《Circus Fire》 Chapter One A humanoid sat on a narrow beach in front of a hearth, seated on a log. They fiddled with a small chain, only seven small links. They wore a small pin on their shirt pocket that said: ¡°Hello, my name is Glee.¡± They were brightly colored in yellow, blue, and pink. It looked as though their skin had been tattooed to be colored so; the tips of their fingers were jet-black with white fingernails, slowly fading to the bright hues on their upper arm and the rest of their body. They were only sixteen, but very tall, leading some to believe they were a young adult at times. Glee had large horns¡ªone set that appeared like a deer¡¯s, another like a moose¡¯s pronged antlers, and the last thin and curved. Their hair was blue and yellow and they wore a pink hood. Their face, however, appeared ominous. It was pale and cream-colored, almost white. Markings at first glance black, on further inspection being a very dark red, decorated their eyes and across their nose. Their eyes were also this shade of black. Glee¡¯s gaze turned to the hearth in front of them. They considered it for a long moment, eventually concentrating on it and waving a hand. It reared up like a startled horse, its hues flickering to blue and green at the base of the fire before falling back down, its normal reds, oranges, and yellows now decorating the firewood. ¡°Wow,¡± came a soft whisper from across from Glee. Glee looked over, finding a small elf-like humanoid sitting across from them. The creature¡¯s skin was pale, tinted slightly blue. He was tall and thin, but obviously young, and marked with a few scars. The young creature also had a backpack clutched to his chest. ¡°Oh, hi. Didn¡¯t see you there.¡± Glee said. ¡°I¡¯m Rags. Are you that performer? The one with the knives? The circus is¡­ I¡¯ve always wanted to see it.¡± Rags¡¯ eyes glinted, giving him a curious and childlike look. He had a strange accent; the vowels were drawn out slightly, with more emphasis on T¡¯s and K¡¯s. They chuckled quietly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Glee. We have a show tomorrow, I can get you a seat if you want.¡± Glee gave a mischievous smile. ¡°The Showmaster will be pissed, so it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Rags gasped. ¡°Are you sure? The whole circus, it sounds amazing¡­¡± ¡°Sure. I need to rest for the night, you need a place to sleep¡­?¡± The circus performer looked concerned, wondering about the kid¡¯s scars. ¡°I don¡¯t. Thank you, though! Should I meet you here at dawn?¡± Glee agreed to the proposal and gave a wave goodbye as they walked off. They quickly arrived at the circus and met up with Zephyr. ¡°Glee! How are you doing?¡± Zephyr, too, was humanoid, though he had many moth-like aspects to his form. His skin was a light brown with grayish spots and he had four large, dark eyes with a glossy shine to them; his hair was a brown that seemed to have the dusty softness to it that a moth¡¯s ¡°fur¡± does. The same quality applied to the antenna peeking from his hair. Though perhaps the most mothy aspect to him was his light brown wings with gray spots. ¡°Hey, Zephyr. I¡¯m doing great, just met some kid. Bit worried about him, though, he had a bunch of scars. Said his name was Rags. How¡¯re you?¡± Zephyr ignored the question and slowly turned towards Glee. ¡°You said you met Rags?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. What about it?¡± Glee seemed completely oblivious to Zephyr¡¯s¡­ Terror? Excitement? Interest? Panic, even? ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t invite him to the circus!¡± ¡°I mean, I could tell you that, but that is called ¡®lying¡¯ and is generally not seen as a good aspect in a person.¡± Glee checked their nails, hiding a glance to Zephyr and suppressing the smile that threatened to show when they saw his expression. ¡°And this is how we all die. That kid is a contestant in the Arena, Glee, think things through!¡± he whined. ¡°Rags could kill us all without breaking a sweat! See how he had so few scars? It¡¯s because no one in that arena can touch him!¡± ¡°Just because he could doesn¡¯t mean he will.¡± Zephyr sighed and sank into a chair. ¡°Too late, I suppose. Get some sleep, Glee, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. And the Showmaster won¡¯t be pleased. She¡¯d hardly be happy, nonetheless, with you inviting people for free, but Rags¡­ Rags¡­¡± Glee bade Zephyr good luck in the next day¡¯s show and complied with the suggestion to sleep. Chapter Two Glee woke up very early naturally, when it was still dark. No one else in the circus woke this early, which Glee found slightly strange -- almost every day, the performers woke up before dawn to prepare for the day¡¯s show, so they thought that people¡¯s bodies would adapt to the schedule. They got dressed and walked to the beach, arriving just as the sun rose. Rags was already there, the kid obviously excited. ¡°I can¡¯t wait! What time does the show start? Do I get to go backstage? Ooh, what kind of shops are there? Is it true you sell sugar-spun clouds? How are they made? Do they taste good? How do people decide what to do? Do you win prizes from the games? They paused for a second. ¡°A little after midday, yes but not for long, all kinds, yes, Whispi makes them, yes, they do all the things, and in most games you win prizes.¡± Rags gave a broad grin and restated again his excitement and how much he just ¡°Can¡¯t wait!¡± Glee laughed a bit and handed Rags seven crown chips. ¡°Spend this how you want, just don¡¯t waste it all in one place. Take home some good food or something.¡± Rags¡¯ reaction was so enthusiastic Glee wondered if the kid would start screaming or running around in circles. Or something, they thought. The procession of questions continued for hours until it was just a few hours before noon. ¡°Well, Rags, I have to head back to get ready by now. Why don¡¯t you come with me? I can get you backstage for¡­¡± Glee checked the placement of the sun¡ª¡°about half an hour. Maybe a bit longer.¡± Rags agreed excitedly and practically jumped off the log he was sitting on as Glee got up and began the walk towards the grounds where the traveling circus rested. When they reached the grounds, Glee showed Rags to a large stage and led him behind the curtains. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Rags announced as he stared around with wonder, eyes fixating on makeup palettes, jumping to the bright colors of the curtains and ribbons, gaze leaping around everything in the area. Glee gave a little grin and patted Rags on the head as they walked away to prep for their show. Almost an hour later, Glee found Rags and sent the kid on his way to do what he wished in the carnival for the half-hour before the show. Rags chose to ignore their suggestions and found his way to a seat where he¡¯d be able to see the show when it started. He opened a book and settled into his chair. When Glee was prepared, their face had been laced with bright flame patterns that stood out against the pale appearance of the skin on their face. They were wearing solid black cargo pants and a slightly loose dark shirt that was breathable and seemed more made for practicality than appearance. Despite this, it was decorated with intricate designs in warm-colored hues that reminded many of flames. The shirt also had arm-guards above it on the upper arm and almost cuff-like wristlets on the lower arm. After their appearance was made up, Glee spent about half an hour warming up for the show and waited backstage for their turn, occasionally stretching or flicking a sprout of flame between their fingers to make sure the warming up wouldn¡¯t go to waste. ¡°Glee,¡± came a stern voice from behind them. The bright-colored creature startled, then relaxed, expression an easy smile. ¡°Geez, S.M., you could ease up with it. You walk like a cat. Wear a bell or something.¡± The woman appeared human, but her skin was very slightly translucent, the veins visible underneath, her ears pointed. Tiny imp-like horns poked from her forehead, the tips of which protruded from dark bangs. ¡°Right, Glee, I¡¯m amused,¡± the Showmaster said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you invited someone. Who is it now?¡± her tone was not amused. ¡°Oh, you know, no one. You might¡¯ve heard of ¡®im, he¡¯s pretty young, though¡­¡± Glee flashed her a relaxed smile, waiting for her to ask for the name. The Showmaster begrudgingly took the bait and asked. ¡°Oh, you know, no one. Just Rags.¡± She paled, but her shocked expression quickly turned into a glare. ¡°Glee! You¡¯ve gone too far. Don¡¯t you know who that kid is? No one could touch him in the arena¡ªhe was too fast and strong for even the most experienced.¡± Glee laughed quietly. ¡°The kid¡¯s nice. Let him be. Not like he¡¯s killed me, eh?¡± The Showmaster gave them a warning and moved on, pinching the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. Chapter Three It took two hours. Two hours of lion tamers, acrobats, jugglers, rope walkers, clowns, comedians. Of magic shows, of elephants, beds of nails, contortionists, even necromancy. Two hours of acts when the intermission started. There was a slow stampede of people as they went to get more food and drink for the show. Rags, however, rushed backstage, waving his backstage pass excitedly at security. ¡°Glee! What¡¯re you gonna do for your show?¡± Glee startled, spinning around to look at Rags. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you. You¡¯ll see,¡± they said with a wink. It was Rag¡¯s turn to be startled when they saw Glee¡¯s appearance, flames etched onto their face, their outfit very different from Glee¡¯s normal, simple style: bright-colored loose jeans and a loose, saturated tee. ¡°Woah! You look cool as hell,¡± Rags said honestly. Glee laughed. ¡°Thanks, kid. I¡¯ll be up next; I¡¯m lucky. Everyone will be refreshed, no chance of zoning out during my show.¡± ¡°What¡¯ll you be doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± they said with a wink. Rags wiggled in his place and ran off to buy more snacks. There was an amazing assortment of food where he went to buy it: dried fruit sweet as sugar, honeycomb, clouds spun from sugar, peppers so spicy they could burn the tongue off a pyromaniac. The drinks were equally diverse, the stands filled with juices of exotic fruit, lager, brandy. Drinks made by Moriokin who liquified different foods: almonds, mangoes, exotic plants Rags had never heard of, even desserts. