It took Mariyah and her friends an hour sprinting through the forest before they began to hear the loud noises and music playing in the distance. The group slowed to a walk, closely listening in as they followed the loud sounds through the trees. Their path soon turned into a tilted climb up a wooded hill. The top was full of more forest, and the group ventured forward along the flat area until they reached the edge on the other side, where there was a much steeper decline.

Squinting through the trees, they could see movement below them. A busy crowd surrounded what appeared to be a large wooden colosseum. It almost looked like a party, or some sort of celebration.

“A gladiator gathering. They always have big festivals for the fights.” David gritted his teeth as he stood behind Mariyah peering down the hill.

Being buried deep inside the thick forest brush, they were far away and high enough to be kept from dangerous eyes. After staring a bit longer, Marcy climbed off Mariyah and the two of them shifted into humans and looked around at the out of breath group.

Mariyah shifted into an eagle. “You guys should stay here. I’m gonna go look around.”

Gil looked at her worriedly. “As a bird?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, why?”

“They shoot any animals that get near the arena, including birds. You’ll get killed instantly.” He looked at her, confused at her lack of knowledge as she shifted back into a human.

“Not all of us have been to a gladiator fight, Gil. We don’t know how these work.” Marcy retorted.

I’m sure happy I didn’t go alone.

Marcy continued, “I’ll go sneak in, I’m the smallest one here and there's no way they'll notice me.” She looked at the others. “I’ll return with what I find.”

Mariyah narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? Is that safe?”

“Oh, definitely not,” Kai mumbled with a laugh.

She looked at Kai and then back to Marcy. “Don’t go, we’ll think of something else.”

“Mariyah, I can become a mouse. I’m sure they’re all busy getting drunk and dancing or buying food. Or watching two animals fight to the death. They won't notice a mouse.”

“But if they do, they’ll crush it,” Kai mumbled.

Mariyah looked at Marcy, unsure.

“Trust me.” She smiled and nodded her head to reassure Mariyah.

Mariyah's eyes fought with Marcy's persistent excited ones, and finally, Mariyah gave in. “You're sure? You need to be fast, if you're not back in five minutes, I'm walking in there."

"Oh, stop. I'll be back in four." She grinned.

Mariyah frowned anxiously. "Please be safe.”

“Always.” Marcy shifted into a mouse and scurried through the leaves and down the steep hill.

“We’re really going down there?” Steph asked from behind.

Mariyah looked at him, her nerves beginning to tower over her dwindling excitement. “I don’t know…” She looked so unsure. “I just want to get Cal out of there. I don't even know if you all coming will be necessary. Hopefully not.” She frowned.

Rose sighed. “I think we’d all rather be doing anything other than sitting on wooden stumps in a withering away village. That’s why we all agreed to come. ”

Mariyah smiled at Rose before turning around at the sound of muffled grunts. Behind the gathered group, Dyelen threw punches in the air, as if he was preparing for a fight. “What is he doing?” Mariyah whispered to the others with a giggle. They turned to see what she was talking about and all collectively laughed.

Steph turned around and patted the boy’s shoulder. “That’ll sure show them!”

Mariyah shook her head with a smile. "I hope he knows I only let him come to watch."

Rose giggled. "I don't think he does."

Finally, Marcy returned, finding Mariyah. She pulled her to the side quickly. “I can’t find Cal. I checked all the cells. He’s not there.”

Mariyah’s face grew pale with worry as she questioned Marcy. “You’re sure? Did you look everywhere?”

Marcy nodded, a defeated look on her face.

She rubbed her arm and looked around before nodding. "Okay. I’m going to go down by myself.”

“You can’t, Mariyah. I just told you. There’s guards all around the border of the festival. It’s not very guarded inside, there was only one soldier watching the cells. But getting in? It’s impossible. They’re all scattered around outside- guards and citizens.”

Huntro added to the conversation, “Well," he shrugged, "She could go as a human. She isn't marked. They won’t even notice.”

David shook his head. “Maybe not, but they all know what she looks like. You lived in the kingdom for a while. They’d recognize you.”

