FSE

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The mountain slope was lush with soft-skinned trees, hardly taller than mature bushes. In spots, the forage would part, revealing the bright, black rock beneath it. Heavy, omnipresent mists blotted out the sky when viewed from below, pooling murkily in the small valleys. A thin dew coated the canopy.

Carved out of the jagged stone were waterways hardly wider than a man's arm span, appearing glossy.

Cresting the surface was the dorsal fin and upper body of a dolphin, its head underwater, making its way through the channel with slow, steady strokes.

The water felt cold despite him living in it for years; just past the brim of uncomfortably so. That specific constant was one of many that had grown on him.

He didn't know exactly how long he had lived in the dark waters of the mountainside, but the fact didn't alarm him. His early memories, as foggy as they were, simply weren't important. Some time ago he had decided his name was Plum, but even that was merely a distracting amusement. As long as he could hold onto a certain guilty hope of his, nothing else mattered.

His eyes widened. Another gate. He could see it coming up as he swam, a short arch of craggy rock looming over the waterway, and standing by it was one of those people. They were wearing purple silk, or at least he thought it was silk. The robe was embroidered intricately with a golden fabric. Their face was concealed by a plain, white mask, a tangle of long, black hair framing it.

His tail flicked a beat faster. These fights were always something to look forward to, a break in the monotony, the reason to keep going. He figured the purple people had something to do with the nature of this place, canaling him along paths that inevitably led to an arena. The arch came close, and he made his way beneath it. As he crossed the arena's brim, the robed person waved their hand, and with that, he knew the path behind him had just closed, blocked by a stone wall that wasn't there before. Beyond that, however, the person resumed their eerie stillness. When it came to the fights, the people never did anything more.

It was a large, circular pool, no deeper nor shallower than normal, but it was far wider than the capillary-like waterways. There was an arch on the opposite side from him, and thankfully, his opponent came just as he did.

"Are you my brother or my sister?" Plum called out to his fellow. Although they lacked the physiology to speak, the dolphins in these waters shared a telepathic link whenever they met. An occurrence that never lasted too long.

The other dolphin entered reluctantly, and Plum watched as the stone sealed behind him; a magical and disorienting sight. Their skin was a soft gray, their body smooth and shaped for swimming, eyes black and pearly. Around his face, his ventral fins, and his belly were coarse scars. Most notably however, they were larger than Plum. Not by any grand difference, but it was apparent.

"Don't call me brother," a masculine voice emanated in Plum's mind.

The words struck him, stopping him dead in his thoughts. But his body kept moving, it knew exactly what to do. After so many repetitions, this game had become instinct. He hugged the outer perimeter of the arena, his tail fluke waving slowly and deliberately, circling so as to maintain distance on his fellow.

"Why?" Plum asked. The notion that someone would reject their own kinship frightened him. Even if they weren't literally bound by blood, he saw their bonds to this place to be equally connecting. The water was still cold. A part of him hated it.

"This hellhole doesn't make us brothers. If you want to call me something, my name is Ren," the other dolphin replied. Plum could only describe his expression as suspicious, on edge, perhaps frustrated even. How could his fellow be this upset? This was all they had to look forward to. Besides, if anyone should be upset, it was him, having to hear the title of someone who was so soon-to-be dead.

"Did you have to tell me that? But then where are my manners? I shouldn't have spoken beyond greetings," Plum admitted. The water took on the gentlest of swells with the two of them disturbing its previously inert surface.

"This place has taken its toll on you too, hasn't it? Is it harder to murder me now that you know my name? You don't figure it should make you sick to have to kill someone anyway?" Ren asked.

"What are you talking about? Of course not. It has to happen like this," Plum replied, the underlying presumption of his statement inducing in him a pang of empathy. He flicked his tail, angling his body directly toward Ren. "We should get on with it, this has become regretful."

