-----------No Point Of View---------
The room echoed with a sense of tension, Carey stared Vladimir in the face who returned the motion. Carey had a sense of determination in his expression while Vladimir had a blank but borderline bored expression plastered onto his face.
Carey stated "Place your deck kid" He waved his hand in a presenting manor.
Vlad looked at him with groggy eyes, his exhale of unamused air was evident as his fingers twitched. Though he soon sighed once again as the cards slowly lowered to the table.
He placed them gently on the wooden foundation, the table a mix of murmurs and deep breaths. His fingers caressed the top of the cards, adding suspense to the other players, though soon he gripped the edge of them and with a single stroke he flipped them over.
An ace of spades and a five of hearts, full house, silence echoed in the ears of the players as they stared at his cards. Carey was the one to break the silence with a boisterous laugh, he grasped his throat as he stifled his chuckles, much to the concern of the other players.
Carey happily exclaimed "I knew you had something up your sleeve" He rubbed his mouth with two fingers.
Vlad shrugged as he reached over and pulled the pot towards himself, the bouncer looked at him menacingly though Carey just put a hand in front of him. Giving him a glance with a slight smile.
Vladimir stated calmly "The hand is a fine flip of fortune" He slowly closed his eyes.
Carey chuckled to himself for a moment before stating "Well played Vlad" His tone had a hint of genuine congratulations.
Vladimir chuckled slightly as he responded with a tiny smile "You're pretty good yourself" He stared down at his cards.
Carey looked at him surprised for a moment before stating calmly "Well would you look at that, we got ya to smile"
Vladimirs eyes widened for a moment as he face swiftly flushed back to its basic blank expression. The others at the table glanced among themselves in confusion.
Vladimir asked Carey calmly "You're alot more acceptant of loss than I expected, why is that?" His fingers twitched slightly under the table.
Carey smirked as he responded without a care "I'll admit, it's annoying when someone beats me with a bullshit trick, but you won fair and square, so I have no reason to be angry"
Vladimir looked at him in surprise before swiftly returning his gaze back to the table, his eyes barely open. His mind was overrun by joy at the earnings however, he could actually eat tonight.
Carey cleared his throat as he curiously asked "If ya don't mind me asking, how did you discover our games?" He raised his hand upwards as he rested his cheek on his fist.
Vladimir responded bluntly "It was a rumour I'd heard about, I figured I might as well see if it's true" He spun a pair of black chips in his fingers.
Careys eyes widened for a moment though it soon lowered as he responded to him "Interesting, well it doesn't matter" He leaned back in his seat
Carey gave another smirk as he asked the table "So, you boys up to another game?" He grinned as he finished.
The others nodded firmly, Vladimir seemed hesitant as he glanced at his pot, his lips curling slightly. His eyes stared at the other players, Carey giving him an encouraging look.
Before he could make a decision the door behind him slammed open, his crimson gaze slowly looking up, though his head didn't move a muscle. The other players looked into the doorway, even Carey looked concerned which confused Vladimir.
A mid pitch woman's voice echoed out from behind him "As a hawk to a worm, Vladimir was it?" Her voice had a hint of seriousness and a tone of determination.
Vlad slowly turned to face her, though his eyes squinted as he saw the person in the doorway. She stood in a long black cloak tied around her neck, her eyes were a light golden shine, could be considered a light source.
Vlad looked at her in confusion, though she returned a look of seriousness, her posture still and steady, while Vladimir had a calm expression. She stood tall in the doorway, though soon she took several steps into the room.
Carey annoyedly spoke up "Ya got a reason to be here?" His eyes squinted at her.
The woman spared a single glance to Carey, her eyes squinting as she stated "I'm here on official Chistilishche business" Her tone was matter of fact and without a hint of denial.
She pulled her cloak back slightly, revealing a diamond emblem engraved onto the outfit she was wearing under it. The people looked at her in shock as they recognised it, even the bouncer was concerned.
Careys eyes widened as he stared at her his voice shaking as he asked "Y-You're an Atlas?" He hissed slightly through his deep as he attempted to breath calmly.
The woman shut her eyes as she let her cloak fall back over her as she responded "Yes, that is correct, I am an Atlas" She spoke with a straight tone.
Vladimir piped up as he calmly asked "What the hell is an Atlas, or a Chistilishche?" His eyes shoved to the side of his face as he had a serious expression.
The woman swiftly responded "An Atlas is a person of extreme political and magical abilities, and the Chistilishche is the group an Atlas is a part of, in short, we run the multiverse" Her eyes stared down at him with a bored expression.
He looked at her confusedly as he repeated her "The multiverse?" His eyes slightly squinted.
