Wild Meets Civilized

One chance. She had but one chance to get this right. Feet apart. Eyes on the target. Step, then another step. Then, she ran. Speeding forward. Towards her target. No,

over

her. Dipped, then jumped. Spun over. Caught by surprise. The back was wide up. Her spear thrusted true.

DING

.

"By five strikes to four, the winner is- Renai!"

As the announcer made the final call, the entirely of the tribe assembled in the stands got up from their seats to cheer. All around the circular arena, the cheering and chanting lifted Renai's elation ever further. A few feet in front of her was her opponent, knelt on the dusty ground: a slightly younger woman named Seetra. Not from any injury: the spears they wielded here were blunt and wounded pride far better than skin or flesh. No doubt the loss Renai only narrowly avoided was difficult to take.

Renai walked forward and offered a hand. "You fought well. It was only by risk I could win today."

Seetra's almond hand batted away Renai's. Not the time yet. Seetra would come around. She just needed some time alone. With that in mind, Renai watched the wooden gates to the arena open and ran out.

She would be celebrating her victory for some time. By the looks of things, the rest of her village would as well. Dozens of people who couldn't fit into the stands ran up to greet her. A young man placed a wide necklace of bones over her, showing off her grand victory. A girl handed Renai a cup of water, which she accepted. Even with the brown patches of cloth that protected little more than her modesty, the blistering sun and the action she'd gone through left her parched.

Though her strong, yet agile legs were a point of pride for Renai, the village saw fit to lift her up and carry her in their collective hands. Once the entire village was assembled, they headed away from the arena and towards the village proper.

Renai smiled and waved. All of her training hadn't gone to waste after all.

This all started three years ago, at the previous Grand Games. At the age of sixteen, Renai felt the sight of young women running, jumping and facing each other in combat light a great fire within her. There were separate contests for men and women who hadn't yet married, each involving about fifty entrants each time. Even with such long odds, Renai knew the next Games would be

her

time.

Here she was now. Still wondering if this was all some kind of dream. All the practice and determination made her entry a resounding success, if only barely. There would be a great feast. Many in the village would go their entire lives without something so grand in her honor. Afterwards- well, that part was less clear. There would be tremendous responsibility for sure. Many in the village would look up to her. She could take her time choosing a suitable man. Thoughts of fighting to defend her people filled Renai's head.

Her daydreams went on longer than she expected; when Renai opened her eyes, the village square was in front of her. Seats and a wooden bonfire were arrayed for the celebration. Renai herself was let down from the crowd a few metres away from the largest seat of all: a large chair crafted roughly from twigs and leaves. She walked forward, letting her black hair loose until a single tied bunch reached all the way down to her hips. With a pivot to face the crowd and a firm stance she raised a fist to the gathered crowd, generating another round of cheers. People started to take their place around the bonfire, as the sun began to set.

Renai took her seat. The feast would soon begin.

The great fire burned down to a few cinders, bringing the revelry to an end. Only a few braziers remained to light the paths, and the people stopped their dancing and talking to make their way into their wooden homes. Renai was the last to remain, staying seated. She might never get another chance like this. Only when a familiar man came up did she finally rise up.

"Rama!" Renai ran up to embrace the man, only now noticing the rustling of her bone necklace.

Rama accepted her hug. "I am so proud of you. You have come so far!" That might not have been possible had it not been for his support. Urging her ever forward. Giving the support and tools she needed. Never getting mad no matter how many times she joked about his nearly bald head.

"Thank you. To me- this- is just the beginning. I feel like a real woman now." Renai laughed. "Come on, let's go home."

Rama let go all of a sudden. "I would like to, but- the council needs you to meet them."

"The council?" They'd never summoned her before. There was a mix of curiosity and excitement. Was this about her future? "Okay, I will see what they want. I'll try not to get back too late!"

There was a smile on Rama's lips, with just a hint of sadness. No matter, she could perhaps ask about that later. This council longhouse might have been difficult to find at this time of night, but Renai was familiar enough with the layout to find the largest building. The building possessed an elliptical roof, with a small wall at the end with a doorway. When Renai arrived there, a pair of men were holding spears, standing guard.

