The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 17

Elena

July 1429

A t the sound of his words, everyone dispersed, leaving me alone with him on the round platform. My knees buckled as my heart performed somersaults. Was he planning to kill me and be done with it? No, no, his dad would kill him. Could dragons even be killed though? He did mention only their kin could kill them. So maybe I had a chance?

“Since today is the Fire Legion’s first assembly, we haven’t brought weapons of any kind. It will be bare-handed combat. It is the foundation of every other form of fighting. Costin, you can attack me now,” Killian said, flicking his wrist for me to come closer. He unbuckled his leather vest, took off his shirt, and pulled it over his head in one swift move. Stacks and stacks of muscles appeared before me, glimmering in the morning sun. He walked toward me, one predatory step at a time.

He stared at me so long that I started to fidget. My insides quivered, and my knees buckled for a second time. Instinctively, I distanced myself from him, but his flaming dark red eyes caught mine and held them.

“Do you need to be half-naked to fight?” I asked, swallowing the knot in my throat.

“No, I just don’t want to stain my shirt with your blood.”

Grrr. The audacity. He knew how to get under my skin and wreak havoc on my insides. Livid with anger, I charged at him with everything I had. He blocked me instantly and shoved me to the ground. I stood quickly and prepared to punch his jerk face, but he caught my fist. And like a broken toy, he pushed me aside. The third time, I rolled. The fourth, he knelt me forcefully as he locked his fist into mine and bent my wrist in unnatural ways. I had to hand it to him. He was good at this humiliation game.

Everyone watched us like a circus act. Only he was the tamer, and I was the freak show.

“Is this all you’ve got?” he asked. “You’ll be easier to break than I thought.” He laughed, but the team didn’t follow.

“Killian, I mean, Commander, maybe we should take it slower?” Tarra asked .

“This is not your fight, sister. Mind your damn business,” Killian said, still holding my wrist hostage. “Are you ready to give up?”

“Never,” I muttered through the pain.

He sneered. “Very well.” He released me.

The relief in my wrist spread throughout my body. But I didn’t have time to enjoy it. I stood up fast, prepared for the next stage of Jerk Face’s torment.

“Now, I’ll be the one attacking you.” He pointed at me with great satisfaction.

I looked at the terrified faces of the onlookers and gulped. Laszlo’s family already left. Probably, bored of watching my complete humiliation. I breathed out slowly and tried to remember everything Mel taught me. I searched for my dagger, Tiny, which was tucked away in my pant pocket. I didn’t plan on using it, maybe just to scare Killian and show him I wasn’t as bad as he thought. Then I raised my hands to block the incoming attacks.

At first, I thought he would take it easy on me, but when I saw him charging at me like a wild animal with a clenched fist, I changed my mind.

“Duck,” Tarra yelled.

I listened and avoided his first attack on my jaw. The jerk aimed to knock me out, if not kill me. What the fuck? The following punch hit me in the shoulder and sent me flying to my side. I quickly got up and tried to concentrate, but my mind was a jumbled mess. Think, think, El. Focus on his weak spots. Everyone had them. His legs and abs were probably made of steel. I would probably hurt my hand hitting him. He wouldn’t let me get close to his pretty face. So I had only one option. Yep, his dragon balls. But the attack had to be strategic.

He launched himself at me again. I blocked his first attack, almost breaking my arm in the process, and aimed a fist at his face. Of course, he caught it, but in a sneak attack, I knelt him in the crotch. The attack took him by surprise. The pain on his face was worthy of a painting. Running on high adrenaline, I tried it again. But my attempt was short-lived when he grabbed my other wrist and spun me, effectively pinning my back to his body. He hooked an arm around both of mine, while the other wrapped around my neck in a headlock. I began hyperventilating and tried desperately to wiggle out of his hold. I risked passing out in the next ten seconds, but I couldn’t let Killian see me at my weakest. Never. Except, never approached fast and unyielding.

“Let her go, Killian,” Tarra yelled.

This time he listened and threw me on the ground. I fought to loosen my airways. The last thing I needed was a panic attack. Tarra rushed to help me get up, but I pushed her away. Dirty, disheveled, and hacking out dust, I dragged my feet out of the circle of doom. One hand covered my middle, and the other my neck. The choker couldn’t protect me from this amount of hatred. I needed to get to my room. Tarra followed me.

“Tarra, you stay,” Killian ordered. “There’s more training to do.”

“Can you walk? Do you need anything?” Tarra asked, ignoring her brother.

“No, I’m fine. I just need to be alone for now.”

“I see.” Tarra stayed behind as I hurried like an injured raccoon.

As I passed the line of three men and a young boy, Kovak said, “That looked more like a mating dance than a fight.” They all cackled except Laszlo.

“You survived, Costin. Tomorrow is another day,” Laszlo said.

But was tomorrow another day for me? Did I want to go through the same humiliating torture again?

“Rider Taddeus, it’s your turn now,” I heard Killian bark another order. I hoped that kid would do better than me on his first day. He at least had superpowers, what did I have?

