Game Time

[ManedAshes]

The young maned wolf's heart was still racing.  She could feel the large vein in her throat pulsing with each furious beat of her heart and felt a bit woozy as too much oxygen flowed to her muscles when it wasn't as necessary anymore.  A certain level of denial for the felled beast not far away was necessary at this point.  She'd survived...again.  How?  Everyone kept telling her that she'd be dead next game yet here she was; a weakling and a freak who'd managed to successfully complete a game once again.

She forced her breaths to slow into a long and steady pace, instead of the panting she'd previously been experiencing, to slow her heart down manually and so others wouldn't see the toll that this game had taken on her.  Her green eyes and green tipped ears darted nervously, senses on full alert.  Last game there'd nearly been an "accident" that could have seriously wounded, or even killed, her.  It wasn't part of the rules for team members to kill each other but those who ran the game would turn a blind eye if the member who'd been killed was considered fodder anyway and the kill hadn't been made in an obvious way.  So Ashes kept her guard up in case another "accident" was coming.

As she looked around carefully she could help but notice the differences between her and her peers, yet again.  Most of them were 190cm tall at the least.  She was significantly shorter than most of them at barely 170cm which, at best, put her at their shoulders.  Everyone else was a lot broader than she was too.  There wasn't really a good way to describe it but she was just more narrow than even the slimmest of her teammates.  Ashes was well muscled but her bones were just not the same width as everyone else's.  The major difference though was that parts of her fur glowed.  No one else's did and the glowing gave her a serious disadvantage during stealth games.  Bright colours weren't uncommon but at least they didn't glow like she did.

Aside from her size and fur Ashes did her very best to fit in. Her top was a thin dark grey fabric that may have been another colour at some point.  The neck had been cut so it was wide enough for her shoulders to fit in the neck hole as well, but the fabric was stretched tight across her small breasts and often she saw people giving her chest a second glance as they just had to check if they actually could see her nipples through the shirt.  Their answer was never really certain, even with a third look.  The shirt was cut off just below her breasts to show off her slim and slightly muscles stomach before the low riding shorts prevented the eye from seeing anything further until her lithe thighs.  Her shorts were low enough that she didn't need to cut a hole through them for her tail because the shorts just settled beneath it.  They were very short, only really covering her "private" areas.  Her footpaws were bare though, unlike some who did choose to find something sturdier for their paws.  Nudity wasn't a thing that anyone should be shamed of and some did choose to remain that way but many found clothes to be more sexually alluring and that was the point of being an adult female, to make ones self sexually appealing so the men would want you...whether you did or not.

She'd only just been considered an adult very recently but she knew that she wouldn't make it through her first year.  The games were too fast, too furious, and she'd remain in the fodder category until her luck ran out.  Normally it was an honour to die in a game for one's team but all the fodder knew that their death wouldn't be an honour.

Once she'd gotten her breathing under control she couldn't help a glance to one of the men on her team for that game.  This was not their first together and Ashes could swear that he had helped her during the last few games together.

[Sabata_McCloud]

The game had been simple enough:  carts loaded with supplies had come a bit too close to the city and were trying to escape the sad excuse for law enforcement, who had been making an attempt to confiscate the food and water.  The teams were gathered, given their targets, and told to take them down.  The carts themselves had been little more than two-man rickshaws, each with a driver and two armed mercenaries tasked with protecting the payload.  The goal was simple and easily accomplished, but there was a trick to it-- each team would be awarded bonus "points" for killing the driver of the cart without touching the two men pulling each one.

Games like this had been Locke's specialty-- one where speed was much more important than strength.  Catching up to the carts had been easy, but the mercenaries on board the cart made things much more difficult.  As a result, his plan had been to catch up to each cart, pull the driver off of his seat from the ground, and hopefully delay the two mercenary guards long enough for the actual fighters to arrive.  Armed as he was with a small hand ax, he was no match for two trained warriors with pikes and swords.  Taking the driver out wasn't too difficult in itself, all it took was a hard tug and a quick blow to the forehead with the blade of his ax.  At that point, it had been out-maneuvering and running away from the pursuers.

