He huffed and panted as he ran, away from the coliseum, away from the city.
His boots struck hard against the streets as he rushed through twisting roads and narrow passages, breathing uneven from exhaustion and nerves alike. One hand remained tightly clutching the front of his garb where, hidden securely beneath the fabric, he had stored the sealed jar containing water from the Healing Springs.
"Goddess, what the hell happened today!?" Roland muttered to himself between breaths as he turned sharply around a corner. He caught himself against a nearby wall with one hand, stopping just long enough to regain some air. His chest rose and fell heavily.
"First demons invade, then I get locked in that room for hours, and then that woman just comes out of the Healing Springs like she'd been in there the whole time!?"
He pushed himself back off the wall and immediately continued moving, heading toward one of the city gates as quickly as his legs would allow.
"Just who was that?" he muttered under his breath. "What was that power?"
The closer he got to the city exit, the more relief began creeping into his thoughts.
"Finally," he breathed out, "I can get out of this place."
Then something beneath his robes suddenly shifted.
Roland immediately grimaced.
"Really?" he snapped irritably. "Now?"
He quickly looked around the nearby area, scanning for anyone watching. Once he found a darker corner tucked away from the main road, he hurried toward it before reaching into his garb and pulling something out.
A lizard?
Or more specifically, something resembling an unusually large green gecko. Its body was thick enough that Roland could comfortably grip it around the torso with one hand. The creature blinked lazily as he lowered it carefully onto the ground.
"Alright," Roland muttered while stepping back slightly. "Go ahead. I'm ready."
The creature's eyes suddenly began glowing, and a moment later, it opened its mouth.
Green smoke poured out from inside it in unnatural amounts, thick clouds spilling across the ground before rising upward in twisting streams. The smoke shimmered and shifted continuously, slowly beginning to take the shape of a person.
The figure that emerged from the smoke was a man.
He looked wealthy at a glance, the kind of refined appearance that immediately carried aristocratic weight. His hair was short and neatly kept, while expensive layered clothing draped across him with obvious care and craftsmanship. Around his neck hung a necklace, delicate in design, holding a small vial filled with something suspended inside. Whatever it contained was difficult to make out through the unnatural haze.
The smoke distorted too much. Because the projection itself remained entirely green, it was impossible to tell details like the man's true eye color or even the proper shade of his hair. Still, one thing came through clearly.
He looked frustrated. No. Impatient.
"Roland!" the man barked immediately, his voice echoing strangely through the smoke. "What is taking you so long!? The tournament should have been over hours ago!"
Roland visibly stiffened. "Forgive me, Lord Matheus, but there's a—"
"I do not want excuses!" Matheus snapped, cutting him off sharply. "Do you have the water or not!?"
Roland quickly nodded. "Yes, yes I do, my lord, but there's a—"
Once again, he was interrupted.
"I said I do not want excuses!" Matheus yelled, irritation only growing. "If you have the water, then come back immediately. I will not have my plans delayed any further!"
Roland clicked his tongue quietly under his breath. "Understood, Lord Matheus," he muttered.
"Good," Matheus replied coldly. "Now come back at once!"
Without another word, the green smoke abruptly reversed direction, flowing back into the gecko's open mouth until the projection disappeared completely.
Silence returned.
Roland let out a long sigh. "What a bastard," he muttered to himself.
He bent down, picking up the oversized gecko carefully in one hand. "You won't tell him I said that, will you?"
The gecko simply blinked once before lazily licking one of its own eyes.
Roland frowned. "I'll take that as a no… or yes?" he muttered while staring at it. "Never knew which one works better for questions like that."
Shaking his head, he tucked the creature back into his garb before immediately picking up his pace. If he moved fast enough, he could return the Healing Springs water to his lord, get paid, and finally let Lord Matheus move forward with the plan he had been obsessing over for so long.
The resurrection of his beloved.