Page 25

Dernin

The arena pulsed with the crowd’s cheers as Dernin and Bariv stood on opposite sides of the fighting ring. Spotlights swept across them while Fyret worked the spectators into a frenzy.

“Our reigning champion, the unstoppable Bariv!” Fyret’s voice boomed.

Bariv raised his arms, drinking in the adulation. His filaments rippled in a display of dominance that made Dernin’s scales itch with disgust.

“And the challenger—the unknown fighter who’s fought his way to the top—Dernin!”

Dernin kept his posture straight and proud, channeling every bit of his warrior training. He gave a single, dignified nod to the crowd while his tail coiled with a burning rage. The sight of Fyret’s smug expression made his stomach turn.

“This is what you’ve all been waiting for!” Fyret proclaimed. “The match to determine our champion!”

“Prepare to lose, snake,” Bariv sneered across the ring.

Dernin met his gaze coolly. “I don’t lose to cheaters.”

“What did you say?” Bariv’s filaments bristled.

“You heard me.”

The spotlights continued to sweep across them as Fyret detailed their fighting records to the crowd.

“When I win,” Bariv growled, “I’m going to make sure you watch while I claim my prize.”

Dernin’s tail lashed against the ground. “Touch her and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

“Big words from someone about to lose.”

“This circus act ends today.” Dernin’s eyes narrowed.

His gaze drifted to where Alaysia sat. This wasn’t about some rigged championship. This was about protecting what was his.

The announcements reached their crescendo as attendants entered to prepare the ring.

Dernin maintained his stoic facade, but inside his warrior’s heart burned with purpose.

He wasn’t fighting for their entertainment, the corrupt games, or even his own survival anymore. He was fighting for Alaysia’s future.

Fyret gestured for both fighters to come to the center of the ring. Dernin’s tail moved with grace as he approached. The noise of the crowd faded as he focused on maintaining his composure. His warrior’s training demanded honor, even in this corrupt arena.

An attendant presented ornate crystal glasses filled with deep red wine. “A toast!” Fyret’s voice cut through the din. “To our champions!”

“To glory,” Bariv sneered, raising his glass.

Dernin took his glass, his eyes fixed on Bariv. “To honor,” he countered, voice low and controlled. The irony of toasting to honor in this dishonorable place wasn’t lost on him.

“Drink, fighters!” Fyret commanded.

Dernin watched Bariv drain his glass without hesitation. The wine in Dernin’s own glass swirled as he pretended to take a long sip, letting most of it run inconspicuously down his scales instead.

“May the strongest fighter prevail,” Fyret proclaimed, stepping back.

“Getting nervous yet, snake?” Bariv’s slimy skin gleamed under the lights.

“No, but you should be,” Dernin replied.

They circled each other as attendants cleared the ring. Dernin’s tail glided across the ground in smooth, controlled movements. He caught a hint of Alaysia’s rose scent lingering on his skin. His mate. The thought steeled his resolve.

“Remember the rules,” Fyret announced. “Fight continues until submission or unconsciousness. No killing—these fighters are valuable property.”

Property. The word made Dernin sick. He focused on Bariv, studying his opponent’s stance. The Jorvlen was already showing signs of whatever had been in his wine—his movements were more aggressive, less controlled.

The bell hadn’t rung yet, but tension crackled between them like lightning before a storm.

Fyret sauntered out of the ring, leaving Dernin and Bariv to face each other. The arena lights cast harsh shadows across Bariv’s bulging muscles, his filaments wiggling with unnatural energy.

The bell rang.

Bariv charged forward uncontrollably with a roar. Dernin’s warrior instincts took over as he pivoted, his tail providing perfect balance as Bariv’s wild swing missed by inches.

“Stand still and fight!” Bariv’s voice carried a slurred edge.

Dernin responded with a swift combination—two strikes to Bariv’s torso followed by a tail sweep. “A true warrior doesn’t need enhancements to win.”

Bariv staggered but recovered quickly, his enhanced strength evident as he shrugged off blows that should have dropped him. His filaments whipped through the air, trying to entangle Dernin’s arms.

Dernin weaved around the attack, his movements fluid and controlled. The warrior training of his homeland guided every motion. He landed a solid hit to Bariv’s jaw, satisfaction coursing through him as the Jorvlen’s head snapped back.

