Chapter 21: Warrior - Mitchie's POV.
I woke up with the guards screaming for us to get up. I would get up, but I was locked to the wall. My back was killing me and my knees and wrists were bleeding because of the pressure of my body in the handcuffs. My cell's door opened and I slowly looked up. Viktor walked in the cell and laughed when he saw me in pain.
"Liked you new cell?" He said sarcastically.
"I feel like Jesus Christ." I said with a low and raspy voice.
"Guards!" He shouted.
The two strong mans unlocked me and I fell on the floor. I feel like my legs couldn't hold my weight. I slowly got up and the guards put chains in my wrists and ankles and that Hannibal mask was in my face again.
"I still didn't get why the mask." I said breathless.
"It's just a precaution." He smiled. "Take her to work in the furnace." Viktor said while he walked out from my cell.
The guards had to almost carry me to the furnace. I couldn't walk right because of the hundred seventy lashes. I wasn't happy in working in the furnace but at least Seth worked in there and he was nice to me. The guards took off the chains and threw me in the furnace room. When Seth saw me he ran into me and helped me up.
"Are you ok?" He said full of concern.
"I think so." I mumbled. He sat me in one of the wood piles. "Thanks."
"How's your back?" I looked at him with confusion. "You're almost a myth already. No one ever survived to one hundred and seventy lashes. The prisoners see you as a role model."
"It's a little bit better than yesterday. I'm hundred percent sure I'm going to have a infection but I'm fine."
"Take your shirt off." Seth said while picked up a leather bag.
"Excuse me?"
"My mom teach me how to do some meds with herbs. I had this one in here that it's great to bad wounds. It's going to release the pain and prevent from infections." I took off my shirt and sat on the wood pile with my back facing him. Seth picked up a bottle of water a threw a little bit on a towel. "I'm not gonna lie. This is going to hurt a lot."
He pressed the towel in my back to clean the wounds. I bitted my bottom lip trying to hold on the pain. Seth kept cleaning my back for some more minutes then he picked a green liquid from his bag and started to rubbing it on the cuts. The liquid didn't hurt like most of the meds you use in wounds.
"This is good. It's cold...Like Mentos." I said and he laughed. "Seth...Where did you get that bottle of water?" I said thinking about the delicious crystalline liquid in his bottle. I was in there had already three days without food or water.
"They give it to me cause I 'behave'. You can drink it...I had more." He gave me the bottle and I drink all of it in only one gulp. The water burned my throat, but was a delicious burning sensation.
"Thanks. You have no idea how I needed that." I said placing the bottle on the floor.
"I have. When they put me in here I stayed a week without water. I know they treat us like shit, but if you behave they are almost cool..."
"Shit? They treat us like the fly that lands on the worm that eats the shit." He laughed and kept rubbing the meds in my back. "There's some way I can get this things without have to behave?"
"Yes, but it's really hard. The army always do exams to new warriors...If you become a warrior you can even get out from the cell."
"Why don't you try it?"
"They just accept wizards..." Seth stopped rubbing my back and gave me my shirt. "Done."
"Thanks." I put my shirt on and get up. "Do you think I can get in the army?"
"If you are strong enough to get one hundred and seventy lashes I'm sure you're strong enough to get in the army." He smiled at me.
"When it's the exam?"
"It's already happening."
"WHAT?!" I shouted getting up.
"Relax. They're going to do another tomorrow." He said laughing. "I'll put your name on the candidates list. Judging by the mask they're a little scared of you."
"Ha-ha! Funny." I said with sarcasm.
"Your sure you wanna become a warrior?" He said while threw more wood or the furnace. "If you got to become one all the prisoners will hate you."
"I'm sure. I need this. I like water and food and I need to be closer to the council."
"Revenge?" He asked calmly. Was only me or nothing impressed that boy?
"How do you know?" I got up and started to help him to throw the wood.
"It's a little obvious. What's you plan?"
"Can I trust you?"
"Yes you can, cause I'll help you." My eyes get wide open. "The council killed my parents. I always wanted revenge but nobody never wanted to help me because they were scared."
"I'll kill the whole council. One by one until I get to Felix, and them I'll take over the magic world for Dante." I said with a grin that Seth couldn't see because of the mask. "Are you with me?"
