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The flux curse plague sweeps through the kingdom of Zordonia suddenly and ruthlessly. No one knows where the disease originated from. Rodents, some said. Filthy plebs from the Kirrithit District, some said. It was witches, some said. Someone must've gravely upset the gods, some said. But the cause doesn't matter. The plague rolls through the streets of every part of the kingdom, claiming lives without discrimination. It was a long, dark and deadly five months for the people. Anyone could be struck with its symptoms at any moment. The peasants, the nobles, and even the royal family were not immune. For the king and queen would fall ill in the last month of the plague. The flux curse rapidly deteriorates their body, leaving them bedridden just two weeks into her illness. Only the queen would live past three weeks. Then the plague would stop just as suddenly as it began. But the effects it had on the kingdom were not going away any time soon. Hundreds were dead, hundreds more were left with the permanent after effects of the disease that rocked their bodies, and left with no other option but to await their death. The kingdom was in ruins from the riots that had taken place all over. Despite the lack of evidence, people blamed the witches of the kingdom, attacking them in the streets. They rioted in the streets, begging the authorities and the royals alike to punish the witches for what they’d done. They had suffered during this time, too. But witches are never one to back down from a fight. They fought back against the lies being spread about them. They attacked the rioters, and fighting would break out in the streets. So the plague had indirectly led to dozens more lives being lost. It doesn't take a genius to realize that the seeds of a civil war were being planted in the ground. The queen was confined to her bed, and could die at any moment. So the fate of the kingdom rested in the hands of her successor. The queen and the late king only had one daughter, Princess Kimberly. Preparations had already begun to ready the princess to take the throne any day now. And the first order of business was the growing unrest. “Things are getting worse in the kingdom as the days go by.” Francis Covington, the head advisor to the royal family says. “Something has to be done about this before civil war befalls us.” “Way to state the obvious, Francis.” Alfie Tudor, another advisor, says. “Why don't you tell us your brilliant plan to fix this problem instead of telling us things we already know?” “Of course I have a plan. I didn't become the head advisor for nothing.” Kimberly bites back a laugh at Francis’ words. Everyone here knows that he only got this position because it ran in The Covington family. “We need to show the people that we have a powerful leader capable of pulling them out of this crisis. And let's be honest here, a twenty-four year old, unwed princess is just not that.” “What are you saying, Francis?” Kimberly leans forward in her seat. “I'm saying that you cannot have a queen without a king. A queen needs a powerful king.” Francis elaborates. “Why do I need a king? Wouldn't it be better if I showed the people that I am capable of running the kingdom by myself without someone else by my side?” “You do not want the people to look at you like Queen Karone. She doesn't have a king either.” “I think that has more to do with her being evil than her being unwed.” Kimberly argues. It's not that she doesn't want to be married one day. It's more the fact that she doesn't want to marry someone she barely knows solely for political reasons. “Francis, I disagree with your argument that a queen needs a king. But I do agree that this queen needs a king.” Julius Keswick says. “Excuse me-” “Because Kimberly is not ready to be queen.” Julius interrupts her. “She is weak, immature, and does not inspire confidence. She needs someone stronger, wiser, preferably older, at least by a little. I suggest that we begin looking for suitors straight away. And the best way to vet these suitors is to put them to the ultimate test.” “Julius-” Kimberly tries to get his attention again. He either doesn't hear her, or is choosing to ignore her. “I think that we should bring back the Virticourse Games.” Julius says, smirking around the room. Kimberly splutters, Francis chokes on his tea, and Alfie brings his palm down onto the table, making the table shake. “Have you gone mad?” Alfie hisses, his blue eyes full of rage. “The Virticourse Games have not been played in more than ninety years. Because it invites discord among the kingdoms. We are calling this meeting to avoid a civil war, not start another war with another kingdom. Zordonia barely survived the last war.” “But the games also present a perfect opportunity to see the best warriors from all the kingdoms get pushed to their absolute limits. It will also give us a chance to get close to the other kingdoms. And think about it, if our queen marries one of the best warriors from another kingdom, it could be the first step in creating an alliance. And if she marries someone from our own kingdom, it could be a message of unity to our people.” Francis purses his lips, pressing the tips of his fingers together. Alfie hums, narrowing his eyes. Kimberly looks between the three older gentlemen. “Are you serious?!” She gets up from the table, glaring at each of them. “We will be inviting the royals of every kingdom right onto our doorstep, along with their best warriors, and I'm certain that most of the families will be bringing knights with them. We would be opening ourselves up for attack, all just so you can find me a king that I don't even need.” “It is not like they will be bringing their whole armies with them. We will be prepared in the event of an attack.” Julius says. “And need I remind you that you are technically not queen yet, and the actual queen is unable to rule, so the royal advisors have final say until your coronation.” Julius smirks at her. “So if Francis and Alfie agree with me, we’ll be holding the Virticourse Games for the first time in nearly a century.”After the meeting with the advisors, Kimberly goes for a walk around the castle. And finds herself going straight for the knights’ quarters in the lower part of the castle. She reaches the gym, finding the person she wanted to see the most already in the middle of a workout. Because what else would he be doing on a random Thursday night? Jason almost seems to notice her presence the second she comes through the door, most likely due to his knight honed senses. He smiles at her as he wraps a towel around his neck. She smiles back at him. “Princess, I can only assume that you’ve finished your meeting with the advisors.” He grabs another towel to wipe his sweaty face. “Or did you leave early?” “The meeting has finished. And I needed a break from