Striking The Flint

The Dragon Duels #0.5

Laura Greenwood

© 2020 Laura Greenwood

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; lauragreenwood@authorlauragreenwood.co.uk.

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Cover Design by Vampari Designs

Striking The Flint is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Blurb

When Piper Miller is drafted to be a contestant in the Dragon Duels, she knows she's about to face something horrific.

Thrown into an arena with fifty other prisoners, mostly those convicted of petty crimes like hers, she has to survive ten days under the constant threat of death from exposure, other contestants, and the fire-breathing dragons that no one can predict.

Alongside her childhood friend, Joseph, she does her best to survive everything thrown at her. Can she survive the inaugural Dragon Duels?

-

Starting The Fire is a prequel to the urban fantasy dystopian series, The Dragon Duels. It is set approximately 150 years before the events of the main series and follows Piper as she competes in the first ever Duels. There is a romantic m/f sub-plot.

1

A shiver runs down my spine as the cold and damp of the cell seep into my bones.

Who am I kidding? They’ve both been there a long time, and there’s nothing I can do about it. All I did was take the blame for a little girl stealing some bread.

I snort.

“Who’s making noise?” one of the other prisoners snaps.

I roll my eyes. It isn’t like he can do anything to me. Not in the medieval style conditions they keep us in. No one seeing this would believe it’s the same era as the one in the city, with fancy computers and pills to make sure people don’t gain weight.

There are no such worries here. The daily mush they give us is barely enough for someone to survive on, never mind get fat.

“Miller,” a guard barks, but my name barely registers any more. No one uses it.

I don’t respond. He’ll come to the door and probably kick something through, and I don’t have to do anything.

To my surprise, a key scrapes in the lock.

I cock my head to the side. This hasn’t happened before. I don’t think the door has ever opened since I was thrown in here after being given my sentence. If that’s happening now, then there must be a good reason for it. Right?

“Get to your feet,” the guard demands.

It takes me three attempts to comply. I’m too weak from the lack of food, and I don’t like it.

“Stand back.” The door opens to reveal a slight man with a sour face and what looks like a cattle prod.

I sigh inwardly. What’s the betting he’ll use that for no real reason. I’ve met his type before. Everyone who is imprisoned has. They take pleasure in it, something I’m sure is asked during the employment interview.

“You’ve been summoned,” he says.

My eyebrows knit together, and I worry the thin fabric of my old t-shirt. It’s nothing more than rags now, and I’m certain it’s see-through, though this man isn’t reacting to that in the slightest.

“My sentence isn’t over yet,” I say weakly.

Shock crosses his face. I’m sure that isn’t the answer he expects. Instead of saying anything else to me, he comes forward and gestures for my hands.

I don’t even fight it. I put them out in front of me and wait as he clicks a pair of cuffs on me. They’re a bit too tight, but that’s likely intentional. They’re high-tech enough to be able to shock me if I leave a certain area, there’s no reason they have to bite into my skin this way.

The guard turns around and walks from the room, leaving my cell door open.

For a moment, I wonder if this is some kind of test. Are they trying to see if I’ll run? Should I stay inside the cell and take my chances? What's the right thing to do?

I shake my head. The guard said I’d been summoned, which means someone is waiting for me, though the dragons-know-what they’re going to do to me. I’m not naïve enough to think I have any sway in anything. Not only am I a criminal, but before that, I was one of the lowest citizens that could exist. I don’t even have any Arts, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Worse things than being thrown in a cell happen to people who have the Arts.

Deciding there’s nothing else I can do, I follow the guard. It’s slow going. I’ve been in the same tiny cell for years, and it doesn’t allow for much movement. I’m out of practice, and as I shuffle after the sour man, it becomes more and more apparent.

He turns down another corridor, and like that, I’m in another world. The walls are stark white, the cleanliness of it all only serving to make me feel dirtier. I know the forced squalor is part of our punishment, but I don’t see any need for it. Unless they’re trying to make people die of diseases that have been extinct for years.

Yep. That’s probably it.

“In.” The guard points to a doorway.

I frown. Why isn’t he entering? Is it safe to?

The expression on his face tells me all I need to know. I have to walk into that room, or there’s going to be hell to pay. Probably a hell filled with dragon fire.

The door slamming makes me jump. I glance behind me, to find the guard nowhere to be seen.

All right, then. What am I supposed to do now? He hasn’t given me any instructions, and there’s nothing in the room to indicate what I should be doing.

A single white chair sits in the centre of the room. Dare I sit in it? It looks uncomfortable, which probably means it’s meant for me.

With nothing else for it, I make my way over and take a seat. Nothing happens. What a surprise. They aren’t going to make things easy for someone like me.

The catch on another door opens, pulling my attention to my left. A round woman enters, a wide smile on her face and a spring in her step. Her demeanour is off-putting. Though no doubt that’s because I’m not used to anyone being this cheery around me. Even before I was caught, people weren’t like this.

“Piper Miller?” she asks.

Who else am I going to be? It’s not like this place doesn’t have good record keeping. They know everything about me, including what I ate for breakfast three years ago on a Tuesday. Which is more than I know. I barely remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, other than that it was inedible mush. Still, I suppose it's better than starving.

"That's me," I say with a false cheerfulness that I don't really feel. It's good to know that spending so long in my cell hasn't robbed me of my charm.

"Good. You're being offered a pardon."

