Survive

The Incubus

Violet woke up when her door was loudly opened, and two guards came in. One of them approached her with a loaf of bread and a mug of water.

—Don't worry. We won't harm you. The Master likes his toys in perfect state.

They both chuckled and sat down in front of her. They seemed to be waiting for her to eat. For a split second, she considered the idea of leaving and running away. But how many guards would she have to face, with no weapons and a damaged armor? She decided to eat, then. If she was going to kill five monsters, she needed all the energy she had.

She finished her breakfast, and the guards immediately grabbed her and dragged her out. They walked a long distance, always underground. As they moved through endless hallways, Violet could see many caged doors, with all types of sounds coming from them. It was clear for her that those were the sounds of monsters, locked and probably furious. A knot started to form in her stomach, but she swallowed it down. She needed to be brave.

Eventually, they reached a room. The first thing Violet noticed was the light. Right at the other side of the room there was a massive gate, with a faint beam of light sneaking underneath. Then she noticed the massive weapon racks, filled with swords, spears, shields, armor... Everything. The guards unchained her and pushed her away. Before she could get up, they left the room and closed the door behind them. A loud click made clear that the door was now locked. Her only exit was the gate.

Violet changed clothes, putting on a white shirt that seemed to be made of cotton, with pants of the same material, black in color. On top, she wore a leather breastplate to protect herself but also leave room to move around. She grabbed a sword and a shield to fight as well. Then, she laid in front of the gate, trying to let her eyes get used to the light coming through it. She didn't want to be blinded when the combat started. Doing so, she could feel a soft breeze that brought with it the sound of multiple voices muttering.

It didn't take long before the gates started opening with a loud creak. Violet shot up and assumed a defensive stance, walking out.

The arena was, weirdly enough, very well decorated. Its floor was covered in a neatly grown, well-kept and freshly cut grass. There were some trees around the area, and Violet could also spot what seemed like hollowed out tree logs that could be used as hiding spots. Near one of the borders, there was a small pond. However, the main feature was the immense gallery full of thousands of people sitting, watching, and screaming. She shook a little, gripping the sword with a tight fist until her knuckles became pale. They wanted a show? She would give them one.

—Welcome, wonderful audience! —a voice shouted, causing the people to go silent.

Violet looked up to see the source. She saw a podium, neatly built, and decorated. James was standing on it, looking down at her. For some reason, she could hear his voice loud and clear despite how far away he was.

—Today, I bring you a poor little trespasser, who will try to earn her freedom —he continued—. She will fight five of my monsters, and if by the end she is still with us, she can walk free. Shall we begin? I will start the time. All you need to do is survive, Violet! Survive until time is up!

The audience cheered as a gate on the other side of the arena opened up. A blurry silhouette walked out, slowly. As it approached, the crowd sounded more and more muffled, until they completely went silent. The silhouette became much more defined, taking the form of a man. Violet tried to focus on his appearance, lifting her shield to protect herself. But his face was blurry, and so was the rest of his body. However, she could feel he was very attractive.

She shook her head. Now it's not the time for that, Violet, she reprimanded herself. When the man was next to her, she tried to swing her sword at him, but her arm felt numb and heavy.