all the political scheming.” And maybe come up with a scheme of her own? But she saves that part for later. “That bad, huh?” Jason grabs a bottle, taking a large gulp of whatever liquid it contained. “Apparently, I'm too weak and immature to rule the kingdom by myself.” “That's ridiculous. You are one of the strongest people I know.” She chuckles, wrapping her arms around herself. “What do they want? To take the kingdom from you?” “No.” The smile drops from her face. “They want me to find a king.” He's not smiling anymore now, either. “They want me to marry a strong king to inspire confidence in our people. They're bringing back the Virticourse Games to test for a king.” “What? That makes no sense. Why would marrying a warrior have any effect on what is going on in the streets?” “I know. I know. But you know how those guys are. They're all stuck in their ways. And until my coronation, they're the ones running the show. Not me.” “They can't do this. There has to be another way.” “There isn't, Jason. The advisors don't listen to a word I say. But there's something else we can do. Or, rather, you can do. You are one of the best royal knights, if not the best knight. You're undoubtedly going to play in the games.” “Princess, what are you saying?” “I'm saying that you have to win the games, become the Virticourse champion. You have to prove that you are as strong as I know you are. Then I could marry you.” “Princess, that is insane.” “Jason, you are one of my best friends. You're a great guy. You care about me. I trust you more than anyone. And you're attractive. The advisors will never know.” He stares at her for several long moments. He does it for so long that she starts to think that he’ll say no. Because her plan is absolutely crazy. There's a chance it won't work. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your champion.” She laughs, wrapping her arms around him, not caring about how sweaty he was.
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The kingdom of Korova is said to be cast in permanent darkness, a result of a decades old spell. Only locals know if the legend is true, no outsider has entered the kingdom and lived to tell the tale since Queen Karone took the throne after the assassination of her parents. And the truth is, the kingdom is truly cast in darkness. But not the result of an old spell. No, it is the result of something much more recent. The night the king and queen of Korova were killed, one of their children went missing along with them. Their son’s body was never found, leaving Karone the only known survivor of the Astro Clan. In her misery, she turned to the dark arts, darkening the sky over her kingdom to match her new way of life. She turned the castle to black, took to wearing black and purple, and turned everyone away. She became a force to be reckoned with. No one would ever dare to go up against her. Not if they wanted to live. Even her own subjects feared her, and tonight was no different. As the queen paced around the throne room, grasping an envelope in her hand. “The Virticourse Games? The Virticourse Games? This could be my chance to finally get revenge on the royal family of Zordonia for what they did to our ancestors during the war.” “Your highness, that was ages ago. The queen is about to die, and the princess seems like a very-” Karone reaches out with her hand, blasting the person that had chosen to interrupt her. “You do not question me! As I was saying, I have my chance to do what they did to us. Tear them down, brick by brick.” “And how are you going to do that?” “It's the Virticourse Games. Per the rules, I am going to take my best warrior with me. And she is going to work her way into the princess' inner circle. She is going to gain their trust, get them to let their guard down, and that's when we’ll strike. Zordonia will fall, and Korova will come out on top.” “Your highness, the other kingdoms do not exactly look at you kindly. Who could possibly get the Zordonians to trust them?” “I know the perfect person for the job. Bring me Katherine.” Nobody moves, nobody breathes. “Now!” Two knights rush out of the throne room, returning mere moments later with Karone’s most trusted member of her ranks: Katherine Hillard. Katherine’s parents were involved in the plot to kill the late king and queen. But the duo died before they could carry out their punishment. So their sentence was to be taken on by their only child, Katherine. “The Virticourse Games are coming back for the first time since the war. For the first time in decades, Korova will have access to Zordonia soil. And I am choosing you to take with me as our kingdom’s best. And I want you to work your magic on our enemies.” “What do you want me to do?” Katherine says, obedient as ever. “I want you to get close with their warriors. People don't think you're capable of doing such wicked things. That is partly what makes you such a threat. By the time they realize they've been played, it's much too late.” Katherine swallows thickly at her words, her demeanor falling for a moment. But she doesn't dare challenge her queen. She won't as long as the kingdom’s crest rests on the back of her hand. “And that is what will happen to the people of Zordonia. You will become friends with the strongest in their ranks. You will get as close to them as possible. I don't care if you have to sleep with them. You will do whatever you have to. You will learn their secrets. You will gain their trust. You will be the person they least suspect of being a traitor. I know that you will not disappoint me.” “Of course not, your highness.” “Good. Get rid of her.” The same two knights that had brought her to the throne room, lead her back to where she came from.“Dude!” Jason is startled by the sound of Rocky screaming at him. “What is it, Rocky?” “I've been trying to get your attention for the past two minutes. I even threw a shoe at you. Don't you think you're training a little bit harder?” Jason sighs, landing one last punch on the punching bag. “I'm sorry, man. I just thought I'd get a little extra training for the games.” “The games aren't for another month. Not to mention that they haven't even announced who’ll be fighting for our kingdom yet. And you shouldn't tire yourself out before we even get close to the games.” “You're right. These games are important to me.” “Yeah, they're important to me, too but you don't see me going crazy over it. Is there something else you want to tell me?” “No.” Jason lies. Rocky's one of his closest friends. But could he trust him with the truth about why he needed to become the Virticourse champion? The less people that know about their plan the better. Rocky sighs. “Alright, fine. Don't tell me. Why don't we take a break? By the time we clean ourselves up, it should be time for dinner.”