Contents
40. Glassfall
Overview
Kinch unlocks the Ludus gate to free the King’s Own Dead as Erydoni soldiers arrive. A catastrophic glassfall from the mountain massacres the soldiers, allowing the gladiators to slaughter the survivors. Rejecting the wider street battle, Kinch and Galva decide to flee toward the palace and the sky, hinting at an aerial escape.
Summary
Kinch struggles to pick the oversized Ludus gate lock while Galva and the imprisoned gladiators urge him on. Erydoni soldiers in blackglass armor advance in formation, their commander demanding Kinch step away. Kinch stalls them and commits to freeing the fighters, earning Galva’s approving nod.
At last, Kinch cracks the complex mechanism and slips inside as the gate opens. A fresh detonation from the mountain unleashes a devastating hail of rock and blackglass. The soldiers are caught in the open; many are impaled, while a few stand in the Posture of Receiving, accepting the deadly rain.
When the barrage lightens, the gladiators surge out and overwhelm the stunned remnants of the garrison, butchering them with arena weapons. Galva kills one soldier before Kinch insists this is not their fight and that they must get home.
Kinch points toward the palace and then upward, and Galva understands the plan. After a brief, fierce embrace and Spanth-style slap sealing their resolve, the pair run, leaving the street battle behind and aiming for escape via the sky.
Who Appears
- KinchNarrator-thief; unlocks the Ludus gate, frees gladiators, rejects battle, and leads a flight toward the palace and sky.
- GalvaWarrior ally; endorses Kinch’s risk, kills a soldier, then chooses escape over slaughter.
- Erydoni commanderLeads wall garrison; orders Kinch to desist; stands in Receiving posture during the glassfall.
- The King’s Own Dead (gladiators)Imprisoned fighters Kinch frees; they charge out and butcher surviving soldiers.
- Quarter-giant gladiatorMouthy fighter who taunts Kinch; joins the gladiators’ assault after the glassfall.