NEZHA

It hurts. It always hurts and it always will. I was supposed to get used to it. The touching, the movement of the fabric, the vile flesh against my skin, the sounds, the vile smell…

I got out of the room for Lilith awaiting me with a curled smile.

My eyes faced away from her fast but she kept walking at my side.

I hated her red lips, I hated her hair, I hated her presence. I hated everything.

‘’Good job’’She whispered with her popping lips, near my ear.

Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes looking only at the ground and trying to avoid everyone. Eyes piercing through my skin as if they wanted to see something more. Someone who was far more vulnerable than now.

Passing the market place, I could listen to people whispering. More missing girls from pleasure houses, the district, and even little kids, mothers sometimes even men. Seeming that the absence wasn’t only Mammon’s problem.

There is one more whisper.

‘’Have you heard what is happening on the PIT today?’’ A small boy asked a tall man.He replied with a growl.

‘’There is a girl fighting giants. They say that she can take them down without any attack.’’

I rolled my eyes as I laughed listening to those lies. A little girl fighting on the PIT was one thing but none would ever win the giants without-

I stopped walking as I changed my course for the PIT.

The grand hole on the ground for everyone to enjoy a great spare, far from the other pleasures. Now this was a place for gambling for blood and action. Green lights were bright enough for the world to see what was happening down there. Another satisfaction. Money clinging to each other, drunk men shouting for the fighter down the hole to hear them. Win, lose, take that. O squinted at the crowd, trying to be near the PIT so I could watch what was happening. There was a man up on the building with a microphone and an owl mask. I gritted my teeth fast as the man now started announcing the fighters. I kept walking near the hole which it was fractured with bars and one staircase that had to be thrown down for the others to get down. Or up.

‘’Our winner for this week’’The man cheered as I could see a man the size of a boulder, exposed arms with bright tattoos and hair tight on a bun. Eyes filled for hunger.’’You all know him, you all loved him when he killed those triplets, you all laughed…our Great Typhon’’

The crowd cheered, making the ground to shake. I shut my eyes fast as I could , managing to take one breath before listening to the other entrance.

‘’Today, she won this day three matches, she comes and goes with failure in her name’’

Seems Stolas’ members have favorites. I thought of rolling my eyes and then I saw the girl that was in the pit. Short enough for Typhon to step on her like a fly,raven hair tied to a braid and a red mask covering half her face and a dark blue scarf wrapped around her neck, covering her collar. No servants on the PIT after all.

‘’Give it up for the raven runway.’’

The crowd was half excited for Mara. I scouted my eyes around it to see the people. They started baiting, they started ignoring, they started staring. The front people were mostly powerful looking ones. Others were wearing owl masks like the man on the building.

Now Mara and Typhon have begun circling each other.

‘’You can back it up girl.’’Typhon laughed.’’You will still have your hands to go play with your dolls.’’

Mara stopped her steps. Then, she yawned.

Typhon listed his upper body to a higher posture.

‘’Oh no’’ I relaxed my shoulders.

‘’What’s that?’’Typhon snarled.

‘’You are right, I should give up. This match will be so boring.’’She replied.

The color red appears bright on Typhon’s face as the ring broke everything. And the match began with Typhon attacking first, fist tight to aim at Mara’s head.

But her reflexes were greater as she lowered her body and moved on the other side of the ring. On behalf of that, Typhon hurt his fist on the wall, growling from pain. His eyes darted as he pulled back, watching the slight blood dripping on the PIT just like the previous fallen ones.

The crowd started murmuring as Typhon's eyes were showered with more rage and attacked once again but Mara escaped every attack, leading the giant to almost exhaustion. But Mara wasn’t winning either. Her legs began to shake from all this running.

‘’You stupid-’’I spat as I saw right next to me two men with owl masks whispering to one another and pointing at Mara so slightly. Of course, they would, she drew too much attention.

‘’What’s this? the runway is holding for dear life?’’The announcer laughed and the crowd celebrated with him.

Now dripping in blood Typhon moved slower on her side as she did not move from her place.

‘’What’s the matter little girl?’’He laughed.’’No more running?’’

Mara stayed silent. She made the man, the crowd, everyone furious. Rage was surrounded everywhere. People from ARS GOETIA began to gain interest in her. She should have given up before it was too late. But this was Mara. She never gave up.

Another tight fist was aiming at her now right below her and she avoided it by rolling away from it. But as he touched the ground with one hand,Typhon grabbed Mara’s legs with the other. Her eyes snapped and her fingers grabbed something before the typhoon dragged her to the ground.

