Shield of the Gods (Aigis Trilogy, Book 1) (29 page)

             
“Three. Two. One. Begin!”

             
Both men’s arms bulged. Neither body tilted in any direction as they pushed. Soon their arms began to quaver under the strain.

             
“Ah, so the legendary Aerigo can wrestle,” Horgrim said in a strained voice.

             
Aerigo said nothing.

             
The giant Durian’s arms lost some ground, then surged forward with a burst of strength. Aerigo’s arms were flung back. He circled them downward and kept his balance.

             
Horgrim lost his smile and let out a snarl, then forced their hands near them at the waist. Aerigo yanked their hands straight up and over Horgrim’s head, who started tilting backward. The Durian squeezed Aerigo’s hands and tried flinging his opponent up and over him. Aerigo bent his knees. Horgrim tried pushing him into the ground instead. The Aigis forced himself upright before his own momentum could overwhelm him, and both men found themselves back where they’d started.

             
Aerigo let out a frustrated sigh. The pushing stalemate began all over, but lasted only a few seconds. Horgrim led their vice grips in erratic circles like someone washing windows in jerky circular motions. Both men teetered with and against the pushing, neither coming too close to losing balance, bending and straightening their knees as needed.

             
The pushing grew more furious and precarious. They searched frantically for each other’s weak points, twisting one arm or both wider, pushing at hopefully unpredictable moments. Aerigo forced their arms just above Horgrim’s head, however the giant Durian yanked towards one hip. Aerigo leaned all his weight back, then forced their hands above their shoulders as his opponent tried to thrust him even farther backward. The Aigis pushed again, yet Horgrim deflected it to his other hip. Aerigo leaned back a second time. The Durian forced their hands between their stomachs and gave a mighty shove.

             
Aerigo socked himself in the stomach with his own elbows, knocking the wind out of his lungs and rocking his weight onto his heels. He let go of Horgrim’s hands to clasp his stomach as he staggered onto the stone tile behind him.

             
Horgrim threw his massive body at him the moment Aerigo regained balance, slamming the Aigis onto his back on the flour line. Gasps and cheers erupted from both sides of the hall as two clouds of flour shot out from under both men.

             
Roxie couldn’t cheer. That thud sounded like it either broke the stone floor, or every one of Aerigo’s ribs. Either outcome wasn’t pleasant, but she more hoped it was only the floor that broke. The wrestling match cut her worrying short when Horgrim’s body surged upward, arms flailing, then fell like the strike of a hammer on an anvil over the center flour line.

             
More cheers from both sides.

             
Gasping for breath, Aerigo sprung after his opponent, grabbed him by the ankles and spun him around, smearing flour all over the seat of the Durain’s cargo pants. That got still more cheers and applause. Aerigo pushed Horgrim by the shoulder blades to the other side of the arena, until the Durian grabbed both his arms, pulled him over his head and threw the Aigis onto his stomach in front of him. Horgrim grabbed his opponent by the upper arms, slid him closer the line of flour, then dug a giant knee into the small of Aerigo’s back. The Durian set his other knee on his opponents right arm and put his other hand on the back of the Aigis’ clean-shaven skull. He pushed Aerigo’s face into the flour line and held it there, getting laughter, applause and cheers all around.

             
Aerigo squirmed and spit out flour, then tensed his entire body and gave Horgrim one great heave. Horgrim flopped to his stomach right next to Aerigo, sending more flour in the air.

             
More cheers for Aerigo.

             
The Aigis surged to his feet as Horgrim rolled to a sitting position, who then swept Aerigo’s feet out from under him. Aerigo caught himself in an off-balance hand stand, only to have his arms swept out from under him as well. He landed with a thud, then received a shove on both shoulders from Horgrim’s boots, sending him sliding across the arena, both flour lines and out of play.

             
The song concluded.

             
“And Horgrim barely defends his reigning title of Champion!” the bard yelled in a sonorous voice. The entire hall cheered and applauded the victory, but their champion held up a hand. He got to his feet and set himself in the center of the arena. Nothing but smear marks remained.

             
Aerigo slowly rose to his feet but stayed put.

             
“You were holding back, boy,” Horgrim said, his face grim. “Do you mean me disrespect?”

             
“No, sir,” Aerigo said. “I wasn’t holding back.”

             
“You lie. I’m a seasoned wrestler. I can tell when an opponent isn’t giving it their all. Get back in the ring and show me.”

             
“No.” Aerigo strode to Roxie and his metal bands.

             
“You’ve been given hearty food, the best drink, a place to stay and a title of honor, yet you can’t give me a proper wrestling match?” Horgrim loomed closer, yet stayed inside the arena as men and women started whispering. “You’re the legendary Aerigo, who saved us Durians from the Balvadiers so long ago. I don’t buy that you can be beaten singlehandedly by me at wrestling. Show me how I truly match up to your strength!”

             
Disappointed, Aerigo turned and faced the giant Durian. “To what point and purpose?”

             
Horgrim’s face lit up. “See? You did hold back!”

             
“Aerigo,” Antares said, “I’m eager to see as well. Fight him again.”

             
Aerigo clenched his jaw, glanced once at Roxie, then strode into the arena opposite Horgrim once again, his eyes glowing red. The same pair of chefs rushed toward the flour lines to fix them. “Don’t bother,” the Aigis said flatly. The chefs stopped in their tracks, clutching their broom and flour bucket. They gave him hopeful looks. Aerigo just shook his head and sent them away with the wave of his hand.

