Destruction

by R C Knight

  She moaned beneath him as he continued to thrust deeper inside of her. He reached forward and grabbed her breasts, twisting her nipples with his fingers. “Yes, sir,” she moaned as she pushed back against him, encouraging him to go harder. His eyes flickered black as he increased his speed, forcing himself deeper. She twisted beneath him, her moans filling the room. He picked up the flogger and whipped it across her back.

  “Yes,” she moaned. He pounded into her, his body tensing with every whip of the flogger. Her moans echoed through his mind as he continued to beat her while thrusting deep inside. He pulled out of her and flipped her back over. He pushed her legs up against her chest, raising her ass off the bed. He slid his fingers into her pussy and back out, rubbing it onto her ass. With a grunt he slid into her ass, her body tensed beneath him as her eyes filled with shock.

  He moved slowly inside of her as he ran his hand over her clitoris, his fingers gently massaging her. Her body relaxed, allowing him to increase his tempo. She moaned as he pinched her clitoris, shivers running down her body. He quickened his pace, thrusting deeper inside of her. His body began to tense, waiting for its release. He went faster, the tension increasing with each thrust. He couldn’t wait any longer. He groaned as he thrust all the way in, his body finding its release inside of her.

  “You good?” he asked hoarsely. She nodded; her brown eyes filled with satisfaction as he slowly slid out of her. “Good.” He untied her legs, as he examined her body. Red welts had appeared across her chest, he knew he would see the same thing across her back and ass if she turned over. He finished untying her and dropped the rope onto the floor. “You need anything?”

  “I’m good,” she spoke softly as she smiled up at him. “I sleep now,” she muttered as she crawled to the top of the bed and pulled the covers over her.

  “Alright,” Zane muttered as he got off the bed and grabbed his pants from the floor, quickly sliding them back on. He looked back at Annalise, she had already fallen asleep. A smile of satisfaction crossed his face as he walked to the door and quietly opened it, letting himself out into the hallway.

  “That didn’t last as long as I thought it would.” Aria’s voice caused him to jump, allowing the door to slam shut.

  “What the fuck!” He exclaimed as he turned towards her. She was leaning against the wall, her golden blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She stared up at him, her green eyes sparkled. “How long have you been out here?”

  “Long enough,” she responded; the corner of her mouth quirked up. “Sounds like you had some fun.”

  “Aria.” Her name left his lips on a whisper as he closed the distance between them. He stood in front of her and placed his hands on the wall, one on each side of her, pinning her in place. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation as he leaned forward, his lips brushing lightly against hers. He pulled away quickly, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He backed away from her and quickly looked away as he ran a hand through his hair. “Did you need something?”

  “Uh… yea,” she muttered, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “Ryder and Bishop are waiting in my room for us. We need to go over our plans.”

  “Of course,” Zane sighed as he started walking down the hallway. “What room is yours?”

  “216,” she muttered as she followed him towards the stairs. They walked in silence; the tension palpable. She stepped in front of him as they reached her room, resting her hand on the doorknob. “Please don’t start any fights,” she whispered. “I’m tired of making sure everyone gets along.”

  “I won’t,” he responded, noticing for the first time how tired she looked. “Promise.”

  “Good,” she muttered as she turned away from him and opened the door. “We’re back.”

  “Took you long enough,” Bishop muttered; he was sitting at the back of the room on a lounge chair.

  “Sorry,” Aria responded quickly. “It took a while to find him.”

  “Yea,” Zane continued. “I just needed some fresh air.” He glanced down at Aria, his eyes begging her to not say anything.

  “Yea,” she continued for him. “I found him wandering around on the streets, lost like a little puppy.” She giggled as she went and sat down next to Ryder on the bed. “Anyway, let’s get started.” She nodded at him. He sighed wearily as he went further into the room and found a spot on the wall to lean against. “Can Kai send my weapons now?” Aria asked Ryder, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

  “Let me check.” His face fell with concentration, the emblem around his neck began to glow. “He said he’s cool with trying.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Don’t forget about the explosives,” Bishop chimed in.

  “Oh, yea. Ask him what they have for explosives.”

  Ryder sighed as he focused on the connection again. “He said they only have half a pound of C4.”

  Aria looked over at Bishop, who just shrugged his shoulders, his face void of emotion. “That will have to work, I guess,” she muttered. Ryder nodded as he re-established the connection. Zane watched with fascination as Aria’s daggers appeared on the bed in front of Ryder. They were followed closely by Bishop’s sword and a small bundle of C4. Aria squealed with glee as she picked up her daggers and held them against her chest. Bishop stood up and grabbed his sword and the C4. He pulled the sword from its sheath, examining the blade.

  “I’m glad that worked,” Ryder muttered; his breathing heavy with exertion. “Bishop, your sword will have to stay hidden in here for now. We can’t risk anyone being caught with their weapons.” He looked up at Zane. “So, what’s the next step with the Colosseum battles?”

  “I don’t know.” Zane shrugged. “We’re fighting two more tribes tomorrow. After that, who knows?” He sighed as he looked at the group in front of him. They’re all counting on me. The thought sent shivers up his spine. “Where are Cain and Abel? Shouldn’t they be a part of this?”

