"OW GODDAMMIT! THAT FUCKING HURTS!"
Mathias shouted jerking his head away from the damp cloth someone handed me once we were back in the cell.
"Then you shouldn't have pissed off Ginger No.1."
I threw the balled up rag at his face.
"But did you see his face! I finally annoyed the bastard!"
As the gingers were dragging us from Octavius's room after I ruined his nice shirt, this guy had to go start shit. So basically his unconscious ass was carried while I got the blind fold again. They tossed him through the door once the cell was opened. I opted for the 'walking in on my own' option.
Banshee was there having the Alpha wulfen bandage her up. The other two wulfen were nowhere in sight. When the wulfen was finished with her, he took one look at him and handed me the wash rag.
I raised an eyebrow. "I think that creep knocked more screws loose Pinky."
There were a few giggles from the other side of the room and a snort.
He glared at them then at me.
"Pinky? What the hell kind of nickname is that?"
"Well I figured it best described you at the time. By the way what was your name?"
He grunted as he took the cloth and wiped away his dried nose blood.
"Mathias."
Not a bad name.
"Well Mathias, even though you're a really big prick, thanks for helping back at the house."
He shrugged with the rag still pressed against his nose.
"I'm Arista."
He nodded, his eyes flashing for a moment then subsided.
"Oi bloodsucker, did I hear you correctly when you said your names Mathias?"
I turned my head and he leaned looking past me at the wulfen.
"And what of it flea bag?"
"You call me the flea bag when you're the dog of the Order?" He snorted standing up.
"Who are YOU of all people calling a dog you pure bred mutt?" Mathias jumped to his feet, his eyes flashing and fangs extended.
The wulfen it seemed to grow another half a foot and rapidly pack muscle. Orange eyes flashed. He let out a warning growl. Mathias hissed lunging.
"Grab him!" Banshee yelled putting the wulfen in a full nelson.
I winced at the sharp ring in her voice and complied wrapping my arms around his midsection and jerking the both of us to the side.
We crashed against the stone floor.
I lost my hold on him.
Banshee saw Mathias advance towards them. The wulfen in her arms thrashed.
"Claude! Stop!" She yelled but he was lost in the urge to kick Djamphir ass.
"Sorry." She muttered placing both of her hands on his temples.
"Sleep." She whispered, her eyes going red. White mist seeped into his skin.
He collapsed on to the ground completely out.
She turned to Mathias who stopped and was watching.
"And you!" She snarled causing us to wince. "Are you actually with the Order!"
He grimaced at her voice. "Yes. I am the watchdog of the Order."
Banshee sighed. "And with no more arguing can we please speak like somewhat civilized monsters?"
She turned to me.
I held up my hands in surrender, just in case she was going to blast me.
"I have no problem."
And so here we are now circled up with a true between Claude and Mathias that Banshee made them make when she woke the wulfen up.
But before anything could be said an alarm went off.
Metal bolts unlocked themselves. Claude rushed out of the room faster than anything I've ever seen. Well that's the thing. He was literally a blur.
And for some odd reason Mathias ran after him.
It must be a guy thing. Like how normal girls flock to the bathroom in fours or fives.
"It must be that time of the month."
Banshee muttered to herself while scratching her cheek.
I automatically start patting my pockets.
"Sorry I don't have anything for that."
She turned to me with a surprised expression.
She blinked her red eyes twice then busted into screeching laughter.
She clutched her stomach with her hands gasping.
Ahhh . .
"Sorry." She straightened out rubbing the tears from her eyes.
"That's not what I meant but I'm glad you're a good person."
I chuckled a bit.
"So what's going on?"
Banshee waved her hand towards her.
"Come, we'll walk and talk."
She exited the door. I followed after her.
The hall didn't change much, with the exception of it being crowded with other fighters.
We held up, waiting till we were practically the only ones left in the hall.
"It's safer to be last. No one sneaking up behind and no one to overhear. These wall have ears."
She explained when we started moving again.
"Back to explaining. Once every month our cages are opened. At first it was for a free for all. Fighters had free reign to fight anyone, pillage, plunder, and other things."
She shuddered at other things.
I could only guess at what that was.
"But somehow that was changed. Now it's like a free market. Those who get there first get the good stuff like clothes, food, showers, weapons, etc."
"Where is there?" I asked.
She pointed to the door at the end of the hall.
"That leads to the Commons."
"That doesn't sound very cool."
She shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better it used to be the Dungeon."
I looked at her. "That's pretty cool. I've always wanted a dungeon."
She shook her head. "You're so weird."
I grinned. "Nah, my twins won that title a long time ago."
A pang went through my black heart.
I missed Aries. Even if he is an idiot.
We passed through the door.
Dungeons are huge.
And this one was packed.
The place was made of some stone and mortar from ages ago.
And booths were set up fill different supplies, which were going quickly.
There were some shouts from the food booth.
Mathias swiped some guy's legs out from him as Claude Round house kicked him in the face from the opposite direction of Mathias's kick.
He hit the ground hard.
"Let's head to the Rack. You're going to need some armor."
I followed behind Banshee. People gave her a wide berth of walk space.
She hunched her shoulders a fraction but still held her head high even when she was being glared at.
She had some balls.
I respect that.
The Rack was exactly as it sounded.
A rack.
Different articles of clothing hung off the weird portable closet thing along with leather armor in old woven baskets below.
Banshee pulled several things off the rack passing them to me.
"Hold this."
I threw the heavy cloak looking things over my shoulder, she went through the armor, then another basket.
I was spacing out as she took the items back from me. Then Banshee pointed at a nearby table.
I looked. Something silver caught my eye.
My Scythe.
Son of a Bitch.
And some asshole was reaching for it off its stand.
I launched myself across the space between me and my possession.
The asshole jerked back as I grabbed it and pointed it at him, her. Whatever.
"MINE." I hissed.
The asshole made a 'tsk' noise.
"Whatever Sucker." She sneered walking away.
Bitch.
I extended the rod aiming to hit her in the face.
There was a flash of white as Banshee caught the end of it.
"Not the time." She said as her eyes started to take on the clouded white.
I nodded, regretfully.
I'm stupid. Not suicidal.
I returned the scythe back to its original form and held on to it tightly.
"Come on. There is something else I want to show you before the times up."
I was behind her once again.
This time she led me to large screens.
"This is where you find your ranking."
She pointed to the top section.
"Since you were placed in our cell you are somewhere in the top 10."
I scanned down the list.
1: Beast
2: Mathias
3: Huntress
4: Claude
5: Banshee
6: Reaper
7: Ripper
8: Chimera
9: Faye
10: White Witch
No idea who most of these things are, obviously.
She whistled. "Haven't even fought yet and your right behind me."
Another alarm went off.
"Times up."