Zilferia
Training

I’m awakened by a sudden knock on my door, jolted out of my tortured dreams. I jump up, shouting. When I calm down and realize what’s going on, I open the door. I slept in my clothes, and I can tell that Nathan did, too. He stands there wearily, bags under his eyes and his clothes wrinkled from spending the night in them, but he’s a welcome sight. It’s better to spend the day with friends rather than complete strangers. Although, I did just meet him the day before and he is still basically a stranger to me, but we must now count on each other for help to stay alive in this crazy place.

He smiles wearily at me. “The sun will be up soon, and I figure it can’t hurt to be a little early. So, are you ready to go?”

“I guess so. I’ll just do my hair first,” I reply, letting him into the room. He sits down on the bed as I grab a brush and guide it through my hair. I then quickly put it into its uniform braid down my back, making it a little tighter than usual so it won’t fall out during the quite possibly rigorous training.

“Alright, let’s go,” I say, leading the way out the door. We go to eat breakfast at a small building that a villager directs us to. As we start walking to the tallest building after eating, I fish for something to talk about.

“So… it looks like you didn’t get a very good night’s sleep,” I observe.

“No,” he shakes his head. “I didn’t. These ‘Games’ gave me nightmares. Let’s just say, I hope whatever is out there is not as bad as what my brain came up with last night. I kept waking up. …How was your night?”

“Well, I had nightmares, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t escape into the real world. They just went on and on until you came. …So what do you think our training will be like?”

“I don’t know, but I’m afraid it will be pretty tough. Think you’re up for it?”

“Maybe. I’m pretty fit from working on our farm and from taking Martial Arts and Self defense classes. How about you?”

“I didn’t do anything like that, but I think I’m pretty well off. I’m not all lazy and fat like a lot of people on First Earth, at least. But compared to what you can probably do… I don’t know. I’m pretty fast- I took first place in our school’s Track at distance running. I even finished third at state. So I can run- hopefully that will help. I’ve never really tried exercising my brain, so I’m probably not that good with strategy,” he sighs.

We both fall silent as we arrive at the majestic building that looms in front of us. The rays of light from the rising sun cause the glass to sparkle. I focus and try to peer through the glass, but can’t since it’s tinted a dark blue. The building is huge and we have to crane our necks back to be able to see the top of it. The silver walls gleam spectacularly against the dark blue of the windows. I search for doors, but I can only see one at the bottom, which stands closed a few feet away from what appears to be an elevator. We admire the building for a short time, then continue. Thaddeus isn’t there yet, but that isn’t all that much of a surprise, seeing as we’re here almost an hour early. Looking around, we see some equipment set out. There’s a variety of weapons- spears, long swords, rapiers, maces, knives, shields, bows and arrows, and even a small object similar to a gun that I can’t identify.

Seeing a person nearby, we walk over to her. She’s just a few inches shorter than me and is wearing a grey suit jacket, a matching skirt that goes to her knees, and a plain white button-up blouse. She has a necklace on that is made of dark blue glass- even darker than the glass on the building behind her- and white gold, which is clasped tightly to her throat. Her dark brown hair is up in a bun and she carries an air of authority and belonging. When we ask her who she is, she says that she is Thaddeus’s assistant- although she doesn’t know where he is. She believes that he is probably at a meeting finalizing the details for the First Challenge. We ask her if we can try out the weapons, and after a slight hesitation, she agrees, provided we are quick and careful.

I pick up a small, light shield and a rapier. Nathan selects two slim swords that can fit together into one. They are long but light and I can tell it’s not hard for him to adjust to them. After carefully swinging my sword around, getting used to the feel of it in my hand, I eventually get to the point that it’s almost like an extension of my arm. Turning to Nathan, we decide to try and carefully attack each other. We start slowly, not really knowing what we’re doing, but soon we glide into a smooth rhythm and just let our instincts take over. Our little duel turns into a deadly, yet somehow beautiful, dance of steel. Neither of us is concerned, too focused to be thrown off track.

I don’t know how long we fight, but by the time we decide to stop, I’m slick with sweat and panting lightly. Nathan is too. When we start heading over to put the weapons back, I stop, surprised. Standing there, calm and cool, is Thaddeus. I don’t know how long he’s been watching us, but I can tell by the look on his face that it was long enough to be impressed. We put the weapons back and walk up to him.

“I’m sorry,” I start, shading my eyes with my hand to avoid the brightness of the sunlight. “We didn’t know what we should do since you weren’t here, so we just… tried out the weaponry. I’m sorry if we disappointed you.”

He laughs. “Disappointed me? Are you serious? After watching only the last few minutes of your duel, I noticed that both of you are more talented than I would have guessed. Your Gifts are already coming in. Have either of you battled with these weapons before?” We both shake our heads. “Well, then! Isn’t that a surprise! After watching you, I thought that you had been studying this style of art for quite some time!”

“…Were we okay, then?” Nathan asks, surprise on his face and in his voice. I don’t blame him- I’m surprised as well! Were we really that skillful? To deserve this man’s praise? We managed not to hurt ourselves or each other, but I don’t really think that is worthy of that kind of praise… Actually, I don’t remember much of what happened… strange… Although… I might have been too focused at the time to absorb everything that was going on. Yes, that must explain it.

“Were you really that excellent?” Thaddeus restates, chuckling. Shaking his head, he waves us inside. We follow him as we begin climbing up a huge set of stairs. He continues to chuckle, then stops suddenly. I can practically see the light bulb go on above his head. “…Do either of you remember that duel much at all? Did you think about anything you were about to do or did you just… follow your instincts?”

“How do you know that I don’t remember much of it?” I ask, surprised. “And no, I didn’t think about anything I was about to do. Why?”

