01-10-2023, 12:18 PM
The slow rise and fall of the man’s chest told Nox he was still alive. It would suck to go down for murder in an unauthorized fight just because he was lost in his own head.
The crowd waited for the medics to haul him away and Nox followed after. The darkness raged at his peripheral and the light inside thrashed in his grasp. They both wanted more, needed more but Nox let both go. The horde’s fight was stronger, the world was dimmer. And Nox’s own broken mind replayed every nightmare in his mind.
He didn’t need to sleep to feel the loss of his world. Images of his mother dying, of his father dead in a pool of his own vomit, Aurora’s lifeless body under a sheen of dirt after he’d found her body, Nova’s beautiful fur marred and mangled by the disease that over come him. But it was the loss of a man still living that tore at his heart and Nox reached through the sludge of his mind and pulled up on the power.
It would be so easy to just let it burn him alive. To pull it all through his body so that it seared his soul to a crisp.
The pain of the power coursing through his body when the Ijiraq feed upon him was nothing in comparison to what he’d done to Raffe. Words from a long past memory — though it wasn’t that long ago in the reality of things filtered through his mind. Ori’s voice telling him he’d fuck things up. Like he didn’t know.
A life he didn’t deserve was gone in one moment of failure. The successes before meant nothing. The days of travel alone with Jay meant nothing, the days afterward where Nox had beat himself up for his failure paled in comparison to the pain he’d put himself through now.
Nox wiped blood from his nose and the man fussing at him as he walked through the iron cage into the underground handed him an ice pack and tended to wounds Nox barely recognized. The blood and battered face and the slice on his arm were nothing to how he wanted to feel.
”Did not expect that.” A voice broke through Nox’s thoughts and he looked up at a man flipping money like a one of those flip books with the bouncing ball. He smiled at Nox. ”Made a nice profit. Though the small guy look won’t work for long — once people see you in action it’s an unfair advantage. Unless…”
Nox smirked. ”Unless you pit me against your monsters.” Nox shook his head. ”I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’d only cost you your winnings, and the match would end in death each and every time. It’s my job to kill monsters. And there is only one monster I’ve come across that I don’t know how to kill.”
”After that display I don’t doubt it. But this monster?”
Nox laughed. ”If they wanted money you might convince one, but there is no way your idiots will capture one if well trained Atharim can’t kill them. I know of one person who’s killed one and he ain’t exactly sane — nor is he still alive. Lost a head if I recall.”
That had been another things Nox didn’t want to think about. He’d made a promise to Aria — he kept it. Killed her and buried her in the ground where no one would find the body. They’d have to dig up a city street just to begin to find her. There was no grave marker or even a mound of dirt for them to know. The power could do some wonderful things, but it held dark dark secrets too, and Dane had wielded them like a kid with cotton candy. He was glad the man was dead, but he hated that Aria’s love for the demented man caused her own demise.
His word was all he had. And now he didn’t even have that.
”You alright?”
Nox laughed. ”Do you usually get people in her with the intention of causing problems?”
”All the time. We have at least three open spots just for that purpose. You ain’t the first, and you won’t be the last tonight.”
Nox smirked. ”I didn’t come looking for a fight. I came looking for a man. The darkness always wants a fight.” Nox shook his head, Sage would be proud. ”David Banner said his secret was he was always angry — right? Three things fuel instincts in nature — protecting you and those you love, feeding them, and insuring your blood line lives on. The three Fs — feed, fight and fuck. Do what I do long enough and you get bit by the monsters, become them.”
Nox turned and headed for the exit. ”I’m sure I’ll be back.”
”Wait.” The man stopped Nox with a hand on his arm and handed Nox some cash. ”25% of the profit for your match. Your odds brought in a pretty penny. We won’t get that much again.”
Nox took the cash and stuffed it into his hoodie pocket and left through the gate he’d entered. He hadn’t found out anything new — Ori had been the last to see Kasun alive. He didn’t look forward to finding her.
Left to his own thoughts Nox found a dark corner in which to brood. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want a drink. He stared at the name in his call list and wanted desperately to hit the call button just to hear Raffe’s voice.
He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and dropped his head to his hands propped up on his elbows. He’d become the monster he’d fought and it had ruined his life. His nightmares were on permanent scrolling reel in the darkness of his mind. Everywhere he want he lost what he loved most.
