Chapter 22
1787 Words
{Anya}
"King Vulcan, I rather that we aren't seen in this position," I say timidly because he had lifted me up so my feet no longer touched the ground.
He sighed and placed me down, "Why do you call me King Vulcan?"
"Isn't that what you are?" I ask. "It's your name, King Vulcan."
"No, but..." he trails off with a growl. "It feels like...."
Dave's faint voice echoes throughout the hall, "Next up, we'll no longer do pairs...It's one vs. one. Libelle of House Magnetron and Aceso of House Medela."
I shook his hands off my wrists and take a few steps back, "You should go. Libelle is about to fight."
I turn on my heel and leave to let my wounds treated. Something in me twists. It...hurts to see him obey and walk away to see Libelle. Who was I kidding? Libelle would always be first so there was no point in trying. I laugh at myself for being silly.
***
Libelle wins the fight and Aceso lost. Sierra and Kalama versed each other and Kalama won. Once again, it was my turn. At this point all of us head over to where our House sits for a blessing.
"Now, Kalama of High House Vulcan and Anastasia of High House Hydra!"
I came out to the arena and received various applauses. I went directly to Lucia and Hydreich and fell on one knee, "Lucia, Hydreich, I ask for your blessing and the blessing of House Hydra."
"We bless you Anastasia, Daughter of water and ice, heiress of House Hydra," my house says in unison. I bow and go to Ryoko who takes off my old armor. The arena saw my tight-fitting black leggings and turtle-neck long-sleeved black shirt. Ryoko clicked the new armor into place.
"Don't go easy on Kalama. She's dangerous. She literally roasted Sierra," Ryoko whispers. "Use your full power."
"I suppose Luthor will be rooting for her. After all, he seemed to switch houses," I say pointedly and look directly at Luthor who guilty looks down at the ground. "Even when I was close to death...Oh well, should we call him Luthor of High House Vulcan?"
Ryoko laughed when I gave Luthor the finger and walked off. Down in the arena, Kalama was waiting. She had a red fiery color armor. During the last round, we weren't allowed to use weapons but only rely on our abilities.
"May the battle begin!"
Kalama immediately enflamed herself. Flames crackled and surrounded her. Her eyes were red as the fire engulfing her. I watched as she levitated herself and then hurl herself at me like a fireball.
"Black Ice!" I yelled and the ground beneath us turned into a dark ice cape. Kalama felt pulled to the ice and flopped down. But the heat of her fire began to melt the ice.
"Shit..." I breathed. I debated on fighting fire with fire. Would it work?
I dug my feet into the dirt and breathed slowly, "URE!"
I felt the flames spread around my body as I struggled to control it. My brow formed a crease as it started going beyond me and surround the dome.
"What are you doing?!" Kalama yelled as she began to be overwhelmed by the flame. We could no longer see the audience beyond the flame.
"It's out of control!" I shout. I focus once more, "Flood!"
I placed my palms on the floor as water began to rise and rise. The flames sizzled as they were being put out and Kalama's flame also died out. The dome was now filled to the brim with water. The audience was in shock upon seeing the water food the dome. We could see them now but Kalama was running out of air. She swam to the dome wall where her House was on the other side and began pounding against it.
I swam to the bottom and placed my palms on the ground, "Reverse"
The ground began to drink back the water and Kalama's body flailed along until the water was gone and she was passed out on the ground.
"Anastasia of House Hydra wins!" Dave laughs nervously
The mistress of House Vulcan, Ember, stood up immediately, "This is blasphemy! We demand the right to send another daughter to fight the daughter of House Hydra!"
King Vulcan began speaking with Ember, his aunt. Her arms flailed around in an exaggerated form. He sighed and spoke up, "I'll allow House Vulcan to send out another daughter."
Ember sneered, "We'll send Kaida."
King Vulcan looked visibly irritated, "Can't you choose someone else? Kaida is Chris's sister."
"Precisely and she's the second strongest after Kalama," Ember argued.
By then, Kaida was already being pushed out into the arena with me. She kept staring at Luthor who looked ready to pass out. Kaida bit her lip, "I'm sorry but I can't fail my house. They'll have my head if I lose."
"And what do you think my house will do to me?" I asked, annoyed. "May the best one win."
"NO, I REFUSE. There will be no fight between Kaida and Anastasia," King Vulcan growled.
Lucia smirked, "What? Are you afraid of Anastasia killing Kaid as she almost did Kalama?"
"Arin, I can fight, don't worry," Kaida reasoned.
