The Arena (Complete)

Chapter 8

More time passed. Tarik didnt even know anymore. His hair had grown long and he braided it often to pass the time. Well, first he had to teach himself.

The Chimera had been killed. By who, he didn't know, only that they didn't come back. Nikolas was getting sick. His cough was wet and tired. They didn't call him into the arena anymore.

Mara still held his hand every night but he no longer talked of his home. It only made him sad. Now he understood how the old centaur felt.

When he went into the arena they adorned him with jewels and a crown. He hated it. He felt like a fool.

But still, he fought and he won. His challengers were no longer a match for him and he cried out in triumph as they shouted his name.

"Ra! Ra! Ra!"

But this day he didn't roar at their shouts. He was tired. He didn't want to fight anymore. Snow was falling through the bars of the arena, coating the ground in a sickly white that was stained red.

So much time had passed.

He just wanted to go home.

That night he turned his back on Mara. He didn't want her to see his lost hope. They were never getting out of here.

Mara paced and mewed softly.

"Kid?" Nikolas coughed.

He didn't acknowledge them. He just wanted to rest.

His dream was weird, and the first that he remembered since coming here. He was flying over a forest. Beautiful shades of green he had never seen before in his desert home.

The wind was alive and moved with him, lifting him up higher into the clouds.

A shadow covered him. He tempted to dive away out of danger but his body wouldn't move. The shadow grew closer until he saw Mara in her panther form. She was flying beside him, her beautiful black feathers brushed up against his.

He lost altitude. She chuffed a laugh and soared down into the forest. He clicked his beak a few times and side eyed the canopy.

Tarik was a little unsure but dived after her. They terpintwined through the tree trunks. She would playfully claw at him and he would try and catch her in his talons.

They played like that for awhile until both were tired and landed on the ground. He transformed and laid down on his back, laughing. When had he last laughed like this? Free and with abandon?

Tarik sat up and froze. A beautiful woman stood across from him wearing a golden dress that flowed across the forest floor behind her.

Her hair was pulled back and braided, exposing her golden eyes.

"Mara?"

He woke with a start. Liquid gold had pooled around him and was retreating. He watched it as it flowed over to Mara, up her arms and into her eyes.

Tarik stared in wonder as she blinked at him. He wanted to go back there with her, whatever got him out of this cell.

It was then he noticed they didn't put his hieroglyphic manicles back on.