Something in me snapped the moment that Moreno hit the ground. I stomped down hard on the giantess's foot and threw my elbow back into her throat. The knife clattered to the ground, and she stumbled back. I kicked her back again and drew the blue gun from my waist.

I'd never fired it outside the training room, but this seemed like a good time to put some of my lessons into use. The giantess held up her hands and cried out for mercy. I didn't care, though. I plugged two bullets into her and kicked her in the stomach to make sure she stayed down until the super special halfant bullets wore off.

I ran to where Moreno lay, but he had already pulled himself up to his knees. His entire back was covered in red, but it wasn't dark and sticky like blood. Instead, it was fire engine colored and almost powder-like.

"Is that a paintball splatter?" I asked in shock and horror.

Moreno laughed. "It just knocked me off my feet. I'll bruise, but I'll be fine. Nice to see you defend yourself, though. It was totally hot."

"That's what we're going with, huh?" I laughed and fired my gun at another incoming giant. "Your focus seems strangely off."

I helped Moreno to his feet. He dusted off his hands and picked up his gun again. Then he smiled at me, and I wiped the blood off his face. Then he looked at me and I could see the love and protection in his gaze.

"Stay close to me," he said. "We still need to find your mother. I saw Finn protecting her earlier."

"I think she's still in a vision," I said. "I left her arguing with Tytan. I don't think they even noticed that I left."

"That's good," Moreno said. "There's still a chance then that we can sneak up on her."

I followed him across the battlefield, trying not to step on any of the giant bodies that littered the ground. Other halfants fired at giants from positions at the compound. I spotted at least two snipers on our side and a dozen halfants firing blue guns like us. The giants just kept coming over and over. Some even stumbled and crawled when they were paralyzed like zombies that wouldn't die.

Alana lashed a whip at two giants crawling towards her. There was a wild look in her eyes with a singular focus: destruction. One twin fought at her side, but Alana didn't need the help. Like Moreno, she was a machine.

I spotted Finn and a dozen rebels more than a football field's length away. They had shields, and several of the rebels wore golden armor. They were defectors from the Nikone house. Either that or Ellenora had stolen armor from her own family. They were holding shields and fending off the halfants bullets with ease.

My mother lay crumpled at his feet, her lavender hair splayed in all directions. Her eyes seemed to be open but lulled in the back of her head. I didn't know if that meant she was unconscious or still having a vision.

"Moreno," I pointed.

"I see," he said. "I don't know if our rounds can pierce that armor, but we can try. If we take your mother captive, there's a chance that this is all over."

I kicked back at a giant, trying to grab my ankle. I hadn't realized that the blue bullets would leave giants in this way. It was almost pathetic the way they were immobilized, but I supposed it was more humane than killing them all. I wasn't sure how the halfants could arrest all the giants here, but I knew they'd try.

"For someone who can see the future, your mother sure led her followers into a massacre," Moreno said. "Unless she had another intention."

There was no doubt about that. My mother was a liar. She probably told her followers that they would win just so she could use them as a distraction. Ellenora was dangerous and dastardly, with little regard for even her zealots' lives.

We made our way through the melee carefully and with calculating precision. Halfant armor seemed to keep bullets from penetrating, but the blow still could catch me off guard. Moreno took down a giant firing another paintball gun, but not before he got hit two more times. Blue powder mixed with yellow on his front making him look like he lost a battle with the Grinch.

I knew I didn't look much better. The paintball shooting giant had gotten me too, with a neon pink round. You could see me on the battlefield from outer space based on how bright the power was. Some of the power was smeared in my hair and all down my front.

We reached the giants guarding Finn and my mother quickly once we dispatched the giant with the paintball gun. These giants actually looked trained. The ones in golden armor leered at Moreno, but I seemed to give them pause.

"Hand over my mother and no one gets hurt," I said.

"You can't give us orders, princess," one of the golden armored giants lifted his shield. "We swore our oaths to the High Crown Princess."

I almost laughed aloud. "Is that what she's calling herself? She's a nutcase."

"Our oaths cannot be broken," another giant said. "You should know that Nikone spawn, or you are a traitor to your house."

Moreno gave me a look like "these are your crazy relatives, your move, princessa." I might not have understood the complexities of being a Nikone, but it didn't matter here. We were going to take my mother captive.

"She doesn't deserve your loyalty," I said, holding up my hands as if to show them the battlefield. "Your fellow rebels have fallen. You're the only ones left standing."

Some of the other halfants were filing in behind me. We had enough troops to take them all down two to one. Still, they didn't move from their positions.

"Kill her," Finn spat from his position, crouched next to my mother.