“No one I grew up with has ever attended a gladiator fight. I would’ve heard about it. This is a different crowd, I won’t know anyone here.” Mariyah looked down the steep hill once more. “There's no soldiers that I can see on this side.”

“This hill we’re on is blocking anyone from entering,” David observed. “Everyone enters through the front, that's where they count everyone who goes in.”

She pointed below them. "I could slip in through here then.”

“And waltz up to the gates of the arena? You’ll stand out, even if you're not recognized by anyone.” He looked Mariyah’s dirt covered and raggedy dress up and down.

She hadn’t realized how disheveled she’d looked. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

“It’s too risky,” Kai said.

Rose squinted as she looked through the trees more. “What is it they’re doing?”

Marcy followed her eyes to see what she was referring to. “Oh, they’re dancing.”

Gil nodded. “The women do a dance around the colosseum during the band's music.”

Rose lifted a brow and looked at Mariyah.

Mariyah looked confused. “What?” She looked back down at the crowd and watched as the women lined in a circle danced right around the border of the arena.

Then it clicked.

Mariyah's face fell. Dance?? “Will that actually work?” she questioned with a worried voice.

Gil shrugged hesitantly. “I guess..it’s an option. No one would notice you if you’re wrapped up in the dance.”

Rose narrowed her eyes. “She would still stick out.” She quickly began to run her hands through Mariyah’s hair and tame the waves until they looked somewhat neat. She dusted the dirt as best she could off of Mariyah’s dress and flattened any wrinkles she saw. “There. Somewhat better. Enough to blend you in with the crowd.”

“Thank you.” Mariyah bit her lip, letting out a nervous laugh. “But-I-I don’t even know what dance-” The song stopped and a new one soon began up, and she groaned as she did recognize this one.

“Just go with the flow, you only need to make it to the door of the colosseum,” Marcy whispered.

She looked at her friends and they all looked at her with extremely unsure faces.

Cal. She had to find him. As the music continued to play, it left her with no choice but to act quickly.

She dragged her hand over her face and quickly looked at Marcy. “Will you go with me?”

“Obviously!” Marcy climbed into her dress pocket quickly.

Cal. Find him.

Kai chuckled. "You better go, before the song ends!"

Mariyah let out another unexcited whine, and quickly sprinted down the forest slope, her heart thudding in her ears, and branches smacking against her face as she passed through trees.

The music grew louder as she grew closer and she quickly slipped out of the tree line and leapt in between two girls, matching the dance as casually as she could. "Sorry!" she forced a playful laugh, nodding to the forest in response to the two confused girls. "Couldn't keep down the mutton!"

She put her hand on the shoulder of the girl in front of her, the woman behind her putting her hand on Mariyah’s as well. She smiled widely, nodding her head in efforts to join the bubbling crowd, and it seemed to work.

They walked slowly in the dance, before turning around and taking a few steps in the opposite direction at a quicker speed, then back again. The gates. Her eyes stared at the tall doors that were only a few yards away. The dancing line would be rotating over there soon.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she danced in the line, quickly turning at each correct moment and flowing with the dance line. The large crowd made it easy for her to blend in with all of the commotion. Her section moved closer towards the door until she was parallel to it.

Finally! She could sneak in.

Her heart raced beneath her chest as she carefully slipped into the entrance of the colosseum.

She was inside the walls now. She looked around ahead of her and saw the steps with sunlight shining through from the top. Those must lead her to the audience's seating.

Not where I'll find Cal.

Where are you?

Anxiety fluttered through her chest as she slowly crept around until she discovered the basement steps. They must keep the prisoners down here. She bit her lip anxiously as she descended down the steps. Her jaw clamped as she saw a guard leaning against the wall at the doorway. There’s only one. Just like Marcy said. She poked her head down a bit more, and there she saw the cells. Her eyes skimmed down each cell. Groups of women and men. But no Cal.

She looked back down at the guard. She needed to ask the prisoners if they’d seen Cal. But how…? She looked around nervously before shaking her head to herself. No, I can't kill him. He’s just standing there. But she knew if she tried to continue down the stairs, he would attack and alert the other guards. She inhaled deeply and fished for the knife in her dress pocket. Can you really kill someone? she heard a voice ask. Maybe I can just bind him? She shook her head to herself, knowing that'd cause such a loud commotion.

