"Alright, I got this," Lynx muttered, stepping back into the arena, toting a fresh weapon- well, the handle was worn, and there were rust flecks along the poorly-maintained blade, but it was, at least, a newer blade than the one she'd carried before. This time, the guards checked her pockets- she let it happen, and when they found nothing, she stepped into the arena. Her enemy this time… well, it didn't look human. Twelve feet tall and lanky, with arms half its height and with four elbows, its six legs moved similarly to a spider's, many joints flexing and popping wetly. The thing had a human-enough torso, but its head was some sort of strange, fleshy cone, and Lynx found herself shuddering at the sight- looks like something that needs put out of its misery. Wonder what sad backstory led to this kind of a reincarnation.
"Alright crowd!! Will Lynx fare alright against her next opponent!! We've got Director's Chosen versus the head splitter!! Any words from the contestants?! Lynx, you've come so far, WILL YOU STOP NOW!?"
"This bastard looks like I'd be doing him a favor!!" Lynx shouted, wrinkling her nose. "This fight is nonsense-" and she yelped, falling to one knee as the so-called head splitter screeched, the sound reverberating through her skull. Somehow, the thing directed a wet scream from its strange head into the arena, around it and to her; without letting the sound travel up, to the crowd. "What kind of- ngk!!!" She winced, toes curling, hands balling painfully as the sound began to intensify.
The moment the sound let up, Lynx dashed forward, through the pain, and whirled, aiming a savage strike at one of the creature's legs- but her blade barely made a dent before another leg swept around, sending her flying. Gritting her teeth, Lynx twisted and savagely rammed the blade through the creature's torso, yanking herself around the creature's back, trying to rip her blade free… but the monster's flesh felt like a tree trunk, too strong, and she lost her grip, tumbling. Bleeding, the demon gripped her blade with strange, misshapen hands and ripped it out, tossing the steel across the arena.
Just as she climbed to her feet, the demon began to scream again, and Lynx collapsed to her knees, crying out in pain, arching her back- she barely managed to roll as a sharp-pointed leg came down where she'd been lying, scoring a shallow cut along her torso as she staggered to her feet, backing away.
"Shut up, shut up…!!" Lynx screamed, clamping her hands over her ears and staggering away, stumbling, ducking and dodging across the arena; her legs bleeding, she stumbled as if blind, bouncing off a wall and lurching about drunkenly, barely keeping herself from being beheaded.
"WOW!!!" The announcer roared, as she screamed again, lashing out helplessly against her opponent. "DIRECTOR'S CHOSEN IS JUST A CAT WITH SENSITIVE EARS, HUH?!" The crowd jeered, and laughed, and roared- they were loving it. There was only one exception; Elijah, balancing his spear across his shoulders and smirking lazily. Pushing his mess of brunette hair out of his eyes, the guard winked down at Lynx, and she screamed.
"Damn it- ALL OF YOU- SICK, PATHETIC BASTARDS GETTING OFF ON THE MISERY OF OTHERS!!" Lynx screamed in agony as the demon roared louder, magically channeling all of that sound straight to her ears. She'd come full circle, and now fell beside her fallen weapon, as if she had not the strength to get up again, panting raggedly, head swaying…
The demon, still screaming, walked closer, and raised a pointed leg… Lynx fell sideways onto her back, panting, scrabbling uselessly for her blade… and another leg came down, sinking into her shoulder. Mind numbing pain flashed through her body, and the blonde screamed in genuine agony, blood welling; the claw had pierced cleanly through to the other side, and she couldn't move the left arm… still, it was screaming… immobilizing…
Gritting her teeth, Lynx grabbed the sword from where it had fallen and, with every ounce of strength she could muster, she wedged it against one of the many joints running the length of this demon's legs, and wrenched. The leg broke with a wet, sickening squelch, and Lynx, biting her lip, planted her good arm and stood. Before the screaming demon could recover, she leveled the blade with the base of its cone-like head and tried to hack through. The blow didn't go deep enough, but the demon staggered back, screaming louder; some of the audience cheered, roared, but some of the lower down observers winced, as the demon seemingly lost some control over its own power.
