Page 45 of Xeda

"It's time," she said. "Are you ready?"

He was. He felt better enough to look at her, catching her steel blue eyes first and forcing the memory of the dream away. She wasn't clothed in the vrisha garment again, thank the elders, just a red uniform cut to her form with the house insignia on the arm.

"I'm ready," he said. He needed to focus. The games were what was important. Not...whatever the hell was happening to him. He needed to just let it go. Think on his freedom, on winning. That was all that mattered.

Ophilia led him away. They passed through the training area, then through the tower’s center and down a set of stairs. A long tunnel took them below the city footpaths. Here, he saw guards stationed at points and walking the opposite direction, their hands itching for their guns as they passed. When they reached the end, they took another set of stairs up to the surface and found themselves at a set of gates. A female warden in a gray suit with bright yellow hair grinned at them from ear to ear.

"Welcome, hopeful champion," she said. "Follow me, please."

She took them into a room with a high ceiling. The door opposite was etched with gold and silver figures fighting to the death. From a table by the door, she took up a leather strap with a metal emblem of House of Salimar. "Would you like me to fix this to him?" the warden asked Ophilia.

"I would like to," she said.

The warden handed her the strap and bowed. "Good luck to you." She left them alone, and Ophilia came to his side.

"While you were in the training room, I got wind from another trainer about what you'll face," she said as she attached the strap to him, clasping it around his torso. "This game will be all about survival. Last until the clock runs out and you move on. There will still be fighting, but there will also be other obstacles. And there will be more than just fighters trying to kill you."

"Sounds like fun," he said.

She glanced up at him, and he almost winced at the sharp ache in his center. "There's something else. I didn't mention it last night because you seemed upset about Kaxek and I figured your answer would be no, but...I should have given you a choice. I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"I spoke to Kaxek's trainer. He thought that it might be beneficial if you and Kaxek worked together. Teaming up is allowed in these games, and it would give you an edge."

He growled low. He stalked to the door and then back. No. No, he was done working with another vrisha he couldn't trust.

"I understand you don't like the idea. But remember, whatever it might take for you to win. Because I guarantee he'll come for you during this game otherwise. But if you show him you’re on his side..."

He paced back and forth, then stopped to stare at the door. "Let him come for me. Let him try."

"It's your decision, Xeda. Whatever you think is best. But try not to let your emotions get in the way. It's about survival, remember that."

A low drumming sounded overhead, and Ophilia moved for the door they had come through. "I have to go." She stopped at the door, then turned back to him, giving him a small smile. "You got this."

He watched her go, hands clenching and unclenching, words wanting to spill out of his mouth, but he swallowed them back. No, he would make it. He would see her soon. He turned back to the gold and silver door and waited.

Some time passed before he heard the drumming again. He heard the door unlocking and took a warrior's stance as it swung open.

He expected to be blinded by light. Instead, he stared into deep, murky darkness. The only light came from quick white flashes like that of lightning. A fog rolled across the surface and in the distance, he heard the impressive roars of an animal lurking somewhere within.

Still, he felt no fear, only an eagerness to sink his claws into something. Ophilia was right about not letting his emotions get in the way. So, instead, he would use them as fuel to drive him to victory.

And no one would be safe.

Without hesitation, he stalked out into the dark.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Ophilia

As Xeda started his fight out in the arena, Ophilia now had her own silent battle—keeping her composure in a room with Sal, his family, and a few of his friends. Sal and his sons thankfully didn't so much as nod to her in greeting. They were focused on the center console in the middle of the room, a giant 3d screen that showed every fighter, every obstacle, in real time, giving them a full bird's eye view of everyone and everything in the arena just outside the room. The back window that would look out to the stadium was filmed over with a cityscape instead. There was no point opening it as nothing could be seen in the dark. They would rely solely on the holographic monitor to show them what was happening.

Servers brought food and drink when they called for it, and there were chairs placed near the wall where Sal's wife and sister sat, looking annoyed they had to be sitting there at all but uninterested in the games to have to stand and watch. Their cold eyes lingered on her as she stood at the monitor. She ignored them when the last signal went off and the doors opened.

Quickly, she searched for Xeda and found him near a back corner of the arena. The field was massive, almost a quarter mile long and more than a hundred yards wide. The whole thing was covered in obstacles from walls to pits to drones that circled a particular area. There were metal trees scattered across the length of the field that gave off huge violent bursts of electricity at random, like lightning. All the fighters had been spread out and were each working their way to the center where a platform had been set. Among them were monstrous beasts, genetically enhanced to hunt and kill. Beasts spliced from the DNA of any poor animal that had been stolen or traded on Kingsway. One looked like a tiger mixed with a reptile, sporting a long snout and matted fur. Another appeared to be a large raptor with a barbed tail and thick horns. They traveled across the arena searching for their prey.

Her heart began to race as she saw one closing in on Xeda, what looked like a giant skinless bear with quills along its back but that moved just as agilely as a cat. It stalked him at first, but when Xeda caught sight of it, he took off. The beast bolted after him as Xeda leaped over walls and avoided pitfalls.

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