Chapter 1-10: You or Me

“Yeah, you!” Cutter yells, “I rememba’ ya, been down‘ere for a while. Ya ain’t dead yet?” he scratches his fat chins loud enough that the sound comes over the loudspeaker. “Cizin’ll fix that.”

Oh shit, this can’t be happening. The whole blood pit is looking my way now, including most of the guards. There’s no chance of me distracting them and slipping away.

Do I have to fight Cizin? He was my only friend down here for years. Killing him is….

Dammit! It’s something I will do if I have to. He won’t flinch at the thought of killing me. But I don’t think I can beat him. He’s faster, more experienced, and more skilled than me. If there’s any way I can get out of this….

Nyx notices me panicking. Her face is a bit worried. “Can’t handle him?”

I give her the most confident smile I can muster. “There’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Maybe if I tell myself that enough, it’ll become true. If only life were that smooth and effortless. Why now of all times? We were so close to our plans coming to fruition. Shit.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Just don’t die.”

“I try not to. Worked so far.”

This pit is miserable. I swear this entire fucking world is conspiring against me. But… I must get out of here.

While I’m hesitating, two of the guards come over and “escort” me to the weapon case.

I choose one of the better long-swords, one with a three pronged style cross-guard. Most are too rusty, little better than long, thin clubs.

My luck might have run out this time though. Knowing Cizin he’ll drag it out, bleed me slowly then go in for the kill. If the fight were unarmed I might stand a chance, being able to close in and grapple.

Standing there, I waver for a moment. Maybe I can kill the guards near me and try to make it out…. But no, that would never work.

There are still enough guards here to take me down, even with Nyx’s help. And if we could somehow kill them all, guards from the keep above would funnel in when they hear the inevitable gunfire. We can’t be the center of the disturbance, not much chance of us sneaking out when they’re all shooting at us.

My only choice is to fight. I must be unflinching.

After entering the cage opposite Cizin, the guards shut and lock the rusted gate behind me.

He’s on the far side of the cage, tapping his boot on the crusted floor. The old cloak he wears is caked in dried blood and crinkles as he moves. He has his favorite short-sword and dirk. They look sinister in the gloom of the pit. How many men have died by those blades?

Cutter swings his fat arm down to signal the start of the fight. “Get ta it!”

But we don’t rush in. Instead we both stroll towards the middle. He stops at the same time I do, when we’re a few meters apart on opposite sides of the altar.

My posture is firm and resolute, I leave no weakness for him to exploit. A moment’s inattentiveness is all it will take for him to cut me open.

Cizin looks like he has something to say, his stance isn’t aggressive yet. He’s not smiling like usual as he stares up at my face with his orange eyes.

“You’re alright Zed,” he twirls his sword around. “I don’t particularly want to kill ya. I had a feeling this day would come, though.”

Still talking with that annoying, sarcastic tone as usual.

“Don’t suppose that means you’ll let me win.”

He chortles while his tail waves rhythmically. “Cute, but no. It’s either you or me. And after 11 and a half cycles in this hole, I can tell you one thing for sure: It ain’t gonna be me.”

Yeah, no way it was going to be that easy.

He continues, “It’s too bad, that cutie that fell down earlier seemed to like you. Maybe you could have gotten some, if I didn’t have to tear your throat out right now,” and continues. “Oh well, guess I’ll have to go spelunking with her myself.”

How does he know I didn’t…. Well he isn’t wrong, so whatever.

“Yeah…,” I say, “piece of advice in case I die here. I REALLY wouldn’t suggest you do that. That blood all around her mouth when she got thrown in here was not hers. If you know what I mean.”

Although I kind of want to see Nyx beat you, it would be funny. Unfortunately, only one of us is walking out of this cage.

“She’ll come around,” he grins, flicking his forked tongue out. “I can be persuasive.”

Gross. Don’t think you’ll be using that tongue for anything, buddy.

“God you talk too much,” I sigh. “Can we just kill each other now?”

“Fine. Just one thing. Close your eye, don’t fight back and I promise to make your death less painful than the last guy I killed. Well, maybe,” he shrugs. “If I feel like it.”

“Your idea of painless is evisceration,” I raise my sword. “I’ll pass.”

I steel myself for his assault and start edging around the altar.

Opposite me, his + shaped pupils contract and his whole body tenses. His presence exudes an animalistic terror. This, combined with the crimson scales covering parts of his face, makes him look like a predator watching its prey, waiting to devour it.

While I’m still contemplating the best way to attack, he bounds clear over the altar.

I can only parry his sword coming at my head, as his small, muscled body lands in front of me. He thrusts low with his dirk. There’s no time to get out of the way as it cuts into my thigh.

It’s shallow. He’s toying with me.  I’d like to say I’ll make him regret not taking me seriously, but I’m not sure I can.

He backs away, getting out of the range of my superior reach. His stance is low, with his left foot forward.

That tail of his is what I have to be most wary of. Once I’m bleeding and tired, he’ll overwhelm me. Then that tail will finish it. I need to strike swiftly and accurately, without exposing myself.

