Fool's Gold | God Tamer x Tiso

Chapter 9 - In Which Tiso, Unfortunately, Is Still Here

"Whatever got you, it was aiming for your heart, and it barely missed. It could've got you in the lungs instead but it missed those too. You know, you're as lucky as a ladybug."

Tiso is alive. A stranger helps to keep him that way.

—

Tiso was in pain.

And pain meant he was still alive.

He swore, cursing Tamer's name over and over again. Did she really spare him? Again? After all that talk? All that attitude? He tsked. Screw being desperate, this was damn pathetic.

Maybe he shouldn't try to take the title of Ultimate Fool from her after all, she clearly wore it better than he did. He can't help but wonder what her fans think of her now, breaking such an important law of the warrior by sparing him. He wonders if she could even stay champion after a fluke like that. A champion has never been dethroned in such a way, outside of combat, maybe Tamer could make history.

With a hiss, he realized she hadn't even had the decency to put him in the hot springs either. His injuries burned so fiercely he thought he would be finished off from the pain alone. No numbness or healing was done, though he could tell he was bandaged. Even a single dip in the hot springs would've made the horrible pain at least bearable.

"Well, that's certainly one way to wake up," a voice observed, both curious and concerned.

Tiso froze.

That was not Tamer's voice.

Instantly alert, Tiso tried to grab hold of his weapon and rise, to face the threat before him, but the familiar weight of his weapon on his back was gone, the same for his armor, and there was also the issue of his inability to stand. As soon as he moved an inch he instantly gasped, paralyzed with pain, slouching back down to the ground with the grace of a sack.

"Oh dear," the stranger gasped, "I didn't mean to startle you. Here, let me help you up."

Wide-eyed, Tiso took note of his surroundings. The first thing he deduced was the fact that he wasn't in the arena. He was surrounded by cave walls, the place uncomfortably quiet, and before him was a bug. A blue, round, harmless, and oh so barely familiar looking bug with a scarf over his head and a worried expression on his face. The stranger held his hand out, offering to help Tiso up. Tiso didn't take it. He stared at it skeptically, as if there were a long-time enemy.

"Who are you?" Tiso asked.

"I'm Quirrel," the stranger answered, "I'm here to help."

"Well, I don't need any," Tiso huffed. He attempted to turn and leave, but pain paralyzed him once again and he could not move.

"Stop doing that," Quirrel went to his side, urging him to stop. "You'll make your injuries far worse than they already are. Just sit down, okay? If you'll let me, I can lean you up against the wall where you were before." Quirrel reached out to move him, but Tiso slapped his hand away instantly. It caused Tiso much more pain than it did Quirrel.

"Don't touch me," Tiso snarled, trying to make his voice sound intimidating, but it came out slurred and pathetic. "You want to help? Get me to a damn hot spring."

"A hot spring? The nearest one, that's..." Quirrel thought for a moment, looking as if he were examining a map in his mind. He ended up shaking his head. "There's no way for me to get you there as you are now."

Tiso let out a tsk. "Damn perfect," he groaned. "Alright then, tell me why I'm still alive instead."

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Quirrel said. "Last I saw you, you were off to that colosseum above, weren't you? Now I find you on the edge of a cliff, looking like a corpse. I thought you were dead until I checked your pulse, it's a good thing I did."