When Isabel started to wake up, she could feel herself being moved elsewhere. She was still strapped to the table, but the ceiling was passing her by as she gazed upwards, trying to unblur her vision. Her throat was so dry that she couldn't stop herself from coughing. She felt something gazing down at her and turned to see it was the Doctor transporting her by pushing the table. The ringing in her ears stopped and she could hear the wheels beneath her squeaking as she was rushed to a new destination.

''Where are we going?'' she asked groggily.

''You best finding your bearings,'' the Doctor replied quickly. ''You are being taken to the ring.''

Isabel was still so dazed from the sedative that it took her a few seconds to comprehend what he just told her. ''I thought you still needed me alive?''

''I would prefer to study you for longer. However, Albatox and Baerock desire entertainment. I also believe that Baerock holds a grudge against you for almost snapping her jaw.''

He turned around one more corner, and that's when Isabel could hear a strong gust of wind in the distance. She knew they were about to step outside.

''Still,'' the Doctor continued. ''I should have enough of your blood to create another dose.''

''So, you can make others like me who will fight for the Dragons and Drakes?''

''Precisely.''

Isabel wished that her strength would return quickly so that she could knock some sense into him. ''How can you turn your back on humanity?''

''My back is turned because I'm the only one brave enough to step forward.'' He replied without missing a beat.

Before Isabel could argue any further, she was almost blinded by a ray of light shining down on her. Suddenly, she could feel her body glow under the warmth of the sun. She opened her eyes, adjusting to the light and saw that the Doctor had taken her to an outside arena. All around her were fences were other humans watched on. She could see the lost expressions written on all of their faces. There were many humans of different ages and ethnicities. However, there were none that Isabel could recognize. Right in front of her was a derelict building block were Albatox and Baerock were seated, watching from on-high as the Doctor halted in the middle of the arena and began to unstrap Isabel.

''Do not flee,'' he whispered into her ear. ''Otherwise, they will kill you on the spot.''

''At this point, I'd rather go down fighting.'' She growled.

''What if they decided to take someone from the crowd and threaten to execute them if you do not comply?''

Hearing that, Isabel's body withered. When the Doctor noticed that she wasn't as tense, he felt safe enough to undo her straps, freeing her arms. As she was released, Isabel glanced around the arena to see the other humans staring at her. ''Are they prisoners?''

The Doctor nodded. ''They serve Albatox and Baerock to survive. And, if needed, I can use them for my experiments.''

Isabel slowly turned to face him. Despite being unable to see his eyes properly under his goggles, she glared at him with fire in her eyes. ''You're just as much of a monster as they are.'' She tilted her head to the Drakes.

''This is a world ruled by monsters. I will take that as a compliment.'' He said calmly.

Once the last strap was undone, Isabel leapt off the table and stood on the sandy ground. She tried to balance herself as her legs still felt numb. As she walked around to get her bearings, she heard the Doctor push the table and leave the arena through the corridor they came from. Thankfully for Isabel, she could feel the sun high in the sky, peering over the dark clouds. The aching in her body slipped away as she looked up at the Drakes. While Albatox sat calmly, Baerock was shifting uncontrollably in her seat, gritting her jagged teeth at the young woman.

''That bitch almost killed me,'' she growled. Isabel stepped back as the Drake looked ready to pounce at any moment. ''Let me rip her apart, brother.''

Albatox raised his hand to silence his agitated sister. Once she was more settled, he rose to his feet and began to address Isabel. ''Do you know why you've been brought here?''

Isabel looked around at the spectators. They were here against their will, and she feared that if she stepped out of line, one of them would be used as an example. She decided against snapping back and tried to be diplomatic, much like her mother would be in certain situations. ''You want me to fight for your entertainment.''

Albatox nodded. ''Hunting humans has become boring and infrequent. Baerock and I needed to find other ways to ease our boredom.''

