Chapter 5

Ronin watched the boulder fall and closed his eyes. He slowed his breathing and tried to calm himself. He felt it all fade. The light blocked by the plummeting rock, the wind in his face, the noise from the crowd... All that remained was a single thought.

'A needle through water.'

Opening his eyes, he gripped the pole and lashed out at the boulder bursting it into smithereens.

"Uwaaaaaa!!!" the crowd went wild as they watched the spectacle below.

"Unbelievable! That midget split that rock like it was an egg!" the commentator howled.

The prisoners who'd attacked Ronin looked at him in shock. Not quite comprehening what they'd just seen. And Ronin didn't wait for them to understand. Drawing close, he jammed his staff in between their wheel.

It shattered almost instantly. Sending them toppling over their horses and rolling into the dirt.

"I don't know 'bout you folks, but I love this kid!"

Ronin clutched the reins and whipped. Urging the horses to go faster. All the time whiles the race was going on, he hadn't spotted his cell mates at all and now he did. They took up the first and second positions. However, unlike the other groups they seemed to be working together whiles most of the other groups worked alone.

He now placed in fourth position and was catching up fast with the 3rd chariot. They'd taken notice of him when he'd split the rock. Losing interest in the first and second, their attention came to rest in him.

"Would you look at that." one of them said crouching in the speeding chariot. "Boy's getting a big head 'cus he broke a small pebble."

"We can't have that now can we?" his partner added looking back at Ronin.

"Let's show the brat..."

Balls of fire appeared in their palms. They brought their hands together combining their power into an even greater flame. It scorched their clothes and even burnt holes into them. Their ostrich horses ran even faster to escape the heat behind them. Even Ronin's began to slow down to put some distance between them.

"T... This is... the blazing meteorite!" the commentator announced. "It seems claw is gonna go all out to knock the daylights outta this kid."

The crowd went hysterical... Eyes filled with excitement and wonder.

"... how a true attack looks like!"

The flame blasted out towards Ronin. Its heat reaching him through the distance before the fire. His horses struggled in opposite directions trying to escape, but the harness held them tight. All Ronin saw was fire.

Just like that day...

It hit the chariot. Shrapnel flew out everywhere as the chariot toppled over, smoldering. The now freed ostrich horses, did as they pleased and run as fast as they could from the fire.

"Sayanora brat." one said, returning their sights unto the leading chariots. "Yah!"

The leading chariots pressed on, but they would not stand a chance against their supreme technique.

"Wooaaaaah!" came the spectators.

"What the -" one of them looked back to see what the hubbub was all about.

Rising high above the crashed chariot, the silhouette of a humanoid figure could be seen.

"I... I can't believe my eyes! This kid's got moxy!!" the commentator howled.

Using the force of the explosion, Ronin had jumped upwards into the air, but now gravity began to work and he started falling. He spotted his attackers below, looking at him in disbelief. All the screens in the arena now started to display his predicament as he began his fall back to earth.

The impact with the ground would crush him instantly from this height, shattering his bones and skull— a truly messy death. He began accelerating downwards still with the metal staff firmly in his grasp. He spotted one of his ostrich horses some ways away and a glimmer of hope for his survival started to shine.

Spreading his arms as far as he could, he tried to slow down his descent and move towards the horse. The ground zoomed towards him at breathtaking speed as the wind pounded upon his bare chest. Some spectators covered their eyes so as not to see the gory aftermath.

Ronin missed the horse.

Though not entirely.

"Haaa!"

Wrapping an arm around it's long neck, he swung around unto its back, using his feet to kick off the ground.

"Arghhh!" he hissed in pain. Jumping off the ground with that much initial momentum had hurt his foot real bad, maybe dislocated it. If it happened again...

"Unbelievable!" the commentator screamed accompanied by a chorus of shouts from the spectators.

They rounded the last curve and raced onwards on the now straight track. The finish line just in sight. His steed run faster than ever, alarmed by the sudden weight on its back.

"Tsk..." one of Ronin's attackers looked spitefully at him. "Why don't you just die!!!" finishing with a salvo of fireballs at him.

