Laura's eyes fluttered open, revealing a weariness that felt like it had lingered for months without respite. Reluctant to leave the bed, she rolled over, attempting to drift back into sleep.
A gentle knock echoed through the room.
She groaned, reluctantly shifting to the edge of the bed.
"Come in."
A woman in a maid uniform stepped in, tray in hand.
"G...Good morning, Laura. I hope you slept well."
"Good morning, Marie. I hope you slept well too."
Marie placed the tray on the table and exited the room briskly.
Laura sat up and eyed the plate of food. It was an egg and cheese sandwich, accompanied by a small side of potatoes. Considering what she'd eaten in the past few weeks, this meal felt like a slice of heaven.
With a fork, she dug into the potatoes.
"Mmm. Mmmmm, it's delicious."
She quickly finished the potatoes and moved on to the sandwich.
"Man, I haven't had a proper breakfast in so long."
As she ate, tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them away, the meal offering a rare moment of safety and comfort.
After finishing the last bite and downing a glass of water, she stood up, ready to face the day.
"Marie?" she called out.
"Yes, Ma'am, I'm here."
Marie opened the door slightly and peeked inside.
"Are you all right, Marie? You look a little pale."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"L...Lady Laura, have you finished your b...breakfast?"
"Yes, I did."
"Very well then, may I escort you to the bath?"
"Yes, please."
Marie still seemed quite scared of her. Maybe it was time to break the ice.
They left the room and headed down the hall towards the baths.
"Marie, why are you scared of me?"
Marie stopped, tensing up.
"I...I'm not."
Laura guessed why but decided not to say it, at least not yet.
"Well, I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable."
Marie continued walking without saying anything, causing Laura to sigh.
At least she's not treating me like my fellow villagers did. I can find solace in that, at the very least.
They entered the bathroom, a magnificent communal bath made entirely of expensive-looking marble, with lion statues spewing hot water into the large tub. Laura stood in awe.
"Wow! This place is incredible! Why is it so huge?"
"Well, you see, Lady Laura, the fighters in this colosseum are what make the money roll in. Master Roderick needs to make sure all of his fighters are in tip-top shape, both physically and mentally. That's why the fighters have their own rooms and the bathing facilities rival even the royal castle. The water is always warm and clean and even has purification properties in it."
"Oh, wow. What's purification properties?"
"A fancy term that just means the water will clean you without the use of soap. After your bath, there are many things you need to learn about the colosseum's rules and hierarchy, but right now, just enjoy a nice bath. I will take my leave until you are done."
"Thanks, Marie."
Marie left Laura to her bath and headed off to another room.
Laura stepped into the bath, closing the door behind her.
It was a spacious area, with enough room to fit at least twenty people comfortably. The walls were adorned with lion statues spewing hot water.
"Hold on. Where do I put my clothes?"
Laura looked down at her clothes, the same cloak she had taken from a dead body in the abandoned church and underclothes she'd been wearing for weeks.
Well, I can't exactly get into the bath with my clothes on, right? Meh, screw it.
Laura removed her clothes and placed them on the floor beside the bath.
She walked over to one of the statues pouring warm water and stood under it to clean herself off, like a Buddhist doing a purification ritual with her arms spread wide. Washing off all the dirt and fatigue from the past few weeks made her feel as light as a feather.
Suddenly, Laura heard someone speak.
"You don't look like anyone I've seen around here."
Laura turned around and saw a woman stepping into the room. She was an attractive young girl with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was a dark tan, and her eyes were a deep brown color.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Eleanora. I was told by Roderick that he purchased a new fighter yesterday. Said she has two horns growing out of her head. I thought to myself, 'Why the hell do we have a demon here now?'"
Eleanora's gaze was sharp, peering through the misty steam to inspect Laura.
"What are you looking at?"
"You match his description. You're a demon."
"Technically, yes, but I also happen to be human."
"Then what are those horns? Are they real?"
"Yeah, they're real. Though I do wish I could tear them off my head. Unfortunately, I can't."
Eleanora raised an eyebrow.
