He laugh drew all eyes to her as it filled the air. Spitting on the sand, Izatha jumped to her feet. She flung herself into somersaults, grabbing her staff along the way. With a dramatic twirl, she posed herself like a magical girl finishing her power transformation.

She might as well have been.

"Don't count me out!" she cried. "I will show you how powerful humans are."

Grinning from ear to ear, Zina stepped up to the challenge. Just as she started to move toward her, she felt a rush of air behind her. She turned too late to properly block, being pushed back a few inches.

The two went into a vicious cycle once more. The princess couldn't help but think of a song she knew, and just couldn't help but sing along as well. Changing the pace of the fight, she danced in step to her song.

Heroes rise and they shall fall

But we will stand firm through it all,

Eternal as the tie that binds,

We keep on walking through our own lives.

Even if it all fades to black,

We stand firm amidst the ash

Existing as the stars above,

We will hold fast to those we love 

As kingdoms crumble, heroes fall short

Hope is lost and we will rise then!

This style of combat suited her just fine. Spinning and stomping to the beat, the direction of her maneuvers were much more difficult to detect; she was virtually unreadable.

Zina couldn't land a single hit.

How could she? Her opponent was speeding up, bit by bit, until all she could do was defend.

CLANG! KEERSHING! CLASH! SKREEWWT! CLANG! CLANG! The only way she could possibly get through was if she fought back at the same ferocity, but her speed was faltering.

SWOOSH-THUNK!

Zina's staff clattered on the rock stairs, out of fight. Smiling, Izatha swept out her legs and twirled behind her. Catching herself, she barely stayed up on her hands and knees, shaking.

Her heavy breathes became the only sound in the arena. Wavering, she attempted to stand up while Izatha was watching, but faltered and fell completely. Her tittering form was barely holding onto consciousness, the waves of exhaustion and pain taking over what was once fueled by adrenaline.

No smile adorned her cheek as she gazed down at the broken warriorress. This wasn't how she wanted to do it, yet it was done all the same. Either this would make or break their aspiring friendship. The results were yet to be seen.

The earthling turned to the High Court, glaring at those sitting at the feet of the throne. A fire was in her eyes, raging as fast as the blood in her veins.

"Your warrior is defeated. I have proven that humanity has just as much skill as any Enage does," she boasted.

The world was still, as if no one knew how to respond. It was the High Court that moved, Lord Tamari standing to speak to her.

"You have proven that you are a great warrior. You will be a force to behold on the battlefield. We are blessed to have you," he stated.

"I assure you, lord, that I will do everything in my power to keep there from ever being a battlefield," she retorted.

"If you think that you can keep the Re-Mons behind the border on your own, you are more naive than you seem."

"You are mistaken," she started. "I do not intend to keep the Re-Mons suppressed, but to make peace with them once and for all."

He laughed at her and her preposterous idea. The nobles who heard her looked at her like she was a joke, smiling at her idiocy.

"Make peace, you say? Those animals are out for blood alone with no sense of honor or truth. The follow whomever is the strongest until a stronger one throws them off the throne. The have no purpose other than to kill and destroy!" he roared.

The crowd reacted violently to his words. They started calling out hateful words, rebuking Re-Mons in the tongue that she did not know. She could tell what they were saying anyway.

Lord Tamari held out his palm to silence them. His gaze steamed of resentment as he glared down at the earthling.

"And what of you? How are you, a princess raised on earth, supposed to do what our great kings could not? You need to learn your place, for your sword is not as sharp as you think!"

Just like that, she knew what she needed to do. She hadn't even realized that she wanted peace with the Re-Mons until she said it without thinking, but accomplishing it would take more than what she had now.

There was only one place in this society where she would get what she wanted, and she wouldn't stop until she had it.

"My place indeed," she began. She turned to look at Theodoar, ignoring all other nobles. "Lord Theodoar, please repeat these words for all to hear my declaration."

He was rather confused on the matter, but seeing the fire in her eyes, he wouldn't dare defy her. Nervously, he stood ready to translate.

A vicious grin curled her lips as she turned to the soldiers, the middle class, and the servants.

"Hear me now, all of Hillared!" she declared. Theod's voice boomed as an echo of her own, adapting the pronouns so no one would think that he was speaking.

"You will not accept me to be queen without a king, but would you crown a king if he did not have a queen? If the king has command over the army, should not the queen as well? Should not women fight with their brothers and husbands, and lead men into battle?"

The people began stirring at this point. They didn't like that she was suggesting women to be in charge of men, but they had seen her strength. Even though she was broken from battle, they weren't sure that they could walk away if they retaliated against her words.

No one wanted to the first to rebuke her. The stakes were not worth her wrath– yet.

"If you will not see me as a ruler as queen, then I, Izatha-Nora, will be king. I will earn my place as the leader of the Enage!"