Their team had won by a decisive margin, mostly due to the efforts of the sprinters on their team.  Sure, there had been the "accidental" near-miss of an opposing team's weapon when the fighting got heavier, but even though they weren't technically allowed to kill each other unless it's a special event, it still happened.  The game masters didn't pay any attention to it if they thought you were weak.  Locke took a few moments to calm himself down, wiping the blood from his ax on the leg of his shorts.

"Hey Ash, looks like we won this one," he said, seeking out the female teammate that he'd developed somewhat of a trust in.  If nothing else, it was mutual respect for her ability to survive; it wasn't easy when they weren't quite strong enough to lift a sword and fight for hours on end like the more favored competitors.  They were only truly good for speed, which made everyone think their only strength was fleeing, which in turn made them weak in the eyes of the public.  While forming any sort of bond outside of the combined desire to win was seen as weakness, having some type of partner in the midst of these hellish games made bearing with it much easier.  Especially when the entire city was against you.

The cheetah slid the ax handle-first into a leather holster that hung from the belt of his cut-off denim shorts.  They were just loose enough to provide ease of movement, but they still clung to the toned muscles of his legs.  They stopped just above his knees, giving way to his spotted fur and bare paws.  His shirt was much more form-fitting than his pants, but made of a stretchy material that didn't hinder his movement at all.  He only wore it for the games, as it was a hard commodity to find and he knew many were envious of the material.  He'd only come across it after helping a previous raid event on a traveler caravan.  His build was by no means formidable, but enough musculature showed through his tightly-fitting clothing to show that he wasn't exactly a weakling.  A moderate amount of blood stained the fur on his forearms, although he wasn't nearly as dirty as the warriors, large beasts of males whose clothes were nearly drenched in the blood of the mercenaries and cart drivers.  They would likely head off to the pub or nearest strip club and rape the females there until sunrise the next morning-- that routine had always been the same.

[ManedAshes]

Ashes had only part of the diversion, to use her body in order to steer the cart from its path and towards the waiting ambush.  Her weapon of choice was a stiletto and her armour, the distraction that her clothes afforded her.  She brandished the weapon expertly but missed when she aimed for the driver, but it was her attempt that managed to get that cart to go in the right direction...but not before a mercenary took a shot at her.  She had narrowly avoided his long blade before tumbling gracelessly to the ground.

With a shake of her head she banished the memory, no sense in dwelling on a missed kill.  The losing team had already scattered to head back over to their side of the city.  The divide in the middle was the neutral ground between the two teams that had been battling for countless generations.  The neutral area was where the shops were.  Fodder generally dreamed of getting into that area but it was all but impossible, you had to have some kind of skill or someone "on the inside" who'd get you in but even then you'd have to keep your head low and hope that your old teammates didn't find you or they'd likely kill you just for abandoning them.  Killing neutrals was strictly forbidden though, their skills were far too necessary to the game.

The women found at stripper bars were surgically fixed, their blockage permanently removed and a shameful reminder that they weren't fit for breeding.  The male version of strippers for the women were castrated and taught how to please a woman properly so that they could have a good time too, they'd forcibly make those castrated males do they things that they'd permanently been shamed into doing.  That was Ashes' foremost fear: being made a stripper...to be marked that way.  The strippers were the only ones who were allowed to leave their teams for the neutral area without fear of death.

When Locke showed up she hid any signs of pleasure that she felt upon seeing that he'd approached her.  She was afraid of looking too eager for his attention but she craved the companionship that her teammates seemed to have.  Even the other fodder avoided her out of fear.  Either fear of her unnatural appearance or fear that the warriors would turn on them completely.  For the most part almost everyone started out as fodder until you were able to show off your abilities to the point that others would notice and get you out of there and into the better positions.  The chances of death were still there but not nearly so high.

Ashes envied Locke, he looked like he'd be stuck in the fodder category for the rest of his short life as well but he'd managed to get himself out.  The feline gave the canine hope that maybe there was a way to an honourable death, one that people would remember her for without laughing.

"Hello, Locke," Ashes said while hiding a smile, "it would seem as if you won this one.  Going with the others to the pub?"