             
“Taking this serious at last, aren’t we?” Horgrim said, pleased.

             
Ignoring him, Aerigo took a couple of steps back, closed his eyes and made circular motions with his hands. He whispered some foreign words, then opened his eyes. Transparent vibrating fragments of what looked like his body surrounded him, like there was second larger version of himself in the same place, but only bits and pieces of it could be seen.

             
He stepped forward, the fragments moving with him.

             
“Men, clasp hands and wait for my countdown to begin.”

             
“Now that’s more like it,” Horgrim said, grinning broadly as they dropped into position.

             
“Three. Two. One... Begin!”

             
The giant Durian started straining and pushing with all his strength. Aerigo just stood there, looking as if he were still waiting for the fight to begin. His arms and breathing were relaxed as he held Horgrim in place. The vibrating fragments drew closer.

             
A puzzled look on his face, Horgrim stopped exerting himself. He pushed again, then glanced at his opponent’s still-relaxed arms. “Mighty Beloriah!”

             
In one swift motion, Aerigo thrust both their arms to one hip, lifting one of Horgrim’s feet off the ground. The Aigis then jerked their grip horizontally to his other hip, forcing the Durian into a mid-air cartwheel. He let go and his opponent hit the ground with a heavy thud. The spectators let out a wince-filled “oooh!” Roxie’s jaw dropped.
He didn’t even look like he tried!

             
Horgrim reached for Aerigo’s nearest boot and yanked it off the floor. The Aigis placed his seized foot back on the stone and narrowed his smoldering eyes. The vibrating fragments moved closer still. Horgrim twisted his body and tried sweeping Aerigo’s feet. Both legs bounced off Aerigo’s ankle.

             
Uh oh.
This time Roxie felt concern for the giant Durian’s well being.

             
Aerigo grabbed the nearest arm and leg, then lifted his opponent and hefted him out of the arena. Horgrim sailed fifty feet through the air and landed next to the bard.

             
Silence. Even Roxie was stunned by how little effort Aerigo had used. It had looked like he’d used just enough oomph to chuck his backpack a few feet.

             
Horgrim laboriously rose to his feet as he took how far he’d just been thrown. “Good grief!” The giant Durian smiled, brushed some flour from his massive arms, then approached the Aigis with open arms. “Welcome back, Hero of Drio. It’s a pleasure to have you here.” The courtiers began clapping and cheering for both men. Aerigo closed his eyes and made a forward arm circling motion, dismissing the fragments surrounding him, then opened his eyes again and the red glow was gone. The two men shook hands, then Horgrim pulled the Aigis into a rough hug. Once he let go he said, “You take care of yourself, you got that?”

             
Aerigo gave a brisk nod.

             
The giant Durian fondly slapped the Aigis on the shoulder, knocking him off-balance, then returned to his bench.

             
Aerigo headed for his own table.

             
“You are absolutely covered in flour,” Roxie observed casually, hoping to lighten the mood.

             
“I am,” he said with a frown. The big man began patting down the seat of his pants, creating a healthy cloud of flour, brushed down the front of his white shirt, along with his arms. He turned around and looked over his shoulder. “How much is on my back?”

             
Roxie and the nearby courtiers began laughing. “You’re a ghost.” She stood and patted it off for him, careful to take note how firm and well-shaped his back was. She also felt some of the bumps from his scars. That sobered her mood a little.

             
Once his back was mostly free of flour, Aerigo clamped on his metal bands. He took a seat, reached for the stein Roxie had given to him and took a few sips.

             
“Forgetting something?” Roxie asked.

             
“Hm?”

             
“Your face.”

             
Aerigo let out a frustrated grunt as he set down his stein. He wiped his face with one hand, looked at it, which was now just as white, wiped his face again with his other hand and spread the flour even more. He reached for his cloth napkin and vigorously rubbed his face. “Did I get it all?”

             
Roxie smiled softly at the thin layer of flour all over Aerigo’s face. “Let me help.” She took his cloth napkin and dipped a portion in her water, then gently wiped his face clean. “There you go.”

             
“Thank you,” Aerigo replied in that deep voice of his, and took his napkin back.

             
A man came storming through the temple doors waving something over his head. Everyone looked up as his boot-steps clumped through the hall. He stopped at the head table and bowed low. “I apologize for the interruption, Antares, but it was necessary.”

             
The Druid gave him a knowing smile. “What is it, Diego?”

             
The guard faltered a second, then drew himself up. “My Lord, I was at my post when suddenly I heard a low whirring noise. Before I could work out what it was, something hit me in the head.” He pointed to a welt on his left temple. “It was this!” he said incredulously, holding up what looked like an orange-sized coconut. “I never saw who threw it. I picked it up to throw it back, but then saw writing on it.” He looked hard at the nut. “It has the word ‘aerigo’ scratched into it. What does it signify, my Lord?”

             
“Aerigo is a name, not a word,” Antares said. “Give the man his message.” He pointed in Aerigo’s direction. The Aigis held out a hand.

             
The guard looked a little suspicious, but crossed to Aerigo and handed over the nut. “Who uses such a mischievous way of sending messages, sir? If this keeps up I’ll have to wear a helmet while on guard.” He walked stiffly out the main entrance and the doors swung shut behind him.

             
“I give you permission to leave, Aerigo,” Antares said. “I imagine you have business elsewhere tonight.”

             
“Thank you, your grace,” Aerigo said. He twisted both halves of the nut apart to reveal a small piece of parchment rolled up inside. He plucked the paper out of its shell and uncurled his message.