Angelico stumbled in the direction that felt right. He did not know where he was, but only that he was no longer on the moon of Dogma. Winds whipped all around him. Darkness spread as far as the horizon, broken only by eerie eyes peering out at him. Moving was a strain as the ground was a bog that his feet were sinking in. He felt lost and hopeless, with no idea of how to return to where he had come from. He wondered what his fans thought of him, vanishing in the middle of a gladiator match.
Moments before, he had fought and beaten a giant man-wolf. Then, an amorphous, moving hole with a faint, familiar voice echoing through it attacked the wolf and tore out its stomach. Angelico found himself walking towards another hole. Within it burned two bright rocks of a color Angelico had neither seen before nor could describe. His mind settled on greenish-red as the color, but afterward, he could not remember what that meant.
He stopped walking, not wanting to fall into the void, but something kept him moving closer. He wondered if the swamp water had a current. He looked down and noticed it did. Much like the previous hole he had encountered, this one seemed to be alive, moving of its own accord. It was upon him, there was nothing he could do. "Don't be afraid," said an echoing voice. He wasn't.
The darkness stretched towards him, engulfing him. Looking down, it was as if his head were detached from his body. The uniquely colored stones glared at him, and he could not look away. The faint voice instructed, "Push through the illusion. Don't look at my eyes, look past me." The voice was slow, rhythmic. Each syllable followed the previous by nearly one second (Earth time). "Push through the illusion" was repeated over and over.
Angelico eventually pulled his attention away from the stones and looked into the distance. He wanted to break the illusion, but he had no idea what the illusion was. He stared into the eyes far, far away. He let his mind wander; his eyes unfocused. Then he saw it, for an instant, the hotel across the street, the fans, an acquaintance by the name of Vivarine, they were there, the things from Dogma, in front of his eyes. However, in the next instant, he was back in the dark land.
He tried again. He thought about pictures he had seen that look like a jumble of color. However, blur the eyes, and cross them slightly, a three-dimensional picture jumps out. Knowing what the picture was helped. Angelico tried this with the backdrop. The world came into focus, was lost, and once more returned. He saw now that Vivarine was the hole that he had seen; the stones were her eyes. One hand was on the back of his neck, keeping his head still. "That was the darkness," he said, seemingly to her. "Viv?"
She spoke much faster now. "You're back?"
"I don't know...was I gone or...?"
"The reporter and camera are coming. Be prepared for an interview."
"What happened?"
"You won, Rapt's dead, he hit you with a misapparition-orb. Try not to mention the hallucination or the pills you took before the fight."
"What? How'd you...?" She had already let go of Angelico and took off at a brisk walk.
Kaelynne Winsors, with a microphone aimed like a gun, strode confidently up to Angelico. "What are your comments about the fight?"
Angelico felt like he was piecing together a night of drinking the following morning, remembering only fragments of what had happened. He had to compose himself quickly, put on the media, and impress the fans. With a bright smile, wings spread majestically, and fists on hips, he puffed up and said, "They were powerful, worthy opponents, but in the end, we proved we were the stronger gladiators."
"What are your thoughts on the death of Rapt?"
"It is unfortunate he had to meet such an untimely death, but that is the risk we all take stepping into the arena."
"You have declared yourself a protector of the people of Dogma."
"That's correct."
"Rapt was a person of Dogma, an important part of this moon's livestock production. He provided food to the people of Dogma and was not a threat to them. And yet you tried to kill him yourself, and then stepped aside and watched as Shadowed tore out his throat. How is that protecting the people?"
"I assure you that..." He had to think...he didn't try to kill anyone...was Rapt the wolf? Angelico was starting to push through the deluded memories...the wolf's stomach was Rapt's throat, that's why it was so easy to squeeze, and Shadowed was that first hole... "Sometimes, in the heat of battle, one cannot control their own or another's actions. It is very unfortunate, and if I could go back and prevent it I would." Angelico lowered his head, managed to force out a few real tears, and with a voice on the verge of sobbing said, "Terrible, terrible loss. He was a great farmer, and a friend of mine." Then he remembered the moment before. "It is just...he produced that weapon, the crossbow, and struck me with...I don't know what..." Topic averted.
"Yes, we all saw that. It was a stun-sphere. It is a legal weapon. It produces an intense but temporary pain in the target. However, you were not the slightest bit phased by it. Could you explain why?"