“Hey, you finally came out of the gym.” Zack says, setting a basket of bread down on the dining table. “After spending all that time working out, you've gotta be starving.” “Yeah.” Jason and Rocky take a seat at the table. “Great! Let's eat.” Zack exclaims. “Wait, where's Adam?” Tanya suddenly says. “He wasn't in the gym with you, was he?” “No.” Rocky says. “I think he's supposed to be on perimeter patrol tonight. So he probably won't be back for a while. I'm sure he's fine.” “You're probably right.”Kimberly retires to her room after dinner. Meals are so lonely without her parents there, leaving her to eat alone. Well, not alone. There's usually a knight posted by the entrance of the dining room. But it's not the same. She changes into her favorite nightgown, grabbing a book off the shelf as she attempts to relax before bed. Relaxing had become a lot harder since her parents fell ill. And it's only become worse since the advisors announced the Virticourse Games days ago. The other kingdoms have already sent their confirmation that they’ll be competing in the games, including the kingdom of Korova. Their kingdoms had gone directly up against each other during the war, and neither side hadn't walked away without consequences. But the Karovians suffered the most. They have a lot of reasons to want revenge. There's no doubt that Queen Karone has something planned for the games. What if one of Karone's people pulls some trick and becomes the champion? What if she has to marry one of them? No, Jason can handle it. She has faith in him. She can always count on him. Why would it be any different now? Kimberly lays the book in her hand down on the bed before falling onto the bed herself. ‘I’ll be your champion.’ The words he’d spoken to her just days earlier repeat in her head. He hadn't said that he’d be the champion of the games, but that he’d be her champion. He probably hadn't meant it to come out the way that it did, but it stays with her nonetheless. She hears the sound of something tapping against the balcony doors. She sits up in bed, seeing the curtains blowing to the side. She slowly gets up from the bed, walking over to the doors. She pulls the curtains back, seeing that the doors are still closed. She shakes her head. She needs to get her mind off of the Virticourse Games. Just as she smiles at her own ability to be easily startled, a bloody hand suddenly plants itself against the glass. She screams, stepping back from the doors. A body crashes the doors, pushing them open as they collapse onto the floor.
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The White Witch Arena stands tall in the middle of the Capital City of Zordonia. It's one of the biggest buildings in the entire kingdom, second only to the nearby castle. The arena was named after the first ever champion of the first Virticourse Game, a woman known as the White Witch. Kimberly is led to the arena by Zack and Trini, the knights tasked with guarding her during the games. They are some of the first to arrive. The games aren't meant to start for some time, but she and the advisors planned to come here early so they could be here when the warriors arrived. She's sure the three advisors are around here somewhere, and she wants to stay as far away from them for as long as possible. The warriors from the other kingdoms will be arriving, most likely wanting to get some last minute training in before the games begin. So she isn't surprised to find her own warriors doing the same thing, training in one of the many rooms in the arena. All four of them immediately stop what they're doing, standing at attention. “Please, don't stop what you're doing on my account. I just came to check on my warriors, and to wish you all luck in the games.” Her eyes drift towards Jason for the briefest moment, but she forces herself to look away from him. “Well, I don't need luck to win the Games. But thank you, though.” Rocky says. “Whatever you want to tell yourself, Rocky.” Tommy pats his friend on the back. “I’ll leave you alone now to continue your training before the games.” Kimberly nods her head, walking out of the room. As she does, she's sure she feels Jason's eyes on her. Once she's out of the room, a cold chill runs through the arena, causing her to rub her exposed arms. “I felt that through my armor.” Zack says, rubbing his own hands over his dark red doublet. Trini seems similarly affected. It takes all of two seconds for them to realize what's going on. And sure enough, she can hear the sound of horse hooves pounding against the wooden floors of the arena. She turns to see horses made of pure dark energy carrying a carriage riding through the arena. On top of the head horse is a figure in a black cloak. The horses come to a stop. The figure dismounts their horse, pulling the hood of their cloak down, revealing themselves to be Queen Karone of Korova. With her head held high, she goes straight to the stands, taking their seat in the private seating area at the top of the arena. Three knights get out of the carriage, each dressed like their kingdom’s royal knights. It's two men and one woman, and the woman has the Astro Clan’s crest on the back of her hand. “We should head to our seats.” Trini says, practically pushing her princess towards the stands. Once they reach the section of the private seating area reserved for them, Kimberly looks down at the ground below where the knights from Korova are walking away. “They look tough.” Zack says. “Yes, they do. But Jason, Tommy, Rocky and Tanya can handle whatever they throw at him… them.” Kimberly says, quickly catching her mistake. And if Zack and Trini do notice, they don't get a chance to call her on it as Julius, Alfie and Francis reach the stands. “I'm surprised you made it here before we did.” Julius says. “I thought for sure that you would have shown up late.” “I wanted to get here early so that I could spend as much time away from you three as possible.”