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“Let me go! That's my friend!”
Tears streamed down Peg's face as she tried pushing past the tournament organizer blocking the exit. Josie was taken away by medical staff shortly after losing to Claus and Peg knew she needed to be with her.
“I'm sorry ma'am.” The organizer replied, doing his best to hold his ground. “But it has been requested that no one leave until the end of the closing ceremony. For safety reasons.”
“She's gonna’ wake up and look for me!” Peg continued to plead.
While the scene on the screen depicted the quick changes into the closing ceremonies, everyone else in the waiting room had their eyes on Peg. The beastling competitors whispered and laughed among themselves as Lunagi tried to console her.
“Peg, we should just wait for now.” Lunagi said softly, touching her shoulder.
Peg whipped her head around ready to give Lunagi a piece of her mind, but his expression stopped her. His face was understanding but stern as if to say, ‘Now’s not the time.’
She sighed, wiping away her tears. She mumbled under her breath before marching back to sit in her seat. She adjusted her earpiece and while covering her mouth tried speaking to Josie, but the other end remained silent. Cursing to herself she had no choice but to watch the screen, waiting for the ceremony to end.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! How about that tournament huh?” Lester addressed the cheering crowd.
“While we had a slew of exciting matches and determined competitors, there can only be one winner. So let me re-introduce you to this year's Tournament of Wishes Champion, Claus!”
The crowd rose to their feet as Claus once again entered the ring. In the time while preparing for closing ceremonies, he was treated by the medical staff. His feathery body now covered in bandages with his right arm in a sling.
“And to present this year’s wish, it is my honor to bring to the ring a man who needs no Introduction, Prime Minister Guernsey!”
The crowd once again cheered as the suited gentleman in his white Stetson hat approached the ring. He gave Lester a handshake and pat on the back before taking the
microphone and beginning to speak.
“Thank you everyone for making this year’s Tournament of Wishes our biggest one yet! When this event was revitalized nearly a century ago the whole purpose was to put focus on our ever talented Beastling citizens, and what amazing talent we’ve seen this year!”
Peg glanced over at Lunagi as Guernsey spoke, noticing how uncomfortable he looked.
Guernsey turned to Claus, giving a warm smile and shaking his hand. “Congratulations on making it this far, Claus. As someone who was a literal unknown in the sport until earlier this year you have proven that anyone can be great. Do you have anything you’d like to say?”
“All I have to say is thank you to everyone who participated. I hope that even if you didn’t make it as far as me, that it makes you push yourself to be back here next year.”
Guernsey and the rest of the crowd cheered.
“Well then, it’s time for you to make your wish. Please tell us your one desire you’d like to make reality.”
A hush fell on the crowd as Claus gripped the microphone tightly. The silence continued for a few moments until it was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. The crowd shrieked as more explosions continued throughout the stands, causing chaos as the spectators tried to escape. During the commotion a single gunshot was heard and Guernsey fell to the ground.
Guernsey’s blood spilled from his side, staining the stone tiles. The next few moments moved like a blur as the crowd rushed in all directions. The Silver Knights who had been put on point as security swiftly moved throughout the stands.
“What the Hell is happening?” Peg asked as she watched the chaos unfold.
“We need to get out of here, now!” Lunagi spoke, making his way to the exit.
Peg and Lunagi rushed over to the door, along with the other competitors in the hall as they tried to push past the organizer. Even with their combined strength they couldn't push past him. Lunagi looked up at the Organizer's face and he seemed to be staring miles away. His eyes rolled into the back of his head while silver liquid seeped from the ducts.
“Everyone! Move!”
Lunagi's warning came only a moment too late as everyone tried to scatter but to no avail. The guard exploded into a silvery burst of liquid that spread all over the walls and floor.
Many of the beastlings lay motionless as the Silver weakened their already ragged bodies. Peg felt the liquid against her and outside of the unpleasant texture she wasn’t much worse for wear. Peg glanced back at the screen, feeding in footage from the arena and saw a slew of Silver Knights rushing through the stadium, attacking indiscriminately. Moments later the live feed cut out.
🌱🌱🌱
Claus looked around to see the stands quickly empty and the blood being spilled. Nothing made any sense and he knew he had to leave before he’d be a victim next. Before he tried to leave he looked down at the motionless body of Guernsey. Against his better judgment he leaned down to examine how bad he was hurt. He was shocked to see that Guernsey’s body seemed to be wrong.
