Only Time Will Tell

Chapter 5: Cage Fight

DWARF VILLAGE

ANUBIS

We were blind folded, as we rode to the dwarf village. The journey was quite a very uncomfortable one. My hands and legs were binded rather too tight and the blind fold hurt a lot. They rode for days, under scorching sun and heavy rainfall with very little stops for resting the horses and feeding. They were rather kind and thoughtful to not let us starve; even if all they gave us were just stale bread. And that was how the journey continued till it finally ended in what seemed like four days.

The blind folds were removed when we got to the village.

It amused me how the little but muscular dwarves struggled to close the very large entrance gate to the dwarf village. Still binded, they rode for what seemed about an hour before we entered the main village. It's (the main village) gate and walls were quite bigger and probably stronger than the previous gate we passed through. The dwarves took a route through the market. As we rode through the market, some dwarf folks ran out of their stores to catch a glimpse of us. Some were cussing and swearing underneath their long bushy beards. The journey didn't end there.The dwarves rode for a few hours before they finally made a stop in front of their palace gates. The stop wasn't voluntary. They were stopped by the palace guards who engaged them in an identification protocol. I couldn't make out what they said, but after a few talks, the gates were opened and we were allowed to pass. We rode inside the yard of the palace and made a stop at the stables and all the dwarves alighted except the female dwarf, Margaret and of course those carrying us. We matched to the palace and made a stop at the entrance door. Margaret signalled a dwarf to knock and after a few loud knocks they wooden door was slowly opened as it made loud creaks. Margaret was the first to enter, then the other dwarves, including us, followed.

It seemed there was a banquet going on. The huge hall was filled with dwarves engaged in different activities. There was a circus show in one side, at the other, just dwarves throwing jokes and laughing loudly and at a corner a few dwarves fighting on top the the large dinner table set in rows. The only thing in common was that they were all drinking beer from huge mugs and there was music. All together the place was pretty much lively. But every activity ceased as we entered. They all bowed to her highness, Margaret.

"Margaret!!! What nonsense is this?" The king spoke standing from his throne and wiped off the drops of beer on his beards

"Father!!!" She just said as she got down from her horse and bowed to the king.

"You may rise and please take the horses outside. I don't know when you'll listen and stop bringing horses inside my palace." The king said and sunk inside his throne, basking in it's glory as Margaret rose and signalled a dwarf to take the horses away. We were thrown off the horses roughly by the angry dwarves and we landed hard with a heavy thud, groaning in pains.

"And where did you go to. You've been away for a long time" the king said, struggling to catch a view through his bushy eyebrows that almost covered his eyes.

"It's Theodore, he wandered off...AGAIN!" she said sounding worried.

"I don't know, I think that husband of yours should be castrated. He just can't stay at a place. He's always wandering off. This is the umpteenth time now" the king said looking troubled.

"I'd really appreciate if you let me handle him myself" Margaret said. Her father must've over stepped his boundaries inside her personal matters. "Meanwhile, I have something to show you" Margaret said as she signalled the dwarves to bring us closer. The sinister chuckle from the king scared me out of my wits. His countenance quickly changed as he caught a glimpse of the siblings. His eyes were filled with hatred for them.

"My, my, my!!! The world is really a small place...eh?" He said as he grabbed an axe in one hand and a sword in another, walking towards us.

"Your majesty, please have compassion" Hansel and Gretel begged as they bowed to the king

"Compassion? You don't deserve my compassion." he said still walking closer to us. "When I showed you compassion and accommodated you in my kingdom, something I have never done in years, what did you do?" He roared in rage. "What did you do ?" He screamed again, this time more louder and he sounded more angry.

"Your highness, please spare us" The siblings continued to beg

"Spare you eh? Spare you, you say?" He said looking at them in disgust. "You're lucky It's my birthday today. I don't spill blood on my birthdays, else yours heads would have been served to me on a platter this minute" he said as he returned the sword and axe to their sheaths. His threat almost made me pee in my pants

"Where's it?" The king asked

"Where's what? " Hansel asked playing smart but received a slap from the king and his lips bled

"Where are the guns you stole from me!" The king barked angrily.

