Pathway

"I'm a new entrant, Chang" Ju Feng said. "I'll have at least three matches before I get to fight their champion." He picked up Chang Chang's cloak and pack. "Keep these close," he said, handing them to her. "They're ready for us."

No matter how intense her apprehension about the Haven, Chang Chang was grateful to climb the ladder out of the oppressive ship's hold.

On the main deck, night had fallen. Stars canopied the harbor, and the remnants of the day's rain glimmered on the wet wood. Torches lined the deck, lending smoky illumination to a sight Chang Chang could not have imagined in her wildest fancies.

The Haven perched on the water, bounded by a loose circle of four half-sunk ships. The vessels listed at various angles, half supporting each other, their masts crisscrossing in a vast web work of rigging and wood. Rope bridges hung suspended from the main masts, allowing foot traffic to flow between the four ships. Figures swarmed the bridges or climbed, monkeylike, on the rigging to find a better vantage point for the activity.

On each of the four ships, wooden benches were bolted in rows to the deck, creating a sort of graduated seating on the listing surfaces. These rough seats were already packed with people, and the unlucky few who couldn't find a bench were perched on the rails, their feet dangling above the water. All told, there must have been hundreds of people crowded on the ships.

In the center of the Haven, water was allowed to flow freely in a sealed off pool. Wooden platforms, not unlike Ju Feng's raft, had been arranged at various points, so it was possible to cross from ship to ship without touching the water. Four guards arranged themselves on the outer fringes and took charge of distributing weapons.

Chang Chang watched a pair of men walk out onto the platforms. Both carried the same weapon: a spiked ball and chain. To her shock, they bore no shields and wore no armor. The crowd screamed and pounded their feet when the fighters faced each other and swung the chains like deadly pendulums in front of their bodies.

"Heavens teard," Chang Chang said, shaking his head. "I'd never have believed such a sight if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Yeah." Ju Feng quipped in.

"The platforms are stained red," Chang Chang said, half to herself. "What happens if they fall in the water?"

"Nothing, if they can get out fast enough," Ju Feng said. "They stock the pool with blindfin, shark, eel, and whatever else they can find that's vicious enough."

Chang Chang flinched as the combatants leaped at each other. The spiked balls whistled through the air, thudding sickly into flesh. The crowd cheered wildly. Both men fell back, clutching gaping wounds to the leg and flank.

"The winner will bleed to death before he claims his prize," Chang Chang said.

Ju Feng shook his head. "He only has to stay on his feet. Once the victor is confirmed, Saragui authorizes the winner to receive healing."

"Where is Saragui now?" Chang Chang asked, leaning close so Ju Feng would hear her over the crowd.

"You won't see him until after the tournament," Ju Feng said. "He watches the matches from there." He pointed to the largest ship in the circle.

In the Haven, the combatants were already tiring. The heavy weapons were difficult to maneuver under the best of circumstances. On the water they were clumsy and shook both men's balance. The taller of the two swung with both hands. His opponent dodged back but tripped on an uneven board. He went down on his knees at the edge of the platform.

Sensing victory, the man still on his feet leaped across to his opponent's platform. Frantically, the man on his knees tried to scramble away, but there was nowhere left to go but into the water. Hurling the heavy weapon at his opponent, the man dived into the water.

The crowd went crazy, piling against the rails to see if the man would be devoured by sharks.

His head popped up a few feet away, next to another platform. He hoisted himself up, and for a breath it looked like he would make it. But the taller opponent had been watching, biding his time.

As soon as the man's shoulders came out of the water, the taller opponent swung the ball, releasing it to fly across the water.

The ball impacted between his opponent's shoulder blades. Blood spurted, and the man lost his grip on the platform. Jerking, he sank into the water.

Chang Chang thought the wound hadn't been very deep, but then she saw the water churning, the flash of a gray fin.

"Heavens tears," she said, "how could he leave him for the sharks?"

