"I can see it in your eyes. The hunger. The focus! I'm so proud of what my little toy soldier has become." Aerell had been circling me like a vulture for a good ten minutes, taking every part of me in. She reached to my ear and pulled it. "My good boy."

The hairs on my arms stood on end. "I'm sure you are. I hope I've made you proud." To distract myself, I tried tightening my bracer's strap, but my armor had been shattered and cobbled back together a hundred times at this point. Nothing fit together well. Sighing, I looked up at her. "In the end, you made me strong, Aerell. For that, I'm grateful." There wasn't a hint of deception in those words. As much as I hated her, I didn't think I'd ever have become the man I was today without the shit she'd made me rise above.

Her smile faded, hiding that chipped tooth of hers. Looking down at Arden's ring, she shook her head. "You meant that."

"Yeah, I did." I'd learned that, unless the Dark Lord interfered, the ring worked on me mostly like it should. Mostly. "You've been my biggest supporter down here. Even if I hated it most of the time, you made me more than I was, and you taught me things about the world that I'd never have known without you. I'll never forget it." With the [Touched by the Dark Lord] talent the Dark Lord gave me, I could get away with little white lies. That had helped. Probably saved my life a dozen times over.

Her smile came back. "Maybe, when everything's said and done, I'll find you again. There's much more I could teach you, if you're willing to learn..." That sleazy look came back into her eyes.

Every time with this woman. She could never just let the moment be good. I hid the shudder that rippled through me. "The time hasn't come for us to separate yet. We can cross that bridge once we get there." As we talked, I'd managed to dig another loop into the bracer's strap, but when I cinched it, the leather crumbled away.

"True." She grinned, stepped up to me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. "But first." Her face got close enough that I her breath tickled my face.

I desperately wanted to push her away, but I couldn't overreact. Not yet.

But could I do this?

Hell no!

"What are you..."

Her fingers worked at the back of my neck, and something clinked. Her grin grew wider as she stepped away, holding the slave collar that had been around my neck for over five months. "As much as I like how you look with it on, I think it's time for this little treasure to come off." She slipped the collar around her arm and stepped backward..

"Why... Why take it off?"

She laughed. "First: We both know that collar doesn't do a goddamn thing to you anymore. You've been pretending for a while, but lately, it's barely more than a bee sting. Am I wrong?"

I wanted to lie, but what did it matter now? "You're right."

Nodding, she continued, "Second: I'll be leaving immediately after your match. You won't ever see me again after today, and I won't have some other black mage thinking they can step in and undo my hard work by using it."

"Thanks, I think."

"Third: You won't have long to live that life of yours before He finds you again, but I want you to have that time. It's something I never got."

Was this the woman she would have been without all the hate and trauma? Something in my gut told me it was. Had I met her at a different time, in a different place, maybe... just maybe... we could have been friends... "Aerell..." Should I say it? If this really was my last shot, why not? "I wish we could have met sooner." I'd thought about it for a long time and actually meant it. Something in me said that things could have been different for her had she just found the right people in life.

Her face dropped, and her eyes stared at Arden's ring. "You meant that, too."

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"Yes." She chuckled. Dramatically gesturing at herself, she said, "I... am terrible."

I'd never once heard her be honest like that. "You are, yeah."

She laughed. "More honesty."

"Yup."

Smiling at me, she said, "You know what? I wish we did, too. You would have been a better companion than the ones I ended up finding."

Companions? She'd never mentioned them before. I needed to know more. "How did you end up with this life? It couldn't have all been your dad, was it?"

"No..." She sighed softly. "It wasn't just him. When I was young, right after I killed my dad, I left to make a new life. So, I tried adventuring. It seemed like a great career for an abused nobody running from her old life. Of course, it wasn't that easy. After getting in too deep on some stupid quest, I met a traveler just like you. She saved me, and we teamed up. She was passionate. Bright-eyed. Full of life. Funny. So funny. We spent years together. But, as time went on, something changed. She got bitter. Lashed out. Made compromises. We met more people like that, started doing shadier and shadier things. Before long, this was my life."

"Are you saying it's all on her, then? On them?" Aerell's usual lack of accountability was showing.

She shook her head. "No. I was always broken. But, for a moment, with her, I thought that, maybe, she'd lead me down a new path. A better one." Her eyes got hard. "I was wrong."

