Jet was led into Lord Cole’s personal arena later that evening and introduced to the referee. Mr. Gale was his name. He was a dark-skinned man in his early forties. He was handsome and built like a gladiator. He seemed kind enough. Astrid said she liked him. Jet looked around the fancy gym, wondering what half of the weapons on the walls were used for. Astrid warned him to focus on disarming his opponents if he couldn’t figure out the weapons.

Young men were led into the arena and simply told to fight with Jet. There were few rules. The person left standing at the end of the fight was declared the winner. Jet demolished twelve opponents within twenty minutes. Lord Cole was standing in a raised booth, watching the action with a pleased smile on his face.

At one point, a line of ten black armor-clad soldiers was led into the small arena. Jet narrowed his eyes at the men as they surrounded him. They had hidden weapons in their armor. He learned that the hard way when he was abducted from the Dead Lands. He didn’t plan to let them catch him off guard again. Mr. Gale hurried into the raised booth with Lord Cole to get off the floor for that fight.

“My lord, I object to this. It’s very bad sportsmanship,” Gale said worriedly.

“It’s fine, Gale. Watch and be amazed,” Lord Cole said as he raised his hand and dropped it, starting the fight.

Jet sprinted out of the circle so fast the soldiers had little time to react. When they did manage to fire their stun guns, they hit a fellow soldier. Jet used that unfortunate soldier as a shield. Jet anchored his arm around his human shield’s neck and used him as leverage to kick a fellow soldier in the head. The explosive kick launched that soldier into two more soldiers, sending all three of them toppling to the floor. Jet hurled himself and his leverage at the other men like a spinning top. Bodies collided and fell, and the men trying to scramble away were swiftly kicked in the head. Jet kept a watch on his back as he flattened the men. He sprang away from them when he heard the little pop of the charged wires being launched.

“By the gods,” Gale said, shaking his head as he watched the impressive display.

“He’s a prodigy of combat,” Lord Cole said with a pleased smile.

“He’s a bit old to be a prodigy. Astrid said he is at least twenty,” Gale noted.

“Judging by his build, I would say that’s true. Then I consider him a self-taught master. He sees all potential attacks before they happen. He can physically respond to a threat seconds before it appears. It’s fucking magnificent,” Lord Cole whispered.

Gale almost expected to see Cole drooling at that point.

“Shall I alert the high nobles of a rising contender?” Gale asked.

“No, thank you, Gale. I plan to initiate a domination tournament.”

Gale looked at Lord Cole in disbelief. Cole was brashly staking his noble title on a Ruffian’s ability to completely dominate an entire city of potential champions. An event like that was called once every hundred years.

“My lord, I strongly object. If this Ruffian fails or betrays you, your entire house will be cast to the outer circle. There is no coming back from that,” Gale warned.

“I know what I’m doing, Gale. The boy can win, and I have leverage over him. I will crush his heart if he refuses to crush my enemies,” he whispered as he watched Jet standing over the pile of soldiers he had beaten senseless. He had learned where to kick their helmets to cause enough injury to keep them down.

“How did you tame a Ruffian like him?” Gale asked in amazement.

“I told him I put a chip in Astrid’s neck that will fry her brain if anything happens to me,” he said with an evil grin.

“Did you actually do that?” Gale asked in disgust.

“That’s for me to know,” he said tritely.

The city was awakened early the next morning by blaring trumpet blasts from the arena. It was the official declaration chords of the domination tournament. Everyone knew the melody, but they never thought they would hear it in their lifetimes. Every high noble and par-noble family would have to report to the arena to be introduced to the contending champion.

Astrid was stunned when she heard the trumpets. She had no idea her father was crazy enough to call a domination tournament for Jet. She scrambled out of bed to dress so she could report to the arena with the rest of the noble daughters.

The open-air coliseum around the arena was the grandest structure in New Athens. It sat in the exact center of the city. Its style was reminiscent of the ancient Colosseum of Rome that was destroyed over two hundred years earlier. Jet was standing with Lord Cole on a raised platform in the middle of the arena to watch as the noble families gathered around them. A few hundred people were standing in the grass once the last of the par-nobles arrived.

