[You're worthless]
[You really think you deserved to be loved]
[Since when did they ever care]
My eyes felt bloodshot. As if rage had consumed me, as if this overwhelming sense of sinking pulled my heart down into the murky depths of self despair, as if I had once again become that little boy on that snowy day.
I thought that the werewolf I had killed brought me some form of closure. It only made me hunger for more.
Slash after slash after slash, I hacked away at his spear, chipping it with every blow. My hands by this time had grown numb, the impact of the blade being my only outside stimulus.
The man in front of me slowly morphed into the werewolf I had seen that night as if I were no longer fighting the same man I exchanged insults with, grinning as if it were amused at my sorry display.
"All you have is anger, learn to control it, not let it take control of you".
I couldn't hear his voice anymore, stronger words coming from inside my soul…
'Kill him, kill him, they're the reason your family is dead, a monster like him doesn't deserve to live'.
My skin began to turn grey, as if I were rotting right in front of my eyes, but I didn't care, neither did I realise at that moment.
"…", he however, did, and yet chose not to say a word about it.
In the next moment, I felt a low blow to my legs, kicking me off balance, dropping me parallel to the ground.
"Tch, you're already too far gone".
"Like hell I've given up!!!".
As I fell, I stabbed my sword at his thigh. He clearly didn't expect this.
I picked up this trick from Viktor.
Though he quickly composed himself, bringing the lower half of his spear to strike the blade out of my hand.
The final ditch effort of stabbing while falling wasn't all I picked up from Viktor.
While the blade had indeed been flung out of my hand, I pulled out another smaller blade hung to my side, under my shirt.
Though everything seemed as though it were for nought, The man in front of me seemed to transform, claws growing from his fingernails, while his arms bulged as though they were about to pop.
I didn't know such speed was possible. Not even with these sly tricks could my blade reach him.
Within seconds I found the wind brush violently against my back as I flew from his attack. I noticed my lack of control over my left arm, it now only swung side to side as I moved my body.
"You're like a child in a man's body", he snarled as if he were disgusted.
I noticed a younger me crouched down against someone. His words stung.
"Have you no shame as a man? You're weak and pitiful. I doubt you've ever put in any work at all".
"As if you know what I've been through, I seemed to be having deja vu but I ignored the thought.
"Have you ever worked till your knuckles broke, till your own blood ran down your arms, calluses that burst and tore. The insurmountable soreness of overwork?".
"I— I…".
He crouched down pulling his claws to my face.
I couldn't avert my gaze from the long sharp claws he stretched before me.
He pulled my collar up to look him in the eyes.
It seemed that through the entire fight, I hadn't even stopped to look at his face.
Was he really a werewolf? There was no protruding snout, there was no fur that covered his tanned skin aside from overgrown facial hair, which only became a little thicker from the time I had first seen him. In the end he remained almost similar in appearance to before. "Could werewolves transform themselves in such a manner?".
"You don't know a thing, kid".
Though it seemed as though his mood soured further. His sadistic expression shifted into that of one who held back great emotions.
"Sigh, what am I even doing".
"—AGAROTH".
The man pulled his claws away. He stood up and turned around.
"Why the terrified expression, we were just having a friendly spar… he needs a doctor… I was about to take him to the doctor".
"Do not lie to me Agaroth", the man walked closer as he spoke in a great rage. "You went too far!".
"It was just a friendly spar. I might've gone a little far, but—".
"Enough… go back".
"Don't act like that Karaf".
"Go— back".
"Tch, whatever you say", he spoke through gritted teeth.
…
…
"Fork, are you alright?", the man from before had come to my rescue and yet I couldn't even answer. "I'm gonna take you to the doctor ok?".
I merely looked into his eyes, hoping my gaze alone, could carry my feelings.
"I'm gonna pick you up, so bear with the pain":
Karaf seemed more concerned than I would've thought. It's not as though we had known each other for very long.
And just like that, I somehow ended up lying down on soft white sheets, a bright light blinding me from atop the single-person bed.
"Several bone fractures, several popped blood vessels and internal bleeding… any longer and you would be dead".
"You don't have to rub it in doctor", my tone of voice raised and lowered as I breathed heavy to speak.
"Agaroth doesn't usually go this far, he's got a short temper sure, but… you really shouldn't have pushed your luck".
"It's not like a really did anything".
The doctor chuckled a little, "He is a man who sees a lot of himself in others, you probably reminded him of something".
"A lot of people say that to me. It's usually always in a bad sense".
"Don't worry about it too much".
"Yeah…"
"Thanks", I looked over to Karaf, he seemed to look regretful by his expression. I mean, this sucks, but if you had warned me of him sooner, I'd probably have never been in this situation.
"Well uhm, since it seems we're both free from anything for a while, how about I tell you what we're here for?".
I nodded my head.
"Ok, so floor six is for special cases. We're basically the prize, poster children. We bring buyers to our owner's store".
"Ok… that's it?".
They made everything seem a part of something so much larger than it really was.
"Well, that is what most people think, but we also fight… brawls between slaves belonging to slave merchants are not uncommon, but when we are talking about our owner… it's on a much grander scale".
"So we compete for rewards?".
"Bragging rights, fame, and entertainment".
"That's why everyone I've encountered has been so strong".
"Right…".
"So then, that's it? That's all I am now, a fighting slave".
"Yes and no. Once a year, we get a chance— freedom— the winner of the tournament hosted by the Duke of Veshar, wins his own freedom".
…
I could get out of here?
"When is the tournament".
"We will have mock team fights in 1 week to qualify to take part in the tournament. While you may have been chosen as a sixth, there's no reason to keep you as one of you do not perform well enough".
"One week!? With these injuries-".
"Don't worry about that, you'll be better in no time".
"How?".
"Just trust me… In three days come to me, we need to get you back in fighting shape".
"Ok…"
"Right, with that I'll just go, you get some rest".
Karaf walked out the door, and I was left in the room with the doctor.
"This won't hurt a bit…"., the doctor pulled out a syringe with a purple fluorescent liquid.
This'll definitely hurt…