The Annals of Existence: The Convict Sector Excerpt

by ZhadeBell

This piece is part of a novel that I wish to one day publish, so please help a young author out by assisting in spreading the word. Thank you. "A multiverse of 72 dimensions is being used to store several prisoners that Existence no longer wants to know exists. They are thrown into the Convict Sector, the prison, and now a woman-creature must help others escape."

Grimoire I: Episode I

Prologue I

72 dimensions were held strongly in bonds, with police drones at every angle, guarding every perch, and bars and black skies holding back any attempt to those who may have wished to escape. This was the dark Existence of something as ominous as the Convict Sector, as it housed millions of prisoners who had all defied the supreme order and millions more guards who were there to keep them in check.

She set up her microphone in front of an adoring, cheering crowd and prepared to strum her strange limb; instead of a hand, there was a large purple octopus creature with parts of a guitar attached to its body, moving tentacles along the strings. Many saw this as a bit too bizarre and might turn away, but in the Existence she was in, this sight was quite normal, even as bizarre as an octopus-guitar may seem to the average eye. She had light-green skin and a yellow beak since she was a bird Half Breed (half-Human, half-animal). She had her long, blond hair towering like a mohawk to cover an eye and a bald spot. Her elbow pads were diamonds, and her top was similar to that of two disco balls. Her lower torso was many purple feathers over a disc-like, towering black skirt. She wore black sneaker-boots with white heels and black latex gloves. What fascinated many was that she was a creature referred to as a "Juno."

Junos were quite renowned as they were females brought together by a fusion of multiple beings into one primary being. Usually, their arm would be replaced by something out of the ordinary when the fusion process was done, and thus the female could use their new powers to do whatever may be meant for them. These fusions would come about by red crystals littered throughout various worlds, said to be remnants of a city thousands of years ago where the first people existed and fell in a tragic accident.

As for the bird-woman, she had become a successful musician. The tabloid writers of her dimension began to follow her personally even, soon revealing the identity of an alter ego she may have once had by the name of "Spoiled Kitty", where she would dress in a fanciful attire and dance about in a rap music jamboree. This secret caused her to fall to drug use out of depression from people knowing her darkest secret, and after lashing out to the public, the young woman was thrown into a prison, the largest prison in Existence, housing to over 72 different dimensions entirely: the Convict Sector.

A large, flying boat known as a zeppelin dropped the bird Half Breed's body over an enormous pile of junk and rubble. She lie there for several hours with one hundred other Junos who had all suffered the same fate as her, taken and abandoned. Then a green, hulking creature soon hovered over her. He had an oval-shaped head and a single yellow eye. He had giant, two-toed feet that clung onto junk like hooks, and he wore a loincloth around his waist. He also had a birdcage strapped to his back.

This creature, a Cyclops, dragged the woman back to his lair where the guard drones could not find her. He took her to an abandoned library, where he would go back and forth constantly for several hours, quickly climbing up and down to grab each woman of the pile and place them each onto a cot where they could rest and try to cope with their wounds. The guard drones barely paid him mind, as the junk pile where newbies had been dropped was not their biggest concern at that time.

The Cyclops returned them to his abandoned library lair and withdrew a lockbox. He opened it and revealed a red crystal inside that illuminated the entire room without lights, allowing him to see what he had not been able to possibly see before. He then marched into the room where each of the 100 Juno prisoners lie, even the bird Half Breed woman, and held the red crystal upward. "I regret what I am about to do."

"Master Genzore, no!" Suddenly a pear-owl soared in and stopped him, beating her wings at him desperately in a poor attempt to hold him back. "What have you done?! What is all this?!"

"100 of those Junos were dumped down here like all the other failures that couldn't stand up to the supreme," the Cyclops, Genzore, spoke. "I have a Fusion Nuke fragment I have stolen, and I wish to use it to fuse these Junos into one bigger one! Then I shall finally escape this hell!"

The pear-owl shed a tear. "Please, no… Master Genzore, those objects do nothing but make unwilling innocents lose their lives, their memories, everything that made them a person!"
"If I do not do it, Lin, I'd be shoveling these 100 Junos into a grave pile if I stayed another year here," Genzore snapped. "The Gods and powers have blessed them, but they keep failing. I feel guilty as one may ever feel, but this may be the only way we can build something strong enough, strong enough to destroy the Convict Sector and end whatever supreme stands in our way! It's not just for me, but for everyone out there, Lin! Everyone in this prison who has been suffering!"

"Master Genzore…" the pear-owl sobbed.

The Cyclops sighed. "I am sorry, my sweet Lin. I know what I am about to do is what the wicked have done to build monstrosities of ungodly levels. However… this may also be a blessing; this could be the fusion we need in the Convict Sector. We could finally escape!"

The pear-bird hugged his head. "I only hope you're right."

