Chapter 38: Lynched
Prisoners writhe in pain across the prison corridor and mess hall floor. Some foaming at the mouth as others just writhe in pain. Maverick along with his followers overlook the mess before them.
"W…What happened here…" Mavericks followers was stunned.
Maverick navigates through the mess of collapsed bodies bending down seeing the strange stew.
"Don't eat that!" a cook warned. "The foods been poisoned by the Immortal Maiden."
Maverick looked at the cook and turned his attention back to the stew at hand. He picked a white chunk from the stew. he felt it's rubbery texture and squeezed it. everyone watched as a little of of green juices is secreted from the piece. "A white toad mushroom. This can paralyze a grown man for several days if cooked properly. And several hours if it isn't." Maverick tossed the piece of the mushroom aside.
"W-wait, how can you even tell?"
"In the north these are grown plentifully, we'd boil 'em and use its juice for hunting. All you'd have to do is squeeze them once their boiled to identify them."
Maverick once again sets off to leave. "We're leaving already Maverick?"
"I doubt that women will be coming back to her soon…"
Demon guards start passing Maverick along with some other differently dressed demons.
"I'm just going to roam around until I find her again. I suggest you three do the same.... If you find anything, let me know." Maverick finishes.
********
Elsewhere in the prisoner corridor Kalika is being pursued by four other prisoners, some of them are chucking knives at her and missing.
"Your aim sucks! Gimme those!"
The knives became more direct, hitting Kalika's back and legs. She pushed through the pain, outrunning all the prisoners to their own surprise. Some even start to give in, absolutely exhausted.
"H-how the hell is she still going???
Up ahead at an intersection, Kalika caught a glimpse of another prisoner planning an ambush. "Again!?"
This time a man with a club swung for Kalika's stomach. She's nearly hit, dodging backwards. She quickly grabbed his club pulling him past her and into the line of the three other Prisoner's chasing her.
They crash into him, starting to lose Kalika again. "Argh! Damn it!"
She starts to take as many reckless turns through the hall as possible, looking for the possibility to lose these men.
She sees a particular hallway recognizing it to the hall leading to the arena balcony. It's normally blocked with a locked barred door, but it seems one of the guards left it unlocked.
She didn't hesitate entering the hall and escaping any other future pursuers.
A sigh of relief as the prisoners chased her before running past the entrance.
With her escape complete she follows the path of the arena balcony.
"I'm surprised they never caught up to me…" Kalika stops in the middle of the hall. "Actually…why am I not exhausted?" Kalika pondered for a moment. "Perhaps all that training with Tilus did help. Hmmm…"
"I'll worry about this later. I can probably hide on the balcony for the rest of the day." Kalika continued forward. "If I knew dealing with those other creeps would be this easy I probably would've stuck around… Then again that Maverick guy is really tough to get around... I can't go a day without running into that bastard!"
Kalika crept onto the balcony, keeping her head low. "As long as I'm not discovered here, I should be just fine. The day shouldn't be too long now."
Out of curiosity, Kalika peeked over the solid balcony railing. She watched as prisoners played games, exercised and even fought with one another. And from the edge of the entire arena the guard stood stationary, they seemed like mere decorations from the up above in the festival of men fooling around.
She spotted a few familiar faces and the prison name she's been given had been mentioned a lot. Some seem to be interested in looking for her to simply kill her.
Kalika continues to look around, eventually finding Donovan entering the room. She watched as he started exercising as if training for something. Not only did he run laps and do push ups, but he started doing a variety of other strange exercises she hasn't seen before.
"Is he really still going about it?" a Prisoner asked.
"Yeah. I'm surprised he is still doing that routine, even after the 'Imperial Wall' left."
Kalika continued to watch in secret for a time and everything was going good. That was until she was approached from the back. Behind her stood Daji wearing a malicious and devious smile.
"
Kalika froze upon hearing those words. She knew who it was just by her voice alone.
Following her instinct she opted to jump from the balcony but immediately felt something entangle her neck.
