Page 71 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
She shifted her attention from the corridor and looked at the men in turn. Again, they avoided direct eye contact, as if Ava were the sorceress and could put them under a spell with just one look.
Quickly they positioned themselves, with onebeside her, one behind her, and the leader taking the lead. Reluctantly, Ava walked with the warriors through the corridor to a staircase, which they descended. Torches hung along the stairway, illuminating the cobwebs stretching across walls and corners as well as the dust at the edge of the steps, where the guards didn't set their feet.
The men led her down three floors and along a corridor that was covered with a thick red carpet. Suits of armor stood at the sides, swords and shields adorned the walls, and the ceiling was so high that Ava couldn't see it by the pale light of the torches. They stopped in front of a door decorated with golden ornaments. The leader knocked and someone opened it, but only a crack. Quiet words were exchanged that she couldn't understand, then the door closed again.
She was tempted to make a snide remark about the unimportance of the guards, but she bit her tongue. She didn't want to worsen her situation unnecessarily, even though it would have distracted her from how high her heart rate was climbing with each passing minute.
Eventually, the door opened and an older gentleman in a dark robe waved them in. "She's expecting you."
Now things were getting interesting.
Her pulse quickened as, flanked by guards, she entered a hall reminiscent of a king's throne room. Daylight streamed in through the tall windows on the opposite side, illuminating the space. Supporting the high ceiling were columns adorned with golden appliqués and as massive as pillars. The central aisle was covered with a blue carpet, and in a semicircular area to the side stood a large table with chairs decorated with golden ornaments.
Somehow, Ava had imagined the mages as rebels living in old huts, but the lavish furnishings told a completely different story.
Yet it wasn't the magnificent interior that caught Ava's attention, but the end of the colonnade. Three wide steps led to a dais covered with a blue carpet. In the center stood a throne, adorned with gold appliqués. Upon it sat a woman in a proud pose, unexpectedly young. Approximately the same age as Ava.
Her hair was brown, her dark eyes penetrating, and her posture upright and confident. The dress she wore reached down to her feet, the hem trimmed with black lace, and around her waist, she wore a wide, silver-shining belt. She lifted her chin as Ava was led into the room and observed her with pressed lips. Her features were fine, not to say beautiful, and worthy of a noblewoman, which even her ice-cold expression couldn't change.
"Keep your head down!" the guard barked at Ava. But she couldn't. She wouldn't bow to this woman or show any kind of reverence, for she felt none. This mage had callously had her kidnapped, and her followers caused misery and fear. For what reason should she lower her head before her?
Instead, she lifted her chin and looked at Elora steadily. Cold hatred flared in the mage's dark eyes and leapt out at her.
"Well, well, who have my loyal helpers finally brought me?" Her low, smoky voice reached the farthest corner of the hall, and not just because no one dared to make a sound.
Ava returned her gaze resolutely, though her heart seemed to be beating in her throat. "They needed to make several attempts. Perhaps their training should bereconsidered if they constantly fail to capture a simple woman."
Interest sparkled in the mage's eyes, but the hatred didn't fade. "Simple woman? How nice that we agree on this. Because no one here recognizes your alleged title. I don't know where you come from. I don't care either. But I want to make it clear once and for all that the balance of power in this world will only change to the advantage of the magic-born."
Ava didn't take her eyes off her, well aware that the greatest danger came from the mage. "How can you be so sure about that, Elora?"
"How dare you speak to me informally, as if I were a common woman?" Her voice took on a threatening undertone.
"You're not much older than me."
"I am the notorious mage who challenges the king for more land every day. The presence of a simple woman won't change that. No matter what any prophecies say!"
Ava dared to smile. "If you believe that, you can let me go."
Elora laughed, the sound echoing off the high walls. "I think instead I should teach you a lesson so you understand how to speak to the future queen."
"Future queen?" Ava shook her head. "How do you plan to convince the dragons to work with you?"
The mage leaned forward, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "When I'm done, I won't need any dragon for that!" She pointed to the exit at the end of the colonnade. "Guards, take her to the arena. We want to give her the opportunity to show how much truth there is to the prophecy..." she said, looking Ava up and down and then making a dismissive sound, "...or not."
The guards grabbed her on both sides, while all of Ava's warning bells sounded. "Arena? What does that mean?"
Elora grinned cruelly. "That you get to fight for your freedom."
Chapter 28
Ava was pushed out of the hall before she understood what was happening. The mage's words kept echoing in her head: She was being taken to an arena where she would fight for her freedom. Was that meant literally?
"What's happening now?"
"Quiet!" She was flanked by the guards, two of them holding her arms tightly, leaving no chance for escape. She stumbled along with them and was dragged through the high door out of the hall and through the corridor past the suits of armor until they reached the outside. Icy wind cut into her face and tugged at her loose strands. Her chestnut brown hair swirled in front of her eyes. She had to shake her head to get a clear view while the guards mercilessly held her wrists.
As she let her gaze wander, she was startled. She found herself high up on a mountain, surrounded by a range whose peaks were covered with snow. The mages' castle had been built on a rocky slope. There was no city in sight. How many kilometers was she from her friends?
