’t matter if I’m not me. I can’t even tell and besides I won! I fucking won The Storm Herald Invitational!

  It isn’t my first tournament win, but it is the first time I've won a Minor; A true event with tens of thousands of attendees and real ramifications on where my ‘career’ goes afterwards.

  Consciousness slowly returning to me I realize I am on a simple bed in a large cage. The cage is free standing in a large dimly lit room full of other cages like it. Some are filled with people, most aren’t. The stench of blood and urine is everywhere even if it is masked by a strange floral scent. It is the smell that clues me in, I’m in the part of the arena where they administer first aid to pitters.

  It hurts to move and it really hurts to breathe, so there isn’t really anything for me to do but lay back and bask in the glory of my victory. The fact that said glory happens to stink almost as bad as the halls back in the BloodRock Compound is just something I’m going to have to deal with.

  I don’t really know how long I dozed there on that bed that was somehow even less comfortable than my own but sometime later I was awakened by a small commotion at the stone doorway that made up the hospital room’s entrance.

  “I don’t care that I was discharged! Get out of my way before I start setting people on fire!” While I didn’t instantly recognize the short bald girl in brown robes that were so big on her they hung like a curtain. Once she had pushed past the surgeon slaves at the doorway it became a bit more evident.

  It was the Itti’atti girl Embella. I hadn’t immediately realized as I’m not used to seeing her with her hair scorched off and not in HighSail colors. Without any movements to draw her attention, I watch the flame witch cross the dank room over to one of the other cages.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  I honestly should have noticed who was in it earlier but I wasn’t exactly inspecting the room closely. An unmistakably huge figure is practically cracking the bed they have him on the frame is bending so much.

  Klash groggily comes to as Embella enters his cage. The elephant cursed is almost entirely covered in bandages. He has probably had some degree of magical healing done to him as well, but his owners aren’t going to spend the money for Forspoken Stone to heal his burns. Unluckily for my former opponent his skin will have to heal the old-fashioned way.

  “Bella?” He groans in that voice like a rockslide. “I...I wasn’t good enough. I’m sorry.”

  To my and evidently Klash’s surprise the flame witch lets out a laugh.

  “Are you kidding? Everyone said you were amazing fighting the two of them by yourself.”

  “But I lost, I made you lose.” He replies slowly.

  “You big idiot, that is the opposite of what happened, the fact that we lost was my fault. And Besides” She suddenly takes on a lecturing tone as she stalks closer to his bedside.

  “Daring spoke to his father, and they both agreed you gave everything you possibly had to give for the win. Even when that animal from BloodRock got his jaws around your neck.”

  Klash tries to interrupt but she doesn’t give him the chance. “I know how scared of that happening you were, how scared of him you were, but you didn’t back down for a second. The way I heard it you almost did the impossible.”

  ‘Scared of me? Is this a joke? I saw the odds on our match and I don’t think my own fan club was betting on me to win!’

  “Thank you.” He says with a little laugh. “I was scared but after North spat that water on you my fear just vanished like I knew I had to protect y-”

  He is cut off by Embella leaning forward and placing a kiss on his lips. Realizing this has become creepy I avert my gaze. I don’t think I have ever heard of a Itti’atti kissing anybody ever, so uhh good for Klash I guess? Rolling over to give them as much privacy as I can I drift back off to sleep, grinning at the thought that he might end up burning his lips.

  I’m awakened what feels like less than an hourglass later to the sensation of being moved onto a stretcher. The old enslaved surgeon Coil is leading a group of menial slaves to carry me out to a Wagon. It's a pleasant little surprise to see a heavily bruised Xael helping them. The Foreign boy’s jaw is wrapped up, and I think broken as while he nods to me he doesn’t say a word.

  “Don’t drop me” I wheeze up at the old surgeon. “I’m worth an entire flagship.”

  And thats that...