"Five Lions have joined us today. Let us celebrate!"
The moment the hooded man uttered those words, the atmosphere immediately changed. A festive air replaced the previously somber mood of the ceremony. From all over, servants emerged, rolling kegs into the hall.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zeke saw somebody approach. A smile tugged at his lips as he turned to face the person. The young man was carrying two cups, offering one to Zeke.
"Congratulations on your victory, junior," the young man said with a teasing grin.
Zeke took the offered drink and smirked right back. "You must be the famous Keo. Quite the imposing name, I must say."
Leo grimaced, causing Zeke's smile to widen. This reaction pretty much confirmed his brother's cluelessness regarding the custom of picking one's name. Zeke would not let that go anytime soon.
"W-well…" Leo stammered, clearly searching for a good comeback. "I didn't see the need to pick a grand title for myself, you know? I'd rather have my actions speak for me."
"Sure, sure," Zeke agreed readily. However, his face was that of a father indulging their child's delusions.
"…anyway," Leo said in a blatant attempt to change the subject. "I heard you summoned a 'strange reptile' in the arena today?"
Zeke smiled knowingly, making it clear that he was well aware of what Leo was trying to do. However, he still indulged his brother's curiosity. "They don't call me Blood Dragon for nothing," he said with a wink.
"…Yeah, right. You picked that name yourself," Leo grumbled, but his good cheer returned right after. "I can't wait to see it. I heard some outlandish stories after your victory, but it can't be that strong, can it?"
Zeke's face turned serious. "I wouldn't want to fight it."
Leo's eyebrows shot up. "That strong?"
Zeke nodded gravely. After seeing the Dragon in action, his confidence in winning in a real fight had all but evaporated. The Dragon was even stronger than the Thunderclaw Celine had summoned. This was something he had thought impossible. The girl had sacrificed her perfect affinity for that contract, after all.
He had only just realized the flaws in his thinking. The actual reason she had to offer her core was to draw the interest of apex spirits. A being as proud as the Thunderclaw would not consider a contract otherwise. But that didn't mean that it was stronger than a Dragon. After all, as far as Zeke knew, there wasn't a single Mage walking around with a Dragon. It was very possible that that arrogant race would never agree to a contract, no matter the condition.
Also, there was another factor he had to consider. Unlike any other Mage, he supplied his own Blood as a medium for the spell. Zeke couldn't be sure, but he had a strong suspicion that this raised the strength of his summons to the next tier.
All those factors culminated in the tiny death machine he had unleashed in the arena today.
Expectantly, his grim expression didn't deter Leo. If anything, it seemed to have the opposite effect. "I can't wait to see it for myself," Leo said as his eyes turned sharp.
"…See what for yourself?" A new voice asked.
Zeke and Leo turned, finding Ripper standing behind them. She had a drink in each hand and had clearly intended to offer him one. Her expression turned awkward when she found Zeke already holding a drink.
Seeing her predicament, Zeke gulped down his beverage. However, he immediately regretted that decision. His throat was on fire, and it felt like thousands of ants were crawling all over his skin as a sudden rush of heat assailed him.
"Careful with that stuff," Leo warned. "It packs quite the punch."
After the heat subsided, Zeke fearfully looked down at his empty cup. What the hell was this liquid? His hand was trembling slightly as he accepted the offered replacement drink. Ripper had a reverent expression on her face as she handed it to him. "It's been a while since I've seen anybody down a cup of Sunscorch like that. Your reputation is well deserved, Blood Dragon."
"My reputation?" Zeke asked while taking a minuscule sip. To his surprise, it still burned just as badly. What was up with this drink? Did people really enjoy this?
Ripper nodded seriously. "They say you are a Dragon's child. It's no wonder this drink doesn't faze you."
Zeke almost choked. "What? Who is spreading such rumors?" Meanwhile, he could hear the Dragon chuckle in the back of his mind. He could swear he heard it whisper something about being called father from now on.
"I don't know where it came from, but many believe it."
"Why?" Zeke asked. "Just because of my name?"
Ripper shook her head. "No, that has nothing to do with it." She got close to him and began to sniff the air, until Zeke pushed her away. The woman looked at him suspiciously. "It's the fact that you don't smell like a human at all."
Zeke was at a loss for words. Smell? This was the second time he had gotten in trouble for such a stupid reason. First with Odyr and now with Ripper. What was it with all those strangers sniffing him all of a sudden?
Luckily, Leo decided to come to his rescue. He stepped forward, separating her from Zeke. "What did I tell you about sniffing people, little girl?"
"Who cares about what you have to say, Keo," Ripper said.
Zeke looked at the two of them, the question clear on his face. "Do you guys know each other?"
Ripper snorted. "This guy ruined my chances of advancing last week!"
Zeke nodded. That would explain how they met. But what was it with Leo calling her a little girl? From her appearance, Zeke guessed that Ripper had to be in her early twenties. On top of that, she was about the same height as him, with a lithe and muscular frame. He had no idea what part of her was supposed to be a little girl. He shot a questioning gaze toward his brother.
Leo smirked. "Ask about her age."
Zeke turned to Ripper. "Well?"
The woman proudly puffed out her chest. "I am nine years old."
"Nine?!" Zeke exclaimed, once again examining her full figure. What the hell kind of nine-year-old was she supposed to be? Zeke wordlessly turned back to his brother, awaiting an explanation.
Leo didn't disappoint. "They mature faster than humans. It apparently varies between the races, but Ripper said that her people are fully grown at four and considered an adult at eight."
