The food line dissipated. The portals bloomed as contestants choose numbers and took a complimentary mint. As time passed the cave became emptier, though the screaming of wounded who couldn’t move well persisted. Nobody within the confines of the cave was allowed to sleep or fall into unconsciousness until the wake-up call was rescinded. Ebony looked terrible, her eyelids hung heavy and bleary and her arms swayed limply. A bit of drool dripped into a small puddle between her feet.

  “Yuh gave tuh big guy your name. Yuh sure that was a good idea?”

  Circe shrugged, “He gave his in return. And I got to thank Ebony too. But I’m starting to worry about her. She doesn’t look so good.”

  “I jus weeed a biddle wap es ull,” Ebony mumbled, drooling more.

  Circe had managed to pull up two separate screens. On one side Fedor’s stats were displayed on the other side Ebony’s. Sure, she could narrow down her search to only see specifics, but she really wanted a general overview of her possible allies. Surely Ebony would be able to do the same when she felt better, right?

  Fedor Kazokov

  Dumpling

  Ebony Rhodes

  Sleepy Placebo

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  A little sigh escaped as she read that nickname, Dumpling. He kind of looked like a dumpling. Normally she might have giggled. But right now, not a drop of mirth could be found in her system. The rest of the information made her shudder and regret her offhanded talk about cannibalism earlier. Considering his curse, it seemed like he should have kept the energy bars.

  A glance his way wasn’t needed. His big wobbly body bounded over to the corpses, so Circe looked away because she needn’t use her imagination to know what would happen next. Any thoughts of mirth at his nickname ended.

  Chopping sounds reached her ears followed by the breaking and cracking of bone. A sickening slurp whispered against her ear across the distance of several meters. Alfredo could see it more clearly. The back rolls of the giant man strained against his shirt while he sat over the headless corpse of Adonis. Cleaver rose and fell to slice flesh off the limbs held between his fat legs.

  The smacking of lips and crunching of teeth sounded like a pack of animals tearing a carcass. The roach infested pieces of Adonis’ first victim rested nearby. Circe decided to pretend none of it was happening and that the sounds were something else, anything else.

  She closed Fedor’s screen now that she had an idea how he operated and concentrated on her new friend and ally. Placebo healing? Did that mean it wouldn’t help her anymore now that she read the stat bar and knew it was just a placebo spell? Well, even if it was just a placebo, belief was ultimately a choice, right? So, she would choose to believe in Ebony’s abilities. The woman had saved her life.

  A glance towards the doctor made her frown. She needed help and right now. The woman had become sunken, slumped. Drool dripped on the floor. A dead fish eyed stare languished forward as she mumbled some sort of sleepy nonsense.

  Suddenly Ebony slumped as she sat on the floor. Her torso fell to the left and she laid on her side. The woman stared toward Circe as sleep refused to come. A small hand waved hesitantly in the doctor’s line of vision, but barely a response issued forth except an exhausted moan.

  “I don’t know what tuh do for her,” Alfredo said.

  Circe shook her head as her face reddened. Nothing. That was what they could do to help the person who has saved her life. Absolutely nothing. Screaming her lungs out in protest wouldn’t help anyone. Enough screaming echoed from the background anyway.

  Her hands went to the sides of her mouth and she yelled to the stage where Azoria lounged on her throne of skulls while eating what looked like grapes from a wooden bowl.

  “If my friend dies, it’ll be on you! Even if you don’t care, I’m holding you responsible!”

  Azoria glanced over toward the misfit party. A doppelganger in a white nurse’s outfit including a tight jacket, a cap with a red cross, and a white mini skirt zapped into existence. She stood over the stricken doctor with arms akimbo. A gentle kick rolled Ebony's back. Then a three-inch heel pushed into the woman’s shoulder as the demon lord leaned over her to address Circe directly. An elbow rested on an upraised knee as a smirk formed across her lips.

  “It’s just some mild sleep deprivation. She’ll be able to get over it once I finish making the award announcements. Yes, it’s technically a form of torture. Mild torture really, especially compared to what you’re going to be experiencing. But since you're in such a hurry.”

  Azoria clicked her long red nails as Circe felt a shudder go through her system. The roaches scattered from the splint as Alfredo took a fighting stance. The doppelganger in the nurse outfit clapped as Azoria on the stage stood up. The tour guide Azorias standing at the exits joined with emphatic clapping. Mark turned around and lead his team in clapping. Most of the people clapped. Circe blinked and tilted her head at the stage as Azoria leaned over the podium.

  The clapping stopped once her voice boomed through the cave.

  “And now, for you poor unfortunate souls who refused the chance to kneel before me, it’s time for you to receive the mercies that will prevent your immediate execution.”

  The cave hushed as Azoria leaned over the podium for a long pause to survey the audience.

  “I’m being benevolent and merciful, so you can clap again.”

  Almost everyone clapped, and continued to do so. Continuous clapping filled the cavern as Circe looked around, kept her hands on her knees, and blinked.