Two figures stepped out on the ring, each from their own side. The crowd around the ring immediately exploded into a cacophony of screaming, hooting and stomping as if everyone was trying to make each other deaf on purpose. The figures, somewhat poorly visible due to the dust being kicked up and sweeping across the arena, lifted their weapons towards each other. One of them must have been the knight, but Evarista couldn't tell who. The explosive noise around her quickly gave her a crushing headache. She attempted to counteract this by morphing her ears shut, but it made surprisingly little difference, merely creating an illusion of submerging the invasive soundscape underwater.
Maybe standing at the epicentre of everything wasn't a good idea. She didn't mind this environment when she came here as a child, but now that she had grown accustomed to the silence of her room, it wasn't bearable. The fighters crossed their blades for the first time, steel flashing in the dancing firelight cast by the surrounding torches. The shouting and hooting increased even more as everyone cheered for whomever they betted on. Evarista, however, was no longer as enthusiastic about this. The arena started swimming before her eyes, and she found it hard to care what happened on it. Thoughts of going home and curling up under the sheets quickly pushed out the fleeting curiosity about any rumors.
Leaning away from the railing and narrowly evading a mug of beer carelessly swung just past her head, she turned around and began squeezing her way out of the crowd. The sea of shouting and grimacing faces before her made her shudder and close her eyes, hugging herself protectively while relying on her vibrosense to navigate between the turbulent bodies. She was shoved off-course several times and hit by stray beverage splatters as the arena battle intensified and the agitation around her rose in tandem.
Eventually she found herself at the arena entrance, leaning against the wall dizzily and rubbing several fresh bruises on her arms. The slimy wet patch in her hair smelled like cheap beer, but that was probably not the only ingredient. This was entertainment for some, but for Evarista, it was suffering. Especially now that her inebriation has worn off and she has once again lost the ability to appreciate human company, let alone company of this sort. Looking down at the ground and repeatedly questioning her decision to come here at all, the young aristocrat shuffled out of the exit. The only fortune was that it was a short walk home.
"Leaving so soon? What about your bet?" A low male voice drifted towards her somewhere from the side.
It took Evarista a short while to realize that he was addressing her. Raising her head, she saw a tall figure with a red skullcap, leaning on a halberd. His lips, framed by a bushy moustache, were touched by a small smile. A city guard. Just as the arena had its own guards to prevent trouble from spilling in, the city guard had people posted outside during the evenings to prevent trouble from spilling out. There didn't seem to be much to do at the moment, though, as Evarista and the guard were the only people at the main entrance. The evening fight was already in progress; those who wanted to come have already come, and those who were already inside had no thoughts of leaving. Evarista was the only exception, evidently.
"I didn't place one." Not being in the mood for conversation, she simply shrugged him off and shuffled on.
"Liar. I saw you up there." The guard nodded towards the wooden platform that housed the arena supervisors. There was a playful note in his voice. Evarista stopped and stared at him blankly, trying to understand why he was acting so familiar. The guard met her foggy eyes and laughed.
"You're a Nitrozian, right? Used to be, I saw you around here all the time. A quick-footed runt, you were... but now you've grown pretty tall, eh!" The guard continued laughing, as if recalling a fond memory.
"Could be..." Evarista's murmur trailed off, making her disinterest obvious. She didn't remember him at all, and didn't care to. "I'm not feeling well, so I'll be heading home. Good evening."
The guard gave a good-natured snort and waved goodbye without further discussion. It seemed that he had stuck up the conversation more out of boredom than out of any genuine concern, which Evarista thought was a good thing. Just as she turned to leave, an explosion of angry voices pierced the air above the arena.
"Looks like the Syliran won, eh? Judging by the atmosphere, I bet he wasn't a popular wager..." The guard rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Why not?", Evarista asked sheepishly, revealing her utter ignorance of the industry.
The guard saw an opportunity to continue talking and seized it, putting a leather-gloved hand on his hip and looking out over the crowd.
"He was up against a popular fighter that already had a four-win streak. Why would anyone bet on some shiny Syliran fop instead of that? I guess he's a knight and all, so that could say something about his skills, but it doesn't mean much to the average drunkard in there. They bet on the boys they like more, not on those who fight better. Which is what makes the place go around, I guess."
After a short pause, he turned his head to the girl.
"I'm guessing you bet on the knight, eh?"
"Yes..."
Evarista stared at her shoes, unsure what to do. Leaving behind her justly won money felt stupid, but the prospect of going back inside to collect it repulsed her even more.
"Look, I see you're out of it. Go home and get some rest. I'll collect your coins and drop 'em off at your place when my shift ends. Alright?" The guard patted her hunched shoulder supportively.
"Alright. Thanks. Good night." Nodding to him politely, Evarista turned around for the last time and retreated from the premises with a long gait. She was thankful to the guard for making the decision for her. Coming home and flopping down in bed was indeed the most pressing concern right then, bar none, and it was well worth ten mizas. In fact, she'd pay a hundred to avoid diving into that filthy flesh-sea again.
***
The next morning, the girl was very surprised to actually find a small pouch of coins on her desk. Upon questioning Bryony, it turned out that a city guard had indeed visited the mansion last night and told to deliver her this. What a stupid man, she thought.
Still, he did say it himself - stupid men are the ones who make the system go around.
LedgerPaid 4 GM for the arena roster swap. Received 5 GM in gambling revenue.