Once more, I must warn that this chapter contains sensitive material. There is no consent actions and a bit of gore. Other than that, it's decent. I'll post a few lines where things get rough.
"How have our guests been behaving?" Deviago slips a grape between his lips. The sun has just set over the edge of the colosseum. Trixie is currently giving him a back massage. It's been six days since Yasuo and Yone were caught. They're like a prize to the man. I'm still working out how to get the swords away. I know that he always puts them on display in his room whenever he sleeps, so he can wake up and be happily reminded that he has 'new gladiators that are trained'.
"They've adjusted well." I state, making sure not to mention that we've been talking less about ourselves and more about Deviago's things. I didn't want to be discovered too early, so I've been hinting at little facts about Deviago and what I know. I walk over to the table and bring him his favorite wine.
"Good, good. You will ensure that my pets won't treat him too badly, won't you? I just don't have the healers to spare if they are injured before they fight." The boss gestures for another snack to be brought to him. A male, his face hidden, brings it to him.
I choose to remain silent. He seems to be in a bit of a sour mood. Asking anymore questions could set him off. The cheers from the audience outside cheer him up a bit. Trixie bows away when he stands up to go watch. If I didn't know what a monster he was, I would say that he's… normal, a normal man looking over his business. The crowd cheers at the same time Deviago curses.
"Blossom, come here." He barks. I meet him at the edge of the platform. We're a little bit higher than the rest of the populace, but I can still see everything in the arena. One man's body is slumped against the wall. Even from here, I can see that he's bleeding on his head. A pair of men step onto the field and casually bring him off. The man in the middle, with messy red hair, purple vest, and white pants, throws his hands up in the air, calling for more cheers. The audience complies, standing up and screaming. Sett seems to be enjoying the attention. "You see that man?"
"Yes, sir."
"That man has been complaining that I haven't been paying him. That's a lie. I pay him the amount he deserves. I'm not even sure if he should get money if he's part animal. Animals don't deserve cash." Deviago scoffs. His hand wanders to my hips, getting uncomfortably close. I glance over at Trixie over my shoulder. She's resigned, upset that she can't help me. She can sense magic, so I'm resigned to letting Deviago do what he wants. I have to let him touch me the way he wants to, even if I want to throw up.
Sett waves his audience off as he walks out of the middle. The crowd settles back down, eagerly awaiting the next combatants. The floor shifts, pulling up different pillars, though only on the left side of the arena. I know where the vulkodalks are thanks to that little display my first day here… but where are the healers? I don't have time to ponder as five average men walk in, wearing heavy armor for their small frames. Deviago gestures for someone to bring him something. A man hands him a glowing sphere. I watch in curiosity as Deviago brings it to his mouth.
"THIS IS THE BOSS, SPEAKING. I AM AWARE THAT YOU EXPECTED A FIGHT THAT EVEN THE GODS WOULD SEE. HOWEVER, THESE MEN WERE FOUND TO HAVE ATTEMPTED TO STEAL FROM ME. THEY HAVE STOLEN FROM OTHERS." Deviago makes up. I barely manage to stop myself from scoffing. More than likely all they did was speak back. I've never seen them before though… Maybe… Maybe there's something they can give away. "THEY HAVE STOLEN FROM YOU! THEY STOLE YOUR CASH! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS A FITTING PUNISHMENT?"
My blood chills at the uproar that reaches my ears. The crowd… they actually want something bad to happen to the hapless men. Most of the men shiver. One in front seems to stand tall. When the crowd finally quiets down a bit, he opens his mouth.
"Deviago! You are the thief in the night! You took my family! You forced me to serve you! I would rather die than let you continue to order me to do your dirty work!" The man states firmly. He raises a hand. My eyes widen when I see a glow in his hand. A magic user?
"A LITTLE LIGHT TRICK? AN ATTEMPT TO RUIN MY REPUTATION? LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS MAN TOLD ME HE HAD NOTHING LEFT. I TOOK HIM IN, GAVE HIM A JOB, AND HE REPAYS ME BY ATTEMPTING TO STEAL." Deviago shakes his head. I'm shocked at how much he actually believes himself.
"You stole our families! You forced us to come to you! You enslaved us!" The man keeps yelling. The crowd simply starts booing him. That seems to put a damper on his claims. No one will believe him.
"LIES, MY FRIENDS. THEY ARE ALL LIES." Deviago snorts.