Mariyah envisioned the children being torn by wild animals, screaming for their lives in hopes that that’d fuel her to make a move. I don’t want to kill this man, I can't! Her heart thudded in her chest. But soon, it was too late to come up with a plan, because the soldier had spotted Mariyah and was charging up towards her with a confused face.

No time, Mariyah! No time to debate it. She inhaled sharply, careful not to scream as she plunged her knife into him before he could even realize this young girl was prepared to kill him.

She watched with trembling hands, horrified, as he choked on his own blood, his eyes locked on her. The gurgles and choking noises filled her ears causing her to have to hold down vomit as she pressed her hands against his mouth, slowing his fall with her arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered to him frantically as his body lay on the steps. What did I just do?!!

She watched as his eyes expanded in shock before locking on the ceiling above her, and slowly growing still. Soon, his body went limp. Her eyes darted around him frantically as she dropped her knife beside him. “Oh, God…oh God, I killed him...”

“Shh!” Marcy smacked Mariyah’s neck with her tiny paw. “Stay quiet! Hurry- go ask them!”

Mariyah held in her whimper and with Marcy’s second mini slap, she pulled her gaze away from the dead man and picked up her knife. She quickly walked towards the male cell, wrapping her hands around the bars. “Have any of you seen a black haired Shifter boy? His shift is a bear, and he would have just arrived maybe an hour or two ago.” Her eyes desperately dashed from face to face, each of them silent with no reply. What surprised her most was their physical condition, they didn’t look malnourished at all.

They fight. Of course they keep them healthy.

The returned stares were not of anything but fear as they looked at her. A few scattered faces were smeared with looks of hatred but they were outnumbered by those afraid. She narrowed her eyes, confused before realizing their hesitance. She quickly shifted into a bear and held her paws out. “Look, I’m a Shifter too. I’m looking for my friend. Please, have you seen him?”

A man stepped forward with brawny arms and a full beard. “You’re not marked…”

“It’s a long story. Please, just answer my question.” Her eyes pleaded with him, but he remained reluctant.

A woman quickly stepped forward from the cell beside them and answered. “Haven’t seen any around here. But I know they’ve been in high demand. If he was here, we’d have seen him.”

She grunted in frustration and took a few steps back up the stairwell to sort her plan. Cal isn't here. Where else would they have taken him? Quickly, she put Marcy back in her pocket and continued her search for Cal down more stone hallways.

But still, her friend was nowhere to be found. The halls were empty. No cells, only barrels and debris. This is the wrong arena…he’s not here. I’ve checked everywhere. She breathed in deeply to calm the panic she could sense and returned to the previous area where the prisoners were. This is a mess, this is all a mess!

Squeak.

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Mariyah gently pulled Marcy out of her pocket and lifted her up to her face. “Marcy?” she whispered. She held the mouse up to her ear.

“You didn’t think this far in, did you?”

Mariyah scoffed and rolled her eyes as she walked away from the cells. “I’ve never done something like this before, I’m sorry.” She gave Marcy a guilty look and looked ahead down the stairwell anxiously. “I thought he'd be here and this would be a quick in-and-out thing…” She exhaled slowly. Her heart tugged towards the groups of Shifters waiting in their cell.

“I don’t think he’s here, Mariyah…” Marcy whispered sadly. “Maybe this is the wrong place.”

She bit her lip as she knew she needed to leave. But where else would Cal be? She quickly returned down the stairs and ran over to the cells. “Please, are you all sure you haven’t seen him? Anyone?”

But everyone only gave her blank stares. She could see the pain in each of their eyes, and the dirty faces that she assumed were never given baths. They fight to the death here. For amusement. Her stomach twisted as she turned around and returned to the stairwell. She looked at Marcy again in her hand. “I’m going to suggest something.”

Marcy eyed her closely.

"Please don't think I've gone mad."

Marcy eyed her closer.

“I want to release them.”

“Release them?" Marcy looked confused.

Mariyah nodded.

"All of them?”