A crimson-explosion rang throughout the entire library.

The bird-woman and many others become one, reshaping and reforming into a bee Half Breed, one that harmonized as she came into being. She had gold skin with black lines all over her and a blue feather protruding from an ice-blue headdress. Two red poker chips connected her black antennae, and she had long, white hair. She wore red, sparkling shoulders and giant spade cards over her breasts, her skirt was a rolling Roulette wheel, and she wore gray stockings with black stilettos. A black heart was tattooed on her silver wings, and she had four arms, each one replaced with a lantern containing a burning flame. "Hello," the new materialized woman spoke to them. "I am Lebod, cocktail dancer, Lebod Vegas. I like gambling, dancing, and long walks on the beach." She transformed into the bird-woman for an instant, had a puzzled look, and then transformed back into her bee-self.

The pear-bird's eyes widened at the sight, but Genzore simply sighed and spoke up, "I have created you, young woman. I am Genzore, charged for stealing bread from a military supplier. My companion here, Lin Honeybird, came here with me, a fine friend indeed."

"Well, I guess I'll have to refer to you as 'Mom' and 'Dad' since I probably may not remember a fancy name such as that," Lebod Vegas chuckled. "I've only been sentient for a short time, but these memories and philosophies in me keep flowing through my head! The Convict Sector is one….Tell me. Elaborate."

"The Convict Sector is…"

"Wait, I know now!" Lebod stated. "Who's in charge here? That, I don't know."

Genzore looked puzzled. "Well, the Cornered Zodiac is in charge, but we call them the 'supreme'. They plundered a bunch of cities and did not know what to do with them, so they dumped whoever they did not wish to kill here simply just to let them face imprisonment in a brutal way. They have thirteen generals, each based off of a piece of the constellational zodiac, each serving an astrological Demigod as a prophet. At least, that's all I truly know."

Lebod nodded. "Then if we are to conquer the Convict Sector, as I remember you saying, then we need to continue on. Time is of the essence, as they say! The Cornered Zodiac will be found and fallen!"

"W-Wait," Lin the pear-shaped bird stammered as Lebod tried skipping out of the library. "There is still so much to explain!"

"Not to mention that you won't get far without a guide," Genzore added. "The supreme is quite strong, and my eye can only take us so far."

Lebod sighed. "Alright, explain more things to me along the way as we look for a guide."

"Here was where the explosion took place!" something shouted. The library ceiling burst open, and several guard drones began to hover over the trio of convicts inside.

"Darn it, Master Genzore, don't be so sloppy next time!" the pear-bird frantically wailed.

Lebod's lantern-arms began to flare up. "Don't worry," she assured the Cyclops and bird. "I will take care of them."

Prologue 2

A monkey Half Breed with a short, flame-like haircut sat atop a throne made of tall grasses, surrounded by his army of primates that brought him various fanciful fruits on fanciful plates. He tossed peels aside for the insects of his hovel to dispose of before cleaning his teeth with a long reed.

"Master Cancer, sir!" A recess monkey rushed up to him, swinging from a vine across a ravine just to get to his revered master. "There was an explosion in Sector 8-YU-BB! An explosion like a fusion! A fusion explosion!"

Cancer raised an eyebrow, smirking widely. "Have any suspects been confirmed?"

The recess monkey shook his head.

Cancer stood up and stretched out his arms. "Gather whatever apes I have at my disposal. I have some plundering to do!"

1

A hunchbacked, old reptilian creature wandered about a small hovel that he'd created, sighing in relief at how much precision and hard work he had placed into his home sweet home. The old man had every shelf, every book, every parcel of dust placed into accurate positioning, equally balanced and distributed, the perfect order. The reptilian turned as a knock came on his door, and he stroked his long, white beard, chuckling when he recognized a figure peeking at him through the window. He pulled over the hood of his long, black robe and walked forth with a heavy wooden cane to open the door to his little hovel.

"Prophet Vile!" Genzore immediately kneeled once the reptilian opened the door.

The reptilian chuckled. "Little Genzore, I have already repositioned everything after the last book you checked out. Can't you just let an old man rest?"

"We have something to show you," Genzore spoke, standing up. He turned aside so that Lebod Vegas could bow before the reptilian, winking at him when the reptilian frowned.

"Who is this?" Vile demanded.

"She is the key to our escape," Genzore spoke. "She already destroyed an entire squad of guard drones. We can finally escape this hell, but all we need is—"

"You've tried too many times, and too many times you've failed!" the old reptilian snapped at him. "If word of this even lets out, do you know what my brother will even do?!"