“Same here,” Nathan says, a look of confusion on his face. “I kind of just let my body… take over, I guess. Why? Did we do something wrong? Because if we did…”

“No, no,” Thaddeus laughs, waving away his concern. “You didn’t do anything wrong- although you two might pose a bigger threat to the other teams than anyone- even the advisors, including myself, could have ever guessed. And you don’t even know why you were able to do that without any training!” His face suddenly softens as he thinks. Confused, Nathan and I just concentrate on climbing the stairs. They don’t seem to ever end, although I know that they must. My legs are starting to burn. I try to convince myself that this may help get me ready for the First Challenge somehow, but the thought only keeps me going for about fifty more steps. Luckily, Thaddeus begins talking again, so I can concentrate on something other than the pain.

“Well, we may as well work on your brain right now. We’ve already lost some time because of my meeting today. So, for your first test… who can come up with the answer?”

“…To what?” I ask, having forgotten the question already.

He chuckles. “Figure out how you two did that. Why you were able to do that. It shouldn’t take too long for one of you to come up with an answer. Plus, it gives you something else to do besides thinking about the climb. Not only that, but we can work on both the brain and the body at the same time!” He continues to quietly laugh to himself as we climb.

Glad to have something else to do, I reflect on everything I’ve learned since I’ve arrived at this strange place. Something Vlad told me pops back into my mind. “Everyone has at least one Gift, sometimes two, although it’s been said that the ones destined to be King and Queen can have up to four Gifts. There are quite a few Gifts that once could possess and not yet know it, such as flying, reading minds, extraordinary fighting skills…” Wait a minute! I think, excited. Gifts; extraordinary fighting skills… Nathan and I must have the Fighting Gift!

“I think I know!” I say. They both look at me, surprised.

“Really?” Thaddeus says. “I didn’t think you would figure it out so fast! Well, go ahead.”

“Well… Vlad told me that there are different Gifts we could develop here… and he mentioned extraordinary fighting skills. So… do Nathan and I have that Gift? Or am I completely off?”

Now Thaddeus seems really surprised. “No, no, you’re just about exactly right! Considering what little you have been told… it’s amazing that you were able to come up with that! However… perhaps I should clarify before you get ahead of yourselves. This may not be your actual Gift. Before you actually recieve all of your Gifts, your body will go through… let’s call it Zilferian puberty. Your body will try out different Gifts, sometimes with more success than others. You may have one Gift for over a week, but another may only linger for a few hours should your body reject the Gift.

“Judging from what I just saw of you two, and how you were both equally matched… I thought that maybe you both had already completely grown into that Gift, but since you don’t really remember what happened… well, that’s how you know that it’s not your actual Gift yet. You won’t know what your Gift is until you see everything crystal clear- both during and immediately after you use it. You will also feel more powerful for a few hours after receiving your new Gift- like a huge dose of adrenaline- but you will then feel a drop in energy for about an hour. You will be quite weak. After that, you will then feel normal, and be in complete control of your new power. Using it will be like second nature to you, unlike during your Zilferian puberty.”

He looks at us a little sheepishly. “I’m sorry, was that too much to absorb at once? I just get so caught up… I don’t remember that you know next to nothing about all this and that it is all still very sudden and strange to you.”

I shake my head. “No, I think we’re alright, but the meaning of what you just said may not sink in for a while. But you may as well toss everything on us at once, since we need to know as much as we can before the First Challenge.”

“Speaking of which,” Nathan adds, “what is the First Challenge? Aren’t you supposed to tell us? You need to get us ready so we can have the best chance possible- it’s your job- and part of that is warning us. I know that you know what it is- you were just at a meeting to finalize everything for it!”

“Oh, calm down,” Thaddeus sooths, waving a hand at us. We must have climbed hundreds of stairs by now, yet we are still not at the top, although I think I can see it. We are both very winded now, although Thaddeus is fine. He may be old, but he’s very fit. I don’t ask for a break, determined to do what I must to win this thing, just as I promised. Even and especially if that means doing anything and everything my advisor asks me to do- without complaint. Nathan does the same. So we struggle silently, not complaining- although we can’t do anything about our breathing, which becomes continually more ragged as we climb. My lungs begin burning and it’s a struggle to get them to continue to expand. I start taking smaller, shallower breaths- which only causes my muscles to burn even more from the lack of oxygen. As I run out of energy, my legs feel as heavy as rocks. How on earth does Thaddeus do it?

“I’ll tell you about the First Challenge- but I can’t tell you everything you can expect to replace or do, just teach you about the bigger threats that you will almost certainly encounter and how to deal with them. I cannot tell you every little detail that is refrained from the rest of the contestants. We try to make this so that everyone has an equal opportunity to win.”

Nathan looks a little frustrated at this, but he stays calm and pants, “Okay… fine. Teach us… what… we have… to know.”

“We’ll get to that,” he replies, a knowing twinkle in his stormy eyes. “For now, though, please go ahead and ask away at any other questions on your mind. I will do my best to answer them.”

I already have a question on my mind. Quite a few, actually. So, I start with the simplest one. “How many… Challenges… are there?” The pain in my legs is starting to drive me to distraction, but I know that I MUST know everything that I can, so I don’t waste time crying over the pain that intensifies with each step, but listen to Thaddeus instead.

“Hmm… since this is only the second year we have done this, we aren’t quite sure. It will depend on how long it takes for all but one team to drop out- either voluntarily or from injuries too severe for them to continue. Last year it took almost a whole year to finally have a winning team. We went through a lot of Challenges then- about one every week or two, but some of the Challenges lasted about that long as well. This year, we are mostly planning them as we go, but we have some idea of what is coming. So far we have begun planning for about twenty… but again, we don’t finalize anything until we know that we will need another one. I’ll tell you this much, however,” he says with a knowing glint in his eyes. “I personally don’t think it will take that long this time. They’re all pretty brutal since Vlad is in charge- for the most part- this year. Now that’s all you’re getting out of me about that!”

Now it’s Nathan’s turn to ask a question. “What… happens… after each… Challenge- when you win… or lose? And how… do you win… or lose?”

