"You did well in your fight," A voice drawled out behind her; kind, warm. Deceptively so, she knew now. Lynx turned, scowling, and looked up at the guard who'd betrayed her; if not identifiable by the mask, then by the fact that he now wore her pistol at his hip.
"What the hell- there were three of you, and you could have just beaten my ass off the rip- why would you wait and act like you want to help me?!" Lynx stepped forward, panting, to the edge of the arena- she was being led out of the arena, to god knows where, but the guards escorting her allowed the pause, watching, maybe curious.
"You want to live, don't you?" The guard asked, a smile in his voice.
"Don't pretend that throwing me into a pit fight is kindness," Lynx snarled, grabbing the bars and staring up angrily at him. "This is insanity-"
"Answer me," The guard responded with a snarl in kind, and Lynx faltered, for the conviction in his voice. "You wish to live, no?"
"Obviously…"
"Good. Not every question needs to be answered. You'll figure it out- if you truly must live. Tell me, do you want to live, or are you going to live, no matter what it takes?"
"I…" Lynx swallowed, confused. "I will live."
"Then I made the right choice," The guard answered simply, turning and walking away. Before Lynx could call out, she was being ushered onward.
"Don't worry," One of the guards leading her, a woman, spoke gingerly, but she had her weapon at her side, trusting Lynx. "At the very least, we do treat our pit fighters well between fights." Through a sort of cafeteria, they marched, and stopped at a door, Lynx practically falling into the room beyond- simple, but clean and comfortable, with a lamp, bed, nightstand, and bathroom, like some trashy studio apartment.
"Thanks," The blonde huffed, shaking her head.
"You're still bleeding. Try to shower, if you can- a healer will be here with dinner and tend to your wounds." Another faceless guard, she turned and walked away, now, leaving with the rest of the procession that had brought Lynx here.
"Okay…" She sighed, watching the door close, and stepped forward, locking it; then, promptly, she ripped the book from her back pocket. "You, have some explaining to do."
"The number you have dialed is no longer in service; thank you, and good bye." The vaguely Mirian accent spoke, and Lynx growled, throwing the book onto her bed.
"Don't give me that- you're a book, not a phone, and you owe me a few answers!!"
"Yes?" The book snarked, floating into the air and waving at her tauntingly. "Such as why I must vanish, once you've safely escaped this nightmare?"
"Yeah, who really are you?!"
"You will understand who I am, one day- but for now, suffice to say that I enjoy the odd story of quests for knowledge and understanding, now and then. You are faced with an enemy you cannot possibly hope to understand- your fear, your curiosity, your confusion- they tantalize me. It's a feeling I'm quite jealous of, just as I was originally drawn to you by your utter feeling of being oh, so lost…"
"You called me the rude one. For the record." Lynx wrinkled her nose, then shook her head. "So what, you're the spirit of somebody's cool uncle or what?"
"I am… just a rather knowledgeable individual," The book spoke, and Lynx could swear she heard a laugh in its- his?- voice. "You could say that I am an… arch-demon without any ability to fight, for my lack of a body. One whose magic includes… knowing important things," The book offered, chuckling.
"That doesn't- make any sense-"
"Well yes, that's because I'm lying. You want the truth, Lynx? You can't have it, and that's why I must leave after this. If you survive, you will no longer need me- and there are others who might. Hence I will leave."
"If. If I survive. You know so much, don't you know if I make it out of this?!" Lynx squeaked, with something between indignation and fear as she stepped forward, toward the book. Silence.
"Come on, answer me!"
Silence.
"Damnit, don't mess with my head now of all times, answer me!"
"I…" The book began, and for the first time, so far as Lynx could remember, it sounded hesitant. "I know every possible outcome, of which there are four hundred twelve."
"Okay? And how many of those do I survive?!"
"Seventy-two."
"Okay. Okay… okay. Not the worst odds. What do I need to do to make sure that I land in one of those seventy-two, to make sure I get out of here?"
"Breathe. The answer, dear girl, needs to come from yourself- and I don't mean that metaphorically. My guidance any further will lead you to death, for certain. For a bit, you absolutely must think for yourself; I will chime again, when needed. I warned you, of your being followed; I got you safely to civilization, instead of into another trap of the arch-demon who sought to claim your sanity before devouring you. I broke Alice's attention off of you, to save her from some rash decisions that might have cost her your trust, in the library- I seek to assist, but you must supply yourself the answers, for what is to come. I pray that we will leave this together, and then part ways, so I can help the next troubled soul who needs me… but…" The book sounded… strange. Almost… feral, or mad. "-I revel in not knowing."
