Naida, Cobar, and John, were all weary of Perci the next day, which she found positively amusing. It was Friday.
Five seconds though, what type of name is John? Like there's nothing wrong with the name, but they're floating around in space, doing illegal business. Shouldn't it be some cool name or spelling like Jowhnn, or Johx. Do you get what I mean?
Anyways,
It was Friday, the day Perci had an inkling of a feeling that she would see Corpse again. And unlike what the others all thought around her, she wasn't scared, it was only one baddie, how horrible could he be?
Fingers crossed she didn't just jinx herself.
As Perci sweeped in the hallway outside of the medical room she woke up in, she paused as she felt a presence floating into the hallway, the witch stared out of the window into space, watching as the stars and planets disappeared as they flew by them. "We are arriving?"
Corpse's grin faltered for a nano second, no longer, "smart one you are, eh?" He sighed stepping up behind her, and lightly brushing his hand up her left arm, her shoulder, her neck, when he suddenly grabbed it. Perci flinched as he stared out into the abyss, "but yes we are. Look right there."
Perci realized that they were approaching a large colony like space dock.
"A pit stop?"
Corpse's smile somehow widened even though his freakish eyes portrayed their annoyance and anger at this mysterious woman. "Follow me."
Perci nodded, following behind him closely.
-----<>-----
Corpse led her through the colony that they had just landed on, Perci assumed that this was his main base of operations.
She wore white fitted pants, loose white long sleeve shirt, white socks, white boots, and even her hair was pulled up into a ponytail by a white bow.
The witch assumed that she was being led to the middle of the base, where Corpse would hand her over to be 'trialled' and/or broken. Perci wasn't particularly excited but what could she do, she was hoping to finish up this mission entrusted to her by the fates as quickly as possible because she was missing Eridani. The little elf had wormed his way into her heart and she was getting worried something may have happened to him. She trusted the fates, but Perci guessed it was some sort of instinct to worry for the boy she held dearly.
Ah how she missed not having to work.
From the corner of her eye, Perci could see multiple other beings fitted in white clothes, they were also being led by their handlers, but apparently since she was being led by boss man himself, it meant she was something special. An unusual subject she suspected. Perci even noticed Naida that weird water bender in her own pair of white clothes, she silently raised an eyebrow at that.
The golden-eyed witch certainly did stand out, the master had never led a 'prisoner' to the centre himself, plus all the rumours that had spread about her withstanding the torture of Corpse and with-holding any information about herself. They only knew her as the witch.
By the time Perci was finally led into the centre -Corpse had made sure she would be the last to enter, silently showing his power, and pointing out that she wasn't a normal servant- there were already over ten others, including Naida.
It was a large circular arena like area which was all white, and was quite tall, surrounding it nearer to the top were three levels of balconies.
Perci sighed, she really hated arenas. She finally decided to pay attention to the whispers,
"What is she doing here? This competition started weeks ago, we've been trialled for months now, why does she get to start so easily..."
"-led by Corpse."
"Witch."
"Golden eyed cheating bastard."
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You know, the usual rumours and whispers. Though she did get some interesting information from it. She assumed this was some type of competition for servants, victims, and captives to prove their worth to Corpse and not be killed.
And going back to names, what type of name is Corpse? Is that his actual name or is his name something like Corpse?
A middle age man appeared on the wall, Perci had already felt any handlers leave the room including Corpse, and they had a lot of viewers on the balcony and Perci assumed that more were watching through the cameras all over the arena. She looked up to the broadcasted man, his face was blank, "my name is Arckann Ark. As all but one know the rules we'll go through this quickly. One, stay in the arena. Two, follow my instructions as best as possible, and three, there are no other rules! Cheat, lie, kill. Do whatever you need to do to beat the traps, courses, and tasks we shall be given you! Person to win will have immunity in the next round and a guaranteed trip with Master Corpse! Let the games begin!"
Perci mumbled under breath, "well ain't this gonna be fun."
Suddenly a loud noise was heard as rusty nails, ledges, saws, blades and a weird obstacle course appeared going up the wall, then over to the middle when it reached about halfway up, there was also over 10 weird bracelets attached to chains hanging from the roof in the middle.
Arckann Ark smiled, "attach a bracelet to either hand, the goal is to make it to the centre in the top."
She slowly walked over to one as did all the others and attached the bracelet to her left hand, this was getting weird. She looked up with a raised eyebrow, yet everyone avoided looking her in the eye.
A loud noise like a generator turned on, Perci looked up to see that the chain was taking her closer to the wall. The wall had moving saw on it, "what the hades is going on?"
