From Slave To Ruler

"Your pay. Well it will change along with ranks!" Replied Arena Master Fin feeling bewildered. I mean this slave is given the chance for freedom and the first thing in his mind is Coins? He felt dumbfounded, his face was frozen as he tried to think of the most proper way to respond. He didn't expect this question at all.

"Ranks!?" Asked Aaron in a rather displeased tone. He expected a salary. Or at least for the money to be given at him once he becomes Champion. Who can guarantee that people won't steal his money if he fights in the arena and sleeps in the dungeon. Castle Guards or Whippers can take it by force. Just when he thought that he got a second shot with life, he sunk into his own doubts.

"Yes ranks. For example, you being a Ground Tapper, you will get 300 Bronze Coins for every fight you win." Explained the man as he raised 3 fingers in front of him. For Aaron who this world's overall financial background is still a puzzle, 300 Bronze Coins sure sounds a lot. And it actually is. One fight can be done under an hour or less, and he gets what Farmers have to work for over half a month to obtain. It is a good pay, if he can survive. "Win 10 fights and you advance to the next rank. And of course the pay for every win increases. The pay will be given to you directly. But you can't get out of the Arena yourself to spend it and you can't buy a house before you become a champion. However, sending someone to buy goods for you is permissible." Hearing carefully what the man had to say, Aaron's eyes widened everytime coins were discussed. He is trapped in this world anyway, and he has been suicidal for a day due to this situation. He died in his previous life form, now he got captured in this one. His hopes for a good future dimmed these days, he just went through too much for a human being to emotionally handle. But now, now he has a chance to escape this hell of a situation and fight his way to freedom, literally. If he is good enough, his life here can be mountains apart better than the life he had in his previous body. But yet again he chose to ignore his emotions and focused on what matters right now. Coins! "So if i win 10 fights?"

"You pocket 30 Silver Coins. This is of course what Ground Tappers earn. Food is covered from the Arena, you can also sleep in bundles along with other fighters who don't have a home." Using Aaron's situation and reaction to Coins to his advantage, he formed sentences that would emotionally trigger Aaron, enough to convince him to join the Arena instead of rotting in this rathole. The more fighters in the Arena, the more Coins for Arena Master Fin."You don't need to sleep in this rat infested hole anymore. You can better your life. I understand you come from nothing, you lost everything. If you play well, you will earn more than you ever had!"

"I'm in!" Aaron's tone arose in agreement, showing a sign of a soul who still has fight in him. Even his eyes widened in agreement although his body doesn't seem to take part into agreeing. He feels weak, hungry, tired. He has been caged like an animal. He lost his strength but thankfully he still had a bit of willpower left. Enough to agree to this offer.

"Good." Arena Master Fin smirked in feelings of success. All he did was convince a slave to fight but he still felt a good sense of accomplishment.  "Do you know how to use a Sword?"

"I held swords before. But no i never had official swords training." Of course that was another lie, but would it be believable if he said "I never held a Sword before!"? These are the medieval times. People carry swords everywhere. No one goes to sleep without them unless they are slaves or simply can't afford one.

"How could a man not be skilled with a Sword?!" Exclaimed Arena Master Fin. He wasn't mad, he was just confused. "Could this slave be playing?" He asked himself feeling perplexed. Not knowing how to use a Sword makes a man and his family vulnerable to everyone. In these times, a man is supposed to provide and protect. Even though a lot of men are using this motto as an excuse to be abusive, the pure mindset and motivation of provide and protect still exists in many.

"I chose a life of none violence." Tried Aaron to form a quick lie but it was no doubt not a good one, at all.

"But you want to kill in the Arena for Coins?" Asked Arena Master Fin feeling puzzled and sensing a lie. But the chances of him figuring out that Aaron comes from a different place, timezone and possibly world are tremendously thin.

"Do i have another choice? It is either kill there or die here. So i'd rather fight for a better life. It's not like the other fighters are entering the arena by force. Right?" He felt that he had a second chance in life. Wasting another life would be a bad idea indeed. A while the life in his eyes was dimmed and he felt suicidal, now he has a clear second chance and his motivation is slowly increasing because of it. Things will go wrong in life, but constant motivation, self trust and hard work will help you snap out of it. At least, that's what his father used to say.

"You and a few other BearBlooded individuals are the only slaves here, apart from that you are getting paid and you won't fight against each other."

"No?" Aaron raised his eyebrow feeling puzzled. He thought that there shouldn't be a lot of BearBlooded people, maybe 3 at max. But the Patrol Guards and Whippers seem to have discovered several already. Just what on earth happened while he was in this rathole. The word doesn't travel down here easily, no one "visited" him after all.

"You will fight against powerless opponents who entered the Arena for wealth and fame. You will be facing tough ones commonly!" Gently said fin while raising his finger trying to grab attention and explain the severity of the opponents. They have no powers but most of them have a different sort of power. Will power!

"I don't mind it either way. But i have a question." Aaron ignored the caution of Danger Arena Master Fin tried his best to inform.

"Yes yes, go ahead!" Fin sighed in a displeased matter. "This man can't focus." he thought. But yet again he didn't eat for 2 days, or possibly more.

"How many BearBlooded people do you have as slaves. Did they all arrive from this recent batch of slaves?" Asked Aaron in concern. It is not like he would care about a civilization he barely knows anything about and doesn't emotionally connect. But he wonders if he will have to fight many of them. An EarthQuaker or an EarthRipper is dangerous enough with his or her powers, but how dangerous would they become if they carried a Sword?

"Well not exactly. We shipped slaves in other Domains of the Iron Boot Alliance, the authorities discovered these people with powers and send word to us, afterwards they were shipped here. From this Batch however, we only discovered 7 so far." Explained Arena Master Fin with as much detail as one could give to a slave.

"How much do you have in total?" Asked Aaron yet another question. If he wasn't a EarthQuaker, he would get a beating for asking such questions to the authorities. Egoism takes place a lot in the authorities anywhere in the Iron Boot Alliance.

"20. I honestly expected more, but i suppose that a lot of people with powers died in the battlefields of Makemis, those who didn't are people who chose a "life of non violence"." Taunted Fin, as a form of revenge for asking so many questions he isn't supposed too. Just agree, fight and take the Coins. Why waste the man's time! He thought.

"I do not appreciate the mocking Fin." Gently said Aaron as he held his head trying to ease the constant headache he has due to the lack of food.

"Oh relax. If anything I'm here to help you. If you do as I say, you could become a legend, an inspiration. Wealth and fame will be by your hand." Exclaimed Arena Master Fin with his tone rising high with enthusiasm. He loves Coins, but he really loves fame. If he didn't treasure his life, he would be an Arena fighter himself. Seeing the slaughter with his own eyes, convinced him to not be a part of that battlefield.

"I suppose you are right. When do I start?" Asked Aaron as he rubbed his head with both hands.

"Not today. Today you will have a full meal here and a smaller meal tomorrow morning. Afterwards, the Castle Guard will bring you to the Arena training rooms. That's where you will train, eat and sleep. When we feel like you are ready, you will enter the Arena for a fight. Do you agree to that?"

"Well hell yes. I sure am hungry. My opponents won't know what hit them."

"About your headache. Try grabbing the left side of your waist for a short while."