"It was a clever move," Ju Feng said. He watched the man intently. "He'd already taken a wound to the thigh. He couldn't jump from platform to platform, which is what his opponent was counting on. Essentially, he had one shot, and it turned out to be a good one."

"Do they always fight to the death?" Chang Chang asked.

"No," Ju Feng said. "You have the opportunity to yield, but many don't. The winner's purse is too tempting, and the crowd doesn't like a coward."

A guard approached their group. "I'm to escort you down," he said to Ju Feng.

Ju Feng turned to follow the guard down a ladder. "Stay at the rail where I can see you," he told Chang Chang. "This will likely take all night."

"Stay safe," Chang Chang said doubtfully. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Ju Feng at the rail. Both were too tense for conversation.

There was no formal announcement when the fighters came into the Haven—no names, no mention of how many victories each entrant had won. The crowd cheered their favorites and jeered others, according to no pattern Chang Chang could see.

She waited for the crowd's reaction when Ju Feng entered the Haven. Would they favor him?

After what seemed like an eternity, she saw his old leather hat bob into view as he came up a short flight of stairs to the platform on the far side of the Haven. Hushed murmurs ran through the spectators when they caught sight of him. He removed his hat and handed it to one of the guards standing at the bottom of the steps. When he returned to the platform, he raised both hands in the air, like a conductor readying his minstrels. He bowed low—Chang Chang could have sworn he winked at her as he straightened.

The crowd erupted in wild applause.

"Seems they like 'im," Chang Chang thought as she nodded absently. She was waiting to see Ju Feng's opponent. "We should take that as a good sign."contemporary romance

'E's a stick, this one," wheezed a man standing at Chang Chang's elbow. "Zu Ruo's gonna break him, you watch now."

"Oh, really," Chang Chang said, her temper prickling. "The crowd doesn't share your opinion."

"Ha!" The man slapped the rail. "Don't jingle your coins on this bunch. They're only cheering the poor bastard 'cause they know what's coming. Crowd loves to see the little ones get squished. Borbus!" he shouted across the deck. A pudgy man with skin the color of prunes looked up. "What're the odds on the little boy?"

"Ten to one, Sheems," the man shouted back. "There's a side bet says the sharks get to cut their teeth on 'im."

"You want in on that?" Sheems said, turning back to Chang Chang.

Chang Chang didn't bother to reply. She was watching Ju Feng stride confidently out to his starting platform. He waved to the roaring crowd, a lopsided grin stretched across his normally expressionless face. Chang Chang had never seen him look that pleased with himself.

"Gods give me strength," she murmured. "Tell me he's just playing the crowd. If he doesn't keep his wits, he'll get his head bit off out there."

"Among other parts of 'im," the man beside her said, pointing to the other side of the Haven.

A man stepped away from the guards and climbed the stairs. He was not as big as Chang Chang had feared, but his musculature far outstripped Ju Feng's wiry frame. He carried a long, barb-tailed whip in his right hand. On his left, he wore a shackled fist.

The guard holding Ju Feng's hat stepped forward, raising his sword to silence the crowd. He then turned to Ju Feng and said something that Chang Chang and the watching crowd couldn't hear.

Chang Chang saw Ju Feng shake his head. The guard's face scrunched up in confusion, and he said something else, more emphatically this time. Ju Feng shook his head again. The same lopsided, complacent grin was still plastered to his face.

The crowd was starting to get restless, stamping their feet and whistling. This seemed to galvanize the guard, who waved a hand at Ju Feng as if to say, "good luck," and walked back down the stairs.

Zu Ruo, the man with the whip, assumed a crouched stance on his platform. Ju Feng stood, weaponless, with his arms loose at his sides.

"He was tryin' to get Ju Feng to take a weapon," Chang Chang said to herself, nodding to where the guard stood at the base of the stairs. A whip dangled from his right wrist. "Guess Ju Feng didn't need it.".

The guard raised his sword again, and an ear-piercing whistle sounded from somewhere above their heads. It must have been the starting whistle.

done.co