Once Dead Twice Bound Ch. 03

"Don't worry, Jack, we haven't missed the duel. Still plenty of time to get to the arena before sunrise." Her lips pressed into my forehead. "I do enjoy watching you sleep though."

"Slightly creepy," I muttered, wiping the morning gunk out of my eyes.

"Devoted, not creepy," she chirped, overly cheerful. "And we need to get you ready for your first foray into the veiled public. No doubt Diana has kept your existence relatively hidden but there are those with information gathering abilities above and beyond those of the Silver Dragon's vaunted ability for obfuscation."

"Where's Opal?" I asked through a yawn. Swinging my legs over the bed, I looked down on my naked form. I blinked in surprise.

Tara answered my unasked question first. "It's not healthy to sleep with all those clothes on. And our pretty underling is out warming up for her big match."

"I'm pretty sure you made that clothing thing up just because you like seeing me naked. Also the idea that you stripped me in my sleep is-"

"Fucking hot? Arousing as hell? Plus, can you prove it's not unhealthy to sleep in clothes?"

I, understandably, had no response to that.

"Be a lovely mate and trust your elder. Now off to the bath with you." Tara's tail swished behind her playfully as she ran a brush through her hair.

Amused by her antics, I did as she asked, heading for the shower. After getting clean and dressed, we emerged from our room. We walked through an empty and opulent complex. Tara held my hand tight as I practically vibrated with nervous energy. The darkness was thick outside, the edges of the horizon just beginning to lighten into a rich violet. Tara subtly guided me in the correct directions, pulling me toward what looked to be a lone baseball field in the middle of a park. The illusion washed over us in a tingling wave as we walked through it, revealing the coliseum in all its glory.

Surprisingly modern, it shared a number of similarities to a professional sporting stadium. A lot of hard edges with generous helping of sweeping steel and glossy glass. Where it differed was the pinpricks of magic that peppered off my senses. Lowering what I internally dubbed my magic-lids, I looked around with wonder. Ghostly spirits of colors that bled beyond this reality stood guard at the four cardinal directions.

East was a light gold figure, smaller than the rest. It held a long spear in its three-fingered hands. Horns more like nubs poked out of it's temple and scales covered its skin. A tail not long enough to reach the floor trailed behind its butt. The projection worked through a twisting progression with its spear.

West was shrouded in a darker green color. A sleek black tail swished behind the musculature form of a male warrior. His upper chest was bared, and shot leather skirt obscured his sex. A short sword filled on hand and a small buckler shield covered the other. A humanoid face possessed piercing slitted eyes and was topped by pointed ears not unlike Tara's. The image prowled with a feline sort of menace. The entire thing was dappled with shadows like it was moving under thick foliage during a sunny day.

North was obscured by the bulk of the arena, but I could see a red colored haze permeate the sky from that direction.

We were currently approaching the south entrance which gave us a good view of the aquatic spectre that hovered over it. She had a thin whiplike tail with a sharply pointed flat tail slapped on the end her fingers and toes fifty percent larger than a humans, with thin membranes stretching between each of the digits. Her modesty was preserved by a modest two-piece swimsuit. Atop her head sat lighter colored hair, cut shorter than was normal in a ragged pixie. Her smile was ever-present, displaying her carnivorous pointed teeth proudly. Her eyes were smaller and nearly completely black and I found them unsettling as she slowly swam through the illusory water.

I couldn't help but feel like a tourist as I looked between the guardians and the equally diverse crowd that trickled into the arena. Tara steered us toward an entrance off to the side. The large security agent there had sprawling black rams horns bracketing the side of his head. Taking a piece of thick vellum parchment with a symbol inked on the surface, he pressed it against Tara's arm. It released the clear sound of a bell.

"He's my plus one," Tara said, gesturing toward me.

I gave my most innocent expression.

Nonplussed, he shrugged and opened the door to admit us into the arena proper. It was more of the same as outside. Modern walls decorated by a plethora of weapons from the ages. A few were familiar. A few not so much.