My eyebrows shoot up. "I am?" No one gets a pardon. Not even well-connected people, and I'm certainly not that.

"On one condition," she continues as if she didn't hear me speak.

I repress a sigh. We both know I'm not going to have any choice about whatever this condition is. I have to say yes, or I'm going to end up back in my cell or tortured to death. Neither option sounds particularly fun to me.

"You're to compete in the Dragon Duels," she says.

"The what?" I blurt. I've never heard of them before.

"The Dragon Duels," she says slowly, drawing out every word.

"I heard you," I mutter under my breath. "What are they?" I ask at a more acceptable volume.

A wicked smile twists at the corners of her lips. "Entertainment."

The one word is all I need to know that whatever the Dragon Duels are, they aren't going to be fun. Especially not for someone who has spent the past few years locked in a cell.

I don't know what she has in store for me, but somehow, I doubt I'm going to walk out of it in one piece.

2

I glance around the room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone here. It's best not to. Some are bound to be in prison for much worse things than me, and it's better if I don't get involved with any of that.

"Piper?" someone says behind me.

I spin around, my heart beating hard at the thought of someone knowing my name. In this situation, anyone knowing anything about me isn't good. It can only be for a bad reason.

"Joseph?" His name is out before I have a moment to think about if it's a good idea to admit I recognise him.

"It is you." He rushes forward and crushes me into a bear hug.

It's not enough to hide the fact he's lost a lot of weight. Even through the thick jumper he's wearing, I can feel his ribs. A tear springs to my eye unbidden, but I blink it away. I can't show any weakness here, even if I hate what the White Towers have done to Joseph. What they've done to all of us, really.

"I haven't seen you in years," he says when he pulls back.

A dry chuckle escapes me. "That's because we've been in prison," I point out, assuming that's where he's been. He wouldn't be in this room if not.

"Ah, fair point. What did they get you for?"

"Stealing." Not that it was anything worth going to jail for. "You?"

He grimaces. "Using the Arts without a license."

"You don't need a license for them," I say in confusion. How can someone need a license to use something they're born with? That seems like an unnecessarily cruel rule.

"You do now. It was brought in a couple of years ago."

"Ah."

Not good at all. I don't understand why the White Towers would want to stop people using the Arts when they look down on people like me for not having them. Maybe they want to reserve its use for the rich. That sounds like the kind of thing they'd do for no real reason.

"Do you know what we're doing here?" I ask.

"The Dragon Duels."

"Yeah, but what is that?" I wish I knew more, but the woman who'd told me I was signing up for it didn't tell me anything useful, only that it was new.

He shrugs. "No clue. But I think we're going to find out." He points to the other side of the bars separating the cell containing the fifty or so prisoners, and the other side.

A middle-aged man in a sharp suit walks in, a briefcase in his hand and an air of superiority about him. I instantly dislike him, even though he hasn't said anything. Though I suppose it's second nature for a prisoner to hate someone complicit in keeping them captive.

He's accompanied by two other people, one of them a scrawny man with ill-fitting glasses, and the other is the same woman who told me of my fate. Joseph is right, we're about to learn about what's happening to us.

Around me, the other prisoners stiffen in response to the newcomers. My guess is that they also heard about the Dragon Duels from one of the people in front of us.

"Good afternoon, fellow citizens," the man in front starts.

I only just manage to cover up my snort of derision with a cough. How can he call us citizens when we've been kept in squalor for the pettiest of crimes? It's an insult to everything we've been through, especially as the conditions in the White Towers themselves are the reason we have to turn to crime to feed ourselves in the first place.

"As you're all aware, you have the honour of being the first people ever to participate in the Dragon Duels..."

"If it's an honour, then why are you only using people you think are disposable?" someone shouts from the back.

I watch the man in charge to see how he responds to the very true statement. If this really was an honour, then they wouldn't be using us. I'm not foolish enough to believe otherwise.

To my disappointment, he doesn't respond. I'm not all that surprised by that. He's here to deliver bad news, they can't send someone who gets flustered easily.

"As I was saying, you've been selected for this honour. Tomorrow, you will be given a package and released into an arena. If you survive for ten days, then you will be granted a pardon for your crimes and will be returned to society," he announces.

"Survive?" I whisper, repeating the word I'm not sure he wants us to focus on.

"Sounds ominous, doesn't it?" Joseph mutters.

I snort. "That's one way of putting it."

"What will happen in the arena?" a woman asks.

"All will be revealed tomorrow," the man says. "For now, you will be taken to two dorms, one for men, and one for women. I suggest you get a good night's rest, and eat a hearty breakfast."

The prisoners around me start talking amongst themselves as they speculate about what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't focus on anything except the sick feeling in my stomach. Whatever it is happening, it isn't going to be good for any of us.

The man leaves without saying anything else, as if we're not worthy of any further explanation.

I shake my head in frustration. What's the point of bringing us all together like this and then not telling us anything? I'm none the wiser about anything, except that I'm probably getting a good breakfast tomorrow. Not that I'll be able to eat much. I imagine my stomach shrank during my time in prison.

Guards unlock the back of the cell, herding all of the men off to one side, and the women to another.

Joseph reaches out and catches hold of my hand. "Promise you'll find me tomorrow?" he whispers.

