The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 1

Chapter Two

The sun's cruel heat baked the sand beneath Onyx's feet. Onyx detected her focus towards Rok and his sea of thoughts, her gaze penetrating deeply into his large, dark brown eyes. In them was a swirling storm of emotions, which, reached out and pulled her in. Like an unseen force, polluting her mind with thoughts that were not of her own. Polluting her with his rage and hate for the Queen, as well as his hurt and betrayal for someone named Sith—and she could feel Rok channeled all that rage towards defeating her.

Rok reached over to pick up his shield from the scorching arena sands, however Onyx didn't bother to grab hers. To her, a shield was just another obstacle. A wall, a true cowered would hide behind. Even despite the wounds and slashes that would someday become scars. She told herself they were just another part of her story, representing agony, pain, loneliness, and confinement. All the while showing her strength and fearlessness to all of those around her.

Rok gazed at her with an oddly human-like expression in his brown eyes, unlike the usual bloodshot look Orcs would often give. His bare upper body shined with sweat, reviled his frame that was as muscular as bull, with his muscles bulging and rippling beneath his sun-tan hide. His dark brown eyes matched that of his curly, damp, mane that rested upon his thick shoulders. With two, ivory tusks adorning his jaws.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Rok asked harshly, confusion evident in his tone. His voice was smooth, deep, like a warriors lullaby. He lifted his sword, swinging it dominantly as he locked his eyes with Onyx.

"You're not a corrupted soul under her command. You just need someone to fight alongside you," Onyx caught herself saying with a soft understanding.

"Are you all there in the head?" he asked.

Onyx didn't know how to answer that. She felt fine, but was she all there in the head? Would anyone be sane in her situation? Locked in a dark cell for a significant portion of their life, forced to fight in an arena like an animal? Kept for a cruel and selfish reason? "No".

"No," she finally answered. "But are you?" she retorted as she circled Rok like a predator.

"Fair point," he replied, his eyes following her every step.

"Can someone fight already? I came here to see blood on my sands!" Demeter yelled impatiently from above. At that moment, both Rok and Onyx turned to face each other, a look of dread adorning their faces. Neither of them wanted to fight. Both were afraid of killing an innocent soul.

-ooooo-

Rok lifted his sword once again, and abruptly charged at full speed towards Onyx. His eyes narrowing His heart pounding like the wild hoof beets of a stampede. She seemed different in many ways. Young, maybe not even twenty, yet fighting in the arena like a wild animal just to survive one more day. It didn't seem like a fair fight to him, especially considering her smaller size compared to his.

That was when he found himself dodging out of her way, trying to avoid hurting her. "Stop," he blurted out, "I don't want to make a decision I'll regret."

She glanced at him with wild, yet kind eyes, but still anger seething within her fiery gaze. Though he wasn't sure if it was detected towards him. Her eyes, they were beautiful, uniquely so. "Who was she?"

"I do bite back. Don't worry so much about me," she replied with a voice of pure honey, despite the meaning to her words.

"Who are you?" he asked, seemingly forgetting the arena's purpose.

"No one," she quickly remarked. "And you?" she asked back as if playing a game.

"No one," he responded, mocking her. He could see impatience flickering in her eyes. For the first time he found himself truly unsure of what to do, the mere thought of killing her felt wrong to him, even the slightest consideration of it. He wondered if she felt the same, or if she was someone who could kill without a second thought. But then again, it was well know if they didn't start fighting soon, the Queen would surely kill them both.

"Are you two lovebirds going to fight or just stare deeply into each other's souls?' Demeter's loud, dominant voice overcame the tensioned filled air.

Rok looked up at the grand stadium, then at Demeter's bored face. He began thinking about how she liked to punish her warriors if they disobeyed. How she found it amusing.

Again, he charged at Onyx, this time running into her and grazing her arm with the tip of his sword. She rolled, evading another attack. His sword struck the ground, the sound of sand sliding past the iron echoing satisfyingly.

Feeling the wind on his face, Rok saw her charging at him at full speed. He threw his shield up, using it to protect himself from her attack. Her sword lodged deep into the wood of his shield. She pulled back hard, trying to free her weapon from its useless position.

"Now's my chance," he quickly thought. Hastily, he ripped his shield away before she could release her sword and threw it as far as he could, away from both of them. The force sent her stumbling backward, weaponless, while he gained an advantage over her on the ground.

"Maybe if I just wound her enough so she looks dead?" He shook his head forcefully. "Just kill her. She would never think about saving you, so why try to save her? She's just a girl. Let it go." But he couldn't. The more he looked at her, the stronger the connection he felt. There was something about her, something in those wolf-like eyes. The way she stared into his own, as if she were reading something.

Caught off guard, he found himself extending a hand to her.

"Just kill me already. Stop trying to be the big hero," she said breathlessly, refusing his hand. Her chest heaved from the intense heat. Blood trickled from the cut on her arm, and sweat dripped into her eyes as she tried to blink it away.

"Looks like you could use one," he responded slyly.

"And from the looks of it, you could use a brain," she replied, adopting a mocking tone. "You're just a dumb Orc Half-breed who clearly isn't thinking. You must be out of your mind to think the Queen will let this pass," she raised her voice, trying to provoke him. "If you don't kill me, I am going to kill you,"

"You won't," he paused, licking his chapped lips, he continued holding out his hand, expecting her to take it.

"And how are you so sure of that?" she asked loudly, eyeing him.

"Because if you were to, I have a feeling you would have already done so," he answered, his brown eyes holding a small shine to them. "Now let me help you up,"

"Fine," she said dryly, reaching out for his hand. But before she grasped it, she hesitated. With an intimidating stare, "But if I get brutally beaten because of some fluffy hearted, deranged Orc," she paused to look him straight in the eyes. "I will personally hunt you down, and... do something really bad to you" She said it with a fierce determination. "Okay, all good," she said with a cocky grin, as he helped her up, and began brushing the sand off herself. Slowly she walked away in the direction of the Queen's platform.

Rok watched her with shock, captivated by her bold and cocky, yet charming demeanor.

"I guess we are to be punished now?" Onyx called out loudly to Demeter, mockingly.

"Guards!" Queen Demeter yelled without hesitation. "Seize them and put them in the darkest, smallest, solitary cell you can find! And keep them separate from the others!" she yelled furiously.

He turned to find Onyx's gaze. She opened her mouth to say something, but all he heard was, "I guess we are to be thrown in a small cage together," spoken in a comedic tone.