"We have them sire, it's in our possession" Gretel spoke out.

"Where is it? " the king questioned in impatience.

"The guns is in our possession, but we don't have it with us now. For safety, we buried it in an old cabin of ours in the outskirts of the elf kingdom" Gretel said and bowed to the king

"Hmm!" he cursed underneath his breath. "Why would you hide it near the elf kingdom of all places?" He muttered angrily. You better be telling the truth because if I find out that you're lying, or that you've sold my latest innovation, I swear to the gods that your balls will be fed to my dogs whilst you're still alive" the king said directing the threat to Hansel.

"I swear with my life your highness that your guns have not been sold. I cannot do such wickedness!" Hansel said bowing to the king

"But you were wicked enough to steal 'em..eh?" The king asked rhetorically, looking at them in disgust. "Arrest them!" he king ordered and the guards marched towards us. They were dragging us away roughly before they where stopped by the king himself.

Stop!!!" He ordered and the guards stopped instantly. "It is my birthday isn't it?" He asked a rhetorical question. "And my guests deserve a good show, right?" He threw the question to the crowd

"Aiye!!! Yes!!!" The crowd cried in different tones, all meaning they wanted to be entertained.

" Today one man amongst you, must wrestle with one of my finest warriors " the king declared

"Aiye!!! Yeah!!!" The crowd cried in agreement

"Now, as a just king, if you win, I'll give you all freedom except for one person that will get me my guns and be my slave too." he said laughing menacingly. "And that person is you, Hansel!" he announced and the crowd cheered. "Now these are my conditions for the fight" he said with a sinister smirk.

"You're not a just king! You're a Tyrant! How does your conditions seem just to you? Can't you just grant everyone freedom? " Reem questioned boldly

"Don't talk to my father like that " Margaret said angrily as she raised her hand to land a terrible slap on Reem.

"No, Margaret let her be" the king said calmly, interrupting her. He was puzzled by the bravery of the little girl. I've not seen someone this brave in a long time, since after the war.

Someone bold enough to request to look death in the eye" he chuckled. "What's your name young lady? " he asked sternly

"Reem" she replied nonchalantly

"Ok Reem. I'll grant you all freedom, with no strings, IF one man amongst you defeat my strongest warrior". He said and everyone began to murmur inaudibly.

"They're going to die" I think I heard someone say in a hush.

"Now the conditions of the fight." he said raising an index finger. Firstly, Your opponent will be equiped with weapons but the man defending you won't." He said and the whole crowd began to cheer in support.

Secondly, If your defender loses, each and everyone of you will be slaughtered like pigs after returning my guns. But if he wins, you will have your freedom after returning my guns." He added and the crowd cheered in excitement.

And the final condition" he said and paused for a while, creating suspense. "I'll choose who'll defend you by myself. And these are my conditions; take it or leave it." He concluded and the crowd cheered. "Now Reem, aren't I a just king?" He said grinning.

We were dragged away to a far edge of the hall. And in few moment, the arena for the fight was prepared. A huge metallic cage was dragged into the center of the hall. The drums were rolled rhythmically, making the hall get intense. After everything was put in order, the king was given a medium to address his audience and then chose who our defender would be.

"Before the figh" he said, taking a sharp breath, creating suspense. "He will be your defender!" he said pointing at me. I bet he's the weakest amongst you" he joked and the crowd roared in laughter.

I was shocked when he pointed at me. I looked at Reem, she was already crying, like I was already gone. "We're all going to die" Gretel cursed underneath her breath. Before I knew what was going one, a set of dwarves unbounded me and dragged me towards the cage and threw me in roughly. The crowd cheered them as they walked away. The cage had a designed demarcation between my opponent and I.

