Underland(30)

Moments later, the truck slowed as it passed through the gates into a valley filled with brightly colored tents and small outbuildings. There, guards carried no guns. But then again, none were needed when your weapon was large teeth and you sported claws capable of ripping someone to shreds.

Kira had been expecting cages, similar to Grater’s courtyard. She was surprised when women floated out of a building wearing silk translucent dresses. No wait, the dresses weren’t translucent—the girls were. They surrounded each of the trucks and waited as the back gate was lowered and each of the runners stepped down onto the stone pavement. The ghost-like apparitions separated and stood by each runner waiting patiently.

Kira hung back and watched as Chaz followed the ghost girl almost eagerly, followed by the willowy man, and the warrior woman, and finally the zeke. When the courtyard was empty accept for Kira and her ghostly escort, she slowly followed what she assumed was her specter into the building.

The scene inside could only have been described as fattening the pig for a slaughter. Her specter led her into a room with sterile white furniture and tables. Chaz was reclining on an off-white couch, eating from a huge array of food laid out on clear glass trays and plates. Zeke stood by a window looking outside of the building.

A flat screen TV hung on the main wall, and it played announcements and promoted the upcoming race—scheduled for a few hours from now.

On the screen, two warlocks bickered back and forth on who they thought would win today’s race.

***

Remus ignored the commentators as he waited in the sponsors’ box for his precious cargo. Howl should have been here an hour ago. Remus didn’t like to be kept waiting.

Ssirone walked in and made himself comfortable in the large chair by the window, the perfect spot to wait and watch the games. “There’sss a rumor that you entered a human girl.” He turned to look at Remus, a smug smile on his snake-like face.

“She was drafted,” Remus snarled, “and I wouldn’t worry about her much longer.”

“Too bad ssshe wassssn’t drafted before ssshe killed your zeke,” Ssirone said.

Remus wanted to comment, but his bracer beeped and a message came across the screen.

They were here. Finally, a boggart.

Moments later, Howl, a muscular man with gray hair, came into the room leading a boggart as large as an ogre in chains. The thing had pale white flesh with reddish eyes and very sharp teeth. A killing machine. Just not against him.

“You’re late,” Remus said, while trying to hide his pleasure at the retaining the new fighter.

“You’re early,” Howl countered and pulled on the chain. The boggart went wild and leapt forward to attack Remus, his mouth snapping, and claws aimed at his throat. Howl pulled back on the chain with inches to spare.

“Oh ho! I like that,” Remus cheered at Bogeyman’s attempt to kill him. “Such a killing instinct. Does he take orders?”

“Only if they are to kill.” Howl’s muscles bunched as he strained to keep the boggart under control.

Ssirone had obviously not liked the fact that there was a feral runner in the room, because he quickly exited out a side door.

“Leave us,” Remus commanded. He waved at Howl who looked unsure. “Drop his chain and go! I don’t need you anymore.”

Howl snarled, wolf-like. “Your neck, not mine.” He released the boggart’s chain and left the same way he came.

Remus stepped in front of the white malformed man-beast and looked into those hate-filled eyes. “Listen here. I own you. You kill for me now.”

The boggart’s white eyes turned to focus on Remus’s voice. He wasn’t sure how much the beast understood. Boggarts weren’t known for their speaking abilities.

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Remus held up his bracer, but the boggart shook his head. “I know your kind. I know what you want. You don’t want freedom tokens. You like the events, you like the killing. I do too. It’s much more interesting when runners believe they have a chance.”

The boggart opened his mouth wide, revealing rows of teeth in what Remus assumed was a smile. “I’ll tell you what. You kill for me, and I’ll kill your old master, Howl. How does that sound?”

Bogeyman’s mouth opened and his lips moved oddly as he tried to speak. “I kill girl, I kill you.”

Remus laughed. “You can try. But you don’t know what kind of monster you’re dealing with.” His hand reached out and he grasped Bogeyman’s bald head. “I’m a boggart’s worst nightmare.” Bogeyman’s white eyes rolled back into his head in pain as Remus unleashed his power, slowly melting the edges of the mind. If he did enough, he could melt the entire brain. But he needed the boggart to obey.

The beast whimpered, “You’re a Banthor.”

“You kill for me,” Remus repeated again.

“I kill for you.” Bogeyman ground out between his teeth.

***

A white ogre-looking monster popped up on the screen, and Kira recognized Bogeyman. The warlock called Zephyr was counting on Bogeyman to win and also take down at least ten runners with him.

Chaz hissed at the TV and threw whatever food he had been eating at the screen. It landed with a soft thud, and the brown pudding-like mixture stuck to Zephyr’s face and then slowly eked down, obscuring most of the warlock’s expression.