There were a gleaming sword and shield that might have been used in the crusades. A bow without string that was festooned with delicate filigree carvings and displayed in such a way that it seemed to be sending a series of three arrows to fly along the curve of the wall. There was also a two headed scepter, both ends affixed with perfectly smooth gems, one of blue and one of black. Tara enjoyed the spectacle of watching my quiet fascination, finding my childlike wonder adorable. Our hands linked us together as she led the way through the arena, making sure I didn't bump into anyone or step on a tail. During her maneuvering, she spotted someone down the concourse. Her smile faded.

Distractedly leaning in to kiss my forehead, she gave me directions. "You go down the hallway and take a left. Opal should be waiting for you in the preparation area. Give her some words of encouragement and then meet me in viewing box three in section C."

"Where are you going?"

"I've got some social appearances to make that I don't want to bore you with. Besides, it'll be good for the both of you to spend this time together. Remember," she called out over her shoulder. "Viewing box-"

"Three in section C. Got it," I told her loudly through my cupped hands. Her tail twitched strangely and I wasn't getting anything specific from our bond, almost like she was shielding.

Not sure what to make of it, I watched her until she was beyond sight, obscured by an eclectic mixture of races waiting in line for beverages and treats. Pinching my lips, I put it out of my head. I strode down the plain tiled hallway, taking a left at the junction when I ran into a wall. I knocked softly onto the swinging door before pushing it open when I didn't hear a response.

The locker room wasn't quite what I was expecting. Taking my time, I slowly rotated as I took it all in. A cross between a medical ward, day spa, and some sort of new-age church, it was an eclectic mixture of furniture, equipment, and features. There was a small refrigeration unit with all the blood types sectioned out on the door. Over in the corner lay giant sitting tubs, one with ice bobbing along the surface, the other releasing wisps of steam as the temperature approached boiling. Along one of the walls was a series of shrines, with carved deities and religious symbols. Stone, wood, plaster, metal, it looked like a shopkeeper's fever dream. A few of the decorations appeared to be splattered with various fluids whose origins I would rather not consider. A cacophonous mixture of scents drifted through the air, the ghosts of incense offerings.

Opal was perched on a bench that ran across the center of the room. Right next to her was a bed that looked suspiciously like it had the capacity to double as a rolling stretcher. She seemed deep in thought. Her back was hunched and her head slowly bobbed from side to side over her bent knees.

"Hi Opal."

Her bobbing stopped and she slowly tilted her head to look back over her shoulder at me. She blinked at me in surprise before rising to her feet. Her hands, elbows, knees, and ankles were wrapped in clean white tape. She wore a sports bra and tight shorts that did a great job of showing her ample backside.

"Master, why are you here?"

"Should I not be?"

"Of course it's good to see you, I just didn't expect it."

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Tara told me to give you some words of encouragement." My eyes danced across her impressive muscles and attire. "I can't believe you three talked me into agreeing to this. It must've been some of Tara's kitsune befuddling magic," I joked.

She met my eyes with a serious expression. "Kitsune are tricky, and they love to tease. But you will not find a more devoted and loyal mate than our queen."

I nodded slowly, a smile teasing my lips at the second use of devotion to describe Tara.

Although, how else could I describe someone who searches for their reincarnated bondmate for over a hundred years?

"I do not wish to fool you or mislead, our queen will lie to us as easily as breathing. Falsehood does not hold the same sort of negative connotation for their society like it would for yours. But, is a lie wrong if it had both good intentions and results?"

The philosophical question took me off guard. "I mean... I want to say yes." The way I said it was closer to a question than a statement.

"So you don't want any surprise birthday parties?"

"Dear lord no. But that doesn't have anything to do with white lies or lies of omission, and has everything to do with my fear of unexpected socialization with large groups of people."

Opal snorted quietly, her lips curling around her beautiful tusks.

I continued, waving my hands in the air as I talked. "I do understand the point you're trying to make. Lies aren't inherently bad. But that can be a slippery slope if it takes agency away from people."

Opal took my hand in her own. "Everyone tries to protect and shelter those they care about in their own way. That is just the way that she's learned to do it."

"And what about you. Are you lying to me about something?"

"Never," she said with absolute conviction.

A light on the wall shifted from red to green and a low rumble that'd been constant in the background began to rise in volume.

