The Beast Within

Champion of the Pit: Chapter Six

The tents were coming down around me.

I thought of returning to my room to grab Grizzelda's helmet, but time was short. It pained me to leave it behind, but I had enough sense to put my life before an object, no matter how precious it was. 

I moved through an endless corridor of red and orange until my head poked through a flap and the fresh breeze hit my face. I didn't know how long it had been since I breathed the outside world, and it was glorious. Free from the metallic tang of blood that was constant in the circus air.

There was smoke in the wind and I knew it was coming from the circus. The flames of its destruction, I was sure, would last through the night.

I ran and did not look back, not even when I heard a great crash. I was lucky to have gotten away, and did not want to risk losing freedom for a moment of gloating. I wasn't alone, for I saw several audience members running past and beside me, just as desperate to distance themselves from the massacre behind. One of them yelped and fell to the ground, and it became clear that the knights were pursuing and taking down their prey with arrows.

I urged the wolf for speed and was met with slight resistance from the animal, who wanted to fight our chasers. I demanded sharply that it learn the difference between a battle it could win and one it would surely lose.

The wolf was quiet after that. 

It wasn't until dawn that it slowed to a walk, then to a tired limping. A morning drizzle cooled the heat trapped in its fur, but the fire that dried its throat needed dousing. It collapsed just shy of a small pond, and with the last bit of energy left it dragged its exhausted body across the mud and plunged its snout into the water.

"You're awfully loud," a voice hissed, "and now you've woken me from my nap." The wolf opened its heavy eyelids and found a black and white cat staring at it. I didn't believe the feline had spoken until it continued:

"Out for a walk, are we?"

It began to clean its paws.

"Go, pest," the wolf grumbled.

"Pest? If you knew the power you were speaking to, you'd be tripping over your tail to bow."

The wolf snorted and the cat plopped onto its side. Its nose nearly touched the wolf's snout, and it stared into the beast's eyes without a hint of fear.

"What would your mother say if she could see now?"

"No mother."

The cat tsk'd.

"Your sister, then. After all she's been through—going through—do you think she'd be proud?"

"Sister?"

"She's as rude as you are."

"Lie."

"Why, yes. Yes, I am. I'm laying right next to you. What a dull creature you are." The wolf groaned, but the cat went on. "I had come to help, but if it's unwanted I shan't bother."

"You no help."

"Not if you're too dim-brained to accept good advice. Some people would give their teeth for it, you know." The cat scrunched its nose. "If we're going to continue, you'll need to get out of that disgusting body. The smell of it is simply appalling! I came for a boy, not a hound."

"Me no change. No learn how."

"Now who's lying?" 

It rolled around for a few seconds, pawing at the air. The wolf was not amused, and dipped its snout back into the pond to resume drinking.