the Villainess they took for granted

Another five days passed.

Cassian stopped trying to count the hours.

The journey continued southward, through roads he didn’t recognize and settlements whose names meant nothing to him.

His wounds were healing.

Slowly.

His ribs no longer burned with every breath, though the pain remained whenever the wagon jolted too violently. His leg had improved enough for him to stand without assistance, but it was still far from fully recovered.

He could walk.

That was enough.

The others had grown quieter as the days passed.

Robert remained beside him when they were allowed to speak, though neither knew where they were being taken.

Then, on the fifth day, the wagon stopped.

Cassian looked up.

The doors opened.

”Out.”

The captives climbed down one by one.

Cassian followed.

He froze.

A massive stone structure stood before them.

Walls rose several stories high.

Beyond them, he could hear voices.

Thousands of them.

A roar rolled through the air.

Cassian looked upward.

The sound was deafening.

He had seen military camps.

He had seen battlefields.

He had seen cities filled with people.

But this was different.

There was excitement in the noise.

Anticipation.

He looked toward the gates.

The guards began pushing them forward.

Cassian glanced at Robert.

Robert looked just as confused.

”What is this?”

”I don’t know.”

They were driven through the entrance.

The moment Cassian stepped inside, the noise became overwhelming.

The gates closed behind them.

He stopped.

Sand stretched beneath his feet.

Rows upon rows of stone seating rose around him.

People filled every level.

Men shouted.

Women screamed.

Children leaned over the railings.

Some waved banners.

Others shouted words Cassian couldn’t understand.

His eyes moved across the enormous structure.

An arena.

It looked like one.

But why were they here?

The other captives were just as bewildered.

Some turned toward the gates.

Others began shouting at the guards.

Cassian looked around.

Then he noticed something scattered across the sand.

Weapons.

Swords.

Spears.

Axes.

Shields.

Some lay abandoned near the walls.

Others were half-buried in the sand.

Cassian’s expression changed.

He looked at the guards.

Then at the weapons.

Then at the crowd.

No one explained anything.

A guard approached.

Cassian instinctively stepped back.

The man’s hand went to the restraints around his wrists.

There was a click.

The chains fell away.

Cassian stared at his hands.

Free.

For the first time in weeks.

He barely had time to process it.

The other captives were being unbound as well.

One by one.

Chains hit the sand.

Cassian looked around.

Nobody was leaving.

The gates remained closed.

The guards were retreating.

The crowd was growing louder.

Cassian’s breathing slowed.

His eyes moved toward the weapons again.

Something was terribly wrong.

He took one step backward.

Then another.

Robert looked at him.

”Carlo...”

Cassian didn’t answer.

He was staring at the enormous gates opposite them.

They were closed.

The crowd roared.

A horn sounded.

Cassian’s head snapped toward the noise.

Silence fell for half a heartbeat.

Then the entire arena erupted.

Cassian looked around at the men surrounding him.

At the weapons scattered across the sand.

At the towering walls.

At the thousands of people watching them.

And finally—

at the gates.

He understood only one thing.

They had not brought them here to work.

Cassian’s eyes narrowed.

”What the fuck...”

The gates remained shut.

The crowd screamed.

And Cassian finally understood why there had been so many men in the wagon.

They were here to fight.

--

The men stood scattered across the sand.

No one moved.

No one seemed to know what they were supposed to do.

Cassian looked around.

There were roughly twenty of them.

Some were young.

Some were older.

A few looked strong enough to have fought before.

Others looked terrified.

Robert remained close to Cassian.

Neither spoke.

The crowd continued to roar around them.

Cassian looked toward the gates.

Were they supposed to fight each other?

He couldn’t tell.

No one had moved toward another man.

Then—

Clang.

A smaller gate opened along the far side of the arena.

The crowd erupted.

Several handlers pushed something through.

A large iron cage.

But it was completely covered by a heavy dark cloth.

Cassian narrowed his eyes.

”What is that?”

Robert stared.

”I don’t know.”

The cage rolled farther into the arena.

The handlers kept pushing until it reached the center of the sand.

Then they stopped.

The crowd grew louder.

The announcer’s voice thundered across the arena.

Robert listened.

His expression changed.

”What is he saying?”

Cassian looked at him.

Robert swallowed.

”I think...”

He looked toward the cage.

”They’re going to release them.”

Cassian frowned.

”Release what?”

Robert didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

The handlers began pulling the cloth away.

The arena fell strangely quiet.

The fabric slid from the top of the cage.

Then the side.

Then—

the entire thing was exposed.

Cassian’s blood ran cold.

Wolves.

A pack of them.

Eight.

Perhaps nine.

Their bodies were lean.

Too lean.

Their ribs showed beneath their fur.

They paced restlessly inside the cage, snarling and snapping at the bars.

Hungry.

Very hungry.

The men around Cassian began backing away.

Someone shouted.

Another man grabbed a sword from the sand.

Robert stared at the animals.

”Oh God.”

Cassian looked at him.

”What?”

Robert pointed.

”They’re going to let them out.”

Cassian’s eyes moved toward the cage.

The handlers were already retreating.

The announcer shouted something.

The crowd answered with a deafening roar.

Cassian understood nothing.

But he didn’t need to.

The cage door opened.

For one second, nothing happened.

Then the first wolf burst out.

The nearest man froze.

The animal slammed into him.

He screamed.

Its jaws closed around his leg.

The man fell hard onto the sand.

Blood appeared almost immediately.

The crowd erupted.

Another wolf rushed forward.

Then another.

The fallen man screamed as he tried to drag himself away.

Cassian stared for half a second.

Then instinct took over.

”Move!”

He grabbed Robert’s arm and pulled him backward.

The men scattered.

Some ran for weapons.

Others simply ran.

Cassian’s eyes moved rapidly across the arena.

Eight wolves.

Twenty men.

Weapons scattered everywhere.

The wolves were fast.

The men were frightened.

If they continued scattering, they would be picked off one by one.

”Robert.”

”Yes?”

”Tell them to stay together.”

Robert stared at him.

”What?”

”Tell them!”

Robert turned toward the others and shouted in their language.

”Stay together! Don’t run!”

A wolf tore into another man’s sleeve.

He screamed and swung wildly.

Cassian grabbed a spear from the sand.

His injured leg protested.

He ignored it.

Robert had already seized a sword.

He tested the weight once, then turned toward the animals.

Cassian glanced at him.

Robert met his eyes.

Neither spoke.

They didn’t need to.

Another wolf broke away from the pack.

Cassian shifted his stance.

Robert moved several paces to his left, keeping enough distance to avoid getting in Cassian’s way.

Around them, the other men scrambled for whatever weapons they could find.

Some formed small groups.

Others continued running.

The wolf lowered its body.

Cassian tightened his grip on the spear.

Robert raised his sword.

The crowd roared.

The wolf lunged.

Cassian stepped aside.

Robert struck.

And the arena erupted.

--

Tbc