<span style="font-family:Pontano Sans">The arena had already stolen two people from her life and both of them were well missed and their brief times together were cherished. Of all people in the world, Mabel had more reason than most to hate that giant colosseum that stood in the middle of their hometown, the main one being that it had stolen so much from her. It had stolen her father from her, it had stolen her little brother from her, and it had stolen all the love from her own mother’s heart in the process. Her mother spent so much time grieving for the loss of her husband that she’d very nearly forgotten that she had two children with his blood in their veins. Then when her brother had been stolen as well, the grief that came with that loss made her mental absences even worse. Now Mabel felt alone most of the time, even when her mother was almost always by her side. It didn’t make any sense and she wasn’t sure why the world had decided to take vengeance on her. <br/>
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Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough to stop her from granting her mother’s wishes even when they were utterly ridiculous. That included going with her to the arena every time they put on a show. Mabel couldn’t stand to watch it, but her mother savored every chance she had to see her son and her husband… for as long as it lasted. Several years ago, her father had been shipped elsewhere and no one had seen him since. Now Markel was the one they came to see. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>“Mother, are you coming?”</b></span> she called back to the woman as they walked into the colosseum. It happened whenever they came; her mother would freeze and look up at the massive structure almost as though she was seeing it for the first time. Mabel didn’t even need to look behind her to know her mother would be frozen and staring. Her own footsteps stopped for a moment, waiting for her mother’s mind to catch up with her movements, and when she heard her mother start walking again, Mabel continued on her path. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:khaki"><b>“How much is it, Mabel?”</b></span> Suraya asked, her voice quiet because it seemed as though she didn’t want to be heard. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>“It’s the same as always, Mother. Two of the gold coins gets us into general seating.”</b></span> Again, her mother was predictable in her inquiries and in her words and in her reactions and in her movements… everything about her was the same as Mabel had long since become accustomed to. In some ways, Mabel almost sounded annoyed with her mother when she answered the questions in the same manner that she had on multiple prior occasions; she could never truly be annoyed with her mother, but she did wish that her mother would wake up from her state of half-sleep, her state of half-awareness. It was like her mother was walking in a dream. <br/>
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Like clockwork, Suraya Vontaire handed over two gold coins to get them into general seating; it would almost seem as though she’d truly remembered all along even though she had asked about it anyway. Although she wasn’t mean enough to try it, Mabel could venture to guess that even if she didn’t answer her mother’s question, her mother would still hand over exactly the correct change. She was just so used to it by that point that it only made sense. The two of them walked to their seats, and sat down next to each other. <br/>
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Mabel’s eyes wandered in that exact moment. There was a spot - a single miniscule spot - where if she looked close enough, she could actually make out her little brother - her <i>baby</i> brother Markel. It was something she never told her mother about, though. If Suraya saw it, then Mabel knew they would be coming back here every day for that glimpse of him and Mabel feared for how dangerous that could be to her mother in the end. That didn’t stop her from looking for it whenever they came, though. If coming and simply being there was enough for her mother to feel close to them, that was fine. Mabel needed to see them, though. For Suraya, it was presence. For Mabel, it was a visual. <br/>
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Suraya did get to see him sometimes; whenever he was fighting in the field, they saw him. Those were scary times though. <br/>
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And today was not one of those days. She knew it wasn’t one of those days because when she looked to where she always knew she would see him, Mabel didn’t see him. Her mother wouldn’t know it right away, but Mabel did. Markel was gone. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>“Bastards!”</b></span> the brunette hissed. It wasn’t loud but her voice was furious. <br/>
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Her mother’s head turned to face her and Suraya watched as Mabel stormed out of the general seating, calling out to her, <span class="fixed-color" style="color:khaki"><b>“Mabel! Where are you going?”</b></span> Unlike her daughter’s outcries, Suraya’s voice <i>was</i> loud. She didn’t understand and Mabel couldn’t bring it on herself to tell her. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:khaki"><b>“Where are you going? What’s wrong?”</b></span> She didn’t understand any of it. And she stood, frozen once again, as she watched her daughter vanish completely from her sights. Some part of Suraya had to stay in that stadium, she had to see if she could get a glimpse of her husband o of her son, and there was very little that could pull her out of that glimmer of hope. Little did she know, no one would ever grant her that hope again. <br/>
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Meanwhile, in her wrath at what she already knew had happened - what she had learned with a single glance - Mabel was storming off and even she wasn’t quite sure where she was going. All she knew for sure was that she was about to shatter and she couldn’t be anywhere near her mother when it happened. To shatter near that woman could get dangerous very quickly. Step after step, she walked. The next thing she processed was the fact that her whole body was nearly collapsing down a flight of stairs. She looked behind herself and around herself; no one was anywhere in sight. <br/>
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<i><span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>‘How did I get here?’</b></span></i> she wondered to herself. She literally didn’t remember the walk. That was how consumed with emotions she had been. <br/>
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It seemed, though, that there was only one way to go and that was forward. Grabbing the railing in a slender hand, Mabel waltzed down the stairs, realizing that her footsteps echoed against stone walls. She had a sinking feeling that the echo wasn’t to her benefit, but she wasn’t exactly certain how dangerous it could be and the fear wasn’t enough to stop her in her tracks. Reaching the bottom step, all that was left to round a corner… and then she realized where she really was. <br/>
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She was standing where Markel would’ve been. She was standing in the space where he would’ve been kept - where her father would’ve been kept as well. The shock of such a realization was enough to prevent her from realizing that she was being watched and even from noticing that there was anyone there at all. While she did see the line of cages that looked like they were meant to hold animals rather than humans, Mabel was blind to the men standing, sitting or laying inside of them. And she was still walking forward, too. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>“Markel!”</b></span> she called out, half hoping that her realization had simply been wrong. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightpink"><b>“Markel! Where are you!?”</b></span> The distress of loss saturated her tone and there was no doubt that she was on the verge of breaking… that this was her last hope. <br/>
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A low growl echoed from one of the cages, one opposite of the man who watched her closely. Another gladiator bared his teeth, almost as though he’d become the animal he’d been bred to be, and then he snarled harshly. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:firebrick"><b>“That little <i>BRAT</i>?”</b></span> It was enough to make Mabel jump, to make her stumble, to make her fall and land flat on her ass. Her feet still moved though, they shoved her away from the cate with a rather frightening man inside and she soon found herself with her back against yet another cage. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:firebrick"><b>“That little brat wouldn’t have lasted a single tournament here. So they sent him somewhere where his death might be more… <i>entertaining</i>.”</b></span> <br/>
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The sharp gasp from Mabel’s throat was almost louder than the silence that settled in the single second after.</span>