I've been growing stronger everyday. Spending my time training, building myself up to what I was, trying to be better than who I was. Turns out I was wrong. Tiny is a very skilled fighter, he knows how to fight and secret attacks that he pulls out surprise me every time. He's been helping me train. Here, they fight out of fear. My adrenaline rush needs to be kept under control if I get picked to fight. If everyone finds out I'm a Lightning, I might aswell just kill my self now. It's the kings celebration today, so not many guards are on patrol down here. More freedom to prepare, to talk. But now, we are heading to the food hall. Tiny told me it's the princess that picks the contestant, not the king himself. Apparently, she is lucky for him.
"Ready Lucifer?" He asks as we approach the hall.
"I guess. You?"
"Nope." He stops in his tracks. His eyes are wide and his breaths are getting shorter. He is having a panic attack.
"Hey Tiny-Tiny relax come on." Well, that didn't work, it's like his throat is closing. "Hey breathe for me-tiny you need to relax..deeeep breaths man deeep-" he takes multiple larger breaths and finally his heart rate relaxes.
"If I get chosen today, I want you to know you're like my friend or whatever. And I don't want you to remember me as 'Tiny'" he laughs. "My name is George, George Henley." He whispers. I stick my hand out to him.
"Damien Lucent, good to finally meet you George." He shook my hand with a childish smile on his face, he had never told me anything about himself before. He got close a couple times when I'd catch him with off guard questions. But he had good control. I'm guessing he got arrested for something small, like thievery, or a fight in the street. He told me that he chose to come here. The king gave him an option, the lock up, or the arena. The lockup here is famous for its torture. Almost everyone comes out insane. So he chose the arena, at least he had the chance to defend his life, and not give it up.
We walked into the hall. Everyone was getting on their knees in rows. Bowing their heads, eyes firmly on the ground. Guards had swarmed the area, all stood in a circle around the room with their whips, this was to make sure none of us could get out. Or hide away. George knelt behind a large man, he thought he was smart. He gave me a look telling me to do the same and get beside him. I got on my knees, but I had too much pride to bow my head. And, I was hidden behind a large man, no one could see me.
"Keep your head down, you don't want her to pick you." George whispers not making eye contact. There was silence for a moment, I think some were even praying. But when I heard echo of slow clacking heels on the cold floor, everyone suddenly perked up. Muscles tensed, jaws locked, everyone squirmed. They no longer feared the future. They feared her. Their princess? The echo became shorter and quicker, meaning she was getting close. Everyone already on edge, starting to show outward signs of fear. The sweating, the heat rise in the room.
"George why do people fear her?" I whispered.
"If she picks you, you're like her pet. She likes to 'play' with you but it's dirty play. She'll make you do things before you enter the arena, you basically belong to her. We heard stories from the survivors of the arena. If she wants, she can make you cut yourself, take off a toe or an ear, depends on her mood really."
"Why don't you refuse, you're about to die anyway-"
"You can't(!)" He strained trying not to shout. "If you refuse, the guards will beat you, beat you till you can barely stand and then force you into the arena where-basically-you can't defend yourself and chance of survival- is zero(!)" He basically gave me a look to shut up. And I respected his fear, he needed his moment. But I wasn't afraid. More curious. This woman could get men, possibly three times her size, trained to be killers, to become her personal entertainment in only a few hours. And there was nothing they could do, to repel her...Interesting.
I could hear her now. She was closer. She was humming a lullaby. How sweet and innocent. The guards saluted her as she walked in, Lukas kissed her hand and she gave him a angelic smile before looking out over us with a fake look of surprise over her face.
"Loook at alll these sad faces!" She mimicked with a sad face placing her hands on her hips. "You should be EXCITED" she giggled "you get to fight in the honour of your king!" Her eyes never blinked, like there was an endless light in them that her pupils were huge. Fiery hair poured over the princesses shoulders like red hot filaments. Her skin was coarse, transparent like sun was lethal to her. Glass diamond eyes, like the window to hell, sparkled over a tiny nose and ripe like a fresh apple. As she walked through the rows of men I could tell she was tiny, positively harmless. But A hostile smile played over her lips. Her clothes were silk rubies as jewellery matching her hair. A large crown sat on top of her hair, gold with a red ruby protruding from it. She gazed about at the other men, not one of them had met her eyes, or looked at her for that matter. Running one hand over her hair and pressing her lips together, she found enjoyment in this.
I know she is coming to me, so I put my head down. She glazed over tiny, but lays her hand on my shoulder.
"You're new." She states. "Would you be willing to fight for your king?" She asks me, in the most innocent voice there could be. But me being me, I said "No." but I didn't look at her, the guards would be on me faster than a moth to the light. She didn't move, didn't do anything. The non response was what was killing me. And all of a sudden, she started laughing-HYSTERICALLY- that I may have actually jumped a little. Next thing I know she leant down and put a kiss on my cheek. Where she whispered "whatever you say...your highness." She moved back the way she came, but she did something that even I couldn't expect. "You will honour your kingdom and fight in the Kings name! Rise my champion, and good luck to you." Her hand wasn't on me, her hand was on George. He crumbled inside, I could tell he was scared. He gave me a quick side look and a quickly wiped a tear from his eye, that was his form of goodbye. He knew he was gonna die, he may have been a good fighter, but not good enough and he knew it. He got up, and followed the princess towards the door.
"I'll do it." I said. Heads turned, towards me. So I said it louder. "I'll fight for your king." This caught the princesses attention, she slowly turned back, she had plastered a smile on her face, but I could tell her insides were burning.
"No." She said. "Its ME who picks the contestant, NOT you," she tried to calm herself back from hysteria.