Just as Ren had similarly begun to circle Plum, he became still, floating freely. It was the first sign of a battle-to-be. Finally, Plum thought.

"Hmm. Regretful?" Ren pondered aloud. "Shut up and kill me," Plum said. Ren still did not move, and for some horrible reason, Plum couldn't bring himself to either. "What if I didn't? What if we just got to know each other instead? Refused to give in to this. Why not try it?" Ren proposed.

"You want to just talk? They'll never let us out," Plum retorted.

Ren recoiled. "And what's the point of getting out? Just to make your way to the next fight, just to kill over and over for the rest of your miserable existence? At least until somebody kills you? To hell with that. You're the one of the few that's even spoken to me before they tried to tear my throat out, so yes, let's just talk for a little, and you can kill me after if you really need to, I don't care. I just want to have one moment of god-forsaken normalcy," Ren said, becoming shaky by the end. The blunt emotion in his voice made Plum's stomach turn with more regret. With sorrow. He didn't want to tear Ren's throat out, but it was just how things were, how the mountainside was. But a part of him jumped at Ren's words, stirring a sinful temptation in Plum's mind. The guilty hope he held onto was now stronger than ever. This may be the only chance he would get.

"You really want that?" Plum asked, his tone soft, his volume gentle.

Even across the arena, Plum could see Ren's pleading eyes. "Yes," Ren answered. Plum cast his gaze to the circle's uneven bottom. He shouldn't do this, it was beyond unprincipled.

"Ok." Plum felt relief in saying it, in acquiescing. And yet, the feeling he got for giving someone else what they wanted, just for the sake of it, was so alien.

Silence pervaded the circle. Even the surrounding mountainside greenery was unusually quiet. That's funny, Plum thought. Only after they had agreed to talk had they both been at a loss for words.

Ren was the first to speak up. "Is it just me, or is the water bitterly fucking cold?"

Plum laughed, he couldn't help it. "No. No, it's not just you. It's strange. But, I don't mind it most of the time." A bit of a lie. He minded it all the time.

Ren seemed to be preoccupied, curiosity bright on his face, as if he was now realizing a plethora of questions he had the opportunity to ask. "Do you remember anything before this? Your childhood, parents, a life anywhere else?" Ren asked.

Plum had tried to remember those things once upon a time. He shook his head in his porpoise-like way. "No."

The other dolphin hummed. "Figured. Neither can I."

Plum realized the robed person was still there, still watching them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their motionless, obsequiously observant form. That color; so deep and royal...

"You got a favorite color?" Plum asked.

Ren seemed to think for a moment. "Purple," the larger dolphin said.

"That's rich. You mean the same color they wear?" Plum questioned.

The other dolphin only nodded.

Plum narrowed his eyes. "You aren't just humoring me for the sake of it, are you?"

For the first time he saw Ren laugh. "I'm sorry you think I'd be so considerate."

"Of course you're considerate."

"Yeah?"

"You see me as more than prey. That takes... empathy and... faith. It's sort of crazy. I think you might be as crazy as you are considerate."

Ren shook his head. "Might be a little quick to judge."

As Plum ruminated on those words, Ren similarly allowed a pause to grow, and the circle became silent once again.

"Do you think there's an end to this place? One path eventually leads to somewhere different, right?" Ren asked, his tone mournful.

Plum shook his head and smiled. "Oh it's doubtful. We're here for one thing and one thing only. Escape has never been a valid pursuit."

"You believe that?" Ren questioned. "Horrible. The only time I've felt the company of another has been their teeth at my face, trying to rip me apart. What's it like to simply be side by side, to touch someone else without killing them? It's bizarre to even imagine."

Plum knew for a fact this was his chance. That was the sinful question his mind had been harboring, hiding in the ethically wicked recesses of his desires. Wrong as it seemed, he had already broken his countless principles, he figured one more couldn't hurt.

"We don't have to imagine," Plum said. Ren's diminished countenance perked up, and his expression was plain with surprise.