But Bariv barely seemed to notice. Whatever concoction Fyret had given him worked. The Jorvlen’s strikes became faster and stronger, though increasingly erratic.

A glancing blow caught Dernin’s shoulder. The impact reverberated through his body, but he maintained his stance.

“Getting tired?” Bariv taunted, though his words slurred slightly more. “Your pretty little pet is watching.”

Dernin’s scales rose at the mention of Alaysia. He channeled his anger into precision, ducking under another wild swing and countering with a powerful strike to Bariv’s solar plexus.

The crowd’s roars faded as Dernin focused on the fight, watching Bariv’s increasingly uncoordinated movements. The drug made him stronger, yes, but it also affected his judgment. Dernin could use that.

“What’s wrong, champion?” Dernin’s voice carried across the ring as he deflected another attack. “Don’t know which way you’re swinging?”

Bariv’s response was an incoherent growl as he charged again, his enhanced strength making the ground shake with each step.

Suddenly, the world shifted sideways as Dernin’s vision blurred. His tail, usually a perfect counterbalance, wavered beneath him. The drug he suspected was in his wine somehow seeped through his scales, spreading like poison through his bloodstream.

“What’s wrong, snake? Not so graceful anymore?” Bariv’s massive fist connected with Dernin’s jaw.

The impact sent him reeling. His warrior instincts screamed at him to maintain form, but his body refused to comply. The arena lights stretched into long, disorienting streaks.

“Damn it,” Dernin muttered, trying to shake off the fog. He tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. “Should’ve known they’d find a way through my scales.”

Bariv’s filaments whipped across Dernin’s chest, leaving stinging welts. “Getting sloppy! Maybe your little human will enjoy watching you fall.”

The mention of Alaysia sparked rage through Dernin’s drugged haze. He managed to dodge Bariv’s next swing, but his movements felt sluggish, like fighting underwater.

“Keep her name out of your filthy mouth,” Dernin snarled, attempting to strike back. His fist barely grazed Bariv’s shoulder.

“Look at the mighty warrior now!” Bariv’s enhanced strength drove another punch into Dernin’s ribs. “Can’t even stand straight!”

Dernin’s tail lashed out instinctively, but the usually precise movement went wide. The drug spread faster, making his muscles feel like lead. He tried to focus on Bariv’s form but saw three overlapping images instead.

“Cowards,” Dernin spat, blocking another hit with his forearm. “Need drugs to win your fights.”

Bariv grabbed Dernin’s arm, using his drug-enhanced strength to throw him across the ring.

Dernin’s back slammed against the arena wall, knocking the air from his lungs. He struggled to rise, his warrior’s pride refusing to stay down. But his body betrayed him, moving in slow motion while Bariv advanced.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Bariv sneered, cracking his knuckles as he approached. “And then I’m going to enjoy my prize even more.”

Dernin’s vision swam as Bariv’s vile words about Alaysia cut through the drug-induced haze. Dernin’s muscles felt like lead, his reactions sluggish. The ground beneath his tail seemed to shift and roll.

“After I win, she’ll experience what a real champion feels like inside of her.” Bariv snickered.

Dernin’s hand brushed against his wrist, feeling the silken strands of Alaysia’s red hair wound there. Her scent, still lingering on the strands, filled his senses—sweet roses. It sparked something deeply primal within him.

Last night flooded back to him—her trust, her touch, her declaration of love. The memory ignited his warrior’s blood. Heat surged through his veins, burning away the drug’s fog.

His vision snapped into crystal clarity. His muscles pulsed with a newfound power beyond measure, every scale electrified with an energy he’d never felt before. The warrior teachings spoke of this—the moment when a Niri warrior claimed his true mate, unlocking power beyond normal limits.

“You will never touch her.” Dernin’s voice resonated with authority as he straightened to his full height.

Bariv faltered, sensing the change. “What the—”

“She’s mine to protect.” Dernin’s eyes blazed. “My mate.”

The drug that had clouded his mind moments ago evaporated completely, replaced by razor-sharp focus. Every movement felt charged with lightning as he squared off against his opponent.

“Impossible,” Bariv growled. “The drug—”

“Cannot match a warrior’s mate bond.” Dernin’s scales rippled with power. “You want to see a real champion? Let me show you.”