Beginning of the End

In the Arena

Zianna POV

I grasp my sword tightly and look to see Aramina's hands glow with a red-hot tongue of flame. So she wants to play with fire; she can burn with the rest of us. I feel the skin of my hands dissolve into thin air, my hair turns a knotted black and my prison rags I wear turn into a full-length, black gown. My flesh is exposed to everyone. I now have yellowed teeth and I drop the rusted weapon from my hands, onto the arena floor. I have no further use for it. Time to show the world what I have never shown anyone before; what I was born and bred to do. Destroy.

"Care to challenge this?" I boast, snorting arrogantly, my laugh filling the huge arena.

"Zianna..." she gasps, her red eyes open wide. "What happened? I have never seen anything like this before."

"Well, well, I guess if you have not seen a shade, a daughter of darkness before, I doubt you have seen this!" I cackle, as my body shifts and grows. Bones break with every movement until I spread my wings and circle Aramina, scorching her and the ground beneath her now burning form.

My opponent pushes herself of the burnt stone, groaning in pain, "A dragon, huh. Quite impressive royal scum. Anything else up your sleeve that I do not yet know about?"

"Can you hear me?"  I whisper through my mind.

"Yes, your voice rings loud and clear, but I want to know how you do it. Not the mind tricks, but tricking me into thinking you know nothing, when you clearly have an immense knowledge of the magical world." Aramina asks through her mind.

"I will tell you when the time is right, but right now I need you to listen to me. Climb on my back, and we can leave now to find Lana if you still think she yet lives."

"Are you out of your mind? Your father will shoot us down! We will never make it, the Goldenwood is many leagues away."

As if right on queue, an arrow hits my wing, sending me spiralling towards the arena of burnt stones i had created just moments ago. I pluck it out with my razor-sharp teeth. Black feathers could only mean one thing. My father and he is trying to shoot me dead himself. Throwing the arrow on the ground, I glance back at Aramina, hoping she may make up her mind sometime soon.

"The Goldenwood may seem far on foot or even on horseback, but I, I am a dragon. It will take me but the time it would take for me to sharpen a blade." I try to coax her into coming with me.

"Are you going to fight or not coward? The crowd is hungry for blood, and it does not look like you have very much intention of it not being yours." Aramina yells, drawing a sword in one hand and holding a shimmering object in the other. "Winner get this. I know how much you desire gems of pure sunlight." she says, waving the object in front of my eyes; almost taunting me into fighting  a war I have no desire to fight.

Snapping back to reality, I shift back into my shade to block my opponent's blow, our blades clashing and the crowd roars. The fight is on. I parry a few more of her fast strikes before taking one hand of my sword and unleashing my inner demon. Skeleton-shaped orbs of light emit from my body, crashing Aramina to the ground, blood pooling from her head where she lay. Walking over to her seemingly lifeless body, I pick up the shiny, silver object and turn it over and over in my hands. I really have it back, the Crown of Edilya, the Jewel of pure sunlight. Now all in need is to find the other six. Then I could turn my mother's evil regime around, thwarting her childish plans before she can even begin. If only I just knew where to look. Where would somebody hide such precious gems? I know my mother found the staff in the aerie when I was little, so I should look in the most secretive of all places. With the crown on my head, my father declares me the winner. HE mumbles something in my ear I cannot comprehend. But I do hear the entrance of another human into the arena behind my back. I turn around to face them.

She is more beautiful than I expected. Radiant blonde curls cascade over her shoulders, though her face does show some evidence of some kind of fight or escape. Maybe she tussled briefly with a hunter on her way here. The light blue gown she wears compliments her bright blue eyes, but is tattered and torn at the ankles. Stunning none the less. Whoever she is here to see would be blown away. She has curves everywhere men love and gorgeous long legs I have never seen on any woman in my city. People live the lives of their dreams out there while I am stuck in here hoping, hoping that one day the sun will shine all my pain away.

"The Crown is mine Zianna!"

"Who are you to enter my domain and take back what is mine?" I say. "I know very well who you are, but I think the rest of the city would die to know all that I know." I whisper, gesturing to the arena full of Toran civilians.

She turns to the crowd and says, "I am Lana, daughter of Arianna, heir to the throne of sunlight. I came her in the hope of finding the old safe haven, but instead I found darkness darker than that of the Badlands."

"Well that is where you shall go my princess if you do not explain your business here." I snarl at her.

"I originally came to inform you of the attack on my people, but now that I know you monsters did this, I guess I will have to settle for taking back one of my mother's most prized possessions." Lana says blatantly to me.

"Bring it on!" I challenge.

So Lana found a way out of the forest... Stay tuned for later updates that will reveal her escape! But for now, you can read my second story (a love story) called "We are the Future" which is the first book in the Children of America series. :)))  Or you can *hint hint*  vote on this chapter and comment your thoughts

Have a great rest of your day (Canada Day for some of you hopefully)!!