Carnage
It felt like i walked through red fog for an eternity , before the the very ground bellow my feet disappeared . Then I was stuck in free-fall , sharp wind blowing all around me . Before i had time to completely panic , my body hit solid ground and the breath knocked out of me.
I opened my eyes to a hole in the ceiling and various plants climbing down through it . It was late afternoon i figured , by the colours of the slowly darkening sky and proped myself up on my elbows. My vision was still swimming, but slowly cleared to reveal a closed , cave chamber around me . No one else here , but me. That brought me some relief and i layed back down for a minute , waiting for my head to stop spinning. It was so quiet , nothing but my breaths echoing.
Once i felt stable enough i stood up , carefully inspecting my body for any damage. There was non thank gods . I mumbled and looked all around me. Nothing but bare cave walls and stones, no visible way out. It wasn't until i took a step forward, that a loud hiss came from bellow my feet. I looked down to find a plate , carved from the stone underneath my foot. A strange mark encrusted into it. Memories flashed in my head. I'd seen that piedestal before.
In the ballroom , just before they took us. This was in my head.
- Well guess i fucking made it. I sarcasmed trying to ease my nerves.
Sarcasm ? Not very helpful sometimes have I mentioned that?
A loud rumble followed and it froze me in place , my head snapping towards its source. An opening slowly appeared into the stone ahead, like a wall pulling into itself to create a passage.
Yep. Definitely made it. I thought and took careful steps forward. I had no weapons on me , so i raised my guard up as soon , as i neared the new entrance.
Peeking around fast however, i found it empty and another chamber visible at the end. So i walked in slowly keeping my steps light , as i tip toed forward.
This one was smaller then the last , the skylight above my head shining down on a pillar in the middle. No visible exit.
I approached carefully and finally confirmed my suspicions.
On top of a metal tray stood two items - a belt of black throwing knifes , not just any knives , my knives, which were supposed to be hanging in Abrasax's mannor right now.
And my wand just beside them , the dragon eyes shining back at me .
How in the gods deepest hell are they here?
Magic the other side of me sarcasmed.
An inscription in Amarun was carved into the tray just above them.
" only one" the inscription read. Without hesitation i removed my jacket and picked up the belt , strapping it around my chest. Taking out one knife i measured the weight in my hands just in case, before sheathing it back. It was mine alright , slightly heavier at the edge. Better aiming.
The tray , disappeared like it was never there to begin with and a familiar rumble shook the chamber around me again. Fresh air caressed my face , coming from the newly formed exit and i took a deep breath , before i started walking. This is it i thought, as i spotted the brighter light on the other end of a short tunnel.
Positioning my hands close to the knifes i walked in and towards the light .
I was standing on an ledge just a few feet above the muddy ground.
A tropical forest spread in front of my eyes . Massive trees , which seemed to grasp for the huge skylight above them and yet not nearly close. Thick foliage spread between them , making it impossible to see anything beyond the first tree line. The jungle was surrounded by high jagged cave walls , going up before they gave out to a massive opening in the ceiling.
There was trees everywhere you look , for a considerable distance , before they hit the wall. Massive.
Cave systems. The tournament arena is a cave system i realised and let myself a breath of small relief.
I know caves. I grew up in one of the biggest ones. Thank the fucking gods known terrain. See if this place was a desert, i am pretty sure, i would have been dead before nightfall. I had never , ever ,?been in a desert in my life. Also blasting sun followed my a freezing cold at night? I think not. I had better chances here.
- Attention . All champions have now entered the arena. The tournament will begin shortly. An anouncer boomed through the chamber and i ducked closely to the ground keeping my eyes ahead. Huge red numbers appeared in the air . A clock that showed 00:20.
- Upon the clock hitting 0 all champions must leave their positions or their lives will be forfeit.
-20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 10 . The announcer began counting down and I quickly stood up , scanning a possible way forward and preparing to bolt.
Grabbing two cat claws in my hands i focused on my right, where the jungle was close to the wall. It's my safer bet . The cave wall will cover my right flank so that i can focus entirely on the left . If anyone comes at me , ill see them before they see me.
Thats the plan.
Adrenaline rushed to my head and my heart picked up.
- 9, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The announcer count down and a booming sound echoed above me. I jumped on the ground and bolted to the right of the jungle , before the boom even finished. The muddy ground underneath my boots was slippery, but i made it to the treeline fast . I kept on running right the wall now close to my shoulder , my eyes roamed left , as multiple sounds of movements reached me . Breaking of twigs, snapping of leaves. Footsteps.
A loud cry of pain pierced the air , from somewhere , followed by a loud canon and my feet began moving faster. Branches and leaves smacked in my face ,as i jumped above fallen logs and rushed forward.