"I am a healer! I worked in the northern farms of Navori!" He desperately tries. His fellow men all shake their heads, warning him to stop. They know that no one will listen and come to their aid. This must have happened before... What they don't know is that I am listening… He said that they were enslaved…
I gasp a little. He's keeping their families somewhere nearby. Friends, loved ones, everyone that can be threatened is under Deviago's thumb. The noises that weren't vulkodalks, those were scared people! He's holding some of their families with the vulkodalks! I'm sort of the odd one out, with my family being out of reach and no friends that came with me. It explains why he threatens Trixie, because that's the only person that I actually like and try to help. If he's demanding that I bond with the brothers… He can threaten me to get them to obey, or he can threaten them to get me to do things I would never ever do. My hands bunch into fists at the thought. Now I know everything. Now I can start to get people out.
"Something wrong, my little Blossom?" Deviago leans in close, his breath in my ear. Not even all the magic in the world can make that clean again. I take a deep breath and force myself to relax.
"I'm a little mad that he would make such outlandish claims." I murmur. Another urge to permanently destroy someone, even if I am magically bound to not do so, erupts when he starts to press kisses against my neck.
"What a good girl you are, Blossom." He presses one last kiss against my shoulder before watching the men get ready to fight. I have to keep my shudder under control as I watch.
The man that attempted to get some sympathy from the crowd is a little deflated, though he doesn't let himself stay down. Another grinding of gears… And a few white tigers appear. They explore their surroundings for a little bit, climbing up and down pillars before they take notice of the men. The men have all collectively gathered as a group. They point their swords at each of the tigers. The tigers snarl at them and each other as they circle.
I can't let anything happen to them. This is a sport… maybe I can make the battle favor one side over the other. One tiger mock lunges, swiping it's paw. I close my hand, holding the man who was going to swing his sword from doing so. It's good that I did as he would not have been able to keep his weapon between him and another tiger. The second tiger does actually lunge. The man I just saved slashes it's paw. My left hand, the exact same one that the healer hit, splits open. I keep my fist closed, hoping that the blood won't run. It doesn't feel deep. If anything, it's a tiny scratch. Still, the crowd groans collectively as the man successfully stays alive. Guess this means that if people are fighting and I use any sort of magic to help, I'm going to suffer either participant's fate.
I glance over my shoulder at Trixie. She can sense different magic as she is looking around the room. I don't bother staring, I just turn back to the spectacle. I'm in serious trouble now. For one, learning that a little interaction would be enough to activate my curse is going to be incredibly helpful. For another, now that Trixie has confirmed that she can sense magic being activated, but she can't identify from where. Otherwise, she would be calling me out for the magic I have. That just means I have to be very careful as to where I show my magic.
The men tighten their formation. They make sure that they can see every single tiger. No one moves. It's a standoff. The crowd is silent, eagerly waiting to see who would strike first. Tigers pace around, crossing each other as they stalk their prey. The whole arena is tense.
"LET'S GET SOME ACTION!" Deviago howls. That startles the tigers into attacking. Three of them pounce on one person. The others don't hold their nerve and separate. The man is mauled to death. I look away to the other two tigers. They, too pounced, but they pounced on a man that was near the speaker. The speaker doesn't leave his friend, as he manages to mortally wound the tiger by stabbing it in the side. The tiger squeals as the man kneels by the attacked one. Even from here, I can tell that any healing he does won't be enough. They aren't as capable as I am when it comes to immediately healing. The tigers are still hungry and roaring for a fight. The injured cat hobbles off and falls to its side. After a little bit of time, it stops breathing.
The leader calls for a regroup and to head into open space. Two of them shake their heads and dive into the area with pillars. My heart breaks at seeing them just run to their deaths. The three tigers from before kill them quickly. I'm just glad they didn't have to suffer long, though I'm not sure how their families will be able to hear about this.
Now it's just the leader, his injured friend, and three tigers. The other two are slowly crunching down on the fallen men. I… I have to risk it. Not a huge amount of magic, full on freezing something, but something small, like stopping a strike or holding a tiger back. Making mock charges. With that, I yank a tiger back just enough to stop it from landing on the injured man. The tiger is free to wail while I have to stifle a scream. My side away from Deviago is soaked with blood. I have to risk it, healing and making the stain disappear. Another glance and Trixie's looking in my direction. Thankfully, she isn't looking at me. She's looking at the crowd. So, she thinks that I'm in the crowd. At least I have that helping, but I can't do any more. Not without risking her to identify me.
