Taken Away

Chapter 23

Max's POV

Max...Max...wake up...

I groaned, "Shadow shut up."

I blinked my eyes open and realized a few things. 1) My cloak is on the ground in front of me. 2) I'm chained to two posts my arms stretched out. 3) I'm in the arena still on the island.

"Holy Thor..." I whispered. "Shadow where are you?"

I'm in a cell behind you so you can't see me.

"Whaaa-what happened?" I asked blinking to get rid of the crusts.

I was sleeping when someone came into the house. They surrounded me. There were so many. I tried to come find you but they dragged me away, to here.

"What the hell is going on?!" I demanded trying to yank on the chains.

Hell if I know. Max...you're bleeding...or was...

"Jack...I think he hit my head..." I murmured.

We have to get out of here.

"Or figure out how to send a message to my father." I replied.

The door creaked open and two figures came in. One I recognized as Jack and the other was his father, a whip clipped to his belt.

"So you're going to torture me. To do what? How is that going to help you?" I spit out.

Jack didn't say a word neither did his father but took the whip from his belt. I could hear Shadow squirm against the chains.

No...

"It's okay Shadow...it'll be fine..." I murmured.

"You're going to teach us how to speak to dragons." Jack's father said. "So we can take over the world."

"You're going to need a lot more people to take over the world." I stiffened up. "That's why you're training young vikings, with dragons. You're building an army."

Jack grinned, "I told you Dad. She's smarter than she looks."

His dad walked around till I couldn't see him anymore. Jack stayed in front of me squatting down.

"You son of a bitch." I glared at Jack.

He just smirked and didn't move.

Suddenly I felt the whip slice my back open. I cried out in pain. Jack still hasn't moved.

Max! No!

The whip continued to cut my back open.

"Are you going to teach us?" Jack asked.

I shook my head. The whip cracked down and my head arched back in pain. After another 30 or so times Jack's father left leaving me and Jack alone.

Sweat bead down my head showing clear signs of pain and exhaustion. Hair swept off my shoulders and covered my face as I panted.

Jack pulled out a small round metal container and opened the lid. It revealed an ointment of some kind.

"You'll understand someday why we're doing this to you."

I was too busy breathing heavily to focus on his words. Jack went to my back side. I struggled against the chains worried he'd do something.

"Shhh relax. It's just an ointment." Jack whispered.

He began rubbing it all over my back. I groaned.

"You don't have to listen to him. You're eighteen. You can make your own choices." I murmured.

"I can't. You'll understand Max." He finished with the ointment and unlocked the chains around my wrists.

I fell to the ground, defeated. Unable to make an effort to escape. Jack's hand wraps around my bicep and dragged me towards a cell on the other side of the arena away from Shadow. He shoved me inside and slammed the door shut, locking it.