The City Of Death

Chapter Thirty- Macy

In five minutes, a group of guards appears at the door of our cell. I watch as Atlas and Israel look over the group of guards, the wheels turning in their heads. If I had to guess, I'd say they're trying to figure out if they could take on the guards in a fight and break us out of here. At least, I'm betting that's what Israel is trying to figure out, because when he looks over at his leader, Atlas gives him a slight shake of the head. Atlas is telling him no, and I have to agree with him. It looks like there are two guards for each of us. Even if Israel could take out his guards, the other guards would likely take Atlas and me away before Israel could get to us. 

No. It's a safer bet for us to just stay together and let the guards take us to whatever trial awaits us. We can figure out what to do from there. 

The guards waste no time in opening the cell door and surrounding us, making escape impossible at the moment. I don't fight as my two guards lead me out of the cell, knowing that Atlas and Israel will be right behind me. Outside of the sound of our feet hitting the ground, it's completely silent as the guards lead us through the halls of the dungeons to an unknown destination, each of us lost in thought and trying to come up with a plan. But it's hard to come up with a plan when we don't know what we'll be facing at the other end of our march. 

We're walking for five minutes before the guards stop us. About thirty feet ahead of us, I can see a door much like the door of our cell, and I get my first look at natural light in two weeks. I know I won't be able to see the sun because of the thick clouds that cover the City, but I'll take natural light over the torchlight we were provided. And if we're smart and play our cards correctly, I'll be able to stand in the sun again soon. 

I'm brought back to the present moment when a guard clamps a shackle around my right ankle and my eyes go wide with panic. If we're shackled, that's going to make escape much harder. The three of us exchange wide-eyed looks, all wondering what the hell is waiting for us at the end of the corridor. What do the Vultures have planned for us that involves putting shackles around our ankles? One of the guards says my name, and I turn to face him. And that's when he hands me something I recognize instantly. 

A scabbard. But I take another look and I realize it's not just any scabbard. It's the double sword scabbard I had left behind in my apartment when I left the City. Back then, I hadn't thought to bring it because I was still under the assumption I would be coming back from the Outside. But as I look over the scabbard, everything comes together. We were brought up from our imprisonment below the Coliseum, and now I'm being handed my scabbard. And now I know exactly what the Vultures are planning. 

We're being turned into gladiators. 

"That's a cruel sense of irony. You pulled a sword on Lucifer, and now he's giving you a sword to defend yourself, knowing full well you don't know how to use one," Atlas says, and I nod slowly as I attach the scabbard to my back. But there's something that Atlas doesn't know. Lucifer was right when he said I don't know how to use a sword- technically. But that's also not the entire story. Before I can explain the truth, though, the chains around our ankles start to shorten, pulling us towards the door. And that's when I realize that neither Atlas nor Israel have been given any weapons. My heart drops in my chest when I understand that I now have to defend all three of us. 

As we approach the end of the corridor, the door starts to rise, sliding into an unseen space in the wall. The chains around our ankles continue to shorten, pulling us closer and closer to the threat. Until, finally, we're being pulled through the door. I squint my eyes as the sudden shift from torchlight to natural light blinds me for a moment. I can barely see, and as we're forced further into the Coliseum, my ears are filled with the sound of cheers, the crowd roaring as they see their new fighters. But one voice rings out clearly among the cheers of the crowd.