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A new game, a fresh start once again. Fond memories washed away, but never truly gone. Betrayals haunting the minds of victors past. The sky was clear blue and not yet tainted with the blood of fallen players.
In the beginning, Grian could pretend like things would end differently this time. Nobody needed to die. He would not let Them feed after last time. The secret keeper would make sure the game went as planned.
Scar had just completed his secret task and as he went off in search of more resources, Grian saw an opportunity to sneak on his camel. They wandered the plains and it wasn’t until they reached the Mesa that Scar noticed the giggling blond man riding behind him.
“Oh my goodness Grian, can’t you warn a man!” Scar nearly fell off the camel in surprise and Grian finally couldn’t keep his laughter in anymore.
“How did you not notice? I’ve been on the camel since we were at the Secret Keeper!”
“I was so focused on staying on the camel that I never heard you get on, okay! I guess you’re coming with me to the mesa now.” Scar said with a grin.
“Take me to the desert, Grian! It’ll be just you, me, and Pizza!”
There was something about that smile that was just impossible to say no to.
”Scar, you do know this is a temporary alliance right? This can’t last forever. I’m out of here once I lose my first life.” Grian stated firmly. The moment he let his guard down this charismatic man would steal everything he’s got. He didn’t have much and he owed it to Scar after his first death.
“You okay there, Grian? You kind of dozed off on me there.” Scar said with a hint of worry.
”I’m fine Scar,” He said shortly. This was not the place to be dozing off on the rides of potential enemies.
”Well, anyway we made it to the mesa! Isn’t it beautiful?” Scar waved his arms around, almost whacking Grian in the process.
The mesa was rather grand in its own way. A canyon hung above a gentle river flowing who knows where. A top the hill stood a rather rustic looking shack overlooking the river. The sun was blazing down on the pair and Grian could feel the sweat drip down his forehead as he mounted off the camel to explore.
The two wandered by the cliffs, feeling the hands of the secret keeper pulling them away from the edge to keep them within Their domain. As the day turned into afternoon the pair came across an unusual patch of desert. A sandstone tower stood in the distance. Scar had slowed down and drank some water, but Grian couldn’t help but feel like the tower was so familiar.
“Grian, where are you going?”
The bird-like man was far too focused on the site ahead and he picked up his pace as he started running at the tower. He got closer and he saw a ring of cacti. Grian remembered the feeling of his back getting cut up by the nettles.
There was so much blood it was hard to tell who’s was who’s.
“I don’t feel good.”
Grian wasn’t sure who was even listening. Scar’s corpse lay in the center of the cactus ring, the sun shining ever so delicately on his bare chest. It wasn’t supposed to end this way. Grian looked at his blood soaked hands and he knew what he needed to do.
Stumbling up to the edge of the cliff he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He would finally be free of Their games. He would be reunited with his fallen partner. He hoped they would find each other in every lifetime.
Maybe in another life things ended differently. Or maybe it always ends this way.
As he got closer to the tower it seemed to get further away. He stopped running. As he rubbed his eyes he looked once again and all he saw was a small hill and a few cacti scattered across a small patch of desert. Scar had finally caught up to Grian and he seemed to notice the dehydrated state of the man before him.
“Slow down! You’re gonna pass out in this heat.” Scar said before handing him his half empty water flask.
Grian hadn’t noticed how dehydrated he was until he took a small sip and ended up downing the remaining water in the flask. Scar looked at him with a puzzled yet curious face. The brown haired man looked to the point where Grian had been so focused on and he eyed the cactus.
“Oh I see, going after a monopoly right off the bat! Clever move, but not if I get there first!” Scar grinned and although it wasn’t Grian’s initial intentions, he decided that it wasn’t too bad of an idea. Chasing after Scar he couldn’t quite catch up with the eager man and Scar was able to harvest the cactus first.
”Oh no!” Grian sighed. He was sure there would be other chances down the road.
”Here, you can have a monopoly on cactus.” As he handed the sharp cacti he couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu. Maybe in a different place or time the gifts weren’t so prickly. Grian felt a prickle wedge into his skin and he willed himself not to say anything.
“Out of curiosity, what did you see out there? It must’ve been good since it had you running like crazy.” Scar said with a giggle. He stared at Grian intently, trying to search his eyes for something.
”I think it was a mirage. It looked like some sort of tower next to a cliff. I feel like I’ve dreamt of it before. I can only remember bits and pieces, but I think I lived there in some other life.” Grian said wistfully. From his piecewise memory he knew it didn’t end well, but that place must’ve been a home.
“Weird! A desert is quite an odd place to make a home. It’s dangerous and always so hot here,” Scar said with disdain, “and when it becomes night, it’s freezing cold!”
As he said that Grian felt a shiver go up his body as he noticed the sun setting.
”To be fair, the sunset is rather beautiful.”
Grian sat himself on the now cold sand and noticed Scar walking over and sitting next to him. Even as the sun set it couldn’t stop shining on Scar as it disappeared from sight.
“The sun must really love you.” Grian said turning towards Scar, “it seems as though it’s always trying to shine down on you.”