"NO, AND THAT'S FINAL."
The arena grew silent except for the sound of my scoff, "Killjoy..."
We walked out of the arena where Luthor, Chris, and King Vulcan were already waiting for Kaida. Kaida was on the verge of tears. It seems that she was terrified about fighting.
"I swear if you try to do that one more time..." Chris warned her.
"C'mon, it wasn't like I was going to kill her," I roll my eyes. I was annoyed with how worried they were and yet, there was no one here to be worried for me. Luthor....was a different story. He had Kaida and that was that.
"But you were capable of doing so," another voice spoke up from behind me. Aria of House Slasher.
"And your point is?"
"But you wouldn't because she's part of King Vulcan's house," Aria grinned.
"Excuse me?" I hissed. She was offending my principles. I wouldn't kill Kaida because she was part of King Vulcan's house but because when I first arrived here she was kind towards me.
"What? You're the King's w***e. His slut to put it simply,"Aria inspected her nails slyly.
"Aria, bite your tongue," King Vulcan growled.
"You see, he even fights your battles," Aria pointed out.
In anger I snapped, "King Vulcan, I don't need you to speak for me, understand?"
Aria giggled, "Oh, are you going to cry? Why don't you go to your mom and- Oops, I'm sorry? How inconsiderate of me. Your parents are dead."
"Aria, stop-" Luthor began.
"Shut the f**k up, Luthor!" I snapped.
"Your mom left you for dead in the human world because she was a dumb b***h ass w***e who ran away with another man and left your daddy to die-"
"SHUT UP" I yelled and grabbed her neck to choke her against the wall. "CLOSE THAT MOUTH OF YOURS"
"So it's true then?" Aria choked. "You were abandoned?"
I threw various punches to her face which she returned until I slammed her body on the ground. She tripped me and I placed my knees on her chest to beat her face.
"You don't know anything about my parent and you don't know anything about me!" I growled and kept punching her.
"How about you? Do you know anything about them?"
She was angering me and my blood boiled and so I was determined to kill her, "Eternal f-"
" Anya, don't!" King Vulcan hauled me off her and his arms were too strong to resist. Aria jumped to me but Chris held her back as we tried to slam a punch at each other. I grabbed her hair and started to drag her down to the ground.
King Vulcan rested his hands on my waist and pulled me close to whisper meaningfully, "Babe, please stop."
I froze as the tension dissipated from me and I let Aria go. Damn this bond that makes me calm down even when I don't want to. King Vulcan turned me over so I faced him. I began to punch his chest harshly.
"I HATE YOU, King Vulcan," I screeched. "You ruined my life! Now fix it! Bring me back home!"
He flinched as he grabbed my wrists to stop me and stare at the tears that rolled down my cheeks. "I'm miserable here. Can't you see? I want to go home..."
"I...can't..." he sighed.
"Why? Why do you insist on ruining everything? You ruined my life by bringing me here and I hate you for it! I hate you. You left me at House Hydra and never came back for me. Who does that? Do you know what they did to me? DO. YOU. KNOW. WHAT. THEY. DID. TO. ME! DO YOU!"
"I know what they did to you!" he yelled and shook my shoulders furiously. "I know...."
I sniffled and wiped away my tears. I took several steps away from him. Luthor, Kaida, Chris, and Aria had already left. "All of this...all of this is your fault. My pain, my misery, the fact I can't return home because I don't know how..."
"I know it's all my fault. Everything's messed up because I insisted on forgetting you and moved on with Libelle but now I realize that I didn't truly move on. My night was spent with thoughts of you and I couldn't stop myself from wanting you."
"You know what my nights are filled with?" I hissed. "My nights are spent with nightmares. Nightmares of what they did to me in House Hydra. I don't sleep anymore. There is no point!"
"I love you, Anastasia. I've loved you for the longest time but refused to accept it but now I do," he said unsteadily reaching to grab my hand.
I resist and pull my hand away, "You're too late because now Libelle is carrying your child. You can't change that. Either away, any tiny bit of affection I have towards you has been replaced with my hatred toward you."
King Vulcan tugged at his locks instinctively. It was a bad habit of his, "You know who's up now. I know you're disqualifying Aria and Rose was also disqualified."
"Don't...don't make this hard," he begged.
"Libelle and I will be fighting now. If I win, I want you to promise me something."
"Anya..."
"Promise me that you'll set me free and bring me back to the human world and you'll get to be with Libelle and her child."
"I-"
"PROMISE ME."
"I...I promise..."
- Writer