“For the first time in ninety-four years, The Virticourse Games are back in action!” The announcer, Skull, screams to the crowd, their voice booming as the result of a spell. “These games will push these warriors to their absolute limits! And that's if they survive! Let's meet the warriors competing for the home kingdom. First up, Tanya Sloan. She's a witch, she's big, she's had, and she has a functioning brain! Her magic is a force to be reckoned with! I know I certainly wouldn't want to go up against her!” “And secondly, there's Rocky De Santos. He’s a human, but don't discount him just yet. He’s got the fists of pain, he's fast on his feet, and he's got the strength of a werewolf hopped up on a witch’s herbs.” “Could they oversell him more? Why did we choose him again?” Francis says. “Give him some credit. Rocky's got skill.” Zack says. “And what do you know about the knights?” Francis turns to glare at Zack, who quickly takes an interest in his boots. “We chose him because the fourth knight we wanted got injured and is currently dying in the infirmary.” Alfie says. “Thirdly, we have Tommy Oliver. He's a were-dragon, element unknown. He literally flew into this kingdom, supposedly a prince from a long lost kingdom. And you know what they say about dragons. I wouldn't want to make this guy angry.” Kimberly notices Francis and Julius whispering among themselves. She has a pretty good idea of what they're saying, even without being able to hear them. And for reasons she can't explain, she feels uneasy. “Finally, here's Jason Lee Scott. He's been a knight since the young age of sixteen, and comes from a mysterious background. He's a wizard with a sword, he's got speed comparable to a werecat, and better yet, he’s only human.” When Jason finally joins his friends, Kimberly tries to keep her smile small as she claps like she’d done for the other three. Because Jason is just any other warrior to anyone else. She notices Francis and Julius talking amongst themselves again. “Let's see how good he is when going up against the fiercest magical beings from all seven kingdoms.” Julius says. “I still have my money on the dragon.” Francis says, brushing his blonde curls out of his eyes with one hand while raising his teacup to his lips with the other. “You should not discount the human. Two of the previous champions were humans.” Alfie says. “Do you have something that you wish to contribute, princess?” “No.” Kimberly clears her throat.“For the very first day of the Virticourse Games, we will be starting off simple, by Virticourse Games standards that is. Our warriors will have to run an obstacle course that would Zordon himself peeing in his pants. This course is littered with traps, including false floor traps, projectiles, and so much more that I'll save as a surprise. And I will be as far away as possible.” Skull floats away on a floating strip of ground. “And remember, anything goes.” A counter made of pure magic energy appears in the air above them, counting down from five. Jason grips the hilt of his sword tightly, watching the counter tick down to zero. Just as it reaches zero, the ground before him changes from barren to covered with rocks of varying sizes strewn around the course, pits of lava in the ground, and floating platforms above them. And at the very end of the course is the finish line, and anyone who reaches it before the counter goes down to zero again will progress to day two of the games. Several competitors step forward without surveying the course first. For them, rocks come flying at them from seemingly nowhere, and they each fall through the ground after getting hit. “Ooh, six out before we're even a minute into the game. That's embarrassing for them.” Skull exclaims. Jason takes off running, his friends not far behind him. A fireball comes at his head, and he runs past it. The ground opens up in front of him, creating a giant fissure. “Now, what do we do?” Rocky says, almost running into his back. “I think we're going to have to jump over it.” Tommy says. “Easy for you to say. Jason and I can't exactly grow wings out of our backs. Nor, can we use magic to make ourselves float?” “You say that as if growing wings out of my back is easy. Do you know how hard it is to isolate transforming to a single part of your body?” While Rocky and Tommy are arguing with each other, Jason is already jumping over the fissure. He lands on top of a large rock. And instantly feels a pair of eyes glaring at him. He looks up to see that he's not alone on the rock. He's met with a pair of blue eyes. He knows immediately from their black hooded scarf and matching black leather coat that they're from Korova. “You're lucky I have better things to do.” The woman jumps off the rock, and runs away, their blonde hair flowing behind them. Jason tries not to look up at the crowd for the princess. He's felt her eyes on him the entire time, but he can't think about that for too long. He has to focus on getting to the finish line. He pulls himself up on the rock, getting to his feet. He jumps to the next rock, launching himself forward in the course. The rock starts to sink into the ground, and he rolls onto the ground, a knife swirling through the air over his body. He gets back up, making his way through half the course. He only stops when he sees that the ground before him is nothing but lava. He has no choice but to get on the nearest floating platforms. “Looks like our warriors are going to have to do some thinking here. Especially for those out there that can't fly. This should be interesting.” He hasn't heard Skull’s voice in a while. Or maybe he's been speaking this whole time, and he hasn't noticed it until now? “I think I'm going to have to-” “Do not say what I think you're going to say.” Rocky says. “Fly us up there.” “And you said it.” “I don't think we have any other choice. I definitely don't think I can float the three of you and myself up that high.” Tanya says.“We're wasting time standing here talking about this.” Jason says. “What are they going to do?” Trini says. “I don't know.” Kimberly rubs her face. Jason's bound to come up with something. “Do not tell me that all our knights don't even make it past the first day of the games.” Alfie pinches the bridge of his nose. “That would be the embarrassment of the millennia.” Francis dabs at his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. “Come on!” Kimberly suddenly shouts. “Your majesty, you must conduct yourself properly in a public setting.” Francis scolds her. “Is it not good for the soon-to-be queen to be seen publicly supporting her warriors?” “There is a much better way to do that than shouting like you're no better than a peasant.” Francis says. Before she can argue with him, she hears an ear splitting roar, looking up to see a green dragon soaring above them. “I will never be used to this!” Rocky screams. “It appears as though I was right to put money down on the dragon.” Francis says, no longer profusely sweating. “I wouldn't be so sure about that.” Julius scowls, pointing to where Tommy has just transformed back after landing on a platform. But they are not alone, the three knights from Korova are standing on the other end. The woman with the crest on her hand, raises her shield. A shockwave comes off the shield, knocking the other four off the platform. “That was evil even for a Karovian.” Zack gasps. “Did they-” Kimberly clutches her throat. Tommy flies back up, going directly over the Karovians. “Is he going to be okay transforming twice in a row like that?” Trini says. “I'm sure he’ll be fine.” Zack says. “Look, they've almost reached the end of the course!” Kimberly exclaims. Tommy touches down at the finish line, transforming back. “They did it!” Zack screams excitedly. Kimberly can't help her excitement. She's sure she has a lecture about conducting herself properly in front of the people but she can deal with that later.
