I don't need saving. I'm just a slave.
Chapter Six – What pup fears
The three boys looked up a Joey with wide eyes. One had a messy mop of black hair with silver eyes. Another had his hair pulled forward into a single horn and the last was … 'oh crap' Joey thought as he realised it wasn't a boy but a girl. Her hair was long and red.
Joey shook his head at their silence. Looking around Joey looked around at the shadows and watched with wide eyes as they surged into one mass. The single monster grew and shifted, seeming to pull itself from the wall where it had been a two dimensional shape. As it approached him Joey watched in terror as its shifting settled down into one form. It loomed above him, mouth grinning sadistically, eyes slanted sharply. The face, an elongated form of ...
His fathers.
The towering body hunched forward, inhumanly long arms crossed at the front with the hands hanging over the shoulders. The legs bent backward. And at the monsters side was a deadly looking blade. Joey swallowed and took a firm stance in front of the two boys and girl.
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Seth lent forward. What are you doing? What is that? Its not our beast. He thought as Joey griped his knife tighter.
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Joey shivered in apprehension as the monster crept towards him. It reached forward to grab him, its movements slow and smooth, as if trying to be gentle. Joey frowned and slashed at the hand as it came close. The monster withdrew its limb quickly and bared its teeth at him "I won't let you hurt them. Your fight is with me." he said. His voice was loud and confident though he was shaking. He turned his head slightly and shot the three children behind him a look "move to the wall, slowly and quietly." the girl nodded and grabbed the other two and began to pull them with her.
Joey looked back at the monster. He began to swing his small blade making the light glint off it so it would watch him and ignore the other three. He wove it in and out, flicking his wrist. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the High Priest shifted in his seat. The monster followed to movements of his blade, head bobbing up and down. Suddenly it lashed out and Joey brought the blade up to defend himself.
The shock of the blade hitting the solid mass vibrated up his arm. Joey hissed in shocked pain as he slid back a few feet. Form the wall he heard the younger children whimper. The blond ground his teeth and looked about for anything to help him. He flinched as the beast lashed out at him again. The beast smirked, its twisted lips pulling back over sharp teeth "Whats wrong boy?" it hissed. Joey stopped moving and stared at the Shadow in fear. The beasts smirk grew wider "Can't fight me?" an echoing laugh slipped from the monsters lips and it struck out at him slicing down the bruised flesh of Joeys side. The blond cried out in pain. "Fight me! Show me your worth something you filth!"
Joey cringed and held his side, blood dripping through his fingers.
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Seth turned to Atem "that is not the beast we summoned cousin" he whispered harshly Bakura and Marik'ie nodded looking at their leader.
"So you noticed it too" the crimson eyed man whispered back "once this challenge is done we will search out the one who summoned it. I do not like this creatures appearance. It seem's much too sinister."
Bakura frowned and looked at it. "I have seen that face before" he mused and the other three looked at him. "Priest, you asked us to follow him last night. That face is the face of his so called father. A beast of a man. Large, muscled and reeking of pain, torment and darkness. Do you not see the scars, gashes and bruises on that boy. His father is one step away from becoming a noble of the court, and his son is one step away from true slavery" Atem frowned and set the monsters face into his memory for a later time as Seth looked back to the blond in the arena who dodged the attacks and verbal taunts of the shadow beast.
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The beast sneered and lashed out at Joey striking him in the thigh "You dishonour our family" it hissed and he threw himself to the right to avoid the next blow "you are sin, bloodied and tainted. A disgrace to you linage" its taunts pierced his ears and echoed in his mind "because of you she is dead, because of you!"
Joey shook his head "No! I repented, I atoned. My whole life!" he slashed at the creature but it shifted out of reach.
The eerie echoing laugh came again from the beast "its not enough, never will be enough. You can't protect them, you can't even fight back for yourself. You deserve this pain." Joey shook his head and looked at the three frightened teens.
When he looked back at the beast it shied away from him. His top lip withdrew in a growl as his left eye bled red. Not even the whites were visible. "I tell you every time. I will not allow you to hurt anyone but me!"
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Seth watched as the blonds aura changed. The boys left eye changed to a bloody red and his kind face turned into a mask of hate. As he spoke his voice deepened and became gravelly. The boys own shadow began to twist and rise up from the floor. "What is happening?" Marik'ie said his voice awed.
