Okay so this is kinda late. Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! Thanks to Guest and LunaPikazard2 and Satirates! Your support is literally everything to me! Enough of me, onto the chapter!
Cole's head slammed into the ground. Again.
"You are getting faster." Zane told him, extending a hand. Cole took it reluctantly.
"My head begs to differ." He muttered.
"Ah, we should stop. Perhaps resume after a short while." Zane offered. Cole was too tired to respond, so he just nodded. His hair flopped tiredly at his shoulders, his black strands were coated in a layer of white from the arena sands still from earlier.
"That reminds me." Zane said, as he pulled off his leather armor pieces.
"Hmm?" Cole asked, struggling to pull his off as well.
"You need to wash that blood off, it can be deadly if you don't." Zane explained.
"Is there anything down here that isn't dangerous? The crystals don't shoot lasers do they?" Cole asked, eyeing one near him warily.
"Don't be stupid." A rough voice said from behind him. Cole turned to see Kai leaning against a column of rock.
"I was kidding." Cole muttered, more to himself than anything. Cole hadn't been down here for very long, maybe several hours, and he still barely understood anything about being down here. So far the only thing that did make sense was that Zane was much nicer than Kai was.
He didn't know why there were crystals everywhere or why he was in some version of Hell or why they were going to stick him back in that psychotic arena, or who the Underlord was, or this crazy new language that sounded like a cat coughing up marbles when anyone spoke it.
All Cole knew was that Zane was the only person down here that might be able to help him, and that once again he didn't seem to have a choice in what he was going to do. Just like his father used to decide things for him, he was being decided for again.
He did not want to go back into that stupid arena, he did not want to learn to fight giant scorpion monsters, or live with the other champions, or be in this Godforsaken place at all. Cole wanted to find somewhere where he could climb back to the top, and then dig a hole to the outside world and go home and forget any of this ever happened.
So why don't you? A new voice asked in his mind. It was Jay's voice again. Cole kept imagining what Jay might say in a situation like this. Jay may have been scared of a lot of things, like spiders, and the dark, and creepy holes in the ground, but when Jay set his mind on something he never gave up. Plus Jay was able to set his mind on whatever he wanted.
Basically his smaller friend took what he wanted when he wanted it regardless of consequences.
Cole could never do that. Cole always did whatever other people wanted. He was a people pleaser. He made sure everyone had their way, no matter what it meant for him.
Now the first time he did what he wanted, which was explore that stupid hole, it literally ended up with him stuck in Hell.
Life's funny. Cole muttered in his head.
"Cole?" Zane asked suddenly. Cole's attention snapped back up to the boy in white.
"Hmm?" He asked, eyes wide. He'd completely stopped paying attention to what Zane and Kai were talking about.
"Are you ready to go to the springs?" Zane asked slowly.
"Lead the way?" Cole answered, crossing his fingers. To his relief Zane smiled, nodded, and began leading Cole away from the clearing where they were sparring. Kai eyed Cole as they passed. Cole attempted a smile at Kai but he was sure his nervousness poured through it. Kai exhaled at him before turning and climbing back up the ladder.
"The springs are always open, so we commonly go there after a fight." Zane explained. Cole caught up and walked next to him.
"That's great." Cole agreed. He glanced around the large cavern scanning for any place he might be able to climb up. On the far side of the cavern there was a column that seemed to keep going, up into the darkness for a while. The ceiling still looked like it was miles high, so Cole doubted climbing it was even an option, but at least knowing there was a way up was something. Something was better than nothing.
"Here we are." Zane said, pointing to an overhang with several pools of steaming water. Crystals were embedded in the floor in certain patterns. As they got closer, Cole began to feel the heat radiating from the water. It wasn't until now that he realized just how cold it was down here. The steam from the water was a huge difference.
"I'll wait outside for you." Zane said. Cole nodded and entered the cave. It smelled strongly of something sweet and the light from the crystals was echoed in the steam surrounding him. Cole walked over to one of the pools. There were clean boxers and towels stacked on a shelf near him. Cole carefully pulled off his silk clothing and boots until he was just in his boxers and slowly sunk into the hot spring.
