by Brian Carmen
Chapter Sixteen: The Blood Stained Sand
Nia opened her eyes slowly inside a plain metal cell. She could feel her head pound as though it were being split in two. Slowly, Nia looked all around at the other cells that had been built to hold Volstir prisoners. They were all occupied by mad Soulem that were constantly yelling and screaming.
The thirst was strong inside her however she was able to find a use for it. Nia blocked the emotions from the Soulem who were also starving for blood. Somehow, Lauren had brought her to where the Soulem were being kept. She looked at the Soulem and the cells that contained them.
Nia looked at the walls with interest. They were incomplete and were actually part more rock than metal. She had seen on the blueprints that the Coliseum had three holding levels for prisoners. The third level was originally designed to hold more powerful Volstir but had been left unused for the last two hundred years.
It was the perfect place for someone to hide an army. Hardly any of the citizens knew of the level’s existence. Even Venus had overlooked it when they went over the area. A loud voice could be heard. Nia turned her attention towards the hallway outside of her cell.
The Execution Royal was starting above her. Nia could hear the announcer speak as though he were standing in the cell with her. The Soulem seemed aggravated by the voice that seemed to be taunting them. Nia tried to focus away from the noise they were making. She needed to listen to what the announcer was saying.
He was announcing that Thereon Solbid was going to give a short speech. Nia started to feel anxious as she heard the roar of the crowd. They all seemed excited to hear what Thereon had to say to them. None of them knew that all of their problems could have been caused by the man they were cheering.
“Helaina” a familiar voice said as Nia quickly began looking around for the origin.
“En where are you? Are all of you alright?” Nia asked quickly
En was finally able to contact Nia again. She couldn’t help but feel relieved to hear him. Nia was now in a position where she could save the people that had been taken. She listened and hoped that En would answer her again.
“We are all together down the hall. Everyone is safe for the moment but that isn’t going to last” En answered as Nia walked up to the bars and started calling out for Olivia.
“I’m here Nia” Olivia called back to Nia from a cell down the hall.
Nia had many questions that she wanted to ask her maker. Unfortunately, now was not the time to ask as she started looking around her cell. She needed to find a way to break out of her cell and rescue everyone else. She could hear Olivia speaking to her even though Nia wasn’t paying much attention. Suddenly they both listened to a voice that could be heard from above them.
They listened to the voice of Thereon Solbid as he spoke to everyone inside the Coliseum. By the sound of the crowd it seemed as though almost everyone in Loc Moines was present. Nia wasn’t surprised that they would all be here. They all needed a distraction from the horrible events that had been occurring lately. She wondered if Lauren and the others were among the crowd as she listened to Thereon’s words.
“Loc Moines will persevere throughout these trying times. All that are responsible will know the wrath of the Volstir! Today you will be witnessed to an Execution Royal as a preview of what’s to come. The criminals that will be executed today are villains and will mark a rebirth for this city” Solbid continued as his voice took a more somber tone.
“I only wish that I could be here to witness such a marvelous rebirth. The council however, has asked me to step down from my position. I will be replaced with your new leader Brutus Cassidy. Please welcome him with the same courtesy that I have been afforded” Nia heard as Thereon finished his speech.
The roar from the crowd had grown tremendously louder. Nia wasn’t sure if she were hearing it from the speakers or with her own ears. Many seemed angry and outraged by Thereon’s removal. The action made sense to Nia however, since the city had almost been destroyed twice in one month. A new voice could be heard, it belonged to Brutus Cassidy.
Nia listened as Brutus began talking but only for a brief moment. Someone had planned for everything to turn out this way. If Nia didn’t act quickly then the people of Loc Moines would end up being massacred. The people were too weak to fight off a third attack so soon.
She heard the names being called out as she tried to pull the bars apart. It didn’t work since not even the Soulem with their increased strength were able to break free. The doors would likely open at a predestined time. The first people the Soulem would try to kill was going to be the ones currently with them.
“We have to get out of here” Nia called out to the others.
She listened as Olivia explained that they were working on it. In the meantime she was forced to listen to the commentary of the fight. She allowed herself a moment to think about Victor and Ebony. If they had gone after her then there was a very real chance that Lauren had already killed both of them.
Three levels up on a dirt field; Marcus Solbid was holding a prisoner in a headlock. He was using enough strength to make the other man’s head popped off from his body. The people all around him shouted in joy. The suffering they had been forced to endure had created a desire for blood in them. They wanted to see someone get punished.
“My ability is to transform. How do like fighting the strength of a gorilla?” Marcus asked with a smirk in his voice.
The person he was holding however surprised him by using his own ability. He was able to move out of Marcus’ hold. Within seconds, Marcus was now holding nothing but air. If he was surprised with the man’s escape, than he didn’t show it. Instead he seemed amused as he clapped his hands.
“So you have ghost ability” Marcus said with a smirk as his partner appeared behind the man.
