Aliens: Finding Void

Chapter Eight

Daeus's POV

"What the hell is the ring?!" I yelled frantically as they started to drag me off in the distance. Vrillyn and Vri were kept still as I struggled against the Yukor despite the terrible pain going through my body from the collar. The ring sounded like a terrible place and I did not want to die. I could not die.

The Yukor supposedly in charge stared at me, a malicious smile crossing his face. His licked his lips and I cringed at how his eyes seemed to sparkle in glee. What the hell was this place? What the hell were these people thinking?

Everything just seemed like one fucked up nightmare that I couldn't escape.

I started to feel dizzy due to the amount of blood I was loosing through the nails of the Yukor dragging me. They were surprisingly strong and the grip they had on me felt unbreakable. They didn't even bat an eye at my clawing at them. It was like I was nothing but an annoyance and not a real threat.

Suddenly we stopped and I stood, panting. A loud cacophony met my ears and I cringed. Bright lights flooded my vision and I guided through a door and into a loud arena. Dust filled the air and I could barely see the stands of thousands of Yukor, rooting and cheering in their language. It was almost like a chant going around, a song of demise.

Vri and Vrillyn were beside me, the Yukor holding them stared at me and then smiled sinisterly. It sent chills down my spine.

"He's telling us to say goodbye," Vrillyn told me, her eyes conveying an emotion I couldn't understand. "Whatever you do, don't give up or back down. No matter what is out there, you cannot stop. It is the only way you will live."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't say anything. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Were they expecting me to fight?

The two were jerked away, leading to a spot in the stands. The Yukor holding me shoved me into a cage-like area and shut the bars behind me. My fur was on end and everything was loud. Everything was bright and the only thing I could understand was the fear coming from my friends and the excitement coming from the crowd.

The leader Yukor from before was in the middle of the arena, standing on a floating platform. He eyed me before turning to the center. A hand raised and he shouted in his native tongue, causing the crowd to get louder and there was an almost earthquake rumble through the ground.

A buzzer sounded and the bars in front of me opened. The ones behind me slowly pushed me out of the cage and into the dusty arena. At first, the place was empty aside from the leader Yukor. He gave me a smirk before the platform took off and he was in the crowd. The blood stains covering the dirt was one indicator that this was a fighting arena.

Another buzzer and the ground under me shook as the entrance on the other side slowly rose, exposing a beast larger than I had ever seen. It stepped into the light and I paled, taking a step back, but there was not exit.

It's body was huge and covered in scars. It's legs were like trunks. It's head extended from a long, barbed neck and giant, irregular teeth filled it's open mouth. It had no eyes, but gaping holes were eyes should have been and somehow it knew exactly where I was.

The thing came for me and I ran. I was smaller and faster, but it didn't need to be fast to catch up to me. Long spindly arms sprouted from it's rounded torso, each hand tipped with giant serrated claws. He yowled a blood-curdling, ear-piercing shriek and charged, causing the ground to shake. How in the hell were they expecting me to fight that thing?! How in the hell was I even supposed to survive to make a plan?!

"You have to kill it!!!" Came Vri's frantic scream. I was lucky he was loud cause I could easily hear him over the roar of the crowd. But how in the universe was I supposed to kill it??

The beast roared and my body froze involuntarily. A single hand swept into my side and I could no longer breath as I was tossed into the air. Panic consumed me, but before I could land, the thing was under me, it's jaws agape.

Without thinking, I spun in the air and thrust my claws out, catching the tip of it's nose and digging in. "I will not die!" I screamed, frantically climbing it's face and digging in.

It started swinging it's head, trying to dislodge me, but I held on, slowly crawling up to the holes in it's face. A large gaping void that seemed to stare right through me. I couldn't fight it. I couldn't hurt it in any way to subdue it. The only way I would win is by killing it. But how?

The beast snarled, trying to swipe me off with it's arms, but it couldn't reach. It bucked and shook it's head, almost frantic. I peered into the holes and knew what I had to do.

Plunging all four arms into the hole, my hands came in contact with something squishy and gooey. The beast shrieked and I went further, my claws dug in to the skin of the beast to hold on. "I will not be killed." I growled and ripped out whatever it was I was holding.

Green slop shot from the hole and suddenly the green goo was all over me, pouring from the holes. The beast roared, but the sound was gurgled. It swayed twice before collapsing and I stood victorious on top of it's corpse.

My hearts were beating and the blood rushing through my body felt electric. I roared, almost energized. Yet the crowd booed and I could tell they were displeased. I was not a quitter. I did not give up!

Turning, I spotted Vrillyn and Vri, both starring at me stunned before Vri started cheering. "That's my boy! You dominated! I have faith in you!"

His words made me feel elated, like I could do anything. I had barely even fought, yet I had won. If I had not tried to do something, it would have killed me.

The lead Yukor floated back down on his platform and yelled something in his language. The crowd quieted for a minute before they were surging over the edge of the arena. The sounds of teeth and claws tearing through flesh was prevalent and a rotten smell floated into the air as the Yukor devoured the beast I had just killed.

The lead Yukor was grabbing me and dragging me back into the cage, dropping me from above. He sneered and then was gone. I was alone, covered in green goop, shaking from adrenaline. But the reality of my situation came crashing down, crushing any hope I had of leaving.

It was either kill or be killed. And unless there was a way out, I would be killed.