"He can't win, and your king will lose out on his profit and he will blame you, is that what you want Princess?" I tried poking the demon. And she thought about it for a moment. Before opening her mouth. "Hmmm. Alright, you will fight for your king." She said. "But if you lose, he will join you in death." Here she was trying to show me that 'I have enough power over you, it puts me in control. Don't try anything stupid.' Having control makes you strong, and nobody likes weak.
"Alright."
"Follow me then, Lucifer."
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I was put in chains and I walked behind Lukas and the princess. They chatted the whole way, didn't even notice me there. But I didn't really care, I was mentally preparing. I was left alone with my thoughts and I realised...I miss Karina. I miss my wife. I felt heavy without her. She gives me strength, and hope. God, I miss her.
We reached the end of the hall. And they placed me in a dark room. They took off my chains, and stripped me down to my boxers. The guards threw at me some clothes and minimal armour to put on. I put them on, and waited. For what I wasn't sure. I was trying to slow my breathing, get my mind clear. But the fire was dying out, and I started nodding off.
"I wouldn't if I were you." I heard. The princess. I saw her dark figure at the end of the room next to the dying fire trying to relight it. She was doing a pitiful job, and suddenly my adrenaline was back. I threw a fireball at the fire and it exploded, doubled in size with endless sounds of crackling wood. The princess already knew who I was. So I just had to show her.
"Hm. Lukas had informed me of, your abilities. It's just stunning...isn't it?" Her hands were clasped over each other. But the fire bounced off of her glassy eyes, making her scary in this light.
"To a human I'm sure." I say.
"I'm Yasria, Princess Yasria. You are Damien." She was getting close to me. I saw a glimmer in her hand. A knife? One so small she could've concealed it in her sleeve. But it was a knife. She stopped, and placed the knife on the floor. Trying to show me, scare me. Ha.
"I hear you are married." She said. I have to admit this woman was a freak.
"Yes." I respond.
"Her name?" She asks.
"Nice try." I say. "You're not going to use her to torture me." With that she smiled. Like I was stupid. Like I said something funny?!
"What's funny?" I asked, but I was pissed.
"I don't NEED your wife to torture you, her memory alone is painful to you." She giggles again. "I like pain." She says. "Physical pain creates screams, wailing and all the good stuff that comes with it. But looking at you, I saw all your scars. Physical pain doesn't phase you. Your body is too strong. Your mind however, you've left it unattended. It's weak. So more for me to play. I'm guessing it would be more fun." She clapped her hands and bite her lip. Like she gets off on this shit.
"You better Watch yourself princess-"
"Or what? Is your wife your red button? Baby you're not in control here-I am."
"So that's what this is about, control? Do you know how cynical you sound-"
"My brother, he never lets me do anything. So this, this is how I play. And playing is fun when you know how."
"I'm not playing with you. I'm warning you." I didn't have time for this bullshit. Some desperate little girl acting out because she didn't get enough attention. Ha. Please!
"Now that's funny." She laughs, it echoed in my ears. "You wanna see me play. Watch this. Your wife, she is here-" my heart dropped. Something inside me switches every time it comes to her. "We invited her. Well actually it was my idea." Karina is here? Something big is about to happen and I was too stupid to see what. But whilst I'm alive nothing can happen to Karina. She doesn't even have the right to mention her.
"Listen you fucking bitch-"
"I know everything about you, and you are mine to do with what I will because I own you..and if you don't. It would be so EASY for me to kill her, she is in my kingdom. But I want to have some fun first." She skips around and picks up her knife. "When you win, the king will invite you to the grand dinner." She walks to the door.
"And?" I say.
"You are not allowed, to tshow any type of affection towards her. If you make her believe that you no longer love her I will spare yours, hers and George's life. You must convince her you are no longer Damien, her husband. But that you are Lucifer. Because you are not hers anymore. You are mine." My mind became hazy. I cut off all thoughts and emotions. Right now I just wanted to dig my fist into something. "That's only if you survive this match." Her eyes emotionless. "The pressure is on your majesty." She turned to me with a big smile on her face.
"No." I said. "You might aswell kill me now." I thought that would get her attention.
"If I kill you, your wife will take your place. Want to try anything else?" She asks. "Because I can do much worse than death." Control yourself Damien, control. My mind repeated itself, I couldn't. "Can you do it?" She asked.
"Don't doubt me bitch, I live for a challenge." With a huff She suddenly left and guards flooded the room. One after another trying to hit me and punch me, I managed to fight them all off before one slashed a knife down me. It wasn't deep enough so I bleed out, but it was fucking painful. I clutched my shoulder and they trampled me so I fell to the ground stomping on me until I felt blood come out of my nose.
They opened the gate and shoved me out of the door and I landed on my hands and knees. The sun was too bright on my face that my eyes were forced to shut and craved the comfort of the dark. My ears rung with the sound of thousands of people cheering and shouting. I got to my feet, the dust sticking to the sweat on my hands and body. I heard a battle cry and turned to see my opponent on his mark waiting for me. He was one big fucking man. He already had a weapon in his hand, I saw a sword on the floor and I picked it up, swinging it through my fingers making sure it was right for me. I couldn't help but look, look around for her. I turned to the grand box where the king would be, and there i saw her. God I fucking missed her. The look on her face was enough for me to risk everything just to touch her again. I'd kill for her, id live for her. While she is alive, I could belong to no one else. She tried to give me her best supportive look, but I had stolen her gaze for too long. I had a job to do. I treked over to my mark and awaited for the match to begin. I am not fighting for no king. I'm fighting for her.