Apprentice

Introduction: I'm a monster

"Good. It will set the scene for the final fight" he replies, his voice deep, looking up at the dark clouds spilling across the sky like someone had knocked a bottle of ink over. "Your trap worked well. Caught them all by suprise" he continues.

He closes the distance between us, and I look up into his deep, sapphire eyes, noting the insanity still gleaming at the surface. He could tame it if he wanted to, but he didn't want to. He had even told me once that life was too long to keep being the good guy. Being evil was too much fun. "Well done" he praises with a suprisingly friendly smile, reaching up to squeeze my shoulder lightly.

The demigod did not give praise often, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Come. We can watch the flight at a closer perspective" he orders, holding out his arm. To be honest, I didn't want to watch it at all, but I could not refuse him.

"Yes sir" I reply meekly, gripping his arm tightly as we float upwards.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he sighs. He turns both of us invisible. I can see myself, however I cannot see him, only feel his arm. Drifting closer to the fight, I swallow and prepare myself. "Call me Ridgedog" he finishes, before stopping just above the fighting players.

The two players fighting are known to their friends-and me, a long time ago-as Duncan and Sjin. This fight was made worse by the fact that I was once Duncan's apprentice, until Ridgedog took me away. I also used to be great friends with Sjin and his best friend Sips. Even though I did make traps for the arena and came up with new ideas for things, I had never been aloud to watch until now.

And as the storm grew wilder, lightning striking at the land and harsh, bitter winds ripping at the trees, I feel like there is a storm brewing in my body, each fork of lightning a memory, each blast of wind a blast of guilt, shame and regret.

My stomach churned when I realised that whoever on this fight would have to look me in the eye, and see the monster I had become. As hard as it was to watch the fight, I can't look away from the two people I used to call my friends fight to the death.

Both are clearly exhausted. Rain pours through the top of the roof, which Ridgedog had kept open to allow weather like this increase the mood of the fights. The droplets leave ghastly looking streaks of blood running down their clothes and dripping off their face.

Sjin's clothes are dirty and torn, encrusted with blood, dirt and sweat, to the point that I can barely figure out what he had been wearing in the first place. His usual warm, friendly, forgiving eyes are hollow, devoid of life, an oblivion of pain, exhaustion and death. He fights with a sword made of black metal that has a dim, dark glow. 

Duncan is a little easier to recognize. His white lab coat, covered in blood and saturated with rain, is hard to miss. His goggles that usually perch on the mop of his messy blonde hair are missing. He fights with a red matter katar and the determination mixed with insanity is clear in his crystal blue eyes. 

Ridgedog is flying so close to the duelling duo that I can smell the metallic stench of blood and the odour of decaying flesh to the point where I can practically taste it on my tongue. The red matter katar swings close to me, and I flinch backwards straight into Ridge, who chuckles quietly. The noise distracts them, and Duncan takes advantage, delivering the final death blow. 

A cannon explodes in the distance, signalling the last death of the survival games. I watch as Sjin disappears, pixel by pixel. I would have to face Duncan, who hadn't seen me nor heard from me for 3 years. He thought i had died in a mining accident when a tunnel collapsed on me. But now he would know the truth, the truth that Ridgedog made me a deal.

A deal that if I disappeared randomly one day, he would take me in as his apprentice. If I refused, I would be tortured, along with everyone else. What choice did I have? I left one day, taking all my stuff, giving Duncan a last hug goodbye. I remember the moment so clearly, the ways my eyes had pricked with tears as I left the giant science castle and went down into the mine where Ridgedog created a "death scene".

He duplicated my body, propping it under the rocks, and then caused the tunnel to collapse before grabbing hold of me by the arm, teleporting me to his mansion, and there was where I began my career as an apprentice to possibly the worlds most dangerous demigod. 

"Congratulations!" Ridgedog's voice booms, startling us both. In one, final attempt to conceal my identity, I pull my black hood up and bend my head down, looking down at my feet just as Ridge turns the invisibilty off and gently lowers me onto the ground.

"You've won the survival games!" he grins. The scientist almost collapses, weak relief in his eyes that the games were finally over. His eyes flicker to me, and I tilt my head to see Ridgedog's scheming grin. I take a deep breath. "Ah, I see you've taken interest in my apprentice?" he sneers. He violently rips my hood off and I meet Duncan's eyes.

He gasps, his eyes widenening. "Tia?" he croaks. I know I don't have a lot of time. I have to tell him now.

"Duncan, I didn't want to do this. He took my away, he said he would torture you all if I didn't. Please forgive me" I say quickly. Ridgedog smirks, hovering, observing the situation quietly as if he watching a TV show. He stares at me for a moment, and I look back at him with pleading eyes. He gives me a weak smile, and nods.

"I forgive you" he whispers, before stumbling forward. Despite the blood on his clothes and the dampness of his coat, I go into his arms and hug him, not too hard in case he was injured. I swallowed, trying to hold it together. I wanted to go back, be his apprentice instead, learn science, have a life, have friends. It wasn't fair that I had my life stolen away!

"I miss you" I choke out, tightening my grip. We pull away, our arms still linked.

"I miss you too" he replies quietly, smiling faintly.

"Alright, alright, that's enough" the demigod snaps, intervening in the moment, prising both of us apart. He's glaring at the scientist, his grip far tighter on his arm than mine. A hint of amusement tugs at the corner of my lips as I detect a hint of jealousy in the gleam of Ridgedog's eyes, but I smooth my expression when he looks over at me. 

His menacing expression wipes all amusement off my mind. I realise I was in a lot of trouble, and I bow my head quickly. He suddenly clicks his fingers and we're back at his mansion. Looking up, Ridgedog is across the room, glaring wordlessly at me.

I thought they were over. But the games were just beginning.