OUTCAST : THE PATH OF A WARRIOR

10. EXTERMINATE

CHAPTER 10

There was a strange eerie feel to the Arena on this fateful day, that exciting glorious sound of thunder from drumming of earlier, had disappeared.

The crowd, had seen their favourite heroes, almost completely wiped out, practically single handedly, and it was no fun watching it done by slaves, and strange looking creatures.

Expectation never came, and even though there was some excitement it was for the wrong reasons.

And so the people became restless and began booing in anger.

Then started screaming obscene nonsense at everyone and anyone.

But most of it was directed at the two strange adversaries, the two creatures below, the ones who somehow, seemed to possess intelligence... and I'm talking about Pet and myself, of course.

How could the greatest games of the year, the Battle of the Gladiators, develop into the biggest disappointment of all time?

Perhaps that's what they were thinking....

Soon, and after they got tired of swearing and cursing at the survivors, they started chanting something new.

"Exterminate...!Exterminate!" The crowd began, furiously.

The rest of us, still standing, suddenly stopped fighting.
"Oh oh, this isn't good." I mumbled to myself. Looking around, I saw Tinman, edging towards me, and I gripped my sword tighter.

"Hey, Get ready!" Tinman shouted , but he could barely be heard over the angry mob's clamour.

" Don't worry about me!" I called out." I hope you are also ready !"

" You don't understand!" He continued, having to shout over the uproar." They are calling for the Extermination of all of us!"

"What?" I bellowed.

"They are enraged with us, as you can see there are more slaves still standing than gladiators, we have humiliated the games." Tinman said as he cautiously came to within a few paces to Pet and myself.

Pet growled, a warning.

"And they want satisfaction, calling for 'death by extermination'." He continued

"So how are they going to do that?" I asked, while looking frantically all around.

" I have never witnessed it my self, and as far as I know, it had only ever happened once before. It became legendary for the wrong reasons!" Tinman explained.

"So be ready for anything!"

In the mean time, I glanced over to the far side of the Arena, in the shadows, where only a short moment ago, we had left a frail old man, obviously in pain, and alone.

Something was happening to him, but i wasn't sure what.

"Look, the gates are opening!" Someone shouted
Suddenly armed soldiers began spewing out of a large gateway, and spreading across either side, and along the walls, of the Arena.

At the fore, and leading the army, was none other than Captain Briggs.

We all bundled together now, along with Pet and myself , there was Tinman and the other gladiator, (who was elegantly dressed as a dashing army general).

Morat, Matsu, and the last of the Jaxon brothers, also joined us, along with a stocky man, whom I did not notice before.

Captain Briggs then abruptly halted, as he was satisfied that enough soldiers had surrounded us from two sides of the almost oval shape Arena.