"We need you," Genzore pushed. "You know this prison back and forth and all over! You can train Lebod here to fight the Zodiac! We—"

"I'm an old man who embodies order, not some babysitter who teaches a little girl how to punch," the old reptilian groaned. He looked to a shelf and sighed. "I guess the damage is done already if you have come here, and you have already damaged more than one guard drone. My brother will have to be dealt with later." He marched forth and pulled a certain book on the shelf. The shelf turned like a door, opening to a secret passage. He led Lebod, Genzore, and Lin Honeybird down a long hallway with a golden line to separate a black, decaying wall from a pristinely well-built wooden wall on the top. He would take them to the very end where a rack of weapons glowed like lights.

The reptilian, Prophet Vile, pulled a gold-handled mallet first. The mallet held a silver radiance like it was some sort of sharpened rock. Vile gave it to Genzore, "This hammer belonged to a great warrior who once was able to slay a mighty Dragon with this very weapon alone. It stands for one of Order's most powerful aspects—virtue, and the strength of standing by your morals no matter what, whether good or evil."

Then Prophet Vile pulled a gold claw-like weapon with talons sharpened like daggers. He gave it to Lin Honeybird. "This was once what a hawk would equip to its own talons as an armament to battle the other birds of war that would challenge it to battle. It stands for another of Order's most powerful aspects—accuracy, and the precise, sharp point able to drive forth any value or blade without any hesitation or holding back."

Finally, he gave Lebod a gold medallion that he wrapped around her neck. "This one holds a special place in my heart. It belonged to my wife who burned a horrific death. It establishes you as a Disciple of Order just like your companions. It stands for Order's most powerful aspect—courage. Courage allows one to stand tall in the face of both life and death, danger and comfort. Even when one is bridled with so much fear that they quake, courage allows them to do what is the right thing. Courage is righteousness, the most powerful and most important aspect of Order. My dear Layla held it dearly to herself; I ask that you may do the same, so that her spirit may watch over you."

"Are you coming with us, Prophet?" Lin cooed.

Vile nodded. "If Order is going to rise in strength, Chaos will do exactly the same, little chick. My brother will rise up and try to resist us as best as he can so that balance may once be restored. Without me, your goals will not be accomplished without him placing you back at square one." He pushed open the shelf-door and relocked his vault after everyone in it had left. The reptilian lit a match, lighting the shelf ablaze before leading the way out. The door to his hovel burst open as everything he had just put into order began burning to a solid crisp.

As the group moved, Lebod gained a terrible headache, hearing voices whispering to her. They were faint and echoing, hitting her ears sharply on whatever syllable were used.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" the voice of a frightened woman yelped.

The voice of a raspy male breathed loudly, making Lebod screech in pain at how loud it was. "I am the one who bathes in shadow, I am the one who turns down the light so that the illumination may slowly die, I am the one who adds nightmares to your pleasant daydreams, I am the one who burdens your happy days with depression, I am the one who overwhelms your bright sun with dark, dreary clouds."

"What does any of that even mean?" the female voice groaned.

The raspy male cackled with glee. "It means you're going to be hearing from me quite a bit. You've attracted me like a critic to painted lines with hidden meanings, little one. Your recklessness is like sweet honey upon my lips, and I'm going to enjoy every little taste of it."

Lebod snapped back to reality as Genzore was thrown back by a powerful wind.

A lumbering oaf marched forward, carrying a mace taller than a house. The oaf had a terrible hunched back and a black, muzzled mask to cover his terrible breath. The creature wore barely any armor except for a loincloth, allowing him to show his massive physique to any who challenged him. The oaf threw aside the corpse of a headless convict before signaling a pack of guard drones over to his position. The creature swung, but Vile tried to evade, only gaining a small brush of the weapon. His finger bled slightly. The creature hurled a boulder then from a nearby pile, but Vile evaded again, dodging extremely quickly for someone of his age. The reptilian then muttered an incantation, allowing a black orb to spawn on his palm. He shot the black orb like a projectile, and it hit the oaf directly. It swirled into pure dark energy, pressing down onto the oaf until it exploded in the oaf's face. The oaf's mask shattered, and the giant muscle-man fell, coughing up blood.

Four guard drones soared down, and Lebod leapt upward. Her lantern-arms dispatched flames that rocketed up like geysers, burning the drones wherever they tried to fly. She landed gracefully, adding a bit of flair and style to her fall before giving Vile a jealous look.

Genzore regained his feet and began running as Vile and Lebod began moving at bullet-paced speeds, moving alongside each other as if competing in a strange race. The Cyclops ran as quickly as he could with Lin flying as quickly as she could right beside him. The Cyclops and pear-bird turned around to see a pack of giant coyotes behind them, licking their lips in anticipation for a good meal. Genzore yelped like a little girl, and Lin let out a baritone screech as their speed increased tenfold from fear. The Cyclops ran even quicker, and the bird flew even faster, going so fast that they even passed their other two companions in a jog of fear.

The coyotes leapt across piles of rubble, their mouths drooling and their tongues beating with slobber ready to devour whoever they came upon first.

