My Cosmical Romance

Chapter 25

The two gladiators rode in from opposite sides of the arena on horseback, to the blast of a loud, triumphant fanfare. They looked splendid, with shining gold plated armour placed around their unbuttoned tunics that looked like it covered nothing that it should cover, revealing the suggestion of their six packs underneath. They both had helmets, obliterating view of their face, each with a feathery plume sticking out of the top. One of them red, one of them black.

The black feathered guy was obviously meant to be the bad guy and Ray found it almost pantomime how he played up to the audience's boos and jeers.

They both dismounted their horses, who shared the same armour and colour scheme and marched towards each other, drawing their daggers.

Ray covered his eyes preparing for a bloodbath, but was surprised to see them not go for it straight away, but edge around, delaying, playing it up to the crowd and the emperor.

One would swipe, the other would duck and vice versa. Each time the audience would get more and more riled up.

"This is ridiculous" Ray sighed, shaking his head.

It reminded him of the wrestling tournaments Gerard and Frank would sometimes make him watch. They seemed to get super into it but Ray never liked it. It all seemed to fake.

And anyway, if he wanted to watch half naked men roll around in each other's sweat there were much better platforms for that then wrestling.

He uncovered his eyes. Just in time to see the one in the red helmet get stabbed, just above his cervix.

"Ooooohhh" the audience winced.

But the red guy got up and shook it off. He then lunged towards the black feather guy.

Ray covered his eyes again but still heard the clink of metal on metal and gruesome splurges of blood as well the the audiences responsive reactions.

He dared to uncover his eyes to see how the others were taking it. The Doctor, Rose and Mikey all looked unfazed which was weird, he did notice that Mikey had gone a bit green though.

At his other side Bill and Ted looked absolutely mesmerised by the display of violence in front of them, they both were jaw dropped and Ray looked on with disgust at the chewed up roasted door mice.

He then caught in the corner of his eye the scene from the arena. The black feathered gladiator was lying in a pile of blood on the sawdust while the red feathered one looked expectectantly towards the emperor.

Ray turned his gaze in that direction, as did the rest of the audience.

The emperor stood up, he looked like he was about to make an important decision and the crowd murmured in anticipation. Ray caught snippets of what they were saying.

"He's making his decision!" ..."Is he going to release the creature?"..."That gladiator will be no match!"..."I hope he releases it!"..."What will he decide?"

"What creature?" Ray turned to ask the Doctor "what's going on?"

"I'm not sure" admitted the time lord "sometimes the gladiators are made to fight lions or wild dogs, maybe that's happening?"

There was a roar from the audience, it seemed the emperor had made his decision. All heads were turned towards the caged door at the side of the arena.

"Release the beast!" Cried the emperor, and the cage swung open.

What stepped out of the cage was no wild dog nor lion, this creature walked on his hind legs, human like legs. He was covered in hair and had no clothes except a small rag around his middle. What was most horrifying was his head, which was that of a raging bull.

"Is that..." Ray stammered, unable to speak. He turned to The Doctor who had gone a deathly pale colour.

"Y-yes it's a..."

"MINOTAUR!!!!!!!!!"