"You don't have to ask twice." He smiled. "Partners?" He extended his hand. I held it and shacked his hand.
"Partners." I smiled underneath the mask.
There I was again. 5 in the morning in front of my cell locked with chains and a fucking mask with others prisoners while I waited to Viktor do his daily inspection.
The door opened and Viktor showed up with a huge smile across his face.
"Mitchie Russo!" He called and I looked at him. "Why do you think you will become a warrior?" Viktor asked and I saw all the prisoners looking at me.
"I don't know. I just want water and food." I said sincerely.
"Hum...Take her to get ready."
The guards picked me up by my shoulders and took me to the shower room. I don't have to say what happened when they turned the water on me. Pain, screams, blood and a little bit more pain. I get out of the shower and Mr. Muscles - who already was my private guard. - threw me some weird clothes and a armor. Underneath the armor I was wearing a letter t-shirt with no sleeves, black gymnastic pants and a long skirt that only covered my ass and the front part, letting my legs free to move to the sides. Looked like Tarzan's thong, but was longer. The armor only protected the chest and there was this bracelets that went until the elbows to protect my arm. I get out from the room and the guards lead me to the outside of The Pandemonium.
There was fifty peoples in there. They all had their own armors. It looked like a football field, but was a lot bigger. Again the guards took off the chains but not the mask. All the others who were there to try to get into the army stared at me scared. Jesus! It's just a mask!
A young but bold man with a scar across his face went to the front of us and smiled.
"Hello! My name is Edgar and I'm the army boss. You all are here to try a spot as warriors. There are fifty of you and ten vacancies. Five are going to work in The Pandemonium and five will fight in our wars." He shouted. "First of all. If you're here to look cool, get the fuck out of here." Ten peoples walked off the lines and went to some benches close to there. "If you're not willing to die for your master, go to the benches." Twenty people get out. "And if you don't know how to fight or manage a sword, I don't know what you're doing here." More ten peoples get off from the line. Now there was only ten peoples, the exact number of the vacancies. I looked to the side and saw a blond man staring at me. He had a shiny armor and he had a samurai sword in his waist. He smiled at me and looked to Edgar. "Hey!" Edgar called me and I looked at him. "Take off the mask!"
"I can't." I tell him.
"Why not?" I pointed to the guards and Edgar smiled. "Take off her mask." He shouted to the guards.
"We can't. Felix's orders." Mr. Muscles answered.
"Felix..." Edgar whispered angrily. "First test, resistance." He shouted.
When you think about resistance you don't imagine stay hanging on a steel bar that keeps getting hotter and hotter. In the beginning was easy all things considerate.
"You're Dante's reincarnation right?" The blond guy that stared at me asked. He was hanging by my side.
"I prefer Mitchie." I said with a weak voice. My back was still hurting me. "How did you knew?"
"I heard you got one hundred seventy lashes. I saw the fresh wounds in your shoulders and supposed was you." He smiled and moved a little bit looking for comfort.
"Your name?"
"Allan." He looked up to the bars and made a weird face. "This thing it's burning!"
"Tell me about it." I looked to the sides and saw that we were the only ones still hanging.
"Up until the maximum!" Edgar shouted to the guy who took care of the heating of the bars. I could feel it burning my flesh but instead of let go I just made my grip stronger.
Allan screamed and fell on the floor. I get more ten seconds and them I fell too. My hands were destroyed. The bar format was printed in my hands. Two huge black and red bruises. I could feel the smell of burned flesh. I stood up and looked at Edgar.
"Guitar player hands...They need to be strong." I said with a grin underneath the mask. Edgar gave me a small grin and walked to his table. He picked up a pair of black gloves that covered only the palm of the hands and a little bit of the fingers and threw it at me. I picked up and wear the gloves.
"Nice job Russo." Edgar said. "Second test. Unarmed fight." We went to an arena and by what I recognized was the same Dante had killed Damon. "You're going to fight with each other until you can't move anymore."
We were in a circle and when Edgar shouted 'Fight!' the blood started. Some guy tried to punch me by the back, but I bent down and hit my elbow in his stomach followed by three punches on the face and a knee in the balls. He went to the floor and stayed in there. Another guy ran in my direction and I did the same, but before he hit me I extended my arm and hit it in his throat, making him fall. I extended my leg to behind me like a horse kick and hit someone s stomach. I used one guy's shoulders as support and jumped high enough to kick other one's head.
