The Arena (Book Trailer)

Chapter 1

Jason Lockdown awoke that night to a portal, whirling and swishing gently, at the bottom of his bed. As he sat up to study it, a large stone hand burst from it scattering sparks and snatching him up with a frightening speed for something so large. Then all he was able to see where lights flashing so fast he closed his eyes so he wouldn't pass out, but did anyway.
    A loud buzzing noise vibrated in his ears and reverberated throughout his skull, he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Not wanting to wake up in fear of what would happen next. Then a gravelly voice growled.
" Wake up, fresh meat."
Jason reluctantly opened his eyes to see a large stone being with battered metal armor, glowering at him from above. The thing grinned  showing great stone teeth. " Bout time you woke up" He kicked Jason in the stomach. "Get up" it sneered. Clutching his stomach Jason scrambled to his feet. The hard metal point of a spear jabbed him in the side making him yelp. The being laughed. " you won't last a minute in The Arena" it roared with tears of mirth rolling down his face. Jason turned to him making his face as still as possible and squashed down his questions that started to spin  in his mind. "Maybe I'll surprise you." The Being paused, glancing at him thoughtfully, then looked Jason in the eye. "No. You won't." He said as something hit the back of his head.
     Jason shook his head groggily and squinted into the dimly lit room, but before he could get a good look at who or what was inside, a well placed kick on his behind sent him sprawling to the dirty floor. He heard the door slam shut behind him. The Being paused as he looked at Jason. "If you win a battle remember to take a trophy from each of your opponents." He paused. "The only way to win is to kill them." Then he left with a muttered "Good luck" thrown over his shoulder. Jason stood a glanced around the room at the other prisoners. He blinked in surprise. There were so many species! He glanced around casually trying to hide his amazement. Suddenly a large, green, slimy tentacle clamped down on his shoulder and spun him around. A large slug, oozing a slimy green trail behind it glared at him with a sizzling stare.
"What are you staring at Freashhhhhhh meat." It hissed drawing him closer, it's rancid breath smelling of wet socks and rotten fish.
"Nothing of your concern fish breath!" Jason growled. The slug smiled showing broken glass for teeth. " We'll see, squirt." The slug threw him across the room into the hard mesh wall. As Jason hit the ground he rolled upright facing the slug. He swung his fist catching the slug in the flubber under his chin, breaking most of the glass teeth as he did. The slug snarled and flung a ball of green slime at him. Jason ducked but screamed as the ball of slime sprayed his back with a burning acid. He collapsed and looked weakly up at the slug standing over him triumphantly another ball of slime collecting on the end of his tentacle. Suddenly the slug's body spasmed and he shrieked in pain. Electricity danced around the slug, scorching his pale, fat body, then he went still. Jason looked up at the two stone beings looming above him and his enemy. The larger one smirked at him. "What did I tell you." Jason laughed and stood shakily. His PJs were torn and burned were the acid had touched him. He glanced down at himself and was surprised to see his burns were already healing. What was this place he wondered tiredly.

Jason woke the next  day to the Large Being poking him in the side with a spear. The sharp tip grazing the side of his leg as the Being pulled it away. Breakfast (or what he assumed was breakfast) slapped him in the face with a solid thwap. Jason caught whatever it was and almost  wished he hadn't. It was the color of moldy bread and smelled like a mixture of wet dog and fish eggs that had gone rotten. He gingerly set it down on the ground and almost threw up as it moved, twitching like Jell-O, across the floor to sit in a corner of the cell quivering slightly. "That is your holo-projector". The Being explained him. Jason frowned as a thousand thoughts and questions raced through his head. The Being held up a great stone hand before he could ask a single question. Then he felt a strange lightness as if he was floating. The feeling persisted, and Jason shook his head as the feeling slowly faded. "What was that" He asked studying the expression on the Being's face.
"You probably have been assigned an opponent."
"Like in a battle?"
"I suppose your simple human mind can explain it that way." The Being tossed a sack to him. Jason caught it  and peeked hesitantly in to see an wrinkled apple and a few stale muffins resting at the bottom. "Breakfast." The Being explained as he walk to the door. Jason ate quickly, scarfing the food down. He glanced around the room at noted a small cubby and an empty weapons rack. He walk over to the cubby and picked up a strange device that was leaning in a dusty corner. He read the engraving wrapping around the edge : translation collar. He turned the collar around in his hands. It was made with a hard plastic like material with a softer jelly like material coating the inside of the ring. Noting the clasp on one end he open it, frowning at the strange hinge like way in opened. He clipped it on, and the translator whirred to life. The  door opened and a small robotic droid, that looked like a silver trash can with blue racing stripes, hovered into the room and extended a long pole like arm with small metal restraints attached to the end of it. "Please fasten your upper appendages to the pole and prepare for transport". It chirped encouragingly at him as Jason hesitated. He complied and as the the little droid dragged him from the cell and out into the hall he tried to memorize the route in his head, noting possible exits and places to avoid but was soon lost. The little bot continued to rumble down the hall as a similar robot joined them,this one with black racing stripes. Attached to it was a girl with black hair, with dark purple streaks, Dark purple/blue eyes with catlike pupils, and strange black markings spiraling down her tan arms. As Jason studied her she turned and winked mischievously at him, he blushed and turned away. The as they continued down the winding halls more robots joined them. Each one leading a different species more bizarre than the last until about eighteen robots came to a stop outside a large shining black door made of some kind of dark onyx (Jason liked to collect stones). A sound like distant thunder issued from Jason's robot and the doors began to rumble open with a foreboding crunch to a massive space ringed with tall walls mounted with millions of seats that were, thankfully empty, for the moment. Jason jumped slightly as the cuffs slid off from around his wrists and and cast a wary look at the little robot as it rolled away unevenly on the rough ground. Jason glanced  around looking for the girl and saw her marching toward him with purpose. Jason watched her as she leapt up onto a branch protruding from a tall, tree like creature and neatly flipped over the huddled crowd of prisoners. She grinned at him as she landed catlike on ground next to him her blue eyes shining like two moons on a starless night. Jason grinned back at her and jumped as a stone being in silver robes and a large, polished, emerald growing out of his chin floated down from a the top of the large space and hovered above them, studying them as they all milled about in dirty, tattered, rags. As Jason studied the being it turned ,and while looking at him, began to speak in a silky voice. " Most of you are most likely wondering where or why you were brought here." The Being smiled thinly reminding Jason of a small, poisonous snake.   "You have been chosen to be ....." His grin widened. "Contestants... of a sort. Welcome to The Arena." He swept his arms wide in a extravagant way and continued. " You have been chosen to fight varying opponents for your freedom to go back to your backwater planets, for our entertainment and amusement." His grin became thin again. "To the death." Jason froze. Did it really just say that? He glanced around at the faces (and what he assumed where faces) and noticed that most of them were young looking, with blunt fuzzy horns, wet tearful eyes, and terror written on pale frightened faces. He felt rage flow into his limbs, making him flush scarlet. He glared up at the silver robed being and met it's eyes, and to his pleasure he saw fear.