The Beast of Salt (Saga of the Gods #1)

13. Sigvid

13

SIGVID

September 19th, Year 100, 9th Era

Treland Arena

H eavy footsteps boom down the hall, and his door is thrown open.

“Well, good evening, Sigvid. Did you find yourself a treat?”

Laughter answers the Battlemaster’s sneering commentary. Sigvid lifts his head, his expression contorted in rage, to find the Battlemaster and three guards facing them with swords drawn.

“The Arena Masters figured this would happen when she became your sponsor.” The Battlemaster quips as he kneels in front of them on the floor.

Avina has been my sponsor? All my comforts, even the axes, have been from her!

His mind reels as he glances back down into her apprehension-filled gaze. Her hands fist his thin tunic, and her head slowly pivots to bury itself in his chest as if seeking refuge in his embrace.

Sigvid is so confused by her sudden actions that his momentary distraction allows the Battlemaster to rip her body from his grasp.

“No!” His growl thunders through the cell. “She is mine!” His voice threatens to unleash a rage as the Battlemaster shifts her weight against him.

“Fuck, you pieces of shit!” His roar shakes the cell walls as his berserker power ignites.

The guards laugh as he lunges at them, restrained by the chains.

“You belong to the Arena, Beast. You lost your ability to claim anything when they brought you here.” The Battlemaster warns before disappearing through his cell door, clutching his Avina, who is now screeching and fighting in the Battlemaster’s arms.

Sigvid sees red as his full strength tangles with his berserker power, raining dust down upon their heads.

The remaining three sentries stare with varying levels of shock and terror as one chain link breaks and then another until only the Beast remains, free to feast upon their souls.

There is that blessed fear in their eyes .

He roars as he charges the guard standing to his right. Before the man can even react, Sigvid slams his head into the cell wall with a sickening crunch.

Again and again, he smashes his head into a bloody pulp of brain matter and hair. While still holding his neck, he hurls the limp body at the other two, knocking them both to the ground.

Sigvid snarls, dragging the corpse into the hallway, where the Battlemaster stands further down. Avina screams and demands freedom. He watches her flail in vain against his monstrous arms.

Using the dead body, Sigvid flings him toward the Battlemaster, who watches with his mouth gaping.

The Battlemaster drops her at the last moment to roll out of the way of his guard's body.

“Avina, get behind me!” Sigvid barks.

She stumbles toward him, readjusting her dress over her breasts and shoulders. He can feel her hands press against his back.

Why does she trust me ?

Sigvid grabs the Battlemaster by the neck and slams him into the bars of the empty cell beside him.

While the leader is down, Sigvid turns to the trash. Using the chain attached to his wrist as a weapon, he swings it as hard as he can and whips one of the other two guards in the face—blood splatters across the cell, followed by his agonizing screams.

Sigvid crashes toward the bloody guard. He wrenches him back by his hair, sinking his teeth into his neck, and rips out his throat. As the guard collapses, choking on his own sputtering blood, Sigvid spits out the flesh onto his crumpled form.

“Sigvid!” She cries out in a terrified voice that sinks into his chest.

Why the fuck does her fear give me fucking anxiety?

He twists his snarling glower to find the third and final guard with an arm locked around her waist and a blade pressed against her throat. “No need for bloodshed, Beast. She is not yours to have.”

Sigvid can threaten the Timber Queen.

This miserable guard can not.

A passionate play of rage and a resounding need to protect her wrecks him even in his berserker mode.

“Let her go, and you will live.” Sigvid’s eyes are focused entirely on the tears falling along her flushed cheeks.

The guard cackles. “This is a neutral zone. Not only can I slit the throat of the Timber Queen,” his blade motions along her column, “but no one could take action against me.” He takes a step closer, tugging her along. “Our orders are simply to return her to her room safely. Did you know she bribed me for the key to your cell?”

“Let her go.” Sigvid’s warning reverberates off the stone walls.

When crimson trickles along her neck from the sword, Sigvid knows he will not permit the soldier to fucking survive.

The guard smirks as he opens his mouth to speak when Avina vanishes. The only part of her visible is the dress clinging to her curves.

“What the-?” The guard bumbles backward as she reappears behind Sigvid. “I would not have hurt you too badly!”

The guard jumps to attack, his sword clutched in both hands and poised behind his head. Before he can land a blow, Sigvid seizes him out of the air, bringing him down on his knee and snapping his back .