The hot water made him immediately want to go to sleep. He was exhausted from everything that happened. He still didn't know if he'd been here for two days or one but for once he couldn't bring himself to care. He rinsed out the sand from his hair, and the dirt and sweat and blood from his face and neck.
His muscles melted in the heat of the water and Cole briefly wondered how the water was heated. He peered into the steamy pool to the bottom where they would usually heat a pool like this. There, protected by a clear layer of crystal, was molten lava.
The pool was heated by lava.
Yup, Cole was in Hell.
Okay I'm drawing the line at lava. Jay's voice said.
So what am I gonna do? Cole wondered.
You're going to escape. You're going to sneak out when everyone is asleep and climb that column until you reach the top.
Cole sighed to himself, but imaginary Jay was right. Cole had to get out of here.
And it had to be now.
Cole lay in his bed unable to sleep. It had been hours and none of the champions were sleeping yet.
Zane was sitting in his bed reading scroll after scroll and whispering things in the Underworld language and writing things down. Cole knew what learning a language was like, he'd taken French in school for three years.
Kai and Lloyd were quietly talking in Kai's bunk. Kai seemed to be telling him stories, or maybe lessons. It was weird seeing the red champion acting so at ease. Cole had gotten violent vibes from him. But around the small blonde, Kai seemed to soften up a ton.
Nya wasn't even in the building yet. She was still in the clearing at the base of their column practicing. Cole could hear her grunting and breaking things. Zane had explained she always did this when she had a fight the next day. Cole had asked if she had ever a lost a fight to which Zane gave him a strange look.
'None of us ever lose. If we lose we die. That's why we're the champions.' Zane had said. Cole was taken aback at this information. Losing meant death? Even more reason for Cole to get out of here. He'd been lucky the first time around, and Kai had been there to help him.
But pretty soon he'd have a fight where he'd be on his own and his luck would run out.
Cole sighed and stared at the dirt ceiling. He half debated falling asleep. He was exhausted and there was still a chance he'd wake up at home, but he decided it was a gamble he didn't want to make.
Lloyd went to bed first, yawning and curling up on Kai's bed, who then carried the child over to his own bunk. Once Lloyd was settling, the number one champion climbed up to his own bed and passed out.
Cole found it enormously funny that 'the champion' slept with his mouth open and his limbs splayed out everywhere.
Zane followed suit maybe half an hour later when he seemed to be stuck on a new topic. He rubbed his blue eyes tiredly and set his paper under his bed and blew out the candle he was working by. Zane lay stick straight in bed, but his eyes looked peaceful enough.
Nya was still outside beneath the column. Cole heard more crystals shatter. Who knew how long Nya would be out there. Cole sighed and made an executive decision. He would just have to sneak past the fierce girl.
He waited another half an hour, just to be sure they were all really asleep, and then slowly rolled out of his own bunk. Kai shifted, but he'd been shifting all night, so Cole didn't stop. He crept carefully across the floor. More shifting behind him. He assumed it was Kai again. He was about to be at the exit when he heard,
"Don't."
Cole froze and spun around, looking extremely guilty.
"I'm sorr-" He stopped. Everyone was still asleep in their beds. He blinked extremely confused.
"Hello?" He whispered quietly.
"Stop!" A shout came. Cole flinched and raised his hands defensively. Still nothing.
"Mm. No." More incoherent muttering. Cole looked around trying to locate the speaker. Finally he saw Zane, restlessly shifting and muttering defensive words.
"Zane?" Cole whispered. Zane did not answer him. He was most assuredly asleep.
Cole breathed a sigh of relief. His escape window was still there. He could still get out of this awful place. Zane muttered again. His muttering sounded bad, scared. Frantic even. Cole stopped in front of the doorway. His eyes shut in an internal argument with himself.
Just get out of here.
He looks so scared, and restless.
Come on now's your chance.
Imagine the horrible things he's seen.
Stop thinking about other people for once in your life.
I'm never going to stop am I?
Not likely.
I have to get him out too.
No you don't.
I have to get them all out.