The leather book fell into the coarse blanket, silent. Lynx stared, for a long moment, and then, sighing, turned to the bathroom, starting the water. Some time later, tossing and turning, wounds healed, Lynx managed to fall asleep. She dreamt of slumbering dragons, of minotaurs with bird legs, and of Alice, of Nara. Nara, naked and sitting on a tree branch in that sparkly forest, blowing a flute, singing a soft lullaby for Lynx and Alice who sat in the creek below…
-
"Aerendyl, we have to do something," Vilhelm insisted, planting his hands on the desk. "Lynx just… she went insane, when we discovered that the door was open, babbling about escaping and disappearing into the Old City. Something, down there, it must have been controlling her- from what little I saw of her, she's not that impulsive or crazed. What are we doing about this?"
"Listen, I am consulting with friends, seeing what favors, what allies I can pull," Aerendyl nodded, typing away at his computer, not even looking up. "The last thing I want is to be the reason that she died. Those guard logs we found, though- they told me that the arch-angel who used to live down there was dead. Clearly, that wasn't true; but the question remains, were those logs real, or a trick? If they were real, that means somebody knows how to get around the demon. If not, then, we've been tricked, and for some reason, only Lynx was taken."
"Why would it be only her? Is something special about her?"
"Yes," Aerendyl stated flatly. "A god forced her to house half of somebody's own soul along with her own for a time; her innate magic is a well much stronger than most mages because of it. Even though the other half of said soul was reclaimed, she seems to now have adjusted to produce more mana than should be possible; her talents are that of a basic demon, but in truth, her mana itself would imply something between an arch-demon and a god."
"Talk about potential, huh?" Vilhelm snorted. "So she's down there; I repeat, what are we doing to save her?"
"The calling in favors thing, it wasn't deflecting. I'm seeing what I can pull together; demons who may be able to bypass the illusions, stealth. Cold-immune demons, shape shifters who may be able to sneak past the Bleeding Ice… I am trying. I promise."
"I believe you, but gods, I feel personally responsible," Vilhelm sighed, running a hand through his hair. "After she bolted, I just… I slammed the door. She was far gone, and the others wanted to go after her; I had to make sure the lot of us didn't die. She's fast, when she takes off."
"Oh I know it," Aerendyl chuckled, tiredly. "I'm not blaming you, and it won't get her out faster to sit there beating yourself up."
"Do you even know if she's alive?"
"Yes." Aerendyl nodded. "I have an agent on the inside who… took a gamble. A last resort, if you will; just in case we can't reach her."
"Last resort, huh?" Vilhelm rolled his eyes.
"If I know Lynx, she's going to be okay," Aerendyl, yawning, suddenly stood, clapping a hand onto Vilhelm's shoulder. "Now come on, get some rest. I'm going to keep sending out messages and reminding people of all the things I've done for them."
"Good. Get some sleep when you can," Vilhelm nodded, turning on a dime and walking off. "How's your arm," he added, pausing at the door.
"Hurts. Getting there, though," He smiled, running a thumb against the ropy scar banding around his shoulder through his shirt. "I can use the arm like normal, at least. Have a good night, Vilhelm."
"Night, boss."
-
The crowd jeered, laughed. The announcer laughed louder.
"The director's chosen now moves on to Rank Two- and we thought the strongest of Rank One would tear her to shreds- but we were pleasantly surprised, weren't we?! That said, please welcome returning favorite- and strongest to shake the walls of Rank Two; LUNO!!!!" To the sounds of cheering, a young woman with brunette hair and crimson eyes stepped forward, toting a hand-held scythe and a chain, the other end of which ended in a hook. Lynx thought she might have known the name for this weapon, once, but it escaped her now.
"What if I won't fight?" She called, nostrils flaring, resisting the feeling of adrenaline creeping through her system, making her hands tremble, her knees bounce.
"I will," Luno grinned wolfishly. There was a puff of black smoke, and Lynx saw something in the corner of her eye- then staggered forward, twisting out of the way barely in time to stop the scythe's help burying itself in the side of her head.