She nodded firmly, shooting a glance at the others in the room, her eyes slowly closed as she reached to Vladimir. She took a firm grip on his sleeve, his eyes squinted as he attempted to pull himself out of her grasp, though her iron grip proved impossible to escape.
She annoyedly stated "Resisting will just increase your sentence" Her golden gaze beamed down onto him.
Vladimir responded irritatedly "What sentence? What the hell did I do?" His teeth slightly gritted.
She responded in a flash of lighting "Does the dead body outside remind you of anything?" Her eyes tensed.
Vladimir looked at her in shock, though it soon turned to a serious look "He assaulted me first, it was self defence!" He angrily lashed out.
Suddenly a wave of red energy shot out from all directions around the woman, it blasted the cards away and gave Vlad a sense of terror for an unknown reason. His eyes slowly raised back to her, she stared at him disappointedly.
She sighed as she reached into her pocket, her fingers wiggling within until it found an object, another moment later she swiftly pulled it out. It was a bright light blue cube, its size was so little it fit between her fingers.
She calmly raised it into her palm, its light becoming greater and greater over time though soon it began to project something into the wall. Soon it displayed what looked to be a recording of Vladimir, multiple at once, all showing him causing a crime.
One displayed him drowning someone in a riverbank, another he swiped a ring off someone as he was walking past, one he simply stole a load of bread. The woman didn't seem to care about that last one, it was the other two that were important.
Vladimir looked at her concernedly, the others all were silent as they glanced around at one another. Carey gritted his teeth in anger, his fists clenched and his veins swirling blood. His eyes were low but soon rose as he slammed on the table and stood up.
He annoyedly stated "So what? He killed a few people and stole some? That's the life you bastards gave to us! We've all done I-" His outbreak was interrupted by a shattered coin.
It zoomed past him in multiple pieces, the force alone sliced his cheek on both sides as the coins remains flew into the wall. Dust and smoke erupted from the location of the crash, his eyes quivering in fear as he felt like a mountain stood before him.
The woman had her arm outstretched and stared firmly "We are aware of your crimes Cannibal Carey, we only allow it because you help keep this place in check, if you get in the way of our business with him…You'll lose more than neck flesh" Her arm lowered as she finished, giving him a serious look.
Carey slowly sat down, barely able to bring himself to look towards Vladimir who looked near horrified at her actions. The woman spared another glance at him before turning and walking off, dragging him close behind in an inescapable grip.
As the two exited the room the woman suddenly stopped, her head faced the ground for a few moments before she soon turned back to him. Her eyes had a hint of curiousness, Vlad met with slight unnerve at her sudden posture change.
The woman calmly asked "Have you ever wanted to be a saviour?" Her tone was less strict and more open.
Vladimir looked at her in surprise, his teeth clenched slightly as his eyes quivered in anticipation of what she had in mind. He thought of responding, however he found himself unable to even open his mouth.
The woman sighed deeply, she reached a hand above his head and outstretched her palm, her pale skin hovering just an inch above his frightened face. She swiftly closed her fist, a sound of wind banging echoed around them.
Vladimir looked at her fist in confusion, though soon he felt his body become heavier, his eyes like neutron stars in weight. Soon he collapsed forward, the woman catching him in her arms. She closed her eyes for a moment before she picked him up, holding him in a cradle carry.
Four Hours Later
Vladimirs felt like water was all around him, his mind and body separated but yet so close. He could feel all, but nothing at the same time. It was like he wasn't even alive in the first place. His eyes refused to open larger than a squint.
He suddenly heard a voice from all around "Crown of Demise, separate the lies, hope your cries, will be enough not to fly" The voice was unrecognisable and like a wave of godlike presence.
Vladimir gazed in horror at the feeling of the voice around him, it was like darkness itself spoke to him, in all its horrific glory. His breaths were heavy, though no air entered his lungs, his soul felt like it was being ripped by the force of the entity's presence.
In just a moment he felt his eyes slowly become heavy, the lashes drooping over his eyeballs as it slowly shut. He felt completely nothing for another few moments, until soon he felt his eyes twitch open, though it was met with blinding lights, a stark comparison to the complete darkness.
He slowly came to realise what happened, he remembered the woman and then her knocking him out, and now he is here. Frantically Vladimir tried to move, though he found he was bound to a chair by his arms and legs, his teeth gritted as he tried to move it.
Another moment later he found the room vibrated, his breaths heavy, his eyes quivering and his head frantically glancing around. Soon the sound of steps came from behind him, he pulled himself back to see a door now open, it led into a long hallway.
There in the doorway stood the same woman as before, her eyes gazing down on him, his fear evident. She slowly closed her eyes as she began to walk past, having no care behind the one sitting in a wave of fear. Her cloak waved behind her in a glory, it barely reached the ground even when not being moved.
