Legend Land: Tale of the Nameless God

Chapter 23.1: Showtime!

"A word of advice, rat?" she mutters as she drags me towards the door. "Channel that energy towards everyone out there," she says and points with her club to the bright lights beyond the open metal door.

I begin to struggle after regaining my breath, but she puts a stop to that with her club to my knees, dragging me half-limping past the announcer. As I pass the hook-nosed sadist, I catch a glimpse of tan skin and sharp cheekbones under the makeup. He flicks his black irises over me, and I lunge towards him, breaking free of the dwarven guard.

"Xochi!" I shout, grabbing his shoulders. My mind latches onto the fact that I may be able to escape, that I may not have to do this all over again. A familiar face, one not covered in disgust and hatred for me, is all I need. One moment, one chance, and I can be out of here—out of this shit hole, and away from all these mistakes.

"Do I know you?" Xochi inquires in a long drawl. The guard buckles my legs from behind and I collapse onto my knees. The faint glimmer of recognition flashes through his eyes, and his face lights up. "Oh hello Hosuseri! I didn't recognize you out of your usual position," he says as he dusts my fingerprints off his shoulders. "Pardon my confusion, it's merely abnormal to see you doing anything but groveling."

"Funny, I remember you on your knees more than me, pretty Xochi," I say and force a smile. Just get me out of here. Get me away from these people, get me closer to Dickwed. I'll grovel, I'll beg and smile and pretend; anything to not be in this prison for another second. Every breath I take gets under my skin; it infects me until I'm nothing but disease.

"Funny how those tables have turned."

"Hilarious," I reply dryly, and look around. People are starting to stare; I have to convince him before he feels self-conscious. When Xochi is under attention, he tends to overcompensate, and I'll be his example. And unlike that Ismarian class in nude portraits, being the example, this time would be...well, in a word: bad.

Stop antagonizing him, stop joking, and take it seriously. Gods eternal, get ahold of yourself, Namonai.

"How did you come to be in my little sanctuary for Malor's lost souls?" he asks, spreading his arms wide. His golden sleeves nearly drape down to his waist, and billow with every movement.

"There was a...misunderstanding. Someone didn't like something I did. Listen," I pant with exasperated desperation, "that's not important. You've got to get me out of here!" Xochi taps his chin, his painted grin stretching into a grotesque frown.

"You know, I want to say yes. But," he looks down at me with a flash of his obsidian eyes, "every bone in my body is screaming 'no'. Because," he grabs me by my face and slams me onto my back when I try and lunge at him, "you reek of desperation. You always have. You were desperate when you stole from me, when you stayed with my sister." Slept. I slept with his sister. There's a difference. "You were desperate when you put on your mask and pretended to be my friend. I wonder," Xochi kneels down next to me while two more guards appear from the shadows to hold me down, "how desperate were you when you left me stranded on that gods-forsaken mudball?"

"If you'll just give me a chance to—" my words are cut short by a club to the stomach.

"To make me some money and fame? Of course!" Xochi says with a too-wide smile. The guards drag me backwards, kicking and flailing, towards the open metal door and the cheering beyond.

No! Get out. Move goddammit, move. I yank hard and one of the guard's slip, tumbling onto my legs. I collapse forward and they begin dragging me back by my feet, my nails scraping and ripping against the earth. I can't let them put me back in, not like this!

"Please!" I shout past the fear bubbling in my throat. "Don't put me back!" Xochi signals to the guards to stop, and I let out half a sob.

"That's right, you've done this before, haven't you? Not at my Extravaganza, but something similar, yes?"

"You can't imprison a god here, you can't," I beg.

"I don't see a god here. All I see is a...what's the word?" Xochi asks, waving his hand.

"Rat, sir" the female dwarven guard suggests.

"Rat! Yes. Just a little rat, squeaking and begging because he knows he's caught in a trap."

"The other Immortals won't stand for this, not against one of their own!" I shout as the guards drag me away. "They'll come for you!" Xochi lets out his sharp, piercing laughter that echoes off the cold stone walls.

"I don't think so! No, they'll be watching you, Boneman."

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Boneman. I haven't heard that name in forever. I thought I left that behind. Funny how your past has a habit of catching up with you like a starved bear-cheetah, huh?

"Duck!" I drop to the ground and barely avoid being simultaneously crushed and impaled by a large wooden ball filled with sharpened stakes. The man who warned me gives me an uneasy smile.

"Goose!" I shout back. The confused look on his face lasts less than half a second before it's completely obliterated by a thick crossbow bolt.    

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Inspired by: "Crushed" by Parkway Drive

It's about to get darker, guys. Feeling hopeless yet?

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Beta Readers/Editors:

Alyssa Clark

Elizabeth Foran

Mandy Barfield

Jordan Thacker

Raiden Jackson