In his shock, Zeke forgot what he was holding and took a deep sip of his drink. It was like swallowing Lava. However, the tingling in his spine managed to restart his addled brain. Ripper was nine years old. She had been fully grown by the age of four. A human her age wouldn't even be a match for the weakest, geriatric goblin, and here she was, battling trained killers like it was nothing.
Once again, Zeke wondered how humans had managed to emerge as the dominant species. Also, if Korrovan had the capability to 'breed' Chimeroi in large quantities, wouldn't that make them a threat even to powers such as the empire? How come none of the leaders in Tradespire had ever mentioned this nation's strength? He had to be missing something.
This relaxed atmosphere might be an excellent chance to find out a couple of things he was curious about. However, he had to be diplomatic about it. Looking at the slightly flushed face of the woman in front of him, Zeke started with a harmless question. "How long have you been fighting in the Rings of Samsara, Ripper?"
"About two months," she said. "But I have been training here for almost a year now."
"Ohh? And how do you like being a Rana Samrat?" Zeke asked, trying to keep his expression casual.
Ripper frowned thoughtfully. It was almost like she had never even considered that question before. "It's not bad, I guess."
Zeke was shocked. Not bad? He still remembered her condition after today's match. She had been just a hair's breadth away from death. On top of that, she was being whipped regularly under the guise of training. If somebody had asked Zeke about the worst possible fate for a nine-year-old, he might have described her everyday life. If this was acceptable to her, then he didn't want to know what she considered terrible.
"Not bad, huh?" he prompted.
Ripper shrugged. "It could've been much worse. I could have been sold to one of the fighting pits in the Undercity or to one of the brothels. Those poor girls. Compared to many, I am quite fortunate."
Zeke latched on to one of the words. "The Undercity? What's that?"
Ripper grimaced. "It's better if you don't know."
Zeke turned to Leo, but his brother also wore a clueless expression. Curious. He would have to find out about that place at a later date. However, he was willing to let it go since Ripper clearly didn't want to talk about the subject. "So you like it here?"
Ripper grinned. "I like fighting, and I even get paid. That's more than most." She then looked around, making sure nobody else was listening in. "The one thing I truly hate is the guy with his whip," she whispered.
Zeke grinned. He shared her dislike for their instructor and was already looking for ways to get rid of the man. However, they would still have to put up with him for a while longer. "Are you saving up your earnings?"
Ripper shook her head. "No, I always send it to my family. It's the one thing that can keep them safe."
Zeke was intrigued. "Is that so? I had assumed you would be saving that money to buy your freedom at some point."
"My freedom?" Ripper looked at him as if he was an idiot. "Why would I do that?"
Zeke was also confused. "So that you don't have to risk your life anymore?"
Ripper tilted her head. "You are a free man, aren't you?"
Zeke showed her his neck, displaying the absence of a slave collar. "As you can see."
Ripper smirked. "…But you are still fighting in the Rings, the same as me."
For a change, Zeke didn't know what to say. He couldn't explain that he only competed there in order to reach a bigger goal. Also, it would not negate her point. Even if she bought her freedom, the woman would still have to earn money somehow. It was likely that she would still be fighting either way.
"But you would get a bigger share of the winnings," Zeke said lamely.
As expected, Ripper immediately shook her head. "Why pay money now for a chance to earn more money later? That makes no sense. I might die tomorrow, you know? Wouldn't it all have been wasted then?"
Zeke wanted to explain that a person couldn't hope to change their fate with that kind of attitude. Without taking a chance, she would never escape this vicious cycle. However, seeing the look in her eyes, he understood that she didn't care for any of that. Ripper would fight until she couldn't fight anymore — it was as simple as that. She would die in the shadow of the Rings, like the thousands of Chimaroi before her.
For some reason, this realization made him incredibly sad.
It was then that Zeke realized how very alien this way of thinking appeared to him. No matter the situation, he would always strive to improve himself. Every waking minute of every day, he was planning his path to greatness. He had been like this for as long as he could remember. It was precisely this trait that forced him to leave his village and aim to be a Mage.
A deep, powerful voice interrupted his thoughts. "Captivity is a mindset, whelp. As long as your thoughts remain free, you can not be bound by any chain." Zeke had never heard the Dragon speak so seriously before. It clearly considered this to be an absolute truth. And on a fundamental level, he even agreed. However, looking at the collar around Ripper's neck, he had a hard time fully accepting those words.
The Dragon scoffed. "You think it is the collar that turns a man into a slave? Utter foolishness! Just like one does not become a warrior by picking up a sword, a man does not become a slave until he considers himself as such. You might be able to tame a wyvern or a griffin, but never a Dragon. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Zeke asked, genuinely curious about the answer.
"Because you can't put a leash on a king," the Dragon said.
Zeke considered those words. At first glance, it sounded like the Dragon was being its usual arrogant self, but he sensed there was more to it. He knew how the slave collars worked. They were made to cause pain as soon as people disobeyed. With this method, they were conditioned to behave. But what would happen if somebody continued to refuse to follow orders? Could they still be considered a slave? Zeke didn't think so. But what then?
Zeke heard the Dragon chuckle. "You begin to understand, whelp."
Zeke hummed noncommittally and pushed those thoughts away as he continued to drink with Leo and Ripper. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't stop pondering the Dragon's words. He had never before considered his mindset to be different from other people. Zeke had always assumed that everybody thought the way he did.
Even when the sun vanished behind the horizon, and the celebrations came to an end, Zeke was still thinking about this.