Everyone gazed in wonder at the handsome young man standing beside Lord Cole. Astrid stood in the grass below the platform maltepe escort next to her cousin Vicky. Her heart beat faster as she admired Jet. His hair was neatly combed, and he was wearing a handsome sapphire blue suit. He looked more like a high noble than a majority of the people around them.

“Astrid, please join us,” Lord Cole said formally as he waved her forward.

Jet held her in his gaze as she walked up on the platform to stand next to her father. Her beauty never ceased to arouse or amaze him. Her big green eyes, long dark hair, and sensual body were a source of inspiration for him. He would do anything to make her proud of him. She was adorned in a shimmering green and gold satin dress that morning. She gave him a formal nod before she raised her chin and stood proudly next to her father. Jet took a deep breath and did the same. Jet had finally seen all the noble daughters together, and he still believed Astrid to be the fairest. Lord Cole had given him specific instructions on how he expected him to act. If he dared to embarrass him, Astrid would pay the price for it.

“My fellow nobles,” Lord Cole began, “I present to you our future champion, Jet Ares. A young man truly blessed by the ancient gods. I found him stranded in a desert oasis. He has no memory of his past, but he agrees his destiny is to become the champion of New Athens. From what I’ve seen, he has never lost a fight. He rescued my daughter and me from a band of Ruffians after we made an emergency landing to repair a stabilizer on my shuttle. The Ruffians had overpowered my soldiers and were about to kidnap my precious Astrid when Jet appeared. I thought I was seeing the incarnation of Ares himself as he single-handedly defeated twenty men in a matter of seconds. No one can best him. I stake our rights as nobles on it,” he declared.

A murmuring rose from the crowd as they discussed Lord Cole’s fantastic story.

“Your claim is incredible, Lord Cole,” announced High Lord Tobias Bale as he stepped away from the crowd. “I know you are not a foolish man. I consider you my worthy rival since you bested me as champion twenty years ago.”

“Thank you, Lord Bale. I also consider your family worthy rivals since your son recently became our champion,” Lord Cole said as he inclined his head to Young Lord Adam Bale.

“Indeed,” Lord Bale continued. “I shall be the first to declare that I stand by your call for a domination tournament. Even though it interferes with my own son’s induction into the champion role,” he said rather coldly.

“Then it is my duty to offer first blood,” announced High Lord Alfred Glet. “My son Alex was gracefully defeated by Adam. That makes Alex the sacrificial challenger in case of a domination tournament.”

Astrid looked between Adam and Alex as they stood next to their fathers. They were both strikingly handsome young men, and they had both secretly asked for her hand in marriage. Adam Bale had the true right to Astrid’s hand since he was the city champion, but she had a few weeks to contest the marriage before Adam could make the proposal public. That was another reason why Astrid ran away. Adam and Alex both strongly held their fathers’ archaic views. If she married one of them, she would simply be handed off to another dictator like her father, but her new dictator would demand children from her.

“Excellent,” Lord Cole said with a bow to Lord Glet. “So we have two votes for a skirmish to prove Jet’s worthiness. We need three more high noble votes for the motion to pass.”

The rest of the high nobles looked among themselves before they began stepping forward. High Lord Morris Harp, High Lady Clara Rostine, and High Lord Caleb Boham stepped forward and raised their hands to approve the motion.

“Thank you, lords and ladies,” Lord Cole said with a pleased smile.

Mr. Gale stepped onto the platform at that point to address the audience.

“Noble citizens,” he began, “you have approved an official skirmish between the contender Jet Ares and Young Lord Alex Glet. If Jet wins, it will mark the official declaration of the domination tournament. If Young Lord Alex wins, the Cole family will be stripped of their title and banished to the outer ring. Please, everyone, step outside the fighting ring. Combat begins in five minutes.”

Astrid watched as Alex began removing his jacket and shirt. His build was larger than Jet’s, but he would never match his speed. She gulped and turned to Jet to find him shirtless as well. Her body felt warm at the sight. His black hair was shining like oil in the morning sun, and his wild gray eyes were bright and charming. His inviting looks were disarming, causing his explosive attacks to be more frightening.

Jet glanced at Astrid and smiled as Gale explained the skirmish rules to him. She watched as Jet and Gale left the platform and met Alex in the center of the large grassy ring. Alex’s bright blond hair was in shocking contrast to maslak escort Jet’s shiny black locks that morning. The noble daughters were on the edge of the ring, admiring Jet. Astrid hated that he wasn’t her secret anymore. Jet and Alex shook hands and stepped away from each other before Gale held up his hand to silence the spectators.