Vile tossed a black orb to the ground to cover their tracks before he continued running, and when the coyotes finally got to it, a black crackling shot through each one of them, statically pinning them down as they tried desperately to stand back up and chase their prey. The hounds whined and moaned in frustration.

"You have some neat tricks with that little black ball, slick," Lebod commented to Vile as she ran beside him. "I do not any recollection of that from my memories."

"It is a spell my brother taught to me," Vile chuckled as he ran next to her. "If we ever have a time to regroup and rest, I shall teach it to you. It's called the 'Uyusgan!'"

They came to a halt out of nowhere, stopping at just where Genzore and Lin had stopped. Genzore and Lin both acted out of breath, sighing in relief at avoiding the coyotes.

However, an army of primates now surrounded them, carrying heavily-loaded guns and even what seemed to be weapons of the supernatural. "Surrender," Zodiac General Cancer ordered, "or else you could be killed—your choice."

2

The four convicts were brought to a jungle kingdom, escorted by an enormous herd of gorillas, chimps, monkeys, baboons, mandrills, lemurs, and various other primates, each one armed with a lethal weapon. Howler monkeys screeched, and other monkeys hurled rotten fruit at them from high above. The four were brought before a vacant throne made of tall grasses.

Swinging in from a vine, a monkey Half Breed with flame-red hair swung in and plopped in on his throne, waving to his primate subjects as a sign to accept their admiration and cheer. The monkey-man wore a crown sewed from reeds as well as a set of armor made of silver and chain mail, making him look as though he were a regal knight. "Welcome to my little concrete jungle abode, little escapists, where you will be referred to a special little prison of mine full of plenty o' stinky droppings and banana peels of every sort, a magical wonderland of merriment and—"

"Come now, tell us who you even are first!" Lebod called out to be first replied with groans from the rest of her companions all at the same time.

The primates stopped cheering, and the monkey-king frowned. He paused a moment. Then he readjusted himself and spoke, "You gotta lotta nerve asking the king of the jungle who he is before he even gets a basic understanding of who you are." He furrowed his brow. "But since you're so enthusias-static, I'll tell you. I am the swingin', singin', fightin' Zodiac General, Cancer the Hot-Headed. However, you, being the lowly criminal scum that you are, may only refer to me as 'King', 'My Undying Master', or 'His Big Sexi—"

"Just commit us already! It will be a lot better than having to listen to your shoddy banter!" Lebod scoffed.

Vile tried to hush her, and Lin whimpered. "No, you young fool!" he whispered.

"Hold on just a minute now, there, ol' lizard!" Cancer stood up on his feet, crawling to the top of his throne. His long tail began to move. "I like the confidence in this little girl! She isn't like the usual lot here, always beggin' and pleadin' for me to spare them! She's got a fire inside her lit pretty damn strongly! Lemme ask you a little question, little girl—how good are you at fighting?"

"I could probably burn your bum like a match, I'd imagine," Lebod spat. "Untie my chains so that I may be able to beat you to a pulp and then beat the bums of all your little subjects before I beat the bums of whichever of your friends decide to come save your pathetic little banana-beating, poo-eating, fruit-wasting, bongo-bowelled, ego-driven, irrational, vulgar, pathetic, repugnant, little bum!"

The primates cheered louder than what they had been before, going into a loud riot.

Cancer's head began to pound as he beat his chest and smirked his widest smile. "Let's make a deal then! If I beat you in the Jungle Beatin', you and your friends become my personal ass-wipers for the rest of your days! If you win in your little fictional head, little girl, I'll let you walk free, and since I'm a generous little king today, I'll even give you the crown of my little concrete jungle!"

Before Vile, Genzore, or Lin could stop her, Lebod stated, "Right here, right now, because we all have places to be."

Elsewhere, a black baboon with a pale face and a monocle over one eye sipped from a tall glass of red juice. He felt enjoyment from the tangy taste and set his cup down, adjusting his two white cuff links and the black bow tie over his white dress shirt. He then brushed the dust off of his black suit vest. He'd just seen a prisoner challenge the king of the concrete jungle where he lived, and now he saw it as just the chance he needed… to meet some fine maidens. With such a formal event as a barbaric fight between a prisoner and a noble which might possibly have some bloodshed, a lucky female may be able to look at the spruced-up baboon and find his aristocratic charm as a fruit critic the most attractive trait of a male she'd ever seen. "No one takes fruit critics seriously these days," he sighed, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked over to last year's first place tomato, and he almost cried.

Lifting a burlap sack full of corroding meat, the baboon climbed down from a loft, slowing descending his way down on a ladder made of bamboo. He headed into the kennel of the concrete jungle's coliseum, where his king kept a small collection of various exotic beasts from all over Existence.

