Destiny #WRITEANDWIN

Chapter 2

Present

Andre

This week was going to be different. I knew that, the second my best friend stated we would be battling a King in a month I felt . . . blank. Before then, I was being unresponsive. What a great friend I was, I didn't understand why Nya still stuck by me in those times. She was there when I needed her. Every time I tossed attitude she would share sass. I turned to her and sighed when I noticed her lips were pulling down into a frown.

"Don't worry, we've still got a few weeks." I sounded confident, but I felt just as scared as Nya probably was. I looked down at the cobble floor in shame, before lifting my eyes once more and staring at the small painting on the centre of the left wall. It wasn't something Nya would be able to accomplish, so I didn't understand how she did it. It was the only decoration in the palace other than differed lights. This room was boring, I couldn't comprehend why Nya wouldn't fix it so it suited her personality. That was what I did. There was a single chandelier on the roof, but it was hardly noticeable as the throne took your attention straight it away whenever entering this room. It was on fire. Which made me glad that she hadn't ever offered me a seat there.

"Are you serious Andre? You are being ridiculous, even I can see that." Nya turned to me through irritation, in return I raised my eyebrows, unimpressed. I would always do that, the reactions that would flare from her were priceless. She rolled her eyes but scowled none-the-less. "Stop looking at me like that!"

I laughed, and watched how she rested her arms on her throne. An action that reviewed how far more superior she was here than myself. As the Queen of a fire kingdom, she was passionate and equally aggressive. I often wondered why I wasn't given that element due to my wild characteristics. Then again, I didn't have the attitude to run this place. I'd like to think Earth suited me, but at times I doubted that.

Sometimes I wondered why I didn't have a crush on Nya. Yet then I would remember how she liked an airhead and I; a water girl who wouldn't remember my birthday. I didn't blame her, we hardly spoke. Deciding to distract myself, I gazed around the large room. I focused on Nya's dragon whom was sleeping in the far corner. It reminded me of a dinosaur. Like my own; it had no wings and an angular face. Fire trailed from the top of the creature's head all the way down to its tail. Spikes arched from the top of its shoulders like a shield over the rest of its stomach. An alien-like raptor that could stand on all fours. From past situations, I found that it had fiery eyes and was very capable of biting a sleeve off your t-shirt. I learnt those things from experience.

"Sore?" she smirked, referring to my butt as I got up from the floor. Nya had made me sit there after teasing her about her ex-boyfriend (a.k.a the airhead), I thought it was a bit farfetched. I muttered incoherent words under my breath as I headed for the door, huffing as I did so. She must of heard one of the curses as she spoke up. "You wanna repeat that?"

"For a 25 year old you are really weird . . . And childish," I smirked. Nya narrowed her eyes and motioned me out, that was usually how our conversations ended. She would reply with something along the same lines. But not today.

"Then I guess that means you're too mature to hang out with Octavia and I tomorrow." I paused mid-step, looking over my shoulder at Nya as I bit my lip. There was too much to do about the darkness King, I shouldn't be worrying about some silly crush at the moment. Besides, she wouldn't want me to intrude on their girl's day, silly enough as it sounds. This was like high school all over again, although I was only there until I turned sixteen. I sighed and stopped walking altogether, gazing up at the roof before shaking my head.

"I can't, I've got to train. You should too, since we've got to fight for our status in a few weeks." I glanced at Nya once more, she was wrinkling her nose and was probably correcting me in her head as she always did.

It's four weeks.

It's not a status.

We've been training for nine years.

I exited the front door with difficulty, burning my hand five times. You had to handle the knob right or get hurt in the process. Shaking my smokey fingers I strode towards a creature nearby a fiery tree. I lifted a leg over his rocky back, it was uncomfortable, but I was getting used to it by now. My dragon was different compared to Nya's, he was less reptilian and more mammal. He was slower, but far stronger and could carry much more. Like weapons, perhaps. He could create an earthquake with a powerful stomp. Known as a dangerous 'animal' when crossed. As a mode of transport? Not too useful. He needed wings, Nya's ex-boyfriend was lucky enough to have one with them. The dragons were suiting to their master's element. As my dragon moved forward, my body rocked side to side as if I were on a horse. I leaned forward, his spine curved up like an arc from where I sat, a unique structure compared to the other creatures in this world.

Turning to my right as we left Nya's castle, I waved goodbye. The structure was in flames, and quite hot. Which was why hardly anyone visited her, didn't stop me though. I had a certain resistance with my rock-like body that it didn't really affect me. In fact, I heard sweating does make you fitter. Another reason I liked going there, it gave me the best body. I was 25, but it felt like I had lived the past 9 years as a sixteen year old. This fantasy place did nothing to stop ageing like I had dreamt it would. After all, at 26; four other sixteen year olds would replace Nya, Octavia (water girl), Cloud (airhead) and myself. It was quite daunting to think that I wasn't going to be here after a few months. How I knew we were leaving? I had no idea, it was just stated in the pages of 'How To Be The Perfect Royal'.

Apparently, we weren't the first for this job. And that fact alone? It was scary.