Part Nine

I looked over my shoulder in despairing hope that the door wasn’t really closed. It was. I turned back to the man and tried to figure out what strategy to take. Two doors on opposite ends of the arena opened. Two warriors walked out of each one of the doors and joined their companion in the center of the arena. I heaved a heavy sigh and wondered yet again how I got into this mess. Here I am in the arena with screaming people and five warriors staring me down. To top it off, I had a headache the size of Antarctica. I felt like collapsing into a feathered bed with fuzzy blankets and fluffy pillows. But alas, I couldn’t let myself get carried away with such things. There were a few weapons lying around the ground, probably left behind by some unfortunate loser of the last battle. I slowly picked up a sword and glared at the competition. Of the five, the original warrior was the largest. My situation looked pretty dim. There is no way I’m winning this. There isn’t really any way out except to fight either. I gripped the sword a little tighter and started walking toward the enemy. Any fear I had ebbed away in apathy. I already knew the outcome of this match. I stopped just a few feet from the five and stood before them. The leader looked me in the eyes and grinned.

“Afraid of death?” he asked.

I simply tilted my head with an unwavering stare and replied, “What’s the point in worrying about the inevitable?”

The man’s grin turned into a scowl. A warrior to his right dashed at me with his sword. I spun and let the sword slip harmlessly behind me. Meanwhile, I brought my sword up and swung it into the guy’s side. Hearing something behind me, I swiftly pulled my sword out and flipped it under my arm. I jabbed the sword behind me. I turned and saw that my sword was embedded in a warrior who tried to attack from behind. I yanked it out and slashed his neck. Someone came at me from the left side. I ducked and swept my sword low to the ground to get their feet. That one jumped out of the way, but something hit my right side so hard that I fell back and lost the hold I had on my sword. I pulled out two daggers with my left hand and threw them at an oncoming warrior. He dodged one by turning in time. The other dagger flew by the wayside harmlessly. This warrior came at me with an axe, probably intending to lop me in half. I rolled to the side and hopped to my feet. I winced as pain seared through my right side. The warrior pressed forward and swung his axe at me from all different angles. It took all my skill and concentration to keep dodging the fatal instrument. I dove for a stray dagger, picked it up, and dodged another axe swing. After his next swing, I jumped forward and dug the dagger into his neck before he had time to maneuver the axe for protection. As he collapsed, I took the axe and swung it at another warrior’s feet. When this one jumped over the axe, I moved toward another sword lying on the ground. Keeping the enemy at bay with the axe was hard, but I managed to make it to the sword. I picked up the sword with my free hand and attempted to wield both the axe and sword. I didn’t care if I knew what I was doing or not. As long as I’m still alive, I’m ok. I actually managed to bat this warrior’s sword away. I chucked the axe into his body and attacked the warrior coming up behind him. Our swords met in midair, but he shoved my sword back. This warrior had an open gash in his side and was bleeding profusely, but didn’t seem to be letting it bother him. Granted, he swayed a little when he stood in place. He lunged for me with his sword. With a twirl, I batted his sword away and drove my sword into his gut. I turned to face the last warrior standing. Not surprisingly, it was the same one that had faced me before. The big one.

The roar of the crowd grew louder. I hadn’t noticed how loud the crowd was while I was fighting. I could only recall a loud hum every time one of my opponents fell. I brushed away these thoughts and focused on the warrior. There was a certain kind of fire in his eyes. Under normal circumstances, I would have been too terrified to keep eye contact. But these were not normal circumstances. I was not afraid. Before, I had been fighting for survival. Now that this is that last one standing, it seemed like something so much more than that, though the element of survival was still there. I stared him down. I knew that if I looked away, if I let my guard slip in the slightest, he would jump at the opportunity and hack me down in a moment. I wasn’t about to let that happen. Apparently impatient with the delayed flow of action, he lunged at me. In an instant, I rolled out of the way. I threw a dagger at him and watched it graze his leg. He glanced down at the wound and kept his glare on me, seemingly unharmed. He picked up a fallen spear and swept it low. I hopped over the spear and reached for a dagger to embed in his neck as I did one of the other warriors. The situation became very real when I realized I was out of daggers, but it was too late. I was already too close. The enemy abruptly jabbed his elbow into my face, knocking me to the ground. Before I could react, I found the spear implanted through my shoulder armor and into the ground. I struggled to get free, thrashing my legs wildly. I saw a sword not far from me so I reached for it with all my might. I managed to pull away from the spear just as he dove at me. I grabbed the handle of the blade and thrust it forward with my eyes shut.