Atem looked at him eyes wide in disbelief "he is summoning his Ka"
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Joey felt the air about him whip up into a frenzy and looked behind himself. Behind himself his own shadow rose up in the shape of a black dragon. He watched in relief as its eyes opened to reveal two glistening rubies. "Ari'kan!" he murmured and the Dragon unfolded its wings and rose up onto its hind legs.
It looked at the shadow beast and opened its jaws "Be gone fowl creature. My host will not fall to your petty parlour tricks." the shadow monster retreated even further from the blond and his Ka dragon.
"Parlour tricks? This boy is terrified. I can shape my form into what he fears most" as it spoke its form seemed to melt and reform into a giant centipede "This boy should be a trembling cowering child"
Arikan sneered "my host has a body that will not betray him to fear or pain. He has a body that will endure the pain any and all cause him" he looked at Joey and nodded. The Blond hung his head for a moment before raising his weapon to the Red eyed black dragon. The Ka dragon closed his eyes and became a mist settling onto the weapon. The knife lengthened into a long blade. (A/N like the flame swords man) Joey hefted it in both hands as the massive Centipede settled in front of him. The Centipede was a poisonous green colour and each segment was marked with a dirty purple ring. Its pincers were a sickly lilac colour, blue acidic saliva dripped from them onto the arena ground.
Joey and The Centipede circled each other. After a few moments of suspense filled silence the creature from the shadow realm struck out, one of its many legs stretching into a tentacle to whip at the blond. Joey brought the burning sword down onto the limb as it sliced his shin. Agony blossomed from the gash on its lower leg but he ignored it listening to the monsters high pitched squeal of pain. Leg after leg stretched out to slash at the blond who slashed back with his blade. His one red and one bronze eye seemed to darken in emotional pain.
The attack slowed as the beast began to run out of legs to attack with "Stop!" Joey cried out and the beast clicked its pincers in a form of laughter.
"Awww does this boy want to give in?" Joey shook his head as he panted and his chest heaved.
The blond looked at the creature "I do not wish to fight you. But I must protect the others. Retreat now and we may both live." the creature clicked its pincers in laughter again.
It drew back and rose up onto its few hind legs it still had "No. I think I'll kill you and them. You will fail this test." Joey watched in shock as the beast lunged forward and pierced his already wounded side with its acid coated pincer.
He cried out in agony and slashed at the beast as it darted towards him again. The flames from the sword in his hand flared and the monster screamed in pain. Joey held his side but remained standing as the Centipedes head rolled across the floor.
Silence filled the room as the sword in the blonds hand shrank to the size of a dagger and his eye faded back to bronze he watched the creature fade into nothing. The three teens ran forward cheering as the creature disappeared completely and Joey smiled. The four judges stood and began to clap. Joey smiled and turned to them to bow. As he straitened he groaned in pain and collapsed to his knees. The boy with the black mop of hair ran to his side "Joey? Joey! Are you ok?"
The blond looked up and gave a weak smile. "I'll be ok. Just in shock that I actually killed it" he said with a strained laugh. Joey pushed himself to his feet and followed the other two teens out of the arena to the four Nobles and the three slave boys he was fighting for.
The High Priest nodded to him "You did well. Are you badly injured?" he asked and Joey smiled.
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Joey pulled his fake smile onto his face "that creature got me with a pincer but other than that I'll be fine" he said and the teens, slave boys and nobles smiled. All but Seth. The High Priest handed him a jar of ointment.
"That should counteract any venom, poison or acid" he said and Joey smiled.
The blond sighed "Thank you my lord. I assume I must again return home until tomorrow?" Seth looked to the his cousin and two friends.
For a moment Joey watched as they made a silent agreement and the High Priest nodded in agreement. "No, you had to return to your home so we could set up the arena" the White haired Thief King said "you will will be given accommodation here as long as you swear not to leave those rooms." the Blond nodded and gave a real smile. A gasp from his right caught his attention. He looked to Ryou who stared in shock at his torso. Looking down Joey noticed the blood that saturated his entire side.
Looking up at the High Priest he gave a weak smile "guess its worse than I thought" he said before collapsing to the ground in unconsciousness not hearing the cries of those around him.