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Rags traded his money for liquified mangoes and adines mixed together, as well as honeycomb and dried fruit. He moved back to the circus tent and regained his seat. Almost as soon as he did so, the vast majority of attendees returned from the intermission, holding food and drink. The lights, controlled by Sokori like Zephyr, turned on, startlingly bright and pointed at the stage. They dimmed slightly so as to not blind the performer on the stage. The performer walked out, arms spread slightly, an almost unnerving grin plastered on their face. Before Glee could do anything in their act, a ball of flame shot out from the side of the stage, flying straight at Glee. Glee jumped up, seemingly far too high, and turned in an aerial cartwheel, the fire whizzing underneath their head. Glee landed just as a separate blaze leapt towards them from behind. They jumped high and turned in a backflip; they could hear the fire crackling as it shot below them. After a dozen more fireballs, they finally subsided, replaced by jets of flame shooting straight up. Glee pulled out three knives with black blades and handles out and began to juggle them. Flickering tendrils of fire leapt towards the blades of the weapons and caught on the metal. Glee continued to juggle the flaming weapons, dark eyes focused on the knives, when another was thrown at them. Glee appeared unfazed as they caught the weapon and added it to the arc of glowing flames, the lights now dimmed, the jets of flame gone. Fire jumped through the air from one knife to the other, leaving all four knives ablaze. Knives kept coming until Glee was juggling ten at once. When they¡¯d juggled all ten for a bit, the lights returned. Glee responded to this cue by tossing the knives higher, giving them several seconds to return to Glee¡¯s hands. They held some as the others flew high. Glee covered their eyes, quickly tying on a black blindfold with deft fingers. Bulls-eye targets moved out from the wall. Glee tossed the knives to the side, now holding all of the weapons, and all ten hit the bulls-eyes of separate targets. They took off the blindfold and tossed it towards the seats as they took a flourishing bow as a phoenix swooped over the crowd, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the attendees. Glee outstretched an arm and the phoenix landed on them. It spread its wings and dipped its head, seeming to mimic Glee¡¯s bow. ¡°Thank you, Aermei,¡± Glee whispered to the phoenix. Chapter Three Rags bounced from foot to foot as Glee and the other performers exited the stage, chattering about the show. ¡°Glee!¡± he shouted when he saw them, waving them over. ¡°Oh, hey, Rags.¡± ¡°Glee, you know this kid?¡± asked a girl. Rags almost didn¡¯t recognize her until he remembered her acrobatic act, and then wondered how someone so young -- she must¡¯ve been a year or two younger than him -- could legally join the circus. She had elf-like ears like him and mushrooms grew from her head, back, and arms. She was skinny but appeared muscular, and Rags knew she had the strength and flexibility to shoot a bow with deadly accuracy while hanging upside-down from a rope, holding on with only her legs. ¡°Yep. Rags, Asza. Asza, Rags.¡± Asza shot a glance at Rags and turned back to Glee. ¡°You can¡¯t invite just anyone to the circus! Don¡¯t you know who this is?¡± ¡°Mhm. Legendary dude from the arena or sumthin.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s--¡± ¡°Hey. Asza,¡± Glee interrupted. ¡°Have you considered that this is a fourteen-year-old? He¡¯s left everyone alone! He has not hurt anyone! I¡¯m fucking tired of explaining that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still from the Arena! I bet that ¡®innocent fourteen-year-old¡¯ has gone feral during the fight! He¡¯s probably one of the ones that has to be tranquilized so that he doesn¡¯t eat his dead opponent¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Asza, you¡¯re making shit up at this point. You have no proof what-so-ever¡ª¡± Glee¡¯s voice became annoyingly sing-song-y as they reached the word whatsoever. ¡°That Rags has hurt anyone on purpose. Dude was probably forced into the Arena.¡± ¡°Glee, you cannot just invite a criminal into the circus!¡± Smoke curled off of the back of Glee¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t call him a criminal.¡± ¡°You just can¡¯t admit you¡¯re wrong, Glee! You¡ª¡± Before Asza could continue, Glee interrupted. ¡°Asza. Don¡¯t call him a criminal. Rags, did you choose to join the Arena?¡± Rags shook his head. ¡°Exactly,¡± Glee told her. ¡°Now, who can¡¯t admit they¡¯re wrong?¡± Fuming, Asza lunged at Glee, her delicate dark-painted nails turning into black claws. Rags flinched away from the fight as Glee jumped over Asza, avoiding her strike. Asza shouted up at Glee to come down and that Glee¡¯s phoenix would become a barbecue chicken. Glee was responding with a barrage of curses, sometimes throwing something down at Asza. Rags sighed, discovering that Glee wasn¡¯t the only circus performer fond of cursing. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ve met children in there who are more mature than you!¡± Rags shouted, pointing behind him in what he knew was the direction of the arena. Rags¡¯ shout went unheard. He was used to being ignored, but this was important. He slipped a knife from his belt and watched the fight, predicting where Asza would next step. He crouched and waited until she was right in front of him before he stood up and grabbed her in a chokehold, holding the knife to her throat. Asza had the good sense to hold still. ¡°Rags, I swear to the Deity, if you don¡¯t get that thing away from me right now I swear on my life that I¡¯ll rip off your arms and shove one down your throat and the other up your ass so you can give yourself a fucking handshake.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you stop fighting.¡± Rags¡¯ voice had taken on a much less childlike tone; he was almost unrecognizable from the child who couldn¡¯t stop moving at the very mention of being lucky enough to see the show in the circus. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Fine!¡± she snarled, her anger hiding how unnerved she was: Rags hadn¡¯t hesitated with his blade at all, his movements swift and concise. Perhaps she should be scared of Rags, a fourteen-year-old who didn¡¯t appear to hesitate at the thought of slitting someone¡¯s throat. Rags released Asza, stepping back from her. He still held the blade, keeping his eyes on her. Glee brushed themself off, a little bit of ash spraying from their shirt. ¡°Not again,¡± they muttered before asking in an audible tone if Rags was alright, ignoring Asza. ¡°Mhm!¡± Rags responded, slipping the knife back into their belt. ¡°Are you? Okay, I mean?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, kid, I¡¯m fine.¡± Their eyes drifted to the knife in Rags¡¯ belt. ¡°Mind if I see that? Seems like a real nice knife.¡± ¡°Oh. Sure. Just, uh, don¡¯t scratch the blades.¡± Rags, however, handed over two knives instead of just the one. Glee promised they¡¯d be careful and carefully accepted the weapons, each with a curved blade about a foot, maybe a foot and a half long. One had a metal handle with high-quality leather wrapped around the cool metal. The blade was carved from bone, but it had a marble-like effect, with moving black swirls making their way across the sharpest parts of the blade. Were Glee¡¯s eyes playing tricks on them, or¡­ no, the swirls really were moving. The other was made from a strong metal Glee had never seen before, the color of a purple martin¡¯s feathers, colors shifting slightly in the light. The handle was made from the same carved bone, the swirls shifting in circular patterns when Glee carefully shifted the leather on the handle. While Glee had been looking at the knives, Asza had approached Rags. ¡°You. Listen.¡± Rags startled and whipped around, hand automatically moving to where the knives normally rested. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was Asza. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you try anything,¡± she snarled, poking him in the chest. ¡°If you hurt Glee, or Zephyr, or Whispi or anyone I¡¯m going to personally unbraid your DNA and knit them into fuzzy wool socks as a souvenir, got it?¡± ¡°I-¡± Rags backed away. ¡°Your turn to listen. Do you think I like being forced to fight? I just stopped a fight between you and Glee purely because I hate those kinds of things.¡± His tone turned mocking and high-pitched. ¡°Oh, yippity-do-da, I get to be forced to scratch out someone¡¯s eyes because if I don¡¯t they¡¯ll kill Griff and make me watch him get tortured to death!¡± He dropped the tone, voice breaking slightly at the end of the sentence. ¡°I had to sneak out just to get a little bit of time alone on the beach, okay? It was pure dumb luck that I found this carnival. Believe it or not, when you have to fight people to the death you don¡¯t get a lot of freedom.¡± Asza backed away from him and slumped into a chair. ¡°Right.¡± Rags knew that was the closest thing to an apology he¡¯d get. He returned to Glee¡¯s side, glaring at the ground. ¡°They¡¯re twin knives,¡± Glee said. ¡°I thought all of those were destroyed. What¡¯s this metal? It¡¯s beautiful and it seems strong. And this moving pattern¡­¡± ¡°So I take it you like them?¡± Rags¡¯ voice was faintly nervous as he took the knives. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ yeah.¡± He put the knives in his belt pouch. ¡°I used the one with the metal blade for Asza. The swirls are poison. Fast-acting, and she¡¯s small. So, yeah. Even though it¡¯s fast-acting, there¡¯s a lot of pain¡­ she doesn¡¯t deserve that.¡± ¡°Seconded. She¡¯s hotheaded, but¡­ I dunno how to say this without sounding stalker-y or rude. It¡¯s not in a bad way, I guess. Before Rags could respond, the phoenix swooped down and landed on a moose prong on Glee¡¯s head. ¡°Aermei!