"Lance!"
Lance felt like crying as he was dragged away- he sometimes wonders if he did. It was hard to tell what was blood and what were tears as it dripped down his face. His wound hadn't been doing too well lately and the bandages had started to soak through.
He would sometimes find himself blinking or trying to open his eyes out of habit- it would sting enough to have him yelling. The guards didn't really seem to care about his distress and pushed him forward.
He could hear voices around him- they called and snorted, nothing comprehensible through the language barrier between them.
In one instance, a hand, cold and rough, grabbed him arms. He screamed in terror when it tugged on him, pulling him to the right. The guards had made a grab for him, pulling against the other grip to get him back.
One guard must have attacked the other creature because it roared and released him.
Lance's wrists felt bruised from the tight grip and he rubbed at them. He wasn't given long to calm himself before they were moving again, entering a room.
Tossed downward, Lance gagged when he hit the ground. Rolling, he clutched his side, listening to the sound of what he could assume to be chains. A second later, cold metal was placed at his ankles and the door closed.
Sitting up, silence embraced him.
He seemed to be alone- but he wasn't sure. If someone was in here, they were quiet.
In any other situation, he might have made a joke. A friendly jab to the person he was with- but that was the thing. He wasn't with anybody. He had lost the only companion he had in this whole messed up world.
Keith...
Lance was losing his mind- tensing whenever something made a sound. Dripping water- calls the distance- unknown screeching and pounding of feet. He wanted to rip his own ears odd to save himself whatever sanity he had left!
Keith.
Was he okay? Where did they take him?
There was a crash of some sort in the hall and Lance tensed, a broken and wet gasp heaving through his entire body.
Keith!
God- when had he become so desperately dependent on him? Lance could barely move, his body paralyzed with fear. The fact that he couldn't see was making his body tremble. He hadn't felt this soul gripping fear before- maybe in ounces, but never this bad. He always had Keith by his side. His voice alone was a comforting assurance that things would be okay.
Now he was alone.
There is no way he can get out of this alone- he doesn't even know where he is!
Wait for me. I'll come get you.
Keith had said that but would he even be able to do that? He had no weapons on him- outnumbered 100 to 1. God… what were they going to do?
Feeling cold, he forced himself to sit up and wrap his arms around himself.
There were chains at his feet- almost useless since he didn't dare move anyway. With walls bracing him from behind on all sides he assumed he had found himself in a corner.
A few times since he left Earth, he woke up screaming- thinking he would never be able to see Earth again. The blue oceans, green grass- his family.
Now… Well, now he feared the darkness. The pitch-black nothingness that surrounded him with sounds and voices that held no form. The whispers crawled up his skin, pinning him down. He couldn't do this…
The horrible thing was, even he if could see, would he have been able to change anything? Probably not. He would have been useless… like he always was.
No. No, thinking like that wasn't going to do him any good. He had to keep some hope with him. There was always a way to get out of any situation- you just had to find it.
So he inhaled and exhaled, repeating this process. Focusing on the sound of his own heart and lungs, he thought back to what he learned at Garrison and from the others since becoming a Paladin. They had never really discussed what to do if you went blind, but they did go over steps for if you were captured.
Keep a low profile. Be smart. Pay attention to every detail because it might just save your life. Don't overreact to things, and keep quiet. Don't panic.
That was the biggest issue Lance was having right now. Exhaustion was a strong feeling too and at some point, he must have passed out.
Perhaps hours or even day had passed before his cell doors opened again and he was jostled awake. The guards pushed through, approaching him without a word.
Sensing them, he held back a scream when they heaved him to his feet and took off the chains around his legs.
Barely able to stand, they dragged him with them- out of the cell and down the hall.
They took him somewhere new- somewhere that smelled of blood. It wasn't a comforting thought and he dug his heels into the dirt to slow the process.
All at once they were lifting him, standing him up straight on something a little off the ground, like pedestal. People were buzzing around him- saying words in a language he couldn't understand.
"What?" he asked them. He tensed when they grabbed his arms, throwing something heavy on top of them, strapping them to stick. It felt like armor- but not the normal paladin ones he used to wear.
"Um-" they were throwing something over his head and shoulder- a chest plate perhaps? It was heavy, uncomfortable and smelled like fish. Gross.
Jabbing him in the sides, he shifted to adjust it but they swatted his hands away.
"Okay- so you guys are in charge. Cool. Mind explaining what is going on?" they didn't answer. "...I can probably say whatever I want right now," he tried to say casually, using his words as a means of getting through this, "Hi, I'm Lance. I'm a paladin of Voltron. Lost my first baby tooth when I was five cause my brother threw the door against my face… I got like, 20 bucks from the tooth fairy cause I was bleeding a lot. I used it to buy a ball that my brother lost… He gave me some ice cream though so it was cool."
No one responded and continued to tie the chest plate around him. "...I like cheese?" he offered. A helmet was forced over his head and he grunted. It was tight and uncomfortable and smelled like fish. Ew.