"You cared about her?"

"Very much so."

I realized then that the people we surrounded ourselves with really did matter. I was happy I ended up with the people I did. "How did you end up here?"

"They left me here to manage the prisoners. Said they'd send more. All people with potential, and all with deep resentments and regrets. By tapping into those, I learned to break them, reshaping them so that He could reach them from below."

"Is that what you did to me?"

"Yes." She stepped closer. "I made it so you could hear."

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Despite the small smile on her face, she seemed so miserable in that moment. "Why stay?"

"Because I was good at my work. And because they could always find me if I ran. I was only recently able to earn enough to afford a teleportation scroll, and that was entirely thanks to you. That'll get me far enough away. I hope." She seemed unsure.

"They're that expensive?"

"Yeah."

"Why give it to me then?"

"I'm not going to."

"What do you mean?"

"I killed a guy for the second one." Her voice was hard.

She'd done that for me? "Why?"

"You really are my greatest creation, you know? I don't want you to be wasted."

Wasted? I'd become so much more. "So, what? Run away? Start a new life? Find a better path?"

That made her cackle. "Oh, no. If you think what Istaera permits is bad, you should see what they do down in Osreva. They make my worst look like child's play. There's no shortage of work for someone with my skillset."

And there she was. The same awful Aerell. Even if she could have been helped once, the woman in front of me today could never be saved. She'd only ever hurt people. I'd have to put her down. "I wish you the best."

A cruel grin spread across her face. "That was a lie."

"Yup."

Chuckling, she started circling me again. "I can still feel His presence about you, but you haven't accepted Him into your heart yet. Why is that?"

"I don't need him. With my training and your..." I paused, "... encouragement, I can do it all on my own. Fuck Him."

Her eyes searched my face. "And what about when you're free? What will you do then?"

Save every goddamn person in this place, kick your ass, rip that ring off your finger, and... "Live my life."

She paused behind me. Coldly, she whispered, "In time, you'll take His blessing. We all do." Without moving, she added, "And I think He has big plans for you. There's a reason I was told to train you well."

So that was it. "We'll see."

"I guess we will." She patted my shoulder. "Either way, fight well out there. If you do, that scroll will be under your slab when you get back to your cell." Brushing her fingers along my cheek, she added, "And don't disappoint. It won't just be me watching today." She swished away, that usual shitty grin on her face.

"Hey, Aerell."

She stopped at the door. "Yes, pet?"

"What was that woman's name? Your friend. The traveler."

Without turning, she said, "Devon." Then, she left the preparation room and shut the door behind her.

Devon?

I sat down on my little bench to think, but before ten seconds had passed, the other door burst open, and two guards entered, followed by a group of people.

"There he is! The man of the hour!" Davik strode in wearing his knight's armor, the metal polished to a mirror shine. Behind him came the peasants—I'd learned their names after the fight with the broodmaw: Marcus, Fia, and Elena—all dressed in whatever armor the guards had scrounged up. It was mismatched and dented, but they wore it well.

"What are you all doing here?" The fighters never convened before a fight.

"Time to march you out, brother," Davik said, grinning behind his helmet. "Ready for your grand finale?"

Before I could answer, the door opened again. The Count walked in, followed by Kalnari. Both of them were cleaned up and wearing their best gear, and they were carrying a large wooden chest between them.

"Fight starts in fifteen. Be ready, Sentinel." The guard growled at me before both stepped back out into the hallway, leaving us fighters alone.

"I don't understand."

"We're here to walk you out, boy," Khadrel said simply.

"What? Why?"

He laughed, rumbling the ground beneath my feet. "This is the Pit's final fight. They want it to be quite the spectacle, so they're letting us march you out. We're to be the honor guard for the Iron Sentinel, Hero of the Pit.

Words appeared in my head:

You gain the title [Hero of the Pit]

My throat caught. "Is that what they're calling me?"

"Sure are!" The dwarf slapped my shoulder. "After beating this old man, you earned it."

"Fought well. Kalnari is proud." Kalnari took the chest and set it at my feet.

I looked around at all of them, and a thought struck me. There weren't that many Pit fighters left. Most of the others had died in the past month. I could only count two or three others whose names I didn't know. "Who's walking Vral out?"