“The winner is the last one standing. May the gods bless you in victory or defeat. FIGHT!” Gale yelled as he dropped his hand and stepped out of the ring.

Alex raised his fists, ready to defend himself in his family’s traditional boxing style. Jet stared at him for a moment, wondering how he should start. Lord Cole had ordered him to toy with Alex to show the nobles how easily he could dominate a fight, but he didn’t know how to do that. He knew how to end a fight, not prolong it.

“I could slap him instead of punching him,” he mumbled as he watched Alex stepping closer, preparing to strike.

Alex sprang for Jet, ready to flatten him, but Jet ducked and spun right under his arm. He slapped Alex hard on the back as he passed him. The echo of it resounded off the arena walls. The crowd gasped at his move. He was fast and graceful. His dodge looked more like a dance than a defense.

Alex stumbled and twirled around to face Jet as the noble daughters erupted with laughter. Alex composed himself and stood in a defensive stance again. He planned to wait for Jet to come to him. Jet wasn’t sure what to do at that point. He didn’t want to flatten him yet. He looked at Alex’s loose-fitting slacks, and a great idea came to him.

Jet smiled as he began to approach Alex. His body was so relaxed Alex had no clue what he was planning, but his proximity was too tempting. Alex spun, intending to plant his heel into the side of Jet’s head, but his target had vanished in the split second it took him to initiate the kick. Alex gasped when he felt a sudden violent tug at his pants. Jet had seized them as he ducked under his leg. He yanked the fabric hard, ripping it apart. Alex spun right out of his pants. He landed a few feet away, sporting his underwear and boots.

The noble daughters erupted with cheers, hoots, and whistles at that point. Jet smiled as he admired the young women for a moment. They blushed and smiled under his gaze. He noticed their eyes widening as they looked past him, and he knew he was under attack. He spun and launched himself at Alex, plowing his shoulder into his gut. He felt some of Alex’s ribs crack from the impact. The crowd gasped from the sound of it. The blow knocked Alex a few feet across the grass, where he landed with a thud. He wouldn’t be able to get up without help.

Jet stared at Alex as he lay groaning in the grass. He felt bad for hitting him so hard. He wasn’t used to fighting for sport. He jumped from the sudden eruption of cheers around him. He looked at the audience with a strange feeling in his chest. It felt good to have people cheering for him. He looked up at the platform and met Astrid’s eyes. She was gazing at him with a soft smile on her beautiful face. Then he glanced at Lord Cole. His eyes looked hungry as he stared in wonder at his new hope for power.

“Jet Ares is the winner!” Gale announced as he hurried into the ring and raised Jet’s right hand high in the air. “The domination tournament will commence! All preceding social events and fights will be scheduled by this afternoon. Nobles are dismissed.”

Lord Cole was beaming with joy on their ride back to the mansion.

“Well done, my boy,” he laughed as soon as they were seated in the traditional horse-drawn coach. “This city will be bowing to you in a few weeks,” he sighed as he gazed out the window smiling.

Astrid looked at her father and rolled her eyes. Jet smiled as he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed it so gently it made her shiver a little.

“Are you proud of me, Astrid?” he asked as he searched her large green eyes.

“Of course I am,” she said in surprise at his question.

Lord Cole looked between them and rolled his eyes.

“Jet,” he began, “I know you admire Astrid, but you must be careful about showering her with affection in public. You are not promised to her. We don’t want to break the hearts of the noble daughters before they have a chance with you, do we?” he asked as he glared at him.

Jet’s expression fell until he was scowling at Lord Cole. He could so easily snap the wretched man’s neck, but he was terrified to do it. Killing Cole could also kill Astrid.

“Of course not,” he sighed as he released Astrid’s hand and leaned back in his seat.

Astrid stared at the angry defeat in Jet’s eyes as he gazed out the window. She had never seen that particular expression in his beautiful gray eyes before. It didn’t suit him. Lord Cole nudged his daughter with his elbow. She knew what that meant. It was her job to encourage Jet to go along with his plan.

