Thanks to Miranon for comments.
I awoke, the light from the overhead bulb blinding my sore eyes. Raising my hand to shield my eyes, I tried to recall where I was. In the tournament? No. I remembered the announcer's voice proclaiming that my team had won the match. Then... then I had been teleported back to the stadium... that was where the memories stopped. I sat up, looking around. I seemed to be in a ward of some kind. Other people dressed in white gowns with green polka dots lay groaning in beds beside me. They turned slowly, as if never to find comfort in any position they tried to rest. Right then, as I was getting familiarized with my surroundings, the door opened. A pale figure entered the room. Its lifeless white eyes fixed their eerie gaze on me. The figure began to move closer, arms outstretched. The undead being's face was marked with scars, long slashes diagonally and across. Its hands were white and bloodless. It moved slowly across the linoleum floor, making no noise, as if it were floating. It reminded me of an old film I had watched on microfilm, about the tooth fairy. It was called Darkness Falls. The tooth fairy had killed a mother whose son had glimpsed her horrid face. The being was close now, mouth hanging open, ready to suck the life out of my body. I screwed my eyes shut, covered my head with shaking hands, and screamed.
Something hit the back of my head, knocking the remaining air out of my dry lungs and causing me to bite my tongue. Out of breath and hurting, I surrendered. Whispering things like "what do you want?" and "don't hurt me", I opened my throbbing eyes. Fearing the worst, I only let a small bit of light into my eyes. As my gaze focused, I found myself staring at an enraged face I had come to know so well – Jyaunti.
"Jeez... I thought you were one of hose undead things for a moment there."
Jyaunti moved to slap my head again, nut this time I was ready. Ducking, I managed to miss her blow. I was getting good. I grinned.
"I'm beginning to think you're getting senile." Jyaunti hissed, her hand connecting with my head, sending me sprawling.
"Look who's talking." I muttered.
Jyaunti turned, her eyes mere slits. She held her gaze for a few seconds, but made no attempt to physically assault me again. I hung back for a bit, then cautiously fell back into step with the blademaiden. The Necris turned her head and regarded me with cold eyes.
"Follow me." She said, deliberately increasing her stride "I'll take you to meet our captain."
We turned so many corners, I stopped trying to count them all. Finally, we reached a gray metal door set into a heavy metal frame, with the numbers '1076' bolted onto the door with a wooden frame.
"Hold on," I panted, bending down and resting my hands on me knees "lemme catch my breath."
The Necris rolled her eyes, moving her head as well to exaggerate the movement.
"Really, if you can't even take that short a walk, there's no way you're ever gonna fit enough to last the entire tournament."
I sighed loudly, then slowly straightened my back. The blademaiden rolled her eyes again and opened the metal door.
We were greeted by a wave of smoke and liquor and beer, mixed together to form a nauseating stench. Three men sat at a table, playing cards, while another man and woman sat at another table playing simulated chess, complete with fluid movements and real-time shadows.
"Playing hard to get?" One of the heavily-built playing cards turned and regarded me with blue eyes, then nodding towards Jyaunti.
The Necris rolled her eyes and went over to bar counter to busy herself with making a drink.
"Hey, keep rolling those eyes of yours and they'll dry out," the man continued, unaffected by her response "don't want that to happen before lover-boy here gets to knock them out himself while you two are getting it on." He winked at me.
Jyaunti groaned. "What will it take to shut you up!" She grabbed her drink and went into the adjacent room, slamming the door.
I realized I was blushing then. I tried to fight the hotness that was spreading slowly across my face, like a virus. "I mean, Jyaunti, for crying out load! Jeez." I thought to myself, now aware there wasn't much I could do to stop my face from turning redder.
"Mabye giving me a little something once you're done with cowboy here." The man called after Jyaunti.
The door to the adjacent room opened then, and for a moment I thought it was Jyaunti coming back to dish out a little something to the man, though not the way he wanted it. I realized I was wrong as a solemn-faced man walked though the door. His frown burst into a smile when he saw me.
"Hey Drag, sorry didn't get to meet you formally before the match. You know, introductions and stuff." He shrugged. "I'm Bullettime." He grinned, shaking my hand "you can call me Bull. And this" he waved his hand in a slow circle, around the room "is team EagleStrike."
He noticed the blush, now starting to attack my neck. "See ol' Rover here gave you some of his medicine." He said, slapping the well-built man's back.
"Horny as ever chief." Rover grinned, mock-saluting Bull.
