Chapter 43 Helios The Dragon King

"We now have our finalists that will be tested in our third and final match. This match will be testing their teamwork skills and how they will work together to overcome an obstacle to ensure the Queen's safety. We have tested your physical strength and your magical abilities individually, but now it is time to test those abilities and how well you work together and how you will handle them as a team. Your third and final challenge will be to rescue the Queen unscathed from the clutches of none other than the Dragon King himself. You will have a total of thirty minutes to work together to set her free, you may use your physical strength or your magic abilities, but mark my words the Queen is not to be harmed," the squat little man warned.

Wait what did he just say?!! Did he seriously just say Dragon King? Helios stood up and turned to the crowd tossing off his cloak. He was dressed in a similar fashion as the rest of the participants, in baggy white pants and a blue vest. Only his outfit was a lot more elaborate than the others. He had blue and silver trim running down the sides of his pants and a silver band around his waist. His vest was blue lined with white, and silver trim. He had thick silver bands circling his upper arms that had two swirls on each band. Helios summoned a silver circlet band, I assumed this was some sort of crown for males. It was a simple circlet that he put over his head. It ended with two swirls on his forehead and in between those swirls laid a tiny bluish silver stone.

Was this why Helios disappeared? Did he go and change into his uniform for the tournament? Then I remembered something that Lucas had said to me when I was at their penthouse, "When the top five are finally decided, the last five standing will get to face off with the High King of Kosea," his words echoed in my head. Helios walked over to the railing and climbed on top of it, I quickly jumped down from my seat running over to him, but before I could reach him he jumped! "Helios no!" I screamed bending over the railing trying to locate him. A moment later there was a blinding light and all of a sudden a whoosh swept past me as a humongous dragon took flight above me.

He was white as snow covered in ice blue spikes that ran down his back. His underbelly was a light purple in color. He had two horns on the top of his head that curved inward. The fangs in his mouth were longer than the length of my entire body. The scales on his body glistened like the sun reflecting off ice. His claws looked wicked sharp almost like steel blades of swords. My private guards stepped onto the field, the dragon turned his head and snarled. Beautiful yet frightening blue flames emerged from his snout shooting across the heads of everyone in the stadium letting out a fiery warning for all those who dared to approach.

He beat his wings ascending into the air, the gust of air from the dragons wings was enough to knock me back making me fall on my butt. My neck craned back, as I gawked at the dragon flying above me. The dragon reared its head back and let loose one of the loudest ear splitting roars I have ever heard. I clutched my ears trying to block out the sound. There was an ominous pressure exuding from the dragon. My heart raced, causing the adrenaline to course through my veins screaming at me, telling me that I should run for my life. The dragon turned its head and flicked his blue snake like tongue out toward me, I quickly realized that the dragon had cast a spell, because a bubble came out of nowhere and had completely swallowed me whole.

I panicked as the bubble was lifted into the air and I floated out toward the center of the stadium hovering a hundred feet in the air. I clutched the towel around me trying to stay covered. When the bubble jerked to a stop I tumbled and fell to my knees not able to stay upright inside the bubble. Looking down at the crowd a hundred feet below me, my stomach started churning, I was afraid of heights. "Helios!" I screamed, there was no way this bubble was going to hold my weight for long. I was afraid it was going to burst at any moment and I would fall to my death. The dragon flew to where I was and stared at me before puffing out a ring of smoke, almost as if he was trying to communicate something to me.

The squat little man, raised his hand to quiet the stadium, "you give have thirty minutes to rescue the Queen, on your mark, get set, scatter!" He dropped his hand and quickly disappeared off the field. My friends down below gathered for twenty seconds before splitting up, the stadium had changed once more to look like a grid lock simulation room. I was able to see the top of the grid from where I was at. My friends had to navigate through a maze of hallways and tunnels and complete many obstacles before they could finally face off with the dragon in front of me. A counter clock with bright red numbers appeared to my right, the numbers clicked beginning their count down to zero.