‘’Now you have nowhere-’’Typhon laughed and then blood fell from his veins with Mara now holding a sharp rock around her fingers. He tried to pull away fast but the girl now attacked him once more, back on the veins. He let go of her but she now had his arm once more, hitting at his wrist.

A scream broke out with Typhon moving back on the wall, crimson red falling on the dry dark earth but now he was holding Mara’s scarf, revealing her collar. For a moment there was silence. The heavy legs of the girl were still shaking as she tried to stand up straight. Spirits how stupid she was.

The crowd began to boo her immediately. Well, half of it was as if other people were smirking. Probably they bet Typhon would lose. But the rest of them were cursing, shouting at her, even throwing glass bottles.

‘’Cheater,’’ One sync screamed as a few people moved the stairs down for her.

‘’She is a servant. She shouldn’t be fighting.’’ Another one said.

Mara held her silence with a single eye roll and kept moving on the stairs. I let out a breath of relief and turned to the side where the owl masks were. Surprisingly, they were now gone. I narrowed my eyes, trying to look up, and saw that the announcer was gone too. Everyone from Ars Goetia was missing. Back on the PIT there was Typhon who was growling, moving his hands in his pockets.

‘’You won’t get out’’He shouted, moving his hands now.

Mara stopped walking. I shook my head from the terror and tried to rush to her side. Typhon’s hands cupped his face, swallowing what he had once in his pockets. Mara still stayed like a statue. Looking at the giant, his body twitched, his blood stopped spilling. The crowd’s attention grew back.

‘’Judge’’I shouted.

She faced me fast and looked at me with those doll eyes of hers. So empty. But that was enough for her to start running to the stairs. Typhon was a few paces away from her.

‘’All you do’’He growled, veins popping with the color red. How can his veins be red? How could his eyes be red?

My eyes looked around as they found someone’s pistol around his belt. I grabbed it fast and aimed at Typhon, hitting his hand which was trying to reach Mara’s hair. Backing away with a scream, gave the girl more time to climb the stairs and for me to lend my hand to her. She grabbed it tight, squeezing her eyes, and moved close to my side.

I looked into her eyes which were now facing me, still empty. She just nodded as the crowd was moving closer to us and Typhon tried to climb.

I grabbed her hand tight.’’We have to go.’’

‘’Wait, my money,’’ She whined but I dragged her with me. And the running began, storming away from the crowd, finding stairs of buildings, and started climbing them too.

We were on the top of a flat rooftop, trying to catch a breath as Mara was coughing dry. Heart racing, sweat dripping. Listening to the rest moving higher was not to our benefit so we started once more now jumping from the rooftop ending to the either and then the other until I looked back and saw how far they were from us.

‘’Judge’’I yelled at Mara and showed her the stairs below. She hummed and started moving down and I followed her. We kept running to the alleys with dark mud falling on our boots with my fabric sticking to my skin after that dreadful night.

When we were far away, we both ended up near the exit of Diyu. Mara looked at it. I stared at it, craved it. How many times Mammon caught her trying to escape? How many times have I warned her not to?

‘’What were you thinking tonight?’’I asked her.’’PIT? You know the rules.’’

She narrowed.’’Do not end up preg-’’

‘’Do not show off’’I corrected her, feeling my cheeks flushed.’’ Stolas’ men were looking at you like you were their next meal.

She relaxed her shoulders.

‘’You are Mammon’s property’’I reminder, feeling my heart sinking.’’But with no contract.’’

She did not seem to like the words I just said. But that was the truth. Between her and Mammon, only me and Ao Bing knew that she was more like a prisoner rather than a servant.

‘’If someone takes you, you will probably end up like Li Gen’’

‘’Li Gen was an accident’’She tried to correct me.

‘’And if Mammon tried to buy you from them then he will wear your corpse for a coat.’’I raised my voice all so slightly but she suddenly flinched. She then, let down her helm, revealing the entire ugly face of hers.

‘’Come on’’I jerked my head. ‘’Time to go back.’’

‘’I won’t’’She hissed at me with her moonlight scar making another suffocating wrinkle on her face.

I took a deep breath.’’You will surely die if you don't come. You cannot get out with the collar and Mammon will find you and kill you himself.’'

Her eyes kept facing me. Her feet began to walk at my side. Since she came here she has tried to escape, to find ways to survive, or even try to get out of Diyu. And every day failed.

‘’Do you want Mammon to send you to the Garden just like me again?’’ I asked her, holding my voice to not get raised.

She stayed silent. Of course, she did not want it.

‘’I want to see the sky’’She muttered, looking at the exit with people entering it with faces filled with terror. When you were entering the area of forsaken or you were born to it you were now a dead man walking.

‘’Yeah,’’I looked down at her scar.

