Chapter Twenty-One

 

The Poinsettia felt different to Kuma than the previous times he'd seen the bar. When he was a young man in Razor, it was enemy territory, a building that he might spit on if he thought no one was looking. Later on when he first became a waku, he remembered the way the Drops leadership stood on the balcony, watching the duel between his uncle Brazio and the woman from Demon Dogs with the black diamond. He wondered what they were thinking about the fight. When he lost his clan and became a Drops, he never had the chance to visit and had thought the bar had likely been rebranded. Now, standing inside, it felt smaller than he expected. The bright flowers of poinsettias matched the décor of the interior, which had none of the nods to the Drops. Nor were there any waku with tattoos on their faces, or even Alliance uniforms. The bar was filled with tourists in suits and dresses, sipping colorful designer drinks. Even though the Drops had only been his clan for a short time, and had been his enemy for much longer, the commercial nature of the place felt like sacrilege.

It wasn't hard to find Noctus Prime. At seven feet tall, he stuck out especially when seated at a table covered in chessboards. Even if Kuma had been blind he could have found him, given the deep belly laughs coming from that direction as Noctus moved his pieces on three separate boards against different opponents. His ochre-brown skin glistened with sweat in the crowded bar. Despite his ugly mug, Noctus' eyes glimmered with fierce intelligence.

"Brother Aman!" exclaimed the Brodarian upon sighting.

"Noctus Prime. I didn't know you were a chess master."

The enormous warrior kept his eyes on Kuma while moving pieces on the boards, much to the frustration of the bar patrons who were clearly losing. A couple of them were conferring with their friends between moves.

"I learned the game a week ago. It's marvelous in its mimicry of war, though there are a number of flaws which make it limited in its educational properties. However, it's simple enough to keep me occupied between matches." He glanced down to the board in the middle, pushing a rook forward. "I believe this is checkmate."

A group of men in collared shirts erupted, consoling their representative with pats on the back. After a round of raised drinks, they left the bar in search of other distractions.

"A week? I find that hard to believe," said Aman.

Noctus raised an eyebrow.

"It's similar enough to a game we call Kings and Queens. Our board is larger and has more varied pieces, but I suspect they might have been influenced by each other in the past." He looked down at the board. "Ahh...checkmate again."

"Have you lost yet?"

"Earlier I played a grand master and he dismantled my position in fewer moves than I would have preferred, but his brutal attacks gave me a new insight into the game. I should hope to play him again."

"Not looking for allies?" asked Kuma.

"Preferably ones that won't attract overwhelming numbers," said Noctus.

Kuma kept his face neutral but he groaned inside. "So you've heard."

"Most of the competitors would prefer if your mistress were not in the competition."

"And they would you?"

"I'm comfortable with my position," said Noctus. He checked to their surroundings. "It appears my third opponent gave up. What an unfortunate result of my previous games. I was rather enjoying this one."

Kuma snorted softly under his breath. He didn't know much about the Brodarians, but from what he'd read, he knew they were cunning strategists. Tick had reported that during his fights, Noctus had stood motionless, letting his opponents attempt to injure him for a minute or two and then once he'd seemingly grown bored, he grabbed them as if they were a child and gently choked them out. Not only were his wins convincing, they would serve as a warning to all who might tangle with him in the grand melee. Kuma wasn't sure he could beat the Brodarian.

"We'd be a strong team," said Kuma.

"The goal isn't to win the round, but to survive to the top thirty-two."

Kuma exhaled. "You believe they'll ignore you for easier targets."

"In all battles, overwhelming numbers triumphs against quality, but if they choose me as their target, they will lose far more of them for the price of eliminating one opponent."

Noctus Prime watched keenly. Kuma sensed he was being judged, which meant the possibility of acquiring him as an ally was still open. But how?

"Interested in a game?" asked Kuma, gesturing towards the board.

"You play chess?"

"Not chess. Something else. If I win, you join our side," said Kuma.

The broad smile made Kuma think he was on the right track. "What do I get when I win?"

"Whatever you want," said Kuma.