"Come on, damnit!!" Lynx shouted, shaking her head. "This is pointless!"
"If you want to live, then show me!" Luno grinned wickedly, advancing slowly before suddenly throwing the hook; reacting on a dime, Lynx grabbed the chain in passing and ripped Luno forward, twisting her entire body in a punch that sent the brunette sailing back, landing on her back and rolling to her feet in seconds, wiping blood off her chin.
"Don't you?"
"Gods no, does anybody down here want to live. I wanna have fun on the way out," Luno snarled, grinning through the blood and lashing forward.
She felt weaker than the other beast; but the second before she could reach Lynx, she vanished, and Lynx spun forward, rolling to a crouch, splayed to leap any way she needed, the burning heat of blood soaking through the back of her shirt. Teleportation. Right. Any limits?
Lynx whirled; nobody there. Ducked- the scythe whistled over her head. Turning again, there was nobody, and she shifted to the left, then slammed her left fist forward without turning; perfect.
Luno, having seen Lynx start to turn, teleported again, and she, Lynx, heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking and cartilege tearing as her knuckles made contact, sending Luno onto her back on the ground.
Stepping forward, Lynx grabbed Luno's wrist as she tried to raise her weapon, and the girl vanished. She whirled- nothing there, either, and then the assassin landed on her back from above, and Lynx screamed as the scythe sank into the smooth flesh of her side, turning and hurling her weight back against the wall. Luno's legs still wrapped around her waist, the assassin yelped, and Lynx, teeth grit, grabbed the forearm holding the weapon inside her, starting to pull.
"Ngh- what are you-?!"
Lynx, wheezing through the blood loss, screamed, pulling harder… snap, and Luno let go of her weapon, screaming, arm bent backward. Staggering forward, wheezing, Lynx grabbed the weapon, keeping it in… and threw herself back again, listening to Luno's cry of pain, feeling the grip on her neck loosen. Struggling to get in air, Lynx did it again… forward, back, and Luno gagged, the arm around her opponent's neck going slack. Turning, Lynx mustered all the stregnth she had left, and hurled the assassin forward over her shoulder, onto the ground.
"Wait WAIT-" Luno screamed, and Lynx shook her head, slamming her foot down squarely into the brunette's face with every bit of strength she could manage. In the aftermath, she stood there for a moment, swaying, and slowly fell to her knees, panting raggedly, one hand trembling at her side, other still holding the weapon in.
"Ugh…" She whispered, lip curling, tail flicking slowly. The crowd was cheering, but she couldn't focus, eyesight blurring around the edges.
"Hey, Lynx. You doing okay?" A warm voice, from behind her.
"Alice…?" Lynx whispered, and collapsed forward.
-
"Hey. You're awake, good- I've been working on you for over an hour," The soft, masculine voice of a healer beside her as Lynx opened her eyes; she was stripped down to her underwear, and, when she looked down, her wounds had gone entirely. Still, she felt weak, tired… but well.
"What even happened…?"
"Well." The healer grinned, stretching. "You crushed Luno's skull in, and you're now becoming a legend down here." He didn't smile. He spoke as if still dressing a wound; but he didn't seem to be lying, either. "Some even joke that the Director sent you to top the arena for fun, as a test of skill. They're placing bets on you, and everything. I watched a slave get handed to a new owner after you won that, even."
"What the hell…" Lynx sighed, closing her eyes again, not minding the way she was being touched, hands still probing her side, healing magic flowing into her. If this guy was a creep, her underwear wouldn't be on… "Wait, slave?"
"Yeah. It's not as bad as you think, though," The healer added, speaking in slow, measured bursts. "It's an alternative to the death sentence. If you steal, or the like. Slavery or death. No room for people we can't trust, down here."
"Room for people I can't trust aplenty, though," Lynx snorted, rolling her eyes even with them closed.
"You're an outsider. You don't deserve trust." The healer stated matter of factly. Lynx didn't answer. "I've been instructed to ask what you want for your victory. Wine? Proper food? Male company? Female?"
"I want to talk to the guard who betrayed me," Lynx laughed, rolling her eyes.
"That is not possible."
"Sure. I want my phone call."
"Ha. A bygone tradition, those- but these are not police, and you are not a prisoner; you are a gladiator. Add more titles to your list, why don't you? The name Lynx fits you; you are a merciless hunter. Holding the weapon in; they say you did it so that she could not use it again, but I know the truth."
