It was completely dark now, and we were nearing the graveyard again. It would be another cold night with rotting bodies.
I was slowly starting to memorize the paths through this maze of a city, but it was taking longer than expected even with my photographic memory. Almost everything looked the same, unless you were comparing the Slums to the upper district.
The night was silent, for the most part. I could hear laughing coming from opened windows and the sound of running water in the sewers.
But there was something else. Just a hint of…familiarity?
"Move quickly," I told the boy. Something was off in the air. It almost felt as if we were being hunted again. But I couldn't be sure.
"Why?" The boy hissed. "What's wrong?"
"We're being followed again."
"Not again," the boy growled with frustration. He spun around and faced the dark street behind him, pulling me free from my disgusting sheath. I really hated it in there.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked. "I told you to keep moving."
"I'm tired of being chased and followed. If I don't stop and fight, I'll never stop running. No more. From now on, whatever foes I face, I'll be facing them head on."
"That's the right mindset," a female voice said from the darkness. Even with my advanced senses, I couldn't tell the exact direction it had come from.
Aris emerged from the darkness, weaponless. "You never told me your real name was Wren, boy."
So, she did recognize us.
The boy took a step back. "Get away from me. You're my enemy now."
Aris sighed. "Is it so bad to have friends?"
"You're not my friend. You called me weak. Small."
"I never said those words to you, boy. Those were spoken by yourself. I only said you'd never make it past the first round."
The boy puffed out his chest. "And I proved you wrong."
Aris nodded. "Yes, you did. You're much stronger and faster than I thought. Turns out, I'm a very judging person. How was I supposed to know when I'd never seen you fight? All I ask for is your forgiveness. We are not enemies. If we start fighting, we'll lose sight of the real enemy."
"Thorne," the boy agreed. "But…it has to be this way, right? At some point, we'll have to fight each other. And one of us will have to win."
"If it comes to that," Aris said. "I'll do what I must. And whoever wins must win the rest of the duels as well. They must become the champion. It's going to be one of us. No matter what. Then, the champion will face Thorne and kill him."
The boy sighed. "Right. Okay, you're right. Friends. Together we'll get through this."
A drop of rain bounced of Aris' armor. She glanced up as the moon was obscured by a dark gray cloud. "Where have you been sleeping?"
"In a graveyard," the boy responded. "It's fairly peaceful."
"Looks like it's gonna rain. How about you stay with me again? I can cook up a mean dinner."
*******
Aris plopped a heap of the gray slop onto the boy's plate and took the rest of the pot for herself.
The boy sat on the stool, sniffing with disgust at the mush.
"Eat up," Aris said, already spooning some into her mouth. "It doesn't have much flavor but it gets the job done."
The boy took a bite of it and swallowed. "Yeah…not too bad. Speaking of getting the job done, you fought amazingly today."
She nodded with gratitude. "Thanks. You weren't half so bad either."
"No, like seriously," the boy continued. "Like…everything. The way you carried yourself. The show you put on. It was…inspiring."
"Why the hell are you saying this to her?" I asked with embarrassment. The boy couldn't seriously like her, right? She was almost double his age.
I looked at Aris and saw her expression soften. "Careful," she said. "Flattery like that might actually make me care for you."
"Is that such a bad thing?" The boy asked with a smile.
"Yes," she said. "I don't get attached to people. They all die sooner rather than later. I'm already going outside of my boundaries letting you in here and teaming up with you in the duels."
"Glad I could be that person for you," the boy said, finishing his food.
I cringed. Was this his way of flirting? It made me want to throw up in my nonexistent mouth, even though I haven't eaten in centuries.
Aris took his plate and gestured toward her bed. "Go ahead. Get some rest. Tomorrow is another big day."
"W-what about you?" The boy asked nervously.
Aris yawned. "Don't you remember? The night is mine to hunt. I'll sleep when I'm dead."