*Selaeyah's dress*

Tears clouded my vision, obscuring my thoughts, as I blindly followed the other five members of my team into our quarters. We shared the living space with Team Arystenn, and were told that it was the nicest of the five contestant holding areas. 

The large, circular room was dimly lit and had a low ceiling. Twelve cots were placed around its circumference, each with a coarse blanket at its foot and raised to provide storage space underneath. The room was bare, but it wasn't squalid like the other holding areas. However, I couldn't appreciate this fact. I had an awful headache, like bells were tolling in my brain, signaling my imminent death.

Yakovan Hejedai and the Ganni twins had already claimed the cots closest to the rusty standing fan, so I settled for one in the corner next to Toya. 

"Members of Team Arystenn, exit your holding area and await further instructions. Members of Team Valior, remain where you are." A monotonous announcement echoed through the speakers. 

"Goodbye," Toya smiled. 

"Wait...I'll see you again, right?" 

"I hope so," she grimaced, leaving with the rest of her team. 

"Greetings, my lovely little Rhenan snails," a cheerful voice chirped. Turning around, I saw Selaeyah Valior walk through the door in a ridiculous, blue latex dress and black high heels that looked so sharp they could be weapons. I wondered how the Chief managed not to fall over in them. 

If only the President of the Iceheart Department tripped over her shoes and fell into the arena in the middle of a heated challenge. Now, that would be a warmatch.

"As you know, my friend Saralee has beaten me at my own warmatches for over a hundred years in a row, which is quite humiliating. This year, I plan to change that! Who's with me!?" She clapped her hands together, her eyes glistening with the pure joy she took in murdering innocent Rhenan teenagers.

"Me!" A fierce looking girl with completely blue hair jumped up from her cot, raising a dagger into the air. "Shade Alestra at your service, Chief Valior! My parents and older brother were both Team Arystenn Warmatch Interplanetale survivors, and I've been waiting for this moment since I knew what the warmatches were."

Shade was extremely pale for a Rhenan and her lips were twisted into a permanent scowl. Everything about her screamed "DANGER!"

*Shade Alestra*

"Ah, yes, Miss Alestra," Chief Valior beamed. "I chose you for your impressive lineage. You are indeed one of the most well trained contestants in this year's warmatches. Now, show me what you've got." 

Shade grinned, turning around so that she faced the wall. The rest of our team watched as she gripped her dagger, holding it above her head. And then, closing her eyes, she threw it backwards at the Chief of the Scientist Clan. It whizzed past her ear, pinning a single strand of her black hair to the opposite wall. Even Selaeyah Valior, the Empire's famed master of death, looked astonished. 

"A sixteen year old with aim like that..." She trailed off. "How on Lessaenes did Saralee miss you!?" 

"It's no fun when there isn't an actual person to kill," Shade pouted. "I could do even better with a real, living target. The blood and the screams make it much more interesting." 

"Indeed," the Chief nodded. 

"You know what?" She added after a second of thought. "I'm very interested in you. Would you step outside with me for a moment?" I could almost feel my other teammates' envious gazes at her back as she exited the room with Selaeyah Valior. 

"Iceheart's pet," someone whispered, accompanied by a few snickers and giggles. 

I wouldn't make jokes about her just yet, but I knew one thing for sure. I was very lucky that Shade Alestra was on my team. 

............................

"Do you want me to do something for you, Chief Valior?" Shade asked, pressing her back against the cool, stone wall of the hallway under the arena. "Perhaps a top secret mission to the West Arabella province to assassinate Eleanna Myers?" Her hazel eyes shone with hope. 

"No, nothing that exciting...yet," the Chief smiled mysteriously. "Now, tell me, what do you think of death?" 

"Oh, killing is one of my favorite hobbies," Shade smirked. "Deaths are so beautiful...especially long, slow, painful deaths."

"True, true," Selaeyah replied. "That's why I create the warmatches the way I do." 

"It must feel amazing after a match," Shade's face grew dreamy and distant. "Just killing one person is so satisfying...I can't even imagine the joy of knowing you've caused so much death. It has always been my dream to be on the Interplanetary Warmatch Board, to help you and Liretta Seau design the matches every year. But I shouldn't even think about that. I'm just a useless Rhenan." 

"Oh, you poor, poor girl," Selaeyah placed a comforting hand on Shade's shoulder. "A killer who can't fulfill her warmatch ambitions simply because of her race...I think you've found my soft spot, and I didn't even know I had one! Let's see, if you survive this warmatch, I'll see about getting you a scholarship to Eskee University so you can study Death Arts." 

"Really?" Shade gasped. "But isn't the Eskee Death Arts program-" 

"Number one in the Empire," the Chief nodded. "I should know. I graduated from it myself. Now, you'd better survive this match." 

"I will," Shade grinned confidently. 

"Wait," Selaeyah stopped her before she could reenter her quarters. "There's one more thing. I need you to kill Cascadia Ervine." 

"But...Chief Valior, she's on our team!" 

"I don't care! Don't question your orders, Rhenan!" Selaeyah snarled. "Kill Cascadia Ervine, or you can kiss that Eskee scholarship goodbye."