  “They each got a room and requested that we don’t bother them for the rest of the night,” Aria responded with a sigh.

  “They insisted you and Bishop could do all of the planning and just fill them in once it’s all set,” Ryder chimed in.

  “Of course,” Zane muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Alright, why don’t you guys fill me in on the spire and the Colosseum layout and we can go from there.”

  “Sounds good,” Ryder responded as he looked over at Aria, he smiled softly at her, his eyes filled with love. It was quickly replaced with a look of determination as he looked back over at Zane. A sharp pain pierced his chest as he watched that small interaction, something he longed for that he couldn’t have.

  “Alright,” Aria spoke. She recounted their trip to the spire, along with her confusion and worry that there weren’t any guards. She continued to tell them that they would have to get inside the spire and find the mechanism that controlled it, and then somehow destroy that. After she was done, Ryder described the layout of the Colosseum, focusing on the Red Horseman’s viewing area.

  “So,” Ryder concluded. “His only security was those six Elites, which should be easy enough to take care of.”

  “Alright,” Zane responded. “Let’s keep an eye on the Red Horseman during the fights tomorrow. I want to know if there are any other security measures. I also need to know if there are demons anywhere else in the Colosseum, and if so, how many and their type. We can regroup tomorrow night and go from there.” He sighed as he pulled away from the wall. “Anything else?” he asked as he glanced over at Bishop, who studiously ignored his gaze. “Great, I’m going to bed,” he muttered as he turned and left the room.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Earth

  The candlelight flickered softly against the worn stones of the small chamber. Moans of pain echoed off the damp walls, the pure agony of them torturing Zane’s soul. His heart was pounding in his chest as he looked around the small chamber. Here we go again
, he thought as he left the chamber, he knew the way to Raphael’s torture chamber by heart. Lilith’s giggles of delight greeted him as he rounded the corner and entered the room.

  “Look who’s back for more.” She giggled as she ran a knife along Raphael’s chest, watching as his blood dripped down his chest and onto the steel table. Her blue eyes were filled with excitement. “No matter how hard you try.” She smiled as she set the knife down and walked over to him, running her blood red nail down his chest. “You always come right back.”

  Zane sighed as he pushed her away from him. “None of this is real,” he muttered as he walked past Lilith and over to Raphael. “Father,” his voice croaked. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for,” Raphael responded, his blue eyes shining with pride. “But I need you to listen to me now, we don’t have much time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Shh,” Raphael interjected as he looked past Zane towards Lilith, she waited patiently in the corner, her eyes glistening with glee. “Aria is in danger.”

  “I don’t understand,” Zane muttered as he glanced over his shoulder at Lilith. “This is just a dream. This isn’t real.”

  “Don’t let her go to the spire,” he continued, worry filling his eyes. “She cannot go to the spire. Zane,” he shouted, pulling Zane out of his head. “Did you hear me?”

  “How…” he muttered as he backed away from the steel table, his eyes searching the chamber. “How do you know about the spire?” The walls of the chamber began to blur, his heart began to race as he tried to focus. “How…”

  “Don’t let her go to the spire!” Raphael’s voice echoed around him as the chamber walls came crashing down.

