sierra [https://imgur.com/P81WB41.png]

Few houses were available to those who’d had the misfortune of being shipped into the city on the trains. It was more appropriate to say that there hadn’t been any houses at all, but some had been more capable of being refitted with new owners than others.

Sierra watched the front door, set ajar in its hinges, as she listened to footsteps nearing the house. The door, slanted in and only partially attached, was no doubt a bullseye to those who might spot it walking the streets outside. Whether they were searching for an abode of their own or were hoping for easy Bara, it was only a matter of time before the thing would bring more unwanted visitors. Only luck had kept her and Walter safe and unharmed for so long.

The house wasn’t well-furnished, though it may have been at one time. Most of what had been within the house had been strewn about the small yard when they first arrived, and during the first night, most of those items had found new owners. All that remained inside was a cabinet with blankets and pillows, two potted plants and a stout dented fridge which had been empty for days.

There had been no sign of the previous owner, and it frightened her imagining what could have happened to them. Had the door always been knocked half-off its hinges? Just how safe could the house be, if someone had broken into it when the door had been locked and solid?

Sierra and Walter had been blessed to stumble upon the house during the carnage of their first night in the city. Whatever had happened to the previous owner, they didn’t seem to have any intention of returning. There were many who didn’t have a roof over their head and were forced to sleep on the streets, exposed to whatever nightmares lurked around during the night. She herself knew just how terrifying that scenario could be, but that was before Agona. She’d spent several months homeless, and the dreadful feeling of helplessness was something that she could never forget. That feeling would only be amplified in this city, with its strange powers and terrifying karmic point distributions.

She heard more footsteps and her thoughts fell away as she watched the door. Her body tightened as they grew closer and her heart began to pound insider her chest. As silent as possible, she crept over to the darkest corner she could see.

“Liquid,” she whispered. Her body began to fade away into the darkness.

Liquid had been her pet cat when she was a child. Fully black, apart from a white crest on his chest, he’d had a penchant for hiding in dark places when there were strangers around. The name of the Bara Command had shocked her, but no more than the rest of the events transpiring within the city. Nothing made sense.

The door shook a moment before it slid open with its loud creak. Her panic drained away as soon as she saw Walter’s face. “You in here?” he asked.

“Yes,” Sierra said, taking a step forward, out of the dark corner. Her body became mostly solid, though in the low light of the house she was still partly translucent. She was corporeal enough for him to see her and give her an embrace. The act of touching him ended her Command. “I’m so glad you’re okay. How was it?”

“Informative,” he said, closing the door, or doing his best with it.

“You didn’t fight, did you?”

“I told you I wouldn’t, how many times? I just wanted to see what happened. It was…” he seemed to search for a word. “I’m not sure. I’m hesitant to say fun.”

“Fun?” Sierra repeated.

“There were competitions for those in the stands, small games between the bouts.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I can tell you more about all of that in a bit. For now, we need to start heading out. We need to meet with everyone. I just saw…”

He again searched for a word, this time fruitlessly, then opened the door, looking confused as to why he had shut it in the first place.

“Wait. What did you see?”

“It’s about the Queen.”

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“Oh no, not the girl. Did she win the competition?”

“No-” Walter let out a sound of frustration. “Just come with me. I’d rather not repeat the whole thing once more. Amelia and the Harris brothers will have just as many questions.”

Sierra pressed her lips into a tight line, hoping her silence would be taken as discontent. Over the duration of the event, she hadn’t left the house, instead deciding it would be safer to stay inside.

With her Command, she felt more comfortable at night. During the day, it was all but useless, making fists and teeth her only defense against any who saw her as prey. At night, there was at least the possibility she could flee and find a dark nook between houses to vanish from sight.

She wouldn’t leave the house during the day unless Walter was at her side. They had only been separated a few times since entering the city, yet those times had tested her resolve, especially the most recent, being nearly the full day. Walter had a wiry frame with thin muscles, but he was tall and his strength had often surprised her. She was just as thin, though a head shorter and not nearly as intimidating. Alone, neither would come off as much of a threat. But two were harder to take down than one. And while neither of them could stand their own in a fight, they had Commands which could aid in their flight away from one.

From their empty house they walked a short distance towards some of the taller buildings. A startling number of people dappled the streets, more than she had seen since the day they’d arrived. She also saw something else which she hadn’t seen much of since that day: smiles.

They made her uncomfortable at first, but she remembered what Walter had said. That the arena games had been fun. What an odd word to hear, describing a deadly tournament forcibly held within a city holding them hostage.

They entered a wide building which had once been a warehouse of some kind. The interior was nothing but dirty concrete and scattered garbage. Much like their own house, the proprietors had mysteriously vanished one of the first nights after the trains arrived.

A few people were already sitting about, talking to one another across wide expanses of the hard floor.

Christian Harris. Kara 0. Bara 1.

Amelia Mcclain. Kara 0. Bara 1.

Keenan Harris. Kara 1. Bara 2.

This was where they had spent stretches of time, socializing amidst others who seemed peaceable enough. They’d all arrived in the city at the same time and been cursed with points in Bara, but they had been able to string along conversations well enough for the past week without any bloodshed.

“Look who it is. Did you enjoy the festivities?” Amelia asked them as they entered the warehouse. The woman enjoyed controlling things a bit too much, especially conversation. That was likely one of the traits which had led her to assault her husband with a deadly weapon. Or at least Sierra imagined it was.

Walter gave an acknowledging nod of his head. Then spoke up; “I’ve got some bad news.”

Amelia gave Sierra a wink. “Were you naughty while he was gone?”

Sierra gave a polite smile. If she didn’t want so badly to hear the news herself, she would have lead the woman away so that Walter could talk unhindered.

“It’s about Zero. She used another Command.”

The Harris brothers both turned to him, giving their full attention. Sierra raised her eyebrows and looked up at him, hoping it was a jest. The girl was already unrivaled. There were rumors that, somehow, she was the one who had entered the city with ten Commands available. It made no sense to her, yet the girl had left a trail of carnage in her wake. Zero moved through the city like a specter, waking occasionally to destroy whatever was around her. Adding another Command onto her current capabilities was unthinkable.

Amelia whistled between her teeth. “How do you know? Her whole Check is messed up.”

“I followed the Champion through the streets-”

“Abel?” One of the Harris brothers asked.

“Yes.”

“Who?” Sierra asked quietly.

“He’s the man who won the tournament. Anyway, I followed him and witnessed the Command he was given for his victory. It’s a weapon, a blade that can cut through anything the user wills it to. Zero used it to cut through the steel of a building effortlessly.”

Amelia held up her hands. “Wait. Zero used his Command? How does that work?”

“I’m not sure. One moment Abel was holding the blade and the next, Zero was holding the exact same weapon. I wasn’t close enough to hear the Command. But she was able to use it.”

“She was already unbeatable. It’s not like this changes anything,” Amelia said.

“That was her one weakness,” Sierra said as much to herself as Amelia. “She has powerful Commands that can wreck anything she chooses, but she never had any physical defenses, no way to defend herself up close. If she can breath and have a sword in her hand, that takes away the one weakness she had.”

The room grew quiet. She looked to Walter and saw the emotions dancing across his face. He’d seen something else, something worse. She recognized the look and she licked her lips. “What else happened?”

He hesitated, cleared his throat. “I’m not sure, really. Some people tried to get into the city.”

“Into the city?” Amelia asked.

“Yes.”

“Did they make it?”

“No,” Walter said, images flashing behind his eyes. “No, of course not.”