Regal Of All

Chapter IX

I, being oblivious to several things that seem relatively unimportant (and that occasionally happens) did not notice them until it was too late. Actually, I would've still sat exactly where I was eating my toasted snails, as I am now.

Lea spoke first. "Um, Acacia, KK?"

"Mmm?" Acacia looked up from her banana-chocolate pie with champagne. I started intently at my wine glass, trying to figure out what made the wine look blue and the glass seem so black. I didn't hear a word, I used to be known for my stellar concentration.

"Tristen and I think Nixon along with another guy are here. Like looking for a booth and this place is pretty crowded."

Acacia stole a glance quickly behind her (I'm to her left, next to the wall). "Oh no. KK? Kayelana!" She jerked me out of my own head, for the second time.

"What?" I said almost too loudly, but in comparison to the whole chatty room my voice didn't carry well, which is probably why they sat down to the booth right across from us.

Then Tristen, the boy Acacia showed-up, looked over at us and immediately recognized Acacia, and caught on that we (Lea and I) would be competing against him in the Games. A potential threat to his foresaw fame and fortune. He whipped his head around to his buddies, the long, black hair shied over his charcoal-brown eyes. He was actually dressed up pretty nice, I glanced down at my seafoam-green tunic with good sandals, glad I chose a good outfit.

Acacia stared at Lea, and I started talking aloud about something random. I do that when I'm either nervous or trying to fill silence or just when I get really excited (I go on long tangents).

"Oh my gosh, did I tell you two about the story about my necklace?" I touched my aquamarine gem that was entwined in a golden chain. "I got it four years ago."

Lea caught on first. "Oh, no. Please share."

My imagination ran wild for an account of 2 seconds and I jumped on a story line. I do have a very vivid and active imagination, thank goodness. "So, I was in an old, deserty village called Siccum where I ran into this lady named Sasha. She was older with short white hair and owned a rock shop. She said there was an old falcon that kept stealing her lunch, which was always bread with cheese, no matter what she did.

"She said she'd trade me any three stones if I could shoot the falcon. Since I can shoot and hit with my eyes closed I agreed. It was just two nights that passed and on the third morning I came across the bird. Somehow it was injured, a wing looked broken and it had lost a claw. The poor thing seemed miserable too, I felt so empathetic for it. And wondered how it had gotten hurt so badly, even if it was fat. I named it Sirocco before shooting it in the eye. It couldn't fly, it would only get weaker. I brought it to the woman and she burned it with honor and respect int the mountains. But only after saving several feathers from him. I in turn received this stone, and a sparkling piece of amber and shiny rock of turquoise."

By now both my friends were fully listening and I noticed that Tristen was listening over at his table, none of the boys were speaking to each other.

"Wow, that's a pretty deep story, KK."

"Yeah, I feel so bad for Sirocco. But the jewels are pretty."

I sighed, "yeah, Sasha was a good lady. Funny how she made out that bird to be so foul, but only so she could give it a nice funeral when it was dead. So strange." I paused, "like the dragons."

Lea looked confuzzled for a moment as Acacia said, "I kind of get your point."

"I don't expect you to. It's more personal for me."

"Now that, I understand," said Lea.

Then Tristen pipped up, "What about dragons, now?"

Oh great, Glamour-boy has something to say. "Can I help you?" I spat.

He looked at me, which just made me more irritated. First it was like, why did they have to show up? Now I'm more like, arrgg Tristen why do you have to be cute, in the Games and annoying me and my girls?

Instead of him answering, the other boy did for him, the one we don't know."Actually, you can. Why do you speak so fondly of wild beasts? They're our enemies."

"And why is that?" I said.

"They kill, they're ravenous and menacing in their dirty ways that do no good." No-name-boy said. Who is that boy, I wonder?

"And how are we, us humans, so much better? We're putting on a show to compete for glory and riches to entertain people, all while we say 'death to the dragons!' These creatures are at the edge of extinction, don't you know that?" sassed back Acacia, using my same logic.

Lea spoke clearly and very calmly to add more reasoning. "Yah. And anyway, we hunt for sport, they kill for food. What the animals do is the food chain, the circle of life. Not that any of you three would know much about meaning of life," and threw in some attitude at the end.

Tristen responded. "What's that supposed to mean? What you said, the one with the braid." We ignored him.

Nixon spoke loudly, suddenly all proud of himself. "Then what are you three ladies doing in the Pugnam Games if you love the little dragons so much?"

"Oh we certainly don't love them. Not at all. But we don't hate them with every bone in our body either. We're at least decent, and that's more than you could say for yourself." said Acacia, she glares, leaning over the table to point her finger.

Lea said, "I have my reasons to compete that I have no obligation to share with you. Or any of you boys." Her words ended with a chill.

My curiosity go the best of of me, I just had to ask. "Hey, you. The boy with the brown hair. What's your name?"

"My name's Alyn. Who are all of you?" He had chestnut hair with blue eyes. He was handsome.

Suddenly I realized that nobody here was sure who exactly they were arguing with. I introduced us girls, "My name's Kayelana. This is Leonora," I nodded to her across from me, then tilted my head to Acacia, "and this is Acacia."

Nixon spoke sharply, "I'm Nixon. This is obviously Alyn, and that's Tristen. We intend to be the top three in the Games."

I questioned his last statement. "Only one pair can win, what will you do then?" No answer.

Lea, Acacia and me seemed to finish eating a couple minutes later of stretched silence between our two tables. The boys ordered their dinners and we paid for ours. Then we ever so gracefully got up and exited the dinner; out into the soft, warm air but it had a cool breeze to it, reminding me that it was autumn after all.

"Was it true?" Lea asked me. (In order) Lea, Acacia and I were walking back to our hotel rooms.

"What was what true?"

"The story you told us, about the lady and the bird with the stones."

I laughed. "Oh that. No, it wasn't. The woman was real, but I only bought this necklace from her. I do like jewelry." But there's always more to it... I decided against voicing the extra details.

"Oh, ok then."

We continued in easy silence. Which left my thoughts to wander, remembering what Lea had said, I thought about life. My life more specifically.

What is going to happen at the Games? I know it's not smart to be friends with anybody unless they're on your team. But the warriors don't get to chose to their teams, the officials do. I'm friends with Leonora and Acacia, they're three of us. And, if by some miracle, two of us are on one team then one is left alone. I've been that one before, so not fun whatsoever. How is this ever going to work?