  Zane bolted up in bed. “What the fuck was that?” he muttered as he looked around his room. His eyes landed on the window; it was still dark outside. He grunted as he rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up. That was some fucked up dream, he thought as he stepped into the shower. Raphael’s warning about the spire rang through his mind as he forced his body to relax under the warm water. “I’ll talk to her about it after the battle today. She’ll be fine until then.” He reassured himself as he placed his hands against the shower wall, letting the water run down his back. “She’ll be fine.” He repeated, willing his body to relax.

  ~~~~

  Cain and Abel waited in their small chamber in the Colosseum. “Why the fuck isn’t he here yet?” Cain muttered under his breath as he paced around the chamber.

  “Probably stayed up all night fucking and lost track of time.” Abel chuckled.

  “This isn’t a joke.” Cain glared over at Abel. “Our fight is next, and he isn’t fucking here!”

  “He’ll show up.”

  “He better.”

  The red demon from the day before entered their chamber. His yellow eyes darted around the chamber. “Just the two of you today?” he hissed as he clasped his hands in front of him.

  “I guess so,” Cain grunted as he walked past the red demon and to the chamber door. “Let’s get this shit show on the road.”

  The red demon eyed him with curiosity before waving his arm towards the door, welcoming them to head on out. “We’ll go get your weapons then.” They left the chamber and made their way to the weapon room.

  “Wait for me,” Zane shouted as he came running down the hallway.

  “About fucking time you show up,” Cain scolded as Zane stopped next to them.

  “Sorry,” Zane responded with a smile. “Lost track of time.”

  “I bet you did.” Abel chuckled dryly as they entered the weapon room and grabbed the same weapons they had used the day before. Zane only noticed a slight burn when he picked up his demonic sword. Huh, I must be getting used to it, he thought as he turned and headed towards their entrance into the arena.

  “Awá, Awá, Awá,” the crowd chanted enthusiastically as they entered the arena. A group of three warriors from another tribe stood in front of them.

  “This is it?” Zane mumbled under his breath. Cain and Abel chuckled as they got ready for the fight.

  “They are from the Kayapo tribe,” the red demon informed them as he made his way to the center of the arena. “Who’s ready for another epic fight to the death?” he shouted, the crowd cheering in response. He nodded at both groups as he exited the arena. Zane squared his stance, sighing with disappointment as the three warriors charged them headfirst.

  They are a bunch of fucking idiots, he thought as they easily countered the attack. This isn’t a fucking challenge. He sighed as he decapitated one of the warriors. The crowd cheered with excitement as the warrior’s head rolled across the sand. My training is harder than this. He watched as Cain and Abel easily killed the warriors they were engaged with. Silence filled the arena, a wave of disappointment in the air.

  “Well that was disappointing,” Cain mumbled as he gazed out at the crowd. They started cheering their clan’s name again as they turned and left the arena. Their next battle was the same, they slaughtered their opponents, surrounded by the cheers of the crowd. “How are we so much more powerful than the other half demons?” Cain wondered as they returned to their chamber. “I thought our first fight with the Kybus would set the tone for the rest of our battles. But these are just a damn disappointment.”

  “I agree,” Abel muttered. “No wonder the Red Horseman is getting bored with all of these fights. You think the red demon will have more fighters from his clan? I could use the excitement.”

  “I don’t know,” Zane muttered. “I’m going to go check in with Ryder and them. I don’t think we have any more fights today anyway.”

  “Alright.” Abel sighed. “We’ll come too. Maybe someone else’s fight will give us some entertainment.”

  “I fucking doubt that.” Cain chuckled as they left the chamber and headed towards the seating area. Ryder had found a seat near the top of the stadium, presumably so he could have a better view of the layout. Dominick and Gabriela were sitting next to him. Dominick’s face filled with pride as they approached.

  “You bring tribe lots of pride.” He beamed up at them. “I keep you around after battles over.”

  Zane chuckled as he sat down next to Ryder. “Maybe, my friend, maybe.” He looked over at Ryder. “Where’s Aria?”

  “She wanted to do some more scouting of the spire,” he responded. Zane’s heart sank in his chest as Raphael’s voice echoed through his mind, don’t let her go to the spire. “Bishop went with her and they took their weapons, just in case.”

  “Good,” he muttered as he turned his attention towards the arena. Another set of tribes were fighting each other, the crowd cheering with each death. He glanced up at the Red Horseman’s viewing area. His red eyes locked onto him, sending a chill up Zane’s spine. I can’t wait to kill that fucker.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Earth

  The final battle of the day finished; the crowd’s cheers echoed off the stone walls. People began to stand up and head towards the exit. The red demon entered the arena and looked up at Dominick. “Wait a minute,” he exclaimed, drawing the crowd’s attention. “We have a special treat for you. Dominick.”

  “Yes,” Dominick responded as he stood up, staring down at the red demon.

  “The Awá Tribe has never made it this far in the tournament. I’m surprised you’ve kept these powerful warriors hidden away for so long. To allow your tribe to suffer so much just for this grand come-back story seems so… cliché.”

  “And?”

  “We of the Medellín Tribe have won these war games for the last century and have bred the deadliest of offspring. As we proved yesterday with my Kybus. Since that battle, these fights have been dreadfully boring.” Disgruntled sighs of agreement filled the crowd. “As such, I have been given special permission to raise the stakes, to increase the entertainment value for our Supreme Demon of War, as well as the valued audience.�
� Cheers of excitement filled the crowd. Ryder shifted uncomfortably next to Zane.

  “Something is wrong,” he muttered to Zane.

  “The challenge,” the red demon continued. “Is the last three victors of the Medellín Tribe, known as the strongest creatures to ever do battle in this arena. I give you Machado, Moreno, and Andrade,” he exclaimed as the crowd erupted in cheers.

  Three men stepped through the gates and made their way towards the red demon. Two of them had red skin, the other’s skin was black and charred. Their yellow eyes stared up at the crowd, filled with anticipation and bloodlust.

  “Dominick. Do you accept this challenge?”

  “I do,” Dominick responded as he motioned for Zane, Cain, and Abel to return to the arena. Cheers of excitement filled the arena as the crowd parted for the three men to get through.

  “Be careful,” Ryder muttered to Zane as he walked away.

  “This should be fun.” Cain’s gray eyes filled with excitement as they entered the weapons room, quickly finding their chosen weapon. “I can tell just by looking at them.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Zane muttered as they made their way to the arena. The crowd erupted in cheers as they entered the arena, chanting their tribe’s name. They reached the three champions from the Medellín Tribe, their horns spiraled out of their foreheads, ending in a razor-sharp point.

  “I Machado.” One of the red-skinned demons commented as he banged his fist against his chest. He carried a large, two-handed ax.

  “I Moreno.” The demon with the charred skin continued. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, no weapon in sight.

  “And I Andrade.” The other red-skinned demon finished. He carried a trident and a net.

  “Wow,” Abel feigned being impressed. “Check out the racks on those guys.”