CHRYSALIS EFFECT

6 》Grys

Grys knows that things are hard, but this hard? Well, all she has to say about life lately is a resounding — What the absolute fuck?

But there's one thing Grys knows better than most, is that when there's someone with freakish abilities, people will pay good money to watch as those people fight. Grys knows people are predictable, but really .... Why do they insist on watching these fights?

The night has been long, and as she watches Lance and Davian fight different people, it's all Grys can do to stop herself from telling everyone they're idiots. No, she knows that that won't do. But she wants to. Gods .... does she ever want to tell them all to stop being so petulant.

Davian comes in after a long fight and he sighs, plopping his ass down on a chair beside her. Grys looks at him. "How'd the fight go?"

He shrugs.  "Usual."

Grys scoffs and shakes her head.  "Well, maybe next time, we can .... spice things up?"

"Oh? And what do you have in mind?"

She shrugs.  "I don't know. I'd like to join some fights, sometimes. It seems like fun. And hey, if Lance can do it, then why can't I?"

Davian snorts. "Yeah, that's a good point."

The door to their hidden room is tossed open, and in comes Lance, his green eyes sweeping between them. "Ah, well, I guess this is good. I don't have to look for you."

"What are you on about?" Grys asks, lighting a cigarette with her pinky finger.

Lance sits down beside Davian, and sighs. "There was this thing, this uh...."

"Lovely dame, right?" Davian asks. He leans in closer to Lance, a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Or perhaps a man?"

Lance chuckles and rolls his eyes.  "Oh but of course! Course it was.... uh, I don't remember. I was getting my arse beat."

"Sure you were," Davian says, mimicking the accent Lance has.

Lance punches him in the arm, and the two men laugh. Grys rolls her eyes and takes a long pull from her cigarette, exhaling her smoke. She smiles at the men, who look at her with a mix of joy and happiness.

The three of them have a good thing going here, but Grys knows it cannot last forever. She stands and walks over to the window, peering outside at the world and inhales some more smoke.

"So, what was this lass or lad's name?" Davian asks, still doing his best imitation of Lance.

"Ach, well, I suppose it would be best if I let the dramatics live on," says Lance. He smirks and wrinkles his nose at Davian. And as Grys starts to head back over to her seat, there is a loud, banging knock on their door.

"Ach, fuck me!" Lance hisses. "Tell 'em we aren't home!"

Grys smiles at them and opens the door.

A man shoves his way past her, and as soon as she objects, he aims a dagger right at her. She feels her power flare inside her blood, in her veins, and prepares to scorch him. But the man is looking at Davian and Lance, a look of pure hatred there.

"Oi, who the fuck are you?" Lance demands, leaping up.

The man glares at him. "I am no one! You need to shut the fuck up, and listen!"

Lance steps closer to the man, summoning fire that he points right at the man's face. The man stumbles back, his eyes wide. He laughs.

"You think you can scare me, eh? Well, maybe.... but maybe not!"

"Just who the hells are you?" Davian demands.

"Out of the way," snaps another voice, this one female. A woman steps into the room, drawing on her cigarette. She exhales a puff of smoke at Davian, and turns to Grys. "You. You seem to be the leader of this little ragtag group, eh?"

"Who the fuck are you?!" Grys demands.  "I'm not answering anything until you answer some of my questions,  otherwise, get the fuck out!"

The man laughs, but the woman glares at him, causing him to back down. She smirks at Grys, and says, "I am Suki. And I am here on behalf of the Queen."

Lance scoffs.  "Queen Gemma appointed you?"

She turns on her heel. Her short, brown hair falls in her blue eyes, and she casually brushes it back. "Yes. Though, I admit that he was not endorsed by her." She glares at the man, who grumbles and walks away.

"Alright, Suki, why are you here?" Lance asks.

"I am here to recruit you into the new group that the Queen's sister will lead," she says.

"The Queen has a sister? I thought her sister died?" Davian asks, turning to face Suki.

Suki shakes her head.  "The sister lives on. And she needs some people with extraordinary abilities of their own to join her little group."

"How'd she even know of us?" Grys demands.

Suki grins. "Our Queen has eyes everywhere. Think on it. When you need me, I will be at the Winking Rat Tavern, just down the road."

"A tavern? Why would someone who works with the Queen be there?" Davian asks, narrowing his eyes and folding his arms over his chest.

She shrugs.  "I am just a human, after all. My Lady does take up most of my time, but not all." Suki then turns on her heel and leaves, and so does the strange man she brought.

Lance turns to Grys, who sits down on the couch once more. She takes a long puff from her cigarette, and sighs out the smoke. "This day is getting more interesting by the second. I say we should go for it."

"Go for it? Really, Grys?" Davian asks. "Come on, it's a trick. A trap! Something bad, I just know it!"

"Fuck it," Lance says. "Why not go? I mean what else do we have to do?"

"I dunno, fight people? Get some good marks, eat some food and drink some good drinks? We have lots to do!"

"Davian," says Lance.  "We have to do this. For the Queen, and for her sister. If they want people like us, they're bound to be desperate."

"Exactly! And desperate people do dangerous, desperate things. So, why are we thinking of doing this? It's a bad idea all around!"

Grys sighs. "We should do this, Davian. We may not have a choice either way, I mean, come on. This thing we've got here can't last forever. As wonderful as it is."

Davian scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just ... do this, I guess. But if I get killed, you two .... I'm not talking to you. Forever."

Lance laughs. "So ... we ready, Grys?" He turns to her.

She shrugs.  "Sure, let's get packed up and we're off to the Winking Rat."