Olpi awoke to a stinging pain in her leg, which had begun to swell while she was knocked out. Her arms were pulled back around a thin support beam, and twine kept her wrists bound together. At least Owen had left Elero on the ground; That way the crackling fire could keep her warm. Shadows of old blades danced along the dirt wall. The space felt even more cramped and muggy than when Olpi had first crawled into it.

Owen sat next to his bag, in a corner opposite to Olpi, pulling out icicles and healing the wounds with magic. Blood dripped down his torn robe shirt, which he had pulled down to reveal bags of sand hidden under fake skin. If not for the literal lying sack of fat, Olpi’s icicles would have pierced straight through him. Magic circles sprouted around his wounds, which all sealed shut.

“How did a War Monk end up as a chef of all things?” Olpi asked.

Owen sighed and dispersed his magic. “You definitely have determination, as pointless as it may be. If you weren’t such a naïve magic-user, I would have liked to talk more.”

“Naïve?” Olpi asked, trying and failing not to sound indignant.

“A piece of advice for if you live past today, don’t let your magic be sealed so easily, especially when you have such a monstrous amount of it,” Owen said. He stuck his arm in his bag and rooted around for something.

“Thanks?” Olpi said, confused. “Is this some kind of trap?”

Owen raised a brow at her: “With my training and your sorry state, if I wanted something out of you, I would not need a trap. Don’t worry, everything is soon coming to an end. Then, we can all go home.” He smiled as he finally found what he was looking for: incense and chalk.

Olpi pulled on her bindings and winced as it dug into her skin. “Frey is going to kick your butt when he gets back.”

“If he comes back…” Owen corrected her, the light bending around his monotone expression. “I’ll be counting on it. That’s why I set a second trap. Even if he surpasses all odds, like a true descendent, he’ll be weak.” One by one, he used the fire to light each incense; Their ritualistic scent polluted the earthy air.

“So what?” Olpi asked. “All this just to kill Frey?”

Owen looked down at her as he laughed. “By the goddess I hope not, but what makes you think I’ll tell you anything else? You are not privy to my secrets as much as the next fellow.”

“You kept me alive for a reason,” Olpi blurted out. “Maybe you’re not so confident in your chances.”

Owen’s laughter stopped, then in a flash of copper life essence he was face to face with her; His hand tight was on her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. His meaty fingers could break her neck like a twig if he wanted to: “Gwen and I were a perfect union. Her reliance on me was my punishment for manipulating her, because I am, and have always, been a tool. Ignorant girl, I did not sever that bond just to take my chances.”

Olpi pulled free of his grip, or maybe Owen had allowed her to pull free. She didn’t know what he controlled anymore. Owen turned around, climbed up the ladder, then closed off the entrance with the rusted shield which still bore the mark of the goddess.

The dark cloaked around Olpi, who sat in a daze, listening to the fading fire, Elero’s soft, labored breaths, and her own heartbeat. She put her forehead on her left knee. She willed herself not to cry, but she still shook uncontrollably. ‘There has to be something I can do,’ she thought.

She reached out towards her mana which then collided against an arcane cage. She willed her mana to pound against its seal, but alas her core was still sealed. Her concentration broke as she gasped for air. She tried again, and again, and again, until she grew tired of it.

She kicked the ground, her vision blurring with tears, and muttered: “Why won’t it just work?” She yanked at her bindings, which dug further into her wrists. The tugging pain forced another cry from her, except lesser. Sweat dripped uselessly from her pathetic expression.

“Maybe…” said a familiar voice. “It won’t work because you’re just trying the same thing and expecting a different result.”

Olpi followed the source of the voice to a figure lying on the ground, whose eyes had finally opened. “Elero!” Olpi exclaimed.

  “Yes, ’tis I,” Elero replied, glancing around the space. She slowly struggled to get out of her sleeping bag but Owen had tied several lengths of rope around her. “What happened? Where are we?” 

“Try not to move,” Olpi cautioned a moment too late.

Elero hit her back and winced. “Yeah, that doesn’t feel too nice.”

“You must not have your strength back,” Olpi lamented. “You’ve been dealing with extreme hypothermia…because of me. I’m sorry.”

“What’s done is done,” Elero groaned. “I could tell that neither of us meant for that to happen. Switching subjects, where’s Frey? Did he leave us here and storm off?” She was bound, but she wasn’t tied to anything. She rolled around the space in search of anything to cut her free.

“How did you know?” Olpi gasped.

Elero let out a hollow chuckle: “Well I just figured that-“

“He was poisoned by Owen and he doesn’t even know it,” Olpi blurted out. “I can’t get out of these stupid restraints and my magic is sealed and Frey is mad at me and I don’t know why and I just…I need some help.” She paused and took a few breaths to calm herself. “Sorry, I know I should be focused on escaping, but I just feel like I’m messing everything up.”

Elero paused for a few seconds, her mind processing the avalanche of words Olpi had dumped on her. Then, she sighed. “Frey stormed off because he was pissed off at you.”

Olpi cocked her head to the side: “How do you know that?”

“Because I know Frey,” Elero explained. “He is pretty simple. He doesn’t like people poking into his life.”

“But I was doing it so I could help him,” Olpi explained. “So why is he mad?”

“All he sees is…” Elero began. “Someone sticking their nose in something they shouldn’t.”

“But is that really a reason to be so mad?” Elero slowly wormed her way over to Olpi, pulled her legs in, and mule kicked her. “Ow!”

“You idiot.” Elero kicked Olpi again. It hurt, but Olpi could tell that Elero was holding back so not to bruise her. “I’m not Frey, but I respect him, so you kind of annoyed me with that eavesdropping stunt you pulled.” She winced, each movement reigniting the pain in her back, yet pushed through so she could kick Olpi again.

Olpi rotated around the support to get out of Elero’s range. “You eavesdropped on him with me.”

“I was trying to get you to stop, but Frey saw us before I could pull you away,” Elero explained. “People keep secrets. It’s the way things are. What on Enloa possessed you to dig Frey’s secrets up?”

OIpi huffed and rotated herself back towards Elero. “I-I still don’t understand. In the academy, I’ve listened to many people’s secrets and it never bothered any of them. Why is Frey different?”

“It’s you, you’re the one who’s different,” Elero huffed. She reeled back to kick Olpi again, but sighed. “Ok, it hurts too much to kick you, but you get the point. Get your head out of your ass. Look around! What kind of world have you been living in?”

Olpi rolled her eyes. “Elero, I haven’t been living in this world. I just got out of the academy and everything’s…different.” Finally, it was as if the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Her lips quivered. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘Of course people are different. Am I really that stupid?’

Elero cocked her head to the side. “What? I just wanted you to admit you were wrong so you can focus on, you know, the fact we are literally waiting for death!” She struggled to get free of her restraints again, but she was still weak. She gave up in a fit of coughing.

“O-oh.” Olpi hesitated, finally getting her mind back on the present danger. “Thanks.”

“You need another kick?” Elero asked, still confused at this sudden change in attitude. “I’m happy to do it again.”

“No, I’m good,” Olpi said. “I think I know what to do now. Thanks.”

Elero nodded. “Seriously, just ask. I’ll kick you anytime.”

“Elero, it’s ok. We should focus on escaping.”

“The offer still stands.”

“You’re still annoyed at me aren’t you?”

“Just a little.”