Valiance

Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Gage kept his gaze on the big timer in the sky. 33:24:56. Still another ten contestants to enter into the Arena. He was happy that Alec was alright and wasn't surprised to see him come out on top; Alec was a very strong compeditor. The red digits were still and unmoving as Eragon unentusiastically congratulated Alec.

“Now, how about we get on?” Eragon said. Alec slumped against the wall and slid down onto his crate of weapons. He gently touched his fingers off of his swollen cheek.

“Our two next contestants will be Martin and Cyrus.” Before Cyrus' door could swing off the hinges, he crashed through it, a trident in his hands. Martin stepped outy of his cell and juggled two grenades in his hands. As sson as the timer began to go down, the two of them began fighting; Martin threw his grenade towards Cyrus. Barely missing it, Cyrus ducked behind a tree and dodged the explosion. Gage put his arm over his face instinctively to shade his eyes from the bright light.

25:58:47

When another bright light flashed them all in the face, Gage squinted through it. The smoke filled the air and when there was no more noise in the Arena, Gage checked the frozenm clock in the sky. When the smoke cleared, Gage scanned the redend ground. Cyrus' limbs were sprawled at different ends of the Arena. His widened eyes furrowed when Martin took a bow.

“And that is why y'all should leave the fighting for the men.” He said, more to Sephy than anyone. He stared at her from where he stood, his clothes red and his boot covered by Cyrus's inner organs.

“Exactly, Martin, exactly!” Eragon cheered with the crowd. “And while we are on the topic, why don't we just test out Martin's theory!” Sephy's heart stopped for a second before it began to race. She put on a brave face for the cameras when really, she was screaming inside.

“Shall we call on our next two contestants?” The crowd began to cheer. “Gage Welker and Persephone O'Shea!” Eragon shouted when he tore their names from the envelope. There was silence for a moment; even the chosen crowd were silent as Sephy and Gage's doors flung to the side. Sephy clenched her fists and looked at her crate of weapons; she wouldn't take any of them with her.

Gage stepped from the cell, a cross bow in his hands; he had never imagined he would actually have to choose the weapon he would be killed with, but Sephy wasn't going to do it so someone had to. The crowd cheered and screamed and roared louder then they had at the beginning. The two stars were about to go head to head, why wouldn't they be driven crazy with excitement and anticipation; after all, it was only a gameshow to most of them.

His glass door slid shut and he made his way into the centre of the Arena, under the big clock. Sephy still stood in the doorway of her cell as if the time she spent there would prolong his death and allow him to think of a plan.

“Come on already!” Swithin shouted from his cell. Gage shot him a glare. Alec watched, his eyes focused on Gage and Sephy, from his cell. Clint looked as if he was holding his breath. When Sephy's left foot finally over stepped the cell boundary, she shut her eyes tight and clung to the frame of the door.

“This is wrong.” She said, her breath coming out in sharp huffs.

“Sephy,” Gage called. She peeked through her fingers and looked at him. They shared a lasting gaze before she nodded and stepped out of her cell, her hands free of weapons. As soon as she was out of range, the glass door shut again and the timer began ticking away. She made her way over the limbs of Cyrus and edged her way into the middle. Gage extended his crossbow to her and she reluctantly took it after a stern warning stare from him.