Prince of Fire | Dragonfire Book One

Capítulo Uno

And our lord Eon rose from the Eternal Fire, fledgling wings spread out behind him. He was prepared to face the world before him.

~ Draconic Books of Songs

Chapter One

The flames from above singed her hair and scorched her skin, evaporating the moisture in the air surrounding her. The heat was nearly unbearable, suffocating her already strained lungs.

The fire stalked her, biting at her heels as she sprinted behind the marble columns. It ceased for a brief second, informing her that an even larger flame would form. It was only luck that she managed to leap behind the stone pillar in time, evading the blistering conflagration.

She gasped for air, treating the ephemeral safety as bliss. A loud screeching sound filled the air, mimicking a mechanical beast. Her target was near. She clenched her weapon, a crossbow with iron arrows, in her hand. A light steel sword rested on her hip in case she engaged in hand-to-hand combat, or if she needed to decapitate a beast.

Although she preferred using guns, she needed to demonstrate her skill with less advanced weapons. According to some people, anyone could shoot a gun. It was more impressive to be able to wield any weapon and use it to accomplish a mission, thus why she was stuck with rudimentary items.

Finally, the stream of reds and oranges halted, opening a window of opportunity for her to lunge out of her safety zone and take a shot. Darting out, she took the few split seconds to focus her aim in the direction of the screech. Red eyes glared at her from above the ledge, waiting to pounce.

Then, she pressed the trigger, hearing the quiet whistle of her arrow and a loud collapse from the vicinity of where her arrow went. The tumult was silenced in the arena.

She panted, her heart palpitating wildly from the adrenaline. Sweat ran down her forehead and the back of her neck, making her shirt damp. Once she regained some sense of composure, she walked towards the center of the arena towards her target, hearing someone applaud.

"That was impressive, Elena," a deep, masculine voice echoed from the stands above.

She looked up, squinting at the bright light behind a man. His dark, curly hair and cocoa skin became more visible once he reached the level ground, where the light wasn't blinding her view. He was also equipped with a light sword and padded armor. Pride emulated from him, causing the woman to hope that it was a result from her accomplishment.

"Thanks," Elena said, assessing the damage that the fire had done to the tips of her thick, black hair. She had been smart enough to pull it up in a ponytail before she had entered the arena. Although it was slightly singed, her hair was dark enough to mask any damages.

"But Colton," Elena added. "Next time, menos fuego por favor. Less fire, please. I prefer that my face doesn't get charred."

Colton's laughter resonated for a moment before he became serious again. "Real dragons do not hold back their fire. You need to treat this as if this was the real thing," he said, gesturing to the malfunctioning, metal organism that was twitching on the ledge.

Elena glanced at her target again. A tangle of prosaic wires and parts that had once made up part of a complex machine now decorated the floor. It used to be a highly advanced robotic beast that maneuvered efficiently and fluidly, similar to a real creature. Even now, the severed mechanical head bore a resemblance to a real dragon with its long snout and sharp fangs.

The metallic beast's speakers whined on the floor, crackling and sputtering before dying down. She had shot the beast straight in the neck, silencing the awful screeching box and demonstrating her precise aim.