¡± Glee said delightedly. Rags, on the other hand, yelped and jumped back. ¡°It¡¯s that eagle that¡¯s on fire! Glee-how-on-the-Deity¡¯s-great-globe-is-your-hair-not-on-fire¡ª¡± He said all in one breath; he¡¯d seen Aermei¡¯s flames, but seeing a practical ball of flame landing on one¡¯s head was startling. ¡°Relax, Rags. it¡¯s just Aermei. She¡¯s supposed to be my pet, but, honestly? She¡¯s more like a friend.¡± Aermei, as if in response, rubbed her head against Glee¡¯s face sweetly, and then bit his cheek. ¡°Aermei I told you not to do that, you¡ª¡± Glee shot a glance to Rags, pausing for a second in their scolding. ¡°¡ªyou absolute¡­ lil piss baby.¡± Glee sighed. ¡°Damn, this would be easier if I could swear. Wait. Is piss a swear? Oh. I said damn. Godda¡ª oops.¡± Rags laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you swear, but that was entertaining. Keep it up. No, actually! I¡¯m being serious!¡± The last part was addressed towards Glee¡¯s scowl at him. It wasn¡¯t super convincing, though, because they kept suppressing a smile. ¡°And my hair isn¡¯t on fire, dumba-a-a-a-dummy, because I¡¯m pyrokinetic. You don¡¯t think metal knives catch and stay on fire, do ya?¡± ¡°Pfft, no. But you¡¯d think that phoenix flames have different rules than normal fire.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Glee paused to consider that point. Rags started to think they would say something really profound and deep about fire¡¯s spirit or something, when Glee answered: ¡°Nope-iddy-dope. Fire is fire.¡± ¡°Heartfelt,¡± Rags commented drily. ¡°I know right? Now hurry up and spend your money on the rest of the carnival. Shoo!¡± Glee shooed Rags towards the exit. He complied and ran, shouting a goodbye as he shoved the opening flap of the tent away and bolted towards the first game he saw. Chapter Four Rags flopped onto the mattress sitting on the floor. ¡°That was fun,¡± he told the young boy on the mattress next to him, who rolled over to speak to Rags. ¡°Ooh! You got out for the day? What¡¯d you do?¡± ¡°I did, yeah. Snuck out, but it doesn¡¯t appear I was missed except by you! And I went to the carnival!¡± ¡°How did you get enough money for a ticket? Those things have to be a whole lotta money!¡± The boy¡¯s eyes were all-black, lined with white; his skin was a pale green. His hair was fluffy and brown with streaks of gray, which always reminded Rags of a wolf¡¯s fur. His thick hair almost hid tall black wolf ears¡ªfour of them. One pair was normal-sized, and small ones stuck out from the side of the bases of the first pair. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay for the ticket, a performer let me in for free. Their name¡¯s Glee and they¡¯re super nice.¡± Rags kept his voice down in an effort to avoid waking anyone in the dorm. The kid smiled widely. ¡°I wanna meet Glee!¡± Rags gave a little laugh. ¡°Until then, I got you something! Happy seventh birthday, Griff.¡± He handed over a small griffin plush. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Griff squealed quietly and grabbed the plush. ¡°Yay!¡± He hugged it to his chest. ¡°What do we say?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re welcome. What¡¯s the griffin¡¯s name?¡± Griff frowned, taking the question seriously as he carefully examined the toy, staring into its face for a long moment. ¡°Feathers,¡± he stated plainly. ¡°I like that name! It fits him really well.¡± Griff looked over at Rags, frowning in his own version of a ¡®death stare.¡¯ It was not very intimidating to Rags, and he had to stifle a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a she,¡± Griff asserted. ¡°Not a he.¡± ¡°My mistake, my mistake.¡± ¡°Yes. it was.¡± Rags let go of the laugh he¡¯d been holding. ¡°C¡¯mon, Griff, I have a big day ahead of me in the arena. Let me get my rest, kid.¡± Griff suddenly looked worried. ¡°You have to fight her?¡± Rags swallowed, hoping his expression didn¡¯t reflect his anxiety. ¡°You got that right.¡± Griff handed something to Rags. ¡°You take this into the arena? It¡¯s lucky.¡± Rags picked up the thing and looked at it-- a rabbit¡¯s foot. ¡°Of course. Fighting her is a lot to think about, but I can just think, ¡®oh, I have to get this back to Griff,¡¯ and it¡¯ll help me focus.¡± Griff nodded and the two went to sleep, Griff hugging his plush to his chest. Chapter Five Glee woke drenched in sweat, shaking wildly. It must¡¯ve been the middle of the night. They couldn¡¯t remember having any dreams, but they were spooked as if they¡¯d just had a nightmare. They moved out of bed swiftly and into the kitchen, hunched near the trash can; perhaps they were sick? Their shadow suddenly darkened to a pure black, a gradient appearing on its form, a dark red on the head slowly fading to the complete black, the eyes blood-red. ¡°Gods, P.E.R.C.E., I thought you were better than this. Running away with your tail between your legs like a chastised dog whenever I show up,¡± the shadow sighed, annoyed. Glee stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Oh, why¡¯s that?¡± The shadow asked in a mocking tone. ¡°Or is it because you associate the name with that lab? The place they made you¡­ introduced you to little old me. Or, rather, you introduced yourself to me. It was so stupid, thinking you could¡¯ve avoided me so easily.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± they muttered. ¡°Oh? Then perhaps you should be reminded, P.E.R.C.E., they created you for this circus and you¡¯re just letting them use you. I¡¯m disappointed¡­ I thought you would fight.¡± The shadow sounded genuinely disappointed, though its tone had undertones of annoyance. Glee nodded. The shadow gave a heavy sigh and faded to its usual grayish hues, the glow of the eyes fading, and eventually the redness desaturating into the gray of a normal shadow. Glee moved back to bed, unnerved. They eventually settled into a fitful sleep. * * * Rags woke up and got dressed. He wore a leather shirt and pants with arm guards and leg guards made from strong metal. He slung a bow over his back, the string stretching across a flexible but strong chestpiece. He put his twin knives into their sheaths, the curved blades giving a shing as they entered the metal covers. He slipped four small daggers into the belt. He clipped the rabbit¡¯s foot on his belt and took a deep breath. ¡°Hey, Griff. Today¡¯s the day. Do you want to watch or stay here?¡± Griff woke up. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s the day of the fight with her, remember?¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah. I¡¯ll watch.¡± Griff pushed himself up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Griff, I¡¯ll get your rabbit¡¯s foot back to you.¡± A lump formed in Rags¡¯ throat as a horrible thought struck him: what if all that was left of Rags by the end of the day for Griff to remember him by was the griffin? That won¡¯t happen, Rags promised himself. ¡°Ok.¡± * * * She must¡¯ve been fifteen feet tall. The skin on her body was jet black, but on her face it was white as snow. Not an off-white, not tan. White. She was wearing a black mask over it, Rags could tell as he stood in her shadow, sweaty, shaky hands gripping the handles of his blades. ¡°We are gathered here today,¡± began the speech, ¡°To watch a fight between two legends: Rags; fourteen, male. ¡°The second: The One of Many Names, Faceless, The Last, Ikina la Farla; two-thousand fifty-seven, female.¡± The announcer paused, allowing people to wave their betting slips in the air, a tradition. Rags couldn¡¯t shake the fact that the announcer had started the speech with ¡°we are gathered here today.¡± It sounded like something someone at a funeral would say. He pressed his fingers hard into the handles of his twin blades to stop his hands from shaking, staring up at Ikina la Farla. He pressed his fist into the soft rabbit fur clipped onto his belt. I have to get it back to Griff. The announcer¡¯s voice turned into a buzzing in Rags¡¯ ears, the pit in his stomach going. ¡°Fight!¡± The shout from the announcer startled Rags and he bolted in between his opponents legs. He lept up and grabbed onto the tattered fabric, quickly climbing his way up to her head. He latched onto her greasy black hair and didn¡¯t let go as she thrashed her head, enraged. Riiip. His grip was perfect, his hands locked into her hair despite the grease. Her hair is tearing out. I¡¯m going to die. In one mighty thrash, she managed to throw Rags from her head. He landed hard on the stone floor of the arena. Something in his body cracked. He groaned and picked up the blade he¡¯d dropped. He held it with shaky hands, pointing it up towards her. Even he could see the blade quivering. Rags hated the idea of using his abilities to his advantage in a fight, but¡­ Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Fine. He whispered under his breath and suddenly jumped up. Time slowed around her as his blades slashed through the air, through her flesh, leaving dark marks that dripped sticky black blood. Like tar, he thought, before he landed, his left hand receiving the brunt of the fall. The pain was instant. His palm seemed to splinter and send a shockwave up his forearm. He sucked in air through his teeth and felt a cold hand pin him down. I never lose a fight. I¡¯m dreaming; that has to be it, I can¡¯t lose. ¡°Maybe,¡± came the whisper as she leaned down until her face was right beside his. ¡°Maybe if you can¡¯t wake up from the nightmare¡­¡± her white nails dug into his body; her hand was half as large as his entire form. ¡°You aren¡¯t asleep.¡± Her thumb slid underneath her mask and lifted it ever-so-slightly, so only Rags could see her face. He recoiled, pushing against the cold stone floor of the arena. Her mouth¡­ he turned his gaze farther up, to her eyes, or where they should have been, and felt bile rise up in his throat. It wasn¡¯t human, not even close. Crooked sharp teeth, hardly shaped like teeth, poked from bloody gums. Her teeth were shaped like large needles, like they had just been stabbed haphazardly into her mouth. Not all of them were even in her gums, he spotted something that must¡¯ve been a molar sprouting from her forked tongue. It looked as if her eyes had been ripped out, replaced by the inky blackness of the eye socket, but the rim of it matched the bloody gums in her mouth. Teeth longer than that in the mouth stretched from the body to the top of the eye socket. ¡°Rags!