“I’m ready if you are, Georg.”
He nodded and stuffed his pockets full of whatever he could. I couldn’t help but grin, reminded of all the times we tried to hide food at the breeding house. It was a small slice of normalcy in this strange, new world.
Georg pushed on the stone wall, and I memorized the mechanism to try on my own later. The wall slid and tilted to reveal the same narrow passageway from the night before. He closed it once on the other side, then led me through another labyrinth of passages and hallways that made little sense.
“Are we not going to the hall again?” I asked, noticing that we seemed to be descending the further we traveled.
Georg shook his head, unconcerned. “Not big enough. We’re going to the arena.”
I stopped, just as we halted in front of a heavy wooden door.
“What?”
Georg grabbed my hand, tugging me through the door as it opened on its own. The way was at least brightly lit with torches, though I realized why as the floor took a steep incline that became difficult to manage. I was thankful for my leather boots, though I had to use the cracks and crevices on the walls at times to pull myself up. Finally, the floor leveled out again, and light was seen filtering through the other side.
“I’m supposed to go back to the kitchens now. Have fun!”
I gaped as Georg left me alone and scampered away. With a resigned air I threw my shoulders back and walked tentatively towards the light. It was obscenely bright compared to the rest of the fortress, but after a few blinks my eyes adjusted. I stood on a large balcony that overlooked a modest arena, about the size of the grounds of the breeding house. It was carved from stone and circular in shape, with raised benches all around the middle pit. drakens were quickly filling the benches, far more than I remembered seeing last night. How many lived in the mountain? Maybe Georg knew; but there were easily several hundred seated before me now. Their friendly banter vanished the moment I stepped into the light and rested my hands against the rough stone of the balcony. I swallowed heavily, trying to look unaffected as I resolutely stared ahead. Two large chairs (I would not say the word throne) sat behind me, but I refused to sit. The small act of rebellion gave me some sense of control and lessened the spiraling ball of anxiety in my chest.
The torches in the arena dimmed, and a figure walked out into the center from one of several tunnels below the bleachers. The moment the lights were gone, Benedict was at my side, seemingly appearing from nowhere as he stood beside me. Several chains of metal were around his neck, as well as a spiked necklace lined with rows of nasty looking teeth. His eyes flared when he saw me, then he looked away.
“Good morning, siren.”
I didn’t know what a siren was, so I steadfastly ignored him as we both looked down to the center of the pit. D’Arcy was easily recognizable in the center, a blue tunic covering his chest and a heavy gold necklace around his throat. He raised his fist high, his eyes alight with a strange fire. His scales were a bright turquoise around his upper body, then faded into the deep amethyst color I had also seen on Benedict. The scales at his wrist and neck were a blend of both colors, with flecks of black scattered throughout his body.
“We come together to commence the rebuilding of our race! After centuries of languishing in this mountain, we have a female amongst us!”
The drakens cheered as the mood in the arena was exuberant. I felt Benedict slide behind me, heat radiating from his bare chest. His necklaces clinked together as he shifted, and I turned my attention back to D’Arcy.
“We have not had a female amongst us since the days of Lyoness; when our homeland blossomed, and our race was mighty in number! Nor have we deserved one since we foolishly left our island to involve ourselves in the wars of humans and others whose business didn’t concern us!”
I gripped the stone underneath my fingertips, not knowing drakens had fought in the Demon Wars.
“We rained death down upon the lykos, the vampyres, and all other manner of demons as we fought and died with the humans! Bit by bit, we chased back the demon menace and their allies, turning the tide of the war!”
D’Arcy trailed off, his blonde hair falling into his eyes.
“Then the Overlord changed tactics. They went after our female warriors, hunting them mercilessly. We didn’t understand why until a scout reported back from Lyoness, giving us the horrific news: the entire island was lost under a massive volcanic eruption. Every inhabitant of the island died instantly. Our elders, our children, and every female not with us fighting. The enemy got word before we did and worked quickly to snuff out our most valuable resource before we even realized: our females. We were forced to abandon Lyoness and withdraw to these mountains, mourning the deaths of thousands and the future of our race.”
Every torch and flame in the arena extinguished, engulfing the arena in pitch black. Silence blanketed the air in a tight, choking stillness.
“Yet from the darkness, comes hope. From death, there is rebirth."
A small, hovering ball of flame hovered in D’Arcy’s outstretched palms, illuminating his face and providing the only source of light. I blinked, resisting the urge to rub my eyes against the