"I probably look ridiculous right now-" he grumbled to himself.
"You look like a warrior to me,"
He recognized the voice and gasped, "Tellru?"
"Hello, Lance." She says, adjusting the fighting pads along his arms, "I am the one to help prepare you for your day."
Holy crap- Lance felt an overwhelming sensation of hope, "Tellru!" he cheered. Thank god, he found someone who could actually explain where he was and what was happening. "Where is Keith?! Is he okay?"
"He is fine, no harm has come to him," Tellru is moving around him, pulling on straps to tighten each lose piece of armor. "You on the other- you have a problem."
"I do?"
"You are next in line to fight against the champions."
Lance did not like the sound of that, "I am? Jeez- how tough are they? Why do I have to fight them? Can't I say no? I'm blind!"
"Afraid not- all prisoners fight in the arena for going against us. It is a law," Tellru sighed, "Though, my people are not without honor. Your handicap will come into account and they will go easy on you."
"...Great."
"Yes, great. Do not fret so much, Lance. You simply need to defeat one champion and you will not be required to do that again for another week. Though of course, if you wanted prizes you could fight more than one,"
"Wait-" Lance holds up a hand, "You mentioned before those pure ones become prizes. So then Keith is one?"
"Yes."
"W-What does that mean exactly?"
"Well, as according to law, each victory in the arena will be rewarded prizes. There are five warriors to battle each day, each having their own prize."
"...I'm confused."
Tellru sighed, "Well, say you defeat one champion. You could be given money as a reward- though that really isn't very useful to prisoners, normal citizen who compete often aim for that. If you defeat two you could earn money and a second prize. Each new champion earns you your own prize. If you defeat all five champions and are not a prisoner of war you are given a servant or pure."
Lance didn't like the sound of that. "Servant?" he inquires dryly.
"Well, I wouldn't say we are ones for slavery- but no one really complains when a prisoner of war is put to manual labor or given as a… um… pleasure prize."
Lance was choking on his spit, "What is Keith exactly? What is he considered?"
'He is pure- many crave for pure ones so most would look to him and wish to win him. Plus, his black hair adds a nice alluring feature to him."
"Tellru- you are freaking me out," Lance says heavily.
There is small tapping noise and he wonders if it is her nail to the table, "Since you are new I shall explain the best I can. When a Coeihn seeks a strong equivalent, they offer themselves to the arena as a prize. If someone manages to defeat all five champions they are treated with honor and are able to choose a pure as their equivalent. This is often how equivalents are decided for each other."
"Still not sure what that is."
Tellru hums a bit in thought, "An equivalent is a- well- it is a mate. A lover."
Lance is choking, nervous laughter bubbling upward, "A-And you thought K-Keith and I were-?"
"Yes, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. You two were just so close, clinging to each other… he looked at you with nothing but affection and concern whenever I saw you." she insists.
Lance felt as if everything from the tips of his ears down were burning, "What? No. Now way."
'Believe what you will." she cooed.
Back to the other subject, he asked, "Okay, so people can choose to be prizes. But you said Keith would be one- he definitely didn't choose that."
'Most prisoners of wars don't get one. It isn't the most civil thing- but most of our prisoners are enemies or spies- we have very little remorse or care for them," she says in a cold tone.
"Keith isn't an enemy or spy though!" Lance insists.
"Maybe not but that isn't for me to decide."
Lance ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "W-What happens if Keith doesn't get chosen? Will he instantly be put up as a prize?" Oh jeez, how much time did he have to figure this out?"
"Well, not all pure ones are chosen within a day. It sometimes takes weeks for someone to beat all five champions and claim a pure."
That was a relief to hear.
"But-"
Of course, there was a catch.
"At the end of the day, our higher ranking officers, if at a high enough status, can choose a pure from the group. So Keith could be chosen during any day, perhaps even today. Many people had their eyes on him… Rashra included." She hummed to herself, "In fact, I bet he was very thrilled at placing Keith as a pure."
"B-But that isn't a guarantee that he will be chosen, right?" Lance pleaded.
"Well- with how petite he is and how black his hair is- I doubt anyone wouldn't want him. He will truly be the top prize of the day. And to be pure- it is a high honor to take the purity of someone to my people. It raises your own political power."
"What kind of messed up way of living is that?!" Lance fumed. He wasn't going to just let Keith get swooped away by these weirdoes! "What is Keith says no?!" he demands, already dreading the answer, "He isn't just going to let those people- he isn't going to just let them do whatever they want with him."
Tellru was quiet before saying, "Honestly- and please don't think I ever accept this behavior, but I fear most Coeihns may just force him…"
Lance was already looking for the door, his breathing rigid, "I need to get to him."
"You cannot." Tellru insists, "I understand your concern, but my culture has rules. Strict rules that could be punishable by death if broken."