My fingers searched around my ruined pockets until I found what I wanted to give to her as I threw the pistol down.

It was the size of an acorn but that maybe could help her in the way.

And I knew that she adored the color red.

‘’What is it?’’ She asked.

‘’A real Ruby necklace’’ I said. ‘’One girl who worked in the Garden was wearing it but it got on loose’’

She hesitated for a second before she took it from me. Her eyes let out a surprising light before she nodded a thank you.

Returning to the Fourth Circle, at Mammon’s office it welcomed me with a gentle fake smile and a shaking man, holding a child tight.

‘’You are back’’He said, lying in front of the probably father and daughter as he approached us gently. It seemed that he wanted to act perfectly. To act happy with a happy face written all over us. How did I know that? Because he was smiling like an idiot when he looked at Mara. His desk was once clean too. Not scrapped pacers, no empty bottles of Nektar. It seemed that he was on a business appointment, judging also by his clean hair. Even in the fireplace, there was a tea kettle burning slowly.

We just nodded and waited for something more.

The man who was with the boy seemed exhausted. His beard was dark and dirty, his eyes had deep circles underneath, and judging by his child, both of them hadn’t eaten for days.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

‘’So’’Mammon returned to his chair, tilting his head to the right and his eyes to the child ‘’Your debt…’’

‘’Yes, I have..’’The man searched his pockets with a pant and with no hesitation he gave a wallet with coins to Mammon. But he did not have to check it as he threw the wallet to the floor as if it was worthless.

‘’How much of your schedule are you again?’’Mammon asked.

There was a beam of sweat falling from the man’s brow.

‘’I have it all.’’

Mammon opened one of his folds and started reading the deal the man and he had made.

‘’Because you lost your money by cards here and you…overworked.’’He held his smile, you have a loan of five hundred Eke’el and to return in the amount of five days.’’His eyes moved up, watching the man shake. ‘’It has been six.’’

‘’Sir’’He panted dry, looking down on his child who was now clinging on his leg. He was probably at the age of seven, not far younger when Mara came here.

And I could see the look in her eyes and I could see Mammon’s too.

‘’You also have spent too much unpaid alcohol so your money is not probably enough.’’

‘’I swear I tried to come sooner but every time I stepped closer here it seemed that.’’

His excuse seemed pointless but then I looked at Mara whose eyes now faced me and I knew that she was pouting beneath the helmet. I glared at her, hoping that she had the talent to read my mind.

This was your doing?

Mara tapped her fingers on her hips twice. That meant yes and she was regretting every action she had taken. At least that’s what I was hoping she was feeling.

‘’Please, give me one more day’’He cried and showed his son. ‘’We need…’’

‘’Tell me kind sir’’Mammon leaned back in his chair cockingly. ‘’If you care for both of you what happened to the money I gave to you?’’

The man’s heavy brow narrowed. ‘’Please’’He said once more.

Mammon’s brow rose and turned to me. Only me.

‘’How old is your son?’’ Mammon finally asked.

The man’s eyes darted. ‘’I will not give you my child..’’He hissed.

‘’Then, hope that he is old enough to see his father missing for….’’He suspected his nails and smiled.’’How about two years?’’He squinted his eyes.

He is giving everyone a choice. And every choice is worse than the other.

Hurt yourself or betray the one you care about the most. Knowing how to push the right buttons of someone.

And the man looked down, his fingers moving behind his pants and drawing something metal.

Mammon turned to me once more. And I jumped in front of them, grabbing the man's arm which was holding the pistol as I was now right behind his dirty bag, pushing him with my knee far from me, letting free his grip.

‘’You little’’The man hissed as I forced the gun to Mammon's slender fingers.

‘’Thank you Nezha’’ Mammon sighed to me, grateful. I did not speak and returned to my post and watched the little boy trying to not move from his father’s side.

Mammon opened a drawer and let out one of his collars to the table. He had already prepared it.

‘’Now, with no violence.’’ Mammon grinned with his eyes half closed, turning to Mara and only Mara. He then opened the theme of the family. As he reached his hand for her she moved closer to him. ‘’What will you choose?’’

The man did not move, did not blink, did not speak for seconds. That made Mammon irritated and looked at Mara once more.

She stepped in front. The man growled.

‘’What is this child going to do?’’ He almost spat

‘’This child is going to ask you a question regarding your situation.’’

Mara moved even closer, far from Mammon, looking right at the man’s eyes.

‘’Do you love him?’’She asked, looking at the now convicted boy. ‘’Do you love your son?’’

The man frowned and nodded with a smile.’’Yes, more than anything.’’

‘’And you want to keep him safe? Warm, fed?’’