"What if I asked you to leave the contest?"

"You wouldn't. That would mean there's a better chance of them deciding you're the biggest threat."

"Whatever I want... Having a maetrie warrior at my beck and call might be interesting. Maybe I'd ask you both to return to Brodaria and serve in my army," said Noctus.

Kuma bowed. "If that's what you wished."

"Very well. But what game shall we play? Care to wrestle with arms? Or perhaps a match of tako-blades?"

Kuma had no idea what the second game was and feared it was something he should know based on Aman's background. The other would be a quick loss as Noctus outweighed him by hundreds of pounds. The far window had a view of the outside. He caught the glittering lights of the Bogo through the gap.

"How about a game of pachinko?"

"Pachinko? The annoying rattle in those ugly lighted boxes?" asked Noctus.

"The very ones."

"There seems to be no skill with them. You would leave your fate to chance?"

Kuma shrugged. "Choosing a game that both of us know would mean one of us would likely be better, leaving the game to be the choice itself, rather than the contest. And since most of the games we might both know would come from Brodaria, where I know you'd be at an advantage, it seemed safer to pick a game neither of us have played before."

"Maybe you've been spending your time in these parlors and have acquired an advantage, Brother Aman," said Noctus Prime, his grin revealing bunched together teeth.

"Maybe."

"Or it would be smarter for me not to play at all if I believe that I would be stronger alone during the grand melee."

Kuma smiled. Had he not read about the Brodarians' penchant for battle in all forms—physical, mental, warfare, anything really—he might have gotten discouraged by the deflection, but he saw Noctus' desire to engage in a contest and refused to give up.

"If you thought you were stronger you wouldn't have considered my offer for a contest," said Kuma.

"Or I'm seeking information about an opponent, one who has given up much in this short exchange."

Sensing he was losing Noctus, he said, "Play a game of pachinko to decide who picks the game."

"Isn't that the same as winning based on your logic before?" asked Noctus. "Sometimes the best battles are the ones we don't fight."

The way Noctus stared at him suggested there was a second part to the line, one that he should know based on his history in Brodaria. Fearing that he was not only going to not acquire Noctus as an ally but expose his false history, Kuma bent at the waist.

"Your words are wise."

Kuma left the Poinsettia. When he stopped outside, he found Noctus by his side.

"I will play your game of chance, but the loser gets the opportunity to refuse the contest."

"Agreed."

Kuma almost offered his hand for a shake, until he remembered that Brodarians saluted each other by banging their fists together.

The pachinko parlor Bogo was noisier than he remembered. He didn't know how Tick could stand the racket. A third of the machines were occupied by men and women sitting in chairs, some smoking, nearly all drinking, holding a silvery dial that controlled the speed of the balls coming out of the machine. Boxes of pachinko balls sat by some of the players, while others had only empties. No one gave them a second glance as they were too focused on their machines.

He found two adjacent machines and put equal bills into them, giving both the same starting point.

"Whoever has more balls at the end of ten minutes is declared the winner."

"That sounds fair," said Noctus.

Settling before their pachinko machines, Kuma pointed out the clock on the wall. When the second hand was completely vertical, he said, "Begin."

Kuma grabbed the round knob that controlled the silvery balls' speed of being launched into the machine. He'd played a few times in the past, only as a curiosity, unlike Tick, who had an obsession for the game. The first ball sped into the vertical field, clacking through the nails, missing the scoring holes, and falling through the center, which meant he'd earned no new balls.

"Ha! This is easy," said Noctus.

Kuma saw a dozen silvery pachinko balls come streaming out of the bottom into a tray. Noctus had managed to get his first ball into a scoring hole.

Focusing on the game put Kuma into a trance as he adjusted the speed, and therefore the height, of the balls. They bounced through the field, jittering back and forth, until they either scored points or disappeared into the bowels of the machine. When he ran through his money, he took the tray of balls he'd acquired and dumped them back in.

Noctus was ahead of him, laughing gleefully as the pachinko machine made noises and lights. The ten minutes went by quickly. Kuma went on a good run, piling new balls in his tray until the final seconds counted down.

