I awoke the next morning to a frantic pounding on my bedroom door. I shot up, confused at the gauze hanging around the bed and silk sheets wrapped around my body. The events of the previous day set in, and I took a deep breath. Today was the beginning of the rest of my life.
“Breakfast is ready, and then I need to escort you to the arena for the beginning of the games.” The voice behind my door sounded oddly young, yet eager to please.
I rubbed my face, and hopped down from the massive bed, taking a moment to wiggle my toes in the soft carpet on the floor. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be out!”
I went over to the wardrobe, throwing it open and seeing what options were available. Hopefully, something a bit more . . . normal than the ceremony robe. I shed the purple garment like a bad memory, wadding it up and throwing it into the fireplace. I never wanted to see it again. Maybe if I burned it, I could burn away the look of disgust in Benedict’s eyes when he had inspected me.
I felt the rich fabrics inside, marveling at the colors, which were as varied as the drakens themselves had been. They were all beautiful, but none of them were practical, all sheer fabrics that left nothing to the imagination. Was this another way to humiliate me? Why make me wear such revealing clothing if he hated the sight of my body? An idea sprung to my mind, and I shouted at the door. “Can you bring me a pair of breeches, and perhaps a tunic?”
There was a pause.
“Yes! I’ll be right back!”
His feet stomped on the hard floor as he raced away, and I smiled. He sounded like a child, perhaps a young boy. I’d never seen a boy, only men, though logically of course I knew there were boys just as there were girls. While I waited, I took one of the sheer dresses and wrapped it around my breasts, creating an opaque band of fabric that covered all the important bits. I tied it off at the side, letting the extra trail down my midriff. A knock on my door signaled the arrival of the boy. I quickly bundled my traveling cloak from yesterday around me and opened the door, gazing down curiously at him. He was certainly a boy, though perhaps just on the cusp of manhood, no older than twelve or thirteen. Everything about him was brown, his eyes, his hair, and even the tone of his skin. He had to be a boring, regular human like I was.
He thrust a bundle of clothes towards me.
“Here. Got some breeches, but no tunics. They don’t wear them.” His own chest was bare, and he wore a single chained necklace with a small, sharp tooth dangling from the center. A pair of scars shaped like two large circles stood out on the sides of his neck.
I waved his worries away.
“Thank you. Please, eat while you’re here. If it’s anything like dinner, there’s no way I’ll be able to eat it all myself.”
His jaw dropped. “I’ll get in trouble.”
I rolled my eyes. “So, don’t tell anyone. Let me put this on, and I’ll join you.”
I shut the door on him and shook out the bundle, finding three pairs of black breeches of durable if not the best quality. They fit well enough to get by on, even if they sagged a bit in the crotch area. I slid my boots over them and chose one of the shortest dresses. The gauze covered my back and shoulders and flowed down to stop at the top of my thighs. My midriff could be easily seen through the thin material, but at least my breasts were covered. All things considered, it was an improvement from yesterday.
I finished twisting my hair in a new braid as I came out to the sitting room, noticing the boy still standing awkwardly next to the food. The amount was ridiculous. It was enough food to feed every servant at the breeding house! Pastries, ham dripping in sauce, and other delicacies I couldn’t even name stretched out. I searched frantically for bread or perhaps some fruit.
I gestured, picking up an apple and nibbling at it. “Eat.”
He apparently saw I was serious and dug into the food with enthusiasm. I watched him eat in alarm, wondering if that was how all men ate, or just boys who were growing. The spread would make more sense if that’s how they thought everyone ate. The thought of all that food sitting in anyone’s stomach made me slightly ill, so I focused on my fruit. I would have to slowly build up my tolerance to the foods here so I could eat normally for once.
As the boy ate, I casually slipped one of the cutting knives into the fabric covering my breasts. My dagger was probably still out in the darkened hallway somewhere. Childishly, I hoped Benedict would step on it.
“What’s your name?”
The boy looked up, dropping a bit of egg from his mouth onto his plate. I raised an eyebrow, and he put down his plate, wiping his mouth.
“Georg.”
I made myself a cup of tea, relishing the beverage we were all forbidden as servants. I took a sip and grimaced. It didn’t taste good at all, just bitter and earthy. Maybe I needed to add sugar and milk, like Crullfed did.
