The Immortal Blade Trilogy: Book #1: Fate's Destiny.

It's One or the Other.

When we got to the starting room and sat down again, there were less then fifty people. Wow... A lot of them must have died. I would have to be more cautious, think smarter, if I wanted to get out of this arena alive. I also had to think about the others though, make sure they were safe. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely noticed that the gates were opening. I shook my head, then looked around. Quinlan was running over to me and Bentley and Cassandra had started running out the gates. Quinlan reached me and offered me his hand to help me up. I took it, and we started running out of the gates. This arena wasn't just sand. Oh no. It was all water! No land what so ever! I could hear the loud screech of the gates closing behind me, then the loud screech of a young girl! "Cassandra!" I heard a young man call. I looked around to see Bentley clinging to the wall, and Cassandra flailing her arms around about 6ft in front of him. He looked over to me and yelled "Alexandra! Save her! I can't swim!" Of course, I found myself swimming over there to save her even before he said anything. She was 20ft away. 15ft. 10ft. 5ft. Got her! I pulled her up, but to do that, I had to sink. Deep breath, and now! I breathed a giant breath of air and yanked Cassandra out of the water, then started pushing her over to Bentley. I had to get her to him quickly. I decided to boost her with all I had, over to Bentley. I did. And as I did so, I pushed myself under further. I was probably 15ft under and I had absolutely no more air in my lungs. I'm not going to make it. It's not possible. I was kicking as hard as I could, but I still seemed to be sinking! I looked up. I could barely see the light. I looked down. There seemed to be no bottom! So, this was it. This was my end. Drowning in a bottomless pit. I shut my eyes. Waited for the darkness to swallow me, suddenly I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me up. I was dead. I was being pulled up to heaven by an angel. Blinding light was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. This was heaven, and the angel... what?? The angel looked exactly like Quinlan! I wrapped my arms around Quinlan's neck and clung there for a while. I never wanted to let go. This was the only place I felt safe. I felt the same strong arms trying to remove my arms from Quinlan's neck. "Alexandra... you're choking me..." I heard Quinlan cough out. I reluctantly removed my arms and grabbed a hold of the wall. I looked over at Quinlan. "Thank you." I said as sincerely as I could. He just smiled and looked down. Then he looked up, past me, and his smile disappeared. "Duck!" He yelled. We all ducked, just as two arrows pierced the water above us. As soon as they passed, I grabbed one of my throwing daggers, popped out of the water, aimed it at one of the attackers head, and... threw it! It hit him right in his heart. The other one looked down at his companion then back at me, right as my second dagger pierced his heart. I swam over, retrieved my daggers, and swam back to the others. "Let's go." I command as I start swimming along the wall. I see fighting up ahead and motion to turn around. I see fighting that way too, plus three boys swimming over to us. "We're going to have to cross." I tell everybody. "But I can't swim!" Bentley yells. "Just try! Kick with your legs and stroke with your arms!" He nodded, I grabbed Cassandra and told her to do the same. We started swimming to the other side. We were doing pretty good. I was helping Cassandra, and Quinlan was helping Bentley. We got about halfway there before I looked back and saw the three boys that were chasing us, about 10ft behind us. "Faster!" I yelled to no one in particular. Everyone started swimming faster. That's when Bentley swallowed a mouthful of water. He started coughing, sinking, and panicking. Quinlan was the one keeping his head above the water, but he was slowly sinking. "Alexandra! I need you!" Quinlan called. I couldn't help Cassandra and Bentley at the same time! I started swimming over to Bentley and Quinlan, with Cassandra holding onto one of my hands, when I suddenly feel her get yanked from me. "Cassandra!" I scream. The boys that were chasing us had caught up and grabbed Cassandra, Bentley was sinking, and I couldn't save them both! Just then, I recognized one of the boys. Kendrick. My first kiss. He looked at me with disgust and looked over as one of the other boys nodded. Kendrick jumped on me and sank me, while the other boys did who knows what to Cassandra. I was already about 10ft under in the first 5 seconds. I grabbed my throwing daggers and started slashing at him, but he had already drawn his short sword and easily parried. We were now about 20ft under and I was out of breath, again. I kept trying to stab him, but he kept parrying! Finally, I saw what he was trying to do. He was trying to kill me in the most painful way possible. He was drowning me slowly, keeping me alive for as long as possible. Again, I died, and when I noticed that, Kendrick was no where to be seen. Instead, the angel Quinlan was, yet again, pulling me to the surface. Once again, blinding light. "Swim, Alexandra." He commanded, although, in a respectful manner. "Where's Cassandra?" I ask. "Swim." He says, points to the wall we were heading for, and gives me a boost. I do as ordered and swim to the wall. When I get there, I look back to see Quinlan dragging an unconscious Bentley to me. When he reaches me, we hear the loud screech of the gates. We start swimming over, until I feel like I am missing something. "What... Where's Cassandra?" I ask, remembering what happened. "Keep swimming Alexandra." Quinlan replies. I stop swimming. "Where's Cassandra?" I ask, demanding to know. He looks at me with those innocent dark eyes, then grabs my hand and drags me along too. We finally reach the gates and I step in Quinlan's path, stopping him. "Where's Cassandra? Answer me!" I demand. "Alexandra. Move." He looks at me, throws Bentley over his shoulder, and walks around me. I close my eyes and know what happened to Cassandra. She was pulled up to heaven by her angel. I hug myself and start walking back to my cell, when strong arms grab me and a booming voice speaks. "You're coming to eat." 

I'm practically dragged to the dining room, where there is no one. Except... where is that crying sound coming from then? I look around and see a small girl of about 6 sitting in the corner of the room, crying. I walk over there and ask her why she's crying. "Because... my mommy and daddy won't believe me..." "What about?" I ask as I sit down next to her. "They think that this kingdom is evil, when really, they just don't see the good in it." "What good?" I ask, a little angrily. She looks up at me, then replies. "The arena is just for the slave-masters to get money. The kingdom doesn't like it, just the cruel people." "Then why doesn't the kingdom stop it?" I ask. "Because... they can't... they would have to ask the king first, and the king likes the arena because it provides lots of jobs, and keeps the cruel people off the streets." She answers, then adds. "The arena gives the kingdom money, because the people bet on who's going to win. You also have to pay to see the fighting in the arena." I don't know what to say to that. It must be true, it all makes sense. "Oh..." I say. "You should go eat." She says, then walks out of the room. I stand up then realize what I've just done. That's not true! None of it! Why would this little girl be randomly sitting in this royal dining room? How could a little girl know that much? Who were her parents? None of it made sense! I stuffed my face until I felt better. I ate all sorts of pie's, meats, fruits, salads, tarts, cakes, fried food, and ice creams. I had never seen so much food in my life! I took my coat off and filled it with all sort's of food for Quinlan. Quinlan... Bentley... Cassandra... CASSANDRA!! The little girl who always sat in the corner, who never said a word, who snuggled with me! She was dead! Just like Madeline! MADELINE! No!! I was crying now, and had fallen on the ground while curled up. They were all gone, everyone I loved! How could I let this happen... I'm such a horrible person! I sat up, wiped my face, and opened the doors. The guards grabbed my arms and lead me back to my cell, where Quinlan was waiting. I walked into the room where Quinlan was waiting, and ran over to him. I buried my face in his shoulder and started crying uncontrollably. "Hey, don't cry..." He says as he holds me tight and wipes my tears. How blessed am I to have a friend like this? More blessed then I can comprehend.