II - Sigh of Smoke

Chapter 17 - Bloodthirst

-Atlanta-

At first none of the Wielders moved to Valar's command, glancing to each other uncertainly. That changed however, when Snake was whipped by a Zarkarian sitting on the edge of the railing that separated him from the fighting circle—perhaps there to ensure a fight would start—and the bald girl in reaction slammed her hands down on the ground, the earth at her fingertips cracking in a path outwards, like a serpant's tail. The crumbling of the earth sent the other Wielders running, away, or towards another opponent.

From here Atlanta could see the hesitation and the reluctance in each of their expressions, but she was distracted by the girl in front of her who had admitted to knowing who they were.

She leaned in closer to the stranger, grabbing both her wrists and holding them against her back to keep her in place. "Do you intend to run?" She asked the girl, voice low as she tightened the hold on the girl's arms.

The stranger again shook her head.

In the fighting ring Atlanta saw Bait—as was named by the gamekeeper, Valar—scramble behind a boulder to hide from the other fighters, his eyes shut tightly as his skin began to glow. His hands moved around in a circle, gathering earth and making it into a spike in his hands.

Atlanta pushed against the girl in front of her. "What is your name?"

"M—Meena."

She pushed again, hearing the girl groan. Atlanta hissed. "Don't lie."

The girl shuddered. "My name's Menaleen," she said. Before Atlanta could do anything, the girl spoke again. "I—I won't run. I'm not here for the bounty either."

Ah, the bounty. 

Entering the small city that surrounded and protected the Arena, Atlanta and the others had overheard many of the people seeking entrance talking about a bounty. A bounty for the heads of each of the Dragon Blessed. This meant that Zarkarath was aware that she, along with Lucan, Dareon, and Aleksandra, were on their way to kill King Cragon. She could understand why there was a bounty, many Zarkarians would never let the murder of their King be allowed.

If there was a bounty, then it was known they were all alive.

She bit her lip, thinking about how much harder it was going to be to get into Zarkarath's capital at this point.

The entire Kingdom was after them, and Dareon was not prepared to fight a Zarkarian and win on his own, and neither was Lucan. Atlanta had no way to tell if there were any new techniques taught to the public in her absence, and that meant that she as well would've been at a disadvantage.

Was King Cragon making it more difficult for her to return on purpose?

She shook her head at the idea. No.

Earlier, they had separated from Emiloseph Piper. Thankfully. The man had gotten on her nerves with constantly calling her 'blue-eyes', and his mysteriousness made him less worthy of her trust. She had no way to know who he was, and what exactly he was doing in the middle of nowhere in the first place.

"I hope you beautiful people succeed," he had said with a smile, turning his horse back around towards the Barren Wastes. At that moment all of them remembered that he had wanted to leave before being anywhere near the Arena of the Wickeds, and Atlanta could understand, however that didn't stop her from narrowing her eyes at him. They had allowed them to keep the horse, since it would've been trouble to keep three horses hidden, let alone four. Piper was glad to keep it.

Lucan had nodded, "we will succeed. Thank you for your help."

"No problem, handsome." Piper winked suggestively. Atlanta raised an eyebrow. He merely chuckled before saying directly to her, "I hope when you get yer girl back, you get her help for that curse she's carrying."

"Curse? Ah." 

"Yeah, the one that's making her wither faster. I smelt it a while back, but wasn't sure what to say. Not sure if it's a curse entirely, but it's something odd." Piper looked over his shoulder, adjusting the reigns in his hands. "A Wielder dies quick, yes, but with a charm like that? She'll be done twice as fast. What kind of curse it is, well, that I don't quite understand myself. Never sensed one like it."

At that, Piper was gone, but his final words had stayed with them till they arrived at the city walls. They had very little time then, curse or not.

Once they arrived, they had not expected the vastness of the city, nor the security. They had to go around the back, at the rear entrance that Atlanta was sure held the tent settlement she had heard of. With Lucan boosting her up, she confirmed it. The marketplace was busy, but the tents were not. Practically empty, if anything. That meant something was happening, an event of some sort. 

The Arena itself stood in the middle of the city like a pupil in an eye, and was colossal. Around it she could see people gathering, bustling and from what she could tell, very excited.

Atlanta had easily scaled the wall while Dareon tied the horses down further from the entrance, helping him up and the knight afterwards. There was no way to know if anyone would take the horses they left behind, but luckily the horses were strangely obediant and would not move on their own. They would earn a hefty price if anyone thought they were worth selling, definitely, but if they needed transportation to Zarkarath after retrieving Aleksandra, the horses were the only hope at the moment.

Atlanta returned from her thoughts, staring at the back of Menaleen's head. "What do you intend to do then?" She asked, keeping her voice low as she felt Lucan's presence at her back. "You do not seem eager for any reward for sure, but that doesn't mean it's not true. You are obviously far too weak to defeat us, or to kill us for that matter."

The girl swallowed nervously. "I'm here to escort you."

"To where?" Her grip tightened.

"To a safe place for you to hide in Zarkarath. T—to keep you and the others safe from the bounty hunters."

A safe place?

Before Atlanta could ask for more, Dareon grabbed her sleeve and pointed into the Arena. His wild eyes made her turn, and she found herself staring as Bait's head was twisted, the loud crack from his spine being heard from the fighting ring. The crowds roared, their stomps celebrating the first death caused by another Wielder's hands.

The one who had done it was Aleksandra herself.

Atlanta had expected the witch's expression to be filled with amusement, perhaps glee, but that was not what she saw. In fact, it was the complete opposite. In the girl's pale face she saw nothing, her lips in a tight line and her green eyes blank of any emotion.

Bait's body crumpled to the floor.

The audience yelled for more.