Together, Viliant and Fia made careful preparations to sneak out of the holding room under the veil of his shadows. They ironed out every crease, only needing to wait until his skill with magic caught up to their grand ideas. Alas, they had delayed their escape for too long.

On each tournament day, Fia had grown accustomed to stirring awake to the noise of the crowd. This morning was different. The roar of a thousand voices seemed to bellow directly in her ear. Sometimes the coliseum hosted special events, but this must have been the largest one in history.

This is weird! Fia said to Viliant out of alarm. What's going on?

Don't know, he said, but I don't like it.

They had nothing to do but wait for their breakfast to arrive. Perhaps Fia was imagining things, but the portion of meat seemed smaller than usual. It was as if their last meal was simply a token, not meant to sustain them for a day rife with battles.

Next, the guards came to unlock the door of their cell. Unlike the usual silence, the men deigned to speak to them. The harsh, laughing words fell over Fia's ears.

Viliant drew his eyes wide and froze in place.

What did they say? Fia nagged him to translate.

"Hope you enjoyed your stay. Today's the day you die, dragons!"

What…? she gasped. Before she could think of anything, the guards grabbed up their chains. They were pulled unceremoniously towards the arena with spears to guide them.

Even when Fia and Viliant tried their best to cooperate as usual, the guards sought to brutalize them.

What do we do? she cried to him.

Shh. I'm listening for a moment.

The guards were talking to each other as they manhandled the young dragons. "I can't wait to see the Dragon Slayer in the flesh!"

"I thought his reputation was all just a bunch of rumors, minted by the royal family to elevate the crown prince. Didn't think he had the gall to prove the weight of that name."

"Apparently, there's gonna be a big announcement today. It will change the future of the kingdom!"

The conversation made Fia's heart race in the worst of ways. The human kingdom had a dragon slaying prince—one who would kill Fia and Viliant for sport to advance his political messaging. If she was going to die, this seemed like the worst possible way for things to end.

Once Viliant had finished translating, he barked, Fia, listen to me closely. You are running away before we get to the arena.

We are? she asked, exhilarated.

You are, Viliant emphasized. The way I see it, only one of us has a chance to get away. Might as well be you. My destiny was always to die here.

A disillusioned snort slipped past Fia's nostrils. What are you saying? We agreed to leave together—!

My clan was eradicated, Viliant stated. Honest thoughts never fell so freely from his head. The Novemis Clan, a group of cowardly dragons who lack magic in their bloodline made a pact with this kingdom. They killed our elders…. They kidnapped the baby dragons. They offered some of us to entertain their human allies in this coliseum.

If the guards did not threaten to stab her with a spear, she would have walked slower to better regard his story. The chain strained her neck, but she did her best to gaze upon her friend. Viliant, I'm so sorry—

He ignored her sympathies, rushing to tell her the rest. I lived long enough to watch everyone I care about suffer. If I'm going to die, I'd like to see this Dragon Slayer for myself! A note of savagery hung in his thoughts. He would seek vengeance if he could manage to stand against the one called Dragon Slayer.

We're running out of time, Viliant continued. You know why I bothered telling you this? Viliant took up his chain in his jaws. The glint of green flashed at her through the corner of his eyes.

No, she said simply.

Don't concern yourself with me. You still have your people to return to. Run away.

No, Viliant…! she gasped. I can't leave without you.

Please, Fia. I want you to go home. Viliant's calm, confident eyes had never shone so bright. He twisted his neck and yanked the chain from the guards' hands.

A spear stabbed at him. In response, he contorted his neck to the side, hissed, and bit back. In the dark of the passageway, Viliant could call upon the shadows for aid.

Fia darted between a man's legs. As she passed, her claws slashed for the chink in the armor at the backs of his knees. The man hollered out in pain and fell. Fia kept running. With tears beading in her eyes, she did not look back at Viliant who kept fighting—holding the guards off for her sake.

The harsh sunlight, unhindered by a metal cage, made Fia wince as she stepped outside. The bustling street was filled with people. The onlookers shrieked and screamed as Fia ran by.

She needed to get somewhere with good elevation. Even if Fia could not fly, she could glide elsewhere in the city. Hopefully, she could land somewhere with a place to hide.

