Little Lightning

Chapter 38

Lor Zace smiled as he watched his newest prisoner through the camera in her cell. Her reaction told him everything he needed to know.

Lifting his hand, he flicked two of his claws as a gesture for a servant to come near.

"Bring her to me." He spoke in his native language, Kelkier, his tongue slipping and sliding over the vowels like they were ice.

The servant bowed and retreated silently. One of the nice things about having a Velzerian servant was that they were silent. Perhaps they couldn't speak. Whether it was part of their belief system or culture, he did not know, but the Velzerian's were famous for never speaking.

He watched the girl through the security camera installed in every cell. A small smile wormed its way onto his face as he watched the Valzerian turn off the force field keeping her in the cell, her face flicking through emotions like a book; confusion, anger, fear, all in a split second.

The girl followed the Valzerian, though somewhat warily, and he stood once she was out of the video screen. Brushing off his long black coat, he turned, eyeing the room. A mask-like air of cool confidence took over, smoothing his handsome features till they were near death-like. He stood there, perfectly still, until the door in front of him slid open, revealing the esteemed prisoner and the Valzerian. 

"Leave us." He demanded in Kelkier, knowing the girl wouldn't be able to understand him. The Valzerian bowed and slunk back into the darkness, silent as a shadow. Turning his attention to the girl, he eyed her. She was physically in shape, and from the glare she gave him, her mind was sharp, despite waking up only a few mere minutes ago from his electronode-induced coma. 

"Lyrical...Cyrax." The language of her people tasted odd in his mouth. It was such an odd combination of letters. "I've been looking for you." She didn't respond, only eyed him cautiously. He circled her slowly, scanning her. She turned with him, never letting her eye escape him. She was wise to keep her eye on him. 

"Looking for me?" She questioned, eyebrows furrowed in what was clearly confusion and worry. 

"Yes." He drawled, eye never leaving hers. Suddenly, he moved in front of her, gripping her chin like he had the first time, watching her for a reaction. She flinched slightly at his suddenly close presence, but kept eye contact. He let a small smile slip onto his face. This girl didn't give up a fight. Stepping back, he let go of her face. "You've done a exceptional job eluding me. Whether intentional or not, it took quite a good amount of effort to find you and acquire you." 

"What do you want with me?" She snapped, green eyes wide and full of fire.

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out." He snapped his fingers, Valzerian servants rushing in almost instantly. "Now, I suggest you get ready for the big event tonight. It's going to be..." He stopped, looking at her as she was quickly ushered away, grinning uncannily as she maintained eye contact just before the door closed. "...the time of your life." 

*                    *                   *

Lyrical tried to resist the odd silent servants, but it was no use. She didn't know where she was, or how to get out, so she might as well comply. 

"Where are we going?" She asked, only to be met with silence. She looked to the servant next to her, trying to see past the turban covering the entirety of their face to see the eyes underneath. Once again, she found nothing. 

After several twists and turns, she was shoved into a blindingly bright white room. More servants appeared, fast enough it was almost as if they were coming out of the walls. They pulled at her clothes, removing the ruined tank-top and shorts before she could protest. They shoved her into a pool of steaming purple water, and immediately began scrubbing her arms and hair.  Before she had time to relax, they shoved her out of the water and quickly pushed her towards a screen, shoving an arm full of clothes in her hands. She put on the gray pants, made of some heavenly soft material that reminded her of her fuzzy blanket back home, and the deep red sleeveless turtleneck. Slipping on the jacket, she found that there was some sort of device attached to the edge of the shoulder. Before she could find out what it was, a servant grabbed her arm and pulled her out from behind the screen, another one handing her a pair of armored boots, and yet another one handing her a pair of snug gloves that she slipped on. Pushing her into the chair in front of a clear sheet of glass, they tugged at her hair till it was secure on top of her head. As she sat, the clear glass sheet lit up with a blue tinted see through video. It spoke in a strange language, and midway through one of the servants pressed a see-through button that switched the language to English. 

"--and remember, have fun out there! Last of all, don't forget: don't die!" The upbeat voice said joyfully. 

"Wait, wha--" She was whisked away and out of the room, the joyful voice fading behind her and stopping completely as the door shut. She was pushed down more hallways, all of them looking the same. 

"What's going on?! Where are we going?!" She shouted, panicking a little now. But of course, the servants didn't respond. One of them turned to her and put a finger to where she assumed its lips were, signaling her to be quiet. Before she had time to wonder where it had learned that and if it really meant for her to be quiet or something else in alien, she was pushed into another room. 

This time though, she was alone. 

The room was grey, walls blank of embellishment and nothing but a hard bench against one side and dusty ground. In front of her was a large steel door that had a small inch wide slit in it, letting in just enough light for her to see her surroundings. She moved slowly towards it, pressing her eyes to the foot long opening. Once her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she sucked in a breath. In front of her, as far as she could see, was a huge sandy circle. Seats were stacked, football stadium style, above the arena, starting where the large wall ringing the arena started. Not only that, but every seat was filled with roaring spectators. 

"Oh no." She whispered, backing up as the faint roaring of crowd finally registered. "Oh no no no." Her stomach sank as fast as reality sank in. She was going to fight. In the arena. 

Gladiator style.