The Price of Freedom

As I looked at the black fabric, I felt serious urge to just throw my hands in the air, and just cry. There was no way I could fight while that thing was on me.

Anouck clasped the golden chain lockets of the golden wings on my shoulders.

"I can't possibly fight in this thing!" - I complained, but as soon as all the clasps were hooked, the wings felt like part of me. if I raised my arms, they bent, as if they were made of the same fabric as the dress, but when I touched it, it was hard as metal.

"This is a very special material, which is not known by the humans." - Anouck explained, and pulled my hair up in a tight ponytail, and fitted a thing gold chain running from my hair to my forehead, like a crown-like piece of jewelry. - "Like it or not, you are a Princeps, and even if they want you dead, they wouldn't let you dress otherwise but how they see it fit."

"Sounds like I am the lamb that they dress up before a sacrifice to make it pretty enough to please the gods..." - I mumbled. Anouck didn't answer, just worked on my hair mutely. He braided some strings of hair, and then he took out a make-up palette, but I told him to put that away. - "I am no lamb." - I whispered, and grabbed the long-sword from the pile of weapons.

"You shouldn't go against their wishes." - Anouck sighed, and fastened the strings of my shoes. He stood up, and put his hands on my arms. - "They will do the worst thing possible to you. Not Lord Ambriel, he wishes for your freedom, but Gabriel, the head of the Consilium. I don't know why do they hate you, but there is no chance for you to get out from the Arena alive."

"You underestimate me." - I said. - "I have a mission, and not even God can stop me!"

Anouck nodded, and he picked up a sword as well. - "Let's practice with the clothes, so you can get used to the feeling." - I nodded, and he came at me, but with very light strokes. I blocked them, but made sure I never actually cut Anouck. When I had an open chance, I just slapped him with the flat side of the sword.
Sword fighting wasn't something I earned. Of course, Morgen and I practiced with them but as soon I picked up the blade, I knew what I have to do. I imagined that maybe the soul of Spiritus taught my muscles how to move, and she whispered to my feet where to step. That could explain, if we consider that she was a great warrior, who took over the land, where Skydown lays now.
Anouck suddenly stopped, and sat down on a small bench carved out of white marble. I swear everything in this castle was way more expensive than it could have been.

"God damnit!" - He covered his face with his palms.

"What's wrong?" - I asked. He looked up at me, and his eyes were already red.

"I know your opponent. And I really don't like the chances that this little practice showed." - He said. - "I am sorry, I didn't mean that you should die, I just..."

"I understand that you want your friend to win." - I lowered the blade, and sat down beside him. - "That's totally understandable, you just met me a half hour ago."

"She isn't exactly my friend. I know who she is, and..." - His cheeks turned red.

"You like her, don't you?" - I felt mixed feelings. I felt sorrow mixed with awe. Anouck nodded, and I was left speechless. I have never felt this bad in my entire life. I would immediately hate someone, who was about to kill Rider, and there was no chance I would dress him up, and practice with him beforehand. I mean that sounded like total nonsense...
But Anouck was different than I was. He was a good person, and I wasn't exactly the idol of the Grigori race. - "I am sorry to put you in this situation."

"It's not you I'm mad at." - He whispered. - "You are actually quite different from the person I expected."

"Am I?" - That was a surprise.

"Yes... I mean you are a Princeps, and they are one of the most important clans in the viewpoint of the consilium... plus there were rumors that you were arrogant, and argumentative." - He said.

"Who said that? I don't like arguing at all..." - I mumbled.

"There is a guard here, who used to know you." - He smiled at me.

"Who?"

"Morgen Chronos Washington." - He said.

"Ah, that explains it. He was my trainer, but there was only a short time period when we actually get along well... we did fight a lot though, I have to give him that much." - I smiled. Anouck looked at the direction towards the door, and a familiar figure stood by the door.

"Hey you stupid fuck." - He greeted me. I just rolled my eyes, but then I stood up, and ran to him. We hugged each other tightly, and I could smell sunshine, sand, sea, and sweat on his skin. His hair was shorter now, and unlike on an average day, he actually wore proper clothes, not just cut t-shit and jeans or sweats. He looked strange... to me at least. - "You are sitting chin-high in the shit, you know that, right?"

Oh, the good old Morgen, not caring about using proper language, as always. - "I know, but thanks for pointing that out. However I would be doing better if you wouldn't spread rumors like I am a basic bitch, really. "

"That might be true, but it was funny to see your face when Anouck mentioned it. I heard that you are a Grigori now. How did that happen?" - He asked. I just shook my head.