A green alien with 4 arms seemed to take pity on her and yelled, "its exactly what he said. You don't make it to the centre you will probably be killed."
"Thank you," Arckann said to the alien, he watched sadly as the contesters started to fight back against the chains, Perci was tugging at it too. "Now all you have to do, is cut yourself enough for blood to show, the saws will then stop."
Perci groaned, "I feel like I'm in a kids proofed and dumbed down version of a horror movie." Her eyes flitted from person to person, and all seemed to be fighting against the chains, but Perci realized there really was not point, just get it over with and your done with this.
So slowly she moved faster, faster than the chain was pulling her towards it as the others struggled away from it, she came up to the saw.
The witch could hear the commentator, "looks like witch has decided to be brave and go first."
Perci took a deep breath and with shaking hands slowly moved her upright arm which was chained towards the saw, as soon as she felt the horrible pain, she pulled away her hand, Perci had done well, it was only a minor cut, it wouldn't bother her that much.
Suddenly Arckann yelled out, "and look at that, competitor Zagree has knocked out competitor Ackle! Pulling out the dirty tricks already!"
Perci watched silently as her chained bracelet lifted higher into the air, meaning they expected her to climb up the wall or be killed somehow, she watched as the chain stopped pulling the unconscious alien further just before he tapped the saws, she assumed he was going to left there and dealt with later.
From their Perci climbed up with saws, avoiding the deadly edges as her bracelet continued to pull her up, she had to pull herself up on rusty nails, a rope, et cetera, et cetera. This all seemed like a really extreme climbing wall.
She reached the highest ledge a few seconds after competitor Zagree made it on. She listened to Arckann Ark as he explained the next stage, "you will have to fight your way to the center," he grinned stiffly, "think of it as an earthen game 'king of the hill.'
Perci sighed, at this point there were only seven of them, "I definitely jinxed myself earlier. Nothing about this is even positively amusing, don't know how this can be something to watch for amusement."
Apparently Naida heard her, "would you stop complaining?!"
Perci ignored what she said, "I'm assuming you won the last 'task'?"
"Well yeah-"
"That's cool, what did you do to deserve it?"
Naida's face blanched, "I-I screwed up on a mission, my handler decided I needed to be disciplined."
The golden eyed witch nodded, "how long have you been here? I assume shorter than Cobar."
"Yeah, only three years."
"Stolen off your planet?"
"Yeah."
Perci was going to continue the conversation, but all of a sudden, the sound of cheers made her pause, looking up, she could see that the chains had started to slowly move forward to the middle. Arckann Ark yelled over the commotion, "the bracelets will fall once you attack or get attacked."
Everyone was watching this closely, and those who usually avoided the arena games also came to watch because of the witch. No one knew if she had abilities or anything else like that. And even Corpse who usually let the results speak for themselves was watching this match.
Perci slowly moved forward on the rope course, except it wasn't rope but sometime of alien element, for a second she wondered why that was, when she felt a large wave of heat from her left, twisting her head to look at it, Perci saw one of the competitors fire bend. He looked like somebody from the planet she came from...
Which would mean Cobar could firebend too- Which also means we just need an air bender and a earth bender and we can go live on a new world with a bloody avatar! yays.
She shook her head, ridding her mind of her sarcastic thoughts, she watched as the fire bender attacked a slim alien, which actually looked like an alien for once.
The girl screamed as she fell back from the fire, falling of the platform she was standing on, her bracelet unlocked and the entire arena watched as she fell to her death. The alien let out one more scream before she fell to the ground with a sickening splat. Perci looked up to see the firebender rub his wrist as his own bracelet let go of him, he started to head towards her.
Perci sighed when she realized she was kinda cornered, she couldn't go back, as the bracelet continue to move forward slowly, couldn't go left as Naida was there and would probably have no qualms to attack her, to the right the firebender was approaching, in front was a space of nothing, and she didn't want to stay and fight and possibly have to use her powers and give herself away in front of Corpse.
The witch sighed again as she slowly inched forward, jiggling the chain, hopefully it would let her glide across the not humanely jumpable chasm, though a few aliens with the ability to jump better than the others had made it across.
Mr. Firebender taunted Perci, as he came closer and closer behind her, his hands lighting up in fire. "Watcha' going to do now witch?"
Perci grinned as she grabbed a hold of the chain with both hands tightly, "this." and she pushed of the ledge, holding herself up as the chain zipped across the ledge, she landed on the other side grinning.
From there it was all the same bland fighting, she got attacked multiple times, but it was pretty easy to just fight around the fists and powers, outsmarting her opponents and sometimes using the chain and now unlocked braclet that she had been pulling along.
