Reset OCT Final Round, Page 1

Ugh… how long have I been here? Ow, long enough, I'm so stiff!

Szethei shifted around to a position slightly less uncomfortable than before.

It almost doesn't seem real, she thought as she tried to relax, Am I really this close to the end? How long has it been since first coming here? How many days?

She rubbed her eyes as she tried to think of the answer, but time had blurred and run together ever since that first maddening round against Anton and Galen. It could have been only a handful of days, or a landslide of them.  

Elation gave way to more bothersome thoughts that tugged at her mind. Such as preparing for whatever final task Chimera had in store, as well as doing it all on her own. Szethei groaned silently at that revelation.

Damn Zhirrik and his scheming.

She wasn't sorry to have lost the company of that backstabbing bastard, but she had to admit, having to fight by herself wasn't particularly appealing.  

Stop it, Szethei, she told herself, It's just one more round. And it's not like Zhirrik actively helped in any of the rounds, right? You pretty much won them all yourself! Sort of, anyway.

…

Remember the ik'ri nest you and Fizek found, right after that wind storm? All the hatchlings, save one, dead. But that lone survivor, how it clawed and fought along the ground. And the obstacles it had tackled before you found it! What drove it on? Perhaps it sought its mother. And that last shred of hope for survival.

…

I wonder… did it feel like I do now?

…

Well, it did find help in the end, didn't it? Not its mother, but me. And Fizek.

Szethei felt a warmth swell inside her at the memory, and a smile crept across her muzzle.

It didn’t give up, so you won't either, right? Good girl, Szeth. Now maybe you should see if anyone's coming to fetch you. Has to be nearly time, it's been a while since last round.

Her eyes slid open again, blearily taking in her surroundings, searching for any sign of life. As before, no one was in sight, nor were there any heat signs. The grounds had been oddly empty since she left the infirmary. There was no evidence of former competitors about (Have they left? Or are they all in the infirmary?). No sign of Chimera's wisps or park employees, either.

Then there was something, or someone, moving just within her line of vision. Slowly and silently it came, and she rolled her eyes for a better look.  She registered a pale figure with a dark mane. Her hackles rose, and abruptly she snapped her eyes shut before she could get a better look.

No-no-no, not Zhirrik again, don't need to see him fading, not like that, don't look, don't-  

Then the figure moved in range of her nose, and to her immense relief she registered that the heat sign was upright, and far taller than Zhirrik. Faint shuffling, footfalls, and then a ragged sigh reached her ears. She risked a peek. Ah, so it was the tall, white creature she recalled seeing in the previous round. It, or rather he, silently regarded her. Szethei watched him both warily and wearily. Could he be her final opponent?

"<For all you go on two legs,>" she surprised herself by remarking, "<Take away those wings and go on all fours, and you would not look so different from a rather large dragon-dog.>"

Of course, the other did not understand. He only regarded her with faint bemusement before he shrugged and shuffled on his way.

She let her eyes follow him until he disappeared behind the snack tent, and then her ears tracked his footfalls further, until they likewise had vanished. A moment later, and when no one else approached her, Szethei's eyes closed again.  Just rest some more, I guess.

_{t'p… t'p…t'p…}

Almost of its own accord, the claws of her dangling hind foot had begun to tap the seat below, a habit she'd developed since reaching adulthood. It was her way of dealing with the stress that was so abundant back home, the rhythm giving her heart a beat to mimic, slow it down.

_{t'p…  t'p… t'p…}

The tapping had nearly lulled her to sleep, when the rhythmic motion drew a protest from her injured ankle, and she made herself stop. She heaved a sigh, and tried once more to relax.

Just rest, already.

T'k… t'k… t'k…

"<Hm?>"

Not her foot this time; something else on the bench was tapping. No, ticking. Something that was looped loosely around her tail. Rubbing her eyes, and ignoring her sore muscles, Szethei craned her neck to see what it was. Dangling from her tail-tuft was a familiar, circular object.  

What the- she stared as she brought it to eye level, Isn't this Chimera's time piece?

She cast a quick look around, but as before there was no one to be seen. There weren't even traces of heat-prints in the grass.

O-okay, so who put this here? And why?

As she wondered this, Szethei took it in her claws. Then, with a sigh and shrug, she looped the cord around her neck. And with a grumble, she slid off the table, and set off.

I might as well find someone and ask them. So much for resting.

***

Ro sat down to rest, only partly mindful of the bench creaking under his weight. He was in a foul mood, and his wings throbbed something brutal.

He'd been searching the entire park, mostly to learn when the final round would be starting. But apparently everyone, Chimera, wisps, and park employees had taken it into their heads to completely vanish into thin air. Even the infirmary, where all the injured and defeated languished, was deserted.

The only person he’d seen in many hours was the four-legged dragon-dog, “Zithy” or some strange name. He’d made no attempt at communication, but she’d seemed about as despondent as he was, injured and wondering what was going to happen next.

