chamber. The one directly across from them was their way out. It led up the stairs and to the top, or at least this is what Silas was hoping. He pointed this out to Gunther and slowly crept toward the other end, hoping they didn’t fall into some sort of trap. As they neared the center of the giant room, the sound of swords being unsheathed and the tapping of boots on the floor caused them to freeze in place. Six black-robed figures emerged from each of the other doorways. Every masked man carried a sword and held it in front with a fierce and almost robot-like focus. Silas and Gunther were defenseless as the cloaked warriors moved in closer, cutting off their path to freedom.
Silas was startled by the sound above them as the ceiling began to crack open from the center. The gap widened and the sun shined brighter, illuminating everyone in the giant room. Soon, the crowd above them became visible and they erupted in cheers at the site of the cloaked swordsmen closing in on the captives. Silas shook his head to maintain focus on the coming fight, trying hard to ignore the chants from above.
The partners stood back-to-back watching every move of the slow approaching combatants.
“We may not survive today,” Silas said, “but what do you say we give this crowd a show trying?”
“What do we do?” Gunther asked.
“Just try to get one of their swords.”
“What? How?”
“Just follow my lead,” he said.
It was time to see if his grandfather’s training still held true in the afterlife. When the first soldier attacked, Silas caught the blade with the chain and twisted it around the hilt. The man was immediately disarmed and the sword landed in Silas’ right hand. He was in his element now. Stunned, the black soldier did not jump back as he should have and instead received a slash through the heart sending him lifeless to the ground. The crowd once again exploded into cheers of giddiness, not having expected to see a fair fight.
One attack after another, Silas was able to parry and stab, with Gunther occasionally shouting warnings of oncoming attacks from various men in black. The two worked like an engine and then a second man was down on the ground. Silas pulled the chain firmly and they both took off running at a pair of soldiers in black, clotheslining them to the ground. Silas spun around sending the blade through the man and Gunther crushed the other’s throat with his foot, causing the crowd to groan.
With two left, he and Gunther lunged forward to clothesline them except this time Silas slid to the ground and tripped up the feet of one of the soldiers, slicing him through the chest, and in the same fluid motion slicing the other’s neck. In the end, he and Gunther stood, covered in blood that was not their own, with six dead bodies at their feet. Every person in the crowd seemed to be focused on these two as some were jumping up and down with glee while others stood in stunned silence.
Gunther stared at Silas in disbelief.
“Where did you learn to do all that?”
Silas said nothing for a moment. “My grandfather,” he finally answered. They stood a moment to catch their breath. Silas had never fought six opponents before and he didn’t wish to do so again. He was surprised by his own strength and abilities especially since he had not been formally trained in more than two years. It must have stayed with me, he thought.
“I suppose I’m lucky to have become your partner,” Gunther said.
“It’s probably not over,” Silas answered, keeping his eyes fixed ahead of him.
They made their way to the door with the stairs leading to the top. Once they emerged from the top there was another loud burst of cheers and boos from those who were making money and those who were losing it. The noise resounding through the crowd at least proved that some person from another group was still struggling to survive. Ahead, they saw another large wooden gate like the one they had come through in the beginning. This time there was another guard standing in front of it. Silas hoped beyond all hope that the challenges were finished. He looked to his left and right and saw that the other two paths did actually lead to where he now stood. He hoped that the others would make it out.
In mid-thought, the man and woman emerged