A sharp sliver of light pierced through the cracked crevices of the chamber, striking just below Jinn's eyes. His brow twitched while his eyes slowly cracked open.
Jinn's head rested upon the cold wall pavement, yet it wasn't still as it used to be. A faint shake, a tremor that pulsed subtly across the walls as if something was stirring.
He closed his eyes momentarily trying to focus to the source of the stirring—he could hear the muffled shouts, no—cheers from beyond the walls, a massive crowd most definitely.
He then opened his eyes—his brows dipping slightly as his expression hardened.
The time has come, the slave rituals will commence today.
Catching movement at the corner of his eyes, he turned to the source, his eyes narrowed.
The old man who helped them the previous night was performing a series of movements that caught Jinn's attention.
He rolled his shoulder back and forth, while swinging his arms around—joints cracking one by one. He then crossed his arm over his chest before moving it once again in another direction, each muscle was engaged, the stretch was deep and tight.
As the old man continued his series of stretches, he managed to catch Jinn's gaze.
"Something wrong, kid?" said the old man, stretching his leg before continuing. "Wanna join me?"
Jinn dipped his head slightly.
"I owe you one, old man." he then looked at his friend, Kain—who was still asleep.
"Thanks for helping us out with the food."
The old man then let out a light chuckle, before raising his body to stand straight and extending his hand towards Jinn.
"Name's Biyowolf—you can call me Biyo."
Jinn leaned forward before standing, then extended his arm to grip Biyo's hand in reply.
"I'm Jinn."
His grip firm against Biyo's rough and callused filled hand.
Jinn was always a selfish and snobbish person—he was a child that only cared for his friends.
Yet at that very moment, he realized that gratitude is very well in due towards Biyo, a stranger that helped them out of self accord.
"You seem to have your fair share of battles."
Jinn's eyes shifted towards the battle scar driven body of Biyo.
Biyo laughed very loudly as his voice filled the room—waking the others as they flinched to the sudden noise.
He then turned his massive back towards Jinn, to reveal even more massive scars that ran down across his wide back.
Deep gashes and jagged lines etched into Biyo's flesh, each one was a testament of all the battles he had been in. Some marks were so wide that they seemed to have cleaved the muscle itself, while the others were thin, like scars coming from injuries that came from blades.
The scars from Biyo's back was truly something that gave its own expression.
They were angry, they were raw and most definitely—they were real.
"I am a warrior hailing from Skjöldheim—I've been in multiple raids led by the great Haldor himself!"
Jinn's eyes widened, before muttering "That planet, isn't that were—"
Yet before Jinn could finish his words, sharp stomps of footsteps cut him off—filling the nearby hallway.
Biyo furrowed his eyes as he turned towards the hallway, his expression hardened.
"It's time, prepare yourself—boy."
One by one, each cell door was slammed open—metal towards stone, creating a series of synchronized bangs along the hallway.
The slaves flinched in unison, some awoken by the sudden bang—yet they all had the same expression that followed afterwards.
Despair.
"Everyone line up!" exclaimed a soldier as he snapped the whip on his hands towards the air, making a loud crack.
The slaves ducked their heads as they rolled their shoulders in fear, before standing up to follow the commands.
"W-What's happening Jinn?" stammered Kain as he grabbed Jinn's shirt.
Jinn looked to his left and to his right, seemingly trying to find the rest of his friends.
"Whatever happens Kain, stick by me." His tone was serious.
Kain's grip on Jinn's shirt grew stronger as he nodded. "I'll stick to you like glue!"
One by one, each group of slaves were lined up across the long hallway, the devices attached on their neck beeped rapidly—an ominous sign of what was to come.
Jinn then shifted his gaze towards his front, as the silhouette of the warden appeared, seemingly talking with the other soldiers.
Jinn already knew that the warden was long dead, and the one speaking to the soldiers was Evakhell—a contracted assassin from Venedix herself.
"Fools."
Jinn muttered under his breath as he continued to observe the soldiers having a discussion with the "warden".
Finally, with a hand gesture from the warden, he commanded the soldiers to march the slaves forward.
The sounds of whip cracking towards the air, made the slaves flinch reactively as they moved forward—the sounds of the devices attached on their neck continued to create noise.
Their footsteps echoed across the long hallway, before exiting it and arrive at a more—open area.
