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Thrown to the floor. Macaque tried his best to gather his bearings. His forehead kissed the ice beneath his hands. His body was heavy, shoulders stiff and blood roared in his ears.
He lost.
There’s no other word for this.
He tried to run. Tried to take himself, and go far away— to fall into his own shadow and disappear.
However, the feeling of an icy gaze kissing the back of his head reminded him of how futile it was.
He was a fool.
A stupid arrogant fool.
This was his life. How could he forget?
He lived with his head bowed and on his knees.
Only needed— only wanted— when useful . Staring at his hands gripping the cold ice below, he knew that his use was running out.
He opened his mouth to speak. To say anything but his mouth blanked. Muscles sore and rope pulled taut. His voice was the only thing he had. His Throat scratchy and dry he put all his worth in his words.
“Lady-“
“Enough!”
The ground shook and he resisted the urge to hide away. Tuck his head, hold his ears and wait for the wind to pass. He shut his eyes tight and held strong. He could hear how hatred spilled like bright crimson from two syllables. He didn’t dare to look up. Fearing the intensity of that hate might finally blind him.
“Do you think this is a game?” The wind pushed him flush with the ground and a familiar chime of the earth opening to swallow him whole rang throughout the frozen city.
“Have I not been kind? Merciful? Given you one last chance only for you to throw it away? She roared.
A familiar feeling of ice hugged his wrists, arms, and legs burning the cold into his skin. Tighter than they’ve ever been. So tight he forgot to breathe. To think. Any words that could’ve saved him leaving his body.
“Or even worse,-“
He couldn’t breathe. He was getting air but it wasn’t enough. Like a heavy weight on his chest. He saw the chains wrapped around his arms and legs keeping him on his knees. None on his chest.
“You come back empty handed. ” She continued.
Yea. He was done for. He might as well enjoy any last semblance of peace right now.
Did he even have any last goodbyes to give?
“No Monkey King. No protégé. And. No. Samadhi Fire. ” The ground rumbled and a few pieces of ice flew past his head.
“Please.” It was barely a word. More like a wheeze or a whimper. He hadn’t meant to say that. He sounded desperate. He didn’t want to beg.
All he could hear was his own breathing and the click of her ice bracelets for a while. He wondered if the Lady Bone Demon even breathed by how little noise she was making. He didn’t dare to look up from his hands though. He knew better than to tempt fate.
“I will not tear you from this world. You need not worry, dear champion. ” She spoke softly, slowly and sweetly. Reminiscent of a disappointed mother.
That should’ve been reassuring…
…It should have.
She exhaled. “You still have some use for me”
and, there it was. Useful
The chains loosened just slightly. But the pressure in his chest remained. He breathed heavily. Trying so hard to find a rhythm.
So , she was trying to scare him then.
Ok…
… he could work with this.
“How so?” His voice was ragged even to him. Not to mention the breaths he took in between words. He could tell by the state of his hands that his glamours had long fallen away. He kept his head bowed. He couldn’t stand looking her in the eye like this. She was already stripping him bare. He didn’t want to give her anything else to work with.
“You’ll see.” Sultry and sickeningly kind. Not real kindness, a dangerous taste of kind. A mother who promises a world of pain behind soft smiles and cold eyes.
Like a Dog when their leash is pulled he is thrown to his feet. Grabbing at the cuff that had latched to his throat. Agitating his barely healed wounds. Fingers digging into cold metal. His back hit the glowing simmering ground beneath him. He made one last claw at his neck before feeling a sharp tug at his hands and knees that rendered him immobile.
More chains pulled him into her portal. Singing to tie him to her, again. And he fought, again .
He knew it would do nothing. He fought this battle and lost before. He’s not any stronger than he was the first or second time. He takes one last look at the Angelic Lady Bone Demon and “The Mayor”, the spirit waving giddily, as he goes under.
No one was coming to save him. He knew that.
As soon as the sky is out of sight he feels his back hit the cold ground. And hears the distant sound of the Mayors giddy laughter. Although it’s farther than it was.
He groans and flips over. His body aches. And he’s so tired. He wants nothing more than to lay here and let the buzzing in his head fade into any sort of relief.
Wherever here is.
Macaque tries to stand only to fall back to his knees. It’s pitch black in here.
He can’t even see his hands in front of him. He can tell the chains haven’t left by the whispers of the cold around his wrists and ankles. It’s a small metallic room by the way his breaths, the rustling of his cape, and the clank of chains against the floor reverberate around and return to him quickly.
It’s cold here. Colder than it was on the Crown of The Lady Bone Demons palace. He almost misses the desert. Almost.
He holds his breath and listens. There’s the pitter patter and squeak of what sound like mice not too far away. (From two decks below if he had to guess.) The light mechanical hum of the Lady Bone Demons giant mech or— whatever the hell this is. And a constant..
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
Of melted ice hitting the back of his hand. And-
A heart beat.
Loud, thunderous and close . Too close . Less than a meter away. Ringing from the other side of his cell.
He felt his muscles tense again and the return a familiar buzz in the back of his head telling him to run, bite, kick and scratch.
He whirled around pressing his back against the nearest wall. Trying to suppress the wince that rose from the back of his throat.
He felt the familiar tug of his glamor lift- only to be struck down. A cold sharp pain that rang through his chest and curled around his spine echoed in his head. A cold laugh brushing against the inside of his skull. He cautiously lifted his hand to his face and— yeah.