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After the games, the first thing Jason does is go to the infirmary to get treated for his injuries. He hadn't even noticed how hurt he was until he’d reached the finish line. Dr. Campbell is in the process of healing his broken rib when the princess walks into the infirmary. “Princess, what are you doing here?” Jason says. “I wanted to check on you all. And I know it probably doesn't mean much but I thought you all did great today.” “You're our princess. Of course it means something.” Jason says. Kimberly smiles at him, though she quickly averts her eyes. “And you seemed quite enthusiastic near the end. At least we know we have our soon-to-be queen’s support.” Rocky says. “That almost makes it hurt less.” “I also wanted to check on Adam. How is he doing?” Kimberly walks over to the bed occupied by the unconscious knight. “He's doing fine. I’ve placed a spell on him that will allow his body to heal while conserving his energy. Unfortunately, his injuries were and still are quite severe. So the spell is taking longer than I thought it would. But he’ll be fine. I will make sure of it.” Dr. Campbell says, removing her hands from Jason's side. “I was put under the impression that he was dying by the advisors.” “They’ve underestimated me. I suppose I should be used to that at this point. And as for you, Jason, you're all healed.” “What happened?” Kimberly turns to look at him, and he swears she sounds more concerned for him than she had for Adam. But that notion is ridiculous, and he pushes the thought deep down. “I just broke a rib when I landed on that rock. I'm fine.” He assures her. “We're also fine, by the way. Thanks for asking.” Rocky says. “And Tommy's sleeping like a baby in the knights’ quarters.” “That's great to hear, too.” “You're all cleared to fight in the games tomorrow. Under the condition that you don't strain yourselves too hard tonight, and get plenty of rest. And Rocky, for the love of the gods, use the heated pillow this time. Maybe you wouldn't be in this position if you’d used it the last time?” “Do I want to ask what she's talking about?” “No, no you don't. In the most respectful way, princess.” Rocky says. “And I'll use the pillow. But I don't want to hear any laughs.” “I promise not to laugh at you.” Jason says as he gets up from the gurney he'd been sitting on. “It was great to see you, princess. I don't suppose there's any chance of you joining us for dinner in the knights' quarters.” “She's a princess. Why would she want to-” “I’d like that. It's better than eating by myself.”“Are you sure you're okay?” Kimberly whispers to him on the walk to the knights’ quarters. “I'm fine, princess. I just need some food and a good night's sleep.” Jason doesn't dwell on her concern for him for too long. Of course she wants him to be able to continue to compete in the games. She could never want him to be anything more than a friend to her. The only reason she wanted to marry him was because he was a friend that she trusted. She was an actual princess, and he’s an orphan from the Kirrithit District. After his parents died in the Battle of Kirrithit, he spent most of his time in the Grand Library. He thinks that the librarian had pitied him, letting him stay in the library for hours on end. They were a werecat, and had fought in The Great War. Jason had managed to convince them to train him. He wanted to do better, be better. He wanted something more than life in Kirrithit. “Jason?” He feels a small, gentle hand on his shoulder. He turns to look at the princess, his brown eyes meeting the concern in hers. “I'm sorry. I guess I got a little distracted.” “It's alright. What were you thinking about? If you don't mind me asking.” Before he can consider telling her the truth, they've reached the door to the quarter's. “Hey, you finally made it. I was starting to think you'd gotten lost.” Rocky greets them at the bottom of the stairs. “Sorry.” “Is there something going on here?” “No.” Jason says. “We should get to the dining room.” As he and Kimberly walk away up the stairs, he can feel Rocky staring at his back. “We should be more careful. I think Rocky's starting to suspect that we're sneaking around.” “You’re right. Maybe we should-” She doesn't get to finish her sentence as they've reached the dining room now. “And there they are now. Great job today-” Zack starts, but stops short upon seeing the princess. “Princess, what are you doing here?” “She's joining us for dinner.” Rocky says. “Oh, well, welcome to our humble abode. Though, I imagine our food isn't quite as good as whatever the royal chefs cook up for the royals.” “I'm sure I'll love whatever you're having.” “Zach!” Trini shouts from the kitchen. Zach turns around, running into the kitchen. “What are you having exactly?” He chuckles. “Don't worry. It's probably just pottage stew, roasted vegetables, bread and maybe some rice.” He takes a seat at the table, and she sits down next to him. Zach and Trini come out of the kitchen with the food, laying it out on the table. “Where's Tommy and Tanya?” Trini says, looking around the room. “I'm pretty sure he's still resting upstairs. And I think Tanya said she was going to the infirmary to check on Adam.” Zack answers. “You guys didn't run into her on your way back?” “No.” Jason shakes his head. Though, he’d admittedly probably been too distracted to notice. “Well, I guess it's just us then.”Tommy's lucky enough to have a room with a balcony. Only two of the rooms in the west tower had balconies, his was one of the two. Sometimes, he liked to come out here to be alone and to think. But it doesn't take him long to realize that he's not alone tonight. He's already reached for the hilt of his sword on his belt when a pair of black boots land on the floor of the balcony. His eyes pan up the body before him, eventually reaching their blue eyes. “You were surprisingly easy to sneak up on.” The woman remarks. What was her name again? It's not easy to forget her, though. She was the werecat from Korova with Karovian crest on her hand. She was the one that knocked them off their platform. “Who says you snuck up on me? Especially since I'm pointing the tip of my sword at you.” She smirks at him before disappearing from sight. After a couple of seconds, he feels her presence behind him, and her breath on his neck. “You forgot that I'm a werecat. And what are werecats known for? Speed.” She whispers in his ear before stepping around him to stand in front of him again. He slowly lowers his sword, but doesn't put it back in its holster. One can never trust a Karovian. “What do you want?” “I just was just on a walk to clear my head before getting some sleep for day two of the games. Then I saw something I liked. And decided to go after it. It's not everyday that you find a Zordonian knight in a state