Chapter 555: Key of Chaos (one)

There was a moment of initial darkness coupled with the sensation of falling; before the well was flooded with golden light. Nix floated downward in what could have only been called a comfortable descent. His group mates were all present; each lit up in the glow that saturated them.

/Pathfinder: Chiba: Hmm... this is actually very pleasant.

/Pathfinder: Gideon: It kinda tickles.

Inside of the golden light, a figure started to form. It slowly took shape until its general outline could be called human. There were no eyes, or face, nor fingers or toes. "Welcome, travelers!"

Nix used his hands to slightly turn his body to face the voice, almost like moving in the water. "Thank you."

The figure drifted closer to Nix. "What are you doing in the Well of Du'Wei? Perhaps you are searching for something that may have fallen in?"

Nix nodded slightly. "I'm searching for the second Key that unlocks the door above, but I'm not certain that it has fallen in here."

"My name is Enigma. The key you are looking for belongs to me. It is important, yes... very, very important. Find the important thing and bring it back!"

/Pathfinder: Pon: A fucking treasure hunt, given to us by Casper the glowing ghost.

An instant later, the Fire Mage vanished from their midst. Next was Deya, then Gideon and Chiba, until only Nix remained.

"A word of warning, Nix of the Black Gate. Only bring back one item; if your greed gets the better of you, then all is lost."

*****************

The sand-filled Arena floor was carefully raked smooth as the attendants ensured the stadium was ready for the next combatants. Sparkling white sands, no longer pristine, filled with random stains of blood, urine, and excrement from both man and beast. The Valkyries pointed at the markings from their lofty balcony, calling out what shapes they resembled.

An archer stood with her Valkyrie sisters, beautiful brown eyes darting everywhere at once while looking for something to entertain her. She pointed at a particular gruesome marking that had colored not only the sand but the wall behind it. "Look! An image of the King, his Majesty the Shithead!"

"That one is a sword!" The female warrior pointed at a long cylindrical blood splatter. Her face was beautiful, devoid of any faults, enough so that even the gods might weep at its beauty.

The sky overhead was cloudless and calm; on the blistering hot day, there wasn't the slightest hint of a breeze. Sweat dripped down the faces of the spectators who were crowded into every seat in the arena. The odor of the poor masses, along with the steady drone of talking, was sharpened like a dagger by the thirst for more blood.

A pinpoint of light formed high in the azure sky; its presence went unnoticed for a handful of seconds before one person looked up. Another few seconds passed before dozens of hands pointed upward.

The pinpoint grew in size until it was a burning mass of flames, hurtling toward the stadium like a meteor bent on destruction. Instead of panic, the masses cheered by clapping and stomping their feet.

The comet left an emerald trail of flames behind it; after several seconds passed, it slammed into the center of the arena with a loud thump that tossed white sand high into the air and shook the stadium. The voices and cursing of the crowd were loud; some filled with hope while others discontent.

"Maybe a Valkyrie will be defeated again soon!"

"Did you see flames? That means the chosen is a mage this time."

"Mages seldom win!"

The voices and predictions continued as the object was slowly absorbed into the arena. When it finally disappeared, the attendants rushed forth to once again smooth out the surface.

***********

Your inventory has been locked.

Guild and Personal messaging have been disabled.

Nix sat up slowly; the feel of the cold floor beneath him was enough to alert him to his surroundings. "Of course..."

"Better get up as soon as you can. The guards have rules about sleeping during the day." An older man's voice spoke to him, his grimy hand extended in a friendly effort to assist the newcomer in standing. "Your stuff is over there!"

Nix glanced where the skinny fingers were pointing. Hundreds of small squares inhabited the far wall. They were packed with equipment of all kinds. "What is this place?" He was standing in a cell; there were perhaps two dozen others crammed into the same area. Were his friends close by?

"I'm Bhal, one of the assistants. Since my last fighter has died, by default, we have been paired." Bhal pointed to the chain around Nix's neck. "Our number is 7, which means your equipment is located in box 7." The wrinkled face smiled in a friendly manner, but Nix found himself unappreciative of his assistant's closeness with the missing teeth and rotten breath.