The hall suddenly became quiet as there was a very loud roar. The roar came again as I saw my prospect opponent enter, accompanied by a lion.

"In the name of the gods!" I exclaimed in disbelief

My opponent was huge and muscular, even as a dwarf.

He had an axe in one hand and a hammer in the other.His sword was resting in the sheath that hung around his waist. He had his helmet on as they covered a bit of his neatly braided beards.

The hall became more intense as the drummers rolled their bands more rhythmically.

My blood rushed and fear gripped me as my opponent entered from his own side of the cage, and the cage was locked.

The crowd began their cheering again, with more people trooping in

"And now let the fight begin!!!" The king commanded and the demarcation between us was lifted slowly.

The lion growled as the demarcation was lifted slowly and it attacked me immediately the demarcation was lifted.

I ran towards the corner of cage as the lion chased me.

I made a swift turn on getting near the edge and the lion jammed the iron cage head first.

My trick slowed the lion down for a moment, giving me a breathing chance to face the dwarf.

The dwarf charged towards me.

He flunged his axe at me as he got closer to me and I was lucky enough to dodge it

He flunged his hammer at me immediately I dodged the axe, but I wasn't lucky this time as the hammer crushed my abdomen and threw me off, to the far edge of the cage.

He grabbed the axe and attacked me with it.

He tried to strike the axe at me as I was about to get up, but I dodged it and rolled away swiftly, tho in serious pains.

The axe struck hard on the floor and got stuck.

"That could have been my head" I exclaimed

By this time, the lion was already recovering from the jam.

I slid through the dwarf and took his sword as he was still struggling to pull out his axe.

The lion charged towards me.

Lucky for me there was a hammer beside me.

I seized it and flung it at the lion and it landed on his jaws and weakened him, as he began to bleed

I rushed for the hammer as I saw the dwarf lift his axe.

He rushed to strike me with the axe again but I was lucky enough to get hold of the hammer just in time, as I landed the hammer heavily on his head and he collapsed.

He didn't die, thanks to his helmet.

As I was distracted with the dwarf, the lion seized the opportunity and attacked me from behind.

He gnawed a flesh off, my shoulder as his canine dug deep inside my shoulder.

I yelped in pain.

And with the last strength I could muster I stabbed the lion with the sword in my other hand,

Before it released me.

I crawled weakly away from the lion as I was losing a lot of blood.

I rested my back at the corner of the cage.

Everyone was distracted that they didn't notice me use a healing spell to heal myself.

The lion who was bleeding leaped, towards me with it's final strength to kill me.

There was no weapon around I'd use to my defense, so I used my magic

"contra, aevum!!!" I screamed with my last breath and poof, the lion transformed into a cub.

The spell was to kill the lion, but that can work too.

"I guess the fight's over." I said to myself as I dragged myself towards the cage entrance

"He's a wizard!!!" The dwarves cried, panicking.

And in a twinkle of an eye, they all rushed out the palace.

The huge commotion surprised me.

"patentibus!!!" I screamed as I laid my hands at the cage lock and it opened.

By this time there was no one in the hall just brave soldiers who defended the king.

"Hurt anyone in this palace, I swear by the gods and I'll slay your friends " Margaret thundered as she placed a sword on Gretel's neck.

"No!!! Please stop this madness, I'm not here to kill anyone.

Your highness! You said you'd give us freedom if we won the fight.

I've won the fight, I demand for freedom" I demanded boldly

There was silence in the palace.

"I am a king,and kings never go back on their words (he said calmly as he stood up from his throne and walked slowly, towards me)

But If you'd please, be my guest tonight.

Allow me to give you a good feast, clothe you and tend your wounds before you leave " he said as he stopped in front of me

"Why should I trust you " I asked in disbelief

"Only a fool would want enemity with a witch or wizard. (He stressed)

Besides, King's don't lie" he said as he extended a hand for a handshake and I took it cautiously

"Release them, bath them and tend to their wounds for tonight, they'll feast with me!!!"