As the sun was about to rise and the birds sang, announcing a new day, the Saqra guards woke the boys with shouts and insults. The youngsters hastily got up and were led towards a gate, where a guard with a malevolent smile told them: "Are you ready to have some fun?"
Suddenly, as they walked towards the gate, they noticed how some people watched them with sadness; some were praying in silence, as if foreboding something truly bad. They began to hear multiple shouts: "Massacre! Massacre! Massacre!"
The Saqra guard opened the gate, staring fixedly at the boys with that devilish smile. When they entered the field, they saw the other five children were also there, facing them, with their respective weapons.
This was what had given Illari a bad feeling, but he never imagined they were capable of such an abomination. Everyone was speechless, sweating. Silence fell over them. In that moment, for the boys, the screams of the Saqras didn't exist. Everything was a blur... until the Saqra leader, sitting in his chair, stared fixedly at them: "The strongest lives, the weakest perishes. We do this every year, but now we need some entertainment… And why not with our future mercenaries? I'm impatient to see which of the two groups turns out to be the strongest."
After hearing the Saqra leader's words, the children began to fall into despair. Their lost gazes tried to focus on something concrete, but it was impossible, the sensation of falling into a black hole with no escape. They remained motionless for five minutes. The other team was going through the same thing, until a loud shout from the Saqra leader echoed: "Fight, you sons of bitches! If you don't fight, for every minute that passes, I'll kill one of you!"
Followed by the cheers of his people, who euphorically demanded action from the group of children, Hadrian suddenly was the first to act, swinging his axe. He raised it and, with a guttural scream, ran straight towards one of the boys carrying a crossbow.
The crossbowman desperately tried to shoot an arrow, but Hadrian dodged it and managed to knock him down. Once on the ground, Hadrian intended to finish him off. Quickly, his companions tried to defend him. In that moment, Ikari made the second move: he threw his spear and blocked an attack from a boy who intended to stab Hadrian with daggers. The others joined the fight, but Mirelle collapsed to the ground, shocked by what was happening.
Hadrian disarmed the boy of his crossbow, and seeing his face, the boy said between sobs: "Please, don't kill me. I want to get out of here. Mom, Dad… they're still alive, they weren't in the village when this happened. Please, I want to see them." Hadrian, without a word, executed him. They saw his head fly off. Everyone witnessed the act, so much so that it was etched into their memories. In that moment, they felt like animals trying to survive at all costs.
With tears in his eyes, Hadrian grabbed his bloodied axe and ran towards the boy with the daggers, who at that moment was fighting Ikari, who had already retrieved his spear. The dagger wielder showed flashes of skill: he quickly dodged Hadrian's axe swing. Meanwhile, Illari and Luca, very nervous, tried to face a boy with a war axe and another with a bow.
Both enemies showed a certain mastery of their weapons. Observing the archer in the hood closely, by his rapid arrow movements, they realized it was Dennis. His father had been a hunter in the village. Illari and Luca tried to convince him that they didn't have to attack each other, that they could devise a plan to escape, but he, staring fixedly at them, told them: "There's nothing that can be done, guys…"
Illari and Luca, disappointed, tried to hit them, but they dodged very quickly. With some visible wounds, they barely managed to avoid their attacks. The enemy healer, who was in the back, watched carefully. As soon as one of his own suffered a wound, he would slowly begin to heal them with a spell.
Illari and Ikari's group began to get nervous. Despite having a numerical advantage, their opponents had better use of their weapons. And Mirelle on the ground wasn't helping at all. Suddenly, Luca screamed so loudly that it made the arena and his own companions and rivals stop.
He said in a strong voice: "This isn't right, this has to stop!" He directed his gaze at the Saqra leader with firmness and, with a hint of tears: "You have to stop this! This is inhumane, we're just children! We wa—!"
He couldn't finish the sentence. Luca realized he couldn't speak; he felt his vocal cords weren't working. He looked around, confused. He saw his companions watching him in horror. Illari tried to help him, desperately calling out to Mirelle. But before she could do anything, Luca brought his hands to his neck… and felt a dagger embedded there. He fell to the ground, bathed in a pool of blood, unable to say anything more. Not even a goodbye. In his last thoughts, he wondered: Why did he deserve this fate? He had always tried to see the world with optimism. But he got nothing in return. In those last moments, he only felt the same as the others: "The world was truly a paradise of demons."
The Saqra leader, with a fixed gaze towards the children, said: "More action, less talk, continue…" Illari told Mirelle, who was sobbing next to Luca's body: "Revive him, Mirelle!" "I can't! I can't do anything!"
Hadrian grabbed his axe, but this time it was different. The rage inside him, despite being a ten-year-old boy, impressed some mercenaries. Suddenly, he threw his axe at the dagger boy, who managed to cover himself with his daggers to block the attack.