“Sigvid!” The Battlemaster has recovered. “As much as I would love to advertise that one of my combatants is keeping the Queen of Timber as a pet, we must all endure the coldness of reality. Relinquish her to my care, and she will safely return to her lodgings. Of course, this is the last time she will ever call upon you again.”

Sigvid backs up closer to Avina, his hand gripping her arm.

“How about this? You get the fuck out of my way so I can take her and leave this fucking shit hole. I will not kill you. This way, we both win.”

“Why would I let my cash cow walk right out from under my nose? Your little friend, here, has been dumping her inheritance on your Arena comforts. You both funded the renovations to my home.”

No more talking .

He slams the cell door on the Battlemaster’s arm, snapping it. He knees him between his thick legs and then tosses him to the ground. For good measure, he stomps on the man’s side, hearing ribs snap. Sigvid grabs his face and drags his nails across it, gouging four chasms.

As Sigvid stands to deliver the killing blow, three other sentries appear and restrain him long enough to inject a needle into his neck.

Fucking Azure Blooms.

Knowing he has little time before the effects render him unconscious, he uses his last bit of strength to rip off the head of the guard who administered the sedative.

He immediately feels his muscles relaxing.

“Sigvid!” She shrieks as he collapses to the ground. “No, Sigvid!” She is in hysterics. Her hands clutch his armor cuirass, pulling him toward her.

My little Queen?

But their moment breaks. Once again, the Battlemaster rips her from his arms. Only this time, he is helpless to stop it.

“No! Sigvid! Let me stay with him!” Her slurred cries are the last sound he hears before the Azure Blooms drown him, and his sight fades to black.

September 25, Year 100, 9th Era

Treland Arena

T ime bleeds on without Sigvid processing.

The Battlemaster made a fatal error in keeping the Timber Queen from him. And Sigvid will ensure he pays for his misstep.

“How was isolation?” Champ’s voice is surprisingly refreshing after time spent alone.

Sigvid grumps. “How long was I there?” He leans against the cell door to hear Champ better.

“Couple days.” Champ is quiet momentarily and then adds, “I heard everything that night, Beast. You have a fun way of displaying hate.”

Sigvid shakes his head, his mind constantly replaying her body bound in his chains. “There is no doubt I seek vengeance. But it threw me into a rage when he took her—my property. I am the only one who can hurt her. The Battlemaster is lucky they had that shot of Azure, or I would have torn this place down.”

“What would you have done to her after murdering everyone in the Arena?”

“I would have only murdered the guards who tried stopping me. The men forced to fight deserve their revenge. But the Timber Queen,” his voice drops to a low growl, “she will regret her actions. I will tear her apart slowly.”

“Those moans you gave her? Were they hate moans, then?”

Sigvid grumbles. “Yes, they were hate moans.”

A genuine laugh echoes from Champ’s cell. “What about murdering three guards trying to rescue her? Was that hate, too?”

“She belongs to me and me alone. They tried to take her from me, and I could not allow that.”

“And what compels you to want her?”

“Stop getting in my head!” He snarls, kicking the cell door.

“There is a thin line between love and hate,” Champ responds calmly. “Besides, I heard her calling for you as they took you down. She may have been drunk but still came to see you. ”

Sigvid stops pacing, “do you have a real name? I can call you Champ, but you must have something better.”

“I guess it is only fair. My name is Grim Woods.”

“That is an epic name, my friend. Too bad you cannot use that instead of Champ.”

“Nah, you understand how the place works. My Arena name was ‘Slayer’ before I made Champion.” He pauses. “You and I know we will soon fight against each other in the ring. For three winters, I’ve lost myself in vengeance over Samson. How much longer can I keep up this title? I want a good fight and a good death.”

“I am not looking forward to our fight.” Sigvid grunts. “If you have to go up against me, you will not be able to keep that title. “However, my friend, I can give you that good fight and a good death. But to be fair, I would rather have you fight with me.”

Sigvid sits on his bed. Already anguish washes over him, thinking about the Arena forcing him to kill one of the rare good men in this world. “You will have your vengeance for your wife, Grim. I will make damn sure of it.”

“Your violent optimism never ceases to amaze me. If you don’t mind, I have beauty sleep to maintain.”

“See you in the morning for training. You will need all the rest you can.”

Sigvid is a man of his word. He will do everything within his power to ensure his friend's survival. They will tackle this Samson fellow together. What is one more person to add to his hit list?

He laughs as he shifts his table to work his muscles.