“Well, each Challenge has a goal. It may be to replace and/or kill a certain creature, defeat someone of your choice in a skill, which can be riddles, running, flying, fighting… anything that involves any of the Gifts. I would advise you to pick one to work on that you either KNOW is your Gift or you have a strong feeling about so you can develop it fully. There could be many goals to accomplish, which is why I need to train you both at the same time in the skills you will both need to work on while Vlad works on you both individually to work on your major weaknesses. Although today will just be to replace out what your strengths and weaknesses are.

“After each Challenge, the surviving teams get prizes, while the losing teams… well, they stay in the hospital until they can continue, and then they resume training for the next Challenge or are disqualified. So all those involved in the Games will not be disturbed by the observers, we have microscopic cameras set around the arena. I can’t tell you what the prizes will be- I don’t know myself anyway. …Any other questions?”

“Yes,” I say. “What will I… be doing… while Nathan’s… with Vlad? Can I… go and… watch?”

“No!” Thaddeus says, shocked by the mere suggestion. He’s so surprised, in fact, that he stops climbing. I sigh in relief. He stares at me with concern. “Heavens, no! That’s why we train you each individually- the pressure from another person will affect the test. It is also just in case you each have some special talents that you may want to hide, in case you have to fight one another in a Challenge, or if you are captured- while in the Games, of course- and quizzed about your partners special Gifts. It’s just extra security. But to answer your question,” he continues as he resumes climbing, “you can train with me one on one, if you would like, or I could arrange for someone else to join us and teach you while Nathan’s with Vlad. The same goes for you while Crystal is with Vladimir,” he continues, looking at Nathan.

We are getting very near the top now, and I can see that Thaddeus is pretty much done answering our random questions. However, I am desperate for him to clear up something that has been bugging me since I first met Vlad. “Thaddeus… stop for… a second… please. I have… something to… say before we… continue... and I… need to breathe… first…”

Looking at me strangely, he stops. Nathan shoots me a grateful glance as we both lean over, hands on our knees, and pant until we can get our breath back. As it does, I can feel my muscles beginning to tighten into stone and I can immediately tell that I will be very sore in the morning. In fact, I will probably barely even be able to move. What a great way to start off the First Challenge- barely being able to move without pain! That won’t be good no matter what the Challenge is!

Pushing this out of my mind for the moment, I straighten to see Thaddeus, patiently waiting for my question. “Just remember,” he comments, “that this will take time away from your learning.”

“I know,” I say. “but it’s worth it. I have to know something- here and now.”

He raises an eyebrow at me, clearly surprised. Nathan looks at me as well, intrigued now. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I forge ahead with my question. “When I first met Vlad, he… mentioned something about my eyes. He said something along the lines of ‘my eyes are just like the King’s.’ …Can you please explain that to me?” Confused, Thaddeus steps closer and peers into my eyes. He jumps back, chocking down a startled exclamation. I continue.

“He… he said that my eyes are just how the Princess’s eyes are supposed to look like.”

“Can… can you turn your eyes into… into dragon eyes?” he asks me, shock and excitement in his voice. Sighing, I decide to try. I haven’t done it for a long time, but I must get complete answers out of this guy. So I roll my eyes back into my head and let my gold dragon’s eyes appear. I can instantly see greater detail of everything around me, although everything is tinted amber- which really gives everything a magical look and feel.

To my surprise, there’s something new that I notice this time. I can see… the color of Thaddeus and Nathan’s thoughts and emotions. Looking at Nathan, I can see an aura around him. It’s dark green, which I instinctively perceive to be inquisitiveness and curiosity. I also detect a light gold- wonder and devotion to something- as well as black with anxiety. I pick out a very light rose color ringing it all, which I take to mean love. Although there’s not much of that, so I don’t know what he loves, and I doubt he knows it either it’s so slight.

Nathan’s colors are all a bit dull, except for the green, the prominent one. Thaddeus’s, however, are bright and almost hurt my eyes. There are so many thoughts flying through his brain that all I can see at first is a swirling, multicolored aura surrounding him. But after a few seconds of focusing, I can pick out the major ones. Light green- surprise, Grey- he’s hiding something and is conflicted, Gold- wonder, a little bit of black- anxiety, Magenta- wariness, and so many more that can’t be put into words.

“Whoa!” Nathan exclaims, leaning back from shock at first, and then forward with interest. “I had no idea… that’s… wow.”

“Yes, this is quite… interesting,” Thaddeus says, looking at me like I’m some dangerous new threat to be carefully examined before he dares approach me. “This… confirms a lot of things.”

“So, wait,” Nathan says, looking confused. “Does this mean… that she’s the Princess?” I look at Thaddeus, switch my eyes back to normal, and wait for his verdict. He takes a while to reply.

“I… would say so,” he states, sounding like he can’t believe this is happening. “But this doesn’t change anything. Yes, we are looking for the King and Queen’s lost children, but even when we replace them, they need to have grown into their Gifts in order to rule. Oh, and by the way Crystal, members of the royal family have more Gifts than the others- three, sometimes four. And I’m sorry, but the Games are not off- for anyone. Besides, Crystal can’t just leave you alone, Nathan. So you’re both still in this together.”

“Wait… what?” Nathan says, looking even more lost and confused than before. “That’s why we’re having these ‘Games?’ Because the King and Queen lost their kids? So they’re risking all of our lives… to replace Crystal and her brothers? No offense,” he says to me.

“None taken,” I respond. “I was actually thinking the same thing. But what makes you so sure I want to be this Princess?” I ask, turning back to Thaddeus. “What makes you think I’ll just go along with anything you say?” He looks stunned. “And how come we haven’t seen the King and Queen- who are apparently my parents- yet? How do we know that they aren’t just your puppets? Or are they just some figurehead no one’s ever seen because they don’t actually exist?”

I mean for the words to sting, and they do. I don’t know why I’m being so harsh to Thaddeus. I guess I’m just taking out my frustration at all the secrets on him. I’ve finally accepted that this place exists and that this is all really happening, so I really care about how things run and that I should be properly informed about everything going on, so I’m getting frustrated because I’m not being properly informed- about anything.