The familiar clash of metal ringed too close to my left flank , before more yells filtered through. Too close , too close. Panic rushed into me ,as i looked around and I couldn't see them. The forest was too damn thick. Another loud canon boomed through the air and i realised it's meaning. Death.
The realisation got me changing the direction , from left to up.
Vantage point. We need need a vantage point. We are running blind. The other side of me yelled in my head and i ran towards the cave walls .
I paused just for a moment to scan above me and noticed a ledge up high. Hard climb for most. Not me thank fucking gods, fuck me. Fuck. I swore and put the knives away . My hands grasped the stone lifting me up, muscle memory kicking in before my mind did.
Then i was moving.
More shouts , echoed somewhere in the distance and i ignored them , focusing ahead. My right hand reached for a oval boulder and i pulled myself up , moving steadily. No canons yet , but the battle raged , as i scaled upwards. Almost there , almost there.
I had to let go of one hand and lift myself up perpendicularly , to reach the ledge. Once my hand had a solid grip , i let my body hang in the air and used the momentum to secure my other hand, before pulling myself up. My muscles began burning from the strain and the breath got stuck in my throat as i hoisted myself up. A small crevice greteed me on the other side a dead end , but a good place to hide and i slammed myself down to the ground taking a deep breath in.
Another canon filled the distance making me crawl to the edge
I could see them now. The forest foliage moving in their way. Not close enough to see the champions , but enough to see their locations.
Some running in the middle of the jungle , some towards the right.
3 canons. 3 dead already and we haven't even started . 22 more to go i thought and panic suddenly pierced my chest. Matheo! I need to find Matheo! Please be alive. I mumbled and scoured everything.
- She went this way i saw her! Come on. An unfamiliar voice yelled somewhere close and i looked down from the edge.
3 figures dressed in diffrent uniforms passed , where i used to be. Weapons shone in their hands, but I couldn't see their faces. Amaruns. No wizard would pick a blade instead of a wand. I watched them quietly , as they ran forward not one of them thought to look up . It made me exhale a breath of relief , once they continued into the jungle and away from me.
That was close. Too close.
Lifting myself off the ground i moved back to the crevice , while scanning the expanse around me. The trees made it nearly impossible to see bellow , but there were clearings here and there. A large rock formation on the opposite end , that seemed to connect to the wall , creating a corner.
The skylight above me began darkening, signalling night wasn't far off. Moving into the dark might be my forte , but I wasn't stupid or naive enough to walk back down there again and blind. Blood tournaments mimic real places. Real terrains. Real magic. They also have various tests and dangers within it's borders . The real danger wasn't just the champions placed inside , but the arena itself . I had no intention , of figuring out what lurks in this place at night. So i scanned the grounds one more time for him. Any sign of him.. but the jungle had now turned quiet, no movement. It filled me with dread , that he would be stuck out there and i took a seat on the ground , closing my eyes with a purpose in mind.
Matheo is the dark heir. I was in his head once. I can do it again.
I tried to imagine his face first , letting the shadows escape my hands freely.
There was no current, no sign , nothing i could grasp too . So i tried to imagine his mask instead. His muddled voice.
Then there was a flicker of a feeling, not a channel , more of a thread and i focused on it , keeping my eyes closed.
I prayed to all gods known , old and new , that the thread meant he is alive. It had to. He can't die on me.
The tendril straightened and i felt my magic connect to it. He is alive.. thanks gods he is alive.
Suddenly anger flooded me like a blast and my breath started coming up short. Blurry images started flashing in front of my eyes. Trees with strange green trunks . Another figure running ahead.
- Move bloke, we gotta find a way out . The figure yelled at me and i realised this is not my head. The tendril pulled violently.
- Matheo. Matheo. I yelled out and the anger was quickly replaced by confusion. The images came to a still .
- What the bloody hell are you doing . We can't stop. The figure yelled out and turned , an unfamiliar face greeting me.
- Carnage? It boomed back in my head so loudly it made me cover my ears, as if it's gonna help.
- Who you talking to? The man asked and i felt the magic weaken .
- Shut up and stay quiet. Matheo bit out and the man froze in place.
- Matheo listen to me. You need to hide. Don't get caught on the ground at night. Hide. Wait for the morning. I yelled out grasping at the tendril of connection. More confusion filled my being . His confusion.
- Are you in my head? Carnage can you hear me? His voice boomed again and the connection flickered again.
- Yes i am , but it's failing. Hide Matheo. Hide. I yelled back and just like that the tether disappeared abruptly , making my eyes snap open.
The confusion i felt disappeared entirely , as i stared at darkening horizon ahead , knowing there is nothing more i could do now.
Hide. I whispered into the wind and reached for his bracelet still handing on my arm. Hide Matheo.
