The two boys growled at Slob as he took a few steps back and tripped over a nearby corpse, him falling over onto his butt and scrambling back to try and escape. The Glob and Blob watched him with an animalistic curiosity, their heads tilting to the side like a dog, drool starting to leak from their mouths. They started to descend upon Slob, going on all fours slowly approaching, Slob just seemed to freeze after bumping into the corpse, his eyes going from his two friends back to the corpse. Thinking of what I could do to help him and give him a fighting chance if even a little, I ran forward a little and started to throw my arms into the air, making as much noise as possible.

"Slob you idiot, RUN!"

My yelling seemed to agitate the boys them turning towards me and deciding that I was a nuisance that needs to be erased. I turned and started and just started to put distance between us, yelling back to Slob, "Get somewhere safe Slob, I'll keep them distracted." Slob seemed conflicted with this choice, he looked towards me, then back to his friends. Doing what must have been the dumbest thing I could have ever imagined he shook his head and spoke.

"Slob leave no friend behind!"

He almost instantly regretted talking as his former friends turned back towards him, and pounced on him. He only had a split second to regret his decision as Glob and Blob started to wail on Slob with a fierce animalistic rage, using the bottom of their fist to hammer down on any open skin of Slobs, beating him severally in seconds. I facepalmed, and rushed to help,

'What an idiot, all he had to do was be quiet and I would have at least stalled them.'

Even though I didn't particularly care for Slob, I wasn't going to let some boy die in front of me if I could help it, so when I reached them I instantly sprung into action, jumping on the back of Glob I started to punch right behind his ear as hard as I could, knowing that a good strike there can knock a fully grown man out pretty quick. Of Course, Glob tried to buck me off him but I was latched on pretty tight and wouldn't let go, after striking him several times he bulked over, I was barely able to combat roll off of him to avoid being crushed, him going limp behind me. Righting myself as I stood I cautioned a glance over to Slob and cringed when I saw him, he looked absolutely pulverized, so doing the only thing I could think I I rushed over to him, and I used all the muscle that my little legs could mister and jumped up into the air delivering the hardest dropkick I could into his side. This staggered him off of Slob, him turning to me bearing his teeth and rushing, exhaustion seemed to catch up with me, my breath going heavy, and my legs in pain from the strain of the running and yesterdays beating not fully healing.

The first thing that happened when I failed to evade his attack was his head colliding with the center of my chest, knocking any of the remaining air out of me, and sending me tumbling, Blob not even taking a second for him to jump on top of me just like he did Slob, his fist coming down to strike me. I was able to put my arms up before the first strike hit my face, but the damage it did to my already damaged arm was tremendous. It hurt like hell, and I cried out in pain with each strike, the cheering of the crowd just becoming white noise as I focused solely on not becoming a paste.

Switching my mind off, I decided it would be best to let my training take over, my hand instinctively reaching for a knife but pulling out the jagged bone instead. This worked though as I stabbed him as he came for another strike, the bone lodging itself into his wrist, him reeling back from the pain. Using this as the perfect opportunity I brought my elbow straight into Blob's junk, a howl of pain echoing, the guards around making an 'ooooooh' as Blob fell to his side curling into a ball. Shakily getting to my feet, my arms badly bruised and barely usable at this point, I slowly limped over to him, blood leaking from my nose as one of the punches was able to get through. I stood over him, no emotion on my face as I brought my foot me only seconds from crushing his throat, a feeling overcoming me, not a spiritual one in any way, or anything unnatural, but one from my conscience it whispering to me in my own voice, 'Do Better!'

This brought me back to my senses my foot slamming hard as I redirected the kick from his throat, to his temple instead, Blob going limp from the attack. There was silence all around, the cheering seemed to stop, even the wild hooting from the cells was gone, the only sound I could hear was the beating of my heart, and the soft shallow breaths coming from the three boys. I looked around the crowd, opening my arms up as if to taunt them, it seemed to have the opposite reaction that I was hoping for, as the silence soon turned to hysterical cheering, the noise from the cells growing louder also. The guards were falling off their seats in excitement, some of them having their mouths gapped as if what they were seeing was impossible, while several other members of the crowd were exchanging large bags of gold.

Goodberry stood out from the rest, her expression the same as when I started the fight, her slowly clapping at my display,

"This is beyond my wildest expectation Varian, I knew you were doing some training, but I never expected you to be this good!" She moaned out.

Ringing the bell once more all the noise around us ceased, the guards pulling themselves together as Goodberry left her throne, and descended the stairs. "You will be quite useful to me Varian, the amount of money, and the warrior you could become seems to be almost unparallel." Goodberry not seeming at all worried strolled right up to me, "So I have a proposition for you, one I think you won't refuse."

Deciding now was a good time to break my silence I answered her, "And what might that be Goodberry?" Genuinely curious as to what she was offering, and wondering why she just didn't force me to do what she wants.

She cooed at the sound of my voice, and leaned forward, "Well all that I ask of you my little bird, is that you become my champion!" Circling behind me she started to whisper into my ear, "and do whatever I say."

Kinda creeped out at this point I shook her off my shoulder and asked her something, "And what do I get out of this deal? It can't all be one-sided can it?" She seemed upset that I wasn't flustered in any way, but recovered.

"Of course not, that wouldn't be fair, would it. The first thing that I o so generously offer you is the safety of your family, them being off-limits to any of my operations." I nodded my head at this, "Also I'm no slave driver," Her face going into a wide grin, she pinched two of her fingers together and rubbed them, "Second, I will compensate you for every fight that you survive." I didn't really like the sound of that, but I nodded my head again. "Lastly, you will have free reign of both the town and their accompanying facilities," She put her hand forward towards me to shake, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. I was curious about many things, and couldn't think of a reason not to ask them, so I just went for it.

"Why make a deal with me Goodberry? Why not just threaten me, and force me to fight?"

She shook her head furiously, "No, no, no that never works, I've done it before and every time it backfired, the person gets mad, they seek vengeance, and most of the time a lot of my people die in the process, I don't want that, bad for the business you see. So I decided to go a more diplomatic approach, first I needed to test your skills so I had you go against some rather impossible odds that I never expected you to win. Colored me surprised when you did, don't get me wrong though, I would have stopped the fight if you were about to die, but thankfully you didn't come anywhere near it."

Kinda surprised at her detailed explanation, I didn't really know how to react, "What happens if I refuse?"

"Nothing at all, I swear to you Varian, that if you refuse this offer and no longer have any dealings with me or my kin, you will be left alone, but one mishap I will come down hard on you, and your own."

Really in retrospect, I can't refuse, my father, and Twist are already trying to investigate Goodberry and her orphanage. So refusing here would guarantee a death sentence for us, and I couldn't allow that, so without thinking any more on it, I shook Goodberry's hand. She gave a toothy grin as she pulled me in close, and into a hug, "Ohhh Varian, I knew you would come around." She held me tight in her bosom while combing my hair with her hand, "and one more thing Varian, as Glob, Blob, Slob are indisposed," She pulled me away and began shaking me slightly all excited. "You shall for now on be taking up the mantle as Desert Flames personal bodyguard!"

Shaking my head in bewilderment I closed my eyes as she shook me,

'What the hell is happening? I can't get a read on anything that's going on."

(XP Gained 50)

Author's Note

I know these are not that long of chapters, but you know it happens. Funny thing is that most of this chapter completely became derailed from my original notes, taking a different turn that I kinda prefer, so that's fun! So tell me how you like it so far, and that's all GoodBye.