The wails bring the last two tigers to him. The injured one sighs and gives up his sword to the last man standing. The leader grieves his friend for only a moment before he gets ready for his last fight. Surprising everyone, he drops his weapons and kneels.
"Let this be my last breath, may the great Spirit find us and help save us from this hell." He shouts as the tigers overwhelm him. I look away, but I can't avoid hearing the crunching of bones. At least he doesn't scream in agony. He was gone before he was eaten alive.
"SEEMS LIKE THE GREAT SPIRIT FOUND HIM GUILTY OF HIS CRIMES." Deviago laughs. The crowd snickers as well. It makes me rather sick to my stomach. I pull away and give Deviago a short bow.
"Perhaps I should ensure that our guests are ok for another fight?" I suggest, desperate to leave. My voice trembles from seeing that happen. Five healers… gone, just like that. There's… I don't know how many healers have been dealt that fate... Trixie looks at me with some understanding eyes. Deviago nods, allowing me to leave. I quickly walk out and find a plant before I throw up in it. This… This is entertainment? Deviago enslaved the healers. He's enslaved their families here too. He has a bunch of vulkodalks under the arena. This… .this has to be stopped.
With that in mind, I straighten up. I start to head down to the underside of the arena. Nce I'm out of sight, I slowly mend my injury. It's not life-threatening to me because I was in defence, but it's still bleeding and it hurts. And if anyone else is magically sensitive like Trixie, I can't heal it all in one go. Not until I know I'm safe. A few floors down, I accidentally bump into a tall half-vastaya. He grabs my arm before I have the chance to fall onto my butt.
"Careful there, kid." Sett makes sure I'm steady before going back the way I came.
"Are you going to see Deviago?" I'm not sure why, but I just feel the need to speak up. Sett turns around before nodding.
"He owes me big. That two-pump chump was nothing." Sett boasts a little bit. I bite my lip.
"He's alone with Trixie right now." I explain a little bit. Sett groans and rolls his eyes.
"Seriously? The guy can't even pay me before he takes a whore? What a dick."
"Why is he your boss?" I blurt out. Sett raises an eyebrow.
"It's his colosseum."
"But… you fight so much better. I don't think Deviago's ever fought a fight in his life." The words keep spilling out. I guess being constantly talked down to is making me want to speak my mind. Sett turns, his posture a little more interested.
"He keeps his cronies near him at all times." Sett half-heartedly attempts to argue with me.
"From what I hear, you can easily beat them. If you're not comfortable with fighting them, then just catch Deviago out." I point out. With that, I quickly leave, wanting to get to the brothers as soon as possible. Still, as I peak around the corner, Sett is thinking. That's a good sign… I think.
I make a quick stop to the kitchens for some bread before I go back down into the pits. Once I'm sure that no one is looking, going as far as to illuminate anyone close enough to look, I morph my attire into a pair of black leggings, my usual comfy dress in red, and a pair of flats. The red material should cover up my wound. I almost sob as I feel the material for the first time in two weeks. I miss it so much. Now all I need is my scarf and I'll be back to normal. My scarf will only be back when all this is over.
"How are you, Blossom?" Yasuo greets me as Beefcakes lets me through and leaves. I'm grateful that Beefcakes has enough empathy to let us be alone. He knows that the message has been very clearly received, too, so there's no need to stick around. For the past three days, Yasuo always looks forward to my visits. Each time I've come in, he looks me over, checking for any new injuries. He's not checking because I'm their caretaker in a way, but because he's my friend. I appreciate it a lot. Someone that actually treats me like a human. That's more than enough to calm me down.
"I'm alright. Did you have any pit fights last night?" I do my best to be normal around them.
"Deviago's fighters are barely worth anything. I'm not sure if they're trying to train them or wear us down, but he's not getting what he wants. It's too easy." Yasuo boasts a little bit.
"Says the one that actually engages them in a fight." Yone rolls his eyes. He's meditating in the corner. Somehow, he's still looking quite good for someone who's been fighting every night. And he is bearing a few injuries more serious than when he first came in here.
"Are you alright?" I've been acting more like my real self when I'm alone with them. It feels right, even if Yasuo is the only one that actually knows who I am. Yone… he still doesn't know. I know because he hasn't started an argument over why I'm here. He even said out loud that he thinks I am in the monastery. Yasuo, in exasperation, has done all he can to hint to Yone that I'm here. He's stubborn, just like me.