of undress.” He’d taken off his cape, and undone the top buttons of his doublet when he’d come outside. “I’d hardly call this a state of undress.” For a moment, her demeanor slips, and she almost seems embarrassed. But she quickly recovers. “Well, it was still enough to catch my attention. I wanted a closer look. I don't regret my decision so far. I'm Katherine. You can call me Kat, though.” “You're a werecat, and your name is Kat?” “Yes yes. Make as many jokes as you want. I’ve heard it all before.” “Tommy.” “I know. It's kind of hard to forget a guy like you. Tall, dark, and a little bit of mystery. I truly look forward to cracking that mystery over the next four days.” “Will you be doing that in between your attempts to kill me and my friends?” “I don't want to kill you. There's nothing in the rules against sabotaging competitors from another kingdom. And Karone will not be happy if we don't take advantage of that rule. I'm sure a man like yourself knows that she's not the kind of woman you want to anger. But I assure you it's not personal.” “That's good to know.” He says sarcastically. “Don't be like that, Tommy. I hope that you're enough of a man to know that what happens between us on the course doesn't have to affect us off the course.” “I am enough of a man.” He declares boldy. “But that doesn't change the fact that you are a Karovian working for Karone. I don't put it past you to be up to something even when we aren't in the arena.” “I suppose that's fair.” Kat admits. “I should probably go. I need my sleep for tomorrow.” Kat swings her legs over the railing, jumping down from the balcony, and landing on her feet. Then she disappears into the night.“I should probably be going now. The advisors are probably wondering where I've gotten off to.” Kimberly says. “But thank you for having me tonight.” “It was our pleasure. Don't be afraid to join us again.” Jason says without fully thinking his words through. “That might just happen. Bye.” Kimberly walks out of the dining room. “I should probably get to bed.” Jason quickly gets up from his chair, going towards the stairs to his bedroom. He's halfway up the stairs when the door opens. “I wanted to ask you something.” Jason turns around to face Rocky. He was right. Rocky was onto them. “Is there something going on between you and the princess?” “What are you talking about?” “I'm asking if you're lovers. Or if you're courting her.” “Of course not. She's my friend. And that's all we are. Besides, why would a girl like her want to be courted by me?” “What does that mean? You're a great guy, Jason. And after today, you've probably got a whole gang of maidens wanting you. And there may not be anything going on between you two, but I definitely think she's interested in you. Why don't you make a move?” Jason doesn't say anything for a long time. “I need my sleep.”
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Kimberly hesitates outside of her mother's bedroom door before slowly opening the door, and stepping inside the room. The queen is lying underneath the blankets of her bed, her skin having long lost its usual golden color, replaced by a ghostly white color. She was so thin that if not for her head sticking out, Kimberly might not have even noticed her there. The flux curse had wiped out her appetite, and any attempts to eat would've resulted in her vomiting up a strange black substance. It was a miracle that she had survived for this long. The flux curse had ravaged her body, first making it so that she could barely walk without assistance. Then she couldn't walk at all. Next, it came for her organs, making it so that she could hardly keep any food or liquid down. Then it came for her eyesight, leaving her nearly blind. And all Dr. Campbell is able to do is provide potions to keep her comfortable. “Are you awake?” “Hmm, come sit down.” Kimberly takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. “I assume you're nervous about your coronation.” “What makes you say that?” “I know my child. You don't need to worry. You will make a great queen. You have a big heart. It will be a great asset. But first, you need to learn to listen to your head more, and not make decisions with your heart all the time.” “I can't do this without you. I'm not ready-” “You don't have a choice. You are lucky that I am still here. And you will not be alone. You’ll have advisors to guide you. That's what they are there for.” “They're all so stuck in their ways. They don't listen to a thing I say.” “Just put your foot down. You have to lay down the law. Your coronation will be any day now. You will be queen. You cannot let them take control. The advisors are there to advise and to guide you. But you will always have the final say.” The queen starts to cough, and Kimberly hands her a cloth. When her mother pulls it away, it's covered in black blood. “Should I get Dr. Campbell?” “No. There's nothing she can do. She’ll have her hands full with the Virticourse Games.” “How did you-” “I'm blind, not deaf. I can still hear what goes on in the hallways. I have nothing better to do with my days. It can actually get quite entertaining.” “I'm sure.” “Go have breakfast. Go watch the games. You need to learn how to live without me being around. I could die today for all you know.” “Don't talk like that.” “It's the truth. Don't make me have to tell you to leave twice.” Kimberly gets up from the chair, walking out of the room. She finds herself going to the knights' quarters in the west tower. If she would be eating breakfast now, then the knights were probably eating now, too. When she reaches the dining room, she finds Rocky and Jason rolling around on the floor. Tommy throws a pear at them. Both men look up to see Kimberly standing there. They immediately stand up straight, fixing their clothes. “Sorry, princess. We didn't see you there.” Rocky says. “We were just getting some sparring in before the games today.” Jason adds. “It's alright. I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind if I joined you for breakfast.” “Of course not.” Rocky says quickly. She thinks she sees Jason giving his friend a look. “You know what, Tommy, why don't we help them in the kitchen?” “Why-” Tommy doesn't get to finish his sentence as Rocky is already pulling him out of his seat, and into the kitchen. “Rocky definitely thinks there's something going on between us. He asked me if I was courting you last night.” “Oh well, maybe you should tell him the truth? You trust him, right?” “Yes, but he might try to throw the game if he knew the truth. I don't want to win that way.” “Maybe you're right. And maybe we should limit our alone time until the games are over?” “I don't think Rocky's going to let that happen. I think he's trying to set us up together now that he knows we aren't lovers.” “That might be a problem.” She gets the impression that there's something Jason isn't telling her. Is Jason attracted to her? She's well aware of the fact that he's not exactly an unattractive man. She'd known it when they first met, and that was years ago. She doesn't know if she’d say if she wished to be his lover. She knows that if their plan worked, they would have to kiss, and probably have sex. She imagines that the advisors will be pushing for at least one heir. And the thought of having to kiss him doesn't terrify her. The thought of having him make love to her doesn't terrify her either. “I should go into the kitchen before Rocky starts to think that we're having sex on the table.” Jason starts to walk into the kitchen. “Right.”