I bite my lip and consider for a moment, then nod my head. I've not spoken to him in years, but I'd rather go through whatever is happening tomorrow with my childhood friend by my side, rather than on my own. Besides, he has the Arts, and I don't know if they'll come in useful. It's better to have someone around who can use them.

"I will," I promise out loud.

"Good." He smiles at me once more, and then disappears through the door with the other men.

It's only once he's gone that I realise how nice it'll be to not have to deal with this on my own.

3

I line up behind the other prisoners. Nobody is talking this morning as we wait to be let into the arena we were told about yesterday. I guess we're all too nervous about it. At least, I am. I'm sure the others must be feeling the same way, especially as we don't know what's on the other side of the metal door in front of us.

Each time we shuffle forward, I hope to get a glimpse of what's out beyond it, but it isn't happening. There are too many people in the way, and whoever thought to have us line up here clearly thought it through. They don't want us seeing the light of day until it's time for whatever this is to begin.

Nerves flutter in my stomach, threatening to expel the bread and cheese I ate for breakfast. It'll be a shame if I do, it's the best meal I've had in a long time.

We move forward again. This time, I try to look around for Joseph. If he's near me in the line, then it'll be easier to find him once we're through the door. I'm not sure what makes me so certain it's a good idea to team up with him, maybe it's simply that I don't want to go at this alone.

"Next," the guard at the front calls. He shoves a package at the woman in front of me. "Next."

He doesn't even look at me as he does the same. I want to ask what I'm supposed to do now, but he doesn't seem to be answering questions.

Instead, I follow the woman in front of me, stepping outside.

I let the heat from the sun sink into my face for the first time in years, basking in the warmth. I've missed this more than I could possibly have imagined possible. No matter what these stupid Duels hold for me, at least I've been given a chance to taste freedom once more.

It won't last. I'm not even convinced their promise of a pardon for anyone who survives is going to be adhered to. It doesn't seem in line with the rest of what I've experienced at the hands of the White Towers.

I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. The arena isn't at all what I expect it to be. For one, there doesn't seem to be anything more than a fence surrounding it, and a rickety-looking one at that. It can't be too difficult to escape through it, though it'll raise the question of where to go. It's not like we have a lot of options if we manage to get out.

The rest of the arena stretches out before me. I can't see the other side of it, but I assume there's a fence there too. In between, there's what looks like sand and rocks. In the distance, I'm reasonably sure I can make out a small mud-brick house, but it's hard to tell from this far out.

It's somewhere to avoid once this thing gets underway. I'm sure a lot of the prisoners will head straight for it, thinking to make it their base of operations.

"What's happening?" the woman next to me asks.

"I don't know," I admit.

"How will we know when the Duels start?" She glances around nervously, as if trying to use the time to size up all of her opponents.

"I'm sure we'll know," I murmur. There won't be much of a show for them if they don't let us know what to do.

"What's in the packs?" she asks.

I refrain from rolling my eyes. I know as little as she does, which is something she's well aware of. "Why don't you open it?" I suggest.

I have to admit, I'm curious too, but I don't want to be the first one to open mine in case it's something bad.

She frowns, but tears at the brown paper surrounding it. Her package is fatter and shorter than mine, but I'm not sure if that means anything. She picks up the items one by one, and turns them over in her hands, confusion written all over her face.

A dagger, some crackers, and a water canteen. None of it tells us anything about what we're expected to do next, all it does is raise more questions.

Like who decided it was a good idea to give a bunch of criminals a weapon?

"Attention, attention."

I jump at the sound of the man from yesterday's voice coming in over the loudspeakers above our heads.

"Welcome to the inaugural Dragon Duels. When the klaxon sounds, the Duels will begin. If you survive the next ten days, you will be pardoned for your crimes against the White Towers. There are no rules within the Dragon Duels. You can do anything you wish to survive."

A shiver runs down my spine.

Anything.

That's not good.

I catch one of the bigger men leering at me and look away as quickly as I can. At least my instinct to take Joseph up on his offer is a good one. If I do that, then perhaps I'll have a little bit of protection against some of the other people taking part in this farce.

We all wait, expecting some other instructions, but none come. When the klaxon rings out, hurting my ears in the process, I'm relieved. At least it'll mean an end to the waiting. Now I just have to find a way to get through the next ten days while staying alive. Somehow, I think that's going to be easier said than done.

The sound of rippling fabric snapping in the wind sounds from overhead, and I look up, along with half of the other prisoners.

A lump forms in my throat. A dragon.

As if surviving isn't hard enough already.

The woman next to me and screams, before starting to run off in the direction of the house.

I close my eyes, not wanting to watch what's going to happen next. Anyone living in the White Towers knows better than to run away from a dragon. It catches their attention and makes them go into hunting mode.

Sure enough, the gigantic black beast dives, coming in far lower than I expect. The wind from its wings nearly knocks a few people to the ground, but the dragon doesn't care about them. It has the woman in its sights and it won't stop until it's made a meal out of her.

The woman stumbles, dropping the stuff from her package to the ground. She scrambles back to her feet, terror written all over her face.

The dragon screeches and lets out a stream of fire. Even from here, I can feel the heat on my skin.

"Piper," Joseph whispers as he closes a hand around my wrist. "Come on." He tugs me in the opposite direction.

It takes me a moment to respond, even though I know I have to. It's time for us to get away from the horrors in front of me.

Once I've regained control of myself, I follow him as he leads me behind a set of boulders off to the side. It won't offer us protection for long, but it gets us out of the dragon's line of sight when it's finished with the woman.