"Yasuo is given a few skilled opponents, I am given those same ones, and in numbers." Yone answers.
"He hasn't been brought back knocked out, but he does have a broken wrist." Yasuo is very helpful. Yone shoots his brother a glare. That ignites a concern in my chest.
"Are you going to be ok?" I have to ask while checking his wrist. It's black and purple, not at all pleasant to look at. I look over my shoulder to make sure that Beefcakes has truly left.
"I will be, but what about you? You mentioned that you had a week to do what you need to. He wants to use you as a hostage for us. I'm sorry, but I can't put all of Navori at stake just for one person." Yone is apologetic.
"I'm not planning on letting him use me as your hostage either. In fact, I don't even want you to make that choice." I mutter, waving a hand at the door so anyone looking in would think that we're being conversational. They would see Yone and Yasuo in one corner, talking with each other, while I'm trembling in the other. Yone's eyes narrow at the hopefully familiar gesture.
"Finally." Yasuo's face breaks into a grin. He knows what I'm doing. He knows that I'm ready to leave and reveal myself.
"What? It's bad enough that you know, imagine if he did. He would never have let me out of his sight." I roll my eyes as I wrap my hands around Yone's wrist. I don't stop my magic from immediately healing him. The purple and black practically melt away. That's when Yone finally realizes who I am.
"I thought you said your name was Blossom?" He's a little breathless, but it's clear to see. He recognizes me. He actually sees me. His hand, the very one I healed, reaches up to caress my cheek. I close my eyes and lean into it.
"It's the name he gave me. It's easier to let him believe what he wants. Otherwise I'd be looking a little worse for wear." I explain. That's all I get before he presses a kiss to my lips.
"Guys, come on, I'm still here." Yasuo whines a little bit. I blush and pull away. Yone stands up and pulls me with him. As his hand reaches around my waist, he brushes against my magic-induced injury. I wince, reminded of that little thing. My magic instantly soothes it over. Both Yasuo and Yone notice.
"What?"
"Fun part about my magic, if I interfere with a fight, any injuries made during that moment, I suffer from it. It's already gone, anyway." I pull my hand away to show not even a mark is left.
"As much as I wish you were not here, I'm glad you are." Yone murmurs in my ear before he gets serious. I follow his example.
"From what I can tell, there are vulkodalks under the arena. The servants are also healers, though I don't think everyone is. I think a couple of servants are the healer's friends and family, though they keep some of the hostages with vulkodalks." I finally give them everything I have. I wish I could have told them sooner, but I didn't want to reveal my hand too early. Tomorrow is my last day. They have to know everything. I can't hint anymore.
"That explains why he wants us to get attached to one of his servants. A fellow gladiator is hard to control, but use a servant, one that is given a new identity and forced to follow it, and then you won't have a resistance. He was going for you so hard… has he mentioned using our capture as a method of bringing you here?" Yasuo asks. The man's got brains.
"No, but I wouldn't put it past him to try it." I agree with Yasuo's thinking.
"This place is his fortress. Damn, we never should have come in here." Yone curses a little bit.
"Now, wait a minute. It's only his fortress because he believes that everything is under his control. He doesn't know about me otherwise he'd be gloating. Think of me as your little spy. I can grab your swords since I know where they are. I'll bring them to you before tomorrow morning, and we'll get rid of his vulkodalks. After that, we can get the authorities or even the Kinkou Order to help take care of everything. He will not get away with this. Not for a moment." I try to make the atmosphere a little bit more positive.
"There's too many things that can go wrong, Leilah. You might have better control over your magic, but if someone else can sense you, then you are screwed. You'll be caught, your identity revealed, and we'll all be in trouble." Yone tries to argue with me.
"For the past two weeks, I've been letting myself be touched and groped by a disgusting old man. I'm not going to live like that. Today is my last free day before he gets worse. He'll threaten you. And just as much as you can't let me get hurt, I can't stand by and let you get hurt either. He'll do whatever he wants to me. He can make me wear nothing, all because he would threaten to kill you and I would comply to make sure both of you are safe. Please, Yone, don't shut me out again." I plead with him. Yasuo looks rather expectantly at his brother. Yone is simply stunned at my outburst, but he actually looks rather thoughtful.
"...Alright, but you have to be safe." Yone agrees. I beam at him.
