Revenants of the Past- Book Two of Selective Breeding

Chapter Fifty Three

A large crowd of cheering fans echoed around the arena. As all species alike gather around. Stomping, cheering, hecklings and screaming. A top a large platform sat the Arena Chairmen, the one who ran the show. He stepped out and looked at the bloodbath below.

He raised his hand high into the air causing the crowd to go even more wild than before. He held it there holding out the excitement and anticipation longer. Then pointed down.

Below, Ratok held a poor human in his arms, as he watched the chairman give him the ending blow que. WIth quick precision a loud snap was heard as Ratok twisted their head breaking their neck and finishing them. The crowd stomped and cheer shaking the ground he stood on.

He took a few uneasy steps, back, he was exhausted, his muscles were still weak. He was still weak from the experiments forced upon him. Though he suffered through the best he could. His body threatened to give out at any moment.

After the crowd settled Ratok was escorted back into a room by himself, where he collapsed after the guards left. Trembers took over his body as he fought back the pain that wrecked his muscles.

He was certain he wasn't going to survive this. But he had to keep trying.

As he was about to slip into a fitful sleep, to regain some strength for the next round, he heard a voice from the past.

"Well, well, well. Is that the youngest Medved boy I see behind these bars?"

Ratok almost cried, not another dream when he rolled over and looked towards the bars. Seeing another Bear-animal kin standing on the other side of the bars he was behind. He blinked a few times taking in the view, it was not a dream.

The female bear kin, stood with an arm on the bars and the other on her hip, accentuating her curves. Unlike Ratok, she was more bear than human, her face muzzled out, and fur coated her body heavily.

Her fur was a light blond, with some reddish brown highlights patched in around.

Ratok rolled to sit up and placed his feet on the floor. She hadn't changed a bit. "Katrina?"

"In the flesh, now little Rathbone Medved, how the hell did you manage to get behind these bars?" she said, moving to stand up, and cross her arms.

"That isn't my name, not anymore."

She nodded, "I heard- *Ratok*, now how did the youngest Medved ended up in a place like this?"

Ratok stood and walked over, leaning his arm against the bar, "I was Betrayed."

"Ironic."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, your wanted by your family for betraying them." she snicked, "SO Ironic"

Ratok snorted in her face, "I didn't betray them, they betrayed me, my entire life, so I left. If you remember clearly I was always the mistake child."

Katrina smirked, and turned herself a bit again. "Still so bitter.

"Hardly" Ratok scoffed, "So, what are you even doing here?" his curiosity getting the better of him.

Katrina smiled, "Originally? To find you."

"I'm flattered."

"Don't be. Like I said, your parents are still putting up a very high price on your skull to bring you back home. They put my family up to the task at first, when my parents and brothers couldn't finish the job, when I came of age I took up the task." she crossed her arms, and stood back on her hip.

"Well job complete."

Katrina snorted in amusement, "Not really, while I was out chasing you through the cosmos, I found, this place, and these people." she waved her arms to gesture everything bout them. "It is thrilling, adventurous, dangerous, and it lets me get my-" she leaned in close to the bars, "Natural instincts out, when ever I want them" she showed her teeth that were stained with blood from years of use. "I found my haven, and I never looked back, nor cared about tracking you down."

"Your welcome?" Ratok questioned.

"Don't flatter yourself Rath, you're the one in a cage right now. And I'm not." Katrina turned away from him.

"Wait- Kat."

She paused. "Yes?"

"I need your help."

"Too win? I mean I have some performance enha-"

"No" Ratok growled. "A different kind of help."

Katrina's eye brow perked, "Oh? Which is."

Ratok looked side to side, wondering if anyone was listening in, just to be safe he waved her closer. Katrina walked over, he grabbed her shirt and pulled her close whispering in her ear.

"That's bold, and dangerous." Katrina said, cocking her head to the side, she thought for a moment and smiled. "I'll help, but I'll need something in return."

"Name your price." Ratok said, stepping back and crossing his arms.

"Well, I am in a bit of a dry spe-"

"NOT, happening, name something else."

"I thought you said, anything-"

"I have someone" he corrected ones in his head but he didn't need to go through that convoluted concept with her.

"Oh? Is she pretty?"

"An art piece,"

"Brunette?"

"Mixed, little blond, lotta red, bit of white"

"A cinnamon bear?"

"No sh-"

"Grizzly?"

"Not even an animal-kin"

"Oh, exotic is she now?" Katrina smirked. "Fine- I'll be nice, besides your not my type anyway, your too soft and fluffy, got all that icky emotions and stuff." she teased. "How about I ask for an I owe you, and then tell what I want later."

"At this point, whatever you please."

"Good," she grinned, "And I'll also put you off until the end of the next round, you look like fresh out the womb cub could beat the bricks off ya."

"Thanks, Katrina, you know exactly what to say to make me feel better." he rolled his eyes as she sauntered away. Ratok slowly stumbled back to the little sitting couch and laid back down to sleep.