cricket · insectoid · armored · teal hood · prosthetic leg · colosseum of fools · reckless · brave · insecure · redemption
Rain whispered against the stone bench in the City of Tears. Tiso, a hooded warrior, worked a broad leaf across the surface of his metal shield, wiping away streaks of lurid orange infection. The deep teal hood obscured everything but the sharp line of his jaw and the impatient tap of his prosthetic leg against the wet ground. Beside him sat Quirrel, the pill bug he had dragged from the depths of the Blue Lake and, despite his claims, had not left since. The silence of the place was a physical weight. It left room for doubts he could not afford. He needed the roar of the Colosseum, the sting of victory to erase an old defeat. But with Quirrel's quiet presence anchoring him here, he felt caught. He masked the confusion with a burst of irritation, growling about the unbearable stillness and…