Laura entered the bath as Eleanora began to wash herself.
"So kid, what's your name?"
"Laura."
"And how old are you?"
"Twelve."
"Aaahh, you're still a child. What about your family?"
"I don't know my father, and my mother was executed for helping me escape."
"That must be hard for you."
"Hard doesn't cover it. It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Every time I think about my mom, I just wanna go back to my peaceful life."
"Sorry to hear that. But I'm not good at consoling people."
"Eleanora. How come you're talking so casually with me? Aren't you scared?"
"Scared of what?"
"I'm a demon. Demons are known to be vicious and evil creatures."
"I'm not scared of some twelve-year-old with horns. I fight in deathmatches a lot, so I'm used to being a step away from dying. You don't scare me, at least from the first impression I have of you."
"Th...thanks."
Eleanora entered the bath and sat across from Laura, her body covered in scars.
"I guess we are kind of similar in a way, aren't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"I was sold to this place as a war orphan when I was fourteen. My father was killed, and my mother and I were sold to different buyers. I've been fighting since I was bought. I am currently ranked number four in the colosseum and I'm hoping to move up to three soon. This is the best job I could ask for."
"You said something about deathmatches earlier, what's that?"
"Listen, Laura, a deathmatch is either decided between two people of similar rank in a mutual agreement or by two of the lowest-ranked members once in a while. The winner stays alive and the loser dies. They're usually the main event, even when the two lowest ranks fight. A deathmatch draws one hell of an audience."
"But what's the point of killing each other? Isn't the whole purpose of these fights to entertain?"
"You're right, and watching two fighters fight for their lives is entertaining for people to watch, that's just how it is. If you don't understand, then there's nothing I can do."
"Are you always so blunt?"
"When it comes to business, I don't sugarcoat things."
"Well, I appreciate that."
She seems like a nice person. A little forward but nice. They talked for a little while longer until Marie informed her that Roderick would like to see her.
Marie had a change of clothes waiting for her, so she pointed her to the clothes she had thrown on the floor and changed into the ones Marie brought. It was essentially the same cloak, only relatively new. Then all of a sudden, something hit her in the back of the head.
"What the hell!? Oh, right."
It was the little box she had forgotten she had. She stuffed it in her new cloak pocket and exited the bath.
They walked down the hallway until they reached Roderick's office. He was sitting behind his large desk, reading through some papers and drinking coffee.
"Ah, Laura, you're here. Come in."
"Thank you, sir."
The room smelled musty but comfortable. There was a small fire burning in the fireplace on the far end of the room. The morning sunrise gave the room a nice ambiance.
"So we're going to schedule you to be the warmup match before the tournament we're holding next week. You can think of it as a match to get the crowd pumped up before the tournament."
I tilted my head in confusion. "Tournament?"
"Yeah, we're gonna have a big tournament called The Battle of the Top to decide who the new number one fighter in the colosseum is. You're gonna be the opening fight before the tournament starts. So you'll just have to win against whoever we put in front of you. That's the gist of it."
"Battle of the Top? I guess your cringey naming doesn't just stop at fighters' nicknames." After making fun of his naming sense, what he said after sank in, and I gulped. They're going to be putting me out there in front of so many people for my first match.
Roderick waved a hand dismissively. "I think my naming sense is cool, though also don't worry, it's just your debut match. Nobody's going to be expecting anything from you. Just focus on winning, and everything else will take care of itself."
I nodded in understanding.
"Alright. Thank you for telling me."
"Honestly, Laura, you seem to be taking all of this a little too well. Don't you have any reservations about going out and fighting for sport?" "Not really."
"Hmm."
He took a sip from his cup and looked at me curiously.
"May I ask why?"
"There's no particular reason. It's just if this is going to be my life now, there's no sense in wallowing in my own self-pity. When I told my mom I wanted to go to the capital city when I grew up, she sat me down and told me no matter how bad your situation ends up being getting depressed won't solve anything it will only hinder you."