As it staggered back, Lynx limped forward, and with one arm, struck again, gashing the demon's torso again. Again. Again. Finally, she struck at another leg, and the limb fell; with the top half of the blade, broken through and chipped. Still, the damage was done, and the demon, screaming, reeling back, finally collapsed, its scream dying. The arena was silent for a moment… and then they began to cheer; screaming, jumping, money changing hands…
"SOMEHOW, THE DIRECTOR'S CHOSEN HAS SURPRISED US AGAIN!!" The announcer screamed. "SHE'S OVERCOME THE HEAD SPLITTER- WHAT IS SHE TAKING OUT OF HER EARS?!"
Lynx, pulling what felt like five pounds of cotton out of her ears, winced, shuddering, letting the fluff from her pillow fall to the ground. Before turning and walking toward the exit, she looked up, winking at Elijah, smiling weakly. Almost let the act go too far… gods, I'm gonna collapse…
"SO IT WAS ALL AN ACT!!!" The announcer roared, and the crowd erupted into more raucous cheering and merriment. "WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT, FOLKS!! IN ONE HOUR, LYNX WILL FACE THE ARENA CHAMPION!!! NO MORE TRICKS, LITTLE CAT, HE'S GOT A THOUSAND FOR EVERY ONE OF YOURS!!!" The cheers, suddenly, felt more like jeering, and Lynx frowned, ears pasting back slowly as she limped into the cafeteria under the arena, again.
"Only an hour…?" She sighed to one of the guards who'd fallen into step beside her, and was greeted with only a shrug.
"People are excited. You aren't a fighter, you're just a show pony. Nobody can handle the champion, our leader- not even you."
"Right right, epic final boss," Lynx muttered, wincing and collapsing onto a cafeteria bench as two of the healers began to tend to her, one whispering incantations, the other with glowing hands.
"Are you truly not scared?" The guard laughed, rather than leaving, and sat down beside her, with a few paces of distance between them. "You're to be killed, you understand that? All of this, just a show leading up to the prodigy's glorious defeat at the hands of the greater demon who leads us."
"Yeah, no, I understand. Something about a real test of skill, maybe throws lightning and fire, and he's unbeatable, and he's immortal and bulletproof- I don't care. I have to win."
"You can't," The guard stated flatly, and Lynx narrowed her eyes, thinking for just a moment.
"Then I'll die. I think I can do it, though."
"Why?" The guard, whoever they were behind their flat white mask, laughed, crossing one leg over the other.
"I don't know exactly," Lynx stated reasonably, crossing her arms, wincing as her leg knitted itself closed, flesh bridging her wounds and pulling them shut, muscle regenerating. "I just… have to. I won't walk into that arena with a shred of doubt- if you believe you're going to lose, the enemy is in your head… no. I'm going to win, and if I can't, then oh well, I should have done better. What time is it, anyway?"
"Who knows, there's no day and night down here," The guard chuckled idly. "My name's-"
"Don't care," Lynx cut him off, shaking her head. "Why trade names when I might be dead in a few hours?"
"I thought you were going to win?"
"I won't turn around and kill you when I do, but I don't want to make friends here," Lynx groaned, standing up. "Gonna grab some coffee and water."
"Good luck, cat."
"Yeah. Thanks," The blonde muttered and walked away, toward her room- along the way, another guard crossed her path, raising a hand. "Yeah?"
"Hey," This one spoke, and Lynx wrinkled her nose instinctively, remembering the shock as her own gun was put to the back of her head.
"You- what do you want? You've got some nerve coming and saying hey after throwing me in here. What happened to helping me negotiate a way out or something- was that ever part of your plan at all, bastard?" Man, what is wrong with me- I can't even bring myself to sound angry. It is what it is? No, but… anger here isn't going to serve a point.
