Regal Of All

Chapter VI

"Hey! Remember me? Lea?" She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear that escaped from her long braid.

I smiled in relief, grateful that somebody I'd at least seen before was here. I thanked the Universe for being on my side. "Oh, are you that Lea from that banquet I went to a little while ago? Who I sat next to at the feast? I think I remember her... Oh is that you?" I said jokingly.

She gave a small smile and a sharp eye roll, almost like she had something better to do than listen to me mock the past. Almost. "Oh and I sat next to that brown-eyed girl with the pretty hair that would not shut up? Oh is that you? I'm so sorry." She giggled, so did I. "You never told me how you met the girl in the red dress, the one that flipped her hair a lot and talked about the cheeses from before?"

I closed my eyes for a second and shook my head. "Oh, that girl. Yeah, her name's Acacia. It's kind of a long story."

"Does it look like we have anything better to do?" she gestured to the crowded ballroom where people were talking and a few groups were dancing to the sweet-sounding music. The announcer woman from earlier was singing nicely in a simple yet flattering black dress.

"True. So, let me think where to begin..." I started fiddling with my bracelets, "I came here, to Lugebit, by train and there was a bit of a..." I searched for a word, "-interruption. An alarm starting going off and everybody was supposed to get out but I was in a deep sleep so I practically dead to the world. And I could've been if Acacia didn't start shouting at me- rather rudely, I may add- and I got up gathered my belongings. But then we tried to get out of the car- well, it didn't work. Anyway, a bunch of people died-" Lea looked ill now, "-but we didn't, as a bright spot." I slapped on a perky smile that showed off my white teeth.

"Who died? And why or how did they die?" Lea seemed intrigued, but it was a cautioned curiosity.

"There was a warning for a dragon sighting, but they set the alarm off when it wasn't there yet. So 'cause it went off a few minutes early people got out really rushed and freaked out but confused so they made a lot of noise and spread out which is the worst thing to do. Apparently the drill is the evacuate the train, hide the children under it and all the adults line the outside of the train and everyone stays still and keeps quiet. And if they do swoop down and flip over a car then the people on the other side can split into half and divide and go to either of the side cars. The dragons only attack moving trains or man-made things that they can hear sound coming from. We were the complete opposite."

"Whoa, hold on a minute! A dragon attacked your train?!"

"Oh, yeah! It was super scary but cool in a terrifying way that I'm still alive. Unlike those other people."

"But how did they die?"

"Well, the little boy was taken by the dragon, his mother was hit with the tail- she died instantly. And a group of idiotic and enraged men was all burned for their stupidity. In my opinion, it was well-deserved. They did everything wrong and lost their heads. Running at a dragon without their permission and without showing them respect is an act of war, a challenge. I feel the worst for the poor boy, he didn't deserve that. It was the adults' fault."

She nodded. "I don't agree with your opinion at all, but I kinda get your point of view. But, if you side with the dragons, then why are in the Pugnam Games? We're here to not just capture, but to kill their species."

"Yeah, so why are you in the competition? You never told me why." A voice pipped up behind me. I jumped, startled, and spun around in a flash. She flipped her hair back in habit.

"Oh, my goodness. Acacia, do not keep scaring me like that! I didn't even know you were there."

"Obviously, your shaking like a leaf in the wind!"

I crossed my arms. "No I am not!"

Lea chimed in, "See? You're even cold, you got so scared. Did your blood freeze? You're crossing your arms."

Acacia said, "Heart skip a beat?"

"What now you can't speak? Cat caught your tongue?" Lea said.

We all broke out in quiet laughter, it slipped under all the other sounds in the massive dome-ballroom. Just then an old slow song came on, all instrumental, a "classic" it was called. Once, I heard, words were put to the song. I just faintly remember a line or two: When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed, With a word she can get what she came for... It was a beautiful piece of music.

"I really like this song..." I said, my voice drifted off. I candles seemed to burn brighter, just being happy, content in the moment. The room got warmer and the dark night outside ceased to exist. The thought that in 8 days we'd have to compete each other and try to kill dragons, such regal beasts couldn't be farther from my head. I began to sway to the music.