"789!" one of the male elves bellowed out as they surrounded Shen Yi and the male elf.
Shen Yi was shocked by 789's words, she needed to get to that coliseum. If Hunter and Theriault were really there, it sounded like they would need help.
"What is it? Screaming this early in the morning 234?" 789 said in a casual tone, his hand shaking only slightly.
"Why is it that we leave for five seconds, and a prisoner is escaped? No wonder you're on guard duty all the time!"
The elves laughed at 789, pointing at him as he held his head down.
"And you, human girl, let's go back to your cell; The Princess gave us strict orders for you to be locked up until after the feeding games; However, we could always have some fun first."
Shen Yi gritted her teeth. Is this just how men were? Or was it specifically these elves that were scum on Earth?
"No."
The elves were taken aback. Not only were they used to their orders being followed by the other males, but 789 was the main one they ordered around.
No wasn't even a thought to them, they never thought it would be possible to be told no by another male elf.
This made them mad.
*Whoosh!*
The larger elf burst forward, kicking 789 in the stomach and sending the weaker elf sprawling to the ground.
"You say no to me? Are you serious!" He yelled, grabbing the elf by the arm and slamming him on the ground, kicking him again and again as the others joined in.
"Yeah, bitch!" One yelled, kicking 789 in the ribs, a crunching sound under his foot.
"I'll show you who's boss stupid mongrel, this'll teach you!" Another added, throwing a punch and connecting with 789's face, hitting him again and again as all four attacked the elf.
789 had been nearly knocked unconscious. His face was battered from the kicks and punches, blood running freely from his nose and mouth. "My love, you must run," He said, his eyes pink as he struggled to get up. The only thought in his mind was Shen Yi's safety, he had to show her that his love was nothing to look down on.
"Run? No that's fine," Shen Yi said, a pissed-off look on her face as she swiped her hand across her torso, a splotch of blood landing on her face as one of the elven guards fell to the ground, his body sliced in half due to Shen Yi's glowing silver blade.
It wasn't that she cared for the smaller elf, no she didn't care if he died, but seeing a bunch of people gang up on someone clearly weaker... It irked her in ways she just couldn't explain.
She raised her sword high above her head, ready to slash down any who dared approach, though she knew it wouldn't matter much, they couldn't approach her quick enough to stand a chance either way.
She quickly cut down the guards, leaving her blade bloody as she looked down at 789. "Lead me to the coliseum, I will cut down anyone who gets in our way. Lead me to my friends." She said, her voice cold as she stepped towards 789.
The male elf stood up, looking at the girl in shock as he looked around at the dead bodies around him.
He started to shake as he took a step closer to Shen Yi. "Are you sure about this? The princess might order you to be thrown into the feeding games as well…" He said, fear evident in his voice.
Shen Yi's eyes shone. "I'm counting on it, escort me there."
***
Theriault and Hunter struggled against the restrictive rope in vain, it simply wouldn't break under any amount of stress they could put on it in their position.
"Well, it's been a good run huh Hunter?" Theriault said as The Hydra sniffed around, searching for their scents, which it would inevitably find.
Hunter nodded, knowing the end was near. They had never even gotten the chance to fight together, yet this would be the end... unless.
'Fenghuang, I don't think he has a plan, he sounds genuine, let me use it,' Hunter thought, looking up into the air where the phoenix floated.
"Human, understand that the company you keep has been through much worse, just wait it out, I'm sure he's just doing this all for dramatic effect..."
Hunter nodded, but he wasn't buying it. He knew his father's stories of a brutal bloodthirsty and impossibly cunning adventurer were true; Though, what if he was simply exaggerating those accomplishments...
He looked back at Theriault who had his hands tied behind his back and his legs tied to the large pike waiting patiently for the monster to arrive.
"So what do you want?" Theriault asked, a smile appearing on his lips as he spoke. The crowd whispered amongst themselves.
"This has to be one of the most boring feeding games ever..." Theriault heard one of the elves say as several agreed.
The host gritted her teeth as she heard the complaints, she assumed The beast would have finished them off quickly, this was simply supposed to be the buildup to the main event, but this was taking far too long.