She nodded her head. “I could, right?” She bit her lip. “All I have to do is get them out. Once I get them out, our group can help us fight and escape. It seems the guards are more focused on keeping Shifters out rather than in. I doubt anyone has tried this before. They wouldn’t be expecting it.”

“You’re suggesting we free an entire group of gladiator prisoners? With guards lining the entire perimeter?”

Mariyah forced a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Well when you say it like that..." Her smile faded. "Yes?" She shook her head. "There’s no guards down here anymore...” She put a hand to her stomach at the sickening feeling of guilt. “And there aren’t any others where you and I entered. That would give us enough time to start helping them up the hill, and when the guards do arrive, we can fight them off. The Shifters who have fighting animals, at least..”

Marcy still wasn’t convinced.

Mariyah looked closely at Marcy with seriousness. “Marcy, I can funnel out the prisoners, we would be able to make it out of this building without anyone even noticing, the cells are right beside the doorway. It’s exiting the festival itself that will be difficult with just the group we have- but the others can come down and help us push through any outside guards that approach us. These prisoners down here are at least thirty fighters. We can do it. Most of them seem healthy and ready, they can help us fight their way out to the forest. That hill is too steep for anyone in human form to climb, but I think these are all fighting shifters. Bears, lions.. They’d be able to climb. I’ll help them if they can’t. It’s possible-”

Marcy's arms were crossed and her eyes were tense with worry. “This is a big thing, Mariyah. I thought we were just getting Cal.“

“I’m not going to stop looking for him, but there is a group of innocent people who will be ripped apart if we don’t help.” Mariyah truthfully looked terrified but the determination in her voice contradicted her fear. “Dyelen stays at the top. He’s too young to fight.”

Marcy nodded her tiny head after a long silence. “He won’t like that…but alright, I will tell them, but they may say no."

"I know, and if they do, that's okay. I won't force anyone...the prisoners and I can figure something out."

Marcy took a deep breath. "Okay. I need ten minutes.”

“Thank you. Eyes on this entrance.”

Marcy nodded again and looked at Mariyah. “Good luck.”

Mariyah returned a small smile to Marcy and watched her depart. She then quickly made her way up the stairs and knelt down by the dead guard. She swallowed the lump that his still body gave her and pulled his keys from his belt, trying not to look at the body any more.

She returned to the cells, fumbling for the correct keys to unlock the prisoners doors, trying each one. “Here!” She finally unlocked one. She moved quickly, doing the same for the others. “You all must go.”

But when she turned around, no one had moved. A man by one of the cell doors questioned her. “What are you doing?” His voice was deep, but he looked only a few years older than her with thick brown hair and a strong build.

“I’m-” She looked at the large crowd of prisoners. “I'm going to try to get you all out of here.”

“This is a trap!” a woman whispered from the corner. “They’ll kill us the second we step out of this cell. They’re testing us-”

"No, no, no!" Mariyah frantically shook her head and held out her hands. “No, no. I’m not- I’m not with them. Please, I’m a Shifter too. I just killed one of them!” Saying it out loud only hurt her more.

“You’ll really help us escape?” the brawny man asked.

“I’m going to try...” She looked around impatiently. "But I can't help if nobody leaves." Tens of faces stared at her in confusion as she spoke. “We must go!”

“Even if this isn’t a trap- We’ll get killed if they see we’ve run away..or if they see us escape at all,” an older woman said from the back.

“Get killed? We’re already going to get killed!” another voice shouted, he made his way through the crowd and was the first to step out of the cell. “We die either way. My prison door is open, I’m stepping out.”

Murmurs dispersed throughout the cells, until another followed after him. And then another. And another. Soon, more followed him, agreeing.

“Wait! This has to be done a certain way.” Mariyah held her hands up and stood by the stairs as everyone finally exited the cells. “There may be a small group waiting for us outside by the large wooded hill straight ahead. If we can make it up the hill, we’ll be safe. The soldiers will not be able to climb that hill on foot. Thankfully, we’re all Shifters.”

“Some of us aren’t.” another woman said.

“Naturals are here too?” Mariyah asked, finding the face of the woman who spoke.

“Well, yes. Not many, but…” She looked over at what must have been her friend. “You know, they punish Naturals who get caught associating with us.”

Mariyah cleared her throat and looked around. “How many Naturals are here?”