"Nice to see the two of you working together instead of on your own. With all the serious stuff out of the way, a brunette?" Yasuo relaxes before leaning against the wall. Yone looks me over as well.
"This is who I was before I climbed the mountain. Well, I had brown eyes too, but I couldn't change them back to who I was." I blush a little bit under the scrutiny.
"I have to say, I didn't expect you to be so tan. You were always pale. It's weird to think that you actually looked like that at some point in your life." Yasuo helps make the mood a little lighter.
"It's weird to think that such an accomplished swordsman was once so childish and immature." I retort back.
"That's not that much of an insult. He's still immature." Yone teases his brother. Yasuo glares at the two of us, Yone for his comment, me for giggling at his expense.
"At least I can duel you to a draw. Someday soon, I'm going to beat you." Yasuo points a finger at Yone.
"I look forward to that day." Yone doesn't take the bait. Yasuo groans and slouches down.
"You are no fun to try to annoy."
"As much as I would enjoy hearing about how you are going to beat me, we do have to get ready for tomorrow. That reminds me." Yone reaches down to undo the scarf around his waist. I stop him from completely untying it.
"Wait until this is all over, alright?" I ask. He leans in for a quick kiss before letting my scarf remain where it is.
"Blossom!" Beefcakes call for me. I jump away from Yone, forgetting for a moment that he sees my illusion, a girl trembling while Yone and Yasuo are planning something. Still, I go over to where my illusion self is. It's easier to keep to what the illusion is.
"Y-y-yes?" I make my voice stammer. Yone struggles to keep himself from trying to comfort me. I wink at him to let him know that I'm alright. His hands tighten into fists, but he doesn't come near me.
"It's almost Deviago's bedtime. He requested your presence." Beefcakes sounds bored. I don't fault him.
"A-a-all right." I slowly push myself to my feet. And leave the cage. The last thing I see from Yone and Yasuo is both of them staring at me in concern and care. With that, I go straight to Deviago's bed chambers.
Trixie and Deviago are already there. Deviago's in a bathrobe that does little to disguise him. Trixie is gently setting up his bed while the servants with swords are putting down the weapons. I help Trixie make his bed the way he wants it.
"Blossom?" Deviago asks as he climbs under the covers.
"Yes, sir?" I ask.
"Have the children grown fond of you?" Deviago asks with a yawn.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. You are to report to Goliath in the morning in the arena. I want… no covers…" he fades off to sleep. For a tyrant, he's really good about keeping to his sleep schedule. With that, we take our leave, all of us.
That night, I'm too anxious to even sleep. I can only keep my eye on the moon. I know I really shouldn't sacrifice sleep before tomorrow as I'm not sure what will happen, but I can't sleep. Tomorrow… today… Everything is going to change. And we are all banking on this being successful. Everything depends on Yone and Yasuo succeeding in ending all the vulkodalks. And for that, we need to get their weapons to them. It's… it's all on me to get this right.
I watch as the early morning sun starts to rise. With that, I pull on the attire that I usually wear, keeping the sheer material. It doesn't matter what I wear today, but I don't want him to be suspicious if I get caught. I slip out of my room, using my illusions to disguise me from prying eyes. I sneak into Deviago's room, where he's still peacefully sleeping. It's a pity I can't kill, then all our issues would be solved. Instead, I go over to the swords on display at the foot of his bed. I pick them up one at a time, tying each sword hilt around my waist before grabbing the next one. I add Yasuo's sword to my other side to finish off my little heist. With a wave of my hand, everything returns to how it would normally look. Only I know the difference. I'm about to leave when a hand clasps onto my wrist. I jump and look into the concerned eyes of Trixie.
"Blossom? What are you doing?"
"I would like to know that as well." Deviago sits up.
Oh, Shadow Isles.
Something was going right, and noe they've gone so wrong. On the plus side, it seems like Leilah's finally making her move! Can't wait until the next time I post. it's going to be a wild ride, I can say that for sure!
I'm not going to spoil the mood with too much talking, so I'm just going to end it here. Next up on the list of things to aspire to is... ANNIE! Oh, I have plans for her... Ahem. NOTHING... At all... Annie way (Sorry I had to pun) May you have the fire spirit and courage to go through life, much like Annie's magic. And may you always have someone there for you, your own Tibbers, to stand by your side no matter well. And may you guys have an extraordinary day.