"You don't... mind?"

"Not if you don't."

"Oh, um... ok. So it's completely fine with you?"

"Completely."

Ren swam toward him with a careful, relaxed stroke. "Even if it was right now?"

Plum nodded. "Yeah." It was just a touch after all. What could be the harm in that? Besides, if it meant indulging himself a bit...

Ren was the one to close the distance, letting his minute momentum carry him forward slowly through the water. Plum eyed him, getting a new, closer look. The scars on his body were deep, and they shone silver against the bluish-gray of his skin. Ren came up on his right, showing his left side. And yet he came closer, until their snouts almost touched, centimeters apart. Plum nearly flinched. Ren twisted and flicked his tail, coursing through the water. He swung around to Plum's right side. This time he did flinch. "Woah, relax. I was just trying to get into a better spot," Ren reassured.

Plum had been ready to bite his eyes out. It took him a moment to calm himself and allow his fellow to get close again. Ren let the gently ebbing flow carry him slowly to Plum, without sudden movement. Plum watched and held his breath as Ren's fin neared his.

It wasn't much. When they touched, he expected the sensation to shock him through and through, to overwhelm his sense of feeling, to give him an electric pressure conducive to speeding his heart up. None of that happened however. Ren moved closer, and instead of just their fins, their bodies touched. Side pressed to side, light as it was. That was when something happened. It was the warmth of another. So very warm. Compared to the water it was heavenly and he wanted more of it.

"Get closer," Plum said softly, pressing into Ren's wake. The two practically cuddled, the best as porpoises could at least.

"Okay, that's really nice," Plum's words were soothed, just as he was feeling. It was simply... good. Both inside and out he experienced something he hadn't in years: comfort. And a lack of fear, of anticipation. It was tranquility in that circle, just him and his fellow. No fighting. None at all. He could hardly even consider it now. He wanted this to keep lasting. He wanted to be even closer to Ren. His fin overlapped Ren's and pulled on it.

"Oh," Ren breathed, surprised. The warmth was deep and growing, nestled in Plum's bosom. The memories of his pain, his own scars on his own body, began to fade away, along with all his previous anguish and worries. He felt protected. It was like no one could hurt him so long as he was held by Ren.

"Sorry," Plum whispered. Where had his boldness and his constitution gone? This was against everything he thought to be true.

"Don't be. You can hold me closer if you want." Ren's voice was feather-light, yet thorough. The sentiment rang through Plum's heart, and he lowered his snout to nuzzle the larger dolphin's cheek. Ren hummed and leaned into him. He had been an idiot to deny this, to try to reject such a pleasant experience only so they could fight. Fighting had never been so fulfilling, so euphoric.

Plum's gaze caught on something above the water. The figure in their robe, still perched, still watching. That stare, that mask, the lack of reasoning, the cruelty of this place weighed down on him just as the robed person bore down on him with their eyes. It was a dread he was glad Ren could help him escape.

Plum laughed.

"What?" Ren asked, smiling.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now."

"What's wrong with this?"

"Nothing. That's the problem. I don't think I could bring myself to do what we came here for."

Ren's grin diminished, and he regarded the smaller dolphin empathetically.

"Don't think about that. We can stay here as long as you want."

Plum could feel Ren's long-interspersed breaths, the slight rise of his sides, a comforting, steady rhythm. It was the beat to which he began to keep count of time gone by. They snuggled there, almost motionless, giving each other warmth despite the frigid water. And though the rock was black, and even though the sky was still gray, the mists still pervading, the circle still closed, the two still trapped, Plum knew he wouldn't mind any of it.

A while after he had lost count, Plum heard Ren speak up. "Have you ever dreamed of a better life? Even just for fun?"

Plum closed his eyes, focusing only on his sense of touch. It was grand, truly. The answer didn't matter to him. He had this. And he was going to enjoy it with whatever time he had left.