Nathan glances at me, surprised, and it looks like he’s about to go off on me again about making our helpers mad and decreasing our chances of survival, but then he just gives me a small nod, indicating that he’s on my side. I’m shocked, but grateful.

“What… how could you… how dare you!” Thaddeus exclaims, suddenly spitting with anger. This is the first time I’d seen him anything but calm and collected, so now I’m scared and worried and wishing I hadn’t said anything. I may have pushed him too far. “How dare you take out your anger on Pearl and Alexander Dragon! They are the best King and Queen we have had in centuries- and they are your parents, no less! They have fallen into depression and have been awfully sick, so they haven’t been out to see any of the contestants yet! In fact, they are in a coma at the moment, so we could not even tell them of your arrival!”

Gulping, I feel remorse for my harsh words. “I… I’m sorry… I didn’t know…”

Sighing, Thaddeus calms himself down. “No, you didn’t know. I’m sorry as well. I keep forgetting to put myself in your shoes and look at things how you see them. You’re just frustrated, and I understand that. I’m sorry. I won’t snap like that again. ...Now then, are we ready to continue? We are almost there, and we really must begin your training. After all, it wouldn’t be good to finally get our Princess back and then get her killed, now would it?”

Nathan and I don’t comment, opting instead to trudge after him, our sore legs screaming out in pain with each step, but neither of us makes a sound. I feel Nathan’s eyes on me almost the whole time, but I pretend not to notice. When we finally reach the top, we get to a door made of dark, rich colored wood. Thaddeus opens it and directs us through. We emerge and feel a fresh, cool breeze on our faces. Once our eyes adjust to the lighting, we look around, wide-eyed.

We are on the roof of the huge building, high over everything else around us, except for the King and Queen’s palace, shining and shimmering in the growing daylight. Some beautiful, colorful birds fly over head, singing and filling the air with joyful music, harmonizing with the song of the trees. The landscape is so beautiful I forget to breathe for a few seconds. Under and all around us, there’s the Village, but I can also see a huge forest on the left, stretching as far as the eye can see. Beside that are huge, majestic mountains, and beside that is a plain field, empty and barren. Or so I think at first. Having an idea, I switch my eyes into dragon eyes and look again. Everything is still tinted gold, but I can see both farther and clearer with my new eyes. Without thinking if it’s even possible, I zoom in with my eyes- almost as though they were cameras. I can now see the plain with much greater detail, so I can also see all the wildlife running around in there. A lot of the things look just like they do on earth, but I’ve learned not to trust how something looks in this universe.

Switching my eyes back, I turn to Thaddeus, who is also gazing out at the terrain, but not with peace and admiration on his face. He looks anxious, like the whole world rests on his shoulders, crushing him, and he just can’t take it anymore. I feel a pang of sympathy. Walking over to stand next to him, I lean against the railing, pretend I’m looking out at the land, and quietly say to him, “I’m sorry if I’m causing you any stress. I’d like to help you in any way that I can.”

He turns slowly from the view to look at me, letting the sorrow in his eyes show. “No, you aren’t causing anything. It’s just… I’m Pearl’s uncle, and I’m concerned about her. Not to mention all the things I must take care of now that she and Alexander can’t run Zilferia anymore. The responsibility shifts to my shoulders, since there are no other members of the royal family alive and here right now except for you, and you are not yet ready to run everything. I thank you for the offer, but I am the one who needs to help you right now.” He takes a deep breath and pushes his anxiety down again. “We need to get you two ready to win these Games!”

We sit at a table with three chairs around it and he waves Nathan over. He sits by me and we look at Thaddeus. And then our training truly begins. He starts by informing us about ‘just a few of the creatures you may encounter here,’ but there are so many, I get them all confused. Hopefully it will all just come back to me when I really need it… because there’s no way I’m going to be able to remember all of this!

One creature in particular that I do remember, however, is dragons. Apparently, not only do they exist here, but they thrive and are seen often. They grow to be as big as mountains- although that takes hundreds of years- and they don’t normally come anywhere near the Village. As for the obvious- they have scales, wings, forelegs and hind legs, and breathe fire. I learned something new, though. Apparently fully grown dragons can look into a person’s heart, although no one survived it- that is, until my many-times-great grandparents, James and Sally came along about two hundred years ago. Their last names were then changed to Dragon, a gift from the old dragon that saw into their hearts. They were made dragon friends, and the dragon then made them rulers over Zilferia.

“Wait,” Nathan interrupts, a little confused. “Dragons can think? And talk?”

“Yes, of course they can think! They are wiser than all of our Kings and Queens. And in a way, they can talk,” Thaddeus responds. “They speak by touching your mind with theirs, and then sending you their thoughts. The younger ones can’t form words, so they communicate using pictures and things their senses tell them, as well as feelings such as hunger or surprise.” He continues to tell us about the history of Zilferia- my history, apparently, although I’m still having a hard time buying into it.

“From then on, the Dragon family was to bring their children to the dragons and have them judged. Every now and again, there was a ‘bad seed,’ but for the most part, the children were just fine. When the children married, the fiancé would be judged and made a real part of the Dragon family if they were deemed worthy.

“And then, six generations after James and Sally, there was a child born who was… different. Her name was Alexandra, but she went by Alex. She was stolen soon after her birth, and then lost in the wilderness- that very forest you see over there. Fortunately, someone who lived alone in the forest found her and raised her until she was five. They then died of old age, leaving Alex alone once again. She tried to replace food, but being so young, she wasn’t very successful, so she soon passed out and was found by a young dragon. His name was Jack. This particular dragon had been there when her parents were judged, so he didn’t harm her since he recognized her as a member of the Dragon family. He then took her to his cave to take care of her.

“She wasn’t responding to him, so he flew over to the Dragon Mage and asked for his help. When told that the girl was a Dragon, a friend to the dragons, the Mage came quickly. But the only way to save the girl was to turn her into a dragon. So she was transformed into a dragon, although she could also turn back into a girl at will. Alex quickly revived, and, to make a long story short, after a few years she fell in love with Jack and they were married. Soon afterward, Jack asked the Dragon Mage to enable him to turn into both a human and a dragon as well so he could be with Alex and help her replace her family in human form to attract less attention to himself.