"How are we going to get through this?" I whisper, horror creeping into my voice. All I did was steal some bread, and now I'm fighting for my life? It hardly seems fair.

"I don't know," Joseph admits. "Maybe we need to pretend this is a game, like when we were kids," he suggests.

"When we were kids, there wasn't a dragon trying to kill us."

"I don't think it's just one," he counters, pointing up at the sky.

Sure enough, there are three more dark shapes circling high above.

"Why aren't they all attacking?"

Joseph shrugs. "I guess us all getting burned to death on the first day isn't enough entertainment," he says bitterly.

I grimace. That's true.

"What's in your package?" I ask instead of focusing on his statement.

He rips it open without answering, revealing the same crackers and canteen that the woman had, along with a crossbow and three bolts.

"I'm guessing they're not strong enough to bring down a dragon."

He shakes his head. "Definitely not. What's in yours?"

I follow suit, opening up the brown paper. I have a sword instead of a crossbow, but that's the only difference.

"What do they want us to do with these?" I ask, even though I think I know the answer already.

"I guess the Duels aren't just with the dragons." He nods back to the other prisoners.

Two of the bigger men are already fighting over the woman's abandoned pack, even with the dragon a couple of feet away enjoying its meal.

I swallow nervously.

The next ten days just got even worse.

4

I resist the urge to leave the cave and look for Joseph. He's only been gone an hour or two at the most, and that's not enough time for me to put myself in danger to find him. Besides, if I leave and he comes back, he won't have any idea about where to find me, which is as much of a problem as anything.

I pick up my sword and poke it into the small fire we have going, moving one of the smouldering logs around so it won't go out. It's mostly for warmth. We haven't eaten anything in a couple of days since the crackers ran out. Even with careful rationing, they didn't last very long. I'm sure that's the idea.

A scuffling sound at the entrance of the cave calls my attention and I rise to my feet, sword still in hand. I don't raise it yet. It's probably just Joseph coming back, and that would be a waste of energy if anyone else is there.

"Piper," he calls.

My whole body relaxes as I realise I'm right about who it is. It makes sense, no one else knows where we're hiding, and we haven't seen anyone in days. I'm not even sure how many people are left still alive. It's better if I don't think about it.

"You're back," I say needlessly, slipping my sword through the length of rope I've tied around my hips to act as a make-shift scabbard. I guess it would have been too helpful for them to include one when they gave me the sword.

He smiles through the smudges of soot covering his face. I'm sure I look the same. If there's one thing in abundance here, it's soot and ash. The dragons have burned everything over the past few days, several times over.

"Did you find anything?"

His hands appear empty, but maybe he's squirrelled something away in his pockets. It's wishful thinking at best, but that's all I have right now, so I'm going to do it as much as I can.

"Yes, but we need to go and fill up the canteens, and then carry some of the food back."

"You found that much?" I try to stop my jaw from dropping open, but it's hard not to when he's talking about that much food.

Joseph grimaces. "There's a dead dragon."

"Dead how?" What does it take to bring down a beast like that?

"It looks like two of them got into a fight. But I don't know enough about them to be sure about that."

I nod. I can't say I know enough about dragons either. I wish I did, it would make all of this a lot easier. Then again, how much more than stay away from them do I really need to know, given the circumstances.

"Let me put another log on the fire, then we can go."

He waits for me while I do it, then grab the single burlap sack we managed to salvage from a heap of wreckage. There isn't much of use in the arena, but there are some things. Probably just enough for some of the fifty of us to survive.

"Is dragon meat even safe to eat?" I ask as we make our way out of the cave and out into the open.

"No idea," he admits. "I was going to use the Arts to change it into something different."

"Ah." That sounds like a good idea. I don't know exactly how the Arts work, not having access to them myself, but I think it's something to do with transforming things from one state to another. I don't know how it'll work on dragon meat, but I guess we're about to find out.

We lapse into silence, but mostly because now we're out in the open, we're both on high alert. We haven't had any trouble with any of the other former prisoners yet, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. I'm sure more than one of them is enjoying the freedom this is giving them to be cruel. And then there are the dragons to contend with. They can appear out of nowhere within seconds and burn us to a crisp, or scoop us up to save for a tasty snack later. I don't fancy either of those fates.

Joseph carries his loaded crossbow in front of him, poised to defend us if he needs to. It's easy to admire the grace and surety of his movements, even in the midst of a terrible situation like this one. If this was a different situation, perhaps I'd pluck up the courage to ask him on a date. I always wanted more when we were teenagers, but always felt too awkward to.

If we survive this, I'll do it.

What have I got to lose? I'll have faced down certain death, asking someone I've known most of my life out on a date shouldn't be too hard after that.

"We're here," he says, pulling me from my thoughts.

Guilt floods through me. I'm supposed to be staying alert and protecting him from any dangers, and instead I'm thinking about a future we may or may not have.

I push it aside. Nothing's happened, and we're both safe. For now. The massive dragon carcass in front of me isn't making me feel that way though.

"I need your sword," he says.

"Oh, right." I draw it and hand it to him, taking his crossbow in its stead.

I perch on a nearby rock, scanning the surrounding area in case anyone decides to attack while he's carving up bits of dragon. I'm not as good with the crossbow as he is, but I'll be able to shoot a bolt at someone if they come too close.

