After napping in silence on the ceiling for a few hours I awoke to a guardsman screaming for his comrades. "Come quick the thief is dead, and something is hanging from the roof in here!". The other guards came sprinting down the long hall. "The prince will not be happy about this. The thief was supposed to fight in the arena today. Gerald go get the battle master we have to get this sorted out fast", one of the men then bolted back down the hall. Feeling a bit frustrated that I was woke by these imbecile guards I released my spacial movement, and used my wings to glide down to the floor. I folded my wings back into the skin of my back and punched the cell door. The entire room flashed jade green as the guardsmen fell backward to the wall behind them. "Why would you wake me up? I was trying to digest my meal". I said as I slowly looked at the body on the floor, insinuating that I was the culprit. As sweat began to bead on each of the guards foreheads a man clad in expensive armor and fine cloth headed our way. "Battle master Torg, what are we going to do? The prince wanted this man to die in a public showing of no mercy, with the duke's family in attendance". "Fear not men I will explain everything to the prince and the duke. I will ask if there is anyway that this can be made right by them. As for you bat boy, you will die on the sands of the arena for this. Rest assured I will have you in a battle no monster can win soon enough", Torg stated angrily as he and the guardsmen left.
Now I was alone with only the beasts and monsters, which all coward in the corners farthest from me in their cells. "Nothing to do but wait I guess". I told myself as I wandered what Alice was doing and if she would come see my new appearance soon. She and her father were my only friends, they were actually more like family. They took care of me, fed me, and Alice would even play with me right outside my cage. She was never afraid of me, even my own father tried to kill me at first sight. As I pondered over the past in the log cabin, and my glorious fall in the concrete jungle, I heard people returning to the main gate of the holding cells. "Torg this better be some bad joke. I wanted that man to feel true shame before his death. He was to be made a lesson of to warn the people not to mess with the royal family!". The voice of who I'm sure was the prince that the guardsmen spoke of said. I assure you your majesty this is no jest. I saw the mans body with my own eyes". Torg and the prince were now getting close to the last cell, with enough men for a small army accompanying them. Each man armed with swords, including Torg. The prince however wore freshly polished white and gold armor with a two handed war hammer equipped on his back. I sat there in front of the thief's body with my wings fully spread across the cell, blocking any view from the hall. "Where is the body?", Torg said sternly to me. "Battle master, I have no idea, if the two of you wish to see what is in this cell then come inside". I felt pretty confident now that I had evolved and gained some levels and skills. "Do you think you would survive if the two of us enter the cell? You are indeed nothing more than a foolish beast". The prince and his guard all shared a laugh, as I pulled my wings back, exposing the shell of the thief that once shared my cell. The smiles left their faces and all but Torg were in a state of disbelief. "What do we do your majesty? This is sure to upset the king and his brother". "We will have to change tonight's battle plan. Make this beast fight ten of the hardest criminals we have. The biggest and toughest ones we have", now the prince has quite a serious expression. "I will see to it your majesty. All that you have said will be done.", Torg said as he dropped to a knee with his head bowed, and a balled fist at his heart. "If it would please you I would be more than happy to drag this pile of bones into the arena behind me, so that all can see that he died a truly frightening death. Should that help you prince.", I smiled only really wanting to strike as much fear into the people as possible. I mean if they are going to treat me like a beast, then the lest I can do is play the part. "Torg see to it that the thief's body enters the arena with that thing.". "Yes your majesty". Torg still unmoved from his humbled position.
Soon after that the prince and his guard left. Torg stayed behind with a few guards to prepare to move me from my cell into the arena as safely as they could, and I merely waited patiently for one of them to make a mistake.