"Seems like it's game time," I said, unable to keep the tremble out of it, no matter how I wanted to project confidence for her sake.

I pulled her into a hug. I hadn't meant to do it, or thought about doing it, it just kind of happened. And once I'd started, I found I didn't want to stop. Her palm was slightly sticky from applying the athletic tape when she patted it reassuringly against my back.

"It's time, Master."

"You nervous?" I asked.

I know I am.

Her heartbeat in my ear was strong and steady. A resolved thump, thump, thump.

"At beating Vincent Redclaw in a fight? Not at all."

Her confidence carved the sharp edge from my nerves.

I can do this. She can do this. Trust.

"Then go put him in his place. I expect nothing less than complete victory." I pulled away, my eyes only a little misty.

Smirking, she jerked her head in a nod and moved to the door. She stretched her shoulders above her head in a way that made her traps positively ripple across her back on the way there. "Shouldn't you be telling me to go win one for the Gipper?" she joked, not looking back.

"What the hell? I'm pretty sure that reference is older than my parents."

Her laughter and response was swallowed by the roar of the crowd. The room felt oddly alone and quiet without her in it. Shivering, I hurriedly followed Opal's lead, giving one last glance at the refrigerator of blood before I did.

Exiting the same way I entered, I followed the clearly laid out signs towards section C box three. The door was open and I hurried inside, not wanting to miss any of Opal's struggles. I was surprised to find that two of the four comfy chairs had a woman sitting in them.

"Lily, this is Jack, my mate. Jack, this is my dear friend Lily who helped me find you."

I stood in the doorway like a blinded hippo, my mouth gaping similarly at the mostly exposed scaled flesh of Tara's friend.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you. I hope things are going well for you two." Neither of them made a move to stand up and I felt strange hovering over them like a creeper.

"...They are," I replied awkwardly as I sat down with a similar level of suaveness. I gave Lily's appearance a quick glance while I was moving before my eyes settled on the sager image of my mate's face.

The first thing I noticed was her two sets of eyelids, the clear set closing from the sides. She was tall and thin. Her skin was dotted artfully with patches of iridescent teal scales that occasionally reflected a rainbow from some sort of natural coating. She was unassuming, but seemed comfortable in her own skin. Demure, she was constantly observing, taking in all the little details of what happened around her. Damp black hair had just enough curl to keep it from being boringly straight. She had it tied back into a ponytail while keeping a few artistic locks dangling around her face. The only article of clothing she wore was a chaste one-piece swimsuit in a simple black. Her legs were folded beneath her bottom so I couldn't see, but her hands had the same delicate webbing crossing between her fingers as the shark-girl out front.

Tara looked surprisingly nervous as she continued her introduction. "She's actually the one who led me in your direction. Speaking of which, I owe you a favor for that," she directed at Lily.

Lily waved the assertion away. "Nonsense, I was just tired of seeing you miserable is all. I would rather-"

"Lily. I owe you."

The scaled woman remained silent for a long moment before she agreed with pinched lips and a sharp nod.

"Good."

"How did you find me?" I asked curiously. I cast my attention down over the general seating and the arena propper.

The arena was filled with a reddish-sand, and seemed deep enough to make it hard to move, but not enough to form any kind of dunes. Attendants were diligently dragging chain-link fence sections over the center area, smoothing out all the imperfection. When they finished, only a flat plane of sand remained separating the two contestants.

"It wasn't so much finding you as it was tracing the flow of Tara's happiness and seeing where it led."

"... I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"No need to apologize. Even I don't have a complete understanding of a naiad's ability to read the threads of fate."

Threads of fate...?

"You can tell the future?" I don't think my eyes could possibly get any bigger as I gaped at her. Again. I tried to school my expression.

I am not doing a good job of making the best first impression on Tara's friend.

"Nothing so dramatic. We can read a person to try to help them with their endeavors. It doesn't always work and it doesn't always work right."

Tara snorted a laugh that Lily shared.

There's a story in there somewhere.

Lily continued her explanation. "But, with some practice, a Naiad can be fairly adept at steering someone in the right direction to find the future they want." Her webbed fingers patted at Tara's knee in a friendly manner. "I'm just glad I could finally help Tara find you. We've been trying for so long."

