An armor-clad soldier burst head first through the diamond and chitin doors littered with arrows, knives, and indentations conjured through magical bullets.
The double doors crashed shut and blocked another sailing blast from the opposing army.
Auron lost a banner to the doors and shed his plate armor with every step until he was bare in the cavern. The change in pressure, and the wind driven from the doors, caused him to stumble. He kicked off the wall to maintain his posture and timed his steps in tune with the violently shaking rumbles.
Roars, screams, and blunt clangs echoed through the great hall. Occasional marble pillars that were caked in a gelatinous material reflected a light with no clear origin. The long straightaway shifted through a bright crimson, a lovely azure, a neon green–
Auron paused a second when the whites and darks danced shadows across the makeshift tunnel. His reactions and reflexes amplified when a living stream of rainbow twirled through his skin.
Another rumble caused him lose his balance, and his concentration. His handy defense shattered to the floor like glass that dusted into smoking husks. The soldier cursed under his breath as he lost the dead weight of his special armor, only looking back to better hear the doors shaking violently in the distance. He picked up his pace, entered a cathedral.
In front of him, embedded into the wall, thirteen indentations appeared–a clear bloodied carving burned between metal, stone, and marble.
Another lone warrior, a woman, sprinted to Auron’s side. She was out of breath and barely kept herself on her feet. Her hands dripped with blood, and her veins showed the same rainbow amalgamation.
“He lied!” she yelled in distraught. “It was supposed to be seven sacrifices.”
Auron stared at the ground in shame and said, “Two kidneys, liver, small and large intestines, stomach–“
The woman continued, face stern, “We’ve got that covered. The last space?”
Auron swam in despair–
But, he knew it would have been pointless. He expected something like this to happen. That’s why he orchestrated her to be there with him. All it needed was one more piece.
A heart.
Auron ripped it out without a second thought.
Just Buckle Down 