“Welcome back to day two of the Virticourse Games.” Skull announces. “Day one sure was an interesting thing to watch. I honestly expected more from the thirty-three best warriors from all the kingdoms. Let's see how the remaining twenty-six do against today's challenge.” Skull smiles mischievously. The games could throw just about anything at them. And as evidenced by yesterday, they could literally throw something at them. Because the only part of the games that didn't change was the fifth and final day. Jason hasn't made it there yet. So he has to be ready for anything. Even the ground beneath his feet disappearing completely, causing him and every other warrior to plummet to whatever awaits them below. Jason lands on a swamp-like ground, dirtying his uniform. He takes in his surroundings, seeing that he's in some kind of swamp with green fog everywhere that makes it impossible to see very far ahead of him. He looks up to see that above is only green fog. He reaches for the hilt of his sword. “Rocky? Tommy? Tanya?” He calls out for his friends, but doesn't get a response. He can't hear anything. At first at least. Because he suddenly hears snarling behind him. He turns around to see a… He actually doesn't know what it is. It's a tall lizard-like thing with its rib cage on the outside of its body, and small tentacles growing out of its head. Its face is nothing but a mouth with sharp teeth. It screams at him, tongue darting out of its mouth. Jason is blown backwards into a rock, and the creature charges at him. He rolls out of the way just before it reaches him. He pulls out his sword, pointing the tip at the creature. The strange thing simply stares at the sword, before deciding to take its chances. When it comes towards him again, Jason plunges his sword through their chest. He pulls his sword out of the creature’s chest, and the creature falls to the ground. He feels a tingling sensation in the middle of his forehead. He reaches up to touch the spot, feeling the magic against his fingertips. But he doesn't have time to think about what's on his forehead. He has to find his friends. And apparently fight off monsters, too. “We keep meeting like this.” Katherine comes out from behind a rock with the number four on her forehead in pink. “And if you're looking for your friends then I saw your dragon friend back that way.” “Why should I believe you?” Katherine is a Karovian. And he knows the meaning behind having a kingdom’s crest on your body. Katherine is not just a knight. She's a slave. Korova was one of only two kingdoms that still allowed slavery. “I know that you have zero reason to believe me, but I'm telling you the truth. And it seemed like he could really use some help. Not everyone was as lucky enough to run into only one monster in the beginning.” Katherine smirks at him. Then looks over his shoulder before leaping off the ground, going over his head. He looks behind him to see her landing on top of a monster, knocking the creature to the ground, and digging her claws into their neck, ripping their head off in one swift motion. Katherine looks over her shoulder, her eyes glowing purple as the number on her forehead changes to a five. Then she runs off into the distance. Jason runs in the opposite direction. He doesn't know if Katherine’s word can be trusted, but clearly killing monsters has something to do with today's challenge. And just standing around doing nothing isn't going to help him. He runs into four different monsters on his way to wherever his destination is. There's bound to be an end to this swamp somewhere. He only stops when he almost collides with a body lying on the ground. They're a warrior from another kingdom, dressed like a knight from Nastia. He can see a big red swollen spot on his neck. “Run.” The unknown knight groans so softly that Jason almost doesn't hear him. “It's still here.” What kind of monster attacked him? Jason looks around the area, but only sees fog. A black tail with a sharpened end comes shooting out of the fog, narrowly missing his neck as he dodges the attack. The tail keeps coming back, and all Jason can do is slash at the tail. Judging by the state of his competitor, he doesn't want to get stung by this thing. Finally, he manages to slice the end of the tail off, getting an ear-splitting scream in response. All he can see is a pair of yellow eyes charging at him through the fog. He plunges his sword between the creature’s eyes. He can barely make out the shape of a black blob lying on the ground. “Are you good?” Jason turns back to the warrior lying on the ground. He doesn't get a response back. He kneels down to check their breathing, finding that they were no longer breathing. They were dead. Jason sighs. He pulls himself back to his feet, and continues along the swamp.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kimberly had thought that nothing that could happen during the games could possibly surprise her. She had expected acts of sabotage from the other kingdoms, and challenges that were bound to get someone killed. It's always amazed her just how low the death rates were in the Virticourse Games. But she did not expect for the ground to completely, causing all of the warriors to disappear into whatever awaited them below. It's all part of the game. Jason can handle it. He’ll be fine. That's what she has to keep telling herself in her head to keep from projecting outwardly how much she's really worried. The advisors are probably already suspicious about her and the games. Or maybe they aren't. She's still surprised that they never gave her a lecture for her behavior yesterday. Maybe they're up to something? But she can't worry about that right now. Her main concern right now is waiting for the warriors to come back. And hope that Jason will be alright when they return. But waiting feels like forever. They can't even watch the course like they could on the first day of the games. What was the point in that? “Are you alright, princess?” Trini suddenly asks her. “Oh, yes. Just a little worried.” “Me too. But Tommy, Jason, Rocky and Tanya are more than capable of handling whatever's going on down there.” Trini says, but she clearly doesn't sound as sure as