Can't Live Without You

Combat and Subterfuge

The trollhunters found Blinky's cell, but he was gone. An older troll in the cell to the left explained that he had been taken away again not long ago, and his cellmate had also been taken. She had no idea where the cellmate was being taken, but she guessed that Blinky was going back to the melee.

*Blinky pov*

He had stated, firmly and resolutely, that he was not going to fight. He could not kill again, and he would not die for entertainment. Dictatious sighed and stood in front of Blinky, feigning disappointment.

"You did so well last night, it would be such a shame to miss your performance tonight." In a flash, Dictatious had grabbed Blinky's broken arm; it had been unbound after the fight, so it bent behind Blinky's back at a wildly unnatural angle. Blinky gave a cry of pain, and Dictatious let him fall, and laughed at the pain he had caused. "Weakling. You will fight, or I will torture every single one of the prisoners. How would that feel, knowing that the pain of so many would be your fault?"

Blinky agreed to fight.

A cup was shoved into Blinky's hand by the doctor with a firm, "Orders from Dictatious. He said the general wants the fight to be a little more exciting today. It'll just give you energy."

That had been twenty minutes ago; Blinky felt jumpy, like his very blood was buzzing. The gates opened, and Blinky could barely stop himself from running through like a fool. He walked in and was met by cheers; he hated those spectators, the ones who applauded for senseless murder. Even now he could feel The Crusher's eyes staring into his own as he died.

His opponent today was a tall, thin changeling with grey skin. Her long, pink hair was braided down her back, her clothes fitted for fighting. Her horns were long, silvery projections from her head. To compare to Blinky's last fight; Crusher had been muscled bravado, whereas she had professional experience. But looking at her closely, Blinky could see the marks of repeated abuses, much like those on himself. She was introduced as Orellia, a prisoner who had won five fights so far. Now Blinky was glad for the extra energy, but would it be enough?"

*Jim pov*

Approaching the arena, Jim could hear the fighters being announced. Dread shot down his spine when he heard Blinky's name as one of them. The trollhunter and his friends hid in a shallow depression along the hall leading to the spectator stands to decide what to do.

Claire had Toby had stayed up late the other night making disguises; it was Toby's who had the idea, because he remembered the mask that he and Claire used to impersonate Jim while he was in the darklands. He and Claire had found out how to duplicate the mask and modify them to make the wearers look like trolls. Slipping on the masks, the trollhunters entered the stands just as the fight began.