FIRAINTH Fire Water Wind Earth (FANTASY)

Chapter 28: Flickering Flames

During these two days, Peter spent them floating, trying to recover from his challenge. Monica spent those times training, even at night, in the underground. Humans sometimes fired flaming arrows at her in order to train her counter attacks.

Usually the challenge would take place in Mount Vatra. However, of course they had to create a new arena.

The challenge was going to happen underground, deep underground where the lava dwelled. The only way to get there was to create a tunnel of stairs. Sirus made one next to the treehouse instead of going outside the wall. They had to descend over two thousand steps, the further they went down, the higher the temperature rose. By the time they reached the ring, the temperature was impossible to support or resist. It felt like they were walking on the sun. Monica found this kind of temperature normal. The others had to wear light clothes, and with the help of Alexandra's cold water they drank, their bodies could resist such heat for merely half a day.

The arena was made out of obsidian rocks that was surrounded by a lava moat. There wasn't anyone except for the king, the queens, the children, and Monica's resurrected parents. No others needed to be there.

"Good luck, Monica." Said Judy, and hugged her.

"Thank you." Said Monica.

"Don't worry, you're going to do great." Said Peter, patting her back.

"Try not to get killed." Nicholas jested with a smirk.

"That would be my first thing to do." Chuckled Monica.

"It's time." Said Sirus.

Monica gripped tightly both her parents as she was levitated by Ama down on the arena, right on the center. Everything went quiet, only the sound of the lava flowing was heard. Monica placed herself in a position of combat. Her parents, shakily, stood close to the fire princess.

Salamanders slithered out from the lava like crocodiles, surrounding them. They were ten as expected. Monica felt her stomach lurch, and her skin crawling.

The salamanders sneered one after another at Monica.

"Welcome, traitor."

"For a traitor, you do have courage. But you are a fool."

"You wouldn't last a second with us."

"Are you prepared to die?"

"She'll be defeated soon."

"You know what?" Monica finally said, sound confident. "The only one who's going to be defeated is all of you. And the only person I know who is a real traitor is your evil and sadistic queen."

All the salamanders shrieked in anger. Their shrieks were so earsplitting, the children and Monica's parents covered their ears.

"How dare you mock our queen?!" One of the creatures hissed.

"Now you will die, TRAITOR!"

Their horns protruded out of their backs, tails and heads. The salamanders were really fast creatures, and very true fire resisters. None of Monica's skills could knock them out unconscious, only push them away or hurt them like a mosquito bite. Luckily, Monica studied the salamanders' weakness at once when Ama asked Peter about it.

A salamander had more than fifty horns on its body and tail together, one of them was its weakest point. Monica went over the book 'The civilization of Salamanders.' The horn on its head was the one. If Monica could manage to remove that horn from each salamander, she could knock them out and retrieve the gem, if she could find it.

Monica closed her eyes and listened.

Everything was dark and quiet but she could sense the fire in each salamander. She could also see them, even with her eyes closed. She didn't know how but she could feel and hear the flames without those creatures. During her training, Monica had to stop the flaming arrows from hitting her, with a blindfold. She had to feel the flame rather than see it.