31.- Memories

TW: blood, torture (mild)

Running.

Fear.

Pain.

The smell of blood and smoke filled every sense of her being. Her legs pounded on the soft forest floor as the screams echoed in the night. Branches ripped and tore at her clothes, and her bare feet ached as she barelled through the forest.

Then...

Pain?! Again?! Searing and burning. The smell of silver and wolfsbane filled her senses as she clawed at the net that covered her. The taste of dirt and blood mixed in her mouth as footsteps approached.

"A little wolf pup?" a snake-like hiss sounded through the night air and a nauseatingly clean smell entered her nose. "Do you have any use, pup? You seem fairly strong. And pretty enough. You could go for a lot."

A growl rumbled in her chest as she stared up at the masked man. He was tall, and lean, and wore a white and silver mask that covered his entire face and left black spaces for his eyes. She felt static and smoke seep out of her skin as the man examined her. He had a small crew with him, and they all stepped back as they saw her.

"Oh, so you are Fenrir's whore child," the man said and Lupita shook with rage. "A demigod. Under my mercy. My, my. My lucky day. You will do just fine."

Darkness. Nothing. What was happening?

Again she felt pain. A searing agonizing pain in her soul. Her wrists stung and it was difficult to breathe. She could hear words being said. Then silence.

"You are bound to be."

The whisper snaked around in her head as she felt the cool metal on her neck and the pulsating wound in her palm. "You will do as I say until your death."

Lupita felt herself fall to the ground. Had she been standing? Sitting? She didn't know, and she didn't care. The floor was cold, hard, and wet. The silver shackles burned her wrist as she tried to get comfortable, as did the ones on her ankles.

The two men left the room and Lupita was left in silence. She had only heard horror stories of the collaring process, and yet they did not compare to the pain she was in. Her soul, her body, her entire being screamed in agony as she lay on the cold stone floor. Her body twisted uncomfortably as the chains restrained her, but she was unable to move to sit. Not even her wolves could comfort her this time.

The scenery changed. The floor was no longer stone but sand. Warm sand covered in blood. A hammer made its way toward her and she ducked. Once she straightened back up, she managed to look at the man. He was bigger than her. Much bigger. His muscles bulged and the ground shook as he walked toward her.

"Little Blood Moon can't handle me?!" his voice was low and booming, enough for the people around them in the stands to hear over their own screams. Lupita spat out a clump of blood from her mouth and looked around. The walls were smooth stone and impossibly tall. Dried blood permanently staining the light sandy color.

"Kill him."

The whisper clouded her mind. She couldn't see what was in front of her, couldn't feel her body move, she couldn't... feel. Her vision came back first. She saw red. Blood splattered everywhere. Then she felt. Felt the weight of... something in her hand. She didn't turn to look. Then her feelings came back. She was nauseous, scared, angry, sad.

Shouts echoed through the arena. She was used to them by now and they no longer gave her a headache as they usually did. Still, it hurt to hear her gladiator name being called out with cheers as if this was a victory. It was a stupid name either way and they only made themselves look stupid by chanting.

"Come here."

Again, she lost all feeling until she stood before the man in the mask. He still smelled nauseatingly clean.

"You did good," he said and softly caressed her face. When he pulled back his hand it was covered in blood, he slowly licked it bit hissed at the taste. "I forgot about your little defect," he whispered and softly grabbed her cheeks. "Do you know how much werewolf blood is worth? I could live comfortably for the rest of my life with you being my personal little blood donor. And a demigod's blood? I could forever quit this messy business. Yet here you are. Luckily you are popular with the crowd. Too bad they can't feast."

The scenery suddenly shifted. This time towards the past. She was in the cell again. She didn't want to be here. Why was she here? She was supposed to have control! She squeezed her hand but nothing happened. She was trapped.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Lupita snapped into the reality she was situated in. Her forearm throbbed as blood trickled down her arm from the large gash. The masked man held a bottle in his hand, filled to the brim with blood. Her blood.

"I must say, that looks delicious," another man said. His voice was weaker and raspier than the masked man's. Lupita didn't see his face, it was hidden in the shadows along with the man.

"Why don't you have the first sip?" the masked man offered. Lupita saw a skinny, bony, white hand reach out from the darkness and wrap around the bottle. The bottle disappeared into the darkness before reemerging empty. The masked man smiled as he took the bottle but it soon faded as screams echoed in the small cell. Lupita heard shattering and a thud. "What did you do?!"

There was a strike to her head, and then another to her abdomen, and as the third was about to come, a voice echoed through the hallway.

"How dumb can you be?"

"What do you mean?" the masked man said as he struck his serpent staff into Lupita's leg, lodging the sharp teeth into her thigh before letting go.

"She is cursed," the woman said as she came into the room. She was tall and pale, her hair was long and pitch black, almost blending into the background, and she wore clothes with a multitude of dark colors. "You have seen the shadow wolf, you have seen the lightning. She is powerful, and she isn't for you."

"I caught her. She is bound to me!" the man picked her up by the metal collar and shook her. The cane was still stuck in her thigh. "Who else could she belong to?!"

"She is protected by the gods," the woman said and moved over to the man hidden in the shadows. "And they truly like her." She moved the man to the light. His throat was a gaping, smoking hole, and so was his stomach. His jaw was non-existent. "You have no money on that. And to your other question... Does "mates" sound familiar to you?"

Again, the scenery changed.

The arena was once again bustling with life. But it was different, she was different. The opponent in front of her was different. A tall man decked in silver and smelling strongly of wolfsbane.

"You die tonight."

Anger rose inside her as the words echoed in her mind. The hissing voice clouded her senses as she watched her opponent. He stalked toward her while laughing hysterically. He knew he could win. It had been rigged. This was her last day.

"Not on my watch."

Lupita looked to her side and saw a big hammer. The handle was perfect and the head was surely strong enough to break metal. She picked it up and felt the energy coursing through her body. The color's bolts of energy bounced off her as she held onto the hammer. Her necklace burned and she smiled to herself. The power of a god was hers, and only hers.

Her opponent's eyes went wide and he tried to back away. His suit of silver constricked him and Lupita didn't have to throw hard. The hammer flew through the air and through her opponent's chest before it came flying back, hitting her opponent in the head and her in the neck. She was thrown back upon impact and breathed heavily as she felt around her neck. Nothing. She was free.

Lupita bolted upright and turned to the masked man. The fear poured out of him as he watched her. She smiled and picked up the hammer that had placed itself beside her. She studied it for a while. It had markings of wolves and lighting. Fitting. With one last glance at the metal collar on the ground, she sprinted toward the masked man.

Again a scenery change.

The ground was moving. The air smelt salty.

"You awake missy?"

Lupita looked up at a bearded man. He had a concerned look on his face as he crouched down to her eye level.

"Sorry, didn' mean ta wake ya, but we reached our destination," he said in a slurry voice.

"Takk," Lupita said and stood up from her place on the strange boat and gave the man her pouch of scrap silver. "E-enough?"

"Yeah," he said and walked away. Lupita looked forward and looked at the trees nearing them. Maybe this would be a good place to start again.

A/N: Hello everyone!! I can't believe I'm actually kinda on schedule? Hope I don't jinx it...

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