Ronin spun his staff as quickly as possible to block the fire but it still burnt him. Nevertheless he kept at it.

'I can't die! Not now... And definitely not here!'

He leaned towards his assailants and the ostrich horse followed suit. Drawing near them. He hit one with the staff and knocked him out of the chariot, tumbling down unto the ground.

The other was more tricky. He dodged his attacks and blasted fire at him. It took all he could to dodge and attack at the same time.

"Ah hah!" exclaimed the man as he succeeded in hitting Ronin's metal staff out of his hand.

"End of the line, kid."

'This... This is it?' he thought.

His mind went blank thinking of a way he could defend himself from the coming attack. But he came up with nothing. He watched fire gather on his foe's fists. Fists ready to blast him to oblivion.

'Shit!'

The man pulled back, ready to end it. Acting purely out of desperation, Ronin threw a punch towards the man.

It stopped short of his face.

'Not even close!'

What happened next completely surprised him. As if the inmate had been hit with an invisible wall he tumbled back and fell over the chariot unto the ground. Ronin stared at his outstretched arm, stupefied.

'W... What? Did he anticipate it'd hit him and lurch backwards only to fall over?'

Loud murmurs emanated from the spectators as they inquired to what had happened. Up ahead, Ronin's cell mates looked towards him with confusion. They'd almost reached the finish line... with Ronin trailing not so far behind.

'At least it's over. It's over at last...'

The sound of a wheel made it's way to Ronin's ear. Drawing up behind him was a one manned chariot. It's driver seething with bloodlust. He'd drawn too close and too quickly for Ronin to act in time to defend himself.

Water swirled above his head, the outer edge solidifying into icy spikes.

"Uwack!"

Was the sound as a wall came between him and Ronin. It had appeared too suddenly for him to react and he was moving too fast to turn. He crashed into it. Ostrich horses, chariot and all.

'What the...'

Ronin looked forward to his cell mates. One of them was rising from a crouch. His hands balled. The one who'd been crushing and reforming stones the other day.

"They saved me?" he asked incredulously.

It was the same guy who'd told him to go and die. Why? What purpose could he gain from this? Is it because they thought he was now important somehow?

All these questions flooded Ronin's mind, puzzling him so much that he barely noticed when he crossed the finish line.

"... teresting finish if I do say so myself." the commentator announced joyously towards the cheering crowd. On the big screens, highlights of the race were being replayed. The fire tornado, the ice cutting through the rock into a person's chest, the time Ronin had split the rock with the staff, the battles that his cell mates fought to keep themselves alive...

"Well folks. Todays winner is bird! A splendid performance isn't it? Though these guys are the most boring of 'em all since they always play the safe game. But that promising youngster put them in the limelight." he chuckled holding the microphone to his mouth.

" Though I didn't expect them to survive again. Much more put on such a decent show. This... "

Ronin ceased to listen as he lowered himself carefully off the now stationary horse. His cell mates had likewise dismounted and proceeded towards the gate from which they came, ignoring the cheering crowd. Between 2 of them,one had his arms wrapped against the others necks... legs dragging on the ground.

As Ronin proceeded to follow he noticed the people for which he'd almost died for. The audience were extremely well dressed. With jewels, suits and shiny shoes... Beside them on small tables, bottles of wine with half filled glasses lay. Amongst them children were interspersed most with happy grins on their faces.

But the most unnerving part about them was that they all wore masks. Right down to the commentator himself.

'Entertainment for the rich and powerful, huh?'

He tried not to show his limp as he made his way to the gate. Once through, a metal gate fell from above sealing him off from the arena. He heard the commentator again.

"Let's get ready to ruuumbbblle..."

'Perhaps another race... or something much worse.'

Some figures stood at the mouth of the tunnel staring intently at him. His cell mates. One of them started walking to him in a not-so-friendly manner.

"Kuuock!"

Ronin was slammed against the tunnel walls.

"How could you?!"

The assailant's gaze looking Ronin dead in the eye.

"W...What did I..."

"Don't toy with me!" an angry shout filled the tunnel.

"All this time..." his voice trembling with rage. "You were an air bender. Weren't you?"

