The Darkest Dawn

Chapitre 18

"Oh boy, I know that look." Yevor tsked. Lucien turned in his seat, giving the Seivohn a quirying glance. "We get those here every once in a while. Little human maniacs." He grinned, trailing the rim of his glass of red wine. When did he order that?

"Maniacs...?" Lucien echoed.

"Mhm. Oh... sometimes they come with anomalies in their looks. Body modifications. Piercings. Dyed hair-" He (or she, Lucien was never explicitly making that mistake again) gestured the woman with silver locks currently taking a swing at Darius. "However, most of the time you can't really tell. Clever devils."

"Then... what makes them different?" Lucien asked hesitantly. Yevor took a sip of wine and sighed.

"There are signs. Look. She enjoys the slaughter. The thrill of killing your own kind." He hummed. Lucien shifted uncomfortably. "All the psychos who come here are often too late. There are earlier signs. Lack of empathy. Killing small little creatures. An inflated self-worth above others." Yevor waved his hand, as if the things he was saying did not implicate him at all.

"Uh huh...." Lucien muttered. He really needed to get out of here. The slave peered over the balcony, eyes locked onto Darius. As Yevor rambled on about psychopaths and crazies, Lucian tuned out the seivohn's words. Darius was looking tired, but he was still putting up a good fight. That lady seemed to know what was going to happen before even the veterans did. How? "Yevor... do slaves come back even after winning? Illegally?"

Yevor tilted his head. "Yes actually! We get them all the time. Greedy lords and ladies put their expert killers in the arena. It's impossible to know which receptionist allowed it since there are a lot of receptionists and bribes are in the form of money. I happen to know your friend is a returner, I recognized him."

"But you know their owners, right? Can't you file an arrest on them?" Lucian pressed.

"It's so nice to see a slave so invested in the government laws." Yevor smiled, clearly pleased. "However, that's so much work. Trials, evidence, and usually the slave defends their master by testifying their master did not bribe the receptionists. In the end, it's more interesting and fun to let them have their slaves compete. Besides, it's funny when their slave dies and they look so shocked to find that they didn't win." The seivohn took a sip of wine and cheered when Darius knocked out the woman in silver hair with a full force punch in the jaw. The woman crumpled in a heap on the ground, yet still alive. Lucien shook his head but Darius picked up the sword he had dropped and drove the blade into her head. More blood. Lucien stood and backed away from the balcony.

"I need to... go." Lucien whispered. Yevor waved to the guards. Two seivohn escorted Lucien back to his room and left an empty pail with him. Lucien didn't feel queasy though. He couldn't help but remember how Darius gave no second thought about killing that woman.

The latino collapsed on the vanity and shuddered a sigh. This was the worst. He wished Rhaelra never bought Darius. None of this would be happening if he hadn't. There was a knock on Lucien's door. The slave mumbled something about coming in. When the door opened, a man with black hair now ruffled peeked in. Daniel.

"Hey, Mr. Penndrake." He chirped. "Congrats on first place!" Daniel slipped inside and shut the door.

"I don't really feel celebratory." Lucien admitted, eyes closed in exhaustion. His entire body felt heavy like lead.

"I understand...." Daniel mumbled. Lucien lifted his head and Daniel muttered an obscenity. "Oh, Lucien, you're crying...." The makeup artist muttered, pulling out a handkerchief. He quickly came to Lucien's side and dabbed the slave's tears away. "Your eyes will be pink and puffy if you keep it up." He fussed. A make-up artist through and through.

"I can't do this anymore." Lucien struggled to get out. "So much death, it feels so hopeless...."

Daniel shook his head. "Mr. Penndrake, surely there is something that has kept you going so far?" He asked, kneeling and holding the slave's knees.

"I always thought it was to take care of Audie." Lucien replied, starting to cry again. "But then Darius came into my life, then Malachai and...." Lucien caught Daniel's eyes, eyebrows furrowed. This man had no idea what Lucien was blubbering about. "Audie suddenly means so little to me."

"He must've been your only friend. When Darius came along... did you realize what true friendship is?" Daniel queried, trying to understand.

"Darius is... my best friend." Lucien cleared up. "And I watched him kill people."

Daniel sternly took Lucien's hands into his own. "If you care about him, what he has done will not affect your opinion of him. It will make you even closer. Trust him." Daniel insisted. Lucien pulled his hands away and wiped his eyes.

"It's not that I'm scared of him, I'm scared for him." Lucien clarified. He stiffened and choked out a cough. "I'm not watching! He's won and I don't know what they're going to do with him!" Lucien struggled to his feet, lunging for the door.

"Woah woah woah!" Daniel lept in front of the door, slamming it back closed when Lucien just opened it. "Trust me, you don't want to go watch."

"Let me out!" Lucien seethed, pulling the door against Daniel's weight.

"No, listen to me, -God, you're stronger than you look- it's really boring medal stuff, he's fine! In fact, I bet he's already in his room relaxing- augh!" Daniel slammed his body against the door as Lucien finally let go. The artist collapsed with a thump and sputtered out some wheezing. "Dear God! What are you, Superman?!"

"Who's Superman?" Lucien paused, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Ancient reference, pre-slavery." Daniel grunted, standing up and wiping off his jeans. "My ancestors collected a bunch of these picture books filled with stories of heroes. They've been passed down for generations since."

"I thought the Seivohn burned non educational books?" Lucien challenged.

"They were hidden, and I'll have you know that Superman is highly educational!" Daniel protested. The latino went silent for a moment.

"Can I please go see him?" Lucien finally mumbled. Daniel looked like he was about to say something negative when the door swung open, whacking the artist in the head and effectively knocking him to the ground once again. Darius had burst into the room, his face filled with familiar stormy rage and his platinum blonde hair was frizzy. "Darius!" Lucien cried in surprise as Darius tackled him in a steel gripped hug.

"Luci, you're alright? That Seivohnic bastard didn't hurt you, did he?" Darius spewed worried nonsense like that in Lucien's ear, breathing heavily as though he ran a marathon. The Englishman was still clad in armor, making the bone crushing hug that much more uncomfortable. Still, Lucien laughed and clung to Darius for dear life, hands clutching crevices in the armor. Darius pulled away just enough so he could see Lucien's eyes. "Luci... what happened? You look as if you've been crying."

"He was crying." The voice of Daniel behind the two piping up. Lucien shot him a look of betrayal. "He was worried sick for you." Daniel clarified.

Darius looked back down at Lucien. "You cried for me...?" He asked, obvious conflict resting in those hellfire eyes, simmering. Lucien mentally cursed Daniel for his honesty. He probably thought Lucien was some sort of crybaby now.

"I-I thought... well, I didn't know what-" Darius cut off Lucien with another hug, gauntlets gripping the Frenchman's shirt.

Darius pulled away again. "We're leaving. Now. I forgot to tell you, I gave 'em the slip then came straight here."