Broken Blade Amaryssa Seuvarin frowned at the scene outside her window. There was no excuse for it; no matter how much their scheduler pushed for it, Arena Master N'Bayan should never have allowed that fight. He should know that, too, so why did he look cheerful instead of nervous?

Amaryssa turned towards the Arena Master and tilted her head slightly. "Care to explain why you thought this was acceptable?"

N'Bayan gave her a wide grin. "They did wonderfully. I still don't know exactly how they're managing the illusions, but I think it's most likely the Light-based one, Jaycen. He's probably infusing something breakable with each effect; they were all centered on one of the two combatants and didn't need to be oriented perfectly, so -"

"No," Amaryssa interrupted her Arena Master. "Why was it acceptable to have them fight? They are mid-second upgrade. That was a third upgrade monster. There were only two of them. That's too wide a gap. Why?"

N'Bayan blinked stupidly, as if the question was a complete surprise. He hadn't yet lost his position, but he was getting close. "Why? They were never in any danger. Did you see that fight? That wasn't a fight; it was a show. An easy domination. They picked the monster, then did exactly what they've done every other time they did a big match: they used a method they've never used before to kill it. It's always impressive, but it's also very obvious that they're not being challenged. Even this didn't challenge them, not truly."

Amaryssa sighed and leaned back in her chair. He really didn't understand how important the duo was to her, did he? She couldn't enlighten him to the fact that the boy was probably her next chance to actually advance, while the girl might just be the key to the Broken Lord's cage. He still should know better. The fight was outside the limits she'd set for any group without her express permission, and he hadn't gotten it.

"They're also both registered for the highest level of Arena healing," N'Bayan added. "Including nearly complete reconstruction up to several minutes after their near-death, without leaving the Arena, once the monster is killed. I also had a pair of third upgrade snipers watching for my signal, to kill the bird if necessary. It would have ruined the spectacle, but given the difference in upgrade, the crowd would not have been upset. Indeed, it might have helped the betting by opening it up a little; the only bets that are seeing much traction with that group right now are the time to kill and deathblow bets. The odds of a loss or even first blood from anything other than one of the monsters is too low in anything but a swarm fight. Which isn't to say that they aren't getting bets, they're extremely popular, but the range of possible bets is limited."

He'd broken the limits because he was worried about getting more varied bets?

Amaryssa suppressed her groan. Yes, keeping bets entertaining and therefore being made was a big part of the Arena Master's duty, but that wasn't his entire duty. He was also supposed to make sure that they could have fights by not killing too many of the fighters, whether they were popular or not. They always needed filler.

Worse than that, letting either one of the duo get resurrected might remove their value. The process wasn't perfect, especially not when it was a massive injury, like fighting up an upgrade. N'Bayan wouldn't care about that, probably, because it wasn't that important to his job; the fact that some seemed more capable afterwards even if it was different was enough for him. He didn't have to make sure people developed along the specific lines she needed, and she couldn't tell him about them.

He was far too likely to talk. It made him wonderful for his position but still a tool she had to use carefully so he didn't turn in her hand.

She shook her head. If he was allowing this to happen without asking her, he'd stepped beyond what she could permit. It had worked out, and the odds were probably with him, but this was simply too disobedient. The consequences were too high. "And if the Arena healing failed? You know as well as I do that it is failing, we have to send a repair team down into that trap-filled monster pit every few weeks, sometimes just a few days after the previous team emerged. If they got caught in one of the breaks with this fight, they'd be dead. Permanently. Then where are your bets?"

N'Bayan shook his head. He still seemed confident, somehow. "They weren't going to lose. You saw the fight; they dominated it. That's what they've done to every fight they've taken on, even the ones where they didn't know in advance what they were going to fight. Otherwise I wouldn't have allowed them to do a proving battle until they were a bit farther in their upgrade. They're progressing extremely quickly for people who haven't even been to the Maze yet, and it's clear they want to go farther. They didn't say it, but I'm confident that's why they scheduled the fight; it meets the requirement for an escorted visit."

"A proving fight." Blade Amaryssa's voice did not express her feelings at that; it was calm and quiet when she wanted to shout in rage. She hadn't even thought of that, and she should have. She'd watched all of the Flying Stars' matches once she realized that the elf-girl was the one in the stories from her Artifacts team. "They don't need the aurichalc, not with as well as they're doing in the Arena and their outside skills. Why do they want to go to the Maze?"

N'Bayan shrugged. "Why does anyone want to go to the Maze? They want to reach the third upgrade and keep going, maybe even find out what's in the center of the Maze. That's why Mazehold is here."

That was not why Mazehold existed, it was why Mazehold's Registry was there. The Arena existed because of the Maze but not to explore and conquer it. They were there to free the Broken Lord and restore him to his rightful place. It was an unfortunate truth that the exploration group that found the mythical Maze all those years ago included people who didn't enter the Maze and find the enlightenment of the Lord. It was worse that that group was most of the expedition, so the newly Hallow-struck and Shattered could not avoid telling the Registry.

