2 A Tortured Soul

Clay sat in the cage listening to the men cheering and shouting. In between the cheers Clay could hear the sounds of metal clashing and cries of pain. Clay looked around at his cage and noticed how rusty it looked at first glance. He got up and tried to shake the cage but even if it was rusty it was still sturdy. There was a two bowls in his cage near the door, both looked beyond filthy like they hadn't been cleaned after many many uses.

The smell of the surrounds made Clay gagged. It was a mixture of piss, shit and rotting flesh from some of the captives that had passed in the rust covered prison. Once Clay had notice that some of his fellow captives had been dead for awhile he fell back on his ass. He looked at one of the cages near his and he could see the rotting body of a kid that couldn't be older than 14. One of his eye sockets was sunken in with a dried eye ball in it while the second eye socket was missing its eye but instead was filled with maggot like warms that were larger and much more aggressive. Clay could see the skin off the dead boys skin crawl as the maggot like worms moved underneath.

Clays mind started the spin as he stared at the boys body. He started breathing faster and faster as he went into shock from seeing death for the first time in his life. Even after all the gore videos that edgy kids posted in group chats and on the forums that Clay frequently visited nothing compared to the real life experience. The smell of the rotting flesh, the lifeless body. the life that would never have a happy ending was to all going through his mind at once. Clay had trouble processing the scene. No matter how hard Clay tried he could calm down has he entered shock. He was breathing to fast for his body to get proper amounts of precious oxygen that was needed to supplies his brain.

As Clay was slowly losing conscious one of the goblins in the cages near Clays noticed the panicked breathing and looked up at the rusty cage Clay was in and could see the wide eye expression on Clays face and followed his eyes to the cage with the rotting boy in it. A huge grin spread on the goblins face showing his razor sharp teeth that glisten in the light from the torches. He started to laugh and point at Clay. It knew that this person was weak and wanted all the other creatures to know it has well. Soon more goblins, and creatures joined in on the mocking the weak willed Clay. Soon Clay was out from the lack of oxygen. The last thing he remembers hearing is the laughter of the green skin creatures.

Clay woken up from the splash of a waste bucket. He jolted up and vomited from combination of affects of the shock and the sudden assault of his smell from the shit and piss that had just been dumped on him. The bandit laughed at him as he vomited the last of the earth food he would taste.

"Why do all of you mother fuckers keep laughing at me " Clayed wailed out in severe frustration "I'm the normal one here this shit isn't normal there's a fucking child body over there that's rotting". Clayed pointed at the cage with the body in it and the guard looked at where Clay was pointing and started to laugh for the second time.

When the guard was finished laughing at Clay he pulled keys off his belt and began to unlock Clays cage. He swung the door open and lunged forward and grabbed Clay and dragged his out of the cage Clay looked around at the surrounding and the goblin that had been the first to start laughing at him was being lead along as well. The only difference war the the guard that was leading the goblin with a pole that had a collar at the end of it that was locked around the snarling goblin as it desperately tried to reach the guard leading it. Snapping and flailing its arms it could reach the guard no matter how much it tried.

The two prisoners were lead into a arena that the cages neighbored. The Arena had high wooden walls with seats on one side for the spectators to watch from. The arena was oval shaped with a muddy ground. Body parts and blood puddles littered the muddy ground with bugs flying around them.

Clay barely held back from vomiting, but he didn't even know if he could, by now he was sure that his stomach was empty. He notice the on each side of the arena was metal poles that had chains attached. The guards took Clay to one side and the goblin to the other. They each were chained to the poles. Clay noticed that in the middle of the arena was a pile of weapons. After the collars around his next was locked into place the guards fled from the arena and shortly after appeared in the stands watching with anticipation.

In the stands there was a few watchers that didn't look like the regular bunch of unkept slavers. One was the leader of them and the other was a potential buyer. "Hmmm. that boy looks like he's from fine stock, where's he from" said the grizzled white haired man as he stroked his neck lengthy beard.

"We founding him wondering out of the badlands," Said the scared man, " he couldn't understand us so we assumed he's a refugee from one of neighbors. You won't have to worry about anyone looking for him"

"Hmm, If he survives he might make a fine gladiator."

"That's what I was think master Garrick."

"Yes he appears young and of large stature, He would make a fine warrior, if properly trained."

At this moment the chains that connected to the slave collars broke at the same time signaling the start of the fight.

Clay and the goblin rushed at the pill of weapons in the center. Clays long legs carried him as fast has he could make them. Even as someone that hasn't ever experienced a fight he knew this crucial moment meant life or death for him if he was to late the pile and failed to get a weapon his life would be ended by the green bastard. But Clay could see even with his longer legs the goblin that was galloping on all fours was faster.

The goblin arrived just before Clay did and desperately looked for the best blade in the pile. By the time Clay arrived the goblin had chosen a large blade for the small stature of the goblin. For this very reason Clay was able to get his hands on a weapon. Clay didn't have the luxury to be picky with his weapon, he grabbed the first thing that his hand could reach. Clay's hand grabbed hold of a rust hatchet that had seen its fair share of use over the years. Clay quickly tried to swing at the goblin but the goblin was already defending and easily deflected the blade. A huge grin grew the Goblins face. He rushed Clay a swung the sword at Clays stomach. Clay tried to dodge back wards but was just short and he could feel the burning hot pain on his abs at the blades tip sliced through his shit and a quarter of an inch into his flesh. The pain hurt a lot more than Clays was expecting but he couldn't dwell on it for to long as the goblin was already swing for a second time. This time clay dove to the side and avoided the slash from the goblin. Clay quickly turned around and faced the goblin with the hatchet at his side.

The sneer on the goblins face showed that it was pissed that Clay had dared to dodge his swing. It rushed at Clay again and swung, Clay dodged this swing easier and made a counter slash with his hatchet. He managed hit the goblin in his left shoulder about an inch and a half deep causing the goblin the drop the sword and scream out in pain as it just lost the use of its left arm. The Goblin decided the tackle Clay and just us its natural weapons, his teeth. he grab ahold of Clays left hand and bite down on his pinky and ring finger. The Goblins razor like teeth cleanly bit through the two fingers at the closes joint to the hand leave stubs. Clay screamed in pain and brought the hatchet down on the the goblins head. He could feel the skull crush and the blade pulverizing the brain of the green savage. The Goblin made small gowns of death as his body went limp.

Clay pushed the green body of of him and held his hand as he screamed in pain. One of the guards rushed into the arena with a torched and grabbed hold of Clays hand and forced it again the oil lit torch. Clay could hear the searing, smell the searing, and lastly feel the searing pain from the torch. He preceded to collapse from the pain.

"Ill be taking that slave off your hands Vike, he'll make a fine addition to my school"

"Of course Master Garrick for the right price of course" Said Vike with a huge grin plastered on his face.