Book 4: Arcane [Thor]

Chapter 13

The guards tossed Thor through a doorway. The Grandmaster left him in their hands one he exited the room. The cuffs had been unlocked, finally removed from that damn chair, but they'd threatened him with the electrical device still attached to the neck. Still, that's didn't stop the god from getting up to slam a fist against the now closed door in retaliation.

"Hey, hey, hey, take it easy, man."

Thor realized he wasn't alone. There were two other aliens sitting on the floor across from him.

"Over here. The pile of rocks waving at you. Here. Yeah, I'm actually a thing. I'm a being. All me to introduce myself. My name is Korg. I'm kind of like the leader in here. I'm made of rocks, as you can see. But don't let that intimidate you. You don't need to be afraid unless you're made of scissors." He laughed at his own joke, standing up. "Just a little rock-paper-scissors joke for you. This is my very good friend over here, Miek. He's an insect and has knives for hands."

The creature made a clicking sound and showed off the weapons attached on the lower arms.

"You're a Kronan, aren't you?" the prince asked.

"That I am."

He began to walk the length of the room, finding a curve to it at the end. "How'd you end up in here?"

"Ah, well, I tried to start a revolution," Korg said, joining him, "but didn't print enough pamphlets. So hardly anyone turned up, except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate. As punishment, I was forced to be in here and become a gladiator. Bit of a promotional disaster, that one."

Thor began to jog to cover some more distance. To try and find an end in sight. Another way out. The fact that the Asgardian put some distance between them, didn't stop Korg for continuing on,

"But I'm actually organizing another revolution. I don't know if you'd be interested in something like that?"

Thor, somehow, had circled the room. He came up from behind Korg and slowed to a stop.

"Do you reckon you'd be interested?"

"H-How did you...?" The prince looked from the way he ran and the way he arrived. He was right back where he started.

"Ah, yeah, no. This whole thing is a circle. But not a real circle, more like a freaky circle."

"This doesn't make any sense."

"No, nothing makes sense here, man. The only thing that does make sense is that nothing makes sense."

"Has anyone here fought the Grandmaster's champion?"

"Doug has. Doug!"

Korg pointed towards a warrior slumped against the wall. He didn't give a response.

"Our luck, Doug's dead. That's right. Everyone who fights the Grandmaster's champion perishes."

"What about you? You're made of rocks."

"Perishable rocks." With any warning, a pebble detached from his body to clatter to the ground. "There you go. Another one gone. Yeah, no, I just do the smaller fights, warm up the crowd and whatnot. Wait. You're not gonna face him, are you?"

"Yes, I am," Thor spoke in a confident manner. "Gonna fight him, win, and get the hell out of this place."

"That's exactly what Doug used to say." The prince marched away to get some peace and quiet. "See you later, new Doug."