One of them was a red horse creature that the king had made his most trusted and loyal steed, which he called "Fel." Fel had the head of a lion and breathed smoke from his nostrils whenever he sneezed. He also had a living snake for a tail that beat back and forth whenever he walked. When he saw the baboon headed toward him, he leapt and twirled in happiness.

The baboon spilled the bag's contents onto a trough inside the beast's pen, and Fel began to violently eat the food provided for him. The meat was that of an ostrich freshly plucked of its feathers, Fel's favorite.

"Charles!" someone shouted.

The baboon turned to see an orangutan guard climbing down to speak to him. The orangutan carried a heavy black helmet and wore an armor made of black plating, possibly crafted from melted down rock.

"Ah, yes, Mort, it is good to see you," Charles chuckled nervously, wiping his monocle. "There's nothing strange going on down here; I was just tending to my daily duties."

"Well, you got more to do," the orangutan spoke. He pointed his meaty finger over to Fel. "We need you to saddle 'er up as best you can with the king's best saddle outta the whole bunch. He's gonna be in the arena today, and he needs his best mount."

"He's in the arena?" Charles scoffed. "Normally he just has his prisoners do the barbarism for him!"
"Well, today was a little different, Charlie," the orangutan laughed. "Get the girl ready, and meet me up top. The king is feeling a bit generous, so you may get to do a bit of your critiquing today too. He said when he wins, he wants a fruit festival made, and for you to personally be one of the judges."

"The king spoke specifically of me?" Charles asked.

The orangutan shrugged. "I just hear a lotta gossip while I'm on guard duty. Stop thinking about it, and just get the girl ready."

The four prisoners were all locked into a damp cellar with a bamboo trapdoor keeping them inside. The place was filled with weapons, with a guard on every crevice, pointing their weapons all at Lebod.

"In the duel, you may have the choice of one weapon and one mount, as are the rules of the jungle," a chimp official spoke. "You can choose to have one, both, or neither. Besides these fine weapons, we also have a lovely collection of horses and other beasts that would be more than willing to serve you on the battlefield."

"Can I choose Vile here as my mount?" Lebod asked.

Vile scoffed and shook his head.

The official turned and examined the reptilian closely. "Well, he does sound like a horse, but the mount requirements state that he has to walk on all fours. This giant lizard thing walks upright. So, unfortunately, I'd have to say no."

Lebod bit her lip. "Well, as for weapons, I have no hands. So could I have Vile here be my weapon?"

The official rubbed his head. "Well, um… we've never had that problem before. Um, well… I think the rules state that the weapon has to at least be on some part of your body."
Lebod smirked, "What if he rides on my back?"

"You're making me think too hard now," the official sighed. "I'll be right back." He left for several minutes before returning with a consultant wearing a black hair piece.

"Well, as for the mount thing, you were definitely right; arena rules do specifically state that animals who walk upright cannot participate," the consultant spoke. "As for the whole weapon thing… Well, people do strap swords and axes to their back. So, my theory is, would it be any different if this old horse-lizard here were strapped to her back? I think it would be perfectly legal as a weapon."

Lebod nodded. "He's sharp in wit as a sword is sharp, and he hits like a mighty vehicle swerving off the road over a family of four."

"What about using him as a mount?" the official asked.

"Just let me teach her something, goddammit!" Vile snapped.

The consultant and official both shrugged and left.

"Very well…" Vile sighed. "Since you're so determined…" He spawned a black orb into his palm. "I shall teach you the Uyusgan as long as you promise to stop trying to pull me into such annoying situations."

Genzore and Lin were escorted out by Vile's request, and Lebod promised to stop pulling Vile into annoying situations.

Vile and Lebod were taken to a more private chamber, where more guards were stationed outside, and no weapons were stored inside.

Vile spawned the black orb again.

"I am ready to learn, Master," Lebod smiled warmly.

The reptilian nodded. "Before we begin, let me explain the Uyusgan a bit. I learned the technique from my brother, a living embodiment of pure chaos in its ripest, most well-shaped form. It is a spell based off of one's own physical energy, focusing all of one's anger in a certain situation and throwing it all into one single blast. The more anger and passion you put into the spell, the more potent and powerful it will be. However, as it grows bigger and bigger, you lose more and more control. And once it pops, you will have lost a great amount of your own personal life. The Uyusgan has a cost, forcing one to give up at least a small portion of themselves for every time they cast the spell."

"That doesn't stop you from bringing it up so easily," Lebod countered.

Vile nodded. "The times I used this spell have been extremely minute, not really all that costly. The more advanced you become in the usage of spells and your own physical energy, the more easily the spell may be able to be exerted. As for the situation here and now, I tell you this because I believe the best usage of the Uyusgan against Zodiac General Cancer is releasing all of your physical energy and passion into one single blast so that you are able to defeat the monkey-fellow in one shot. For the after-effects, I apologize, but we will have to worry about them afterward. I despise having to come up with such a risky plan, but this may be our only chance in a fight against a Zodiac General."

