“Varick!”
All eyes turned as the pit gladiators guarding the caverns entrance moved out of the way as a mere dragon pushed its head through them, hissing menacingly as it passed. My-re, wearing finely etched platemail armor, was mounted on its back with reigns in hand. She guided Koma towards the fighting pit and they both went down. Varick backed up, as Koma barred its fangs. Dismounting, she went to the crumpled and bloody form of Vomarian Fae and helped him up.
“Can you ride?”
“I’ll bloody well ride out of here,” Vomarian said weakly and continued, “Don’t fight him. I tried. He’s too powerful.”
Nodding in understanding, My-re helped him mount Koma.
“I have unfinished business with that Shagornan elf,” Varick spat and pulled out two back-up long swords sheathed on his back. “He is not going anywhere. This is a Dark Arena match. It is not over until someone is dead.”
“You have unfinished business with me,” My-re replied. She then pulled from either side of Koma two rectangular, gladiator large shields that would cover a person’s body. The outside was covered with dense leather hide of an animal with interlocking groves running their length. The metal was several times thicker and each had a curved dome extension at the top, which could cover the users head. She slammed one into the sandy ground. It made a large indention and its massive weight kept it sturdy and in place.
“Two large shields?” Varick questioned and chuckled. “I can not be scummed.” This brought knowing laughter from the other pit gladiators.
“Koma, get Vomarian out of here,” My-re said to the mere dragon as it climbed out of the fighting pit in the ground with the Shagornan elf hanging on. Varick nodded and his men let them pass out of the cavern.
“Now, let Araminth go,” My-re said.
“Of course. All you have to do is defeat me,” Varick retorted.
“There is no need for this grudge match. No need for Araminth to be involved,” My-re said.
“No need you say? I’ve been thinking about this moment since I was a child, since I was dragged from that cage, since everyone abandoned me. I endured unspeakable horrors you could not imagine in your worst nightmares,” Varick spat.
“I am sorry. What unspeakable horrors,” My-re asked.
“Do you not understand the word? They’re unspeakable!” Varick snapped, agitated.
“I was a child, like you during the Rirorni war. What was I supposed to do!? Even if I kept that Rirorni from taking you from that cage, do you think it would have stopped them!? I was eight years old!” My-re shouted.
Varick shook his head and chuckled. “I know you are right. I accepted this truth some time ago. We were both innocent children. Injustice done to us. I no longer blame you, My-re.”
“Finally, some reason. Let’s end this now,” My-re pleaded.
“It will end, but by my own means. We were taken by the Rirorni Empire and abandoned by the Alastarians. This will end, but not before both nations suffer. Like I suffered,” Varick said and then motioned to My-re and the other pit gladiators. “Like we all suffered.”
“Both nations have already suffered enough at the hands of each other,” My-re countered.
“No, neither is innocent. You have seen it with your own eyes. The Rirorni overbreed like rodents and then when their natural resources have diminished and have a surplus of warriors, they expand and conquer until they obtained enough resources to sustain their population, or enough Rirorni killed to drive them back and restore balance. I will end this cycle,” Varick said.
“How? You only have a few men. You can’t cause the change you want,” My-re said.
“Very true. I can not, but dragons can,” Varick replied and then pointed a long sword at Araminth. “When I found you were alive and in the Rirorni Empire, my revenge was at hand. You were looking for Araminth, someone important. By her own word and slips of the tongue, I deduced she was not just some young woman hiding from her parents to be married to off, like property. She was in disguise. Not by mere clothes, but her very nature was in disguise. She is dragon, living in human form. She even took a human lover.”
“Perhaps, but you won’t convince her. I doubt she’d even light a bonfire for you,” My-re replied.
“Yes, but her parents will,” Varick retorted.
“How?”
“Not that smart are you My-re?” Varick said, “With Araminth’s death within the Rirorni Empire, her kind will want revenge. A raw, pure emotion both our races understand. Then when they find out I killed her, an Alastarian, they will want revenge on the entirety of Alastari.”
“But you’ll be killed too,” My-re replied.
“I am already dead. I died as a child when I was taken from that cage so many years ago,” Varick said.
“So, both nations will burn? That’s your goal. All cities will be razed? Mordant, Niania, Valamantis, Rocanis, and Shadowspire?”
“Yes, all those cities and more. I suspect Shadowspire particularly will be turned to sand and glass. Araminth’s parents will likely want their daughter’s perversion of mating with that human Westwind turned to ash,” Varick commented.
“And there is nothing that can convince you otherwise? Sparing Araminth’s life and letting us all go?” My-re asked.
“Convince me!? I am counting on this! Araminth will die, you will die, and both the Rirorni and Alastari will perish!” Varick roared and raised his long swords to strike.
“Me? Why? You said yourself, you don’t blame me,” My-re said, inching backwards to the planted large shield and bringing the other to bear.
“Yes, old grudged die hard. Besides, this is a Dark Arena match. Only one of us will leave this pit alive,” Varick said and then continued. “You will not talk yourself out of this My-re. Whoever said words were mightier than the sword, were not in any gladiator matches. They are not enough to defeat me.”
Sighing heavily, My-re replied, “I’ve been in many matches and I find words equally, if not more powerful.”
Varick snorted and quipped, “How so?”
“You’re already defeated. I’ve been attacking you the entire time and you didn’t even know it,” My-re snapped.
“Woman, I will cleave you-” Varick began before being interrupted.
“There is another thing our two races share, male. Arrogance and over inflated egos,” Araminth said from her cage. She began to disrobe behind the iron bars as she spoke. “You threaten to take my freedom. Threaten the city I call home, you threaten the man I love. And when given the opportunity for redemption, you cast it aside for the pitiful concept of revenge that will not right any wrong. Pathetic. And above all, you have the audacity to threaten dragon.”
Varick’s eyes went wide in realization, as he screamed in panic pointing at Araminth, “Kill her!”
The pit gladiators heisted, but My-re wasn’t sure if it was Araminth’s perfectly symmetrical nude female form before them or the moment later, as she began to grow and transform. Leather wings sprouted from her back and a tail emerged from behind and went through the bars. Araminth’s hands turned into heavy, sharp claws, as her neck stretched and face elongated. Her silky, tawny red hair turned into thick spikes along her back. The iron cage squealed in protest as it could no longer hold its occupant. It bust as a twenty foot green scaled dragon replaced the woman Araminth in the now destroyed enclosure. Her golden brown eyes stared daggers at the men before her.
As Varick and the other pit gladiators watched the transformation in horror, My-re hurriedly moved to the specially crafted large shield planted in the ground, which had a head cover. She used the other one in her hand to enclose herself into a metal cylinder. Both were covered in thick, mere dragon hide. The moment before it locked into place she heard Araminth.
“Know my fire!”