With those words, the orb hovering over the arena floor began to blink, turning green for just an instant before changing back to blood red once more, releasing a pure note like a bell each time that it shifted. The audience’s cheering rose like a wave, greed and bloodthirst writ clear on their features.
The process sped up until the orb was flashing at a ten second interval. It set Nick’s heart racing, and his adrenaline began to flow, internalizing that this fight might be even harder than he’d thought. He had an image of Taltos standing over a roulette wheel with a Cheshire cat grin, waiting to see what number the spinner would land on.
After ninety tension-saturated seconds, the flashing began to slow down, like the wheelhead was running out of momentum. It turned slower and slower, staying red for longer on each pass until it seemed that the process was nearly compete.
The floating orb flashed green again, held steady for a few seconds, then shifted to a deep crimson glow once more. Nick felt an intense flush of relief at the sight, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as the crowd began to boo. He said a prayer for the unlucky group that would face this new challenge, but he wouldn’t choose to take their place for anything.
Whatever was happening, Nick was certain that he wanted no part of it.
“That’s too bad, ladies and gentlemen. We didn’t win this time, but we knew the odds were long. Let’s watch our lucky contenders duke it out on the big screen. Rago, please patch us into the winning arena…”
The announcer’s words were cut off as the orb changed again, shifting color for a final time. It started glowing with an ominous emerald light that suffused the coliseum, as if the marble edifice had been plunged underwater.
It felt like Nick had been kicked in the gut. Caught in the jaws of a trap that were in the middle of snapping shut, an instant away from closing around his throat. His heart began to race as a raging tsunami of adrenaline surged into his veins.
All across the arena, an electric tension rose to fill the air. The anticipation of a spectacle to come.
Every voice in the crowd went silent as one. Every eye staring up at that verdant glow with expressions of wonder lighting up their faces. “Shit. That can’t be good,” Devin muttered, mirroring Nick’s train of thought verbatim. He glanced over at the rest of his team, taking comfort from their presence, although everyone looked as frightened as he felt.
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“I can’t believe it. Esteemed patrons, we’ve won! Our humble establishment will be the host for… bear with me, I’m getting more information as we speak. No… it can’t be. But it is! Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen, because we have been granted a visitation by the Herald of Slaughter. A being only one step below the Red Lady herself.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity folks. A story to pass down through generations of your progeny. We will find out what prize we’ve won after the event is over, so please be patient. Let’s show the Herald the utmost respect and, for all our sakes, don’t do anything to piss her off.” This last bit came out as a whisper, even though the announcer’s voice was being projected to every corner of the stands.
“Do not presume to speak for me,” a woman’s voice replied. The soft-spoken words resounded through Nick’s soul, the voice seeming to well up from every speck of matter in the arena at once. “And if you mention my mistress so casually again…”
With that, everything was drowned out in an ocean of pressure. A force that Nick couldn’t even begin to comprehend cast him to the bloodstained ground, spasming and gasping for breath. It pressed down upon the arena, driving the audience into the floor until every knee was bent and every head was bowed. A show of force that was utterly irresistible and completely overwhelming.
It was all that Nick could do to hold onto his sanity and keep his sense of self from shattering, ground to nothing beneath the unrelenting pressure. A heartbeat before his soul was extinguished like a candle in a monsoon, the alien energy vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.
“Your eminence,” the announcer sounded just as stunned as Nick felt. “Forgive my impudence. We are honored by your presence and unworthy of basking in your light.” The man fought for breath. All traces of his jovial persona gone as he sought to mollify the being who’d materialized beside him.
“Excellent,” the voice of the Herald continued as if nothing had happened. “Now, where is the creature that will receive my lady’s salvation?”
Nick’s strength was gradually returning, allowing him to rise to his feet once more. He looked up toward the announcer’s booth before freezing every muscle in his body.
Because that was when he realized that a woman with crimson wings, a being capable of obliterating him with the force of her presence alone, was floating in the air above him, gliding toward the arena floor where the rhinos were locked in their cages.
Nick was filled with a premonition of death and despair, helpless to do anything but watch as disaster descended upon his head. All he knew for certain was that whatever was about to happen, his day was about to get a whole lot worse.