Levin Hussain
Bones broke as if my skeleton was made up of brittle glass. Insufferable pain shot through me with each hit of the Minotaur's club, darkness took my mind away after each hit, I always awoke lying against one of the walls that contained our bout like a cage. I pushed myself off the wall, massaging my neck as I approached the man-cow. It swung and I ducked, the thick wood passing above, narrowly missing my head. I was growing accustomed to its speed, managing to barely dodge a few of its attacks every now and then. I stepped to the side as it brought the club down, causing the floor where I just stood to cry out in a rumble of vibrations which I could feel from where I now stood. I took a quick glance down to the timer on my watch, five min- I didn't get to finish my thought as the pain of the club struck my side, sending me against another wall. The world turned dark as I collided with the cold stone, and when I blinked to life again, I saw my body twisting back to its original shape, blood ran along the walls, eagerly rejoining its place within my body. Splinters of bone disappeared like dust and as I pushed myself off the wall, landing on feet that twisted in place, I screamed and sprinted back towards the beast, beginning the dance once again. Duck. Side step. Duck. Duck lower. Jump. Fury burned in the Minotaur's eyes as it failed to hit me, annoyed at the lack of my death. It growled, the disdain evident in the subtle change of the growl from its growl five minutes ago. It swung again, the earlier pattern becoming difficult to predict due to the frenzied savagery that had swallowed its pride. It swung low and I jumped too late, the wood smashing into my feet. I howled out in pain, the feeling not getting easier. I landed on the floor, smirking in a vain attempt to not show the monster the pain I felt.
"Fuck you!" I spat as it looked down at me, seeming enormous as it lifted a cloven hoof and brought it down.
Hans Baumann
Waves of nausea pulsed through me, causing my head to spin as I stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. I grunted as I pushed myself into a sitting position, I looked around the foreign surroundings as I rubbed my sore neck with my hands. Four stone walls covered with pulsating vines told me that we weren't in that destroyed castle in Germany. I heard a sudden sickening sound as I turned to see a monster from myth slam its foot down on a figure who laid on the floor, a wave of blood erupting from the figure's face, coating the furry legs of the monster who was easily ten foot tall. This can't be real, I must be dreaming. But that all too familiar scent of blood told me that this wasn't a mere nightmare. I grabbed one of the vines on the wall, using it to hoist myself to my feet. As I stood, the room seemed to tilt inexplicably to the side and it took all of my strength to stay on my feet. I rubbed my temple which was concerningly hot to the touch.
"He's awake now, that's good."
"Finally, twat didn't realise how much danger he is in." I spun, but the voices just laughed.
"Hahahaha, we are in your head, you dumb fuck."
"Hey, he is our bearer, you can't keep calling him names."
"What the fuck?" I said aloud, causing the minotaur to rear its head.
"Now look what you have done."
"Hey don't blame him, this situation will confuse just about anyone."
"And that confusion will get him and in turn us, killed."
"Then let's just help him then as we discussed."
"Fuck, fine then, I assume that we need to keep him alive long enough for him to do what we want anyhow."
"What?" I asked again, confused at the situation at hand. Each voice sounded different as it bounced around my head.
"RUN!" the voice shouted and I looked back to the origin of the youthful voice. He looked very young, a teenager perhaps. But didn't he just. The figure stood, tackling the minotaur which didn't budge. "Hey slab of steak, don't forget about me." He looked in my direction, "get out of here," he pointed at the black framed door frame, "Jason went-" The minotaur grabbed him, crushing his skull and throwing his limp body at the far wall. His body splattered against it like a balloon filled with paint, and I almost wretched at the gruesome sight. I had seen worse, but the sight in front of me was too fantastical to truly believe. The monster turned its gaze to me and as I readied to run, the youth's voice spoke again. "That way, through the black door." The minotaur grunted with an obvious sense of malignance and charged at the now standing form of the youth, the injuries that he had received a mere memory. I ran towards the black door, only looking back once more as the minotaur's form collided with the figure who was now impaled on its large horns.