A strange bloody rope now choked her with the assailant being Valam. She licked her lips satisfied for her catch.
Flooring not far behind came from behind Kalika, placing her finger at the nap of her neck, a shock was sent through Kalika's body.
"N…Not again!"
Daji approached Kalika's side."
Kalika still couldn't understand much of what she was saying, but she did try to resist whatever was making her body freeze up.
Flying peeked off the balcony. "
"
"
"
"
Florin quickly came around to the idea. "
Florin got close to Kalika's ears with a giggle. "Jump down."
As if moving on its own Kalika climbed over the Balcony with the bloody rope around her neck. "No. No No No No No!!!"
Daji gave the final push off the balcony. The rope tightened. Her vision blurred seeing all the shock prisoners around her,
"I-I Can't…. Breathe…"
Kalika dug desperately to tear off the bloody rope around her neck to no avail. Donovan, far across that arena, watched in horror. The other prisoners around were just as dumbfounded as the next seeing this.
"W-wait, That's the Immortal maiden."
Not long after, Kalika succumbed to suffocation. She then awoke to find herself still hanging where she was before. "Why am I still here?? is it because it not inside my body?? I... I have to break free!!"
Kalika continued to struggle, trying to break at the rope in vain. Not long after, Florin started to conjure forth stones, dropping them down to the Arena below.
"Throw. Throw and have fun." she said with a smile.
Daji repeated Florin
"Have Fun!"
Now Valam did the same.
"Have fun!"
They kept saying the same thing over and over like a cheer or a call. Soon prisoners became more confident.
"This is perfect. This is only what the bitch deserves." a Prisoner threw a rock. Others started to agree, grabbing the rocks, and pelting it at Kalika. They then started getting their own knives, throwing it at her too.
Before her she could see plenty of prisoners gleefully throwing rocks and knives. Pain rippled through her body as she desperately searched for air.
The scene obviously became too much for other prisoners who saw themselves out, uncomfortable with the event before them. All the while the laugh of the demon women above was the most clear thing Kalika could hear.
From behind the crowd a rock is thrown at the Balcony, hitting Daji square in the jaw. The perpetrator, none other than Donovan.
Kalika saw this. Looking at a completely frightened and shaky Donovan. "T…That idiot."
"
Flooring approached Daji, pointing out Donovan and whispering something in her ear.
"
Donovan is shot in the stomach with a bloody spear now in his body.
Daji fire's again but this is redirected by Florin followed by Valam that let go of the Rope holding Kalika.
Kalika fell hard on the ground. Choking and gasping.
"
The prisoner's quickly turned their attention to Kalika. "This is our chance!"
"Get her!"
They start to rush at her from all sides with their weapons on hand.
Everything starts to slow around Kalika as entire area erupts into chaos with blood spears being hurdled everywhere; she feels her heartbeat and breathing hasten.
"Call me…. Call me…" It was that familiar wispy voice from before.
Kalika wanted to question whatever entity was calling out to her but found herself unable to speak. A familiar scorching hot sensation emanated from her hand.
"No…. Stay away from me!" she shouted.
The first inmate plunged a dagger into Kalika's chest, waking her from her trance. She grabbed his arm, stopping him from pulling it out. shortly after he got shot in the head by a spear.
"What?" Kalika became shocked.
"Crap, T-the wardens goin insane!"
She quickly pushed all thoughts of it aside, realizing more men were coming for her. Not taking any more chances, she attempts to push past all the men before her, even using the wall to elevate herself from the men blocking her way. and using some of the men as platforms.
"Argh!"
"Ow."
More of the blood spear nearly hit Kalika, instead killing prisoner she jumped off.
"Hey! Hey! S-she's getting away!"
She's ignored the chaos and the prisoner chasing her being halfway there. The prisoner to her side started to slash and stab her way, some hits being successful as others completely missed their mark. She redirects another attack into the wall. She dodged through the chaos and is pelt with even more slashed and stabs the overwhelmed her.
A killing shot finally came in slashing her neck.
"I got her!!"
