The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

14. A contender

LOCATION: SAKAAR

"What happened to my manners? I haven't properly introduced myself. Come on. Uh, follow me." Tasia's chair starts to follow the Grandmaster and he walks them into a room, where a party is in full swing "My name is Grandmaster. I preside over a little harlequinade called the Contest Of Champions. People come from far and wide to unwillingly participate in it. And you, my friend, might just be part of the new cast. What do you say to that?" "We're not friends and I don't give a bilgesnipe's ass about your games. I'm going back to Asgard." "Ass-gard..." He starts playing on an electric keyboard and Tasia looks away to see what else is going on in the room, what she sees makes her smile brightly.

Sitting with a group of beings of all kinds, is Lavina, still in her Frost Giant form. The Grandmaster had picked out an outfit for her; a dark red dress that almost reaches the ground with a plunging neckline and back, exposing blue designs all over her skin, on her feet are red slippers, she has a red necklace and red flowers on a gold thread wrapped around her horns and in her hair. She's telling the group a story "...There was a wormhole in space and time beneath me. At that moment, I let go." Everyone plus herself, laughs. Tasia whispers to herself "Vina?" She then calls out "Lavina!" Lavina, a smile on her face, looks to see who's called her "Lavina!" Her smile drops when she realises who it is "Over here. Over here." Lavina laughs a little with the others as she stands, a glass of wine or similar in hand "Excuse me one second." "Lavina!" She gracefully, yet with haste, walks over to Tasia. She quietly shushes her sister and the pair whisper, starting with Tasia "What?" "You're alive?" "Yes, of course I'm alive." "What are you doing here?" "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's your chair?" "I didn't get a chair." "Get me out of this one." "I can't." "Get me out." "I can't." "What?" "The Grandmaster, I've gained his favour." "He's crazy!" "The bifrost brought me out here weeks ago." "Weeks ago?" "Yes." "I just got here." The Grandmaster approaches and whispers "What are you whispering about?" Tasia yelps and Lavina jumps backwards a step, the Grandmaster steps up beside her and puts an arm around her waist. Tasia eyes where the Grandmaster is touching her little sister and only now notices the outfit she's wearing.

The Grandmaster speaks, clearly having heard their conversation "Time works real different around these parts. On any other world, I'd be like, millions of years old. But here on Sakaar…" He smirks and winks at Lavina, who looks away, while Tasia looks absolutely disgusted "In any case, you know this, uh…" He points at Tasia, trying to think of her name "You call yourself Lady Of Thunder?" Tasia corrects him "Goddess Of Thunder." Tasia looks to Lavina and smiles "Tell him." Lavina chuckles "I've never met this woman in my life." "She's my sister." The Grandmaster looks between the pair and Lavina adds in "Adopted." "Is she any kind of a fighter?" Tasia laughs "You take this thing out of my neck and I'll show you." He chuckles "Now, listen to that. She's threatening me. Hey, Sparkles, here's the deal-" Tasia growls at him "-If you wanna get back to Ass-Place, Assberg…" "Asgard!" "Any contender who defeats my champion, their freedom they shall win." "Fine. Then point me in the direction of whoever's ass I have to kick!" The Grandmaster smiles big "That's what I call a contender. Direction would be this way, Lady." He picks up a device and Tasia's chair starts moving "Ah! Lavina!" Lavina does nothing.

Tasia is thrown into a room, the door locked behind her, but she still tries to get out. A man who is made of blue rocks, calls out to her, calmly "Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy, girl." Tasia turns to the voice "Over here. The pile of rocks waving at you. Here." Tasia walks over "Yeah, I'm actually a thing. I'm a being. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Korg. I'm kind of like the leader in here. I'm made of rocks, as you can see. But don't let that intimidate you." He stands up, a few feet taller than Tasia, who just watches curiously "You don't have to be afraid unless you're made of scissors." The purple being, who was sitting beside him, stands up too and crosses two blades over, imitating scissors. He chuckles and Korg continues "Just a little rock paper scissors joke for you. This is my very good friend over here, Miek." Miek, who is about half Korg's height, raises a blade in the air "He's an insect and has knives for hands." Tasia asks "You're a Kronan, aren't you?" Korg replies and walks a bit closer "That I am." "How'd you end up in here?" "Ah, well, I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets-" The pair start walking around the room, that seems to be a large circle with a wall around the very centre "-so hardly anyone turned up, except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate. As punishment, I was forced to be in here and become a gladiator. Bit of a promotional disaster, that one-" Tasia jogs ahead, but Korg keeps his pace and keeps talking "-But I'm actually organising another revolution. I don't know if you'd be interested in something like that." Tasia runs all the way round and stops beside Korg as he asks "Do you reckon you'd be interested?" Tasia looks around in confusion "How'd you…?" "Ah, yeah, no. This whole thing is a circle. But not a real circle, more like a freaky circle." "This doesn't make any sense." "No, nothing makes sense here, girl. The only thing that does make sense is that nothing makes sense." "Has anyone here fought the Grandmaster's champion?" "Doug has. Doug!" He points to a body slumped against the outer wall "Our luck, Doug's dead. That's right. Everyone who fights the Grandmaster's champion  perishes." "What about you? You're made of rocks." "Perishable rock." A bit of rock tumbles down his chest "There you go. Another one gone. Yeah, no, I just do the smaller fights, warm up the crowd and whatnot. Wait. You're not gonna face him, are you?" "Yes, I am. Gonna fight him, win and get the hell out of this place." "That's exactly what Doug used to say. See you later, girl Doug."