‘’Yes’’He laughed.

And Mara turned to Mammon to make sure she could ask the question she had in mind.

He shrugged.

‘’How old is your child?’’She lifted her head.

‘’Seven’’The man stuttered.

‘’Here I will be fed and warm, ‘’She explained. ‘’He won’t have to work until he turns ten and the debt will be paid by him,’’ She made a long pause and it seemed that she tried to smile.

‘’Would this be a nice deal for you sir?’’She asked gently like an actual kid.

The man replied with a toothless smile. ‘’Yes, very much.’’ He turned to his son who was now smiling too.

Her fingers curled to fists and she nodded her head turning to Mammon. She took a deep breath and Mammon turned on me.

I walked back and looked at Mara, wanting to ask her what she found out what she was planning. But then I listened to her whispering.

‘’He must die.’’

‘’What is this?’’The man smiled.

I took the gun from the table and aimed at the man. One bullet and Mara covered her ears fast.

And the kid screamed.

He hated his son. He hated him so much that he wished to get rid of him and sell him here. He just wanted to look good to him. To Mammon, not his son. That is what Mara told me with both of us standing out from Mammon’s room as his other men cleaned the mess. The boys were sent away. Where? I had no idea but he was still looking at the ground, shocked with a collar around his neck.

‘’We ruined a kid's life’’I sighed, watching the girl now keeping her ears covered. How much did she have to listen inside the PIT?

Mara did not speak. Instead, she stormed inside the room, ignoring my shock.

‘’Mara don’t’’I tried to stop her but it was too late.

‘’You lied to me,’’Mara shouted to him. Mammon jerked his head to the standing men, ordering them to walk away. from the room. And now I was standing back to my post, watching Mara fight on herself.

‘’What do you mean?’’He asked gently with his fingers, searching for a remote.

Mara frowned and took a deep breath. ‘’You told me that he was someone who stole from you and wanted me too…’’

‘’And he stole. I never lied. ‘’He arched his brow.’’You know better than that.’’

‘’The child.’’

‘’You never asked me for the child’’He lifted his chin. ‘’And I do not remember I have owed you any explanation. He tapped a number. Mara saw it. And she kept talking. ‘’What are you going…’’

He pressed another button and electricity rushed into her skin, Her shoulders turned stiff. Her teeth bared to each other, holding her scream, Her head, and her eyes lifted.

‘’What did you say?’’ Mammon asked her, opening another box, with a pair of white holly gloves. He wore them slowly as he kept the remote playing the electricity. Her body was shaking, breaking with Mammon standing with it and moving to her side.

‘’I didn’t quite hear you’’Mammon sighed.’’Maybe your voice was lost inside the PIT’’He snarled at her.

I felt cold sweat crippling down my spine. How did he find out?

Mara stayed silent with rage feeling her eyes. And then, she nodded.

He removed his thumb from the remote and smiled with satisfaction. I saw Mara gasping for air as she tried to force herself to not fall.

‘’You know’’Mammon’s fingers touched her helm. Her eyes moved to his and she waited for something, someone to speak.’’You how easy it would be for you if you just understood right?’’

Mara hummed and nodded.

‘’I don’t want to hurt you. It aches my heart too.’’

Her gaze narrowed. That made him even more furious with her.

He grabbed her face tight, pulling her closer to him.’’Fighting in the PIT like a dog for what?’’Mammon laughed.’’Do you think you will buy your freedom? No, my daughter’’ He pushed her away.’’You know very well that you can’t. And you won’t.’’

Mara almost snarled, with her eyes glaring at him.’’Maybe if I treat you like a dog you will understand how to behave’’His brow turned harsh.

’’I will-’’Mara spat.

‘’You will what?’’He scoffed.’’Kill me?’’ Mammon’s arms spread wide.’’Come on little girl, do it’’

Mara squeezed her hands into fists and she stayed still.

‘’Good girl’’Mammon mocked,touching her chin.’’Come later I am going to need your help’’

Mara left and now Mammon was returning to his kind priest personality. Unlike Mara, I was treated differently by him. He was smiling at me, smiling at me with a kind gesture. Almost as if he was caring for me. His bottles of alcohol returned and my cup was filled with tea from the pot.

‘’How are you feeling?’’He asked with his gaze studying, searching for bruises on my body.

I did not speak and I faced the hit brew at my cup.

Mammon frowned. ‘’What is it now?’’

I looked all over my clothes, emptying my pockets which were filled with Eke’els and jewelry.

Mammon’s eyes became bright and yet confused.

‘’Half of them can pay my mother’s debt’’I whispered. ‘’The rest, is for my application.’’