Part Eight

I glared at him. Expecting me? Why would he have any reason to expect me? I licked my lips while mentally reaching for some kind of smart aleck reply.
Smirking, I said, “Sorry I’m late. Next time, can you sic your puppies on someone else?”
“Is that your attempt at being funny?” Tyrone asked.
“Actually, it was my attempt at insulting.” I admitted, putting my hand to my chin thoughtfully. “Would it work if I called you a pig?”
Tyrone closed his eyes and pursed his lips for a few moments before finally saying, “Dungeon.”
The guards grabbed both of my arms and pulled backward. I squirmed and pulled, trying to get away. “Let me go, you heard of swine!”
“Tisk, tisk, listen to that bitter tongue. Certainly, you were taught better. Then again, you wouldn’t have been lurking through my castle otherwise, now would you?” Tyrone said following the guards.
“What’s the matter, prince? Too high and mighty to be seen with the common folk?” I shot back.
“Commoners I can handle,” Tyrone replied. “It’s the lowlife I detest.”
At that point, I caught a glimpse of metallic blue by Tyrone’s side. The sword! I struggled against the guards’ grip and managed to grab a dagger from behind my back. I swung my arm out and hit one of the guards. I’m not even sure where it hit. I just know that he let go and Tyrone shouted for more guards. I swung around the other guard and, whipping out another dagger with my free hand, slashed at the hands holding my arm. Once the second guard let go, I was free! I spun around and saw the glint of blue again as Tyrone reached for the sword. I dove for the sword and knocked Tyrone to the ground. I lucked out in that I grabbed the hilt before Tyrone had fully unsheathed the sword. Once my eyes locked on the blade, I couldn’t pull away. I was lost in the glassy surface. It was as if the smooth surface rippled with power. I could tell the edge was supremely sharp just by looking at it. The twin dragonheads sprouting from the hilt looked ready to come alive. Power emanated from this sword, I could feel it. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sword. Unfortunately, my lack of action resulted in someone else breaking my eye contact by putting a cloth sack over my head. The next thing I know, I’m being dragged from behind in total darkness. Of course, I’m kicking and screaming “let me go” as loudly as I can. They finally took the sack off my head and shoved me backward. I fell and the back of my head hit the cold stone floor. I rubbed my head and curled up in pain. I fought back tears of anguish as Tyrone crouched beside me. He tilted his head again and brushed aside the hair in my face.
“That could have gone a lot better, you know,” he said softly.
“I don’t care!” I said between ragged breaths, trying not to sound pitifully weak.
“A little girl like you shouldn’t be in this business. I suppose we can’t help our fate.”
“You don’t know me,” I muttered while trying not to lose my already slipping consciousness.
“You’re different,” he continued. “Some times that’s the only thing that matters.”
He stood up and walked away. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but gave in to the overwhelming darkness.

~ * ~

I woke up to the scratching sound of metal against stone. I opened my eyes to find a tray nearby. I ever so slowly sat up with pain pulsing through my head. On the tray was a bowl of water, a bowl of mush and an apple. I drank the water, but didn’t bother with the food. I looked around the small cell. It wasn’t much. Iron bars for walls, cobblestone floors, a rickety and probably termite infested wooden bench in the corner. I watched several guards come up to the cell door and unlock it. One of them opened the door and said, “Come on, lass. Tyrone wants a word with you before he sends you to your death.”
I slowly stood up and answered, “A lovely invitation, but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”
“Too bad, you might not get another chance for pleasant conversation before your likely demise.” A voice spoke up from another side of the cell.
I looked around for Tyrone, but couldn’t find the source. In that split second, a guard had managed to get the sack over my head again and lock my wrists in place behind my back. I was unable to break free before they bound my hands. Smart move, I thought to myself, very smart. They yanked me forward. Since I couldn’t see where I was going, my hands were tied, and my headache kept me from thinking clearly anyway, I really had no choice except to follow. How in the world do I keep getting myself into these horrid situations? Really, I thought I was better than that. Did I miss the chance to have a normal, happy life somewhere? Isn’t there some turn I was supposed to take at Albuquerque or something? How do things always get so rotten for me? Ever since...
It was at that moment that the sack was yanked off and the ropes were cut off my hands. I was shoved forward and fell to my knees. Over the roar of some noise, I heard a door slam shut behind me. Blinding light kept me from focusing on where I was, but the familiar noise gave me a murky idea. My eyes adjusted to the light and I took in the scene before me. Dusty ground lay before me. The high walls on either side of me held thousands of screaming people. I was in the arena again. About ten yards away stood a tall man clad in random pieces of bloody armor.
My heart sank.