Bull laughed "Nothing to worry about. He doesn't mean it. Was the same way when I started with Sree." He tilted his head towards the woman who was playing chess. She was evidently winning.
"This here's Smacktard." Bull said, indicating the guy who was trying hard not to look like he was peering at Rover's cards.
Realizing Rover was frowning at him, Smack grinned sheepishly at his cards and said, "Guess you can see where I get my name."
Rover laughed heartily and patted Smack on the back, "We know you try."
At that moment, a shout of triumph came from the chess stable and Sree shoved her hands up in the air, signaling her victory.
"Well done! Beat the crap out of him again!" Bull cheered, putting his arm round Sree.
She pecked him on the cheek and turned her attention to me. Grabbing my hand, she shook it violently. "Hi! I'm Sree!"
I smiled and nodded, nursing my poor hand. The man who had lost stood and walked over to me.
"I'm Ironjaw." He said in a mechanical voice, his metal jaw creaking, "lost my jaw to a well-placed flak shell. Regretted not having killed myself before the end since then." He stuck out his hand, then seeing me cradling my hand, nodded knowingly.
"And this is Wry." Bull cut in, nodding at a hunched figure, the last card player.
Wry laughed maniacally, then began mutilating one of the cards.
"Hey!" Rover protested, then leaned over and snatched the already-badly- defaced card from Wry clawing hands. "These things are hard to come by."
Wry's right eye began twitching, then he sauntered off through the door into the adjacent room, probably in search for something to deface that wouldn't resist.
Jyaunti came into the room then, her face wet with fresh tears.
"Aw, hey." Rover began. "I did'nt mean it, ya know."
Jyaunti's grimace then turned into a broad, toothy grin. "Ha ha ha!" She laughed coarsely, obviously not accustomed to such an expression of joy. "Got you back with the old water-under-the-eyes trick."
"Those teeth look sharp." Rover whispered loudly, loud enough for Jyaunti to hear. "If I were you, I'd watch out for her love-bite."
The blademaiden narrowed her eyes, then grinned at Rover.
"I'll get you back someday." She laughed.
"Just make sure you don't do it out on the field." Sree put in, resting her head on Bull's shoulder.
Bull laughed. "Wouldn't want any accidents now would we?" He winked.
I awoke, the light from the overhead bulb blinding my sore eyes. Raising my hand to shield my eyes, I tried to recall where I was. In the tournament? No. I remembered the announcer's voice proclaiming that my team had won the match. Then... then I had been teleported back to the stadium... that was where the memories stopped. I sat up, looking around. I seemed to be in a ward of some kind. Other people dressed in white gowns with green polka dots lay groaning in beds beside me. They turned slowly, as if never to find comfort in any position they tried to rest. Right then, as I was getting familiarized with my surroundings, the door opened. A pale figure entered the room. Its lifeless white eyes fixed their eerie gaze on me. The figure began to move closer, arms outstretched. The undead being's face was marked with scars, long slashes diagonally and across. Its hands were white and bloodless. It moved slowly across the linoleum floor, making no noise, as if it were floating. It reminded me of an old film I had watched on microfilm, about the tooth fairy. It was called Darkness Falls. The tooth fairy had killed a mother whose son had glimpsed her horrid face. The being was close now, mouth hanging open, ready to suck the life out of my body. I screwed my eyes shut, covered my head with shaking hands, and screamed.
Something hit the back of my head, knocking the remaining air out of my dry lungs and causing me to bite my tongue. Out of breath and hurting, I surrendered. Whispering things like "what do you want?" and "don't hurt me", I opened my throbbing eyes. Fearing the worst, I only let a small bit of light into my eyes. As my gaze focused, I found myself staring at an enraged face I had come to know so well – Jyaunti.
"Jeez... I thought you were one of hose undead things for a moment there."
Jyaunti moved to slap my head again, nut this time I was ready. Ducking, I managed to miss her blow. I was getting good. I grinned.
"I'm beginning to think you're getting senile." Jyaunti hissed, her hand connecting with my head, sending me sprawling.
"Look who's talking." I muttered.
Jyaunti turned, her eyes mere slits. She held her gaze for a few seconds, but made no attempt to physically assault me again. I hung back for a bit, then cautiously fell back into step with the blademaiden. The Necris turned her head and regarded me with cold eyes.
"Follow me." She said, deliberately increasing her stride "I'll take you to meet our captain."
