Clip's Plight

session 2 episode 2

Scene: inside Clip’s dark cell

A bright torch light shined into the cell waking Clip who was huddled in the corner. Shielded her eyes she thought. Too bright. She looked thin with cracked lips.
“Get up.” said a deep voice.
Juko. Clip thought. Clip stood, and stumbled, grabbing the wall. How long was I laying there. She managed to stand and walk to the horribly bright light, trying not to shield her burning eyes.
“Change into these.” he handed her a bundle. “I’ll wait out here.”

Scene: dark passageway

Clip followed Juko down a long hallway. This must be some kind of a maze. so many lefts and rights.  Clip thought. They reached a lit up hall. It opened up into a large closed in amphitheater.
Juko stopped at the edge of a high balcony that overlooked the amphitheater. “Do you want your weapons back?”
“Yes.” Clip said suspiciously.
Juko nodded. “Good. My goal is for you to get stronger and learn to channel their energy. Your goal is to get your weapons back. Do you understand.”
Clip wrinkled her forehead. “I can’t channel their energy if I don’t have them.” She said.
“You will learn to fight with one of them until you can channel that weapons energy. If at the end of a trial, you fail, l keep possession of your weapons; but if you succeed you will keep the one you fought with for the evening.”
Juko pointed to the amphitheater grounds. Tesh stood there holding Bink in shield form. “Bink.” Clip siad.
“If you call your weapon to return outside of this amphitheater- Tesh will take a bite out of him or her. You do remember what happened to your siblings axe, don’t you.” Clip nodded. “I’m glad you are finally seeing reason. Perhaps the day will come when we can see eachother on equal grounds. Maybe even be friends again.” Juko said then pushed Clip forward off the balcony.

Clip’s knees buckled and she tumbling into a roll bouncing back to her feet.
“Tesh return.” Juko siad. Tesh zipped away leaving only Bink cladering down on the platform.
‘Bink return.” Clip yelled. She caught him in the air and squeeze him aginster her. “Bink I missed you so much. I hope Mico is okay.” Something made a guttural sound behind her. Clip turned around to see a large fire camel. “Oh gore.” She said and jumped out of the way it's burning hot tentacle. It smacked into the ground. Smoke sizzled and sputtered where she had been. Her nose wrinkled, burnt rock smoke wafed. The fire camel snorted and darted forward.
“How the crumbledung do you expect me to defeat this thing with a shield!” She yelled.

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Juko shouted back down to her. “Otherwise you’ll have another lonely lonely night.”
Focus. She thought and began to draw out Binks energy the hair on her arms buzzed with it. I feel safe, protected, shielded. Clip leaped away from another tentacle. It retracted back into its fiery hump and shot back out again. Clip swung Bink above her head jumping up as the tentacle struck. She came back down on it using Bink’s edge to smash the tentacle, slicing it off. The fire camel screamed, retracting its blooded noodle back into its hump.
The camel reared back its head and spat a liquid that caught on fire seconds after it left its mouth.
“This thing is going to goring kill me!” She shouted up to Juko barely pivoting out of the line of fire.
“I wouldn’t let it kill you dear but it might brutally maime you.” Juko said picking some dirt out of his nail.
Bink sputtered out. The energy and the feeling of safety, gone. “Oh no not now.” Clip said. The camels remaining tentacle darted in Clips direction. It caught her. She screamed from the burns it inflicted and released Bink. The camel flicked her into the stone platform.
Clip sat up. Juko was standing over a knocked out fire camel. She saw Bink on the ground next to her and quickly grabbed him.
“Hand him over Clip. You lost.” Juko said.
“Please let me keep him.” She said softly.
“That's not how this works. If you don’t want your sword to become a snack, I suggest you hand him over.” Juko said. Clip squished Bink one more time and handed him over to Juko. “Don’t be too upset. Win the fight tomorrow and you can have him that evening. Come. I’ll show you to your new living quarters.” Clip looked at him questionly. “I wasn’t going to keep you in that cell. Do you think I’m a monster.” Her eyes harded “Clearly you do.” Juko said, smiling. “ The cell was only a punishment for your lack of cooperation in the desert. Lets go. I have things to do.”