The short blond woman had the ability to teleport. She could teleport not only herself but other things as well. The man’s eyes began to widen in shock. Marcus knew that a part of his organs were being ripped away from his body. It had to be quite painful to have one’s liver instantly vanish from inside their body.
“Take it slow Ellen, we need to put on a good show” Marcus said coldly as the woman nodded.
Marcus turned towards another of his partners as they fought with two of the other criminals. He watched as the crowd began to cheer him on as large thorn like fur began covering his body. His face became to elongated as his eyes became more beast like. He could feel a tail growing as he raised his head upwards and howled loudly so that everyone could hear.
Marcus always enjoyed turning into a lycanthrope and knew that it was always a crowd pleaser. He was three times faster in his lycan form along with being ten times stronger. This combination made him the perfect killing machine. The crowd rejoiced at seeing Marcus transform. Within seconds however, he was gone from where he was standing.
He was able to enjoy the shock on one of the criminal’s face as it was ripped off. It wasn’t an instant kill though the man was forced to scream in agony. He would be able to rejoin the show within a few minutes however it wouldn’t matter by then. Marcus turned towards the third criminal and howled once again. The crowd yelled even louder as Marcus walked towards his newest opponent.
He dodged the fire by jumping into the air. Marcus ensured that he would land on top of his opponent. The impact knocked the man to the ground as his teeth sunk deep into the man’s neck. Marcus enjoyed tasting the man’s blood as he felt how easy it would be to rip his head off. The crowd wanting him to kill the man, they needed to see Marcus kill. Now however wasn’t the time.
He released the man as one of the criminals charged into him. Marcus began seeing images flash inside his head. He tried using his wolf senses to clear his mind before the man could get to him. He could hear that the man was getting closer to him. He would only need a few more seconds before his mind was able to break free of the images. Looking outwards he saw the man vanish from in front of him. Ellen had managed to st
op Darius before he could kill Marcus.
Looking around he noticed that two of his allies had been killed by the criminals. Only Ellen and Marcus were left on the battlefield. Croons was slowly getting back to his feet as new skin continued to grow. They could see the skin cover the muscles that were where his face should have been.
Marcus turned towards Ellen and then looked up at his father who was watching them with grim satisfaction. He waited for the nod as Marcus called out for Ellen to finish the fight. Charging towards Croons for the kill he heard the people surrounding them begin to yell louder. The anticipation for more blood and death was reaching a boil.
Something however got in the way as Marcus felt the cold spear impale him. He was instantly knocked to the ground. Marcus pulled out the spear and returned to his feet. His eyes focused on the new person that appeared with them. The audience was just as shocked by the intruder as she walked towards him.
She was a blond that obviously enjoyed the attention her little sneak attack was granting her. Marcus howled loudly as he began charging towards the woman. She may not have been a criminal in the Execution Royal however she was interfering with his show. A crime like that was unforgivable; therefore she would have to die. Her ice ability was wrapping itself around him like a blanket. Unfortunately for her, his fur rendered her attack useless.
Marcus was only a bit curious by the smile on the woman’s face as he tackled her to the ground. She didn’t seem afraid of the monster that was on top of her. He wondered if she were brave or simply ignorant of him. He was drooling with anticipation almost as much as the crowd. Now was not the time to savor death however, as he prepared to rip her head off.
“Let the show begin” Lauren said with a wicked smile as a loud screech could be heard throughout the entire area.
Something was about to happen and it was enough to take Marcus’ attention away from the woman. The center of the arena began to sink downwards. Everyone looked at the hole that was suddenly appearing inside the coliseum. It seemed that only Lauren knew what was about to happen. Marcus looked at the woman with hatred before clamping his mighty jaws around her head.
Meanwhile, as the fight began Nia was left listening to the commentary. She heard about the headlock Marcus Solbid had one of the criminals in. The fight was obviously going to be intense. It was only going to get worse once the army was unleashed. It was only going to be a matter of time now before the Soulem were allowed to attack.
Nia heard a loud bending sound from down the hall. Olivia and both the Polongs were struggling to bend the bars. Nia tried to encourage them since it was the only thing she was able to do at the moment. They were using all of their strength to try and bend the bars however it didn’t seem to be working.
The Soulem were becoming even more rabid as they seemed able to sense what was going on above them. Nia continued to encourage the others as she ignored the announcement of someone losing a liver. There was a loud metal sound as Olivia shouted in triumph. The three escapees ran towards Nia and began helping her bend her bars. She was going to break out, but they would still have a big problem to deal with.
Nia looked towards En and instructed him to start looking for something they could use to block the Soulem from escaping. Even if they were unable to stop them indefinitely; they might be able to give the Volstir above a chance to fight back. Nia helped Olivia and the white fox named Sheila pull on the bars that were keeping her trapped. She was surprised by how strong Sheila’s jaw muscles were.
With their combined strength they slowly began bending the bars apart. It wasn’t an easy task however Nia was able to squeeze herself free. Olivia helped pull her through as she squeezed through the bars. Nia wrapped her arms around her maker, relieved that they were all together again. It had been hard but they were all finally free.
