The Forest for the Trees
1945 Day 153
Between Regan and Vent

Nashgoln strode through the trees slowly, showing his age.  Velgut was tiring
quickly of this, as his usual purposeful stride was not at all possible following the old
minstrel with Hogran walking between them.  Hogran was using his energy quickest of all,
stumbling forward carefully being blindfolded and having his hands tied behind his back.
	"You know," Hogran mumbled from under his mask, "If the Subadars see us like
this, they'll kill the two of you and force me to fight in the arenas."
	Nashgoln turned his head, "Who are the Subadars?"
	Velgut silently noted that Nashgoln had said this breathlessly and kept walking. 
He’s not showing his true limits, he doesn't fully trust me yet.  "The Subadars run
gladiator arenas, snatching up prisoners, runaways, unsuspecting travelers and anyone else
they can.  They make them fight in any town or village with a paying crowd." Velgut said. 
He had circled the island more than once.
	"Why have I never heard of them?" asked Nashgoln.
	"They only operate on the southwestern coast, well over a months journey from
here." Hogran mumbled.  Velgut actually grinned, watching the cloth of the sack over
Hogran’s head being sucked in and out as he breathed.  He may choke to death on
that...oh well.
	"Ah, that would explain it." Nashgoln muttered.  "I have traveled extensively, but
mainly on the northern coast.  Velgut, shall we rest?  I guess we both can't sit at the same
time in case Hogran takes off running, but-"
	Velgut quickly scooped up a log in his hands and busted it over Hogran’s head. 
The masked prisoner didn't fall but spun around dazedly until going head first into a tree. 
He fell down on his back and lay unconscious.  That’s only the beginning for you my
former friend!
	The two artists sat and Nashgoln apparently wanted to know more about the
Subadars.  "Do they really make people fight for entertainment?  To the death?"
	"Fight for entertainment yes, but not to the death.  The gladiators do not fight one
another, but as a team."
	"A team?  Against who?"
	"Local teams.  They don't use real weapons either, they profess loyalty to Hyru
and feel that using real weapons might be seen as a threat or disrespect to his armies. 
They use wooden swords, sticks, rocks or whatever else suits them....sometimes-" Velgut
burst out laughing "-I saw them break out into a food fight once, both teams with the
crowd.  Entertainment warriors throwing the crowds tomatoes back at them."
	"What do the local teams get if they win?"
	"The village virgins."
	"Huh?!" Nashgoln was incredulous.
	"Technically, nothing but honor and pride, but you remember how much I sneak
around at night and especially right outside towns.  I know what they really win..."
	"What do the Subadar gladiators win?"
	"The better they are the more likely they are to survive the Subadar Harvest."
Velgut stopped for a second, somewhat disturbed at the thoughts.  "The Subadar are
cannibals one holiday every year.  The rest of the time they're vegetarians."
	"Reminds me of that old rumor that Rampage used to take one day of the year to
throw a party and not kill anyone.  Of course the joke was that anyone who witnessed it
never lived to tell about it."
	"That jokes older than you are, Nashgoln." Velgut chuckled.  Slapping the other 
man’s knee, he rose.  "Let’s rouse our friend and be going."