Monster Within

By Angel Haze

How many times can a man cheat death before he loses himself to the monster within?

 

In the gladiatorial arena, Killien is the undefeated champion--a savage and bloodthirsty role he must play to keep his family alive.

 

But in the underground fighting pits, he is no one. Each fight earns the prince more coin. Each fight is slowly bleeding the life from him. Each fight he loses more of himself to the monster within. Killien is beaten, bloodied, and on the brink of insanity, but the greedy prince refuses to pull him out.

 

His life, and the lives of those he loves, depend on him continuing to fight, to cheat death, and to win. His only hope of survival may mean giving into the voice in his head – the vengeful monster within that desperately seeks to be unleashed upon the world.

 

Featured in Grimdark Magazine.

 

Monster Within is a short story based in the Battleborn Mage series--a dark epic fantasy saga of magic, battles, betrayal, revenge, and warriors, monsters, and assassins pitted against each other in a deadly struggle to survive. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy adventure, escape into the world of Arcanthia where nothing is as it seems.

 

Download now and start this dark adventure with Killien in the underground fighting pit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angel Haze
• Release date: Mar 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9781778200946

Book preview

Monster Within

A Battleborn Mage Short Story

Angel Haze

Copyright © 2023 by Angel Haze

Cover Design by J Caleb Design

Edited by Mike Myers

Interior Artwork by Julia Gill

This book contains material protected under International and Federal Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book, including the cover and photos, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronical or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express permission by the author/publisher. All rights reserved.

Any resemblance to persons or places, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction.

Contents

Dedication

Map of Arcanthia

Monster Within

Blood of Vengeance

1.The Beast of Vendragon

Get a Free Battleborn Mage Short Story!

Did you enjoy Monster Within?

About the Author

A Note from the Author

Unleash the Adventure...

Dedication

For those who keep fighting

For those of you who suffer in silence, who keep pushing, keep fighting, keep working so hard to give yourself, the ones you love a better life. To those of you who are struggling or have overcome loss or trauma, yet you continue to shine your light and spread positivity, this goes out to you.

The world needs your light.

image-placeholder

Monster Within

Voices faded in and out. The room spun. Killien couldn’t tell if he was sitting up or lying down, in the pits or in his cell. His cheek throbbed from an elbow to the face … or had it been the hilt of a dagger? The night was a blur. Blood, body odor, liquor, the cheers of the crowd and the wailing of dying men.

He could still taste the blood on his lips. He dropped his head to the side.

Look at him. You’re killing him. The old medic’s voice?

He’s got more in him. He owes me. Prince Burne’s voice reoriented Killien. He was back in his cell. He tried to lift his arm, then remembered his wrists were chained.

You kill him in the pits and you’ll have no champion, the old medic snarled. Who will bring in the crowds and coin that he does? Who will pay off your gambling debts?

Burne pounded his fist next to Killien’s hip on the wooden bed, sending vibrations through the wood and sparking a wave of pain from injuries Killien hadn’t yet realized he had. Enough! Burne shouted. I want him to suffer! The prince’s shouting was making Killien’s head ache as bad as the rest of his body. He wished the fat bastard would just leave him alone … to die if need be.

Then kill him. The voice in his head was his only companion in these desperate hours, and it had become louder, craving more blood.

Killien ignored it. It was just another hallucination. By the gods, they’d been bad lately. He couldn’t think straight, didn’t know if he was fighting in the pits again or just dreaming about it.

I don’t know how he survives, the medic said. He looks like he has one foot in the grave already. You can’t keep pushing him like this. He’s losing his mind.

Burne chuckled. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Killer, the undefeated champion, dies of a sickness of the head?

"You won’t be laughing