My friends were seen dodging melt your skin off lasers, and blasting through titanium plated doors, fighting off soldiers who were standing guard. They then had to crack codes on keypads, and use magic to take down force fields that stood in their way. When they ran into a dead end in the maze they had to back track, retracing their steps and follow a different path. All of this was going on as spells where cast above, launching fireballs, boulders, tornadoes, and ice lances coming out of the walls, trap doors would open beneath their feet, and booby traps were activated all along the way. As they neared the end of the maze, they ran into one hundred soldiers guarding the last door, they made quick work, and took out each of them one by one, the sound of their swords whistling through the air.

With the combined force of their strength they all backed up and launched themselves at the door kicking it down with such force it sent the door ricocheting across the stadium and colliding with the opposite wall behind the dragon. My heart wouldn't stop pounding in my chest, I gripped the floor of the bubble fear clearly visible on my face as my friends had to finally face off with a dragon. I glanced at the clock and their was only ten minutes left. I bit my lip worried that there wasn't enough time to defeat a dragon in only ten minutes. A snarl ripped through the dragons jaws, it was anticipating this fight ready to tear his fangs into my friends. At the speed of light the dragon launched itself at my friends.

Ira, took his hands and lifted both in the air and bend them at the wrist, the entire floor in front of him lifted into the air and a wall was created blocking the dragons path, giving my friends time to circle around the dragon. The dragon crashed through the rock wall with ease knocking Ira to his feet. Arthur morphed into an Eagle and took flight, he circled the dragons head, and seeing an opening dived and scratched the dragons eye with his talon. The dragon screeched in agony, blood dripping from his eye, it shook its head waving off the attack and swung itself so that it could depend itself against Arthur. He shot blue flames from his snout trying to roast Arthur out of the sky.

Arthur's tail feathers soon caught fire, and he had to land to put the flames out. My friends began to launch spells and attacks left and right at the dragon. Fireballs, and boulders set aflame were launched, and lighting struck from out of the sky. With only four minutes left, their magic was draining quickly. I could see them becoming breathless as they doubled over trying to catch their breaths. The dragon seemed unbeatable, no matter how many attacks it took on, the dragon would just shake it off unscathed minus the scratch on his eye. My friends regrouped trying to figure out another strategy because the one they had before wasn't working against the mighty beast.

"We will never be able to defeat the King, we just need to momentarily distract him so we can rescue the Queen. Sheer strength alone is not enough. We need to outsmart him, otherwise will never get close enough to snatch her. Everyone shook their heads in agreement. They finished discussing their plans and broke formation. The dragon was becoming impatient, like he was bored of all this fighting. I saw him flick out his tongue licking his lips. Was he going to eat my friends?!! I glanced at the clock, only two and a half minutes left. Tears streamed down my face, "hurry there isn't much time left," I screamed. My friends scattered in a new formation, glancing my way with determination in their eyes.

Ira and the wind mage I didn't know yet took the dragon head on, Silas took the dragons left side, Arthur took the right side, and the fire mage took the back. I saw Ira create a giant square slab of rock, the wind mage hovered in the air. He used the rock slab as a launch pad and hurled himself at the dragon. The dragon opened his mouth about to swallow him whole, but the wind mage quickly changed directions at the last second as the the dragons jaws snapped shut on thin air. That's when Ira and the fire mage took action. Four square slabs of rocks were created, and positioned on each side rod the dragon and one on top. The fire mage lit the stones on fire. Silas cast a spell filling the stadium with two feet of water. Ira and the fire mage boxed Helios inside the flaming slabs.

With a fist punch in front of him Ira sent the flaming stone slabs hurling toward the dragon on all sides, The dragon distracted by the burning rock slabs didn't notice Silas as he used the water and slid under the dragons belly and casting a spell knocked the feet out from under the dragon and met up with his father. Still in Eagle form, Arthur grabbed Silas by his shoulder and hoisted him in the air. The Wind mage used his magic to hurl the father and son duo toward me. I coward in my bubble, this was it, I was going to plummet to my death. The clocked ticked down, five, four, three, two, one, his father let go of Silas as he drew his sword and sliced through the bubble, I let out a blood curling scream, falling through the air.