He raised his arm to the left. Soon afterwards, Isabel heard the fence from that side open. She turned and saw five people with padded clothing and machetes step into the arena with her. The fence was closed behind, and the crowd looked on edge as the chosen warriors advanced towards Isabel. She could see now urge to kill in their eyes, only the will to live another day. They circled her, raising their weapons.

''You will fight to the death.'' Albatox bellowed before taking his seat. ''You may begin.''

''What?'' Isabel gasped. ''This isn't fair. You know that I'm stronger than them.''

''Then make their deaths quick.'' Baerock screeched. ''Or we shall kill them ourselves, and we won't be merciful.''

''No,'' Isabel gazed back at the warriors surrounding her. The one closest to her was a tall woman with dark skin and a shaved head. She carried a machete shorter than the others, holding it close to her body as she stepped closer. Isabel backed away, holding out her arms towards the woman. ''Please, I don't want to fight you.''

''Neither do we,'' she replied. ''But, what choice do we have?''

Isabel couldn't understand any of this. From the way the Doctor described the ring, it sounded like there would be a chance of her dying. But, these warriors had no chance. They already looked tired and wounded, possibly from other fights that the Drakes had organized. If Isabel wasn't careful, she could kill them with just a single punch. The only one who looked like they could hold their own in a fight was the tall woman. It was for that reason that she made the first move. She swung her blade down onto Isabel. The young woman lashed her arm out and broke the blade instantly. Isabel then stuck out her leg and swept it under the woman's legs, knocking her to the ground.

The other four charged at once. Isabel weaves her body around each of their attacks. As soon as their weapons are within range, Isabel grabs the blades and crushes them, shattering the metal to pieces. The warriors stare at her in confusion and seem unsure of what to do next. Sensing an opportunity to end this quickly, Isabel brings her arms back and then claps her hands as hard as possible. The shockwave is strong enough to knock them all of their feet. They stumble to the ground, holding their ears and grunting in pain.

''This isn't right!'' Isabel shouted at the Drakes. ''How can you call this a fight to the death? They have no chance.''

Albatox leaned forward in his seat. ''So, you won't kill them?''

''No,'' Isabel stepped between the fallen warriors and the two Drakes. ''And if you want to kill them, you'll have to go through me. Why don't we make this a fair fight? I bet I can beat either one of you in a one-on-one fight. Or, are you too scared to fight a human?''

Baerock slammed her hand down, breaking her chair. ''This human is pissing me off! Let me kill her.''

Much to Isabel's dismay, Albatox looked undeterred by her challenge. He narrowed his slit eyes and then smirked. It was the first time that Isabel had seen the stoic Drake do such a thing, and it made her blood freeze. She had a feeling that he was expecting this to happen. Now, the question was what was he going to do about it?

''You could have made their deaths quick.'' He then raised his right arm, signalling for a small group of humans outside of the fence to rush towards a large door that connected between a separate tunnel and the arena.

Isabel watched on as they started to pull on the lock that was on the door. It was a struggle for them to open it due to the immense weight. Isabel could hear how heavy the lock was as the metal scraped against the door. But, she then heard something else from behind the door. It was a monstrous groan, followed by plodding footsteps that made the ground shake. As the door was opened, she could see something large lumbering towards them. The other humans stepped back, cowering with fear as if they knew what was about to emerge. Isabel prepared herself for the worst.

Finally, the create stepped into the light. It was a hybrid, twice the size of the Scorpula that Isabel fought. The four-legged monstrosity growled loudly, making Isabel's bones quake. Its body was covered in a thick set of fur and sharp claws protruded from its large paws and up its arm like a mutation. However, the hybrid's most terrifying feature was the enormous mouth and huge tusk-like teeth. Isabel remembered from an animal book that she had found many years ago that mouth belonged to an animal once known as a hippopotamus. However, the thick, brown hair covering its body looked like it was that of a bear. It stomped, digging its feet into the ground due to its sheer weight.

