We ran for a long time—I don't know how long exactly, but with nightfall, we struggled to find our way. My savior used one of her blue flames to light the path, but we couldn't see far ahead. After a good hour of walking and running, we reached an abandoned village. We were probably still in Davidova. My savior turned toward me with a small smile. We hadn't really talked while fleeing—we were too focused on our breathing and stamina, hoping not to make too much noise so we wouldn't be found by the Borruns or Romuald.
"Let's rest here… We should be far enough from those people."
I kept looking at the fox girl. She was really different from a Zyvari, and thanks to her nine tails, I quickly concluded she was a Kitsune. It was the first time I'd seen one in real life. They live on Okamoto Island—a large island, almost a continent—home to ancient spirits and various species like the Kitsune. It's rare to see one outside Okamoto.
"Yeah, let's rest here… But we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'd like to know your name."
She kept smiling and leaned slightly toward me.
"I'm Aleskya Faycaster, but call me Lesky."
I didn't expect to be greeted like that, so I mirrored her posture.
"I'm Roxy Hearts, just call me by my first name."
Suddenly, I felt my stomach twist with pain—I was starving. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving me tired, hungry, and a bit thirsty. Lesky gave me a slightly puzzled look.
"I can tell you need to recharge. I don't really need to, so I don't carry food with me, but I'm sure we can find something in this village… Let's explore."
It wasn't a bad idea—this village was probably my only chance to find food. Still, even though Lesky had saved me, I couldn't trust her. After all, she was a participant in these games—I was 100% sure—and it seemed like everyone wanted to kill me. At least that was the case with Miodrag and that lunatic Romuald.
I watched Lesky walk away to explore some houses. If I had the strength, I'd try to run. But for now, until I'm back on my feet, I can't do much.
So I headed in the opposite direction from Lesky and explored a few houses and old shops. I found an almost-empty backpack—it only had some school supplies, which I dumped out and took the bag. I found some food too, but most of it had rotted, so I could only rely on canned goods, hoping they hadn't gone bad. I didn't even know what year it was anymore.
In one of the bedrooms, I came across a wardrobe with clothes inside—it looked like a teenager's room. The clothes were a bit too big for me, but I didn't care. I couldn't keep wearing the Moser uniform. I stripped down and put on a pair of short black shorts, a big black and green jacket, and some sneakers. I also found some tights in the parents' room and added those too.
I kept exploring and found more canned food, bottles of water, and a few useful things like money and tissues. I had no interest in using leaves to blow my nose or sniffle like some kids at my school. The last building I visited was an old police station. I didn't expect to find anything important—most of it had been looted. But while searching the boss's office, I found a weapon—a simple loaded pistol, fully charged. I immediately tucked it into the back of my waistband, using my shorts and shirt to keep it hidden and secure.
Now, at least, I could defend myself if I ran into Romuald or other crazies.
Once I was done exploring, I met up with Lesky in the village center. She had nothing in her hands, but seemed to have stored everything in a kind of backpack.
"I found a house that's not too damaged—we can rest there and cook some food."
I nodded and followed her to the house. I was a bit tense, stressed, and anxious—it could very well be a trap. So I let her go in front of me, keeping one hand behind my back on my weapon as I stepped toward the house.
We arrived in an old living room with faded orange sofas, a clearly non-functional TV, a few worn-out picture frames, and a fireplace. Lesky dropped her bag on the floor and sat in front of the fireplace. There were old bits of wood still inside, probably left there for years. Lesky used her fire magic to light it up. I took that moment of distraction to pull out my gun and point it at her, removing the safety.
Even though I'd fired a gun before—thanks, Aunt Mikki—I wasn't used to the weight of it, especially pointing it at a living person and not a soda can. I took the safety off, and Lesky's fox ears twitched sharply as she raised her hands.
"Admit it! You came with me just to get rid of me?!"
I couldn't see Lesky's face since she was facing the fire, but I could hear confusion in her voice.
"Why would I do that? I saved your life!"
"Miodrag's lackeys—that damn Borrun—saved me too, just to kill me. Even that psycho Romuald 'saved' me, only because he wanted to be the one to kill me instead of the bear. Everyone's been trying to kill me since I woke up."
I heard Lesky sigh at my remark. Her arms were slightly trembling.
"I don't want to kill you… I just wanted to help someone. That's all, really."
"You're a Babylon's Games participant—you want to eliminate me."
Lesky shook her head quickly.
"I am a participant, sure… but I'm completely lost in this world. I don't recognize anything."
Without thinking, I stopped aiming at her. I didn't quite understand what she meant.
"Explain…"
"I was born in 1340… on Okamoto Island. Then I was punished for betraying my nation. I was locked inside a sort of lamp, then sold and used as a slave in random eras. And every time, I never get the chance to adapt to the era I'm awakened in."
