Beatrix and Thales vs. the world.

Thales with a downtrodden face and dejected eyes watched a corpse disappear from in front of him.

"What in the world happened here?"

Thales was deeply pondering, but was interrupted with a voice.

"Hey there friend, have you come with my mistress perchance?"

It was a man with slave garments.

"Did this mangy mutt perhaps belong to Epicura?"

"I have not, what business, do you have and I have come with no one"

"Was she ever with you?"

"Yes, she was killed though"

"By who, friend" The man's face darkened.

"I suppose it could be interpreted that it was me who killed her actually."

"Then this is going to be a very bad day"

"Without her I'm quite cynical you see, I'd simply feel hopeless, you mind dying to make me feel happy again?"

"If a dog starts barking when it shouldn't do you know what you do?"

"You put a muzzle on that b*tch"

Thales yelled with a battle cry, he shot out something with a palm of his hand.

The man whose name was apparently Herm

Barely avoided the attack, in fact he didn't bone marrow could be seen, what was he shot with?

"Yeah this isn't that potent, she wasn't that strong after all"

Thales felt bloodlust; he tried to finish him off, but the man cowered away deeper in the garden. It seemed the plants only attacked on certain conditions; Thales was hoping he was comically devoured.

"That's a shame then, well I suppose you're her guardian, I'll send you to nothingness with her then, and yeah that's something she probably believed in"

"I wouldn't dirty my hands with something that isn't mine.

Herm and Thales actually ended up in a coliseum.

Neither had moved, it was spontaneous them being here they knew nothing about it, or the figures cheering at them.

"Isn't that ironic you ran and now your death will be made a spectacle isn't that just pathetic."

"As if you bastard, I'm here for something kid"

"AND THAT SOMETHING IS YOUR LIFE"

Herm charged at Thales inexpertly, he had a sword and shield.

What was his cultivation, Thales wondered.

He didn't have to wonder for too long, because Herm had tried to shield bash him and then baited Thales with his blade, only to reveal a concealed dagger and cut Thales hand that barely reacted in time.

"Damn guttersnipe" Thales said this and cursed inwardly.

Wait can I maybe?

Thales started concentrating.

Easy for Thales to do that and evade Herm's attacks.

"Hey now not such an easy kill now am I tough guy, the dirty man Herm mocked while going for an assault again"

Thales wound had healed abnormally fast.

This is why the man Herm had not expected Thales to move so quickly

Thales launched a kick to the man's knees which he parried with his shield.

The man had apparently not learnt his lesson though, Thales shot an invisible bullet straight in between herm's eyes, but yet Herm's weaved out the way.

Herm felt fatigue, Thales shot again.

Once again shot, Herm dodged but fell on the ground.

He said I yield.

"Good I hate intuition anyway"

The crowd erupted in cheers telling Thales to finish him.

Thales was indifferent.

Herm was panicking.

He did not have to panic much longer, he started to sink, the ground beneath him gurgled like a baby, it oozed.

It was quicksand; of course this place was never normal.

Herm begged for his life, but Thales already started to move away, he had no idea if he would be next or not and he didn't want to find out.

Herm was no more, swallowed by his own desires.

Herm was a manager for a brothel Epicura owned in her father's territory.

So of course he became her guardian.

Guardian no more, what a shame

Of course Thales had no way to know this nor did he care the last of Epicura was not a pitiful man like Herm

Thales had been invited to a banquet of course he would eat, he was so hungry and was rather tired, to eat and then move onwards sounded like a good plan to Thales.

Thales wasn't concerned about why there were external people here or what the idea of this trial was, he merely was a simple man right now, good food, good drink, good women and some shut eye.

He was about to start indulging.

It was an array of mouthwatering, sumptuous foods

Thales couldn't wait.

But a voice told him not to, more like scolded him not?

"I'm not awfully rational, if it is poisoned I'll find out in a bit y'know"

Thales laughed, he laughed a dopey laugh. It was not like him.

"Can't you see you're trying to eat your own arm Thales?"

"There is that inner voice again, I'm what?"

Thales noticed he was about to dig into his own flesh like a happy pig.

He looked around him and the women were hags, wait he was being grabbed.

"What have I let happen?" Thales grunted as he struggled from the hags.

He couldn't free himself.

His inner voice told him he was fine giving them a sec.

Thales wondered if he was drunk, surely not, me of all people have to have their thinking catch up to their body.

Thales was about to be boiled apparently he was to be tonight's dish.

Thales wasn't too bothered apparently he was about to come up with a way to get out.

His thought never arrived however, but he was freed the hags were shot with something, Thales couldn't comprehend.

They were burning.

Screaming in agony, while Thales was freed, he could see clearly again.

Scarlet hair, one sky blue eye, fashionably late it was Beatrix.

"BEATO" He questioned, Thales took a moment to think while being wary; it was this weird place after all.

He thought that would be especially nasty if he was saved only to be confronted with his friend and guardian being a trap.

But Thales finished thinking and concluded, this was a place where the battle was pleasure, this likely was her.

There were no one left in the banquet hall but him and his friend Beatrix.

Thales smiled, it was an exaggerated smile, it was a foolish smile, it was a tragic smile. It was his smile.

"Oi Beato what was it exactly you did?"

"Why what else but magic of course"

"Of course it was"

"May I ask how?"

"I built an item called wish upon a star through my life path cultivation"

"Once per day I can cast magic, well that is a stretch I can perform miracles that can save lives and even I don't know what these miracles are, I am not a Fey After all"

"Right so let me get this straight your preparations are borderline useless in this situation of constant warfare"

"Hey don't hate the

Player; it saved your life didn't it?"

"I suppose"

"And what are your preparations Mr. Miray."

"That's a secret"

"Did you hit your head or something? I am your guardian why would you not tell me"

"Our opponents may cause an information breach if more than one source has this info you won't need to cooperate too deeply with it anyway"

"Speaking of information, how did you get here?"

"Teleportation a kind old man teleported I here or more accurately I teleported myself"

Thales mind buzzed, he deduced what happened, no matter how firm Zeno was in his beliefs, his subconscious wanted to live and he ended up in a place where Beato just happened to be in

"Are you able to teleport anymore?"

"No, sorry"

"That really is a shame because I had a reliable source tell me that a place in a sandy area had a resource point, that is for sure where we want to go but if you can't teleport, what do we do."

"Well we have to rule that means ending up in the final challenge of this place and winning it, then you can have free reign across the map"

"Very well so to rule I assume you must either conquer a full domain or be in the party of someone who has aka being consorts to the throne"

"Yes that sounds about right"

Thales stomach rumbled he really was hungry.

"Uh I don't have any food"

"Well I have loads of food and some tea, lay on my lap and you can eat you naughty boy"

"Of course you do, wait I'm not laying on your lap we are literally in a banquet hall"

"But aren't you tired and cold"

"Yes"

"Then lay" she said "Fine…" Thales felt he had lost his dignity.