(The Pit, Mauriss' POV)
Mauriss strolled out of the prison cell with giddy written all over his face as he replayed the moment in his head, savoring it again and again, the cadence, the timing, the way Raymond's expression had cracked when he mentioned deception and ball sacks, as he concluded with absolute certainty that it had been one of the better lines he had delivered this decade.
'That one landed perfectly.'
He thought, lips curling upward as satisfaction warmed his chest.
'I must have looked ridiculously cool to that Dragon kid, no?'
The thought amused him further as he lifted his gaze and scanned his surroundings, only to find several barbarians staring back at him with open confusion, their expressions blunt and unguarded, lacking even the courtesy of fear.
They were massive, scarred, and half-armored, standing in loose clusters near the holding area, their eyes tracking him with the same dull curiosity they would give one of their own.
Mauriss blinked once.