Parts of the dragon are starting to rot, and the putrid smell assaults my nose and makes me want to gag. It's got to have been here for longer than the few days we have been, surely? Has the dragon been planted here as part of the Duels? perhaps it's safer if we don't eat it.

My stomach growls at me, as if reminding me how long it's been since I had anything to eat. We have no choice. It's eat the dragon or starve.

A movement to the left startles me, and my first thought is that the dragon isn't actually dead. But that isn't possible, not when it smells as bad as it does.

But that means the movement is even more dangerous. A dragon can be predicted, a person can't be.

"Joseph!" I call, realising a moment too late that in doing so, I've revealed my position.

The man who leered at me as the Duels began jumps out and rushes towards me.

Fear thrums through my entire body and I pull the trigger of the crossbow without thinking. The bolt sails past him, not even close to hitting the mark, or even distracting him.

I scramble to my feet, knowing I don't have time to reload before the man gets to me. I still pull one of the bolts, I can use it as a crude dagger if I have to, it's certainly better than not having any weapon at all.

Before I can do anything else, Joseph jumps in front of the guy with my sword raised. The two of them begin to parry back and forth, but it's easy to see who is going to win. The man is much stronger than Joseph is, and it seems as if he's had more to eat since coming into the Duels too, though I dread to think what he's been eating for that to be the case.

With nothing else for it, I slot the bolt into the crossbow and level it. I take aim, my hands shaking ever so slightly from nerves. If I get this wrong, not only will I harm my only ally in this forsaken place, but I'll leave myself defenceless against someone who quite clearly wants to kill us all.

I take a deep breath, then pull the trigger.

The bolt flies through the air, narrowly missing Joseph's ear as it passes him. I let go of the breath I'm holding, grateful I haven't injured him. But that's only half the battle.

I'm not sure if I'm more relieved or horrified when the bolt hits the man square between the eyes. Time stands still for a moment as he wavers, then falls to the ground with a loud thud.

Nausea spreads through me, and I want to stuff my hand in my mouth to stop myself from throwing up.

I killed someone.

"Piper," Joseph says in a soothing tone. "Piper, listen to me, we have to get some water, then we can go back to the cave. It's going to be okay."

I nod, but I'm hardly paying any attention. I can't believe I did that. I've never even thought about killing anyone before, not even when I'm angry at them.

But the Duels have changed everything. Now I'm a killer.

5

The cold is a constant companion, even with the fires we've been able to build. It's not so bad during the day, or even when the dragons are on a rampage, but at night, it's almost unbearable.

"How long has it been?" I ask through chattering teeth.

"I lost count," Joseph responds, lifting an arm and holding it out to me so I can lean into him and we can share our body heat.

A few weeks ago, I'd have considered the act intimate. Now it's simply a necessity. He pulls me closer, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

"Maybe eight or nine days?" he adds after a moment.

"It feels like longer."

"Like years," he agrees.

"But at least if we're right, we don't have to go through this for much longer." But the last few days are going to be the worst. Especially as we're running low on food and water. At least the dragon meat didn't make us sick, though I'm not sure if that's because Joseph used the Arts to make it resemble chicken more, or if it is because the meat wasn't poisonous anyway.

"I can't wait." The earnestness in his voice echoes my own feelings on the matter.

"How many of us do you think are left?"

"I don't know," he admits, which isn't a surprise answer. How is he to know any better than I do?

"What will they do if most people survive?"

He chuckles darkly. "I don't think most of us will be," he responds.

"We only know of two deaths," I say weakly, the customary guilt over killing the other prisoner flooding through me. I still can't believe I did that. What this stupid game forced me to become.

The warmth of his body, and the comfort of his body make me feel drowsy, and I start to doze off. A part of me feels guilty for it, but there's nothing to do here. We've been in the cave for days, and no one else has found it. We haven't heard any dragons either. It's just been the two of us, our fire, and the occasional trip back to the dead dragon for more meat.

Not that it hasn't been exhausting still. Constantly being on alert is no good for me, or for Joseph, and it's getting to be too much to cope with. I want a good night's sleep. Even a night back in my cell will be preferable to this.

I drift off, lulled into sleep by the warmth of our fire, and the feel of Joseph next to me. I'm glad he found me the first day, and that he asked me to partner up with him. It's so much better than having to go through all of this alone.

A loud klaxon pulls me from my dream, and I sit bolt upright.

"What's happening?" My words slur with sleep.

"I don't know," Joseph responds. "It's like the sound from the start of the Duels."

"Is it over?" I ask, hope welling up inside me at the thought of this ordeal being part of the past. I don't want to be stuck here any longer than I can help it.

"I don't know," he repeats.

The klaxon keeps going, and the two of us exchange a worried look. At least the sound isn't as shocking when it's continuous.

"Should we go look?" It feels too dangerous to, but at the same time, something is happening out there, and I don't want to be left in this forsaken place because no one knows we're here.

Even as I think it, I realise how unlikely that seems. They've probably got trackers in us, or something like that. They'll know more about our current state of being than we do. It's not reassuring to think that.

"I don't think we have much choice," he admits. "But we should be careful, keep on high alert."

I nod. It'll be especially important with the klaxon limiting our hearing. I don't want to rate our odds of hearing someone sneak up on us.