“Jet,” Astrid began, pulling mecidiyeköy escort his gaze to her. “I’m extremely proud of you. You performed beautifully today. I know you have what it takes to win the tournament. You also have what it takes to win the hearts of the nobles. That’s just as important as the fights. As this special tournament proceeds, you’ll have to attend a lot of social events to begin your integration into New Athens society. One, in particular, is an intimate party between you and the high noble daughters. I will be there, of course, but you can’t spend all your time with me.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked in confusion. The blush creeping into her cheeks had sparked his curiosity.

“It’s um… a very intimate party,” she stammered.

“It’s an orgy, Jet,” Lord Cole laughed, making Astrid cringe.

“What’s an orgy?” he asked.

Astrid sighed and put her hand over her eyes as her father continued his explanation.

“It’s a sex party between you and the high noble daughters. It’s a chance to earn their loyalty, so they don’t try to kill you later.”

Jet’s eyes went really wide after that.

“I uh… don’t want to have sex with the other noble daughters,” he stammered.

“Then you’re a fucking moron,” Lord Cole bellowed as he looked at him in disbelief.

“Father, please, you’re not helping,” Astrid sighed in irritation. “Jet, that particular party is very important for your acceptance by the nobles. It’s one of the last major social events before you’re officially declared the new champion. You’ll have time to get acquainted with the noble daughters before it happens. There will be many banquets and balls beforehand. But, if the daughters don’t like you or feel shunned by your behavior towards them, they’ll try to assassinate you. That’s usually how city champions die. They’re seduced and murdered by a noble daughter. If you’re lucky, one of the noble daughters will attempt to kill the daughter that’s trying to kill you. Nobles love split loyalty like that. It makes a champion’s reign very exciting,” she sighed.

“Is that why you were supposed to kill Young Lady Anna Harp?” Jet asked, remembering what Astrid had told him about the night she fled the city.

“No. Father was making me kill Anna to speed up my chances of becoming the female champion. I just came of age to compete. I missed the five-year cycle by a few months. Champions reign for five years before a new tournament begins. If a champion is assassinated, it resets the tournament countdown and initiates a new tournament. Anna is the current female champion. She has the voting power of two high noble families, thanks to her title. A noble family alone has two points of representation. Father wanted that voting power in the Cole family until he found you. A male champion’s vote is worth six points, or three noble households. It’s terribly unbalanced,” she grumbled.

“It’s all water under the bridge now, Astrid,” Lord Cole said dismissively. “Jet changes everything. His skill could set him up for a ten-year reign. Maybe fifteen if he takes care of himself. He will reshape New Athens with my help. We will become a military state and dominate the continent,” he mused as he stared dreamily out the window, planning his takeover of the city and the world.

Once they reached the Cole mansion, Astrid was led upstairs by her personal maid while Jet was led to the training room by Gale. Jet thought well of Gale. He was an honored, high-level servant in the Cole household. He lived in the mansion most of the time since he worked there, but his family lived on the city’s second ring. He was a descendant of a city champion that reigned in the early days of New Athens.

“More training?” Jet asked in disappointment as Gale handed him a sweatshirt and pants.

“I’m afraid so. We need to know your skillset and weaknesses, if you have any,” he said with a smile. “It will only be for two hours. Then you’re expected in the main parlor for etiquette training and dance lessons. The tournament ball is next weekend. You have to hobnob with the nobles before you flatten them in the arena.”

Jet was kept extremely busy that week. His social circle consisted of Gale, Lord Cole, and Lady Moira. Lady Moira was a well respected par-noble widow. She ran a prestigious finishing school in the second ring. She was tirelessly teaching Jet how to dance and act like a noble in public. Jet was fond of her. She consistently referred to Lord Cole as a weaselly bastard when they were alone.

Jet later learned from Gale that Lord Cole had given Moira’s late husband the killing blow in the arena over twenty years earlier. The judges ruled it fair, but everyone knew they were too afraid of Cole to rule against him. He was a terrifying man in his youth, and he still thirsted for power and blood long after his glory days ended. The city was saddened and relieved when Astrid’s mother died while giving birth to her. Cole would have less power without a son, and his reign as champion ended before he could demand another high noble daughter for a wife. He courted two par-noble daughters, and they both tried to assassinate him. He resigned to his fate as a widower after that and put all his hope for more power into Astrid. Now his hope for power resided with Jet.