Knight of Kandor

Kara- The Pit

I woke up in the near darkness. My entire body was sore from bumping along the cart. My head throbbed from where the men knocked me out. My armor was no doubt already sold for gold. Sweat made the dust of the stone floor cling to my skin. Why was Cadmium so hot? I try to push up off the floor but my hands were still bound by the rough ropes behind my back. They must have rebound me and put me here while I was still unconscious. I think I was taking too many blows to the head. I roll over and sit up. 

"Look, boys, there's a new lady in the pit." Comes a deep greasy voice. 

"Careful, the last lady down here killed three of us." A smaller, weaselly voice. 

I blink and my eyes begin to adjust to the half-light pouring in from above. It really was a pit, stone walls rose all the way up, at least ten times what a man could jump. Surprisingly it was clean for the most part. Four other men sat on the other side of the near-perfect circle. One stands and begins to walk towards me. He was a large man, scars covered his face and seemed to spread down his entire torso. At least what I could see through the tattered undershirt that he wore. Quickly I tuck my knees to my chest and roll backward, in the same motion, I bring my arms underneath me. I spring to my feet with my arms now in front of me. The man laughs.

"Oh, she's got some moves. Let's see how well she plays." The shock of she being used pierced into me and reminded me of everything I had lost. 

The man pulls a knife from the waistband of the nearly ruined paints. It glints in the faint moonlight. I crouch slightly to be ready. Take down the biggest and the rest would fall in line, a lesson I had to learn early growing up among soldiers. He charged at me and I let him. The fight was quick, he went for my head and I ducked, ramming both my fists into his charging torso. It knocked the wind from him and he staggered backward. Unfortunately, he still held on to the knife. As his one arm pinwheeled to balance himself, I grabbed the wrist of his knife hand and twisted. The move was awkward with my hands still bound but it wrenched his shoulder and caused the scarred man to twist with it.

I jump and manage to wrap my legs around his neck, using his own arm to balance myself. With the extra weight, the man falls backward, my own back hits the ground hard but the knife is still in control. My tightening legs caught off his air. While he struggles to breathe I run the ropes binding my hands against the sharp blade. They part with little effort and I take the blade from him with even less. Once freed, I roll backward and spring to my feet. Before the man can stand I am back on his chest, knife pressed under his chin. I press just hard enough to see a small drop of blood run against the steel. 

"Can we be done now. I have had a hard few days. Or would someone else like to try?" I direct the last part to the other men who had half risen. They seemed to think better and sit back down. 

"Now where am I?" I question the man under me.

"The Pit." I roll my eyes.

"Obviously. But where is that?" 

"The heart of Cadmium. Daxam, the capital city." My blood runs cold. I was deep in enemy territory. 

"What is the purpose of the Pit?" I ask, still keeping the knife firmly to the man's throat.

"To contain the most dangerous fighters, well those who are not willingly participating."

"Fighters? For what?" 

"The fighting pits. Damn, are you thick? Do you know nothing?"

"I am Kryptonian. We have no such thing as this." The man actually rolls his eyes with a knife to his throat.

"Well then know this, you fight to survive. They will come for us in the morning. Get ready for the rest of your hellish life. The last girl didn't come back after her first week. Can I have my knife back?"