“But the spell worked a little differently this time, and he was part dragon, part human. He looked like a human at first glance, but if you looked a little closer, he had dragon eyes and claws as well as a pair of wings that he could make disappear at will. The two then went to replace Alex’s parents. They were successful and Alex was reunited with them. When the parents learned that Jack was a dragon, he was very respected, but all he wanted was to live a quiet life with Alex. They had six children, each with draconian characteristics, although they all faded with each passing generation. Even down to today, most of the Dragons still have dragon eyes they can hide or reveal whenever they wish. The dragons believe that there will be another like Alex, able to turn into both a dragon and a human at will. They say the ability will not show up until a time of darkness and peril for all the land.” Thaddeus and Nathan both look at me like they’re just waiting for me to suddenly transform into a dragon or something.

“Well, it won’t be me. I don’t want to be a dragon, and I don’t want to rule this kingdom- I don’t even want to be here! I just want to go home!”

“…We’ll just have to see if you change your mind or not,” Thaddeus says, inspecting me. “For now, we won’t force you to do anything.”

“Except enter the Games,” I mutter. Thaddeus pretends not to hear me, instead continuing to lecture us about different creatures until my brain feels like it’s going to split open. The only things that interested me were dragons, phoenixes, and vampires, but not much else. There were a few other creatures, but I already forgot what they were called. What gave me a chill, though, is that there are werewolves here. Werewolves are known for their bloodthirstiness and lack of mercy, as well as the stories of what they do to girls before they kill them.

Finally, it’s time for Nathan to go and meet Vlad- and time for our instruction on creatures to end, which I can’t help but be elated about. The sad part is that does not necessarily mean that I am free to do whatever I wish. I want to try out the weapons again, but Thaddeus has other ideas. As Nathan rides an elevator to the ground, he turns to me.

“Let’s exercise your planning and strategy,” he reaches behind his back, eyes glinting. I brace myself for a big book that he will quiz me on or something. But what he pulls out is something completely different. “…and the best way to do that… is to play chess!” I just stare at him.

He smiles. “I know what you’re thinking, but it really does help you to both formulate a plan ahead of time as well as improvising when things turn out differently than you might expect or like to happen. Plus, it’s fun- probably the most fun you will have today. I will be white, and you can be blue. But be warned, I will not go down easily. I have only ever been beaten by two people- your parents. And even then, I still beat them every now and again.”

“Well, let’s just see what I can do, then,” I say, swallowing back the grin that’s trying to creep onto my face. I love chess. I started playing it when I was four or five, and I have rarely lost. Thaddeus has no idea what he’s getting into, challenging me… I haven’t lost at this game for years!

Thaddeus lets me start. I begin by moving a pawn forward two spaces, which you can only do the first time you move that pawn, so from now on I will need to move it one space at a time, straight forward unless attacking. I love pawns. Other people just look them over, but they are all, every piece of the game, essential to my plan. I’ve been playing for so long, I have many different strategies to win, so basically, no matter what he does, I will win. I have planned for every possibility I have ever seen, as well as a few that I haven’t. I’m pretty confident I can beat him. Maybe not in the first game, since I don’t yet know his strategies and the way he thinks, but after one game I will know almost every move he will make in the next game. I will know him well enough to anticipate his every move.

After more than half an hour, I think that I finally have him set up how I want him to be. Moving one final piece, I grin. “Checkmate.”

Not looking concerned at all, he contemplates the board. For five minutes. I’m just about to snap at him and say that there is no way he can win now, when he looks up at me and says, “Patience is a virtue.” This just rubs me the wrong way since I’ve heard that all my life and I am thoroughly sick of it. Looking at the board again, something I didn’t notice before stands out to me. Oh no! I… I can’t believe I left that pathway open! But then again, I guess it couldn’t really be helped since my few remaining pieces are all occupied. But still… I hope he doesn’t notice…

Just as I’m thinking this, however, Thaddeus reaches out his hand and takes advantage of my lapse. Using his king, he kills my castle and then he says, “Checkmate.”

Astonished, I look at the board and replace that it’s true, and there’s no way around it. “How… how on earth?! You turned that completely around! I had you!”

“I admit, that was a little too close for comfort,” Thaddeus concedes. “But luckily for me, I eventually found your mistake and exploited it. Don’t be too disappointed, however! You actually had me worried there, and like I said, the only ones to ever beat me were your parents. You are still an extraordinary chess player. ...Looks like it’s time for lunch.”

We ride the elevator on the outside of the building, going slowly so we can look out over the land as we descend. We head to the square and eat with the rest of the contestants and advisors. I replace Nathan and we eat together as Thaddeus heads over to talk to Vlad.

We are both ravenous, so we don’t bother to talk until we are done with our food. It’s just a sandwich like the one that Vlad gave me when we first met, so it doesn’t take long to finish.

Swallowing my last bite, I ask Nathan, “So, how did it go with Vlad?”

“Not too bad,” he says. “He didn’t say much, just asked me some questions to test for a logistical Gift, I guess. He also had me run, try to fly, read his mind, and disappear… just tried to see which Gifts I might have, I suppose. What did you do with Thaddeus?”

“Oh, we played chess,” I say nonchalantly. I laugh at the confusion on his face, then explain. “He said it would help with logic and planning and stuff.”

“Oh, okay. Did you win?”

“No,” I sigh. “But I was so close! I had one little mistake that he somehow found after five minutes so he had me in a checkmate right after I had him in one! Ugh, it was frustrating! That was the first time I’ve lost in years! And yes, I did play in those years,” I tell him before he can ask.

After that, we can’t think of much to talk about except the First Challenge, but we don’t really want to talk about that, so we just sit in companionable silence. After a while, I spot Sierra and Ham coming over to us.

“Hey, guys! What’s up?” I greet them.

