Tributes

Chapter Nine

Silas was in trouble. Gulping, Silas backed up slowly as three demons walked towards him grinning evilly. He stopped as the wall hit his back, feeling the cold stone. He glanced around. But there were no openings. He had nowhere to run from the dangerous-looking beings. His legs froze and he could barely breathe. Part of him was screaming to try and escape but he couldn't move. 

"Hello, little boy. Want to play a game?" One grinned, picking him up by the scruff of his neck. 

The others laughing in hysterics at the joke. Words whipped around him in shadows and whispers. Words he couldn't understand. Silas whimpered as his feet dangled in the air. He kept wanting to scream but before it could pour out of him, it would fizzle out. They walked further into the castle, to where it was colder. He could hear cheers and screams. A few people approached but the other demons got in the way. Then, they arrived at where they were going. Silas's felt his heart skip a beat and pure terror washed through his veins.

It was a big room, crowds of people cheering from all sides, eyes glued to a sunken area. A roar from a monster sounded through the room as the screams of pain stopped. Silas reached up and grabbed the demon's hand as he was carried closer and closer to the pit. Grasping at it tightly, already able to tell what the man was planning. It was useless. And he still couldn't find his voice to yell for help. It was like something was squeezing around his neck and stopping him talking. 

Stones scraped against his palms and shins as Silas landed roughly on the ground of the pit. It hurt. He panted, eyes wide. Blood was smeared over the ground in front of him. He scrambled to his feet, only to freeze as he heard a growl. Looking up, he looked into the eyes of a monster. The sound of laughter echoing around him from the crowds cheering above. Calling for his blood. Tyreol warned him. It was dangerous out of the doors. He hadn't listened.  The vice around his throat disappeared. 

He screamed.

The monster lunged at him.

Silas moved. The loud clunking sound of the monster hitting its head echoing throughout the chamber, also with the jeers of those watching. Running, he ducked under some of the rocks littering the grounds and panted again, scrambling as far away from the creature as possible. Looking around, he couldn't see any exit.  The monster was screaming at the entrance to where he had scrambled in. Teeth snapping, sharp claws grasping, leaving deep holes in the ground.  The creature was covered with dark scales which looked like they had a purple tint in this light. Sharp claws and a long tail with spikes running along with it.

Finally, it started crying. Keening. Then the wall he was leaning against moved. A ripple of muscle moving. It wasn't rock. He stepped away and found himself looking at a giant dragon maul. Mummy wasn't happy.  

Silas swallowed, falling backwards as the head moved to nuzzle at the smaller dragon. Silas yelled in fear as a claw came down about to crush him, rolling out of the way and onto his feet. Something caught him around his waist and dragged him sharply to the side as the baby dragon tried to lunge at him. Looking down Silas realised nothing was there though. He dodged out of the way of another attack, trying desperately to find somewhere safe to hide but there was nothing. Just rocks, blood, sand and the sounds of a bloodthirsty crowd. He wanted out of there!

"Silas!" a voice yelled over the dim. "Keep moving!"