I lay prone on the ground, with my face pressed into the boggy grass of the pitch. I couldn't even lift my head to see who was still alive, but I winced whenever I heard the cries of the wounded suddenly become mute. Even after emptying his clip, Skargar would reload and keep firing.
My breathing was shallow; the weight in my gut felt like it was getting heavier, and to make matters worse, the bitter, blood-soaked blades of grass kept rubbing against my lips, forcing me to spit every few seconds.
I went to look up again as soon as the gunfire ceased, but as I tilted my head, I saw a canister land nearby. I jerked my head to the other side, only to see the same thing again; several canisters were rolling across the ground, dispersing plumes of thick white gas with every roll.
'Vio-' Before I could even say her name, the world around me went dark. It was as though I'd just fallen asleep. And I awoke to cough, feeling groggy as I tried to acclimate to my new surroundings. I remembered the gas smothering the stadium like a thick low-lying mist, but nothing after that. I could feel something metallic and bulky wrapped around my neck as well, and I began to run my fingers along its length as curiosity took hold.
Skargar whistled. 'I wouldn't do that,' when I didn't reply, he rolled his eyes. 'All of you disobeyed me, but fear not, for I am merciful.'
He smiled with mock sincerity as some people gasped. 'Those of you who are redeemable will continue to play Runeball. Whereas, those who I cannot trust, well...' He ripped off one of the helmets of his zombified guards and then another. It was Falcrest and Lockwood.
I stood up, ready to do something stupid. 'Ah. Ah. Ah,' Skargar said, holding out a remote, its button glowing white. 'I push this; you die.'
I sat back down, peering around at the shellshocked faces of those left alive. Skargar laughed as I continued to search for Violet.
'Your friend is fine... Sort of,' he stepped closer to Falcrest, staring into her eyes. 'All of you, play the game, entertain us as this one once did, and you might live a little longer.'
After Skargar left, I began to pace, grimacing at the draft pool of players I assumed we'd have to pick from to rebuild the Rimeholde Raiders. And one face stood out above the rest as I pulled back the hessian blanket he was lying underneath.
'Get off!'
'Baltar!' I grinned with relief. 'Why weren't you stood next to Falcrest and Lockwood?' As happy as I was to see the man, it was strange to find him alive and well.
Looking at him, I had to hide my suspicion as best I could. It had become apparent that Skargar could bring out the worst in us without so much as breaking a sweat; all it would take was a little motivation, like, say, the promise of freedom for both him and his family.
Baltar dug his fingers beneath the collar on his neck, vainly trying to reach an itchy patch of skin. 'Do you know what these are?' He asked, jumping to his feet.
'No, what are they?'
He shook his head, staring at the ground. The weight of the collar forcing him to look down. 'I was hoping you knew.'
I noticed an old clipboard propped against the wall, so I strolled over to scoop it up. The paper also lacked quality and had crumpled edges. Then at the centre were blotches of dried-out blood, and after flicking through several sheets, I realised it had soaked all the way through. It didn't matter, though, for these writing materials were all we would be allowed.
'Come on, Jake; I'm guessing we need to have a team in mind, at least five starting players by the time he gets back, right?'
I nodded, slowly walking down the row of prisoners on the left while Baltar walked down the right side, being on the lookout for unique talent. Like we were master scouts, who knew what we were looking for in a prospect player.
'Hello, what's your name?'
'Molly Raines,' she smiled at me. 'You'll also want to know my age, athleticism, experience and magical prowess.' She read off the list from memory, seeming to know more about the process than I did.
'How do-'
'Not my first rodeo, kid,' my eyes widened, and she nodded. 'I used to play for the Rolken Wildcats... That was, oh, almost a year ago now.'
One whole year; had we truly been gone from Brockwing Vale for so long? Surely not. I had to mask my initial reaction. If Molly Raines turned out to be another player in the mould of Halzon, it wouldn't do to let her know everything there was to know about me.
I looked at her with a wary eye, trying my best to set aside my inner turmoil. 'What have you been doing for the past year? You weren't playing Runeball for another team or living as one of the guards, were you?'
Before I could interrogate her further, she bulled ahead with the telling of her life story. 'They don't always kill everyone like we were lead to believe. After the Wildcats rebelled during the cup final, I was imprisoned,' Molly stared down at her bare feet, her mind elsewhere. 'My whole team, gone, killed for something that was my idea!'
'How often does Skargar lose his mind like that?'
She didn't even have to think about it. 'At least once a month; the man does love to entertain his guests.'
'Why do so many people come to Titan's Reach?' The question had been bothering me ever since our meeting with Niren The Wise.
She appeared to be confused, though. 'What do you mean? There are seven big cities, each with millions of inhabitants.'
'So, nobody travels here from other realms?'
Molly had to snap her jaw shut before glancing around the dismal holding cell, her gaze lingering on each person for a second. 'You'll find that the people here are either in crippling debt, hold criminal records, or they are homeless.'
'That's awful!'
Molly nodded sombrely. 'Maybe, but there's been peace for as long as I can remember.'
I shook my head. 'Why haven't the people fought back? This so-called 'peace' of theirs does nothing for those who are enslaved.'
'Are you kidding? There are still more rich people than there are poor, and more 'innocents' than there are criminals,' she shrugged. 'It is the way it is, and nobody wants to change it.'
I refused to believe her; I couldn't. My friends were counting on me to save them, though I wasn't yet sure how I would be able to pull off such a daring rescue, not yet anyway. 'Let's get this team together, Molly. If those bastards want entertainment, we'll give them a show they'll never forget.'