I reached my room, and strangely, the rock bed felt welcoming. Or maybe my body was numb enough not to feel any other discomfort except the pain in my heart.

Pure exhaustion took me to sleep. When I woke up, I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. Caves didn’t exactly include windows. But based on the melted candle, it had to be the middle of the night. How I wished I had a blanket to cover myself with.

I should’ve asked Lord Valkorian for one from the start. But after today, I wasn’t sure they planned on keeping me here anymore. After a sucky day like this, it was easy to forget the Pure’s prophecy, the flicker of hope in Tarra and Lord Valkorian’s eyes, and the village’s adoration. How could I face them after such a complete failure ?

A knock woke me up from my downward-spiraling thoughts. “I see you’re awake,” Lord Valkorian said as he entered the room.

I couldn’t even look him in the eyes.

“I heard you went through a tough training today,” Lord Valkorian said as he sat on the bed next to me.

“Something like that,” I muttered, still looking down.

“Tarra told me in great detail about your mishaps with Killian.”

“Did she really need to do that?”

“I’m not defending his actions, but Killian has much to lose if the Fire Legion fails.”

“Don’t we all?” I sighed.

“True, but despite his resistance, certain things still must happen.”

“Is it because of his mom?” I peered at the bearded man who, despite his rough looks, spoke kindly to me.

“It’s a difficult matter to discuss, but maybe if I share more, you’ll be able to handle future challenges better. As you probably already know, his mother, Ophelia, was Mother of the Dragon. She birthed not one, but two dragons—a rare feat for any sky dragon family. Alongside me, she ruled over our dragon houses and The Other Realm. We eventually allied with Mircea, the greatest ruler of Wallachia at the time. When he died, we agreed to help his son, Vlad II. He has lived with Sigismund, the king of Hungary, since he was young and has always hoped that, with the help of the Hungarian king, he would claim the much-disputed throne. But Sigismund loved his games as much as conquering new territories. So he promised his support if our House won the Time Tournament.

“As the youngest, Tarra had to stay on land as the tournament required only two players. So Killian and I planned on playing the games. Despite winning the first game, Killian lost his rider. So it came to me to finish the games. Luckily, I had one of the best Solomonari fighters, Laszlo’s father. We won the second game, but in the third, the Viridian House cheated and used the Triade’s witchcraft to win.

“This infuriated Killian to no end. He told Ophelia he was going to retaliate, with or without her as a rider. She relented, knowing her powers amplified Killian’s. This way, he had a greater chance of survival.

“He joined me in the game and killed the rider from the Viridian House. This created a rift between the houses. The three dragon houses left took sides between opposing fronts. The Aurelian and Cimmerian houses joined us, while the Ceruleans sided with the Viridians and the witches of The Triade.

“Chaos ensued on Hungarian lands. Sigismund and his posse fled the scene, while we fought for the justice he needed to safeguard.

“The fight was drawn out for a week without rest or food. As dragons, we could fight for months, but Ophelia was at her wits’ end. Killian didn’t notice and kept scorching witches and enemy riders left and right. Meanwhile, I lost several riders until I was left with only one. Then the leader of the Triade, the great warlock Kazimir, attacked me viciously with magic I’d never experienced before. My rider was killed instantly, while I became paralyzed, which led to my downfall—straight into a nearby ravine where every bone in my body was shattered.

“Devastated by the outcome, Killian set out to avenge the death of my rider and my defeat. He and Ophelia aimed their combined forces on one sole target and succeeded in killing not only Kazimir but also his son, Alistair. In retaliation, the forest witches using the strength of the Sacred Five Coven fired magically poisoned arrows at Killian. His mother saw it and pulled at his crests, moving him out of the way, only to be hit in the heart. Poisonous arrows work in time, so if Killian could have flown to the healers, he could have saved her...” He slowed down.

“Could’ve…”

He stayed silent with his thoughts. “Nature has a way of balancing powers among its creatures. Killian challenged his limitations and flew to our healer’s cottage many forests away. He did his best to follow his ears and nose, but he crashed into a cliff, losing any chance of saving her. Afterward, he practiced the same path hundreds of times. Day and night, he flew from Nuremberg to Raisa’s cottage. Over and over. He refused to eat or drink for weeks, only choosing to fly the bloody path. Until I had enough and attacked him midair. His roar was heard across our land’s many villages. Then he launched at me as if I were the enemy he had prepared so long to defeat. And he would’ve won against my broken wings if it wasn’t for the exhaustion his body had to endure. I plunged him to the ground and tackled him until he was forced to turn into his human form.

For several weeks he refused to forgive me. Only Rosalynd and Raisa managed somehow to get to him, and he agreed to talk. His Majesty and I saw great potential in him as a Commander and offered him the role. Despite the honorable duty given to him, he still refused to return to Moltenclaw Keep. That is, until you entered our lives. Tonight was the first night he stayed here.”

“Does the entire village blame him for what happened?” I asked, remembering the talk Killian had with Laszlo’s mom.

He got up and walked to the doorframe. “He needs time, just like all of us. Think of it as a grace period. Find the strength to do the same.”