We turned so many corners, I stopped trying to count them all. Finally, we reached a gray metal door set into a heavy metal frame, with the numbers '1076' bolted onto the door with a wooden frame.
"Hold on," I panted, bending down and resting my hands on me knees "lemme catch my breath."
The Necris rolled her eyes, moving her head as well to exaggerate the movement.
"Really, if you can't even take that short a walk, there's no way you're ever gonna fit enough to last the entire tournament."
I sighed loudly, then slowly straightened my back. The blademaiden rolled her eyes again and opened the metal door.
We were greeted by a wave of smoke and liquor and beer, mixed together to form a nauseating stench. Three men sat at a table, playing cards, while another man and woman sat at another table playing simulated chess, complete with fluid movements and real-time shadows.
"Playing hard to get?" One of the heavily-built playing cards turned and regarded me with blue eyes, then nodding towards Jyaunti.
The Necris rolled her eyes and went over to bar counter to busy herself with making a drink.
"Hey, keep rolling those eyes of yours and they'll dry out," the man continued, unaffected by her response "don't want that to happen before lover-boy here gets to knock them out himself while you two are getting it on." He winked at me.
Jyaunti groaned. "What will it take to shut you up!" She grabbed her drink and went into the adjacent room, slamming the door.
I realized I was blushing then. I tried to fight the hotness that was spreading slowly across my face, like a virus. "I mean, Jyaunti, for crying out load! Jeez." I thought to myself, now aware there wasn't much I could do to stop my face from turning redder.
"Mabye giving me a little something once you're done with cowboy here." The man called after Jyaunti.
The door to the adjacent room opened then, and for a moment I thought it was Jyaunti coming back to dish out a little something to the man, though not the way he wanted it. I realized I was wrong as a solemn-faced man walked though the door. His frown burst into a smile when he saw me.
"Hey Drag, sorry didn't get to meet you formally before the match. You know, introductions and stuff." He shrugged. "I'm Bullettime." He grinned, shaking my hand "you can call me Bull. And this" he waved his hand in a slow circle, around the room "is team EagleStrike."
He noticed the blush, now starting to attack my neck. "See ol' Rover here gave you some of his medicine." He said, slapping the well-built man's back.
"Horny as ever chief." Rover grinned, mock-saluting Bull.
Bull laughed "Nothing to worry about. He doesn't mean it. Was the same way when I started with Sree." He tilted his head towards the woman who was playing chess. She was evidently winning.
"This here's Smacktard." Bull said, indicating the guy who was trying hard not to look like he was peering at Rover's cards.
Realizing Rover was frowning at him, Smack grinned sheepishly at his cards and said, "Guess you can see where I get my name."
Rover laughed heartily and patted Smack on the back, "We know you try."
At that moment, a shout of triumph came from the chess stable and Sree shoved her hands up in the air, signaling her victory.
"Well done! Beat the crap out of him again!" Bull cheered, putting his arm round Sree.
She pecked him on the cheek and turned her attention to me. Grabbing my hand, she shook it violently. "Hi! I'm Sree!"
I smiled and nodded, nursing my poor hand. The man who had lost stood and walked over to me.
"I'm Ironjaw." He said in a mechanical voice, his metal jaw creaking, "lost my jaw to a well-placed flak shell. Regretted not having killed myself before the end since then." He stuck out his hand, then seeing me cradling my hand, nodded knowingly.
"And this is Wry." Bull cut in, nodding at a hunched figure, the last card player.
Wry laughed maniacally, then began mutilating one of the cards.
"Hey!" Rover protested, then leaned over and snatched the already-badly- defaced card from Wry clawing hands. "These things are hard to come by."
Wry's right eye began twitching, then he sauntered off through the door into the adjacent room, probably in search for something to deface that wouldn't resist.
Jyaunti came into the room then, her face wet with fresh tears.
"Aw, hey." Rover began. "I did'nt mean it, ya know."
Jyaunti's grimace then turned into a broad, toothy grin. "Ha ha ha!" She laughed coarsely, obviously not accustomed to such an expression of joy. "Got you back with the old water-under-the-eyes trick."
"Those teeth look sharp." Rover whispered loudly, loud enough for Jyaunti to hear. "If I were you, I'd watch out for her love-bite."
The blademaiden narrowed her eyes, then grinned at Rover.
"I'll get you back someday." She laughed.
"Just make sure you don't do it out on the field." Sree put in, resting her head on Bull's shoulder.
Bull laughed. "Wouldn't want any accidents now would we?" He winked.