Six people pushed towards the front of the group. “Just us are left,” one of the men said.

“There were more?” she asked.

The same woman answered. “There were twelve. But with these fights, you know, a human going against a wild tiger…”

I never knew there were Naturals who chose to still show kindness towards Shifters…My parents had a much quicker fate than these others…Mariyah grew sick as she pictured it. “I'm so sorry.” She cleared her throat. “How many Shifters whose shift will be difficult getting up that hill? It’s steep, but it's wooded.”

Five wounded Shifters from previous fights stepped forward. That left at least twenty five well off.

“Okay. Eleven of you need help getting up. I have about twelve in my group who will help. Some of them can help you get up. And some of you all-” she looked at the able bodied Shifters, “can help the others. Will you?”

They nodded their heads.

“Alright." She breathed out heavily. "When we run out of those gates, remember, straight up the hill. Push past anyone in your way, my people will be there to help, and so will I. We will fight off the guards as you make your way to the hill. For those who can, fight if you need to. But try to just run to the hill. That’s what’s important.”

Fighting guards…what am I doing?

Murmurs dispersed through the crowd.

Mariyah’s nervousness was eating her alive. What if her friends were against the idea? What if they couldn’t fight? She thought of the likelihood of them actually even being there when she exited and realized how low it was. Who would agree to this? She wouldn’t blame them, but her anxiousness was eating her. She needed to get these prisoners out no matter what.

“This sounds like it’s going to be a massacre,” another woman called out.

The big man barked back. “Will you shut up, lady?! This is already a massacre! Would you rather die by a wild animal or die escaping? I know my answer.”

The woman had no response.

“Okay...are you all ready?” Mariyah’s hands shook by her sides, so she pressed them against her dress before she finally shifted into a lioness.

They needed no more persuasion. The large group of Shifters followed her in their shifts and funneled up the stairwell. Mariyah looked around the archway before throwing herself through the archway and rushing out into the festival. The group and her made a few steps before the chaos erupted around them.

In no time, shrieks rang through the crowd of festival attendants. The dancers all ran in different directions, forming a human stampede. Wooden stands selling food were knocked over, dishes crashing and baskets spilling. Panic ensued around them.

“Push through! Just up the hill!!” Mariyah reminded the gladiators, motioning with her hands as she stood to the side and rushed everyone.

Seeing the commotion, Kai, Marcy, Gil, David, and some of the others, all came running down the hill to protect the rest of the group and help whoever needed it.

Mariyah’s heart lifted…they showed up. Her heart warmed and tears of gratitude almost formed, but screams and shouting suddenly snapped her out of her relief. The crowd had fully scattered, citizens shouting and screaming in the distance as they ran away. Vendor’s stands were left knocked over, fruit and vegetables spilled all over the dirt ground.

But now, the sound of shouting guards soon filled Mariyah’s ears. They’re coming. Mariyah stood strong alongside the group who was still funneling up the hill as a group of armed guards approached them. “Defend those still making it up the hill!!” Mariyah shouted as oncoming men began to attack.

And the fighting began.

Sylve lunged at an approaching soldier with her sharp fangs exposed, forcing him to lunge backwards and flail his sword about chaotically. Marcy and Kai stood beside each other holding out their daggers as they kept stern faces and swung at the soldiers around them in warning. Marcy soon shifted back into a mouse and began attacking up soldier's pants, and Kai shifted as well, beginning to peck and claw at any bold attacking soldiers.

Mariyah watched as Gil and David ran towards the two, helping them fight off the few guards that came to attack. Mariyah sprinted over towards the hill and roared loudly to run off at any other soldiers who got near the prisoners who were trying to escape. And it worked.

Almost everyone was up, and the soldiers were backing off.

Mariyah’s neck suddenly spun at the sound of a familiar bear growl. Cal..? She took off in a sprint to Kai and Dyelen who had snuck down as well. “Take them to a safe area at the top of the cliff!” she shouted to them through all the commotion. She grabbed Gil after he finished fighting off a guard. “I have to find Cal, I’ll be back! Help Kai and Dyelen get the rest up, please!” She grunted in frustration before looking up at the tall colosseum in front of her. She shifted into an eagle and flew into the bright cloudless sky.

