The ceremony ended and we all went our separate ways. Each of the groups would fight one other, and the remaining three teams would compete in a three-way battle. The last team with a survivor won. A charm was to be placed on each of us. It would create a sort of barrier that could take so much damage before it broke. If it broke, we were considered out of the fight. Killing the opponent was obviously out of the picture, but harming them was allowed as long as no permanent damage was sustained.

I was affixing my charm to my locket chain when a large man with a massive sword walked up to me. He was easily over six and a half feet tall and sported similar dress to the late desert prince. His hair was also white and slicked back, spiking backward. He had an identical scarf covering his face. His ornate robes were open and hanging at his side, revealing a portly stomach that added dynamic animation to each of his heavy steps. His white and gold shorts flared wide at his knees and a pair of thick leather sandals covered his feet and wound up his legs to his knees.

‘So you’re the pipsqueak who killed my brother?! I’m going to make you wish you hadn’t crossed the kingdom of Albedon. I’m going to crush your bones and drag you through the raging desert sands of…Hey! Are you listening to me?!’

I was staring at my fingernails and trying to scrape the dirt out from underneath them.

‘Oh, sorry. I was zoning out because your generic bad-guy revenge monologue was so painfully bland and I’ve been trying to get this black stuff out from under my nails for a few weeks now. It’s really obnoxious. Do you know how much of that disgusting stuff came out of him as I cut him to ribbons? Make me want to run and take a bath as we speak. Anyway, continue…blah, blah, blah. Killed my brother. Pain, horror, maiming, death.’

I stared at him intently as I had now given him my full attention. The shade of his face went from a nice tan to three shades lighter. I could almost see the steam pouring out of his ears. His scarf ruffled, probably in reaction to his mouth opening to retort, when the voice of an older man called from behind me.

‘Samantha, dear. Everyone is waiting for you in the resting room. Let’s hurry and not keep them waiting. Prince Goron, It is a pleasure to see you again. I hope that our agreement is satisfactory to atone for the death of your brother?’

‘Prime Minister Keegan. I was just having a jovial chat with this diminutive girl. Everything is still in proper order, I presume?’

‘Indeed. I will deliver what you have asked after the games are concluded.’

Prince Moron let out a hardy laugh and pointed at me.

‘Then I will see you later, girly.’

‘I guess so. Try not to make as much of a fool of yourself as your brother did. Aura tends to dull the senses as it grants other strengths. No power granted will save you from losing control, and I’m pretty sure public opinion will be on my side if I kill you for becoming a Revenant, so do exercise a bit of control.’

His eyes went wide when I mentioned his use of Aura. Then he huffed as I gave him my warning. Hopefully, he would be smarter than his brother and not let the power overtake him. Guessing by what I felt were the motives to hold this tournament, he might not even have the choice though.

He stomped away, returning to his teammates as I walked with the old man. He was in his sixties at least. He wore fancy robes of gray and crimson and had a tall teardrop-like hat with ornate embroidery and silver inlays. He had short, white hair and no facial hair. His eyes were squinted almost to small slits and he had a permanent, long smile affixed on his face. It was almost eerie how unchanging his smile was as we walked and talked.

‘Prime Minister, huh. So it is you I have to thank for leaving the King becoming vulnerable during the party.’

If the accusation stirred any emotion in him, it didn’t show on his face.

‘My apologies, princess. If I knew that he was in any danger, I would have gladly given my life to protect him.’

‘And why has someone so prestigious as you come to greet me on this barbaric and showy battlefield when I have never so much as seen your face before this day?’

‘Ah, my apologies again, princess. The death of the prince left a…void in our relationship with Albedon. I was sent to quickly deal with the aftershock.’

‘I guess that makes sense, given your ancestry to Albedon. You would have close ties with them.’

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, but the expression on his face never changed. He continued to walk and talk.

‘What makes you think that I am from there?’

I pointed to my head and then mouth.

‘It’s fairly clear that white hair is a trait of people who live in that region, at least from my limited exposure and research. Also the long-reaching mouth. I decided to look into you when I heard you were responsible for the lack of guard at the party. You are quite the enigma, Prime Minister.’

