Ash that he couldn’t leave Shiva there with Marni. Since she probably wouldn’t want her to know about her identity, Ash swooped into action. He pocketed her deck of cards and walked over to her.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll look after him until he wakes up,” Ash said. He leaned down and lifted her deceivingly heavy-looking body. “I want to challenge him to a rematch. Our game was way too close to call.”
His kindness was met with a disgusted look of bewilderment from his friend. Marni had dropped to her knees, her eyes free-flowing tears of grief. “Whatever,” she said, trying to regain her composure. “Just make sure he gets home safe.”
Ash nodded. He lifted the unconscious Vashi Tansa off the debris-filled floor of what used to be a fully-functioning gaming arena, now a hollowed out shell of its former glory, and carried away the unconscious girl dressed as a man. With Aura in tow, they made it all the way outside before the death toucher voiced his latest complaint.
"Hold up," he said. "Are we suddenly being nice to Nobles? I say we ditch this guy and go home or something.”
"We could do that," Ash said, preparing to manipulate his friend. " Or … We could wait till he wakes up, and really rub it in his face that he was saved by us ." He smiled reassuringly at his friend.
Aura pondered on that as they walked. "I guess that could be fun,” he replied. “It has been too long since I last taunted a Noble.”
“Didn’t you taunt him right before our game? That was like, what, an hour ago tops?”
They continued walking down the busy side streets of North Hell, going nowhere in particular. The artificial sun beamed down on them like a spotlight. Ash was sweating profusely. Everything felt hotter. Shiva felt heavier in his arms. When his heart started feeling like it was all locked up he knew something was wrong. His vision blurred. He could hear Aura still rambling on about something, but his friends voice sounded far away.
“Well, I didn’t get to pay Marni back this time,” Aura went on. “But I did get to witness the destruction of her fancy gambling parlor. That’s probably better, anyway.”
A gust of wind kicked up as a blue blur blew by. It was a sight that Ash had yet to see in his time in Hell; a small person, perhaps a child, crouched low on a long wooden board, rolling across the paved street on four small wheels.
Is that a … skateboard ? Ash wondered through his blurred vision. He was content to watch and wonder, but the rider stuck out his leg and stopped moving abruptly. With a stomp of his foot the board popped up into his open arms. The rider spun around to face Ash and Aura.
" Yo !" he said.
He was short enough to be a child and stood blocking their path. Dressed in dingy cut-off shorts and a baggy sweater, the hood draped so far over his head he had to cut eyeholes out of it just to see. The bottom of his face was concealed by a bandana, the image printed on it resembled a giant set of wicked curved fangs.
Aura paused his speech and put on the brakes, curious. Ash stopped too. He wasn't feeling so well anymore, standing there on legs that felt like rubber. The kid’s aggravated tone didn’t sound so pleasant, but when Ash opened his mouth to say something, he only choked up.
"What's up little guy?" Aura said. "Come to collect our autographs?"
"Drop dead!" the boy said. "I wouldn't even let you autograph my butt!"
Aura lost interest as soon as he realized the kid wasn't going to worship him. "Unless you’re hiding one stellar female butt under those rags, I’ll keep my distance. Now is there something else you wanted, or do we have to walk around you?"
"I'm here to settle the score with you !" the sneaker said, pointing his finger at Ash. "I’ll make you pay for what you did!"
Ash wasn't getting any better. He was drenched in sweat and weak in the knees. Though the boy was just ten feet away and shouting, Ash could barely hear what he was saying. Vashi Tansa
“If you don’t mind, I’ll look after him until he wakes up,” Ash said. He leaned down and lifted her deceivingly heavy-looking body. “I want to challenge him to a rematch. Our game was way too close to call.”
His kindness was met with a disgusted look of bewilderment from his friend. Marni had dropped to her knees, her eyes free-flowing tears of grief. “Whatever,” she said, trying to regain her composure. “Just make sure he gets home safe.”
Ash nodded. He lifted the unconscious Vashi Tansa off the debris-filled floor of what used to be a fully-functioning gaming arena, now a hollowed out shell of its former glory, and carried away the unconscious girl dressed as a man. With Aura in tow, they made it all the way outside before the death toucher voiced his latest complaint.
"Hold up," he said. "Are we suddenly being nice to Nobles? I say we ditch this guy and go home or something.”
"We could do that," Ash said, preparing to manipulate his friend. " Or … We could wait till he wakes up, and really rub it in his face that he was saved by us ." He smiled reassuringly at his friend.
Aura pondered on that as they walked. "I guess that could be fun,” he replied. “It has been too long since I last taunted a Noble.”
“Didn’t you taunt him right before our game? That was like, what, an hour ago tops?”
They continued walking down the busy side streets of North Hell, going nowhere in particular. The artificial sun beamed down on them like a spotlight. Ash was sweating profusely. Everything felt hotter. Shiva felt heavier in his arms. When his heart started feeling like it was all locked up he knew something was wrong. His vision blurred. He could hear Aura still rambling on about something, but his friends voice sounded far away.
“Well, I didn’t get to pay Marni back this time,” Aura went on. “But I did get to witness the destruction of her fancy gambling parlor. That’s probably better, anyway.”
A gust of wind kicked up as a blue blur blew by. It was a sight that Ash had yet to see in his time in Hell; a small person, perhaps a child, crouched low on a long wooden board, rolling across the paved street on four small wheels.
Is that a … skateboard ? Ash wondered through his blurred vision. He was content to watch and wonder, but the rider stuck out his leg and stopped moving abruptly. With a stomp of his foot the board popped up into his open arms. The rider spun around to face Ash and Aura.
" Yo !" he said.
He was short enough to be a child and stood blocking their path. Dressed in dingy cut-off shorts and a baggy sweater, the hood draped so far over his head he had to cut eyeholes out of it just to see. The bottom of his face was concealed by a bandana, the image printed on it resembled a giant set of wicked curved fangs.
Aura paused his speech and put on the brakes, curious. Ash stopped too. He wasn't feeling so well anymore, standing there on legs that felt like rubber. The kid’s aggravated tone didn’t sound so pleasant, but when Ash opened his mouth to say something, he only choked up.
"What's up little guy?" Aura said. "Come to collect our autographs?"
"Drop dead!" the boy said. "I wouldn't even let you autograph my butt!"
Aura lost interest as soon as he realized the kid wasn't going to worship him. "Unless you’re hiding one stellar female butt under those rags, I’ll keep my distance. Now is there something else you wanted, or do we have to walk around you?"
"I'm here to settle the score with you !" the sneaker said, pointing his finger at Ash. "I’ll make you pay for what you did!"
Ash wasn't getting any better. He was drenched in sweat and weak in the knees. Though the boy was just ten feet away and shouting, Ash could barely hear what he was saying. Vashi Tansa
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