"Power of will over one's body. If you tell yourself to push through the pain, you can."
"It looked as if you might have been using a controlled substance, perhaps something forbidden by local combat rules."
"I assure you, I am not. I will even subject myself to a test."
"Previously you told us that you are not phony, you present your true self to the world. Then please, explain what that is." She pointed at his chest where he had been shot. His concealing makeup and body glitter had been pushed away from the point of impact, globbing up at his sides. His burn mark from a previous match was highly visible.
Angelico did not miss a beat. "That is a serious flesh wound that I need to have looked at."
"And that?" Kaelynne asked, pointing at his wing. "That does not look like a flesh wound."
Angelico glanced at his wing, which he was displaying proudly. Something, probably the blast, melted some of the wax and feathers from it. Part of the aluminum frame was showing. "That is a metal plate the medics put in my wing after it was broken in the fight with The Mad-man. Gladiator fighting is a tough sport, Miss Winsors. Maybe you should brush up on physiology before harassing injured gladiators. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some rest and medical attention." Without another word or a signed autograph, Angelico walked determinedly to his hotel room.
Angelico finished up on the sleep he needed. By the time he awoke, the sun was up. It would only be a precious few hours before it was down again. Next to him on the bed was his toga and sandals he had worn in the arena the night before. There was a small note that someone had carved into the paper instead of writing it. "Thought you'd want these. -Shadowed" Angelico shivered at the thought of Shadowed being able to slip into his room, even touch the bed he was sleeping on, and leave, unnoticed.
Angelico was just preparing a warm shower to ease his aching body when there was a knock on the door. The receptionist from the hotel lobby had a package for him. Angelico thanked him and wished he could have given him a tip, but every last credit he had gone into ordering this. He quickly set to work on his television. It was a recent model. It could be set to pick up reception from almost any system. Angelico set it to the Raskelon system, from where the local media was from. He put it on channel eighty-six. Airing at the moment was a sitcom called "Alien the Family," but the news would be on soon. Angelico showered, exercised, and showered again to pass the time.
Their news was grim. Volcanoes, blizzards of ash, earthquakes, swarms of insects, plagues, spontaneous bleedings...every day seemed like a coming apocalypse. These conditions made the residents strong and fierce, and hence good gladiators. It was no surprise gladiator fighting was the number one sport there.
The anchors introduced a story about an up-and-coming gladiator star from a distant place. Angelico smiled, thinking they were talking about him. Instead, the newscasters were arena side at a match in the Tarn system. They were going on and on about a gladiator going by the name Serpentina. They introduced her as a descendant of an Ophidian Lord. Angelico knew the Ophidians were a race of snakes, but she looked human. Her uniform was predominantly red and green. What appeared to be a snake, whether she killed it or it was just a shed skin, ran down the length of her body; the snakehead rested on hers as if it were swallowing her like a rat, and the tail hung down between her legs, stopping mere inches from the ground. She had snakeskin boots, and a green snake tattooed down each arm so that two fangs on each hand were her fingers. At the ends of these fingers, which were the index and pinky, she wore a finger blade. They stated in the broadcast that each was filled with a different toxin and that once infected with one, two fingers would make the
toxin the worse, but the fourth finger would neutralize it.
Despite the gaudiness of the gratuitous snake outfit, Angelico found her quite the eye-pleaser. She had soft, dark, thick, smooth hair that extended most of the way down her back. Her eyes were a creamy brown. Her skin was flawless. She spoke with an intriguing, easily understandable, yet exotic accent. Angelico never spoke to an Ophidian Lord; perhaps this was how they talked. The serpent-less parts of her uniform were a form-fitting, flexible armor, that dipped and curved to accentuate her best features, yet protected her vital areas. She had an undefeated winning streak in the Toreador league. It was rumored she would be contracted by the Ophidian League next season.
The two anchormen, that had been with that news station for as long as Angelico could remember, quipped lightly about the previous segment, as they often did. One said, "That outfit was very becoming on her." The other made a vulgar response.
Then they turned serious and introduced the next remote broadcast. "Not all gladiator matches are light-hearted and fun. Our own Kaelynne Winsors is on the remote moon of Dogma with a distressing report. Kaelynne."
