Faolán and Miina approached to inspect the newcomers, while other wolves shouted orders to organise the group. It was with a nervous expectation that Miina realised the guards had also spotted the true souls from the lost ones—the ones set to become demons. Nothing less could be expected, she supposed.

Depending on their aptitude and temperament, they were given different roles. The fit and able could join the farmers, the builders, or the hunters outside the walls; others, whose build allowed for limited chores, could join the servants or the nurses assisting the elders at the palace.  First, all needed to survive the games. And then those who so wished for an afterlife of sworn duty, battle training, and the business of defending Court, could then build their odds as honourable soldiers.

During Satan's time, there was no such selection. Souls fought each other until they killed or ate each other. Most survivors would lose themselves to the blood-madness, bringing them closer to rogue demons, while the weak were simply shaped into Grey servants. It wasn't surprising that most of Court's soldiers were recruits other kingdoms volunteered; mostly from *Vargr and *Mohr.

Miina's eyes drifted to Leviathan, who was still locked in training with the wolves. She supposed progress at Court was long, and delayed, but it still made its way.

Choice also sheltered a peaceful selection, much to the souls' amazement. The notion of such a thing in Hell had not been heard of. Or rather, it had been heard of, just disbelieved. When new demon recruits arrived, Miina'd hear the whispers they'd bring from their kingdoms, where it seemed they had taken Leviathan's changes as nothing more than fantastical tales; false rumours; a lost cause. Yet, before everyone's eyes, change and choice were winning.

It was different when it came to rogue demons. Obligation and the greater need to protect blurred the freedom of choice, and so the beasts were swiftly subdued and taken deep underground, to the dungeons. There, the elders controlled their hunger for flesh and blood until they were ready to reintegrate. It could take months; years, but for now, it had to be the safest option if souls were to live freely in Court. This positive Miina couldn’t refuse Leviathan.

A commotion sparkled from the far back, and screams ran loose in the dome. Souls shoved their way in all directions, fleeing from a danger they knew too well. A rogue demon had cut itself free.

To Miina, it looked like an outsized hyena on two legs. It had broken its chains and pummelled anything within reach. It tore at its face, mixing its flesh and blood with the drool dripping from its maw. Its eyes darted around wildly, overtaken perhaps by the concentration of souls at Court. Miina recalled how unlike evolved demons, a rogue demon's sense of smell was far superior. The creatures could relentlessly stalk a soul from miles away. No one had considered this, or bothered to clear the training grounds that always teemed with as many souls as soldiers.

The hyena demon set its sights on a servant boy whose bright soul leaked from beneath a weak veil. The boy’s knees gave out, surrendering to his second death while another soul, an older woman, attempted to drag him from certain death. No spear or sword would reach the beast in time, Miina knew, even as she and Faolán raced ahead. Until something trampled them aside.

For once, Faolán lost his balance while Miina crashed on her side. Confusion reigned in, yet the cries died out, and the scattered running came to a slow halt. Miina looked ahead at the scene before them, unaware of Faolán coming up to stand beside her.

One would look at her size and question their eyes, so much it defied logic. A woman-a soul, had somehow wrapped her legs around the creature’s neck in a *triangle choke. Her reach failed due to the enormity of the beast, but pinned one of its clawed arms. The other arm was viciously tearing the air, seeking her skin. If she lost an inch, the demon would tear her apart in an instant. But she clutched harder, with an impossible strength unknown to souls. Onlookers froze, demons and souls alike, too astonished to react when the creature buckled to its knees.

“The hell are you standing around for? Get over there and help her!” Leviathan moved past Miina and Faolán. Wolves approached to untangle woman from beast, while Leviathan used his Grey to subdue the demon.

The woman crouched, spat on the ground and began inspecting her jaw and arm where the hyena beast had cut her. The cuts looked deep, and Miina searched for groans, winces or moans of pain, but no such reaction came. Nothing but some more spit of blood on the ground. The torn and soiled tunic she wore, and the bruises and cuts on her bare feet took Miina back to her own arrival at Court. Miina may have been brought here by Mammon, but having regained her memories painted the vivid image of what she went through outside of Court's walls. Her nightmares still framed those memories for her every night. Miina had no doubts the woman had faced worse before she was brought to Court. Other than her bulging build, only the wild mess of black hair distinguished her, with uneven bangs covering her eyes. All of her looked a mess.  

Miina couldn’t look away as the woman stood. Something about her, or the way she moved reminded Miina of Honoka, her first Kumani sister. Honoka was tall and broad; maybe she lost a few centimetres to this woman. If Honoka had an older sister, this would be how Miina would’ve imagined her.

The boy servant the woman had saved approached, and on his knees and between hiccupped sobs he made to clasp the bottom of the woman's tunic, but she pulled back before the boy could lay a hand. Something in her stiff posture said she didn't care for attention. Then a wolf-guard escorted the woman to the side, doing his best to avoid physical contact. “N-name?”

“…Anise.” The woman mumbled, her deep voice perhaps being her least surprising feature. “…don’t remember... last name.”

“Doesn’t matter, we don’t need those here. Has someone told you why you’re here?”

Anise nodded.

“You're taking part in the games,” The guard said, as if measuring her confirmation.

“…games…”

“Tomorrow, at the arena?”

Anise lowered her head. The guard looked sideways, with a helpless look as though he searched for the parents of a lost child. “Can you understand me at all? Do you even know where you are?”

The woman kept silent, hiding most of her face under her hair. To anyone who looked once, she'd look no different than a statue. This was the same soul who just moments before had thrown herself at a demon thrice her size. The wolf guard cleared his throat. “Alright, the games it is.”

Miina had seen enough. “The captain’s guard! She’ll join the captain’s guard,” Miina said, acutely noticing their size difference with each step closer. It was in weight and girth, with the muscular woman being closer to, if not over, two meters tall. For some reassurance, Miina checked again, and while it was faint, the woman’s soul was still there, still shining.

“Miina,” Faolán said, approaching.  “Maybe we should check with the grand marshal before making these kinds of decisions.”

"It's an easy decision. She's a new recruit. There's nothing to check."

“Right, from the acclaimed kingdom of souls,” the wolf guard sneered. “Check with the witch-fairy, or the warlock of Oz; this one’s headed for the games. Before she can join any squad, she'll go through the games."

“It’s… wizard of… Oz, actually,” Miina corrected.

The wolves raised their eye brows at her. “The Wizard of— never mind.” She looked around until she found Leviathan, only catching the corner of his eye narrowing on her as he was leaving the dome.

Faolán tapped her shoulder.

“I know,” Miina conceded.

She looked at Anise and squeezed her forearm gently. “Just wait here, okay? Don’t go any—”

A sudden pull caught Miina before she could react. A piercing pressure cut across, millimetres from her face as the woman spun, swinging a hand that for an instant, looked like a weapon of sorts. It only grazed Miina's forehead, thanks to Faolán's pull, but it could've easily been her neck.

On the ground, Miina sat stunned while Faolán, the wolf guard and others who had rushed in were already restraining Anise’s arms and legs. The soul was not resisting as they pinned her down, tied her up and dragged her away.

Anise glanced at Miina once, and the captain searched for some kind of sign of derangement; some loss of control. It was expected from souls transitioning. It would've explained the woman’s brute strength and the unprovoked attack. But Miina only saw emerald green eyes staring back, with nothing but hopeless detachment.

Anise