¡± The shout, filled with the sound of tears, seemed to wake Rags up. He squirmed in his place as she moved the mask back in its place. ¡°Griff!¡± He yelled back, trying to get out of her grip. ¡°Oh, poor dear,¡± she purred. ¡°Some children are simply born with tragedy in their blood.¡± She was distracted as she turned to look at Griff. He grabbed his blade with his right arm and cut a finger clean off. She instinctively recoiled and cried out, clutching the stump of her finger and dropping Rags. Her scream was ragged, the sound terrifying. ¡°Run. Run, you clever boy.¡± The voice was full of malice, deadly. Rags stumbled to his feet and ran, only to trip on a stone sticking out from the floor. He stared back at it uncomprehendingly¡ªhe didn¡¯t remember that being there, and he remembered every detail of the Arena. Rags looked up at her¡ªhe had to do something. His hand found one of his daggers. With no other idea of what he could do, he threw it. It flew through the air and lodged in her sternum. She fell to the ground, her finger dripping tar-like blood to the ground as her hand moved to where the dagger stuck in her chest. Her head moved down, as if looking, shocked, at the dagger. Rags took the opportunity and ran forward, leaping up as he reached her. He drove one of the twin swords into her shoulder with his right hand, the force of his blow knocking her onto her back. She didn¡¯t appear bothered, just¡­ surprised. Curious, almost. She reached a talon-like hand towards Rags and picked him up off her. He managed to grab onto his blade, but she reached up her second hand, sitting up now, and traced her a sharp claw-like nail down his injured arm; even the light contact left a deep red line cutting through his skin. Rags squirmed out of her grip and landed. His blades dropped from his hands with a clatter. He crumpled to the stone floor with a sharp cry. He was given no time to nurse his injuries. She picked him up like a limp ragdoll, tossed him up, and batted him at the wall like a cat would a mouse. He hit the wall, the air rushing out of him as he fell to the floor. He pushed himself up, propping himself on his elbow as he tried to breathe again. She plucked him between her forefinger and thumb and held him up. Rags could suddenly breathe, and strength returned to his body. Perhaps the air higher up was clearer. Maybe it was hearing Griff shout his name, voice breaking. It could¡¯ve been the adrenaline rush at the thought of being close to death. Or maybe Rags just got so damn angry at the whole setup. His skin took on the qualities of steel, gray and metallic. Rags swung his leg up, performing a flip as she held the tattered brown shirt on his back. He felt his foot connect with her index finger and heard a sharp snap. She dropped him out of surprise and he landed on his feet in a crouched position, quickly springing up to her face, managing to rip the mask off. He felt his fingers wrap around the teeth in her eye sockets and ripped one out. She screamed, her cry full of rage and pain, and her hands moved to her face, throwing Rags off. As he flew through the air, his skin took its normal pale blue. What? And then dread hit him, hard, in the gut. The announcer, he thought. They called her Ikina la Farla. Ikina la Farla. Thief of power. Rags outstretched his hands towards the floor on instinct. He realized his mistake a second too late, eyes widening just as his maimed hand made contact with the earth. Pain shot up his hand and forearm like fire and he fell to the ground. He quickly propped himself up on his right elbow, his left arm limp. Rags pushed himself to his feet and managed to look at his left arm¡ª it was soaked in blood, the skin torn. Ikina la Farla¡¯s skin turned shiny and gray. Rags experimentally aimed a swipe at her with his blade. It slipped off with the zing of metal on metal. Rags cursed and kicked at the sand that coated the stone floor, frustrated. ¡°Look at you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Still waiting for your happy ending.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± ¡°Whatever you say.¡± She lunged and caught him in her skinny hands and bony fingers. He didn¡¯t resist as she lifted him into the air, her skin cold iron. ¡°Thanks,¡± he told her, and pushed out of her hands. He landed on her head and pulled out another tooth, this time from her mouth. It came away slick with blood and saliva, sticking to his hand. ¡°What are you!?¡± She screamed, a sound filled with anger, surprise, and something like curiosity. ¡°A monster?¡± The metal quality of her skin faltered, the dark iron turning to the black of her body. The blood from her wounds continued falling; more like the slow drip of slime than the waterfall of blood flowing from a knife wound. ¡°A demon?!¡± He raised the tooth he¡¯d pulled from her mouth. ¡°No. A weapon.¡± Rags brought the tooth down. Part 2, Chapter One ¡°Glee!¡± The name, spoken by a female voice, echoed around the tavern. ¡°Glee, get over here!¡± ¡°Asza?¡± Glee moved out quickly but clumsily, slamming his half-empty tankard on the counter. ¡°Whassit?¡± They sounded worried through the slurred words. ¡°Glee, sober up, it¡¯s important!¡± ¡°Wha¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡± She sighed. ¡°Gamble!¡± The red and black decorated humanoid moved through the crowd and accepted the coin Asza flicked to him as he removed the alcohol from Glee¡¯s body. ¡°Arright, what¡¯s happenin¡¯, Asza?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Rags. He had to go back to the arena.¡± Glee¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, no.¡± They ran out the door, Asza calling after them, but they were far too fast for her. They found themself at the arena in a matter of minutes. Their clothes were smoldering, a small hole burning itself on the side of Glee¡¯s shirt. ¡°Rags!¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in the ring. We can¡¯t get him out.¡± Glee didn¡¯t stop to see where the voice came from; they just ran, knives in their hands. When Glee found Rags, he was sitting on the floor, staring at the body of Ikina la Farla. ¡°Rags!¡± They put a hand on Rags¡¯ upper arm. Rags threw their arm off, still not looking towards Glee. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me.¡± Glee backed away, not from fear, but out of respect for Rags'' wishes. ¡°You¡­ you killed her?¡± ¡°People do bad things when they¡¯re trying to survive, Glee.¡± ¡°So this is the environment you were raised in¡­? You¡¯ve seen too much too young.¡± Glee sounded sympathetic, maybe as if they had, too. ¡°I¡¯ve done too much too young.¡± Glee sat down next to him. ¡°Fair point. Can I ask you one question?¡± ¡°...fine.¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°Knife.¡± ¡°I mean how did you find the mental strength to do it?¡± ¡°Rage. And Griff¡­¡± Rags rubbed the rabbit¡¯s foot clipped on his belt between his index finger and thumb. Glee didn''t say anything. ¡°Glee¡­¡± Rags looked towards them. Glee gasped. He was missing an eye. They looked towards Ikina la Farla¡¯s body and saw that in one of her eye sockets sat a butchered eye, the same bright blue as Rags¡¯ remaining eye. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Oh, no, Rags¡ª I¡¯m killing them for making you do that, just sitting by and fucking letting her take your eye¡ª¡± ¡°Glee.¡± They didn¡¯t hear; they kept ranting. ¡°Glee.¡± Still nothing. ¡°Glee!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Glee¡¯s voice was still angry, and they were standing up, knife in hand. ¡°Glee, she didn¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°What? So who did?¡± ¡°I did. An eye for an eye. All she¡¯d ever wanted was to see a color other than black. She told me.¡± ¡°Rags¡­¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°You knew what?¡± asked Glee, obviously confused, the knife back in their belt. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s fine.¡± As Rags looked back at Glee, they realized how much blood Rags had lost. Rags swayed and blacked out due to lack of blood. * * * ¡°And how did this happen again?¡± Glee¡¯s eyes were calm, but his hands were almost itching to reach towards his knives. ¡°Does it really matter when he¡¯s bleeding out from three different places?! I¡¯ll tell ya after you at least bandage him up, he¡¯ll die! He¡¯s losing way too much blood.¡± The doctor looked through her files. ¡°You will be staying here until he¡¯s fixed up. I highly doubt he took a little fall out of a tree.¡± She took Rags from where he lied and replaced his soaked bandages. She rolled him out to an operating room and began her work. Asza, who¡¯d been leaning against the wall, said, ¡°Hmph. I could¡¯ve helped, Glee.¡± ¡°But would you have?¡± Asza was silent out of shock. Glee gave a scoff-like noise of disgust. A whisper: ¡°yes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Glee turned back to her, glaring. ¡°Yes. I would¡¯ve helped. I may not be the nicest person on earth, but I wouldn¡¯t leave someone to die. But you, Glee? You¡¯re merciless the moment someone does something ¡®wrong.¡¯¡± Glee couldn¡¯t find anything to say in response. * * * When Dr. Yarrow entered the room, Glee stood up rapidly, knocking over the chair they were sitting in. ¡°Is he ok?¡± ¡°He will be. He¡¯s lost an arm and he has a few broken ribs, but he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Asza and Glee both breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Now,¡± said the doctor, sitting down, ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me how this happened.¡± Glee began. ¡°I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure. You recognize the kid?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know the name Rags?¡± ¡°No.¡± Glee turned to Asza for help, who took a deep breath and began to explain who Rags was. When she¡¯d finished, Dr. Yarrow nodded; she was pinching the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. ¡°So you¡¯re implying he fought some other ¡®arena legend¡¯ and won, but had these injuries? You¡¯d think the Arena would have its own infirmary.