“Oh, you know. Training and stuff,” Sierra replies matter-of-factly, sitting down next to me as Ham sits next to Nathan. “Not that I know why they even bother,” she adds. “There’s no way we’re going to win. Not compared to Kat and Jake, Odette and Frazer, Star and Drake… well, we don’t have a chance against any of them, except maybe Roxane and Lloyd. Lloyd will probably be awesome, but I can bet you that Roxane will hold him back.”

“Come on!” Nathan protests. “Don’t talk like that! If you think you will lose, than that is what will happen! For example, I thought that I would never make it to state at Track and Field for my school, so I didn’t. But the next year, I told myself that not only could I make it to state, I would be in the top three. So I ignored the other runners and just did my best, and I won! So, I’m thinking that I will win this as well. I have to, for my family.”

I nod, touched by his little speech. “So do I. I owe it to my little sister, and to Nathan and his family. But that doesn’t mean that you guys can’t win as well! We should just all protect and help one another, and they won’t have a choice but to make it so all four of us win!”

“…Yeah…” Ham says. “Sure, I’ll go along with this. We’ll try our best.”

“That’s the spirit!” I cheer. “So, how’s Zelda?”

“Oh, she’s great!” Sierra says, smiling. “She’s very understanding and… well, not like Vlad. And she’s not pushing as hard as I thought she would. How’s the special treatment with Thaddeus?”

“It’s a little tough,” Nathan confides. “But I can already tell it’s worth it. And you’re right, he’s also much better than Vlad. Then again, he just seemed to have it out for us. I’m sure it would be nice to be his favorite as well- he probably gives them inside information. I just hope he’s not telling them about us…”

“Oh, I’m sure he would love to,” Ham comments. “It’s just too bad it’s against the rules- if he did cheat, then he would be replaced, and he would hate that. But you can bet he’s observing us and giving his teams little ‘hints’ under the table so no one knows, as well as things to beware of about us.”

Looking up, I see that Vlad is coming towards us. “Speak of the Devil,” I mutter. “Here comes Vlad.” The three of them turn and look. I have a bad feeling he’s here for me.

“Greetings,” he says when he reaches our table, inclining his head a little to acknowledge Ham and Sierra. “May I have a word with Crystal?”

The three look at me, concerned. Touched, I tell Vlad, “Sure.” As he begins walking away, I quickly assure my friends, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. He can’t do anything to me. Be right back!” and hurry after Vlad. He stops and turns back to me once we’re out of earshot from anyone in the square.

“As you know, you need to train with me alone right after lunch. I will attempt to assess which Gifts you may have or receive. Although this is difficult to do while you are going through ‘Zilferian puberty.’ So, and I’m just warning you, your assessment from me may be harsh. Do not be a baby and whine about it or make my job harder in any way, or else I will be able to ‘accidentally’ arrange for an accident to happen in the arena. I am in control of the Games this year, so I can do anything I want to you.”

“Not necessarily,” I bite back. “I don’t think my parents would be too happy with you if you ‘accidentally’ got me killed.”

“Don’t play the Princess card on me, princess. You don’t rule over me, and your parents aren’t alert. They can’t save you. You have no power over me, while I have all the power over you.”

“Not for long,” I retort. Vlad reddens, getting angry.

He lowers his voice. “I would watch where you step, princess. And that means coming to your assessment, no matter how much you and I dislike each other.” He steps closer, his mouth next to my ear. “But you’ve pushed a little too far. I will have my revenge. Let’s just say… I hope you aren’t afraid of werewolves.”

With my newfound knowledge of werewolves, this sends a shiver down my spine. Backing away, Vlad grins at me evilly, satisfied that I am now terrified of him. “See you in a few minutes back here, in the square. Don’t try to run away, or it will be worse for you.” And with that, my newest and most powerful enemy walks away.

I slowly walk back to my friends, hiding my feelings behind a nonchalant smile.

“What did he want?” Nathan asks, concerned. As he should be. I have now made a powerful new enemy… and it doesn’t just affect me, but him as well!

“Oh, nothing,” I reply, sitting back down. All three look at me disbelievingly, but I’m not ready to tell them about Vlad’s threat just yet. So I continue with, “No, really. He just wanted to remind me to meet him here after everyone else leaves. That’s all.” Ham and Sierra look relieved, but I can tell that Nathan doesn’t quite believe me. He doesn’t argue in front of the other two, although I can tell he’s going to talk to me about it later. I notice people beginning to leave the square. Thaddeus comes over to our table.

“Greetings, Ham, Sierra,” He nods to both of them. “I believe it is time for you to go- lunch is over, and training resumes immediately afterward.” The two nod and leave, waving goodbye to us. Now Thaddeus addresses Nathan. “If you will come with me, Crystal needs to be assessed by Vladimir.” Nathan nods, giving me a supportive thumbs-up. I give him one back, trying to look confident even though I am anything but confident at the moment. My whole world is crashing down around me- isn’t that a good enough reason to be wary of everything?

Everyone clears out of the square within two minutes, and I’m alone, except for the cleaners who are moving the tables out and sweeping out the square. Soon enough, they’re all gone as well and I’m left alone with my thoughts, waiting for Vlad to return and make my life even more miserable.

He arrives shortly with a clipboard, a paper, and a pencil. Apparently, he’s taking notes, just waiting for me to screw up. I sigh. Here goes nothing... Some people are following Vlad. They have brought weapons, chess games, books, weights, cages with ferocious looking animals in them, and other various objects. That’s right. He’s going to judge me and try to see what Gifts I may or may not develop. Well, I can’t make anything much worse with Vlad, now can I? So no matter what I do, it won’t matter much- even if I try to fix what I’ve done, he won’t forgive me- he’s even more stubborn than I am!

Once everyone leaves and I am alone with Vlad- except for one guy by the weapons- he jumps right into it. His voice doesn’t betray any emotions he may or may not be feeling as he tells me to try to move one of the books with my mind. Thinking that it’s stupid, but not wanting to fail, I concentrate really hard on the nearest book. I then picture it moving, jumping into the air and hovering there. It moves about an inch and falls back onto the table. Vlad doesn’t say anything, but I can tell by the look on his face that my effort was pathetic. Next he tells me to bench-press some weights- as many pounds as I can manage. I’m not too good at that, either.