They motioned for her to enter. Renai pushed through the flaps, noticing from the corner of her vision that the guards followed her inside. The main room consisted of a fireplace in the center, but the main feature was a stone carved into a large semi-circle where five aged people sat around, facing Renai: four men and one woman. Renai walked in front of the fire and got down on a knee.

"There is no need for that. Rise, please," the man in the centre of the formation said. Though Renai hadn't learned his name, it was obvious from his bright clothing he was the hand of the council: not the outright leader, but one who held the most weight by far. His deep wrinkles and dry grey hair screamed his advanced age to the room. "Though I must ask that you relinquish the champion's teeth."

Oh, he must have meant the bone necklace. Renai lifted it from herself and placed it on the stone surface. As she stepped back, Renai felt the council members eyeing her up, trying to get a measure of her. As far as she knew, none of them left this place lightly, least of all to watch the Grand Games.

"Thank you," the Hand said, nodding. "You are Renai, correct? And at just nineteen years of age, you have claimed the title of champion. That is truly impressive. Many of the women of our tribe delay their marriage in the hope of claiming the title. Yet you had no need. No doubt your parents would be very proud." Though raspy, Renai couldn't deny a gentle kindness to a voice. Why did he have to bring up her parents, though? That was something she wished to bury. "But enough pleasantries. Why do you think we summoned you here tonight?"

"I-" Most of Renai's thoughts so far may have been a touch hopeful. "I think you would like to discuss my future?"

The Hand nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes. You are a woman now, and I imagine you are more than ready to take responsibility as such." Renai nodded, a slight smile crossing her lips. "Tell me, do you know about the Kingdom of Korst?"

Renai scrunched her face. "Not much. I think we fought them. A long time ago."

"That is correct. The fighting ended just before I was born. That was the time we made a peace agreement." The Hand looked up, seeming to reminisce about history he wasn't there for. "Were we forced to give up a great many things to end the fighting. They were stronger than we were by far and they knew it. Even now, we are outmatched by them."

An enemy. Was that what this was about? "If you need me to fight-" Renai offered.

"

No

. Absolutely not." Renai felt the whole council unified in disapproval. "To start a war would only give them the excuse to finish us off. We

must

abide by the terms of the peace agreement. At all costs."

"I understand. Forgive me." The glares on Renai didn't let up in the slightest. "What does this have to do with me, though?"

"Our agreements with the Kingdom over the years require- payment from us. Some are required every year, while other tributes are mercifully less frequent. The safety and well-being of our people depends on our compliance." There was a growing unease Renai didn't understand, yet couldn't deny. The question of why she was brought here remained, only now she wasn't so sure she wanted the answer.

"If you need my help to gather the necessary tribute, or perhaps to deliver it-"

"That won't be needed." The Hand smiled, but there was a deep sadness to it. "What we need of you- is to hold still."

The discomfort deepened. Until something sharp hit Renai from behind. In a few seconds, all of her muscles were refusing to hold themselves up, much less obey her. There was no way for her to stop the guards coming from behind her from pulling her wrists together and shackling them both together. Or stringing her up from a metal frame from the chain extending from the cuffs. For all of her training, Renai's strength failed her. She could only manage one weak word.

"

Why

?"

"You must understand, this brings us no joy. When the land was bled dry and we could no longer give our precious metals, the demands changed. Every three years, we would need to hand over the greatest of our maidens. That is the true purpose of the Grand Games. In becoming the victor, your life is now forfeit." Renai could only hear The Hand speak now, her head hanging back from whatever was paralysing her.

"

Y-you

-" Renai gasped. The unreality of it all was too much.

"There is no other way, young one. If we do not agree to this, we stand to lose a great deal more. Since you have no blood kin, we will leave any possessions of yours to the man Rama, along with a compensation for your loss. Thank you, Renai; for your final service to the Matackians."

"

N-no-

" It didn't make any difference. On top of losing any semblance of strength, Renai felt a wave of dizzy exhaustion was over her. The last thing she saw was the large cloth, draped over the metal frame containing her.

