Page 3 of Scalebound

In a heartbeat, his sinewy claws coiled around the silver-blasted chains holding him captive. His claws drew nearer to his body, creating a forceful whip with the deadly metal, sending the king’s men to the outskirts of the arena.

A deep bellow infiltrated the air. “Let the games begin!” my father called out, my body debilitated from the pride of his actions. The crowd matched his energy as they simultaneously shouted, “Hurrah!”

With the vitality of the audience, the knights erupted from lowered gates along the arena’s outskirts, believing they had a chance. As the knights ran towardLaneux, dirt polluted the air, creating a haze of fog. Different colors of vests speckled the bottom of the arena, signifying which village of the kingdom each knight was from.

The crowd mirrored the knight’s enthusiasm as they sprinted to launch their attack. The first knight that reachedLaneuxbore a deep purple, his dark curly hair sticking up with friction as he slid from the gravel, escaping the dragon as his claws swung toward the knight’s body. The section of the crowd from Elenar resulted in cheers as their victor reached the dragon first.

Laneux’sfangs snarled as he thrashed his robust and scaly tail to collide with the knight, striking him into the concrete surrounding the arena. A sickening crack echoed as his body crumpled to the dirt.

Following the knight from Elenar was a knight sporting a glossy green vest. His blonde, shaggy hair fell over his shoulder as he held his sword up high. “For Glodendale!” he hollered, matching with the left part of the arena’s cheers.

Before his metallic sword could confrontLaneux, the dragon whipped his chains fast enough to sever the knight's head, making it roll on the ground. The crowd repulsed at the grotesque scene, some unable to continue watching.

I hoped they realized how dangerous dragons were, how dangerous they became when you only attacked them. If they had left him alone, they would’ve been fine.

Excitement erupted after the silence as knights wearing dark blue and orange took their swords and sliced intoLaneux’slegs. His claws penetrated the earth beneath him, howling in pain.Laneux’seyes creased forward as he released a billow of flames, scorching the bodies until they were only a pile of blackened ash on the ground.

The dragon made his way across the stadium, still attached to the leash gripping his ankles. His wings instigated upward, the density of the wind flustering the audience. Bottles of alcohol rattled on the ground, as well as bags and articles of clothing being snatched into the air from the wind.

Audience members cried out in panic, scrambling to protect their loved ones, witnessing the giant dragon take control of the stadium and watching him fly into the air. His wings continued to flap up and down, barely able to fit inside the stadium.

I relocated from the row I was standing by to get to the other side of the arena, hoping to get closer to him. I could feel the anxiety brew within me. What was going to happen?

Laneuxwasn’t able to fly higher than a couple of feet. That was when I saw Tobias. His silver vest was sparkling, resembling the glow of the moon. I couldn’t miss him, with his posture that looked so familiar. His proud shoulders and stuck-up chin.

His footsteps collided on the ground as he advanced toward the dragon. His sword in his hand gleamed alongside his vest, signifying his representation of Leveland. Chinking sounds echoed in the air, his movements in slow motion as he traveled up the metal chains leading toLaneux’sbody.

AsLaneuxflapped effortlessly a few feet off the ground, pulling the chain behind him, he flicked his foot, whipping the forged links upward, sending Tobias soaring. His legs gliding, making their way skyward, the audience gasping in suspense. Tobias was catapulted higher than the dragon. His sword was fixed and elevated in the air.

Tobias used this to his advantage. With his sword in hand, he raised it above his head with the tip pointing below. With the momentum of his fall, he plunged the sword deep into the back ofLaneux’sear. The glint of the sword disappeared, becoming covered with the golden shine of his blood.

Yelping, I covered my mouth before anyone would take notice of me. Taking in the environment, everyone was as shocked as I was. Tobias knew the spot. The spot that would immediately kill any dragon.

There was a horrific roaring sound that I knew would keep me up at night. It shook the Earth beneath our feet and was the typeof sound that you knew resulted in death. The roar continued to ring throughout the stadium, echoing painfully.

Laneux’swings stopped flapping, and his body fell to the earth with Tobias falling after him. The thud sent a wave of dust, coughs emitting from the audience. At this point, everyone was standing in their seats. Was Tobias of Leveland going to be the next king? Did he kill the dragon? Were they both dead?

The silence was overbearing, my hand held to my heart. “Laneux. Laneux!”I called after him. However, I couldn’t feel his soul. I couldn’t feel his presence. I quickly wiped a tear from my cheek. He was dead. Tobias killed him. I hated Tobias for that, and I hated my father even more.

Tobias’ body lifted gently from the ground. The smoke covered the arena so deeply that it was hard to see. He stood, and I couldn’t push aside the whispers that I heard throughout the crowd.

“Is he alive?”

“I see movement! Did he kill the dragon?”

“Will he be our new king?”

I wanted to go down there and kill Tobias myself.

“Our winner is…” I heard my father cry out into the crowds. They were silent to hear the name of the victor. To know their future king. “Tobias Maxwell from Leveland!” A wave of exuberant cheers filled the stadium, rhythmic chants of Tobias’ name following after.

“Hurrah, hurrah,” resonated in various languages and accents, morphing into the sound of a unified kingdom, rooting for their new heir.

My heart absorbed pain with every beat. My father’s face was full of pleasure and pride for Tobias winning the trials. I took it personally, knowing that Tobias not only had lived with us for years, but was also my father’s favorite knight in the kingdom.I was sure he even favored Tobias for winning to be heir and wanted him instead of me.

Watching my father, I glanced at the tattoo on his right wrist. The tattoo that I despised. The curse that brought me here. The curse that caused my deepest pain and stole my birthright of being heir to the throne.

1.Zemoumai (Ehm-ow-may): Sorry

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