"The question is rather why are you not in LA." - I raised an eyebrow at him.

"After Remiel let over ten Full-Fledged Demons inside the institute?! Are you kidding me? Anyone with a brain would've left that fucked up house." - He shook his head. - "Hell, I wonder why haven't the consilium captured Remiel yet." - My throat went dry, since I knew the answer.

Because the demons were on the celestial side. They work for the consilium. I sighed. The puzzle pieces fell into place, when the whole memory-transferring shit came up in Seattle. So basically I figured out that there would be no way any of the celestials would just close their eyes over the fact that a leader of an institute, who is supposed to be protecting the people, who live in the mansion, let in a herd of demons... unless it was the order from a celestial. It was pretty obvious.
At least that what I came up with. To me, it seemed like a reasonable thought.

"That remains a mystery to me..." - I lied.

"Anyways, I came for Melchiorre, we have to leave, because soon, the gates to the arena will be open." - He pulled gently on my pony tail - "If you lose this, I will be mortified as your trainer." - I could see that behind the smile, his eyes were sad.

"I won't." - I promised. - "But in case I do, I will come back, and haunt you for the rest of your life." - To that he just flicked his fingers against my nose. Now that I had the chance to see him, I felt more confident. He was the one that brought the warrior out of me. I couldn't thank him enough for doing so.

Morgen and Anouck left the room, and I was supposed to leave the room, step into the sunlight, and begin the fight to death against Anouck's love. 

Obviously, I wasn't nervous because my opponent was beloved by the slave, who dressed me up for this event. Under different circumstances, we could have been friends with Anouck, but right now, I didn't care about anyone, nor anything else, but myself, and to save my sister. 

However, I was still standing front of the open door, just waiting for something to happen; for example my opponent appear at the door and pulls me out. But that doesn't happen.
The crowd is dead silent, but they are there. I can see them.

I get myself together, and step into the field, but everything's quiet, like I am alone in the Stadium. The bright sunlight blinds me, but slowly my eyes got used to it, and I was able to see again. If I wouldn't be able to see these people around me, I wouldn't believe that they are around. 

Suddenly, a man stands up. His sleeves are long, and the whole outfit is made of a heavy, white outfit. His hair is light blonde, and he cannot be more than 30 years old. Besides him two men sits on thrones. One of them is a mean-looking, ugly man with black hair, dressed in red velvet, and on the other side another blonde man sits. His hair is long, and he is dressed in black, just like me.

"My dear ladies and lords!" - The young man begins in the white dress.- "Today a very special person stands front of you, and she is by no mean a criminal. Oh no, she is the youngest child of my dear friend, Lord Ambriel." - The man gestures towards the man on his right, dressed in black. He is staring at me, his hands gripping the hand holders tightly. - "But unfortunately, she is a bastard." - I know I should remain silent, but the word bastard itself was so insulting that I just couldn't hold back.

"Bastard, you say?" - I shouted so everyone could hear me. - "No, I was born as the youngest child of Ambriel Princeps, and my mother was his wife. It is your beloved consilium that tore me away from my father. I am a lawful child, and no matter how hard you try to make the crowd believe your truth, I know who I am, so do my brothers, my sister, and my father!" - Ambriel stood up from his throne, and walked to the railing that separated him from the Arena. The man in the white outfit was speechless for a long while. In that silence, the man who was my father, and I stared at each other, emotionless. He and I didn't look alike at all, but the way he held himself, the way he looked towards me, I just knew that it was true, and he was the man, who held me in his hands, right before the soldiers came to murder my mom.

But what is more important, I cold see that he believed that I was the daughter he had lost that day.
"Yes, Michael. This is my youngest daughter, and she is rightful to the Princeps name." - Ambriel wasn't shouting, like I did, but the power of his voice was incredible.

"The consilium decided 17 years ago, and they decided that she is not your rightful daughter. I am quite surprised you haven't accepted this fact in such a long time." - Now the black haired man added his viewpoint.

"My dear Xerxes, can law erase blood?" - Ambriel asked.

"It can't." - It was me, who answered my father's question. Our eyes locked, but Michael cleared his throat.

"Now, this woman, Spirit Princeps has also used purification and black magic." - Not far from me, there was a small stage. On the stage, two men appeared, each carried by two soldiers. One of them was twitching in pain, and the other was bleeding. I knew both of these men. Both had blue eyes, both have saved my life, and I trusted both... 