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It probably would not have worked in any case. As much as Amaryssa hated it, they needed the Registry's Called and even the Professionals in Mazehold. Freeing the Broken Lord was proving far more difficult than it should have, but she was closer than anyone else had ever come. Amaryssa was certain of that.

That thought calmed Amaryssa in a way nothing else would have. It always did. It also brought clarity of purpose back to her and pointed out a way forward from this near-disaster. "Very well. Then that is now your duty; you are to organize their Maze expedition and see to it that their needs are met. Oh, and mark yourself down as one of their Patrons; I don't know who they have, but whoever it is is a fool. Maybe you can restrain them a bit better."

"They don't have a Called Patron," N'Bayan answered with a slight shake of his head. "Their Patron's name is Aloysius Sweetfire, he's a Professional."

Amaryssa frowned. She knew the Sweetfire name. Aloysius was close enough to Alley that he was probably the same person, even if she didn't want him to be. "He was. I knew him before he gave up his Calling. He was a smart man, even then; I doubt he's gotten any more foolish now. He should know better than to set second upgrade people against a third upgrade threat, even a weak one."

Unless he knew they'd be fine, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. He'd taken on third upgrade threats as a second upgrade; he was almost notorious for it at the time. That fame had long since faded, but it was easy enough to believe that he might be able to prepare others to do as he'd done.

Amaryssa pushed the intrusive thought away; she was no longer the young girl with a crush on a man who was prettier than she was. She'd received her Hallow since then and it made her powerful. It might not be enough for Sweetfire, but it was enough for Amaryssa.

"As you say," N'Bayan politely agreed.

Amaryssa nodded decisively. "A Called Patron from the Arena should counterbalance Sweetfire. I assume he's a common Patron?"

N'Bayan shook his head. "Only three teams in the past five years. Both of the others were showcases for his creations and I believe they gathered things for him as well. The Steel Gauntlet did well in the Arena but died in the Maze, while the Lyric Lances were never very good. I believe they broke apart before they ever entered the Maze; one or two of them might have gone in, but their leader left. I think he gave up."

The Broken Blade shook her head. She didn't remember either team. The Lyric Lance seemed inconsequential, but she should check on the Steel Gauntlet once N'Bayan was out of the way. They probably weren't culled, since she didn't remember them, but it was possible and it would be good to know.

Once upon a time, Amaryssa knew all of the teams she ordered culled. The fact that that wasn't true anymore bothered her, but it was only a fly's bite compared to what she was willing to do to restore the Broken Lord.

Amaryssa shook the thought away and refocused on N'Bayan. She didn't know what she was going to do with him in the long term, but making him guide the Flying Stars would do for now. "Will you be able to accompany them into the Maze? I know you've given up on progressing farther, but you might be able to guide them along safer routes."

N'Bayan gave a short, sharp laugh. "There are no safe routes in the Maze. It changes every time it storms, and it's been years since I went in. I'd be nothing more than one more washed-up has-been. I don't mind acting as their Patron, that's not too time-intensive, and I can find someone to plan their expedition, but there's no need for me to go. I wouldn't be able to find the time; there's always something that needs to be done here."

Broken Blade Amaryssa blinked at the man she'd elevated to his position in order to make her own easier. It was definitely time to be rid of him if he was going to flout her orders and pass the preparations she told him to handle off to someone else, and even more so if he put his position above her wishes. "I think you don't understand. I didn't say find someone to set up a Maze expedition. I said plan a Maze expedition. You will also need to suggest your successor; that should leave you plenty of time to fulfill your responsibilities to the Flying Stars. You have a tenday to name your successor. The rest of your time should be spent on the Flying Stars and their expedition to the Maze. Was I adequately clear this time?"

"But, but, it's not that easy…" The Arena Master stuttered, clearly completely shocked.

"Then make it easy," Amaryssa commanded. "That is your job. You are supposed to make mine easier, not harder, and managing the Arena is something others can do. I will handle your duties until you have a successor; you are to inform all of your subordinates of your alternate assignment tomorrow. You will not like it if I have to do so the following day. Understood?"

N'Bayan nodded, clearly reluctantly.

"Do not look so upset. You brought this on yourself; more than that, this is a chance to redeem yourself. They may go far; I see potential in the Flying Stars." Amaryssa waved her former Arena Master out of the room, then stared at the door once it closed behind him. The question wasn't whether or not he needed to die; it was when and how. For now, he was more useful alive, but if he messed up again that would not be true.

Perhaps she'd get lucky and have the Maze solve the dilemma for her. If he managed to get himself killed while defending one of the Flying Stars, it could be very useful.

If, on the other hand, he was resentful and tried to sabotage the Flying Stars in revenge, it could set her plans back years. Finding someone like the elf girl was nearly impossible; her last candidate for the key died in the attempt three years earlier. Picking the lock sounded hopeful, given the total lack of success they'd had at meeting its conditions. She definitely needed to have someone watch N'Bayan.

It was a waste, but a necessary one. If he went against her and her agent stopped him, she might be able to turn that to her advantage as well. Plans buried inside other plans wasn't just the best way to manage; it was the only way she'd ever succeed.

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