It only takes us a couple of minutes to get our things together. Mostly because we don't have a lot to begin with, but also because we've been practising in case we ever have to leave our cave in a hurry. Neither of us know how the Duels are going to end, or who is going to turn on us. Though it hasn't crossed my mind since the very beginning that Joseph will turn on me.

I'm glad I have someone to trust through this craziness.

We walk slowly, leaving the cave behind us. Joseph reaches out and takes one of my hands in his, giving it a squeeze.

I return the gesture, enjoying the intimacy of the moment between us. Perhaps it's strange to feel this way when our lives are in danger like this, but I think it makes sense to be this way. We need to take what we can, before it's too late.

Once this is over, I'm definitely going to ask him out on that date. That can't be any more nerve-wracking than walking around a deserted place with the threat of imminent death a constant companion.

I shiver at the thought.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Just ready for this to be over." The words couldn't be more true if I tried.

We arrive at the dragon carcass and come to a stop, though neither of us have talked about doing that, so I'm not sure what makes us.

Movement on the horizon catches my attention, and I tug on Joseph's sleeve, wordlessly pointing it out to him.

He nods then gestures towards the dead dragon's wing.

I grimace, not wanting to be so close to the rotting flesh, but knowing we need to get out of view. At least Joseph was kind enough to burn the body of the man who attacked us so I don't have to face him. Maybe that's a coward's way of dealing with killing someone, but right now, I don't feel like I have a better choice. Not when this is about surviving more than anything else.

We duck under the wing and are shrouded in darkness. There's only one way in and out now, but hopefully, with the crossbow, sword, and the ability to see someone coming, we'll be okay if we're attacked. Not that I'm feeling particularly confident about that. Quite the opposite if I'm honest with myself.

It takes me a moment to realise the klaxon has stopped ringing because the silence is so loud. Our breathing becomes the only thing I can focus on through it all. I want to ask if he knows what's happening, but it's a stupid question. Of course he doesn't. If he knows anything about this that I don't, then he's been covering up that knowledge extremely well.

"Attention all participants."

Ah. The man who explained it all to us is back. Not that he is any help. He's going to have to tell us his name at some point, or he's just going to be known as the man in my head.

"Today is the final day of the Dragon Duels. If you survive the night, you will win your pardons. That is all."

We look at one another, though it's hard to make out Joseph's face in the darkness. At least we were right about how long we've been here. And if we can get through the next few hours, then we'll be able to get out of here and start living a normal life again.

A screech overhead breaks through my thoughts. I take a deep breath, forgetting about the stench of rotting dragon and almost gagging as a result.

Joseph silently hands me one of our water canteens and I glug down the liquid eagerly.

Another screech follows, then the roar of dragon fire.

My whole body turns cold as more sounds I now associate with the giant flying beasts fill the air. They've unleashed more of them. And we're trapped under the wing of a dead one, with limited water, next to no food, and no way to escape.

When the screams start, it all becomes too much for me.

I sink to the ground, trying to stop the loud sob from escaping me. I'm dimly aware of Joseph crouching down beside me and putting his arms around my quaking body.

Silent tears roll down my face and splash to the ground, but he doesn't judge me. He only holds me while the horrors of the arena continue around us.

6

The klaxon sounds, and I know within my soul that it's over. The Dragon Duels are done.

And we're still alive.

"Attention. Please return to the starting point," the man says.

"Do you think it's safe to?" Joseph asks.

I shake my head. "No idea. But we can't risk losing our pardons just because we're scared," I point out.

He chuckles. "That's one way of looking at it." He gets to his feet and dusts himself off before offering his hand to me.

I take it, enjoying the touch of his skin against mine, even if both of our hands are dry and chapped from the exposure.

We step out from under the dead dragon's wing and into the sun. The fresh air hits my lungs, causing me to become light-headed. At some point in the past ten hours or so, I've gotten used to the stench of rotting meat, and now it's gone, it's odd.

A gasp escapes me as I take in the arena in front of us. The ground is almost black with soot, and heaps of ash are dotted throughout the area. There's a circle of untouched earth around the dead dragon, as if its brethren didn't want to burn him. Is that normal dragon behaviour? I have no idea, and I'm not sure I ever want to find out.

The walk back to the starting point is longer than I want it to be, and is hard going. Exhaustion has taken over every part of me, and it's difficult to put one foot in front of the other. The only thing keeping me going is that this is over. Except for the part of me which is trying to scream that it isn't, and this is all some kind of trick to torture us further.

But I want it to be done too badly for the voice to win out.

Bile fills the back of my throat at the sight of a dead body a few feet away. The man's hand is out in front of him, as if he's reaching out for something. I can't see any obvious cause of death, but I don't want to look too closely.

Joseph reaches out and takes my hand again. I relax a little at his touch, relieved to have someone with me who understands everything I'm going through.

"Finally," I mutter as the building which served as our starting point comes into view. A slight woman I vaguely remember seeing in the cells with us is standing waiting. She doesn't wave at us. We don't greet her either. This could still be a trap, and I don't want to do anything to risk our lives.

As we grow closer, I notice a second figure leaning against a rock. His body is almost completely black with burns, but he's alive if the rise and fall of his chest is anything to go by. I want to ask if he's okay, but I don't think he'll hear me. Hopefully, they'll get him some medical treatment before they release him back into the world.

"Do you think this is it?" I whisper to Joseph.

"I don't know," he responds, looking between the two other survivors, likely making the same observations as I have. "But we're about to find out."