One of them was blonde, and hung from the soldiers' arms, emotionless. Blood was running down his left cheek from a wound o  his head right below his hairline, and from a cut on his cheek. It was no question, the guy was the one I could give my life for. Rider....

The other was conscious, but he probably wished he wasn't. His chest was bare, so anyone could see the pentagram scarred into his skin. But that wasn't why he was in pain; there were claw marks on his skin, and a huge purple area on his waist where he hit the tree when Lilith threw him. Joel was on the border of passing out when the soldiers threw him on the floor.

"Let's start with the Hell-Light."- Michael began. When I looked at him, a cold smile spread across his face. The terrifying realization that he was enjoying this made me dizzy. - "Joel Severio... how interesting to find the son of the Severio clan helping a Princeps! However what surprises me even more is that Spirit sacrificed days from her own life-spam to save his. Since it's illegal, I sentence Joel Severio to death."

"No!"- I shouted and I felt anger blossoming in my chest. - "If you wanna sentence anyone to death, then sentence me! I did the ritual, he didn't ask me!" - But nobody was listening. I looked at Joel, and our eyes met.

"Kill him." - Michael said the final word, and one of the soldiers grabbed the kneeling Joel's curly, black hair, and the other sliced his throat open. I heard myself scream. When his blood reached the pentagram on his chest, it began to smoke, and so did my hand. I ran to the podium in time to catch his falling body before he hit the ground. I murmured a spell, and green flares burst from my fingertips. There was still a small chance that I could save his life. The wound sealed. Michael was talking again, but I shut him out. I didn't want to hear what does he have to say. I just talked to Joel endlessly to stay with me and that it will be alright... but slowly his eyes closed, and his struggle to breathe stopped. The life left him.. he was dead. I stood up, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Something warm touched my neck. I touched my neck, and when I took my hand away, it was bloody. I turned towards Rider, and his head was right above me. His eyes were open, but they were also dead. 

He wasn't unconscious when he was carried up the stage...

"Raguel Vower, the last son of the Vower clan had to die not just because he was purified by Spirit, which is forbidden, unless the consilium decides otherwise, but because he took the innocence of Spirit Princeps without legal marriage before the act." - I could hear the smile out of Michael's voice. The soldiers dropped Rider's body beside me on the ground. His throat was also sliced open.

I put his head on my lap, and closed out the outside world completely.

I killed him. This is all my fault... I sobbed as our foreheads touched, and where my broken heart used to beat, now an empty space was beating.My tears rolled down from my cheeks, and dropped on his. Joel, Rider, my sister... they all got hurt because of me... I am nothing but a curse. I have seen this moment, I knew that he will die, but I didn't do anything about it.... that night he pushed my hand against his chest, saying that he is here, and his heart is still beating. Now it didn't beat anymore... he must have been dead for hours by now, because his body was cold. I closed his eyes, and I could feel nothing but pain. It was tearing me apart from the inside. I could hear Michael announce Onyx Faerydae, and saying that let the fight begin. I could hear the crowd mumbling, and i could hear the sound of a sword being pulled from it's sleeve... i could hear everything that was goinv on around me, and when a strong arm wrapped my ponly tail around her wrists, i didn't move. The cold blade of a sword pushed against my neck. My cheeks were wet with tears, even though the hot air have already dried them a little bit. My hands dropped by my side lifelessly.

"Just kill me..." - I whispered -"No matter what I do, all I cause is trouble, and there is only death in my footsteps."

For a second, nothing happened... then my opponent released me, and slid the sword back into the sleeve.

"I had enough!"- she shouts. - "Michael, you broke your word! You said if I win one fight, I can go. But I have won fights more than you can count." -that catches my attention, and also, anger begins to turn into burning anger. Onyx continues. -"And now you broke my enemy before I even put my foot into the arena. I understand that you have your disgusting way, but I want my promised freedom!"- hearing her, I stand up. Onyx is nothing like I imagined. She wears a thigh-high dark blue, sweater-like dress, and one one arm, armor is fastened on her. But only on one hand. She is short, with long black hair braided tightly on her head.

"Kill the girl, and you will get what's yours." - Michael says in a tone that doesn't accepts no as an answer, but Onyx clearly doesn't care.

"I have earned my freedom!" - She shouts, and as soon as the words leave her lips, I hear the high-pitched noise of an arrow slicing through the air.