That had to be his growl...right? She perched on the edge of the colosseum roof, turning her head around and scanning the area. The crowd still remained in their seats, though they were beginning to notice the commotion happening outside the arena and many were beginning to funnel out. What would they have done with him? She looked down into the pit quickly before doing a double take...Cal?

A large black bear paced around a large grizzly, doubling the black bear’s size. She grew frantic and suddenly dove down into the pit where she shifted into a human, causing the crowd to scream and more begin to run away. She pulled her knife out of her belt, her hands trembling. With a thudding heart, she held her knife back and stared down at the large brown grizzly bear that towered over Cal’s black bear form. She squinted and exhaled slowly and softly, remembering Cal’s lessons. In an instant, she chucked it and watched as the knife found its way into the grizzly’s skin, causing a loud moan to fill the colosseum.

The grizzly stumbled backwards, giving Mariyah time to sprint over to him. “Cal?!” she shouted, grabbing his arm and almost tackling him.

His head swung around. “Mariyah?!”

The crowd was in chaos around them, viewers were funneling out of all exits possible, a stampede-like rush. Shrieks were heard from every direction. Mariyah looked behind Cal, seeing the grizzly quickly recover from the knife wound, preparing to fight again. “Shift, Cal, shift!” she shouted, not wanting to fight a giant grizzly bear.

He did so, and she shifted into a griffin and grabbed him with her two arms, then took him into the sky.

“You came here?!” He looked at her from below as she flew to meet up with the others.

She flew over the cluster of panicked people leaving the arena and soldiers motioning them to flee. Mariyah’s heart thudded in her chest as she saw the last few prisoners climbing up the hill. She looked down below at Sare who was waving at her from the bottom by the tree line.

Sare wiped blood off her cheek and smiled, panting at Mariyah as Mariyah lowered a bit closer to her. “We finished off the last of the soldiers! Most of them fled!”

Mariyah looked around. “Oh my…come on, let’s get up with the others then!”

Sare shifted into a hyena and began up the hill, Mariyah following from above with Cal still in her arms. As she found the gathered group of now close to fifty, she set Cal down and shifted into a human. Mariyah’s chest lifted and fell, lifted and fell, as she tried to catch her breath. She looked over at Cal beside her and her face lifted at the sight of him in front of her and away from the arena. She quickly hugged him, taking him by surprise, and pulled away. “Are you hurt?” she asked with worried eyes in between her pants as she looked him up and down. "

Cal shook his head, watching her carefully. “No, I’m okay. But you…what did you do?”

“I don't know.” She shrugged her shoulders, seeing his shock and disbelief. "I had to save you." She turned to glance over the crowd as Marcy approached her. “We didn't lose anyone?” she asked, worriedly.

Marcy shook her head with a big smile. “No, everyone is fine! And, the soldiers, they looked terrified.” She giggled. “Only a few of them even put up a fight. The guards didn’t follow either, they couldn't make it up this hill.”

Mariyah breathed out shakily and brushed her hair back with shaky hands. “We...did it.” She looked at her friends and the prisoners and couldn’t help but begin to smile. Her village friends looked at one another before bursting into all sorts of talk and shouts.

Mariyah looked down the steep hill at the mess that had been made. Broken slabs of wood, food spilled all onto the grass, flags and knocked down decorations all sprawled out on the ground. Then, she looked at her group who were all laughing and shouting amongst each other. Free, and unharmed.

She smiled to herself as an unexplainable feeling filled her, before remembering where they were. “Wait!” She held her hand up. “ We’re not safe yet, we need to go back to the village as soon as we can.”

Rose approached her. “We need to take it easy with how many wounded there are.”

“How is Peter gonna feel when we all show up, tripled in size?” Huntro laughed.

Mariyah felt a sickness settle in her stomach. “I’m not sure. I guess...we’ll find out.” She gave a guilty shrug with an unsure smile.

Cal pulled Mariyah away from the crowd and held her shoulders. “Mariyah...I-I still don’t understand. I don’t know what to say. What just happened?” His face had a look of such surprise, and she couldn’t tell if it was anger or happiness.