I opened my arms wide. "This is my life now and I don't feel sorry for myself. I've already made my decision. I'm ready to face whatever the world throws at me. Besides, this is better than wandering aimlessly through the forest hunting for animals and barely getting any sleep." "I see. Well, you make a good point. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish."
"Same."
After we shook hands, I left with Marie in tow.
"Marie, does this place have a place to train fighting skill?"
"Yes, all fighters train in the arena. When not in use, almost every fighter makes use of their time to train. Some are more dedicated to their training than others, so the areas they practice in vary. However, since you're a newcomer, I doubt you'll be able to train there."
I stopped walking and turned to Marie. "Why not?"
She backed away from me, fear evident on her face. "Because..." "Because why?"
"B...Because..." She was shaking just because of a look from me.
"Marie, what are you doing?"
All of a sudden, another woman rounded the corner and talked to Marie. She was wearing a black pantsuit and had her brown hair in a ponytail. She looked to be in her mid-30s.
"M...Miss Olivia, I was j...just..."
"Roderick told you to get over your fear, didn't he?"
Oh, so that's why she didn't seem scared of me until a moment ago. "Y...Yes, he did, but..."
"No buts. You have a job to do, and if you can't do it, then we're going to have to replace you." "Wait a second, I...I just..."
"Hush. Your circumstances are irrelevant if you can't do your job. This is the last warning we're giving you." "Understood, ma'am." Marie said as she sulked.
"Good girl." Olivia smiled and patted Marie on the shoulder. "Now please answer Laura's question."
Marie turned back to me, fear still evident on her face, but she answered me nonetheless. "The veteran fighters are going to be using the arena for training. There's no way they'll let the newcomer who was just brought in yesterday use it when they're all training for the tournament. Especially since your match is of little consequence to the rankings."
Marie stammered out that explanation before turning back to Olivia. "Sorry, ma'am."
Olivia nodded. "That's fine. Now please do not make Laura feel as if she's beneath anyone here." "I understand. I'm sorry, Laura."
I smiled at her. "It's alright, Marie. I understand why you're afraid of me."
"D-Don't say that!"
I turned around and headed back to my room with Marie following behind me.
Laura's eyes fluttered open, revealing a weariness that felt like it had lingered for months without respite. Reluctant to leave the bed, she rolled over, attempting to drift back into sleep.
A gentle knock echoed through the room.
She groaned, reluctantly shifting to the edge of the bed.
"Come in."
A woman in a maid uniform stepped in, tray in hand.
"G...Good morning, Laura. I hope you slept well."
"Good morning, Marie. I hope you slept well too."
Marie placed the tray on the table and exited the room briskly.
Laura sat up and eyed the plate of food. It was an egg and cheese sandwich, accompanied by a small side of potatoes. Considering what she'd eaten in the past few weeks, this meal felt like a slice of heaven.
With a fork, she dug into the potatoes.
"Mmm. Mmmmm, it's delicious."
She quickly finished the potatoes and moved on to the sandwich.
"Man, I haven't had a proper breakfast in so long."
As she ate, tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them away, the meal offering a rare moment of safety and comfort.
After finishing the last bite and downing a glass of water, she stood up, ready to face the day.
"Marie?" she called out.
"Yes, Ma'am, I'm here."
Marie opened the door slightly and peeked inside.
"Are you all right, Marie? You look a little pale."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"L...Lady Laura, have you finished your b...breakfast?"
"Yes, I did."
"Very well then, may I escort you to the bath?"
"Yes, please."
Marie still seemed quite scared of her. Maybe it was time to break the ice.
They left the room and headed down the hall towards the baths.
"Marie, why are you scared of me?"
Marie stopped, tensing up.
"I...I'm not."
Laura guessed why but decided not to say it, at least not yet.
"Well, I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable."
Marie continued walking without saying anything, causing Laura to sigh.
At least she's not treating me like my fellow villagers did. I can find solace in that, at the very least.
They entered the bathroom, a magnificent communal bath made entirely of expensive-looking marble, with lion statues spewing hot water into the large tub. Laura stood in awe.
"Wow! This place is incredible! Why is it so huge?"
