Draama left the meditation shrine, and the thumping of cups on tables and feet on stone began to echo. After reaching her seat, she was handed a spear. “House of the Timeless Lance!” (Draama)
The room erupted in cheers and yells. “House of the Broken Arrow!” (Draama)
Again the room roared. This time, a few stood, raising their bows. The person at her side raised a bow as well. It was their housemaster Hal. He lowered his weapon, and the crowd calmed. “ House of the Raging Moon.” (Draama)
Again the room exploded in cheers,and, this time, their housemaster had a sword raised in their hand. “Once again, to our alliance members, new and old, we are thankful for all of you here as I host you for the games. Many never expected us to be one point away from being tied with the frontrunners. Many never expected a woman to lead this group of misfits and outcasts to greatness. Many never expected us to be a threat.” (Draama)
Draama brandished her spear again, and the cheers grew in volume again. Draama lowered her spear. “ Many eyes watch us now. Many that fear what we represent.” (Draama)
A voice from the crowd interrupts, “D**n right!” (random house member)
Draama lowers her spear further, now having it almost perpendicular to the floor. “They should not fear us. We are all one people. But we deserve respect as much as they deserve respect. My house has never turned away a Drakan who came to us truly needing aid. All of us are those that came in hopes of a better life.” (Draama)
Draama paused, tilting her head to the side to see her father tenderly holding Naleeit. She proudly roared, “Remember this day. Remember this hour. Remember this moment! Remember that we all started humbly. Remember today as the day we beat all the higher houses. We do not do it to disrespect them but to prove we are as worthy to be called Drakan as they are. As we all are!” (Draama)
There was a spell of silence before Hal shook his bow. “ We may be small, but today we are great!” (Hal)
Draama and Hal looked at the third housemaster. “ Once we were meek, and now, we are masters!” (master of Raging moon)
Peter felt the pride and honor burning in each and every one of them. After some more salutes and hollering, the crowd started pouring out of the room. Draama was the last to leave the hall and many had taken wing, not only from her keep but from several other houses’ keeps as well. All of them seemed to be converging in one area. Peter then noticed a familiar Drakan tied to two banner posts. “Is he?” (Peter Spirit talking)
Draama paused beside him. “Alive yes, but barely and only thanks to his sister and brother. Every night they come out here and nourish him.” (Draama spirit talking)
Draama looked at Jokon.
“Woman, why do you let them torture me?” Jokon hissed.
Draama looked straight ahead, watching everyone fly from her keep. “If it was up to me you would have died a month ago. You live because others care for you.” (Draama)
Draama took a few steps forward. “If you had killed your brother, your torture here would seem benevolent compared to what I would have done to you. And trust me, you would not have their love.” (Draama)
Draama soared to the dragon’s lair above her keep. A young dragon watched the Drakan fly away to a location above them. “ Great master you seem nervous.” (Kel)
Kel did not glance away from the thousands converging. “I am so thankful for you and your father for accepting me. Back with my father, I was raised to heed our heritage. The strong control the weak. The wise lead the ignorant. The spiritual find the lost.” (Kel)
Kel turned to look at a kneeling Draama. “ Everyone is so blind to their ways that they can not see that what is here is what we are in its truest form. If you do not win these games, I will lose any credibility I could have ever had. You would become the target of every joke in my and my childrens’ lifetimes.” (Kel)
Draama grunted. “Win or lose, we have already done more than anyone ever imagined. Win or lose, we will endure because we are true to ourselves. Let them say what they wish. Already we proved ourselves stronger than three of the great houses. If they have the right to mock us, then we will have the right to mock them.” (Draama)
Kel chuckled as she looked out of the lair. “You are right, of course. Win or lose, I follow my own will now. All we’ve got left to do now is finish this.” (Kel)
Draama followed and smirked, agreeing as Kel took wing.