The Count snorted. "That little shit wouldn't have anyone walk her out, even if she wanted them to."

"The Slasher scares everyone," Kalnari added.

"She said she'd cut me when I offered," Davik whispered.

I couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, that sounded like Vral. She'd prefer to make her entrance alone, just to prove she didn't need anyone.

Kalnari opened the chest in front of me. What was inside made my heart skip a beat. "What..."

The Count stepped around my bench and knelt down beside the chest. "You like it?"

Inside the chest was gleaming bronze armor that looked nearly identical to Khadrel's. It was bulky, with geometric shapes carved into its surface, and looked exquisite. Every piece was perfectly formed, with a breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, pauldrons, and a helm that looked like it belonged on a god of war.

"Is that...?"

"Yours." The dwarf pulled out the breastplate. "C'mon, boy. Stand up and let us put it on you." Without waiting for me to stand, he pulled me to my feet and tore my rickety breastplate off in one pull.

"But—"

"Come on then," Davik said, moving to help. "Let's get you out of those rags."

It took all of them working together to strip off my old armor. The leather was cracked, the metal plates were dented beyond recognition, and half the straps were held together with wire and prayers. I'd broken and repaired this gear so many times that it looked like it belonged in a scrap heap.

"How did you make this happen?"

Khadrel looked up, and a sly grin crossed his face. "I had a gift made for you."

"How? Where?" We lived in cells.

"This old goat still had some favors to call in from his old days. I called some in."

As each piece was tightened onto my skin, I marveled at how it felt. Every piece felt like it was perfectly shaped to my body. The metal was warm and almost tingly. "This is amazing."

"It is. It was made from my spare set of armor, so wear it with pride!" The Count buckled my greaves on.

"Your shield's seen better days," Davik said behind me.

"I didn't have time to make one of those, kid. You'll have to make due with your old one." The Count was pulling my bracers off, replacing them with the exquisite ones from the chest.

"He can use mine." Davik handed me his shield. It was well-crafted and light, and it was emblazoned with the sigil of Calvareth: two broken banners over a mound.

"Here." Kalnari handed me a new sword from one of the walls. "Better."

I looked down at the sword I'd been using. It was more dings than blade at this point.

"You're looking like you fit your title, now," Davik grinned.

When everything but the helmet was strapped on, I realized I felt like a new man. And having friends around me again after so long... "Thank you all. Truly." I felt myself tearing up.

Khadrel grinned. "Think nothing of it. You'll earn it soon enough. Just get out there and win."

"How does it feel?" Elena asked, stepping back to admire their work.

I flexed my arms, rolled my shoulders, and took a few practice swings with my sword. "Perfect. It feels absolutely perfect." I felt stronger and faster than ever.

Finally, the Count lifted the helmet. When he set it upon my head, the world became crystal clear through the eye slits. I'd never been able to see so well in all my life.

Davik whistled low. "Now that's a real hero if I ever saw one."

Pulling up my status screen, I looked to see what the armor did:

[Myrshale Armor]

[Impregnability II]

[Myrshale Helm]

[Hawk Eyes]

[Knight's Shield]

[Blade Seeker I]

"Damn..." This armor was incredible.

From somewhere in the distance, the announcer's voice boomed: "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FINAL FIGHT THIS PIT WILL EVER SEE WILL BEGIN SOON! MAKE SURE TO VISIT MADAM PHEA'S STAND FOR COUPONS! YOU ONLY HAVE A LIMITED TIME TO ENJOY BEFORE OUR DREGS ARE SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD!!!"

This was it. The last fight. After this, either I pulled off a miracle, Tristan's plan worked, or we were all dead.

Marcus stepped forward and clapped a hand on my armored shoulder. His creased face was serious now. "We're counting on you, Alex."

"You guys know, too?"

"Yeah." He nodded, and the other followed, their faces equally serious.

I looked around at all of them. "Everyone's getting out of here," I said, my voice carrying weight I finally felt like I'd earned. "I promise you that."

The arena doors began to grind open, spilling torchlight and the roar of the crowd into our little preparation room.

This was it.

I walked toward the light, my new armor gleaming, Davik's shield on my arm. Whatever happened next, I was ready.

The Iron Sentinel, Hero of the Pit, was going to war. And he was going to win.

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