The scene changed to Kaelynne standing in front of the arena. It was night, and crowds of people gathered around, trying to enter the frame of the camera for even a few seconds. This suggested the match had just finished. "I am here outside the Dogma Stadium where a gladiator match has ended in tragedy. This is not your big city arena. This is not a place where people fight for their lives, hoping to escape, or are even prepared to die for their sport. This is a small farming town. The people here must put in a full day's work to keep civilization thriving. They do not receive outside aid and must provide for themselves. They do not have time for television or radio or movies. They have only one pastime, a friendly game in the style of gladiator fighting.
"However, two people have turned this beloved entertainment into a massacre. A local demon who calls himself Shadowed has critically crippled the only doctor here and slashed the throat of an essential farmer. In just a few matches, he has managed to mortally wound the moon of Dogma.
"However, he is not to be blamed, as he appears to be a lackey, corrupted by a fateful partner. Now calling himself Angelico, he once fought in the Ophidian League as Daniel Grace. Here, Angelico and Shadowed double-teamed the poor, defenseless farmer." Angelico sighed in anger, what she was saying was a terrible insult to Rapt and his family.
The scene cut to footage of the fight. Rapt stood there, no weapons visible, his hands pleading in a posture of mercy. Angelico, with a psychopathic expression on his face, lunged at Rapt, curled his arm around his neck, and squeezed, clearly pleased and impressed with himself. Angelico then let go of Rapt, though it was probably too late to save him, and stood idly by and watched Shadowed tear out Rapt's throat in a bloody shower. The scene went back to Kaelynne.
"What's next for this moon, I don't know. But I assure you, unless they can control these two murderers or deport them, they may lose significantly more of the population, and they do not have many more to lose. I'm Kaelynne Winsors reporting live from the moon of Dogma."
Angelico swore at the television. Not only did they make him look like a psycho, but they also did not show one second of either of his interviews.
"For those of you who remember Daniel Grace," said one of the anchors, "you probably hoped, as I did, that he had perished. For those of you who don't remember, let us take a look back."
It was a segment they showed multiple times three years ago. The scenes were voiced over by a newsman who was no longer with channel eighty-six news. Angelico had heard his forced retirement was due to a drinking problem that caused him to embarrass the channel while doing a truly live report from a church during an important festival. That is why all "live" reports were now filmed hours, if not days, in advance.
"The year was 2346. During the pre-season, a promising group of gladiators was pulling ahead of the competition and looked as if they would be the year's best. Led by Lothar, the team had won three straight matches without a single fatality among them. Leetah Kalynda and Pago were pillars of strength within the team, but it was rising star Daniel Grace who stole the attention of the crowds. He was destined to be a great champion, perhaps one day advancing beyond the arena, and working with the Ophidians."
Under the voice-over, there were clips of their last win. Lothar pretended the win meant nothing to him, as his foot rested proudly on the crushed throat of the Prince of Gates (he was immediately cloned back to life after the match). Pago was chewing apart a krevloc screamer that had managed to survive the fight. Daniel Grace stood by the unconscious Goth Garal, waiting for him to wake up so that he could pound him again. Daniel Grace had short brown hair, thick on top, shaved along the sides. He was dressed like a Volke soldier in full uniform, though he had never been a part of their army; it was just to gain crowd support from the locals.
"However," the voice-over continued, "Daniel Grace's aggressiveness was not confined to the arena. While enjoying a victory drink with his fellow gladiators, Daniel Grace maliciously attacked and killed another patron in the bar over a small dispute. Noagldranu, a respected manager, was reportedly speaking with Lothar, offering him the chance to leave his team behind and pursue a solo championship. Daniel Grace, concerned that this would cost him a free trip to the team championships, grabbed a nearby utensil and stabbed Noagldranu, ending the demon's life." Angelico groaned at the false information. They had only one source, Lothar, and they reported this as if it was unbiased testimony. The picture of the deceased demon was currently on the screen but aroused no feelings within Angelico.
