#1 Shifters: The Iced City Of Canidae

Chapter Fourteen: Bleed

It was a anxious wait as Nora looked out the ice bars of her holding cell, Maine and the others where escorted to a thin room big enough to watch from, just beside the holding cell Nora was in. Nora now held her sword in her hand, staring at the sapphires encrusted in the handle.

'if this is to be a fight, then fight i will.' Nora thought to herself. Nora admitted to herself that, without the presence of her freinds, she felt rather alone. The siren rang and the Ice bars ever so slowly lifted, Nora looked around, it was suddenly bright and she realised a spotlight had started tracing her as she walked towards a red line in the centre of the arena. 

There was another line a few centimeteres away, one for the guard. A loud booming voice filled the stadium, intrducing the audience to the fighters. the voice had a burr ting to it. "Ladies, gentle men and everyone in between!! Warm up your seats and round up your applause, its Nora from Canidae!!!" There where some cheers, but it was drowned by the boos. Nora searched for her pack, seeing them pressed against the ice dome, they where in a holding cell like Nora was just in. A roof above them gave them sade and a young man stood watching too, holding food and drinks for them. 

Nora knew they where being treated right and focused on the duel now, again the voice boomed across the stadium. "And for our entertainment, we have our best fighter, Otulissa of Owlinae!!!" The crowed roared with cheers and the female guard walked out. Nora paused for a moment, watching the guard waving her arms in the air, soaking in the attention of her fans, 'where have i heard that name before?' 

Otulissa now stood infrount of Nora she turned to the crowed and inhaled "My opponant is handicapped!!" She belched with a slight mock to her tone. "Well ill handicap myself, ill wear no armor and will not shift." She said, the crowed cheered praise. 

Nora rolled her eyes, 'if it is so, we can shift?' Nora said to herself mentaly. She looked at her stub and smiled, 'No device to stop me' 

The siren rang again and instantaniously, Otulissa leapt towards Nora at terrifing speed, Nora blocked with her own sword and gritted her teeth pushing Otulissas sword away, it was to no use because as soon as Noras sword left hers, Otulissa started stabbing at random then flung herself around into a spin then raising her sword and bringing it down to ora, Nora who had managed to dodge all the stabs and side step away from the spin attack, who now held her sword up in defence.

Each slash of their swords where filled with power and porpoise, Otulissa intended to kill and Nora had intent to disarm. Otulissa would strike repeatedly with lightning speed and Nora would defend with speed that lagged a millisecond. Maine watched glued to the ice wall, every move was inching closer to Nora, Emma would hear each strike and knew exactly what was going on. 

It had been half of a hour, Nora was deathly close to loosing when a bell rang quickly and briefly, Ottulissa growled and shifted into a white snowy owl, her helmet falling off of her head. 

The crowd where a equal mass of boos and cheers, for Otulissa had broken her own handicap, but to Nora it didn't matter, for she could shift too now, so in a instant Nora threw her sword upward, jumped and shifted mid air catching her sword between her teeth. 

For a brief moment Nora felt odd, the feeling of her paw missing caught her off balance, Otulissa saw and dived into Noras side, Nora was shoved back, her mouse brown fur getting wet as her body slid across the ice.

After a tumble and a roll, Nora twisted and skidded to a halt on all three paws, tail raised into a curl and sword in mouth. Otulissa's sword dangled heavily from her talons. 

Nora leapt for Ottulissa, Emma shouted out momentarily distracting Nora Ottulissa took her chance, flapped her wings in one powerful motion and lifted her sword, slashing down Noras fluffy white chest. Instantly Nora dropped loosely, shifting back to her human skin, withering around in pain. She heard a shattering sound and some commotion but everything was bleak, the whole crowd was a wave of boos. Nora opened her eye slightly to see, Otulissa stood, standing over Nora with a shocked look. "Its you..." She whispered.

Two arms came into view shoving Otulissa away followed by Emmas outraged yelling as Maine crouched beside Nora. "My device." Nora rasped pointing to her stub, "Get...please." Nora shuddered in a wave of pain, her vision slowly ebbing away. Maine solemnly nodded and ran off. 

Nora had realized with a chill, she had been this way before, right before she got her arm device. She could hear Emma yelling at Otulissa, even see up to five people trying to hold Emma away as Ottulissa stood dazed. Another Tremor erupted Noras body, but Nora could now see Maines feline form padding closer with the arm balanced on her shoulders, it slid off and Nora feebly reached, putting on the way she was told to and as soon as it was on Nora pressed a underlaying button in the device.

Maine saw her sisters pale face, the color in Noras face was faded, Mains heart pounded in fright, she cocked her head to look behind her, Emma had at least five people holding her down, that is, until she shifted and slithered out and shifted back, still yelling and shoving the motionless Otulissa. It occurred to Maine now that this was the Owlinae girl they where to travel with, Maine curled her lip in anger at that thought. She would not forgive Otulissa. Not ever.

As Maine looked back down at her sister, Nora looked more colorful somehow, and was now looking at Maine with a small smile. "It seems, cats aren't the only one with nine lives." Nora said weakly. 

Maine smiled back, but for the life of her could not figure out how Nora got better so quickly "How?" Was all Maine could say.

Nora shook her head and semi chuckled "Extra blood mixed with a healing agent, there are two in total, I only have one left now." Nora said. Nora moved her head to see Emma now glaring at Ottulissa from a distance. "Im to guess that Otulissa is to travel with us?" Nora said. Maine curled her lip and narrowed her eyes in response. Nora nodded slowly "Take it as a yes then." Nora chuckled.