131 Days [Book 4]_About the Blood Read online

  131 Days (Book 4)

  About the Blood

  by

  Keith C. Blackmore

  131 Days (Book 4)

  About the Blood

  By Keith C. Blackmore

  Copyright 2018 Keith C. Blackmore

  Edited by

  L. Kelly Reed

  Cover by Karri Klawiter www.artbykarri.com

  Formatted by Polgarus Studio (polgarusstudio.com)

  131 Days (Book 4) About the Blood

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons—living or dead—actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be used in a magazine, online blog, or newspaper.

  Author’s Notes

  This is the fourth book in the 131 Days series. In case you missed it, I decided to merge the first one-hundred-page novella and book two into one, which results in this order:

  Book 1: 131 Days

  Book 2: House of Pain

  Book 3: Spikes and Edges

  Book 4: About the Blood

  For those of you waiting for this one—sorry I took so long. There’s a recap of the first three books here if you need it, entitled, “What has gone on before.”

  If you’re picking this book up for the first time, stop reading now and go back to book one as these are not standalone reads.

  And if you are reading this for the first time, there’s foul language in the pages that follow (in a fantasy context), as well as bloodshed. If you disapprove of either, you should probably not purchase any of the 131 Days books.

  What has gone on before…

  Book 1: 131 Days

  Four men come together in Sunja’s Pit for the season’s gladiatorial games, in which the last surviving victor is awarded riches and fame rivaling a king’s. Halm, a Zhiberian, meets Goll and Muluk from Kree, as well as local Pig Knot in the lower chambers of the arena intended to give shelter and provide some measure of services for the Free Trained gladiators––those pit fighters who battle upon the sands without the backing of an established gladiatorial house or school.

  Halm attracts the wrath of Dark Curge, owner of the best-ranked house during the games, when he kills off Curge’s favorite gladiator. Halm also attracts the attention of a fanatic called Vadrian the Fire, whom the Zhiberian kills in an agreed-upon blood match. During that fight, however, Halm realizes he might not have been the only one wanting Vadrian dead, as he suspects the man was killed by his own poisoned blade––a weapon given to him by an individual posing as the arena’s quartermaster.

  Goll, having been badly wounded in his first fight and eliminated from the games, proposes that the four companions should form a new house that would draw together the hundreds of Free Trained fighters at the games, and they should challenge the ruling houses. Led by Goll, the four companions begin preparations for establishing their own house. Goll and Halm venture to the Gladiatorial Chamber, the ruling body of the games, and are told they are willing to accept a new house as long as they can pay the fee of a thousand gold pieces. Goll, Halm, and Muluk later leave the city with the intention of meeting with a pair of retired taskmasters in hopes that one of them will train any person wishing to join the Free Trained house.

  The first taskmaster, a drunkard named Clavellus, refuses and curses the three warriors and sends them on their way. The three companions then travel to a small village, hoping to see the second taskmaster, an old man called Thaimondus. There, Halm meets a woman called Miji. He also becomes the target of ridicule in a local alehouse and discovers the next morning that the instigator of the verbal abuse is Thaimondus, who is also the self-proclaimed overlord of the little village. After challenging and killing both of Thaimondus’s bodyguards in a fight, Halm puts the old taskmaster to death, freeing the village of the little tyrant.

  Meanwhile, back in the city of Sunja, Pig Knot battles several house gladiators outside a drinking establishment at night. He wins and attracts the attention of a few rogue soldiers wishing to wager upon him in the games. Pig Knot also spies a small group of men attempting to steal Halm’s discarded sack of armor. He follows the men to a darkened alleyway, where he fights them and takes the sack back.

  Clavellus has second thoughts about the prospect of returning to the games as a taskmaster and—after a talk with his wife, Nala—sends an agent of his to contact the Free Trained men seeking his help. Not all are pleased with Clavellus’s thoughts on returning, however. Upon learning the taskmaster’s intentions, Dark Curge confronts Clavellus and vows to uphold his dead father’s will to forever ban the taskmaster from the games. Dark Curge threatens to punish any warriors associated with Clavellus in any capacity.

  Upon returning to the city, Goll goes about his plan to raise the thousand gold to pay the Gladiatorial Chamber. He and his companions are being watched, however, by the Stable of Grisholt, whom Halm had insulted earlier and who has learned that the little band of Free Trained warriors are attempting to establish their house. Knowing full well the Chamber’s entry fee, Grisholt deduces that Goll has a sum of coin hidden somewhere, and he organizes a band of once gladiators from his own ranks to find and steal the gold and kill any who get in their way.

  On the morning when Halm is scheduled to fight a blood match against the House of Curge, Grisholt’s killers prepare to strike. Six men enter the alehouse just after dawn while everyone is sleeping and butcher all in sight. They proceed to Muluk’s room and attempt to steal the companions’ gold, hidden underneath a bed. A fight ensues, and at the end, Muluk dispatches all six killers though he nearly dies himself.

