Serene Of The Sea

12. Den

Alvor helped me up after tending to my wounds. He handed me his open canister. "Thanks," I breathed, grabbing it with thirsty hands. I couldn't get the cooking water down my throat fast enough, it was a good thing I was incapable of choking on it.
"Whoa there. Save some for the rest of us," Riley pulled it off me, taking a swig for himself, "You better wake yourself up a bit tanner. We're going to the den."
I looked up at him incredulously, "Really? You want me to go somewhere, looking like this?" I gestured to my dress, which was clasping unattractively to my body, slick with sweat, my hair drenched in the fluid stuck to my neck.
Riley smiled, pointing to his own sweat drenched appearance, "Where we're going. No one's gonna care."
That didn't make me feel any better somehow.
The walk to the den really took it out of me. As if I wasn't completely knackered to begin with.

I felt like I was seeing the underbelly of the city before the upside. It wasn't really selling it to me.
Alvor and Riley helped me keep up with them. Though they too were sweaty and smelly, they had completely bounced back from the exercise.
We progressed through darker streets, entering the lower levels of the cavern, ever deeper. The quality of people shifted. Eyes of serenity and pride, turned into suspicious glares and tired indifference.
It was hot down here. The inhabitants of the less beautiful domes sat outside their doors, on crates and rocks, watching the world go by, trying to keep cool.
Gruff men played a game of snake eyes with a pair of dice, stroking their unshaven beards with dusty fingers.
I guess poverty exists everywhere.
This realization sent spikes of anger through my spine. I clenched my fists to force it back down, something about punching the dummy had released a part of me I wasn't sure I wanted unchained.
Two scrawny children ducked by us, screaming in their game of tag.

I was so tired when we entered the darkness of a claustrophobic tunnel carved into the cavern wall. Alvor grabbed my elbow to stop me from tripping on the uneven floor. The walls pulsed with vibrations, like they were alive.
A little man sat on a three legged stall by a heavy set of doors.
He stood at our approach, lifting the lantern to get a better look at us, "Riley, Alvor, welcome back! I see you brought a friend! How lovely she is too! All are welcome here. Enter! Enter!" He waved as he hobbled to push the door open. Alvor gave him a hand.
It screeched and protested their efforts as it swung aside, unleashing the sound from within. The roar of voices took me aback. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. It wasn't like the melodies of the morning, it was blood curdling cries of enjoyment.
My aching muscles tensed, something primal urging me to turn tail and run. But Riley already had my arm, dragging me towards the carnage.
We came into the light.
The humongous arena was filled to the brim with people, air thick with humidity. I now understood why the boys hadn't worried about our appearances.
They pulled me forward and up into the stands, my feet tripping on the steps as my mind flipped over in spiralling fear and anger. I wasn't sure what it was that was unsettling me yet.
Confusing it for my tiredness, they sat me in one of the empty seats, sitting on both sides of me.
I stared at the giant tank that was the centre of attention. People stood up all around me, crying for the entertainment to start.
"GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The speakers boomed, causing the rowdy crowd to roar their approval, "THIS EVENING WE HAVE SOME STELLAR ENTERTAINMENT SET OUT FOR YOU. TODAY'S CHALLENGE, CAPTURE THE FLAG. OPPONENT, KILLER WHALE!"
Feet stamped on the stands.
I only felt my heart sinking with every moments passing. They released the whale into the tank, it swam around in circles, clearly agitated. I glanced around anxiously, searching for someone who was as concerned as I. To no avail, all that met me had expressions of merciless joy.

I had read about this in the library, the matador anyway. It was being set up just like a bullfight and even that had sickened me. But I couldn't shake the feeling this was more brutal somehow. I shut out the speakers rambling as he introduced the "brave" mermen who were to take the whale on.