Stormhaze

Chapter 17: Justice

Edras felt his own blood pour down his hands as he faced Dardûm on the open platform, the same one the gunship had landed on days before. With one eye bruised beyond function, a busted upper lip and what felt like a broken rib, Edras still managed to remain standing, though only barely as his limping right leg was rapidly losing strength. Dardûm, however, walked unscratched across the makeshift arena, his towering body covered only in Edras' own blood.

"I trained you for three years, Edras! And this is how you repay me? Desertion!"

They were both panting in the heat of Seren's red rays. Sweat flowed down their faces as the salty air blew in. The crowd of Rykes were chanting and placing bets all around, forming a closed circle for their newly captured Etherion gladiators. Dardûm towered above them all, seemingly weighing twice that of Edras as they circled each other. His completely bald head shone in the sunlight, contrasted by Edras' blazing bronze hair, covered in dust and dirt.

"I won't be a part in this any longer." Edras said.

Edras had been quick and agile but lacked the physical strength to seemingly make a single dent in the giant's body—his own teacher's body. Any attempted punch, any daring blow, had only resulted in his own excruciating pain when Dardûm retaliated. I'm gonna fucking die here. Edras felt his tears merge with the sweat, dirt, and blood on his face. But at least he would put up a proper fight before dying.

"The Rykes will shoot us both regardless of who wins, Edras. Let's kill as many of them as we can and die together with some honor!"

Edras didn't answer, only shaking his head slightly. Dardûm, visibly insulted by his own student's betrayal, charged into him. Edras was thrown onto the ground with a slam. He managed to strike a blow directly into Dardûm's face, however, and felt the giant's nose crack beneath his fist. Edras tried to move away in time, but his leg failed by the first step, not able to get up.

"I saved your life, Dardûm."

Dardûm roared and grabbed him by the ankle. "You betrayed every oath you ever took!"

Edras was pulled along the ground towards him. He felt arms each as thick as a tree trunk clench shut around himself. Edras couldn't breathe, not even move anything but his right arm. He clawed at the fanatical giant but to no avail. Dardûm pressed all the air out of Edras' lungs with an embrace of death from behind.

Dardûm was right in taking his life. Edras had no home, no allegiance to land or religion. He had not his father, his mother, or anything to defend himself with. The only thing he had was the useless orb-like compass under his clothing. The compass. The thought struck him immediately, and he knew it would be just the perfect size.

With his one free hand he struggled to reach into his own uniform, his vision darkening more by the second as Dardûm squeezed even harder. He screamed at Edras to return to his duty, to kill as many Rykes they could, then die with honor. Edras felt his fingers clasp around the silvery orb. And without thinking, only acting upon instinct, Edras grabbed the compass with his one free hand and shoved it into Dardûm's roaring mouth.

Edras could feel the grip tighten even more. However, the giant had silenced completely. Dardûm's chest was heaving in rapid pulses while squeezed into Edras' spine, seemingly panicked by the sudden lack of air. The grip loosened. Then it loosened some more, and Edras forced himself away from Dardûm's embrace, tumbling onto the dusty ground.

He turned around to see the brute clawing desperately into his own mouth to no avail. The compass was stuck in his throat. Dardûm's nose was broken with blood clogging his nostrils, and no air could pass through his mouth with the orb still wedged inside the back of it. The crowd fell silent as they watched in shock. Muffled screams were the only things they heard as Dardûm battered and clawed at himself, panicked beyond comprehension.