  Goll and Halm return to the alehouse, amazed at the slaughter. They find that Muluk is alive, however, and that their sack of gold is untouched. The two men go to Sunja’s Pit, looking to face the House of Curge’s gladiator upon the arena sands. Halm defeats the man, much to Curge’s chagrin, and more coin is added to Goll’s pot, but not enough to pay the Gladiatorial Chamber’s fee.

  Pig Knot learns he has to fight, and on the morning of his match, Goll tells him if he wishes to be a part of the house, he has to lose his fight. The choice shocks Pig Knot as he knows his opponent is a man called Skulljigger, one of the group of men who’d attempted to steal Halm’s armor. Later, in the match, Pig Knot loses and would have been killed by Skulljigger if not for Halm rushing out onto the sands to prevent the death.

  While this is happening, Goll leaves for the arena’s general quarters, where he announces to the gathered Free Trained his intention to start a house for just those warriors. His words are met with scorn, but six men come forward to join the new house: Junger from Pericia; Tumber from Vathia; Sapo, Kolo, and Torello from Sunja; and the imposing Brozz from Sarland.

  Halm and Goll later deliver the sum of coin to the Gladiatorial Chamber and become formally recognized as the House of Ten.

  Book 2: House of Pain

  Halm and Clavellus warn Goll to never order one of the Ten’s gladiators to lose upon the arena sands for profit. Pig Knot survives his fight with Skulljigger, but his legs have been so badly mauled that they have to be amputated. Both he and Muluk are eventually transported back to Clavellus’s estate. Word of the new house quickly spreads throughout the older, established houses of the games. Agents and spies are put to task to discover more about the House of Ten.

  Meanwhile, Goll orders his newest agent, Borchu
s, to seek out information on opponents. To this end, Borchus finds and enlists the aid of an old spy called Garl. Garl has seen better days and believes his injuries were sustained because of Borchus. Regardless, the agent attempts to employ Garl, to help the man get off the streets. Garl, however, tells him that Sunja’s back alleys and such are ruled by a ruthless underworld figure called Strach and that most of the beggars are in his employ.

  Borchus also attempts to enlist the help of Sindra, an old lady friend from years ago. Sindra, however, has inherited an alehouse from a mutual acquaintance long departed and wants no part of Borchus or his network of spies. Borchus leaves her but decides to return later.

  Vengeful, Halm takes it upon himself to seek out Skulljigger, to demand a blood match, and he continues to think about the woman Miji, back in the village of Karashipa. While he hunts for Skulljigger, he encounters a younger gladiator named Targus, who reminds him of Pig Knot. Halm attempts to befriend the man.

  The Zhiberian eventually finds Skulljigger and discovers the man is a father to four children. Halm and Skulljigger briefly fight in a back alley, and Halm offers to pay the pit fighter to leave the games for the season, to avoid a blood match. Skulljigger agrees, but only if Halm pays him the coin from winning five matches. Halm agrees and later enlists the help of Borchus, and the pair of men attempt to raise the money in the Iron Games, an unregulated and questionable alternative to Sunja’s Pit. There, Halm manages to wins three fights, but not without sustaining serious wounds. He pays off Skulljigger the next day, saving Halm from fighting the man.

  When Halm pays Skulljigger, the transaction is seen from nearby by Targus, who suspects the Zhiberian of bribing an opponent. Angered by the thought, Targus sees Halm’s bloody form and decides that the Zhiberian is ripe for killing in the arena. The agent Caro, working on Grisholt’s behalf, also takes Targus aside and warns him that the Zhiberian is only using him and will kill him on the sands.

  Grisholt, tired of losing and fearful of becoming a joke at the games, dispatches his man Brakuss to procure the means to improve the old stable’s fortunes. Brakuss makes a deal with the nefarious Sons of Cholla, though doing so almost costs him his life. A messenger later appears at Grisholt’s home and delivers an iron flask filled with a mysterious drink that will help his pit fighters achieve victory in the arena. The flask does as promised, and Grisholt is amazed at the results.

  Dark Curge announces a bounty to the Free Trained gladiators living in the Pit’s general quarters. Any warrior who fights and kills a gladiator from the House of Ten will be paid three times their winnings and will even win favor with Curge’s house.

  Upon their first appearance in the Pit, the House of Ten has all of their active gladiators fighting Free Trained warriors. Upon that day, Kolo and Tumber die in their matches while a furious Sapo, learning of Dark Curge’s bounty, renounces the House of Ten and leaves. Halm kills the man called Targus. Brozz and Torello also win their fights, and Junger impresses all who witness his first victory as a fighter under the House of Ten banner.

  Meanwhile, a group of Nordish soldiers are captured by a Sunjan Klaw. The Sujins question their Nordish prisoners regarding the location of their main army. Once the questioning is finished, the Nordish warriors, called Jackals, are prepared for transport back to the Sunjan capital.