¡± Glee blinked¡ªthey hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°Maybe they do, I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. So how exactly did this happen?¡± ¡°I dunno all the details. Seemed like he fought this absolute legend¡ªI did some digging while you were doing whatever the hell it is you were doing¡ªnamed Ikina la Farla who¡¯s never even been touched in the arena. Seems to me like Rags did the impossible and killed her, but nearly got killed in the process.¡± ¡°Regarding the eye, how did that happen? Is it a hobby for her to take someone¡¯s eye as a souvenir?¡± Asza was appalled and angry, not by the doctor¡¯s question, but by her casual tone. ¡°No,¡± she shot back shortly, before Glee could answer. ¡°He took it out himself because he could hear her speak. She told him she¡¯d only wanted to see one color other than black in her life.¡± Dr. Yarrow nodded, making a mark on her clipboard. Part two, chapter two ¡°Rags! You¡¯re okay!¡± Glee shouted, rushing over. Rags looked over, appearing hollow and dull. Rags wore a glass eye, but Glee could hardly see it as it was swollen shut. Some sort of cream had been applied to the wound. ¡°Hi, Glee.¡± ¡°How¡¯re ya doin¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been better. Of course, I¡¯ve also been worse¡­¡± Rags sighed. ¡°They said I have to do physical therapy. It¡¯s probably a good idea, considering¡­ that.¡± He gestured to his arm. ¡°But I don¡¯t have that money, they don¡¯t exactly give you a hundred crown chips an hour in that Arena.¡± Glee looked at Rags¡¯ arm for the first time¡ª and saw that the arm was gone from right above the arm. Stitches ran where Ikina la Farla had scratched him on his upper arm, as well as bandages on the many scrapes and scratches he endured on his arms and legs. Glee remembered that the doctor had mentioned the injuries, but they¡¯d forgotten. ¡°Uh.¡± Glee paused for a second, absorbing the wound, and decided to deal with that later. ¡°Out of curiosity, how much does someone in the Arena make?¡± ¡°Oh. Depends. If you¡¯re recruited, it¡¯s¡­ a lot. But I was born into it, so¡­ not much.¡± ¡°Why not run away? Obvious you can. Ya got to the circus.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a kid there. Griff. They¡¯d hurt him, and I can¡¯t do that to him. He just turned seven a few days ago.¡± Glee didn¡¯t know how to respond and switched to another, although also not easy, subject. ¡°You planning to get a¡­ whatcha-call-it.¡± ¡°A prosthetic?¡± ¡°Yeah, that. Robot limb sh¡­ shtuff.¡± ¡°I told you you can curse. It¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Eh. I¡¯m tryna get rid of the habit.¡± Rags tried to find something to respond with, but he couldn¡¯t. The conversation had been slightly forced anyway. ¡°So¡­ are you?¡± Asked Glee. ¡°Am I what?¡± ¡°Gettin¡¯ a prosthetic.¡± ¡°Oh. I mean¡­ I would. But I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d manage to do so without much money.¡± Glee took a deep breath. ¡°Rags, if you wanted¡­¡± he sighed again. ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can tell me.¡± ¡°Would you wanna work for the circus? If the Showmaster won¡¯t take you, you could work for me. I could buy the robot-limb-shtuff and ya could pay me back off with your money.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah. Yeah, sure!¡± ¡°Great¡ª now where does one buy an arm?¡± ¡°Black market.¡± Glee laughed. ¡°A robot arm, dummy. Though, quick question; how could woman-you-fought see well enough to fight? I mean, you said she¡¯s blind.¡± Rags sighed. ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, she was. I heard a rumor she could sort of sense where people were. Not objects, just people. And fire, weirdly.¡± ¡°Oh. She could probably see souls. Fire has a soul, just like people.¡± ¡°Cool. I guess.¡± ¡°Sorry for bringing that up, man. But I know a pretty good guy to get anything from.¡± The two went to the market and Glee found the Alchemist sitting in a dark corner. ¡°Hello. What can I get for you today?¡± asked the Alchemist. They were known for making anything, asking no questions, and for the ability of other Moriokin: the unique ability to move around individual molecules, often using the ability to liquify objects, but none could manipulate any part of an animal or humanoid. The Alchemist, however, had gone a step farther; he could manipulate atoms and subatomic entities, as well as bodies. Glee said a silent blessing that the guy had no evil intent. ¡°Sup. This is a friend Rags, we were wondering if you could make him a prosthetic. Lost an arm.¡± ¡°Sure. Rags, can you roll up your sleeve so I can see what I¡¯ll have to do?¡± Rags complied and showed the Alchemist the stump of his missing arm. ¡°Hm. It¡¯ll be a lot¡­ fifteen thousand crown piques, perhaps.¡± The Alchemist said with a smile, digging through their bag to see what they had, what would be used, and how much what would be used cost. Rags looked shocked¡ªfifteen thousand crown piques? ¡ªbut Glee appeared unfazed. ¡°Sure.¡± The Alchemist pulled several vials from their bag. The thread stitching Rags¡¯ stump unwove itself as the skin mended behind it. He focused on moving a metallic liquid with the color of an oil spill into a vague arm-like shape as powdered metal melded into the shape and fused. They grabbed a chalky white chunk of some sort of stone and broke off a piece. It floated up and joined the shape, and several minutes later, a prosthetic was attached to Rags¡¯ arm. The end result of the arm was a strangely beautiful thing; its framing was a bronze-colored metal and the material behind it was a dark blue swirled with black. The arm wasn¡¯t removeable, it had been fused to Rags¡¯ upper arm. It was difficult to pinpoint where the prosthetic began and the natural arm began, with the bronze-colored framing running up the natural arm like strange tattoos, with the colored material swirling up in estranged yet beautiful patterns. The hand was an almost-white, faintly tinted blue, and faded into the dark blue color. In the center of the palm was a black circle, the nails matching the color. ¡°Wow,¡± Rags whispered. ¡°Thanks, Al. Here¡¯s the money.¡± Rags watched as Glee passed over several coin pouches that they¡¯d stopped by to pick up at the circus. Glee paused. ¡°Wait,¡± they said. ¡°I know that doing stuff on bodies isn¡¯t your strong suit, but, uh, do you think you could heal cracked or broken ribs?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The Alchemist cringed as if physically pained by the words, but he told Glee that yes, they could in fact heal ribs. He¡¯d even do it for free. Glee thanked the Alchemist after he¡¯d healed Rags¡¯ ribs. ¡°Thanks for the business¡­¡± The Alchemist paused, shooting a glance at the pin on Glee¡¯s shirt. ¡°Thanks, Glee. I hear you work at the circus? I¡¯ve got a ticket for your next show. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you.¡± The Alchemist pulled Rags aside just before Glee and Rags left. They whispered something in Rags¡¯ ear that Glee couldn¡¯t hear, and Glee saw Rags squint at the palm of his prosthetic. Their eyes narrowed in suspicion, but they didn¡¯t say anything about it. Glee thanked the Alchemist and bade them goodbye as they walked away to the circus with Rags. ¡°Glee?¡± Rags said during the walk. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Can we stop by the Arena?¡± Glee blinked. ¡°I mean¡­ why?¡± Rags hesitated. ¡°Y¡¯know. Griff.¡± ¡°Sure, yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± When the two arrived, Rags led the way through the maze that made up the half-underground building, almost catacombs, that made up the contestant¡¯s living areas. Glee tried to keep track of where they were going; right, left, right, right, left, forward, left¡­ but he quickly lost track, wondering how on earth Rags, who was walking quickly without second guessing where the two were, could get anywhere at all. The two eventually found a door with a faded bronze label that Glee guessed must have once read something along the lines of ¡®dorms,¡¯ because when Rags pushed the door open on its rusty hinges with a loud creak, Glee saw dingy mattresses lined up on the floor in rows. People¡ªthey must¡¯ve all been kids, it looked like Rags was one of the oldest¡ªsat or laid, looking dejected and depressed, on the dirty, bug-infested mattress. Glee wrinkled their nose at the stench; it smelled of bedbugs and roaches, mice, and pest feces, all mixed with an unwashed human smell. Rags didn¡¯t appear deterred by the smell at all as he made his way to Griff. ¡°Hey, Griff,¡± he said in greeting, ruffling Griff¡¯s fluffy hair. Griff¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is this the circus man?¡± ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m a great circus person,¡± Glee responded, not even trying to stifle their laughter. Griff and Glee continued in conversation. Many questions were asked by the young boy; he wanted to know why Glee had antlers, if the fire ever burned them even if they told it not to, (¡°No, of course not, Shuzu listens to me!¡±) if it was dangerous to juggle knives (¡°Not if you¡¯ve had the right training.¡±) what it was like in the circus as a kid. Glee¡¯s answer to the last one dodged around the actual question and was very vague. Rags took careful note of it, eyes narrowing as he noticed Glee¡¯s pupils shrinking as if scared. ¡°Well, Glee,¡± Rags said smoothly, unlike his usual childlike fashion. Glee guessed it must¡¯ve been being in the Arena, obviously a stressful setting for Rags. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go ahead and head out?¡± His eyes primarily focused on the palm of his prosthetic, flicking up to Glee at the beginning of his statement. Glee¡¯s face fell. ¡°You can¡¯t leave Griff in here.¡± ¡°I¡­ you¡¯d let him come?¡± Rags blinked in surprise, cautiously optimistic, looking up from his hand. ¡°Well¡­ yeah. He¡¯s a kid, I ain¡¯t leavin¡¯ a¡­ what, how old are you?¡± asked Glee, turning to Griff. ¡°Seven!¡± Griff¡¯s voice was excited, his thoughts buzzing with the possibility of going to the circus. ¡°Can I work there if you take me?¡± ¡°Maybe, kid, depends what the Showmaster says.¡± Glee turned back to Rags. ¡°I ain¡¯t leavin¡¯ a seven-year-old in here. That¡¯s cruel.