The Pits

“Welcome, 13th Harvested!” Ravenna called down to us.

Her voice carried a cheerful warmth as if she were a hostess. She stood in the stands, her arms spread wide.

“None of you were chosen at random.”

She hopped onto the rim and sat, her legs hanging off the edge.

Hundreds of eyes followed her movements.

“Considering how many people we purged, that may surprise you… however your weak ties to your worlds brought you all here, and those weren't random either.”

A pause.

“You all were fundamentally unhappy with your previous lives. You were outcast, mocked, bullied, dismissed or even betrayed. Maybe you had people who loved you, maybe you didn’t.”

Ravenna raised a finger and drew a circle.

“But all of you wished you could be anywhere else.”

She jumped down into the pits, with the rest of us.

She walked forward.

The sea of Harvested parted.

Some afraid to touch her.

Some genuinely wanting to give her space to continue.

“The truth of why you’re here is that… we need you.”

She brought her palms together and nodded.

“Not all of you… I hope we made that clear.”

She shrugged.

“But there are those of you here who have always wanted to escape your world…”

She unfurled her left arm.

A wave of people retreated.

“Those of you who have always… dreamt of something more…”

She unfurled her right arm.

Another wave shuffled back.

“Here… here you be the person you were never allowed to be.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, causing everyone to lean in.

We didn’t want to miss a word.

“Let go of your anger. Let go of your hate. It does not serve you.”

She paused as some Harvested began to nod, entranced by her words.

“You craved a new beginning… You craved a second chance… didn’t you?”

Ravenna clapped her hands together.

Hard.

A shockwave slammed into us.

The blast of air snapped my neck upwards as I stumbled back.

I was almost thrown off my feet.

But the aftershock bounced off the colosseum walls.

It caught me, before lurching me forward.

My ears were left ringing.

Blood trickled from some people’s ears.

Ravenna waited as everyone composed themselves before amplifying her voice with magic.

“So let’s cut the shit.” Ravenna growled. “We have you by the balls and we know it.”

“This second chance isn’t free, and it’s the best you’re getting.”

Her eyes scanned us.

Terrified, each and every Harvested began to look away as if to hide from her.

When her gaze touched mine, I forced myself not to look away.

To not flinch.

She smiled.

Her stature rose and her voice returned to its previous playful state.

“I sincerely hope you will make the most of it.” She bowed.

- - -

I breathed a sigh of relief once Ravenna left.

What did she even want from me?

And why?

I shook my head.

A low murmur rose as people tried to make sense of it all.

Carrot and the stick, huh…

The way she jumped down and walked freely.

She wasn’t afraid of any of us.

Fortunately, the other Cultists had a similar reaction to Ravenna leaving.

But she was just dressed in normal Cult Mage attire.

Was she a Cult Elite posing as an average member or was she just crazy?

That was the question.

I got tapped on the shoulder.

A Cultist handed me a pillow and a blanket.

They were slightly stained but smelled fresh at least.

More Cultists came over, dividing us up, sending us to different areas.

Toilets, showers, canteen and, of course, sleeping quarters.

Some would sleep up in the stands, some in the sand, some within the colosseum structure itself.

Looking up at those stands, imagining a roaring crowd there…

It got me pumped up.

Maybe Ravenna’s words had sunk in, because I felt myself getting lost in my imagination.

An amplified “Ahem” broke my fantasy.

It was the commander from my platform.

The one who screamed and yelled at us.

He was standing on yet another platform.

Suddenly he seemed a lot more reasonable.

“To become a Hedekoi, you must acquire 10 stars. You will graduate and will be treated no differently from any other member of Vhelo Hedekos. Origin is not a consideration for membership or promotion.”

He gestured to various Cultists dotted around the arena.

“Many here are from previous Harvests.”

A cheer went up.

“To acquire stars, you must sign up for various expeditions. To clarify what Lady Ravenna said, you were summoned here for… what was that phrase again, Marcus?”

“Pennies on the dollar!” replied a Cultist near me.

A chuckle rippled through the arena.

“Yes, pennies on the dollar.” The Commander nodded. “You had given up on your own lives, so you were easily plucked from your worlds. It didn’t cost a lot of magic, or material… Had we summoned competent people who were happy with their lives, it would’ve cost significantly more to rip them from their cherished reality.”

The Commander sighed.

“It’s what I would’ve done, but alas, I don’t make the rules.” He tapped his foot on the platform. “So, here’s the honest truth. Your lives are cheap, and we’d rather risk you than our own population. Those of you who survive this trial by fire will be gladly welcomed. We need skilled individuals.”

Pieces of enchanted wood were handed out.

The moment I touched it, my name and a rough outline of my face appeared on it.

An ID card.

Once everyone had one, the Commander continued. “In the morning, various Hedekoi will be offering you expeditions to join. It is up to you to decide which one suits your strengths. You can earn up to 3 stars per mission. But you can also end up with zero stars, even if the mission was successful.”

The Commander paused and began to pace on his platform.

“Each star is a vouch. They cannot just be handed out. Each Hedekoi must truly believe you will be a good addition to our ranks. They will be held accountable. Good or bad.”

He sighed. “That is all. Get some sleep.”

The murmurs returned again, they rose steadily with no one to interrupt.

The Cultists gradually began leaving the colosseum.

Groups had started to form amongst the Harvested.

People tried to network.

A few even approached me.

I brushed them off.

A shower was all I needed.

Then I’d figure everything else in the morning.

I just felt dirty from the mist that seeped in through the tunnel barrier.

Stepping out of the arena, into the colosseum structure, I looked around for any directions.

That’s when I felt the sting of a syringe at the back of my neck.

I tried to struggle, but I was held down.

Everything went dark.