Chapter 9
Prisoners don't have the option of luxury in anything. So why they would have something like a 'Winner's Lounge' Shiro didn't fully understand. The arena naturally had gladiators that won more times than they lost. With enough victories they were allowed here. It was far from anything a 5 star hotel could offer, but it was better than being cooped up in a cell all day. Here there was a bar, a tables and couches for resting and eating the slightly more edible foods, and private showers. The aliens here were usually the more burly type with plenty of scars to show as evidence for past battles won. If it weren't for the nasty smell of blood and viscera and the fact that everyone looked like they wanted to kill each other, this place could actually be considered relaxing.
Shiro looked around to see some opponents he's won against. In the corner sat none other than his cellmate, Ankary. Since none of the others gave off a friendly vibe, he defaulted to joining the Dayan. Ankary saw him approach, but didn't greet him or anything. "Figures I would find you here," he offered. The Dayan turned his attention to him and sighed. It's not like they don't see enough of each other between fights, now the human wants to friends or something? Ankary scanned the room, watching everyone. He followed the gaze, but couldn't really find anything worth his attention.
"Is there something you're looking for?" Ankary used his hands to tell him, but then remembered that Shiro didn't understand. Instead he resorted to writing on the table he was sitting at with his claws. A.U.R.A. he spelled out. "Aura? You mean, like atmosphere?" Ankary nodded, but then made the universal sign that meant "sort of". He couldn't continue the conversation when they were interrupted by another prisoner.
The alien was grey in color and had spikes poking out of the dark uniform the rest of them wore. Ankary bore his fangs menacingly at them. His tail blade slowly slinking around to aim at them, ready to strike like a viper. He head the alien speak in a language he didn't understand. Judging by the tone of voice and the way Ankary was reacting, it couldn't have been good.
He decided to intercede and help defend his cellmate should anything take a physical turn. The alien said something in a language he didn't know, but it made Ankary harden his glare at them. Shiro stood up and folded his arms across his chest, "Is there a problem here?" Both aliens stopped when they were doing and turned to look at him. The alien's scarred features turned to something smugger. "Why don't you save the harassment for the arena and leave my cellmate alone?"
The alien then got his bearings and he smiled in a taunting manner, "Champion, you don't know how anything works out here. You have a lot of nerve for challenging an actual alpha for the right to an omega." There were those words again, alpha and omega. He'd heard it before to describe other species of opponents he fought in the arena, but it's been popping up in more of the guard gossip, associating the term omega to Ankary. One of the guards had asked another if the Champion was an alpha, but all they got was a shrug. What does that mean?
It doesn't matter right now. He isn't going to stand on the sidelines. "I don't care about these outlandish rules. He's not interested so back off."
"Don't test me," they sneered. "You may be the arena's precious Champion, but you don't intimidate me. You pathetic humans refuse to understand anything outside of the comfort of your own solar system." He was about to snap at him again, but a soft hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Shiro turned his head to see Ankary standing there. There was a burning fire in his crimson eyes that looked like the gates of Hell just opened. He backed off and watched as the Dayan shot his tail out and wrapped around the alien's neck, hauling them to their knees. It constricted slowly and the alien was clawing for breath.
Ankary's eyes were scoring as they seared into the alien's soul. Shiro felt a sudden sense of dread come over him. It was unexplainable, but he backed up away slightly to get away from it. Ever so slowly Ankary's tail just wound tighter and tighter, squeezing like an anaconda snake. Pitiful gasps managed to escape the alien's throat and he desperately clawed more and more for freedom, but that didn't come. The grip became so tight, Shiro was left to wonder how the neck wasn't broken yet.
Then there it was. The sickening snap of bone and cartilage and the pressure gave way. The alien's lips dripped with blood of a strange pigment and Shiro watched as the light slowly left their eyes.
Ankary's snarl was intense, but not nearly as intense as his eyes that still burned. He withdrew his tail and returned to his spot. There was a horrific crush of the neck as the bones and pipes remained broken inside, the fur was mangled and a shiver ran up the Champion's spine. Then his gaze was aimed and Shiro, and he froze. The Dayan didn't make any move towards him or anything. He just observed, like he could see every little secret Shiro had to hide.
Shiro was perfectly still. He didn't dare move a muscle, pinned down by those deadly eyes. It was silent, except for the low mingling from the others in the room. The stare was making him uncomfortable until it was interrupted two Galran guards. They marched over to the scene and took a look at the dead body on the floor. Immediately they pushed Shiro out of the way and forced Ankary to his feet. "By the stars, Blackwell. Will you ever learn not to kill anyone outside of the arena? If there was room I would just throw you in solitary confinement." Shiro opened his mouth to defend his cellmate, but he was silenced by their warning glare.
Ankary hissed at them, but didn't resist when they locked him in their restraints. Why didn't he try to overpower them? It's not like he couldn't do it before. Whatever ulterior motive Ankary had, Shiro couldn't possibly guess. He just watched as they led him away, probably back to the holding cell. The corpse on the ground still lay broken at his feet. He made a disgusted face at the gruesome sight. He's seen and done worse in the arena in the name of survival, but for whatever reason he couldn't explain the sudden dread he felt earlier. Where did that come from? Better to keep out of the way Ankary's wrath than be in its way.
