Regal Of All

Chapter IV

Oh my god, I am so hungry right now. I think I could literally eat a dragon... I thought as I walked into my old, ragged gross hotel room. It was hot, stuffy, cramped and musty and dusty and whatever awful words you can think of. You'd think it would be nicer, but I guess it's just a place to house people that will probably just die anyway. Chalky white walls and grimy tiled floors with a spiderweb-covered ceiling topped off by a squeaky bathroom door was not my idea of an ideal living quarters. Don't even get my started on the actual bathroom, I swore I'd try my best to never use it. I dumped my belongings by the dresser and sat down on the prehistoric bed, the only actually clean part of the whole room. I chose to leave my stuff in my bags, not trusting the dresser to not crumble from the weight of everything. After everything that had happened today, I was completely fried. The moving around to get to the train, the train-dragon-incident (which greatly delayed our arrival), getting myself checked in for the Pugnam Games and managing to reach my room (that I'd for the next 9 days) was very taxing. Therefore, I still had an hour before I had to start getting ready for the Welcoming Banquet for all the important people involved in the Games and it's contestants, like me. Before I knew it, I was curled up under the covers, then proceeded to sink into a dark, deep slumber.

My eyes crept open and fluttered a bit before I regained vision and full consciousness. I sat up and licked my lips, my mouth was a desert. Now I looked at the clock, it read 5:16. NOOOO! I'M LATE! I sprung up and dug threw my bags to try and find my dress (which was very flattering, if I do say so myself) and beautiful shoes that matched and everything else I needed to look great for the Banquet. Oh, my did I have to sleep so long??! I glanced at my dagger that laid on the floor in it's sheath and quickly switched gears to pick through my bag with my gear in it, not the other garment/traveling one. I easily found what I was looking for; the soft, refined leather strap with two small golden buckles, and it was even laced in crystal beads; the strap beheld a masterfully crafted sheath fit for my dagger, it was gold and crystal entwined. I snatched the sharp dagger itself and slid it into the sheath. It was weapon worn in style, but also in secrecy, should I have to fight it would be the only time anybody could ever really see it. The strap was fit to buckle around my left thigh, the dagger would face outwards, and any dress/tunic that I was to wear that wasn't skin-tight, it's outline would never be seen.

I continued to try to prepare for the Banquet, I had to make sure I looked fantastic, but at the same time be warrior material; it was important to make a good first impression, tonight of all nights because the pairings would be drawn, out of all the entries only the specially-selected entries were accepted, the ones that could most likely capture or kill a dragon or more. The Pugnam Games were invented not only as a competition between competitors for glory but with actual purpose- to destroy the dragons, to show man was superior. I disagree with that last part, but I paid my fee to enter, and I made sure I looked the best on the application- tough as the dragons themselves.

I walked past the set of guards into the entryway under the limestone arch were there were pairs of boys and girls handing out fliers to everybody that was entered to compete, I took one silently. I looked up and saw a tall, clean-cut man shouting orders at a fork in the path.

"Left if you are an ENTREE! Right if you are a SPECTATOR! Keep it moving!" I'll admit, he kind of scared me a little.

I flowed down the left path amidst other boys/men dressed nicely and women wearing fashionable tunics, girls in silky dresses. I admired my outfit. A deep violet dress that fell to my ankles; it had thick, decorated straps and a tightly fitted top-half with silver strips woven cleverly throughout. The silver belt signaled the change from the top to the bottom. The dress's skirt flared out slightly as it flowed down, there were layers of the silky fabric, giving the appearance of that from the top to the bottom the shades of violet grew darker, finally at the end it looked almost like a metallic black. I thought it was stunning and fit me perfectly. As for the shoes (they were heeled-flats), they were ever so slightly open-toed and open-heeled but the rest was made of some sturdy material that I can't name. It was violet-colored too and there was a silver-buckled strap that ran around my Achilles tendon but just under the ankle's joint. My hair was in a fabulous up-do and had two thick tendrils fall alongside my face. My arms, hands and ears were adorned in- guess what?- shiny silver. I was super-confident in my outfit, it was gorgeous and my hair looked stunning, not to flatter myself.