He then looks me up and down. He tells me to try and ‘charm him’ into doing something for me. I try, but when I do, he just raises an eyebrow and jolts something down. Probably something along the lines of ‘this girl fails at everything, she probably doesn’t have any Gifts…’ but I can’t be sure. Next he has me read a passage from one of the books and then repeat it to him. I try to tell it word for word, but I can’t help but paraphrase.

Next, we play chess so he can see my level of logic. I beat him easily. Then he has me run as fast as I can around the square four times- a mile. I do better than I ever have before- by about a minute- but he just shakes his head and writes on his paper. Then he tries to get me to control the weather. I’m feeling pretty frustrated by this time, so I imagine a bolt of lightning hitting the ground between us. Suddenly the air is filled with electricity, and a lightning bolt actually hits the ground in front of him, surprising me. I didn’t think it would actually work. Vlad’s all black and his hair is sticking straight up. I begin laughing, then realize that my hair is like that as well, completely ripped out of my neat little braid, although I’m not charred and black. The paper, however, is a different story. It has all but disappeared. He goes to a table and gets another paper and clipboard. He takes a while writing down my score since he also has to rewrite everything else.

Now, grinning evilly as though he thinks that I will get eaten, he has me talk to and attempt to pet a tiger. He backs away hastily when it roars at me, but I hold my ground. Talking to it soothingly and assuring it that I won’t harm it, the tiger calms down. It even lets me pet its snout, which is softer than I expected. I then tell it to relax and rest. It lies down and puts its head on its paws and looks at me sorrowfully. Swallowing, I force myself to walk away and not free it. When I turn around, I see Vlad quickly trying to hide his surprise and awe. He looks away from me and writes down my score for befriending creatures.

Then, face expressionless, he tells me to focus on the tiger and ‘put myself in its shoes.’ He tells me to think of how it would be to be that powerful creature. What I would feel, hear, and smell. So I do. It’s surprisingly easy. Next thing I know, I’m on all fours and flicking a tail around. A sudden barrage of smells assault my nose. There are so many, I can’t sort them out. Sudden, feral thoughts fight over control of my body. I feel like I’m on the line between being a tiger and a girl. Finally, my thoughts overrule the tiger instincts and I can listen to Vlad, who seems to be yelling at me. Focusing, I finally realize what he’s saying.

“…Now! That’s long enough! Concentrate on how you are as a human! Change back, or you may be a tiger forever!” He’s panicking, I can tell, but I am calm. Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m stronger than you are. I could do this for quite a while. Then I remember that I’m trying to get on his good side, so I do what he says, and suddenly I’m me again, my clothes somehow reappearing with me. Sighing with relief while trying to hide it, he scribbles on the paper. I have a feeling I got a really good score on the shape shifting.

Next he tells me to picture myself invisible, completely unseen. I try, but I don’t disappear completely. I can still see my body, only I can see through it as well. It’s really strange, so I imagine me being completely visible again, and it works. Vlad again takes notes. I already know I didn’t do too well on it.

Now we finally go over to what I’ve been looking forward to since I practiced with them that very morning with Nathan- the weapons. The guy there bows to me and I bow back. He tells me to choose a weapon, although I know we will have to go through all of them to see which one I’m best at. I choose the rapier again, and the other man does as well. Before we begin our duel, he warns me that fighting is his Gift and that he won’t be holding back much, but he promises not to harm me. He adds that we will stop if it takes more than five minutes. I agree to this, then settle into a defensive pose, preparing myself for his first strike.

It’s a good thing I do. The instant I get settled into my pose, he attacks, swinging his rapier at my head. I duck, and then, thinking quickly, I punch the back of his leg with my free hand as I sweep under him, giving him a dead leg. But he recovers before I can attack, so I am again on the defensive. I make sure to stay light on my feet, just like my martial arts teacher taught me- and again, it’s a good thing I do, because I can barely avoid some of his attacks.

I even get in a few strikes now and again. By the time we stop, we both have scratches, even though he agreed not to hurt me. As we switch out weapons, he asks me if I can remember the duel very well. I reply that it’s no better than normal, but I remember more than I did the first time I dueled with the rapier. He nods.

After we get through all the weapons, I’m exhausted and sweaty. The man asks me again about what I remember from it, and I reply that it’s the same as before. He looks thoughtful. “Really?” he says, a little surprised. “Because the way that you’ve been fighting, I thought that this was your Gift- we were about evenly matched, even though you had no one to actually teach you how to fight.”

“Well, I’ve never fought with weapons before today, but I have fought before. It was in my Martial Arts and self defense classes,” I explain.

“That might explain why we were so evenly matched,” he decides. I nod. “Plus, your body is obviously trying out this Gift before it decides on one. Who knows? Maybe it is one of your Gifts to fight.”

“Maybe,” I say.

Returning to Vlad, he has me throw my thoughts at him and try to pierce his mind and read his thoughts. I try, but I’m tired and he has a strong defense around it so I can only sense the main things that he’s thinking. But one thing I do replace… interesting is that even though he detests me, he also admires me. He also is impressed by my overall scores- even though he would never admit it.

The last thing I have to do is attempt to fly. So, leaving the square behind, he has me climb a tree as high as I dare so that if I can’t fly, I won’t kill myself by falling. He still stands underneath me, ready to catch me should I fall. Determined not to have to touch him, I fearlessly jump into the air and push myself forward with my mind. I start out slowly, but as I realize that I’m not going to fall, I have some fun with it. I shoot upward, do some loops, and just enjoy the feeling of flying through the warm air. I then decide to scare Vlad a little- and to have fun, but mostly to scare him- and zoom downwards, pulling back up just before I hit the ground. He shouts at me to stop showing off and land. Sighing, I do as he says, touching down lightly in front of him.

Scowling at me, he says that I can go.