"I can't stop. Keep going!"
Through sheer determination she continued pushing past the pain and death, getting closer to the exit before her.
"W-what the hell!? She's still going!"
She awoke seeing the exit just ahead but is quickly shocked.
"What the-" in front of her stood Donovan who held the door open with the spear still lodged in his stomach. Other prisoners attempted to pull him off realizing what he was doing, despite this he held firm.
"That idiot. Fine! If that's how you want it. So be it! But don't blame if you die."
Kalika braced herself ready for more chaos she would face in the hall. That was… until her head flew off. Her body kicked back into the arena.
She awoke to find Maverick now standing over her, tall and ready to kill. Everything around them suddenly halted. the chaos from Daji's blood spears stopped. the Prisoners that chased after Kalika stopped. Everything became silent.
"D-damn it…" Kalika slumps herself back onto the ground and tensed up. "I lost... again."
Kalika clenched her teeth, frustrated. "No matter what I do… I always lose! Maybe its better if I..."
"GET UP!!!!" Donovan shouted.
Kalika shook. She watched as Donovan got punched and the demon guards intervened with the scuffle. The guards quickly escorted him out from the arena without a second thought. Daji watching this scoffs.
"What are you looking at? I'm right over here," Maverick said.
"He's right. I can't give in now!" Kalika clutched her hands. "I refuse to be someone else's toy!"
With a single swipe of his blade he cuts her neck, this time however she continues to pick herself off the ground. Maverick kicks her body back to the ground. This repeats once again. She attempts to get up. only to get kicked and killed. But she doesn't give up.
Again. And again. And again. She refused to stay down.
"Stay down!" Maverick yelled
Kalika refused to give in, eventually dodging his killing blow, affording her an opportunity to regain distance from the relentless man.
The Prisoners around could only stand in shock. "W-wait, since when could she still move after dying??"
Even Maverick was surprised by this fact. "So even when you're killed, you can still keep moving, huh." Maverick Readied his sword again for an attack. "At this point I doubt you're even human."
"S-shut up, I'm still human. So don't you dare say otherwise!" she growled.
"You should be happy, that was complimenting." Maverick quickly closed the distance, slamming his blade into the ground. Kalika nearly dodged. "There are still two-hundred forty-three men left. I need to avenge."
"You're a crazy bastard."
Maverick gazed more grimly at Kalika. He lifted and swung his blade around himself, aiming for her neck. Kalika avoided this attack, but just barely. She looked back at Maverick to find him still wearing that same grim expression.
"There is still two-hundred forty-three left," He said.
Kalika felt a sudden pain from her legs. She looked down briefly to find a bloody spear in her leg, pinning her in one spot. She looked up to find Daji looking much more satisfied along with her posse. Before she realized it, she got slashed in the chest.
"This should make it two-hundred forty-two."
Kalika could feel herself tipping over. She stopped herself, holding on.
"This… This is nothing! Compared to what Lily put me through.."
Maverick readied his sword once more. "Just die already
Kalika darted her eyes around the arena. "There has to be something I can…" Kalika's glance turned to the spear in their leg. She grabbed it, pulling it from her leg in time to block his incoming attack.
Kalika staggered from the pain in her leg. She tried catching her breath staring down Maverick who's aura started to become more and more malicious. It almost felt suffocating.
The prisoner's around started to become more cowardly seeing the clash between the two. Not long, one by one some start to leave.
"H-hey where are all you going!??" prisoner shouted
"Are you stupid, when the Maverick get like that, he'll kill anyone in sight!" Another explained.
"H-huh???"
The confusion envelops the man who hesitantly follows behind and Kalika who stood face to face with Maverick. It felt unreal to see all the prisoners that were so eager to kill her leave because of the man before her.
Slowly she felt herself becoming overpowered. She parried the sword letting it crash into the ground beside her.
Maverick lifted the sword, revealing an indentation on the stone ground.
"And you doubted my humanity. You're just a monster." she said.
Maverick stared at Kalika uninterested. "I'll take that as a compliment."