STRANDED 011

It looked like someplace I saw in my dream. It was like a field surrounded by people on high seats. It looked like... An arena.

I batted my eyes, trying to steady my breath when something struck me hard from behind. I crashed to my knee and turned around to see what had hit me but another blow struck me in the face.

With blood streamlining down my face, I raised my weapon and moved back on my butt but, it flew out of my hands.

I saw a fist raise through the dim light in my eyes about to smash my face but a sharp piercing sound was heard and it paused.

Quickly, I reached for my blade and scrambled to my feet.

A man dressed in a very weird kind of outfit came over and made pace between us. "Kamilu guda para" he said to me. Funny enough, he understood Dome language which meant "Fight till death" in English. My eyes widened then, the huge hunk of a man who happened to be my opponent began to register.

Wait. I knew this man. We shared the dirt together at Dome, we came here together... Twenty?

He looked exactly the same but he had a very unusual look in his eyes; a look filled with rage and contempt.

"No Rules. Kill or get Killed" the man added and my heart skipped a beat.

Twenty would kill me with a blow; no doubt about it. He was huge and well trained compared to me. I swallowed on my spit, almost chocking. The huge man stepped away and blew air into something that made a piercing sound.

The people on the high seats were chanting, eager to see the outcome of what was going to happen.

Twenty began to circle me. He had very long blades in both hands and he looked like he was made of steel. I swallowed hard as he made his first swing. Quickly, I jumped away from the wrath of the blade - the arena was large enough to swallow a battalion of fighters so, I used the free space to my advantage.

He swung again and I luckily blocked it with my blade.

"Your blade is an extension of yourself" I remembered Atom's words and held it tightly like it was part of me, like it would save me from Twenty's wrath.

"Twenty!" I called him but he seemed like he was locked within himself. He plunged his blade at me and it tore into my upper arm. "Twenty, it's me" I persisted but it was no use.

His blade made a reverse and I blocked it with my knife. "Aim for the throat" I remembered what Atom told me so, I pushed his blade away from me and punched him on the neck. He staggered backwards and quickly, I used the back of my sword to punch him in the abdomen but I didn't hit hard enough. He waved his sword and I missed with a very close shave.

"Wake!! Wake Twenty!" I yelled at him but what woke was the sword that slashed my wrist and made my blade fall. I made to take it but he pointed his sword at my neck and I froze.

"Tu so gu to yo bans (you don't want to do this)" I told him but I was only wasting my breath. He used his feet to kick me hard on the chest and I fell backwards then he raised his blade to my eyes.

No... I don't want to end like this. I needed to survive...

I saw the flashing of his blade in the air - this couldn't be the end. I grabbed a hand full of sand and swung it at his eyes. I didn't think that would work but it was worth a try and to my amazement, his sword fell and he held his face in horror. I kicked his sword out of his reach and grabbed my blade from the floor. With full force, I drove into him with my shoulder and we both landed on the floor with a thud. I tried to pin him down so he could look into my eyes. I heard the crowd gasping, wondering how possible it was for a weakling like me to uproot such a giant but they had no idea the overall effect on me.

I was now bleeding from the nose but I needed him to wake up. It was me, Twenty two... Why would he want to kill me? What orientation did he get from working at the games? But he was stronger. He recovered quickly and seized me by the neck.

"Si yen (please)" I told him "Si yen du Twenty. Wake up!!!" I slapped him hard across the cheek but he wasn't asleep, the Twenty I knew was dead. This man I stared at was a beast, a monster with no compassion.

He threw me to the floor and I could swear I heard a rib of mine crack.

I stayed immobile for a while then he lifted me by the leg and threw to the west side of the arena. I squealed as I hit the ground and winced in pain but there was no retreat. It was fight or die.

I staggered to my foot looking a mess. Twenty was gone. Even if I screamed his name, he wouldn't hear me. He seized me by the neck again but this time, I slashed his upper arm with my dagger. He let go of my neck but his other arm slammed my skull and I hit the ground again.

I was going to stand but Twenty kept me down with a strong kick, smashing through my jaw.

He went back to retrieve his blades and came for me. I always stared death in the face but this time, death stared in mine.

I heard myself gulp my dry saliva and I kept my eyes open to see what kind of death would finally take me.

I saw his flashing blade....

Everywhere froze like someone pulled the plug. I didn't know what happened but my hands moved, I threw my chained dagger, still holding on to the chains, the dagger plunged forth and slammed into his heart region. I saw Twenty freeze, his eyes glassy as if refusing to die....

Then he hit the ground.

"How..." I wondered. Seeing this, I crawled towards him and his eyes fluttered weakly. "Twenty... Si yen" I felt tears raise to my eyes. "Twenty..." Blood. Began to ooze from his mouth and his eyes trailed life leaving his body.

His body so cold.

"No... No..." I cried "Twenty! Twenty!" I shook him as tears leaked my eyes "wake... Parvo Si yen" I cried "sorry" I cried into his shoulders but that was not the end.

I felt a strong hand grab my collar from behind and pulled me away from him then threw me with a thud in the sand. I looked up at my next attacker and my heart fell.

This being was nothing like Twenty. This being was taller, huger and blacker - bigger than Twenty.

His head was bald and he had rings in his nose and ears. He frightened me.

I swallowed hard and got hold of Twenty's blade. Slowly, I was transforming into that killer, that creature they wanted me to be.

I managed to my feet but a blow kept me back on the ground. God! This man was different like his hands were made of steel.

I swear, I saw stars circle my vision as I landed and every part of me ached. His sword was longer and had three edges.

I was debilitated and as I contemplated either to live or to stay dead, I felt a hot stinging pain in my lower abdomen. He drove his knife into me and blood spurted from my mouth. I stared at him, my eyes glassy and he twisted it in.

He removed the sword sharply and made to strike again but something happened.

Something I never imagined.

Something I could only fantasize about happened.

I saw a familiar face above his shoulders and as the being made to strike me, his eyes went glassy and he fell with a thud.

I blinked and I saw Atom.

Atom?

Without saying anything, he tucked his sword back in its sheath, rushed beside me and wrapped his arms around me. He lifted me into his arms and stood to leave but he couldn't just leave. He was breaking the rules. For even doing that, he had committed a treason.

Like he pulled a war switch, strange men closed in on us, all looking feisty and had deadly weapon in their hands.

What was Atom doing? I wondered. These people would kill him. Why did he come back for me? Fear clouded my heart for him. My heart started to beat fast for him.

He set me down, waved the hair hovering down my face aside and his soft smile touched my skin "purta condo demanasto" he said to me. Then, he stood to his feet.

 He drew his sword.

I watched him weakly. Was he crazy or something? We were both going to die together!!! How possible did he think it was to take on all those many men? From random look, they would be nothing less than twenty one to twenty four.

I held on to my bleeding side as I watched his hair wave backwards and a spasm of horror shook the crowd.

Ready, set, go! Atom plunged into the air like an eagle, made few twists and landed on his feet knocking two men off their feet. The lights in my eyes began to fade due to the fact that I was losing much blood but I still saw him. He was staying close to me so they wouldn't hurt me but I didn’t ask for this. He only got himself into trouble for trying to help me. Why was he even helping me? This was the greatest treason anyone could ever commit. Disha won't let this one go.

My breath quickened as I applied pressure to the deep wound and I groaned in pain.

I shouldn't have doubted Atom's strength. He was doing well out there on his own... 

Was he?

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