“What about my scores? Aren’t you going to tell me?”

“No,” he growls. “I tell that to Thaddeus. You need to figure out your Gifts yourself. Besides, these tests always mess up somehow. It’s not good to rely on them when, if it is not your Gift and you try to use it- and it fails… well, let’s just say, your partner in the Games no longer has a partner. Now go away! Go back and give this to Thaddeus,” he says, handing me the paper after he folds it into thirds. “And DON’T look. I’ll know if you do, plus it’s not worth it. Now get out of my sight!” And with that, he storms off back to the square. Deciding to fly back to Thaddeus and Nathan, I climb back up the tree and take off in the direction of the tallest building in the Village.

The feeling of flying is wonderful… indescribable… but the closest thing I can describe it as is a mix of skydiving and riding a rollercoaster, but calmer and slower. It feels… like freedom. I reach the building all too soon and land on the roof next to a startled Nathan and calm Thaddeus. I hand him the paper, watching his face anxiously as he reads it, but I can’t read any emotions on it. He just nods thoughtfully and puts the paper in his back pocket.

I’m dying to know what Vlad said, but I know that if Thaddeus wanted to tell me, he would. So I sit down instead, looking at their chess game. I can clearly see a path that Nathan can take that will defeat Thaddeus, but I don’t dare say anything, sitting quietly on the chair instead, urging him with my mind which move to make. He obviously doesn’t see it, though, or the trap that Thaddeus has ready for him, for he plays right into it. The game is over with Thaddeus’s next move.

Sighing, Nathan sits back in his chair. He looks at me, mirth playing in his eyes. “He’s beaten me three times already. Did he ever beat you that fast?”

“Well… no, but he did beat me. I thought that I was really good, but he somehow survived all my traps. I think that Thaddeus is the best there is!”

“Your parents too,” Thaddeus replies, laughing a little. I wonder why they are in such a good mood, but I brush it off. “Although you are the closest to my equal that I’ve ever seen.”

“Really?” I say.

“Yes. But let’s get down to business. I need to tell you two about the First Challenge.” Nathan and I lean in, anxious to hear this life-preserving knowledge. “The goal is to replace and bring back the egg of a Zyloff.”

“Um… what’s that again?” I ask. Thaddeus sighs.

“It’s basically a giant snake, only it has feathers and wings and, when full grown, can kill you instantly with a mere glance, and it can kill you both with a single bite.”

“…Oh,” I say weakly. “I guess we should avoid the mom, then.”

Nathan jumps in with a question. “You said we have to bring it back. Back to where?” An excellent question.

“To your starting place. Each team will start an equal distance away from the nest of eggs, although you may be far from the next team. There are three eggs, so whoever finishes first is the winner, the other two in second and third places respectively. You must bring the egg back to that spot, and then the Challenge will end. Until then, others may take the egg from you. So avoid any other teams, any creatures out there, and, well, just try to stay alive. And don’t get lost; although that might be difficult anyway, since each starting place is glowing the team’s color. You two are dark purple, which also means that you wear an outfit with your color on it.” He hands us each a new set of clothes. They are about the same as the ones we are wearing now, except it’s black and there’s dark purple on the outside of the pockets, sleeves, around the outside of the sole of the boots, as well as the inside of the hood on the jacket.

“And since you two are now a team, you will share a building to sleep in. You will each have a different bed, of course, but you will now be living together. I will show you to your new house in a moment. First, are there any other questions? I probably won’t be able to answer them, of course, but we’ll see.”

“…Will there be werewolves?” I ask. The two look at me, a question in their eyes.

“Why?” Thaddeus asks. Sighing, I tell them of Vlad’s threat.

Nathan’s eyes widen. “What? I thought I said… never mind. What’s done is done. Hopefully we can avoid them.”

“Oh, you can avoid them alright,” Thaddeus says. “Because they won’t be in this Challenge. It’s too late for Vladimir to change anything to this one. But I can’t guarantee that they won’t be in the Second Challenge. I would try to get on his good side, that’s for sure,” he adds. I wince.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to. He hates me. I have no chance anymore. Nathan might, but I think the best thing for me to do is avoid him.”

“Why?” he asks. So I explain about him being jealous that I can shape shift better than he can. Thaddeus sighs.

“I guess there’s nothing to do if he just has his heart set against you. But I will still try to reason with him. After all, you are our next ruler, and we can’t have you being killed just because Vladimir is being stubborn.” I bite my lip to keep from protesting. I still plan on going home after this, not leaving my family- the one that actually raised me- for the one that everyone says I belong to. I especially don’t want to rule this crazy place. I’m only sixteen! I can’t lead an entire universe!

I snap out of my thoughts to hear Thaddeus say, “Alright then. If there are no other questions, then I guess we’ll go back down.” As I step toward the elevator, he adds, “…on the stairs.” I groan inside, but I don’t complain even though I’m already quite sore.

Nathan and I let Thaddeus lead the way and get a little ahead of us so we can talk. He turns to me and I can see that he can barely keep from laughing. When I ask why, he replies, chortling, “You… your hair…” Reaching up with my hands, I feel that my hair is still sticking up all over the place from the lightning. I start laughing too as I picture how I must look.

When he catches his breath, he asks me sarcastically, “What did you do? Play with lightning?”

“Yeah,” I laugh. “You should have seen Vlad’s face! His hair was worse than mine- sparks were running around in it! It was so funny!” He laughs as well, but after that we can’t think of anything else to say so we fall into our own thoughts and walk down the rest of the stairs silently. Once, I’m so tired that I actually slip and fall into the open air. Luckily I react fast enough to fly off to the side and land on the stairs. I pant, trying to catch my breath and calm down after that sudden wake-up call. Nathan hurries down the stairs to see if I’m alright.

After that, the trek to our new house is uneventful. We eat our dinner, which will supposedly help with soreness, at the square. Ham and Sierra don’t join us this time, so we eat alone. When we get to our new house, we both just collapse on one of the beds, not caring who gets which, and fall asleep.