Then why call him a bastard? Just be nice-
The guard had begun to speak, but Lynx cut him off. "Sorry. Got a bit aggressive, I'm sure you were just doing what you had to do. Is that it?"
"No." The one before her shook his head, and gods, I can hear the smirk in his voice-
"Then why? Can you at least give me an answer?"
"It's because you told me that you're going to live," The guard answered simply, shrugging, lifting his weapon- a blunted, rusting crowbar- onto his shoulder. "Am I just putting that to the test, or is there a deeper meaning here? Who knows, really? Maybe I'm just crazy- or maybe I'm a terrible person who wants to crush the light out of you." He sounded so non-chalant and casual, but Lynx found herself narrowing her eyes. Through the veil, she had an uncanny suspicion that he really did, somehow, mean well… but, how?
"I have healing magic. I'm pretty hard to kill," The guard smiled, turning on a dime. "My name is…" Lynx opened her mouth, then closed it. "Well, my friends call me J."
"Cool. A healer." Lynx nodded, rolling her eyes. "Gonna heal my PTSD or something?"
"I became a healer because I was shot in the stomach, and, bleeding out, I refused to die," J chuckled, reaching over to pat Lynx's shoulder, then walking off. "Is that enough of a hint? I'm a gambling man at heart- and you need to be, as well, because you're fighting the odds, on ever escaping this place, let alone soon.
"Ugh…"
I think I get it.
Hate that it makes sense.
I will survive.
Alice, Nara… gotta come home.
Aerendyl…
No. Can't die down here. Not an option.
-
Nara sighed, sitting on the edge of the dormitory's roof, letting her legs swing and watching the cars pass by below, drawing in a slow, quiet breath.
Is that what I am? Am I an accessory? What if I don't even truly love women, and it's just a false god messing with my head…? I feel as though I am going insane, I hate this, I hate this…
Alice, what of her? I am not particularly attracted to her… but I don't want to consider that I could be attracted to Lynx purely because I was told to- and if that's the case, does that make it unreal? What if I've been controlled and manipulated, but, at the end of the day I'd have fallen for her anyway?
Okay, Nara. Deep breaths are good for your health, you know this. In. Out. Slowly. Why do you feel attracted to Lynx? No cameras, and for certain, no theatrics.
The movie theater… horrible people aren't afraid of being horrible people. She truly wants to take accountability and become a better person… yet she's scared.
The fear. I relate to it. She is confused as I am, pulled into a world or place, time, she feels she ought not be.
Her reason for doing good; because she can, so why ought she to not? That cannot be the reasoning of a selfish or manipulative woman.
When I stated that I needed room, and… no, I have plenty of reasons to be attracted to the woman.
The playwright, still…
Nara sighed, balling her hands into fists. Everything I know states that the cycle of life and death is meant to be sacred, so for this half-baked, failure of a so-called, wannabe god to rip us out of that cycle for entertainment…
A memory resurfaced; Pampas grass, the home, the people inside who seemed to notice each other and not at once…
The playwright himself. A tall, imposing man who looked old, tired, and thoughtful…
Back then… what was it he said to me…
-
Aerendyl winced as another email came back, saying much the same; One girl stuck underground in a drug ring you've allowed to exist, allowed to transport and do business. Not a national emergency. Thank you for thinking of us.
Running a thumb over the scar on his shoulder, the angel sighed, folding his arms and burying his face in the fabric of his sweater, eyelids heavy. How long has it been since I've slept? I can't close my eyes yet, though… how did an arch demon fool me, I'm on the same level as whatever it is… those damned guest logs… and Alice is right, I shouldn't have sent Lynx in. Who can I talk to? Go to for help? This is my own damn fault, I wanted her to be happy and I made a reckless, stupid call…
I can't go down there myself or I'll be dancing with the memories of every bad deed I've ever done, every failure…
Is this the Playwright making me suffer, or is this real? Is there any difference? The world has always been ugly, but if there's some bastard in the sky laughing at this, and watching me here…
I hate this, I hate this, Lynx, I'm so sorry, please live, I'll never speak to you again, I don't care, just please, I'll never interfere again, you'll get qualified, we'll do this the right way, I won't play favorites… Playwright, if you really are, orchestrating this story… don't give it a tragic ending? Those always sucked anyway. Please.
