Interface

Mara

Leona is standing in plain view of the whole city, and she does not look afraid.
I've heard of these twisted games- where two people fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses.
Leona makes eye contact with me from across the stadium, and I struggle to pick up her expression.
" I will not fight!" she proclaims, fearsome in her blatant defiance.
The crowd goes deathly silent, as if their tongues have been pinned to the roof of their mouths by an unseen force.
Leona throws her weapon to the sandy earth, and I close my eyes. I wish I could close my ears as well.. That way I could've been spared from her words.
" You call me a slave! A gladiator!" she takes a breath before continuing.
" I call myself human. You hunt the people of this land, with no regard to who is in the wrong. We are all human! Should we not act like it?"
The stadium is dead silent, and I sneak a glance at Gwynhoiarn.
Her eyes are wide, filled with fear, but there's something underneath the surface that I cannot place. Is it pride? Admiration? I can't tell.
Leona  walks toward the entrance, and then starts lengthening her stride until she is sprinting as fast as she can towards the entrance. My eyes can barely keep up with her, but the Otherfolk apparently known as Hounds are even quicker than Leona.
One of them blocks her path, another takes her down.
She looks up at Gwynhoiarn, and I see her face contort into agony as she begins to drain.

" Wait."
The stadium is now silent again at the sound of the soldier- Lord Albus's- voice.
He strides down into the arena and waves the Hounds away from Leona.
She struggles to push herself up onto her hands, and I hear Gwyn murmur prayers in another language.
Albus squats down so he is closer to Leona's level.
" who are you?" he questions.
Leona looks down, suddenly quiet.
" I am just a person.." she says- still loud enough to be heard. Gwyn is shaking her head, tugging on her hair with her fingers.
Albus waves over a few guards.
" make an example out of her. I don't want any rebellions brewing." He stands and walks away, seemingly invincible.
Asteropia pulls Mila, Gwyn and I to our feet, and drags us to the city square.
Leona is being restrained, her hands tied to an overhang.
She looks exhausted, and I feel sympathy for her.
Lord Albus gets close to her and holds a small dagger to her belly.
" who hired you little girl?" he hisses, all trace of kindness that was there before suddenly gone.
Leone keeps her mouth shut, eyes burning with a stubborn fire.
Lord Albus pushes the dagger through Leona's armor.
" you will no longer be a gladiator." he says.
" you don't deserve that any more. you will be a carer. The lowest of the low."
Leona's head snaps up and her face is filled with horror.
The lord merely smiles.
" you should have thought about this before you opened your mouth, little fighter."
Leona bows her head, and Gwyn grabs my wrist tughtly, her nails breaking skin. From what I know about Gwyn and Leona's relationship, they are more than slightly tolerant of each other.
" I understand my place." Leona says quietly.
Behind her, I see a guard watching her with greed in his eyes, and I feel nervous for Leona's safety.
What if she gets hurt?