The man from before strides out, a look of distaste crossing over his face. He covers it quickly, and probably doesn't think any of us have noticed. More fool him.

But I don't suppose it matters. Even with our pardons, there's no chance we're going to be a threat to him on the outside. We're all going to keep our heads down and stay in our own lanes. Though hopefully, mine will include Joseph as well as me.

"Good afternoon," he says to us. "You four are the winners of the inaugural Dragon Duels."

Ah. That answers that then. There isn't anyone else coming. Out of the fifty prisoners who came into this hellhole, only four of us are walking out.

I glance at the man leaning against the boulder and grimace.

Three are walking out, he'll need to be carried. It's still better than being dead.

"What's happening with our pardons?" Joseph asks.

"They're here." The man drops a bag to the floor. "Once you've collected them, you can leave." He gestures to the open fence.

"Just like that?"

"What do you expect, Ms Miller? You've won, you can go."

"Reggie can't walk," the other woman says.

"Ah, yes. My people will see to Mr Tanner, you don't need to concern yourself with him."

The woman scowls, but takes him at his word. She storms over to the bag, and searches through it. She pulls out a scroll and marches off through the gate.

I watch her leave, torn between following, and helping Reggie. I don't know him, but now there isn't a chance he's going to kill us, I should do.

"Leave, Ms Miller. He will be dealt with," the man says.

I bite my bottom lip, and nod. But instead of going over to the bag of pardons, I pull out my canteen and the strip of dried dragon meat I've been saving for just in case. I take them over to Reggie and put them down beside him.

He smiles, but it turns into a wince of pain.

I don't say anything, and turn my attention back to the bag. I grab the scrolls with mine and Joseph's names on them, and then start heading towards the gate.

"Ms Miller, your weapon," the man chides.

I scowl, but realise he's probably right to ask for it back. But oddly, I've grown fond of my sword. I pull it from the rope belt around my waist and drop it to the ground. Joseph does the same with his crossbow. We won't need them in the outside world anyway, especially not when they'd likely get us arrested again.

It isn't until we're through the gate that the reality of everything that's just happened sinks in.

We're free. I don't ever have to go back to the awful cell ever again.

"Piper," Joseph says.

I turn to face him just as a laugh bursts free.

He smiles too, relief written all over his expression.

I don't waste another second and throw my arms around his neck, pressing my lips against his. He's surprised, but it only takes a second for him to respond, kissing me back with the same wild abandon I feel towards him. With all we've been through in the past ten days, we don't need words to tell one another what we've come to be. This is more than just attraction. It's impossible to ignore a connection like we've made through our time surviving.

And hopefully, that will help us both heal from the horrors we've seen.

Epilogue

The front door slams shut, making me jump even though I know it's nothing. Despite the fact it's been a year since Joseph and I walked out of the Dragon Duels alive, I still feel like I'm back in the arena sometimes and dealing with the constant threat to my life. I hate how much it affects me still, as if going through it once wasn't bad enough, my mind wants to remind me of it at every step of the way.

It's over. You don't have to deal with it any more.

I turn my attention back to peeling the potato in my hand. It's not urgent, but I needed something to do, and this keeps my mind busy enough while not being a disaster if I get distracted and do it wrong.

"I'm sorry," Joseph says when he enters the room and sees I've spooked.

"It's okay. I'll get used to it."

He leans in and kisses my cheek.

My eyes flutter closed at the contact. I love it when he does that. I love him. Not that I'm ever surprised by that after what we went through.

"Are you nearly ready to go?" he asks. "We need to leave in about ten minutes."

I grimace and set down the potato. "I'm ready. I just need to put my shoes on."

He nods.

"I don't want to go," I admit.

"Me neither."

"But we have to, don't we?"

He grimaces and nods. "They want the previous winners there for when they start the next Dragon Duels," he says bitterly.

"I heard there are even more prisoners set to take part this year." I turn on the tap and wash my hands to rid them of potato starch.

"Me too, but we won't know for sure until we get there."

I sigh. "Let's get this over with."

My stomach twists up in knots as we're shown to the balcony of the new building they've erected for the Duels. A small part of me is terrified that we're going to be told there's a mistake, and that we have to take part again.

Joseph puts his arm around my waist and pulls me to him.

"It's going to be okay," he whispers, kissing the side of my head.

Sometimes, I hate how much I rely on him to feel safe, but most of the time, I'm simply grateful that I don't have to go through this alone.

We're shown to a couple of seats with our names on, and one reserved to our left for Annabelle, the other woman who survived.

I frown. "What about Reggie?" I ask the attendant. "Where is his seat?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't have any instructions about a Reggie," the attendant says before leaving us alone.

"Didn't you hear?" Annabelle says as she drops down into her chair and leans back.

"Hear what?"

"He's disappeared." The way she says it makes it clear she thinks she knows who is behind it. "No doubt because of how badly he was injured."

A gasp escapes from me before I can stop it. "They wouldn't."

She laughs bitterly. "Do you really think that?"

I sigh. "No."

"Good. Because what I see down there is that there's nothing they won't do." She gestures towards the edge of the balcony, though I can't see what's going on from here.

I exchange a quick look with Joseph, but then we both make our way to the edge.

A lump forms in my throat as I look down at the crowd of prisoners standing around in the same spot we were a year ago. Is that what fifty people look like from above? It can't be, there are too many people for that. There has to be.