Plus… you promised to stay out of my business, after that…
Though, either way, I'm the jackass who let Lynx go down there…
Aerendyl straightened, remembering black and white hair, green eyes, and a promise from that god. "Ugh… this is my fault, even if you're involved, but I only know of one god who could rip a soul in half…"
-
Lynx winced, stepping into the arena- she'd been given new clothes, and felt terribly revealed in thin sweatpants without pockets and a sports bra- nowhere to hide anything. Before entering the arena, they checked her ears, even poking around under her tongue; one guard began to lift her tail, and ended up bleeding on the ground, clutching his jaw, with Lynx walking forward and whistling innocently.
Taking the spear offered to her by a guard, Lynx balanced it on her hands- she knew how to handle the thing, or so she thought- but still, it wasn't her blade. Probably on purpose- oh what is this loser doing. Really?
Across the arena and before her sat the man who'd originally ordered her here, on a raised dais- and on that, a throne made from scrap. He leaned back, legs apart, cheek resting on his fist, winking lazily down at her as she walked forward- and unlike her, he was wearing cargo pants covered with pockets, a thick, dark top, and a bulletproof vest. Well, they did tell me I was meant to die here…
"Welcome, Director's Chosen!" The pale, vampiric sort of man laughed. "Today-"
"Really? A throne? You're not impressive like that, get down here and fight me, you drama club dropout," She snarled and leapt, swinging wide. The blow connected, and she railed her spear through the man's head- with wide eyes, the arena master twitched once and went still. Lynx wrinkled her nose, confused; blood trickled from the corner of his mouth- she'd born a hole cleanly through his head, but something felt… something felt wrong, somehow.
"I LOVE THE FEROCITY!!!!" A laugh behind her, and Lynx turned as a hand connected with her jaw, sending her flying with dizzying force, into the air and back down, hitting the dirt and rolling. When she looked up… there was no body on the throne at all.
"What…?" Wincing, she rolled to her feet, readying her spear and swinging again as the arena master moved toward her; she pierced his heart, and the body vanished as he appeared again, punching the side of her head, sending her staggering back and taking a defensive stance.
"AND SO IT BEGINS!!!" The announcer roared as the arena master began to walk toward her again, from behind the dais and throne now. "ARENA MASTER DECEM AND THE DIRECTOR'S CHOSEN!!! ARE WE READY?!" Following was a roaring cheer so loudly Lynx winced, bending her knees and readying herself once more.
Ignore the crowd. Kill this bastard, no matter how much he can heal, or regenerate.
Pivoting and planting her feet, Lynx didn't move to kill this time, leveling a vicious side swipe at his head; and then he was gone- and there were three of him- all dashed forward and Lynx, stunned, froze up only to be sent reeling by a brutal strike from the leftmost clone- no, not clone, because she collapsed into the rightmost- and fell through. Illusions?
It didn't matter though; when Lynx stood, she was surrounded by five of him, and then seven. Gritting her teeth, she stabbed one, two- and yelped as pain lanced through her back, a knife's edge along it.
-
"Hey, you really think she's gonna live?" J raised an eyebrow, jerking his head and sitting down beside Elijah.
"Hm…" Eli stared down, thinking, watching. The blonde was already struggling- and who could blame her, he thought with a tired smirk. There were fourteen copies of Decem battling her, give or take- for every two or three she stabbed through, another slash marked her body, another blow connected. "No. This is it, she's met her match. I mean, really- determination isn't enough."