Tara's ears twitched and her eyes glowed with a grateful warmth.

My heart swelled at the expression. "I am too. Tara has proven to be an unexpected fork in my life, but one I have not regretted choosing."

"Like she gave you a choice," Lily teased. We all laughed at the friendly jab.

"True. Regardless, I am happy for her... insistence. And will always be grateful to whoever had a part in it. I don't have many friends, but I would love to count you among their number."

Lily blushed at the praise, the action turning her exotic colored scales on her cheek a deep purple. "Thanks. I'd like that too."

Our conversation trickled off as something started to happen down below. An announcer walked into the center of the arena. He looked humanoid but had feathers interwoven with his long hair that went down to the middle of his upper back. Dressed in a dashingly cut suit, he possessed a confident charismatic swagger. Stopping in the center of the sand, he held up his hands and waited for the murmurs of the crowd to fall silent.

"We are here today to witness the sanctioned duel between Vincent Redclaw and Jack Reynolds." He first held one hand to the corner that held the dragon who flashed a brilliant smile and waved to the crowd, then to the corner just underneath our box where Opal's hair remained still, her head not wavering from the still waving Mr. Redclaw. "Mr. Reynolds has elected to allow a champion to fight in his stead."

The crowd booed and hissed in response.

"Mr. Redclaw has elected to defend his own honor. And, being the challenger, has selected the Ashencloud arena."

This was met by thunderous cheers and applause. The sick feeling in my gut grew, and I started to get a little nauseous. Tara took my hand and offered me a confident smile. The one I sent her was decidedly more pale and wan.

"It'll be fine. You'll see. Trust us," she promised.

The ground shook slightly as a seam opened up, bisecting the arena in equal halves. Plumes of smoke washed out over from the crack as it began to grow. The crimson sand transformed into a hellscape of twisting heat and stone. The two contestants hopped off the receding ledge onto the revealed ground. Opal cracked her fingers, limbering up her hips by hopping side to side like a sprinter would before a race.

The announcer floated on a hardened disk of air over to where Diana watched from her sideline throne. After bowing deeply to her, he threw his arms out wide. "Let the duel..." He let the tension hang on for a long dramatic pause. "Commence!"

Redclaw continued to preen for the crowd, even as Opal advanced on his position. Her shoulders were hunched forward dangerously, the focused-energy practically pouring off her in waves. As she crossed the halfway point, he finally stopped showboating, dismissing her with a scowl.

Redclaw opened his mouth and his voice was carried to the ears of all the observers through some magical means. "So the coward sent an orc my way. Don't worry, dear, I'll end this quickly. You won't have to suffer long."

My fists clenched along my sides, aching with the need to shut him up. Tara bumped my shoulder with her's. Lily had a curious expression on her face. Pointing at my orc, she asked Tara, "Is that...?"

Tara responded without ever taking her eyes from the arena. "Yep."

"I thought she was missing."

"She was. Now she isn't."

Lily leaned forward in anticipation. "Ooo. He doesn't seem to know either. This is gonna be good." She said it in the same way a lazy college student would after watching a particularly juicy bit of reality-show drama.

Redclaw inhaled inhumanly deep, his chest expanding out twice the size as the curling smoke and steam whorls converging into his mouth. His wings spread out behind him, his toes digging into the ground as he lined up his shot. A wildfire of apocalyptic flames roared from his mouth in a spilling wave that bloomed to cover a third of the arena in hellish heat.

My fingers tightened on the arms of my chair. Fear bound my chest down, my breath froze in my lungs as I watched the wall of inferno bear down on one of the women I held close to my heart.

Putting on a burst of speed, Opal wasn't fazed in the slightest at the flame. She'd come prepared, holding her arms up to protect her face, she cut through the diagonally through the shortest part of the cone of fire, continuing to close the distance. Redclaw, confident in his victory, continuously breathed flame on the last place he'd seen his opponent. His attack had the unfortunate side-effect of obscuring his target. He held the flamethrower exhale like an opera singer, the constant heat enough to turn the already hot stone on the ground cherry-red.