“And you’re not—”
“A draken? Nope! I’m human!” Georg stuffed a pastry in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Benedict found me, said my parents were killed by a band of lykoses. My mom hid me in a pile of leaves. I’m from the mountain folk that surround this range. We used to live together as a large tribe, but since the Demon Wars, we all split up to give ourselves a better chance of survival or at least that’s what Benedict said. I’ve been here since I can remember.”
Benedict didn’t object to everyone then, just me.
“What can you tell me about Benedict? Or the drakens, or literally . . . anything I suppose.”
He shrugged.
“They wear a lot of jewelry and some cosmetics. Dark around the eyes here.” He took his middle and index fingers and drew an imaginary black mask running horizontally across his eyes.
Would that make me more appealing? I considered then decided against it.
“They can be a bit prickly. They like to fight to sort things out. If I listen and stay out of the way, it’s an easy enough life here and with plenty of food! Better than being eaten out there.” He waved a hand lazily towards the wall of the mountain, and I couldn’t help but agree with him.
I checked the fabric binding my breasts, the cold metal of the knife a comforting weight against my skin. “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 we were 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 more 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, and I soon 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 in 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. Raised benches circled 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 appear 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, sharp teeth. His eyes flared when he saw me. “Good morning, siren.”
I had no clue what a siren was, so I steadfastly ignored him, our attention drifting towards the center of the pit. D’Arcy wore a blue tunic today, and a heavy gold necklace around his throat. He raised his fist high, his eyes alight with a strange fire. Bright turquoise scales gleamed from his upper body, fading down into deep amethyst along his waist and legs. The scales at his wrist and neck blended both colors together, and flecks of black scattered here and there.
“We come together to commence the rebuilding of our race! After centuries of languishing in this mountain, we have a female amongst us!” he announced.
The drakens cheered as the mood in the arena became even more exuberant, and Benedict slid 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 realizing drakens had fought in the Demon Wars. Surely the drakens already knew all of this, so why repeat it now? Was it theatrical, like the small plays the girls sometimes put on to entertain each other when the storms raged and there were no customers? Simple tales embellished beyond belief to drive away the boredom and fear. I highly doubted he was doing it for my benefit.
“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 brightness of his fire. All around the stadium, small balls of light erupted to join D’Arcy’s until the entire arena was bathed in a soft, golden glow. I inhaled deeply; it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
“Here.”
I turned around to find Benedict with his hands out, a small burst of flame curling and dancing in his palms. The light reflected off his scales, and I imagined a small smile at the corner of his mouth, but it was likely just a trick of the shadows. I cautiously put my hands under his, and together we lifted them over the balcony, letting our light join the others. It was a visible representation of their hope as a race, and it was breathtaking.
“The gods have seen fit to forgive our selfishness, and today we open the first games in centuries! We await the crowning of our champions, and soon the world will see the rise of the drakens once more!”
The individual fires grew, floating up into a layer of light that covered the entire ceiling. With a mighty blast it exploded, sending a wave of heat across the entire arena. When it burnt out, the torches were again lit, burning the way they had before being extinguished. D’Arcy turned, and I froze as he pointed right at me.
“For seven days we will battle to find the worthiest drakens among us! Our guest will determine the winners: choosing who will be worthy to share her bed, the court of our king, and the future of our people!”
The crowd roared, every draken stamping his feet and flaring his wings.
I twisted my hands nervously in the fabric that hung from my midriff. I’d never been with a man and didn’t fully understand my purpose. Did they think I could give birth to draken children? If that was the case, why had they waited so long to take a human female? Why start now and with me?
The drakens cheered and roared, their energy and joy infectious. I allowed myself an odd grimace that may have been mistaken for a smile, and Benedict’s hand landed heavily on my shoulder. He held his hand out straight above him and gestured to the draken people surrounding him. He began to sing, and I had to grip hard to the stone balcony to stay on my feet. These weren’t words I recognized, but you’d have to be dead not to appreciate the pain and sorrow that dripped from his vocal cords. All around him the other drakens joined in, some on the same pitch, others in harmony. The sound grew until it filled my head, and I closed my eyes from the overwhelming feelings. They split into further harmonies, then notes that didn’t sound right at all, building and tripping over one another until all I could hear was the increasing pressure of sound that slithered through my body like an inner skin. It grew and grew, and I put my hands against my head.
Benedict threw his arms down, and then the sound resolved into glorious harmony. The voices moved with his hands, progressing together through a song of brotherhood and loss. I tried to catch my breath as sweat gathered on my lower back. Benedict chose that moment to turn his dark gaze on me, and I could have sworn he’d smirked.
“Let the games begin.”
