From the Ashes

Chapter 19

I stare up at my room ceiling. The fan blows cold air down on me. A chill runs through my body. From the fan or from the memories of my dream last night, I'm not sure.

In my dream, we were in the Amarija arena. I'd killed Azad, but his voice continued to haunt me. "He will betray you Jaina."

Dragon and Liam were there, their eyes were red from the angry glare of lava. Remembering it sends tingles of fear down my spine.

"Liar!" I shouted back at him.

Dragon approached me, and it occurred to me that he would betray me.

"He's lying to you," Azad's voice echoed in my head.

Dragon's eyes locked onto mine, pleading with me. "You have to trust me."

Yet Azad's voice didn't stop. "The Dark will destroy you."

I can't dismiss this as I have many of my dreams. It almost got Luci killed. If Dragon knew I could have stopped it, what would he say? He wouldn't be happy, I'm sure.

But what happened in my dream already took place. I didn't really kill Azad. My mind flashes back to the vague scenes that played out so clearly in my head. Dragon's eyes. Liam's eyes. Azad's voice. I shudder again.

I stand up and dress. I grab a pair of black, tight pants and a sleeveless, purple and green top that matches the climate. The pale morning light shines through the window. The foreign star shines bright and giant in the sky. Though the planet is about the size of Earth, the gravity is supposedly slightly weaker. I can't feel much difference though.

Azad could have been trying to throw me off my game. But what if it was the future? If one of my dreams foreshadows what's to come, couldn't this one, too? Will the traitor betray me? I wish Dragon would just tell me who it is, but I see his point. We can't afford to split up the team. I wonder how he can keep it to himself. If Dragon can keep that to himself, what else could he be hiding?

The only people in the dream were Azad, Dragon and Liam. Could one of them betray me?

No.

No one will betray me.

***

Shirez arrives at our room a little later than he should have and we have hurry to our transport. This one has open sides with no protection on the long ride to the arena.

The transport takes off, and warm air rushes through the ship. The wind brushes my hair behind my armor. We pass over small villages and see long legged aliens hard at work. Their houses are simple, made of wood and mud bricks. After so many technological advancements, how could there still be places as backward as this?

It isn't long before we come to a place where civilization has totally halted. There are no houses or any indication of intelligent design. There's only forest for miles around. Most of the trees are a dark green color; a few are blue or purple. Their leaves glisten in the early morning light, as if it had just rained.

"Alright, here are your gauntlets. Make sure you use a camouflage setting for this world," Shirez says. "Choose from these weapons. I suggest taking less than you have before. In the last Trial, only one weapon is allowed, and you should take your scimitar. Might as well prepare for it now. I think you're skilled enough. You can keep your gauntlet, which has quite a few weapons of its own. That should cover you."

Though we've already won two Trials, the chances of survival are severely plummeting. If we don't make it to the end, we'll be sent into Reconstruction. A silver marker in the forest catches my eye. We've officially entered the arena.