The crowd was extremely riled up by the time they had reached the middle, there were only three of them left. Naida, Perci, and Zagree the competitor that had sabotaged a multitude of the others, even getting rid of the firebender.
Naida was the only one to breath heavily, they all stepped on to the platform, getting ready to fight for the top spot.
Suddenly Zagree threw out a blast of white energy, Naida screamed as it hit her, causing her to instantly fall off the platform, just barely grabbing on to a metal pole that was part of the rope course they had to cross. She barely pulled her self up.
Perci on the other hand, had shocked the crowds, as the energy aimed at her stopped, visibly quavering in mid air as it tried to continue moving. The witch had her head slightly dipped, hands shaped into fists, and arms crossed in front of her face.
From the corner of her eye, Perci could see Corpse shift forward, interested. She quickly turned her body, letting the energy keep going, just barely missing her as it continued on scorching the white wall which had only so far been marred by blood and a few bodies.
It was silent.
The witch smirked, "oh shucks, I was hoping to be able do this whole thing without trying."
The crowd errupted in noise, throwing out suggestions or just yelling.
Perci opened her arms calmly, palms up, she smirked as they ignited in dark fire, her golden eyes turning black, "oh well."
-----<>-----
Perci sat happily in her room on the ship they were in.
After Zagree surrendered and the witch refused to continue to fight him, after Naida landed on the ground far below, with a softer fall as she was able to collect some water to slow her fall. Perci was escorted back into the ship and informed that they were going on a mission.
Personally she just wanted to head home and take a nice, long, and relaxing break. Maybe even get tertiary education, because well, why not?
As the ship flew and started to approach the planet they were headed too. The witch became fidgety. She had stayed in her assigned room for a few hours now, she hadn't seen anyone.
Suddenly, Naida walked in scowling. Perci smiled up at her, "your shoulder alright?"
The blue nymph scowled, "why would you care?"
"Because I saw it got dislocated and sometimes, that can hurt a lot."
The snear on Naida's face faltered, before she quietly gestured to Perci, "let's go."
Perci nodded and followed behind Naida, not faltering in her steps when John joined them and passed her a handgun. She nodded in thanks, though mentally questioned why she would be given only one weapon. "Where are we going."
"To Nyero." While the other two flinched at Corpse who had just disappeared, Perci merely looked up at him. Not exactly giving the smiling creep her time.
"And that is?"
Naida muttered, "my home."
"So your telling me that you just send water to the volcano planet, and send dirt to the water planet. Eternally blackmailing them as they both need those supplies? Genius."
With a bright smile on his face, he growled, "be quiet. We are arriving."
Perci shut her mouth. She watched as they slowly approached the planet, covered in water. Mentally she smiled, this was her home turf, she might be able to get away and head back home to Eridani. The cargo ship they were on slowly lowered to a rock platform that seemed to have been carved for this purpose alone. More and more of Corpse's henchmen and human soldiers entered the bay room.
The ship trembled as we landed, and slowly the door landed. Through the slowly widening crack, Perci could see more and more nymph's standing on the ocean, some in it, all watching angrily.
All of a sudden Naida rushed forward, "maman!" She jumped into the arms of an elderly nymph, her white hair and hair embraided with seashells and seaweed made her seem all-the-more wise and important.
Corpse's smile widened, though his tone did not make it sound like he was happy, "return to your spot girl or your people will pay. Don't try this again."
Spears suddenly appeared in the all of a sudden apparent battalion, a young man with a coral wreath delicately placed on his head stepped forward, "no more Corpse. You will not control us."
The creep raised his hands, as a dozen more ships appeared in the air, weapons locked, "well isn't this an interesting turn of events?"
He dismissively gestured to the native nymphs'.
The sound of gun fire and screams echoed across the ocean as the spaceships sent a barrage of fire onto the planet.
Perci fell back from the massacre and under the ship, she watched with wide eyes and scared breaths as Corpse guffawed with laughter.
How could he find a slaughtering amusing?
-----<>-----
(A.N. really unedited, sorry for such a late chapter!
IT IS OUR ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY FOR THIS STORY!!
That's right folks! This stories one year birthday passed a few weeks ago and I didn't even notice! Thank you everyone who is here with me today! 24k views! 28 chapters! Its insane! I never thought I would be able to even get this far, thank you! Thank you! Anybody who supported me or is reading this right now, thank you for your views, comments, and votes! I love you guys all so much! You don't know how amazing this is to me!
Thank you guys so much!)