''Is this more to your liking?'' Albatox taunted. Next to him, Baerock cackled amusedly. ''Your fellow humans can assist you if they so wish. Although, they may not be able to provide much assistance without their weapons.''

Isabel glanced around at the fragmented pieces of their machetes. She clenched her fists and glared at the Drakes. ''You planned this from the start!''

''How do you plan to finish it?'' he responded.

There was no time for Isabel to come up with a plan as she heard the hybrid drag its front foot into the ground, preparing itself for an almighty charge. Isabel turned to the other warriors. ''Get away. I'll take care of…''

The hybrid charged at an incredible speed. Isabel wasn't expecting such a big creature to be so fast. The ground almost broke apart beneath them. She rolled out of the way just as it clamped its massive jaw shut. Isabel heard the other humans running away, but the hybrid was beginning to chase after them. They had no hope without any weapons. So, Isabel bounced back to her feet and ran after the monster. It didn't take her long to catch up. It may be quicker than expected, but Isabel still had it beat when it comes to speed. She crashed into the side of the hybrid, trying to knock it off its feet. However, the creature only stumbled before turning to try and chomp down on her once more.

Isabel dodged its jaws of death by the skin of her teeth. The stench of its breath almost made her gag. She then saw one of its massive paws coming towards her. She ducked underneath it and dived under the creature's body. She pushed upwards and toppled it over. The hybrid cried out as it was pushed onto its side. But, it didn't stay down for long. It rolled over before standing on its hind legs and towering over Isabel. Not wanting it to make the first move, Isabel jumped up and tackled the beast. However, it stood strong and didn't fall. Suddenly, Isabel could feel the hybrid's immense weight coming down on top of her.

She planed her feet into the ground and grabbed its paw as it tried to crush her. Isabel could feel her arms shaken as she tried to hold strong, but the hybrid kept pushing down. Despite how strong she was, Isabel fell onto one knee. In this position, the hybrid's jaw couldn't reach her, however, Isabel could pry herself free. They were stuck until one lost the strength to fight. The arena turned dark and that's when Isabel looked up and saw the sun disappear behind the clouds. She was giving her all and it wasn't enough. She tried to feel enraged, but right now, all she could think about was the overwhelming weight pressing down on her arms.

The creature then roared with pain. Out of the corner of her eye, Isabel saw the tall woman who confronted her earlier had plunged a broken shard from her machete into the creature's stomach. Because of the hybrid's thick shed of hair and skin, the attack wasn't enough to do any serious damage. But it distracted the beast long enough for Isabel to regain her footing.

Then, another warrior attacked from the other side with a shard of his own. However, the hybrid saw him coming. It twisted its head and opened its mouth wide. The warrior's eyes widened in horror a second before he was consumed by the hybrid's massive jaw. There were cries from people behind the fence as they watched on. Isabel's heart broke when she heard the sickening crunch of the warrior's spine snapping as he was broken in half by the hybrid's bite.

Isabel grit her teeth and her palms began to burn as she fought back against the hybrid. She had to end this before anyone else forfeited their life to help her. Her anger returned in full force as her hands burnt the hybrid's paws. It tried to reel away, but Isabel refused to let go. Her blood was boiling and all she saw was red as she was consumed by hatred and anger. Because she wasn't strong enough, someone else had died. Jon might be dead. She didn't know the fate of her mother, Jess, Cruise and everyone else. She was sick and tired of losing more people. A screamed rippled out from her, transforming into a furious roar as she flipped the hybrid over her head and then slammed it into the ground. Before it could get back up, Isabel buried her ignited fist into the creature's stomach. It cried out and struggled, but Isabel pinned it to the ground and felt her hand burning the creature's insides before it eventually stopped moving.