Mammon began counting, studying the rings and necklaces. I tried to cover my skin, feeling even when he was not looking at me, he still did. Or, someone else did.

‘’Two hundred Eke’el’s each’’ He announced to me. His eyes lit cold, waiting for the right thing to say to me.

He stood up from his chair and walked closer to me.

‘’You want to go to the army, Nezha?’’

I nodded. ‘’You have someone inside, correct? I have gathered enough for…’’

‘’You are strong Nezha’’ He said. ‘’Smart even. And all those years you have done everything…’’

His fingers traced my shoulders, and my neck when he stood behind me.

I have done everything. Everything for him, for my mother’s debt. And I needed an exit.

‘’So, what could provide your absence for me?’’

I felt my heart sinking.

‘’My mother’s debt was one million. I have only one hundred left. Just…’’

‘’You…’’ Mammon whispered close to my ear. ‘’Gave me almost a million. And you will make me lose almost a million.’’

He walked away, back to the table, and took out of the drawer, a folder with my name written all over it.

‘’This was your debt.’’He opened the folder with his bare fingers and let every pass of Eke’el fall to the floor. Not just Eke’el but jewels, rings, fabrics, and everything that I could find.

‘’And now, you will have to begin again.’’He then moved the remaining coins and jewels I stole to the preview folder.

‘’Mammon’’I stood up, pleading. ‘’Five years. Please, I will pay you whatever you need and more when I become.’’

‘’If you become a soldier’’ He reminded me. ‘’If, you become great.’’

I held my ground, I looked at him in the eyes, ready to wait for something. A slap, the remote. My collar, anything. I was five years old. I was done fighting the pain.

He moved to my side again. His hand lifted my face so I could find his tall height.

In this world, there are sheep and wolves. You either will be the hunter or the prey. And to me, Mammon was the worst wolf that could devour me.

‘’I will do anything’’I whispered close to him.

His eyes lowered down to my legs and restrained himself to not lick his lips. I could feel my stomach dying. Moving closer to me, I could feel his slim nose brushing mine.

‘’Then prove it,’’ He whispered close to me. ‘’Two million Eke’el in one week.’’

I gasped. ‘’Not, almost two million. Not a few thousand and the rest are old worthless gems. Two million Eke’el.’’ He cupped my face with his long nails pressuring to my skin.

‘’And you will?’’I asked with a slight pant. ‘’Will you set me free?’’

I knew that he wouldn’t do it. Because I would never be able to find two million in a week. I would be trapped here until either one of us dies.

But I had to try.

‘’If you get all of them in a week, I will even make sure you have a house to Aztlan for your sick old mother.’’

‘’Promise.’’

He remained silent. Looking me from head to toe as I asked him that. I needed him to vow even if this would be something that I wouldn’t succeed in.

‘’If you have two million Eke’els in one week, I will make sure you will become a soldier.’’

My lips almost gave me away. ‘’But if not.’’Then, he smiled deviously as he planned my end. ‘’You will work for the Garden for the rest of your days. That is my vow. My promise.’’

I lost my heart. My future was clear. And he saw everything.

He moved one more time to my ear and whispered.

‘’I have heard what they say about you. I might pay you a visit in a week.’’

Even he did not believe that I would succeed. All a trap for me to agree, to fall.

Walking outside completely defeated, I spotted Mara who heard everything.

One advantage she had for Mammon is that she knew things, and secrets and she wouldn’t tell a soul.

I forced a smile at her.

She did not reply and we walked together to the halls.

‘’Are you alright?’’I asked her. She did not respond as her eyes stayed on the floor.

I nodded.

‘’Well, that is how the world works’’I said with acceptance. The weak are weak. The strong are strong’’ I hated how I said it to her. I just wanted everything to stop, everything, someone to take me away.

‘’We can kill him’’ She suggested.

I laughed. ‘’It would be nice, yes. Kill him and take all of his money.’’

She did not reply. Not even with a laugh.

‘’You have to stop being a punching bag for him, you know’’I jumped in front of her with a grin. ‘’Like, tell a joke, talk, show your smile.’’

That made her arch her brow.

‘’Your teeth?’’ I asked with a smile.

‘’You are the chiseler, not me.’’

‘’Well, maybe you can also be’’ I said to her. ‘’You don’t need to stay in a corner every time.’’

‘’I don’t think that I can trick people like you’’

‘’Why is that?’’ I asked with a grin.

‘’Because I cannot lie to myself as much as you do’’

I stopped walking and I stared at her. She knew what to say and the right time. She had the right buttons to press, she knew more than she was saying. Even if they were not bound by blood, maybe she was her father’s daughter.