she wants to be. “And here they come! But I hear that not all of the warriors are going to be coming back up. It appears that the games have claimed their first casualty.” Kimberly, Zach and Trini exchange looks between the three of them. Francis has pulled out his handkerchief to dab at his forehead, which is once again sweating profusely. The ground starts to float back up, carrying all of the warriors on it before melding back in with the rest of the ground. It doesn't take her long to find Jason among them, along with the other Zordonians. “What are those numbers on their foreheads? And what's all over their uniforms?” Trini says. “You might be wondering what's going on here. The warriors had to fight magically crafted monsters in a swamp… Which was also magically crafted. Time worked differently there. They were fighting for nearly an hour down there, when it had just been a few minutes up here.” It was only a few minutes? Why had it felt so long? “Anyone who failed to defeat more than ten monsters is… out!” There's a mass amount of grumbling, presumably from the people that failed to reach the goal. That must be what the numbers on their foreheads mean. What number was on Jason's head? Nineteen. “And anyone who defeated more than ten monsters, you will advance to the next day of the games. Now, all of you will have to take a cleansing bath in some enchanted water. The fog in that swamp might have some, uh, after effects. Bye!” Skull disappears from sight.“These games have taken years off of my life, and I'm not even competing.” Dr. Campbell grumbles. “You know how hard it is to find enchanted water?” “Hard?” Rocky says. Dr. Campbell looks at him as if she's wishing she could set him on fire. Rocky looks away before she decides to use her magic to do exactly that. Dr. Campbell had come to the knights’ quarters to run each of the four of them enchanted water baths to cleanse them of whatever they were exposed to in the swamp. It was only after Jason had left the arena that he’d felt the drowsiness hit him. His eyelids felt like weights, and his bones felt like liquid. The smell of monster blood made him want to vomit. The others don't look much better. The strangest thing was that Dr. Campbell had cleared them all of having any serious injuries, they’d only sustained a few scrapes and bruises. “Okay, remember to only be in the tub for thirty minutes exactly. No less and no more. And remember to dry off thoroughly afterwards. Maybe clean your uniforms thoroughly, too? You all stink.” Dr. Campbell wrinkles her nose. “And I have to get going. Do you need anything else before I go?” Each of them say no. “Good. Now go take your baths before you all drop dead.” Dr. Campbell rushes out of the tower, as if she can't get out of there fast enough.By the time Jason’s thirty minutes are up, he climbs out of the tub, desiring nothing but to towel off and go to bed. After drying himself off as best he could, he dresses himself in a pair of cotton pants. He usually sleeps without a shirt. Then there's a knock at the door. “Come in.” He says without fully thinking through who could possibly be at the door. It's probably Rocky wanting to talk to him about the princess again. But the door opens and in walks the princess herself. “Jason, are you- Oh, gods.” “Princess… I didn't know that it was you at the door. I usually don't sleep with a shirt on. I’ll just-” “It's okay. I just wanted to check on you after today. Rocky told me you were in your room. I should've figured it was some kind of trap.” “I’ll have to talk to him about this.” “You don't have to do that. Are you okay?” “Yes. You don't have to worry about me. I’ll be more than fine for tomorrow’s course.” “That's not all I care about. You're my friend, Jason. I want you to win, yes. But I want you to be okay, too.” “The warrior that died today. I was with him. I found him lying on the ground. He was still alive but barely. Then I got attacked by this scorpion monster, the same monster that attacked. By the time I fought off the monster, the warrior was dead.” “I'm sorry, Jason.” Her hand is suddenly on his arm, rubbing his skin with her thumb. “I should've beaten the monster sooner. Maybe I could've-” “You could've done what, Jason? You had no idea when you would be coming back up. And unless you discovered magical healing powers at the most convenient time, there was nothing you could’ve done.” Some part of him knows that she's right. There was nothing he could’ve done. No matter what he’d done, that warrior was still going to die. But that doesn't make him feel much better about what happened on the course today. Then he notices the way she's looking at him. Has she been this close the entire time? The sound of a loud crash from outside is the only thing that stops him from dipping his head and capturing her lips.Kat dries her hair with a towel, after dressing herself following her bath. As she's doing so, she hears the door open behind her. Karone walks into the room, closing the door behind her. “How are things progressing?” Karone asks. She sounds like she's in a good mood. “I believe I've gotten Tommy, the dragon, to trust me. I got him to let his guard down last night.” Not by much, but it was something. Hopefully, embellishing a little bit now wouldn't come back to haunt her once she started to produce her results. “That's good. And what about the others?” “Jason definitely doesn't trust me. I'm sure that the others are following his lead.” “Then I suggest that you change that. And soon.” Karone is suddenly standing right behind her. Katherine tenses. “You fought monsters today.” Karone turns her back to her, walking across the room. “Monsters created by magic. Which has given me an idea. I create a monster, and send it to attack the Zordonian warriors. That's when you will swoop in, and save the day. You can even take your teammates with you if you feel it necessary.” Karone never refers to Zhane and Leo by their names. Granted, Leo was just some guy that Karone had plucked from the streets of Korova. But Zhane had been Karone's brother, Andros’, best friend before he went missing. There were rumors that Zhane and Karone were more than friends. Much more than friends. Then her family was taken from her, and now she couldn't even speak his name. “And I'm going to do that right now.”“What was that?” The princess says, clutching Jason's arm. “I don't know. Stay here. I’ll check it out.” She slowly lets go of his arm. Jason barely remembers to put on a shirt before leaving his room. The doors to the other rooms come open, having heard the sound as well. Outside, they find out what was responsible for the noise. It's another monster. This time a four-legged creature with leathery black skin, giant ears, and spikes along its back. “Oh, I have had enough monsters for one day.” Rocky grumbles. “Then let's put this one down quickly.”