Tragic Innocence

Chapter 31: Blood Bath

            Crow completely ignored the announcement as he kept his gaze fastened upon Pentulla’s beautiful face.  He bowed majestically before her and winked his eye.  A strange hush blanketed the arena with the unexpected show of respect that the enemy had just shown.

            Pentulla, though tears blinded her vision, furnished Crow with a tremulous smile.  Crichtenzor angrily stiffened in his throne with jaw aching from restraint.           Sinot was then thrust harshly against Crow.  He bellowed angrily at the guards as he straightened himself up.  Then he noticed Crow’s attention riveted elsewhere.  When he beheld Pentulla’s presence at the dais, Sinot scoffed at her.  “Are you here to enjoy our deaths, your Highness?” came his voice filled with grim sarcasm.

            Pentulla narrowed her eyes in spite of her tears.  She raised her chin against his back-handed attack upon her.

            After a while, the goblins began to hiss their discontent because the Enonchildren refused to combat with one another, for they both focused their attentions upon that of their empress.

            The guards, growing anxious for a good scuffle as well, closed in upon the two.  The sentry nearest Crow removed his whip from his hip while the other by Sinot shoved him harshly to the ground.

            “Fight!  Fight!  Fight!” came the growing sound of the goblins’ chanting.   “No!” Pentulla hollered with protest, but none seemed to hear her. Crichtenzor found the entire affair quite monotonous.  The two elves had only gawked at his empress, which made him quite furious with jealousy.  Then an idea dawned upon him as he decided to rile the two.

            He stood up and the crowd came to a jolting silence.  “I will allow the conqueror a single night with my lovely empress.”

            Pentulla gasped with his outrageous decree as she hastily leaped to her feet, “How dare you use me as such--I will not consent to such repugnance!”          “You find me repugnant now?” Sinot spat upon the ground.  A wicked gleam lit up his face.  “The winner I will be, and you shall see just how repugnant I can be!”

            The goblins behind the shimmering wall of magic screamed their approval as they hopped up and down.

            A greedy smirk then painted across Sinot’s face as he spun around so fast, that it was too late for the guard to retrieve his axe from the insolent elf who had stolen it from his loosened grasp.

            The spectators roared and screamed with outrage at the defiant act, but the emperor held his hand up with an amused smile.

            “Crow!” Pentulla shrieked, horror apparent upon her face.  Sinot’s newly acquired axe sliced swiftly through the air.  She saw Crow quickly drop down to his feet (which was something she had not clearly expected nor ever seen before) and swing out his leg in a perfect arc against the floor.  Confused at this strategy, she screamed.

            Sinot crashed with a loud thump to the floor as Crow’s swift leg had unexpectedly pushed against his ankles.  The axe crashed to the floor by his head.  The goblins exploded with cheers at the first thrilling maneuver.

            She noticed the cold and angry gleam in Sinot’s eyes, contrasting with the tranquil brown of Crow’s.

            *He means to win the empress.  There is lust in his eyes,* Crichtenzor communed softly into that of Sinot’s head.  At that very moment, Sinot popped his head up and caught the one called Crow nodding at Pentulla.