The Blade of Dawn

Chapter 6

A group of guards wearing all black enter the throne room. Their faces are hidden by black visors. A hush falls over the room and everyone turns towards the guards.

Trailing behind the guards is a creature that looks like a large panther. As the creature moves closer, I realize that the animal has no fur. It's strong, lean muscles ripple beneath it's skin.

The creature is wearing a thick metal collar. Once the creature is inside the ring, one of the guards removes the collar. The creature roars and the crowd cheers.

I stumble back to the edge of the ring. When I touch the metal bars, a jolt of electricity shocks me. The ring is enchanted.

The creature slinks towards me with the lazy gait of an experienced predator.

My heart pounds in my chest.

This dream is turning into a nightmare.

Cuffs or no cuffs, I don't stand a chance against this animal.

Adrenaline surges through my body.

Fight or Flight.

Every fiber in my body is screaming for me to run. But there is nowhere to hide.

I must fight.

I can't overpower this creature, but maybe I can outsmart it.

I am trying to come up with a plan when the creature lunges towards me with lightning speed.

My body reacts before my mind can even register the attack. It takes every ounce of strength I have to I throw my weight to the left and roll out of the way. The creature misses me by inches and slides into the electrified fence. The fence shocks the creature and it roars again.

The crowd claps and yells. People begin placing bets and laughing.

The creature leaps towards me again. Razor-sharp claws sprout from the creature's paws.

I am going to die.

The creature lands on top of me, with it's four legs straddling me. It's hot breath stinks of spoiled meat. I try to squirm away but the creature puts its heavy paw on my chest. I can't move.

The creature's eyes are eerily human. The creature seems to be thinking. This is no ordinary animal.

It drags it's claws along my chest, drawing blood.

My pulse pounds in my ears.

I want to go home. I want to leave this horrible place.

My vision blurs.

The rumble of the crowd fades and I hear the quiet murmur of a TV playing on low volume.

I hear voices laughing and talking in the distance.

I am in a bed with white sheets in a small room surround by machines. I'm in a hospital and safe. I am about to cry out in joy when I am jerked from the safety of my hospital bed by the thunderous clamor of voices cheering and shouting. I realize that I am back in the ring.

My body is being hurtled like a tumbleweed across the ring and I slam into the bars with a jolt.

No.

This momentary taste of safety and home makes being trapped in this ring in this strangle world even more painful.

How do I get out of this dream?

If I can do it once, I can do it again somehow.

I gather my strength and stand.

I will not give up.

I will fight.

As I think these words, the cuffs fall from my wrists.

Strength floods into my body, but I have no time to celebrate this small win. The creature is about to pounce again.

I scoop up the cuffs, lunge toward the creature, and slap the cuffs on the creature's legs. The creature stiffens, then drops to it's knees.

"Stop! Stop the fight!" The king's advisor shouts. "Take both fighters to the dungeon."

The crowd falls silent.

The guards enter the ring and quickly shackle both the animal and me with enchanted chains.

The crowd begins to grumble.

"This was supposed to be a fight to the death!" One man shouts. Many voices murmur in agreement.

"Not anymore." The king's advisor says with finality.

My mind races.

Why were the rules changed?

Then it hits me.

My life is expendable, but the animal's isn't.

No one expected me to succeed.

I was supposed to die.