[Sabata_McCloud]

It didn't take long for the warriors to clear off, several of them leading the surviving cart pullers away as captives.  They all knew what their fate would be-- they'd be seen as new fodder for the next event.  Locke certainly pitied them, as he knew they wouldn't even be given a weapon to defend themselves with.  Even Ashes had a stiletto at least.  As small and near-useless as their weapons were, they knew how to use them, and that was what became important.  He watched the groups leave, laughing and clapping each other on the backs for a successful game.  They didn't pay the fodder any attention.

Locke shook his head at Ashes' question.  "You kidding?  You've seen those guys, I show my face in one of those pubs and they'll be scraping what's left of me off the floor by morning."  Technically speaking, he was no longer considered fodder, but given his physique and attitude, he was still treated like it.  Sliding his hands into his pockets, he sauntered off towards their side of town.  "Y'know, I heard they're going to be selecting the contestants for the Solstice soon."

The simple thought of the Solstice made the cheetah sick to his stomach.  It was regarded as the largest celebration in the city, where the two sides met in tentative peace, all tensions temporarily forgotten.  It was also the most terrifying for the fighters.  It was one of the few holidays where they had an event each year, and it was always the same thing.  The strongest (or weakest, simply for entertainment) fighters were voted on by the members of the city, given a weapon of their choice, placed in the neutral zone (which was evacuated for that purpose), and told to fight.  The first team that had all of its members killed lost the event.  The selection typically involved more fodder than actual fighters, as it was primarily regarded as a social event between sides, almost like a gladiator match.  Escape was impossible too, as any attempt to flee the deathmatch resulted in being hunted down and beaten by the citizens of their side of the city, resulting in death if you were lucky.

The two of them had been relatively unknown for the past couple years compared to other warriors and fodder, but as the more entertaining fighters were killed off, they had become slightly more popular.  If nothing else, for the idea of watching them have their skulls caved in by one of the brutes on the other team.  The thought of that had made him enjoy her company, as he knew she was on the same side of popular opinion as he was.  He didn't let it show, of course, as that would only make them bigger targets.  Instead, he kept his excitement to be around her to himself.  "Hopefully we get passed over again this year."

[ManedAshes]

At least those who'd been captured would be released if they survived the game.  Their chances were slim due to their lack of familiarity with the games but everyone in the wasteland had some skill in survival, it was necessary.  The neutrals were kept neutral  out of necessity, but it didn't mean that those considered less useful couldn't serve in the fun once in awhile.  The only ones exempt from ever playing were those of exceptional skill who could not be easily replaced.

It was odd, despite the cruelty of these games and the seriousness needed, they were still considered to be quite fun.  The exhilaration and thrill excited her in ways she couldn't explain.  She was determined to make a kill one day and to make it out of her current rank and up to that of warrior.  Ashes didn't care if she became a Master of the Games but she did want an honourable death that would awe the future generations.  Ashes only cursed herself for being so clumsy but she did look forward to the next game...until Locke mentioned the Solstice.

Ashe's face fell a little, she couldn't help it.  This would be her first year, the ceremony when the new teammates was held during the feast when the winner of the solstice was declared.  During the solstice a hunting party was chosen to collect enough for the feast, they'd be given as much water as could be spared then they'd be sent out to the desert in the search of game.  That party was never one that anyone wanted to be chosen for as both teams were expected to go out together and get along well enough to coordinate a proper and effective hunt.  On top of that, the pressure to return successful was so great that entire parties had stayed out in the desert to die of starvation before in order to avoid the shame of returning empty handed...or so they said.  Every year that Ashes could remember there had been something, at least.

"I'm going to be chosen," Ashes said with certainty, not a trace of doubt clouded her words.  "You've seen how they've been trying to get rid of me.  I bet that they won't pick you."

Before another word could be said one of the Masters of the Game walked over to Locke personally, risking themselves to hand over the bonus to the cheetah.  Ashes stepped aside and said nothing to the female gazelle as the exchange took place.

"You did well," Ganta said before handing the prize over.

