Great Vine

By Dylan Parker

Part One: Surviving

Chapter Six – Penultimate Denouement

Robert woke up the next morning in a round arena. Stretch and Blade stood in front of him. Because they weren’t using their strange abilities, he couldn’t tell them apart.

“Before you fight the third, you must fight us.” said Stretch, or maybe it was Blade.

“I don’t want to fight the Third, I want to live!” Robert yelled.

“Then you must fight us, and win!” Blade said, or maybe it was Stretch. His fingers began to grow so he now would be known as Stretch. Robert tried to draw his weapon but found that it was gone. Blade pointed up and Robert saw that it was hanging from the roof. He had no idea how he was going to survive when the two began to stalk towards him. A saving grace revealed itself as a man with long pole arm was thrown in by four short, horribly deformed creatures. The man wore a dark robe with a hood over him. He looked at Robert and seemed unable to look away. Robert couldn’t see the man’s face but he knew that he would fight with him, at least for now.

“Who are you?” Robert asked.

“We’ll have introductions after we fight,” said the man, “But my name’s Kael. You?”

“Robert”

“Good. I’ll take Stretchy here; you go after the sharp one. Just dodge his attacks. After I deal with Stretchy, I’ll come over and help. Also, we’ll need that gun.”

“And how do we get it?” Kael pointed at his pole arm and Robert nodded vigorously. Robert ran to the left of Blade as Kael ran towards Stretch. Blade ran towards Robert with his lightning fast speed and Robert dove to the side. Blade’s blade stuck in the wall. Robert began to move towards Blade when his other blade slipped out of his left sleeve. He swung his other arm in Robert’s direction but missed. Robert back pedaled and put a twenty foot gap in between them. Blade tore himself free and tried to stab Robert again. Robert deftly moved to the side but was struck in the arm by his second blade. A few drops of blood dripped out and Robert held the wound.

Blade turned quickly and swung an arm at Robert. He missed and Robert took a few steps back. Blade moved so quickly that his body was blurred. He took one step forward and then leaped over Robert. Blade smacked Robert with the flat side of the blade on the back of the head. Then he spun Robert around to meet him. He sliced him on the other arm and gave him a nice scar across the forehead. He swum once more in a whirlwind arch but Robert dodged it by falling down onto the ground. A scream came out of Stretch as he was impaled by Kael’s pole arm. Kael ripped it out and it was covered with blood, a heart pierced on the end.

“Robert, get away from the walls!” Robert moved towards Kael and four inch long points sprouted out all along the edges of the arena. The walls began to close in so Kael ran to the area where the gun was hanging. He stuck his pole arm in the ground and gestured for Robert to come over. He held it firm while Robert climbed up. Robert grabbed the gun and checked the barrel. ‘Six shots. Looks like they reloaded it’ Robert thought, ‘how sweet?’ Kael evaded an attack below him and Blade’s blade hit Kael’s pole arm. When Blade tore his blade out Robert tumbled off. Kael took the pole arm out of the ground and swung it at Blade, who blocked it with both his arms.

“It’s your turn!” Blade called, “You’re the one with the gun, again!”

“I won’t make the same mistake this time.” Robert yelled as he squeezed the trigger. A body tumbled to the ground and because of a glint of light Robert knew it was Blade’s. As Blade fell one his arms caught on Kael’s robe and tore it off. Robert looked up at Kael’s face and saw what appeared to be a mirror. After a few moments he realized that Kael and Robert shared the same face.

“Hello, brother” Kael whispered, “I have some things to speak with you about.”