Now they cut to the courtroom on the day the verdict was announced. No matter how many times Angelico saw this, he could not believe that was him. It always seemed like a made-for-TV movie with an actor in his place. He would never have allowed himself to look that way. The trial was delayed and postponed and managed to stretch over one year's time. Daniel Grace's hair was long, unkempt, and greasy. He had a full beard, which was untrimmed, as they prohibited him from use of a razor. They had denied his request for contacts, and he was wearing large, plastic-rimmed, brown and tan glasses that magnified his everyday brown eyes. The cheap soap they provided gave him rashes and pimples, destroying his complexion. He wore the drab prison-issued jumpsuit, with his hands cuffed in front of him.
"The universe was in an uproar the day the Justich courts announced a verdict of not guilty." As if the courtroom could hear the voice-over, everyone stood and made noise, most were upset, some were happy with the verdict, while the judges tried to keep order. From the angle filmed, one could see Lothar storm out in a rage. However, no face was unhappier than that of Daniel Grace. The voice-over explained why. "Ironically, had he been declared guilty, he might have been able to transfer his sentence to the Ophidian Leagues, and compete as a gladiator once more."
That was the end of the special report. Angelico had seen it more times than they aired it, having recorded it previously. He hated it, and he felt loathsome every time he watched. Still, he could not look away. He turned off the television, as they moved on to another topic without another word about Angelico. In a state of depression and self-hatred, he started work on repairing his exposed wing.
This passed most of the daylight hours. The sun was just starting to vanish when there was a knock at Angelico's door. A four-legged, armless messenger arrived with a summons from the Dogmorian Agents. Angelico thought he knew what this was about, and went to meet with them, waiting to be exiled.
Angelico met the blue, silent alien, Agent Lalox, and the talkative, Neanderthal-like Agent Smeedle. Both looked at him sternly. "Do you know why we called you in here?" Angelico knew without a doubt what they wanted.
"I can explain. What I did was out of self-defense."
"Sit." Angelico sat so hard his already aching body practically suffered from shock.
"We asked you if there was anything in your past that might embarrass us..."
"I didn't lie when I said..."
"Quiet!" Agent Smeedle's gruff voice intimidated Angelico into a silence that he could not come out of unless instructed. "We asked you if there was anything that might embarrass us, and I have to say, we're embarrassed. Former Ophidian Gladiator? Murder charges? No wonder you're slaughtering our locals. You're big-house, we're small- town. We're not prepared for the likes of you. We don't even have the police force. Additionally, you're abusing the prescription drugs that Arianna gave you. We specifically prohibit the use of controlled substances within gladiator matches. It causes people to push themselves too far and results in serious injury. What you've done is grounds for expulsion from the Dogmorian Tournament." Angelico did not even want to think about what happens to a gladiator that is
expelled from the smallest tournament in the entire universe. "But we're not going to. Do you know why?" Angelico didn't, but he could not answer, even if he did know. "Two reasons. There is no television here on Dogma. Not one of your local fans knows anything about Daniel Grace, and that will not hurt your reputation around here. Secondly, both of tonight's gladiator matches have sold out. We've never sold out a gladiator match before. The arena holds more people than the population of this moon. Three passenger ships have arrived today. We have not had three ships come here since the day Dogma was settled. Some are here to see Angelico and Shadowed killing the locals. Some are Daniel Grace fans that have come to see him fight again. Many others hate Daniel Grace and come to mock him. However, all groups have one thing in common, they're here to see you.
"If it were up to us, we would send you home, choosing the safety of the Dogmorians over the outside economic influx. However, The Mayor has ordered you to be given special privileges, and we are not one to disobey The Mayor. He has also requested, over our better judgment, that you kill or at least seriously injure at least one gladiator in tonight's match. We will coax them into faking an injury. Do not hurt anyone for real, unless it seems necessary. We will tell the same to Shadowed.
"You are not going unpunished for Rapt. After your fight tonight, you will go to the Gahnin Ranch, and you will help Ari Gahnin with his animals. His hatred of you will make conditions tough, but you will listen and follow everything he says." Angelico nodded in total agreement.
Agent Smeedle rapped his knuckles against the desk while he spoke now. "You have handled the reporter well thus far, but we will not risk further exposure. Especially since Kaelynne Winsors seems to have learned of your true identity only after your last interview. To avoid that line of questioning and exposing your past to the locals, you will avoid all reporters and cameras unless we personally tell you otherwise." This was eating Angelico up inside; the media was why he fought. But he could not go against what they said. "Now, get out of our sight." Without another word being spoken by anyone, Angelico made his exodus.
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