[Sabata_McCloud]

Locke certainly didn't care for her negative thinking.  Negative thinking in general tended to bother him, as it prevented planning from being done to solve the problem.  But the main reason why Ashes' statement about being chosen got to him was because he knew it was true as well.  Even he'd noticed a slowly increasing attempt to get rid of her.  He did genuinely like her, even going so far as to think that she would be the only one he would actually miss if she were to be killed.

He waved a hand dismissively.  "Bah, I'll be in the draw same as anyone else.  I could count the number of kills I've had on one hand, I'm not crazy enough to kill as many as it would take to be considered exemplary."  The three kills that he'd managed in the day's event made it an even 4 total.  He wasn't a killing machine like the populace wanted; he had too much of a conscience for that, and his size certainly didn't match his willpower.  He could keep a sword for a bit, but he wasn't strong enough to fight like some of the more powerful warriors; a couple strong parries would most likely knock him over.

He wondered if Ashes' negativity stemmed from the fact that she couldn't make a kill for the life of her.  She had the right idea using more of her speed than brute force, especially with the weapon that she used.  He leaned against a building behind him, examining the ground between his feet while he thought.  "You know, I might be able to help you fight.  Sure, my ax is different from your knife, but if you know what areas to hit, you'll be out of the fodder group in no time."  He offered her a bit of a grin to try and lift her spirits a bit.  While his intent was good, the smile felt forced and hollow.  The Solstice was a cause for celebration and excitement for all but the weakest fighters.  The thought of being chosen to fight caused a knot to form in his gut.

He looked up when they were approached by one of the GMs, and his eyes instantly diverted to the ground.  He'd been clubbed with a metal rod last time he'd accidentally looked at one of them, and that was only because that particular GM was in a good mood.  He clumsily the prize, finding himself at a loss for words.  "Erm...thanks."

[ManedAshes]

A smile of gratitude to Locke's kind words spread over her face moments before Ganta had appeared and quickly faded as the old crone of a mere 33 years of age came closer.  Ganta hadn't even glanced at Ashes, as if the tiny girl weren't even worth her notice.  It was important, upon seeing a person, to be able to size up their strengths and weaknesses rapidly.  The gesture had come to mean something close to courtesy and respect because if you didn't get one then it meant that you weren't even considered worthy of their concern.  Ashes never received those looks and had to give one to nearly every one she saw just in case a fight broke out.  Ganta had at least looked at Locke before leaving.

Once the old woman had left Ashes exhaled the breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding in but remained silent long after Ganta's back had been turned to them, another insult.  Ashes stared daggers into the woman's back as she left, wishing that she had the courage to stab it but Ashes knew that Ganta was right in turning her backs to them...there was no way either of them could succeed.  Ashes didn't consider herself to be a very negative person, in truth she was quite cheerful most of the time despite what she had to put up with every day, but she was a realist when it came down to it.  Maybe that was Ashes' flaw though, maybe if she just believed she could do it instead of understanding the logic that her chances were slim she might actually succeed.  Logic or no, Ashes still tried and tried hard.

Nearly the entirety of each day Ashes would spend training on her own.  No one had figured Ashes had been worth training before so when Ganta was out of sight the maned wolf's thoughts turned sharply back to Locke's offer.  Had he been serious?  Or was the cheetah mocking her now that he'd received some favour from a GM?  Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, not even looking at the bonus out of courtesy and disinterest due to her more pressing need to know if her companion had been serious or not.

"Don't make fun of me, Locke," she said firmly, "were you serious about teaching me?"  Her normally carefree face rarely looked so serious as those green eyes stared into the cheetah's fixedly.  The rest of their conversation had ben entirely forgotten.

[Sabata_McCloud]

He'd be lying if he tried to say that her accusation didn't sting.  He kept his reaction from his face, as he had to understand that she'd probably been deceived who knew how many times.  Still, she had to have believed him at first, since he saw the smile on her face that lasted all of a few seconds before Ganta had given him what appeared to be some sort of black cloth.  He unfurled it, unsure of what it was.  Closer inspection revealed it to be...exactly that.  A roll of black cloth.  Well, excellent.  He could do precisely nothing with it.

