Bayu's breath was ragged, heart thumping intensely, death was surely coming for him and he won't escape it this time.
"Bayu?!"
"Bayu?!"
"What?"
"Rhaeger, is that you?"
Bayu snapped out of this reverie, staring at the huge figure of their leader rhaeger," I will go first," he spoke taking a quick glance at the arena that stood just right before them. "Do not worry bayu, you will not die."
"How are you so sure of that rhaeger?"
"It's a real monster I'm going to face,what are the possibilities of survival if I've never even scratched a weak one before." Rhaeger chuckled, "you can do it this time." He was called into the arena, it was a huge stadium, filled in the middle was sand and in the lower edges, iron cages, trapping both humans and monsters .
It was finally time for their teams execution they'd failed the test again, this was the only way they could count themselves as worthy, a face off against an archaic beast, the most dangerous of it's kind, And come out victorious.
Bayu shuddered at just the thought of it, here he stood in the caged walls of the prison, they'd been there for a couple of days, luckily they were given food, they needed strength to destroy the archaic beast after all.
He glanced at the others in the team, the frail stare in their faces could not be hidden, they were all going to die, bayu hated himself for this, he'd always dragged them back, he was the sole course they'd failed the previous test against the monsters.
Yet still, bayu had a ray of hope, mostly because rhaeger kept motivating him without quitting, rhaeger was the strongest amongst them and he'd been in situations like this before, though fatally injured, he always managed to win.
Rhaeger's name had been called, he walked forward, towards the entrance that led directly to the sands, he turned abruptly, facing bayu, "you are their leader now," he spoke smirking, he then went towards the sands.
Bayu could hear the others murmuring, if it were in other cases they would have laughed and mocked him seriously.
But there wasn't time for that at all, death stared at each of them in the eye, the cage of the archaic monster was opened, without hesitation, it rushed out, blood stained all over its body, it's eyes barged with killing intent.
It had a black armour like skin, a reptile like stature but with two eyes laid on top of its head like a snail, still it was extremely fast.
Bayu peeped into the battle, the archaic monster attacked, rhaeger leapt dodging it's sneak attack, but the archaic monster followed, like a whale about to swallow a ship, he grabbed hold of rhaeger's left foot, crunching it with its sharp teeth.
Rhaeger didn't yell the slightest, he'd felt worse pain, he positioned his axe on air, the monster acted just like he'd expected. He sent the axe down at rocket speed, aiming for the archaic beast eyes,
Slice!...
One of the eyes fell off, the remaining soft tube, it, was sucked back into its head along with its other eye.
The archaic beast let go of rhaeger's foot, slumping on the ground, rhaeger also fell, losing hold of his axe, he was sure he had defeated the archaic beast, something any one dammed to death rarely achieved.
Slam!!
A loud sound echoed through out the sandy arena as the archaic beast slammed it's tail on rhaeger's chest, blood sprouted from his mouth, blood drizzling from his nose.
"No!"
Bayu who stood a bit far yelled, it wasn't meant to end like this. Slowly dropping his head some in utter sorrow, rage, fear and disappointment.
Rhaeger never deserved to die, it was the flaws of the weak in their team that caused it.
"Next!"
"Bayu!"
Bayu's heart exploded, beating so fast he could feel it in his ears and veins, he stepped out into the sands, which was surprisingly hotter than usual.
A few men stepped into the arena, placing rhaeger's body on a wooden stretcher, bayu glanced around the stadium, unexpectedly almost no one was gathered there, they all new the weakest team were definitely destined to die.
His eyes spotted that of his uncle, Maxon, who's eyes was filled with hope on survival, he sat at the top of the arena, holding his daughter bayu's in his hands.
Bayu shook his head, the black skinned archaic reptile had been carried away, bayu positioned his spear well on the ground, staring straight at the cave were the next archaic beast was to come out from, and just like he'd expected.
The archaic beast slowly emerged, it had a snake like tail, long scattered horns, large limbs and a monkey face adorned with razor sharp fangs.
Bayu was terrified, he positioned his green spear and lunged for an attack, his stamina wriggly, his hands couldn't hold the spear firmly. The archaic beast also lunged.
Clash!
The archaic beast dug three of it's horns onto bayu's waist, he screamed hard, staring up, suprised to see the daughter of the chief of the island seating in the royal section of the arena. He couldn't make out her expression. But he had a feeling she found it interesting?!
His eyes strayed to were his uncle Maxon, sat, he could see bayuna crying, I wish I was stronger, bayu muttered as he started losing his consciousness, he fell to the ground, his head still focused on bayuna, his green spear held wearily in his hands.
His gaze flickered to his uncle, he expected a sad demeanor to be attached to his face but he was wrong, his uncle was still determined!
He made out some signs which seemed vague, but slowly got clear to bayu, he was telling him to remember his mother.
"Right," bayu echoed as he slowly stood on his feet, shocking the few who had gathered in the stadium, along with those in the cages.
The blood dripping from bayu's waist stopped as he recalled the stories his uncle told about his mother.
"That's true," he muttered tapping his head with his hands and peering at the spear Maxon had called her own. "Mother won't have died in a battle like this." His gaze shifted to the sky, remembering.