Dragon Falls (Indigo Apocalypse Book III)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: No One Rules When Darkness Falls

KITANA:
Torches lashed brightly as I put one foot in front of the other, as I crossed the huge hill toward the amphitheater. Lucy walked along side me, her bare feet padding softly in the grass. Diana in hummingbird form flapped to sit atop the theater roof, her small wings folding neatly. I paused halfway up the hill. Werewolves snarled as they passed, in both skin and fur. "What?" Asked Lucy. "Remember the plan?" "Duhhh, don't tel me you're having second thoughts about me being your second." "Did I say that?" Lucy snorted loudly. "Let's go KITANA, we need some fun in our lives." "I'm pleased you think this is fun." "Hey, you should never underestimate small packages." "I never have," I said as she moved ahead. "I don't know if I ever have before, but I am not starting now." I moved to overtake her and climbed the steep hill. As we entered the theater, I saw that it was huge. A large basin that housed marble benches. It reminded me of—"It's like our arena." Said Lucy. It was, except instead of trees, the benches were made from marble. Werewolves moved on either side of us, sliding into seats. Several, if not most, gave me and Lucy contemptuous looks as they passed. Lucy bared her teeth in a feral grin. I ignored them. As we made our way further down into the basin, I saw our indigo in the front seats. I clearly spotted Holly's golden hair, saw my mate right beside her. Amala ad Kamala sat side by side, their eyes in the pit. Sarah sat on the edge, her seat next to the path leading to the pit. On the other side, Briella, Audrey, Reina, and the rest sat. Audrey's face was tense, Brielle and her mate looked bored as they stared around at the wolves. True enough the wolves looked furious to have a cat shifter in their presence, especially one with such powerful strength, one, who could turn into a lioness. Leia watched the wolves warily.
A werewolf female, in skin, snarled as we passed. I didn't spare her a look, but Lucy turned her head and her glacier eyes lashed with violence. The female backed down. We followed the path down to the pit's edge. On the other side, HiQuanna and Krede stood, and elder standing on a raised plateau above our heads. As we neared the edge, Krede gave Lucy a look. She stared into his eyes as we neared the edge. Krede's.  Gaze hardened as Lucy met it with calm eyes. We passed our indigo in the front row, and I heard Kamala murmur, "Do us proud KITANA Amala." Briella muttered. "Show them how we handle things in our world Bitch." It made me smile, just slightly. We paused on the edge, parallel with our opponents. The elder waited until all the werewolves were seated before speaking. "Welcome, welcome to this unexpected event." He paused, then continued. "We have a duel battle today, a duel, where two will fight, will battle, will bleed, for the bets of all to none. Where one will rise and win all, and the other will fall, and loose, all." Again, he paused, as if to really let those words sink in, as if we needed to know that we had a choice to back down. Neither of us did. "Our first fight, will be, KITANA Amala, against, HiQuanna. The first to land their opponent in the pool wins." He stepped aside, then said, "All powers and or skins are acceptable. HiQuanna grinned, and leapt into the pit. She was bare to the skin, and stretched languidly. I looked down at my clothes, at the armor over them. I began to strip. Whispers echoed behind me as I removed my crown, my armor melting away. "KITANA." Kamala snarled. I tossed the crown, and Briella caught it out of the air. "Keep that safe." I purred. I stripped out of my shirt, braw, folding them neatly and setting them aside. Then stepped out of my boots, pants, panties again folding them ad setting them aside. "You won't win without your powers, your armor." Amala spoke quietly, only meant for me and Lucy to hear. Lucy frowned down at herself, and fingered her crown atop her head. "I've never felt like I really needed armor you know?" Said Lucy. She slid it off her head and tossed it to her brother. Then she slid off her shift and stretched, her breasts peaked in the slight chill. Krede's eyes widened, and lust filled his gaze. "Come, Pup." Said HiQuanna, her purring voice filled with contempt. I slowly stepped to the edge and looked at the twelve foot drop. I stepped off and dropped, landing in the pit. Three heartbeats sounded, then, HiQuanna grinned. "FIGHT."
HiQuanna lashed out, her claws unsheathed like daggers. I rolled aside and her claws dug into the marble wall behind me. I swept out my leg but Hiquanna stepped aside. I rolled to my feet. I circled around and she imitated me. I took in my surroundings. The pool, the pool I had to drop her in sat in the center of the marble pit, HiQuanna had jumped over it in one bound, jumped, moved so fast. She'd lashed out with that same speed. There were no loose marble, no lose stone, nothing I could use as a weapon, and, nothing she could use either. Just us, her, and I, like it should've been. HiQuanna lashed out again. I ducked aside and returned with a roundhouse kick. She spun aside. The entire theater was quiet as we fought, or, more likely tested each other. I ducked another vicious blow and saw Amala. Her face betrayed nothing, but I knew she was tense. She knew, just like I knew, that HiQuanna was playing with me, we both knew HiQuanna wanted this, wanted to toy with me. It was a werewolf thing, was a thing all wolves did. I rolled once more as Hiquana's clawed hand lashed out for my bare side. "Is this all you can do?" She taunted. "Just roll and evade like a pup, do you not know how to fight Did that bitch you're attached to never teach you how too fight? Did she never show you just how vicious a true, a real werewolf can be?" A snarl from Kamala told me the arrow landed hard. HiQuanna laughed as she moved in, as she spun with a vicious kick. I blocked it and the reverboration sang it's way up my arm. I lashed out with a punch that HiQuanna took on her own arm, a punch that she laughed at. "WEAK." She snarled. "So, WEAK." She lashed out again, her claws aiming for my face. I back-rolled and rose to my feet. I spun and lashed out, my claws snapping into appearance. HiQuanna, caught in mid taunt, snarled as my claws slashed five deep lacerations across her face. The entire crowd gasped as blood fell from her face, as ire filled her features. Pure undiluted ire, for that moment, ire at what I had done, ire as her blood dripped off my fingers. I paused, staring in wonder at the blood on my hand. "Ouch."  I mocked dryly. HiQuanna snarled. Then, attacked.