When Renai regained consciousness after however long it was, her world continued to be shrouded in the dark, with her head spinning in a debilitating dizziness.

She emerged in roughly the same position as before passing out: her hands were shackled together over her, trapped in a small box. For a while, it was tempting to believe she hadn't moved at all. This was some great joke, or even a special trial for the great champion. Once her senses returned to her and her eyes were able to see a little in the darkness, she realised the floor changed, appearing to be smooth wood. The rumbling she sometimes felt came from without, not her own addled body.

She was being taken somewhere. That was the sense she got.

While the frame shook about an awful lot, the shackles and the chains they were attached to held fast. Her instincts told her trying to shout wouldn't help; no one who could hear would come to her aid. The only thing Renai could do was think. Try to make sense of all of this madness.

There was little point in denying she'd been betrayed at this point; sold out even. There was little point holding out hope after the council themselves carried it out. How could they possibly cover it up? To keep such a dark secret- for no one to suspect the truth behind why the champion suddenly disappeared- they must have- wait. The last champion was exiled for 'cheating'. That must have been a lie. Would they say something similar about

her

too? The thought made her thrash about on the chains again.

After a few seconds, there was definitely a sign the frame was coming loose. What would happen if it broke? Renai had no idea where she was. Her hands would still be tightly bound in front of her. Even if she did escape, that would mean the 'deal' was off. The Kingdom would demand someone take her place, or perhaps even go to war.

This was Renai's responsibility to her people. Her future. Most of them would never know the truth; even her father figure. She didn't know for certain what her future would hold, only that there she couldn't escape.

Among the other thoughts was the suspicion that the male champion wasn't forced to undergo this horrible ordeal.

Trapped in a box that was either dark or pitch black, time started to lose all meaning. Only the strain on Renai's body gave any sense of progression. How long ago had the feast been? It seemed like years. Her stomach growled at her, while the rest of her muscles grew sore from the strain of standing. Was she going to die here? Maybe they wanted her emaciated and weak. All the strength; the muscle she built up. Gone. What else could they do to her?

Her thoughts cut short as she heard voices. Renai could almost make them out, only they were muffled by the thick cloth. The box seemed to bounce up and down, as though it was being carried by human hands. With a bump on the floor, the movement stopped. There was a male voice in front of her, raising his voice; she couldn't detect any anger, though.

With a few fiery words, the cloth flew off the frame. It was a good thirty seconds before Renai could bear the light. She was now in some kind of hall; unlike anything she'd known before. The walls and floors were perfectly flat, with patterned wood on the floor and deep red paint on the walls. There was no view outside; instead about a hundred candles lit the room, held up more a metal structure hanging from the ceiling. Most striking was the room's other occupants, about sixty of them. All men. Most of them looking to be middle-aged. All with skin far paler than anyone from back home. All with smooth clothes in dour, dark colours. Even their feet were covered in black leather without exception.

Every last one of them was looking straight at her.

"Gentlemen: I present to you, from the not-so great wilderness: our very special tribute!" Renai recognised it as the voice speaking before the cloth was pulled off. It belonged to a man sporting a short cut of brown hair that was starting to grey. His clothes glimmered with a golden weave; not to mention the chains hanging from the front. Most striking was his saggy skin. As though something aged him faster than it should have. The real alarm was when he walked close. "What's your name then?"

"Stay back!" Renai hissed as the man's hand crept into the frame. The long jangling of the chains seemed to make him flinch for a second. He soon regained his composure.

"Look, I think it's trying to talk to us," he said, inciting a round of laughter from the other men assembled there. "I asked you a question; you

will

answer."

Renai clenched her bound hands. "Who are

you

?"

There was a round of murmurs and snickering from the crowd. The man closest to Renai glared for a second. Then, he lightened.

"Called out on etiquette by a dirt girl. Very well." The man pulled his grey hat off. "I am Lord Palmer, third of my name. This entire region is under my rule. Now, so are you. As part of my agreement, you were ceded to me in perpetuity.

