Waste of Drink
1383 Words
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"I am not asking you," he said in threatening eyes. "I am commanding you," said Icarus while his friends stood behind him, and looking down on a boy they surrounded in a corner.
"Think about it man," said Mark. "sit this one out, and you're free to go."
"No!" he replied. "I will fight!"
"Geez, Lucas," said Kara. "the round is about to start, don't make this hard for us."
"Yeah," said Bob. "I need to eat."
"I said no!" he said while trembling. He looked at each of their eyes, and he saw them as devils ready to do something horrible to him.
"No?" asked Icarus in a calm tone, and his expression changed. "Alright," he said while rubbing the back of his head, and Lucas felt relieved.
"Gaghhh!" gasped Lucas. Icarus punched him hard in the stomach, and he collapsed on the ground. He coughed blood as he gasped for air.
"I guess I will have to ask you again," said Icarus while pulling Lucas's hair to look him in the eyes. "Withdraw from the match."
The poor boy shivered as if he just took a dive in icy water that froze up his skin down to the bones. He forgot his pride as he drowned in fear, so he nodded.
"Thank you," said Icarus letting go of his hair, stood up, and dusted off his hands. "Easy, wasn't it? And congrats, as you also saved your family." Then he turned around to get to the queue, and his friends followed behind him.
"Poor boy," said Kara sarcastically, and the other two laughed. "But he's such a good guy for saving you a sweat, Icarus."
He smiled evilly but then was surprised as he saw Darius coming out of the corner from where the queue is. He stopped in front of them and looked Icarus in the eyes. Then he saw Lucas at the distance, sitting on the ground.
"Hey," said Mark. "Move out of the way." Darius didn't budge.
"Are you listening?" said Kara. "Do you wanna get pummeled down, Darius?" He didn't say anything but narrowed his eyes in seriousness.
"Stop, Kara," said Icarus. "Darius didn't do us anything wrong." He stepped to the side, and passed by him, while Darius just stood with his head up high.
Kara passed by, and so did Bob, but he had a little struggle not to touch him because of his size. Mark had an idea. He used his shield to shove Darius, but he just looked at him furiously as his grip deformed his steel shield. Mark tried to pull it, but his grip is just too strong. That's when Icarus turned around and saw what's going on.
"Let go, dammit!" cursed Mark, but he didn't. "If you won't then-"
"Stop!" shouted Icarus when Mark was about to unsheathe his sword. He went near them, and said, "Mark, we don't have much time for the next round."
He scoffed, and let go of the handle of his sword, but Darius was still holding his shield and gave off an intimidating presence. "Isn't this the time you let go of my shield, Darius?" he said.
He looked at Icarus, like a wolf looking down on a fox, and Icarus sweated a little. "Mark might have looked like he did it on purpose, but he is just clumsy. So, let's just calm down, and go on our separate ways. Let's not fight before the actual fight, Darius. Just save your strength for your fight."
Darius didn't say anything but looked at them in the eyes one by one. They contained the anxiousness that made them sweat. Then he looked back again at Icarus.
"Do you think I care?" he growled that pierced their souls. Mark looked scared, and slowly moving his hand to the hilt of his sword, but he saw him. "Pull that, and I'll crush your head." Mark felt like he's being pinned down by a lone wolf, ready to bite him anytime, so he stopped.
"Come on, Darius," said Icarus looking composed while spreading his arms, hoping to negotiate with him peacefully. "You're better than that. Just let go of his shield, and it will be like nothing ever happened." Deep inside he thought, "Damn this Mark! He picked the wrong person to pick on. Darius will never back down from a fight, it is win or lose for him once someone draws the first blood. I am stronger than him, but I can't waste my effort in a battle that I will gain nothing!"
Bob and Kara are petrified because they saw how Darius fought yesterday, as they were the ones who watched that side of the ring he was on, while Mark was watching in the opposite direction. Even though he didn't see him fight, the way Bob and Kara looked, is telling him that he's in grave danger.
"Please...," pleaded Mark in a calm tone. "Darius."
Bob was chewing the food in his mouth very fast, Icarus looks calm while hiding his worry, Kara's face looks nervous, and Mark is sweating very much. They don't know what will happen, but they don't want to fight, even though they outnumber him. For they saw how numbers meant nothing for him back in the arena.
He continued to go in his way as soon as he let go of Mark's shield. His hand left a crumple on his shield as a message to not mess with him again. They felt relieved, and Kara went to him.
"You i***t!" she said while punching his head. "You could've dragged us into trouble!" He just said nothing but felt traumatized by what just happened.
Icarus went on ahead of them while hiding the sweat on his face that he has been holding on by showing them his back. "Come on," he said in a calm voice, and they followed.
Darius was thirsty for a drink as he approached the vending machine, while Lucas sat beside it. He didn't mind him but chose his drink from the buttons. Two can of root beers fell down, and he picked them up. Lucas was feeling depressed, afraid to look at Darius.
Then Darius put the other can just beside Lucas's feet, and said, "Have courage or leave it." Then he went back on his way while opening his drink.
Lucas just looked at the can, and he saw his reflection on it, even the blood on his lips, and the courage left in his spirit. He decided.
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"Warriors," said a woman on the speaker mounted on the ceiling. "please enter your designated queues."
"It's starting!" said Philip as the music started, and the fireworks exploded at the top of the coliseum.
We heard the noise coming from the passage that leads to the ring. We can't see entirely what's going on, but we watched from the LCD screen mounted on the wall. The three of us received the luck from our families before entering the queue.
"Good luck, Leo," said my father. "And don't forget what I taught you."
"I will!"
"Good luck, big-bro Leo!" said Hera as mother carried her.
"Settle your fight without getting hurt!" she demanded, and I think it is impossible. Philip's family also wished him luck, as well as Sander by his brother.
They closed the door that we went through as soon as Darius with his drink entered because he was the last one. There should be eight of us in this queue because we are separated from our opponents in different queues. I counted all of us, and I just counted only seven. I saw that the doorkeeper discussed something with a supervisor through the door window. Maybe something happened to that warrior.
I sat beside Sander, and Philip at his right. Then I was surprised to see that Darius sat beside me. His intimidating presence made me uncomfortable while he watched the LCD screen above, and drinking his root beer. He didn't mind me, so I let him be that way.
"So he didn't drink it," he scoffed while watching the TV. "what a waste of drink."
I don't know what he is talking about, but I guess it is nothing to do with me, so I didn't respond to that.
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Back at the vending machine, the can of root beer was left untouched with the moisture dripping from its cold body that wetted the floor.
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- Writer