"Hey!" she yelled, looking at Theriault and Hunter with an enraged expression. "They're over here," She finished, catching the hydra's attention.
The hydra roared loudly as it charged forward, fire and poison spraying from their respectable heads.
"I guess this is it," Theriault said with glee, holding his head down in mock sadness. The hydra closed in on them. Ten feet... Five, until finally, it's middle head outstretched toward the two.
"Now Fenghuang! We need to do it now!" Hunter yelled, tugging against the rope as the hydra's hot breath enclosed around the pike.
*Crunch*
The arena went silent as the hydra's head snapped down on the two, a satisfying crunch causing the crowd to clap immediately.
"Oh shit…" Theriault said as he watched the creature's neck snap, its brains splattering all over him and Hunter.
They fell from the pike, landing on the arena floor as the crowd gasped, none of them expecting this. "What'd you do?" Hunter asked, seeing a floating object in the air.
It was a scythe, and not just any scythe, but a ten-foot razor-sharp weapon of mass destruction.
"I may have made this entire situation more troublesome... I didn't mean to destroy the head completly," Theriault said as the hydra hissed, two more heads growing where the middle one had been destroyed.
"I assumed you would be less hostile after that... But it seems you forgot your master?" Theriault smirked wildly, the scythe floating down next to him, radiating dark energy from the blade as the queen of the elves, Imra, stood from her throne.
"That... Evil energy... What is that," She whispered to herself, earning a concerned glance from Princess Thelassia.
'So I wasn't crazy...'
"Theriault... What key do you have?" Hunter asked, flames appearing around his body as they stood against the hydra.
"Don't trip up on it, you'll learn when you learn," Theriault said, surging toward the monster, the scythe following him at the same pace.
Hunter's heart raced, he was fighting with the same legend his father had told him stories about. The purger of Uropa, the slayer of the Arcadian King Starshine... This was that Theriault.
Hunter rushed forward two, excited to use his newfound abilities over fire. He's had his flame key since he was young and it was great, but The Pheonix Key gave him full control over the flames he made, and they had divine properties, allowing him to deal more damage.
Theriault dodged a wave of fire, jumping in the air and landing behind the hydra as Hunter threw his own flames at the beast.
The divine flames burnt into the side of the four headed monster, causing to screech and whip around wildly.
"Crap," Hunter said as a tail whacked him in the side, sending him flying away from the battle as Theriault laughed.
"You have to be ready for that kind of thing!" He shouted as he dodged the tail, the poison gas spraying at him.
The scythe floated in front of Theriault, spinning and diverting all of the gas away from him, a cocky smile on his face as the hydra puffed, looking at him with it's snakelike eyes.
"It sucks doesn't it..." Theriault said, flashing forward. "Being inferior," He finished, kicking one of the hydra's heads and sending it flying back.
'No,' A voice said in his head as a spike embedded itself into his chest. 'I am not inferior...'
Theriault looked at the blood as it flowed from the wound, a blank expression on his face as the hydra scrambled up, two heads spewing fire and two spewing poison. 'You are!'
The hydra surged forward, closing the distance between it and Theriault in a split second.
*Swoosh*
A whistle broke through the air as several cuts appeared on the hydra, even two of it's heads falling from it's body.
"Sorry I'm late, they had me locked up..." Shen Yi said, her eyes locked with Theriault's wound as she wiped her blade clean.
"You should have stayed locked up..." Theriault said, a strained look on his face. "I can only exert so much power you know? And this thing gets stronger with each head cut off..."
Shen Yi widened her eyes as he grabbed her, sidestepping the mix of poison and fire and looking back at Hunter, who had finally gotten back up after his emberrasing knock down.
"Well then... I guess we should get serious..." Theriault said, his eyes glowing as the scythe flashed toward him, floating behind him as his partners readied themselves.
The Hydra sprayed fire and poison in the air, screeching loudly. 'Not even one hundred humans would be enough!'
'Hey...' Theriault communicated, grabbing that connection as he smirked and crouched. 'Shut the hell up.'