Beating Wings (EDITING)

10 : A Merciful Ruler

"YOU?!" I stepped away as Queen Hyla herself entered the arena.

"You have made a huge mistake, young Zepth. You should not have betrayed my rule and protected your little friend." She snarled. Guards armored her with a black sort of metal that looked like iron, with gold symbols on both sides. It resembled what looked like a Sun. Her horns poked out of the mask, each was tipped with silver. It was the most beautiful and perfect armor I had ever seen.

The cannon fired and the final battle began.

I charged and swung my tail, but the Queen effortlessly dodged it. She came around and lunged with her claws out. The attack caused me to receive a gash in my leg. I cried out and clutched the injury.

Queen Hyla faced the crowd and roared, causing cheering from them. While her back was turned, I crept behind her and bit down on her tail. The Queen laughed at the attempt and threw her tail at me; the blade slicing my stomach. I crumpled to the dirt floor in pain.

The Queen stood over me and pinned my head down with her powerful paw. I was too weak, too injured to fight back. Queen Hyla looked in my eyes, her stare cold and hard.

"You have lost, Zepth, and therefore deserve to die. However..." She grinned. "It isn't your time just yet."

"What do you mean? Just end it already, let it be done." I splat a mouthful of blood onto her perfect, white-scaled face.

"So eager to die? To be remembered as a coward and a fool?" She laughed cruelly. "Suppose you wish to meet your pathetic parents who were equally as idiotic. I shall allow you to live to let you believe you stand a chance against me. More fun that way, letting you think you can beat me, only to fall short when it really matters."

Did she know something I did not?

"Besides..." She hissed in my ear. "I want your death to last longer than this, and if I kill you privately, I can mount your head on my wall!"

I lashed out in rage. She had embarrassed me in front of an audience, and she wanted to enjoy it.

Queen Hyla snarled and shoved me away, before unfolding her wings and returning to the royal seating. I got up, blood-stained sand slipping off my beaten wings.

The audience stared at me, withholding snickers. I didn't wait for them, I spun around and took to the skies. The wind helped my tears slide away...

The first place I fled to was the Forest of Whum, just south of the arena. Nota should be there... I hoped.

     It wasn't difficult to follow the stench of blood, trailing from the pile of dead warriors. My stomach urged to vomit as the flies swarmed the carcasses. I didn't want to stay longer than necessary.

     Luckily, I heard a soft cry coming from the top of the pile. I flew up, and saw Nota shoving a body off. "It's about bloody time you got here!" She snarled, joining me back on the floor. Together, we started walking towards the den.

     "There was another battle..." I explained, my voice still shaky from my encounter with the Queen.

     "Who?" She raised a brow in surprise.

     "Queen Hyla." I looked away in shame. "She could have killed me, but she let me go. She said she wanted to enjoy my death more than public execution.

     "So this isn't over..." Nota nodded with a frown.

     We stopped at Grilop's den on the walk home, picking Deltul up. Once Nota gathered her strength again, we took to the skies and completed our short journey.

     An armored guard hovered outside the cave, waiting for us. He looked to us and roared.

"Zepth." The guard spoke, still airborne. "You were wrong to betray the Queen. No one, not even the Gods can save you." And he flew off towards the castle, his dark message echoing in my head...

(Artwork below created by @aphideos )

(Artwork below created by @HiveWing_Tribe )