"There has to be at least a hundred," Joseph says, voicing the thoughts in my head.

"Yes."

"Some of them have more weapons than others," I observe, noting one of the biggest men with at least three weapons, and what appears to be a breastplate covering him.

"Maybe they're trying to make it more entertaining," Joseph mutters.

I shudder. It's only after everything that we learned about the cameras dotted around the arena, filming our every move as we tried to avoid dragons, dehydration, and one another. I'm not sure how many people actually watched what we were doing, but it must have been enough that they're repeating it this year.

"Welcome," a familiar voice says, pulling me from my thoughts.

It doesn't take me long to find the same man as last year standing on the balcony adjacent to ours, a gleeful expression on his face. That's something I hadn't seen last year. Perhaps he's just not bothering to hide his expression this time.

"This is the second annual Dragon Duels. There are no rules within the Duels themselves, but if you survive the next ten days, you will be granted a pardon to your crimes."

The same deal we had, but with double the danger. Even from here, it's clear that this time more of the prisoners are those who have committed more violent crimes than stealing or using the Arts without permission. I'm not sure how I feel about some of the people down below being pardoned and free to roam in society.

But that isn't my choice. I'm not the one signing my name to the pardons. At least the wording in them states that it's only for past crimes. If they commit a new one, then they'll go straight back to prison.

"Let the second Dragon Duels commence!"

The klaxon sounds, shocking me and sending me straight back to the events of a year ago. Joseph pulls me even closer to him, offering me the reassurance I need as the men and women below begin their own fight to the death.

I look away, unable to face the thought of which of the people below will live, and which will die.

It's something I'm going to have to get used to. The Dragon Duels are clearly here to stay, and no doubt the two of us are going to be trotted out every year along with the other winners. At least until someone more interesting comes from this.

I don't think I'll be able to do anything to stop any of this from happening, but that doesn't mean I can't do something to lay the foundations so someone in the future can put an end to this barbarity.

The Dragon Duels can't last forever, and I intend to do my part to make sure of that.

Thank you for reading Starting The Fire, the prequel to The Dragon Duels series. The Dragon Duels starts with Stoking The Embers, which is set during the 150th Dragon Duels and follows Raine as she finds herself forced into the Duels: http://books2read.com/stokingtheembers

Also by Laura Greenwood

Books in the Obscure World

Ashryn Barker Trilogy (urban fantasy, completed series)

Grimalkin Academy: Kittens Series (paranormal academy, completed series)

Grimalkin Academy: Catacombs Trilogy (paranormal academy, completed series)

City Of Blood Trilogy (urban fantasy)

Grimalkin Academy: Stakes Trilogy (paranormal academy)

The Harpy Bounty Hunter Trilogy (urban fantasy)

The Black Fan (vampire romance)

Sabre Woods Academy (paranormal academy)

Scythe Grove Academy (urban fantasy)

Carnival Of Knives (urban fantasy)

Books in the Forgotten Gods World

The Queen of Gods Trilogy (paranormal/mythology romance)

Forgotten Gods Series (paranormal/mythology romance)

The Grimm World

Grimm Academy Series (fairy tale academy)

Fate Of The Crown Duology (Arthurian academy, completed series)

Once Upon An Academy Series (fairy tale academy)

Books in the Paranormal Council Universe

The Paranormal Council Series (shifter romance)

The Fae Queen Of Winter Trilogy (paranormal/fantasy, completed series)

Thornheart Coven Series (witch romance)

Return Of The Fae Series (paranormal post-apocalyptic, completed series)

Paranormal Criminal Investigations Series (urban fantasy mystery)

MatchMater Paranormal Dating App Series (paranormal romance, completed series)

The Necromancer Council Trilogy (urban fantasy)

Standalone Stories From the Paranormal Council Universe

Other Series

The Apprentice Of Anubis (urban fantasy in an alternate world)

Untold Tales Series (fantasy fairy tales, completed series)

The Dragon Duels Trilogy (urban fantasy dystopia)

ME Contemporary Standalones (contemporary romance)

Standalones

Seven Wardens, co-written with Skye MacKinnon (paranormal/fantasy romance, completed series)

Tales Of Clan Robbins, co-written with L.A. Boruff (urban fantasy Western)

The Firehouse Feline, co-written with Lacey Carter Andersen & L.A. Boruff (paranormal/urban fantasy romance, completed series)

Kingdom Of Fairytales Snow White, co-written with J.A. Armitage (fantasy fairy tale, completed series)

Twin Souls Universe

Twin Souls Trilogy, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal romance, completed series)

Dragon Soul Series, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal romance, completed series)

The Renegade Dragons Trilogy, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal romance, completed series)

The Vampire Detective Trilogy, co-written with Arizona Tape (urban fantasy mystery, completed series)

Amethyst’s Wand Shop Mysteries Series, co-written with Arizona Tape (urban fantasy)

Mountain Shifters Universe

Valentine Pride Trilogy, co-written with L.A. Boruff (paranormal shifter romance, completed series)

Magic and Metaphysics Academy Trilogy, co-written with L.A. Boruff (paranormal academy, completed series)

Mountain Shifters Standalones, co-written with L.A. Boruff (paranormal romance)

Audiobooks: www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/audio.html

About the Author

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal, fantasy, and urban fantasy romance (though she can occasionally be found writing contemporary romance). When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set.

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