She reached a chair opposite to Vladimir, carelessly landing onto it while her eyes blankly stared at him. Vladimir stared back with a look of pure fear, his teeth rattling from how much they were quivering against each other.
The woman leaned forward with her hands just a bit in front of her, her eyes taking a serious expression. Vladimir attempted to straighten up his posture but couldn't due to how afraid he was of her.
She asked him with a firm but slightly soft tone "May I ask you…Do you want to be a saviour?" Her posture changed in no way while finishing.
Vladimir looked at her in confusion, though he soon responded "What's the point…There is no good or bad, no heroes, only fools who believe justice is a liberty" He glanced at the ground as he finished.
She seemed to acknowledge his statement, she stayed silent for a few moments before asking another question "Do you believe it is possible for a monster to be good?" She continued leaning forward.
Vladimir stated without hesitation "I believe redemption is a stupid ideal, greater fools than supposed heroes" His tone was borderline barking his statements.
The woman sat up in her seat as she curiously asked "Why is that?" Her hands were connected in front of her.
He raised his head as he looked her in the eyes before continuing "If someone kills a person, do they deserve redemption? They took a life, if their kill was revived, would they forgive them? No, being nice doesn't resurrect the dead!" His teeth gritted in a painful scrape.
The woman looked at him seriously, her eyes open and her face neutral, she took note of every single word he spoke into her mind. She slowly closed her eyes as she faced him, though soon her eyes reopened, her gaze piercing his own.
She calmly stated "My name is Elena Volkov, I apologise for knocking you out, it was to transport you quicker" Her tone had a hint of sincerity.
Vladimir looked at her in confusion, Elena returned a look of calmness, both interjecting with one another. Vladimir glanced around the room to see nothing else, soon his gaze fell back upon Elena. He was confused why she would tell him her name.
He nervously asked "What would an Atlas like yourself want with m-" His question was interrupted by her interjection.
She stated firmly "I am not an Atlas, I apologise for lying, it was to get you out of the room" Her shoulders lowered in relaxation.
Vladimir asked confusedly "H-How? If you're not an Atlas, how did you have the emblem?" He gulped audibly as he finished.
Elena stayed silent for a few moments, her blank expression stared into his eyes with a bored feel to it. Her eyes slowly closed for a moment before it swiftly opened. Vladimir felt a wave of air hit him from all sides, the moment his balance was caught he realised the bounds were gone.
As he was confused Elena stood up and calmly asked him "Want some coffee? I can quickly make some, do you like sugar in your coffee or none?" She asked without a care for the confusion Vlad was suffering from.
Vladimir looked at her in confusion though he calmly muttered "I've never had coffee, so…I'll take whatever" He felt a sense of relief as he felt his bonds be unshackled.
Elena nodded as she raised her hand, she slowly brought her two fingers together as she stared at the spot between the two, she raised her fingers before giving them a firm snap. The snap echoed through the room for a few moments, though it was soon replaced by a confused yelp by Vladimir.
A table appeared between the two seats, with two cups of steaming coffee on either end of its wooden construction. Elena calmly sat down across the table from him, she picked up a cup and blew on it for a moment before taking a soft sip.
She slowly looked back at him, glancing at his cup then up to his nervous gaze. An eyebrow raised as she glanced from the coffee to him, covering face with her own cup. Her fingers were steady and remained tightly wrapped around the handle of the cup.
Vlad looked at her in confusion before his gaze fell on the cup before him, his body tensed in concern as he reached out and gripped the handle. He raised it tentatively to his face, giving it a slight blow as he figured the reason she did it was to make it taste better.
He cautiously lifted the steaming liquid to his lips, giving it a nervous look before he threw his head back and drank over half the cup in one go. He slammed it back down onto the table as he felt the heat scorch his mouth, though as the pain subsided he found himself having a strange feeling in his jaw.
Vladimir, dazed, looked at Elena and asked "What the hell was that?" His eyes slightly shaking.
Elena was stills surprised by his outburst, but replied "That was coffee…You'reeeeee…Not supposed to drink the whole thing in one go…It's quite hot" Her eyes barely remained open.
Vladimir glanced downwards, his gaze facing he cup however he was zoned out, his mouth had a strange taste that he quite enjoyed. His fingers raised to his lips and cheek as he pondered what this was, though just a moment later his mind was caught by something else.
Vladimir cautiously asked "Answer me this, do you know what that incantation thing was?" His eyes stated straight into Elenas.
Elena looked at him in serious confusion as he responded "What incantation? You don't need one to manifest a table" She gripped her chin tightly.
Vladimir shook his head as he stated "Not that, the one while I was asleep, it went something like…Crown Of Demise, Separate the lies, hope your cries, will be enough not to fl-" His repeating of the incantation was swiftly interrupted.
