Lauren came to with a start, and immediately cast around for her weapon. Already in her hand, good. She wasn’t dead, so that meant she could keep fighting, and keep killing. They should know better than to leave a rogue alive.

But… why was everyone just standing around? She blinked several times to be sure time wasn’t frozen or something, but no, everyone, monsters and humans alike, was just standing there… doing nothing. Everyone looked to be right on the brink, except Loriane, of course. Damn Energy users and their broken regeneration rate.

She wanted to ask what was happening, but at the same time, she didn’t want to give away that she was awake, just in case she had an opportunity to jump into the fight when it started again, so she opted to wait through the tense silence. It dragged on. Everyone was either on the ground, bleeding, like Marie, Lynn, and Amy, or still standing, and bleeding. Loriane’s eyes were full of fire, as if she expected the battle to begin again any moment, and Seth looked like he was dead on his feet from exhaustion and blood loss, but everyone else just looked scared… apprehensive. Where was Amadeus?

Had he gone into the pit? Possible… but, why would everyone be stopped? Had we all been captured? Then why weren’t our captors moving to restrain anyone, or just killing us? Damnit, he’s probably trying to pull some stupid bullshit that’ll get us all killed. She wanted to go check on him, but she didn’t want to leave the others to fend for themselves, and she also didn’t want to try sneaking through a hoard of enemies. She was good, but not that good. Not yet, anyway.

As if on queue, she heard movement coming from down the hall.

“-shall see. Bring me the stone.”

“Yeah, yeah. Give me a minute. Do you have any idea how close to… I don’t even know how to explain how much you almost fucked me up.”

“You’re fine. You should have avoided leaving out information.”

“If I had known, I would have told you. Remember, I was the one at risk there, not you.”

A rumbling growl echoed through the hall, as Amadeus and… a huge fucking dog monster came into view. The thing was easily as tall as Amadeus, looking all the world like a giant, roided out wolf. It could probably fit someone’s entire head in that mouth.

Well, if that thing had shown up, no wonder the festivities had been cut short. The werewolf looking things were bad enough, but that… the only thing that could have been worse was the fucking colossal three headed one showing up. Then they would’ve been giga-fucked.

However, what the fresh hell was he thinking, offering up the stone?! Wasn’t that what they were trying to prevent at all costs? He’d better be trying to pull something, or she’d poison him until he wished he was dead.

“Hey guys, we made a deal. We’re on the same side now. Hey, werewolf guy, I’ll be back to fix that… issue, just let me get Cerberus here the stone.”

“That is not my name.”

“You haven’t told me anything else, so that’s what I’m going with. Besides, it’s a compliment. Cerberus was supposed to be pretty strong.”

“You may know my name when you have earned the right.”

“Then you’re going to have to live with Cerberus. I’ll agree, it’s less fitting now, without the other two heads, but you’ll grow into it.”

“Do you mock me, creature?”

“Ah, no, not intentionally. I think I get sarcastic when I can’t believe I’m still alive.”

Cerberus sighed, loudly, continuing to walk next to Amadeus up to the pit. The monster easily jumped across, while Amadeus opted for the safer path, inching along the side.

Everyone stood around in something akin to dumbstruck confusion, as though they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Lauren, for her part, was now very confused about the implications of some of the things they had said. Was… this the boss monster?

“Loriane, if you would start healing the others, and of our new allies that need it? I’ll be right back to help.”

She stared at him, mouth slightly open, confusion written on her face.

“Yes, I’m serious. This isn’t a trick, I’m not pulling anything. Look, I’ll explain in a moment, but Cerberus here will bite me really hard if I don’t get him the freaking stone, so…”

He shrugged and indicated further down the hall, where he continued walking. She could have sworn he had a set amount of charisma for the day, and beyond that, he was the most awkward guy she’d ever seen.

----

“I’m not sure what will happen when you use this, and I’m a little wary of further experimentation today. It’ll probably get suppressed by the bond anyway… so maybe you could uh… wait, to use it?”

“After coming this far, you try to renege on our deal?!”

“Nonono- wait, nothing of the kind. It’s yours, do what you want with it. I’m just suggesting that it might put a bit of strain on our new bond, or have some weird consequences other than, you know, you ascending.”

“Silence, fool. This is necessary, and must be done now. I have allowed you too much already.”

“Alright, fine.”

Fuck, I really hoped that would work. Well, time to test death for a second time today…

I hand Cerberus the tablet. It takes the tablet in its jaws, looks me dead in the eye, and crunches down on it. The shards fall to the ground, and it stares at something only it can see… and then the pieces rush back together, forming the original tablet again.

I frown. “Did it not work-” “UNSUITABLE CANDIDATE?! What treachery… no, this is the stone, but WHY?! THAT SCUM! THAT TRAITOROUS WRETCH! IT KNEW I WAS DOOMED FROM THE START, BUT LED ME TO BELIEVE, LET ME HOPE!”

“Umm… you can’t use the stone?”

“The system DEFIES ME.”

It crunches the tablet, and then again, and continues destroying it over and over in a fit of fury.

“Hey. HEY. LISTEN. We can get around it, alright? It’s your lucky day. I have a way to get around the system, and maybe I can use our bond to transfer it to you as well. It’ll take time, but we’ll make it work. Alright?”

“This… no, you lie. You speak the words I wish to hear to prevent me from taking my own life. It will not work-”

“Giving up definitely won’t work. Even if you can’t get the stone to work, you’ll still grow with me. We’ll still take these trials on together. You’ll be stronger than you ever were, and you’ll have any allies I can muster together to support you. It’s worth seeing this through, don’t you think?”

Cerberus remains silent for a long time, staring at the tablet with obvious hatred in its eyes.

“Yes. Yes, I will join you. We will amass armies the likes of which this world has never seen, and storm their tower. We will slay them down to the last, and forever end their abominable reign.”

I smile broadly, collecting the tablet again. “Excellent.”