¡± Rags was slightly taken aback¡ªand then ashamed. He, of all people, should be standing up and fighting for Griff¡¯s freedom from the Arena. But then again, where was the guarantee of an escape? ¡°Listen, Glee, I¡¯m totally up for getting Griff and I out of here, but how? I know how to physically get us out of the Arena, but how do we stop people from chasing after us? They own us, Glee.¡± Rags¡¯ voice broke slightly at the end of his statement. Glee sighed, sitting down. ¡°I can tell you a thing or two about that,¡± he said, barely audible, and continued: ¡°Anyone can be bought. And if that doesn¡¯t work? Everyone has someone they care about. If they don¡¯t care about a spouse, a child? They care about themself.¡± ¡°Glee, what!? You can¡¯t just bribe or threaten everyone to get rid of your problems!¡± As soon as the words left Rags¡¯ mouth, he regretted it. Glee slowly turned to Rags. ¡°My problems?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Glee, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t mean? You didn¡¯t mean what? That I don¡¯t need to help you get out of this shithole of an Arena? That¡¯s what it fuckin¡¯ sounded like.¡± It shocked Rags how quickly Glee could go from a playful, teasing, almost older-brother-like individual to harsh and impatient. ¡°Glee, listen. I apologize¡ª¡± ¡°For what!?¡± Glee¡¯s voice had risen to a shout; they were standing up now. Rags heard Griff give a whine behind him and turned around to find the young child sitting on his mattress. He looked around and saw that almost all of the children in the room had turned around and were staring at Glee and Rags. ¡°Glee, be reasonable.¡± Glee blinked, seeming to have noticed the same thing as Rags. They gave a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair. ¡°Do you want help or not?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°So do you have a better idea?¡± Rags looked down, index finger circling the black mark in the middle of his mechanical palm. ¡°No,¡± he answered quietly. ¡°Yup. Let¡¯s get outside.¡± Rags was shaking visibly as he led Glee and Griff through the catacombs that made up the area around the Arena, taking the group of three to the exit. When they reached the double doors that led outside, Glee stopped the other two, attention focused on Rags. ¡°Okay. I assume whoever ¡®owns¡¯ you two lives here?¡± It took Rags a second to realize Glee was asking a question. ¡°Oh. Yeah. He lives on the third floor.¡± Glee looked up at the Arena; it was only one story. ¡°Uh, third floor?¡± ¡°Negative third floor,¡± Rags explained shortly. ¡°The place is a maze, I know. You go down three floors and navigate the tunnels, and you¡¯ll find him.¡± Glee nodded. ¡°Rags, you¡¯ll be staying with me. Guard the doors to wherever he¡¯ll be¡ªI assume an office of some sort¡ªand lead me there. And back, obviously.¡± Rags nodded. ¡°So how exactly do I guard? Just sit there and spin knives and look threatening?¡± ¡°Basically. Just keep out anyone who tries to get in, goddit?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Glee paused. ¡°Is there any way to get all of the kids out of there?¡± ¡°Sorry, Glee, no chance. They¡¯re valuable leverage in the Arena. How else would they control the contestants?¡± Glee looked disappointed, but they pushed down their anger at whoever was doing this to kids and focused on the problem at hand. Maybe they could do something after Rags and Griff were out. Glee turned to Griff. A vague thought crossed their mind about how the kid could be so quiet¡ªnot a ¡°make-no-noise¡± quiet, but a sit still quiet. ¡°Well, Griff¡­¡± Glee¡¯s mind raced. What would they do with the kid? Didn¡¯t seem like they could just¡ª ¡°I can stay out here! There are woods nearby. I¡¯ll climb a tree and stay there.¡± Glee was reluctant to agree, but Rags seconded the plan quickly. Glee eventually gave in and Griff moved off to the woods, hoisting a brown backpack farther up on his shoulders as they and Rags snuck into the complex maze of the Arena. Rags quickly led the way to the stairs, which led the way to another maze, which led the way to the real set of stairs. Going down those stairs, the two made their way to the negative third floor. After only a few incidents with employees, all three of which were hit very hard on the head, the pair found a set of double doors. As a contrast to the stone walls of the catacombs, the doors were made of a rich, dark wood, with intricate golden framing on the corners and golden door knobs. ¡°Fancy door,¡± Glee muttered. ¡°To think all the money spent on a goddamn door¡­ that coulda helped so many people.¡± Rags glanced towards Glee nervously¡ªhis last interaction with them while they were angry hadn¡¯t gone great. Glee noticed and their shoulders slumped slightly. ¡°Listen, kid; sorry about earlier.¡± Before Rags could respond, Glee slipped between the doors and disappeared into the room. Part 2, Chapter Three Glee found someone sitting at the desk, and it certainly didn¡¯t look like anyone who could be responsible for such a horrible place. The man sitting at the desk was balding with white hair and kindly eyes He looked almost similar to the Showmaster: same dark eyes, same faintly transparent skin, though the Showmaster¡®s dark horns were longer and more curved. his wrinkled hand shook as he reached for a fountain pen and began writing in a journal. The desk was the same rich brown wood, very organized, everything placed strictly into neat stacks. He didn¡¯t seem to notice Glee, even though they weren¡¯t hiding. The man at the desk looked up, pushing up his square glasses as he squinted at Glee. He didn¡¯t say or do anything, just continued his writing, the marks scribbly with the proof of an elderly man¡¯s shaking hands. ¡°H-hello?¡± Glee¡¯s voice was hesitant, they hadn¡¯t been expecting such a response--or a lack of one. The man didn¡¯t respond; he just kept writing. They raised their weapon and prepared to speak. It was similar to a staff, but on each end rested a sharp blade. The dark metal that made up the handle was light but sturdy; the weapon was designed for Glee¡¯s ability to jump into impossibly high places. ¡°Dude.¡± They snapped below the man¡¯s nose and he looked up as if surprised to see someone there. ¡°Oh, hello! What can I do for you?¡± Glee hesitated¡ªthis person didn¡¯t seem bad enough to threaten. They decided they¡¯d do their best to persuade him, and if worse came to worst, they¡¯d bring out their weapon. Until then, Glee carefully folded up the staff and stuck it in a sheathe. ¡°Alright, man.¡± They sat down in a chair across from the man. ¡°There¡¯s two kids here, okay? One¡¯s Rags, one¡¯s Griff. Rags, as I¡¯m sure you know, fought with what¡¯s-her-face. His arm got ripped apart for shit and now that fu¡ª and now his arm is gone. He can¡¯t fight anymore, and Griff just isn¡¯t fighting material.¡± The man pushed his glasses up. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to buy them off of me? Dear boy, Rags comes at a high price. He¡¯s made quite a lot for the Arena.¡± Glee was taken aback, stunned. ¡°I don¡¯t buy people!¡± Their voice rose at the end of their statement to near hysteria. ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking monster, I don¡¯t spend my time looking for the best people to buy and going to a fucking cruel bioengineering facility and commissioning a person to be made, got me?¡± The man at the desk glanced at Glee¡¯s weapon. It was at his throat, a tiny drop of blood beading on the old man¡¯s wrinkled skin. Glee hadn¡¯t even realized they¡¯d put it there. ¡°Dear child,¡± began the man, in a strongly condescending tone, like an adult scolding a child who did something that they found so stupid that the ¡°kind¡± adult just had to take it upon themselves to explain anything and everything to this child. ¡°You cannot just take Rags, nor Griff. They¡¯ve given me a lot of money, and unless you plan to pay the money he¡¯s retrieved tenfold, you cannot have him.¡± Glee growled, putting more pressure on the blade. ¡°I can¡¯t, huh? What if I¡¯m not taking him?¡± The old man arched his eyebrows, making a vague gesture for Glee to continue. ¡°What if he¡¯s standing outside this door? What if he¡¯s holding me hostage in order to get out himself?¡± His eyes narrowed, searching for truth in Glee¡¯s voice, their expression. Glee plowed on. ¡°What if, just what if I¡¯m not the only one who he¡¯s holding hostage?¡± They gestured at the picture on the desk, gold framing a photo of a young girl, obviously the man¡¯s daughter or granddaughter. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The man frowned, considering this. After a long pause, he answered, ¡°I have a hard time believing that you have Lily held hostage. She¡¯s dead.¡± Glee huffed, frustrated¡ªthat made his plan a bit more complicated. ¡°Arright, dude, I don¡¯t have your frickin¡¯ child or grandchild or whatever. But I do have¡­ a blade to your throat!¡± Glee¡¯s voice had the tone of a circus announcer before dropping to deadly serious. ¡°If you want to keep your windpipe in one piece, I suggest you let Rags outta here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my greatest concern right now, is it?¡± Glee snorted. ¡°It sure as hell should be, you self-important piece of shit. If you¡¯re not worried about getting decapitated, you have problems.¡± He shrugged and went about his writing, as if the razor-sharp blade against his throat was nothing but a gnat buzzing around his ears. Glee snarled and threw open the doors, exposing Rags to the man. This, for once, got the man¡¯s attention. ¡°Listen, dude,¡± began Glee, ¡°I¡¯ve tried being nice and it hasn¡¯t fucking worked. So if I have to, this is what I¡¯m gonna do. I will take your will and say that everything goes to Rags and I. Then guess what? Buh-bye, bastard!¡± The man looked slightly shocked. ¡°Rags!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°After all I¡¯ve done for you?¡± ¡°Dr. Allizin¡ª¡± Rags began, but Glee interrupted. ¡°After all you¡¯ve done for him? What, pray tell, have you done for him?! Kidnap him and train him to fight? Put him against Ikina la Farla, making it your fault that he lost an eye and an arm?¡± Glee would¡¯ve continued, when Rags shouted above Glee¡¯s words. ¡°Glee! Hush!