Even when it was obvious the creature was dead; Isabel didn't retract her fist. She hissed through clenched teeth and felt her body being enveloped with incredible heat. Turning her head, she stared directly at the Drakes. They were amused by her display and began applauding her efforts. The spectators hesitantly clapped as well, not wanting to insult their tyrannical rulers. Isabel could see the fear in their eyes. She could hear their hearts racing as if they were in the arena with her fighting for their lives. She'd never felt so much hatred. When she finally pulled her fist out from the dead hybrid, her arm was soaked with blood and steam gushed from her clenched fist.

Albatox stopped clapping and seemed apprehensive for the first time. He'd seen Isabel like this before. Not wanting things to escalate again, he rose to his feet. ''If you try anything, more will die. Do you understand?''

For a split second, Isabel didn't want to listen. All she cared about was killing the two of them. If she had the chance, she would make them suffer. She liked that idea. Her lip twitched and curled upwards into a sadistic smile. ''I think I see fear in your eyes.''

Everyone stared at Isabel. Her voice was different. It didn't sound human.

Baerock leapt to her feet and stretched her talons. She grinned with anticipation. ''Can I kill her now?''

''This is your last warning!'' Albatox called out. ''You know you can defeat us at the same time. If you attack, I will massacre everyone in this arena. Their blood will be on your hands.''

''As long as I see your blood, I don't care.''

Suddenly, the tall woman stepped forward. Much to everyone's surprise, she faced Isabel. ''Don't do it! There are children here. Can you live with yourself if they die because of your rashness?''

''Get out of my way, human!'' Isabel growled. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth.

''My name is Adira!'' She yelled back at the Dragon Slayer. Despite Isabel's dwindling humanity, Adira didn't cower away. She had called out her name as if she had not spoken it for a long time. ''You are just as human as I am. Speak your name!''

Isabel flinched. She opened her mouth to respond. However, she had to think for a moment. Her name was almost lost to her. Then, the faces of those she loves came to her. She remembered her mother, Helen. She remembered Jess. If they were here, they would not want to see her in such a horrifying state. Gradually, Isabel's composure returned and she collapsed to her knees. Adira walked closer, waiting for the heat emitting from Isabel's body to cool before she got close enough to kneel and reach eye-level.

''What happened?'' Isabel whispered. She looked around the arena and saw the spectators staring back at her with fear as if they believed she would attack them at any moment. ''I think I blacked out.''

Before Adira could speak, Albatox's booming voice echoed throughout the arena. ''You will return to the Doctor. If you think about causing any trouble, there will be consequences.''

Isabel was too startled and confused to argue. She nodded and returned to the corridor leading towards the Doctor's lab. As she left, she saw the blood of the man that died trying to help her. At first, she felt nothing but distraught. However, her anger slowly returned as she realized that she still wasn't strong enough. Not only that physically, but mentally too. She almost lost control. She was willing to risk other people's lives to satisfy her hunger. She hated that feeling. She didn't want to lose anyone, not to her enemies or to her own anger.

She vowed to train and better understand her abilities until she was certain that she was strong enough to kill Albatox and Baerock, and help everyone here escape.

''Wait for me,'' she whispered to herself. She thought of her mother and Jess, hoping that they and the others were alive. ''I'll come back to you soon.''

XXX

HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS! DID YOU LIKE THIS ACTION-PACKED NEW CHAPTER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ISABEL'S RAGE TOWARDS THE END? AND HOW IT MIGHT COME INTO PLAY LATER ON? IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO WRITE THESE KINDS OF CHAPTERS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HYBRID CREATURES AND SEEING HOW FAR I CAN PUSH ISABEL'S RAGE. NEXT WEEK'S CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO BE QUITE BIG. THE NEXT THREE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MY PATRONS THIS WEEKEND AND THEN IT'LL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC OVER NEXT WEEK. I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY THEM. I WANT TO SEND YOU ALL A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT. YOU ALL MEAN THE WORLD TO ME AND I WANT TO DO MY BEST FOR YOU ALL. STAY SAFE. TA-TA FOR NOW.