Lebod chuckled. "I advise you just relax instead, old man. Teach me the incantations and basic movements of the spell, and I shall do the rest. Do you trust me enough at least for that?"
Vile shook his head. "I cannot trust you, but I will allow you to learn the spell. Just promise me you will 'whoop the monkey's bum', as you said."

Lebod nodded. "I definitely want to, and I will. But you still are going to be my weapon."

"WHAT?!" Vile exclaimed.

3

Several wooden supports with several wooden barricades built around them stood formidable as best as they could, holding up stands full of every primate subject able to pay at least one strawberry or one raisin in order to witness the day's main event. The people of the crowd were all excited as best they could be, waving bags of fresh peanuts and holding onto extra fruits in case they desired to make any last-minute bets on the final decision of the fight. A pair of giant doors stood on either side, with orangutan guards standing on balconies as well as below to keep the crowd under control… considering primates could become pretty crazy when really excited. Alcohol was banned entirely from the arena, but sometimes the occasional vendor selling mood-lightening medications would be allowed to sell his or her wares whenever the situation got rough.

The lion-headed horse, Fel, burst from a pair of wooden doors, his reins pulled by two young chimp service-boys strong enough to prevent him from struggling too much against their control. A saddle made of silver was strapped to his back, and riding atop it was Zodiac General Cancer himself, clad with a golden breastplate that shined well within the dark arena, reflecting off the torches lit to light the area. He kicked Fel twice, and Fel leapt onto his hind legs, blowing a long row of flame to the sky that rained in tiny cinders over the front row of the crowd. Cancer then withdrew a long spear strapped to his back, raising its sharp blade to the sky and beating his chest so that his crowd of subjects would imitate his move to the best of their ability, though many of them felt too unworthy to even try to imitate such a god-like entity as their very king.

When the second pair of doors opened, the excitement and energy went dead. A silence broke over everyone and everything as not even the crickets hiding in the primates' fur would chirp their legs to find mates. The primates and crickets and various others only looked on as a bee-woman dressed like a cocktail dancer with a reptilian in a dark robe strapped to her back like an infant stepped out as confidently as she could, handicapped by trying to hold the weight of such a hefty old man upon her own back. She raised her lantern-arms and roared like a mighty animal, but she got no reaction. Vile even coughed and spoke, "Excuse me"; the silence was even so loud that such whispered, muted words could even be heard by the smallest of creatures within the arena.

In the very back of the stands, Genzore and Lin Honeybird were granted their own luxury box, which was extremely cramped and claustrophobic with its small size; plus with the orangutan guards standing too close to it, it only felt even more compact. Lin slept on Genzore's head, and the Cyclops sat, sucking in his gut and muttering curses to himself.

The fruit critic, Charles, sat near the luxury box, looking over to the prisoners and biting his lip. The baboon felt a strange urge to talk to them, but he held himself back. He thought that maybe if he were to get on the companions of Lebods' good side, they may be able to tell him her weaknesses, and that way during a possible fight interval, he could go tell them to Zodiac General Cancer so that the Zodiac General could gain a sturdy advantage over his opponent. Then the festival in his honor would be held, and his career as a fruit critic would pay off! All the money he bet on Cancer would make him one of the richest primates in the entire concrete jungle! He may even be able to get a new, well-built home and a place along the king's throne, maybe even a throne of his own!

Charles bit his lip and reconsidered. "But then that would be seen as an insult to my liege," he spoke to himself. "If he needed such a snaky way to get an advantage over such a lowly, ridiculous prisoner, then maybe he would hang me or humiliate me even! Oh, how pitiful I would be…

"But, wait. I do know all of the Zodiac General's weaknesses. If I were to tell them to the prisoner challenging him and then triple the bet I made against the prisoner but now for the prisoner, then I could become either the richest baboon this jungle has ever known, or I could become so deep in debt that I'd have to clean the animals' cages rather than having to bring food to them.

"Endless humiliation or endless debt? I'll just have to sit here instead… Yes, maybe for just the first round. I can observe these two and make my final decision then. I may not get as much riches, but it sounds like the safer option. Nearly-endless riches are better than none, I presume."

A horn blew, and the battle began as Lebod's eyes narrowed.

Fel galloped forth as Cancer pointed the spear forward like he was a jouster, aimed directly for his opponent.

Lebod began to run as quickly as possible, spawning a wall of fire from her left lantern-arm while her right began to slowly try and create a black orb crackling with energy.

Cancer snapped his fingers, and a bigger fire set aside the fire that she herself had created, allowing Fel to leap over it like a hedge. The horse cut her off and blew even more flame her way, but Vile spoke an incantation, using an ice spell to turn the smoke to icy mist. Fel whimpered as the mist surrounded him, breathing smoke all over to blow the mist away. There was so much smoke now that Cancer could not see.

