Episode 13

She had made herself as comfortable as she could and had managed to get some sleep. When she woke, it was to the squeaking of a metal door opening. She slowly lifted herself into a sitting position as a plate of food was plopped in front of her.

"Eat up, you're going to need your strength," the leader said. She looked up at him. He was much taller than most of the other men and he had dark brown hair that was about a couple of inches long. His goggles now sat on his brow, revealing his pale blue eyes.

Scarlet pressed her dry lips together. "What is it?" she dared to ask.

"Meat," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm not eating that," she remarked as she slid it away from her.

"You sun-walkers… always so picky. Would you prefer these?" he stated as he held up her remaining protein bars.

"Much rather," she answered.

"Suit yourself." He tossed them to her.

"Can I have some water?" she asked after taking her first bite.

The man pulled a flask from his side and approached her. Squatting in front of her, he held it out. She quickly took a drink. It didn't taste quite right, but it was water and she didn't have the freedom to be picky about that. He sat there looking at her while she ate.

"Not seen many red-heads..." she remarked. He reached out, taking some of her straight crimson hair in his hand, causing her to recoil.

"No, we really don't get many with your hair color. We also don't get a lot of women." He let her hair run through his fingers and drop. "The people of Lygredd's Belly don't let many women out here to work on the machines. Our men outnumber our women three to one. It's a real problem."

She said nothing as she continued to eat and drink. Then, without saying anything, the man reached out and grabbed her by the chin. He sat there in silence, his pale eyes staring intently at her left eye. She met his gaze with equal intensity. His eyes then dropped to her neck before he reached to unzip her jacket, but she batted his hand away.

"Do you mind?" she asked harshly. He slightly smiled before he grabbed his flask back from her and stood to his feet.

"We leave out in a few minutes." With that, he turned and left the room. Just as promised, the man returned in a few minutes. She stood to greet him.

"If I leave your hands in front of you, do you promise to be a good girl?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered reluctantly.

He then attached a chain to her wrists and tugged her along behind him. She continued onward with the same group of men she was with the day before, including the dead ones. The dead bodies appeared to have been frozen overnight. They had one extra person accompanying them, the woman who had wanted to kill her.

'This should be fun,' she thought as she looked back at the woman.

Once again, she was plunged into the darkness. She could do nothing but blindly follow the man that held her chain. They would walk for what seemed to be hours, only stopping to rest once. Before she could sit down, she felt a hand grab hold of her arm, followed by the feeling of a flask being put into her hands. She was thankful for a drink. After which, she found a place to sit.

Her tongue ran over her gums where she was missing her tooth. She was surprised to find that there was something growing up in its place.

'That ain't right.'

She was soon yanked to her feet and was walking again. The walk was long and tiring. In the blackness of her surroundings, there was no way of telling the passage of time. Her chest was sorer than ever and her knee continued to ache.

Suddenly, a dull dancing light began to break the darkness ahead. They proceeded to cross a long slender bridge hanging over a blackened chasm. At the end of the bridge stood two tall doors, a great burning sconce on each side. As they drew closer, the massive doors opened to greet the returning party.

She could feel a surge of heat pour out through the opened doorway, and beyond them was a massive room lit with raging fires. The room went up high up like a massive cylinder lined with several levels. And below it, all was a pit of molten substance, its heat more intense than anything she'd ever felt. The room was filled with people of all ages: men, women, and children. There was room for a good sum of people to gather on the main level which she was on.

"Call for the Archon. We've got the delivery," the man holding her chain called.

All matter of people began gathering on the main level, spectators for the upcoming show. She could see the mass of people parting to make way for an elderly man. He was garbed in long leather robes which bore several carvings and metal decorations. He wore some sort of skin across his forehead. He was followed by a handful of men who wore similar robes, however, theirs were less ornate, and they wore nothing on their heads.

The robed men steadily made their way down onto an elevated area on the main level. The elevated area lay right over the center of the room and had a single metal throne. The wall on the far side of the room behind the throne seemed to glow with heat. The crowd began to mutter as they saw the three bodies that were being dragged along with them. Scarlet caught a glimpse of the woman's face that had wanted to kill her. Her face bore an enraged scowl.

'It seems my fate is about to be decided.' She could feel the fear rising through her rib cage and lodging in her throat.

"Silence," one of the younger robed men called out and silence settled over the room.

"Behold, our latest offering," another of the robed men stated. "Now we shall decide what is to be done with her. If any make a claim. Do it now."

"I make a claim for this woman's blood," shouted out the woman who'd knocked her tooth out.