There, Jinn saw a very massive platform of some sort.
Judging from its size, the platform could potentially house the thousands of slaves that were present at that moment.
Jinn then turned his gaze towards the side of the platform.
Massive cylindrical machines were attached at the side, hissing as it's gears clicked multiple times.
"Sounds like Amaron" Jinn thought as the sounds the cylinders made were identical to when Amaron's jaw would hiss and click every time he talked.
Along with the sounds of machinery, Jinn could also hear the thunderous cheers coming from up above.
Jinn looked upwards, then back to the platform—then back up again.
"That's a raising platform." Jinn muttered.
Moments later, all of the slave groups arrived at the front of the platform—numbering to more than thousands.
"Forward!"
Exclaimed the warden as he signals his hand towards the platform, then turning into a fist.
One by one, each group of slaves were forcefully pushed towards the platform, before locking the platform's sides.
"This is it! We're all gonna die!"
"W-What the hell is happening!?"
A chorus of screams and terror erupted, mixed in with the cheers of the civilians coming from above.
The Voices of excitement and terror overlapped—water and oil.
"All slaves are on the platform now sir!" exclaimed a soldier as he counted exactly 15,611 in the data pad on his arm.
"Very well—let us proceed." the warden nodded, before shouting another order as he raised his hands. "Raise the platform!"
Upon hearing the warden's orders, two groups of soldiers at each side of the platform began to crank what seemed to be levers that operated the rising platform.
"Heave! Heave! Heave!"
Each group of soldiers at either side roared, their muscles flexing as they continued to crank multiple levers that activated the mechanism of the platform.
The platform then glowed red and gold before it hissed and clicked loudly.
"Put you back into it—Haha!" exclaimed Biyo as he looked at the soldiers cranking the levers of the platform they were in.
"Damned slave…" muttered a soldier that was cranking a lever.
The platform then began to steadily rise as the machines from the sides roared powerfully—followed by sharp horn-like blasts that filled the area.
As the platform continued to rise, the warden—no, Evakhell turned her gaze towards Jinn before smirking.
"Let's see how you fair kiddo."
Thunderous beats of drums then followed, sending powerful and rhythmic thumping within the bodies present.
Like a powerful force, it stirred both the civilian's hearts in excitement and of course, dread for the slaves.
As the platform fully ascended, the scenery below was completely gone—replaced by the countless crowds across all directions.
The eyes of the crowds fixated on the slaves, their cheers—a deafening roar.
The slaves meanwhile had faces of terror as they succumbed to the pressure being put upon them. They tried to scream and shout, yet their voices were drowned by the cheers of the civilians.
"Just get it on already…" Jinn muttered as he hardened his expression, before shifting his gaze towards a prominent looking overlooking group of seats that was adorned by runes and gold.
He narrowed his eyes—before it widened, as he was able to see the familiar face that haunted him during his sleep.
It was Venedix herself, seated along with other crimson haired individuals—equipped with varying sizes of swords.
Meanwhile, Venedix herself could feel it—that feeling when someone is staring at her. Without hesitation, she then turned her head towards the source—locking her eyes towards Jinn's—making Jinn's brows furrow in anger.
A subtle tap then took her attention away.
"I hope someone interesting emerges in today's ritual, sister."
Venedix took her gaze from Jinn, towards her younger sibling.
"Mhm—I hope so too." she crosses her arm as she narrows her gaze back towards Jinn.
After a while, a loud voice cut through the cheers of the civilians—his voice echoing throughout the arena.
"Ladies and Gentlemen—great people of Zerafhon!" exclaimed the loud voice as he was accompanied by the loud and thunderous beats of drums.
"It is the time you've all been waiting for!"
Roars of the crowd followed, as they stood to jump in excitement—sending subtle tremors across the arena.
"From the cold and harsh planet of Verikanya, to the harsh deserts of Xerkzix. House Sorellia has been capturing slaves left and right!" he then raises his arms up into the air, before shouting even louder.
"Just for this very moment!"
Darkness then filled the arena as lights began to turn off, leaving a spotlight directed towards the announcer.
"Will a powerful warrior emerge and gain the chance to earn their freedom—or will everything be of naught!?"
The announcer then raises his voice once again, as the lights across the arena begin to illuminate the area once again.
"The slave ritual commences!"