Dragon of Legend: A New Era (BK2) (Published)

chapter 32

They clashed, with Dominique ducking to avoid the Quilus' blades before skillfully swinging his pole around, aiming for Quilus' chest. Yet Quilus was faster and easily jumped out of the way, a grin on his face as he stared mockingly at Dominique, twirling a blade in each hand.  

"Come on Dominique," he mocked, "Is that all you've got?"  

In reply Dominique lunged forward, anger driving him on. He swung at Quilus' head yet Quilus ducked and when Dominique swung for his feet he just jumped over the pole before stepping backwards out of reach.  

"You know," Quilus spoke, "No matter what happens here, you've lost."  

Dominique glared at him yet this seemed to only prompt Quilus on. "You see, the Resistance has been disbanded. They're either all facing a bright future in the quarries or are too scared to ever show their faces here again. As for your girlfriend..." he trailed off grinning, "She's got the best thing coming out of all of them."  

"Akira," Dominique whispered as fear for her filled him. What was going to happen to her?  

"You see," Quilus continued, seeming happy enough to tell Dominique, "The council was really looking forward to see her hang, but since her little escape they decided that perhaps hanging wasn't the best thing for her. They found something better, something much more...entertaining," he lunged at Dominique who raised his pole just in time to stop Quilus' blades from finding their mark.  

"What are they going to do to her?" Dominique growled as he glared at Quilus.  

"My my," Quilus chuckled, "You really want to know? Like it would do you any good, there's no way in the lands that you can save her now, not any of them."  

Growling Dominique whipped his pole around, managing to just graze Quilus' arm. Looking somewhat surprised Quilus shot a glance at his arm, as though checking for damage, but then he turned back to Dominique with a smile.  

"Blunt weapon," he chuckled as he saw no damage done.  

In reply Dominique pressed a small knob on his pole and suddenly two sharp spikes slipped out, one at each end. Quilus stared in surprise.  

"What are they going to do to her?" Dominique repeated, his eyes flashing dangerously.  

"Well if you want to know that badly," Quilus sighed as he twirled one of his blades again. A smile spread across his face, "Ever heard of the arena?"  

Dominique's heart dropped as he stood, frozen. "No," he whispered, "It's a rumor, it doesn't exist."  

"Oh really?" Quilus' smile widened, "Then how come your little friend is going to be tomorrow mornings entertainment in this arena?"  

"No," Dominique shook his head. Not the arena. He had always suspected that it existed, but he had never thought the council would go as far. It was a place where the council watched dragons battle each other, where they welcomed death as entertainment. He had always thought it was just a story. There was no way the council would go that far.  

"They've even pitted her against a dragon, just to make it more interesting," Quilus chuckled, "I'd wish her good luck but it wouldn't do her any good. She'll probably be dead before she even knows what hits her."  

Letting out a yell of rage Dominique lunged, seeing no more a friend before him but a vile enemy, an enemy responsible for it all. It was as though he were back to the moment when he had killed the Watcher, when rescuing the prisoners on their way the quarries. He lost control of what he was doing and it was as though he were standing by and watching as his body move, reigning blow upon blow down on Quilus, not giving him a chance to retaliate. He was dimly aware of how he drove one of the spikes in his pole into Quilus' shoulder before driving him to his knees. And then, when he suddenly came to himself once again, Quilus was kneeling before him, staring with wide eyes as Dominique held one of his own blades to his throat.