The Arena

Chapter 2

Cirque blinked open heavy eyelids and looked around.

She was on a large stone platform and there were two SkyWings doing something to her wings.

Reflexively, Cirque snarled and lashed her tail, nearly knocking one of the platform. As she whirled around, she caught sight of several other platforms, all with two dragons on them, except for that bratty firescales, Sunset. Instead, the SkyWing was asleep on her platform, wings over head, talons wrapped around her tail as though she wanted to stay as small as possible
One of the SkyWings grabbed her thrashing tail, wincing as the spikes sliced through his scales - ha, serves you right - and dug his claw through the vulnerable spot. Cirque yowled with pain and almost threw the two SkyWings off the platform, but then one of them managed to jab something into her neck and she felt sleep overcome her again.
After what seemed like a moment later, she woke up. She had been dreaming. The sleeping drug they had given her enhanced her dreams a lot. Cirque was imagining herself tearing out the throats of the two SkyWing guards.
She felt her body leave land.
She felt herself fall through the air. She felt a small bag hit her in the stomach and she groaned, then clutched onto it.
Her wings snapped open, sending pain ricocheting through Cirque's body. Her wings were clamped. Stupid SkyWings, she thought as she fell. The ground was getting closer and closer.
Thump!
Cirque crash-landed into a prickly bush, claws still wrapped tightly around the bag. She stepped out of the bush, wincing as sharp thorns stabbed into her scales and examined her body. No injuries so far.
The small bag held a vial of medicine and two satisfyingly sharp throwing knives.
Now, what did Crimson say about the arena again? Something about a dragon statue... And supplies...
Cirque wasn't afraid to fight to get out of the arena, if necessary. She would head to the dragon statue next, grab some more supplies then run. She knew that she was smart. Smart enough to not get involved with batting a stronger dragon. Easy opponents she knew she could pick off. But firescales, like that idiot Sunset, would be harder to defeat. I'll beat you anyway, she thought, shredding some leaves with her sharp, serrated claws.
But first, she had to get those stupid wing clamps off. After considering for a moment, Cirque twisted her head around and hissed a jet of frostbreath at each clamp. The clamps snapped off as soon as she brushed a serrated claw against the metallic surface. Her wings opened to their full width and relished the freedom.
She set off towards the dragon statue, which was easily visible. It was of Crimson, obviously, holding a scepter and gazing down at the supplies. Have to get there first.
At last she reached the clearing where the dragon statue was. Most of the forest she had travelled through had little to no fruit so she knew she had to get there first. Grab the supplies and go! Cirque quickly looked from side to side then dashed to Crimson's statue.
Go go go! She ruffled through each pile, keeping her original sack tucked under one wing. Her ears pricked up as the faint noise of wingbeats sounded behind her.
It was Sunset, the stupid firescales. She was holding a knife, which must have been fireproof since it wasn't burning up. Cirque grabbed a spear- the nearest weapon to her- and aimed it at Sunset. "Stay away," she warned. "We don't have to kill each other. Take your things and leave."
Cirque caught a glimpse of sadness on Sunset's face. Of course. The firescales would never be able to touch anything unless it was fire resistant, like the knife she was holding. "Go," she told Sunset stiffly.

Sunset's eyes went round and she opened her mouth to call a warning-

Something -no someone- gripped her head in their talons, claws digging painfully into the area above her eye. Stupid dragon, Cirque thought. Her assailant hadn't realized that they could kill her in one blow, with their claws positioned right at her head.

"Put down your weapons. Now​​​​​​," an unfamiliar voice hissed into her ear. Cirque wrinkled her nose as the strange dragon breathed disgusting, fish-smelling breath in her face. She roared and attempted to throw the unfamiliar dragon off.

As she reared up, flaring her wings, she caught sight of more dragons entering the clearing. Cirque drove her sharp claws through the dragon's belly, twisted and shoved him away from her. As the dragon staggered back, clutching his belly with his talons, she recognised him as the HiveWing-SeaWing hybrid. Alderfly, if I'm right.

A SandWing blocked her way and stabbed her poisonous tail at her. Cirque barely managed to dodge and as she skidded around the SandWing, she blasted a stream of deadly cold frostbreath at her enemy.

The SandWing lunged forward, barely missing the jet of frostbreath. As she tilted her head, trying to let the blood from the scratch she got from Alderfly run into her eye, she could see Alderfly dodging around two firescales; Sunset and Dawn, who seemed to be working together, for now.

Something wrapped around her neck, cutting off her oxygen flow.

Cirque lurched away, clawing the thing that was choking her. "Hh-h," she tried to say, her tail lashing. The spikes on the end almost caught the SandWing, who was holding a viciously sharp dagger in one talon, ready to stab it through Cirque if the choker didn't finish her off. She forced her claws under the choker but it was no good, her claws were just making the gap tighter and tighter.

The world started to spin before her eyes, colours merging, shouts and screams overlapping into one repetitive noise, a low hum that reverbrated slowly in her ears.

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Cirque blinked, then sat up. She was in a dark area, with a cold, smooth stone floor beneath her. "Where am I?" she asked, voice trembling.

Another IceWing was sitting down, directly in front of her. Her gaze was warm and welcoming, but somewhat bored. "You failed."

"I what?" Cirque asked, voice echoing somehow.

"You failed," the other IceWing repeated patiently. "Now come with me." The IceWing stood up and began to walk, not sparing a glance back at Cirque. As they walked in silence, Cirque trailing behind the other IceWing, she began to think of the last moments in the arena. The tight band around her throat. The arrogant SkyWing, and the pesty SandWing.

At last they reached an entrance, one that was glowing with light. The IceWing beckoned her out.

Cirque gasped.

They were floating above the arena, just where the dragon statue was. The ground was scattered with dragon remains.

"Thats you," the IceWing pointed out, flicking one claw towards an unfamiliar IceWing with a black band around her neck. The dead IceWing had a purple, slightly swollen face. Nearby the dead IceWing was a SandWing with its poison barb stabbed through its chest. A LeafWing lay on the pedestal of the statue, crossbow bolt protruding from his head. A NightWing had deep scratches gouged through her side and neck. A SkyWing's neck was at a crooked angle, half against the tree. Its wings were still bound.

"It's time for us to move on," the IceWing said. "Rise, Cirque of the IceWings, from the ashes reborn."

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DAY 1 TOTAL DEATHS

Cirque - IceWing. Died of suffocation.

Sharpclaws - NightWing. Died of multiple lacerations on neck and body.

Pine - LeafWing. Died of crossbow bolt to the head.

Sunrise - SandWing. Died of SandWing poison barb.

Char - SkyWing. Died of a broken neck.

TOTAL: 5 DEATHS IN BLOODBATH, NO OTHER CASUALTIES

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