Page 5 of Angel of Ruin

I burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the arena. "Training? Am I supposed to believe that?" I gesture to their bodies. "I've seen more muscle on a newborn xaphan."

They start to shake, their bodies betraying their fear. It's intoxicating, this power I have over them. I can reduce them to quivering messes with just a few words.

"Now, why are you all shaking like this? It's adorable as much as it is pathetic," I mock, circling them like a predator. "Is this how you plan to face the obstacles? By trembling your way through?"

The blue-eyed one tries to speak again, but his words come out as a stutter. I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"Save your breath. You'll need it for when you're gasping for air, dangling from the edge of a platform." I lean in close, my wings unfurling to their full span, casting a shadow over the three. "That is, if you even make it that far."

Their eyes widen in fear, darting between my face and my wings. It's clear they've never been this close to a xaphan before. Their terror is palpable, and I revel in it.

"Go on, then," I spit, gritting my teeth. "Get out of my sight."

Without another word, the humans race away from me, nearly tripping over themselves as they go. I watch as they leave, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at such a pathetic display.

"I have to train these things?" I whisper to myself, turning away. "Seriously?"

As much as I want to torment the humans for deciding to step foot into this arena, the urge escapes me. They're boring creatures. They're only useful as entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less.

I continue walking through the arena, devising ways on making these trials particularly excruciating for these humans.If they have the audacity to think they can ever be equals to the xaphan, then it's only right to make them pay for that blatant disrespect.

3

LYRA

My breath hitches in my throat as I scan the crowd around me. There's so many people here, all vying for the same thing. A pair of xaphan wings.

These are all my opponents. With a shaky hand, I raise my drink to my lips and take a small sip, hoping that the water will calm my twisting stomach.

This is it. The start of the wing trials. One small step closer to my goal.

The xaphan announcer stands on a floating platform at the center of the arena, tall with unfurled wings that are probably taller than me. My throat tightens, suddenly realizing this might be the place where I meet my end.

My stomach lurches and I shrink away from the crowd flanking me in all directions. I retreat, heading into the corridors that travel intricately throughout the arena. With my gaze on my feet and my hand clutching my drink, I don't have a good grasp on my surroundings.

And that's my mistake.

Without realizing it, I slam into something solid, my drink flying from my hand. Cold water splashes across pristine white fabric, and I stumble back, horrified.

"What the fuck is your problem?" A deep voice booms above me.

I look up, and up, into the face of a xaphan man. His silver-white hair frames piercing golden eyes that are now narrowed in fury. My heart stops as I take in his massive wings, currently bristling with anger.

"I-I'm so sorry," I stammer, searching frantically for something to dry him off with, but I'm coming up empty. "I wasn't looking where I was going, I?—"

"Clearly," he snarls, cutting me off. "Are all humans this incompetent, or are you a special case?"

My cheeks burn with shame as I realize others are starting to stare. "Please, sir, I didn't mean?—"

"Didn't mean to what? Make a complete fool of yourself?" He gestures at his now-ruined white clothes. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

I shake my head mutely, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

"I'm Sariel, one of the overseers of these trials." His voice drips with disdain. "And you've just made a spectacle of yourself. How is anyone supposed to take you seriously when you can't even do the simplest things?"

Ouch.

My stomach drops. An overseer. I've insulted one of the very beings who will decide my fate in the trials.

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