"What's that?" The blonde sighed, shuddering as his hands slowly withdrew, seemingly for good this time.
"You did it to mitigate blood loss. It is the only reason you survived, and that your insides did not kiss the fresh air. You are no student, nor green-footed soldier. You have experience; you, Lynx, have survived things. I have a question, if you would humor me?"
"Sure, why not? Do I have a choice, regardless?"
"You do. You could tell me to go and take a long walk off of a short dock- but I appreciate your… openness. Why are you truly here?"
"Truly?" Lynx laughed tiredly, sitting up and opening her eyes now. "That demon. The arch-demon. Started messing with my head, guess it wanted to play with its food. Who knows. I was standing in a sewer tunnel, and then leaving… next thing I know the outside world is gone, and I'm standing in some dark storage room."
"Yes. Then, why are you here?" The healer continued. "-Rather, if the demon wished to, as you say, play with its food, then you would not have reached the relative safety that is our little village. So… how did you get safely here?"
"Guardian angel, yeah?" Lynx grinned, shrugging.
"Really. Is it a form of magic? If you were shielded from the demon, though, then she would have gotten you in the first place."
"Yeah. A guardian angel. Stepped in, and whispered into my head which way to turn."
"Then… do you think you could escape?" The healer raised an eyebrow, and Lynx chuckled, raising her eyebrows.
"Why? Hoping I can ferry you out? No, that demon is far beyond my capabilities, and I think that my guardian angel was only able to get me here because I was already close. In… the gray zone between territories, I think it said? I'm not ready to go in."
"Hm…" The healer nodded, standing up slowly. "My name is Elijah, by the way. Thank you for telling me these things. Information is rarely free, here."
"Not like I told you the secret to instantly kill me is to flick my forehead," Lynx laughed, and it came out genuinely now as she stretched, back arching, tail flicking around lazily. "Thanks for stitching me up."
"Lynx. Does it scare you to know that you could die, down here?" Eli raised his own eyebrows, now, folding his hands together. "You have a life up there. Today, you almost died. Truly- you would have, if I had not reached you."
"No." Lynx spoke before her mind could catch up. "I mean, yeah? No, not really."
"Why is that?"
"If I die down here- I won't be alive to cry about it, but also… I just won't die," Lynx nodded, chuckling.
"Why? There are bigger, stronger opponents than you, down here."
"Because," Lynx whispered, sitting forward, standing up, yawning. "I refuse. Taking that weapon to my side was a lesson taught; and I won't let that happen to me again. The truth is that I won't die because I will return to the surface, and that's that. Two girls are probably crying and worried sick, unsure if I'm alive or dead, and I don't like to let people down," Lynx added, her smile turning tired, sad.
"Yes?"
"Yeah, Eli. I know I sound delusional, but…" The officer in training shook her head, swallowing. "Why would I waste time on being afraid?"
"Do you not value your life?"
"I do, but if I sit here being afraid for all my life, I'll never do anything to better myself. I can cry in a corner and beg, plead, cry- but I'm here. The fights are coming. Every bit of energy I spend on being afraid is energy that could have been used to prepare."
Elijah was quiet, for a long moment, looking sideways at one of the walls, breathing silently.
"You say that you will live because you must?"
"I owe a few people my life. Can't lose down here."
"What if, you're wrong?"
"Then I'll die. Fear won't stop it from happening."
"Have a good night, Lynx," Eli smiled awkwardly and gave a slight bow before turning, headed to the door. "You… confuse me."
"Oh. As for what I want; let me get the best coffee in this entire village. Two cups of it- and a proper weapon for the next fight," She added, stretching again. "How many ranks are there, anyway?"
"Five."
"What happens if I beat them all?"
"Whatever you want."
"What do you mean? Can I say, hey, let me out of the arena now, and let me plan to ascend to the surface?"
"Well the champion of the arena is the strongest, and therefor also becomes the leader of this village. You would be allowed your freedom, and all of us as an army to aid you, if that were your choice."
"The people here would never follow me against the arch demon."
"True."
"I didn't want to kill Luno, you know."
"I know. Ever the merciful hunter."
Silence.
Long.
Not awkward. Comfortable.
"I'll get you that coffee, Lynx."
"Thanks, Elijah."