¡± The circus performer reluctantly fell silent, leaning back against the wall and glaring at Dr. Allizin, waiting impatiently for Rags¡¯ explanation. ¡°Allizin, I¡¯m so sorry. I should¡¯ve come in and given you a proper explanation. I was thinking¡­ I¡¯m about to turn fifteen. Most people are given the choice when they¡¯ve worked here for sixteen years, whether or not they can stay.¡± Rags took in a deep, shuddering breath, and Glee realized he might be crying or holding back tears. ¡°I¡¯m nearing my fifteenth birthday. I was wondering if, as a tribute for how much better at everyone else I¡¯ve been, if I could be released a year early.¡± Dr. Allizin frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it, dear boy. For the meantime, go to the dorm and send this outside.¡± He waved a hand at Glee. Glee stormed out, muttering about senile old men. Rags hesitated and followed, saying goodbye to Allizin before moving through the catacombs, following Glee¡¯s loud footsteps. He heard them come to a halt with one loud, echoing impact and rushed forward only to find an empty room with a skylight. Strange. Rags hadn¡¯t even known that it existed. He climbed up a rope and found his way outside. He couldn¡¯t hear Glee¡¯s footsteps, now that the echo of the concrete walls was no longer there to guide him. After a few moments, he spotted Glee¡¯s form, walking towards the woods where the two had dropped off Griff. He followed quickly and met Glee there, only to find that the two were laughing, watching as a young fox in the distance chased after a bright blue butterfly. He paused, wondering if Rags¡¯ presence alone would be enough to dampen their moods. He sat down, against a nearby tree, occasionally cracking a smile whenever Glee or Griff cracked a joke. After a bit, Glee seemed to notice Rags was there. ¡°Hey, kid! How ya doin¡¯?¡± Rags was taken aback by how quickly Glee¡¯s mood had improved, but Glee¡¯s smile didn¡¯t seem to reach their eyes. ¡°Uhm. I¡¯m doing good,¡± he replied after a few moments of awkward silence, punctuated by Griff tapping out a beat on his legs. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to work for a long time.¡± ¡°I know. It hasn¡¯t quite sunk in, though.¡± Glee grunted in response. Eventually Griff asked when they could go to the circus, and Glee responded with ¡°right now!¡± before Rags could answer. The three quickly set off to the circus, Glee leading the way, occasionally teasing Griff with a ¡°race you to that tree!¡± and jumping into the tree¡¯s branches. When Griff began to whine about it, Glee let the kid win a few of the races. When they arrived, it was far past dark. Glee was tired, and Griff¡¯s uncharacteristic moodiness seemed to be caused by fatigue, as well. Glee showed their companions to the dorms and invited them to the mostly-empty room they occupied. Griff seemed in awe at the soft beds, with sheets and good blankets, not on the floor, but in a bed frame. It made Glee simultaneously sad and happy, seeing the kid so happy about something most took for granted. Rags was sitting up against the bed frame. Glee sat on their bed, unwinding for a few minutes before settling down into bed. They fell asleep before their head hit the pillow. Part 2, chapter four When Glee woke up, it was a little past dawn. They wandered to the kitchen and began to make breakfast for the three. By the time the eggs were halfway done, Glee realized that one egg per person wasn¡¯t the most filling. They diced up some fruit for fruit salad and quickly toasted bread with their fire. By the time they¡¯d finished with breakfast, Rags had emerged. ¡°Hey, Rags!¡± Glee said brightly. ¡°Shut up,¡± Rags said, yawning in the middle of ¡®up.¡¯ Rags had stayed up far after Glee had gone to bed. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a night person.¡± Rags shot a glare at Glee and mumbled something. Glee nodded knowingly and started boiling water in a kettle. Five minutes later, they set Rags¡¯ breakfast in front of him, right next to a cup of coffee. Rags muttered something along the lines of ¡°thanks,¡± and began to eat. After the two had both eaten (and drank coffee), Rags was much happier. Griff came out of the dorms, rubbing his eyes. He noticed food and immediately brightened, diving towards the fruit salad. He shoved food into his mouth. Glee noticed his teeth were incredibly sharp and seemed to be for carnivorous animals, like wolves. With a mouthful of berries, Griff somehow managed to ask, ¡°Do we got bacon?¡± Glee laughed. ¡°We have some, it¡¯s just not cooked. I can slap that shh¡­shtuff in the flyin pan.¡± They frowned. ¡°Frying pan.¡± Rags seemed somehow shocked. ¡°Wait-wait-wait.¡± Glee turned back around, having already started moving towards the fridge. ¡°Hm?¡± Glee responded above Griff¡¯s giggles, occasionally saying ¡®flying pan.¡¯ ¡°You-you¡¯re our employer,¡± Rags said blankly. ¡°Oh! Right! Uh, don¡¯t worry about it, the work isn¡¯t dangerous or anything. I¡¯m probably just going to have you guys be part of my show, maybe be the guys who are operating the fire canon¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to act all nice if you¡¯re our employer,¡± Rags said slowly. Glee paused as they were putting the bacon on the pan. ¡°Rags¡­ what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to act nice if you¡¯re our employer,¡± he repeated, sounding a bit more sure of himself now. ¡°Griff, make sure to also eat your egg! I can reheat if I need to!¡± Glee cleared their throat and turned back to Rags, Griff scampering around in the kitchen and swallowing his egg whole. ¡°Rags, I don¡¯t have to do my best in every show. I still do.¡± Rags still didn¡¯t seem to get the point. He struggled with words for a moment. ¡°I- you- it doesn¡¯t benefit you to¡­¡± Glee sighed. ¡°Dude, it also doesn¡¯t benefit me to make you fight people to the death.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°...but it took time out of your day to make food.¡± ¡°Dude, I love cooking breakfast! It¡¯s the one time of day I get to be alone and do something I like. Probably why you were awake by the time I went to bed, your time is at night, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Glee flipped the bacon with their hands. Upon seeing Rags¡¯ surprised expression they exclaimed, ¡°Dude, I washed my hands!¡± Both Rags and Griff bursted out laughing. Glee was smiling as they flipped the last bit of bacon, not at all bothered by the heat. A few minutes later, Griff approached Glee, tugging at their shirt. ¡°Glee?¡± he asked. ¡°Huh? Oh, what is it, Griff?¡± ¡°If you eat spicy food, since heat doesn¡¯t care about you, does it still burn when you¡ª¡± ¡°WOAH, Griff, I¡¯m gonna stop you right there!¡± Glee said, laughing loudly. ¡°And I don¡¯t eat spicy food.¡± They added under their breath, ¡°mostly,¡± as they pulled the bacon out of the pan, set them in a paper towel for thirty seconds, and proceeded to drown their piece of bacon in pepper flakes. ¡°Glee, that¡¯s enough pepper, your piece of bacon is going to catch on fire,¡± Rags said as he held out his plate for his bacon. Glee handed the bacon over, continuing to cover it in pepper. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a Pyro. I can¡¯t light on fire and neither can my bacon.¡± Glee also gave Griff a plate with bacon on it, though it was just dirtying up a dish that didn¡¯t need to be dirty¡ªGriff ate his bacon in one bite. ¡°Well. Time to start the day.¡± They surveyed the kitchen. ¡°Correction: Time to clean the counters. Griff, Rags, can you get your dirty dishes?¡± ¡°When I grow up, can I be a Pyro, too?¡± Griff asked as he put every dirty dish and pan he could find in the sink where Rags was washing them. ¡°Woah, thanks. And, uh, Griff, that¡¯s not really how that works.¡± Glee responded. ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°Well, if your mom was a Pyro but your dad wasn¡¯t, you might be a Pyro. It¡¯s fifty-fifty. If your dad was a Pyro but your mom wasn¡¯t, you probably won¡¯t be a Pyro, but there¡¯s a chance. And if both were Pyroes, you¡¯re inbred¡ªI mean you¡¯re a Pyro.¡± ¡°Oh. Which one were you?¡± Griff sounded vaguely disappointed, but still curious. ¡°Oh. Uhm. I-¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, Glee, what were you? You haven¡¯t talked about your family at all.¡± Rags added. ¡°My mother was a Pyro but my father wasn¡¯t,¡± Glee answered on autopilot. It was a ¡®fact¡¯ they¡¯d made up years ago, and it wasn¡¯t one-hundred percent untrue. The Pyromania DNA in their blood had been inherited from a female, while almost everything else had been either edited in or been inherited from a male. ¡°Ooh, cool! That means you got lucky!¡± ¡°Not too terribly lucky,¡± Glee answered, though they were nodding. Their conversation continued until the dishes were done and Glee had finished wiping the counters and putting ingredients away. ¡°Well, we have a show tomorrow, because it¡¯s been a few days since our last show. We normally do two or three in the same town before moving. So, tell ya what. We¡¯re gonna practice. You guys are gonna be the people who operate the fire cannons. Rags, you remember my show. You saw the fireballs shooting towards me at top speed. You two get to throw the knives and operate the cannons.¡± ¡°Uh, Glee? Who was operating them before?¡± Rags asked hesitantly. Glee shrugged. ¡°Pixies, probably.¡± Despite their nonchalant words, Glee¡¯s tone was slightly tinted with anxiety. Griff gave an excited gasp. ¡°Fairies? Do we get to see them?¡± Glee laughed. ¡°Griff, the pixies aren¡¯t shooting at me because they want to help in the show. And, uh, trust me, you don¡¯t want to meet fairies. Nastier than pixies.