Lesky paused for a moment, looking down, her hands still raised—probably thinking I was still aiming at her.
"I need someone to guide me in this world."
I put the safety back on my gun, tucked it behind me, and sighed. I was sure now—she didn't want to kill me. She had nothing to gain from it.
"I believe you… but how do you even know about these games?"
"I ran into someone… shortly after I woke up. A participant who's actually from this era..."
A participant from this time? I thought we were all kidnapped from different periods. Did Dena lie to me, or did she keep that detail to herself so I'd discover it on my own?
"What do you mean?"
"Well, first he told me that one day… the first Deadhorse, the one called Creation, was awakened and caused the end of our world… The demi-human gods tried to stop them using prophecies and by choosing potential heroes, but they all failed… Thirty years passed, if I'm not mistaken… This time period, where the Deadhorses were awakened, came to be known as the 'Dark Age'."
Thirty years… That means my family is still alive. A bit older, sure, but that gives me hope—hope that my parents might still be living. I also hope they didn't fall in battle. Saint Bathory always fought against the Deadhorses, but I hope they didn't do anything reckless.
"So… among the participants, some are actually from this time?"
She nodded.
"50% from this world, and 50% kidnapped from various eras."
Now that I think about it, I wonder if Miodrag is one of those who lived in this time. One thing's for sure—Romuald was definitely kidnapped, he hasn't aged a bit.
"Who's your Deadhorse, Roxy?"
A question I didn't have an answer to—and my face probably showed it. I had a hunch, since Miodrag seemed to see me as an enemy or rival.
"I think I'm part of trickery."
Lesky nodded.
"Yeah… not the most loved one, I guess. Might be hard for you to make friends."
"I figured… And you, which one are you?"
"I'm part of Magic… Magesch… the 10th Deadhorse."
That explains how she could summon flames—magic. Mages were extremely rare in my time. A semi-human species close to extinction, often persecuted. Magic is something passed down through generations, but with technology slowly replacing it, it had started to fade.
"Do you know much about your Deadhorse?"
She shook her head. I didn't know much about mine either—only its name, which I learned from Miodrag: Taus.
"No, the only thing I know is where my first trial takes place."
"How do you know that?"
"Through the bracelet… I was told that by saying your Deadhorse's name, it gives you information."
It seemed like a strange system, but I went along with it. I said my Deadhorse's name out loud, and a sort of hologram appeared—along with a score next to a picture showing my full name. I also saw the name and number of my Deadhorse… 94.
Then the image shifted, showing a distance in kilometers, an arrow, and a sentence: "Tower of Babylon 99, Daïs, the Darkness."
Lesky walked up beside me and showed me her hologram as well.
"Oh, we've got the same trial—I guess that means we can stick together."
I smiled, and a bit of hope returned. I had a companion now, and a destination for the first trial. Still, I didn't like the idea that the first trial might involve darkness. I'll admit—I was a little scared.
Lesky and I ended up sharing some stories. I helped her understand a few things about my time and how to use certain objects. We also ate one of the canned meals—ravioli we tried to warm up near the fireplace. It didn't come out great, but it was food.
I didn't complain about the meal though—it was fine enough, and I was starving, so I devoured it quickly. My eyes started to close slowly, and Lesky suggested I get some rest. I headed to the old armchair, laid down, and this time, I let my eyes close willingly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lore informations
Kitsune : Coming from Okamoto Island, Kitsunes are a different kind of fox, a more advanced versions of the Zyvaris, they are known to have a pretty big longevity and to have magical power, they are rare but powerful and rares are the ones leaving their islands
Okamoto Island : A pretty big island which is the home of different semi-human species based around the japanese mythology, it's the only place not colonised by Sanians
Sanians : Humans, they are 50% of the world population, they are the most simple races known but that win over all the other races thanks to their majority
Babylonians : 10 000 participants, 100 participants under the 100 deadhorses, 50% are from the current era, the other 50% got kidnapped from the era before the dark age, they are called Babylonnians by the Deadhorses and the other habitants of the world
Zaït (1) : The first Deadhorse to be awaken, he is the creation and the origin of the Dark Age
Dark age : After the first deadhorse awake, he destroyed the world, heroes chosen by the semi-human gods try to stop him but he was way too strong and he end up winning. 30 years have passed after his awakening and peoples from that era call it the Dark Age
Magesch (10) : The Deadhorse of magic, it seeks the ultimate mage, the one who can control the most elements, it is the origin of magic, without it, there are no magie. Their heir get to control magic, each having one element
Bracelet : A bracelet which is on the wrist of every participant, it gives the location of the future challenge and also channels the skills of each participants
Daïs (99) : The deadhorse of the Darkness, it is the one who control the darkness and the shadows. It seek the one who will find their way into the darkness and triumph. Their heirs are stronger during the night or in dark environnement