"End."

Noctus pulled his hand off the dial as the final ball slipped through the center. They drained their machines, placing the trays next to each other. After a careful analysis, Noctus announced, "I believe you've won, Brother Aman. That game was more intriguing than I would have given it credit for."

The idea that the Brodarian might be addicted to pachinko gave him amusement. He pictured Noctus Prime at the machines like the older players, staring into the bright lights like an automaton as silver balls flew past his vision.

"What game do you propose?" asked Noctus.

Kuma had an idea of the contest he wanted, but was afraid that Noctus might suspect the advantage and pass on it. He knew trying anything with detailed strategy would be in the Brodarian's favor, which left the simpler contests as the best option. The game had to appear fair on the surface while giving Kuma the better chance.

"A contest of swimming."

Noctus gave a belly laugh. "Not concerned that I'm a much better swimmer than the history my race suggests? Maybe I sought advantage by learning a skill that others did not possess."

"Then say yes."

"I pass," said Noctus. "While I can swim better than most, I know you humans are agile in the water. Next game."

"Tight rope walking."

"Interesting, but pass."

Kuma feigned deep thinking. He knew what he wanted the game to be, but knew that getting Noctus to agree would be challenging.

"High jump."

Noctus crossed his arms, cradling his chin in his palm. "Are you attempting to subvert the law of threes? I would assume you know this law, which means you're either baiting me by placing this choice in the most favored position, or trying to trick me. On the surface, it appears a fair contest. While I'm more powerful in the thighs, my weight makes the jump harder. What you don't know is that I fight with the single angerblade and shield because it encumbers me less, allowing me to make great leaps in battle, appearing where my foes do not expect me.

"On the other hand, humans are small and can leap surprisingly high despite their size. Yet, I cannot imagine that you could leap higher than twice your height, which puts me at the advantage." He smiled, revealing his mangled teeth. "I accept."

The arena was closed. They were making adjustments to the field in preparation for the grand melee. Kuma didn't want to reveal his abilities, so he led them into a cavern off the main drag. The Alliance guards started to deny them passage until Noctus put an enormous hand on their shoulders.

"How shall we proceed?" asked Noctus when they reached the secluded cavern.

Kuma spotted a wall of connected stalactites and stalagmites that reminded him of the structure he'd burst through in his duel with Pandora. The ceiling was at least forty feet high in that area.

"We take turns leaping, touching the stone as high as we can. Failure to jump higher means you lose."

"Simple enough. Who shall go first?"

"Since I won the pachinko game, I think it should be you."

Kuma didn't know if Brodarians required limbering up, so he was surprised when Noctus made a standing leap, touching a spot at least fifteen feet high. He landed surprisingly soft, reducing the impact by bending his knees and dipping into a squat. The gravel beneath his feet shifted with the shock.

The ease at which Noctus achieved that height made Kuma worry he'd picked the wrong contest. He wasn't sure how high unaided humans could jump, but he suspected that the Brodarian had leapt higher than any could on their own.

Kuma took his spot along the rock wall, taking a moment to stretch his limbs. If he had both an emerald and a topaz, the contest would have been laughable, but with only the first, he could only make himself light. He calmed his beating heart with long inhales and exhales. Only when he felt completely relaxed did Kuma cycle to Light and leap upward, soaring vertically like a human rocket until he touched a spot at least five feet higher than Noctus'.

When he landed, Noctus burst into laughter, holding his belly and bending at the waist. He went on for a minute until he finally calmed, grinning at Kuma as if they were old friends having shared a good joke.

"I knew you were deceiving me. I'm pleased to find I was right." The Brodarian put his arm around Kuma's shoulders. "I concede the contest. You've played your part well. I suspect there's more to you, and probably Lady Saha by extension, but I'll leave you to your secrets. Come, let us return to the flower bar and enjoy a round of drinks together to celebrate our new partnership."

Kuma had planned to continue the search for allies, but in joining with Noctus, realized that the three of them might be enough to hold off the masses that would come after them. He let the Brodarian lead them back to the Poinsettia.