The wind mage created a tornado under me and Silas sending me back up, Silas hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest, the dragon let out a blood curling roar, in anger and frustration he sent a blast of blue flames hurling toward Silas scorching his back. Hovering around me, Silas used his body to shield me from the flames. I was almost roasted alive! I saw his face contort in pain as we plummeted once more toward the ground. The clock struck zero just as Arthur swooped in and we landed on his back with a thump, he flew as fast as his wings could carry us away from the dragon and toward safety. I clung to Silas's vest and held onto a handful of Arthur's feathers holding on for dear life. The air stung the tears in my eyes, as I silently cried over Silas's limp body in my arms.

Arthur glided down to a clear spot on the field that wasn't torn up from the match. I saw the Kings from the other tribes run onto the field to meet us. Arthur landed and i slid of his back still holding onto Silas, crying. That's when I saw the dragon land just behind me in my peripheral vision. I leaped to my feet backing up toward Be'ron and the others. The dragon came closer, I tripped backward falling into Be'ron's legs, I screamed out loud, "don't eat me, I don't want to die. Why did you eat Helios?!!" The dragon cocked its head for a moment and then ignoring me came even closer, I screamed trying to hide behind the King's. Rul'hal held up his hand toward the dragon. "Don't come any closer. You are frightening her. Give her some time." The dragon stopped in his tracks.

Be'ron scooped me up into his arms. I was shaking uncontrollably, I was on the verge of fainting. I knew all about dragons, from back home. Every cultural on Earth mentioned the mythical creatures in every legend and fairytale ever told. I didn't think that they were real or that I would ever come face to face with one ever in my life. Another shudder ripped through me, I coward in Be'ron's arms trying to hide in his robes. "The poor thing, is frightened to death, you shouldn't have gone overboard," Arlae chastised the dragon. "Did you even tell her about your true form and how she was going to be a part of the tournament today?" The dragon shook his head. "No wonder she is frightened, she had no idea what was happening to her," Rul'hal barked as he came up to caress my back in a soothing manner.

Helios communicated with the Kings, the only ones who could understand him since all the Kings were dragons the same as him. "She wasn't ready for me to tell her. She was spooked just seeing my fangs and a part of my scales. I wanted to ease her into it but decided it was best to come out all at once. It's better to scare her now then to have her not trust me when she really is in danger. My biggest fear is to have her more afraid of me than a captor if the time arose and she was ever captured by a rogue male." Rul'hal hauled off and punched the Dragon King in the snout, "you could of at least came out under less dire circumstances. You nearly costed her nine lives today, she almost had a heart attack. Helios hung his head in shame.

He glanced at the trembling form of his mate hidden under Be'ron's robes. He could smell the fear dripping from her pores. He let out a soft keening sound saddened because his mate was afraid of him. The entire stadium's hearts hung heavy for the King, every male felt the King's pain not wanting to experience their mate's afraid of them and their true forms. Still hidden in Be'ron's embrace, it sounded to me like the Kings were having a one sided conversation that I couldn't understand. Arlae approached Be'ron, "little one, do not be afraid," he crooned softly, "your mate was not eaten by a dragon, the dragon is your mate. We promise he will not eat you. If he even dares to try to take a bite we will roast him alive and eat him for dinner," he joked cheering me up.

I froze under Be'ron's robes, my trembling ceasing. Did he say Helios was the dragon?!! I recalled his fangs and the white scales I had seen on his face the other day, was this truly Helios's true form? I slowly poked my head out from underneath Be'ron's robes. Still leery I struggled to get out of his arms. Realizing what I wanted Be'ron sat me down on my feet. I hid behind him still and peeked around his legs. "That's a good girl," Arlae clapped his hands joyously. Rul'hal waved his hand at Helios to come a little closer. When the dragon's head was level with mine he gently blew a puff of ice cold smoke at me creating snow flake patterns of frost in my hair that was still wet from earlier. I shivered from the cold. "Hel... Helios is that you," I asked shakily. The dragon nodded his head a low whine coming from his chest.

