BYRON: FIGHT NIGHT!
A day in the life of Byron -The Korvosan Bear
The city sounds of Old Korvosa were often loud and raucous, familiar and at times dangerous. The loud laughter of friends meeting after a days toil, mixed with the animated haggling tones of venders and customers arguing to the last copper penny, the last desperate pleas of beggers, the ribald and lusty cries of the whores who walked the streets to the sounds of raised voices, oaths and curses that promised violence was all a comfortable cloak that Byron wore as he walked the alleys and darkened streets of Old Korvosa. Many would call out to him in greeting as he moved out of the shadows and past establishments where their flickering fire light illuminated part of the way before returning back to the shadows. He was always greeted to his face with a smile as the Bear, Gaedren's man but many were even more pleased to see him move on the Korvosan Bear having no business with them this night.
Byron had business tonight at the Old Docks with Gaedren Lamm, a thief, a kidnapper, a racketeer, a murderer and Byron's employer. And tonight Byron was on the card for an underground fight that Gaedrenn had arranged, a night where Lamm not only provided the fighters but also the money takers and the gambling touts that arranged the bets on the evenings bouts.
Byron contemplated the nights business, Gaedren wanted him in the final pit fight taking on all comers as a the support act for the final big bout where a monster of a half Orc would go up against the best of the Korvosan guards, a tag team of Halleck and Boyd, two well known, vicious and skilled combatants which had truly focussed the 'public' interest on tonight's bill. Gaedren would benefit royally not that Byron gave that too much thought. He was there to fight, he'd been doing it all his life and tonight was no exception. Gaedrenn paid him to fight and he would fight!
An old battered crumbling brick warehouse that had once held oysters, spice and Thileau bark was tonight's venue and now housed hundreds of revellers either cheering on their chosen fighter or their good fortune and foresight or loudly and demonstrably cursing the meagre efforts of the warriors, dogs or children battling in the pits.
The Pits themselves were a series of three sunken holes in the earthen floor of the warehouse, the ripped up floorboards now providing the walls of the makeshift arenas. These were the show pits but all around the darkened shadows of the large building were roped off areas where smaller matches would take place and to the rear by the old big delivery doors were the chain posts where bears were baited with feral vicious dogs, though they wouldn't be used tonight.
As Byron moved through the throng of people towards the fire-lit wall sconces which illuminated the nights bouts which were well underway, he was greeted with cheers and off colour jests from the anonymous depths of the crowd. The smell and the sound was intense, a sense of excitement was building within Byron as his tall massively muscled frame moved towards the fighters corner, a crude rudimentary area furniture with a few battered benches and a couple of barrels already filled with bloodied water and bloodied bandages already littering the floor, an area partitioned from the general press.
"My Boy, you made it!" Gaedrens's rasping voice greeting Byron. He looked no different with his lank greasy hair and yellowing skin but it was eyes showed the fire, brutal and intent, the nights activities had gone well and he wanted to keep it that way.
"Gonna earn yourself a few more flowers for that arm tonight," Gaedren said with a smile indicating the heavily tattooed fighters right arm. "I won't let you down, wheres the halfling?" " Benny 'll be here to wrap your hands shortly, " Gaedren replied. Byron nodded and smiled "An annoying little fella but makes me laugh!" "Fight well my boy, make me some money..." " It'll be the quickest gold you've ever earnt, " Byron quipped. "Not too quick I want a show, let them think they've got their monies worth!" Gaedrenn moved away as a small figure entered. " Ah Benny is here, central pit 10 minutes and you have three who want a shot at taking down the bear. " With that Gaedren left leaving the hulking giant of a human and the tiny stick thin figure of Benny facing one another. The small figure began rummaging in his canvas tote bag and found a couple of long linen bloody wraps.
"Ther’re not clean," barked the massive fighter as he say on a bench offering his hands. " Neither are you, " retorted the halfling looking him squarely in the eye, "and when did we become a squeamish little princess?" And with that the small figure put on such a convincing pantomime of a Korvosan high born lady that Byron was rolling around with laughter. " I know they call you the bear but you don't have to smell like one...phew whiff! In moments both Byrons hands were tightly and expertly wrapped protecting the bone structure of his massive hands.
"Benny who we got?" "You've got your usual line of drunkards and have a go heroes and those who want to say they've fought the bear but only three serious bouts." Byron flexing his fingers testing the wraps arched an inquisitive eye, "Tell me?" Re-packing his cloth tote bag the halfling continued, "You're facing the black-smith's son from Fullers Alley." “Williams boy from the Shingles? "Benny nodded, "Indeed. He's strong but no technique.” " I'll be gentle, Williams is a friend. " "Of course my Princess." Byron answering growl warned the halfling was on thin ice. " Next Adams you best him last month and he's back for the rematch." "Adams...why?' " I hear he's been spreading rumours about you and that others have taken the fall when facing you. " Byron forced his fingers apart stretching his fingers, "Him I shall not be so gentle with." "And then a Korovan guard, here to watch the main event but fancies himself safe against you. ..and his purse money." " Well Benny this Princess needs a new purse to buy more flowers, " Byron winked at the halfling " and you need more wraps so let's go take his money. "
And with that Byron and the halfling entered the walkway to the central arena to the sounds of the baying crowd, all cheering his name "Byron! Byron!
Fight night was on!
