If I Were You, I'd Run

Chapter Four

"Shadow cult." I whispered.

"What?" Liaka asked.

"Shadow cult. This is a setup." I replied, at a louder volume.

"Right. What's the shadow cult?"

The people who killed my parents and let their blood water the ground. The bones have danced. The kingdom will fall."

"Okay... what do we do now?" Liaka murmured.

"Nothing. The games are still going. Either we demand our freedom, or we fight for it." I answered.

"Whichever one means I can set this place on fire!" Liaka growled.

"Don't. Please." I begged.

"Fine. Do you have any arrows left?"

"No, I used the last one taking down the second Great Blue."

"That's it! Quick, stab it's eyeball!" Liaka exclaimed excitedly.

I sprinted over to the carcass of the Great Blue, raised my bow, uncovered the spike at the base, and stabbed it in the eye.

Nothing happened.

The queen laughed.

"Did you really think that there's more than one Great Blue in captivity? You're dumber than you look, dragon girl."

"What?" Liaka shouted.

"Yes," the queen sighed sadly, "There was. Until the princess- wait, no, the former princess murdered her in cold blood. But, alas, there is no longer a species known as Great Blue." the queen sighed, and then perked up. "But this means executions are in order!" she exclaimed brightly.

"It's incredible how she says that in a way that seems good!" Liaka murmured.

"Agreed." I replied.

Inside, I was crumbling. The pieces were finally coming together.

The "queen" was the leader of the Shadow Cult.

The tournament of Scales didn't exist, and was only there so that I could kill the Great Blue, so that the Shadowers could kill me.

The Great Blue was their excuse!

"No." I said.

"Pardon?" The Shadow Cult leader asked.

"I said no. You will not be killing me or Liaka. You will let us go, and you will return to whatever hole you crawled out of. Then, we will take the dragons." I answered boldly.

"You said the winner of the tournament of scales could decide to either ask a request from the "queen", or to bargain for their freedom. This is Ash's request. You promised to grant them. You swore by the shadows which you serve. I was there. I know." Liaka added.

"As the Tounament of Scales does not exist, I consider that promise nullified." the "queen" replied, waving her hand dissmissively.

"My queen, I advise that you grant this request." a rider put in.

The "queen" wheeled her dragon around to face them.

"Really? You want to tell me what to do?" the "ruler" asked.

"Yes. I do. You're a bad ruler, your methods suck, and the dragons should just eat you already." the rider answered cockily.

Then, the fnal pieces clicked.

The warrioresses of Tiglar were being trained to fight the Shadow Cult, and Gina thought I was one of them, and that's why she was so upset!

I laughed.

Liaka looked at me strangely.

"What?" I asked.

"You're literally laughing in the face of death. You do realise that, right?" she answered.

"Yep. Can you speak to dragons?"

"Y-yes. Why?"

"Tell them to leave, get to safety. There's a battle about to emerge." 

Okay, so... I'm going to try to update at least once a week. I have like the next three chapters ready to be typed up, so for the next three weeks expect updates.  

Also, shoutout to Reader1256000, stinyfish, boffatron, Sheraisadora, and Chompyisawesome for helping me write this! 

~SCK