Page 7 of The Dragon King's Bride
One by one, we take our shots at the first target. It’s only about a hundred feet away, so it’s no surprise that only a few don’t manage to hit it. More people than I expect need to at least partially transform in order to hit it, though. I know from experience that bringing out my wings will at least double my firepower. I can only imagine what a full transformation would do to it—providing I was capable.
Half of the participants are eliminated at the third target. All but seven of us need to fully transform in order to reach the fourth. I’m kind of amazed these noble girls have so little firepower. I’d always heard that they were so magically superior to us.
I’m the first one to make an attempt at the final target, and boy, do I ever set a precedent. I don’t need to transform even a little to hit it, in the end. Only nine other girls manage to make it past the final hurdle as well. Everyone but me and Christine has to fully transform to hit it, and even she has to sprout wings.
I can feel the girl glaring at me after her breath hits the target. I’m glad to see it. Crushing her in front of everyone is the perfect revenge for nearly roasting me the day before. I don’t care what any of these people think of me, but I’m guessing she does.
Kaiser clears his throat after the applause has died down. Despite gaining the amulet the day before, it’s obvious that the audience is far happier to see the other contestants advance, especially Christine. The volume of their cheers gives them away.
“Congratulations, contestants,” Kaiser says, his gaze warm and satisfied as he looks us over. I feel his eyes linger on me, and I have to resist the urge to blush. Part of me enjoys making him proud. “Unfortunately, there’s no time to rest before we begin the second round.”
My lips pinch at this news. I’m not used to expending so much magical energy. I really could have used a break. There’s no time to linger on this, however, as Wilcox begins walking over to us with a stack of parchment in his hands.
“On those papers, you’ll find a list of clues that will lead you to specific locations in Darkwood Forest. You’ll have until this time tomorrow to find and retrieve the items from these locations, before piecing them together to form a puzzle. Darkwood Forest contains some of the deadliest beasts in the kingdom. You’ll have to defend yourself against them along the way, as a future queen must be both intelligent and strong.”
There are some discontented murmurs from the audience the moment Kaiser mentions Darkwood Forest. I’ve never heard of it, but judging by their reactions, they don’t believe it’s thekind of place where young women should travel alone. Such hypocrisy. Young women have been dying since the beginning of this competition. The only reason they’re upset is because this time it’s their own daughters on the chopping block.
“Are we all clear on the rules?” Kaiser asks, watching us, waiting for us to nod. We do so, and he continues. “Excellent. Then on your marks, get set, go!”
I don’t bother running off the moment Kaiser shouts. Instead, I lift up the sheet of parchment we’ve just been given, and begin memorizing its contents. It’ll be easier to read the contents now, when I’m in the sun, than in the forest where it’s dark, and apparently full of monsters. There are seven items in total. Most of the clues are visual indicators. It should be rather simple once I enlist the help of a few little critters. They’ll help make up for my lack of ability to fly.
Once I’ve finished memorizing the contents, I let the parchment fall at my feet. Dealing with monsters will be easier if both my hands are free. Now that my focus isn’t directed at the parchment, I realize that I’m not the only one who has stayed behind to read through the tasks ahead of time. We really have reached a new stage of the competition; everyone left is in a league of their own.
I make my way into the forest, making sure to watch my back along the way. I need to be more cautious now that I’m the amulet-bearer. The forest itself is dark and eerily silent. I feel eyes watching me from the moment I enter it. The creatures that live here must be avid hunters if they know enough to watch and wait until their prey is close enough to attack.
Yet, despite the eeriness of this particular forest, my body becomes noticeably less tense the farther inside I go. I’ve always had a deep connection with nature due to my Fae blood. The more wildlife I’m surrounded by, the more at home I feel. On top of that, this forest has a slight mystical aura to it. It’s no wonderso many magical beasts and monsters are drawn to it. If things were different, I’d love to spend more time here.
It's a relief that I no longer have an audience for this part of the competition. I’m free to use my nature magic as I please. I allow my magic to pour out of me. It seeps into the ground, enriching it. Little saplings begin growing from the ground, gaining height rapidly, shielding me from view. I continue to use it as I go, making sure none of the other girls can follow me. First things first, if I’m going to be out here until tomorrow, I need to start looking for shelter.
Suddenly, I hear a loud roar echo from my right. A large, furry creature is barreling its way towards me. I recognize it. It’s a Silverclaw. One of them attacked our fief a few years back.
It pounces at me, and I lift up my hand. The branches on the nearby trees twist, forming into vines. I wrap these vines around the beast, trapping him in place for now. The Silverclaw growls and snaps at the vines, trying his best to dislodge himself. Before he can, I once again grow a tree from the ground, directly underneath him. The sapling grows underneath his belly. It rises and rises until it pierces his abdomen. The beast lets out one final deafening roar before becoming still.
My vision spins and I drop to my knees. Blood drips from the corner of my mouth. Yeah, that’s enough. I’ve used up too much of my magic for now. I need to take a break.
But just because I can no longer use magic doesn’t mean I can afford to sit still. I spot a nearby river up ahead and roll myself into it. The icy water feels refreshing after all that overexertion. It should dull my smell and prevent anyone or anything from being able to follow me.
I swim along the river until I reach a waterfall. I wonder if there’s a cave somewhere in the rock where I can set up camp? To my relief, I see a small cavern behind the water as I get closer. Heavy water pours over top of my head when I look inside. It’sperfect. Just big enough for one or two people, and no nests or other signs of life in sight.
As I start setting up the things I’ll need for a campfire, I whistle, calling out to the nearby birds. I describe the clues I got from the list to them, and they agree to help retrieve them in exchange for some food. It’s a good thing I don’t need my magic to be able to communicate with animals. Once I retrieve the Silverclaw, that should be more than enough food for us all.
I roll and twist a stick against a few dry leaves to get a fire started. It sparks up and I let out a sigh. That should hold until I get back with the Silverclaw.
Dragging the Silverclaw back to my shelter is no easy task. I wish I could float him over to it instead, but it’s better not to risk it. Overusing my magic at this stage could cause me to pass out. I spend the next several hours skinning the beast so I can use its pelt as a blanket and smoking the meat by the fire.
My bird friends return around late afternoon. They’ve found all but one of the puzzle pieces, which means I’ll still have to look for the last one tomorrow. But they’ve saved me a ton of time, so I let them eat their fill. This forest really is dangerous. Even the birds here are carnivores.
The last thing I’m going to do today is look for some more firewood. Keeping a fire burning throughout the night will be essential if I want to fend off beasts while I’m sleeping. It’s better to have too much wood than too little.
As I’m picking up a piece of wood from the ground. I hear a snap coming from behind. Something or someone is here. Dammit. I’m not fully recovered yet.
I crouch into a defensive posture. One blast. I have enough magical energy for one more fire blast. I’ll have to defeat whatever it is in one hit.
I take in a deep breath, preparing myself. A rustle comes from the bushes, and I turn around. I’m just about to launch my attack when I notice who it is.
What on earth is Kaiser doing here?
Chapter five
