Bloody Sword

I'm trapped in an arena, sword in hand. I don't exactly know how I got there. Or how I got a sword. Then I realized I'm in the Bloody Sword arena. I scanned my surroundings. I saw trees, bushes, and a boys in orange equipped with long swords, charging at me. Wait, what?

I ran as fast as I could, dodging trees and breathing heavily. I didn't know where I was heading to, but it didn't matter anymore. Then I fell on a pile of leaves. Then the boys jumped on my back, making me wince in pain.

Then I felt a sharp point on my back, and that woke me up. My dog, Kagat, was jumping on my back, barking loudly. I calmed him down and patted his head. I lied down on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I thought about my nightmare.

Bloody Sword is a yearly event in which the ten cities of Goji fight with swords in a big arena in the county's capital city, Forrohua. Three teenagers thirteen to nineteen are chosen to participate and represent their home city. Only one fighter, however, may be declared victor. All fights are aired on TV. Talk about ordeals.

In my city, Makizue, also known as '6th', has only three victors : Renoir, Shardaun, and Carol. They went through many sacrifices to emerge victorious. Renoir accidentally killed his teammate when he threw a branch with a bomb on a teen from the 3rd city, Ganrae, in the Final Three fighters in the arena. Shardaun was betrayed by his teammates and he ended up fighting with a teen from the 9th, Kynshi, against his teammates in the Final Six in the arena. Carol hid in the bushes until the Final Two. Then she threw her sword like a boomerang and it hit the remaining teen on the head from the 7th, Hortorro, and won.

I got off my bed and greeted my uncle, my only guardian, and headed straight towards the bathroom to, well, bathe. When I was thru, I left the house to see the mayor pick a name from the Platinum Goblet. My red shirt and jeans fitted me perfectly as I sprinted to the City Hall.

I made my way to the City Hall, where I saw Mayor Schroon with a tuxedo and the three victors with formal attires on stage. The place was full of people, but I made my way at the center just in time to see the mayor pick up a piece of paper from the Platinum Goblet. He raised the paper, as if the people could read that from afar, and read it.

"First fighter is," he began. "Summer Meringue!"

A girl with a pink shirt and jeans, I assume she's Summer, approached the stage confidently. The victors greeted her, so does the mayor.

"Okay now," the mayor picked up another piece of paper from the Goblet. "The second fighter is..." he squinted at the paper, unable to read the name properly. "Theo Nadalle!"

A boy with a yellow shirt and shorts, I guess he's Theo, approached the stage and fist bumped the victors and Daisy.

I was about to leave the City Hall when the third name was called.

"And the third fighter is... Wilt Tigerclaw!" Mayor exclaimed.

I ran to the stage. Thank goodness! It's me!

On stage, I felt vertigo when I looked at the crowd. Eyes blinked everywhere. Heads moved all around. I wanted to throw up until Theo fist bumped me, and I made myself steady again.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Makizue, these are the chosen fighters for the 70th Bloody Sword Games!" The mayor turned to the victors. "Are you willing to train our fighters?"

The victors immediately nodded. The mayor smiled and turned to the audience. "Thank you all for coming!" The audience grew wild in response.

After the people had cleared out, the victors approached us.

"Hello, Summer, Theo, and Wilt," Renoir said, looking at each of us. The three of us are practically the same height. "We're going to train you. Be at the Vera Forest at noon sharp tomorrow."

We nodded and the victors left. Theo looked unimpressed. "So much for advice."

"That's Renoir all right," I said to him. "When he won, he never acted the same..."

"When he killed Reyna," Summer continued.

"It was a sad win for him," Theo said.

We all agreed. Then we went back to our homes.

Before I reached my house, three men in black suits pinned me down. I struggled and tried to hit them, but it ceased when a man pointed a gun at my head.

"Take him in, boys." The man with a gun commanded. Then I looked up and saw the man. He wore a white mask, same with the men who pinned me down, but this time the mask had red marks on it as if he got scratched by a cat. He also wore a long, black robe.

I realized who the man's voice was : Kyrie, a victor of the 7th, Hortorro, who viogorously slashed nine fighters in the Final Ten in a row. But the question still raced in my mind, why is he here?

The men carried me up. I immediately kicked a man in the stomach, and he flinched. I ran to the nearest tree but Kyrie grabbed my shoe and raised me upside-down.

The next thing I knew before I was knocked out was a shoe slamming into my face.

Still can't believe that I am a fighter. Never really expected it. Honest. I'd rather be watching fighters in the arena, not me being watched in the arena. But maybe I was just a little lucky today.

Anyhow, I was happily dancing my way home until a tiger appeared. Yes, I swore I wasn't hallucinating. A tiger with razor-sharp teeth, a grouchy countenance, and all the other features a tiger has, only much scarier.

The tiger took a few steps before I wet myself. I became stiff. My teeth were chattering.

Before the tiger pounced, a man with a mask stopped the tiger when he raised his hand. He must be the tiger's owner, which freaked me out. Who is scarier, the man or the tiger?

The next thing I knew, the tiger pounced at me, slashing me with its razor-sharp claws.

I've seen teens my age (which is thirteen) fighting in the arena. I've seen them suffer, kill and die. But I've never expected to become a fighter myself. But as I was walking to my house, my courage was lost. Men were surrounding me, guns pointed. I panicked.

Until one man with a mask and red marks stopped them. The men placed their guns down. Then the man made a twirl with his wrist. Then the men charged at me. I kicked one. Punched one. Slapped one. But I was still outnumbered. I ran towards the man in a mask and punched him.

His mask had a fist mark. Then the mask fell, revealing a Frenchman with a pointy mustache and a newly shaved beard. His eyes gleamed.

Before I recognized him, he kicked my stomach with lightning speed. I blacked out.

When I woke up, I saw Theo and Summer, gagged and chained. They were either sleeping, or knocked out, like me. I scanned the area and hesitated. I was in a storage room with frozen fish!

I tried to reach Theo, but I myself am in chains, too.

Then Theo woke up and his eyes widened.

"What's going on?" he asked nervously.

I placed my