The impact was so strong that it made him stumble back. With impressive speed, Hadrian retrieved his axe from the ground and gave him a cut to the stomach, leaving him sprawled in a pool of blood. His healer barely reacted. The dagger boy was dead.
Hadrian lifted his gaze furiously towards his companions. "You damn cowards! Do you want to live? Then grab your weapons and fight! Fight for your lives!" Illari, Ikari, and Mirelle got up. They clutched their weapons and continued the battle. A determined Mirelle dedicated herself to guarding their backs, healing the small wounds they might receive.
In a small oversight, Ikari shot his spear and hit the rival healer. He writhed and tried to heal himself, but Hadrian came from behind and killed him. The opposing team was visibly nervous; without a healer, they were very exposed.
The rival archer, Dennis, managed to land an arrow on Illari's shoulder, but Illari also hit him in the leg, limiting his movements. Hadrian, taking advantage of his weakness, tried to finish him off. But his companion blocked the attack. Ikari seized the moment, took his spear, and plunged it into his stomach, ending him.
Only the archer remained; he didn't beg. He looked directly at Illari, took off his hood, and gave a small smile before collapsing to the ground, surrendering. The group didn't want to kill him. But then they heard the sound of an axe being swung. It was Hadrian. He had cut the archer's throat. The deranged way Hadrian had become seemed as if he were possessed at that moment. The Saqra leader watched him and began to laugh heartily. "That's the attitude I've been looking for!"
The Saqras began to cheer euphorically. That bloody spectacle, offered by the children against their will, provoked a savage excitement in them. It was then that they understood: if they wanted to survive, they would have to fight. Fight to the death; there was no room for mercy now.
Mirelle quickly approached Illari and healed his wounds with what little strength she had left, as it was her first time healing semi-deep wounds. Very tired and weak, the children collapsed, exhausted. The Saqra guards stripped them of their weapons and dragged them back to the training room. There, they threw their weapons down and left. "Thanks for the show," one of them said.
After a few minutes, a guard approached with buckets of water and a mountain of dry bread. The children began to eat desperately. They normally didn't receive so much food. "I know how bad you had it; I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. As a reward, I brought more water and bread than I'm allowed. Eat quickly, before anyone notices. I'm sorry about your friend… That's life in this place. By the way, my name is Manel. I'll be in charge of you for a while. What are your names?"
The children, seeing the man of about thirty years old, noticed the unexpected warmth of his words. "My name is Illari, and this is my younger brother, Ikari," he said in a calm tone. Ikari nodded in silence. "My name is Mirelle," she replied somewhat shyly.
"Don't care what my name is," Hadrian retorted, furious. "Someday, when I have enough strength, all of you will die by my hands!" Manel drew his sword without hesitation. He pointed it at Hadrian's neck with a cold gaze, as if that comforting aura had vanished for a second. Everyone noticed the sword was not common: the blade had a sharp scythe-like curve, and a handle shaped like intertwined snakes, as if the sword itself gripped Manel's hand. "You know… everyone in this place is more unpleasant than you can imagine, but even here I've met some who still retain their humanity: they are kind, benevolent, and honest… They detest being in this place as much as you do, but they have no other choice: they are exiles from different kingdoms, not to mention they were supposed to be executed, not for killing, but for speaking out against the king, nobles, or at the whims of their children."
He paused. He didn't take his eyes off Hadrian. "You're learning how this world truly is, and if you kill one of the good ones in this place, I won't hesitate to kill you myself." Silence fell like a crushing rock. This was very impactful for Hadrian. "Reconsider it, I wouldn't mind killing you right here." "S-sorry," Hadrian replied, nervously.
The group remained silent until Manel lowered his sword. "Sometimes I get a little serious about these matters," he said with a smile. "I present to you my sword. It was a gift from a dwarf. Its name is Clarent." "Speaking of weapons," he continued, "I saw that you, child, used a spear. That wasn't on the list of weapons they gave you. Am I mistaken?" Everyone doubted Manel. "How could a dwarf give you a sword? That's impossible. They're just mythological beings," they thought. Illari: "It was… a mistake, the weapon was there, my brother wasn't to blame."
But before he could continue, Ikari, confidently, explained: "Yes, I brought it. It's the same spear I used to kill one of yours." Manel burst out laughing. "What courage you have, boy! So you were the one who killed that guy. Everyone in this place is talking about your little feat. I see it's small and light, perfect for a child like you. But it's worn, it will soon break. Will you upgrade it or switch weapons?"
"I'll upgrade it. I… I feel good with this one… for now."
Manel nodded, and with a small smile: "You know, kids, as of today, you have been born as pretty criminals." He put away his sword and left. He was very different. He didn't seem like one of the Saqra guards, but, as he said, some still retain their humanity.