Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Heat waves ripple through the air between us, scorching my lungs with each breath.
This is it, then. After everything—surviving the selections, the challenge matches, daily life at Confluence, and even a rogue elemental and Malakai during the trial—I'm going to die here, alone, without even understanding what I truly am.
The thought ignites something in me.
Not fear.
Fury.
My hands ball into fists, nails cutting half-moons into my palms. No. I refuse to die like this. Others have died so I could make it here. To this moment. To today.
Failing isn't an option.
I stand straighter, facing the elemental directly. My breathing comes in ragged gasps, but my voice comes out steady enough to get the point across.
"Come on, then," I snarl, forcing steel into my voice. "An elemental asshole ten times your size tried to eat me once. It didn't work out for him, so let's see if you can do better."
The fire wolf hesitates. Something like surprise dances in its molten eyes.
Then it growls—the sound like a furnace roaring to life—and lunges for my throat.
I don't run. I don't flinch. Instead, I prepare to try to grab it with my bare hands. I'll likely burn myself to a crisp, but I'm sure as hell going to try to suck whatever power I can from it and make it regret testing me.
Then something changes.
A sound like the ocean crashing against cliffs fills the clearing. The temperature plummets. The wolf hesitates, head tilting as one fiery ear cocks toward the sound.
A blur of deep blue flashes across my vision—so fast I almost miss it. The massive form crashes into the fire wolf mid-leap, sending it tumbling across the clearing in a spray of embers and ash.
Where nothing had been a moment before, there now stands an enormous serpentine creature, its scales the dark blue of the deepest ocean depths, wings spread wide like sails catching a storm.
The water dragon from the lake. The ancient elemental.
Steam hisses violently where the creatures touch, water threatening to quench the flames of the wolf with every contact. With one swipe of its forepaw, it sends the wolf tumbling backward to slam into a tree. Flames leap up around the impact, consuming the tree as the wolf stands again and shakes his head, eyes fixed on the other elemental.
The water dragon roars, the sound vibrating through the soles of my feet and into my bones, rattling my teeth. The very air trembles as it positions itself between me and the fire wolf.
I get my first clear look at it and my jaw drops. In this world, the blues are sharper and deeper—eye-watering in their intensity. It stands on two powerful hind legs, long serpentine body erect with forelegs that end in three deadly curved claws. The tail winds behind its hind legs, curled and tipped in a barb of scales that gleam wicked and pure black like obsidian.
Its head is as large as my whole body and dragon-like, with two elegant horns that sweep back with a single twist. The wings are veined and tipped in those same obsidian colored spikes, nearly translucent as the beast spreads them wide and lets out a terrible roar that shakes my insides.
The fire wolf snarles, the sound seeming impotent compared to the roar.
The water dragon lets out a low, clicking snarl as it prowls to the side, its size dwarfing even the big wolf.
Fire and water. Ancient enemies.
With a howl of fury, the fire wolf attacks, leaping high, as if hoping to catch the dragon by the throat.
The water dragon moves with impossible speed for its size, snapping at the smaller elemental with teeth like icicles. They clash in another burst of steam and energy, their battle shaking the clearing.
I stumble back, watching in awe as these primal forces wage war. The fire wolf is fast and vicious, but the water dragon is ancient and powerful. For every burning bite the wolf manages to land, the dragon counters with crushing force. Water rises from the ground in thundering pillars that slam into the wolf's flaming body.
It yelps. Not in anger, but in pain.
Eventually, the fire wolf realizes it's outmatched. With one final snarl of defiance, it turns and flees back into the forest, its flame dimming as it retreats.
The clearing falls silent. Too silent.
Relief at being saved quickly fades away as I realize how screwed I am.
It only fought off the wolf so it could have me for itself. Now I'm going to die. My death is just going to be watery instead of fiery.
Considering how my brothers and father died, I guess it's fitting that the water should take me too in the end.
Slowly, the water dragon turns to face me. Up close, I can see the corruption eating away at its magnificent form—patches of scales that seem to dissolve into mist, eyes clouded with madness.