No glamour.
He could feel the rough skin around his eye. Macaque breathed hard and felt the freezing grip of her chains tightened. Begging him to try that little trick again.
Ok. no glamours and no magic. Just Great.
There was no light in the small cage. He could barely see his own hands. He was almost sure that whoever was here with him couldn’t see his face. Not unless they saw in the dark. His gut churned and Macaque pretended he couldn’t hear the desperate beating in his own chest
He’s exhausted. He doesn’t want to fight. Just moving to the wall was enough to make his back flare and bones ache. He’d been on the run ever since the ceremony. Hopping from mountain to mountain—forest to forest. Never in one place for too long. Staying far away from any kind of cities. Too many people.
Too Noisy.
Too risky.
He tried to make sense of the darkness. Could almost make out a vague shape. And by the tension in the small cage. It knew he was here too.
A breath. A soft sound he’d heard a thousand times, in his memories, dreams and nightmares. Something he’d know like his own face…
…Wukong.
“Fancy seeing you hear, bud.” Macaque drawled.
He wondered if Wukong could see him. Did he witness his embarrassing fall? Who was he kidding? He probably did. Or at the very least heard him. Budda knows he couldn’t see anything in here. He waited for a response but only got a scoff in return.
He tried not to think about the last time they met. How Wukong had pulled him out of his own shadow and wrapped his fingers around his throat. How that familiar feeling brought one memory in particular to bubble on the surface. Something he tried hard to forget. To Erase any evidence of.
Yea that was the last thing he wanted to think about.
“Oh what? You get yourself and your little friends caught?” Each syllable is perfectly crafted, breath controlled and delivered with a confidence that was as fake as himself. He was talking to Wukong. This was no easy performance, not when Macaque could feel the weight of his own exhaustion in his bones.
“Magic Fire ain’t what it’s cracked up to be, eh?” Mastering his glare keeping his tone playful.
….he waited. Listening to the beating of Wukongs heart. A fast steady,
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Wukong was either scared out of his mind, extremely happy to see him, or wanted to rip his throat out. Jury’s out on which.
“What? Am I talking to myself here?” The darker monkey played with the metal floor beneath him. Picking at his own cuffs. He couldn’t see Wukong in this darkness anyway.
Not that he minded—Makes this conversation easier.
Macaque shuffled on his position against the wall. Trying to get comfortable and failing. His back hurt from that embarrassing fall.
That distant buzz in his skull slowly turned into a droning static. Putting all his hair on edge and making every breath, shift, and blink Wukong made to be persistent . The shadow monkey had resigned himself to the silence when—
“Preferably?…Yeah.” Wukongs voice was tired. Angry but tired. Definitely wanted to rip his throat out. Good to know.
Macaque wondered how long he’d been here. The Lady Bone Demon obviously wanted something from The Great Sage if he was still alive. Certainly Nothing good though.
Funny how the world works.
“There you are! I was starting to get worried.” He faked happiness and hoped Wukong forgot his “tells” centuries ago.
Wukong gave a small hum, shuffled for a second cuffs clinking as he did. “I’m sure you were.”
Macaque chuckled. “Honest! Figured she would’ve carved out your tongue already. Who would I talk to then? Her giddy puppet?” Macaque scoffed, “Please.”
“I don’t know, last I checked you loved hearing yourself talk.”
“I’m not her puppet .”
“Coulda fooled me.”
Macaque didn’t want to talk about this. Especially not with Wukong of all people. The coiling—growing ice still holding a fresh place in his mind.
“Alright Great Sage. How about you? I assume if your here MK is too.”
Unless…
“…” Silence.
A chuckle rose from Macaque's throat. He could see it clear as day.
“Ohh Wukong. Some things really don’t change now do they?”
“Shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about.” Venom dripped from Wukongs voice. Macaque didn’t have to see his face to know the exact pull of his brow and stone cold look in the Sage's eyes.
“Oh but don’t I? Poor MK.” Macaque tsked. “He Must be so upset.”
Self-sacrificial or not Wukong never changed.
“Lemme guess, The Samadhi fire was useless. Burned the girl away and as soon as you couldn’t get what you wanted you—.” He whistled. “Bye Bye.”
He heard Wukong growl. Low and threatening, a warning. Macaque opened his mouth to twist the knife some more when—
“It didn’t.” Wukong spoke. It was quiet. However, it held a dangerous edge to it.
“What?”
“Burn Mei away. She’s alive.” Wukong shuffled again. Nervous.
Oh.
That was interesting.
Macaque felt something rise for his shoulders. He’d call it guilt, if he had something to be guilty for. The Samadhi fire erupting in Mei wasn’t his fault. Macaque didn’t know. He did what he had to survive. It didn’t matter that some people got hurt in the process. That was just life.
“That’s…good?” Macaque said awkwardly. He felt an uncomfortable pull in his chest and knew this time the Lady Bone demon had nothing to do with it. He didn’t know what to say.
Wukongs heart slowed. “Yeah.”
Macaque stared at the ceiling. Even looking in Wukongs direction felt like too much. Too intimate. He could mock Monkey King but Macaque just didn’t have it in himself. He’d blame it on his own exhaustion getting the better of him.
They fell into silence. It wasn’t comfortable by any means.
But…
… it was better than the alternative.