Nia looked around and listened to the commotion from above as they described an intruder appearing on the field. The announcer described the cold air that had suddenly appeared. It was obvious to all of them that the intruder was Lauren. Olivia was surprised by what the announcer was saying however Nia wasn’t.
“Lauren lost Edvin and is now helping the bad guys” Nia explained quickly as she began pulling on Olivia’s arm.
They ran past the cells with the hungry Soulem screaming for freedom. Making their way through several doors a loud screech could be heard throughout the tunnels. The noise caused all three to clutch their ears in pain. It seemed to be coming from their level as they heard a noise from somewhere in front of them.
They had tried to barricade any door they came across however they all knew that it would only slow the Soulem. There was nothing they could use to hold them off permanently. They didn’t even have guns to fight them with. Their only hope would be getting to the surface and warning everyone.
They didn’t have time to investigate the noise. Instead, they continued moving forwards. En rejoined them as he explained to Nia that he’d found a computer. It was currently unlocking all the cells down there at once. He was unable to stop it since the computer frozen once the program started.
They only had a minute before the lower levels would be swarming with Soulem intent on killing. Luckily, En had noticed a platform being lowered onto the floor above them. They barricaded another door and began climbing stairs leading upwards. En ran in front as he began leading the group towards the platform. Nia didn’t think she would have made it out without En’s guidance.
“Why do these places have to be so damn complicated” Nia shouted in frustration as they started to hear the screaming from close by.
“Probably to make the place look more interesting for tour groups” Olivia said as they came to a large room with light and sand shining down on them.
Sheila lowered herself and then leapt upwards into the coliseum. They could hear the shouts from the crowd grow louder as Olivia followed her Polong. Nia listened for signs of trouble however she didn’t hear anything. She opened her arms as En hopped into them before she jumped into the light.
They landed on top of the sand that was all around them. They found themselves in the middle of the Execution Royal. The light was almost blinding compared to the darkness that was below them. Nia looked around as her eyes adjusted and saw the combatants that were all around. Everyone in the coliseum was left confused by their sudden appearance.
Marcus Solbid was shaking ice from his fur as he howled once again. He obviously thought they were with Lauren. He started to make his way towards them with the same killing intent he had shown the criminals. Olivia was the first to react as she pushed Nia out of the way. Marcus barely had time to stop before falling into the hole that was right behind Nia.
He hadn’t counted on the white fox appearing as Sheila ran up and knocked him into the hole. Nia and the others began trying to call for the attention of the crowd. Nobody outside the inner arena could hear what they were trying to say. Ellen however, heard everything as she glared at them and asked what was going on. Olivia began explaining as Nia and the Polongs turned their attention towards the others.
The four criminals already knew what was going on because they had planned all of it. Nia looked for Lauren and eventually found what remained of her. Her head was no longer a part of her body. Marcus must have killed her before they were able to reach the surface. Nia was saddened by her death as she walked over to her corpse and took back her gun.
Lauren was missing her head however she was still alive. If they were quick enough, they could give her enough blood to allow her head to regrow. Nia however could sense that she was at peace. She wanted to die so that she could be with her love. Nia wanted to cry for her but had more pressing matters to deal with.
She began checking to see how many rounds were left in the gun. Marcus had jumped out of the hole and was no longer in his werewolf form. He walked towards Olivia and demanded to know what was down there. Nia figured he’d seen the Soulem which meant that they were about to start attacking.
The anno
uncer was able to get the crowd to settle down as security guards started entering the arena. They were walking up to the group with their guns aimed at them. Before they were able to reach them however, Nia and the rest turned around. The first Soulems were hopping onto their level.
Nia aimed and fired at the creature before his eyes could adjust to the light. It was killed in bright green flames that shocked the crowd. More were appearing and Nia knew she didn’t have nearly enough rounds to take them all on. She could only hope that they would be able to hold the monsters back so that more help could join them.
Nia and the security guards began firing at the creatures without hesitation. The guards were able to recognize that they were Soulem. The people in the crowd also noticed the Soulem that were coming out of the hole. Nia could hear the screams of fear coming from all around her.
Marcus returned to his lycanthrope form and immediately joined Olivia and the Polongs in their physical fight against them. The four condemned began using the distraction to make their escape. Nia wanted to go after them but couldn’t with the Soulem coming for her. She heard them start fighting the guards that were trying to join the fight. The five of them didn’t stand a chance against the four criminals; all of them were decimated.
Nia kept firing until she heard the click that indicated she was out of rounds. She then joined Marcus and Olivia as they both tried to hold the Soulem back while the guards tried to exterminate them. She tried to avoid touching them however she kept feeling the constant shooting pain. Nia was knocked backwards causing her to crash into Marcus. He pushed her off of him and rejoined the fight; however he didn’t see the look in her eyes as she slowly turned towards him.