I step forward to close the distance, and make a few probing thrusts. But it doesn’t get me anywhere, just a few more cuts for my trouble.

There’s no way I can bring my strength and weight to bear. He’s too nimble and slippery, and many of his strikes are low. They’re difficult for me to guard against, being so much taller than him.

Every time I attempt a thrust or blow he diverts my blade, it slips off his dagger like I’m striking a slick rock. He directs my sword whichever way he wishes, opening my guard. During this, his tail hovers like a snake, threatening to strike at any moment. He’s forcing me to be defensive and guard against it at all times.

I’d likely already be dead if he were going for the kill. If I close in and try to grapple I’ll get a dagger in my gut, but if I stay back more cautiously he’ll bleed me out.

I need to restrain his movement somehow, time to go for his legs.

I manage to strike them a few times, but I can’t cut into them. His wiry legs are like steel posts. Through the slits I opened in his pants, I can see the sides of his legs are covered in crimson scales. My sword keeps sliding down them like they’re metal bars.

Shit, his scales are far tougher than I ever thought possible. I’ve never actually seen anyone strike him before.

As he dances around me, he slashes into my legs again and again. I’m being covered in ugly gashes. He’s still not committing enough to cut me deeply, doesn’t seem like he wants to kill me yet either.

That bastard still isn’t taking me seriously. Am I not even strong enough to make him treat me like anything besides a bug? Dammit! Have to try something before I lose too much blood.

I kick towards his left side as a feint. But before I’m committed to the kick I step down, changing my movement to a lateral swing for his throat.

He falls for it, stepping back for a downwards cut at my leg. The sword misses, hitting only air, and throwing off his balance.

Dammit, he still manages to stop my sword, by crossing his arms to block with his dagger. As our blades meet, they bite into each other.

This is my chance! I step in closer and pivot my sword around his dagger. Sparks fly as the blades slide against each other, metal grinding against metal.

The edge of my blade hits his left shoulder and cuts through his cloak... but crimson scales peek out from underneath his clothing, covering his unharmed upper arm.

He smiles at me when my sword glances off his scales, like he let that strike get through. He knows I can’t hurt him like that. Before I can separate our blades, he shoves my sword away. I stumble, trying to recover my stance.

He thrusts into my shoulder, and his tail stabs my thigh. The pain and angle of his strikes force me down onto my knees. Both of the wounds are still shallow.

All I can manage is some clumsy thrashing, which he easily avoids.

His eyes fill with determination and hate. Time for it to end, eh? Not much I can do from this position, heads going fuzzy from the blood loss as well.

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Without giving me a chance to stand up, he pounces. His tail leaps up at my chest for the killing blow. Shit, that things like a steel spike. If it hits my heart I’m dead. Both of his weapons are also coming in for lethal strikes.

One from the middle and two from the sides, and I only have one arm. Well, one and a third. This situation just doesn’t seem quite fair.

This is it. If I screw up here, I’m a dead man. I twist to the right while I parry his dagger with my blade, bringing up the stump of my left arm to stop his sword, which is going for my neck.

Strangely, his lighting fast tail is slower than usual. It misses its mark and only hits my left shoulder. Pierces a few centimeters in, but nothing life threatening.

He fumbles the stab with his dirk. When I parry it, I run my sword down the length of the blade and cut two of his fingers off. He drops the dagger as blood sprays out. And my stump stops the sword, as it cuts into the remaining bone of my left arm.

Then the pain hits me, but at least I’m not dead.

Cizin stands there stunned; he’s more surprised than me that I’m not dead. He’s also completely open, that sword is lodged in my bone. He’s not getting it back easily.

Before he can withdraw his tail and retreat, I take this opportunity to run my sword through his heart. The blade pierces through his skin and ribs, but something diverted my thrust; think it only nicked his heart. It will still be fatal though.

His eyes open wide. For a moment, we stare at each other with my sword clean through his torso. The blood runs down the length of the blade and drips onto the floor, the same color as his scales. He clutches at it with his left hand, smearing more of his blood on the flat of the blade.

“F-fuck. That h-hurts,” he gazes down at my sword imbedded in his chest. “You… actually….”

I keep my eye on him, making sure he’s not going to try and take me with him in his death throes.

He coughs, as blood oozes down the corners of his lips. “I d-didn’t think y-you’d… you’d be able to…,” his eyes lose focus. “Shit. T-too… too w-weak. A… always too….” On his face is a mixture of disbelief and regret.

He leans closer to me. I don’t stop him as he’s not trying to attack me. “I know. I k-know your plans. I’ll g-give you… your c-chance. I’ll… I’ll distract them,” his eyes refocus, filled with determination.

“How do you—“

“G-go,” he takes a deep breath. “NOW!!!”

He shoves off me with his left hand, using the leverage to pull his sword out of my stump. I grab my shoulder in pain as he jerks his tail out as well.

I’m still trying to figure out what the hell is going on, as he picks up his dagger and charges the nearest gate. The lock creaks as he rams it with his shoulder, throwing his entire body weight into it. Then it snaps as the gate swings open.

The guards are too surprised to do anything, mostly gawking at him.