In spite of himself, he felt that her race seemed familiar to him somehow, and he thought of Jose, wondering if she knew anything about them. He unthinkingly reached for his tablet, scowling as his claws caught the cracked glass. He regretted his angry words to her, and the destruction of his only means of communicating with his friend. But what had she expected, telling him he couldn’t save his world? She, a human who had her own world, had her own home to go back to.

Ruminating on his bitter thoughts, he absently noted a sudden tickle on the back of his neck. When he reached to scratch, he was surprised to feel a thin cord catch on his claws. He heard something clunk faintly against his tablet. Looking down, he found a familiar looking object; a timepiece, identical to Chimera’s.

“Pardon me, sir,” a merry voice called from the air, “Would you happen to have the time?”

Chimera laughed brightly as she alighted on the barren ground before him.

"So, what do you think of my gift?"

Ro scowled again, looking from his own timepiece to the identical one still draped about Chimera’s neck.

“Ah yes," Chimera grinned, "To answer the question you’re obviously thinking, yes, it is the same timepiece, but no, I cannot explain it to you. No time, you see. Suffice it to say, it’s a time displacement, time travel, temporal duplication sort of thing,” she waved her hands in amused impatience, “But on to business. Your final round is at hand, your opponent is Szethei, and she- ah?”

Ro was frowning, holding up one finger and shaking his head, then holding up two fingers.

“You're quite right," Chimera nodded in agreement, "There was another one. But Zhirrik is gone, faded into a pocket universe, thanks to his own partner, no less. Most unusual, but there you are.”

Ro’s brows contracted in consternation. He’d heard that the male dragon-dog was a vicious fighter, responsible for the mauling of several people. But for his own partner to kill him…

“She acted in self-defense," Chimera went on, "From what I know, anyway. And besides, the odds are evened up between you, now; what with you rejecting your own little helper, no?

“Anyway, the timepiece, as you might have guessed, is no mere trinket. It has its uses, though I’ve limited the powers of the duplicates to restricted time ranges and uses. Time can be sped up to a certain rate for the wearer; as well as slowed down, you may even reverse the ability and use it to hop backwards in time. Only for a short jaunt, mind you. Plus there are a couple of more creative uses you might be interested in.”

Ro’s head came up at this, and he unconsciously flexed his injured wings. Chimera flashed a smile at him.

“They do say time heals all wounds, but in your case it can only be half way, if you catch my drift. And take heed, you may only use it for a certain task once. And take great care that you don't lose your timepiece. If you do, whatever uses or advantages you’ve put it to will wear off. Break or damage it, and the effects will vanish instantly, not to mention other, unpredictable effects."

Chimera took to the air at last, and called over her shoulder as she soared off:

"Meet me above the concession stand in ten minutes. And I mean above it, you need to be airborne when we leave. Give your time piece a quick test run!"

Ro watched after her, nonplussed. After a moment he glanced down at the timepiece, and then at his mangled wings. He drew a breath, and raised it to his right wing first.

***


Szethei hobbled from tent to tent, booth to booth, pausing now and then to rest her sore leg. Nothing, no one, not even a hint of life. Once she spied a wisp, it could have been Barclay, flitting in the breeze high above her. But he ignored her repeated calls, and soon vanished into the distance. At last she stopped and slumped to the ground with a grunt of exasperation. There was no point in exhausting herself with futile searching.

Instead, she decided to have a closer look the timepiece.

I wonder, she mused as she gave it a light tap, is this what allows her to move through time?

A notion, fleeting and stealthy, was picking at the back of her mind. There's certainly one way to find out. Why not just borrow it, nip back in time and-

"<Tut-tut,>" a familiar voice chuckled, "< I see a naughty look in your eyes, dear Szethei.>"

Szethei gasped and spun around, yelping louder as every injury and sore spot in her body issued a collective, very vehement reprimand. Then she glowered guiltily up at a grinning Chimera.

"<Planning a premature departure are we?>" Chimera asked with a smirk.

"<Ah, no, I-I wasn't, I mean->" Szethei stammered, grimacing at how much she sounded like Zhirrik, "<Look, I just thought I'd->" she broke off and stared at Chimera's chest, "<Hey, wait, you have yours already!>"

Chimera nodded with raised eyebrows.

"<That I do. And I know how to work mine,>" she tapped her own piece, and then pointed at the one Szethei's claws, "<Do you know how to use yours?>"

Szethei blinked, and then chuckled mirthlessly.

"< Um, no, I suppose I don't. Forgive me, Chimera, I wasn't thinking. But why-?>" she held her own timepiece up questioningly.

"<No matter,>" Chimera was waving her off, "<You wouldn't have succeeded in getting very far. Yours will work only a little way for now. And,>" she went on dramatically, "<Only by the rules of the final round.>"