The Inferno Leader glanced at the numbered tag around his neck. "I'm Nix, Bhal. What is this place? Why am I a prisoner?"

"The Gods have chosen you to fight one of the Valkyries. If you are victorious, then we are both set free! There hasn't been a new chosen in quite a few weeks."

Nix frowned at the bent figure. "How often are these Valkyries defeated? And when do we fight?"

Bhal shook his head slightly. "Don't worry about when! From now on, both of us will enjoy three meals a day! At night we will be brought into a larger cell that is more comfortable to sleep in. Starting tomorrow, you will be able to train with the instructors!"

Nix fixed his assistant with a yellow-eyed stare. "When do we fight?"

Bhal sighed unhappily, sending his rancid breath into Nix's face. "We can stay no longer than three weeks; at that time, you must challenge."

Nix flicked the older man's forehead with his finger. "Don't breath on me, old goat. How does the challenge start?"

Bhal clapped his hands together excitedly, thinking about the food, the wine, and possibly even a bit of sex. The servers were almost always willing. "What? Oh... You just call out your number and say you are ready to challenge."

Nix gripped the bars with his hands and raised his voice to a shout. "Number 7 is ready to challenge!"

Immediately the door slid open, causing Nix to release the bars in order to keep his hands. The other people fled from the open doorway, their eyes filled with dread as they crowded against the back wall of the cell.

"NO! What have you done!" The older man kicked at his fighter, then threw weak punches into his back while cursing. "My food! My comfortable bed! You selfish bastard! No comfort for Bhal... No slobbering, nasty sex for Bhal." The assistant wailed like a dying banshee as Nix stepped out of his cell and scanned the wall for his gear.

Nix immediately spotted one that was lit up. Ignoring the feeble strikes of the older man, he stepped toward the honeycombed wall; as he approached, the number 7 could be seen written on the top—all the gear he had been wearing while in the well was stored in the cubby-hole. By the time Nix had finished equipping everything, his assistant had finally calmed down.

"Follow me!" The old man dropped the ragged blanket that had been draped over his shoulders and stomped down the hall.

Nix tried not to laugh at the old man; his obvious anger was etched into every movement. "Sorry, Bhal. I'm pressed for time. I don't want to sit around here any longer than necessary."

Bhal stopped suddenly and turned. "What's the fucking hurry? You've already slept two days!"

Nix stepped onto the platform that Bhal was standing on. From the attached cables and gears, it appeared to be some sort of elevator. "Two days? Why didn't you say so?"

The elevator lurched suddenly and then slowly started lifting toward the ceiling. Nix watched as the ceiling split in half and moved in opposite directions. The platform continued upward as sunlight flooded in, causing the occupants to shield their eyes.

Nix lowered his hands and immediately cursed. Dozens of armored fighters surrounded them. Each of them female, and all of them beautiful. "The fuck is this..."

Bhal poked him with a bony finger. "You may choose from any of these Valkyrie. Study them carefully; each has their own strengths and weaknesses."

Nix froze slightly when he noticed an archer smiling at him. Around her neck was a silver chain with a key attached. "I'm going to choose that..."

Bhal interrupted him by stomping on his foot. "Don't pick an archer, idiot! You start on opposite sides of the arena. You'll be dead before you reach the halfway point."

Nix shrugged slightly. "Doubtful. I need that key."

Bhal glanced at the archer in question. "You want a silver key? Why not one of the gold ones?"

The Inferno leader frowned at his assistant. "There are other keys?"

Bhal reached under his dirty tunic and produced a wooden key. "All of us have Keys. If it's a special key, you want..." His old eyes glanced toward a woman near the back of the crowd. "Never mind, even you aren't stupid enough for that. No one has ever beaten her."

Nix stared at the person in question; unlike the others, she had a helm on and showed no interest in him. "Target acquired."