The crowd waited for the medics to haul him away and Nox followed after. The darkness raged at his peripheral and the light inside thrashed in his grasp. They both wanted more, needed more but Nox let both go. The horde’s fight was stronger, the world was dimmer. And Nox’s own broken mind replayed every nightmare in his mind.
He didn’t need to sleep to feel the loss of his world. Images of his mother dying, of his father dead in a pool of his own vomit, Aurora’s lifeless body under a sheen of dirt after he’d found her body, Nova’s beautiful fur marred and mangled by the disease that over come him. But it was the loss of a man still living that tore at his heart and Nox reached through the sludge of his mind and pulled up on the power.
It would be so easy to just let it burn him alive. To pull it all through his body so that it seared his soul to a crisp.
The pain of the power coursing through his body when the Ijiraq feed upon him was nothing in comparison to what he’d done to Raffe. Words from a long past memory — though it wasn’t that long ago in the reality of things filtered through his mind. Ori’s voice telling him he’d fuck things up. Like he didn’t know.
A life he didn’t deserve was gone in one moment of failure. The successes before meant nothing. The days of travel alone with Jay meant nothing, the days afterward where Nox had beat himself up for his failure paled in comparison to the pain he’d put himself through now.
Nox wiped blood from his nose and the man fussing at him as he walked through the iron cage into the underground handed him an ice pack and tended to wounds Nox barely recognized. The blood and battered face and the slice on his arm were nothing to how he wanted to feel.
”Did not expect that.” A voice broke through Nox’s thoughts and he looked up at a man flipping money like a one of those flip books with the bouncing ball. He smiled at Nox. ”Made a nice profit. Though the small guy look won’t work for long — once people see you in action it’s an unfair advantage. Unless…”
Nox smirked. ”Unless you pit me against your monsters.” Nox shook his head. ”I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’d only cost you your winnings, and the match would end in death each and every time. It’s my job to kill monsters. And there is only one monster I’ve come across that I don’t know how to kill.”
”After that display I don’t doubt it. But this monster?”
Nox laughed. ”If they wanted money you might convince one, but there is no way your idiots will capture one if well trained Atharim can’t kill them. I know of one person who’s killed one and he ain’t exactly sane — nor is he still alive. Lost a head if I recall.”
That had been another things Nox didn’t want to think about. He’d made a promise to Aria — he kept it. Killed her and buried her in the ground where no one would find the body. They’d have to dig up a city street just to begin to find her. There was no grave marker or even a mound of dirt for them to know. The power could do some wonderful things, but it held dark dark secrets too, and Dane had wielded them like a kid with cotton candy. He was glad the man was dead, but he hated that Aria’s love for the demented man caused her own demise.
His word was all he had. And now he didn’t even have that.
”You alright?”
Nox laughed. ”Do you usually get people in her with the intention of causing problems?”
”All the time. We have at least three open spots just for that purpose. You ain’t the first, and you won’t be the last tonight.”
Nox smirked. ”I didn’t come looking for a fight. I came looking for a man. The darkness always wants a fight.” Nox shook his head, Sage would be proud. ”David Banner said his secret was he was always angry — right? Three things fuel instincts in nature — protecting you and those you love, feeding them, and insuring your blood line lives on. The three Fs — feed, fight and fuck. Do what I do long enough and you get bit by the monsters, become them.”
Nox turned and headed for the exit. ”I’m sure I’ll be back.”
”Wait.” The man stopped Nox with a hand on his arm and handed Nox some cash. ”25% of the profit for your match. Your odds brought in a pretty penny. We won’t get that much again.”
Nox took the cash and stuffed it into his hoodie pocket and left through the gate he’d entered. He hadn’t found out anything new — Ori had been the last to see Kasun alive. He didn’t look forward to finding her.
Left to his own thoughts Nox found a dark corner in which to brood. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want a drink. He stared at the name in his call list and wanted desperately to hit the call button just to hear Raffe’s voice.
He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and dropped his head to his hands propped up on his elbows. He’d become the monster he’d fought and it had ruined his life. His nightmares were on permanent scrolling reel in the darkness of his mind. Everywhere he want he lost what he loved most.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)