Lebod went on the offensive with a black ball the size of her head. She could barely see any better than what Cancer could, but she hurled it with every bit of power, passion, energy, and emotion she had in her. She hurled it like she was releasing all of her woes at once. As she hurled it, the voice of the being before rang through her head like a bell, cackling as though she had just made a tremendous mistake. Memories of various people flashed before her, haunting her as she launched it, seeming like several hours passing in only a matter of seconds. A black ball grew out over the smoke, even surpassing the arena floor itself. The black ball soared so far that it went into the stands, and the primates began running for their lives.

Orangutans dropped their spears and ran like little girls, chimps threw down their peanuts and ran with several of them still un-chewed, howler monkey mothers screamed expletives as they tried pulling aside their children who were enthralled by the blinding ball, and Cancer merely smirked as he held onto the reins of his steed as tightly as he could. An explosion went out several feet, several meters, as the black ball cracked into a giant white dome. A flash filled the sky for only a second like an eclipse before it fell to shadow and then cleared in an instant.

The entire arena had been reduced to rubble, and Lebod stood at the center of the explosion, barely able to try and stand. Her mouth and body bled, and she occasionally crackled with a black static left over from her spell.

Vile coughed from the dust build-up and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, clearing his throat. "Are you alright, milady?" he asked.

"If she is, I am!" Zodiac General Cancer arose from the rubble, covered in bruises. He pulled out Fel from under the pile and laid the poor horse aside, petting the unconscious steed and laying his broken spear beside it. "I haven't seen that move used in so long," he smirked. "My interest in you grows more and more, little girl, but when you hurt my horse, I'm afraid… I'm gonna have to kill you." He spawned a massive fireball and hurled it forward, bolstered by the ashes and dust in the air.

Lebod's arms fired like flamethrowers, keeping the fireball back, but still bolstering the size of the fireball as if it were now a giant, vibrant sun. She blasted it back toward the monkey-king.

The fireball burst like a geyser over Cancer, but he snapped his fingers, making the thing snap and spread out. He spun it up again with his hands and casted a stream of fire forth like a bolt.

Lebod spun and grabbed it, sprinkling on little bits of fire as well as picking up bits of ash all around her. She shifted its shape into a serpent and sent the flame-snake toward Cancer, its fangs barred and ready to bite.

Cancer leapt back and stomped the serpent, causing all the fire to instantly turn to dust. His eyes glowed dark, and he began to spawn a black fire, but Lebod then spawned a block made of ice.

Before Cancer could use his black fire, Lebod shot the ice block over him, and it knocked him backward. Lebod's lantern-arms changed to an ice-like substance to be fired from her body, and she shot forth the icy mist toward the monkey-king. She froze the ground where he stood, and Cancer tripped, hitting his head on the rubble below. She then stomped the monkey-king's chest, and the Zodiac General groaned in pain. She revealed her stinger and injected it into Cancer's chest. The stinger began to do its work as Vile covered his eyes, and Cancer screamed loudly.

"Do not worry," Lebod assured him. "Once this is complete, you will not be dead. I am merely taking your ability to cast spells of any kind as well as whatever knowledge hidden inside you that I may find valuable. Yes, this ability is a bit…. Inhumane, but…nonetheless…"

"You are a disgusting whore…" Cancer gritted and swore,"… and I hope you burn in whatever hell you are placed into, one worse than this damn prison."

The voice Lebod kept hearing whispered to her, "Excellent work, little female specimen. Absorb every last bit of what makes him who he is. Take what makes him tick, destroy—"

"Dammit, Lebod, cease!"

Lebod snapped back to reality. She saw Cancer lying on the ground, his chest covered in blood, and now his body slightly shriveled. She stood back and fell to her knees. "I—I—"

"Don't kill him," Vile stated, cutting his own strap. He struggled to stand and placed his hand on Lebod's back. "What you were doing was quite strange." He bit his lip. "I wonder if my brother…"

Lebod turned over and began to cry. "I don't wanna know what that was! I don't at all!"

"You are my puppet, and I shall play with you however I wish, you little gnat," the voice in her head snapped at her. "You are a monster, something no one wishes to love or cherish… You are a tool, to be used by one superior above the rest… a doll, meant to be played with by one able to create worlds with the very tip of his finger. You shall come to me, little specimen. You shall come to me and be mine forever. You shall give everything you have… to me."

Lebod blacked out, only hearing the cackling voice of the thing inside her and Vile urging her to try and stand, only for the urging to fade as she left the world… and began to embrace the one created by this strange voice in her head.