Dammit Cole.
Well I'm already damned. This is Hell isn't it?
Yes, which is why we should leave while we have the chance.
I can't just leave him!
Why not?
That's not who I am.
Cole bashed his head on doorframe a few times, then rushed to Zane's side.
"Zane!" He said loudly, shaking his extremely pale friend. Zane muttered some more, face screwed up in fear.
"ZANE!" Cole yelled. Zane's eyes shot open in an instant he had turned and dove into the safety of Cole's arms. Cole blinked in surprise.
"It keeps happening Kai." Zane said softly, and Cole felt drips of hot water on his neck. Zane was crying. Cole tried not to freak out. He wasn't nervous about the crying, Jay cried all the time, when he couldn't handle all the jerks in school, or when his parents fought. He was freaking out because it was Zane.
Even though Cole barely knew Zane, he was still the number one most calm and composed person he'd ever met, so crying was the last thing he expected Zane to do. Zane seemed like someone who was at peace with all of his choices in life, and understood the path he was on.
Cole didn't say anything at first. He didn't want Zane to be embarrassed when he realized he was tightly grabbing Cole's clothing and crying into his chest, and not Kai. He waited until Zane slowed his breathing before finally saying,
"Hey buddy, it's me."
Zane looked up surprised.
"Oh. Cole." He said, looking away and sitting back on his bed. "I apologize." He said, putting his head in his hands.
"It's really okay. But uh, what's wrong?" Cole said, taking a seat next to Zane.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." Zane said quietly.
"Too late." Cole teased. Zane blinked, as if he'd never met someone who continued to ask what was wrong.
"I sometimes see terrible things when I'm dreaming." Zane admitted finally.
"What like nightmares?" Cole asked.
"I don't know. What is a 'nightmare'?" Zane repeated.
"You know, like a bad dream. We call them nightmares." Cole explained.
"Yes, it was a bad dream. A nightmare." Zane agreed.
"Well what was it about?" Cole asked.
"Oh awful things. You wouldn't want to hear them." Zane told him.
"Well the only way to get over a nightmare is to talk about it, and I think I'm the only one awake." Cole pointed out.
"Nya is awake." Zane argued, looking out the window and down below where Nya was still training.
"Nya, is busy." Cole countered, turning Zane's attention back to him.
"Well. It was mostly about what would happen if I ever lost." Zane breathed a sigh of relief to have it off his chest.
"In the arena?" Cole clarified. Zane nodded.
"Or if perhaps Lloyd loses when he must fight, or if Kai ever lost, or Nya. I don't think I'd be very happy if I was the only Camosos." Zane explained.
"Well of course not. They're like your family. You grew up with them. It makes sense that you wouldn't want anything to happen to them. I have a friend from the surface world who's like that to me." Cole told him.
"Really?" Zane asked, smiling lightly.
"Yeah, I think he's really like you too." Cole answered. Zane smiled for real now.
"I know I could probably get into trouble for this, but I sometimes wonder what life would be like if our jobs were not to fight in Glatori Rigari. Could you? I don't know. Perhaps? Well okay. "Tell me just a little?" Zane stuttered.
"About the surface?" Cole asked surprised. Zane nodded, eyes wide.
"Well-" Cole thought about all the hundreds of things he could tell Zane about. All thought of escaping had left Cole's mind and he now had a new mission. He had to convince Zane that there was something better out there. Because only then would he ever be able to get him out of this terrible place.
Cole decided to tell Zane about something that personally he struggled with. Something he wished he'd taken advantage of when he had the chance. Something he never fought for, but regretted never having fought for it. Something he didn't realize was so important until all of it got taken away and he realized how much he wanted it.
"Well for starters, we have freedom."
Okay! We're getting somewhere! Nya's fight will be next chapter! Will Cole convince Zane and the others (Kai might be the tricky one) that escape is worth it? Will Jay venture into the hole? Will Cole survive his second fight and have to kill somebody? Find out next time on, 'The Gladiator Pit' Lmao. R+R and thanks for all your support!
Keep Writing Keep Reading, Nova out ;)