Aside from the coliseum, the tallest building in the area had steeples which ventured into the sky. The many ornamental decorations across its pillars gave Fia easy footholds. She scurried up the side of the building. As she neared the top with panting breaths, her heart rate began to slow.

The parade of humans looked like ants beneath her—as they should. Before she took off, she gave one last glance back to the coliseum. Viliant… I'll never forget you.

She spread her wings and jumped. Just like that, Fia was free.

It lasted only for a moment. Her body careened towards the ground, much faster than a simple free fall. What's happening? Panic enveloped her, like the wind whistling in her ears.

Fia's body crashed against a shiny black orb. This mysterious object which had drawn her from the sky and ripped a sharp pain through her entire chest. It was worse than being stabbed with the banshee's claws. Her ribcage fractured like glass had struck the cobblestones.

Then, the orb disappeared and she collapsed onto the street. Fia tried her best to steady her labored breaths. Her vision was blurring from the intense pain. She still did not understand what had just happened to her.

Two large, black boots stepped closer to her. The texture was glossy as if the owner had someone to lick them clean. The unintelligible words fell from his lips, sickly and sweet.

Fia could not understand the language, but she hated this man for his tone of voice. A gentle hand lifted up her head, encouraging her to look at him. She winced at the touch, but Fia felt too faint to snap at his fingers.

When her sight came into focus, she curled her lips back at the pallid man. His long, ebony hair was topped in a golden crown. An eloquently carved staff rose in his hand. At its tip, a massive, purple amethyst seemed to have a dark energy swirl within. The regal dress which adorned this man screamed that he was the prince, the Dragon Slayer.

Why…? Fia could not understand why the prince deemed it necessary to chase after her. Only one dragon had run away. The Dragon Slayer was supposed to be content with the one that had remained behind.

A sideways smirk curled onto his lips.

Fia had never hated a man more in her life. Fueled by her anger, she tried to blow fire through her pursed snout.

The Dragon Slayer held two fingers up to halt her attack. An eerie, black orb—the size of a pinpoint—spun on two fingertips. Her fire orbited around his own magic until the light was ultimately consumed.

That did nothing to discourage Fia. She kept feeding her fire breath to the peculiar orb. None of her magic could escape its immense pull. Once she had given up, the Dragon Slayer dismissed the strange power. His fingers stayed up to waggle at Fia as he chastised her. "Nuh uh uh." It was the only thing which she could understand from him.

Even though Fia was already immobilized, the Dragon Slayer casually gestured one hand for her to follow. A tingling sensation started up. Soon, Fia's body felt light as a feather as it suspended in the air. She floated after the Dragon Slayer every step that he walked. His long cape, a rich purple hue, billowed after him in a supernatural way.

He must be a gravity mage, she thought in horror. It was no wonder that he had earned such a title when he could instantly drop a dragon from the sky.

As the Dragon Slayer strolled past the populace, wild cheers broke out. The same people who had screamed at Fia's freedom now celebrated her capture.

I never did anything wrong! she thought. I never did anything to hurt you!

The Dragon Slayer carried her into the coliseum. The people outside tried to follow, but the guards barred their way and shut the doors.

Once more, she found herself trapped in the darker interior of the coliseum. Fia squirmed and whined in her floating bubble. The Dragon Slayer brought her into the holding room. Usually, caged animals filled the empty space, but today, only one black dragon stood next to the healer. A squad of guards stood on duty near the doors.

Viliant observed her with unblinking eyes. Well, you tried your best.

I'm sorry! Fia broke down into helpless sobs. Unlike her, Viliant was selfless and brave. He did not fear death but was willing to face it, just to give her a chance at life. Yet she had squandered that opportunity.

Viliant ignored her volatile emotions and focused on translating for her.

"Heal this pathetic, little mongrel," the Dragon Slayer said. "I want her in perfect condition for when I kill her—or at least looking like it." Unceremoniously, he ended the anti-gravity field.

Fia's body smacked against the ground. A scream tore from her throat as her entire body seethed in agony. Her wails grew louder, inspired by both her pain and terror.

The healer knelt by her and lowered his shaky hands close to her body. The green glow of his magic washed over her with an anesthetic effect. As the pain faded away, her sobs reduced to sniffles. Fia could think clearly once again, so she could strategize with Viliant.

What are we going to do?

Same thing we always do. Fight our best.