There’s a slave-master directly outside the gate, he’s cut down in a single blow, without ever having a chance to get his collar control out.

After the first ones dead, Cizin dashes at Cutter. He does a half turn while running and throws his dagger upwards. He stumbles from the turn, barely managing to not fall over. His legs are uneasy, nothing keeping him going anymore but his adrenaline.

I’m amazed, as the dagger heads straight for the second slave-master by the hole, 15 meters up. The blade is dead on and buries itself in the man’s neck. His body tumbles into the blood pit and is skewered on the edge of the cage.

The strength needed to kill a man at that distance…. How can he move like that with an already fatal wound? He’s a dead man walking, blood still squirting out of the laceration in his chest.

Cizin takes this moment to rile them up. He yells, “KILL THEM!!!” as he reaches Cutters personal guards.

The blood pit erupts with noise as the slaves break out of their stupor. Most of them begin clamoring and rioting against the guards, looks like they’re not going to give up a chance to kill the bastards enslaving them.

His rampage takes only a few seconds.

Cizin you… I know you hated Hung more than anything. I never understood why you never acted before, but I’ll end him for you. I’ll get out of here and live on in your stead.

Before we lose any more time I motion for Nyx to get over here, and run outside the cage.

I wait a moment for her to get closer, and then shake my head a bit to keep myself alert and start climbing the cage. Still losing blood from the wounds Cizin gave me, that bastard is thorough.

Shimmying up these bars would be easier with a second arm…. My leg wounds leave a bloody streak on the bar.

When I reach the top I use some spare cloth to bandage my leg and shoulder wounds. Should be fine if I don’t bleed out, just hope it doesn’t get infected.

I look out over the blood pit.

There’s Cizin, slicing Cutter’s fat arm off right as he was raising the controller to activate it. Too slow, the arm goes careening through the air while Cizin decapitates him with another swing. His fat jiggles as he crumples to the ground. Now that’s a satisfying sight. All of Cutter’s personal guards are dead around him.

Cizin is in a wild frenzy, like a berserker. He’s half-swording, since he lost his dagger, to jam his sword in the gaps of the Wilders armor, cutting their throats and armpits.

A bullet whizzes past my ear as I’m looking around. I glace down and see Nyx breaking a guard’s neck. Must have been him, good thing his aim was poor. Also good that he was too dumb to alert the rest, don’t think they noticed me yet.

The noise in the cage is deafening now, gunfire and clashing metal fill the pit. The slaves are killing the guards, while the guards are trying to stop the slaves, shooting and cutting them down left and right.

The number of dead already exceeds a hundred. The odor of gunpowder stings my nostrils. Maybe they’ll kill each other off entirely and make this world a slightly better place.

No… that won’t happen. More of Hung’s men will be here momentarily to suppress them. Many more will die, but not all.

A whole group of them are rushing Cizin now. But he’s flailing like a wounded animal. It’s hard for them to get close.

Some are firing at him from further back. However, the bullets aren’t putting him down. A few even appear to be deflecting off his scales. What the hell are those made of?

He’s a stubborn bastard, but there’s no doubt he will die here. Rest in peace. Then Nyx reaches me. I won’t be able see his final moments, got to focus on getting out.

“Here,” she tries to hand me the rope, “tie the hook on! Now!”

I hold up the hook parts for her. “You tie it! I’ve only got one hand!”

It takes her a moment to tie the rope and make sure the knot is sturdy.

As soon as she does, I grab it from her. I start swinging it around to get the momentum needed to make the toss. Hung’s dais is right above us, that’ll make a solid target to hook it on.

She glances towards the entrance tunnel. “We don’t have much time.”

My eyes follow her gaze and I see a group of Hung’s men entering the blood pit. Great, more eyes to spot us.

“I know!” I let go of the rope with a flick of my wrist. It soars upwards and… yes! It got hooked on the back of the dais.

I give it a tug to make sure it’s not going to come loose. “You go first.”

She climbs up the rope hand after hand like a monkey, not even using her legs. I wait for her to reach the top, as I don’t trust the hook to hold both our weights.

After her, I start my ascent, but I’m much slower. I’m not the best climber either, too much muscle and body mass.

When I’m only half-way up, she yells, “They’re coming!”

Fuck, they must be planning to fire down into the pit from above and subdue the slaves.

“Pull it,” I make a jerking motion while holding the rope between my legs. “PULL ME UP.”

She nods and grips the rope. Then I go flying upwards with a single monstrous yank. I end up above the rim of the pit and land on the dais by her.

“Take the rope,” I point at it. “Let’s go!”

She wraps the rope around herself as we hurry towards the nearest exit of the pit room. Nyx slips through as I wrench the door open. I follow her, shutting the door behind us. Right before it closes I see a dozen of Hung’s men enter the pit with rifles.

They don’t see us though. Step one done, now for the collars….

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Hopefully I remembered to not use speaker tags and action tags redundantly in this chapter…. Derp.

Still not entirely happy with it, but I needed to move on to the next chapter. Definitely fix it up a bit when I got back for a second draft.