Queen Tempest rose to smile maliciously, as she looked around the arena. She was soaked in blood, which covered her usual navy blue and cyan scales. She spread her wings as if about to take flight, as she stood victorious over the stilled corpse of her daughter, Azul. With a last look towards the crowd, she sliced off one of Azul's claws.

Murder, Lux thought. You will pay for this!

Her cousin Amarillo clung to Lux's side. She had been shivering as she was forced to watch her mother kill her sister. Her sister Verde, stood next to her, with a blank stare. Lux carefully draped her wing over Amarillo, to comfort her and again thought of the challenge. Not the one that had just occurred, but the one from twelve years back. She shook her head angrily and her mind went to the entire eighteen challenges, Tempest had faced.

Queen Tempest had slain her mother, all four of her sisters, seven nieces, five of her daughters, and even the granddaughter of her eldest son. One of those challenges, Lux's mother had faced and lost. And there was nothing Lux could have done about it. She had only been a hatchling, and soon after, an orphan who was raised by her older brother.

Although royal challenges were a part of NatureWing's tradition and did not make Tempest evil, there were countless other acts that she had committed that said otherwise. That's why Lux lowered her eyes to stare at her talons, to appear fragile and submissive, as the Queen's gaze drifted over the crowd.

Lux knew the Queen was on the edge of sanity, and that only infuriated her more. She couldn't challenge Queen Tempest, herself, for who knew how long. How many other dragons will have to be tortured, cast out, and murdered before I can challenge her? Lux thought. Again she cursed the stupid royal council, who still hadn't created a test for her, so she could demonstrate the skills needed to prove that she was ready to be queen.

The queen waved the disembodied claw in the air. Upon it was a golden ring, inlaid with a beautiful sapphire, that represented Azul's royal status. Lux nervously fidgeting with her emerald ring, painfully aware that she was one of the last three dragons, able to challenge the Queen.

"What an excellent trophy for my treasure room!" Tempest yelled as she let out a blood-chilling laugh like she knew she was going to live forever.