Fool's Gold | God Tamer x Tiso

Chapter 5 - In Which Tiso Is Reminded of a Simple Fact

"That's called being angry, warrior," Tamer explained. "Don't you think you'd be a little pissed too if someone killed your partner right in front of you?"

Tamer shows Tiso the inner workings of the colosseum. Tiso almost forgets why he's afraid of her.

—

There were many places in the colosseum that the average bug would never see, hidden from the audience and warriors alike. After another week, when Tiso's recovery had progressed well, Tamer thought it was a good time to show him these places.

One such place was the breeding pit, where all the colosseum bred bugs were kept and maintained. It was a loud place filled with cages separated by each different species of bug. The buzzing of wings and sounds of infectious spit filled the air.

"The death loodles are my personal favorite," Tamer told him, showing him the large cage where they were all jumping about. "They're annoying as hell to actually fight, but I always enjoy watching them jump back and forth. It's amusing with how menacing they look, all they can do is jump on you." She turned to him, recalling a memory that amused her. "They caused you quite a deal of trouble, didn't they?"

"You said it yourself, they're annoying." Annoying was an understatement. Tiso could hardly keep up with their movements in their cage, much less out in the arena.

"If I'm remembering correctly, they rammed you in the face a few times."

"You're remembering wrong," he told her flatly.

With a smile radiating off her hidden face, she leaned close to him and poked the side of his cheek where a more shallow injury was almost healed. It was tender, and he hissed as she did so.

"No, I don't think I am."

He smacked her hand away, which made her giggle. "That was from you," he told her, unamused.

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "I'd never go for the face."

He stared at her.

"Okay, maybe I would," she admitted, "but I'd never ruin your silly face."

Tiso looked away from her and cleared his throat. He hated the way his stomach felt when she said that, and how his face warmed when she touched it. "What in here is your favorite to fight?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. "Personally, I hate them all."

"Because they're all above your skill level," she told them with an exaggerated eye roll. After considering her options she answered, "The armored squits, 'cause if they come at you just right, they practically cut themselves in half. I hardly have to move my nail at all."

Terrifying. Tiso needs to stop asking questions like that.

The further they walked throughout the room the larger the cages became, and at the back held the largest cage of them all. Inside were oblobbles, their large bodies hovering in place, still, unlike the bugs in the other cages who attacked their confines as if they were insulting them. No, these bugs seemed almost content to be where they were. They were all in pairs, huddled close.

"How come these ones are so peaceful?" Tiso asked. It was a strange sight.

"Cause they're mated," Tamer shrugged. "Unmated oblobbles are quite ferocious, attacking practically anything that moves, but something happens to them when they find a mate. After that, they only attack bugs they perceive as a threat to their partner. I'm pretty sure they're rather timid in the wild, but that's obviously not the case in the arena."