The Alpha's Blind Fate
Chapter 298: The Labyrinth

Chapter 298: The Labyrinth

MOON (from Yaren’s POV)

When Fionna finally reached them, Yaren observed that she was almost turning blue and he had a feeling it was hardly from the cold. And yet, that didn’t stop him from throwing a jab at her,

"Wanting to become a part of a Northern Pack when you cannot withstand the cold has got to be one of the most ironical things I’ve seen, Red Hand."

"There’s no need to boast before me on how you made it out unscathed," she grumbled, her tone coming off terse like there was a whole world of anger packed underneath it.

"What? You do not think that I must have cheated to pass this test as well?" He asked sarcastically.

Somehwere along the line, he had gotten used to hearing people sneer at him on how he must he riding the coattails of his half brother to pass through the tournament.

But considering the heavy losses with the first test, the mocking stares had only brown longer, and the sour expressions had only grown broader.

It still didn’t get to him though if he must say so himself.

"Well, I do not know about your door, but if it’s anything like mine, then I am sure you passed just fine."

"Ain’t any cheating your way out of your door?" The Sighter asked sarcastically, his western accent full on display.

"Was there any cheating your way out of your own door?" Fionna snapped back, eyes blazing with irritation. They certainly didn’t seem as friends as the Sighter or whatever he called himself made it seem like. Either the concept of friendship was beyond the man, or perhaps he had a thing for elevated irony.

"I want to ask you a question, Lord Yaren." Fionna said suddenly, sounding way too serious than Yaren was comfortable with.

"And what could it be?"

"The first test, there must have been some modalities to it. Like the extent the test Heralders could go to?"

"I guess so." Yaren answered, confused.

"But I felt like the Heralder of my door was quite particular about burrowing deep into my head."

"I believe that was normal for everyone of us." Yaren said with a shrug.

"Is it normal for it to know things about you that you don’t even know?" Fionna snapped impatiently, eyes being with... embarrassment? Or was that just a different expression of anger than what Yaren was used to seeing.

"I suppose not but you must admit that there’s no way the Night Mage could have seen or come to know about something that you yourself don’t know about."

"I don’t know about it! I mean... I do know but...." Fionna trailed, voice filled with exasperation.

In an attempt to explain better, she started, "There’s this person I knew from a long time ago, but I never knew his face. Is it possible for the Night Mages to know the identity of a man that has remained masked to me for all my life? I mean indeed, I have actually seen the real man’s face... but like, I never knew the man was the same as the masked man, so is it possible for a Night Mage to know that much just from this test?" She finished more agitated than she had began.

Before Yaren could answer, the Sighter was already speaking. "Ordinarily no. But it can’t be said you do not know the identity of the masked man either. Since you have seen the real identity, you could have already made the connection unconciously but refused to draw the connection consciously." He finished.

Fionna looked to be seriously playing with the information, then she let out a sigh. "After this contest, my fist will be settling a lot of debts." She muttered, eyes darkening and narrowing into slits.

"You seem to be truly aggravated," the Sighter observed, "I am truly curious to know who this masked man is and what fate lies ahead of him. I am sure the display of your fists smashing against his nose would be a truly stunning sight."

"Could you please shut up?" Fionna groaned, now rubbing at her temple while the Sighter chuckled darkly.

Yaren stepped away from the duo, shaking his head as he made his way to a desolate corner. Maybe they were friends in fact just as the Sighter had said. Strange friends or something like that.

It wasn’t long before a Tiger Wolf stepped in front of a makeshift stage in from the of the equally as fake gardens.

Yaren remembered his last encounter with the Tiger Wolf’s of the South, and he knew that this test would be far from an easy one for him.

Back then at the Desert, Daemon had to fight his DireWolf uncle’s greedy son in order to take over the DireWolf Pack. Said son had been conniving with the Tiger Wolf’s who attacked them, and the bloodshed that followed after was so much and so profound that Daemon was forced to shift into a Supreme Wolf form after he took over the prized DireWolf of the Pack.

Courtesy of Daemon being the Alpha of one of the biggest packs in the South, the implication was that the Tiger Wolf sort of owed their subservience to him. Proof of that much lied at the fact that the Tiger Wolf had voluntary accepted to herald the second tests.

But Yaren was well awrare that he wouldn’t be seeing anything of the favour that had been extended to Daemon. If anything, the Tiger Wolfs would make sure he failed just for the fun of seeing his failure.

It was for that reason that Yaren was especially at alert at that moment.

Like an errant housefly one couldn’t get rid of, Caspian Vampage appeared by his side, still sporting his trademark grin that was beginning to give Yaren cause for concern.

No matter how perfect a man, Yaren didn’t beleive that it was normal to be able to comfortably hold such a smile for a damn long time. And Caspian Vampage was almost fucking smiling at one thing or the other like his life was full of sunshines and scarce darkness.

"Of course you made it again, Lord Yaren. I believe that you should be fast tracked to the tournament itself; your winning streak makes your humble servants to blush."

"I believe everyone has the same winning streak." Yaren grumbled, studying the Tiger Wolf’s that were strategically placed all over the square.

Was it a formation? Or something else?

"None of them as impressive as your streak though my lord. Yours is a thing of wonder." Caspian droned on while Yaren made a mental note not to ever respond to him again, it only gave the man more reasons to spew nonsense.

When Caspian realized he was getting the silent treatment... yet again, he began to rattle on, "honestly though, I must thank you for your help with the first tour man. If I was not in your team, not even the Moon Goddess would have been able to save me."

That was when Yaren decided that he had most certainly heard enough.

"You must get off on acting weak while pretending to praise other people’s strength," Yaren observed with a scoff while Caspian played the role of the confused one.

"What? Acting weak?" He chuckled, "I am only confronting the harsh truth, Lord Yaren. I am not such a hypocrite."

"That is exactly what you’re, Vampage. Do you think I don’t know who you’re? Or perhaps, you’ve forgotten that I fought against the Rogues at the GreenLands for three years."

Instantly, Caspian’s expression darkened, his smile disappearing into thin air.

"So you knew me before this?" He said darkly.

Yaren resumed perusing through the Tiger Wolf while he spoke. "That is more like it, Caspian Vampage. The smile never suited you."

"What exactly do you know about me?" The other man asked tightly.

"One or two about the fact that you’ve been fighting at the most underground wrestling arena in the GreenLands since you were seven, and another one or two about your ambition to become your father’s heir before he finally cast you out and scorned you in the process."

"That must mean the Alpha King knows about me too. Well isn’t that great" Caspian said, resuming his bright smile while Yaren turned to stare at the psycho.

"You can continue smiling and acting charming then, but please do not pretend you do not want to become Beta. All those nonsense about calling be the sure to be Beta should officially stop now that I’ve stripped you of your false colors."

Caspian smile broadened, "of course, Lord Yaren. I shall not hide my ambition anymore; I intend to beat you whether fair, square or foul."

Yaren said nothing instead compiling his observations. He had noted that while the square was well lit with multiple lamps, the area of the labyrinth was barely lit at the very least.

The man who stood on the makeshift stage began to speak in an elevated voice, "Welcome to the Labyrinth, where souls will be lost forever!"