"Think she'll pull some crazy card, though? What if the Director, I dunno, teleports in and kills us all?" J grinned, laughing tiredly, crossing one leg over the other. "Feel bad, throwing her in there, but it's for the best."
"Why's that?"
"There's only one way to get stronger in this world, you know that."
"To get your ass beat? To be killed and come back?"
"To make a choice," J spoke out with a laugh.
"Oh come on, none of that cryptic stuff. What do you mean?"
"This choice isn't one for Lynx's mind to make. Either I was wrong about her, and she dies. Or I was right, and she doesn't."
"What do you mean?"
"Eh. Story for another time. I just… I think she means it. That she plans to live."
"We all plan to live, obviously. I don't want to die."
"Nah. You don't want to hurt. Panic, fear. You don't want to feel the tremors, the blood welling in your throat, but… how many times in your life have you actually woken up excited to be here?"
Elijah drew a breath. He didn't reply.
The crowd roared.
Lynx stumbled, and fought on with hatred in her eyes.
-
Like hell I'm gonna lay die for a man who looks like he spilled out of some highschool brat's first kiss with a vampire fantasy, Lynx's mind raced as she ducked and spun, gritting her teeth as blood welled from another wound along her thigh, pants ripping. The world spun, blood pouring down her thighs, her back, blurring her vision…
"Back OFF, I HAVE TO LIVE!!!" Lynx screamed, and for a moment, all of the illusions collectively faltered, wincing, thoughtful… and then a dropkick hit her from behind, and she rolled across the concrete, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as she climbed to her feet, again, shaky, tail thrashing. The arena was full of him… so many…
"You think a little, what, emotional manipulation is going to win you any favors?" They all jeered, thirty or so voices forming a cacophony of despair that made Lynx sway. "Maybe it would. If you weren't ready to die."
"N-No, I'm tired, but I won't die here," She snarled, and when a blow came from her left, she stabbed to the right- wrong. The blow, very much real, sent her staggering, leaning on her spear, wheezing and wiping blood from her bottom lip.
"You will!" Decem chuckled, rolling his shoulders and flexing his back- every single clone forming a statuesque pose, as if for a photo shoot. "You will die here, Lynx. It's a sad truth- but it is true. Tell me- would that magic have forced me to kneel, were you not wounded? I wonder… no, then you'd have used it before now. So admit the truth- you're a half baked warrior who can't win without tricks and whose magic is about as useful as a smile down here." As if for emphasis, each of the illusory men offered a needly grin… but, Lynx was struggling to see it, to focus. Too much blood… burns… can't see clearly…
Lynx sagged forward, leaning harder on her spear, eyelids fluttering, nearly closing.
"Dying on HER FEET?! LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR!!!!" The announcer screamed, and the noise startled Lynx awake… and then, her eyes closed again, and she leaned on the spear harder, wheezing, stubbornly refusing to kneel. So tired… fought hard… did my best, okay…?
Time froze, and Lynx jolted awake, healed and fine; and nude? What-
Ah. The forest; she was back. A stream trickled by, running over stones worn smooth by time, and in every direction, trees spanned into the distance. It smelled different, here, now; less smoke, more dirt, earth.
"Nara?!" She called, stretching. No, that would be dumb-
"Just me. You didn't kill all of me," A voice sounded from behind her, and Lynx turned. It was herself, leaning on a tree, without the cat ears or the tail to match.
"Didn't I? What was the point of harming you at all, then?"
"Starting fresh," Ayano, the ghost of Lynx's past, shrugged. "I don't know, I'm a human, and you might be stronger than me, you're no god. You're no Decem, either. What will you do, lay down and die?"
"Are you… my soul?"
"Something like that," Ayano shrugged, shoving off the tree and stepping forward. "Answer my question, would you?"
"I mean I don't want to die- aren't I already dead, though?"
"Well. Yes and no. You're on the brink, but time works differently here. Not a tenth of a second has passed, yet. Now I didn't ask if you want to die- I asked if you're going to."
