The Warriors - 2
#2 of The Warriors
Chapter 2
Xander
Xander sat silently in his new cell, staring at a picture of him and his brother after Kyle had returned home from a deployment. Xander had been moved to his new quarters this earlier. They had chained him up, sedated him and loaded him onto a shuttle. He had woken a day later, here. Obviously, they had moved him from the sub-maximum security correction facility on Pentus and moved him to the holding cells for The Arena located on Secondus. He folded the picture and placed it back into the pocket of his uniform as a guard, this one a wolf, walked up to his cell.
"Alpha eight!" the guard shouted, using the standard shorthand of his I.D. number, "Step away from the door!"
Xander looked up from where he was sitting on his bed, back against the far wall.
"Stand up, face the wall, and place your paws on your back!"
He got up and positioned himself in the usual way for being secured. Two other, previously unseen, guards stepped into the cell. One of them cuffed his paws and ankles, while the other held a stun baton at the ready, prepared to strike at the first hint of struggle. Once he cuffed and chained, they forcibly swung him round and led him from the enclosure, a prod from the baton causing him to stumble forward as the shock coursed through his body. The guards laughed at his reaction.
Xander was taken past rows of cells, down a maze of hallways, and finally to a room where nine other inmates sat on folding chairs, arranged in a semicircle around a beaver, clad in white. Here he was unchained and allowed to walk freely to the last empty seat. The guards left me to stand watch at the room's only door.
The beaver spoke in a calm voice, "Welcome Alexander. Thank you for joining us."
He glared back at his use of my full name.
"Now that we are all here, let me begin. I am father Nussbaum, and priest of all faiths. The ten of you have been chosen as contestants for team Charlie in tomorrow's Arena. As it is very likely you will die during this event, this is an opportunity to, if you choose, discuss what you have done, and get to know your team mates. I will start on my left and work our way around the circle. Would you like to begin Charrels?"
A tall, raccoon, with black hair and bright eyes stat with arms folded. He grinned, the fluorescent lights reflecting off white teeth.
"I'm Chad. Not much to say. I just like killin'. That's why I'm here. That's why I won my first round. Going to do two more and get out of here, so best stay out of my way."
The buck next to him simply glared shook his head. The next two passed as well, either unwilling, or unable to talk. Then came to a female fox. Rust colored fur set off her red hair and pale green eyes. She had a pained, yet determined look on her face.
"I'm Jennet. I was a first lieutenant in the Colonial Army. But I was on a mission with my platoon. I knew what needed to be done and how to do it, but I thought there was a better way. They all died because of my error in leadership. I wanted to die too, but fate it seemed would not let me and I was pulled out, severely wounded. After leaving the hospital, I was tried and convicted. I'm here because it's likely I'll get to go out just as they did. Maybe I'll get one more chance to kick some ass before I do."
The hare sitting next to her shook his head, shivering. He didn't look like he was in good shape. After him came a short, muscular, badger. He wore his long brown hair in a pony tail.
"Name's Drew. Don't really have much to say. Originally got sent to jail for robbing a convenience store. Had two days left on my sentence when a big fight broke out. Somehow I got involved and ended up beating two guards to death. Got sent to maximum after that. A cougar I met in there showed me the way of religion. Now I just want to get out. I can't take jail any more, or the stain their lives left on me."
Then next two also passed and then it was down to Xavier. He told an abbreviated version of his story.
"I'm just tired. Tired of prison, tired of... being tired. I want to see my brother, and this is my chance."
The rest of the night was filled with a little talk, broken by long periods of silence. The prospect of tomorrow seemed to weigh on them all. Finally, after the longest break in conversation, the beaver signaled to the guards and the inmates were removed from the room, one by one.
Xavier had trouble falling asleep that night, and when he finally did, he dreamed of Kyle.
"Alex, this isn't your time to die. You are destined for more."
"But, Kyle, how can there possibly be more?"
"You have to find a way. Don't quit on me Alex."
When he awoke the next morning, he could not recall his dreams, but a new determination burned in his soul.