Free It Rained Red Upon the Arena by Kenneth Champion Page B

pleased.”
    “He’s not my enemy, I have no enemies.” Nick replied. The Refect chuckled and walked away.
    Nick kept his eyes straight and looked at the arena before him. He felt as though if he would die here today that he would be cut short. Short of life and short of happiness. As he stood at the gate he pictured a family. A loving family which he wanted to have one day. A beautiful wife and children in an old wooden home by a forest. A daydream and goal which he could not forget and could not let got of.
    “I hope you have said your peace and you are ready for death,” said Grimey. “You’re young. It’s a shame you will die so young.” Grimey turned and looked over at Nick. “It burns but only for a little while. Death by fire is noble and has been for thousands of years.”
    Nick looked forward at the arena still. “I will not die this day, for I have too much to lose.”
    The gates began to ascend. Nick unsheathed his sword and walked out onto the arena floor. Grimey followed in his footsteps.
    The crowd began to create a loud roar as the two stepped toward the center of the arena. A light rain began to fall as they walked. They faced each other at the center and stood apart.
    Nick took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. His nervousness felt like somebody was twisting and pulling up his insides. His hands were sweaty beneath his gloves and he smelled the air. It smelled rotten and unnatural; he presumed it was death that clouded the air.
    A few moments passed and the bell rung. The crowd erupted. They yelled, clapped, and jumped up and down. The arena was alive.
    Grimey took the first action; he quickly sent the first two fireballs at Nick.
    Nick backpedaled and quickly held up his shield to block the fire, but he could feel the heat as the fire dispersed on his shield.
    Nick tried to move closer to Grimey with a short sprint.
    Three more fire balls came hurling towards Nick and he again held up his shield. Nick smelled the combination of steel meeting with fire as the attacks continued. Steam rose off the shield as drops of rain touched it.
    More fire came towards Nick as he stood in the same spot and could only maneuver his shield to block the attacks. Grimey conjured fire faster from his hands than Nick had seen in his entire life.
    Nick got up and ran behind a nearby pillar. Grimey was too far away for Nick to throw a dagger.
    Flames engulfed the pillar as Nick crouched, using the shield to protect his body. Sweat dripped down his face as the heat of the attacks ensued.
    Nick ran around the pillar and began to run at Grimey, who conjured numerous fireballs at him.
    Nick dodged the first fire ball by moving to his left and he ducked to escape the next one. He had closed in a bit and got behind another pillar as the attacks of fire grew in number. Faster and more numerous attacks pounded toward him.
    The shield protected Nick from the fire as he was behind the pillar. Nick put his sword away and grabbed a dagger.
    The fire ceased for a second, Nick crept around the pillar and threw a dagger straight at Grimey. The blade nearly hit, flashing past Grimey’s helmet.
    Nick went back behind the pillar as ice blasts came thundering towards him. He once again stood behind his shield as it began to freeze over. Nick pulled out his sword again.
    The ice stopped for a moment, and Nick ran from behind the pillar into a full sprint towards Grimey, who hurled more ice balls at Nick as he ran.
    Nick jumped in a few directions to evade the ice. As he got closer and closer there was no time for Nick to move away from the path of the ice so he raised his shield.
    Ice hit his shield and right before Nick was in striking distance with his sword an ice blast got past the defense of his shield and hit his right hand.
    Through his glove, his hand froze up and burned. He could not grip his sword so it fell onto the sandy ground. Nick did not stop his sprint.
    He reached Grimey in his next few strides. Grimey could not move