A wide smile spread on her face. “I really don’t know..we came here to get you back. But then I couldn’t leave the others..” She looked at the large group behind her with a bit more seriousness. “I’d think that I’ve made a mistake, but they’d be fed to lions any other way-“

“Thank you, Mariyah.” His eyes looked into hers. "Thank you."

She smiled and nodded eagerly. She looked around. “I was going to go alone. But the others, they wanted to help you too.” She and Cal looked at her village friends.

“I need to thank them." He looked at the villagers and then back to her. "You know, you can get in trouble-killed for this.” His eyes looked worried. But there was gratitude. And maybe a hint of admiration.

“I know. I know...” She bit her lip wondering what she just did...and the penalties she and the others might face. But she was determined to protect them, no matter what she had just caused.

Her friends then approached her. “You know this is mad, Mariyah...” David began, but his face did not seem angry. “But we all finally feel something other than helplessness. I’m not sure what we all just got ourselves into, but I can tell you we all don’t regret this.”

“Thank you all for coming. Thank you so much...I clearly needed the help.” She gave a smile to her friends. “Let’s head back, I know some of them are wounded. I didn’t really want to return to Peter, but I don't see that we have a choice now. Our group is so large...I want to allow them to rest and heal. Then I’ll send them on their way. Hopefully Peter can manage a few extra heads just for a few days.”

“A few, she says,” Kai muttered with a laugh.

Mariyah moved to the freed prisoners. “Is anyone badly hurt?”

“Nothing I can’t fix.” Rose stepped up and said with a small smile, looking at Mariyah.

“Thank you.” Mariyah nodded her head to Rose, smiling back.

“That was pretty fun...” Steph smirked.

“Or terrifying. Yes, I think that’s a better word.” Huntro added.

“Sure was!” Dyelen grinned.

“Oh, you.” Mariyah almost growled. “You went down there?!”

He smirked.

"That's not funny. I wanted you to stay safe." She gently ruffled his head and looked at the others. “I can’t thank you enough for helping.” Mariyah said to her group.

“I wonder how much trouble we’ll get in for this,” Rose said quietly as she stood up from helping a wounded woman.

“They can’t find us,” Kai said. “We’re all dead if they do.”

“They won’t.” Mariyah said, with wide hopeful eyes. “They didn’t see exactly where we went. There’s no way they can pin it on us, it could’ve been any group.” But her hopeful eyes died out as fear and the reality of the danger they were in slowly climbed over her hope. She was sure news of this was already spreading.

Sylve walked up to Mariyah and leaned close to her ear. “You don’t know what it’s like for Shifters out here. You lived in the kingdom all your life. It’s not about whether or not they can pin it on us. They will capture whoever they even think to suspect. We just signed death wishes if not for us, then for whoever they choose to blame whether that be just us or our village. The only hint of rebellion in this kingdom in a long while has come from you. They kill your parents and allow you to leave, then an escape is reported in a gladiator arena? Not just one man, an entire assembly of fighters? It won’t be difficult to put this together.”

Mariyah’s eyes narrowed in defiance...but she knew Sylve was making sense. “If I hear of this, I will come forward myself. I won’t let anyone take the blame. And they know nothing of your village and my association with it. No one saw where we went. You all and the village will be safe.”

“They know of Olly and you meeting. He wasn't liked among our visiting guards, they can figure which village is the one he came from. I’m surprised they haven’t paid us a visit yet.”

She wasn’t wrong. A knot formed in Mariyah's chest. “I will take the penalty if they find us. They would want me, not you all. I’m the one who started this. I will make sure I am the only one who pays.” Her eyes looked sadly at Sylve, who had nothing more to argue. “I had to save them, ” Mariyah said softly.

Sylve remained silent and just watched as Mariyah looked at the prisoners.

Mariyah held her hands in front of her as she began to speak, “We’re going to take you to our village. They know our village is weak and without food..at least they think. So they won’t expect us to choose to camp there. There, we will be safer,” she said to them, each of them spreading the news to the others. She shifted into a griffin and allowed a wounded gladiator to get on her back. She flew into the air and soared as the large group began to walk beneath her, some helping the wounded along.