'Huh?'

Ronin's mind went blank. A bender he was, but he wasn't an air bender.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh you do. How'd you think that guy just fell off his chariot. Huh?!" his hands on Ronin trembled. "If you'd told us, we'd have put you in the plan, worked together and..." his voice shook. He looked up, tears threatening to spill over. "Steve wouldn't have died!"

"What...! "

The figure between the two others did not stir. Ronin observed the forever slumped head of the young man, blood dripping soiling his torn shirt. Beneath it, a hole in his chest could be seen surrounded by charred flesh.

-------------------------------------------------

"For we are dust, and unto dust we shall return." the leader uttered solemnly over the body of their deceased comrade. His hands clenched into fists.

"Rest well, brother." he nodded once and the earth closed over the body. Burying it.

The four stood there in silence. Countless toughts swimming through their minds. Guilt, helplessness, anger, confusion...

One started to speak.

"Y'know, Steve would never attack another man. No matter the circumstance." the hands that assaulted Ronin earlier, clenched.

"He'd go on about the importance of life and shit. "All that stupid kindness and nobility crap. Of course he'd be the first to die..." his voice falling to a whisper. He gave a bitter chuckle.

"Fuck people. Fuck their "important" lives. Fuck their happiness! Fuck it. Fuck it all! I'll kill. I'll kill them. I'm gonna kill them all until there are none left." His voice choked. The trembling increased.

"I swear!" tears rolled down his cheek. The leader and the other two went over and hugged him. Their eyes dry.

RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!

A siren.

" Let's go. It's time for dinner." the earth bender by name of Malik said. After saving Ronin's life he had barely uttered a word to him. Like it was beneath his interest. He shrugged off Ronin's earlier thanks without so much as a word, though the look in his eyes wasn't unkind.

They stood in the underground cemetery, a wide open space where the prisoners dead were buried. Huge rocks marked the place where each lay. Lying at where their heads were underground. Ronin looked at the hundreds of graves littered around him.

'It' s quite sad. Not all who lay here deserved to die as a sport. There were innocent ones. Ignorant people unaware of the rotten state the world.' he smiled wryly to himself.

'Well I'll soon be one of them.'

Leaving the cemetery, they moved through a series of tunnels, each almost identical to the last. Had it not been for his cellmates, Ronin would have gotten lost even before he started. The sound of mumbling, chewing and metal could be heard as they walked on. They emerged into what seemed like a cafeteria with stone benches and stone tables.

All around, the inmates of the various groups could be seen seated around a table each. There was no socialising with other groups, no movement between tables... even their conversations were barely a whisper. Stone faced guards served food to the various prisoners in metal trays. Though it looked like slop and made a very wet sound when it landed on the trays.

Ronin didn't feel too comfortable with his cell mates. After yesterday's ignorance of him and their attitude now of not letting him out of their sight... He didn't want to be involved with them anymore.

'There' s a reason I was saved and it wasn't simply out of good will. They want something.'

"Alright guys, I'll see you in the cell." he said turning to leave their company and find a solitary spot.

A large hand firmly landed on his shoulders. He looked up to find Malik. No words were needed. The message was clear.

'You're not going anywhere.'

Resigning himself, he turned back and walked with them towards the serving counter. They each took a tray and went over to be served. Then, locating an empty table, they sat round it.

He tried not to make a face as he poked the stuff with his spoon and some came flying in threads clinging to the spoon.

The other 3 sat down and stared intently at their food and then at him. Their gaze unnerved him and he tried to avoid it by digging into the slop.

It was disgusting but it was his only source of nourishment so he forced it down.

The leader spun his spoon in the stuff, still staring at him.

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase here. We're a man down and everyday seems to be our last. Doomed to die in a cage whiles being watched by society's elite." His fist tightening around the spoon.

"There's no guarantee that we'll survive the next game. If we continue like this, our next home will be in the nether... And I'm not dying here!"

He closed his eyes and took a short breath. Ronin watched this show of emotion nonchalantly.

"But there's a way to get outta here and you're the key to that!"

His index finger pointing at him.

Ronin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

" Long story short, we need your help."