Khione’s eyes narrow.

  “Skadi, this challenge is not right. You cannot expect someone with no experience to battle you fairly. You already have several victories to your name. You might be the most likely to succeed the position of the current Deathcw, but you would find no honour in this.”

  Skadi folds her arms. “All due respect, Priestess Khione, but I refuse to back down. It is my right, as a citizen of the Drakeblooded Cities, to challenge whomever I see fit to a Blood Judgement. And I am exercising that right.”

  She turns to gre at me. “I will be waiting in the Arena. Come find me when you’re ready…” she hisses, and then snaps her wings out, shifting into her full dragon form, a sinuous winged beast, and arcs towards the Arena. Khione and I stare after her, before the white dragon turns to me. “Come, child. This is dire. We must petition Aurexiar to rescind this challenge, now, before word gets around.”

  She shifts, her dragon form expanding outwards with a muffled cp, and I flex my wings, following her into the sky as she powers towards the central isnd, going for speed over all else. I struggle, trying to keep up and falling behind. By the time I catch up, Khione is back in human form, her horns, wings and tail shimmering with hoarfrost.

  Aurexiar sighs, “I’m afraid we can’t, much as I wish we could. The Law states-”

  “The Law says nothing about her having to accept such a challenge! She’s not ready yet!”

  Aurexiar groans, “I know! But we cannot intervene on her behalf, no matter our stance on the matter…”

  A swirl of darkness, and Caliban strides towards us, his sable duster-coat fpping menacingly as he harrumphs.

  “I have no idea what your pet human has done, but my niece is standing in the centre of the arena! What is the meaning of this?!”

  Khione squares up to the bck dragon.

  “Caliban, if you had a hand in this, I swear to the Everwinter, I will freeze your scaly balls off!”

  “I’d like to see you try, you frosty bitch-”

  Aurexiar raises a fist, and drops down to punch the floor. The whole temple shudders, and the bickering instantly stops. She straightens, and gives them a look. I swallow, watching silently.

  “ENOUGH. As I said, Rika is the only one who can choose her path here.”

  She looks to me. “Rika, you’ve been challenged, I know. Skadi is… while overstepping her bounds, not actually doing anything wrong. She is within her rights to call you to duel her. You are under no obligation to accept. However, if you do, I will act as overseer to ensure fair py.”

  Caliban splutters and his sister looks to him. “You have something to say, Caliban?”

  With a dour look on his face, the bckdrake subsides. “…. No. I will take my leave. And you, human… this is a chance for you to prove to me that your kind is more than useless. Do not waste it…”

  I can feel myself start to bristle, despite my fear. Just who does this jerk think he IS?! Well… I’ll show him!

  I turn to Aurexiar. “I… I accept the challenge. Let me do this.”

  The High Priestess raises her eyebrows as Khione’s face twists in concern.

  “…Very well. We should go, then, before this situation gets even further out of hand. I’ll act as officiant for this, so you have nothing to fear. Although… I don’t recommend holding back against Skadi. She’s quite formidable.”

  I nod, gulping at the thought of the impending violence. Taking wing again, I shadow Aurexiar, her own golden wings beating as she guides me. Upon my arrival, it’s clear that the Arena is bustling. I guess word of my ‘fight’ against Skadi has gotten around.

  Aurexiar pushes open a massive door. “Follow the hallway and take the lift at the end up. I’m going to get ready to announce the rules.”

  I nod and step through the foot-thick doors, and they shut behind me. I descend a flight of stairs, following the passageway past closed doors on either side. A couple are open, and I look in. they’re waiting rooms, with a chair, table, and a ft stone surface embedded in the wall. A series of glowing runes surround the edge of the stone, and it glows, dispying an image of the Arena’s combat area, a familiar bck and purple figure standing, arms crossed. So, a magic television screen or something.

  I turn back to the end of the hall, and reach a ft ptform. It’s like the television thing, a ft ptform with runes around the edge. Stepping on, I wait for a few seconds, before it smoothly rises, carrying me upwards towards the Arena floor.

  Emerging into the sunlight, I blink, shielding my eyes with a cwed hand. Across from me, Skadi glowers, clearly displeased that I didn’t back down. Aurexiar is standing there, too, which might also have something to do with it.

  “SILENCE!” the High Priestess bellows, and the hubbub that had broken out at my appearance settles. She raises a hand.

  “The rules for this are simple! The first to be rendered unconscious or otherwise submit is the loser! In order to make this fair, Skadi is not permitted to use her full dragon form or unleash the true extent of the Deathcw training she has received! Once a surrender or knock-out has been achieved, the battle is over! If you do not cease your attack immediately upon the signal, you WILL be punished! This Blood Judgement was instigated by Skadi of the Onyxblood, and has been levied against Rika, of the Winterwing faction and a guest to the Drakeblooded Cities! As such, the first blow will be the challenged party’s! And… BEGIN!”

