Barely Breathing

Chapter One: Training

Effie's POV:

I lay on the ground, my chest heaving. I pounced to my feet in a single fluid moment and prepared to attack. I gazed out at the arena around me. The stone ground was covered in sand. A crystal orb sat upon a stand in the center of the room. If I could just reach out and touch it the match would be over.

Tharn, my opponent had recently mastered an invisibility charm. Normally, not a single one of my other opponents would have been able to land a hit on me. His new accomplishment was quite a surprise. I looked up into the stands towering over us as my peers jeered at me.

I wasn't liked by most of them. They felt the magic came too easily to me, and to them, that meant I hadn't worked for it. But I had worked every day of my life for this, to be where I am.

As my eyes scanned the crowd, they landed on him, Thorin, the future king. He stared at me intently. He watched my every move. 'I should probably give him a show then' I thought to myself.

A protective domed barrier rested over the arena, protecting anyone in the stands against the conditions or spells down here. I smiled a bit to myself as I crouched down and picked up a fist full of sand.

I stood to my full height and stretched my arms outward, "Aktul bacht tin nacht!" I called out. The sand began to rise up around me, swirling in the air. I peered around, careful not to let it obscure my vision.

I could see Tharn's outline against the sand, knowing his invisibility would be of no use to him anymore. With one hand I sent a blast of energy his way, using the other to control the sand.

As his back flung against the ground, I released the sand, letting it fall against him, burying him. I ensured his face stayed free of the sand, so he could breathe. He passed out, releasing his charm in the process and I let the sand fall loosely away, freeing his unconscious form.

I lunged forward, and touched the orb, officially ending the match. A sense of satisfaction fell over me as the crowd began to boo and scream at me. I had won once again and remained undefeated.

I looked up at the orb again. Instead of the normal green glow that usually signified the end, a purple mist came from the orb. Something was not right at all.

The faces of the spectators grew worried. Thorin's face turned dark as if preparing for battle and instantly I realized I must do the same. I backed defensively toward Tharn's body.

Many fought to the death in the arena, but I refused. I refused to take another life for sport, and I refused to lose Tharn today.

A dragon made of purple smoke and mana emerged from the orb, flying around the protective dome. Thorin jumped down from the stands, into the arena, landing just outside the barrier. The headmaster of our school joined him, preparing to release the barrier itself.

"Don't!" I called out to him. "We do not know what this is, for now, it is contained."

The headmaster froze. "Do not listen to her," Thorin spoke. "We need to get them out of there! How could this have happened?"

"You can punish me later, 'Your Highness' but for now, my duty is to ensure that this thing doesn't go after the townspeople. It is one I will uphold, even if it means my death," I called back at him.

I hoisted Tharn onto my back, grateful for the time I had spent training physically as well as magically. Many scoffed at my determination. What good did a mage have in training for hand-to-hand combat or their physical bodies? Well, it was perfect for situations like this.

"What is your name, Mage?" Thorin asked me.

"Eflin Greymore Sir!" I called out as the dragon launched at me. I leaped to the side. Barely missing his attack. "My friends call me Effie!"

"Well, Effie," he started, but I interrupted as I dodged another attack.

"You're not my friend," I laughed. I needed to get Tharn off of my back so I could fight. I tossed him to the side and cast a small protective dome around him. It was an exact small replica of the one that held us in battle. I knew he would be safe in there.

"Remove the barrier," the Prince commanded.

"Arwin, do not!" I called out to the headmaster.

"Even if I wanted to, it will take my mana a bit of time to replenish. Creating this barrier depletes it for a time," The headmaster spoke.

Thorin banged his hands against the barrier, attempting to break it himself. As I looked back at him, startled by the sound, the dragon lunged at me and sliced open my side. A venom made its way into my body. I flew against the barrier in front of the two men. Blood gushed from my side as I stood painfully.

"I can't guarantee this will work Arwin, but I will do my best to protect the kingdom," I spoke painfully, holding my side. I gathered my power, wisps of dark energy surrounding me as I did. 

"You mustn't use that spell, you'll die!" Arwin called out in frustration, working to weaken the barrier. I only had a small amount of time until it was lowered. But this beast was unlike any other we'd faced, with any luck they'd be able to study its corpse and prepare for any future attacks from its brethren.

"I've had a good run. By my math, this poison will kill me shortly anyway," I staggered forward, channeling my mana. "Take good care of Rin."

"Don't do this, Eflin," Thorin called out, banging on the barrier once more.

"Allhuin marzack allacht bin har lot!" I called out as a searing pain shot through my body toward the dragon. Wet, gutwrenching sounds of its flesh being ripped apart echoed through the arena. As if by an invisible force, the beast tore into pieces and fell to the ground, the orb shattering.

My barrier around Tharn began to fade as I fell to the ground in a pool of my own blood. The big barrier faded and I felt someone turn me over. It was Thorin. "Careful Highness. I'll get blood all over you," I smirked.

"You're insufferable you know that?" He spoke worriedly as he looked at my wound.

"It's a good thing you won't have to deal with me much longer then," I chuckled painfully as I raised my hand to his cheek. "You'll make a wonderful king."

He hoisted me into his arms and pain racked through my body. I screamed in pain, shaking the walls of the arena as everything faded to black.