"I don't care!" Lance roared, "I'm going to find Keith and we are leaving!"
"You would never make it past the gates…" watching him pressing his hands to the wall, she sighed, "You can barely find your way out of this room."
"Shut up." he hisses.
After a long pause, she speaks up, announcing, "The only way to leave the walls would be to earn a place within the Coeihns."
Lance frowned, and turned towards her voice, "Okay? How do I do that?"
"You must earn your worth- for my people, that is with combat." She paused, murmuring. She had an idea, "Perhaps there is a way for you to get through this while recovering your mate at the same time?" she says slyly.
"N-Not my mate." He corrects, "But carry on."
"If you declare that you wish to seek the guidance of the Coeihns then you will automatically be placed on testing challenges to earn a citizenship. You would need to defeat all five champions- that would earn your place and retrieve your mate,"
"All five?" Lance paled. He would have felt a little more confident with this if he weren't currently blind. Trying his best to sound confident he says, "…Okay, can't be that hard,"
Tellru doesn't say anything and Lance bites his lips, "Why do I feel like you are bout to say something I'm really not going to like hearing?"
Tellru grimaces, "Well, I told you before that they would go easy on account of your eyesight… but, if you take up the challenge, then they won't. They will come at you full force." She pauses, "They will come at your to kill you, Lance."
Lance put his head in his hands, "Jeez…"
Tellru began to back up when someone called for her, "I'm going to go check on the fight going on now. You have 10 minutes- I'll leave you to decide on what you want to do."
He nodded meekly. What was he going to do?
He sat there thinking about it, running his mind over every option. If he went out there now he could be killed, but there was also that small almost unseen chance that he wins and he can see Keith.
If he doesn't go there is a chance that someone could win or someone just chooses Keith at the end of the day anyway. He had faith that Keith could wiggle his way out of that- but the fear that someone would still try to do something unthinkable to him made Lance's skin crawl.
Either way, Lance had to go out there in a few minutes to fight- it just mattered on how far he was willing to try if he won that first match.
He pinched his cheeks, confirming that this nightmare was real when it stung, "Ow…"
"Lance!" he almost screamed when Tellru ran back into the room, breathing heavily, "I have come with news!"
"T-Tellru?" he stumbled to his feet, "What's up?"
"I-" Tellru cut herself off. Taking a few minutes to consider Lance's question she says, "T-The roof?"
Lance slaps himself, "No- forget it. What is your news? What is wrong?"
"A claim has been put on Keith,"
Lance was tripping, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her, "What?!" She swatted his hands away, pushing him back.
"No one has managed to win against the champions today- they are giving it their all," she begins to explain, "However, I just saw the announcement that Rashra has put in a claim for your mate."
This Rashra guy was really starting to piss him off, "He can do that?!"
"Yes. If someone does not beat the champions and claim your mate by sun fall then… he will go to Rashra." Lance's knees buckled and he collapsed. Tellru fell with him, startled. "A-Are you alright?"
Tellru was kind- Lance appreciated her doing this… but holy hell, what was he going to do? He had no choice now. He had to beat those champions- today.
He couldn't wait- it was now or never.
"I'll do it," he swallowed thickly, "I'll do the challenge."
"You will?" Tellru breathed softly.
"I- yes. For Keith."
Taking a few seconds to absorb that, Tellru nodded, "I will arrange it then."
"Thank you, Tellru. You've helped me a lot,"
"Not really," she says honestly, "I've done hardly anything other than give you information,"
"Information is important sometimes." She helped him to his feet. Being this close to her, Lance had begun to realize just how big she really was. This woman was a giant- a really muscular giant with a booming voice. Once again, his wish to see was growing. Curse you Druid!
"It is time," she says when a bell starts to ring outside. Taking a shaky breath, he nodded.
"Wish me luck." Walking with her through the halls, grateful for her hand on his shoulder to guide him, they stopped before some kind of gate.
"The champions each have their own weapon," Tellru announced, "You shall be granted one as well. It can be anything you wish…" there is a pause, "I assumed that you wouldn't be familiar with any of our traditions supplies, so I took the liberty of collecting your old one."
The familiar and oh so wonderful Bayard was placed into his palm, "Tellru!" he said in awe, "Thank you!"
"Think nothing of it- though I do honestly suggest a different weapon. I'm not sure how that thing can possibly protect you."
"It'll do fine." Gripping it tightly, he heard Tellru gasp when it morphed into his gun.
"Incredible!" she says in awe, patting his back, "Good luck, Lance. May the heavens watch over you."
"Yeah…" with a little nudge, he was moving forward. Assuming he was walking down some tunnel he walked slowly, hoping to stay on the path Tellru put him on. It didn't take long to hear the roaring of a crowd, growing louder with every step.
Feeling warmth on his skin, he knew he had made it outside and into the arena.
Here goes everything.
Do it for Keith, Lance.
Survive for Keith.
Win for Keith.