"Two things you need to know.", you massages your shoulders, moving them as the heavy handcuffs finally came off and fell into the sand with a dull sound. "If we fight an animal, don't look at its eyes. If we fight a prisoner, go for the eyes."

Vi hurried around the small cage in which the two of you had been dumped, trying to find a weak spot, a broken bar or something that could either be used as a weapon or to escape.

She didn't have any luck, of course. You could have told her that, you had been there and done everything she would try to do in the next few weeks.

There was no point in doing anything. It was useless.

"What if we fight both?", she asked with a shrug.

For a brief moment you stopped massaging your wrist and thought, then nodded in an acknowledging way.

"Good point.", you let your hands roll in circles, cracked your knuckles to release tension. "Do both."

"I only have two hands."

"So do I. We'll have to figure things out as we go."

"Improvising? I'm good at that.", finally, she stopped running around like a headless chicken and joined your side to face the entrance of the cage.

The vibration of people who filled the rows of the arena made the ground below your shoes tremble. Their voices made their way into the cage, filled it like water and chased adrenaline through your body.

A tingling sensation chased through your fingers, all the way to the tips. As you made them clash with each other the metal nail implants caused small sounds to ring out.

Caught by her interest, Vi looked down at your hands. Her eyebrows rose at the sight before she took a second to truly have a closer look.

"Pretty...", she muttered like a little girl that was impressed by a woman who passed her in the street.

Something in the back of your mind flinched. Your fingers twitched, curling like the claws of a raven.

"I'd not recommend the procedure.", you said and examined the nails one by one. "If you can make it through here without any, do it."

She looked up to meet your gaze. Even though Vi was kind of buff looking for a woman, she wasn't all too tall. At least she had appeared to be taller the first time you had looked at her.

Judging by the fact that the top of her head reached just a little above yours must have meant that she was short but also not gigantic.

She had shed the grey prison uniform and had put on some of the clothes that the enforcers had placed in the cage.

Sponsorships.

This fight must have been made public a few days ago if someone already decided to invest in it. Vi was a newcomer, yes, but you were well established in the arena. Therefore you sharing a cell must have been planned for a while.

"Say, kid.", you relaxed your shoulder and stretched your back. "What exactly did you get in here for?"

Outside, behind the covered exit, voices started to cheer. People clapped, others kicked the benches to make some sounds.

The mood was overall good and it seemed like more people were present. That must have meant that it was either a public holiday or the weekend.

Friday, probably.

It was hard to keep track of time without a natural source of light or a calendar. However by the amount of people who visited the arena it was possible to take a pretty actuate guess.

No one visited on a Thursday night. People had better things to do then. But on a Friday or Saturday things looked a little different.

Frowning, Vi curled her lips and let out a low snort. It made her nose crunch in a way that seemed almost adorable.

Almost. You refused to acknowledge that this woman was in any way, shape or form manageable to be around. You didn't want no partner.

Just a little fresh air.

"I was raised by Vander.", she said. "When... he died I was abducted by Marcus. Didn't see the outside world since then."

One of your eyebrows flinched at the name. Interest lit up in the (E/C) of your eyes.

"The old man?", you asked but then frowned. "Vi, how old are you?"

She took a deep breath.

"Twenty-two.", she glanced at you from the corner of her eye. "Why?"

Small dots of light made their way through the dirty and old sails that kept the cage covered and the two of you in the dark.

They danced across her face and revealed every single blemish, every scar and nudge she had gathered over her years in prison.

Despite all that she was still nice to look at. You had to give her that.

Slowly, you shook your head.

"I just... never knew Vander had kids...", you brushed it off. "It feels like he's been gone for forever. I didn't think you were old enough to know him."

"We weren't his his. More like... strays he picked up.", thinking, she let her eyes wander. "How old are you anyway? Everything you say sounds like you're fucking ancient."

A thin smile made the corners of your lips curl.

"(Y/A)."

She sucked in a sharp breath. Once more the blue of her eyes roamed your body, up your neck and across your face.

Demonstrating, you raised your chin and tilted your head so that she had a good view of everything she needed to see.

All of a sudden something fitted across her face. Embarrassed, she looked away again.

"Surprised?", you asked with a slight chuckle.

With a sour snort, she shrugged.

"You just... I dunno. Good for you.", she muttered and let her hands disappear in her pockets.

Now you couldn't help but laugh with amusement.

"It is.", again your gaze wandered along the rows of metallic nails that grew from your fingers. "Got here early. Gave me loads of time to gather experience."

Outside, the crowd started to chant and call for the ref to finally bring in the main attraction.

"You've... never been anywhere else but here, haven't you?", Vi suddenly asked in a careful manner.

The expression on your face darkened.

"I killed an enforcer when I was seven.", your eyes wandered up your right arm where a large scar stretched from the elbow all the way down to the wrist. "Piltover takes things like these personal."