The Starweavers Leagacy

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚘

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The wind howled as Arya and I darted past the start line.

There were already sword fights, people trying to pick off the weakest links before we even had a chance to get over the wall. The obstacle course was massive, we'd be climbing, jumping, and trying to survive not falling into the icy water below. My leathers were getting heavy by the onslaught of rain, and Arya was gripping my hand tightly as I pulled her to the first course. It should be simple, we were to run across logs sitting in the water before jumping up and using the rope to climb to the next platform, but with the high winds blowing us off balance as we ran, we were going to struggle. And I realized watching the dragon riders and the generals, my father now sitting on the dais beside them. We weren't drafted, we were selected.

He sent me here.

"They're targeting," I stopped Arya before she stepped into the water, "This is the higher-ups weeding off the weakest from the strongest contestants," Arya looked at me before turning to look at the carnage behind us, my eyes following hers to where we saw dead bodies piling up. "Act like the logs are a bridge," Arya snapped her attention back to me, "Let them fight it out," No one had made their way to the first obstacle, we still had a clear lead and they weren't paying attention to us. "Ready? Run!"

I could feel the cold water splash my ankles as we ran across the rolling logs, and I felt the hail slice across my face, drawing blood. "Stop helping the girl Nyxia," my father's voice rang in my head as I crossed the last two logs, wrapping the rope around my wrist and turning to make sure Arya was doing the same. "Helping others doesn't help you."

I pulled myself off the log, tangling my feet with the rope to make sure I had a good grip, I wouldn't die if I fell into the nearly black water, but I would freeze by the time I got back on shore. "You lied to me," one strong yank and I was pulling myself up, Arya was close beside me, both of us ignoring the way we were being pushed by the strong wind, "You volunteered me. And you made me carry the burden of your fucking legacy," Arya slipped and her gasp pulled me away from my conversation in my head, a blonde boy caught her, pushing her back up before nodding at me, we're all on the same side then. "You made me carry the weight of not dying so I don't kill our family," I finally reached the platform, pulling myself up and instantly scrambling to pull Arya with me, the blonde boy sticking his hand up for us, and with shaking strength, we pulled him onto the platform. "Stay out of my head."

"You, Nyxia Starweaver," The blonde puffed a breath out, the three of us looking towards the mass of people crossing the logs, "Have a target on your head because you're fast and your father was a legend," His hand was presented in front of me, "Isaac, now let's get ourselves over the wall."

I walked to the edge of the platform, hearing the splashes behind me as Isaac cut the ropes that led to our platform. There were no rules against it, and even though I wanted to tell him not to, I needed the time to think. Every precious second on this platform counted. I shrieked when Calixta appeared in front of me, the rider smirking as he assessed my rain-soaked body. "My money's on you Starweaver," his voice sent a chill up my spine. It was like warm honey on a cold night, yet held malice, like my survival was going to make my life hell. "Most of ours is, don't let us down."

"Great, no pressure or anything."

I looked at the rotating platforms gauging the gaps between them. The circular wood platforms not only had bigger spaces between them, but each of the three platforms was moving at different speeds. I tilted my head up, letting the rain, because the hail had subsided, wash across my face. "Daggers," I turned towards Isaac and Arya, who had their eyebrows raised, "Each of these platforms has a bigger gap between them, ten, twenty, and twenty-five feet. Use a dagger to dig into the second platform and use it to help pull your weight," I swallowed, I was too short to easily clear the second to the third platform, but if I could get Isaac and Arya across the wall, then at least I could pretend I was useful and maybe my father wouldn't disown me.