Ideas to grow on #2: Flashback at Vulcanis

Gelu's eyes flashed open. What had happened? Where was he? He looked around. He he seemed to be in Vulcanis – after all, that was where he last remembered himself to be – but he wasn't in the arena. Nobody was cheering and calling out. Nobody was even there, save him.

Gelu stumbled to his feet, then gasped in pain and collapsed to one knee, clutching his side. He winced. Where did he get that from?

Suddenly, Gelu heard a pair of footsteps steadly approaching him. He reached for the dagger he kept in his belt.

"Who goes there?" he called. "I'm armed!" Slowly, two fire agori walked into the room with their hands up.

"Easy, easy," one said. "If we hadn't jumped in when we did, you'da been in big trouble back there."

"Back there?" Gelu repeated. "What are you talking about?"

This time, the second agori spoke. "You were fighting a Skrall in the arena," she explained. "And naturally, being a Skrall, it... well, it cheated."

At the mention of the words "Skrall" and "cheat", everything that had happened rushed to Gelu's mind in a single surge of memory. Skrall. Arena. Win. Turn. Stab.  Black.

"Oh, pardon me, where are my manners?" The first agori broke Gelu's train of thought. "I am Khanva, and this is my girlfriend, Laani." Khanva gestured to the second agori.

"Well, it's nice to have meet you, Khanva, Laani," Gelu said. "And thank you for healing me."

"So, why can't you remember what happened?" Khanva asked curiously. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"I do remember!" Gelu said in a harsher way than he would have wanted to. "Sorry, I... overreacted. I... I thank you for tending to my wounds, but I must go back to protect my village in Iconox. Farewell." Gelu managed to stand up and started to walk out of the hut.

"Hey—wait!" Laani called. "Where are you going?"

Gelu didn't turn his head. "To my village. I already told you that."

"But we need help too—and we helped you!" she cried.

"I know, and thank you for that. But I must go."

"But you can't just leave us!" Laani began to approach Gelu.

"I can. And I will."

"But we need help!"

"Then help yourselves!" Gelu yelled, suddenly turning and unsheathing his dagger. "I don't have time for this!"

Laani jumped. Khanva held her steady. He eyed Gelu closely. "...Then leave us."

Gelu stepped back, realizing how intimidating he looked. He slowly sheathed his dagger and looked at Laani's look of fear and Khanva's look of terror mixed with anger. "I-I'm sorry, I..." Gelu shook his head, realizing that words would not help him—they never did in Bara Magna, after all—and he sighed and walked out of Khanva's sight.

Why do I like writing dark stories? :P