My hand trembling I reached out timidly toward the dragon, oops I meant Helios. My hand met his snout. The heat from my hand caused it to stick to his scales which were cold as ice. I petted his scales which shimmered under the light of the torches lit around the stadium. I heard a low rumble coming from his chest almost like he was trying to purr. I hesitated a moment longer before finally tossing my arms around his neck. I kissed the top of his snout where I assumed his mouth was. The stadium erupted into cheers. The Queen accepts his true form!! "I was afraid you got eaten when you jumped. I couldn't see where you had went, and then a dragon flew by me right where you had disappeared. I thought you were gone forever," I cried my tears sticking to the scales on his face.

I heard another rumble coming from his chest which sounded like laughter. I lightly punched him in the snout. "It's not funny to tease," I giggled, as everyone around us joined in laughing. "Can you transform back," I asked curiously. The dragon shook his head no. My smile disappeared from my face. I reared on the other Kings? "Is Helios ok? Why can't he transform back?" All of the Kings surrounded me, "he isn't able to transform back right away. It takes immense amounts of magic to be able to transform into a dragon so it will take awhile before he is able to transform back. He has to gather enough magic first. "Is that true? How do you know," I cried. All of the kings pulled out crickets of their own each with two swirls and a stone that sat in the middle of the swirls, there was a red, green, and yellow stone.

"We can also control the spirit of the dragon. Each one of us is able to take on the dragons form," Arlae said in a shrill voice looking a little guilty for not telling me. "Can anyone here transform into a dragon," I pointed to the males in the stadium. Rul'hal shook his head, "no only a King my possess the dragon's spirit. We are the only ones powerful enough to wield that power." I stared in awe at Helios. He must have been really strong to not only be able to transform into a dragon, but also hold the title of the High King or the Dragon King. "I've heard of dragons back home. Humans have talked of dragons since the beginning of time. I heard stories of Camelot and dragon slaying. They show up in every myth, legend, and fairytale on Earth.

"But every story that has ever been told either ended up with us hunting them down and slaying them for glory and fame or we get roasted and eaten alive. I have never actually seen a dragon in person. I believed them to be nothing more than a mythical creature or made up and fabricated to scare little children into going to bed at night. I was not prepared to see a dragon tonight or ever in my lifetime. I was caught off guard. It scared me when I saw Helios, something inside me was telling me to run," I admitted feeling extremely guilty and foolish for thinking Helios was a monster. "I'm so sorry for thinking you were a monster. Please can you forgive me," I looked into Helios's eyes solemnly. Helios nodded blowing another puff of icy smoke toward me. I shivered in response.

Everyone listened with rapture. It was rare to hear information about their Queen's past. Only Helios had seen just a tiny glimpse of her past when listening to her thoughts from time to time. His Queen kept her past hidden deep inside her mind and refused to think about them. So to be able to hear even this little bit of information warmed their hearts. They wanted to know more about their Queen and her past life. In that moment Silas had regained consciousness his father helped him to his feet. I ran over to Silas happy that he was okay. I had almost forgotten about him after finding out Helios was a dragon. "Are you ok? How do you feel," I asked worried. "I'm ok, my back feels like it's still on fire, but I should be fine in a couple of hours," he groaned rubbing his back.

That's a relief. "We should take you to the infirmary right away so Asa can look at your back." Be'ron stepped in between Silas and I, "we can't go just yet. We must introduce you to your private guards and you must accept them so they can receive their mark of recognition. Follow me," Be'ron said holding out his hand for me to take. I took a hold of his hand and he led me to the center of the stadium. All eyes were on me as we came to a stop in front of my new private guards. Silas limped over to them and stood in line with the rest.

"Silas is the youngest male in history to ever become a Queen's private guard. Private guards are usually older more experienced males who have learned extensive magic and combat skills with over millions of years of training," Rul'hal stated. I saw Silas puff his chest out with pride. I felt so proud of him for winning.