Chapter 8: Shadow Doll
Lyss took Dante's advice and put everything aside in preparation for her fight. She hadn't seen or even knew the name of her next opponent. Halifax had always appeared alone, and didn't seem to have a partner. Lyss wonder where she or it had been during the drawing and other times where attendants were mandatory. Lyss wonder if she had been a shadow fighter like Halifax and blended into the corner where no one would see. She figured that was the case because if a contestant is not at the drawings, they forfeit from the tournament.
Lyss walk to the ring with her head in a free-for-all. She was thinking about what Dante' had said about Akeo, about her opponent and what she would have to do to win, and what Dante' meant when he said he had an idea about how to beat Akeo. She had to push the thought of this guy out of her head and focus. She had seen that Halifax had a special power that protected his otherwise weak physique. She imagined what power his partner could posses. She stood in the center of the ring with the announcer waiting for the arrival of her opponent who the announcer called Moonlily. Lyss saw nothing but a puddle in front of her. A dark almost endless abyss lies on the ground in front of her. Slowly the puddle began to swirl and rise higher and higher. Soon the puddle maintained a steady, but not quite solid, figure of a little girl holding strange black doll.
"Hello", the voice seemed to echo eerily as Moonlily spoke. "Would you like to be my friend?"
"What are you talking about?" Lyss asked with a perplexed tone and expression.
"We're supposed to fight to the death, or would you rather play with your little dolly, cause I'll wait." Lyss was mocking Moonlily and she took notice.
"Don't make fun of Abby, you'll make him angry, but I'll still be your friend," said Moonlily.
"We're not friends, you little shadow puppet", Lyss was becoming impatient and thought this would end quickly.
"If your not my friend", Moonlily's voice became deep and monstrous as she screamed, "THEN YOU MUST DIE!" At that Moonlily disappeared, but Abby remained, floating in a dark aura in the same spot she had been standing. Abby grew larger and sprouted sharp claws and teeth. It became a two story high monster with its sights set on the destruction of Lyss.