  Aurexiar leaps out of the way, up to a balcony and standing there, watching. Skadi raises her arms, crossing them over her face, staring at me over her wrists. I take the chance to make sure my transformation is primed. My wings, tail, and cwed hands and feet are all in pce, with the scales running up my forearms and lower legs, up my back and sides, even up my belly and chest, covering my front with armour.

  I dig my footcws into the sand, wings fring, before I spring forward as fast as I can, bringing my fist back and exhaling over it, creating a spike of ice like a frozen pile-bunker. I bring the spike forward in a straight punch, chips of ice flying as it cracks, Skadi skating back and stumbling a little as her eyes widen. Then the battle is joined in earnest.

  Her cws scythe round, and I feel the tips skate across my scales. I sh my tail out, and the dragonel meets mine with hers, two muscur limbs cracking together like whips. I dart back a step or two, and Skadi lunges. I take off, straight up, coming down on top of her as I sm my knees into her back. She rolls, and her footcws rake up the side of my leg.

  I hiss in pain as a spatter of blood drips from my wound, the pale pink fluid still the same shade as it was when the Twin Head bit me. This isn’t nearly as painful, by comparison. Skadi’s face is bzing with a strange light, and I roundhouse kick her in the side, making her lurch sideways a little. She barely seems to register the impact, but I can feel her rib creak.

  Her horns dig into my shoulder as she headbutts me in the chest, and I elbow her in the top of her head, causing her to fold as I bring my knee up to catch her in the gut. She pushes me back and I use my tail to keep my bance, the dragon girl on me without hesitation.

  She sms me down onto my back, and I feel her teeth and cws tearing at me, my hands filing in a wild defence. Deep scratches and gouges cover my scales, more blood running down over my blue-white scales, before a loud crack causes me to scream, my right arm going limp.

  In a blind panic, I bring my knee up, and feel it sm into something that causes Skadi to choke, her cws fumbling as I throw her off. Scrambling up, I find her crouched, her hands csped around her crotch, gring at me. As she tries to straighten, I unch myself towards her, rotating my body to bring my cwed feet round, smming both of them into her chest. She crashes back, and I whip my tail round and down onto the top of her head, between her horns. CRACK!

  Her eyes roll, crossing briefly, before she goes limp. I colpse, panting, as I feel the aches and abrasions beginning to send little messages to the compints department in my body. Aurexiar nds, wings fring, as she holds her hands out.

  “CEASE!”

  I nod, struggling to my feet and letting out a shuddering breath, the pain in my body concentrated mostly in my arm. Skadi is unconscious on the sand, and I look towards the golden leader of the Sunwalker faction. She calls out for silence once more, and then speaks, loudly enough for all to hear.

  “The Trial of Blood Judgement is over! The winner is Rika!”

  Skadi rouses a minute or five ter, sitting up, looking at me with a wary respect, and a little curiosity.

  “I didn’t expect that. You’re not bad. If I’d been allowed to use my full power, it would’ve gone differently, though.”

  I nod. “You’re right. I’ve barely fought anything before. You’re the first real opponent I’ve had. I did fight a monster once, a few days ago, but that’s it. I never even thought I’d win this fight. If anything, it should’ve been you.”

  Sitting up, Skadi reaches out, and I stick out my left hand, helping her up. She looks at my right arm, and how I’m babying it.

  “Ah, my bad. Let me fix that. Don’t worry, I didn’t break it, I just dislocated the elbow.”

  I nod, letting her gently grasp my right arm, above and below the elbow joint, and, with a careful, quick movement, she pops the joint back together. I clench my teeth and let out a choked gasp.

  “There. It’ll ache for a few minutes, but you’ll be fine. And… I apologize for my words. You’re not so bad.”

  I feel a weird warmth in my chest. Looks like my first official test was a success. I flex and massage my elbow gently, before I look back at the tall bck and purple dragonel. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Anyway… I have a question.”

  Skadi blinks. “Uh, sure. What is it?”

  I bite my lip. “Would you… mind being my friend? I don’t really know anyone here, and I’d like to get to know everyone I can here. And, while Khione, Maren, Indra, and the rest are all really nice, they’re cn leaders, so they’ll have stuff to do. I can’t expect them to prioritise me over their duties.”

  Skadi’s eyes widen. “You… want me to be your friend??”

  I nod, smiling at her. She colours a little, her cheeks flushing a faint lic. It seems dragons have different colours than humans when it comes to blushing.

  With a surprisingly shy and cute expression, Skadi looks down at her feet. “Mmkay…”

  Aurexiar smiles at me from behind Skadi’s back, and, looking up into the stands, I spot a figure, dark longcoat and scowling face, staring down at me. Turning his back, Caliban turns and stalks out of my sight, and I shrug, ignoring him and turning my attention back to the pretty dragonel.

  “Thanks, Skadi. You can call me Rika. It’s a pleasure to meet you in more rexed circumstances.”

  I smile, extending a hand. She takes it, and we shake, as a raucous cheer rises from the stands, the dragons who’d come to watch the battle standing and dispying their approval, even a few full-formed dragons hovering above. I smile. I think I’ve started to fit in a little better. I wish my sisters could see this pce…