Kale's ears rang from the harpie's screech. The sound was sharp enough to make his teeth ache. It vibrated inside his skull and forced his hands to his head.
The creature's wings opened wide, and its wingspan filled the chamber with its feathers, cutting through the air with a harsh hiss.
The motion sent dust and dirt scattering across the bloodstained floor.
Kale stumbled back until his heel caught on the pile of weapons. He looked down and his hands moved without thought, scrambling across the heap.
Cold steel, wood, and plastic pressed against his palms as he searched for anything he could use to survive.
His fingers closed around a hilt and he yanked it free.
A sword.
It was far heavier than he expected or movies made it out to be.
The weight dragged his arm toward the ground. His heart sank. Out of everything in the pile, fate had given him this.
The harpie roared again and then rushed at him.
Kale lifted the blade with an awkward grip and an uneven stance.
He held it with both hands clamped near the guard as if the sword might slip away at any moment.
The harpie covered the distance in moments. A loud clang echoed as its claws collided with steel.
The generated force threw him off balance and nearly flung the sword from his hand.
He fell back two steps, his chest rising and falling rapidly. 'I don't know what I'm doing.'
The harpie tilted its head, eyes darkening further.
Foam spilled from its mouth and hissed when it struck the stone and then it lunged again.
Kale swung once more but the strike was messy and amateurish. He missed and the weight shift toppled him forward.
The monster's claws scraped and tore his tracksuit. Its wing, however, struck him. The arena shook as he collided with the walls.
Panic filled him as his breath came out uneven and shallow. He dropped into a crouch, sword raised before him like a flimsy shield.
The harpie slowed its pace. Its steps echoed through the chamber. Tap. Tap. Tap. Each sound pulled his fear higher.
"Come on…" Kale whispered. His voice was thin and strained.
His arms shook as the tip of the sword scraped against the floor.
The creature lunged with its jaws snapped open.
Kale waited and then thrust forward with the hilt. The guard jammed between its teeth.
Sparks burst as the harpie bit down. The sound was shrill, steel shrieking against bone. Kale cried out, his arms trembling violently.
His grip faltered as the monster shook its head, trying to free the weapon.
Then, with one violent jerk, it threw him across the chamber.
The sword flew from his hands.
Kale hit the ground hard.
The throw knocked the breath from his lungs and left him gasping. His body ached from the impact.
The scrape of claws moved closer.
"No, no, no…" His voice cracked as he dragged himself forward. His nails scratched against the stone.
The sword glinted ahead of him. Just out of reach.
The harpie screeched. Its shadow grew as it leapt.
Kale lunged forward and closed his hand around the hilt. He rolled onto his back and swung blindly.
The blade barely struck its wing and black ichor sprayed across the floor. The harpie cried out and crashed to the ground, one wing dragging uselessly.
Kale scrambled to his feet. His chest heaved as he gripped the sword tightly.
He swung in a desperate frenzy. The frustrations he had been keeping in finally expressed themselves through his violence.
His stance was unstable, and his grip was weak, yet the edge of the sword still cut, and as such, numerous wounds had piled up on the beast.
The monster circled him, slower now. Its strikes were sharper, more focused. It was getting desperate but so was Kale.
Blood slid down his temple and his breath grew ragged.
'I can't keep this up…' Even thinking was difficult for him.
The harpie screeched and launched itself forward. Its claws stretched to tear him apart.
Kale planted his feet. He lifted the blade high, his arms burning. With a raw cry, he brought it down.
The sword dug deep into the creature's shoulder, and bone and flesh alike gave way under the force.
The harpie collapsed with a howl, its body slamming against the rough ground.
Kale dragged the blade free. Black ichor sprayed across his chest. His arms were raw and blistered from the grip.
The harpie thrashed wildly, wings beating the ground.
Its claws scraped as it tried to rise but Kale lifted the sword again. He wasn't going to let it live.
With a broken cry, he swung again and again.
He imagined this being the beast that took his family from him.
The blade tore through its neck.
Silence followed.
Kale staggered back until his spine hit the wall. His arms fell limp at his sides. Every muscle in his body ached.
The sword slipped from his fingers and struck the ground with a heavy clang.
For a long moment, Kale only listened to his own ragged breathing.
Then came the sound of clapping. It was followed by a familiar set of heels.
Miss Cayenne stepped into view. Her tablet glowed faintly in her hand. Her gaze swept over the corpse before turning to him.
"Your stance was atrocious. Your grip, laughable. Technique was nonexistent." She paused for a moment before smirking. "But you lived."
Kale wanted to answer but no words came. His chest ached with every breath and he slumped to the ground.
The heavy doors he had come through opened with a long groan.
"Rest," Miss Cayenne said as she tapped her screen. "You'll need it, Soldier."
Kale closed his eyes. The image of the harpie's pale eyes stayed with him. He couldn't tell if he had survived through will or if the beast had simply underestimated him.
Either way, this was only the beginning.