"Woah, woah, what do you think you're doing, attacking my friend?" Ty's voice rose in defense of the fairy.
Gui-Jun's disdain was palpable as he retorted, "Who authorized you to have a rodent pet?"
The coin in Ty's grasp began to heat up, his anger manifesting as the coin burned. With a tense expression, he flexed his hand, still restrained by the shackle, and exerted force on the coin, sending it flying back towards Gui-Jun.
"Seems to be everyone except you. Maybe ask—" Ty's defiant reply was cut short as the situation escalated dramatically.
In the blink of an eye, the bars of the cell shattered, and Gui-Jun's hand was gripping Ty's face. His words were a venomous hiss, "If it was up to me, you'd be dead right now, you piece of filth. Your kind does not belong in this world!"
Ty, unfazed by the threat and maintaining a defiant smile, stretched his cuffed hand out and placed his open palm over Gui-Jun's chest. "Go ahead and try something," he challenged, his confidence undiminished by his restraints.
"What can you do with shackles on? Those are specially designed to stop Demons from using that cursed flame!" Gui-Jun retorted, skepticism lacing his words, underestimating Ty's capabilities even in his bound state.
"Try me. All it takes is one pound of force to burst the human heart," Ty countered, his eyes gleaming a bright blue, hinting at the power that lay beneath his calm exterior. Gui-Jun, taken aback, his red eyes shaking slightly, released his grip on Ty, conceding for the moment.
"You will get what is coming to you when it is time," he warned, a hint of respect or perhaps caution in his voice as he stepped back.
Upon entering, they were greeted by a man in a doctor's cloak who thanked Gui-Jun for bringing Ty in. "Please bring him in, and we will get him rechipped," the doctor instructed.
Gui-Jun led Ty by the shoulder into a room that resembled a basic laboratory setup. The doctor, preparing a syringe, advised, "Just sit still, okay?"
Ty nodded, bracing himself as the needle penetrated his arm, a wince escaping him at the brief pain. After removing the syringe, the doctor explained, "This will be your tracker for the arena,"
"Why not bring this to me instead of making me come all the way out here?" Ty muttered, questioning the need for the inconvenient journey.
The doctor simply chuckled at Ty's question, responding with a hint of amusement, "Now why would I waste my time going to the Den of a monster?" He walked out, still chuckling at the thought, leaving Ty to ponder the doctor's words.
Gui, standing by the door, then signaled it was time to leave. "Let's go, that should be everything for the day. You will likely be moved from the prison in two days and moved into a permanent holding area with the rest of the imprisoned contestants," he informed Ty, outlining the next steps in Ty's involvement in the Arena.
Ty nodded, internally reconciling with the situation. "Sounds good to me," he said aloud, while thinking to himself about the path ahead. Winning the Arena seemed like the most viable option to gain an audience with the Titan King, inform him about Erebos, and hopefully find a way back home.
As Ty and Gui began their walk back to the prison, their journey was marked by silence, save for the rustling of grass on either side of the long road. Ty took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to find peace in the simplicity of the moment. However, his heart sank as a sudden intuition kicked in. Feeling the air shift next to him, he acted on instinct and shouted, "Watch out!"
Opening his eyes, Ty's quick reflexes kicked in. He shoved Gui out of the way just as an arrow pierced his shoulder, followed by a volley of ten more arrows hurtling towards them. Gui, catching himself, exclaimed in disbelief, "What the hell is going on now?!"
Ty gritted his teeth, feeling the sharp sting of the arrow lodged in his skin.