"Well, you see, Lady Laura, the fighters in this colosseum are what make the money roll in. Master Roderick needs to make sure all of his fighters are in tip-top shape, both physically and mentally. That's why the fighters have their own rooms and the bathing facilities rival even the royal castle. The water is always warm and clean and even has purification properties in it."
"Oh, wow. What's purification properties?"
"A fancy term that just means the water will clean you without the use of soap. After your bath, there are many things you need to learn about the colosseum's rules and hierarchy, but right now, just enjoy a nice bath. I will take my leave until you are done."
"Thanks, Marie."
Marie left Laura to her bath and headed off to another room.
Laura stepped into the bath, closing the door behind her.
It was a spacious area, with enough room to fit at least twenty people comfortably. The walls were adorned with lion statues spewing hot water.
"Hold on. Where do I put my clothes?"
Laura looked down at her clothes, the same cloak she had taken from a dead body in the abandoned church and underclothes she'd been wearing for weeks.
Well, I can't exactly get into the bath with my clothes on, right? Meh, screw it.
Laura removed her clothes and placed them on the floor beside the bath.
She walked over to one of the statues pouring warm water and stood under it to clean herself off, like a Buddhist doing a purification ritual with her arms spread wide. Washing off all the dirt and fatigue from the past few weeks made her feel as light as a feather.
Suddenly, Laura heard someone speak.
"You don't look like anyone I've seen around here."
Laura turned around and saw a woman stepping into the room. She was an attractive young girl with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was a dark tan, and her eyes were a deep brown color.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Eleanora. I was told by Roderick that he purchased a new fighter yesterday. Said she has two horns growing out of her head. I thought to myself, 'Why the hell do we have a demon here now?'"
Eleanora's gaze was sharp, peering through the misty steam to inspect Laura.
"What are you looking at?"
"You match his description. You're a demon."
"Technically, yes, but I also happen to be human."
"Then what are those horns? Are they real?"
"Yeah, they're real. Though I do wish I could tear them off my head. Unfortunately, I can't."
Eleanora raised an eyebrow.
Laura entered the bath as Eleanora began to wash herself.
"So kid, what's your name?"
"Laura."
"And how old are you?"
"Twelve."
"Aaahh, you're still a child. What about your family?"
"I don't know my father, and my mother was executed for helping me escape."
"That must be hard for you."
"Hard doesn't cover it. It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Every time I think about my mom, I just wanna go back to my peaceful life."
"Sorry to hear that. But I'm not good at consoling people."
"Eleanora. How come you're talking so casually with me? Aren't you scared?"
"Scared of what?"
"I'm a demon. Demons are known to be vicious and evil creatures."
"I'm not scared of some twelve-year-old with horns. I fight in deathmatches a lot, so I'm used to being a step away from dying. You don't scare me, at least from the first impression I have of you."
"Th...thanks."
Eleanora entered the bath and sat across from Laura, her body covered in scars.
"I guess we are kind of similar in a way, aren't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"I was sold to this place as a war orphan when I was fourteen. My father was killed, and my mother and I were sold to different buyers. I've been fighting since I was bought. I am currently ranked number four in the colosseum and I'm hoping to move up to three soon. This is the best job I could ask for."
"You said something about deathmatches earlier, what's that?"
"Listen, Laura, a deathmatch is either decided between two people of similar rank in a mutual agreement or by two of the lowest-ranked members once in a while. The winner stays alive and the loser dies. They're usually the main event, even when the two lowest ranks fight. A deathmatch draws one hell of an audience."
"But what's the point of killing each other? Isn't the whole purpose of these fights to entertain?"
"You're right, and watching two fighters fight for their lives is entertaining for people to watch, that's just how it is. If you don't understand, then there's nothing I can do."
"Are you always so blunt?"
"When it comes to business, I don't sugarcoat things."
"Well, I appreciate that."
She seems like a nice person. A little forward but nice. They talked for a little while longer until Marie informed her that Roderick would like to see her.
Marie had a change of clothes waiting for her, so she pointed her to the clothes she had thrown on the floor and changed into the ones Marie brought. It was essentially the same cloak, only relatively new. Then all of a sudden, something hit her in the back of the head.