"I can't just choose not to- there are what, forty? Fifty?" Lynx shook her head. "It's impossible to track the real him."
"Gross," Ayano sighed, laughing and beginning to pace slowly. "You're fighting like a gods-damned human. Maybe you're right, what was the point in killing your memories… you didn't even try your magic until you were half dead. I mean, jeez- I thought you said you weren't going to die. Guess Alice and Nara, Aerendyl, can just hold a nice funeral." Ayano laughed, drily, and raised her eyes, meeting Lynx's. "That the plan? You tried your best, good night?"
"No, that's not what I want, but tell me," Lynx sighed, blinking slowly. "What else am I supposed to do? I'm out of my depth in so many ways, and I don't know what to do."
"You do. You know. Survive."
"It's not as simple as that-"
"That's the lesson you need to learn, Lynx, whyever you chose that name. You're not a human anymore, so stop fighting like one. Haven't you figured it out yet? It is exactly that simple- you must choose not to die. Muscle won't win you every fight, and neither will brains- the winner will be the one willing to do anything to achieve the upper hand."
"How much do you even remember?" Lynx angled her head, tail thrashing.
"Not much. No memories, only ideals and philosophies, I hate it. Feel like some wise old monk living in a stuffy mountain hut. Now isn't the time, though, you need to go. To live."
"You keep saying that, but it's not that simple-"
"Isn't it? We don't follow the rules of our old life anymore; if you want to live, then live. You're a cat, can't they… taste smells or something?"
"Yeah-?"
"Then take a deep breath, and kill that son of a bitch, hunter," Ayano frowned, and Lynx opened her mouth to reply, only for something to rip at her navel and the back of her mind. With dizzying force, the pain returned, and she coughed, blood spilling over her bottom lip. The crowd stilled, for a moment, as she opened one eye- still, the arena was full of Decems.
"SHE'S ALIVE!! WILL DECEM FINISH HER OFF?!"
"No need," One illusion laughed.
"She's as good as dead. Surely I can be announced the winner, now- I own this city, wrap this up!"
"WELL THE BOSS CALLED IT!!! DECEM WINS THE ARENA!!! GUARDS, FINISH LYNX OFF!!!"
Men marched forward, and the damn clones only posed for the crowd, laughing. For a moment, she passed out, again… but she dragged herself back from the edge and inhaled. I can smell him. Right.
There was a sensation of warmth, under her skin, suddenly, as though she'd downed a few shots… muscles screaming… one last throw… I can do this…
New sensations; washed over like a tidal wave; smoke and acrid gunpowder, decay, rot, blood, ruin, warmth, cold- it was overwhelming and it made her head spin, but none of the smells came through her nose- she could taste… cold. The audience… she couldn't make sense of it, but they smelled so cold, so lonely, so miserable, hopless… and it was everywhere…
But… there was only one smell in the arena with her. Closing her eyes, she pictured it as a ball of spinning chaos… it was misery and pride, sin and greed, control; a need for control, it was rules, it was dominion… and most importantly…
I just need one more bit of strength… I CAN do this…
The illusions… they weren't there. When Lynx closed her eyes, it was easier to envision…. The crowd was a roaring mass of icy blue, but him, he was a disease, he was pain, he was control…
Come on Lynx… you can do this… the guards are getting closer… they'll finish you off… come on, damnit, YOUR BODY DOESN'T GET TO TELL YOU YOU'RE DOWN, YOU'RE "-NOT DYING HERE, I ALREADY TOLD YOU!!!!" Screaming, blood splattering the concrete before her, she staggered back, grabbed her spear and hurled it; not with the strength of a human, but with every scrap of determination and rage she could muster. The rusted metal flew straight, and every copy of Decem faded except for one. There was a soft thunk, and a disgusting squelch as his head exploded into what seemed like a billion chunks of flesh and sinew, spinal fluid splattering the ground along with his brackish blood. As Decem fell, so too did Lynx, the darkness winning out.