That means you're mine. Forever

."

"No!" Renai called out, tugging the chain once more. The frame wobbled slightly; only she seemed to notice. "I am Renai of the Matackians. Or, I was until they betrayed me. I am

nobody's

slave! No matter what you say."

"My, my. Feisty, aren't we?" Palmer replaced his hat and moved in closer. "I think you misunderstand my intentions, though. You have risen to the top of the muck, so we have seen fit to pluck you from it. If you can learn to behave, you will come to understand how blessed you are." Renai's glare did not soften in the slightest. "Besides, even if you have cast aside your little tribe, are you truly willing to hurt them all for the sake of your pride."

"I-" Was she? There were plenty of people who had nothing to do with her cruel betrayal. Rama, the man who took on the role of father. There were many children. Her pride was the only thing Renai had left. Could she really let everything she knew burn just to keep it?

Palmer nodded. Then smirked. "So you do understand. Now, be a good little girl and maybe I'll have a treat for you."

Oh, that was

it

. The red mist was setting in.

"

Rawr!

" With a jerk and sharp pull, Renai snapped the chain cleaning through the frame at the top. The broken frame fell away and clattered on the floor, leaving the chain dangling from Renai's shackled wrists. The other end had been wrapped around the frame, leaving a knot at the end.

Renai swung. Palmer reared back and fell to the floor trying to avoid her. She spread her feet, taking a combative stance. She was still outnumbered; if the men present all rushed at her at once, they could probably take her down in her current state. None of them appeared eager to be lashed by her chain trying, though.

"

You

-" Palmer stuttered, staggering up to his feet. "Your people will

burn

for your impudence. Do you understand?"

Renai was still trapped in a no win situation. She couldn't back down, though. Not now.

"Then you are as weak and cowardly as you are hideous. If you wish to punish me, then do it yourself!" Several people oohed and sniggered at Renai's challenge. Still, none of them took her up, even in her weakened state.

"Summon the guards! We will teach you respect yet," Palmer sneered, wiping his face.

"Oh yes." Renai rolled her eyes. "Of course you would need a

man

to come and subdue me. You may make me fear you, but I will

never

give you respect."

Palmer sneered. "So be it. The only thing you will have to eat is your own empty words."

A silence fell, as the crowd simply gawked at her. Time was not on Renai's side. As soon as one or two people trained and armed arrived, it would not be difficult for them to restrain her completely again. The reality that Renai only succeeded in making things worse for herself started to creep in.

The double doors at the end of the room opening had gone almost completely unnoticed. Now, a commotion was creeping closer and closer to the escalating situation.

"Make way, make way!" A voice pushed through the crowd of onlookers. The people assembled grumbled and groaned, but stood aside all the same. The men closest to Renai parted, revealing a man much younger than most of the assembled crowd. He had a full head of shining blonde hair, and a style of dress less expensive looking than Palmer's but no less ostentatious. A mix of bright colours that clashed with the clothes of the crowd. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Richard, why are you interrupting us? I did not call for you." Palmer pulled his attention away from Renai to the new arrival.

Richard sighed. "Did you forget about our arrangement, father?"

Palmer's expression softened. "Yes yes, of course. Now isn't the best time, though. You're not safe here. Return to your quarters before you get hurt."

"Hurt? I-" Richard finally seemed to notice Renai, standing there, grasping the chain. Not as restrained as she was meant to be. "What have you done to her, father?"

"Nothing yet. They're always like this."

"Always like what, father?" Richard looked at Renai briefly, then back at Palmer. "Enough. I'll be taking her away from here. Before you make things worse."

"I told you, now isn't a good time. Unless you care to bring her under control yourself?" Palmer gestured his hand towards Renai, still in her fighting stance.

Richard stared at her briefly. "Fine then." Without another second's hesitation, he walked slowly up to her. "Come on, we need to leave."

Renai stood there, trying to size up the man standing in front of her. For a man who looked like he'd never worked a day in his life, she couldn't fault his audacity. With a single swing she could lash the chain around his neck, yet here he was trying to lead her away.on his own.