Prince Krission paced around the small platform. Him and his mother were surrounded by guards, but he did not feel safe. The blazing white eyes of the woman that stared up at them made his skin crawl.
“You can’t just kill my son!” Reiner yelled as a reply to Ravenna’s words, “There weren’t any rules against –”
Krission’s brain crawled as the grouchy laughter of Zrud echoed in his mind, “There is nothing you can do to save that sorry sucker.”
“Your son just caused the entire orc population in this stadium to have a very good reason to kill him,” Queen Azalea said, “Even if I don’t order his execution, he isn’t going to live long!”
Krission walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at Lady Mira. The quick haircut made her look crazier than before. The woman glared up at him and dared him to challenge her. He could feel her hatred from there.
“She wants his blood,” Zrud laughed in his mind, “Feisty. I like her.”
“I would prefer if you shut up,” Krission grumbled.
“What?” His mother turned to him, “Did you just –”
“No, Mother,” He shook his head and motioned to the crowd, “It’s just noisy. I’m trying to think.”
“That’s my son!” Reiner pointed down to Vernent, “He fought the orc and won! He did nothing wrong!”
“That explosive gem was not cleared for use!” The prince barked, “Find the official he bribed and bring them here!”
A pair of guards left the box at his command.
“There was no bribe! If an—”
“Your son has been a pain in my side for years, Reiner!” Azalea scoffed, “You should be happy I haven’t executed him yet.”
“Queen Azalea,” Skymara cleared her throat, “It may be wise to clear the arena while you determine your verdict. The long citizens sit here, the more time they can prepare themselves to riot.”
“I don’t know what to do!” She gripped her beard in her hands, “Goddess above, does anyone have any ideas?”
Zrud cackled in his mind and the prince decided to say what the Guardian wanted.
“I say let him fight,” Krission said, “It’s clear that she will kill him if he doesn’t yield or forfeit first.”
“You’re letting that insane –”
“Vernent has been going after them since they got here. He caused a scene at the banquet and has been openly mocking him to your vassals. I don’t know what your son’s personal vendetta is against them. Frankly, I don’t care,” The queen walked to railing of the platform, “What I care about is the mockery he’s made of my country. Vernent chose to repeatedly offend them. He chose to do this. If I don’t allow them to avenge his death, we may be at war with the Agrowl. He must live and die with the consequences of his actions.”
“The only way your son lives more than the next hour is if he forfeits and you help him flee from the city,” Krission looked between his mother and the man, “That means she will be the tournament winner.”
“Disqualify her from the tournament and place him under protective—”
“Are you ordering me around? Reiner, mind your tongue,” She hissed, “Under my protection. Bah! It was clear to everyone he was losing. He caused am international incident when he wouldn’t yield!”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“He will die either way,” Prophetess Talia spoke quietly, “It will be better for him if you execute him to appease their anger. You don’t know what waits for him if you do not.”
“You can’t even see what’s happened!” Reiner scoffed, “How would you know?”
“You are talking to a prophetess!” Skymara stood next to the girl, “Control your blasphemous tongue.”
“It doesn’t matter what you do. Vernent will die. It is how you want him to die that matters now,” Talia stood, “I will be needed soon. Skymara, Em, please come with me.”
Skymara and a royal guard followed the girl as she stepped out of the door. Krission looked over the railing and at Mira again. She waited like a vulture for the answer. Vernent was nowhere to be seen on the field.
“Oh, I want to see her destroy him. Don’t you, Pebble?” Zrud laughed, “It will be glorious to see what she can really do. I’m sure we’ve only gotten a taste.”
Zrud was right. The thought made him curious but he felt it wasn’t his own thought. He wondered if Zrud was already taking over his emotions.
“Let him continue,” Krission looked to his mother, “What happens is his own consequence.”
Krission did not listen as his mother stepped forward to make the announcement. He watched as the young woman turned to walk to the center of the field. The orc next to her bowed her head and stepped away from her. The healers draped a sheet over the slaughtered remains of the man and carried him from the field. Mira waited as Vernent walked towards the center of the arena.
“Does he not need any healing after his fight?” Reiner asked, “You’re just going to let him –”
“Bobabano’s murder may have been allowed by this crown. But not by me.”
Mira’s voice boomed across the stadium as if she had the enchanted tools given to the royals. It was as clear as his own when she spoke. The magic behind it punched the air around them.
“Even if you run today, I will scour the earth and seas until I find you. I will reap you from this world,” She raised Bobabano’s sword in the air, “You will die by my hand, Vernent Reiner.”
“Y—You—” His stutter couldn’t be heard by anyone but her, “You can’t just—”
“Pray your goddess shows you mercy,” Her omen rang out, “Because you won’t find any from me.”
Vernent looked towards the royals and saw no hope of help. He thought to run but knew the crowd would slaughter him the moment he left the stadium. The only way to get out of the situation was to yield. He hesitantly raised his sword in the air. As the ceremonial bell tolled, Krission saw the monstrosity emerge. Before he could blink, the woman stood in front of Vernent. Black smoke bellowed from her in every direction and flooded the arena.
“I—” He tried to get the words out, but he panicked.
As his sword stabbed into her, she sliced his arm from his torso with the golden blade. Her hand ripped his broach away as he tried to grab it.
“I—I—” He stuttered.
Mira slowly pulled his sword from her stomach and casually tossed it to the ground. Another quick slice from the golden blade caused his other arm to fall. She gripped his bleeding shoulders and burned the oozing wounds. Her emotionlessly face caused the man to scream.
“I yi—!”
Her hand hooked around his lower jaw and ripped it from his body. As the blood sprayed over her, darkness flowed from her like a river. It swirled around him and held him in place.
“She just –” Reiner stormed from the room, “Stop the fight!”
The mandible in her hand burst into flames and she started cackling madly. Her eyes glowed white as her prey squirmed. Vernent struggled and gagged as he tried to scream again but his lack of jaw just sprayed blood at her.
“You won’t die that easily,” A vile grin spread unnaturally on her face.
She grabbed him by the wound to his throat and cauterized it. The black mist surrounded him and forced him to kneel in front of her. The world froze around her as she narrowed in on her prey.
If this was the outcome Isaan wanted, then she would give it to him.
“Vernent Reiner,” Her menacing cackle turned into a demonic voice that echoed into the screaming stadium, “I will wipe the stain of your existence from this world. Not even the goddess can save your pitiful soul from my damnation.”
Black miasma flowed around her as she lazily swept Bo’s sword through his neck. As his head hit the ground beside him, his body burst into speckles of starlight. The sparkling mass swirled around her in a dance with the dark mist until it folded against her skin. The rush of energy bombarded her senses past anything she ever felt before. The last conscious effort she had was stabbing Bobabano’s sword into the ground so it wouldn’t be lost.
She fell to the ground as the mist enveloped her. Her shrieks of agony caused the walls of the stadium to crack around her. Her eyes fixated on the sword of her fallen friend.
Mira didn’t understand the feeling that rippled through her body. The tingling sensation fought its way through her veins until it burned. It wasn’t like the blood from another; it was much more powerful. So much that it hurt to breathe but still felt blissful. Her chest hurt against the freezing calm that spiked from her hand. Her mind shattered at emotional turmoil. Encante screamed at her to hold herself together, but she didn’t want to do it anymore. She wanted to let go of everything, so she did.