Chapter Twenty: Into The Pit

The last thing Samari wanted to do was go from inn to inn looking for a suspicious guild, but she reminded herself that she was the one who wanted to help Zoran. After what happened at East Port, she was not exactly excited when he told her who was trying to beat them to the gem.

Even with so many of them, it still took a while to search the taverns and inns. They had split into pairs to cover more ground, which wasn't exactly a good idea. She had a suspicion that they kept crossing over each other's paths, plus they hadn't come up with how they should meet up if they found it.

That was probably why they all found each other waiting outside of one inn, looking out for the rest.

"Did you find them?" Brad said as he approached the others.

"Sort of," Cyrus replied. "They are staying here, but they left a while ago. The innkeeper says they probably went to get food and to gamble."

Brad sighed, his shoulders slouched. "Ugh, so more searching? We've been walking all day!"

Zoran walked over and, much to Sam's surprise, punched him. Immediately, he straightened up. Satisfied, Zoran stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not really. There are only a few places in the city to gamble during the day, even during the festival. This shouldn't take long. And stop slouching so much!" he criticized like a parent.

The group wandered through the streets to find their target. Zoran lead them first to what looked like a fighting club.

The smell was just as bad as the noise. Even from the outer area, the stench of urine, blood, and sweat drifting by. Samari wanted to hold her breath, knowing that it would only get worse inside.

It seemed that the second part of the search was easier than the first. The bouncer they questioned answered them with, "The Phantom Flame? They own more of this joint than the ringmaster!"

Zoran and Cyrus smiled at each other, almost as though they had made a bet. "Yeah? We'd like an audience," Zoran stated.

The tall man chuckled. "The only audience you're gonna get is the one watching the fights."

His forehead creased as he frowned, yet the frustration disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. His eyes shifted to look inside at the crowd gathered about the ring.

The bouncer held out his hand, motioning for them to enter. Zoran took the lead inside.

It was so crowded that they could hardly see what was in front of them. They weaved through the mass, Samari's hand holding onto Zoran's shirt so she would not get separated from him. Similarly, Cyrus held her hand, his touch calming despite her irritating surroundings.

He stopped walking, and she looked around him to see that they were close enough to the ring to see into it.

It was a small ring the size of her room, a few feet into the ground. A railing ran along the outer edge, keeping the crowd from colliding into the fighters. Still, they were close enough that the fighters could easily hit them.

"Look, there they are," he pointed, having to shout over the noise.

Sam followed his gesture to see a group sitting on the only bench watching the fight below. Squinting, she could see a similar mage mark on some of them, flames of different colors and shapes.

If he was right, there were seven of them total, including the one currently fighting barebacked. They had a certain look about them, as if their blood was made of fire and iron.

The crowd roared behind them, prompting Samari to look down at the fight. Two men jumped down to carry an unconscious man out of the pit as the victor boasted vigorously. She turned her face away at the sight of the bloodied man.

Why did it have to be here?

The ringmaster turned to the crowd, which was dialing down as people went to collect their winnings.

"Who shall be our next contender to take on the champion?" he needed, hoisting high the sack of the day's gamble as bait.

Before she could realize what was happening, she saw a half-naked Cyrus leap over the bar and into the ring, shameless.

"Vorce! You better get your butt back up here before I come down there and beat you myself!" Zoran threatened.

His voice was laced with fear and anger, an anger that Samari had never heard him use before. She was taken back by it all, struggling to process what was happening.

Dropping coins into the prize sack, Cy responded, "Oh, stuff a sock in it. I can handle myself."

His carefree smile did nothing to dampen the brutting atmosphere. With a face like stone, Zoran leaped over the railing to face him.

The crowd's stomping drowned out their conversation, despite being only a few feet away from Samari. Judging by their body language, it was not something she wanted to hear. After some time, Zoran stepped towards the ringmaster.

Ah, he's pulling him out. Good job. He could get seriously hurt here, she thought, grimacing at the idea.

Before she could be relieved, Cyrus's words rattled her bones. Still facing them, they carried just enough for the Mystics to hear.

"You're not my father, so stop acting like it!"

Zoran didn't respond. He turned and walked back to the edge of the pit, to Cyrus. Without a word, he climbed out, merging into the crowd.

When he pushed past them, Samari snapped. Abruptly, she started to go after him, but a hand grabbed her arm, holding her back. Catching her gaze, Lori shook her head.

They were caught in a stare. Samari's thoughts ran rampant, trying to compensate for their daze. What does she know? We need Zoran, it's his mission! She just wants me to keep my distance, doesn't she? Wants to keep me an outsider, not involved in important stuff!

She stopped, realizing how aggressive she was becoming. Taking a deep breath, she looked from Cyrus to spot where Zoran disappeared. No, it's not my place. I am an outsider, but I can still be here for Cyrus.

She refocused on the fight, Lorilie releasing her grip as she did. She barely paid attention to the fight, staring at the edge of the ring. Cy was slick, yet his opponent was no foreigner to dodging. He took a few nasty hits that made her want to turn away completely, yet she couldn't pull herself to do it. Even wincing felt wrong.

Somehow, Cyrus held out until he won. He knew that his opponent was worn out from fighting and waited for him to slip up. He caught the man in a chokehold, his grip firmly holding him until he tapped out.

Lorilie chuckled. "Look, he learned from his failure!" she commented close to Sam's ear.

It took her a few moments to realize what she meant. Cyrus had used the same choking technique she had used on him when they first sparred.

As she watched Cyrus, he leaned over to speak into his opponent's ear. After the man nodded, he left to rejoin them.

Lorilie handed him his shirt, stepping back to make room. "Y'took too long," she grumbled, all signs of her smile vanished.

He laughed, "Hey, I got the job done. Come on."

Samari titled her head, confused, and followed him. They pushed through the crowd, walking to the back of the building.

It was only when they were free from the bulk of the mass that she could see where they were going. Along the wall were a few doors, most likely leading to nurse infirmaries, meeting rooms, and storage, but she knew exactly which one they were going to. There in front of them were the Flames.

A/N: another short chapter, I know, but hopefully still a good one!

What do you think of the Flames? How will this go down?

There's some tension between Zoran and Cyrus! How long will this stew for?

Today, we talk about Tanya Clyde, the guild's wonderful secondary healer. She's from the Sky tribe and grew up on Cumulous. From when she was a young girl, she was useful in healing because of her ticon, yet she was not skilled enough to get her mage mark. She stopped practicing after her older sister, Martha, died while serving as an armsmen, when she inherited her summons. Only after being on the team in the guild did she take up learning medicine again. Sometimes, she forgets to eat or sleep, but that never bothers her. Trying to improve her skills, or her friend's skills, is way more important than her own health, right?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and don't splash the notebooks!

To all of my silent readers: I love you just as much as my talkative readers. You are valid. Thank you for reading my book.