"We don't raise a hand against our own unless in a duel of arbitration," the first golden armored giant said. "And we trust our royal family."

"You're useless," Finn spat.

He got up off the ground and charged at me. I braced to attack, but one of the golden armored giant pulled Finn back and stepped between me and my assailant. Finn kicked and screamed, but the giant held him back.

My eyes widened. The golden armored Nikone giants were protecting me? I honestly hadn't expected that. I was almost sure they were loyal only to my mother.

"Kill her," Finn screamed again.

None of the giants moved. I glanced over at Moreno. His bronze eyes were trained on Finn in case the golden armored giants released him. He was ready to pounce the moment something went wrong.

We were at a complete and utter standstill. Before I could think of what to do next, Ellenora's eyes fluttered open. My mother rose and dusted off her golden armor. She looked at me and smirked. My heart sank.

I only took me a millisecond to realize she'd planned this. She wanted me to talk to her, and it took an entire army for her to get this close. I should have run. Instead, I did something much more stupid. I decided once again to try to talk to my mother.

"Here we are again," I said. "You're surrounded, Ellenora. Your best course of action is surrender."

I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. It hadn't worked before the battle or inside the magical realm our family shared. Still, she hadn't killed me yet, which meant she still needed me. Either that or she was convinced I could tell her where my mythical brother was.

"Once again, you fail to understand anything, Theresa," Ellenora said. "And here I was thinking my daughter was smart."

"You won't win this battle," I said.

"I don't have to," she said. "I just have to beat you."

Moreno's eyes widened, and he pushed me behind him. I admired his bravery, but I knew Ellenora was my problem. I wouldn't let anyone else be threatened by her lies and deceit.

"Beat me?" I laughed. "I've never even challenged you. I would have been happy staying in San Francisco. It was your followers who started this."

"Princess Theresa Oakeley-Nikone, daughter of the high throne of Stormos and granddaughter of his reigning descendant, King Tytan," Ellenora said. "I challenge you to a duel of arbitration under charges of conspiracy against the crown."

Moreno let out a couple of colorful words in Spanish that I didn't want to translate under his breath. His entire body tensed, and I could see the worry lines etched into his skin. I reached out and took his hand.

"What does that even mean?" I asked. "I'm not a part of the Nikone house."

"Technically you are," Moreno said. "And you have to submit for arbitration. I'd have to do the same if someone from my house called me out."

"The young lord is right," the golden armored giant holding back Finn said. "The challenge must be met."

Moreno swore again. "If this was any other house..."

"You wanna tell me what I've gotten myself into before scary mommy does?" I asked.

"Normally an arbitration is in front of a guard or arbitrator," he said. "But when Nikones arbitrate each other, it's only done one way..."

"A duel," my mother said. "Our people are fighters, Theresa. First to fall losses."

I silently cursed for not spending more time actually learning about the Nikones and their traditions. Sure, I'd spent time in the training room with Moreno, but I wasn't ready for a duel. I didn't know much about fighting other than some punching training Moreno had insisted I take part in and shooting, which was something that the giants didn't do much of since human guns were rare.

"You can't turn down her challenge," one giant in golden armor warned. "Nikones cannot back out."

I glanced at Moreno. He gripped his gun so tightly that his usually dark skin had turned white around the knuckles. There wasn't a way out of this. There was a chance that my training was enough, but he didn't look confident.

"Fine," I said. "Let's fight."

"Remove your weapons and swear a golden oath you will adhere to the ancient laws," the golden armored giant said.

Ellenora removed a sword from her side and three knives from her belt. I set my blue gun on the ground and set the small blade from my boot on the floor. I didn't know what ancient laws there were here, but I had a feeling they were against concealed weapons.

My mother eyed me expectantly, and she stripped her golden armor. My heart sank as I realized I was expected to take off my protective gear. I'd never taken a punch without this stuff on. Still, I had to follow the giant rules or they might have an excuse to kill me early.

My gear hit the floor with a sickening thump. That left me in stretchy leggings and a tank top. At least I had my sneakers. My mother wore a simple tunic and shorts. She pulled her hair up with a long ribbon. Her smile kept growing wider and reminded me more and more of a predator.

"You're not worthy of the Nikone name," Ellenora said. "A disappointment, Theresa. That is the only thing that you are, but this is the only way. You will tell me what I want to know."

I raised an eyebrow. "Just because you want to know something doesn't mean it's true."

Ellenora punched her hand. "The time for talking is over. I gave you a chance to do this the easy way, Theresa. It's time for a challenge."

Hey friends!! Do you think Terri is ready to take on her mother? Let me know what you think of this chapter. There's still much more to come and I can't wait to share Terri's future. Until next time!!