Chapter 62

DEATHLY ARENA

ELENA

Clay pulled my hair and threw me to the other side of the stage. I hit my head hard and my sight began to blur but that didn't stop thirsty Clay. He reached for my collar and turned me over so I could stare death in the face.

This was the end. He raised his blade and everything began to play in slow motion. The flashing blade whooped the air as I turned to look at Atom but I saw him walk away, leaving me to die by the knife but maybe my time wasn't up, I had fallen on my own blade.

I grabbed the chained dagger and swung it at Clay, closing my eyes as it descended, and to my utmost surprise, it didn't descend. I opened my eyes and saw that he had fallen.

Quickly, I scrambled to my feet just to see that I had flipped the safety off my blade and I had jammed it into his kneecap.

I kicked his sword out of his reach and pointed my blade at him.

Everyone was silent like someone pulled the plug, eager to know what I would do. Atom had said to kill him or I would be killed but I couldn't take a life. I had never taken a life and I wouldn't do it for no reason.

Clay stared at me with horror etched deeply into his eyes, staring at his own end as he held on to his broken knee.

Tension grasped the air like the choking fog of hell and my hands trembled against my weapon. Clay was willing to kill me without batting an eye but I had his mercy in mine.

"Parvo," he told me. "Parvo se condo secta" he mouthed. He was also a Domite; I could tell from his words.

My fist clenched on my weapon and I trembled even.

Atom paused and looked back at me after seeing Clay's setback.

"What are you waiting for Dome? Finish him!" Den yelled but I couldn't.

I took a step back from Clay and the knife fell from my hand. I couldn't do it. I wasn't a killer and I'd never been. I have watched some of my own die by the hands of others and nobody deserved to be treated in such a way. Creatures or humans.

"What are you doing?" Den queried but I couldn't respond. I staggered away from Clay. This made Den angry. He picked up the sword that I kicked away from Clay and came over to me "when I give orders, you follow! Taken?" But I looked away.

"That's enough Den, you've proved your point." Atom interjected "it'll begin training here tomorrow. It needs to know how to use a knife better"

"Not after it has been punished for defying orders!" He swung the blade and warm blood spurted on my face. My heart fell as I saw a deep slit across Clay's throat. My hand shot to my mouth to suppress my cry and my eyes grew red in horror as he collapsed dead.

"It is new..."

"You don't tell me what to do Atom. If you want to train it here at my pit, it'll follow my rules." Den croaked and turned to some black guards. "Tie it at the square!" He commanded and immediately, some huge men grabbed me. I have faced the worst, what could be there again that I have not witnessed? But little did I know what was coming my way.

***

Out of the pit into the open fields where all the faction of workers gathered, they fixed chains to my hands and hung me to a pole with my legs dangling in the air.

"What is this?!" The dome commander and district commander yelled as they came to the scene.

"It defied" Den only said coming to the surface as well.

Workers from different factions began to gather and the field was beginning to get crowded.

"Get me Disha!" The district commander said through clenched teeth and Den disappeared through the crowd. The guards tried keeping the gathering crowd under control and I felt tears raise to my eyes. Through glassy salt water, I saw Atom push his way forward through the crowd. He stared at me for quite a while and guilt grasped his face. He stormed to the district commander.

"Where is Disha?"

"It's new," Atom said inaudibly "I didn't prepare it"

The commanders glanced at one another. This was the first time they'll hear black soldier defend anyone. He has always been cold and kept his sole distance away from conflict but this time, he was taking the blame.

District Commander glanced at me then, returned his look back to Atom. "It defied. That's not your fault. Get Disha"

"But..."

"Get Disha this very instant!"

"I am here. What is going on...?” She paused on seeing me on the pole "you!" She glared at me then turned sharply to Atom "you were meant to handle it!"

"It defied orders!" Den yelled. "It needs to be punished."

Through my glassy eyes, I could see Redhead amongst the crowd. He was having a remorseful look on his face and Ruth was just quietly observing with a toothpick in her mouth beside him.

"I told you that if it didn't last seven days, I would kill it. Now look, it’s been here just a day and it is already up on the pole" she turned to the Dome commander

"It is now your property. Do to it what you please." He croaked

Speaking of property, Disha looked at Atom. She had told him to take care of the creature and under his watch, it defied. Disha, the black commander nodded and withdrew a whip from her belt, and handed it to Atom. "Give it sixty!" She commanded.

"It's just a kid"

"Did I hear you disobey?" Den pulled his ear. Atom looked at him angrily "or would you rather let me do it?" Den smirked.

Atom snatched the whip from Disha and marched to me. He had a mixed feeling on his face and I could not tell which it was. Guilt or anger. Once he mounted the stage to which the pole was attached, we made eye contact but this time I didn't look away. He swallowed hard and asked the guards to tie my legs firmly too.

And when they did, a sudden hate pulled into my chest for him. I hated him as much as I hated Disha and Den and all of the commanders. Only that if he didn’t do it, they’d probably kill me.

Redhead stared at me in pity and I could swear I saw tears rise in his eyes but what could he do, any of the workers couldn't do anything to save me because they were just as incapacitated as I was.

The hate built up and if there was anyone I wanted to kill, it would be those that inflicted pain on us.

I saw black soldier raise the whip and it made crackling sound against my back. A smarting pain stung me and slowly, the lights in my eyes faded. I wished to be dead this time.