Rise of the Dragon Princess

CHAPTER 8

~WREN~

I can hear their voices shouting behind me, the sound of their footsteps echoing loudly in the vast woods stretched miles and miles. An arrow whooshes past me and lodges itself in a tree ahead of me. I whimper and increase my speed. My feet are aching and my legs are weak. I can't dare to stop because I know once they get to me, they will kill me.

"Stop!" A voice commands roughly but determined to get away. I turn running into a creek.

The water is flowing too fast. I look back panting heavily. They are getting closer, the shiny ends of their spears and swords reflecting in the moonlight. My foot stumbles on a stump sending me into the ground. I fall hitting my head on a river stone. I can't move.

"Please," I beg, tears streaming down my face as I meet their murderous faces. "Don't kill me!"

One of them cackles with laughter and the rest join in. I look ridiculous in their eyes. Maybe I am ridiculous. I can't blame them. It is the look on their faces right before they chain me that annoys me the most. My face contorts in anger as I breathe hard. My chest rises and falls rapidly as the anger seeps through the rest of my body. Not enough air is getting in and I gasp loudly.

I can feel it. My body is on fire and I can't breathe. I close my eyes and strain as my chest hardens. He pulls on my leash roughly which topples me to the ground. The iron-bound on my wrists is too tight.

"Get up b***h!" another one commands as a whip lands on my back as the leader pulls on the leash.

I can't bear the pain. Looking up slowly, I feel the power cackling within me. I get up slowly, my hands closed tightly into fists. I grunt loudly, grinding my teeth. A sharp blinding pain seethes through me. I feel like it's tearing my insides apart. Just as he is about to hit me again, I let out a scream. It echoes through the forest sending them flying into the air. The chains wrapped around my wrists rattle and then break into several pieces setting me free.

I keep screaming. The air around me intensifies and a fire erupts. Suddenly the forest is engulfed in flames. The fire blazes around me and the smoke sprints to get into my system. I choke and cough as my strength wanes sending me into the ground. Before I can hit the ground, a hand grabs me roughly.

Determined to survive, I fight back and get ahold of their neck. I squeeze with as much power as I can manage.

"Wren!" I hear someone call out my name from a distance. It doesn't really register to me. "Wren, wake up!" The voice shouts again. "Wake up!"

I'm thrown back and fall on my back. I feel the soft covers around me right before I realize where I am. I look up in panic. A cold sweat is trickling in my back but what I see sends a stream of guilt into my system.

Commander Alistair stands a few steps from my bed. She is soothing her neck gently staring at me. I'm not sure what I did but the look on her face is horrified.

"Wh... What happened?" I stammer.

"You were having a nightmare," she responds with no hatred in her voice.

"Did I... hurt you?"

"You could have. It seems like you were fighting for your life." She steps forward and sits on my bed then goes on. "If you hadn't woken up..." She pauses for a long time.

"I would have killed you," I state in realization. "Oh God!"

"It's okay, Wren. What you need to do now is start training right away. That's why I am here." She stands up. "Come on, get dressed."

She doesn't wait for my response. I have no choice but to follow her. It's chilly outside and no one in the dorms is up yet. I shiver and wish I had put on a heavier sweater. The compound is taken over by deathly silence as well and the only sound I hear is our footsteps as we walk into what looks like a gym. Well, an enhanced gym for supernaturals.

"What time is it?" I ask as I follow her into the ring.

"It's some minutes to four in the morning."

I have never woken up that early in my whole life. I want to complain but she doesn't give me a chance to. She throws a pair of boxing gloves my way.

"We will start with testing your strength without the power."

I stare at the gloves and almost miss what she is saying. Who the hell starts a day with fighting? I don't even know if I can throw a punch.

"Commander Alistair, I was hoping you would tell me about me." I shrug. "What I am and why you keep calling me Maia."

Alistair shrugs, "You are eager. Come on, hit me. Then we can talk." I tighten my gloves around my wrists and throw my first punch. She blocks me easily and throws my hand off like it doesn't weigh anything. "Harder!" she commands.

I obey and grunt as she pushes me backward.

"Focus, Maia! I know you are stronger than that. I felt my lungs collapse in my chest as you squeezed the life out of me with one hand. Use that anger and hit me!"

"But I'm not angry!" I snap.

"You should be," she states and starts circling me. "Think about your life. Do you know who you are?" Her question strikes me and clicks open a part of me that I don't like thinking about.

"Why don't you remember a time when you were happy? Protected? Your birth parents? Why have you never fit in, in any social clique your whole life? Why do you keep dreaming about people trying to kill you!"

At this moment, I can't control my breathing. She steps in closer and stops inches from my face before she continues.

"Why are you always feeling guilt for something you know you did but you can't remember?"

"Stop!" I shout angrily and hit her face without thinking.

My heart is racing, hot air blowing out through every pore on my body. I add another punch in her gut and send her seeking refuge against the ring ropes but even then I don't stop. I haven't known such rage my whole life but all I want to do is get it out on her. I hit and kick, I punch fighting against an invisible devil for a moment.

I am about to grab her throat when she blocks my hand and twists. I cry out in pain. She utters some words in a weird language and throws me off her. I land on the floor several steps away holding onto my wrist. Pain seethes through me. I'm sure it's broken. Alistair scoots next to me and looks into my eyes.

"Why did you do that? You told me to hit you!" I ask angrily.

"You need to know pain, Maia. You need to be familiar with it!

"The least you could do is call me by the name I know if you just pulled me from my sleep to subject me to this!" I spit the words at her.

Alistair looks away for a moment and then turns back to me. She grabs my head with both hands. A sharp pain tears through my head sending intense signals across my entire body. My mind is on fire and I can't move. I scream as the pain intensifies and images begin forming in front of me.