It was hard for him to comprehend but his face seemed loose, like a mask. He tried to reach down and examine further until he felt sharp pains all over his body.
He looked behind to see that a half dozen Silver Knights were upon him, digging their sharp blades and rapiers into his body. Blood leaked from his beak before he tensed up his body, shaking off his attackers
“He’s a dangerous one, we got to put him down quick!” One of the Knights yelled through his mask.
Claus did his best to steady himself. He was exhausted from his fight with Josie and while the blades weren’t in his body long the silver was affecting him a bit. He knew he didn’t have much time until he was out of fighting strength so he decided to go all out.
His body pulsed and grew as he entered his Dinosaur form. The half dozen Knights that attacked him were swiftly knocked away by his giant tail. He roared loudly as other Knights from the stands rushed from their posts to help their comrades put him down.
🌱🌱🌱
Abbie watched from her suite, shaking in the seat of her wheelchair. Humans and beaslings were being slaughtered in the stands by the Knights and she couldn’t understand it. Tears were streaming down her face and her head was pounding. As she watched the carnage unfold her eyes couldn’t help but focus on the ring area.
Lester had since flown away, to where she hadn’t a clue. Claus’ rampage continued as more and more ironclad warriors attempted to take him down. Strangest to her however was Guernsey’s body. She reached for her binoculars to get a closer look and realized that somehow, in all the commotion it was moved.
Before she could scan the rest of the area, screams were heard from outside the door of her suite. She whipped her chair around and when she did the door swung open and a group of Knights entered.
“Beastlings!” One of the Knights yelled, brandishing his sword. “We know many of you are part of this coordinated attack against the Prime Minister. Either come with us quietly for interrogation or be assumed as terrorists against the Ministry!”
“Wait, none of us are terrorists!” One of Abbie’s Beastling doctors spoke. “We’ve been with her for the entire event we-“
One of the Knight’s slashed at the doctor, dropping him where he stood. The others shrieked and panicked. The Knights began the onslaught, no longer interested in honoring the warning they entered the room with.
“Wait Please!” Abbie begged. “These are my friends, they’re here to help-“
One knight took the hilt of his sword and slammed it against Abbie’s head causing her to fall to the ground and out of her chair.
“Careful! She’s a VIP, we can’t hurt her!” Another Knight scolded the attacking one. “Focus on the Beastlings and anyone who protects them!”
Abbie’s head spun, laying on the ground. She looked up to see the small group of Knights slaughtering the people closest to her and she was powerless to stop it. All she could do is let the tears cloud her vision, screaming and begging for it all to stop.
🌱🌱🌱
Peg, now standing and wiping away as much of the silver goo as she could, watched as a blob of silver slithered out of the body of the tournament worker. It twisted and morphed into the body of a thin man with long black hair. His sleek armor pressed against his thin body and unlike the knights running rampant through the arena he did not wear a helmet.
He looked around the room, at the beasting’s buried in the silver gunk he spread and a mischievous grin crept across his face. He turned to see Peg standing and placed his hands on his hips with a playful pout.
“Well I guess you’re a human so maybe I should let you go?” He teased.
“You’re going to let all of us go.” Peg said, reaching towards her pocket.
“No no!” The thin Knight said, pointing a bony finger at Peg’s hand. “I wouldn’t move, unless you’d like to be like them.”
He gestured to the other Beastling’s covered in silver who were barely breathing. They were already wounded from the fights through the last few days and being covered in silver was doing them no favors. Peg’s eyes glanced around and she made a realization as well.
She raised her hands above her head, slowly. The thin knight laughed, clapping his hands with a wiry grin.
“What a smart girl. Don’t risk your life for these-“
Before finishing his sentence, in a flash Lunagi was below him and slammed his fist hard against the knight’s exposed chin. The power would’ve been enough to send his head flying but instead his head stretched, nearly reaching the ceiling.
Lunagi, strangely free of any silver, along with Peg looked up at the elongated man who stared down at the two of them, gritting his teeth.
“How dare you lay a flea ridden paw on me you freak?!” The thin soldier screeched. “I am Sir Denny O’Connor, a Knight Commander for the Ministry’s Army. You will both pay for your treason with blood!”
To Be Continued