"What the hell!? Oh, right."
It was the little box she had forgotten she had. She stuffed it in her new cloak pocket and exited the bath.
They walked down the hallway until they reached Roderick's office. He was sitting behind his large desk, reading through some papers and drinking coffee.
"Ah, Laura, you're here. Come in."
"Thank you, sir."
The room smelled musty but comfortable. There was a small fire burning in the fireplace on the far end of the room. The morning sunrise gave the room a nice ambiance.
"So we're going to schedule you to be the warmup match before the tournament we're holding next week. You can think of it as a match to get the crowd pumped up before the tournament."
I tilted my head in confusion. "Tournament?"
"Yeah, we're gonna have a big tournament called The Battle of the Top to decide who the new number one fighter in the colosseum is. You're gonna be the opening fight before the tournament starts. So you'll just have to win against whoever we put in front of you. That's the gist of it."
"Battle of the Top? I guess your cringey naming doesn't just stop at fighters' nicknames." After making fun of his naming sense, what he said after sank in, and I gulped. They're going to be putting me out there in front of so many people for my first match.
Roderick waved a hand dismissively. "I think my naming sense is cool, though also don't worry, it's just your debut match. Nobody's going to be expecting anything from you. Just focus on winning, and everything else will take care of itself."
I nodded in understanding.
"Alright. Thank you for telling me."
"Honestly, Laura, you seem to be taking all of this a little too well. Don't you have any reservations about going out and fighting for sport?" "Not really."
"Hmm."
He took a sip from his cup and looked at me curiously.
"May I ask why?"
"There's no particular reason. It's just if this is going to be my life now, there's no sense in wallowing in my own self-pity. When I told my mom I wanted to go to the capital city when I grew up, she sat me down and told me no matter how bad your situation ends up being getting depressed won't solve anything it will only hinder you."
I opened my arms wide. "This is my life now and I don't feel sorry for myself. I've already made my decision. I'm ready to face whatever the world throws at me. Besides, this is better than wandering aimlessly through the forest hunting for animals and barely getting any sleep." "I see. Well, you make a good point. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish."
"Same."
After we shook hands, I left with Marie in tow.
"Marie, does this place have a place to train fighting skill?"
"Yes, all fighters train in the arena. When not in use, almost every fighter makes use of their time to train. Some are more dedicated to their training than others, so the areas they practice in vary. However, since you're a newcomer, I doubt you'll be able to train there."
I stopped walking and turned to Marie. "Why not?"
She backed away from me, fear evident on her face. "Because..." "Because why?"
"B...Because..." She was shaking just because of a look from me.
"Marie, what are you doing?"
All of a sudden, another woman rounded the corner and talked to Marie. She was wearing a black pantsuit and had her brown hair in a ponytail. She looked to be in her mid-30s.
"M...Miss Olivia, I was j...just..."
"Roderick told you to get over your fear, didn't he?"
Oh, so that's why she didn't seem scared of me until a moment ago. "Y...Yes, he did, but..."
"No buts. You have a job to do, and if you can't do it, then we're going to have to replace you." "Wait a second, I...I just..."
"Hush. Your circumstances are irrelevant if you can't do your job. This is the last warning we're giving you." "Understood, ma'am." Marie said as she sulked.
"Good girl." Olivia smiled and patted Marie on the shoulder. "Now please answer Laura's question."
Marie turned back to me, fear still evident on her face, but she answered me nonetheless. "The veteran fighters are going to be using the arena for training. There's no way they'll let the newcomer who was just brought in yesterday use it when they're all training for the tournament. Especially since your match is of little consequence to the rankings."
Marie stammered out that explanation before turning back to Olivia. "Sorry, ma'am."
Olivia nodded. "That's fine. Now please do not make Laura feel as if she's beneath anyone here." "I understand. I'm sorry, Laura."
I smiled at her. "It's alright, Marie. I understand why you're afraid of me."
"D-Don't say that!"
I turned around and headed back to my room with Marie following behind me.
