On with the chapter!
The struggling green-clad boy was dragged through the halls by Raijiar and Maltoic until they reached Raijiar's room. Maltoic closed the door behind them and the click of it locking could be heard.
It just had to be an automatic one, didn't it…? Todd mentally complained.
"What do you want from me?" Todd asked.
"Well, you have two options." Raijiar said. "The first is to be eaten alive, which I doubt you want. The second is usually the preferred option. I can spare your life, but you'll work for me."
"Why would I want to work for you after you kidnapped me for no reason?" Todd asked angrily.
"Because if you don't, you'll either get eaten or thrown in the slave yards." Raijiar replied. "So take your pick. Being my lunch, working for me, or being in the slave yards until you change your mind?"
"I'll never work for you, you creep!" Todd shouted back.
"Then Maltoic here will escort you to the slave yards." Raijiar said as Maltoic grabbed Todd by the arms and led him to another room.
The "room" looked more like an unsanitary pit that someone had dug under the ship they had been in. Though the light was dim, he could see fairly well in the pit. It was filled with mud, blood, and other disgusting things. The smell of dying creatures and rotten flesh filled the air. There were several small metal sheets, some of which looked like they were glued together to make shelters. More creatures that he guessed were Dinaurian prisoners were wandering around, shackled by the wrists and ankles. Most of them were thin and fragile-looking. They were clearly slowly starving to death. And the only clothes they had were torn-up rags that barely were enough to be worth wearing. Several guards lined the perimeter of the pit while others walked around, trying to keep the prisoners under control as much as possible. He looked up to see the ship they were once in. A strange slime covered the base of it. A drop of it fell, just missing Todd and burning a hole in the ground at his feet.
Acid… He thought. So not only do I have to worry about the other creatures, but I have to make sure that doesn't hit me either…
Maltoic threw him onto the ground and left. The Dinaurians turned to him. Most of them stared at him but stayed where they were. Their glares sent shivers down his spine. A few approached him. He got up and backed away, only to be stopped by a guard and pushed back towards the creatures. He hit the ground with a thud, a bruise already forming on his arm.
"Look what we have here…" One said in a raspy voice.
"Looks like a fresh snack to me." Another added.
Todd's eyes widened and he tried to run, only to get pulled back by the collar of his shirt and pinned down by another prisoner. The impact scraped his arm against the rough ground. A small amount of blood dripped from the injury. The creatures sniffed the air, then suddenly detracted their claws and started tearing into the young boy, the smell of fresh blood throwing them into a feral rage. Pain shot through the body of the writhing boy as the creatures sliced open his clothes and skin.
Todd screamed and struggled against his attackers, but he was helpless against the vicious creatures. There were too many. He was a good fighter, but in this state, he couldn't even take on one. All he could do was lie there and cry as the creatures slashed away. Some started licking his blood from their claws and the ground. Others tore away small chunks of flesh and swallowed them whole. He could barely move. There was no way out for him. It would take a miracle for him to survive.
"Hey, that's enough!" someone shouted. The creatures didn't listen, but there was a buzzing noise, a brief scream, and then silence except Todd's whimpering. The creatures left him alone and gathered around something else. Todd turned his head to see a dead prisoner being attacked by the hungry creatures. A guard was standing nearby with a spear in its hand. The end of the spear was sparking as electricity flowed through it. That guard was his miracle.
Todd sighed in relief and slowly stood up, his weak legs barely supporting his weight. But his relief was short-lived. Another guard put shackles on his arms and legs, making it difficult for him to move and impossible for him to escape. If he were to get attacked again, he definitely wouldn't be able to do anything.
They chained him to the wall. A few guards stood in front of him, seemingly protecting him from the inmates.
"Why are you-?" he started to ask. But he immediately shut up when an electrified spear was held up to his throat.
"Keep your mouth shut." The guard threatened. "We're under orders to let you live, but that doesn't mean we're just going to protect you from any harm."
Todd opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a scream of pain as the spear slashed his shoulder, cutting it open and shooting a powerful jolt of electricity through his body. His body started shaking as the electricity interfered with the controlling nerves for his muscles.
"I said to keep your mouth shut." The guard said. "And I meant it. Be quiet or else."
The injured boy stood up and started walking around to the extent that his chains would allow. This was only a radius of a few yards, but he couldn't stay still.
Another dinaurian ran over to him and tried to attack him. It was one of the same ones from before. It took a small strip of skin off of the boy's arm, only to get grabbed by the throat and thrown aside by one of the guards. He walked away, cursing under his breath. Todd sighed, but was struck in the gut by one of the guards, knocking the wind out of him and bringing him to his knees.
"What part of 'be quiet' don't you get, you noisy kid?" The guard asked angrily. "This is one of the many reasons I hate humans…"
After a few hours of pacing back and forth and getting randomly attacked by the savage Dinaurians, and by the guards every time he made a sound, the boy collapsed from exhaustion. Shortly after, the door opened. Several guards walked in and picked up the injured boy. They removed the shackles and escorted him back to Raijiar's room.
"Welcome back." Raijiar said. "I don't suppose your time in the slave yards has affected your decision… Or has it? You now know what happens if you refuse. If you refuse again, you might not get another chance. I won't have the guards save you next time."
"You did that…?" Todd asked with a faint and very raspy voice.
"Yes, but it was a one-time thing." He said. "So… What do you choose? To be my dinner? Or to be my slave? Or would you rather return to the slave yards and die?"
He knew he would have to choose to be Raijiar's slave if he was going to live. But if he did that, he wouldn't be able to be himself anymore. "I…" he started. But as he did, a guard burst into the room. "Sir! We're under attack!" The guard shouted. A loud crash could be heard in the distance.
"Kill them all." Raijiar commanded. "Take no prisoners, use any means necessary."
"Yes, sir!" The guard said before running out of the room.
"You stay here. I'll deal with you later." Raijiar said to Todd. He and Maltoic left the room and the door locked behind them.
Todd sat on the floor and cried, fearing for his life and the lives of whoever was invading the ship. He had a feeling he knew who it was. But he couldn't do anything. The helpless boy could only sit and wait.
And that's all for this chapter! Keep reading and reviewing!