Kendra lV

It felt nice to share a laugh, even if it meant it would never last. Ever since they had gotten to the dungeon Kendra had been a little depressed, not a constant feeling for her.

Her thoughts were constantly dwelling on the idea of escaping and she couldn't let it go. Her only hope was getting out was a rhyme, which no one had a clue about. They were discussing it now.

"Can you repeat it?" Kendra asked.

Lilliana nodded and recited the rhyme,

You have found yourself in the giant queen's wrath.

Forced to join her battles to the death.

Try to escape, you shall always fail.

Unless led out by her tail.

"Do you think it means the giant queen's tail?" Seth asked.

Lilliana looked at Seth, "Last time I checked she didn't have a tail. By the size of her rump, it would be humongous, not one that you can hide under a skirt."

Kendra snorted and laughed at the same time, almost choking herself in the process. Before long, everyone else had joined in as well. They sure seemed to be laughing a lot in this dungeon, Kendra hoped they weren't going crazy.

"So tell me about the arena," Kendra said, "You haven't said much about it."

Lilliana's expression turned grim, "What is there to say? Battles to the death. Two go in, one comes out. Like the Hunger Games. Alliances don't last, no one likes to trust. Most of these people would honestly have death as mercy, after the monsters they've become."

"Do you know who we are facing?" Kendra asked, "And any weaknesses."

"There will be no we," she said, leaving no room for emotion, "You will each be going in alone. There will be no exceptions."

"I will personally resolve this dilemma," Bracken vowed, "I will always go into the arena for us. Neither Kendra nor Seth will have to go in. I'm hard to kill anyway."

Kendra searched Lilliana's face and for a minute, she could have sworn she saw a flash of sadness and a bit of 'it's sad how innocent he is.' Kendra couldn't trace this one emotion, though it was one she had seen many times before.

Then all of a sudden, Seth and Bracken froze, unmoving and untalking. Isn't any, Kendra instantly got in a defensive position, looking straight at Lilliana. "What did you do to them!" She demanded, doing her best to sound confident.

Liliana smiled, "I can let go of the spell any minute. I needed to talk to you in private. I swear that I mean no harm to you or your friends at this moment. My vow means a lot."

"What are you?" Kendra asked.

Lilliana's face was one of pure debate, "I cannot tell you yet," she admitted, "But I swear that you will find out soon enough."

"Why did you need to talk to me alone?" Kendra questioned.

Lilliana cocked her head, "Because they cannot know you are about to do this. Kendra, you must listen to me on this. I know who your first opponent will be. If your brother or your boyfriend tries to fight him, they will die."

"First off, he's not my boyfriend." Kendra said, "And also, what do you mean?"

Lilliana pinched the bride of her nose, "Your opponent is a pure creature of darkness itself. Your boyfriend," she emphasized it as if it were two different worlds, "Is too weak. You cannot fight fire with fire, you must fight fire with…"

"Water." Kendra finished.

Lilliana nodded, "Yet you are not ready." She said.

"I take it you want to train me?" Kendra asked, "I'm no longer oblivious to the magical world. I know how things work, but how do I know you won't betray me like countless others? I have been betrayed before."

Lilliana smiled, "What is your other choice?"

Kendra didn't have anything to say against that.

Lilliana stood up from the cot she had been sitting on and walked over to Kendra, "I am not oblivious to this world as well," she said. "I may not know everything, but I know how to help you in so many ways."

Kendra turned to her brother and unicorn friend, "And you're sure they can't see this? Why haven't you used this spell to escape?"

"My tricks only get me so far," she said, "Everyone outside of this dungeon is unaffected. This spell is highly unreliable because they can simply ask the time or they will know. In a dungeon, however, there is no sense of time like there is out there."

Kendra understood though she was amazed at herself for it. It was also one of the saddest things she had ever heard. It's like one of those depressing quotes she always cried about, but she shoved the thought from her mind.

"How can you help me? Kendra asked.

Lilliana smiled, "Your opponent is known for his eyesight. So he must be blind."

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" Kendra asked.

"You have a light inside of you," Lilliana said, "You know how to use your aura and adjust it, correct?"

Kendra nodded.

"Have you ever tried to make it leave your body?" Lilliana asked, "Leave your aura."

"No," Kendra said.

"A you have so much light within you," Lilliana said, "Harness it. You can use it in so many ways. Light can give warmth. Light can show the way. Light can blind. Light can give hope. Light is a beacon. Light can do so many things, Kendra. You just have to look within it."

"You're not making any sense," Kendra blurted out, "You're talking in riddles."

Lilliana sighed, "You've been spending too much time around your brother." She said, "You should forgive him though, you must, I should say."

"And I will," Kendra said, "Show me what you need to, I don't want to leave them frozen like this."

Lilliana regarded her silently, "Think about how you tone down your aura." She said, "Focus all that energy into your hands. Rather than thinking about turning on a switch, think of it as clicking on a single section. By having less space to cover, the light will grow brighter."

Kendra closed her eyes and pictured a drawing of herself. (Or at Keats of how she would like to look in reality.) She pictured a crayon filling in her hands and she slowly felt something flow through her veins to her hands. All of a sudden, Kendra winced in pain and opened her eyes.

"Light doesn't always heal," Lilliana warned, "You must not tamper with it lightly. Focus on healing as well, you must not let the pain touch you. Instead, channel it into the part where your skin does not make contact."

Kendra closed her eyes and relayed her instructions. She felt a strong warmth surge from her chest and it traveled through her veins, filling her with an un-flickering warmth.

She sometimes felt this way when Bracken healed her. She channeled the warmth down to her hands and upwards and she slowly felt the heat start to leave her hands.

"That's it," Lilliana encouraged, "Now picture this room. Spread the light around the room, leave no area with any shadows."

Kendra pictured the room and opened her eyes to one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen in her life. All around the stone room was a beautiful yellow light, dancing along the walls. It shined so brightly, Kendra could hardly look at it. Was this what Bracken saw whenever he saw her?

Kendra reaches out to touch the light but it vanishes upon her contact. She drew her hand back as if she had touched a hot pan, cradling it protectively.

"Impressive," Lilian approved, "You will use this light to blind your opponent. If you play this right, you may not have to kill him. Without his sight, he would be weak and helpless. It will be your choice to finish him off or not. Unless the queen interferes, which I highly doubt."

"Blind him?" Kendra confirms, "I don't have to kill him?"

"Most likely not," Lilliana said, "But in the end, it will be your life or his."

"I don't know if I'll be able to finish him off," Kendra admitted, "to trade someone else's life for my own?"

"It is in your nature," Lilliana agreed, "But here's some advice. Don't do it for you. Some people would not be able to live without you." She turned to look at the frozen Bracken.

Kendra blushed, "He doesn't care about me like that." She said, "But I will do it if it comes to it. Thank you."

"Your thanks are not needed," Lilliana said, "There will be a time when you need it and that time will be any second now. Keep this a secret and watch me in the arena."

Kendra nodded and Lilliana snapped her fingers, breaking the spell.