The Death Game

Aria walked down the hall in silence. Her thoughts were preoccupied with the discovery she had made about Rhysann's ancestry, and couldn't help but think deeply and conflictedly about it.

'Should I ask him about it...?' She wondered for a moment. 'No, It's better if I did not. I could get in serious trouble for venturing into places in this castle that I have no business being—"

Aria's thoughts were broken by a distant cry. It startled her a bit, but she quickly steeled herself and turned, walking towards the direction of the sound. She eventually came to an open chamber that led out to a sprawling field of huge, jagged rocks.

Aria had never been to this part of the mysterious castle before. Intrigued, she stepped outside to the rocky field and glanced at where she had emerged from. It looked like Aria had walked out from a meticulously built cave that resembled a castle carved into the heart of an immense mountain. She marveled at the grand, peculiar architecture. The castle seemed to mimic an underground cave with towering stone spires rising high above. It was a truly fascinating sight.

She looked ahead and spotted a small gathering in the distance. Curious, Aria crept up to a large rock and crouched low to observe the scene without getting caught. Her eyes widened in horror the moment it dawned on her.

There stood ten human slaves chained at their wrists and ankles. Four Dragonborns, including two of whom she identified as Ares and Raiken, stood behind them barking out orders. The humans seemed terrified and shaken, clearly aware they would meet their deaths that day.

"Now, human slaves," Raiken spoke aloud with a voice full of pride and arrogance.

He gestured downhill toward what appeared like the ruins of a once-thriving town that was ravaged and destroyed many years ago by the dragons.

"Today my friends and I felt a bit bored, so we decided on a little...game. You all will run downhill into that little town which lies in ruins, and try to hide from the four of us like good little rats."

The four dragons chuckled and Raiken raised his right hand slightly, signaling them to stop. When they did, he cleared his throat and continued.

"Four of us will take on our dragon forms and hunt you down." Raiken elaborated with a wicked grin. "Don't let us catch you, because if we do, you will be roasted alive!"

Aria gasped in horror but quickly covered her mouth with her hand to silence any more sounds.

"This game has no rules, but there is one instruction; don't get caught."

This wasn't the first time Raiken had played this game. He had done it countless times before and by the end of it, there were rarely any survivors. The few who did were left badly injured or burned.

"P...please, Prince Raiken... Don't do this to us... Punish us however you like, but not this... Please! I beg you!"

A young girl fell to her knees in tears, both hands chained. Aria felt her heart fall into her gut the moment she recognized her.

"Constance!" Aria gasped with fear.

Her hurt shoulder was still wrapped with the white cloth.

"Oh shut your hole!" Ares kicked Constance in the side and she fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Then, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up to face him.

"If you don't do as we say, I'm going to burn that pretty face of yours... It would be such a shame if anything happened to it, right?"

The dragons chuckled cruelly again, and Aria clenched her fists tightly by her side. Without thinking, she rose to her feet and approached them hastily. Before anyone could react, Aria gave Ares a deafening slap that caused his head to snap sideways.

A horrified gasp erupted from the slaves. Their eyes grew wide as they saw that it was Princess Aria, King Rodric's daughter.

The four dragons turned toward her, their eyes burning with fury.

"Aria...!" Constance whispered in fear, tears filling her eyes.

"You again...?!" Ares snarled. His gaze shifted to her neck and he saw that she didn't have an ownership collar on.

His angry, bloodshot eyes met hers with renewed fury.

"Aren't you supposed to be King Rhysann's slave?!" He spat.

Aria swallowed as she realized why the question was thrown at her. Rhysann had never placed an ownership collar around her neck.

"Quite suspicious if you'd ask me. Every dragon's slave is required to wear one, unless..."

Aria stood helplessly for a moment, but she tried to be brave.

"Leave my people alone!" She uttered beneath her breath, her eyes filled with anger.

"No... Aria!" Constance whispered with eyes full of tears, but Ares pushed her aside to silence her.

Raiken approached Aria and they locked gazes. The fury in her eyes was palpable.

"You'll have to make me, little slut." he uttered, a wide grin spreading across his features. The other dragons snickered. "Are you going to fight me? Hmm? Come on. Show me what you're capable of."

Aria was so furious that her fists clenched at her sides, but she could do nothing to stop them. She felt utterly powerless. The dragons shoved her forcefully, sending her rolling downhill. Her body was riddled with scratches and bruises in the process. The other slaves now freed from their chains, rushed down to her aid. Raiken and the three dragons watched with eyes full of hatred.

"listen! I will repeat the rules of this game since we have a new participant," he announced, pointing towards Aria and they chuckled.

"This game has no real rules as I've said before, but you must make certain that we don't catch you. Because if we do..."

Raiken's hands suddenly ignited with a flicker of fire and the slaves were terrified. Not only could dragonborns shift into dragons, but they could also form flames by taking in a deep breath and channeling it through their arms. This extraordinary art required great concentration to achieve.

"Now... Run!" He commanded, his voice changing as he and the other three quickly took on their dragon forms.

"Run... Run! All of you!" Aria screamed at the slaves and they began to run towards the crumbling ruins of the small town.

The atmosphere above the town was filled with dust, and eerie winds stirred the once-forgotten remains of destroyed buildings. The slaves scattered, their faces etched with dread and hearts racing rapidly, as they ran desperately through the roads overgrown with weeds and shrubs. The dragons' roars could be heard from above as their heavy wings cut through the sky in search of their prey.

Freya, one of the slaves, ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards an abandoned church. When she heard the wingbeats and low rumble of an approaching dragon, she increased her pace, her bare feet aching in protest as she rushed into the building from a broken window.

She quickly ducked behind a crumbling stone wall, praying that the dragon wouldn't see her. Beads of sweat cascaded down her forehead, but she didn't dare to wipe them, afraid that the slightest movement would make a sound.

At that moment, she heard what seemed like a dragon flying above the remnants of the church building, and the sound eventually faded. She loosened her tensed shoulders and sighed deeply in relief, but just as Freya thought she was out of danger, a dragon's blazing sharp eyes suddenly peered through a small opening in the wall of her hiding place.

"There you are..." its raspy, terrifying voice thundered from above. Freya barely had the time to react before the dragon's claws snagged her, lifting her high into the air.

"No! Please!" she screamed in tears, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. With a single violent swipe of its talons, Freya's loud cries were silenced and she fell limp as her blood-soaked body was flung into the ruins below.