The Arena novel Chapter 76

The next morning, we’re all up early. The pack is split in half, half coming to attack the arena and the other half staying to protect the pack and pack lands.

Kenna and I shift, and Cedric and Ishir grab their bags of grenades. Cedric has his sword thrown across his back as he puts the harness on me, grabs his bag, then walks up my wing, getting himself settled on my back. The pack members coming with us shift, grab their bags, and begin running to the arena. Once Cedric makes sure everyone is shifted and on their way, he gives Kenna the signal, and she lifts into the air. Once they are far enough away, I lift up, and we begin making our way to the arena.

About halfway there, we meet up with Avani and Kaylani. I notice that Avani has a female on his back. I’m surprised, but I don’t have time to wonder about it. We go higher into the air so that we can see the arena from high above the clouds. We watch for Cedric’s pack, and when we see them getting closer, he gives the signal.

As one, Kenna and I swoop down toward the arena. We’re flying fast, but I’m flying faster than Kenna. She has to make sure that Ishir doesn’t fall off. But since I have Cedric strapped to my back, I can fly as fast as my wings will carry me.

“Cedric,” I call out as I see the harpoons on top of the arena wall turn in my direction.

“Bank left behind them!” Cedric shouts at me over the wind rushing in our ears.

I turn just as several harpoons launch. As I’m sideways, Cedric drops a bunch of grenades onto the arena wall and the area just in front of it. The sound is deafening as the grenades go off. I turn my head and see that Ishir is dropping some on his side. Kenna is higher up, but she’s had to maneuver around the harpoons that have launched as well, so Ishir is hanging on for his life. I’ll give him credit, he must be terrified, but he’s still dropping the grenades.

I twist and swoop back up into the sky. As I do, Avani passes me, moving to the now decimated wall of broken harpoons. He begins roaring, causing the arena to shake. He grabs the walls with his talons and I see the harpoons on the side wall turning, trying to take aim at Avani.

I dive again, banking sideways as another round of harpoons turns and fires at me. They have redirected their efforts toward me and Kenna again while Kaylani begins washing out the wall on her side.

Cedric drops another round of grenades and blows as many of the harpoons as we can. “I’m out,” Cedric hollers at me.

I roar at Kenna, telling her we’re out of grenades. “We are, too,” she shouts back.

“We didn’t get all the harpoons, so be careful.”

“I’m dropping Ishir off, then I’ll be back. We can burn the rest.” Ishir is going to help the pack who has arrived get the supes out from the underground.

I’m not paying attention until Cedric shouts at me. “Bank right, Tana!”

I do without thinking, and a harpoon goes whizzing by my neck. A fireball flies past my head, and the harpoon begins burning.

“Let’s burn them to the ground, Tana!”

I pull my fire and begin blowing it around the arena. Kaylani has been flooding the inside of the arena and I blow my fire on her water. The hunters who are treading water and trying to swim to an exit begin boiling alive as the water heats to extreme temperatures.

I see Kenna fly back and begin blowing her fire around the outside of the arena, burning down the harpoons and dodging the few that get shot in her direction.

“Tana, I need to find Troy. Do you see him anywhere?”

It’s chaos everywhere. Shifters are starting to rush out of the underground. There are hunters and spectators all over the arena, trying to get out, trying to fight the pack members who are trying to release the supes. The heat of the water is dying out, and the water is rushing out of the arena exit doors.