The Gates screeched closed as Dave and the other inmates entered the grounds. The environment was completely different from what he saw outside.
The air was hotter, dustier, and drier. The red sky seemed lower, making the world feel smaller and meaner, sealing him in with the other teammates, eight of them now, after the two who tried to run were reduced to a splatter in the desert.
A masked guard escorted them forward, and anytime anyone moved out of line, he smacked them with the barrel of the rifle. Dave stumbled forward, even when his legs were sore, he didn't want to be hit by that thing, but he missed a step while looking at an area that had bleachers on each side forming in the distance and figures were seated in it chanting and roaring, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on and why they headed in that direction.
"Move it." The guard said swinging his rifle to hit Dave, but before it could connect, Dave sprang to his feet, rejoining the line.
The guard led them down a narrow path lined with jagged stones. Dave looked closely and noticed these weren't stones at all, they were skulls.
The path opened into a wide circular clearing. The arena. It was a sunken pit, surrounded by stone bleachers. The air here was thick like a rotten egg. A roar erupted from the crowd, dozens of inmates packed onto the bleachers, shouting, laughing, their voices were a mix of unpleasant high pitched noises watching the two figures in the pit clash.
Dave's escort stopped, the guard shoved him towards the bleachers, and the others blended in. "Find a seat." He growled, then zoomed out of sight in an instant. Like he teleported. Dave didn't move immediately, his eyes were drawn to the fight below.
One of the fighters was a hulking beast with the body of a grizzly bear, but with long human structured limbs. The other was smaller, like a humanoid cat figure with lean limbs that ended in hooks instead of hands.
The hook armed creature slashed at the bear thing's side, tearing open a gash that oozed black blood. The crowd roared louder, some cheering, others grumbling like they had placed bets.
Dave's throat tightened. He'd never seen anything like this, not at the academy, not anywhere. The bear thing jumped forward, clamping its maw onto the smaller creature's shoulder. A sickening crunch echoed, followed by a scream that was more animal than man. Dave flinched, his hands curled into fists. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. The brutality was magnetic and horrifying.
He walked toward the bleachers, scanning for an empty spot. The stone seats were packed with inmates, their bodies were an abnormal gallery of claws, scales, and weird looking limbs. He spotted a gap near the edge and moved toward it, but a wide skinny, clawed hand shot out, smacking him hard across the chest. He stumbled back with gasp, as a creature with a face like a shattered mirror pieced together hissed, "Taken." Its voice was like a whisper with a warning, and it stretched its long neck towards Dave.
He quickly raised both hands in surrender and backed off. The hit had affected him badly but he couldn't show weakness. He tried another spot, but a long leg, like a spider's with spikes coating it, tripped him. He hit the ground hard, dust covered his face.
The group laughed at him, real hard. He pushed himself up, wiping the dust from his jaw, and kept moving. No fighting. Not yet.
He finally found a spot at the far end, half hidden behind a rusted metal pole. He sat down resting his elbow on his lap with his hands on his temples, and turned his eyes back to the arena.
The fight was over. The bear thing stood over the hooked creature, which lay twitching in a pool of black blood. One of its hooks was snapped off and covered in dirt. The crowd cheered as the victor raised a massive paw, roaring in triumph.
Dave's stomach twisted. He didn't know if the loser was dead, but it didn't look far off. Guards dragged the body out, leaving a smear of blood across the pit.
The crowd began to slowly disperse, their shouts faded into mutters, arguments started in some corners, while others handed over items.
Dave sat unmoving, unsure what to do. He didn't want to be a part of this world, none of it made sense. All he wanted was to become strong enough to protect those who needed it, but here he was, not even strong enough to protect himself.
The other inmates stretched out in their numbers towards a path different from the one Dave arrived in, with a cluster of structures beyond, tents, shacks, and a few solid buildings.
He stood, brushing dust off his torn clothes, and followed the crowd, keeping his distance from the freaks. The escort guard was gone, and no one seemed to care where he went. That was worse, somehow. It meant he was on his own, he had to survive.
The housing area was arranged in a circular formation. At the center stood a massive brick house, with a heavy iron door and two windows on each side. Around it were five wooden shacks, they looked rough but stood solid.
Beyond them were black tents, their sizes reduced down the scale, with some having multiple patches, then there were the white tents, looking more like rags stretched over sticks. The further he looked, the worse they got, until there were no tents, just inmates curled up on the red cracked ground.
Dave didn't know the rules here, he didn't know the hierarchy. He saw a decent looking tent, its fabric was dusty but intact, and he headed towards it.
Maybe he could claim it, he could finally rest his aching body and lay his head down, away from the madness of this place, and he could think about how to satisfy his grumbling belly.
He ducked inside, blinking as he adjusted to the dim light. A low growl stopped him cold. A pair of yellow eyes shone in the corner. It had tentacles tipped with long spikes for arms as it slowly came to light, Its face is split into two parts, half human and a black surface with glowing yellow eyes.
"Wrong tent, get out" it said, its voice like wind through broken glass. Dave couldn't move, his eyes opened wide and his heartbeat could be heard from outside.
The creature rose, unfolding its eight tentacles each one glowing slightly. One swing from it and that would be the end of Dave.
"I…I didn't know, s…sorry," Dave stammered, backing towards the entrance. The creature lunched one tentacle forward, it curved like a whip swinging towards him. Dave raised his blade on instinct, blocking the attack.
The impact shook him, causing his grip to weaken, the creature screeched, it was more annoyed than hurt. It pulled the sword from Dave and used it as a baton, striking his shoulder with a crunch.
The impact sent him rolling into the dirt outside, and his sword followed behind, striking its tip into the ground a few inches beside him.
On either side, inmates watched the scene from the shadows of their tents. A low growl came from a tent to his right, where a creature with a face like a melted candle stared at him.
Its tongue flicked out like a snake's. Dave looked away, turning to the ground, never in his life had he been defeated so easily. But also never in his life had he witnessed a place like this.
He scrambled to his feet, glaring at the tent as he pulled his blade. The creature didn't follow him, but its eye glowed from the tent's entrance, daring him to try again.
He barely got here and his body was already in so much pain, he staggered away approaching a small stump in the distance, he thought about sitting on it, but when it uprooted itself and rolled away, that thought left him.
He needed to figure this place out, and fast. The sun was dipping lower, and the red sky slowly turned purple. He lay on his back in the clearing with his arms wrapped behind his head. He relaxed his muscles but observed his surroundings from time to time.
After the sun vanished from sight, a horn blared, cutting through the stillness of the air. Dave jerked up immediately, he rolled to his side and pulled out his blades inspecting the area, it took him moments to realize it was a horn signal.
He grumbled as he placed his weapons down and dusted himself. "Can't I have a moment to relax, what's this about?"