Hiding his irritation, he rolled the cloth back up and tucked it under his arm.  "To answer your question, yes.  I am serious about teaching you.  We kinda fight the same way, using speed and precision rather than swinging big heavy things around."  He started walking, not really in any particular direction.  He wanted to at least stop home and drop his prize off, but he wasn't in any hurry to do so.  He did enjoy her company, and wasn't exactly eager to be by himself again.  "I've been working on dummies to practice on, and I think you might find them pretty useful."

"To be honest, I think you've been going about trying to fight the wrong way.  I know it's hard since you're still in the fodder group, but you should try hiding, drawing a target to where you are, then killing him without getting into a huge fight.  Get quick enough, you'll be able to take a guy down without him knowing what happened."  He chuckled a bit, quite enjoying the idea.  Looking her over again, he did figure that her glowing fur may pose a few problems when it came to hiding.  Well, he'd figure a solution to that out later.  First, she'd need to actually get the technique down.

By the time they finally reached his home, it was nearly sunset.  "Well, it's probably going to be too late to practice anything tonight.  We can do it tomorrow if you want.  For now, I kinda want to walk around a bit more after I drop this off," he said, indicating the roll of cloth under his arm.

[ManedAshes]

Didn't even have a hint of suggestion to the hurt that her words had caused the cheetah so Ashes continued to guard herself.  While Locke inspected his gift Ashes kept her eyes averted politely, not wanting to impose herself on the gift or to even give that impression mistakenly.  More importantly, some people just did't like their prizes seen by others in case rumour spread if it was something particularly treasured that could get them killed if someone decided that they wanted it badly enough.  Another smile slid across her face at his words but her eyes still held a hint of reserve from the initial joy she'd felt at his offer, just in case he was still leading her on.  Ashes'd come to like Locke too much the be able to withstand disappointment from him at this phase of their friendship, if that was actually what it was.  She willed her heart to beat at a steady pace as she spoke.

"I look forward to seeing what you have to show me," Ashes said carefully while not being able to completely contain an edge of hope and excitement that was bubbling up inside her.

Curiosity warred with Ashes' courtesy as she followed beside Locke carefully.  She kept out of easy arm's reach and did her best not to get behind Locke where he might suspect the canine of dishonourable intentions where she didn't dare go in front of him to give him the advantage instead.  The internal conflict continued to wage inside her, though, she'd never been close enough to see what a prize was before and she just wanted to know what it was.  She wouldn't tell anyone.what it was...she just had to know.  Curiosity won out as she stole the briefest of glances to the prize in Locke's paws.  Then she couldn't help but wonder if there was something hidden in the cloth when he eyes skimmed the bundle but the maned wolf didn't dare another glance in case she offended him.  Even if it was "just" cloth, it could be traded or he could go to the neutral area to trade a tailor to make something from it.  There were plenty of things that could be done with the nice looking fabric but Ashes didn't say anything to imply she'd she'd looked, not that Locke seemed to be hiding it.  Its true purpose would come later, she just didn't know it yet.

Ashes' face took on one of contemplation at Locke's words, part of her hated the idea.  A surprisingly large part of her, actually, so large a part that she very nearly declined Locke's offer right then.  Ashes wanted to be big and strong like everyone else, not a coward in the shadows.  She couldn't help the natural reaction her body gave as anger raced through her as an initial reaction.  Stiffening of the stride and back, a slight bristle of her fur, and the lift of her tail that generally implied dominance.  But still, Ashes liked Locke too much and didn't want him to leave so she thought about it, truly, and slowly her posture sagged as the sense of his words was driven home by her own mind.  She knew she´d never be as big and strong as them but at the prospect of training, that was what she´d hoped would happen but no, she´d only be trained on how to adapt to her runt size.  It was better than nothing but for the time being Ashes was very uncertain about her body and self conscious of her size and worst that that, glowing fur.  With time though, her confidence would improve rapidly.

"Perhaps you are right," she acceded with reluctance as they arrived at his shelter, consoling herself by reminding herself that Locke wasn't terribly large either and used different tactics to win.  She took his words to be a dismissal and began to walk away, not turning her back to him.  It was a sign of distrust but also of respect so he could take it as he chose.  "Thanks, Locke, I hope that you enjoy your walk."