‘I’m no such thing. It’s true my father was from Albedon, we moved here when I was very little. I am an open book and my allegiance is to this kingdom.’

‘I never questioned your allegiance. By the way, whatever happened to the attacking force you called the guard for?’

‘Unfortunately, they all got away. Their unnatural speed and strength allowed them to overpower the guards and run.’

‘So the assassins overpowered your guards, and then just, ran? No attempt on your life? Odd.’

‘Odd indeed. We can talk more in length about it later if you would like.’

‘Indeed I would, Prime Minister. So again, why have you come here, specifically to see me, and not my whole group?’

‘I have come to inform you that we have reached an agreement with Albedon. You will throw the competition in the last round, given that you make it to the last round.’

‘I thought you were a Prime Minister, not a jester.’

‘It is not a joke, princess. Albedon has agreed to seek no reparations for the death of Causius if we give them the tournament and send you to them for an…extended stay.’

My blood ran cold at the notion of being sent over to them. A political prisoner is more like what he was thinking. I shook my head and cleared my swelling emotions.

‘That’s a very unique resolution to solve the problem of an attempted assassination. As I see it, it should be them paying tribute and sending extra resources to us for their blunder. Isn’t this just giving them permission to attempt the assassination again?’

‘They have no way to verify that our account is correct. As they see it, we just murdered their prince in cold blood because the King did not want to marry off his daughter to them. You are just a confederate, but they are willing to take you instead and call everything even. Be grateful they did not demand princess Roxanne as well.’

My finger itched as it ran across the hilt of my blade. I willed it away from me and then clapped my hands together as if dusting them off. I was much more prone to act with violence with a sword in my hand. This development needed more tact.

‘Have you cleared any of this with the King yet?’

‘No, I was hoping you would be civil enough to put this country's safety above your own comfort. Then you could help me convice the King.  We rely on supplies from Albedon to survive as we fight the Revenant threat. Your sacrifice would keep us on neutral ground. Anything less could amount to war.’

I sighed, stopped walking, and turned to him.

‘Look, I’m going to make my thoughts very clear to you. What you have laid out before me is a plan that is not in the best interests of this nation. Their nation has attempted to assassinate our King and you greet them with gifts. How long before you decide to just give them the country?’

‘But if we do nothing, then a war will break out between us! This world could fall to ruin!’

‘How do the other countries feel about the attempt on the Kings life? Would they stand idly while Albedon destroyed their only defense against the Revenant? Have you even asked? Or, did you just run to the enemy and try to placate them with gifts and a silver tongue?’

‘Young lady, I don’t expect you to know the intricacies of politics in this world, being from another world. This is the only path they have given us that will not lead to war. So you must choose to either sacrifice yourself or see a whole nation plunged into chaos.’

‘Then let war come. If this world’s humans don’t have the common sense to sacrifice everything to fight against extinction, then they don’t deserve life. I have a lot better understanding of political structures on the verge of collapse then you might think, Prime Minister. Besides, the King would never agree to the deal. I wager he would rather send you then me. Go talk with him and maybe do better the second round of negotiations.’

He broke character for just a second as his eyes opened ever so slightly and his smile flattened.

‘You selfish little…’

‘If you would excuse me, Prime Minister. I’ve got a meeting to attend with my team, and then a fat man to poke with a very pointy sharp thing. We can talk more if you can convince the King.’

The Prime Minister huffed and stormed off to a separate door. I turned and opened the door to our resting room.

‘Got ya, Sammy!’

‘Ack!’

Blue jumped and tackled me into the hall. A guard down the corridor looked at us quizzically as she then grabbed me by my ankles and dragged me into the room. Clem, Rox, and Doey were waiting inside. I kicked Blue off me and got up and dusted myself off. Clem walked up to me and checked out my backside, possibly looking for dirty spots or damage.

‘What took you so long?’

‘Not much, just had an impromptu meeting with the Prime Minister. He’s still working through the politics of the assassination. No worries. I got a good look at our first opponents and I have some ideas, so listen up...’