Kel gaped at the scale of the coliseum before her. Not only were there tens of thousands of Drakan from several cities and dozens of houses, but also over four hundred of the ancient breed were there as well. The games were a delightful spectacle for all of the Drakan and dragons. Her group landed between three poles, one bearing the Timeless Lance Banner, the other flying a blue one with a dragon snapping an arrow in its jaws, and the last post displaying a gray pennant with a black dragon roaring before a white moon. Many of the warriors in the tent jittered in anticipation for the fight. One in light plate mail exudes more confidence than any other. “Captain, how are they?” (Draama)
He put his hand on his sword’s pommel and walked with Draama. “ Good, housemaster, nervous but good. They will do just fine.” (Captain)
Draama paused before exiting through the other side. “I wish there was more I could do for them.” (Draama)
The Captain stopped behind her. “They wish they could have won all five games fully. I know they will today.” (Captain)
Draama sighed and took a step forward besides a waiting Kel. They marched up the steps of their assigned watching podium and settled in, watching as all the other headmasters with their great masters doing so as well. “Wait, was that Guinee?” (Peter spirit talk)
“Yes, why do you ask?” (Draama spirit talking)
Peter pondered a moment. “ How did that happen?” (Peter spirit talk)
Draama picked up the eye of souls on her chest to look at it. “After the night you disappeared, he seemed confused about something but motivated, almost driven, to improve himself. He started training more to improve his skills and body. Every night when I would rest, he would stand guard at my room. After two weeks he was skilled enough to not need more training, and he started enforcing the code of my house. After a month his diligence and devotion has earned him the respect he now has, and everyone calls him Captain. A commander’s rank they heard from the human’s visit.” (Draama spirit talking)
Peter laughed at that. “I really inspired him that much?” (Peter spirit talk)
Kel looked at Draama. “Tell the spirit the juicy part.” (Kel)
Draama looked toward her. “You were listening?” (Draama spirit talking)
“What juicy part?” (Peter spirit talk)
Kel chuckled. “Last week when the games were announced, she bedded him.” (Kel)
Peter rubbed his chin. “ Really!” (Peter spirit talk)
Draama growled. “ My mating practices are no one’s business but my own.” (Draama spirit talking)
Both Kel and Peter laughed. “ Is all well, housemaster? You seem flustered.” (server)
Draama sighed and forced herself to relax at the server’s comment. “ Yes, Kel just pointed out something. Be about your business.” (Draama)
The server grabbed a cup and filled it with wine before setting it by her hand and backing away. She grabbed it and lightly sipped from it. Peter dryly coughed. “It’s true that your courting is none of our business, but I’m the one that has to witness it.” (Peter spirit talk)
Draama tensed, but concealed it from others this time. “Believe me; it is not comfortable for me either. I have to watch everything in that slave camp with your father and mother. They only endured that because they were always vigilant.” (Peter spirit talk)
Peter trailed away. “Just seeing some of those things scarred my very soul. I can not imagine what happened to your father and mother.” (Peter spirit talk)
Peter snapped out of his daze, and Draama paused before taking another swig. “I never thought of how hard it was to be a spirit, to give up everything and stay here with us. You have a new level of respect from me.” (Draama spirit talking)
“Me as well.” (Kel)
Peter sighed. “I made my choice. There is nothing more to be said about it.” (Peter spirit talk)
Peter paused, and the other two did so as well. He noticed that there was still time because more spectators were still pouring into the stands. “I noticed Guinee had heavy armor on. Other than Naleeit or you, I have never seen a Drakan wear heavy armor.” (Peter spirit talk)
Draama chuckled. “That’s because it makes us too heavy to fly. Naleeit was raised wearing it, and I have no problem wearing it because I have training. My mother has been training him in it as well, and he has taken a liking to it. We have ordered a special armor for him because he and a select few others have become regular guards of my house.” (Draama spirit talking)
Peter mused on that. “An elite iron guard held to a different, higher standard, not other’s standards, but his or her own. Interesting…” (Peter spirit talk)
Draama chuckled to herself at the thought. “In time, perhaps, I can see that happening.” (Draama spirit talking)
Draama drank another gulp of wine and leaned back in her seat as a dragon left its spectating balcony and landed in the middle of the coliseum. It was the dragon that had been beside Kel when she announced her entrance to the games. He raised his neck and breathed a torrent of fire that seemed to explode the very sky into seas of flames. Then as it rained down a sound resonated from the cinders. “On this day, the second day of the great games continues with the second set of five competitions. First the Tunnel of Fire and Water. Then everyone’s favorite, the Drinking Contest. Followed by Seize the Keg and a small break to let the competitors recover. The last two contests: the Test of Weapons and the Challenge of Shamans will commence after the stage is set up for them.” (elder dragon)
