REBIRTH OF A WARRIOR

Chapter 5

In many places, the arena's walls were not strong enough to contain the raging animals inside.Our captors probably believed that the elephants would focus entirely on eliminating the human ants that were screaming for their lives around the arena and would not attempt to escape on their own.Regardless, they probably planned to kill the elephants near the end.I had briefly explained my plan to the other fighters, who had listened intently, barely daring to hope for even a chance of escaping the horrible death that was in store for us all inside the arena.

We didn't have as many of us as the Rauin men had, but that didn't matter because we weren't going to fight the beasts.We boldly stepped out and attracted the three elephants' attention when the rusty iron draw chains raised our dungeon doors with a resolute creak.We charged straight at them rather than flitting aimlessly around the arena to avoid our superior opponent.

Some of us had fallen when we first came into contact with the three crazed lumbering beasts, but those of us who made it through quickly started slashing at the legs and undersides of the great beasts that were above us as we ran by.I had hoped that this would only incite the elephants to an even more irrational rage.As a single man, we had stopped harassing the animals and started running as fast as we could toward the far wall of the arena, which had wooden bleachers and pavilions instead of the stone ones on the more expensive end.

I don't know how I got to the boarded-up wood wall in one piece.Before I reached the far wall of the arena, I had felt one of the elephants' hot breath pulsing against my back and the swish of its sharpened tusks just behind my legs for what seemed like an eternity.

Everything had appeared to be moving slowly at first, but then it had abruptly returned to the fast-paced world.Each of us prayed that the heavy foot of one of our pursuers would not set down on top of us and squash us into the sand as we dove off to the sides of the arena wall just before we ran headlong into it.

The three beasts that were stampeding behind us didn't have time to turn around and go after us; instead, they continued on across the arena floor's slick, wet, and sandy clay.With the snapping of breaking boards and beams, they plowed through the arena wall with the shear momentum of their charge and their own bulk.

As the three bull elephants stormed out of the arena and up into the bleachers, causing complete chaos and pandemonium, the raucous glee of the crowd gave way to screams of fright and pain.Following the elephants' demise, those of us who were still alive dug ourselves out of the dirt and made our way through the broken arena wall.

As we made our way out of the arena and into the city, we passed through a flurry of panicked people who were running everywhere.When I looked back, I saw several of the men from Rauin get up from where they had been lying dead on the floor of the arena and walk toward the opening in the wall.One of them initially attempted to follow us, but he paused.He had started running to catch up to us after I had shown him where to go.

I held back a heavy rug that had been left out to dry until we reached a narrow alley between two buildings.Despite the fact that I could see that doing so would severely harm the stray fighter from Rauin, he ran hard toward us.Around us, there was still complete chaos, with people running around and yelling hysterically out of fear at their escaped entertainment.The fighter stopped when he reached the alleyway and continued forward, appearing to be unable to formulate a response.

"Don't talk about it, get going!"As we both hid under the rug and ran down the alleyway in the direction of the other fighters waiting for me at the far end, I had stated.We had traveled through side streets and alleys for more than an hour before we reached the city's edge. From there, we had raced as fast as our legs would take us to the open land beyond the city.Our legs gained power in a way that no other inducement could have. The chance to be free.

It had taken us a long time to get past the crop fields that were necessary to feed such a large population, but we had finally reached the forest's edge.My burden, the man from Rauin, slipped to the cool, spongy forest floor after I had fallen heavily against a tree.

I had helped him along the final stretch of the mad dash away from the city limits because he couldn't keep up.With my back to the tree, I slid down it.My lungs had felt like a blacksmith's forge's bellows.My eyes were burning because of the sweat that was pouring in, but the sting of the sweat didn't change how I felt inside.Freedom!

Until my death, I would always remember that happy time.I had inhaled the humid forest air like fine wine as my fingers had curled into the rich dirt of the forest.

I could almost taste and even smell the euphoria I was experiencing upon my escape from hell with each breath.What I was experiencing at the time was shared by my companions in full.Our already strained lungs were soon overworked as we began to grin and then laugh.I had stumbled to my feet and walked to the edge of the forest while laughing.When I saw the glittering city in the distance, my laughter had stopped.The other people had stood up and were now standing behind me.

"Zeventhal, what shall we......?"

I had cut off the speaker's voice by raising my hand.

"Don't call me that anymore!Jasper is my alias.From now on, just use that name for me.

As I thought of all the wrongs that had been done to me, starting with my father's unfair death and the breakup of my family, I felt a burning rage.

I was cold and adamant about what I wanted to do after the rage.

"What should we do, Jasper?"The Rauin man inquired quietly.After turning to look at him and the other men for a moment, I looked back at the city in the distance, which was shining like a diamond in the waning afternoon light.My jaw had hardened and my sides' fists had become more tense.

"I have the intention of making the Zoarinians pay for what they did to me."to us all!I will become a scourge of their empire, and if they plead for mercy, all they will hear is my laughter, so they will rue the day they took me captive!You are most welcome to participate in my vengeance; if not, simply leave!

From the northern coasts, a large, rough-looking fighter rudely broke the silence.

“Jasper?”

I had turned to face the man, not knowing what to expect from a man I had seen crush the backs of grown men while loving a pet sparrow with only one wing like a child.

"Does this plan from your boss include eating soon?"

As we all burst into laughter, my seriousness had diminished.Yes, Olaf, we will soon eat!I swear!”

The three years that followed our escape from the arena had been profitable, but they had also been frustrating.We discovered other men who had escaped similar to ourselves and came together for a common goal: to have fun while causing as much trouble as possible for our captors.As we took on ever-larger targets of interest, our number grew to well over eighty fighters, and we became organized.

We paid a lot of money to have informants ensconced throughout the Plains of Zoar keep us informed of everything that was going on.They advised us where to turn next to find a profitable target, but the alliance was tense.

If a sufficient amount of money is added to the mix, any alliance that is based on a system of monetary payment is naturally susceptible to an underhanded betrayal.We were betrayed multiple times, but largely due to me, we always seemed to escape the traps that were set for us.

I had not yet been misled by my instincts because I had followed them.I became the group's unofficial leader as the others came to trust my instincts as much as I did over time.None of them wanted to fight me, which might have helped them decide who should lead the group. None of them wanted to fight me either.

We were able to rob and pillage the Zoarinian Empire of its wealth with unbridled success under my leadership, and we were a major source of contention for them.Additionally, we were now as wealthy as kings.But after years of successful, unrestrained retaliation, all I had was a hollow, empty feeling inside that made me feel like I hadn't accomplished anything significant.

I desired a new sense of purpose for my life!I had believed that spending my life seeking vengeance on my captors would be even more fulfilling than fighting for my life in the arena and not becoming a soulless animal that eats my own kind.I had been mistaken.Instead, it seemed as though I had become like them in some ways.Cold, heartless, and only interested in my own enjoyment and gain;were all traits that were appropriate for the people who had paid to see me fight.By continuing down this road of never-ending retribution, I was becoming like the people I detested.The desire to find something to which I could devote my life arose when I realized how serious my error was.