Elena got off her chair and had moved right in front of him in less than a second, she slammed her palm against his jaw, covering any form of vocals escaping. It took several seconds for Vlad to register what had just occurred, as to him it was only eight milliseconds.
As soon as he did his eyes widened in horror as she stared daggers into his pupils, her silence deafening as she had a horrified expression on her own face. Vlad didn't move as his whole body was in its fight or flight, he had a mental feeling that if he moved even an inch he would be in the grave.
Elena firmly stated "Do. Not. Mention. That. Thing. Again…Okay?" Her pupils shook as she cleaved through his eyes with her own.
Vladimir pushed himself to slightly nod while still being restrained by Elena, though soon she sighed deeply, her eyes closed as she looked away for a second. Though another moment later it reopened, her eyes returning to gaze at him.
She took a step back before letting out a hand, her expression now far softer than her previous terror. Vladimir nervously took her hand and let her pull him up, her fingers shook slightly as they lay limp by her sides, her breaths still tensed.
Vladimir nervously asked "I take it that isn't a good thing?" He scratched the back of his head.
Elena nodded firmly before stating "Yes, that is forbidden to ever utter those words, now, on with your original question, I may not be an Atlas, but I do have the emblem of one" Her eyes slowly closed.
Vladimir looked at her seriously as he asked "How? An Atlas is someone very powerful correct?" His eyes slightly squinted.
Elena nodded as she responded "Indeed, Atlases have incredible political and magical power, but I am someone greater than that" Her eyes slowly opened slyly.
Vladimirs eyes widened as he confusedly asked "H-How? Who are you?" His fists clenched in fear.
Elena smirked as she stated "I am a protector of the dimensions, you may know me…As a Champion Of Ennzoll" She looked at him with a smug expression.
Vladimirs eyes squinted as he asked "Ennzoll? What the hell is that name?" His head tilted in confusion.
Elena looked at him in surprise before sighing deeply, she then tilted her head as she responded "Doesn't matter, anyways, us champions are the protectors of the multiverse, we rank higher than even the Atlases and are far more powerful…However…" She looked down in slight sadness.
Vladimir cautiously asked "However?" His hand gripped the side of his trousers in worry.
Elena looked at back at him as she answered "We are down one, we lost a good Champion recently, and we need someone to become our new tenth champion" She glanced off to the side.
Vladimirs eyes squinted as he asked "What does that have to do with me?" His fingers tensed as he stood straight.
Elena glanced back at him as she stated with a grin "Welllllllll…You've committed so many crimes it would be a death sentence…" She pressed her cheek with her hand as she flashed a smug smirk.
Vladimir looked at her in confusion and slight annoyance as he irritatedly asked "What's so funny about that?" His eyes flared up in annoyance.
Elena chuckled to herself as she continued "Well…Champions don't really have to follow rules, furthermore, when someone becomes a champion their past identity is practically forgotten…Or they could be considered dead" She raised an eyebrow at him.
Vladimir took a few seconds before his eyes suddenly widened, he took a shocked step back as he breaths became exasperated. His eyes shook in shock as Elena stood there with a relaxed stance and a slight smug expression.
Vladimir nervously stated "I-I can't be a Ch-Champion! I don't have the strength or really anything" He frantically spoke his objections to Elena who was uncaring.
Elena just raised a finger to her lips to shush him, before she stated "You don't have to accept my offer, you can just be killed right here and now, it would even take a breath for me to take you out" Her eyes slowly closed as she concluded her statement.
Vladimir looked at her in worry as he muttered "I-I don't have any strength though, I can't fight anyone…I'm weak…That's why I'm here…" He glanced off to the side.
Elena looked at him in surprise for a moment before she smiled softly, she took a few steps to him before planting her hand on his head. She began gently caressing his hair, much to his confusion, even through his hat he would feel her soft palm.
Elena calmly stated "You're stronger than you think, you just need somewhere to nurture your strength, we are that place…You believe being a saviour is useless because they do nothing good right? Then why don't you change that?" Her head slightly tilted as she finished.
She slowly raised her hand to him, giving him the opportunity to shake it, her smile soft and gentle. Vladimir couldn't stop shaking from fear and confusion as just a moment ago she was trying to kill him, now she wanted him to join her?
Vladimir calmly asked "I'll avoid execution if I do this right? A-And…I'll be able to change the world and its outlook?" His eyes stared intently down at her open hand.
Elena nodded as she stated firmly "Yes and Yes, you'll be able to change all these worlds by doing what you believe is good" She continued with a sense of tender calmness.
Vladimir looked at her with a sorrowful expression for a few moments, though soon he had his veins show as he slowly raised his hand. His palm connected with Elenas firmly, her smile genuine, his expression serious but also a bit hopeful.
Elena stated happily "Welcome to the Champions Vladimir" She nodded firmly to him.