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Griff didn¡¯t seem to understand, but perhaps felt he¡¯d look unwise if he asked more. Never mind the fact that he had just turned seven a few days ago. part 2, chapter five Shortly after, the three arrived at the stage. To Rags, it looked desolate, especially in comparison to how crowded and loud the circus had been not too many days ago, like seeing an empty spot where the moon used to be. Glee quickly led Rags and Griff backstage. Tiny beings no more than six inches tall emerged from the shadows in the curtains. All were slightly translucent so you could see their organs, which almost made Rags gag, despite how he was used to gore, especially when he saw Griff licking his lips. Their foggy glass skin was tinted different colors, the majority green, some purple, some blue, still others reddish, each equipped with a small pair of insect-like wings. They were humanoid, and their ¡°clothing¡± was very crude. They all seemed to be wearing loincloths made out of leaves or segments of the stage curtains. As far as Rags could tell, there were no female pixies in the crowd. The small imp-like things seemed to be plotting something, each one glaring at Glee. Glee didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by the things, even when one tossed a small pebble at them. ¡°Well, before we can practice we¡¯ll have to get these things out,¡± they muttered, before announcing it louder so the others could hear. ¡°How?¡± Asked Rags. Before Glee could answer, Griff lunged at a red-tinted pixie and gripped the thing around the abdomen. The little thing looked like it might be sick as its tiny arms pushed against Griff¡¯s tight grip. ¡°Oh, Griff, you¡¯re holding it too tight! Loosen up a little bit, kid.¡± Griff did and held the pixie up to his face to examine it closer. The small creature gave a high-pitched scream that Rags suspected was a war cry and stabbed a tiny dagger into Griff¡¯s nose. ¡°Ow!¡± He exclaimed, dropping the pixie. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we don¡¯t mess with the pixies. You alright, kiddo?¡± Griff nodded. ¡°Can we cook one of the green ones? And can I have a blue one?¡± The blue pixies snarled and the green ones hissed towards Griff. ¡°That¡¯s a no,¡± Rags supplied, his hands already twitching nervously towards his twin blades. The things were tiny, but there were many and they could likely overpower at least one of the three, particularly Griff. ¡°And, Glee, why do these things want to kill you? They¡¯re all¡­ glaring at you.¡± Glee shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Y¡¯know, we had to have some way to get the things to shoot at me for the show¡­¡± ¡°Glee, what did you do!?¡± Glee coughed and Rags caught a word in the noise, something involving fire. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I had to, uh. I¡¯m not proud of it¡­ we just¡­ weren¡¯t very nice to them. So that they would dislike us.¡± ¡°Yeah, because whenever I don''t like someone, I want to kill them.¡± Glee relaxed. ¡°Yeah, see, you get it!¡± ¡°Glee! That was sarcasm!¡± They slumped. ¡°Right.¡± Before the conversation could continue, every pixie at once lunged towards Glee, climbing up their clothes. In a moment of panic, Glee burst into flames. Fifteen seconds later, all that remained of most of the pixies were considered edible by Griff. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Glee said numbly. ¡°I panicked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Glee!¡± Griff said brightly. ¡°You got us lunch!¡± The seven-year-old scooped up a handful of toasted pixies and bit into one with a crunch. ¡°Yeah, Glee, it¡¯s alright. I can get the rest of the pixies out,¡± Rags agreed, though his voice was a bit shaky. Great job, Glee, proclaimed the shadow¡¯s voice. Now another person is afraid of you. ¡°Shut up,¡± Glee muttered aloud, but their discomfort only fueled the shadow. How old is he? The voice continued, audible only to Glee. Thirteen, fourteen? He¡¯s gone through hell and back when he was in the Arena, and look what you¡¯ve done. You¡¯ve managed to scare someone who¡¯s killed dozens of cold-hearted killers. You¡¯re a horrible, horrible person. ¡°What did you say?¡± Asked Rags. ¡°N-nothing, I¡¯m just thinking out loud.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Of course you are, P.E.R.C.E., Going insane by the moment.¡± announced a voice that Glee knew all too well. They stifled a yelp. Rags instantly jumped into a fighting stance. ¡°Glee? What was that?¡± Griff inched closer to Glee out of fear. Rags was frozen, staring at the shadow¡¯s glowing red eyes, like red lightning against soft, light blue clouds. ¡°This,¡± Glee said in a shaky, resigned voice, like an elderly man telling a secret he¡¯d carried for life, ¡°Is Gloom.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Rags managed to get out. ¡°You¡ª there¡¯s a shadow. And it¡ªit¡¯s talking?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Griff realized that the shadow was close to Glee, and therefore close to him, and gave a wolf-like yelp, quickly leaping back and hiding behind Rags. ¡°Have they not told you about me? How rude. I am Gloom, P.E.R.C.E.¡¯s¡­ companion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my companion!¡± Glee said hastily. ¡°Perce?¡± Rags asked, knives still unsheathed, though he was now standing normally, no longer in a fighting stance. ¡°No, It¡¯s P-E-R-C-E. Stands for Pyrokinetic Entity for Recreation and Circus-themed Entertainment.¡± ¡°Gloom, let me explain this! You¡¯re going to twist the facts and make it sound like I¡ª¡± ¡°Like you what, P.E.R.C.E.? Killed someone?¡± ¡°Glee? Wh-who is this?¡± Griff asked, trusting Rags to defend him. The only thing Glee wanted to know was if Griff wanted defending from the shadow or from Glee themself. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Griff, it can¡¯t hurt you. Or me.¡± Under their breath, Glee added, ¡°At least, not physically,¡± before returning to their normal speaking volume. ¡°I was genetically engineered as a commission from the Circus in the days when it was much better known and much more rich. Back when it could afford these things, y¡¯know? They asked for a Pyro that was made for entertainment. Hence¡­ this.¡± Glee gestured vaguely at the bright patterns on their skin, the vivid colors of their hair. ¡°I was designed to be eye-catching. To keep the audience¡¯s attention, to entertain.¡± Bitterness seeped into their voice. ¡°By the time I was maybe four, five, six? They never told me my exact birthday. But by that time, I had managed to get outta my room. I was walking down the hallways, when I saw this¡­ thing. It told me it was a soul without a body, and it sounded so sad, if only it could just inhabit my shadow for a little bit? Just until it could find a body. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how difficult it would be to get rid of it,¡± Glee sighed. ¡°They¡¯re talking about me,¡± Gloom offered unhelpfully. ¡°I can be very clingy when I find someone I¡¯d want to keep¡­ What''s the word? Haunting? Something along those lines.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Glee offered helpfully. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the right word.¡± Glee sighed. ¡°Anyway, it didn¡¯t stay just until it could find a body. It¡¯s still here. And it¡¯s still ¡®haunting¡¯ me, as it so delicately puts it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving out a key detail, P.E.R.C.E.,¡± Gloom scolded. ¡°Would you let me fucking finish?!¡± Glee shouted at it, kicking the ground where the shadow was. This did nothing but hurt Glee¡¯s ankle, but they wouldn¡¯t give Gloom the satisfaction of knowing that. Gloom gestured towards Glee, which looked a bit strange, but got the point across. ¡°Gloom here kept haunting me. He could talk to me and no one else could hear it. I learned very quickly to keep quiet about it, or they might think I was defective and dispose of me. I eventually got very mad at it, but it was manipulative. It convinced me that it was actually the Hands¡¯ fault. Y¡¯know how I just burnt a shitton of pixies?¡± ¡°Glee¡­ no¡­¡± Rags said, knives now sheathed. He was pressing into his temples as if he had a headache. ¡°It¡¯s lying, right?¡± ¡°I killed six people,¡± Glee finished. ¡°Now,¡± they added, voice shaking. ¡°The show must go on. Let us practice.¡± Gloom gave a malicious smile, teeth unnervingly white in the shadow, and the shadow slowly faded into its normal grayish hue. Rags and Griff, for whatever reason, didn¡¯t oppose the decision. Rags removed the rest of the pixies and put them outside, and the two went with it and fired the cannons with no problems at Glee. When they were finished with that practice, Glee decided that they needed no extra practice. Griff especially seemed a natural. Glee directed the two to a bin full of small fake knives that would not hurt Glee in case they were thrown wrong. Rags exceeded at throwing the knives. Griff often missed. Once a knife was thrown towards the audience. Glee decided not to let Griff throw the knives. ¡°Arright guys, I got a plan. Griff, you¡¯re operating the fire cannons. Rags, you¡¯re great at that knife-throwin¡¯. You¡¯re doin¡¯ that.¡± Glee told the other two. ¡°Okay,¡± Rags answered quietly. Glee¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°Rags, I really didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone. I swear, it was an accident, and I don¡¯t control Gloom, I¡¯m really doing my best, I swear¡ª¡± ¡°Glee, it¡¯s okay,¡± Rags said, though he had flinched. His hand had gone to the palm of his prosthetic, almost a nervous tic. ¡°Al-alright. I¡¯ll drop it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Griff looked over, oblivious. ¡°Can we have bacon tomorrow, too?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Glee answered absentmindedly. ¡°Let¡¯s run through the whole act again. We have to be prepared by tomorrow.¡± They did and it went off without a hitch. Glee paid Griff his portion. They told Rags that they wouldn¡¯t be paying him until his debt for the arm had been paid off by his wages, but that any basic needs would be taken care of by Glee and the circus.Rags told them that he understood and the three decided to take a break for lunch. Griff demanded that they go to the market for lunch, so Glee agreed. ¡°Rags, would you wanna join us? I don¡¯t mind paying, and no, you will not be put in debt.¡± Glee promised with a smile. Rags gave a slightly nervous laugh. It unnerved him how normal Glee was acting, but he didn¡¯t comment on it. ¡°No, thanks, they serve all employees free food. I don¡¯t want to bother you.¡± He sat down in the tent and began to fidget with the hand of his prosthetic. Glee shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± and headed off to the market with Griff.