4

Lebod shifted and fussed when she finally awakened once more, gasping as she looked around her. She took a deep breath and relaxed, seeing that she lie on a cot, and that the room around her looked to be some sort of medical room. She looked to her left and gulped as a black-furred, finely-dressed baboon adjusted his monocle to look at her. "Wha-where-"

"It is okay, stranger; you are in a safe place now," the baboon assured her. "My name is Charles; I am a fruit critic to the former king of the concrete jungle. I found you and the king unconscious in the arena's rubble, so your old man friend and I brought you and your companions to a prison hospital. I knew of one doctor who would do his best to try to take care of you, and it seems your injuries are only minor right now. I'd advise you remain here for at least a few days."

"But… the guards?" Lebod stammered. "Where is… Cancer? Genzore?"

"Your companions are in other rooms, coping with their own injuries," Charles further explained. "As for the old man, he never seems to just stick to one place; he moves around like a damn magician with a disappearing act. And for the guards, they will not bother you anymore in this portion of this prison since this is just an infirmary area. Zodiac General Cancer said you were his royal guests, so you were granted the same health care that a Zodiac General's friend and family member would be granted if they had been put in the same place." He smoked a pipe, releasing a smoke ring before taking a sigh. "The Zodiac General also said that you were victorious in the arena battle, even though the explosion cleared out the entire audience, and the only witness seemed to be you two and the old man." He kneeled before her. "It is my pleasure to serve you to the best of my ability… queen of the concrete jungle."

Lebod's eyes glowed as she looked down at him. She might cry only further.

The baboon looked up at his queen. "What is wrong, milady? Are you saddened by the title? I know the concrete jungle may smell, but it can be a wonderful place."

"No, it is because I did… something to the former king… something I can barely think about without grossing myself out," Lebod groaned.

Charles frowned. "I know; the former king spoke of that in his last proclamation. He said that he fully understood what happened, and since it was battle, you needed to incapacitate your opponent as best as possible, so that there will only ever be one battle. You made sure you remained on top, milady, and someone willing to do something as dominant as that, even if it seems wrong and inhumane, would make a great leader in battle. Sometimes we have to make choices that do not seem all that healthy, my dear, like pulling the plug on a loved one. The former king is still alive, though, and he does forgive you, but if you need to worry about anything, I would advise you focus your complete thought on the other generals of the Zodiac instead; once they find out of this defeat, perhaps even as total as 4 generals and 200 million horsemen will be clamoring for your very head."

Lebod shook her head and sat up. "Leave me to sit here a bit for now, little Charles. I need to start planning, but first, I'll need my rest."

Charles nodded and left the room.

Lebod gulped and looked up. She spoke to herself, "Wherever you are, voice, know that something as that will never happen again as long as I have my wits. I will find you and force you to tell me why you did this. I will force you to—"

The voice chuckled to her. "You've even got the monkey-fellow's energetic charm. How wonderful."

Lebod glared. "Go do unpleasable things to yourself," she snapped at the voice.

The voice only laughed at her as it slowly faded.

Vile plopped down on a bench and muttered a few words to himself. He then looked around, making sure that no one else was in sight and no doors or windows so that someone could hear him in his conversation. "I know you are there, Brother. It is safe to come out."

The image of a reptilian with a skin of milk white appeared before Vile like an apparition. He wore a milk white tunic with long pants. Chains were wrapped around his chest, tying a heavy iron star to his back that weighed over him. The image floated there, staring at Vile with an arrogant glare and smirk.

"I see you look the same as usual, Cerubo," Vile spoke.

The image barked. "Well, Older Brother, when you're locked in some sort of prison such as mine, you don't have access to fancy colognes or even changes of clothing. You don't know how long I've suffered wearing this same attire."

Vile coughed. "We shall discuss that another time, Younger Brother. As for why I've brought you here, I wish to address what you have been doing with Genzore's Juno. While I still do not fully agree with it, I must say that it has gone quite well thus far. Zodiac General Cancer's abilities will go well with her own, and she's learned the spell of our family, so our plan may work. It's just the rest of the Cornered Zodiac that I'm worried about."

The image chuckled. "The other Generals have armies of their own, Brother, ones that are not filled with chattering apes. Queen Sagittarius is even preparing the 200 million horsemen to strike… perhaps maybe even the First and the Second Beast that are imprisoned in the worst parts of this Sector. The glorious chaos is about to begin, Older Brother, one that may even cost you that Juno and your pathetic little apprentice."

Vile sighed. "I may even have to free you from your imprisonment just to set things back to order." He looked down and shook his head. "That shall be all, Younger Brother, but I must ask that you not bother Genzore's Juno for at least a few days. We need to anticipate the future and how events may come, allow for a well-tact plan and whatnot. Use whatever you may need to use to delay the Zodiac for now."

Cerubo giggled. "I will do my best… Older Brother." The image faded into shadow, and Vile's younger brother was gone.