  Book 3. Spikes and Edges

  At the beginning, Borchus unknowingly kills Garl’s former boss, a man called Strach, and soon finds out that Strach belonged to a powerful gang ruling the city’s underworld.

  The House of Ten bury their dead outside Clavellus’s villa. The next morning is preparation as usual, but Pig Knot is distracted by and attracted to a young servant named Ananda. Pig Knot learns that Koba the trainer is also attracted to her, but he’s convinced he could steal her away from him. Pig Knot is also relentless in tormenting Goll for ordering him to lose his match, resulting in the loss of his legs.

  Halm learns that his fighting days for the season are at an end. The injuries he’s sustained are far too great for him to continue; thus, after some thought, he decides to leave the villa and the games and visit the woman called Miji. His decision does not please any of his companions, especially Pig Knot.

  Grisholt once again allows one of his pit fighters to drink from the iron flask. The potion within bestows awesome strength upon whoever drinks it, and soon, the Stable of Grisholt has its second victory upon the sands. Grisholt’s taskmaster cautions him about using the potion too much, however, for fear of attracting the attention of rival houses. The vengeful owner also learns that Borchus is an agent for the House of Ten and arranges for the Sons of Cholla to kill him.

  The surviving Sons of Cholla meet and wonder about the fate of their brother Strach and decide to search the city for him while accepting Grisholt’s task of murdering Borchus.

  Borchus returns to Sindra and again attempts to persuade her to work for him as a spy, but she refuses once more. Another agent nearby, however, takes notice of Borchus after he’s gone, and asks Sindra who he is. Sindra does not reveal anything about Borchus.

  On his way through the city, Borchus is attacked by two thugs who attempt to murder him, but he survives and manages to get to a healer. Borchus then wonders who tried to kill him.

  Gastillo’s pit fighter Prajus endures a blood challenge from the wine merchant Nexus, for the killing of one of his prized gladiators. Gastillo warns Prajus not to kill the challenger, but Prajus defies the order and kills the man anyway, infuriating Nexus. Gastillo in turn punishes Prajus the only way he can, causing even more resentment between the two men.

  Meanwhile, the captured Nordish Jackals as well as hundreds of prisoners held in King Juhn’s cramped dungeons are transferred to the Pit, where they will fight to the death as a bloody prelude to the ongoing games. The Nords meet a thief called Rullik, from Nordun’s neighbor, Norjos. Rullik befriends his westerly neighbors and impresses them with his ability to speak Sunjan.

  On the day the House of Ten is supposed to fight their blood matches, Torello injures himself while travelling to the city. As a result, Junger volunteers to fight his opponent as well as his own. Junger goes on to defeat Bubruk, the man responsible for Tumber’s death. Junger later avenges Kolo’s death, and soon after leaving the sands, he sees that a Free Trained fighter who is unwilling to fight is on the verge of being killed by Skarrs.

  Junger volunteers to fight for the man, who was slated to face Curn of the House of Vandu.

  As before, Junger quickly defeats Curn and returns to the chamber of the Ten, amidst the thunderous applause of onlookers… and the nervous fidgeting of the rival house owners.

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Notes

  What has gone on before…

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

  42

  43

  44

  45

  46

  47

  48

  49

  50

  51

  52

  53

  54

  55

  Afterthoughts

  About the Author

  Try these other titles by Keith C. Blackmore:

  CHARACTERS

  131 Days (Book 4)
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br />   About the Blood

  1

  Underneath Sunja’s Pit, the door to the House of Ten’s private chamber opened.

  The afterglow waning from his third and final victory of the day, a fragrant and sweat-shining Junger entered. He rubbed a hand over his bristly hair, wiped a palm on his leggings, and looked ahead. His dark eyes narrowed, and his smile faded.

  Waiting with his back against a stone arch of brown brick was Goll, the house master. His dusky eyes were simmering slits of annoyance. The cuts he’d sustained weeks before had healed into pink lines while the bruises had faded away nearly completely. The arena sands shimmering behind him, Goll wasn’t in the best of spirits despite Junger’s three successive victories. Two of those had avenged the deaths of the Ten’s fallen while the last had been over a house gladiator, all decisively won.

  “You miserable bastard,” Goll said, barely containing his anger.

  Junger eased inside the chamber and glanced around. “Where are the others?”

  “I’ve sent them away,” Goll said, “so I could speak with you. In private.”

  Ah, Junger mouthed, noticing the short sword the house master was wearing for this conversation. Despite the weapon, he closed the door.

  “Who are you?” Goll asked pointedly. “Truly. And why are you here?”

  Junger smiled gently. “It’s the fighting season. I’m fighting.”

  “You’re not fighting. You’re playing.”

  The Perician shrugged.

  “Where exactly did you train again?” Goll demanded.

  “I believe I’ve already had this conversation,” Junger replied.

  “The names, you unfit he-bitch.”