I landed on the floor smiling like a crazy. I had beat alone four guys and Allan had beat the other four. Before we get to hit each other two swords were threw at us. Allan looked at Edgar who was smiling but I didn't think twice. I picked up the sword and made its way into a horizontal line in Allan's throat but he bent down and picked up his sword. Allan tried to hit my face but I diverted and his sword hit my mask, making it fall on the floor. I smiled and tried to attack him again, but again he defended himself. We didn't stop. The swords moved into millions of directions trying to hit different parts of the body. Some of the attacks we couldn t block completely leaving in our flesh small cuts. In the middle of the battle Allan's sword cut the band of my dog-collar and it fell on the floor close to the mask. I hit my feet on the floor and the parts of it started to lift up. When it hit Allan he flew to the other side of the arena and left his sword on the floor. I picked the shiny metal from the floor and started to walk in Allan's direction. He picked his wand and shoot a blue light in my direction but I divert it with my sword.
"Stop!" Edgar shouted. I stopped and me and Allan stared at him. "I don't want a dead warrior. Mitchie, you're going to work on The Pandemonium and in the wars. Allan, you're going to attend only in The Pandemonium."
I extended my hand to Allan to help him get up. He ignore it and walked away.
I never imagined see myself in the mirror using an armor like that. I must confess it was beautiful. Was black, covered my chest and shoulders. It had the same bracelet that went until the elbows, but it was stronger. It had some protections on the tights too. The shoulder part was full of details and for the fights I had some type of helmet. I kept using the leather t-shirt and the gymnastic pants underneath it. I don't know why but see myself in that armor made me felt powerful.
Viktor appeared behind me and locked a new dog-collar on my neck.
"You still can't use your powers." He whispered in my ear. "Your sword is in your new 'cell'."
I went to one of the outside parts of The Pandemonium. There was innumerous tends and there was warriors walking from one side to another. One of the tends had the name 'Russo' on it so I supposed that was mine. I walked inside the tend a smile crept across my face. It was huge in the inside. There was a bed, a locker, a shelf with a lot of books and even a bathroom. There was a huge wood box above the bed. I went until it and opened. I couldn't believe my eyes.
'It's my old sword...' Dante said in my head more shocked than I was.
"Why would they give me your sword if I'm only stuck in here because I am you?"
"Liked my present." I looked to the tend enter and saw Edgar smiling at me. "I knew you were Dante since the resistance test. He was the only one who get to stay all that time in the bar."
"You're not pissed or anything?"
"Why would I? Dante was my best warrior and..."
'I was his best friend.'
"Do you believe in his innocence?" I almost whispered.
"I always believed." He smiled. "I'll let you alone." He got out of the tend and I looked to the sword again.
"This is way too big..." I said to Dante.
'Trust me...It's not like it seems.' I picked the sword and was really light to a huge piece of steel.
"This is incredible..." I whispered.
'You'll be the best warrior on this place my darling, I'm hundred percent sure.'
"Thanks Dante." I placed the sword on the holder on my back and moved the box from my bed. Underneath it there was an envelope. A letter from Alex. I opened it the faster that I could and started reading.
My Angel,
I miss you so much Mitch...You got no idea what I am going through and after you told me about the lashes I broke into tears.
I'll help you with this 'plan', but you have to promise me that everything is going to be fine and that you'll come back to me. I can't live without you. You're everything to me. Don't matter how many times you tell me you're fine, I know you're not. Nobody should be fine after what you go through. I'll visit you as soon as possible. And the picture is in the envelope.
With all my love, Alex.
I picked up the envelope and looked for the picture. It was there. I smiled widely when I saw it. I was a picture in black and white. I was smiling to the camera and Alex was with her eyes closed so close to my face that she was almost kissing me. It was a beautiful picture and I loved it since we took it.
I pasted the picture in my locker's door and put the letter in the sword's box underneath my bed. I stared at the picture again and smiled.
"I'll come back Lexy." I whispered.
Mitchie is awesome...I got no words to describe her... Next chapter sneak peak: There will be Alex/Mitchie fluffyness hahahahah!
And thanks for the advice BloodyDawnAngel, but it's already too late...She catch me staring almost everyday...
Reviews please!